NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) veterans BLITZKRIEG will release a new seven-inch vinyl EP, "Reign Of Fire", on December 8 in a limited edition of five hundred copies embraced by amazing handdrawn old-school metal artwork by Lee Murphy.

Says BLITZKRIEG guitarist Ken Johnson: "We are very excited about the 'Reign Of Fire' EP coming out on our new label/home, Mighty Music, prior to the new album release in 2018. Let's re-ignite the fire... flame on."

"Reign Of Fire" was recorded by Phil (Vandetta) Davies at Downcast Base HQ Recording Studios, Newcastle upon Tyne, England and mixed by Johan Haagesen at Hansen Studios, Ribe, Denmark.

Track listing:

Side A: Reign Of FireSide B: Judge Not (exclusive track for this vinyl release only)

Next month, BLITZKRIEG will enter the studio to record its first album for Mighty Music and follow-up to 2013's "Back From Hell". A spring 2018 release is expected, to be followed by a European tour.

"Reign Of Fire" can be pre-ordered at the official BLITZKRIEG bandshop, where "Reign Of Fire" t-shirt can be ordered as well.

Watch a video teaser for "Reign Of Fire" below.

2015 marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of BLITZKRIEG, which came into existence in 1980. Although their debut single, "Buried Alive" b/w "Blitzkrieg" (on Neat Records) was released in 1981, it was not till 1985 that the band recorded its debut album, as Ross was involved with his other group, SATAN, recording and touring their debut opus, "Court In The Act".

BLITZKRIEG's "A Time Of Changes" included the band's self-titled song "Blitzkrieg", which was covered by METALLICA on the "Creeping Death" EP. METALLICA's drummer, Lars Ulrich, commented that BLITZKRIEG was one of his band's main musical inspirations, along with DIAMOND HEAD.

Brian, the only remaining founding member of BLITZKRIEG, said: "Lars Ulrich phoned me up and asked if they could cover the song.

"METALLICA were, and still are, big fans of the band. We have met up with them a few times over the years and I am really pleased that they still play 'Blitzkrieg' at gigs."

Brian said that he tried to give the then-unknown METALLICA a helping hand in the early 1980s.

"They sent me their demo when they were still unsigned, asking for my help to get them on our label," he said. "But the label turned them down, saying they'd never go anywhere.

"I met up with the guy who made that call a few years ago and he says it is the biggest mistake of his life."

BLITZKRIEG is:

Brian Ross - Lead vocalsKen johnson - Guitars, keyboards, backing vocalsAlan Ross - Guitars, Backing vocalsMatt Graham - DrumsHuw Holding - Bass

Band photo and video teaser by Geoff Duke

Glenn Hughes will continue his tour of New Zealand and Australia after doctors said he was suffering from dehydration.

The former DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist was assessed by doctors in Christchurch Wednesday morning after being forced to cut short the first New Zealand show due to what witnesses called "some sort of a medical event".

But in a video message posted earlier today, Glenn said that he will carry on with the rest of the tour. "Last night was a bit of a hiccup," he said. "I had dehydration from not drinking enough water. Note to self: Mr. Hughes, drink water."

Hughes spent Tuesday night in a Christchurch hospital after leaving the stage at Horncastle Arena with fifteen minutes remaining in his set. He later wrote that he "felt dizzy" and "couldn't make the full show." He added that he "played for one hour and forty-five minutes when" he left the stage, assisted by his tech.

Glenn's tour continues Wednesday night at Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre.

Hughes and his backing band — Jeff Kollman, Lachy Doley and Pontus Engborg — are revisiting some of DEEP PURPLE's best-known songs for the first time on the current trek.

Hughes played his last show with DEEP PURPLE in March 1976, three years after joining the band.

Former W.A.S.P. and current METAL CHURCH drummer Stet Howland is reportedly undergoing tests at a hospital in Massachusetts after coming down with an as-yet-diagnosed illness.

According to Stet's METAL CHURCH bandates, the drummer hadn't been feeling well the last couple of weeks "but trooper that he is, he made it through the last few shows for our fans! It started after walking around the flood waters of Ft. Myers and eventually he had to visit Tobey Hospital and get checked out," they wrote in a September 12 Facebook post.

One week later, METAL CHURCH issued an update on Stet's condition, saying that "the best news is that physically, Stet is starting to feel a little better each day. He has moments of energy where he can hold a conversation and even stand and walk within the hospital room. He is getting an appetite back and eating almost two meals a day.

"Stet is still having severe 'episodes' a few times a day," they added. "These 'episodes' basically start with a fever and are followed by intense episodes of pain. The pain is literally incapacitating and it strikes his entire body. As the episode comes down, the pain localizes to one particular place in his body, sometimes an arm, sometimes a hip and eventually it levels off to a manageable level of pain.

"Stet was given a platelet transfusion on [September] 19th and his body has accepted them well and there is no internal bleeding. There is some fluid on his lungs that is not currently affecting his breathing.

"He has been moved to a bigger hospital that has a blood bank on site in case he develops a bleed and needs to be addressed quickly. Infectious Disease, Hematology and Oncology departments are working together. There have been literally hundreds of blood tests ordered. He has had more CT scans and ultrasound and they completed a bone marrow biopsy.

"Stet is still in a holding pattern and fighting off new symptoms as they strike.

"The family are waiting patiently for a diagnosis and looking forward to Stet being stabilized so they can go home."

Stet was named METAL CHURCH's permanent new drummer in July. He stated at the time that he was "honored to be a member of such a group of people" and vowed to do his "best to deliver strong performances both live and in the studio."

Photo credit: Markus Wiedenmann Photography

After a great summer of playing festivals such as PouzzaFest, FuseFest and Beau's OktoberFest, Ottawa, ON's loud, wild and heavy anthemic rock n'rollers Hellbros have a new music video especially for those ‘80s video game lovers... Duck Hunt, Space Invaders anyone..? The video is for their new fist pumping stage diving single "Feed It" that is slated to be on Hellbros' upcoming album Take The Animal that they will be hitting the studio in November to record and plan to release in 2018. 

Take The Animal will be the follow up to their 2016 self-titled album debut on French label Bad Reputation, which was a compilation of their two previous self-releases, 2011's full length album Good Time Machine and their 2015 EP Calling All Giants. 

Frontman Peter Jurt comments on the video:

"It's homage to our love of the ‘80s; a bump of sunset strip sleaze with a sprinkle of thrash metal."

The track is also available for FREE download or Pay What Ya Want via their Bandcamp page.

The UK metalcore powerhouse Silent Screams has signed a worldwide deal with Long Branch Records.
 
Formed in 2007 by Tom Craig, Sam Varney, Ozzi Osman, Adam Mallabone and James Ryan, the band quickly started working on their first EP. In 2008 with the help of Producer Matt Hyde (As I Lay Dying, Gallows, Funeral For A Friend) Silent Screams self-released Ghosts. The band signed with Ghost Music and in 2011 released their first full length, When It Rains, which was recorded and produced by Joey Sturgis (Asking Alexandria, The Devil Wears Prada, Miss May I). They shot a video for the title track and started gaining attention worldwide.
 
Silent Screams has since been through a lineup change replacing lead vocalist James Ryan with Joel Heywood in 2012. The band has since signed with Artery Recordings and in 2014 released their second full length Hope For Now. The sophomore album has done very well and had very impressive chart positions.
 
