Blank Slate Creative recently conducted an interview with KORN singer Jonathan Davis. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the title of the new KORN album, "The Serenity Of Suffering":

Jonathan: "Usually my man Munk [KORN guitarist James 'Munky' Shaffer] comes up with album titles, 'cause he's really good at it; he gets fifty different titles together and we all pick one. But this time, I just felt this one that I came up with just really nailed what I was going through when I was writing the record. It's a place I always go to; it's the inspiration when I'm writing music. It's called 'The Serenity Of Suffering', and that title means that I've always battled dark feelings in my life, and I've been there so much that I feel more comfortable there than I do when I'm in a happy spot. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy being happy, 'cause I do; I've got lots of things to be happy about. I have a beautiful family, I get to tour the world and do what I love. But I spend more time in that dark place than I do in a happy place, so the title just wrapped up what I was going through with the record and [the themes covered in] the lyrics."

On working with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON and RUSH:

Jonathan: "Nick really captured the band. He's an amazing producer. Sonically, he made this band sound heavier than it's ever sounded. I think he walked into the recording studio when the guys were writing on a mission to bring out that heaviness back into KORN. And I think between him and Munky and Head [KORN guitarist Brian Welch], they achieved that. And with me, he came out to Bakersfield, to my studio, and he really pushed me and wouldn't let me just say, 'I don't wanna do that song,' that I wasn't necessarily feeling that. He's all, 'It's a good song, man. You've just gotta keep at it, keep trying.' And he really pushed me to to the point where I actually came up with some really interesting stuff on the songs."

According to music industry web site Hits Daily Double, "The Serenity Of Suffering" is likely to sell between 40,000 and 45,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The SPS figure is expected to be between 45,000 and 50,000.

SPS, a practice used by Billboard magazine, stands for "sales plus streaming," which includes album sales and converted track sales plus converted streaming data.

For those interested: 10 tracks sold equal one album sale (since $1.29, the cost for an individual track, multiplied by ten gives you $12.99, a common price for an album, and 1,500 streams is equivalent to one album sale.

"The Serenity Of Suffering" features a guest appearance by SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor on the song "A Different World".

LoudTV.net conducted an interview with POP EVIL singer Leigh Kakaty and drummer Hayley Cramer. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked when fans can expect to see the follow-up to POP EVIL's 2015 album "Up", Leigh said: "It's coming. I think we're gonna try to do it around spring next year. We're in the fourth quarter of this album cycle in the U.S. as well. I think we've got one more big tour [at the] top of the year and then this album [cycle] is over. We're gonna go back and start to get creative again and get ready for that fifth album."

He continued: "I can't believe we're already to five albums; it's crazy. I mean, I just feel like I turned a corner and we just did the first one. So it's crazy to think, and we really do believe that the stage is set for this to be our biggest and baddest — 'bad' in a good way, that is — baddest album yet. And I think Hayley's gonna be a big part of that, and we're excited to see what she brings to the table and excited to see where it goes."

Cramer spoke about the songwriting process for the next POP EVIL record. She said: "There's pieces of a puzzle, and we're collecting those pieces and we're putting them in a box, and then when we get to March, it's when we join the dots and we put the puzzle together. You know, everybody's bringing little pieces, and I see, in soundchecks, bits coming from Nick [Fuelling, guitar] and bits coming from Matt [DiRito, bass]. And we're, like, 'Oh, yeah, let's record that bit.' So we store it, all those little bits and pieces, for when we're ready to focus and knuckle down in March. Yeah, there's some interesting flavors coming out. I'm excited."

Added Kakaty: "Yeah. And I don't even know the flavors. I'm staying away, so there's no lead singer tainting going on. It's just fresh mind, clear head. And from a frontman perspective, there's always a lot on the plate, and I don't want any kind of weird corruption coming in. When it's time to write, I'll write. When it's time to tour, I have to tour."

POP EVIL's U.S. headlining tour, "Rock 'N' Roll Now Tour: Right Now", with support from RED SUN RISING and BADFLOWER, will kick off in Louisville, Kentucky on January 10, 2017 and wrap on February 24, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan.

Steve Harris says that he will never make any act pay for the opportunity to support IRON MAIDEN on tour, calling the pay-to-play practice "just wrong."

Asked by Spain's Metal Journal why he is such an ardent supporter of new talent more than forty years after MAIDEN's inception, the bassist said: "Well, because we can. I mean, we have an opportunity… Anybody who's in a position MAIDEN is, or whatever, or any band that can potentially take another band on tour, I think you can help other people, and it doesn't take much effort to do that."

Harris, who will embark on a European tour in November and December with his side project BRITISH LION, continued: "The thing that annoys me is that I hate it when people charge bands to play with them. I hate that. I've never done that, ever done that with MAIDEN, and I never will do it, with MAIDEN or BRITISH LION, because, to me, it's just wrong. A band should get at least some expenses [covered] to play a gig, and they shouldn't have to pay anybody to play, and I've always been really against that. And I've always really just tried to help people out. I think it's really good."

Harris added: "I feel like I've had a fantastic life and career with music, and I've worked very hard, but maybe I've had a bit of luck along the way. I don't know, but the at the end of the day, it's nice to give something back. And I kind of feel like that with BRITISH LION as well, because even the guys in the band, in BRITISH LION, they're all talented guys, they really deserve some sort of recognition, and up 'till now they really haven't had that. And they're getting a little bit of recognition now, and it's quite rightly so. And I love that.

"I've been to most of these cities [that we are playing on the upcoming BRITISH LION tour] a few times before, and I still enjoy going there, but when [the other guys in the band] go there for the first time and I see it in their eyes, how excited about it they are, it makes me feel good as well. I'm enjoying it anyway being there, of course, but it just makes it extra special when you see what it does for those guys. And it's the same with other bands. If you help them and they're experiencing things for the first time, it's nice to see. I love to see it."

In addition to Harris, BRITISH LION features vocalist Richard Taylor, guitarists Graham Leslie and David Hawkins and drummer Simon Dawson.

BRITISH LION's upcoming club tour will be the band's most extensive European run to date.

The band's self-titled debut album was released in the U.S. on September 25, 2012 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe).

IRON MAIDEN's "The Book Of Souls" 2016 world tour concluded on August 4 when the band performed at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, marking the end of the trek that began in late February and touched down on six continents.

(Thanks to Pedro Alonso Diez of Metal Journal for providing the audio of Steve Harris's quotes used in this article.)

Irish pagan metallers Primordial have announced the release of the first live album in the band's history: Gods To The Godless: Live At Bang Your Head Festival Germany 2015, due out November 25th via Metal Blade Records. Listen to the title track below, and pre-order the album in various formats here.

