Metal Wani's editor in chief Owais "Vitek" Nabi recently conducted an interview with NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Asked if there are plans for NIGHTWISH to return in 2018 with a new record after the band's previously announced year-long break in 2017, Floor said: "Well, we'll be back in 2018. We haven't said anything about a record or what we're gonna do. We have been keeping it a secret on purpose, 'cause it's something special, something that I really think NIGHTWISH fans will really like. But indeed, for now, we're taking a break from the whole thing — not because it wasn't good, but maybe because it was good. It's good to reflect on life and take a step back and sit and relax and do something else. And we'll be back with a vengeance in 2018."

Jansen, who officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013, recently shot down speculation that NIGHTWISH's upcoming break has something to do with tension between members of the group. She told AXS: "Even though we will have this year off, it doesn't have anything to do with how things are in the band. I've seen some people starting to gossip online of why we [would] take a year off. We'll take a year off because we can and because we want to. That's all there is to it. It has nothing to do with how things are in the band. And it also doesn't mean that we haven't been thinking about what's coming next; we have a lot of cool stuff coming up. So we hope that, after this break, people will still be equally excited to come out and see whatever we've got cooking up in our kitchen for them."

Jansen also dismissed rumors that she will leave the band after welcoming her first child in early 2017. She told Mariskal Rock TV: "No, I won't [quit NIGHTWISH]. I love this way too much; don't worry. You don't even have negative speculations one way or another. Things are great, and let's keep on doing this forever."

Jansen revealed in September that she was four months pregnant. The singer's partner is SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl.

NIGHTWISH has just completed the world tour in support of its latest studio album, 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful".

NIGHTWISH released "Vehicle Of Spirit" on November 4. The DVD features the band's performance from the Wembley Arena in London, England, along with their show at Tampere, Finland's Ratina Stadion.

Dukascopy TV recently conducted an interview with ARCH ENEMY frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the success of ARCH ENEMY's "War Eternal" album (2014):

Alissa: "I think there's a few factors that made 'War Eternal' as successful as it is. One of them would be that we had just great musical chemistry, all of us in the band together. Another thing would be that, for Michael [Amott, guitar] as the main songwriter, he just lost a very important element of his band [previous singer Angela Gossow], so the pressure was on to make great music. And for me, I had just been kicked out of my previous band [THE AGONIST] that I had invested twelve years of my life into, so the pressure was on for me to be able to make music that I was happy with and that would allow me to continue performing. So both of us had really, sort of, stressful life situations going on that we really felt motivated us to really, really put a lot of passion and effort into our songwriting. And so I think that translated in the album. And I think that there's a certain part of every… just in human nature that likes to see someone kind of fail, and I think that curiosity made people really interested in, like, 'Okay, well, let's see what they whipped up.' But then… I mean, most people were pleasantly surprised."

On what fans can expect from ARCH ENEMY's next album:

Alissa: "Now we actually have even a newer addition to the band, which is Jeff Loomis [ex-NEVERMORE] on guitar, so fans can look forward to hearing his soloing style on the album. I'm really excited to hear his contributions to the album as well. I think he really inspires Michael and vice versa. Even in just the backstage, they're always jamming together and writing stuff together. We also have Sharlee [D'Angelo, bass] and Daniel [Erlandsson, drums], who also both play guitar, so they also write riffs and help to arrange songs and stuff like that. And, you know, with every year that passes, as human beings, we experience new things and new thoughts, and I always put those down in poems, so I have a collection of poems that I can turn into lyrics for the upcoming album as well. We all have new things that we learn as we get older, and always try to bring that in, all while maintaining the sound that is ARCH ENEMY, that ARCH ENEMY fans know and love, because that's what we know and love too. We don't wanna change the sound completely, but we're obviously open to incorporating new sounds."

On feeling the pressure of following up "War Eternal":

Alissa: "I really wanna make really good-quality music. That's the thing for me — I don't wanna just [have the attitude], 'Oh, I'm sure they'll like it,' and release whatever. For me, it has to be stuff that I totally love, because if I don't totally love it, I'm a really bad liar [laughs], and I know that the fans are gonna see that. So I just wanna make sure that on my solo album and on the next ARCH ENEMY album, only the best, highest-quality music will be released."

ARCH ENEMY will release a new live DVD, "As The Stages Burn!", on March 31, 2017 via Century Media. The set contains video footage of the band's largest stage production to date from their performance last summer at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.

Backstage Axxess recently conducted an interview with THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen. You can listen to the full chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the lyrical themes on the band's new album, "Who You Selling For":

Taylor: "This record is very personal, but there's no message or theme. It's just a collection of songs that were written around the same period of time, so it very much captures a moment in our lives."

On the songwriting process for "Who You Selling For":

Taylor: "We write separately and then sometimes together, but for both of us, as far as isolation to write, I go away and have a house in New England. I have a tiny little creepy Stephen King-esque house. I read, paint, and I sculpt, and try to keep my mind open to any ideas and see where my mind takes you and go down the rabbit hole of writing, which isn't the most pleasant, but it is what it is. Ben [Phillips, guitar] does the same thing, then we'll bring the ideas together. There's no real process. It's different every time. Sometimes I come in with the whole thing and he'll go 'If you change, this and this, or this will be better' or vice-versa. There's no real process. It's hard to explain. Whatever it is, it works."

On if she's a fan of blues musicians like Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson:

Taylor: "Of course. Rock and roll started with the blues. Without the blues, there would be no rock and roll. I love the blues. I love the story of Robert Johnson going down to the crossroads and selling his soul for rock and roll.

On bringing in outside musicians to help record the album:

Taylor: "We had the songs and for the first time, we wanted to make a very organic, honest record. Nowadays, with computers, everything can be fixed or manipulated, overdubbed and made to be perfect. What I think is missing in music now is that human element of really hearing the players behind it and not having be everything perfectly lined up. The mistake is what gives it its power and what gives it feel. So we wanted to very much have that vibe in the studio. We had songs that were going to require outside musicians, so either that meant we did it ourselves and then overdubbed a piano or overdubbed a keyboard and did that type of layering, or we bring in outside players and set up like a band and jam. So we chose the latter, obviously."

On how the band's current tour is going:

Taylor: "It's been great so far. It's been really fun. It's great to be back out playing new material. We're slowly adding more and more of the new record to the set. I wanted to let the record sit out there for a little bit for people to hear it. I wanted people to hear it before they heard the stripped-down, ruckus rock and roll version of it. You can expect a loud, ruckus rock and roll show."

On what is the hardest part about touring with her male bandmates:

Taylor: "Nothing. We all have the same struggles, like getting enough sleep and staying healthy. The basic human elements like trying to find a shower that is clean enough to shower in. It's no different for me than it is for them."

On if it's easier fronting a rock band versus being a model/actress:

Taylor: "It's freeing. I never really liked that side of things; it was never my choice. I got put into it at a very young age. When I was old enough to make my own decisions, I quit and I haven't looked back since. We're literally talking about a child. I can consider myself a writer first. Getting to write songs, then record them, then play them live, there's no greater job, at least in my mind."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS recently broke a record set by 3 DOORS DOWN and has seen its first four mainstream singles hit No. 1 on Billboard's rock chart. The band's new song, "Take Me Down", topped the chart, following in the footsteps of "Heaven Knows", "Messed Up World" and "Follow Me Down" from 2014's "Going To Hell" album. That broke the group's tie with 3 DOORS DOWN and put them in a position to tie or break the next record, five No. 1 singles, which is owned for now by Canada's THREE DAYS GRACE.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS also now have the most No. 1 singles by a female-fronted rock act.

"Take Me Down" is from the band's third studio set, "Who You Selling For", which arrived on October 21.

Fan-filmed video footage of Norwegian symphonic metallers SIRENIA performing on November 14 at B90 in Gdańsk, Poland can be seen below.

SIRENIA's new album, "Dim Days Of Dolor", was released on November 11 via Napalm Records. The cover artwork was once again created by Gyula Havancsák from Hjules Illustration And Design. The CD was mixed at Hansen Studios in Denmark.