Following the touring cycle for Hope For Now, Tom decided to leave the band for personal reasons. The Band recruited Mikey Scrivens a longtime friend of the band to be the new bass player/singer. Mikey joined the band on tours with The Browning and Asking Alexandria. The band recorded the single "LOVE//LESS" featuring Mikey on vocals. Following the 2017 European tour with Asking Alexandria, Mikey decided touring wasn't for him and he stepped aside.

 
The band had kept good relations with Tom and spoke to him about potentially working together on future projects. Tom decided to rejoin Silent Screams and they started working on the bands third studio album.
 
The band began writing and recording their third studio album in 2017. The first single "Low" from the new album will be released on Thursday, September 28th, just ahead of their European tour with In Hearts Wake & Gideon.
 
The new album is due in early 2018. More info will be announced shortly.

 

Ensiferum recently released their new album, Two Paths, via Metal Blade Records; for their efforts, the band has now entered the worldwide charts! See below for all positions:

--#14 Current Hard Music Albums (USA)
--#18 Top New Artist Albums (USA)
--#147 Current Digital Albums (USA)
--#160 Top Current Albums (USA)
--#195 Digital Albums (USA)
--#4 Finland
--#9 Germany
--#18 Switzerland
--#35 Austria
--#43 Independent Album Charts (UK)
--#9 Top Hard Albums (Canada)
--#45 Top 200 (Canada)

You can't talk about the true greats of folk-inspired melodic death metal without reverent mention of Ensiferum, and with Two Paths they once more affirm their place in the pantheons of the genre. Further building upon the thrilling metallic hybrid honed across six full-lengths, Two Paths is simultaneously the Finnish quintet's most epic and far-reaching collection and their most organic, which definitely sets it apart from the pack. Additionally, the album literally takes the concept of Two Paths to heart, with two different versions of standout tracks "Don't You Say" and "God Is Dead". "Even though Ensiferum has always had clean vocals and choirs, harsh vocals have been the main style, and those songs worked so well with both styles that we decided to include both versions," explains bassist/vocalist Sami Hinkka. With Mikko P. Mustonen again handling orchestral arrangements and Lassi Logren returning to play nyckelharpa and violin on a few songs, Hinkka is also more than happy that they brought "more bombastic orchestral and down to earth folk aspects" to the record, further fleshing out their vision. This also applies to the contribution of Gyula Havancsak, who provided the artwork for both Two Paths and its predecessor, One Man Army. "It was really nice to work with him again because he always wants to hear our ideas and then he adds his own magic and improvements to them, and the result is always astonishing."

Order the new album here.

Two Paths tracklisting:

“Ajattomasta Unesta”
“For Those About To Fight For Metal”
“Way Of The Warrior”
“Two Paths”
“King Of Storms”
“Feast With Valkyries”
“Don't You Say”
“I Will Never Kneel”
“God Is Dead”
“Hail To The Victor”
“Unettomaan Aikaan”
“God Is Dead” (Alternative Version)
“Don't You Say” (Alternative Version)

Album stream:

“Making of” video:

“Way Of The Warrior” video:

From September 26th onward, Ensiferum will present Two Paths live on stage, splitting their European tour into two parts. The first part will be in September with six dates in three countries, and then in April 2018 there will be an extended tour through many more European countries. In between that time, Ensiferum will visit all other continents. See below for all confirmed shows, with more to be announced soon.

Tour dates:

September
26 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
27 - Langen, Germany - Stadthalle
28 - Arnhem, Netherlands - Luxor Live
29 - Berlin, Germany - SO36
30 - Osnabruck, Germany - Hyde Park

October
1 - Paris, France - La Machine

Ensiferum lineup:

Petri Lindroos - Vocals/Guitar
Markus Toivonen - Guitar/Vocals
Sami Hinkka - Bass/Vocals
Janne Parviainen - Drums
Netta Skog - Digital Accordion/Backing vocals

Iris Divine are streaming the new song “Fractures”, featured on their upcoming album, The Static And The Noise, out on October 6th. Listen to the track below. Pre-order the album here.

Tracklisting:

“Catalyst”
“Taking Back The Fall”
“Echoes / Effigies”
“Fractures”
“The Static And The Noise”
“Like Glass”
“The Acolyte”
“We All Dissolve”

“Fractures”:

“Taking Back The Fall” video:

Iris Divine lineup:

Navid Rashid - vocals and guitar
Kris Combs - drums, keys/ programming
Brian Dobbs - bass

By 1977, Frank Zappa's Halloween shows were already the stuff of legends. While the shows began in the late '60s, around 1972, these monumental performances would become annual events, initially in Passaic, NJ and Chicago, IL before moving to New York City in 1974, where they'd remain.  NYC (and its audience) had become a special place for Zappa and the synchronization of Halloween in NYC proved to be the perfect match. From October 28-31, 1977, Zappa and his band played six historic shows at the 3,000 capacity Palladium. All the performances were recorded with four being filmed, resulting in Zappa's mammoth film project, "Baby Snakes."

Following the news that Frank Zappa will be going back on tour, the Zappa Family Trust and Universal are proud to announce that Zappa's legendary Halloween residency of 1977 will be released for the first time in its entirety on October 20th via Zappa Records/UMe just in time for the 40th Anniversary of these shows.

The Halloween 77 box set will include all six concerts with 158 tracks (mixed in 2016 from original vault masters) loaded onto a "Zappa's Oh Punky" fun size candy bar-shaped USB drive in 24-bit WAV audio. The package will also include a 28-page digital booklet featuring never-before-seen photos and liner notes from Vaultmeister Joe Travers, co-producer of the box alongside Ahmet Zappa, and personal firsthand accounts from many of Zappa's bandmates, crew and fans who were there, including guitarist Adrian Belew, percussionist Ed Mann, keyboard tech Thomas Nordegg, tour manager Phil Kaufman, and fan Janet "The Planet" Walley. In the spirit of Zappa's favorite season, the specially designed, limited run box will include a retro Halloween mask and costume of the maestro himself.

In addition to the box set, a 3CD version will also be available featuring the entire Halloween night show plus select tracks from the October 30th gig.  Fans looking for a specific show will be able to purchase the concert of their choice digitally on release day.

Pre-order links:

- Halloween 77 box set
- Halloween 77 3CD

"This box set was a very special experience for me to work on," said Ahmet Zappa. "I wanted to make sure we honored these legendary shows, so it was important to me that this box set felt of the era. It was a blast working with our partners to create the late '70s-inspired Frank Zappa Mask and costume and the candy-shaped USB stick filled with tons of Zappa goodness. It was yet again a labor of love gathering up all the archival materials, reading notes by people who were there, and most importantly making sure the audio was up to par. All of us at Zappa Records are mighty pleased with it, and hope that fans of Frank Zappa and of Halloween will be too."

Originally scheduled for four shows from October 28th - 31st, Zappa added two more shows due to intense popular demand, with the final total tallying six shows in four days. The full residency is presented as it happened with no overdubs or additional tinkering. The audio was remixed from scratch using fresh transfers from the master multi-track tapes, which all had to be heat treated for transfer by Travers.