Primordial's A.A. Nemtheanga comments: "It might seem like an unusual move, a double live album. Especially within the scene we are from, but the live album was once a staple of most bands' careers and something we all grew up with in our collection. Pouring over tour dates, gear information and killer live pics. Ok so it's not Live After Death but you can see the attraction and taste the romance involved, right? Fact is though we hadn't planned it, it was basically a happy coincidence, the good people at Bang Your head who took such a risk booking us the first time on a more traditional old school rock festival had us back for the fourth time, gave us a proper headlining set length and happened to mention afterwards that they had a mobile recording device rigged up and ready to go. When we listened back to the tapes we found something we could work with and the idea took shape. If you love the band, you will know what to expect: blood, guts and passion - and believe us, the double vinyl will look beautiful! If we've been in your orbit, but you've never trained your sights on us properly, this might be a good place to start as the sound is massive, the old songs have some added muscle and the planets aligned to make 'Gods to the Godless' perhaps a great introduction to the band. From our side, it felt like something important to do, like taking advantage of an opportunity to make not only a standalone album in its own right, but also add something rich to the heritage and tapestry of metal that once hinged on the live album. The tradition reaches back into the 70s and 80s and we are proud to have our own small place in that pantheon! And for the record...not one single over dub. This is truly Live and Dangerous..."

Gods To The Godless: Live at Bang Your Head Festival Germany 2015 tracklisting:

“Gods to the Godless”
“Babels Tower”
“Where Greater Men Have Fallen”
“No Grave Deep Enough”
“As Rome Burns”
“The Alchemists Head”
“Bloodied Yet Unbowed”
“The Coffin Ships”
“Heathen Tribes”
“Wield Lightning To Split The Sun”
“Empire Falls”

“Gods To The Godless”:

UK-based extreme metallers, Anaal Nathrakh, will release their new album, The Whole Of The Law, via Metal Blade Records on October 28th worldwide. Pre-order options can be found here, while the album cut “Extravaganza!” is available for streaming below.

Since their last album, Desideratum, Anaal Nathrakh have scaled new heights, including their first headline coast-to-coast North American tour and announcing their first headline shows in Japan. And now it's time for their new opus, The Whole Of The Law, to be unleashed upon mankind.

A sandblasting assault similar to the experience of a demented ocular surgeon operating on your head while riding a rollercoaster through hell, The Whole Of The Law marries all of Anaal Nathrakh's trademark ferocity and against-all-reason-catchiness with a reinvigorated sense of focus and insane hatred. Simultaneously fresh and their most mature creation to date, The Whole Of The Law is Anaal Nathrakh at the very height of their twisted powers.

Tracklisting:

“The Nameless Dread”
“Depravity Favours The Bold”
“Hold Your Children Close And Pray For Oblivion”
“We Will Fucking Kill You”
“..So We Can Die Happy”
“In Flagrante Delicto”
“And You Will Beg For Our Secrets”
“Extravaganza!”
“On Being A Slave”
“The Great Spectator”
“Of Horror, And The Black Shawls”
“Powerslave” (Bonus Track)
“Man At C&A” (Bonus Track)

“Extravaganza!”:

“Depravity Favours The Bold”:

Tour dates:

November
1 - Utrecht, Netherlands - De Helling
2 - Hasselt, Belgium - Muziekodroom
3 - Groningen, Netherlands - Simplon
4 - Oberhausen, Germany - Helvete
5 - Selestat, France - Rock Your Brain Festival

(Photo - anaal-nathrakh.com)

Metal group Athanasia have released an official music video for their track "Spoils Of War”, off of their upcoming album, The Order Of The Silver Compass. The music video was directed by Matt Zane and shot in Burbank, California. Check it out below.

"I am beyond excited to unveil Athanasia’s first single "Spoils Of War" and give the public a small taste of what they can expect to hear on our upcoming LP, The Order Of The Silver Compass!” - Caleb Andrew Bingham (Athanasia)

Click here to pre-order The Order Of The Silver Compass.

Norwegian progressive extreme metal icons Enslaved will release a new compilation, The Sleeping Gods - Thorn, this November via ByNorse Music. A full-length album comprised of rare material from 2010-2011, The Sleeping Gods - Thorn is a unique collection of experimental material connecting with the band's early roots. Listen to “Heimvegen”, the first single from the upcoming release:

The seven tracks comprising The Sleeping Gods - Thorn originally appeared on extremely limited EPs between Enslaved's Axioma Ethica Odini and Riitiir full-lengths and were recorded both in Solslottet Studio in Bergen, as well as the band members' own studios and partly in the deep woods of Valevaag on the South Western Coast of Norway. Like the songs themselves, the production is a mix of old and new; high tech and no-tech - a mix of concepts that have been essential in achieving the signature sound Enslaved has become notorious for today. Members Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson co-produced the material together with long-time collaborator Iver Sandøy.

The album includes lyrics sung in Norwegian, English, and Old Norse, with themes centered on mythology and the esoteric side of the runes, as well as contrasting the Norse Ways as a polytheistic belief system to the monotheistic plague of the Big World Religions. The music nods respectfully to the wildly varying deities that make up the pantheon of inspiration for Enslaved, both "then" and "now." There are traces of the proto black metal of Bathory, the classic rock and heavy metal of the '70s and '80s, the synthesized and sequenced masters of the '70s, prog-rock, world/Norse folk music, Norwegian black metal of the '90s, modern classical music, goth rock a la Fields Of The Nephilim, and much more.

Tying he package together are the extensive liner notes Kjellson and a beautiful new layout by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight 13 Media (Roadburn Festival, Opeth, Darkthrone, At The Gates, etc.) whose mesmerizing new illustrations display a unique symbiosis between two of our times' most exciting visual and sonic artists.

The Sleeping Gods - Thorn will see release on November 11th on limited edition blue vinyl (sold out), black vinyl, digipak CD, and digitally via ByNorse Music. Pre-order at this location.

By Norse has announced Oslo By Norse, featuring Enslaved performing music from their entire career divided into three special shows.

By Norse, known as a "platform for art, music, literature, film and culture", will host an instalment of events throughout December 6th - 8th at Blå Nightclub in Oslo. These happenings are designed to support and celebrate Norwegian art, music, literature, film and culture, even within its own borders.

Oslo By Norse will also serve as a celebration of 25 year of Grammy award-winning metal band Enslaved performing music form their entire career divided into three special shows supported by special guests Obliteration, Virus and Maraton, and as a platform for workshops on ancient Norse instruments and music with Einar Selvik of Wardruna.

Tickets on sale now, order here.

More information about the variety of unique art exhibitions, workshops, live and artistic performances can be found below.

Tuesday, December 6 at Blå - Of Frost And Fire

For this first show, Enslaved will perform an exclusive set based on their early albums Hordanes Land, Vikingligr Veldi, Frost, Eld and Blodhemn. They will be supported by the band Obliteration.

Exhibition and live painting by Kim Holm - Norwegian creative artist and motion designer Kim Holm will display his works and do live paintings of the artists while performing on stage.

From 6 PM: Doors and IHUDA Tattoo inside the venue.

Wednesday, December 7 at Blå - From The Runic Depths

For this second show, Enslaved will perform an exclusive set based on their mid-period albums Mardraum, Monumension, Below The Lights, Isa and Ruun. They will be supported by the band Virus.

Workshop "Ancient Norse instruments and music" with Einar Selvik - Einar speaks about his approach to Norse historical instruments and music, as well as other topics that include his approach and study of the runes and other Norse esoteric arts. The workshop is followed by a panel discussion on "Identity and Music". This workshop is limited to 50 seats only. Send an email to [email protected] to subscribe.

