Rochester, NY-based rockers, Unwill, recently signed a deal with Entertainment One Music / Lifeblood Inc., with plans to release Past Life, their very first LP on February 10th. Fans can pre-order bundle purchases at the band's merch store here. The new track “Tomb” is streaming below.

The Past Life album will be the follow up to the band’s 2015 debut single and video for “Calm”, directed by Josiah Moore (Ice Nine Kills, Sirens and Sailors, It Lives, It Breathes). That year the band expanded its touring across the Northeast, exposing its unforgiving live performance alongside such acts as Letlive, He Is Legend and Norma Jean. Musically, Unwill has been compared to the likes of Linkin Park, Deftones, Chevelle and Underoath. But the band doesn’t shy from putting its own spin on alternative rock.

Past Life features eleven songs that are unrelenting in their grim honesty. The album deals with themes of identity, faith, self-doubt, solipsism, regret, and the truest parts of our natures. Beneath the dark exterior of these songs, however, are shreds of light.

Within the eleven-song journey of Past Life, listeners will come across the many sides of Rocco Sylvio’s voice, smooth on one end and coarse on the other. They will also hear cleaner guitars mixed in with the dirtier tones, and soaring melodies alongside unapologetic heavy riffs.

Wherever listeners come to face Unwill, whether it be through live performance or studio recording, they can be sure to always be met with relentless force.

Past Life tracklisting:

“Doubt”
“Bitter Truth”
“The Way”
“Tomb”
“Back Again”
“You Wanted Out”
“Drifting”
“On My Own”
“Soul”
“Past Life”
“Go”

“Tomb”:

“Soul”:

(Photo - Josiah Moore)

Beasto Blanco, the band fronted by long time Alice Cooper bassist Chuck Garric, will release their self-titled, full-length second album on November 25th via Rat Pak Records.

Beasto Blanco is the follow up to the bands 2013 release Live Fast, Die Loud (Rat Pak Records) which was endorsed by the likes of movie actor Johnny Depp, Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain, producer Bob Ezrin, and many more. The effort, which was produced by Ryan Greene (Alice Cooper, Lita Ford, Mr. Big), features 11 new tracks and an amped-up cover version of Alice’s hit song “Feed My Frankenstein” that also features Alice's daughter and fellow Beasto band mate Calico Cooper. The album is currently available for pre-order via Rat Pak Records website at this location.

The first single from Beasto Blanco, the band’s version of “Feed My Frankenstein,” can be heard on the Nights With Alice Cooper radio show, which is syndicated on over 100 stations worldwide. The song can also be heard at 15,000 AMC, Regal, Cinemark and NCM movie theaters in the United States throughout the month of November.

Influenced by bands such as White Zombie and Motörhead, Beasto Blanco’s all new 12-song, sophomore release is a potent mix of heavy riffs, driving bass and melodic choruses.

“I’m very proud of this release” says Chuck Garric, “This new album showcases the bands evolution as songwriters and our unity as a musical force”, and Calico Cooper adds, “This record is like a baseball bat to the chest that you want more and more of.”

Beasto Blanco tracklisting:

“Buried Angels”
“Grind”
“Feed My Frankenstein” (Alice Cooper cover)
“Carcosa”
“Death Rattle”
“Dark Matter”
“Sadhana”
“I Rise”
“Machine Girl”
“Honey”
“Blind Drive”
“Damnation”

Beasto Blanco will embark on a 2016/17 fall/winter tour starting in November, that includes a string of US headline dates, as well as an arena tour of Europe with German hard rock heavyweights Boshe Onkelz. They return home to the US for another run of headline dates that will conclude with performances on the 2017 Monsters of Rock Cruise in February.

Swedish adventure metallers, Twilight Force, have released a video for “Flight Of The Sapphire Dragon”, a track from their new studio album, Heroes Of Mighty Magic, out now via Nuclear Blast.

Heroes Of Mighty Magic tracklisting:

“Battle Of Arcane Might”
“Powerwind”
“Guardian Of The Seas”
“Flight Of The Sapphire Dragon”
“There And Back Again”
“Riders Of The Dawn”
“Keepers Of Fate”
“Rise Of A Hero”
“To The Stars”
“Heroes Of Mighty Magic”
“Epilogue”
“Knights Of Twilight's Might”

“Flight Of The Sapphire Dragon” video:

“Riders Of The Dawn” lyric video:

“Powerwind” video;

"To The Stars" lyric video:

“Battle Of Arcane Might” lyric video:

The Lore Of Blackwald character video:

The Lore Of De'Azsh character video:

The Lore Of Born character video:

The Lore Of Aerendir character video:

The Lore Of Lynd character video:

The Lore Of Chrileon character video:

In celebration of their 25th anniversary, the pioneers of oriental metal, Orphaned Land, are re-releasing the two landmark albums, Sahara and El Norra Alila, as a Special Edition Digipak version and also on all digital platforms.

Both albums were remastered and the CD versions come with revised artwork and layout and also include an introduction into oriental metal written by Kobi Farhi.

Frontman Kobi Farhi comments: “This is another exciting moment in our 25th anniversary year! Sahara and El Norra Alila are the milestones of the whole oriental metal genre, originally released in 1994 and 1996, when I and my bandmates were still teenagers. I'm so excited to have these albums re-issued at Century Media Records! They've been out of stock for so many years, never been released digitally and now we have all our albums at the same house!”

You can pre-order the Special Edition Digipaks here.

Orphaned Land will also celebrate their 25th anniversary with an exciting journey into world metal music which takes you through Russian-Chinese and Middle Eastern metal. All three embedded in their own different cultures and yet all brought together in a night of the finest Metal music the world has to offer.

Tour dates (with Voodoo Kungfu, Imperial Age)

November
3 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
4 - Uden, Netherlands - Nieuwe Pul
5 - Osnabrück, Germany - Bastard Club
6 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Loppen
7 - Hamburg, Germany - Marx
8 - Berlin, Germany - Bi Nuu
9 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
10 - Prague, Czech Republic - Nova Chmeinice
11 - Wroclaw, Poland - Firlej
12 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Randel Club
13 - Borgo Priolo, Italy - Dagda Club
14 - Florence, Italy - Cycle
15 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
16 - Marseille, France - Le Molotov
17 - Paris, France - Di van du Monde
18 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Baroeg
19 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob
20 - London, England - Underworld

Orphaned Land is:

Kobi Fahri – Vocals
Chen Balbus – Guitars
Idan Amsalem – Guitars
Uri Zelcha – Bass
Matan Shmuely - Drums

"We Will Not Go Quietly", the new video from SIXX:A.M. — the band featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx alongside guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael — can be seen below. The song is taken from SIXX:A.M.'s new album, "Vol. 2, Prayers For The Blessed", which will be released on November 18 via Eleven Seven Music. Written and recorded at the same time as "Vol. 1, Prayers For The Damned", released earlier this year, the album acts as a companion piece to the first chapter while simultaneously elevating the band's sound in every area.

