On February 9th, Good Tiger will release their sophomore full-length, We Will All Be Gone, via Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records. For another preview of the album, the track “Blueshift” is available for streaming below.

With music instantly accessed at the touch of a button, it seems that the urge to pigeonhole bands as quickly and neatly as possible has been driven to ever more extremes in recent years. Good Tiger, however, forge their own path. Blending their influences in a manner that defies lazy classification sets them apart from their contemporaries, imbuing everything they do with a distinctive sound and feel, and with We Will All Be Gone, Good Tigerhave dramatically built upon their stunning debut, 2015's A Head Full Of Moonlight. Comprised of guitarists Derya "Dez" Nagle and Joaquin Ardiles, bassist Morgan Sinclair, drummer Alex Rudinger and vocalist Elliot Coleman, Good Tiger has raised the stakes across the board - every track on We Will All Be Gone has a definitive character of its own, and none stay in a single gear, all of them dynamic and textured as they evoke various tones and moods.

Tracking at Middle Farm Studios in southwest England, the band also recruited producer Forrester Savell (Karnivool/Dead Letter Circus), and engineer/mixer Adam "Nolly" Getgood (Periphery/Animals As Leaders). "We worked with Nolly on the last album, we had a great working relationship, and wanted to explore that further in a more developed situation," Dez explains. "Forrester has made some of our favorite albums, and is someone we could trust steering the ship. Having self-produced for so long it can be at times quite difficult to let go, so it was important we found people we could fully entrust to help create the album we wanted to make."

Tracklisting:

“The Devil Thinks I'm Sinking”
“Float On”
“Such A Kind Stranger”
“Blueshift”
“Salt Of The Earth”
“Grip Shoes”
“Just Shy”
“Nineteen Grams”
“Cherry Lemon”
“I'll Finish This Book Later”

“Blueshift”:

“The Devil Thinks I’m Sinking”:

The album is available for preorder in the following formats:

- Digipak CD
- 180g Black Vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- Flesh Pink Clear Vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- Opaque Pale Pink Vinyl (USA exclusive - limited to 500 copies)

Denver’s nihilistic trio, Primitive Man, return with Caustic, their second full-length offering of soul-crushing blackened doom and noise-ridden claustrophobia. A music video for the track “Victim” is available for streaming below.

Recorded and produced at Flatline Audio by Dave Otero (Cobalt, Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation), Caustic is 12 songs and 75+ minutes of bloodcurdling howls, abysmal tones and dense, unsettling feedback spewing forth a cesspool of utter misery. With lyrical themes ranging from political corruption, personal struggle and the crumbling social climate facing the world today, Caustic serves as a cataclysmic soundtrack for a world gone awry.

Caustic is set for release on October 6th on CD/2xLP/CS/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical packages and digital orders are available via Relapse.com here and Bandcamp here.

Caustic tracklisting:

“My Will”
“Victim”
“Caustic”
“Commerce”
“Tepid”
“Ash”
“Sterility”
“Sugar Hole”
“The Weight”
“Disfigured”
“Inevitable”
“Absolutes”

“Victim” video:

“Commerce” visualizer:

“My Will”:

Finnish groove outfit, Profane Omen, have finished recording their fifth studio album. The album, produced by Juho Räihä at Petrax and Soundspiral Studio, is their first since their 2014 album Reset and is planned for an early-2018 release.

In addition to this, Profane Omen will be releasing an entirely-acoustic album with completely new songs, which will only be made available through a pre-sale, which has yet to be announced.

To celebrate the completion of the recording, the sextet have released the video for their first single, ”The Tune Of The Damned", taken from the acoustic side. "The Tune Of The Damned" sees Profane Omen dishing out their groovy, melodic hybrid of clever melodies, intricate hooks and fast rhythms. It has a unique sound to it, that many fans of folk, thrash and heavy metal will appreciate, where the vitriol and vivacity of Profane Omen can still be felt even without the layers of heavy guitar and drums.

Purchase "The Tune of the Damned" single here.

The video was directed by Petri Voutilainen.

This double album is the first since original bassist Tuomas "Tomppa" Saarenketo made his return to Profane Omen.

The band said of their upcoming album: "On top of the fact that we had two basses for the first time, the songwriting process was also different.We wanted to recreate the sound of this band and we want to think that we succeeded. This is Profane Omen."

The band are choosing to remain quiet on the concept, name and details of the album at this point in time. However, more will be revealed in due course. To hear some songs ahead of the album release, the band will be playing the Lost In Music Festival on October 7th in Tampere, Finland, also featuring Battle Beast, S-Tool and IKINÄ.

Profane Omen are:

Jules Näveri - Vocals
Williami Kurki - Guitar
Antti Kokkonen - Guitar
Tuomas "Tomppa" Saarenketo – Bass
Antti Seroff - Bass
Samuli Mikkonen - Drums

The Keith Emerson Estate has announce the re-release of the celebrated album of Keith Emerson keyboard (and rare) pieces, Emerson Plays Emerson, which has long been out of print and is a collector's item.

The re-release uses a fresh transfer of the master tapes by Abbey Road, a 2017 remaster, and artwork from the original art files. The booklet contains the liner notes in English, Italian and German. The re-release is available via the Estate's own imprint label Emersongs, via Cherry Red.

The members of Keith's family have personally overseen the preparation of this re-release and they are also preparing to approve a music transcriptions book of the album for release in early 2018. The family is focused on celebrating and enhancing Keith Emerson’s musical legacy and supporting projects which further the appreciation of his life's work.

Keith's eldest son, Aaron said of the release: “Since the passing of my father, we have been inundated with requests for a reissue of the album Emerson Plays Emerson. This album was a labour of love for Dad, so we decided to go with the original artwork to stay as true to the original as possible as we understand how happy Dad was with it. I know he would be happy with this reissue, so on behalf of myself, Jo and my boys, of Damon and his family, of my mother Elinor, and of my father's fiancé Mari, and with thanks to Daniel Earnshaw, Martin Darvill and Stewart Young for all their hard work, we hope you enjoy it!”

The album can be ordered via the following links:

- CD
- Digital

Keith Emerson, the legendary Emerson, Lake & Palmer keyboardist, passed away at the age of 71 on March 10, 2016.

Former The Defiled frontman Lee Villain has untied with fellow Brit Luke Johnson (Amen, No Devotion, Beat Union), together with Steve Lucarelli (The Ataris) and Jaxon Moore, to form the new band Lowlives.

The band's debut single, “Burn Forever”, is available now via all streaming sites, and a lyric video for the track can be found below.

“‘Burn Forever ‘was one of the first songs written,” states Lee Villain. “It kinda sets the tone for what we are about. Pop hooks, heavy drums, and lots of guitar noise. This band has been in the works for a long time now and I’m stoked to finally show people what we’ve been working on.”

“I wanted to write something that felt real, I wanted to work with someone where the creative relationship had chemistry,” says Luke Johnson. “I wanted to make a band with the intention of being free and agnostic of the boundaries that define popular music genres. This is the band that makes everything I've ever done before it less relevant by comparison.”