SIRENIA recently parted ways with their Spanish singer Ailyn Giménez García for "personal reasons." She has since been replaced by the French vocalist Emmanuelle Zoldan. SIRENIA guitarist Morten Veland told Heavy Music Headquarters about the band's latest lineup change: "Sadly, Ailyn was not able to do a good job for the band anymore, so we had no other choice than to end the cooperation. Our other option was to end the band, but we thought it was a bit too early for that still. "

He continued: "We experienced a lot of problems the last three years and we could all see this situation with Ailyn coming from miles away. Actually, we were expecting her to leave at some point, rather than slowing the band down and causing lots of problems. That would be the honorable thing to do. She has health issues that makes it impossible for her to do a good job for the band, especially touring had become a huge problem over the last few years. She does not want to talk about these problems and I totally respect that, so I won't go into any details about it. I just find it really disappointing that she publicly stated that we fired her, but at the same time she did not say the reason why. That just makes all the bandmembers look like a bunch of assholes that fired her without any reason whatsoever. The fact is that we had all the reasons in the world to end this cooperation. In fact, most bands probably would have done so three years ago. We wish her all the best though, and we are grateful for the good years we had together as a band."

Morten adeded: "When we searched for a new singer, the choice fell on Emmanuelle right away, because she is such a diverse singer. She can handle all kinds of techniques and styles. We have worked with her for more than a decade, but mostly with her being a part of the choir. I have always been a fan of her voice. I always loved her voice and felt sure that she would do a great job and fit well into the band. And, as expected, the recordings turned out fantastic. It was also a great learning experience for both of us. So I feel sure that we will even improve our cooperation even more in the years to come. She added a lot of diversity to the album. She is making great variation with her singing, which is a huge step forward for us. I am already excited about writing new material for Emmanuelle's voice, now that I have learned even more about her strengths as a singer."

Regarding how SIRENIA's sound has evolved on "Dim Days Of Dolor", Morten said: "We have done some remarkable changes with this new album. The most obvious difference is, of course, the change of singer. Emmanuelle has added a new sound and touch to SIRENIA's music. The diversity is bigger than before, and I also think that the performance level has been raised a lot. Furthermore, we have changed mixing and mastering engineer for this album. We worked with Danish producer Jacob Hansen for the first time. I think that he has really perfected our sound and taken the band to new heights as well. I also think that the song material is really strong and diverse, and there is some cool new elements on the album that have not been done in the past. I feel quite sure that the SIRENIA fans will really appreciate this album."

Ailyn was best known as a former contestant on the Spanish version of "The X Factor", the biggest television talent competition in Europe.

She appeared on four studio albums with SIRENIA: 2009's "The 13th Floor", 2011's "The Enigma Of Life", 2013's "Perils Of The Deep Blue" and 2015's "The Seventh Life Path".

Fan-filmed video footage of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's solo/side project BRITISH LION performing on November 25 at Hellraiser in Leipzig, Germany can be seen below.

BRITISH LION previously debuted two new songs, "Spitfire" and "Bible Black", during its summer 2015 tour.

Asked if BRITISH LION has been road-testing new material on its recent tours for the band's upcoming second album, Harris told Kerrang! magazine: "To be honest with you, we just didn't have enough material [on 2012's self-titled debut to fill a headlining set]. We had to do that stuff. In an ideal world, we probably wouldn't have done. It's weird, though, really, because years ago I had an idea that you couldn't really do now because of the Internet and that. Back in the day, I thought maybe you could have released a MAIDEN album with all-new live material. That would have been possible, maybe. But now you couldn't because obviously no matter where you go in a band, you can't get away with anything, because people film it on their cameras on their phones. It is what it is; it's a different thing now."

He continued: "I know some people have probably checked out YouTube footage of the new songs. I still don't think it's going to be as good a version as what we put on the proper album. Hopefully people will still want it. Of course, there'll be other songs as well. It's nice, like you said, road-testing them — I think it makes them better. The way we're playing the songs now is a lot better than the first album was."

Harris also talked about the evolution of the BRITISH LION sound. He said: "The band's been evolving anyway and the songs have been evolving with it, or vice versa. We're finding our feet as a band, finding more of a sense of what we are. Without analyzing it too much, I think the [new] songs are really probably going, if anything, maybe in a heavier direction perhaps. I mean, 'Spitfire', to me, sounds like really heavy THIN LIZZY. But others might think something different about it. But they're really good songs, really powerful songs, and they certainly stand up against any of the other songs, really. And some of the ones we have got up our sleeves are just as good."

BRITISH LION is recording shows on its current European tour for an upcoming live album, tentatively due next year. "We've been talking about a live album for a while," Harris told Kerrang! "We recorded the last couple of tours, and obviously we'll record stuff from this tour and get as much stuff as we can to get a good cross-section of stuff and then we'll definitely put a live album out, because I think it's important."

BRITISH LION's debut album sold around 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 3 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"British Lion" was released in the U.S. on September 25, 2012 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). Mixed by Kevin Shirley — whose credits include IRON MAIDEN as well as Led ZEPPELIN, JOURNEY and RUSH, among many others — the CD features Harris alongside singer Richard Taylor, guitarists Graham Leslie and David Hawkins and drummer Simon Dawson.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH played an abbreviated show last night (Friday, November 25) at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts because frontman Ivan Moody was dealing with the death of his mother.

The singer told the crowd (see video below): "My mother is actually passing along today, and I chose to here today instead of with her. So thank you so much for coming."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH reportedly played a total eight songs, with bassist Chris Kael handling the lead vocals on at least three of them.

At some point, Moody was led off stage and Kael came back out and apologized to the crowd, saying the band could not continue. "As you can see, tonight is a very emotional night," Kael said. "We came out here… We tried to put on a show for you guys, but sometimes things are heavier than even we can imagine. So on behalf of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, all of us, we appreciate you guys coming out. We need to get back there and be with our frontman, we've gotta get back there with our brother. Take care of the family, all right? We love you, Worcester. We fucking love you."

It is not presently clear if any of the remaining dates on FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's U.S. tour with SHINEDOWN, SIXX:A.M. and AS LIONS — including tonight's (Saturday, November 26) show at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey — will be affected.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory said last year that the band's onstage meltdown in Memphis in May 2015 forced Moody to confront his addictions after years of living as "a functioning alcoholic." He added that the whole group made behavioral changes to help their bandmate on the road to recovery.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's record label, Prospect Park, sued the band in April, alleging that the group wanted to rush the recording of a new album without proper creative input from the label and in order to "cash in" before the anticipated "downfall" of Moody, who was revealed to be in rehab.

Lee Carter of Metal Wani conducted an interview with vocalist Charlotte Wessels and keyboardist Martijn Westerholt of Dutch symphonic metallers DELAIN prior to the band's November 13, 2016 show at Koko in London, England. You can listen to the full chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the reception to the band's new album, "Moonbathers":

Martijn: "It's been great. Actually, normally when we release an album we play a couple of songs [live]. Not all songs work as well live; some songs are just better on an album. In this case, we have seven-to-eight we play from the new album. We've never done that before. It works really well. It really blends into the set. We're really happy it has been received so well."

Charlotte: "People are singing along so fast, so apparently they picked it up as well. The response is very cool."

Martijn: "We hear people say, 'Play it over and over,' which, of course, is a compliment. Also seeing people enjoy it live, looking at them singing along, that gives energy. It's special together. You create magic. The crowd and the band. It's making it a special experience."

On why U.K. crowds are so receptive to DELAIN:

Martijn: "That's a good question."

Charlotte: "I think we made a jumpstart here. We didn't release 'Lucidity' straight away. We started here with 'April Rain' and then after that…"

Martijn: "Actually, we started playing here pretty early on. Like the chicken and the egg! The label said, 'We don't want to release an album yet because we didn't play here.' And vice versa, but we said, 'Well, we want to play here.' Then it was 'We want to release it.' That's where it took off."

Charlotte: "In a lot of the mainland [Europe], we had 'Lucidity', 'April Rain', then a quite a big pause to 'We Are The Others', but here we had 'April Rain', 'Lucidity', then 'We Are The Others' because we released them in a totally different order. Maybe it's also the attention span — it was a shorter period of time, we kept coming back very soon. I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but that's the only difference between U.K. and mainland in the way we release our albums."