Exhibition and live painting by Kim Holm - Norwegian creative artist and motion designer Kim Holm will display his works and do live paintings of the artists while performing on stage.

From 6 PM: Doors and IHUDA Tattoo inside the venue.

Friday, December 8 at Blå - Spinning Wheel Ritual

For this third and last show, Enslaved will perform an exclusive set based on their albums Vertebrae, Axioma Ethica Odini, RIItIIr and In Times. They will be supported by the band Maraton

Exhibition and live painting by Kim Holm - Norwegian creative artist and motion designer Kim Holm will display his works and do live paintings of the artists while performing on stage.

From 6 PM: Doors and IHUDA Tattoo inside the venue.

Says Enslaved’s Ivar Bjørnson: ”London is already a most dear memory, New York has been long time announced. Now it is time to reveal the first Norwegian By Norse event; Oslo By Norse! It will mark the beginning of the end; of a fantastic year where we have marked 25 years as a band. We will do three unique sets, divided by periods Beginning-Mid periods Later day Enslaved.

“The special guest bands are of the "pinch me, I must be dreaming"-type; Obliteration, Virus and Maraton!?!? Is all these first-choice guys accepting the invite some kind of sick joke? If not, it has got to be one of the best billing ever. Subjectively speaking. Ugh!

“There will also be an intimate workshop with our brother-in-arms Einar Selvik (followed by a panel led by yours truly), ink by poking (tattoo the Viking way) set up in the venue (!) by the legendary Ihuda Tattoo and live graphic art by the eternally young Kim Holm. I almost wish I were not playing so I could just experience this. Then again I would go crazy from not working. Hope to see you all at Oslo By Norse!!!"

German power metallers, Thunder And Lightning, have revealed the artwork for their new album, The Ages Will Turn, due for release on December 9th. An artwork reveal video can be found below. Album pre-orders can be placed here.

Tracklisting:

“The Ravaging Overture”
“Welcome To The Darkside”
“Silent Watcher”
“Black Eyed Child”
“Eternally Awake”
“Columbia”
“One Blood”
“The Ages Will Turn”
“Hysteria”
“Mary Celeste”
“The Ravaging Overture” (Extended Orchestral Version) (Pre-order bonus track download)

Album art trailer:

“Eternally Awake”:

“The Ages Will Turn”:

For more on Thunder And Lightning, visit the band’s website, here.

Balingen, Germany-based prog/power metal act, We Are Legend, have released a new video (see below) for the song “This Holy Dark“, taken from the 2013 debut album, Rise Of The Legend.

Rise Of The Legend tracklisting:

“Hungry Mirrors”
“This Holy Dark”
“Enemy Within”
“Birth Of The Legend”
“Rise Of The Legend”
“God Is Dreaming”
“Out!”
“Only Time Can Tell”
“March Of The Living”

“This Holy Dark” video:

“Enemy Within“ video

 

Norwegian actor Espen Reboli Bjerke, well known for his extensive work in films, theatre, radio and television, is making a guest appearance on Welcome The Dead, the seventh full-length album from Norwegian black metallers, Crest Of Darkness. Bjerke, who also won a Spelleman Award, the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammies, will perform a spoken part on “Katharsis”, the closing track on the album.

"We really needed someone with a great vocal presence to do the spoken part on one of the tracks, someone who is able to convey the atmosphere", explained Crest Of Darkness founder and frontman Ingar Amlien, "and as far as I was concerned Espen was perfect. I was delighted when he agreed to do it, it's never easy to get actors of his standing to agree to perform on a music album. Of course it did help a bit that he is the brother of our guitarist Rebo!"

Welcome The Dead is set to hit the streets on December 2nd via My Kingdom Music in both CD and digital formats, as well as a double LP format which will feature a special bonus track. It was recorded at the at MLP Studio by Nils H. Mæhlum, and mastered at the Kvålsonic Lab by Tom Kvålsvoll. The album promises to be the heaviest, darkest and most introspective work to emerge from the band's twenty plus year history and the artwork reflects this, using, as it does, the eerie Zombie Foetus sculptures created by the Italian artist Andrea Falaschi.

Aside from Amlien (Roquefire, Conception, Amlien's Inferno) on vocals and bass and Rebo on guitars Crest Of Darkness' lineup includes Bernhard (ex-Pale Forest) on drums, and Kristian Wentzel on keyboards. Earlier this year Amlien admitted that he sees Welcome The Dead as having a special significance for him personally: "I've put a hell of a lot of myself and my emotions into this album, even more so than usual. I've always felt that when we are on stage, we create a sort of magic, and this time we have been able to transfer that magic to the recordings. You could say this is my personal Black Mass".

Tracklisting:

“Welcome The Dead”
“Chosen By The Devil”
“Scourged And Crucified”
“My Black Bride”
“Borrowed Life”
“The Almighty”
“Memento Mori”
“The Noble Art”
“Katharsis”

On Saturday, October 29th Amlien will give a special performance at the Underjordisk Festival in Gjøvik. The festival is closely linked with Halloween, and Amlien will take to the stage at midnight whenhe will perform a solo set called "Drink My Blood", which will include music that is part of a bonus track which will be included on the vinyl edition of Welcome The Dead. Amlien says that the audience should expect a sort of "bloody, horror kind of performance... like a ritual" and knowing the musicians interest in all things vampire and satanic, it's safe to say that it will be very appropriate to the celebration of Halloween.

2016 ushers in a new dawn for UK metal trio, Dyscarnate. After a period of silence spent writing and dealing with personnel shifts due to the loss of longtime member Henry Bates, the group is set to return with a third album, a fresh sound, a new vocalist/bassist in Arceye's Al Llewellyn, and a union with Florida's Unique Leader Records.

"We're stoked to be working on the new record with Unique Leader," says drummer Matt Unsworth. "Our style has continued to evolve from album to album and we feel Unique Leader is the perfect home for our new material. We can't wait for everyone to hear what we've put together for album three. It's got all the grooves and blasts our fans would expect but the whole thing is drenched in a fucking dark atmosphere. There's genuine progression from the last record to this one. There is no doubt in my mind that it will surprise more than a few people."

Dyscarnate has long been flying the flag for UK death metal all over the world. Having toured across Australia, Europe, Indonesia, Israel, Russia and more, fans can expect to see the three-piece powerhouse's dominance to spread even further in the coming year. 

Following the release of the debut EP Annihilate To Liberate in 2008, Dyscarnate were met with overwhelming feedback from national magazines, record labels, and fans alike which consequently led to a multi-album deal with the UK's Siege Of Amida Records. The band's debut full-length, Enduring The Massacre, earned the tag of "best new death metal band in the UK, without question".

Dyscarnate toured the album extensively and internationally with such high profile names as The Black Dahlia Murder, Despised Icon, Cephalic Carnage, and Psycroptic, then swiftly followed up the success of their debut. Cited as "one of the best death metal albums to come out of the UK in the last twenty years" by Dom Lawson, Dyscarnate's devastating second record, 2012's And So It Came To Pass, was met with an unprecedented reaction from critics and fans globally.

