During their September 12th concert at Halle Tony Garnier in Lyon, France, Metallica performed “Of Wolf And Man”, originally featured on their 1991 self-titled album (aka The Black Album). Professionally-filmed video of the performance can be seen below:

Remaining dates on Metallica's 2017 WorldWired Tour are as listed below:

October
22 - London, England - The O2 Arena (Sold Out)
24 - London, England - The O2 Arena (Sold Out)
26 - Glasgow, Scotland - The SSE Hydro (Sold Out)
28 - Manchester, England - Manchester Arena (Sold Out)
30 - Birmingham, England - Genting Arena (Sold Out)

November
1 - Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpaleis (Sold Out)
3 - Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpaleis (Sold Out)

Ernie Ball, the iconic maker of Slinky guitar strings and instrument accessories, has announced the launch of the Hetfield + Hammett Experience, a partnership with longtime Ernie Ball artists and legendary guitarists James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett that will grant three lucky winners the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hang with the guitarists at Metallica Headquarters in San Francisco, CA.

In the promo video below, Hetfield talks about the band's HQ and what you can expect to find there:

Winners will also take home their choice of a Hetfield or Hammett Signature ESP Guitar as well as an Ernie Ball Prize Pack complete with their favorite gauge of Slinky guitar strings and other prizes. The contest launched September 7th, and runs through October 31st.

“I have to say that HQ is kinda like NASA,” says Kirk Hammett. “You need the right credentials to get in, you need to know the right codes to get through the door. There are constantly people around making sure that whoever is there is there for a purpose. It’s pretty tight because it’s like the brain control…the mission control for all things Metallica.”

“This is a pretty cool opportunity to get into Metallica’s creative space and see what it is, why it is, and what is in there that inspires us,” said James Hetfield. “For me, as a fan of other bands, it would’ve been pretty awesome to have shown up in Phil Lynott’s writing space. This is gonna be a very special moment for whoever gets to show up at HQ.”

“To have artists like Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield trust our strings for over 35 years is something the Ernie Ball family is incredibly thankful and proud of,” says Ernie Ball President Brian Ball. “It also means our strings have been along for the epic ride of ‘Seek & Destroy,’ ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls,’ ‘Sad But True’ and many of the band’s biggest hits. We’re excited about this contest and looking forward to connecting the band and a few lucky fans in a special way.”

Fans can enter Ernie Ball’s Hetfield + Hammett Experience by purchasing qualifying packs of Ernie Ball Strings at Guitar Center or from Musician’s Friend, then entering the codes found inside the packs at ernieball.com/metallica for a chance to win.

World-renowned guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani has announced the release of his sixteenth solo album, "What Happens Next", due on January 12, 2018 via Sony/Legacy Recordings. Just a day prior to the album release, Satriani revives his G3 tour entity, inviting DREAM THEATER's John Petrucci and DEF LEPPARD lead guitarist Phil Collen to join him. The G3 tour launches on January 11 in Seattle, Washington and continues across the U.S. before winding up on February 25 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The new, instrumentally electrifying album features a power trio of legendary status; Satriani on guitar and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) and drummer Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), the latter reuniting with Satriani for the first time since their work in the supergroup CHICKENFOOT. Satriani is once again joined by producer/engineer/mixer Mike Fraser, his frequent collaborator over the last 20 years, on "What Happens Next". Fraser is well-known for recording/mixing every AC/DC album since 1990's "The Razors Edge" along with his classic works with Satriani going back to the release of "Crystal Planet" in 1998.

These new tracks literally vibrate the soul with an energy rarely found these days. From the dynamic opening track, "Energy", to the majestic crunch of "Thunder High On The Mountain", and the easy, sensual chords of "Smooth Soul". This unparalleled rock-rhythm section gives "What Happens Next" a depth of groove that sets it apart from Satriani's other work.

Since its debut in 1996, Satriani's G3 tour has featured the world's greatest guitarists (everyone from Steve Vai and Eric Johnson to Steve Lukather and Robert Fripp) and has become a consistent concert hall sell-out attraction in the U.S., South America, Europe, Australia and Japan. "I could say that I'm surprised at the durability of G3 and how much it's grown, but in a way I'm not," Satriani says with a laugh, "I think part of its charm and its mojo is in the chemistry of having three top guitarists share what they do on stage. It's fun, it's unpredictable, it's wild — it's everything you could want in a show."

In addition to this new album and exciting tour news, a new documentary "Beyond The Supernova" shot by Satriani's filmmaker son, ZZ, makes its debut at the Mill Valley Film Festival this October. The tour documentary chronicles Joe, along with his band and crew, on their last "Shockwave Supernova" tour throughout Europe and Asia.

Satriani's "Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir" first released in May 2014 will now be available in paperback. Pre-orders are available now with the official release on November 7. The paperback version includes a new chapter focusing on Satriani's last album, "Shockwave Supernova".

For two decades, the guitar virtuoso has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star G3 guitar extravaganza. Satriani's studio and live recordings have sold more than ten million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with fifteen Grammy nominations between them. His side project, CHICKENFOOT, featuring former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar, former VH bassist Michael Anthony and Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at #9.

"What Happens Next" track listing:

01. Energy 02. Catbot 03. Thunder High On The Mountain 04. Cherry Blossoms 05. Righteous 06. Smooth Soul 07. Headrush 08. Looper 09. What Happens Next 10. Super Funky Badass 11. Invisible 12. Forever And Ever

"Code Of The Slashers", the brand new video from Florida-based death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Zev Deans, who previously worked on BEHEMOTH's "Messe Noire", GHOST's "Square Hammer" and PORTAL's "Curtain" videos.