Martijn: "I think it's also a cultural thing, I suspect. The U.K. isn't Europe, it's not a continent. In the U.S., it's different as well. It's just a different country."

Charlotte: "We get invited here to rock and metal radio stations. We don't even have that in the Netherlands. The culture for a lot of the music here is more accepted."

Martijn: "Europe is more of a niche thing. We have a wonderful fanbase in Europe; Paris is always crazy. Germany goes really well. But it's different."

On the inspiration behind "Moonbathers":

Charlotte: "Lyrically, for the first couple of songs, they were all pretty pessimistic. They were all pretty dark and sad. That was a bit of a difficult point. I always saw myself that whenever you write about that stuff, there needs to be a light and there wasn't. At that point, we needed to decide, 'Okay, we are doing artwork and photo shoots, what it is going to be?' We decided to go for it and also put the label 'Moonbathers' and say, 'Even in a dark place, there can also be that comfort in the dark.' You can especially find it in the dark somewhere. I like to listen to sad songs. They make me feel sad and feel better. I hope it's something that fans can relate to, and eventually, there are a lot of really upbeat points on the album as well to counterbalance that."

Martijn: "We aimed for having a lot of contrast. I always talk about contrast with the albums, but this time, I really pulled it off, greatly. There are really hard, heavy songs in there, sensitive ballads, and there's a rock song like 'Fire With Fire', so, but still, it's cohesive enough. I'm really, really happy how it turned out. That's what we aim for and is what we got. In this case, for us, it's about diversity. We want to diversity on the album and as I said, contrast."

Charlotte: "I do think it's the most diverse album we've made."

Martijn: "I agree. You never know, but you never know how it turns out. Creative juices and creative processes, what comes, comes. You can aim for something, but this was the exciting part of it. You can only aim production-wise. We did some new things, experimenting with recording, not in one go, but in different parts. Mixing a couple songs, then starting over, then recording a couple of other songs. It's a more modern approach, like with dance tunes. Write a song, mix it, release it, then go onto the next. With our case, we didn't release [it], but that's how mix it, then go to the next. Then you can reflect on it later on: 'This turned out well,' or [if it] doesn't, of course you can tweak it. It's a different way of working, but it worked out really well."

On re-creating the band's symphonic elements live:

Martijn: "You're limited, because if you want to recreate everything like strings, violins, then we need an eight-piece orchestra here or something and people will have to pay five thousand pounds to cover everything. I think it's also the guitar part and bass part, the heaviness, the bombastic part is so important is that it's not all about the symphonic elements. It's part of it, but it's not everything. We also have synth stuff and electronic elements in there as well, and that's very easily done live. Of course, we have stuff playing along, or it's just not possible. It's also important to have a good sound engineer. It just works really well live."

"Moonbathers" was released on August 26 via Napalm Records.

Holland's FaceCulture recently conducted an interview with vocalist Anders Fridén of Swedish metallers IN FLAMES. You can now watch the chat in two parts below.

Speaking about one particularly personal song on IN FLAMES' latest album, "Battles", Anders said: "'Here Until Forever' was written for my son. He's eight years old. I have this piece here, 'Come Clarity', which I wrote for my daughter when she was two. And he's seen that, and he asked all the time, 'Daddy, where's my song?' And I don't think I'd been ready to write something that would make him justice. But now… yeah, I was ready. So that one is, obviously, the most personal one, because it's very directed towards one person, for me. But I think the lyric is open for interpretation; it could be for anyone — someone that you love, or someone that you missed, or someone that you have a special bond with."

Asked if his son has heard "Here Until Forever" and what he thought of it, Anders said: "He heard it. I think he cried the first time [he listened to it], 'cause he was so proud: 'This is about me.' And it's an important track, because we… You know, we are away [from each other] many months a year, and we have a little thing, me and him, for how we connect… If he feels sad and he wants to contact me, then we have a certain thing that I taught him to… so he feels safe."

He continued: "I think he's super proud of that song. And then he can tell his friends, 'This is my song.' Stuff like that."

"Battles" was released on November 11 via Nuclear Blast in all territories excluding North America and Scandinavia and Eleven Seven Music Group in the U.S. The CD was recorded in Los Angeles with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson, who has previously worked with MOTÖRHEAD, BODY COUNT and SEPULTURA, among others.

Lechon Atomico of Mariskal Rock TV conducted an interview with METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich before the band's October 26 concert in San Juan, Puerto Rico. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if fans can expect to see METALLICA perform any MOTÖRHEAD covers as a tribute to Lemmy Kilmister at any of the upcoming concerts, Lars said: "Hopefully. I think everybody knows what a significant role Lemmy played in METALLICA's existence, in my life, the life of the band. Obviously, MOTÖRHEAD's music has played a significant part, so I think that that will definitely happen. There's a song on the new [METALLICA] album ['Hardwired… To Self-Destruct'] called 'Murder One' that also is a little bit of a nod in Lemmy's direction, at least lyrically. So Lemmy is in our hearts and in our souls and in our thoughts all the time, and I'm sure that there'll be plenty of tributes to him along the way in the next few years."

The aforementioned METALLICA song "Murder One" uses many of Lemmy's songtitles in the lyrics. METALLICA frontman James Hetfield stated about the track: "'Murder One' was the name of [Lemmy's] amplifier, his favorite amp on stage. And I loved being murdered every night by that thing, man. He was just such an icon, such an inspiration to us as a band. There's certainly no way we'd be around if there was no MOTÖRHEAD. And, you know, to see your idol, your immortal one, actually be mortal, it hit us pretty hard. So I felt, lyrically, it makes sense to acknowledge him and how much he's meant in our lives."

During the September 26 Town Hall event at SiriusXM's New York studios, Hetfield stated about the inspiration for "Murder One": "MOTÖRHEAD had a lot to do with METALLICA sitting here right now. But just Lemmy as an entity, as kind of a father figure, he helped us a lot. He was unafraid. And he was a character. And he was himself. And we all respected that so much. He did his own thing to the last breath. No matter who you are, how could you not be inspired by that?"

"In the summer of 1981, I followed MOTÖRHEAD around on tour," Ulrich added . "That was what made me want to be in a band. When I came back to Southern California and called up James and said, 'Listen, we've got to give this a shot,' ... MOTÖRHEAD is the catalyst."

Shortly after Lemmy's passing, Ulrich penned a lengthy tribute to the MOTÖRHEAD mainman in which looked back on the influence Lemmy had not just on METALLICA but also on him personally.

"I was down at [Lemmy's] 70th party [on December 13, 2015 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood], and I got a chance to sit with him for about ten minutes, just him and me. I told him that his obligation to the rock and roll community was to live forever because his birthday party was like a hard-rock class reunion," he wrote in part. "Everybody was there because Lemmy's one of the few people we can all agree on who is just the coolest guy ever. We would all show up. I told him it was his obligation to live forever, because he was the reason we could all get together and celebrate hard rock and celebrate MOTÖRHEAD and see familiar faces because we're all so scattered now. Obviously I could tell that he was in deteriorating health but we had a close bond, one that didn't necessarily need to be reaffirmed or articulated. The less we said the more we knew the connection was there."

Lars added: "Whenever METALLICA played L.A., [Lemmy] would always come and watch us, and whenever MOTÖRHEAD was up here, we'd always go and see them play. We probably crossed paths 50 to 100 times in the last 20 years, and he came and played with us onstage multiple times. It was a bond that deep and it goes back to the crazy summer of 1981.

"I will always appreciate and forever cherish all the great times we had together, but especially those early days. We were so vulnerable, so moldable because a significant part of who we've become, both in the band and as people, is directly due to not just him but all the rest of the people who were inspired and drank from the same bottles and shared the same stories and same space. His spirit will always live in us."

"Murder One" is featured on METALLICA's new album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", which is due out November 18. The effort consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

MOTÖRHEAD won the "Best Metal Performance" Grammy in 2005 for its cover version of the METALLICA song "Whiplash".

At a 1995 gig at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, members of METALLICA celebrated Lemmy's 50th birthday by taking the stage as a wigged tribute band dubbed the LEMMYS.