The 1977 lineup of the band featured Terry Bozzio on drums, Tommy Mars and Peter Wolf on keyboards, Adrian Belew on guitar and vocals, Ed Mann on percussion and Patrick O'Hearn on bass; this band could really burn. Over the six shows, the ensemble averaged 25 songs per night with exciting improvisations and audience participation from "New York's Finest Crazy Persons" at every show, making each uniquely different. At these shows Zappa really got into the spirit with Halloween antics including bringing tech Thomas Nordegg on stage to perform some magic tricks and the band's tour manager, the "Road Mangler," Phil Kaufman, performing as the human trombone. Original Mothers' bassist Roy Estrada also joined the festivities.

The songs performed at this musical marathon spanned Zappa's then 11-year career with tracks from Hot Rats, Over-Nite Sensation, Bongo Fury, One Size Fits All, and his most recent album at the time, Zoot Allures. Many of the songs played were previously unreleased and would go on to be recorded for Zappa's acclaimed 1979 album, Sheik Yerbouti, including "Flakes," "Broken Hearts Are For Assholes," "Jones Crusher," "Bobby Brown Goes Down," "City Of Tiny Lites," "Tryin' To Grow A Chin," and "Wild Love." The October 30th show notably featured the world premiere of the Grammy-nominated Disco satire "Dancin' Fool," andthe one and only performance of Zappa's infamous "Jewish Princess." The basic tracks from this performance were used on Sheik Yerbouti's controversial studio version which ultimately attracted attention from the Anti-Defamation League who asked the FCC to ban the record from being played on the air.

Halloween 77 is not only rife with fan favorites but also includes many rare and unreleased performances and arrangements. This box set includes the first official release of the instrumental version of "Conehead."  These five versions are vastly different than the song that would be included on Zappa's 1981 record, You Are What You Is. The rarely played"Läther" was performed at all six shows and immediately followed by the equally rare, "Wild Love," which became a solo workout each night. This one-two punch was followed by the comedic song "Titties 'N Beer," ultimately released on Zappa In New York, made especially memorable each time for the caustic improv dialog Zappa spewed about a then ongoing legal battle with Warner Bros. Other highlights include six extended guitar workouts of "The Torture Never Stops" and the combustible Halloween night finale of "Black Napkins."

Continuing the Zappa Family Trust and UMe's Zappa on-going vinyl initiative, Zoot Allures will be reissued on 180-gram vinyl on October 20. Zoot Allures features two of Zappa's signature guitar pieces, "Black Napkins" & "Zoot Allures." The album became a fan favorite since its release in 1976. Originally conceived as a double-disc, Zappa re-edited it to a single record after pressure from his record company. This 180-gram reissue was mastered and cut directly from the analog tape master by Bernie Grundman in 2017

To celebrate the release of their debut album, Cenotaph (which drops on October 13th via Dark Star Records in Association with MVD Entertainment and The Orchard/Sony), Toronto-based symphonic metallists Operus will be celebrating the album’s release with a performance in their hometown.

On October 14th, the band will be hitting the stage of the Rivoli in Toronto, with two other reputable bands - Crimson Shadows (Napalm Records recording artists, and winners of Wacken Metal Battle 2013) and Profaner (runners up at Wacken Metal Battle 2016). Find a Facebook event page here.

Prior to the album’s release and aforementioned performance, Operus - which is comprised of David Michael Moote (vocals), Rob Holden (guitar), Oscar Rangel (guitar, backing vocals), Robin Howe (cello, backing vocals), Wojciech Sokolowski (bass, backing vocals) and J.J. Tartaglia (drums) - have released a lyric video for the standout track, “The Return”, which can be viewed below.

“The song talks about that powerful feeling we get when we travel back to our old ‘life’,” explains Rangel. “This being our childhood house, neighbourhood, city, country or even our childhood friends, only to realize that we are now strangers to our own upbringing. In my case and the bassist (we came up with the concept, he’s from Poland and I’m from Mexico, we both have lived in Canada for a long time now) this song talks about that feeling we got when moved to Canada (different world) and have to struggle to adapt to our new lives in a different society, in new city, etc., and how the feeling of being out of place doesn’t change by going back home to where we were born and raised. Lastly, this song talks about taking control over your own life and feelings and making ‘home’ wherever you are, writing our own history. For our bodies is where we truly live, and not a specific geography on Earth. We used a lot of epic language for we wanted to give the illusion that we are talking about a character coming back home after a war, but all this can be interpreted in more ways than one.”

The sound of Operus is a cross breed of a metal band, a travelling theatre troupe that come together to produce a unique sound and thrilling live show, and the album can be pre-ordered via these links:

- Amazon
- iTunes
- Google Play

"Cenotaph is a commemoration of writers and poets who never gained the recognition and or lived to see the impact of their work," explains the band. "The concept and inspiration for the title of the album is taken from a statue in Budapest located opposite of Vajdahunyad Castle, Anonymous, the unknown chronicler at the court of King Béla III. The lyrical concepts are not that of any one specific idea but rather a mosaic of different stories and legends which are meant to paint images in the minds of the listener, much like the tales laid by the quills of writers long ago."

Cenotaph tracklisting:

“Silver Spell”
“Steel Against Steel”
“Colosseum”
“Sands Of Time”
“Fate's Pantomime”
“Wretched Play”
“Cenotaph”
“Maya & The Wolf”
“La Catedral”
“The Return”

Operus is:

David Michael Moote (Vocals)
Rob Holden (Guitar)
Oscar Rangel (Guitar/Backing vocals)
Robin Howe (Cello/backing vocals)
Wojciech Sokolowski (Bass/Backing vocals)
JJ Tartaglia (Drums)

An unboxing video for the deluxe box set edition of Lord Of The Lost’s upcoming Swan Songs II album, out on October 6th, is available for streaming below.

With their Swan Songs-series, Lord Of The Lost showcase their ability to create fascinatingly heavy classical music. This is the second time the Hamburg-based dark rockers have conjured their music with an ensemble album in such grandiose style. Their upcoming masterpiece, Swan Songs II, will be released October 6th via Napalm Records and will feature some of the finest dark rock-sinfonia coated by dramatic arrangements with a chamber orchestra.

"You could say Swan Songs is some kind of a side-project for us, but Swan Songs II is predominated with 10 brand new songs so we would like to emphasize its independence as a main album," vocalist Chris Harms explains. "After our show at Gothic Meets Classic and when we started to re-arrange our songs with a symphonic orchestra in 2014 for the first Swan Songs release back in early 2015, this album turned out as a huge success. Sold out shows, many emotions and tears behind, on and in front of the stage, it's been a very touching record for us and our fans, so that kept motivating us as well as in our creative freedom to release the next chapter of new songs you won't hear as normal rock versions, and what should become Swan Songs II."

Swan Songs II tracklisting:

“Waiting For You To Die”
“Lighthouse”
“The Broken Ones”
“My Better Me”
“Ribcages”
“Wander In Sable”
“The Devil You Know”
“We Were Divine”
“From The Brink Of The Other World”
“Fall Asleep”

“Lighthouse” video:

“Waiting For You To Die” lyric video:

Teaser:

A true opus featuring ten brand-new songs, which showcase tender strings and charming piano play with a heaviness one has come to expect from the band. Once more Lord Of The Lost manage to deliver their songs with a new beauty and gloss, and prove that they cannot be reduced to their brute site only. Swan Songs II is a touching creation with top arrangements.

Swan Songs II will be available as CD Digi Pack, LP Gatefold or Digital Download. Pre-order here.

In support of their upcoming release, Lord Of The Lost will heavily hit the road this year. Find the band’s live itinerary at this location.