Directed by Wayne Isham (METALLICA, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH), the "We Will Not Go Quietly" clip was filmed last month during SIXX:A.M.'s show in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and it offers viewers a "show day in the life of" the band, in addition to their powerful onstage energy. "We Will Not Go Quietly" can also be heard as the theme song of A&E's "Gangland Undercover", which begins airing December 2 (check local listings). "'We Will Not Go Quietly' takes the call-to-action spirit of 'Rise' [from 'Vol. 1 Prayers For The Damned'] to a whole new level," says Michael. "It reflects the raw passion with which mankind fights as some of our most basic human rights are being threatened. We are excited to share the song and video with everyone and hope that it inspires people to continue to strive to make the world a better place."

From "We Will Not Go Quietly" to the operatic show stopper "Maybe It's Time" and groove-driven, radio-ready rocker "That's Gonna Leave A Scar", "Prayers For The Blessed" displays the many sides of SIXX:A.M.'s sound, something that the band was able to develop by ramping up the amount of time they spent out on the road.

"We really found ourselves onstage and it's influencing the way we write," says Sixx. "We started focusing on our music not only as songwriters and lyricists but also stayed conscious of what would transfer over live to the audience."

Regarding the decision to split the "Prayers" project into two separate albums, James told The Aquarian Weekly: "When we set out to make two records, it was very intentional. We didn't want this to fall into that category that a lot of albums do, where it actually sounds like you went into the studio to one record, you have a few extra songs, you figured you'd polish them up and then you have a double album. We've all fallen victims to those albums before. This was a very different beast. It was very intentional. We thought of this as one big record, but then in a lot ways, we knew that we were going to be releasing them separately, so we did treat them separately, so they would stand alone. But we put so much effort and thought and care into every single note of both records and we wrote them both at the same time, and then figured out where each song made sense, so I think 'Vol. 2' is absolutely as strong, if not stronger than 'Vol. 1'. There are some songs on there that are really career songs. So, in a way, while we're so excited about 'Vol. 1' and the response that we're getting, we're also chomping at the bit for people to sink their teeth into 'Vol. 2' as well."

In a separate interview with Lehigh Valley Music, James stated about the decision to release "Vol. 2" so soon after "Vol. 1": "We didn't want to wait too long in between because they’re definitely connected. Both volumes certainly stand alone and are very satisfying bodies of work, but when they are experienced together, another layer of SIXX:A.M. and another of the messaging will be revealed. So it was important that we didn’t release them too far apart because they are connected, but we didn't want to release them at the same time 'cause that's an awful lot of music to absorb. And as you know, SIXX:A.M. music is — it's pretty heavy and it's pretty complex and deals with very, sometimes, difficult subject matter. So we wanted people to have time to absorb the messaging and absorb the songs before we then dropped a whole other album on them. But the reason we decided to do two records is we wanted to provide a lot of new music for people. We also kind of felt like we were playing catch-up in a way. 'Cause for the last ten years, we haven't been able to tour very much at all, and so we felt like, in a way, we were making up for lost time." Touring three continents this year, SIXX:A.M. are excited to bring their music in front of audiences globally and perform the songs from "Prayers For The Blessed". Taking their shows beyond the performance, the band made the announcement of "Prayers For The Blessed" during the first stop of their Canadian tour in Abbotsford, British Columbia and will be shooting the video for "We Will Not Go Quietly" off the new album with iconic director Wayne Isham during their show in Edmonton, Alberta on Saturday, September 17. That same day, fans will also get a chance to meet the band during an in-store album signing at the West Edmonton Mall. Hosted by HMV Canada, the event will be limited to fans with an official event wristband, obtained by purchasing, or displaying HMV proof of purchase of "Prayers For The Damned" or album by another one of the bands on the tour (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, PAPA ROACH, FROM ASHES TO NEW).

SIXX:A.M. will continue to tour across Canada through September 18 with one dollar from each ticket sold on the tour going to the Canadian Red Cross to support their relief efforts. The trio will head back out on the road in October for their highly anticipated U.S. arena tour with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, SHINEDOWN and AS LIONS. The tour commences October 18 at Verizon Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas and includes stops Denver, Las Vegas, Anaheim and Philadelphia.

"Vol. 2, Prayers For The Blessed" track listing:

01. Barbarians (Prayers For The Blessed)02. We Will Not Go Quietly03. Wolf At Your Door04. Maybe It's Time05. The Devil's Coming06. Catacombs07. That's Gonna Leave a Scar08. Without You09. Suffocate10. Riot In My Head11. Helicopters

Austrian folk metal band, Drescher, will release their new album, Steinfeld, on November 18th via Napalm Records. A lyric video for the album track “Unten” can be found below.

Steinfeld means “field of stones”, but is it as heavy as it sounds? Oh yes, it is! This is something really extraordinary. Ushering in a new kind of music, a new style and a new experience Drescher’s music provides it’s listener with authentic Austrian metal in both language and sound. As long as they’ve been cranking their amplifiers, Drescher has produced genuine tunes driven by the music within.

Steinfeld tracklisting:

“A Bissl Glick”
“Adrenalin”
“Unten”
“Guade Oide Zeit”
“Regen”
“Es Reignt Bluat” (Slayer Cover)
“Olles Ok”
“Endlich Leben”
“I Will Di Ausbliatn Sehn”
“Der Held”
“Die Marie” (Bonus Track)
“Vater Vergib Mir” (Bonus Track)

“Unten” lyric video:

“A Bissl Glick” video:

Teaser #1:

Teaser #2:

Drescher lineup:

Bernd Wograndl - Vocals & Guitar
Gernot Engel - Guitar (acoustic & electric)
Filip Rado - Accordion
Roland Engel - Bass
Sigi Meier - Drums

British progressive rockers Maschine have released a lyric video for the track “Night And Day” featured on their second studio album, Naturalis, out on November 18th via InsideOutMusic. The follow-up to the band's debut Rubidium is the first to feature drummer James Stewart (Vader) and keyboardist/vocalist Marie-Eve de Gaultier.

Lead guitarist and vocalist Luke Machin had this to say: "I'm very proud of what we've done in the studio this time, we were very aware that the songs had to be the best we could do. After all, it does represent us at this point in time, and we were determined that everything about it should be the best that could be done."

The six tracks that make up the main album fit into a loose concept. Machin continues: "This is basically about natural events. It's something I've been thinking about and working on for some time. My interest really began with the Japanese tsunami in 2011. It had such a far reaching effect on so many people. Once I had the idea for the album fixed in my head, the whole thing just snowballed. But what I didn't want this to be was a record about natural disasters. That can be such a dark subject. What I wanted to emphasize was that there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope for mankind. And that's the vibe I wanted to come through."

The album will be released as a special edition Digipak CD and digital download, both featuring two bonus tracks recorded live in 2015 at Veruno Prog Festival in Italy.