In a 2011 interview with Metal Insider, Lemmy said: "You can't top METALLICA. They're really a fucking excellent band. I'm delighted that they said that I was one of their influences. Like, they have all of their influences, and you can't hear the influences in them, which is great. They've become their own people, and that's great. I like them a lot. I've spent a lot of time with those boys."

According to TMZ, former GUNS N' ROSES member Chris Pitman has settled his lawsuit against the band's lead singer, Axl Rose, over an unpaid debt for services the multi-instrumentalist provided to the group. Pitman claimed that Rose wrote him a promissory note for $125,000 that he was owed for over a year's worth of work. In the suit, Pitman said that Rose was supposed to pay up by October 2012, but failed to do so. Pitman wanted Rose to pay him more than $163,000 with interest, but apparently accepted "much less," according to TMZ, with the exact terms of the settlement remaining confidential.

Pitman joined GUNS N' ROSES in 1998 and remained in the band's lineup until earlier this year. During his time with the band, Pitman served as a second keyboardist, second bassist, provided backing vocals and added some percussion and programming during the group's shows. He also did some co-writing with the band over the years.

Pitman earlier in the year apologized for calling the GUNS N' ROSES reunion a "nostalgia tour."

In a social media post that was quickly deleted (but captured on Reddit), Pitman wrote: "This is a nostalgia tour, please don't mention those who are there the last 20 fkg years [sic] oh god no! ...(a money grab) FU."

Pitman later took to Twitter to say sorry to his bandmates, explaining: "I sincerely apologize to GNR,especially the band and crew,for stupid comments about upcoming tour, ..remember kids, dont drink n text!"

The musician joined GUNS N' ROSES in 1998, and is featured on every song on the band's sixth album, "Chinese Democracy". He was one of the longest-serving members of the group's pre-reunion lineup.

GUNS N' ROSES' two-month North American stadium tour grossed a massive $116.8 million with over one million tickets sold, according to Billboard.com. The "Not In This Lifetime" trek, which ran from June 23 through August 22 and included 25 concerts in 21 cities, earned a staggering amount for a rock band in 2016. The band grossed an additional $15 million earlier in the spring from two shows in Las Vegas and another pair at Coachella.

The tour features three members of the classic GUNS N' ROSES lineup — Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan — backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, and keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese.

According to TVA Nouvelles, the Messe Des Morts music festival, which was scheduled to take place tonight (Saturday, November 26) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has been canceled "for safety reasons" following a protest against one of the event's performers with alleged ties to white supremacist groups.

The Polish band GRAVELAND, which was scheduled to appear at the Théâtre Plaza, has drawn criticism for the National Socialist political views of singer Robert "Rob Darken" Fudali.

The festival's organizers have released the following statement regarding the decision to call off the event: "For safety reasons, we are forced to cancel tonight's concert. Know that the Théâtre Plaza's administration, as well as the Messe Des Morts' organisation have put every effort to find another conclusion. Despite this announcement, we invite you to go back home calmly and to show the same respect you have shown since the festival's debut. Understand that we cannot give you further details for the moment."

Earlier in the week, the Montreal Gazette received an "anti-fascist alert" on behalf of militants who have denounced organizers for knowingly welcoming what the militants call an anti-Semitic group.

"A band with racist and anti-Semitic ideas has no place in Montreal," wrote Karine Fortier in the alert.

"Montreal must remain a safe place for everyone and where racist people who think they have an opening to express their discriminatory ideas must meet with resistance," she wrote.

"It's important that this concert not be held," Fortier said."Whether it's the Théâtre Plaza, that refuses to provide a place for racist bands, or the city of Montreal, that doesn't want to welcome these bands. We can't legitimize such ideas and above all we can't give them a place to legitimize their ideas."

GRAVELAND is extremely popular among National Socialist black metal (NSBM) fans and generally seen as a National Socialist band. Darken, however, has publicly rejected this label, telling Decibel magazine: "I do not think GRAVELAND is an NSBM band. GRAVELAND is regarded as a NSBM band because of my political convictions, [which] most people would call extreme right-wing, National Socialist convictions."

GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA, the band featuring ALICE IN CHAINS singer William DuVall alongside members of MASTODON and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, has canceled its previously announced U.S. tour.

The group said in a statement: "We deeply regret to inform everyone that GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA has to cancel our U.S. tour. [MASTODON and GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA guitarist] Brent Hinds broke his leg in a motorcycle incident. It requires surgery and traveling for him is both impractical and highly ill-advised.

"We can't do our debut tour without our guy. In our view, this is a 'go all-out or don't go at all' situation. So we had to make the very tough call to cancel. The venues should be providing refunds.

"No words can convey how sorry we are to everyone who was planning on attending these shows, just as no words can express how much we were looking forward to bringing the songs from the 'Broken Lines' album to you live.

"The important thing is that, aside from his broken leg, Brent is otherwise okay. He will hopefully make a full recovery soon and we'll all live to fight another day. And, with that, our goal becomes carving out our next opportunity to play. One thing is sure: We will let you know as soon as we know. Until then, keep jamming 'Broken Lines'."

GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA's lineup also includes William DuVall of ALICE IN CHAINS, Ben Weinman of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, DETHKLOK bassist Pete Griffin and former THE MARS VOLTA drummer Thomas Prigden

GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA's debut album, "Broken Lines", was released on September 23 via Party Smasher Inc./ Cooking Vinyl.

DuVall told the Rock 98-9 radio station about the disc: "It's a serious, serious album, man. I could not be more proud of this thing. We just pushed each other to new heights all around, and it's amazing… It's such a dynamic record, and it's just so powerful. And these are some of the best lyrics that I've ever written, because I was pushed to write to this really cinematic soundtrack."

Regarding GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA's musical direction, DuVall said: "It has a lot of what people might expect in terms of heavy, progressive… a lot of riffing, a lot of stuff going on… A lot of beats per minute, a lot of beats per second. I mean, Thomas, he can scramble the eggs like nobody else. So there is a lot of that. There's a feast for the senses. For all the musicians and musos out there, we've got you covered. But as much of that heavy, progressive stuff is there, there are also more, shall I say, straightforward, for lack of a better way of putting it, there's more straightforward tunes, but they still have the drive and the attitude and the go-for-the-throat quality. But, you know, a couple of them you might even be able to dance to as much as headbang to. We all have eclectic tastes, and we wanted to represent all of that."

GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA made its live debut at this year's Reading (August 27) and Leeds (August 28) festivals in the United Kingdom.

After touring for a year and a half throughout almost every corner of the world and leaving fans of all nationalities breathless, the time has come for NIGHTWISH to immortalize their "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" tour on DVD. Therefore, the symphonic metal visionaries are set to release their new live milestone, "Vehicle Of Spirit", in Europe on December 16 (U.S. release to follow in January), featuring not only two full concerts, but also plenty of bonus material.

A performance clip of the song "Stargazers", taken from "Vehicle Of Spirit", can be seen below.

"The title 'Vehicle Of Spirit' came from a friend of Troy's [Donockley, multi-instrumentalist], who after seeing our show a few years ago defined NIGHTWISH as 'a vehicle of spirit that defies category.' That beautiful description has followed us ever since, and felt like a perfect match as the DVD title," states NIGHTWISH keyboardist and songwriter Tuomas Holopainen.