Keen to capitalize on their success in the press, Dyscarnate set out on a blitzkrieg touring schedule, which saw them fly the flag for British extreme music across Australia, Israel, Indonesia, Russia, and Europe, sharing stages with such names as Cannibal Corpse, Carcass, Fear Factory, Gojira and Decapitated among countless others.

Dyscarnate's as-yet-untitled third full-length will be released in 2017 with official details to be unveiled in the coming weeks. Three men, one purpose, one sound. Always outnumbered, never outgunned.

Atmospheric doom metallers, Trees Of Eternity, have released a lyric video for their new track - their first since the tragic loss of lead-singer Aleah Stanbridge - entitled “A Million Tears”. Featuring Fredrik Norrman and Mattias Norrman (ex-Katatonia, October Tide) and Kai Hahto (Wintersun, Swallow The Sun), you can watch the lyric video below.

“A Million Tears” is featured on their forthcoming album, Hour Of The Nightingale, which will be released November 11 via Svart Records.

Hour Of The Nightingale tracklisting:

“My Requiem”
“Eye Of Night”
“Condemned To Silence” (feat. Mick Moss of Antimatter)
“A Million Tears”
“Hour Of The Nightingale”
“The Passage”
“Broken Mirror”
“Black Ocean”
“Sinking Ships”
“Gallows Bird” (feat. Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost)

“Broken Mirror” lyric video:

Says Juha Raivio on behalf of the band: “There really are no words to describe the ultimate weight of the darkness, or the rays of the brightest of light that this album holds within its songs and lyrics. In so many ways this album turned out to be the most important album I've done in my life, and we both loved it from the first note to the last as we wrote it.

“About Aleah... I have never met a person and a musician more connected to the very core of the absolute emotion and the soul of each note and every word she wrote or sang. She wanted her music and lyrics to be 110% honest and truthful, absolutely nothing less would do. Music was her religion and passion, a gateway to her soul and beyond. There will never be another songwriter or voice like hers that can turn the day into the darkest of night, or turn the darkness into blinding light with just one word or a whisper.

“We were very proud to record Hour Of The Nightingale together with our friends, band mates and amazing musicians, Kai Hahto, Mattias and Fredrik Norrman who all played their hearts out on this album. And working with another good friend Jens Bogren producing, recording, mixing and mastering the album were were ready to take this music to the world and play it to you all. Sadly that never happened... But this is the point where we can finally start this long journey and celebrate our Queen and singer Aleah Starbridge whose words and music will live forever on.

“My heart is truly black and broken after the tragic loss of Aleah, but every time hearing her voice in these songs something pierces through the darkness like an flaming arrow. I hope this album will do the same to you no matter what might be shadowing your own path and bring you some solace and peace.

“I want to thank you all for showing so much love towards Aleah after her sudden passing. My friends, this is where her legacy starts, through the voice of an angel at this Hour Of The Nightingale. Bless you all.”

Roth Brock Project have released a video for “Young Gun”, the lead track from their self-titled debut album, scheduled for release on November 4th. The new clip is streaming below.

The Roth Brock Project is the exciting artistic union between guitarist John Roth (Winger, Starship, Giant) and singer Terry Brock (Strangeways, Giant, Leroux). The pair first met in 2009 while working on Giant's Promise Land record. They soon developed a unique songwriting chemistry and musical bond which all these years later has led to their debut release. Powerhouse vocals and thundering guitars are at the forefront of this stellar collaboration from two of rock's most seasoned and underrated veterans.

John Roth landed his first gig at the age of 19, with Southern boogie rock legends Black Oak Arkansas in 1986, and soon found himself in demand for recording and touring with the likes of Jimi Jamison (R.I.P.) of Survivor, and '80s rock legends, Winger. Terry Brock's first job in the music business was as a vocalist on the Kansas album Drastic Measures in 1983, which was soon followed by a tour with the Steve Morse Band and two albums with Strangeways (who were signed to BMG/RCA Records). Terry is currently on tour with Louisiana's Leroux, while John is on tour with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas.

"The Roth Brock Project is the kind of record I've been wanting to make for a long time!” says John Roth. “Guitar-driven high energy rock with stellar vocals is the first thing you'll hear when you put this album on, so get ready to crank it up!”

Roth Brock Project tracklisting:

“Young Gun”
“What's It To Ya”
“Young Again”
“If That's What It Takes”
“I Don’t Know Why”
“Distant Voices”
“We Are”
“Fighter”
“My City”
“Never Givin' Up”
“Reason To Believe”

“Young Gun” video:

“If That's What It Takes”:

“Young Again”:

"We Are":

Lineup:

Terry Brock: Lead and Background Vocals
John Roth: Guitars, Bass, Keys, Lead and Background Vocals
Scott Trammell: Drums, Percussion

New Zealand death metal innovators Ulcerate are streaming their fifth full-length album and follow-up to 2013's Vermis. Shrines Of Paralysis is due out via Relapse this Friday, October 28th. Pre-orders here.

Shrines Of Paralysis tracklisting:

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

Album stream:

Ulcerate have announced a headlining North American tour with Icelandic dissonance-mongers Zhrine and Montreal death metal quartet Phobocosm. A full list of dates is available below.

November (with Zhrine and Phobocosm)
2 - Los Angeles, CA - Complex
3 - San Francisco CA - Elbo Room
4 - Portland, OR - Panic Room
5 - Seattle, WA - Highline
6 - Vancouver, BC - Astoria
8 - Oakland, CA - The Golden Bull
9 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
10 - Tempe, AZ - Yucca Tap Room
11 - El Paso, TX - Mesa Music Hall
12 - San Antonio, TX - Limelight
13 - Houston, TX - Acadia Bar
15 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia
16 - Gainesville, FL - Atlantic
17 - Tampa, FL - The Brass Mug
18 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
19 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
20 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
22 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
23 - Boston, MA - Great Scott
24 - Montreal, QC - Piranha Bar
25 - Toronto, ON - Coalition
26 - Detroit, MI  - Corktown Tavern
27 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
28 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Smiling Moose
29 - New York City, NY - Saint Vitus

"In Orbit", the new video from Swedish metallers EVERGREY, can be seen below. The clip, which features a guest appearance by NIGHTWISH vocalist Floor Jansen, was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.

"In Orbit" is taken from EVERGREY's new album, "The Storm Within", which was released on September 9 via AFM.

"That was actually my wife (Carina Englund) thinking for me," EVERGREY frontman/founder Tom S. Englund says of Jansen's involvement. "Floor is a personal friend and major EVERGREY fan, so it was over a glass of wine between her and my wife, who asked her if she wanted to do the song. 'In Orbit' is a powerhouse of a song and it would be easy to make it the first single, but it's not the first impression we want to make. That said, it would be stupid not to release it as a single, and if we could get Floor to do the video, that would be a home run."

Speaking of Englund's better half Carina, she reprises her ongoing role as EVERGREY's secret weapon on every album since they began, contributing vocals this time out to the song "The Paradox Of The Flame".