Lowlives play their debut show at the Troubador in Los Angeles on October 20th supporting Moose Blood, before heading to the studio to finish recording their full length album in November with producer Beau Burchell (The Bronx, Moose Blood, Saosin)

Next month, Swedish death metal band Demonical will start recording what will become their fifth full-length album, and first for Agonia Records, expected to be released in early 2018.  

A new EP, titled Black Flesh Redemption, and a handful of festival appearances, tours, and one-off dates, carried Demonical through 2015 and 2016, yet it's about time to announce a successor to Darkness Unbound, the band's last studio album from late-2013.

The twin, more melodic brother to Centinex, Demonical emerged on the latter's ashes in 2006, and little did expect to share the same frontman, Alexander Högbom (also of October Tide), since April this year. The new album will be the first to feature him on vocals, after the departure of the band's long-time signer, Sverker Widgren, and first to feature a strong, well bonded lineup.

Demonical issued the following statement: "We're off on the path towards the untrodden might once again. On the 8th of November, we will start to nail down our fifth full-length album, the first one to feature our new vocalist Alexander Högbom and the first recording in years featuring a permanent 5-piece line-up.

“The sessions will take place at various locations around Sweden and the recording will be mixed and mastered by the award winning producer Karl Daniel Lidén, know from his work with acts such as Terra Tenebrosa, Katatonia and Cult Of Luna.

“The album will continue the traditional Demonical path with fierce HM-2 driven Swedish death metal, however, it will also feature some new elements and streaks we haven’t explored before as well as bringing forth traces from the past.  

“Expect a spring 2018 release through Agonia Records followed by worldwide touring.”
 
More news will be revealed soon.

Upcoming shows:

April
19 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Upload
20 - Alicante, Spain - Sala Babel
21 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Estudios
22 - Zaragoza, Spain - Utopia

On November 2nd, occult black metal legends, Mortuary Drape, will release a DVD of their unique 30th anniversary show. Today the band reveals the cover artwork and a video trailer for the upcoming Mortuary Drape - 30th Anniversary Concert (1986-2016) DVD.

The show took place in Alessandria on November 12th, 2016, and some special guests shared the stage with the band, such as Erik Danielsson (Watain), AC Wild (Bulldozer), Andy “Bull” Panigada (Bulldozer), Al De Noble (Death SS, Secret Sphere), and Aphazel (Ancient).

The 30th Anniversary Show DVD will feature the entire gig, running 2 hours and 20 minutes. Pre-order your copy here: info@mortuary13drape.com.

Tracklisting:

Intro
“Primordial”
“Mortuary Drape”
“Mother”
“Crepuscolar Whisper”
“Atral Bewitchment”
“Dance Of Spirits”
“Reincarnation”
“Chain / Medium Mortem”
“Tregenda”
“Larve”
“Zombie”
“Who Calls Me”
“Fallen Angel” (Bulldozer)
“Welcome Death” (Bulldozer)
“Lithany”
“Necromancer”
“Vengeance from Beyond”
“Obsessed by Necromancy”
“Necromaniac”
“Inquisition”
“Dreadful Discovery”
“1600 Gnostic Year”
“Pentagram”
“Abbot”

Trailer:

Lineup:

Wildness Perversion - Vocals
D.C. - Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals
S.R. - Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals
S.C. - Bass / Backing Vocals
M.B. - Drums

Former Iron Maiden frontman Blaze Bayley performed at the Huskvarna Rock & Art Weekend 2017 in Sweden this past weekend. Fan-filmed video of his entrire acoustic set can be viewed below. His setlist was as follows:

"Judgement Of Heaven" (Iron Maiden cover)
"Virus" (Iron Maiden cover)
"Futureal" (Iron Maiden cover)
"2 A.M." (Iron Maiden cover)
"Como Estais Amigos" (Iron Maiden cover)
"Manhunt" (Wolfsbane song)
"The Angel And The Gambler" (Iron Maiden cover)
"Man On The Edge" (Iron Maiden cover)

Bayley recently released a video for the song "Eating Lies", taken from his ninth solo album Endure And Survive. which was released in March 2017.

The Metal Voice out of Canada recently produced a North American tour report in Montreal, Quebec on former Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley and his backing band, Absolva. You can watch the Endure And Survive Tour Report below.

On when the fans can expect the third part of the Infinite Entanglement trilogy album:

Blaze: "On or around March 1st, 2018. When we started and we looked at the first album and it was too much there to do one album. We thought it was not one big album, it's three albums because one of the songs you are going to hear on part three is something that we have ready for part 1. But when you looked at the lyrics and when you looked at the music and what it said this is where he is in Part 3. And there was another song and this is where he is in part two, so it just makes sense. I'm very lucky I am the record company, I can actually say when the release date will be. So I thought, first of March 2016, March 2017 and March 2018 and we will do one album a year and it's really worked."

On Part 3 of the Trilogy:

Blaze: "Part 3 he have about seven songs that we think are good enough at the moment we have a little bit of time before we get to the main pre-production where we have flashes of inspiration. I'm working on the lyrics in my spare time. Part 3 we have the skeleton and now we have to find all the other bits. I have an idea where he will be at the end of the story. Then of course after we have this conclusion we tour everywhere again full world tour with part 3. At the end of that I'm going to do a live album DVD of the set list that we do on tour. After that the first of March 2019 I hope I will have my book complete because the trilogy is based on the book that I am writing as I go along. So you will have all the answers of the three albums, you will have the back story of the characters everything. "

Executive Producer, Editor & Camera - Jimmy Kay
Camera - Orlando Rush
Interviewer Power Play Magazine - Mark Hoaksey

Absolva / Blaze Bayley Band
Chris Appleton – guitars
Karl Schramm – bass
Martin McNee – drums

 

Ever since the release of their debut album Lugburz (1995) Summoning have proven themselves to be the true guardians of Middle Earth! What started out as a project deeply rooted in traditional black metal took an epic turn in the following years – evergreens like Dol Guldur (1996) and Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame (2001) bear witness to a continuously refined soundscape. Five years after Old Mornings Dawn, Protector and Silenius have turned over a new leaf in their bottomless saga: titled With Doom We Come, Summoning finally unveil first and hotly anticipated details about their upcoming opus, which is set to be released on January 5th 2018 on Napalm Records.

The tracklist is as follows:

“Tar-Calion”
“Silvertine”
“Carcharoth”
“Herumor”
“Barrow-downs”
“Night Fell Behind”
“Mirklands”
“With Doom I Come”

With Doom We Come indulges all things sublime and majestic Summoning stands for, while grandiose keyboard backgrounds and mystical intros weave pure atmosphere contrasting with raw black metal. Sagas and myths culled from J.R.R. Tolkien`s vast universe are the black blood that courses through Summoning's veins, and With Doom We Come the ultimate soundtrack to a fantastic journey!

Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai has checked in with a tribute to his mentor, the legendary Frank Zappa:

"A day doesn’t pass that I don’t think about Frank. Nothing could, or ever will take his place in the hearts of the fans, his family and the musicians that have toured with him and loved him. Nothing, and we all know that.

When I was invited to contribute to 3-4 shows of a potential Zappa hologram tour I thought… this could be odd, but another part of me felt this could also be pretty special too. To be on the stage playing his music again for the fans with some of his alumni, (many dear friends of mine) and to have his ghostly image residing over the proceedings was interesting and alluring enough for me to commit to helping kick off the tour.

Of course it’s not Frank, and I’m not 20 years old anymore, but I am very happy, and honored that I was invited to contribute to bringing the spirit of Frank and his eternal music, with this new technology, to those fans who connected so deeply with him. I felt the same way when I contributed to the ZPZ tour, and that was a fantastic experience.

I believe that the fans understand it’s just an image and that holographic technology has its limitations, but it is an evolution in technology and with an open mind it could be embraced for a worthwhile experience. I would want to attend this show if I heard about it. If a person can attend the show with their spirit of the love of Frank’s music at the forefront I believe it could be a very touching event for all involved.

It’s an opportunity to engage in a massive “nostalgic hernia” because for many of us, Frank’s “music is the best.”

Shortly after Zappa's son Dweezil Zappa's mother Gail’s passing last year, it came to light that there is a bitter feud between the siblings (Dweezil and Moon on one side, Ahmet and Diva on the other) over who is entitled to use the “Zappa” name and merchandising. In 2006, guitarist Dweezil began touring under the Zappa Plays Zappa banner. He was eventually forced to change the name of the tour to Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa, before ultimately going by his own name. Dweezil has checked in via his official website with a lengthy update on the trademark dispute, including his thoughts on the proposed tour featuring a hologram performances of Frank Zappa. Following is an excerpt:

"Happy Hologram day! It’s not a thing yet but I bet it will be soon. Anyway, I thought it might be helpful to provide all of you with some background information about what has been happening between the Zappa Family Trust and me lately and how your support is helping. You might want to grab your favorite beverage and get yourself into a cozy chair because this update is BIG and HUGE and very "UPDATEY"... In other words, it's gonna take a while to read it in its entirety. All set? Buckled up?

Since our mother has passed away, Ahmet and Diva have been exploiting their new roles as trustees of the ZFT. In legal documents they claim the ZFT has the sole right to use our family name in the entertainment industry and that when I use my full legal name, Dweezil Zappa in connection with live musical performances, there is a 'likelihood of confusion' because 'it is likely that consumers will believe that [my] services originate and/or are affiliated with [the Zappa Family Trust].'

I no longer sell sell any merchandise, Frank Zappa or otherwise from the ZFT on my tours. When I promote my tours the ads contain a statement that says 'not endorsed by the Zappa Family Trust.'

The ZFT is attempting to require me to license my own name from them and be forced to sell Official Frank Zappa (ZFT) merchandise at my shows, for which I would be expected to pay 100% percent of that income to the ZFT. They seek to impose this without making any contribution of any kind to my tour expenses, band salaries, tour bus, flights etc. They seek to enrich themselves, all while maintaining a claim that they own my first and last name.

Apparently 'owning' my name isn’t enough for them and they have tried to leverage their roles as trustees by creating a holographic version of our father that they seek to manipulate on stages worldwide. The press release about the tour appears to state that they have communicated with me about being involved with such a tour. Like other fans of my father, I heard about it through social media.

I have never been contacted by the (ZFT) about it in any form nor have I given them consent to use my name. For the record, I am not interested in participating in anything with an artificial version of my Father on stage.

Let’s be realistic, it’s not actually Frank Zappa that will be on stage."

Read the complete update here.

Eyellusion, live music's premier hologram production company, today announced that it will work closely with the Zappa Family Trust to produce hologram performances of Frank Zappa, giving fans an opportunity to experience the prolific, eclectic and critically acclaimed music legend live in concert again. Production for the Zappa shows will kick off in late 2017, with performances announced later in 2018.

"I'm thrilled that Frank Zappa will finally be going back out on tour playing his most well-known music as well as some rare and unheard material," said Ahmet Zappa, co-Trustee of the Zappa Family Trust. "We can't wait to bring his creative work back to the stage with the musicians he loved to play with, such as Steve Vai, Ian Underwood, Adrian Belew, Arthur Barrow, Vinnie Colaiuta, Scott Thunes, Mike Keneally, Denny Walley, Warren Cuccurullo and Napoleon Murphy Brock among others who are committed to being part of this epic endeavor. When I spoke with them, they were excited at the prospect of performing alongside Frank once again and can't wait to give fans an unforgettable experience."

He continued, "Also, how radical would it be to have Moon singing 'Valley Girl' onstage with Frank? Or to see Dweezil side by side with our father playing dueling guitar solos? That would be my greatest wish and I look forward to bringing this special celebration of Frank's legacy to a town near you. But if that wasn't enough Zappa coolness, we're also planning on staging Joe's Garage The Musical with none other than Frank Zappa himself starring as the Central Scrutinizer."

"Frank was an innovator and his art transcended so many different mediums," said Diva Zappa, co-Trustee of the Zappa Family Trust. "He left behind such an extensive body of work and we want to celebrate his music with really creative and unique live hologram productions that will introduce his music to a new generation of fans and let so many that enjoyed his music when he was alive experience it again. We have had this idea for many years and after meeting with the team at Eyellusion, we knew that they were the right partner to make it a reality."

"We work closely with the Zappa family on their various projects, and look forward to sharing new Frank Zappa performances with his longtime fans, as well as expanding his audience to give new fans the opportunity to share in that experience" adds Bruce Resnikoff, President and CEO, Universal Music Enterprises.

"We are thrilled to welcome such a monumental and important artist to our lineup of planned live music hologram productions," said Jeff Pezzuti, CEO, Eyellusion. "Frank Zappa was an incredible musician, unmatched in his output, tackled so many different genres and influenced a generation of artists that would go on to help further shape rock and pop for decades to come. We are music lovers first and can't wait to get to work on yet another show that lets fans experience such timeless and important music in a live concert setting."

In addition to working with Eyellusion on the creation of a Frank Zappa hologram, Ahmet Zappa will join the Eyellusion team leading global business development. Ahmet Zappa is an entrepreneur, a marketer, film and television screenwriter, producer and a New York Times best-selling author. His creative work spans engagements with Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures, The Jim Henson Company and Microsoft, on movies, graphic novels, the introduction of new characters and brands, breakthrough ad campaigns and more.

"I couldn't be more excited to join the Eyellusion family," said Ahmet Zappa. "There is a ton of untapped potential in this industry and I look forward to working with the team to build on the company's reputation as the premier holographic experience company, creating new original content and guiding the company into new markets, including family entertainment."

"Ahmet is a perfect fit for our growing team," Pezzuti continued. "He is tirelessly creative, can work seamlessly across music and visual productions and is highly respected throughout the industry. He will play an integral role in all that we do moving forward, bringing significant value to all of our future engagements."