"Vehicle Of Spirit" will be made available in the following formats:* 2BluRay-Digibook (feat. Live @ Wembley Arena London & Live @ Ratina Stadion Tampere + extras)* 3DVD-Digibook (feat. Live @ Wembley Arena London & Live @ Ratina Stadion Tampere + extras)* 2BD+3DVD+2CD-Earbook (limited edition, content as above + 2CDs (feat. The Wembley Show)* Exclusive NB Mailorder BOX (Earbook + 3LP vinyl (black, white, red vinyl) + 12” poster + 12” photo card)

DVD1 (The Wembley Show)

01. Shudder Before The Beautiful02. Yours Is An Empty Hope03. Ever Dream04. Storytime05. My Walden06. While Your Lips Are Still Red07. Élan08. Weak Fantasy09. 7 Days To The Wolves10. Alpenglow11. The Poet And The Pendulum12. Nemo13. I Want My Tears Back14. Stargazers15. Ghost Love Score16. Last Ride Of The Day17. The Greatest Show On Earth DVD2 (The Tampere Show)

01. Shudder Before The Beautiful02. Yours Is An Empty Hope03. Amaranth04. She Is My Sin05. Dark Chest Of Wonders06. My Walden07. The Islander08. Élan09. Weak Fantasy10. Storytime11. Endless Forms Most Beautiful12. Alpenglow13. Stargazers14. Sleeping Sun15. Ghost Love Score16. Last Ride Of The Day17. The Greatest Show On Earth DVD3 (Extras)

01. Weak Fantasy (Vancouver)02. Nemo (Buenos Aires)03. The Poet And The Pendulum (Mexico City)04. Yours Is An Empty Hope (Joensuu)05. 7 Days To The Wolves (Espoo, Barona Arena)06. Sleeping Sun (Masters Of Rock)07. Sahara (Tampa Bay)08. Edemah Ruh acoustic (Nightwish Cruise)09. Last Ride Of The Day (Rock In Rio feat. Tony Kakko)10. Élan (Sydney)11. Richard Dawkins Interview From Wembley

Sold-out arenas and spectacular shows with never before seen pyro effects, wind machines, video screens and of course NIGHTWISH's incomparable melodies are the elements that made their latest tour so unique. Special highlights for the band have been two particular shows though: The one in London, where they not only played their hymns such as "Élan" and the majestic "The Greatest Show On Earth" to more than 12,000 fans, but also welcomed the world famous scientist Richard Dawkins live on stage with them. Richard Dawkins's works had a massive impact on the thematical orientation of their latest studio album ”Endless Forms Most Beautiful". Finland's Tampere show however was a home run for the band and never before NIGHTWISH had such an immense stage production with them:

"I would say the main part of the DVD are those two shows, both Wembley and Tampere," says Tuomas. "Wembley is mentioned first due to its recognizability and legendary status. I remember the show being very special, both a goal achieved, and a starting point. The crowd was heartwarming. The presence of Richard Dawkins on stage was just mind-blowing. The overall experience was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill ride! The show in Ratina Stadion, Tampere, was a home crowd specialty (for four-sixths of the band) with the biggest stage production we've ever had. A lovely atmosphere throughout the concert, with many same faces in the front row as there were 15 years ago. Heartfelt."

When it comes to the fine artwork of the DVD, NIGHTWISH decided to walk different paths this time and come up with a little alternative idea, as Tuomas explains. "We didn't want to include a traditional band shot for the cover, as on the previous DVD release 'Showtime, Storytime'," he says. "So we started brainstorming on different options and the idea of a classic silent movie era Hollywood visuals quickly came up. With those classic slogans the cover has a little tongue-in-cheek-touch to it, but it's still classy and eye catching in its simplicity and originality."

Australian metallers AVERSIONS CROWN will release their sophomore album, titled "Xenocide", on January 20 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

A lyric video for the brand new track "Ophiophagy", taken from "Xenocide", can be seen below.

"Here's your first taste of mayhem from 'Xenocide',", comments vocalist Mark Poida. "Ride the groove and bang your head. As above, so below."

"Xenocide" was recorded by Adam Merker at Studio Anders Debeerz in Brisbane and mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis (WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER) from Audiohammer.

Fans can now pre-order the album with or without the limited "Erebus / Parasites" seven-inch single from the Nuclear Blast web shop. "Xenocide" can also be pre-ordered digitally from iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. Pre-order the album digitally via iTunes or Amazon and receive the songs "Ophiophagy" and "Erebus" instantly.

"Xenocide" track listing:

01. Void02. Prismatic Abyss03. The Soulless Acolyte04. Hybridization05. Erebus06. Ophiophagy07. The Oracles Of Existence08. Cynical Entity09. Stillborn Existence10. Cycles of Haruspex11. Misery12. Odium

The "Erebus / Parasites" seven-inch single was limited to 1,000 copies and split into four different colors: 250 each of gray, blue, clear and magenta.

Finnish melodic metallers BURNING POINT, whose current lineup includes singer Nitte Valo (a.k.a. Nitte Vänskä; ex-BATTLE BEAST), will release their new album, "The Blaze", on November 25 via AFM Records.

The official video for the track "The King Is Dead, Long Live The King" can be seen below.

"The Blaze" track listing:

01. Master Them All02. Time Has Come03. Incarnation04. My Spirit05. The Lie06. Dark Winged Angel07. Chaos Rising08. Lost In Your Thoughts09. Things That Drag Me Down10. The King Is Dead, Long Live The King

BURNING POINT's first album with Valo was a self-titled affair, released in June 2015 via AFM Records. The CD included five brand new songs and six re-recorded tracks from the band's first three albums.

Valo quit BATTLE BEAST in August 2012 via an e-mail in which explained that she would focus on her family life. She has since been replaced by with Noora Louhimo.

Regarding how she came to join BURNING POINT, Nitte told Femme Metal Webzine: "If I remember right, it was at the end of 2013 when Pete [Ahonen, guitarist] asked me if I could sing a few songs on BURNING POINT's upcoming album. But in the spring of 2014 it turned out that Pete had decided to step down from the singer's post and asked me to join the band as a lead vocalist. Of course I had to take some time to think about it. Eventually I said yes!"

On the topic of her departure from BATTLE BEAST, Nitte said: "Being at the age that I was and a mother of two children, I really had to think about what to do with my life and how to live it. I got pregnant and we had a child. It would have been unfair towards the band and I was not been able to give 100 percent to it. Sure, I sometimes missed the feeling of being on stage."

Nitte rejoined BATTLE BEAST on stage in March 2015 at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland to perform three songs: "Victory", "Show Me How To Die" and "Enter The Metal World". She stated about the experience: "If the fans were surprised, imagine how surprised I was when Eero from BATTLE BEAST asked me if I could or want to sing a few songs on their gig. Of course it was a pleasure to be able to make it happen. I felt awesome and it was a great night and show also."

In June 2016, legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore made many long-held dreams come true for his fans as RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW played three concerts in Europe, two in Germany and one in England. The two German shows at Loreley and Bietigheim were caught on camera to produce "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", which was released via Eagle Rock Entertainment on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, and digital formats on November 18. A deluxe version (DVD, Blu-ray and 2CD in a 48-page hardback photobook), along with a 3LP version (180-gram vinyl), will be available as an import on December 2.

This film captures the long-awaited return to rock music for Ritchie Blackmore. The setlist, combining classic tracks from both DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW, was exactly what the fans had wished for. Filmed in high definition, this jaw-dropping set includes "Catch The Rainbow", "Mistreated", "Since You Been Gone", "Black Night", "Spotlight Kid", "Smoke On The Water", "Stargazer", "Perfect Strangers", and more! As a bonus all formats (barring the 3LP) also boast a quartet of tracks recorded on an alternative night: "Spotlight Kid", "Man On The Silver Mountain", "Long Live Rock ‘N' Roll", and "Stargazer".

The band line-up for this incredible show featured Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Ronnie Romero (vocals); David Keith (drums); Bob Nouveau (bass); Jens Johansson (keyboards); Candice Night (backing vocals); Lady Lynn (backing vocals).

"Memories In Rock - Live In Germany" track listing:

CD Disc 1

01. Highway Star02. Spotlight Kid 03. Mistreated 04. 16th Century Greensleeves 05. Since You Been Gone 06. Man On The Silver Mountain 07. Catch The Rainbow 08. Difficult To Cure (Beethoven's Ninth) 09. Perfect Strangers 10. Stargazer

CD Disc 2

11. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll 12. Child In Time / Woman From Tokyo 13. Black Night 14. Smoke On The Water

Performance clips of "Spotlight Kid" and "Black Night", taken from "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", can be seen below.