Tracklisting:

“Resistance”
“Night And Day”
“Make Believe”
“Hidden In Plain Sight”
“A New Reality”
“Megacyma”

Bonus tracks:
“Eyes Pt.2” (Live In Veruno)
“Rubidium” (Live In Veruno)

“Night And Day” lyric video:

Teaser:

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

"Battles" track listing:

01. Drained02. The End03. Like Sand04. The Truth05. In My Room06. Before I Fall07. Through My Eyes08. Battles09. Here Until Forever10. Underneath My Skin11. Wallflower12. Save Me13. Greatest Greed14. Us Against The World

The song "Through My Eyes" can be streamed below.

IN FLAMES guitarist Björn Gelotte talked about how the recording process for "Battles" compared to that of its predecessor, 2014's "Siren Charms".

"'Siren Charms' had a very dark vibe to it," he explained. "We recorded it at a cold, damp and dark time during the year in Berlin so it gave it a certain melancholy to the record. Now recording in L.A. with the sunshine, it's a different energy. The writing process was different this time, too — that I would like for us to continue to explore. Also, working with Howard and his team was great. I got stressed taking a break for even five minutes because they were always ready to go for the next take and kept my energy up."

"I think being in California really affected this album in the sense that we had a studio in the house that we were staying at and the vibe was really relaxed which lent itself to productivity," added vocalist Anders Fridén. "It really helped having a producer who could make us focus on what we needed to accomplish and keep us on track."

"This was a very new approach for us because we've never let anyone else in the way we did with Howard," said Gelotte.

"Battles" sees the band making the hooks sharper, the riffs tighter and honing the overall attack in a way that parallels their legendary live shows in an unparalleled fashion.

"When people hear this album I think they're going to instantly know that it's the new IN FLAMES without us repeating the same song over and over, and that's something I'm incredibly proud of," Fridén said. He went on to downplay the changes in the band's sound, calling "Battles" "guitar driven, melodic… it's like they know what to expect. It's not like we're coming out with something completely different, but at the same time it's still new. If they already like IN FLAMES, they will like it — and if they don't like IN FLAMES already, they still might like it."

IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced last fall that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life. He has since been replaced by Joe Rickard, who played on "Battles".

Robert Plant and the SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS will be featured on "Austin City Limits" this coming weekend, marking his first time on the "Austin City Limits" stage in more than a decade. Plant's performance on the show, the longest-running live music television series, premieres this Saturday, October 15 on PBS stations across the United States. The full-hour set, which he taped at the end of his "Southern Journey" tour of the American South in March, includes songs from his 2014 Nonesuch debut album, "Lullaby And... The Ceaseless Roar" — "Rainbow", "Turn It Up" and "Little Maggie" — as well as LED ZEPPELIN favorites, like "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You"; you can watch that performance below.

Plant joins Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, THE MILK CARTON KIDS, and more on their recently launched "Lampedusa: Concerts For Refugees" tour, starting at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee on October 12, and making stops in Chicago, Toronto, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, before culminating at the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C., on October 21. Funds raised by "Lampedusa" will support Jesuit Refugee Service's educational programs for refugees around the world.

Plant told The Pulse Of Radio that he works hard to maintain a certain level of quality control in everything he does. "Well, you set the bar at a certain height in performance and in mending with your fellow man," he said. "You can’t drop too far down below that. Still, we labor on, but the bar must be kept high and you can't… I don't wish to do anything that's anything below the bar. I keep the bar really high. And the responsibility is, to keep in my own heart, to make sure that I don't waste my gift."

"Lullaby And… The Ceaseless Roar" features elven new recordings, nine of which are original songs he wrote with the band. "It's really a celebratory record," said Plant, "powerful, gritty, African, trance meets ZEP." Q calls it "his best solo album yet … a beautifully moving, soul-stirring, bravely genre-blurring album."

Plant spoke to Relix magazine about his current music and how it connects to his early days in LED ZEPPELIN, explaining, "I want people to know I'm pulling points of reference from other times and other places — incongruous and out of step and kilter — into another world. I've done it with ZEPPELIN lyrics, as well — 'if the sun refused to shine' and 'the road remains the same' and all the shit. There's so many bits like that, because I like the idea of spinning the bottle. And if one or two people pick up on it, that's the justice — that's about right."

A video recap of OPETH's October 1 performance at Radio City Music Hall in New York City can be seen below. The footage was filmed and edited by Christer Lorichs.

Regarding how OPETH ended up playing a venue like the Radio City Music Hall, the band's frontman, Mikael Åkerfeldt, told Fuse: "We're doing some of those prestigious places, and we've done some in the past, too. I think it's cool. That's actually a decision from the management — they want to book us into these venues as a promotional tool to a certain extent, but also what happened as we played Royal Albert Hall and stuff like that, it kind of opens the gate for bands like us, if you know what I mean. We have, if I may say so myself, pioneered some of these venues when it comes to more heavy music, and after us there's a shitload of bands coming in. I'm pretty sure we're gonna see that more and more. Not just Radio City Music Hall, but especially Sydney Opera House, which was difficult for us to get. We asked them before and they said no, like, 'Bands of your kind don't play the Opera House.' But now they've somehow said yes."

OPETH's twelfth album, "Sorceress", was released on September 30. For the band's first effort for Nuclear Blast via OPETH's imprint label Moderbolaget Records, the group returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from QUEEN, RUSH and JUDAS PRIEST, where the Swedes had tracked "Pale Communion" in 2014 with Tom Dalgety. The band spent twelve days recording at the countryside venue among its serene and inspiring surroundings.

About the new album title, Mikael said: "In the U.S., touring back in the day, I used to pick up '60s [and] '70s horror films from Amoeba Records, especially, in L.A., pick these DVDs up for fairly cheap. So I used to watch those, but it was the whole imagery of that, and that word resonated with me for some reason once I wrote it in a lyric. I figured that's a good title, actually. But I wouldn't say I have a particular sorceress in mind, it's more of a collective word for...I don't want to say evil women, but I'll say evil women anyway."

Fan-filmed video footage of Bobby Blotzer's RATT performing on October 12 at Proof Rooftop Lounge in Houston, Texas can be seen below.

Blotzer's RATT recently announced the addition of Mitch Perry (TALAS, HEAVEN, STEELER, MSG, LITA FORD) and Stacey Blades (L.A. GUNS) on guitar and Brad Lang (Y&T) on bass. They joined the band as the replacements for Nicholas "Blaze" Baum, Michael "Doc" Ellis (Jizzy Pearl's LOVE/HATE) and Robbie Crane, who left Blotzer in early August.

Asked why his version of RATT has already undergone so many lineup changes in the past year, Bobby told the SiriusXM satellite radio show "Eddie Trunk Live": "[It's] hard to say. I think it started way back when we first came from [Las] Vegas with those guys, and we had this very unsavory guy that kind of corralled them, in my opinion… Some of these guys are really young; the lead guitarist was really young and impressionable. And there was colluding going on, a lot of colluding, and there was a lot of politicking. And I don't wanna name any names, but there was things of that nature going on."