While this may come off as music industry lip service in honor of the quintet, anyone who has followed EVERGREY will find it impossible not to become completely enthralled by the music on "The Storm Within" within the space of the first listen. The band's trademark progressive, dark and melancholic elements are as strong as ever, the album ranks as one of the most progressive record they've created in terms of performance, but EVERGREY managed to put it in a package that is more accessible and direct compared to any of their nine previous outings. Englund credits EVERGREY's learning-by-doing over the past two decades for the feel of "The Storm Within", in particular their all-important "Hymns For The Broken" record from 2014, which saw a revitalized EVERGREY lineup return with a new energy.

"We went from having no intention of making an album at all to having all the inspiration in the world on 'Hymns For The Broken'," says Englund. "Honestly, we've never felt better. 'The Storm Within' is a massive album. There are no fillers on it and we've never been about that. I think the inspiration speaks for itself."

EVERGREY's lyrics have always matched the depth and intensity of their music, and the concept behind "The Storm Within" is no exception. Englund considers the storyline behind the lyrics to be one of the biggest concepts EVERGREY has ever tackled, based on something that everyone can relate to; having someone, losing them, and having to pick yourself up and move on. He goes so far as to call it the band's first "love" album, but it's not a subject that should be taken lightly in the EVERGREY universe.

"As usual, the lyrics are based on someone or some event in my life," says Englund. "When we were making this album a lot of these relationship issues were going on around me; people losing a partner or a loved one and grieving. 'The Storm Within' is about a search for identity, trying to make yourself full when you feel half empty, and I placed that storyline in an interstellar world."

Musically, "The Storm Within" plays to EVERGREY's trademark prog metal attack but it's loaded with double-take moments. Lead-off track "Distance" is a surprise lead single (and first video), the melodically and lyrically stunning "Passing Through" is destined to become a fan favourite, "My Allied Ocean" is one of EVERGREY's most aggressive songs to date, and the epic title track makes for the perfect album closer in the tradition of Devin Townsend or RUSH.

Englund is proud to have "The Storm Within" represent EVERGREY's all-important 20th anniversary, although he freely admits he didn't take note of the landmark occasion until the album was well underway.

"I had a goal when I started EVERGREY; I wanted to make 10 albums and that would fulfill my life plan. That's not something I ever thought I would accomplish. It's quite an amazing thing to be a band for 20 years and release albums that aren't sub-par. When I realized we'd done 10 albums in 20 years, it was mind-boggling. I'm proud to say that out of all the albums we've released over the last 20 years, we've never released one that we didn't feel was the best we could do at that time. That goes for every song, every note, everything. That's why we don't do anything half-assed."

"The Storm Within" track listing:

01. Distance02. Passing Trough03. Someday04. Astray05. The Impossible06. My Allied Ocean07. In Orbit (feat. Floor Jansen)08. The Lonely Monarch09. The Paradox Of The Flame10. Disconnect11. The Storm Within

EVERGREY is:

Tom S. Englund - vocals, guitar Henrik Danhage - guitar, backing vocals Rikard Zander - keyboard, backing vocalsJonas Ekdahl - drums Johan Niemann - bass, backing vocals

The second volume of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's two "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell" releases was officially certified gold on October 21 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of 500,000 copies. The certification comes eight months after RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in gold and platinum album award.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH was the recipient of two other sales awards this year. Back in February, the band's 2009 album "War Is The Answer" was certified platinum while the group's latest effort, 2015's "Got Your Six", went gold this past August.

The first volume of "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell" was certified gold in March 2015.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael told Metal Covenant about the band's extraordinary commercial success: "It's something that we're well aware of. Honestly, we are lucky in the sense that, in an age where people aren't buying a whole lot of records, we still have support from the fans, who know that in order for us to be able to tour the world, and to be able to put on the big type of shows that we have, that's an important part of the entire puzzle, and fans are well aware of that on our end. And, you know, they support us and are chomping at the bit to get out in the stores and buy [our next album]."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently signed a North American deal with Rise Records. The band's first album with Rise, the BMG-owned rock label, will be released following the completion of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's obligation to its current label, Prospect Park.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's current co-headlining arena tour with SHINEDOWN kicked off on October 18 in Little Rock, Arkansas and will run into December. SIXX A.M. and AS LIONS are along as support.

Swedish metallers ENTOMBED A.D. will embrk on a North American tour in January. Support on the trek will come from FULL OF HELL and TURBID NORTH.

The dates are as follows:

Jan. 06 - Boston, MA - Once BallroomJan. 07 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu NecktieJan. 08 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint VitusJan. 09 - Cleveland, OH - Grog ShopJan. 10 - Chicago, IL - ReggiesJan. 11 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple RockJan. 12 - Kansas City, MO - Riot RoomJan. 13 - Denver, CO - The RoxyJan. 14 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister BarJan. 15 - Phoenix, AZ - Club RedJan. 16 - San Diego, CA - Brick By BrickJan. 17 - West Hollywood, CA - The RoxyJan. 18 - San Francisco, CA - SlimsJan. 19 - Sacramento, CA - Starlite LoungeJan. 20 - Portland, OR - DantesJan. 21 - Seattle, WA - HighlineJan. 22 - Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw

In other news, ENTOMBED A.D. has released the video for the title track of its sophomore album, "Dead Dawn". Guitarist Nico Elgstrand stated about the clip: "Finally a serious video without the usual nonsense often associated with metal these days.

"This one has depth and a very important message that we think is overlooked in today's media climate.

"Anyone with half a brain will stop with whatever they're doing and realize that we must take a stand against these unjust accusations that metal is for stupid people; that's simply not true and this video we think portrayed it beautifully!

"Enjoy this fine release that will leave you enchanted and content that you're a thinking individual with exquisite taste and that ENTOMBED A.D. is telling it like it is, uncensored and amazingly with superior subtlety and finesse!!"

The "Dead Dawn" cover artwork was created by WATAIN frontman Erik Danielsson. The CD production was handled by a team consisting of Tom Van Heesch and Jacob Hellner of Big Island Sound in Stockholm as well as Nico Elgstrand himself, who produced a majority of the tracks whereas Svante Forsbäck of Chartmakers mastered this new beast.

ENTOMBED A.D. is:

Lars Göran Petrov - VocalsNico Elgstrand - GuitarVictor Brandt - BassOlle Dahlstedt - Drums

In an interview with Revolution-Music.dk, Petrov stated about the band's decision to release change their name to ENTOMBED A.D. in order to avoid a legal battle with ENTOMBED guitarist Alex Hellid who didn't want his former bandmates to use the ENTOMBED moniker: "It had to be done, because without an album you can't tour. I mean, you can tour, but if there's seven years between albums, it's ridiculously long. So we did the right thing, and we did what bands should do, and still do — release an album and go on tour and headbang and have a good time with friends, and that's what it's all about."

ETERNAL IDOL's song "Evil Tears" can be streamed below. The track 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

Joe Schaeffer Photography has uploaded video footage of LAST IN LINE's October 22 performance at Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, California. Check out the clips below.

LAST IN LINE is the band featuring DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell alongside fellow founding DIO member Vinny Appice, plus singer Andrew Freeman, who has previously fronted HURRICANE and LYNCH MOB.

LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", was released on February 19, 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl. The CD was recorded at a Santa Clarita, California studio with producer Jeff Pilson, a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others.

LAST IN LINE has recruited Phil Soussan (OZZY OSBOURNE, BEGGARS & THIEVES, Steve Lukather) to play bass for the group for all dates in support of "Heavy Crown". Also joining them at the shows is virtuoso keyboardist Erik Norlander (Lana Lane).

Soussan made his live debut with LAST IN LINE on April 14 at Count's Vamp'd Rock Bar & Grill in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Freeman previously played with Soussan in the acclaimed Las Vegas rock and roll production "Raiding The Rock Vault".

Appice and Soussan had done a number of shows together as members of the all-star jam band BIG NOIZE.

Original LAST IN LINE bassist Jimmy Bain passed away in late January at the age of 68. He was reportedly suffering from lung cancer at the time of his death.

Appice told "The Chainsaw Symphony" about LAST IN LINE's future plans: "What's gonna happen is we're going to do some dates on the West Coast at the end of October. And next year we'll be around, because the schedule has opened up for Viv more, and we hope to do a good tour of the U.S. too. 'Cause we haven't really played, you know. We only played a lot out in California here and a couple of festivals. We did Rocklahoma, we did a festival in Japan, and the rest… there were far and few between. So we haven't really gone out and bombarded the audience with this yet. And a lot of people can't wait for us to come to their cities. So it looks like next year we'll be able to do that. And then we'll be able to hit all the big festivals in Europe too."

Vinny also praised LAST IN LINE's live performances, saying: "The band kicks ass. It's so much fun to play together. We have a great time on and off the stage. It's just a real pleasure playing, especially with Viv again. He's such a great guy, and he's having so much fun playing this stuff, and so am I."

He added: "We're not doing this to just go out and try to make money; we're doing this 'cause we wanna do it. And Viv is totally into this and totally enjoying playing this stuff, and revisiting his old solos. He's burning again; he just plays so great. So it's a great band. If you see us, you'll see that we're all having a great time on stage, and that's important."

Norwegian horror thrashers Critical Solution have finished the recording and mixing of their third conceptual album in SonicTrain Studios with long-time producer Andy LaRocque at the helm.

The as yet untitled album will include very special guest apperances by Arthur Brown “The God Of Hellfire”, and Snowy Shaw.

Critical Solution is currently looking for the right record deal and comments: "This is by far the best record we have ever made and it’s filled with so much horror even Stephen King will probably be scared! It’s hard to do something that has never been done before, but with a little help from the one and only Arthur Brown, we truly believe we have done just that!"

The band also adds that a music video for the track “Barbara The Witch” is currently in pre-production and promises to deliever a horror-filled introduction to the brutal concept story that is told on the record.

"We have certainly been silent for the past few months here in the Casket Robbery camp, but we have certainly been busy," says the Madison, WI death metallers. "The past few months have seen many changes in the way Casket Robbery will propel ourselves forward, and our first one to announce is... new members! We'd like to officially welcome Troy Powell (Furnace Born) on second guitar and Brevin Becker on drums."

"If you'd like to give Troy and Brevin a proper welcome to the lineup, check out our upcoming shows next month!" Confirmed dates are as listed:

November
11 - Rockstar Saloon - Milwaukee, WI (Night Of Devastation Fest)
15 - The Frequency - Madison, WI (supporting Santa Marta and Discord Curse)
19 - Back Bar - Janesville, WI (supporting Santa Marta and Discord Curse)

Until then, enjoy Casket Robbery's previously released lyric video for "Pray For Death," a song from the Mortal Music release Evolution Of Evil.

Exclaim!'s Aggressive Tendencies recently conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether he felt pressure returning to SLAYER before the band's latest album, 2015's "Repentless":

Paul: "I'd be a liar if I said I didn't. The difference in when I first joined and when I joined now was there was no social media, there was no Internet when I first joined the band. That really changes people's focus and opinion, or back when I first joined the band, those same opinions were out there, but I never heard 'em. I had already played with the band, but does that mean that I was on par with everything in terms of my expectations of how I should play? I mean, I think I'm playing these songs better than I did when I first joined the band — without a doubt. So, yeah, I mean, as far as the instincts go on what I need to do, tempos, where I slow down, this is all the stuff that in the ten-year span when I was with the band before, I learned, and the chemistry you get when you play with a band, you learn those things. Yeah, that was there, but was it up to par in terms of my standards? No. It's better now. That being said, because of the climate, and social media, and everybody can put their opinion out there, and it's heard and read, that created some more pressure, I'd say. But, you know, I thrive under pressure."

On everyone having a voice on social media:

Paul: "To be honest with you, I welcome opinions. If you can't take the bad, don't take the good. Because sometimes people just wanna hear the good things, but there are criticisms out there, as an artist, you're not gonna like. And that creates an interesting dialogue between the fans. And sometimes I'll follow 'em and I'll listen. I'll go, 'This guy said this. I may not like it, but it's true.' And then somebody will come back in, and people sort each other out. If it creates a good dialogue, I'm way behind it."

On the "Repentless" title track:

Paul: "Kerry [King, guitar] wrote that song about Jeff [Hanneman, late SLAYER guitarist], but who better to know how to write about Jeff than Kerry, because this band, when I joined, that's what these guys were — uncompromising, and they know themselves so well that they're not gonna budge. It's, like, 'I know me and if I did that, I wouldn't be happy with it.' Being able to look yourself in the mirror and be happy with who you are is the most important thing you can ever do. So I think that's what 'Repentless' is."

SLAYER frontman Tom Araya recently told Billboard that there are no plans yet for the group to begin work on the follow-up to last year's "Repentless" album. That effort marked the band's first release since the death of Hanneman.

SLAYER's seven-week North American tour with ANTHRAX and DEATH ANGEL kicked off on September 9 in Cleveland.

"Repentless" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 50,000 equivalent album units in the week ending September 17, 2015.

John Corabi, former lead singer of MÖTLEY CRÜE, has commented on the band's decision to call it quits after one last show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles following an eighteen-month tour that saw the group performing to packed houses all over the world.

"You know, more power to those guys," Corabi told rock journalist Lucas H. Gordon (see video below). "I mean, at the end of the day, they made a decision to — for lack of a better term — go out on top. They were still drawing huge crowds, and I think that tour was one of the bigger tours this year… or last year. So I wish them the best of luck."

Corabi, who has been recording and touring with the supergroup THE DEAD DAISIES for most of the past couple of years, added: "I know Mick [Mars, guitar] is doing a solo record; Tommy [Lee, drums] is doing stuff; Vince [Neil, vocals] is out touring. I just saw Vince right before we [THE DEAD DAISIES] started this tour; I did a festival in Nashville with my [solo] band, and Vince and I were hanging out. We're fine, you know what I mean? But they decided, 'Okay, we've done enough. We don't wanna do this anymore.' They're probably still gonna record together and do different things together. But they went out on top, man. And I think they're gonna be one of those bands — I don't know when, or how long it'll take — but I would imagine they're gonna definitely be one of the bands that gets inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. So I wish them the best of luck."