Blackmore spoke to the Dutch radio station Radio Veronica about what made him decide to play the recent RAINBOW comeback shows. He said: "Besides money, I heard the [new RAINBOW] singer, Ronnie [Romero, who is originally from Chile but now settled in Madrid, Spain], singing on YouTube. Candy [Ritchie's wife, Candice Night] had played it to me. She said, 'What to do you think of this guy?' And I don't go on the computer very much; I'm too old for that stuff. And Candy is often going on YouTube or whatever, and she said, 'He's singing some of your old songs, the RAINBOW songs.' And I heard them, and I went, 'Wow! This guy is really good. He's exciting.' And there had been some talk about reforming RAINBOW with David Coverdale and a few others — Glenn Hughes… Although they are friends of mine, I wasn't urgently involved in it. I was hesitating for probably a good part of a year before I kind of decided I wasn't gonna do it — until I heard this singer. As soon as I heard the singer, he had such a good voice, so much vitality, and that excited me. I thought, 'Wow! He's singing all the old songs, but he's doing it so well — old hard rock.' It was exciting to hear."

Asked if he enjoyed the three RAINBOW comeback shows so far, Ritchie said: "I enjoyed especially the last one in England. The first two were a little bit intense, because we hadn't played together… we hadn't done a lot of rehearsing, so the first two shows were a bit hectic and chaotic. But the last one in Birmingham was… obviously, we'd played two shows at that point, and that seemed to work, to me. And it was great to see all the old people… I mean, it was so weird how… I think it was twenty thousand people… It sold out in fifteen minutes. And I kind of wondered who they thought was playing, 'cause when I got to the auditorium, it was so vast that I thought, 'Maybe somebody else is playing this show tonight.'"

Regarding whether it was difficult for him to put together a setlist for the first three RAINBOW comeback shows, Ritchie said: "No. [It was] very easy, in a way. We had about fifteen songs that were very obvious songs to play, like 'Catch The Rainbow'. And we incorporated a few DEEP PURPLE songs — 'Black Night', 'Smoke [On The Water]', 'Highway Star' — of which some of the fans said, 'Why did you do those DEEP PURPLE songs?' And I would say, 'Why not?' And they said, 'Well, we thought it was just gonna be RAINBOW. We would prefer to hear [more] RAINBOW songs.' Which I thought was kind of ironic again. I'm thinking, 'Wow! We just threw three songs in by DEEP PURPLE when they wanted more [RAINBOW].' And I noticed when they clapped, they weren't clapping so hard for DEEP PURPLE [songs]. They said, 'We hear that every year,' 'cause [the current lineup of] PURPLE goes around [on tour]. So the next time, if we go out and we do anything, I would do probably ninety-five percent RAINBOW songs; that's what they seem to want to hear. And it didn't occur to me. I just naturally assumed they wanted to hear everything."

Greek melodic power metal masters FIREWIND, the group led by guitar wizard and OZZY OSBOURNE band member Gus G., will release their eighth studio album, "Immortals", on January 20, 2017 via the band's longtime label partner Century Media Records in Europe.

The song "Hands Of Time", taken from "Immortals", can be streamed below.

Gus G. checked in to comment about "Immortals" and its artwork (which can be seen below): "'Immortals' [is] the first concept album FIREWIND has ever made.

"Since we're from Greece, we thought it would be a cool idea to make a concept of Greek history and heritage. So on this album we focused on the legendary battles of Thermopylae and Salamis during the second Persian invasion of Greece in 480 B.C.

"The artwork was once again created by our longtime collaborator, Gustavo Sazes, and we feel it reflects the vibe we tried to capture on this album — epic, powerful, glorious, everlasting."

"Immortals" marks the first time FIREWIND used an outside co-producer, having worked with Dennis Ward (UNISONIC, PINK CREAM 69), who not only engineered, mixed and mastered the album, but also co-wrote it together with Gus G.

"Immortals" track listing:

01. Hands Of Time02. We Defy03. Ode To Leonidas04. Back On The Throne05. Live And Die By The Sword06. Wars Of Ages07. Lady Of 1000 Sorrows08. Immortals09. Warriors And Saints10. Rise From The Ashes

In addition to the standard jewel case CD and digital download formats, "Immortals" will be released as LP on 180-gram vinyl with a poster as well as the entire album on CD as bonus. Additionally, there will also be a limited-edition mediabook CD with expanded booklet, a bonus track and three stickers.

In order to support the release of "Immortals", FIREWIND is set to hit the road across Europe.

"Immortals" marks FIREWIND's first release with singer Henning Basse (METALIUM, SONS OF SEASONS), who previously toured with the band on various continents in 2007 and was most recently the singer in Gus's solo touring group.

Said FIREWIND in a statement: "Since [2014], [Henning] started playing some shows with Gus G.'s solo band and he delivered amazing performances, stunning the crowds all over Europe! Henning is an amazing frontman and a personality that totally fits with what FIREWIND is all about."

FIREWIND celebrated its 10th anniversary by releasing a live album in June 2013 via Century Media Records in Europe. Titled "Apotheosis - Live 2012", the CD contained 17 songs recorded at special anniversary shows in Greece as well as all over Europe during the band's "Few Against Many" tour in 2012. It marked FIREWIND's final release with singer Apollo Papathanasio, who decided to leave the group at the end of 2012.

FIREWIND toured in 2013 in support of "Apotheosis - Live 2012", with Kelly Sundown Carpenter (ADAGIO, BEYOND TWILIGHT) handling lead vocals on the trek.

ETERNAL IDOL's track "Is The Answer Far From God?" can be streamed below. The tune is taken from the band's debut album, "The Unrevealed Secret", which will be released on December 2 via Frontiers Music Srl.

ETERNAL IDOL is a new band formed in early 2016 and that marks the start of a new musical adventure for RHAPSODY OF FIRE and ANGRA singer Fabio Lione, together with the experienced Italian guitar player Nick Savio (ex-HOLLOW HAZE) and a lineup completed by the young vocal rising star Giorgia Colleluori, Camillo Colleluori (both also from HOLLOW HAZE) on drums and Andrea Buratto (SECRET SPHERE, HELL IN THE CLUB) on bass.

While all the musicians have solid pedigrees and musical history behind them, ETERNAL IDOL have a brand new and original sound which will certainly catch many fans by surprise. Lione says: "After all the experiences with bands such as KAMELOT, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, ANGRA and many more, I think it is time to show the world a new side of myself with this amazing new band.

"Musically, ETERNAL IDOL offer an intriguing mix of classic metal, symphonic rock and a few progressive twists which is truly unique, thanks to the combination of female and male vocals."

Fabio took care of most of the lyrics and vocal melodies, along with three gorgeous tracks he wrote, while Nick Savio worked hard on songwriting and arrangements.

"'The Unrevealed Secret' is the album where all our ideas came to the light," says the axeman from Vicenza. "Heavy classic rock with symphonic elements and the magic atmosphere of two lead vocals, male and female, create a contrast between good and bad as the main subject, as it is possible to see on the impressive and mysterious cover artwork."

The album was recorded in the summer of 2016, produced by Nick Savio and mixed by Simone Mularoni (DGM, SUNSTORM) and promises to be one of the melodic metal releases of the year. Fans of KAMELOT, MAGNUS KARLSSON'S FREE FALL, MASTERPLAN and AVANTASIA should pay attention.

"There is a story to be told with this album, and the secret will be revealed on the next ETERNAL IDOL releases, so please take your time to listen this first chapter and enjoy... A new story has begun," Nick concludes.

"The Unrevealed Secret" track listing:

01. Evil Tears02. Another Night Comes03. Awake in Orion 04. Is The Answer Far From God?05. Blinded 06. Sad Words Unvailed 07. Desidia 08. Hall Of Sins 09. Feels Like I'm Dying 10. A Song In The Wind 11. Stormy Days 12. Beyond

ETERNAL IDOL is:

Fabio Lione - Lead VocalsGiorgia Colleluori - Lead VocalsNick Savio - Guitar, KeyboardsCamillo Colleluori - Drums Andrea Buratto - Bass

Swisss hard rock legends KROKUS will release a new studio album, "Big Rocks", on January 27. The disc sees KROKUS paying tribute to bands and artists like LED ZEPPELIN, QUEEN, THE WHO, STEPPENWOLF, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, THE ROLLING STONES and many more by presenting their very own versions of classic tracks such as "My Generation", "Tie Your Mother Down", "Whole Lotta Love", "Quinn The Eskimo", "Born To Be Wild" and others.

"Big Rocks" offers a total of 14 tracks: 13 cover songs and a re-recorded version of KROKUS's hit "Backseat Rock 'N' Roll", all of them flawlessly executed, brilliantly interpreted and spiced up with the typical KROKUS edge.