Eyellusion launched publicly in 2016 at the Wacken Open Air heavy metal festival in Germany with its hologram production of Ronnie James Dio performing "We Rock" with former members of the Dio Band. It was the first time a rock artist performed via hologram with a live band, sparking considerable buzz that ultimately drove interest in a full world tour. The Dio Returns tour will kick off in November 2017 with 80 to 100 performances throughout Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States and Venezuela, with more countries to be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information, visit eyellusionlive.com.

Black metal duo Poison Blood recently unleashed their debut, self-titled EP via Relapse. A collaboration between Horseback’s Jenks Miller and Krieg’s Neill Jameson was born out of Miller’s desire to write music that was an outlet for a more straightforward kind of aggression, Poison Blood‘s eponymous debut EP is a short but furious chronicle of cold, reptilian sonic terror. A new guitar playthrough video for the track “Myths From The Desert” is available for streaming below.

Poison Blood is available on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records. Order physical copies at this location. Digital copies are available via Bandcamp here.

The album artwork was created by Viral Graphics.

Poison Blood tracklisting:

“The Scourge And The Gestalt”
“Deformed Lights”
“Myths From The Desert”
“A Cracked And Desolate Sky”
“The Flower Of Serpents”
“Shelter Beneath The Sea”
“From The Lash”
“Circles Of Salt”

“Myths From The Desert” playthrough video:

EP stream:

German melodic power metal outfit, Voice, have released a video for “The Storm”, the title track of their upcoming album, out on October 27th via Massacre Records. Watch the video, directed by Thommy Neuhierl, below.

Voice, newly reformed as a quartet consisting of vocalist Oliver Glas, guitarist Thommy Neuhierl, bassist Sören Glas as well as drummer Stephan "Stocki" Stockburger, have been around since 1995, and have already released several studio albums.

The upcoming album, The Storm, marks the band's fifth release, and promises to offer a journey through various metal genres, with unforeseen twists and turns as well as surprises along the way.

The Storm was mixed by Mirko Hofmann at Horus Sound Studio, and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox. The cover artwork was created by Augusto Peixoto/IrondoomDesign.

Tracklisting:

“The Storm”
“Stronger Than Steel”
“Go Down In Flames”
“Business Roulette”
“Dance On The Razor Blade”
“The Golden Savior”
“Your Number Is Up”
“Kingdom Of Heaven”
“When Night Falls”
“Into Darkness”
“Soldiers Of Glory”
“Out In The Cold”

“The Storm” video:

Belgium’s Evil Invaders have released an unboxing video for the vinyl edition of their new album, Feed Me Violence, out now worldwide via Napalm Records.

Feed Me Violence is available as regular jewel case edition, a 1LP gatefold edition, and digitally. Order here.

Tracklisting:

“Mental Penitentiary”
“As Life Slowly Fades”
“Suspended Reanimation”
“Broken Dreams In Isolation”
“Feed Me Violence”
“Oblivion”
“Shades Of Solitude”
“Anger Within”
“Among The Depths Of Sanity”

“As Life Slowly Fades” video:

“Mental Penitentiary” video:

Evil Invaders have announced a full European tour run with Grand Magus.

The band states: "We're stoked to announce that we'll hit the road with Grand Magus and Elm Street in October and November! We'll be touring some countries in Europe in support of our upcoming album, Feed Me Violence! Expect tons of new songs, crazy-ass merch and a wicked live show! Get your tickets via evilinvaders.be!”

Tour dates:

October
27 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
28 - Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff
29 - Geneva, Switzerland - L'Usine
30 - Vienna, Austria - Viper Room
31 - Dornbirn, Austria - Conrad Sohm

November
1 - Graz, Austria - Explosiv
2 - Cracow, Poland - Kwadrat
3 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
4 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theater
5 - Stuttgart, Germany - Wizemann
6 - Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum
7 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
8 - Nürnberg, Germany - Hirsch
9 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Effenaar
10 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
11 - Weissenhauser Strand, Germany - Metal Hammer Paradise

Drakkar Entertainment has announced the signing of Finnish/Swedish power metal outfied Thaurorod. For fans of the scene Thaurorod should be a household name that gained attention with their refreshing take on power metal. Four years after their previous release the band is now back in action and ready to unleash new music soon.
 
“You can clearly hear where the roots of these guys lie and in what time they started as a band. – Other bands from that time decided to go into different directions with their sound and style. But I believe that there are still a lot of fans out there, who are fond of this energetic and anthemic power metal style. – That’s why we at Drakkar look forward to be working with Thaurorod and helping them in pursuing their vision to the best of our abilities.” – Jonathan Geschwill (Drakkar Entertainment)
 
“We are absolutely eagerly looking forward to the co-operation with Drakkar! The vibe has all been very positive and creative with the record label and we believe this will carry on for years and years to come. Feels like a fresh start. After this long but still very educational album production process, with self-recording, mixing and mastering the whole thing, we are full of power and energy. The band is impatiently waiting to hit the stages after the new album will enter the record stores worldwide. We are back!” – Pasi Tanskanen (Thaurorod)

 

Josh Rundquist of That Drummer Guy recently conducted an interview with drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz of brutal death metal veterans CANNIBAL CORPSE. You can listen to the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the writing process for the band's forthcoming "Red Before Black" studio album:

Paul: "It's been the same as it's always been. We finished the touring and we start concentrating on the writing and all that. But, having three main songwriters in the band, Alex [Webster, bass], Pat [O'Brien, guitar] and Rob [Barrett, guitar], that, of course, helps. We're not having to rely on one guy, basically. But yeah, those guys pretty much work individually these days. Of course, I'm the common denominator. I'll get with [them] basically. But that's it. We have a timeframe to create and we start plugging away and start coming up with ideas, and like I said, it's great to have three solid songwriters that we can disperse the songwriting out amongst everybody here and not have to rely on one guy. But, yeah, that was it. Just plugging away. Once the touring stopped about a year ago it was, and there you go."

On whether CANNIBAL CORPSE is at "the top of their game":

Paul: "We feel that we're always trying to get better as we go as musicians and songwriters, as players. So yeah, this time around for some reason or another, those guys came up with some really catchy, great riffs, very aggressive. We really worked hard to hone the songs down to make them as best as possible. Yeah, [first single/video] 'Code Of The Slashers' is really a great example of that. I think it's a killer, it turned out awesome and it's a little bit different than we've done maybe in a while, but nothing wrong with that. I think on this album, the way I look at it, is we got a culmination of the best of CANNIBAL CORPSE, the best of what we've had to offer throughout our whole career and here we go. We got it here with 'Red Before Black'."