International metal opera project, Pagliacci, have released a new music video. The song is called “A Place To Hide” and features former Therion vocalist Snowy Shaw, who has also been involved with bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Sabaton, King Diamond, Memento Mori and others.

Snowy has recorded six song for Pagliacci’s upcoming album, The Village Of Madmen, in which he plays the role of “a malevolent storyteller – the one who tells the story of each of our lives”. Or as he puts it himself in one of the songs: “I am the voice inside your head, I am all the voices in everybody’s head.”

The video was shot on two locations - Pirin Mountain in Bularia and Gothenburg, Sweden - and features 2D and 3D animation. It was directed by Anna Damaskova.

Pagliacci was founded by Zhivko Koev (Vivaldi Metal Project, ex-Allegorist) and features guest musicians from all over the world. Their debut EP, Yours Sincerely, Sister Josephine, was released in June 2017.

AEROSMITH has been forced to cancel a handful of South American tour dates while Steven Tyler recovers from "unexpected medical issues." A tweet from the 69-year-old singer's account said he was "seeking immediate care and has been advised by his doctors that he cannot travel or perform at this time."

"Steven is expected to make a full recovery," the band said in a statement. "With proper rest and treatment he will be back on his feet soon, rocking the world."

Tyler released a personal message to fans in those countries that were affected by the cancelations. "To everybody in South America — Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Mexico — I'm very sorry and feel like I've let you down," he wrote. "I won't be able to continue the last four shows of this tour. I flew back to the U.S. on doctor's orders last night after the show in São Paulo.

"Please not to worry," he continued, "I am not in a life-threatening condition, but I need to deal with this right away and get some rest and medical care immediately in order to sustain and maintain my future performances. I promise I'll be back. Unfortunately, health does not wait and it's something even I can't schedule around our shows. As they say, 'We humans make plans, and God laughs.' I love you all and will be back with you soon."

AEROSMITH launched its "Aero-Vederci Baby!" tour in May with the band's first show in Israel in more than twenty years.

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry recently told the Associated Press that the band will continue playing until at least its upcoming fiftieth anniversary, which the band will celebrate in 2020. "I thing that we're gonna keep going," the guitarist said. "The way it looks to me is the band is gonna stay pretty active over the next few years 'cause our fiftieth anniversary is coming up in two years, of when the band got together, and we'd like to see that happen."

Added Tyler: "I don't know if it'll continue forever, but as long as the band is playing the way it is right now, it's gonna be for a long time."

pic.twitter.com/xV3pnpAXWR

— Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT) September 26, 2017

According to Stuff.co.nz, Glenn Hughes was forced to cut his concert in Christchurch, New Zealand short, apparently due to some sort of medical emergency.

The former DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist was performing at the city's Horncastle Arena on Tuesday night (September 26) and got through about three-quarters of the show when he "appeared to have some sort of medical event on stage," according to a Facebook post from concert attendee Nick King.

Fellow concert-goer Graeme Pillidge told told NewstalkZB that Hughes had complained about having a cold throughout the performance and could no longer stand up.

Another fan took to Twitter to thank Hughes for visiting Christchurch.

"We hope you're feeling better soon!" Brent Doncliff wrote. "Come back to see us again."

Hughes's tour publicist, Sandra Roberts, said she had spoken to promoter Simone Williams of promoters Liberty Stage who described the legendary 65-year-old rocker as "comfortable and resting" and receiving treatment.

A decision will be made tomorrow regarding the remaining dates of Hughes's tour. He is scheduled to play in Wellington on Wednesday night and then conclude his New Zealand visit in Auckland.

Hughes and his backing band — Jeff Kollman, Lachy Doley and Pontus Engborg — are in the middle of a tour of Australian and New Zealand, where they are revisiting some of DEEP PURPLE's best-known songs for the first time.

Hughes played his last show with DEEP PURPLE in March 1976, three years after joining the band.




So the Glenn Hughes gig was cut short (about 3/4 through) as Glenn appeared to have some sort of medical event on stage during Getting Tighter. Hope he's okay.

Posted by Nick King on Tuesday, September 26, 2017

@glenn_hughes Thanks for coming to see us at Christchurch. We hope you're feeling better soon! Come back to see us again.

— Brent Doncliff (@BrentDoncliff) September 26, 2017

Canadian thrashers ANNIHILATOR will release their sixteenth studio album, "For The Demented", on November 3 via Neverland Music/Silver Lining Music. The follow-up to 2015's "Suicide Society" will be available in a limited-edition digipack with lenticular cover, a jewel-case CD, a twelve-inch, 180-gram colored vinyl in gatefold and digital download.

Pre-orders are now live at this location. Also available is a brand new trailer for the disc (see below). "It was time to analyze what a lot of fans over the years have kept telling me," says ANNIHILATOR guitarist and main songwriter Jeff Waters. "It was time to sit down and figure out 'why' ANNIHILATOR's early 'thrash-meets-melodic' caught the ears of so many and to try to sweep the 'fan' part of my writing/playing/singing out the door and welcome back the mostly original Waters writing that was to be the first four ANNIHILATOR albums." Waters didn't venture back alone while looking back through ANNIHILATOR's history. "I was well aware that trying to re-capture the past usually fails, or at least won't come close," he says. "So, I decided to bring in fresh ears, both musically and physically with Rich Hinks, my bassist for the last few years. And doing most all of the records by myself, including writing and playing most all on my own, as well as mixing, mastering, engineering, etc… well, it can become routine and can often hinder you from being objective and more creative. "Rich came in and co-wrote the music with me, as well as co-produced the beginning stages of the record. His background of classic thrash metal meets a newer 'math' metal style was the perfect combination for me to simply ask, 'What do you think of this?' He would most-often reply with 'not the ANNIHILATOR style I like,' so we would keep going until we both felt that core ANNIHILATOR riffing and writing style presented itself."

Jeff continues: "Bottom line, 'For The Demented' captures some feel from ANNIHILATOR's 1985-87 demos mixed with the first four ANNIHILATOR records. Back to the thrash-meets-melody but with some pure Waters guitar riffing, upgraded lead guitar shredding and vocals back to the demo days meets the 'King of The Kill' record. Lyrically, I placed a theme on the record: the human mind and all of its glory, complexity, diversity, weaknesses and insanity! Pretty much the craziness of the music is matched by the lyrics. "I think metal fans are going to hear much of what they have been waiting for from ANNIHILATOR," adds Waters. "For The Demented" track listing:

01. Twisted Lobotomy02. One To Kill03. For The Demented04. Pieces of You05. The Demon You Know06. Phantom Asylum 07. Altering The Alter08. The Way09. Dark10. Not All There

The official video for "Twisted Lobotomy" can be seen below.