As the first single, KROKUS has chosen its very own rendition of folk-rock classic "The House Of The Rising Sun". It is safe to say that the Swiss rockers managed to breathe new life into the track by overhauling it KROKUS-style!

Bassist and producer Chris von Rohr describes his first encounter with the song as follows: "The first time I came across this song was in the wild sixties. I was lying on my bed and all of a sudden I heard the voices of a thousand angels sing." It was this exact feeling the band tried to capture with their own version of the song and the result speaks for itself: "The House Of The Rising Sun" by KROKUS sounds raw and loud yet embodies the soulful sound of the original.

"The House Of The Rising Sun" is available today at the download/streaming platform of your choice.

KROKUS's current lineup:

Mandy Meyer (guitar)Marc Storace (lead vocals)Fernando von Arb (guitar, vocals)Mark Kohler (guitar)Flavio Mezzodi (drums)Chris von Rohr (bass, vocals)

Reunited cult New York thrash metal act DEMOLITION HAMMER played a short unannounced "rehearsal gig" on November 18 in Elmhurst, New York. The band showed up at the Blackthorn 51 venue at around 1:15 a.m. — right after headliners of the evening MALIGNANCY — and performed seven songs. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

DEMOLITION HAMMER's 2016 lineup consists of original members Steve Reynolds (vocals, bass) and James Reilly (guitar) alongside longtime guitarist Derek Sykes and the group's latest addition, drummer Angel Cotte (EYES LIKE CYANIDE).

Sykes told BLABBERMOUTH.NET about DEMOLITION HAMMER's future plans: "We'll do some limited touring and festivals. We haven't discussed new music yet, but we'll see where all this goes."

DEMOLITION HAMMER was active between 1986 and 1994 and released three full-length albums — "Tortured Existence" (1990), "Epidemic Of Violence" (1992) and "Time Bomb" (1994) — all through Century Media.

A DEMOLITION HAMMER compilation, "Necrology: A Complete Anthology", was issued in 2008, also through Century Media. The set contained the band's entire three-album discography across two discs.

Shortly before the compilation's release, Sykes released a statement taking issue with "the allegations" included in the liner notes which suggested that the band "didn't have time to contribute" to the anthology. He explained: "In fact, DEMOLITION HAMMER was quite involved in the initial realization of the project. But ultimately, due to qualitative differences, we decided to let our past work with Century Media speak for itself."

In March 2015, Century Media reissued "Tortured Existence" and "Epidemic Of Violence" on vinyl.

German/American metallers ACCEPT will release a new live set titled "Restless And Live" on January 13, 2017 via Nuclear Blast. This package will include the entire show ACCEPT played at 2015's Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen, Germany on Blu-ray/DVD plus two CDs.

The first official trailer for "Restless And Live" — in which guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and producer Andy Sneap talk about the song selection for the set — is available below.

"Restless And Live" track listing:

Blu-ray / DVD:

01. Stampede02. Stalingrad03. London Leatherboys04. Restless And Wild05. Dying Breed06. Final Journey07. Shadow Soldiers08. Losers And Winners09. 200 Years10. Midnight Mover11. No Shelter12. Princess Of The Dawn13. Dark Side Of My Heart14. Pandemic15. Fast As A Shark16. Metal Heart17. Teutonic Terror18. Balls To The Wall

CD1:

01. Stampede02. Stalingrad03. Hellfire04. London Leatherboys05. Living For Tonite06. 200 Years07. Demon's Night08. Dying Breed09. Final Journey10. From The Ashes We Rise11. Losers And Winners12. No Shelter13. Shadow Soldiers14. Midnight Mover

CD2:

01. Starlight02. Restless And Wild03. Son Of A Bitch04. Pandemic05. Dark Side Of My Heart06. The Curse07. Flash Rockin' Man08. Bulletproof09. Fall Of The Empire10. Fast As A Shark11. Metal Heart12. Teutonic Terror13. Balls To The Wall

To give their fans a taster of what to expect from this forthcoming live release and to make the waiting more tolerable, the live clip for "Restless And Wild" can be seen below.

Commented Hoffmann: "We didn't know exactly what would happen back in 2010, what happens if... But this was six years ago and we've released three records since then. With 'Blind Rage', we had our first No. 1 chart record! There can be nothing nicer!"

The package's title, chosen by the band couldn't be more suitable: "'Restless And Live' simply fits what we experienced at Bang Your Head!!! and for what we stand for until today!" Wolf says. "It goes on and on and on! We're already working on a new production. The thought of being on the road again soon gets our blood flowing: And it is possible to overcome everything that happened before."

Asked why it's so important for ACCEPT to still make new music after all this time, Wolf recently told Canadian rock journalist Mitch Lafon: "For us, it was very important, especially since we got [singer] Mark [Tornillo], and when we had our reunion with Mark, the new singer, we really wanted to show to the fans and to us that we still can write relevant new songs, and so that's why we really did three albums in five or six years — really banged them out, one after the other. And those three albums are, in a lot of fans' views, as strong as most of the stuff we've done in the eighties, if not stronger. So I think it's very important for us to come up with new songs, 'cause, you know, once you stop trying, or you're just living on the past, I think that's no good. We're trying to stay relevant, and the fans really appreciate that."

Regarding what Mark Tornillo has added to ACCEPT's sound, Wolf said: "He very much inspired us to write songs, because all of a sudden, he can pretty much sing anything we want him to do. With Udo [Dirkschneider, former ACCEPT singer], it was much more limited, what worked and what didn't work. And Mark, man, anything Peter [Baltes, bass] and I come up with, he can perform, and so that opened a lot of doors, musically, for us, and that inspired us totally. But, like I said before, we always try to stay close to what ACCEPT fans are wanting to hear from us, 'cause we could write a bunch of stuff that was left and right, genre-wise, but I'm not sure if fans would really appreciate it that much. And that's also where [producer] Andy Sneap came in, especially during the 'Blood Of The Nations' [2010] recording. He really, sort of, forced us more to stay true to the course. 'Cause he grew up being an ACCEPT fan and listening to the old albums, and he came in with an expectation, 'All right, we're gonna make a great new ACCEPT album, but it'd better sound like I want it to sound as an ACCEPT fan.'"

DEEP PURPLE has set "Infinite" as the title of its new studio album, tentatively due in early spring via earMUSIC. A short teaser clip is available below.

The follow-up to 2013's "Now What?!", which was tracked in February at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee, was once again helmed by Bob Ezrin, who has previously worked with KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER and KANSAS, among others.

DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan recently told Antihero magazine about the PURPLE songwriting process: "DEEP PURPLE was different than any other kind of writing I do with other people. DEEP PURPLE is primarily an instrumental band, and the routine is we book [time] in a studio somewhere, and the [other] guys [in the band] come in at noon. They start jamming and they work 'till six o'clock, take a break at three for a cup of tea and then do that every day. Roger [Glover, bass] and I listen to the music and clock out the occasional bit and think that might be okay for a tune on the album or something. Then we start refocusing on making arrangements and how to develop the song. Then when it is all tucked away, I start thinking about the lyrics and the tunes. There is no point before they get literally torn up every day because everything changes every day. There's no shortage of things to write about lyrically. There is no point trying to create a tune on something that's going to change in a couple of hours. That's how it worked with PURPLE. This is primarily an instrumental band. I just climb on board and write it along."

DEEP PURPLE — which has been eligible for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for two decades now — finally entered the Rock Hall as part of the class of 2016. The band's first three lineups were inducted, including drummer Ian Paice, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, late keyboardist Jon Lord, and various singers and bassists — Rod Evans; Ian Gillan and Roger Glover; and David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes.

Indian metal artist Demonstealer, who also fronts Demonic Resurrection, has released a new lyric video for the song "Frail Fallible". The track comes off his latest album, This Burden Is Mine, and features Nile's George Kollias on drums. 

The lyric video was created by Deepesh Goyal; watch below.

This Burden Is Mine was released independently on March 22nd via Demonstealer's Bandcamp page. Artwork was created by Michal 'Xaay' Loranc (Behemoth, Vader, Nile, Demonic Resurrection).