He continued: "We've never had a fight in this band, we never have ever had an argument; we don't even disagree. So for me to find out, while we had a four-show run that started out in Louisville, then Cincinnati, then Wabash, Indiana, and then finishing the week in Detroit, I find out after the Cincinnati show that the lead guitar player is quitting; he's joining a country band and he's just out. And I'm, like, 'Ooookay.' And in the next week coming up, obviously, there [were] some giant shows…. I had to scramble, with a two-day notice, to either get somebody — which I didn't know who it was gonna be… I was pretty freaked out that out of the blue this guy is just quitting without telling me. And we finished the shows and subsequently got Stacey. He learned the set, an eighteen-song set, in two days, and came out in front of 35,000 and ripped it up. And we had Todd Kerns, who was filling in for Robbie Crane. And we knew that Todd was only out there for those specific shows.

"One of the guys in the band said from the get-go he doesn't wanna be on the road, even though he was having a great time. Even though I have texts from these guys saying, 'Thank you for bringing me aboard here,' and these are recent texts. And I respect a couple of these guys at this point. And when they're thanking me, I'm, like, 'Thank you for playing up there. You have helped build this thing, like we're building it right now. You're doing your job.' But the lead player split after Detroit. Stacey came in and did the gigs, like I said, and right now… I had so much e-mails and phone calls from guitar players and singers and bass players, it was insane. I'm, like, 'Fuck! How am I gonna get through all this?' So I just started thinking about personal friends. Mitch Perry and I go way back. Him and Sean McNabb and I had a band with Ralph from STEEL PANTHER back around '90, '92, something like that. So I called Mitch — great guitarist — and I said, 'Here's the deal.' And he's, like, 'Great! I'm in.' And then we were thinking, 'Okay. Bass player. Who? This person, that person.' And he came up with Brad Lang, who's a friend of his, and I had jammed with Brad at New Year's Eve in San Francisco for Phil Kennemore's memorial show that they did up there. And he's a great player and a great guy, he's got stage presence. And you know what? These guys are seasoned pros. I'll miss one of the guys that were in this band, but, you know, the knives that were just thrown into my back, dude, I'm just never gonna get over; they're never gonna stop bleeding."

Blotzer defended his decision to go out on tour as RATT without any other original members of the band, explaining that fans just want to hear the music performed the way it was recorded on the group's albums.

"No matter what, this band plays so good and does such great integrity to the music of RATT," he told ClassX Radio. "That's why everybody's been hired. The singer [Josh Alan] just blows Stephen Pearcy out of the water at this day and age. And frankly, [he sounds better than Stephen did] even when we started out."

Blotzer is involved in a legal battle with Warren DeMartini over the rights to the RATT name, with the guitarist filing a lawsuit last fall claiming that the drummer was falsely advertising his "tribute band" as the real thing. That dispute is still pending in California state court.

"Stormbending", the new video from DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, the band led by Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend, can be seen at VEVO.com. The track is taken from DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT's new album, "Transcendence", which was released on September 9.

The follow-up to 2014's "Z2" double album (half of which was made up of the DTP full-length "Sky Blue"), "Transcendence" sees the award-winning Townsend exploring a relatively new way of working, collaborating with the entire DTP band during the writing stages of the record. "The result of this process is a record that I truly think the intention of is special," he says of the album. "I 'found' gas to put into the tank and am glad I did. I think the intention, the theme, and the participation of everyone involved allows this album to act like a fulcrum between the past few years and what I intend to do next with the symphony. I am very proud of it and everyone involved."

"Transcendence" was made available as a limited 2CD digipak (featuring an extra disc of eleven additional new tracks), standard CD jewelcase and gatefold heavyweight 2LP + CD with etching (on various colours), as well as digital download.

Townsend tells The Independent: "It's so easy to say, 'Everything's shit, man — it's all going to hell.’ Making a statement that is positive was really where I wanted the power of this record to be rooted. Not in a naive way, and not as a means of escape. I wanted to make something that's really beautiful, but strong.

"There's a ton of people that aren't giving up and you have to really fight to not give up, so this record is a celebration of that spirit.”

The "Transcendence" artwork was once again created by Anthony Clarkson, whom Devin has been working with for several years now.

"Transcendence" track listing:

01. Truth02. Stormbending03. Failure04. Secret Sciences05. Higher06. Stars07. Transcendence08. Offer Your Light09. From The Heart10. Transdermal Celebration DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT has teamed up with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME for the "Transcending The Coma Tour". Support on the trek is coming from FALLUJAH.

German thrash metal veterans KREATOR have launched a countdown clock leading up to the pre-order of their new album, "Gods Of Violence". Head to godsofviolence.com to check out a teaser video.

KREATOR's follow-up to 2012's "Phantom Antichrist" will be released in January via Nuclear Blast.

"Phantom Antichrist" sold 3,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 1 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

KREATOR will tour Europe in support of the new CD beginning in early February. Guitarist/singer Mille Petrozza and his crew will be accompanied by a varied as well as iconic billing. Brazilian-American extreme metal pioneers SEPULTURA are announced to be direct support to the headliners, followed by visionary Swedish melodic death metallers SOILWORK and Belgium's finest death/grind outfit ABORTED.

Commented Petrozza: "Finally we are gonna be back on a headlining tour through Europe again. It will be more than two years by then since our last run and we have some amazing ideas for a new stage show, supporting our new album. It will be nothing less than spectacular, I promise! Looking forward to see all of you metal maniacs in 2017. And this will just be the beginning..."

After touring for a year and a half throughout almost every corner of the world and leaving fans of all nationalities breathless, the time has come for NIGHTWISH to immortalize their "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" tour on DVD. Therefore, the symphonic metal visionaries are set to release their new live milestone, "Vehicle Of Spirit", in Europe on December 9 (U.S. release to follow in January), featuring not only two full concerts, but also plenty of bonus material.

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

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

DVD1 (The Wembley Show)

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

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

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

The "Shudder Before The Beautiful" performance clip, recorded at the Wembley Show in London, can be seen below.

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

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

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

DISTURBED will release a new live album, "Live At Red Rocks", on November 18. The album was recorded during the band's August 15 performance at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater.

"Live At Red Rocks" is available for pre-order at all digital music providers and those who pre-order will receive an instant download of "The Light".

"Live At Red Rocks" track listing:

01. Introduction02. Ten Thousand Fists03. The Game04. The Vengeful One05. Prayer06. Liberate07. The Animal08. Stupify09. The Sound Of Silence10. Lost Soul11. Inside The Fire12. The Light13. Stricken14. Indestructible15. Voices16. Down With The Sickness

As previously reported, DISTURBED's sixth studio album, "Immortalized ", was officially certified gold on September 23 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of more than 500,000 copies. The certification came seven months after RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in gold and platinum album award.

"Immortalized" features DISTURBED's version of "The Sound Of Silence", which has been a huge hit for the band. Paul Simon shared his approval of it publicly after watching the band perform the song on "Conan" and also exchanging e-mails with singer David Draiman.

DISTURBED's record label, Warner Bros., credited the song's popularity to the video for "Silence", which was released in December 2015. To date, the clip has been seen more than 114 million times, a record number of views on YouTube for the group.

"Immortalized" was released in August 2015. The effort became the band's fifth LP in a row to enter the chart at No. 1 — a feat shared only with METALLICA and DAVE MATTHEWS BAND.