On how he would describe his drum performance on "Red Before Black":

Paul: "I wanted to outdo myself on this record [compared to the] last record. I made even more of an effort myself to push harder and just to be the best I can be and to make these songs the best they can be. So, yeah, I just, like I said, just put in extra time, just did little things to work on my stamina and all that kind of stuff. Just try to absorb the songs, maybe even more if I can and listen to them a lot more just to try to figure out if there's anything else that needs to be done in any capacity. We took it to another level. I think life's too short. How many opportunities you got here? Our mentality is getting more so, that the older you get, you never know how long we have, there's no end in sight at this point, but you never know. I really am more focused than I ever have been in that way of just wanting to do the utmost best I can do and work the hardest I can and work the hardest I ever have worked. That's what we did for 'Red Before Black' and that's what I did. I feel it's apparent again in my drumming when you listen and hear what I'm doing. You're going to notice those things."

On the possibility of CANNIBAL CORPSE playing at least half of "Red Before Black" on their upcoming North American tour:

Paul: "You should be happy with your new stuff. Obviously, everyone always says that cliché and all that, but really, we always are trying to look forward and not look backwards, otherwise, right, if we go 'Oh my gosh! What do we do? We're just going through the motions. No one cares. I guess we better keep playing the old stuff. That's all everybody wants to hear.' That's not the case. We're constantly pushing forward and so much of our new material is turning into our classic material. And the old CANNIBAL is so far away in the past now that we don't have to just sit back and write or rest on an album or two kind of a thing. We want to move forward and show people like 'No, look. This is the best CANNIBAL here. The new CANNIBAL.' The fact we're so excited and want to play most of it or what have you, well, then that's a testament to where our mindset is and how we're feeling. But, truly, we do feel that this is the best material and we've been the best band we've been in the last ten years. I think we're creating the best material we've had on the last records. I prefer playing the new stuff then going backwards."

On the sustained quality of their studio albums:

Paul: "We're getting very excited for everyone to hear the rest of the record. It's the best CANNIBAL. We're really excited, really pumped for everybody to hear these songs. I think once it's out, everyone's going, yeah, I'm hoping, but I'm really confident we're all fairly confident that people are going to be freaking out on this record."

"Red Before Black" will be released on November 3. The follow-up to 2014's "A Skeletal Domain" was recorded at Mana Recording Studios in Saint Petersburg, Florida with producer/engineer Erik Rutan (SOILENT GREEN, BELPHEGOR, HATE ETERNAL), who previously worked with CANNIBAL CORPSE on 2006's "Kill", 2009's "Evisceration Plague" and 2012's "Torture".

GUNS N' ROSES, SLIPKNOT, JOURNEY, QUEENSRŸCHE and WHITESNAKE members are among the rock musicians who have reacted on social media to the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history after a gunman opened fire at a country music concert Sunday night in Las Vegas, killing more than fifty people and injuring more than four hundred others.

The gunman, identified by police as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, began shooting at concert goers from the thirty-second floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, which is near the outdoor concert space on the Las Vegas Strip. Paddock was killed after a SWAT team burst into the hotel room from which he was firing at the crowd.

"Right now we believe it's a solo act, a lone wolf attacker," Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. "We are pretty confident there is no longer a threat."

Paddock reporteddly began firing at 10:08 p.m. from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel toward the concert venue across the street.

Jason Aldean was performing at the three-day Route 91 Harvest country music festival across Las Vegas Boulevard from the Mandalay Bay when the shooting erupted.

Paddock reportedly checked in to the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on September 28 and had an "excess of ten rifles" in his hotel room, Lombardo said.

The suspect's brother, Eric Paddock, told NBC News he was "dumbfounded" by the shooting.

"He was just a guy," Eric Paddock said. "He lives in Mesquite, he went to the hotels, he gambled, he went to shows."

"We are completely at a loss," he added.

"Blast Frozen", the new video from Chicago death metallers BROKEN HOPE, can be seen below. The clip was filmed at the Underworld in London, England.

"Blast Frozen" is taken from BROKEN HOPE's seventh studio album, "Mutilated And Assimilated", which was released in June via Century Media Records. The disc was produced by Scott Creekmore and features artwork by Wes Benscoter.

BROKEN HOPE guitarist Jeremy Wagner stated about the follow-up to 2013's "Omen Of Disease": "BROKEN HOPE studio album number seven?! Un-fucking-believable! I'm floored at how amazing our new album turned out. The songs are relentless and violent and dark and heavy — and all from a fresh and ferocious place we haven't shared before. Moreover, thanks to my new studio and the stellar work of engineering/producing Jedi — Scott Creekmore — the production is on a sonic level like we've never had in our career.

"For me personally, I feel 'Mutilated And Assimilated' is my own finest hour as a guitarist and lyricist since I formed this band as teenager. I've never felt this inspired before. The album has my strongest riffage to date, it also has Leski riffage on a few songs, it has my best friends on it, and in a crazy twist, I used Jeff Hanneman's guitars to write the album with and used them to track with in honor of his influence on myself and the world of metal."

"Mutilated and Assimilated" track listing:

01. The Meek Shall Inherit Shit (02:48)02. The Bunker (03:28)03. Mutilated And Assimilated (03:31)04. Outback Incest Clan (02:31)05. Malicious Meatholes (03:50)06. Blast Frozen (01:58)07. The Necropants (03:14)08. The Carrion Eaters (03:07)09. Russian Sleep Experiment (03:15)10. Hell's Handpuppets (02:48)11. Beneath Antarctic Ice (01:25)12. Swamped-In Gorehog (06:21)

BROKEN HOPE in 2015 overhauled its lineup by adding bassist Diego Soria (DISGORGE) and guitarist Matt Szlachta (DIRGE WITHIN, CHIMAIRA).

BROKEN HOPE is:

Damian Leski - VocalsJeremy Wagner - GuitarsMike Miczek - DrumsMatt Szlachta - Lead GuitarsDiego Soria - Bass

"Room Of Nightmares", the new video from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming tenth full-length album, "Grimmest Hits", which will be released January 19, 2018 via Entertainment One (eOne).

The "Room Of Nightmares" video was directed by BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's longtime collaborator Justin Reich. The song is available on all digital service providers and streaming services. It is also an iTunes instant-gratification track, meaning fans who pre order the album on iTunes will receive "Room Of Nightmares" as an instant download.

"Grimmest Hits" track listing:

01. Trampled Down Below02. Seasons Of Falter03. The Betrayal04. All That Once Shined05. The Only Words06. Room Of Nightmares07. A Love Unreal08. Disbelief09. The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away10. Illusions Of Peace11. Bury Your Sorrow12. Nothing Left To Say

In an interview with Full Metal Jackie, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY leader Zakk Wylde, who rejoined Ozzy Osbourne's solo band earlier in the year, stated about BLS's upcoming activities: "In between the breaks and in between my nail appointments, the shaving of my legs, we've actually made another BLACK LABEL album. So that'll be coming out in the New Year. We gotta pick our spots where we want to put records in there. So the whole thing is, we were in The Black Vatican [Zakk's home studio], we made another album so that'll be coming out in the New Year and then the BLACK LABEL armada will start rolling in the New Year."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's latest studio album, "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican", sold around 26,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 5 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Catacombs Of The Black Vatican" was released in Europe on April 7, 2014 via Mascot Label Group and one day later in North America through eOne Music.