Since 1989, ANNIHILATOR have not stopped putting out records and touring the world. Despite the ever-changing climate of the metal world (and releasing a series of "different" metal records with various lineups along the way), Waters and company have consistently delivered strong albums since the band's debut, "Alice In Hell". Then there was 1990's best-selling "Never, Neverland", 1995's "King Of The Kill", "Schizo Deluxe" in 2005 and many other critically acclaimed releases up until "Suicide Society". The "under-the-radar" influence of this band, and Waters, has been felt throughout the entire realm of the metal world by a ton of well-known musicians and bands; that influence even stretching into the hard rock and instrumentalist genre. Waters, in his usual humble manner, offers this in response: "ANNIHILATOR's music has been influenced by a good hundred of my favorite bands and musicians; you can hear their contributions to what I have been doing all throughout ANNIHILATOR's catalog. It's a bonus and an honor when bands and musicians I love mention that I had something to do with their playing or songs!" ANNIHILATOR is:

Jeff Waters (vocals, guitar)Fabio Alessandrini (drums)Rich Hinks (bass)Aaron Homma (guitar)

Photo credit: Jasmina Vrcko

Memphis-based hard rockers, Every Mother's Nightmare, welcomes back co-founder and original drummer, Jim Phipps. Jim played on the 1989 debut release and 1993's Wake Up Screaming released by Arista Records.

Jim toured with the band for several years before leaving the group in 1995. In 2003, Jim returned to do a 30-day tour and in 2008, when the band played at the Rocklahoma Festival. After the festival, Jim decided to pursue other opportunities, touring with the Jasmine Cain Band before returning home to Nashville, TN where he then auditioned for producer Michael Knox's project, Bush Hawg. Jim toured with Bush Hawg throughout the US, Japan, Canada, and Mexico as well as with other Nashville artists over the years.

Rick Ruhl and Jim met up while at the Nashville Rock N’ Pod Expo in August and over the course of the month started a discussion around the possibility of Jim returning to play with Every Mother's Nightmare.

“I’ve known Jim half my life, we started this thing way back and achieved something that we are very proud of. The chemistry is undeniable and when we write together it’s explosive. Everything about it felt right. From the conversation to meeting with the band to talking with our label and management to the final call to Jim. This band right now is a force to be reckoned with,” explains Ruhl.

“Rick and I have always been friends, something like 30+ years and we’ve always kept in touch. I've always been interested in what EMN is doing. They say timing is everything in this business. That time is now for Every Mother’s Nightmare,” says Phipps.

Now two original members strong and undeniable chemistry, the band is stronger than ever. Every Mother's Nightmare is ready to move forward and write the next chapter. With the highly anticipated release Grind due out October 6th on HighVolMusic, EMN is already writing and starting preproduction for their next record. There is no denying that it will be straight up rock n' roll EMN style.

“EMN would also like to take this opportunity to thank Lonnie Hammer for his time and dedication while in the band. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”

Grind will be distributed via MRi/Sony in North America and Cargo Records throughout Europe. The album features a total of 11 tracks and three videos. The enhanced CD contains the five tracks from the self-released EP, plus three brand new studio tracks, three new live tracks recorded from the band's performance at Minglewood Hall in Memphis, TN on August 21st, 2016 and the new video for “Push” along with the videos “Blown Away” and “Loco Crazy”.

Studio tracks on Grind were produced by Justin Rimer at Cross Trax Studios. Live tracks were produced by David Cowell at Cleaved Owl Productions with mastering by Brad Blackwood at Euphonic Masters. The project also features appearances by Jim Dandy (The Jim Dandy) guest vocals on “Stand Up”, Wayne Swinny (Saliva) guitar on “Snake”, and Zach Myers (Shinedown) guitar on “Crazy”.

Tracklisting:

“Loco Crazy”
“Snake”
“Upper Hand”
“Blown Away”
“Sacred Circle”
“Days Are Through”
“Stand Up”
“Swing”
“Closet” (Live)
“Walls” (Live)
“Push” (Live)
“Push” (Video)
“Blown Away” (Video)
“Loco Crazy” (Video)

"Swing Again":

Album teaser:

“Loco Crazy” video:

(Photo - Dreadheadkev’s Photography)

Uriah Heep announces the release of a 2CD/1DVD package of their 30th Anniversary show in 1989, which has only been available on VHS previously. This remastered release is now available digitally and as a 2CD/1DVD set in all new packaging.

This concert is likely to be the only gap in many committed fans’ collections and gives their core fanbase the opportunity to complete the entire Heep discography. This release is the culmination of a long process to make sure all of the Uriah Heep back catalogue is available in modern day formats and digitally.

The set also includes a bonus audio interview, recorded on the same day as the concert, which was previously only available on picture disc LP and CD for a very limited amount of time.

Of this release, Mick Box said, “This is a great meeting of two products, which were always closely linked together, and are now merged into one definitive set. This is the second release on Uriah Heep Records and a great reminder of our 30th Anniversary celebrations!”

The band has also heard fans’ voices and released the first vinyl title on its own label, a picture disc LP called Selections From Totally Driven, which features the stunning artwork of Igor Morski.

The LP draws on tracks from the band’s own label’s first release, Totally Driven, which was a 2 CD collection of re-records of their greatest hits and continues to be available.

Both of these projects are available on Amazon, iTunes and by all good retailers on the band’s own Uriah Heep Records, via Cherry Red.

"Night Work", a brand new video from gore metal maniacs EXHUMED, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Death Revenge", which will be released on October 13 via Relapse. EXHUMED frontman Matt Harvey comments: "We are extremely stoked to present this cinematic clip that brings you deep into the world of the 'Death Revenge' storyline. Director Jeff Sisson really outdid himself capturing the vibe and violence of the record and the concept. This is the first video we've done that really fulfills the horror-movie vision we've always wanted to capture with our music. Spoiler alert: It's a tale of grave robbery, murder and madness. So sit back, turn off the lights, lock your doors, and get ready to undertake some 'Night Work' with us."

EXHUMED's sixth full-length sees them tread into ambitious new territory with their first concept album: a musical melodrama in thirteen parts based on shocking true events. "Death Revenge" takes place in the late 1820s in Edinburgh, Scotland and tells the macabre tale of a series of brutal murders where the victims' cadavers were sold to anatomists, amid a grisly underground trade of grave robbery. Recorded with producer Jarrett Pritchard (GOATWHORE, ETERNAL, GRUESOME), the disc takes the band's signature gore-drenched, death metal mayhem to theatrical and ghastly new depths. Cover illustration is by Orion Landau, with interior illustrations by Lucas Ruggieri. EXHUMED recently announced a short run of live dates in November with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, SUFFOCATION, DECREPIT BIRTH and more as well as a performance at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest on November 5 in San Bernardino, California. EXHUMED is:

Michael "Bud" Burke - Guitar, VocalsMichael Hamilton - DrumsMatthew Harvey - Guitar, VocalsRoss Sewage - Bass, Vocals

Helsinki hellraisers SANTA CRUZ — whose brash, Sunset Strip-inspired hard rock was recently praised by Rolling Stone as "debaucherous and flamboyant" — have released a music video for their anthemic new song "Young Blood Rising". The track appears on the group's forthcoming M-Theory Audio debut, "Bad Blood Rising", which will be available digitally on October 6 and physically on CD and LP on November 10.

Says guitarist Johnny Cruz: "It's a live video that shows lots of headbanging, shredding and attitude, so you definitely get the point of what it looks like when you come to our live show." "Young Blood Rising" is the second single issued in advance of the release of "Bad Blood Rising", following the infectious initial preview track "River Phoenix". According to Johnny, the album is — to quote one of its other songtitles — pure fucking adrenaline, but it also adds a few new colors to the group's musical palette. "We didn't intentionally try to come up with something totally different than before, but I guess some of the new influences we've picked up along the way can be heard on these songs," he says. "At the end of the day, the apple didn't fall all that far from the tree.

"People can still expect the SANTA CRUZ sound — the fast guitars and heavy drums are still there, just served with a different sauce.