Speaking about DISTURBED's comeback after going on a four-year hiatus in 2011, Draiman told Fight+Music: "It's been amazing. The fire has been stoked. We're performing at a level that I personally believe is unprecedented in our careers. The crowds have been amazing, huge. We've really been overwhelmed throughout the duration of this cycle with the amount of success that we've seen. We're very, very grateful."

All of IN FLAMES' pre-"Siren Charms" (2014) albums, along with the "Black-Ash Inheritance" EP and the legendary "Demo '93" will be released by Century Media on December 9 in a strictly limited, hand-numbered and luxurious vinyl collector's box. Included are the following 13 discs on 180-gram vinyl:

* "Lunar Strain"* "Subterranean"* "The Jester Race"* "Black-Ash Inheritance" EP; Side B: Etching* "Whoracle"* "Colony"* "Clayman"* "Reroute To Remain"* "Soundtrack To Your Escape"* "Come Clarity"* "A Sense Of Purpose"* "Sounds Of A Playground Fading"* "Demo '93"; Side B: Etching

All songs were remastered by David Donnelly at DNA Mastering (AEROSMITH, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, BLINK 182, KISS, MILEY CYRUS, MÖTLEY CRÜE).

The strictly limited, hand numbered, exclusive vinyl collector's box comes with:

* all albums/EPs in a 4c sleeve* a 36-page booklet including all lyrics, credits as well as liner notes by Chris Dick* specially remastered for vinyl* "Black-Ash Inheritance" and "Demo '93" both come with etching on Side B

The box is limited to 2.000 copies worldwide outside of USA, Mexico, Canada and Japan.

The following vinyl colors are available:

* 400 copies black vinyl* CM Distro: clear vinyl (limited to 100 copies)* Nuclear Blast: black vinyl, white vinyl (limited to 100 copies)* EMP: black vinyl; silver vinyl (limited to 100 copies)

IN FLAMES' twelfth studio album, "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. The CD was recorded in Los Angeles with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson, who has previously worked with MOTÖRHEAD, BODY COUNT and SEPULTURA, among others.

IN FLAMES released a new concert DVD, "Sounds From The Heart Of Gothenburg", on September 23 via Nuclear Blast. The set was recorded on November 7, 2014 at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden. IN FLAMES last year inked a new management deal with Tenth Street Entertainment, which also looks after MÖTLEY CRÜE and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, among others.

IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced last fall that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life. He has since been replaced by Joe Rickard, who played on "Battles".

Red Fang, who release Only Ghosts tomorrow via Relapse Records, are streaming the 10-song album in full (listen below).

The band, currently touring Europe with a show in Cologne this evening, have also unveiled a 16-bit video game that can be found at this location. Fangtris is a twist on the classic Tetris game, inviting players to stack the band’s gear on stage before the show starts.

Only Ghosts was produced by the legendary Ross Robinson (At The Drive In, The Cure, Slipknot, and many more) and mixed by Joe Baressi (Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Melvins). Only Ghosts consists of 10 new tracks of the band's signature, high-impact, hook-filled, hard rock.

Red Fang prove once again they are top-notch songwriters who have mastered the heavy anthem without taking themselves too seriously. Only Ghosts is a rock album of incredible magnitude that demands to be played at maximum volume! The debut single from the album, "Flies”, can be heard below.

Only Ghosts was recorded earlier this year at Robinson’s Venice, CA studio. The album is set for release this October 14th on CD/LP/Digital. Physical pre-orders are available via Relapse.com here, and digital pre-orders can be found at the band's Bandcamp page at this location.

Only Ghosts tracklisting:

“Flies”
“Cut It Short”
“Flames”
“No Air”
“Shadows”
“Not For You”
“The Smell Of The Sound”
“The Deep”
“I Am A Ghost”
“Living In Lye”

Album stream:

"Shadows" video:

Red Fang live:

October (with Torche)
13 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
15 - Leipzig, Germany - Conne Island
16 - Hamburg, Germany - Markethalle
18 - Odense, Denmark - Posten
19 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee
20 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Medis
21 - Malmo, Sweden - KB
22 - Munster, Germany - Skater’s Place
23 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
24 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg (OZ)

November
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
17 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom

Red Fang is:

John Sherman - Drums
Aaron Beam - Bass, Vocals
David Sullivan - Guitar
Maurice Bryan Giles - Guitar, Vocals

(Photo - Whitey Mcconnaughy)

Florida metallers TRIVIUM have spent the past decade-plus building their reputation and steadily rising to prominence, becoming one of the main torchbearers of heavy metal in the modern era. With millions of albums sold globally and numerous world tours (from Ozzfest, Mayhem and Download to opening for METALLICA, BLACK SABBATH, and IRON MAIDEN to extensive headline treks), TRIVIUM began their journey in 2003 with their debut album, "Ember To Inferno". The record quickly captured the attention of the band's earliest fans as well as the ears of A&R reps at Roadrunner Records, who rapidly signed the band and went on to release their watershed album "Ascendancy" in 2005. "Ember To Inferno" was the catalyst for what was to come and it has been out of print for several years… until now.

The band and 5B Artist Management have partnered with Cooking Vinyl to re-release the album, along with a deluxe edition that includes 13 additional tracks that have never been previously available yet have earned evasive legend status among the diehards, on December 2. It's a true treasure trove of material that will delight the staunchest TRIVIUM fans and beyond.

"The purpose of this release is to show the very early beginnings of TRIVIUM — perhaps an era unbeknownst to most listeners of the band," said TRIVIUM vocalist and guitarist Matt Heafy. "To look back at 'Ember' as the starting point of TRIVIUM becoming recognized worldwide is a staggering thought for me, considering I was 16-17 years old during the writing and recording of the record.

"As a kid, I always said the 'goal' was to be in a massive metal band. I don't think I actually knew what it would mean to have fans in different parts of the world, and I still can't believe people care so much that they actually want to hear the music that pre-dates our Roadrunner years. To this day, I am still completely blown away that people are singing words to songs I wrote when I was 16 years old. It's an amazing feeling."

"Ember To Inferno" will be released in four configurations, with the deluxe editions containing the band's early demos "Ruber" (a.k.a. the Red Demo), "Caeruleus" (a.k.a. the Blue Demo) and "Flavus" (a.k.a. the Yellow Demo). Fans can pre-order all formats online here.

The formats available are:

* "Ember To Inferno" — Standard CD.

* "Ember To Inferno" — Standard Vinyl LP, which is the original album in a 2LP gatefold on orange/black marble vinyl.

* "Ember To Inferno: Ab Initio" — Deluxe CD, which is the original album with new artwork, plus 13 bonus tracks and expanded booklet in a digipak. The 13 bonus tracks are the band's early demos — "Ruber" (a.k.a. the Red Demo), "Caeruleus" (a.k.a. the Blue Demo) and "Flavus" (a.k.a. the Yellow Demo).