Corabi, who joined CRÜE in 1992 as the replacement for Neil, recently said that he would avoid talking about the band in the future because he didn't want his comments about CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx to descend into a feud.

In an interview with Sweden Rock Magazine, Sixx said that writing the "Mötley Crüe" LP with Corabi was a prolonged and difficult experience. He went to call it "a very unfocused record" that was "painful for me, because John Corabi can't write lyrics, and I had to do all that work."

Corabi initially responded to Sixx's comments by saying that he didn't "give a shit" about what his ex-bandmate had to say, but later told an interviewer, when asked about it again, "I have no idea why Nikki feels that I'm the biggest piece of shit to roam the Earth." He then proceeded to take to his Facebook page to claim that he would "officially have nothing to say about any member of MÖTLEY CRÜE ever again," adding that he was "not backing this bullshit stirring that is happening to start a feud."

Released in 1994, "Mötley Crüe" ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top 10 placing on the album chart.

Corabi is planning to release a live album and DVD of his performance of MÖTLEY CRÜE's entire 1994 album, recorded last year in Nashville, Tennessee.

Los Angeles rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES are at producer John Feldmann's new Southern California studio wrapping up vocal tracks for their as-yet-untitled fifth album, tentatively due in early 2017. Frontman Andy Biersack told Alternative Press about the follow-up to the band's 2014 self-titled effort: "Ultimately, it would be very silly for me to come out in the capacity of the guy that says [adopts loud, boorish tone], 'This is the greatest fuckin' thing we've ever done! It's our most melodic and our most heavy,' and all that other shit you hear everybody say. The reality is that I'm better at what I do now than when I was 18. All of us [in the band] are. You're looking at a group of people who understand this band more than anything else. Emotionally, I think this record will connect all the dots and bring the story full circle."

He continued: "If you listen to all of our records, there is a through line. And it is watching the growth of five people who come from different backgrounds and didn't have a whole lot in common, barring a shared experience in life. At this point, the level of comfortability in the band is that we know how to finish each other's sentences, musically. And I think we know where we're going."

Biersack also spoke about his mindset going into the making of the new BLACK VEIL BRIDES album. He said: "Anybody who follows me on social media knows I haven't been very active. That's because as I write this record and work on these things, I find that the free time I have, I want to spend enjoying the moment with my family. When I'm writing for the record, it's an emotional experience because I'm talking about things that affect me deeply. During the making of the ANDY BLACK record [Biersack's solo project], I don't think I was ready to talk about a lot of that stuff."

According to the singer, "nine or ten songs" have been recorded for BLACK VEIL BRIDES' forthcoming album and "are currently in the mixing process." He added: "I don't think we'll go too much further; it's been a process of shedding down to this point. Rather than record a hundred songs we didn't like, we were really able to strip away the stuff that didn't seem as strong. It feels like the story I want to tell will be done in the ten or eleven songs in this record. I can't tell you how great it is seeing how much [guitarists] Jake [Pitts] and Jinxx have grown as players and songwriters. The future is so bright."

GOLDFINGER frontman John Feldmann previously helmed BLACK VEIL BRIDES' 2013 effort "Wretched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones".

BLACK VEIL BRIDES released its first-ever concert DVD and Blu-ray, "Alive And Burning", in July 2015. The cover artwork for the set was designed by the band's longtime friend and previous album cover illustrator Richard Villa.

BLACK VEIL BRIDES' fourth, self-titled album was helmed by producer Bob Rock, whose resume includes LPs by METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE CULT and many others.

Spark TV, which is part of the Czech monthly magazine Spark, recently conducted an interview with IN FLAMES frontman Anders Fridén. You can watch the full chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the difference between the band's forthcoming "Battles" album and 2014's "Siren Charms":

Anders: "I'd say the main difference is that it's recorded in the sun, in California, instead of the winter in Berlin. That's a big difference. I really believe the environment… it gets to you, somehow. That's really what we were after when we went to Berlin, but now we wanted something else. Yes, I felt different. I felt different in the end. In Berlin, I put myself in a position where I thought that would give me a creative outlet or that's what I wanted to do. Now, I put myself in a different situation. Also, me and Björn [Gelotte, guitar] worked way closer than we've done in the past. The music was done in one corner, the vocals in one corner and we met in the mix. Now, because we worked with Howard Benson, he produced the album, he wanted demos. We haven't really done proper demos before; now we had to create demos for all the songs because he wanted to know what we wanted to say and feel. Basically, what do you want to say with the songs? We had to write proper demos. That meant we were already happy in our little world before we started recording. There were no surprises with the final results. In the past, I'd lay down the vocals and the other guys would hear it and I'd hope they like it. Most of the times, they did, but sometimes, it would take them some time. Now, we were all on the same level. It's a different approach this time. "

On the continual changes to IN FLAMES' sound:

Anders: "Of course if you listen to [1994's] 'Lunar Strain' and jump directly into 'Battles', they sound different. They do. But I believe if you listen to 'Battles' and 'Siren Charms' and go back through our 12 albums, you'll find something significant for being IN FLAMES. Like I said, we won't write as much in between [albums]. We're not constantly writing; things definitely happen. We don't want to do the same thing again and again."

On if he pays attention to "haters":

Anders: "I hear it. People like you bring it up in interviews. I don't search for it, no. But I'm fully aware of it. As soon you sign a record deal and put your album out, then you're open for grabs. People can say and are entitled to say what they want. It doesn't really affect me. At the end of the day, I'm happy with the results. And the ones that are angry, mad, and dislike it, I can't go home to them and say, 'You should like me because I put so much energy…' There's no point. I can't do anything about it. I don't write music for first and foremost for anybody else but me."

On the suggested use of child vocals on the song "The Truth":

Anders: "Some people think it's kids, but they are 25-year-old girls and two boys as well who have a high pitch. For 'The Truth', where they are sort of portraying... the song is how kids are the most honest we have until they get programmed by society. We wanted them to portray that. Obviously, they sound like kids, but they're not. It's almost like PINK FLOYD on 'The Wall' where the kids are going up against the establishment. This is more like where I question, 'How can we on one hand come up all these things to destroy and kill each other, and at the same time look at our kids and say 'Better stay in school, eat your breakfast, brush your hair, and be nice to your neighbor.' On the other hand, we are like, 'I want to kill him!' They are that voice. It really worked really well so we can use them for other songs where it gives my vocals a different dimension."

"Battles" will be released on November 11 via Nuclear Blast in all territories excluding North America and Scandinavia and Eleven Seven Music Group in the U.S.

Dope have released a lyric video for “1999”, a track from their upcoming sixth studio album, Blood Money Part 1. The album officially hits streets on October 28th via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music), but fans can pre-order the record, along with a plethora of bundle packages, meet and greets, and exclusive new merch designs at this location.