Prior to the release of "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican", BLACK LABEL SOCIETY amicably parted ways with longtime guitarist Nick Catanese and replaced him with Dario Lorina (LIZZY BORDEN).

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is:

Zakk Wylde - Vocals/GuitarJohn DeServio - BassDario Lorina - GuitarJeff Fabb - Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of ACCEPT's September 30 performance at The Rose in Pasadena, California can be seen below.

ACCEPT's new album, "The Rise Of Chaos", was released on August 4 via Nuclear Blast.

Guitarist Wolf Hoffmann told Spain's MariskalRock TV about the disc: "It was recorded by the same team as the last three albums — it was Andy Sneap producing and Mark Tornillo on vocals and Peter Baltes [bass] and myself in the band. We have two new members, but other than that, it was recorded and written exactly the same way as all the other previous three albums. [It was] recorded mainly in Nashville, mixed in England. And, yeah, we took all of last year to write the songs, and I think it sounds [like] typical ACCEPT."

Regarding the "The Rise Of Chaos" title, Wolf said: "The title just seemed to come out of nowhere. It really seems to fit the times that we live in. It really means the world is getting more and more chaotic, and that's what we feel like. So when we had the [title track], it seemed to just fit the times that we live in. It's not really about any chaos in particular, but if you look at politics nowadays, there's chaos; if you look at the global warming or the climate change, that's chaotic; or a lot of the Syrian crisis and the refugees in the world, there's so much chaos around us. So that's what it is about."

Hoffmann told Finland's Kaaos TV that ACCEPT's goal is to continue writing music as if it sounded like it was created thirty years ago. "Absolutely, and if you want it to sound like it sounded back then, you've gotta use what you know worked back then," he said. "That's how we've been doing it back then, so we're doing it still the exact same way. I want it to sound somewhat old-school and '80s, only with a modern touch and modern sound, fresh ideas and all of that. But, really, the core of the music should be like back in the '80s."

The cover artwork for "The Rise Of Chaos" was created by the Hungarian artist Gyula Havancsák.

The follow-up to 2014's "Blind Rage" is the first ACCEPT album to feature the band's latest additions, guitarist Uwe Lulis (GRAVE DIGGER, REBELLION) and drummer Christopher Williams.

ACCEPT parted ways with guitarist Herman Frank and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann in December 2014.

In 1985, Glenn Tipton — the lead guitarist and songwriter of the legendary heavy metal band, JUDAS PRIEST — decided to order a new 911 Turbo for himself. Learning of the new SE derivative from his local dealer, Swinford Motors of Stourbridge, he ordered a car in the one-off colour of Chiffon White and arranged to collect the car from the factory whilst touring in Europe with JUDAS PRIEST. Not surprisingly, he was enormously excited by his ballistic new toy and the Turbo continued to impress as the months went by, so much, in fact, that he was inspired to write the platinum-selling album "Turbo" and also launch the successful single "Turbo Lover". This car became his pride and joy and he has owned and maintained the car with great care ever since, keeping the mileage down to just 14,100 today.

Silverstone Auctions will have the 911 Turbo SE up for grabs during its Porsche Sale set for October 21 at The Wing, Silverstone. According to the estimation made by the auction house, Tipton's car could fetch anywhere between £180,000 and £220,000 ($241,000 and $295,000).

"We had a tour of the factory at Stuttgart and I was so impressed with the engineering and how meticulous they were when building cars, and I just had to have one," Glenn said. "But I live out in the sticks, and it has to be nice weather to take the Porsche out, so I hardly ever use it. It's time for it to go to someone who will get some use of it, but it's going to be very hard to let it go."

In preparation for the sale, Glenn has sent the car to highly respected specialists, Two Plus Two, for a complete service which also included fitting new injectors and a fresh MOT on June 21.

Cars with this type of unique history, single ownership, and known provenance rarely come to market and this special car is a real opportunity for the enthusiast and collector alike.

EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting spoke to Metal Wani about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out" album.

Although it was originally reported that EXODUS would go into the studio in October to begin recording the new effort, it now appears that fans will have to wait a bit longer to hear new music from the legendary San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal group. "[We're] probably gonna have to put it off," Hunting admitted. "This ['Battle Of The Bays' North American] tour [with OBITUARY] kind of set back the writing process a little bit. But we're chugging along. We're not gonna rush anything. We just want it to be good. We don't care when it's done, just that it's good."

Tom said that he loves the process of making new albums. "It's like building the perfect sandwich," he explained. "And the drums are the bread that holds it together. The riffs are the meat."

Asked if the writing process has changed at all now that singer Steve "Zetro" Souza is back in the band and is available to contribute, Hunting said: "Not too much. It usually starts… We've been doing it a while now, but it usually starts with a riff, and then guitars and drums jam together and everything else comes later. So that's kind of how we layer it in terms of creating the stuff.

"Some songs are crazy; they take forever," he continued. "Like, I'll be working with Lee [Altus, guitar] one day and we can't even get fifty-eight seconds worth of shit. And then the next day Gary [Holt, guitar] comes over and we jam and we have the makings of a whole song in, like, five minutes."

"Blood In Blood Out" was notable for featuring a guest appearance by former EXODUS guitarist Kirk Hammett, who left the band in 1983 to join METALLICA. Asked if the upcoming EXODUS disc could include another collaboration with Hammett, Hunting said: "We'll bring Kirk back, if he wants to come in and do a solo, for sure. And there might be a Rick Hunolt [former EXODUS guitarist] sighting on the new record too; you never know.

"At this point, we feel like it's good to celebrate the history of the band and all the important people that have been in the band along the way," Tom explained.

"Blood In Blood Out" was EXODUS's first album since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

Holt spoke in a recent interview about the musical direction of EXODUS's next disc. He said: "Of the stuff I've written so far, I think the songs are shorter, but I think they're also at the same time more progressive than the last album. It's a little outside the box. It's really super crushing, but I think people will be surprised."

He added: "It's an EXODUS album, but as of now, the stuff Tom and I have been putting together is a bit different. It's got those subtle changes that make for a departure, but it will still stay true to the core of the band's sound."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is still waiting to get a release date for its new album, nearly one year after the disc was completed.

The band delivered its follow-up to 2015's "Got Your Six" to Prospect Park several months ago, but a legal battle with the company has delayed the LP's arrival.

"We finished a record," FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook told Meltdown of the WRIF radio station at the first-ever Riff Fest, which was held September 29 at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan. "Some people may or may not know, but we got into a legal tangle with our label. So we submitted this record in December [of 2016]. It's finished. They have it, and they're trying to decide what they wanna do with it, which is a drag. But we do have a finished record."

Saying that the the new FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH disc turned out "killer," Hook revealed that the effort will contain "sixteen new songs. Some of the stuff will be right in line with what people want and expect from the band, and then some of it, again, we took some chances, tried to branch out a little bit to see if it would work, and some of that stuff wound up on the record," he said.