* "Ember to Inferno: Ab Initio" — Deluxe 5LP Box, which is five colored LPs in a special box including the original album in a 2LP gatefold on orange/black marble vinyl, the expanded booklet, a poster, a stencil, and 13 bonus tracks over three LPs. The 13 bonus tracks are the band's early demos — "Ruber" (a.k.a. the Red Demo) on transparent red vinyl, "Caeruleus" (a.k.a. the Blue Demo) on transparent blue vinyl, and "Flavus" (a.k.a. the Yellow Demo) on transparent yellow vinyl.

"Ember To Inferno" standard edition track listing:

01. Inception: The Bleeding Skies02. Pillars Of Serpents03. If I Could Collapse The Masses04. Fugue (A Revelation)05. Requiem06. Ember To Inferno07. Ashes08. To Burn The Eye09. Falling To Grey 10. My Hatred11. When All Light Dies12. A View Of Burning Empires

"Ember To Inferno: Ab Initio" deluxe-only bonus tracks

Ruber (on transparent red vinyl for box set)

01. Pain02. Thrust03. Lake Of Fire

Caeruleus (on transparent blue vinyl for box set)

04. To Burn The Eye05. Requiem06. Fugue07. My Hatred08. The Storm09. Sworn10. Demon

Flavus (on transparent yellow vinyl for box set)

11. Like Light To The Flies12. Blinding Tears Will Break The Skies13. The Deceived

TRIVIUM is currently wrapping its latest U.S. headline tour in support of "Silence In the Snow". The band returns to Europe for headline dates February-March 2017.

U.K. rock outfit AS LIONS has just released relase its debut EP, "Aftermath", via Better Noise Records. The EP has been made available digitally in the U.S. and physically in Europe. In conjunction with the release of the EP, the band has also unveiled the official video for the title track and first single, "Aftermath". Check it out below.

In keeping with the track's powerful lyrics, the video portrays a heart-wrenching scene of a rescue team searching rubble and ruin for life, as a child lays desperate, buried beneath the destruction. Entwined with an explosive live performance of the band, the story ends with hope and liberation as the boy is discovered and brought to safety.

Comprised of vocalist Austin Dickinson (son of IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson), guitarist and keyboardist Conor O'Keefe, guitarist Will Homer, bassist Stefan Whiting and drummer Dave Fee, AS LIONS is the evolution of British rock. Standing by their mission to create "the biggest, baddest hard rock we could, and on an almost cinematic scale," the band has worked with award-winning producer David Bendeth (OF MICE & MEN, PARAMORE, BRING ME THE HORIZON) and Kane Churko (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, DISTURBED, IN THIS MOMENT).

The EP's four dynamic tracks are a study in contrasts, mixing thick, grinding riffs and rhythms with majestically sweeping strings, stately piano tinklings and a hefty dose of atmospheric electronics, all shot through with Dickinson's soaring vocals and introspective lyrics. "Aftermath" has Dickinson asking: "What have we created / what have we become?" as guitars churn and crash around him. "Conceptually it's about trying to navigate your way out of disaster, be it personal, collective, or in the case of the video, a war zone," Austin says. Another track, the crushing "Deathless" targets the Internet culture's obsession with image.

"Aftermath" track listing:

01. Aftermath02. White Flags03. Deathless04. World On Fire

AS LIONS has played sold-out shows in the U.K., performing with TRIVIUM, and making festival appearances this past summer at Camden Rocks and Download. AS LIONS is now gearing up to bring "Aftermath" and its explosive live show to the U.S. during their arena tour with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, SHINEDOWN and SIXX:A.M.

AS LIONS was formed after the breakup of Austin's previous band, RISE TO REMAIN, which released one album, "City Of Vultures", in 2011.

Dutch symphonic metal band, Epica, recently released their new record, The Holographic Principle, and is proud to announce chart entries worldwide:

US:
#139 Top 200
#50 Top Current Albums
#3 Hard Music
#20 Rock

Worldwide:
# 4 Netherlands
# 8 Switzerland
# 8 Norway
# 9 Germany
# 11 Czech Republic
# 12 Belgium
# 14 Sweden (rock)
# 20 Japan (international)
# 21 Austria
# 22 France
# 25 Canada
# 26 Finland
# 26 Italy
# 27 Hungary
# 32 Spain
# 46 United Kingdom
# 46 Australia
# 69 Poland

Mark Jansen comments: "Despite the fact that I'm not that much of a chart fetishist, I am very proud that we have reached such high positions all over the world!!! In basically all countries we have made a big step forward. Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts, for all the support and loyalty we receive from you. Now it's time to hit the road again and party!"

Epica will return to the UK with Powerwolf and Beyond The Black on February 3rd at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. In the video below, the band discuss their return to the UK and what fans can expect to hear in their setlist.

Epica played their own Epic Metal Fest at the 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands on Saturday, October 1st to coincide with the release of their new album, The Holographic Principle. The band have uploaded this aftermovie:

On Saturday, October 15th the Brazilian edition of Epic Metal Fest will take place in Sao Paulo. Paradise Lost, Finntroll, Xandria and The Ocean will join Epica for this first edition. More info and tickets at this location.

Epica will return this fall for the North American Principle Tour in support of The Holographic Principle. Epica will be joined on this trek by Italian symphonic death metal kings Fleshgod Apocalypse, Russian Pagan warriors Arkona, and their good friends in The Agonist.

The first three dates will see Germany’s Xandria as a replacement for Arkona. Tour kick off will be on November 4th in Quebec City and will conclude December 3rd in Worcester, MA.

Epica’s front woman Simone Simons commented on the tour: “The time has finally come to visit North America again. We are super excited to show you guys our kick-ass new material of which we are extremely proud! We hope to welcome you all to experience The Holographic Principle extravaganza!”

Tour dates:

November (with Fleshgod Apocalypse, Xandria, The Agonist)
4 - Imperial Theater - Quebec City, QC
5 - Corona - Montreal, QC
6 - Phoenix Concert Hall - Toronto, ON

November (with Fleshgod Apocalypse, Arkona, The Agonist)
8 - Concord Music Hall - Chicago, IL
9 - Cabooze - Minneapolis, MN
11 - Saskatoon Event Center - Saskatoon, SK
12 - Marquee - Calgary, AB
13 - The Ranch - Edmonton, AB
15 - Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, BC
16 - Studio 7 - Seattle, WA
18 - Social Hall - San Francisco, CA
19 - The Regent - Los Angeles, CA
20 - Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel - Las Vegas, NV
22 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
23 - Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS
25 - Gas Monkey Live - Dallas, TX
26 - Empire Control Room - Austin, TX
28 - State Theater - St Petersburg, FL
29 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA

December (with Fleshgod Apocalypse, Arkona, The Agonist)
1 - Soundstage Baltimore, MD
2 - Webster Hall - New York, NY
3 - Palladium - Worcester, MA

(Photo - Epica Facebook)

Dallas trio True Widow have released a video for “F.W.T.S: L.T.M”, a featured track on their fourth album, Avvolgere, out now via Relapse Records. Order the album at this location.