“After much anticipation, the release date for Blood Money is finely upon us. We've already dropped three full length music videos and today we are dropping a lyric video for the song “1999”. I anticipate that this song will be one of the fan favorites off the new record.. Looking forward to Friday!” - Edsel Dope

Blood Money Part 1 tracklisting:

“Intro: Confessions Of A Felon”
“Blood Money”
“Shoulda Known Better”
“Lexipro”
“Hold On”
“1999”
“Razorblade Butterfly”
“Drug Music”
“A New Low”
“Hypocrite”
“X-Hale”
“End Of The World”
“Selfish”
“Numb”
“Violet”

“1999” lyric video:

“Hold On” video:

“Blood Money” video:

“Selfish” video:

Dope has added a special one night only UK performance, along with Russia / Ukraine tour dates to their Die Motherfucker, Die Reunion Tour beginning November 2nd in Krasnodar, Russia and wrapping up November 7th in London.

These will be the last dates of this years Die Mf Die Reunion tour featuring the classic Dope lineup of Edsel Dope, Acey Slade, Virus, and Racci Shay. Exclusive Meet & Greet packages are available at this location for all events.

"We are incredibly excited to return to London for our first ever headline show in the UK,” says Edsel Dope. "We toured the UK with Coal Chamber back in 2015 for the very first time and the fans were absolutely insane!! Playing a full headline set at the 02 Academy with this reunion lineup is something every UK Dope fan will want to see."

"We love performing in Russia," says Edsel. "Last year, Dope recorded our first ever live album in Moscow and St. Petersburg, so returning to the scene of the crime to support the new studio album Blood Money will be sick."

Minneapolis, MN death metal band, Buried Above Ground, recently released their new full-length album, Birth, to the masses. This past Friday, the band re-released the album as a deluxe edition with 10 extra minutes of music. You can order the deluxe edition via their merch store, and stream the entire deluxe edition of the album for a limited time via the YouTube video below.

In support of the Birth deluxe edition release, Buried Above Ground's brand new, terrifyingly sinful music video for the single "The Evil One”, can be seen below. This video is NSFW - be warned!

"The Evil One" video was directed by Jake Woodbridge, with cinematography credited to Anthony Cousins and lighting coordination by Sam Goldberger. The video was filmed in the abandoned basement of a former brewery in St. Paul, MN.

"Basically the lesson here is... humans make terrible pets," jests guitarist DJ Gunnarson. "We are extremely grateful for the work Jake and his team did in bringing this video to life. We had a loose concept in mind, and they really helped shape it into the video it is now."

Much like "The Evil One", Buried Above Ground's new album Birth is a dark and heavy emotional ride, not devoid of horror and evil. Check out the band's first music video from the record, "I Am God", which has already tallied nearly 60,000 views:

The members of Buried Above Ground initially met while in college at McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, MN. Guitarist DJ Gunnarson - who co-wrote the album Manticore and Other Horrors by Cradle of Filth and was also a founding member of the band Ghost Bath - initially approached vocalist Eric McMahon about starting a band.  The two created the band Thee Massacre and immediately released an album and started touring.  While out on tour, DJ and Eric met drummer Sam Flach and bassist Coz, who played their respective instruments in a band called Thira. A short time after the tour, the two bands decided to merge some of its members to create the current incarnation of Buried Above Ground.

Since forming, Buried Above Ground has shared the stage with bands such as Behemoth, Thy Art is Murder, Goatwhore, Fallujah, Dying Fetus, Carnifex, Within The Ruins, Last Ten Seconds of Life, The Faceless and more.

Stay tuned for more coming from Buried Above Ground soon.

Birth album stream:

Rage Against The Machine bassist and founding member Tim Commerford’s new band Wakrat will release their self-titled debut on November 11th via Earache Records. Various pre-order options are available at this location. Check out the Stencil Edition Vinyl version of the album in the video below:

Something is missing from today's current rock scene. At a time when corruption amongst the elite is rampant, self-serving politicians are allowing tax breaks to their wealthy associates whilst imposing budget cuts to public services, austerity measures including slashing benefits to those most in need, and having the gall to claim that they're "taking our country back" when they and their friends in the media blame their nation's problems on immigration, the distinct lack of politically-charged rock bands is even more astounding.

Enough is enough - now is the time to join the Republic of Wakrat! Founded by Tim Commerford, responsible for arguably the most iconic protest song in the last 30 years during his time with Rage Against The Machine, the band self-described as 'two French nationals and one American anarchist', namely Laurent Grangeon and Mathias Wakrat, are promising to shake up the system with their aggressive and abrasive approach.

With a tight mix of punchy, rhythmic and dynamic punk rock, fuelled by political dissent and an undiminished subversion and questioning of authority, Wakrat are providing a much needed battle cry of societal angst wrapped in sonic urgency. Their UK live debut has just been announced, and will take place on July 26th at the Black Heart in London, with all proceeds going towards the homeless charity Shelter, before they set off on tour in the US with Commerford's other band, Prophets Of Rage.

Commerford comments: "We are gearing up to be on the offensive, assaulting the populous with our debut album on Earache Records. We have put a shitload of blood and sweat into this, and we want it back! Our mission is to attack modern music and smash the grid. Unapologetic, unrelenting, unbridles and uncensored. Understood?"

Wakrat tracklisting:

"Sober Addiction”
"The Number”
"Generation Fucked”
"Nail In The Snail”
"La Liberté ou la Mort”
"The Thing”
"Knucklehead”
"New Clear”
"Pigs in a Blanket”

“Sober Addiction”:

"Generation Fucked” lyric video:

"Knucklehead” video:

Band introduction video:

(Photo - Ashley Beliveau)

Atlanta power trio Whores. have released a video for “I See You Are Also Wearing A Black T Shirt”, a track from their new LP, Gold, out on October 28th via Entertainment One (eOne), the first for their new label home.

Directed by Whitey McConnaughy (Red Fang, Iron Reagan), this is the first time the band has done a music video. "Mastodon let us use their space to film, and Whitey is pretty much the coolest dude ever," says frontman and guitarist Christian Lembach. “So it was just a matter of us doing what we do best: sweat and scream in a basement."

The band’s debut LP was recorded at Parhelion Studios with producer Ryan Boesch (Helmet, Fu Manchu, Melvins). The artwork for Gold was created by Patrick Copeland.

Tracklisting:

“Playing Poor”
“Baby Teeth”
“Participation Trophy”
“Mental Illness As Mating Ritual”
“Ghost Trash”
“Charlie Chaplin Routine”
“Of Course You Do”
“I See You Are Also Wearing A Black T Shirt”
“Bloody Like The Day You Were Born”
“I Have a Prepared Statement”

"Mental Illness As Mating Ritual”:

“Baby Teeth”:

“Playing Poor”:

Trailer:

Tour dates:

October
25 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
27 - Memphis, TN - The Buccaneer Lounge

November (with Red Fang and Torche)
18 - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s
19 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
20 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
22 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
23 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
25 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
26 - Dallas, TX - Three Links
27 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Studio
29 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Hell)
30 - Durham, NC - Motorco

December
1 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel
2 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
4 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair
5 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Spirit Lounge
8 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
9 - Detroit, MI - El Club
10 - Chicago, IL - Metro
11 - Bloomington, IL - Castle Theater
13 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
15 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
16 - Seattle, WA - Showbox