"All in all, we see 'Bad Blood Rising' as a 'comeback album'. A start of a new era. It's like what Archie is singing in 'River Phoenix': 'We're going down like River Phoenix, to rise up from the ashes once again.'" SANTA CRUZ's eponymous second album debuted at No. 3 on the Finnish chart upon its release in 2015 and featured "We Are The Ones To Fall", the most aired song of the year on the Finnish station Radio Rock. The band also appeared in a Mercedes-Benz commercial and on the AXS TV show "Breaking Bands".

SANTA CRUZ has toured extensively around the world, including three jaunts to America, where they performed with AMARANTHE, I PREVAIL and Sebastian Bach, as well as before thousands at the Rock On The Range festival in 2015.

The band has a European tour set for November/December, with plans to return to the U.S. in the New Year.

Los Angeles progressive rock group PERFECT BEINGS has signed with InsideOut Music for the release of its new album, due in January 2018. The band's current lineup includes Ryan Hurtgen (vocals, piano), Johannes Luley (guitar, bass, production) and Jesse Nason (keyboards) alongside new drummer Sean Reinert (pictured; ex-CYNIC, DEATH). PERFECT BEINGS commented: "We are very excited to announce we have joined forces with renowned prog label InsideOut. We are also so proud to announce that we have a new drummer. And not just any drummer, mind you. Joining the band is modern progressive drumming phenom Sean Reinert, whose innovation has been heard with DEATH, GORDIAN KNOT and as a founding member of CYNIC!" PERFECT BEINGS has also announced that it will oerform at RoSfest 2018 on Saturday, May 5 at 2 p,m. RoSfest takes place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and will run May 4-6, 2018. "Get yourself to RoSfest in May 2018, as we will be performing material from all three of our albums!" the band states.

In November of 2012, Luley approached Hurtgen about collaborating on a progressive rock project. It was Luley's intention to create an album that honored the style and live musicality in traditional prog-rock mediums. Hurtgen, a fresh songwriter transplant to California via Nashville, agreed and began writing sketches for a concept album based on author Suhail Rafidi's novel, "TJ & Tosc". Over the course of 2012 and 2013, Luley and Hurtgen composed and orchestrated the PERFECT BEINGS project.

With the help of drummer Dicki Fliszar, keyboardist Jesse Nason and bassist Chris Tristram, the five players began rehearsing the songs to record a live record in the same fashion as the progressive rock acts of the golden era. In April 2013, the band recorded "Perfect Beings" in a span of three weeks at My Sonic Temple studio in Los Angeles. In late 2015, the band's sophomore album was released to high critical acclaim. PERFECT BEINGS 2017 is:

Ryan Hurtgen - vocals, pianoJohannes Luley - guitars, bassJesse Nason - keyboardsSean Reinert - drums, percussion

Swedish epic heavy doom metal warlords SORCERER will release their new album, "The Crowning Of The Fire King", on October 20 via Metal Blade Records.

The official lyric video for the disc's second single, "Ship Of Doom", can be viewed below.

SORCERER comments: "We have aimed to write an album with diversity and intensity, an album that we want to listen to ourselves.

"'The Crowning Of The Fire King' is by far our best recording ever with songs that are strong, powerful and doomy. We have captured what SORCERER is about and taken the songs to the next level for the band.

"With the first single, 'Sirens', we really want to show everyone that SORCERER is a force to count on!

"The video was made by our dear friend Daniel Nyqvist who did the videos for 'The Dark Tower Of The Sorcerer' and 'Prayers For A King'. We all feel that he succeeded to capture the essence of SORCERER with his videos and are proud of what he has done for the band."

"The Crowning Of The Fire King" track listing:

01. Sirens02. Ship Of Doom03. Abandoned By The Gods04. The Devils Incubus05. Nattvaka06. Crimson Cross07. The Crowning Of The Fire King08. Unbearable Sorrow

SORCERER emerged out of Sweden in the late 80s and was one of the very early bands to champion what is now known as "epic doom metal." Besides genre pioneers CANDLEMASS, groups like SOLITUDE AETURNUS, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT and SORCERER were among the few groups around representing this style of metal.

During its existence, SORCERER produced two self-financed cassette releases, both of which quickly became underground cult classics regularly hailed by metalheads as some of the finest of the era. After a few personnel changes, the group disintegrated in 1992 and since then some of the bandmembers went on to find some success with other groups. Bassist Johnny Hagel achieved greater success in TIAMAT and later SUNDOWN. Vocalist Anders Engberg has also made a name for himself with several other bands he has fronted, such as LION'S SHARE, TWILIGHT and SECTION A.

In the fall of 2010, members of SORCERER were coaxed into reforming to play a one-off gig at the Hammer Of Doom festival in Germany and, a year later, the Up The Hammers festival in Athens, Greece. Both shows were received extremely well and the thoughts of putting together a new album started to take form.

In March 2015, SORCERER released the critically acclaimed "In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross". SORCERER played several festivals in support of the album — Sabaton Open Air and Rock Hard Festival, among others, with the latter especially being a huge success for the band, selling out their entire merch supply even before finishing their set.

2015 also saw the release of the EP "Black", which consisted of three songs left over from the "In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross" sessions, as well as an acoustic version of the track "Prayers For A King".

In the end of 2015, the band started to write material for a follow-up album to "In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross". Progress went pretty fast and ten new tracks emerged out of the royal epic doom chest. The songwriting carried on throughout 2016, and in early 2017, they went into the studio to record.

During the recording, the band and drummer Robert Iversen parted ways because of musical differences, and Lars Sköld (TIAMAT, AVATARIUM) filled the role as session drummer on the album.

In the early summer of 2017, the album was ready to be mixed by the very talented Ronnie Björnström (AEON, CUT UP, 220 VOLT), who also turned the knobs on their last album. The mastering this time was expertly handled by Mr. Thomas "Plec" Johansson (SOILWORK, WATAIN).

SORCERER is:

Anders Engberg - vocalsKristian Niemann - guitarsPeter Hallgren - guitarsJohnny Hagel - bassRichard Evensand - drums

"Novacaine", the new video from 10 YEARS, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming studio album, "(How To Live) As Ghosts", which will be released on October 27 via Mascot. The band's eighth studio LP was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (ALICE IN CHAINS, FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, KORN, MASTODON) and marks the return of bandmembers Brian Vodinh (guitar, drums) and Matt Wantland (guitar).

Sometimes when band members reunite, it's as if no time has passed and nothing has changed. That couldn't be further from the truth for 10 YEARS. When Vodinh and Wantland returned to the Knoxville, Tennessee alt-metal/post-grunge band for their eighth album and Mascot debut, they burst through their comfort zones to create something new. Something better. Something career-defining. Singer Jesse Hasek reflects: "It's funny. I named our last record 'From Birth To Burial' (2015) because I thought it was our final record. It just didn't feel like 10 YEARS without Brian and Matt, and having them back is really a reunion of the core writing team. This new record actually feels like a real rebirth for the band."

While Vodinh handled drums and guitar on the new album, he's switching to just guitar for the live shows, moving Chad Huff from guitar to bass, while Kyle Mayer stays on drums. "We're bringing it back the way they should be," says Vodinh, who left the band due to family commitments in 2013. "It feels great to be back with these guys and we're in such a better place musically and creatively than ever before."