The band comments on the video “Once again we've joined forces with our good friend Mats Eks. This is the fourth video he's done for us and in our opinion it's easily his most ambitious. Shot in Dallas and Terlingua, Texas, Big Bend National Park, Mexico, Sweden and Norway, the images Mats used make the song feel more epic than we could have imagined. We’re honored to have someone like him in our corner when it comes to creating visuals for the sounds. He's an artist, gentleman, and doggedly determined.”

The band recorded Avvolgere with Matt Pence, who recorded their 2013 release, Circumambulation, at his Echo Lab studio in Argyle, Texas earlier this year.

Avvolgere tracklisting:

“Back Shredder”
“Theurgist”
“F.W.T.S: L.T.M”
“The Trapper & The Trapped”
“O.O.T.P.V”
“Entheogen”
“To All That He Elong”
“Sante”
“Grey Erasure”

“O.O.T.P.V”:

“Theurgist” video:

“Entheogen”:

The band have also announced their first round of US dates in support of the new album, with the tour launching on October 13th in Phoenix.
 
October
13 - Phoenix, AZ - Last Exit
14 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
15 - San Francisco, CA - Brick & Mortar
17 - Portland, OR - Holocene
18 - Seattle, WA - Highline
19 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
20 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
22 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
23 - Kansas City, KS - Riot Room
24 - Norman, OK - The Opolis

November
3 - New Orleans, LA - Zeitgeist
4 - Birmingham, AL - Syndicate Lounge
5 - Orlando, FL - Will’s Pub
7 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
8 - Charlotte, NC - The Station
9 - Nashville, TN - The End
11 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
12 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
13 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
14 - Boston, MA - Great Scott
15 - New York, NY - Market Hotel
17 - Pittsburgh, PA - Cattivo
18 - Cleveland, OH - Malhall’s
19 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
20 - Detroit, MI - El Club
21 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar
 
Lowlands open dates from October 13th - 24th.

(Photo: Stephanie Hageman)

South American power metallers Elixir have released a lyric video for their new track “Beyond Dreams”, from their sophomore album Where The Secret Lies; check it out below.

Elixir recently signed a worldwide deal with Canadian label Maple Metal Records to release their second full-length album Where The Secret Lies on October 14th.  As part of the deal, Maple Metal Records will re-distribute worldwide Elixir's debut album Unleash The Magic from 2012.

Where The Secret Lies was produced by Elixir, and was recorded, mixed and mastered by Sebastian Vera at Sound Works Studio. The album artwork was conceived in Argentina by Abstract Chaos Design, (Kataklysm, Ill Niño).

Where The Secret Lies tracklisting:

“World Is Not Over”
“Broken Heart”
“Beyond Dreams”
“Everlasting Soul”
“You’ll Never Walk Alone”
“Rising Star”
“The Sailor Song”
“Where The Secret Lies”
“Have You Ever Felt This Way”
“Release Myself”
“Southern Pride”

“Southern Pride”:

Album teaser:

"City Of Destruction", the new video from THE NEAL MORSE BAND, can be seen below. The song is taken from the group's new album, "The Similitude Of A Dream", which will be released on November 11 on Radiant Records via Metal Blade Records/Sony.

The journey of Neal Morse has seen three decades of musical accomplishments, the latest being the inception of THE NEAL MORSE BAND. Morse has forged many relationships over the years with his other bands, SPOCK'S BEARD, FLYING COLORS and TRANSATLANTIC. However, the most compelling and fruitful efforts have been those with drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, TWISTED SISTER, ex-DREAM THEATER). This will be the eighth studio album with Morse, Portnoy and bassist Randy George, and the second as a true collaboration with this current lineup, which also includes keyboardist Bill Hubauer and guitarist Eric Gillette. Clocking in at over a hundred minutes, this amazing piece of prog storytelling will leave you breathless, exhilarated, amused and fulfilled in a way that only inspired music can. It will be available in various formats: a two CD package, a special edition with the two CDs and "The Making Of A Dream" DVD, or as three vinyl records along with two CDs. Together, Morse and Portnoy have launched four bands, but the one that has endured the longest and thus with the most musical output has been THE NEAL MORSE BAND. Over the years, Morse, along with Portnoy and George, always assembled musicians as needed to support Neal's solo music. In 2012, they held auditions to find the musicians needed to fill out the band as a permanent lineup that would write music collectively. Hubauer and Gillette joined the band after three days of auditions. The fivesome went on to release "The Grand Experiment" in 2014 followed by the "Alive Again" live DVD/2 CD package in 2015. As Neal Morse explains: "'The Similitude Of A Dream' is loosely and sometimes directly based on the book 'Pilgrim's Progress' by John Bunyan. The book's original title was 'The Pilgrim's Progress' from this world to the that which is to come, delivered under the similitude of a dream, and it was originally published in 1678. The book chronicles the spiritual journey of a man from the City of Destruction to the place of Deliverance. Someone had suggested to me that I do a concept album based on this book, but I kind of forgot about it. Then when I began writing new songs last December, the suggestion came to my mind. I had never read the book, so I Googled the SparkNotes story outline and began to write some little song bits and instrumentals based on what I had read. Those bits combined with the ideas that the other guys brought to the table then miraculously exploded into this double concept album. Funny thing is, this album only really covers about the first 75 or 80 pages. Maybe we should've made a five disc collection! Well, we'll save that for later. Ha." He continues: "At the conclusion of the grueling recording sessions, I remember Mike saying rather prophetically, 'Boys, I think we just made the album of our careers.'" "I honestly think this is the album of my career," declares Portnoy. "Neal and I have now made 18 studio albums together, and I consider 'The Similitude Of A Dream' the absolute creative pinnacle of our collaborations together. I've always had a soft spot for double concept albums such as PINK FLOYD's 'The Wall' and THE WHO's 'Tommy', and I can bravely say that I think we've created an album here that can sit side by side with those masterpieces. Bold words, I know, but after a career of almost 50 albums, I honestly consider this to be one of the defining works of my career." "We weren't sure we had enough music to make a double CD, and yet it seemed as though the concept and the music wanted to go there," bassist Randy George continues. "Ultimately, we created so much great music in the sessions that it just had to be a double album! To cap that off, we worked with a pre-imminent classic album cover artist to create painted illustrations of our concept which will grace the booklet!"

"The Similitude Of A Dream" track listing:

Disc 1:

01. Long Day02. Overture03. The Dream04. City Of Destruction05. We Have Got To Go06. Makes No Sense07. Draw The Line08. The Slough09. Back To The City10. The Ways Of A Fool11. So Far Gone12. Breath Of Angels Disc 2:

01. Slave To Your Mind02. Shortcut to Salvation03. The Man in The Iron Cage04. The Road Called Home05. Sloth06. Freedom Song07. I'm Running08. The Mask09. Confrontation10. The Battle11. Broken Sky / Long Day (Reprise) THE NEAL MORSE BAND tours worldwide almost yearly and continues to grow in popularity, attracting new listeners everywhere they go. The band has toured in North America, Central America, Europe, Israel, Mexico and India. The shows are filled with excited and extremely loyal fans, some which have regularly traveled very long distances to see the band. The band has an extensive catalog of live shows on Blu-ray and DVD as well. Their latest round of worldwide tour dates start January 15, 2017 in Morse's current hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. More dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Former ASKING ALEXANDRIA and current WE ARE HARLOT frontman Danny Worsnop has changed the title of his debut solo album to "The Long Road Home" from the previously announced "The Prozac Sessions". The effort will be made available through Earache Records.