Hook added that he loves making albums because "it's exciting to add to our catalog and to be creative.

"When you're done with a record, you sit back and listen to it and you go, 'Fuck! That's pretty cool. We did that. We made it. We made another one,'" he said. "So I like it. Plus I get to sleep in my own bed [while we are recording the album in Las Vegas], which is nice."

Hook also touched upon the issues surrounding FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer Ivan Moody, whose struggles with substance abuse had forced him to miss a number of shows last year and this past spring. The frontman also made headlines with a bizarre 2015 onstage meltdown in Memphis and a disastrous performance this past June in Tilburg.

"Look, it's never that bad," Hook said. "It's not that bad. I mean, basically, when you're in the public eye, you can't stumble without everybody knowing about it. That is part of it that you have to learn to deal with.

"Everybody has their Monday morning at work, and sometimes ours falls on Saturday night," he reasoned.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH filed a new lawsuit against Prospect Park in April, asking a judge to release them from their contract and order the company to pay over a million dollars in damages.

The label sued FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in 2016 for breach of contract, alleging that the group wanted to rush the recording of a new album. The band signed a new North American recording deal with Rise Records last year.

Spain's TNT Radio Rock conducted an interview with members of TRIPTYKON — the occult/avant-garde metal project formed by former HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST singer, guitarist and main songwriter Thomas Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a. Tom Gabriel Warrior) at this year's edition of the Leyendas Del Rock festival, which was held August 9-12 at Polideportivo Municipal de Villena in Villena, Spain. You can watch the full chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the band's plans to work on a follow-up 2014's "Melana Chasmata" album:

V. Santura (guitar): "It's pretty brand new that Norman [Lonhard, drums] is leaving the band. We have to audition new drummers. That has to be done first before we can think about writing a new album. That's basically the next thing we have to do."

On whether the band is starting to write new material:

V. Santura: "I don't think we can say much about the new material, yet. Because the main thing is first we need to get a new drummer before we can start arranging songs, so it's up to that."

Thomas Gabriel Fischer (vocals/guitar): "I have a lot of very definite ideas about the album, but I'm not going to publicly divulge those here a year from when the album is going to come out. That would be pointless. There's so much work ahead of us still to realize these ideas, to make them a reality. We're a very fluid band when we get in the studio. A lot of the songs change until the very last days. We're certainly not going to do a mediocre album. We're either going to do a fantastic album or not at all."

On how TRIPTYKON's influences shape its sound:

Thomas Gabriel Fischer: "TRIPTYKON has a very particular sound and I'm absolutely convinced that you'll hear from the very first second that it's TRIPTYKON. I think we all feel very comfortable with that sound. It's not a very restrictive sound. TRIPTYKON's sound has a very large bandwidth, from metal to hard rock to wave with a little jazz and a little classic. We have tremendous creative leeway within TRIPTYKON's sound. That's experimental enough for me. I don't want to reinvent the band with every album. I'm very happy with the sound we have found. We've worked very hard on developing this sound, so it's going to be more of the same. Of course we are going to try to write very original material within this sound."

On Fischer's opinion of CELTIC FROST being a pioneering metal band:

Thomas: "I don't really have an opinion on that because that's not the way I look at myself and that's not the way I live. I'm a totally normal human being. I'm hugely passionate about music; that's really what my concern is. That's why I'm in a band. There's not a second where I walk around thinking of these things. I think they're very uncomfortable things, very abstract things to me and I certainly don't want to start believing this kind of hype myself because it will be detrimental. To me, it's a huge struggle to write a good album. It's not something that is easy. It's a huge duty, a huge struggle. It's very difficult. I don't know how many times I could write a good album. I'm normal, just like everybody else. To do a good album is a massive, massive task. It's not easier for me than anybody else. I view myself with enough reality, I think. As a matter fact, the older I get, the more realistic I look at myself. I'm just a musician. I'm really just a musician. I love looking at my guitars because I love the way they sound, I love the way they look. It's really basic stuff that fascinates me. I love playing with these people because they're my very closest friends. I think we have a good sound, an original sound. This is really my world."

On CELTIC FROST's 1984 "Morbid Tales" debut ranking at No. 28 on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time" list:

Thomas: "It was, of course, a huge honor to see this. On the other hand, I'm old enough to know that lists like that are highly subjective. There could be millions of lists with different results. It reflects the opinion of a small group of people. It's flattering because it's an important music magazine, but that doesn't make it the truth. There's people who hate my music; there's people who love my music, just like I love certain bands and I hate certain bands. It's all subjective. I don't really see the purpose behind it. The first moment you feel proud, but when you think about it, there's no purpose behind it. What you need to do, with every album you do, is strive to deliver the best quality. It's still important to me to do albums with good quality. I'm proud of my past work, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life living off of the work that's thirty years old. I'm still existing."

On the recent BMG/Noise reissues of CELTIC FROST's seminal catalog, a campaign Fischer ultimately withdrew his endorsement from because of disagreements on the content on his liner notes where he was overly critical of Noise Records' 1980s management:

Thomas: "That's a very long story. The albums have been re-released. I think they sound fantastic because Victor [referring to V. Santura] and I did the remasters and Victor's expertise as a sound engineer was crucial in this project. The feedback I've been getting ever since these reissues have been on the market has been phenomenal. That's what we strove to do. We wanted to create the best-sounding CELTIC FROST reissues. I had some disagreements with BMG Records who own the rights to these albums these days, but it's of minor importance. It was a disagreement of what should be in the booklet and what should not. It's nothing new in the recording industry that the record company doesn't have the same opinion as the recording artist. But as far as the sound is concerned, I'm very proud of what we've done, most of the credit has to go to Victor. I'm very proud of the achievement.

"I have no respect for record companies. I started in the 1980s worshipping — I wanted a record deal; I worshiped record companies. They represented, to me, the key to becoming a musician, which was my dream. But after thirty-five years of learning about myself, I've seen the realities of the music industry. We are fortunate enough to work with our own record company, so we have all the freedom in the world. Because we have our own record company, we can work at a very high level and professional. I don't like to work with companies who work on a lower level of professionalism. So I sometimes lose my patience when somebody doesn't work at the level we are used to. I didn't spend thirty-five years in the industry to deliver mediocre. If I wanted to release something, whether it's an old CELTIC FROST album or a new TRIPTYKON, I would like it to reflect myself or the artist on one hand. On the other hand, it should reflect the highest level of quality possible. If somebody fails to do that, yes, I'm unhappy. I think that's a very natural instinct. My name is on the record. If a record company fucks up, my name is still on there."

Released in April 2014, "Melana Chasmata" was made available through a collaboration between TRIPTYKON's own label, Prowling Death Records Ltd., and renowned metal giant Century Media Records.

In June, BMG reissued four out of five of CELTIC FROST's Noise-era studio albums: "Morbid Tales", "To Mega Therion", "Into The Pandemonium" and "Vanity/Nemesis". The only exception remains 1988's controversial, hair-metal-inspired "Cold Lake", an album Fischer has often labeled as an "abomination."