Talking about the first single "Novacaine", Hasek offers: "Six albums and a hundred songs in, I wondered if I've already written my best stuff. But at some point, you start to get real adult problems. Life has such a numbing to it. You see people go from such optimism in their 20s to having life just beat them down later. I think we all kind of get desensitized and numb to life on some level. That's what this song is about." That better place stems, in part, from a more collaborative writing process. "It used to be that just Jesse and I would write the full song, and the other guys would add a little spice to it. This time, we're starting the writing process as a full band. Sometimes it starts with a riff. Sometimes it starts with a vocal. Our formula is no formula, and it kind of works. And, we work together in a more constructive and healthier environment now," explains Vodinh. The sixth collaborator was Raskulinecz. "Nick made us step outside our comfort zone," explains Hasek. "It made for a different-sounding record. The one thing we never wanted to do is recreate the same thing over and over. We have always been musicians that love to explore and venture into new horizons." The result is 10 YEARS' most dynamic and multi-dimensional record to date. Raskulinecz encouraged the band to strip away some of the vocal production they've grown accustomed to in order to reveal a more intimate side of Hasek. "Historically, we like to orchestrate a lot of vocal parts. We'll have harmonies and layers. This time around, Nick had us strip a lot of that away. There are a lot of moments where the only vocal is just Jesse, and not this big freaking epic thing. It makes Jesse more human. And I think the more human Jesse comes across, the more relatable his lyrics are," says Vodinh. Raskulinecz also helped Hasek be more straightforward in his lyrics and message. Hasek offers: "In the past, I've written a lot of songs that were pretty ambiguous. But on this record, I'm more comfortable being direct and talking about things that are important to me. I'm older and find myself reflecting on the world more especially after having travelled the world and talk to people and really see what's going on." The title track, "(How To Live) As Ghosts", is one such song. "After traveling the world and seeing all the political, social, and religious turmoil, it had me thinking about how many people are judging and preparing for death, but are actually missing life. And, instead of using spirituality for good, a lot of people use it to point fingers and judge. Instead of worrying where we end up in the end, we need to focus on the now and the humanity." "Burnout" is another observation on mankind. "It's about a person that's right there in the limelight, has every opportunity to see the greatest things in life that are right in front of them, but they are too inside themselves to see it," says Hasek. "Blood Red Sky" was originally from a solo EP Vodinh had recorded. "The song grabbed my ear the first time I heard it because it had such a different vibe," says Hasek, "but I had a different vocal idea for it so we changed it up. It's about the struggle of maintaining everyday life and how fast your existence just flashes before your eyes. But, it also says that we are surviving and will make it through — that we will always fight through." "(How To Live) As Ghosts" might be the band's eighth album but, to them, it feels like a new start. "There was a heavier, darker tone to our last record because we weren't in a good place," adds the singer. "'Ghosts' has a brighter side to it because we're all in a really happy, optimistic, and excited place about music and life. We're ready to see how the world embraces it."

"(How To Live) As Ghosts" track listing:

01. The Messenger02. Novacaine03. Burnout04. Catacombs05. Ghosts06. Blood Red Sky07. Phantoms08. Vampires09. Halos10. Lucky You11. Insomnia

"Bluebirds Over The Mountain", a brand new song from Robert Plant, can be streamed below. The track, which features a guest appearance by PRETENDERS singer Chrissie Hynde, is taken from the LED ZEPPELIN frontman's eleventh solo album, "Carry Fire", which will be released on October 13 via Nonesuch/Warner.

The follow-up to 2014's "Lullaby And… The Ceaseless Roar" was produced by Plant in the west of England and Wales, at Top Cat studio in Box, Wiltshire with additional recordings at Real World and Rockfield studios. As with "Lullaby", Plant is accompanied by his backing band THE SENSATIONAL SHAPE SHIFTERS: John Baggott on keyboards, moog, loops, percussion, drums, brass arrangement, t'bal, snare drum, slide guitar, piano, electric piano, bendir; Justin Adams on guitar, acoustic guitar, oud, E-bow quartet, percussion, snare drum, tambourine; Dave Smith on bendir, tambourine, djembe, drum kit; and Liam "Skin" Tyson on dobro, guitar, acoustic guitar, pedal steel, twelve-string.

Plant and the SPACE SHIFTERS are also joined on "Carry Fire" by a number of special guests. Hynde joins Plant on the duet "Bluebirds Over The Mountain" (written by rockabilly legend Ersel Hickey and later recorded by both Richie Valens and THE BEACH BOYS). Albanian cellist Redi Hasa performs on three tracks, as does the celebrated Seth Lakeman on viola and fiddle.

Plant, who lived in Texas for a time before returning to his native England three years ago, together with his friends, present the songs on "Carry Fire", melding unusual rhythms with naturalism and smoldering power.

He says: "It's about intention. I respect and relish my past works, but each time I feel the incentive to create new work, I must mix old with new. Consequently, the whole impetus of the band has moved on its axis somewhat — the new sound and different space giving way to exciting and dramatic landscapes of mood, melody and instrumentation."

"Carry Fire" track listing:

01. The May Queen02. New World…03. Season's Song04. Dance With You Tonight05. Carving Up The World Again06. A Way With Words07. Carry Fire08. Bones Of Saints09. Keep It Hid10. Bluebirds Over The Mountain11. Heaven Sent

Industrial metal veterans MINISTRY have signed a worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band recently completed recording its new album, "AmeriKKKant", for a tentative early 2018 release. The disc will feature guest appearances by DJ Swamp (Beck), Burton C. Bell (FEAR FACTORY), Arabian Prince (N.W.A.) and Lord Of The Cello.

"This album, 'AmeriKKKant', will provide FEMA-type relief for the devastation 'Hurricane Cheeto' has brought upon us," stated MINISTRY mastermind Al Jourgensen.

MINISTRY played a new song called "Antifa" during the band's September 15 appearance at this year's edition of the Riot Fest at Douglas Park in Chicago, Illinois. Video footage of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of In The Loop magazine).

In 2016, Jourgensen announced plans to record a new MINISTRY studio album to follow 2013's "From Beer To Eternity", despite previously saying there would be no further MINISTRY records after the death of longtime guitarist Mike Scaccia in 2012.

MINISTRY will his the road this fall with DEATH GRIPS.

Jourgensen's side project SURGICAL METH MACHINE released its self-titled debut album in April 2016 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was recorded primarily at Jourgensen's home studio in Burbank, California with his longtime engineer Sam D'Ambruoso.

Frontiers Music Srl will release PINK CREAM 69's new album, "Headstrong", on November 10.

Another track from the disc, "Path Of Destiny", can be streamed below.

"Headstrong" marks the thirtieth anniversary of the German/British hard rockers PINK CREAM 69. And what better way to celebrate than by adding yet another gem to their already spectacular discography. Produced by bassist (and renowned producer) Dennis Ward, "Headstrong" sees the same line-up from 2013's well-received "Ceremonial" album return to deliver fans another hard-rocking set of quality songs and is their twelfth studio album overall. As a special treat, the new release includes a bonus live album featuring songs from across the band's catalogue. Ward says: "When we released our first album in 1989, we were proud to be a 'guitar band' that yielded powerful guitar riffs and soaring vocal melodies.