"The Long Road Home" track listing:

01. Prozac02. Mexico03. I Feel Like Shit04. Anyone But Me05. High06. I Got Bones07. Quite A While08. Don't Overdrink It09. I'll Hold On10. Midnight Woman11. Same Old Ending12. The Man

A video for the track "Mexico" will apparently premeire on November 1. A teaser for the clip is available below.

The singer told Alternative Press last year about the musical direction of his solo material: "[The solo album has] still got some of that typical snotty flair going. I'm still, for the most part, singing the blues. But I went into it with country in mind. I've always loved country. In England, I grew up as a country boy. I was in a small village of two hundred people. The lifestyle goes hand in hand with the music all over the world. [But writing] it just never crossed my mind. Obviously, of late, I've made a lot of life changes, where I'm exploring new things. So it seemed like an appropriate time. I had some time off, I was jamming on the guitar and I had some ideas, and I was, like, 'Fuck it, let's take this and run."

The songs on "The Long Road Home" were completed with songwriters like John Paul White (THE CIVIL WARS), while producer Jim Kaufman sat behind the boards.

"We're definitely going to push to radio a lot, do videos," Danny told Alternative Press. "[The solo project] is definitely something I'd like to make a lot of money doing and get to do more of. If it's not a success, I doubt I'll have much opportunity to do it again. [But] there's no plans to tour, per se. Maybe just shows here and there. So it's nothing that's... I know I've said this before, and it ended with me leaving the band. [Laughs]"

Worsnop exited ASKING ALEXANDRIA in January 2015, explaining in a statement: "Over the last eight years together, we've done some amazing things and created something truly special. I now, same as then, want what's best for the band and at this point in time, that isn't me."

Danny has since been replaced by Ukrainian singer Denis Shaforostov, who gained notoriety posting ASKING ALEXANDRIA covers on YouTube and consequentially inked a deal with Sumerian in his band DOWN & DIRTY.

Swabian death metallers Revel In Flesh will unleash their new and fourth full-length-onslaught, entitled Emissary Of All Plagues, on December 2nd via Cyclone Empire. Today the band has launched a lyric video for the title track below:

Emissary Of All Plagues was produced by guitar master Maggesson at the band´s own Vault M. Studio. For mix and mastering they worked again with none other than Dan Swanö (Bloodbath, Edge Of Sanity, Nightingale) at his Unisound Studios.

Emissary Of All Plagues tracklist:
“Emissary Of All Plagues”
“Casket Ride”
“Fortress Of Gloom”
’Servants Of The Deathkult”
“Torture Throne”
“The Dead Lives On”
“Lord Of Flesh”
“Sepulchral Passage”
“Dead To This World”
“Doctor Doctor”

Mainman Haubersson comments: “After intense months of working and recording we are damned excited about releasing “Emissary of all plagues” upon mankind! It's probably our darkest and most melodic output thus far! Expect a haunted trip to the darkside mixed with the previously known Revel In Flesh death metal brutality! We are looking forward to present those new tracks on stage as soon as possible! The restless servants of the Deathkult are back!”

Here´s what the Dan “the legend” Swanö has to say about Emissary Of All Plagues: “Another fantastic worship at the altar of SweDeath. To create the best album so far into their career is astonishing. Both me and the band feel this our best sonic co-operation so far, and to me personally, it is extra cool to finally have nailed what I believe to be the ultimate tribute to the SweDeath guitar tone! It takes more than just a HM2 pedal to get the right 'vomiting' to occur 'inside' the distortion! Make sure to check out the vinyl version for a full dynamic mix of this amazing slab of true fucking death metal!”

Seeker are streaming their upcoming album, Loss, out tomorrow, October 14th. Listen below. Clocking in at 25 minutes, Seeker will deliver Loss in its entirety as they hit the road with The Last Ten Seconds Of Life, Traitors and Spite beginning this week. On December 1st, Seeker will continue pummelling the road with a headlining tour to be announced shortly.

Loss was recorded by Zach Ohren, known for his work with Chelsea Grin and Fallujah, and the artwork comes in the form of a hand drawn, custom piece by Farron Loathing (Nails, Huntress).

Loss tracklisting:

“Without”     
“Throat”     
“Void”     
“Rot”     
“Swallowed”     
“Welcome Death”     
“Empty Vessel”     
“Submit”     
“Self Harm”     
“Loss”

Album stream:

“Loss” video:

“Void” video:

Loss pre-order packages are available now at VictoryMerch.com and include an instant download of the first single "Rot”. The track is also available now at Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon Music and everywhere digital music is available.

Tour dates:

October
15 - Ringgold, GA - Cloud Springs Deli
16 - Columbus, GA - The Estate
18 - Jacksonville, FL - Nighthawks
19 - Biloxi, MS - Zeppelins Pizzeria
20 - Houston, TX - BFE Rock Club
21 - Dallas, TX - Reno’s Chop Shop (So What?! Music Festival)
22 - Austin, TX - Empire Control Room (Texas Revolution Festival)

November
5 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Loading Dock
6 - Denver, CO - City Hall
7 - Wichita, KS - Rock Island Live
8 - Minneapolis, MN - The Cabooze
9 - La Crosse, WI - The Warehouse
10 - Cudahy, WI - The Metal Grill
11 - Crest Hill, IL - Bada Brew
12 - Indianapolis, IN - Emerson Theater
13 - Lakewood, OH - The Foundry

Texas-based classic rockers Scorpion Child released their second album, Acid Roulette, back in June via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The band is now streaming the title track, listen below.

Tracklisting:

“She Sings, I Kill”
“Reaper’s Danse”
“My Woman In Black”
“Acid Roulette”
“Winter Side Of Deranged”
“Séance”
“Twilight Coven”
“Survives”
“Blind Man’s Shine”
“Moon Tension”
“Tower Grove”
“I Might Be Your Man”
“Addictions”

“Acid Roulette”:

"Reaper's Danse" video:

“My Woman In Black” lyric video:

“She Sings, I Kill” lyric video:

"Acid Roulette chronicles the life trials of a traveling man who was imprisoned for a murderous crime," comments Aryn. "He was forced into confessing by his wife and her wealthy lover so that they could live out their romance without him in the picture. Once sentenced to a life's term, he goes through extreme emotions dealing with the only woman he'd ever loved taking everything he'd known as "real" away from him. He has to create and redefine his own reality accompanied by its roller coaster of emotional reflection. He experiences many different psychological changes throughout the years and escapes by means of drugs and his writings. These songs become his diary of a madman. The focus is mainly on the seasons in a year, for each song represents a month. The songs exist to drive home the full power of human emotion as many albums do, however, Acid Roulette wires us into those extremes."

 

 

(Photo - Rodrigo Fredes)