Steven Tyler has denied suffering a seizure during AEROSMITH's South American tour.

Earlier this week, AEROSMITH canceled the last four shows of the trek due to what the band called Tyler's "unexpected medical issues." A Boston Globe report later suggested that the singer suffered a seizure after the band's show in Sao Paulo, Brazil Monday night (September 25).

Tyler has since tweeted a statement claryfing his status and explaining the reasons for the remainder of the tour being called off.

He wrote: "It breaks my heart to have left this tour early. The band has never played better — just watch the hundred thousand people at Rock In Rio.

"I give you all an A+ for creative speculations but I certainly did not have a heart attack or a seizure (unless Joe Perry is takin' a rippin' lead).

"Sorry to have cut the tour short, but I had to have a procedure that only my doc in thr States could perform.

"We've been to Tel Aviv, to Russia, to Rio, and all the in between… I guess it's true what they say... that life's a pisser when Eu're A Peein'..."

Affected shows were Wednesday's (September 27) concert in Curitiba, Brazil; September 30 in Santiago, Chile; October 3 in Rosario, Argentina; and October 7 in Monterrey, Mexico.

In addition to battling their personal addictions, the members of AEROSMITH have dealt with bassist Tom Hamilton's bout with throat and tongue cancer, Tyler's multiple foot surgeries, and in 2016 Joe Perry, collapsed on stage during a HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES gig with a suspected cardiac arrest.

Tyler recently told The Pulse Of Radio that he doesn't ever see a time when he'll retire from the road. "No, I don't know if I know how to do that," he said. "I know that Joe and I, we questioned it a couple of times about whether, y'know, whether we would go out again. We took a year off. I remember I had hep-C (hepatitis-C) and decided to take a year off, and I literally got rid of it. I mean, it's one of the few miracles known to man. I kicked its ass!"

pic.twitter.com/q4McIMNULZ

— Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT) September 30, 2017

Fan-filmed video footage of W.A.S.P.'s September 30 performance at The Circus in Helsinki, Finland can be seen below.

Brazilian drummer Aquiles Priester made his live debut with W.A.S.P. at the opening show of the band's "Re-Idolized - The Crimson Idol 25th Anniversary World Tour" on September 25 at Trädgår'n in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Aquiles said in a statement: "I'm very happy to announce that I will be touring Europe this fall with W.A.S.P. It's a huge honor to be part of the 'Re-Idolized' tour. 'The Crimson Idol' is one of the most important progressive concept albums in the history of heavy metal music. I would also like to extend my gratitude to W.A.S.P.: Blackie [Lawless, guitar/vocals], Mike [Duda, bass] and Doug [Blair, guitar]. Thank you, for having me aboard on this tour. I've learned a lot from all three of you."

For a list of upcoming W.A.S.P. shows, visit WASPnation.com.

Born in South Africa, Priester has collaborated with such bands and solo artists as ANGRA, HANGAR, MIDAS FATE, PRIMAL FEAR, Paul Di'Anno (ex-IRON MAIDEN), Tony MacAlpine and Vinnie Moore. He is also known for having participated in the widely talked-about DREAM THEATER drummer audition which took place after Mike Portnoy had left the band. It was after that event that DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci recommended Priester to another great guitar virtuoso, Tony MacAlpine.

Priester has released three educational publications: the book "Inside My PsychoBook: 100 Double Bass Patterns" (2011) as well as two DVDs, titled "The Infallible Reason Of My Freak Drumming" (2010) and "Top 100 Drum Fills" (2013).

Drummer Mike Dupke left W.A.S.P. in 2015 after a nine-year stint with the band. He was initially replaced on the road by YNGWIE MALMSTEEN drummer Patrick Johansson and, later, by Randy Black (PRIMAL FEAR).

Napalm Records will release "Re-Idolized", the twenty-fifth-anniversary version of W.A.S.P.'s iconic hit album plus the original "The Crimson Idol" movie on DVD and Blu-ray.

"Re-Idolized" will be made available on Blu-ray, DVD, CD, and vinyl in early 2018.

Wendy Dio, wife and longtime manager of Ronnie James Dio, has confirmed that there are "at least three" previously unreleased songs from the legendary heavy metal singer that may eventually see the light of day.

Ronnie James Dio, best known for his work with BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and DIO, died of stomach cancer in May 2010 at the age of 67.

During a brand new interview with the "Talking Metal" podcast, Wendy was asked if there is any unreleased Dio material in the vaults. She said (hear audio below): "I think there's at least three, maybe five songs — not completed, but songs that have the lyrics and Ronnie singing them. We have the [DIO] band [playing on them], of course. Some are half done, some are just ideas and things. I have to really look. I haven't really had the time or wanted to go into that part of his life again, but I do have all the computers, and it's time — it's been seven and a half years now [since his death], so I can actually go in there and look without breaking down."

Wendy also talked about the status of "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography Of Ronnie James Dio", the revealing memoir of the heavy metal master, which was three-quarters written before the singer's death and which was originally scheduled to be published several years ago via MTV Books.

"I am gonna finish the book," she said. "We've got the book, which hopefully can come out next year. I keep saying that, but I haven't had the time to sit down and go over it. He'd written his book up to the middle of RAINBOW, which is good, because I know the rest of it, 'cause I was there."

According to Wendy, there are also plans for a documentary that will cover Dio's career from his early days with ELF to his final project, HEAVEN & HELL. She said: "I'm in the process of talking to a lot of different companies about that."

Guitarist Doug Aldrich, who was a member of DIO for a short period between 2002 and 2006, recently revealed the existence of a previously unreleased Ronnie James Dio demo recording. The track in question was written during the sessions for DIO's "Magica II", a sequel to 2000's "Magica" that was left unfinished when Ronnie died in 2010. A "Magica II" track titled "Electra" made it on to 2012's "The Very Best of Dio Vol 2", but Aldrich said more material may surface from the sessions.

A hologram of Ronnie James Dio made its debut at last year's Wacken Open Air festival in Germany and set out on a world tour, backed by the late rock star's former bandmates from the DIO band. The tour, dubbed "Dio Returns", will make more than eighty stops around the globe, kicking off in Helsinki, Finland on November 30. The European leg of performances in theaters will be followed by tours of South America, Australia and Asia. The trek will arrive in the U.S. in the spring of 2018 and hit select festivals next summer.

The third annual Bowl For Ronnie bowling party, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, will take place on Friday, October 6, at the Pinz Bowling Center in Studio City, California. The event, hosted by Eddie Trunk, will include a celebrity bowling tournament and a raffle drawing. Last year's Bowl For Ronnie brought in $36,500 for the cancer charity, which is now in its eighth year of raising awareness and much-needed funding for cancer research. Bowl For Ronnie participants can anticipate an evening of fun, food and, of course, bowling with rockers and celebrities competing for trophies in the name of raising funds and awareness for the Dio Cancer Fund. Among the raffle prizes will be a specially designed bowling ball and pin featuring the Bowl For Ronnie artwork.


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