“From Rubble And Ruin” video

Album lineup:

Demonstealer - vocals / guitars / keys
Ashwin Shriyan - bass
George Kollias - drums

New Jersey power metal veterans Attacker are back with their sixth full-length, the follow-up to Giants Of Canaan. Sins Of The World, released by Metal On Metal Records, is a blistering slice of old school, aggressive American metal.

This is the last recording featuring guitarist Pat Marinelli, who co-founded the band with drummer Michael Sabatini and has now decided to step down, after contributing a few solos. There has been a change in bass players (Brian Smith replaced Jon Hanemann), while the main songwriter of "Giants...", guitarist Mike Benetatos, now became the sole songwriter, and Bobby "Leather Lungs" Lucas wrote the lyrics and showed his impressive vocal skills once again. In 2017 the band will head back to Europe to play a few festival dates, including Pounding Metal Fest in Madrid, Up The Hammers in Athens, and Headbangers Open Air in Germany.

Tracklisting:

"A Time Before The Darkness"
"Sins Of Man"
"Carcosa"
"Garuda"
"We Rise"
"World Destroyer"
"Choice Of Weapon"
"Archangel"
"By The Will Of Crom"
"Where The Serpent Lies"

Check out an official promo clip, featuring over two minutes of "Sins Of Man":

And, three new songs, "Carcosa", "World Destroyer" and "Archangel", can be heard via the Bandcamp audio player:

ATTACKER "Sins of the World" by Metal On Metal Records

 

 

Recently reunited Canadian rock band The Age Of Electric - fronted by Todd Kerns (Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, Sin City Sinners, Static In Stereo) - has issued a lyric video for the song "Keys", which will appear on their new four-song EP, scheduled for release on February 17th, 2017 via We Are Busy Bodies.

The original lineup of The Age Of Electric - featuring: Todd on vocals and guitar, alongside drummer Kurt Dahle, guitarist Ryan Dahle, and bassist John Kerns - will play Toronto, Ontario for the first time in 18 years on November 25th at Adelaide Hall; get your tickets now at this location.

In other news, The Age Of Electric is "reissuing Make A Pest A Pet on vinyl to celebrate its 20th anniversary. It will be out on February 17th, 2017 as a double LP. The double LP will feature four unreleased songs recorded during the same sessions as the album. We will also be releasing a brand new digital EP (sold separately) on the same date as the reissue. Expect the first single to drop in November. Pre-order the LP here, the new EP pre-order link will be shared in the coming weeks. There are only 1,000 copies of the double LP available and they come in two colour options. There will be more tour dates in 2017 to support both the reissue and new EP."

Swedish melodic black metal entity Wormlight was formed in 2014 under the name Unhallowed. After the recording of the Bloodfields EP, the band changed its name to Wormlight and changed the lyrical themes.

In 2016 Wormlight signed with Black Lion Records for a re-release of Bloodfields, which contains two bonus tracks with vocals by Tiamat Invictuz. The EP will be released on December 3rd. It will take you back to the classic Swedish melodic black metal era when haunted melodic solos, facinorous riffs and ice cold, dark vocals used to wield the sceptre. Wormlight has begun recording their first full-length album set for release in 2017.

The re-recorded version (with new vocal) of the title track of the EP can be streamed below.

Invictuz comments, "'The Bloodfields' is an eerie pilgrimage amidst the putrid, formless undergrowth of formation through shared sepulchral ingress. Centered in the ruinous garden of deathless sighs where the fiery epitaph of the first son is a fulcrum beneath the crimson-stained scepter of life and the sterile walls of silence. It envisions the very end of all things conjured as perfectly still, cold and deathly quiet. A ceaseless dirge that removes the notion of entitled grandeur. Pauper or prince, all is equal before death."

Pre-order the EP now at this location.

Tracklisting:

"Wormlight"
"Pitch Black Hatred"
"Towards Impious Domination"
"The Bloodfields"
"Wormlight" (Invictuz on vocals)
"The Bloodfields" (Invictuz on vocals)

Band Members:

Tiamat Invictuz - vocals, guitars
Lator Mortis - guitars
Lord Arktos - bass
King Antichrist - drums

Italian power/speed metal band, Ancestral, will release their new album, Master Of Fate on January 20th via Iron Shield Records/Pure Steel.

Ancestral was born in January 1999 in Castelvetrano-Selinunte (Sicily), a small town situated in the extreme south of Italy, thanks to the Mendolia twins who had the intention to form a band with an aggressive and melodic sound but without keyboards.

After many concerts, Ancestral recorded their first demo CD, Travel In A Forgotten Time, in January 2000, which received a large success in Italy and abroad, especially in Japan and Germany. After one year, in January 2001, Ancestral came back with a new demo CD called Breed Of Chosens that confirmed the talent of the band thanks to a more mature work than the first, more technical and with a personal sound really different from many Italian metal bands.

In the last years the band was present at many important metal festivals and has played with bands such as Vision Divine, Vader, Extrema, Udo and more. In February 2005, Ancestral released a new promo CD called The Walls Of Troy, and signed a deal with Italian label Underground Symphony. The debut CD, The Ancient Curse, was recorded at Zenith Recordings in Lucca (Italy) and was released in July 2007 with a large success confirmed by audience and critics.

After some years, Ancestral came back again with a new lineup: Carmelo Scozzari - guitars (in 2010) and Jo Lombardo - vocals (in 2013). In October 2015 the band entered the Hertz Studio Recordings (Behemoth, Vader, Decapitated, Hate and more) in Poland to record their second disc, Master Of Fate, with Fabio Lione (Rhapsody Of Fire, Angra, Vision Divine) as special guest on the song “Lust For Supremacy”.

Master Of Fate is an album that displays a personal and interesting mixture between US style thrash metal and Teutonic melodic metal.

Tracklisting:

“Back To Life”
“Wind Of Egadi”
“Seven Months Of Siege”
“Master Of Fate”
“Refuge Of Souls” (instr.)
“Lust For Supremacy”
“No More Regrets”
“On The Route Of Death”
“From Beyond”
“Savage” (Helloween cover)

Including some musicians from Swiss cult bands such as Shovel and Houston Swing Engine, heavy rock/stoner power trio,Hey Satan, have announced the released of their debut full-length album, recorded by Serge Morratel at Rec Studio (Cortez, Knut, Shora, Year Of No Light) and planned for a physical LP / digital release on January 28th through Cold Smoke Records.

In the meantime, the band just unveiled three kick-assed singles from this upcoming effort via Bandcamp.

Hey Satan by Hey Satan

Formed by longtime friends François, Laurent and Frank (formerly from Shovel and Houston Swing Engine), Hey Satan provides heavy beats, groovy riffs and mean lyrics, with some royal influences (Led Zeppelin, RATM, Kyuss, etc.).

(Photo - Pacifique Vuillemin)

Rockstar Frame have released a video for their cover of the Red Hot Chili Peppers song, "Dark Necessities”, which can be seen below.

At the moment the single is only available via the video, but the band has stated it will be part of their forthcoming sophomore album, Bullet For Birthday, due worldwide in March via Musicarchy Media.

The new record will follow up 2015's debut, Rock ‘N’ Roll Mafia. As for the subject matter of Bullet For Birthday, drummer Max Klein hinted: "I feel like this next record is gonna be heavier in sound for sure. I think we had a more mature songwriting overall compared to Rock ‘N’ Roll Mafia, as we’ve grown up both as individuals and musically speaking in the past couple of years together."

Italian melodic death metal act, Black Therapy, have released a video for the title track of their new album, In The Embrace Of Sorrow, I Smile. The album will be released on December 2nd via Apostasy Records. The new video can be found below.

Tracklisting:

“Tears Of Innocence”
“In The Embrace Of Sorrow, I Smile”
“The Foolishness Of Existence”
“Stabbed”
“She, The Weapon”
“Paintings Of A Black Ocean”
“Voices In My Head”
“Theogony”
“The Final Outcome”
“Infected”

“In The Embrace Of Sorrow, I Smile” video:

Black Therapy lineup:

Giuseppe Di Giorgio - Vocals
Lorenzo Carlini - Guitar
Daniele Rizzo - Guitar
Luca Soldati - Drums
Alessandro Finocchiaro - Bass