"Since the release of 'Ceremonial', it became evident to us that we had to take a step back to be able to make two steps forward, so we made a 'master plan': to resurrect our earliest form of songwriting incorporating these riffs and melodies, reducing the amount of keyboards and keeping the production to a minimum of sonic layers in order to be as true as possible to our sound — the sound of fat and crunchy guitars.

"I feel that the new 'Headstrong' album is a high-energy recording that redeems us as the powerful rock 'n' roll band we used to be.

"After weeks of cross checking the production, listening to the CD in my car, I take great pride in saying 'mission accomplished.' We look so very forward to presenting our new 'baby.'" PINK CREAM 69 was founded in 1987 by singer Andi Deris, guitarist Alfred Koffler, drummer Kosta Zafiriou, who were later joined by bassist Dennis Ward. Deris left the band in 1994 and after auditioning various singers was replaced by Englishman David Readman. "Headstrong" track listing: 01. We Bow To None02. Walls Come Down03. Unite And Divide04. No More Fear05. Man Of Sorrow06. Path Of Destiny07. Vagrant Of The Night08. Bloodsucker09. Whistleblower10. The Other Man Bonus live album (Recorded in 2013 in Ludwigsburg, Germany):

01. Special02. Talk To The Moon03. Break The Silence04. Do You Like It Like That05. The Spirit06. Livin’ My Life For You07. Wasted Years08. Welcome The Night09. Shame

PINK CREAM 69 is: David Readman - vocalsAlfred Koffler - guitarUwe Reitenauer - guitarDennis Ward - bassChris Schmidt - drums

Finnish alt-rockers THE RASMUS have released a Jesse Haaja-directed music video for their new single, "Wonderman". The track, which also serves as the theme song in the new superhero movie "Rendel", is the latest song to be made available from the band's long-awaited new album, "Dark Matters", which will be released October 6 via Playground Music Scandinavia. The disc was produced by the Swedish team The Family (Iggy Azalea, FIFTH HARMONY). "The thinking behind our new songs was to create the kind of music we would like to listen to," THE RASMUS singer Lauri Ylönen explains. "We haven't abandoned our signature northern melancholy, but you can hear a wide range of influences in our new compositions.

"The new album is like a roller coaster with many different emotions and personal feelings. Our music is at times dark, speculative, melodic and sometimes even sad."

THE RASMUS released its previous single, "Paradise", in March after a five-year hiatus. The band also announced a PledgeMusic campaign, allowing access to an exclusive fan-only area, featuring album pre-order deals, updates from the band, behind-the-scenes footage and a variety of bonus content.

In 2012, after releasing three more albums, and multiple world tours, THE RASMUS members Ylönen, Pauli Rantasalmi, Eero Heinonen and Aki Hakala, took a break from their busy band schedule. During this period, Ylönen moved to Los Angeles, a change that resonates in many of the songs he has written since.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, PROPHETS OF RAGE guitarist Tom Morello revealed in an interview with Music Feeds that he and late singer Chris Cornell — with whom Morello recorded and toured in AUDIOSLAVE — had discussed an innovative way to stage a reunion of the latter band before Cornell died last May. The idea came up after AUDIOSLAVE reunited for a brief three-song set last January, with Morello explaining: "We started talking about maybe doing some sort of similar thing where maybe it would be a PROPHETS OF RAGE show and then we would drop an AUDIOSLAVE set into the middle of it, and we’d have a ball."

As for that show last January — the last time all four members of AUDIOSLAVE played together — Morello said, "I just say 'Thank god we played it,' you know? AUDIOSLAVE hadn’t played in 12 years, although I’d played another show with Chris about a year before that. And it was wonderful to be close friends and to rock again and to play some AUDIOSLAVE songs and stand next to him onstage with his — you know — his rock god powerful self, and his amazing voice and his amazing hair and his amazing whole thing, you know? It was wonderful."

Morello also recently revealed the existence of unreleased AUDIOSLAVE music from the sessions for the three studio albums the band released. But he told The Pulse Of Radio that at this point he doesn't know what will happen with it. "You know, we recorded music for AUDIOSLAVE records, and then we recorded more songs than made those records, and I'm certain at some point it will come out but there's no plans for it. We had talked about it when, you know, Chris was alive and we thought at some point there will be the right time to put it out. Now I don't know that there's ever a right time to put it out, but there's no reason that it shouldn't come out at some point."

Morello, AUDIOSLAVE bassist Tim Commerford and AUDIOSLAVE drummer Brad Wilk — who were also bandmates in RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE — are now in PROPHETS OF RAGE, who just released their debut LP.

Cornell committed suicide last May, following a show with his primary act SOUNDGARDEN. He recorded three studio efforts and one live album with AUDIOSLAVE from 2002 to 2007 before leaving the group.

Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON celebrated the release of their ninth studio album, "Deep Calleth Upon Deep", with an exclusive and very special show last Friday, September 22 on the rooftop of the KLP building in the heart of Oslo.

Three hundred fans experienced SATYRICON in person at this very special event, which was also streamed live to fans around the world via the band's Facebook page.

"I always thought THE BEATLES gig on top of the Apple building in London, 1969 was such an intriguing thing and it really feels like a privilege to be able to do something like this ourselves," SATYRICON vocalist Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven said prior to the show. "In our hometown too! Since this is to celebrate the release of 'Deep Calleth Upon Deep', we don't want to exclude those who can't be there with us that night, so I'm glad it's being streamed worldwide. We'll play the whole record and we'll do it in style!"

You can now watch the entire performance below.

"Deep Calleth Upon Deep" was released on September 22 via Napalm Records. The disc was recorded in Oslo, Norway and Vancouver, Canada, during early 2017 and mixed together with revered studio guru Mike Fraser (who previously worked on SATYRICON's 2006 album, "Now, Diabolical").

The "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" front cover is an obscure drawing from 1898 by perhaps the greatest Norwegian artist of all time, Edvard Munch.

Chester Bennington's longtime friend Ryan Shuck, who played guitar in Bennington's side project DEAD BY SUNRISE, teamed up with KORN's onetime touring guitarist Wes Geer to perform an acoustic version of the LINKIN PARK song "One More Light" as a tribute to the late LP singer at Rock To Recovery's second annual awareness event and benefit on September 16 at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, California. Video footage of their performance can be seen below.

Geer founded Rock To Recovery on December 12, 2012, in an effort to give non-musicians access to the magic, healing powers of playing music, and advance the use of music expression groups in various treatment settings. In each session, program participants form a band, write a song together, and record their work, offering an uplifting, therapeutic release to patients recovering from PTSD, alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, cancer treatments and more, by organically helping improve body/brain chemistry by stimulating the natural release of serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin. Rock To Recovery typically operates as an adjunct service to a treatment center's curriculum, and in just four years, the program has grown to become an integral part of the weekly treatment curriculum for nearly eighty programs.

Rock To Recovery's non-profit entity donates its services to the U.S. Department of Defense's Wounded Warriors program, state-funded programs and indigent rehabs like the Salvation Army and Clare Foundation, programs for at-risk youths including Turning Point and North County Lifeline, as well as Breath of Heaven, and local VA programs including New Directions for Veterans and the Brentwood VA.

Prior to the inception of these annual concerts, Rock To Recovery has been entirely self-funded. Due to the program's success and subsequent demand, coupled with the overwhelming successes of last year's event, the organization will continue to grow its reach through these annual fundraising celebrations in order to bring the healing power of music to more people.

For more information on Rock To Recovery, visit www.rocktorecovery.org.