Deans comments: "After crawling through abandoned buildings, crashing our van into a tree in the middle of a scene, witnessing a real stabbing and drenching ourselves in fake blood in a derelict park at 5 a.m., we can safely say this was a proper introduction to the slasher genre for Panorama Programming. We brought a slab of fresh meat back from a rotting metropolis, and we're serving it to you raw. Come and get it."

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

Many words come to mind when you hear the name CANNIBAL CORPSE, but one truly defines the soon-to-be-thirty-year death metal veterans: unstoppable. Returning with their fourteenth full-length, the monstrous "Red Before Black", serves to not only reiterate this but to once more raise the stakes, making it very clear who sets the standard when it comes to always compelling music that is equally brutal and complex. Moreover, the band have pushed themselves again, ensuring that it stands out from their catalog.

"We always try to make our music aggressive, but where an album like 'A Skeletal Domain' [2014] was definitely aggressive, it has a targeted refinement that the new album doesn't. 'Red Before Black' is as well executed as anything we've done, but it has a rawness to it that we haven't had in a long time," asserts bassist Alex Webster. "We really worked super hard crafting these songs, practicing them, and getting them where we wanted to be more so than on any of our previous albums," adds drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz. "And, as Alex said, musically I think it's the most raw sound we've had — and at the same time I think it's our most focused, tightest and catchiest record."

With 2017 seeing a slew of stunning new releases from death metal's old guard — including SUFFOCATION, OBITUARY and DYING FETUS — it's been a landmark year both for the genre and its early innovators, and with "Red Before Black", CANNIBAL CORPSE stand strong alongside their peers. "We're proud to be part of a scene that has great, experienced bands that stick to their guns," affirms Webster. "Death metal is an established form of underground music that's here to stay, and the leadership bands like these have shown by staying true to the genre is no doubt part of the reason it has such longevity."

That CANNIBAL CORPSE have carved out a career spanning almost three decades is testament to their work ethic, innovative songwriting, passion and devotion to extreme music — though it still remains an astounding feat to the members, as Webster makes humbly clear.

"Who could have imagined this?" he says. "When we started, even BLACK SABBATH hadn't been around for three decades. There simply was no precedent for a lifelong career in metal, of any kind, let alone a relatively new form like death metal. We've been unbelievably lucky, and we are so grateful to our fans for making it possible." In typically grounded fashion, they continue to forge ahead, seeing no end in sight, Webster stating he likes to think they have yet to write their best record, while Mazurkiewicz outlines their goals: "I would say we just want to keep it going, try to better ourselves — and finally open for SLAYER!"

"Red Before Black" track listing:

01. Only One Will Die02. Red Before Black03. Code Of The Slashers04. Shedding My Human Skin05. Remaimed06. Firestorm Vengeance07. Heads Shoveled Off08. Corpus Delicti09. Scavenger Consuming Death10. In The Midst Of Ruin11. Destroyed Without A Trace12. Hideous Ichor

The cover artwork for the album can be found below.

This November, CANNIBAL CORPSE will kick off a USA tour in support of the upcoming disc. Support on the trek will come from POWER TRIP and GATECREEPER.

"A Skeletal Domain" sold 8,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Torture", opened with 9,600 units to land at No. 38. This figure was in line with the first-week performance of 2009's "Evisceration Plague", which entered the chart at No. 66. CANNIBAL CORPSE's 2006 CD, "Kill", debuted at No. 170 after shifting more than 6,000 copies.

"A Skeletal Domain" was produced by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DEVILDRIVER) at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida.

Party god Andrew W.K. will release his first new full-length album in over a decade on March 2, 2018 via Sony Music worldwide. According to a press release, the LP "showcases Andrew's signature style of blasting triumphant rock music with an ever more epic expanses of energizing emotional ecstasy."

"I'm going for the sound of pure, unadulterated power; every emotion, every thought, every experience, every sensation, every fear, every joy, every clarity, every confusion, every up, every down... all extruded and concentrated into one thick syrup of super life-force feeling, and then psychically amplified by the celebratory spirit of glorious partying," explans Andrew.

This week, Andrew W.K. officially began his first full-band concert outing in five years with "The Party Never Dies Tour". Starting September 18 in Minneapolis, Andrew brings his party-centric positivity across America, with additional shows added due to high demand in San Francisco and Boston as well as a new Chicago headlining show (following the success of the stage-closing Riot Fest performance). The previously announced U.K. tour dates are now moving from November to April 2018. All tickets bought for the November tour will still be honored at the new dates, or can be refunded at the point of purchase.

A one-man music machine possessed by a single-minded, monomaniacal focus on euphoric joy, Andrew lives to spread a singular message: that to party is to exist, and to exist is to party. Andrew continues to passionately deliver his extremely high-energy brand of uplifting entertainment, with a unrelenting commitment to continuing the mission he first embarked upon in 2001, with the release of his debut single and signature tune "Party Hard", and has never swerved from since. Despite taking on a dizzying array of additional roles that took him into virgin territory for a rock 'n' roll musician (ie: advice columnist for the Village Voice and Vice, host of a Cartoon Network kid's game show, lecturer at Yale, Harvard, Carnegie Mellon and the U.K.'s Oxford University), Andrew has always remained true to his positive-partying cause. It's safe to say, Andrew's hard-partying spirit is showing no signs of softening.

Photo credit: Nina Ottolino

The official video for "Afternow", a new song from BLACKFINGER, the band led by former TROUBLE singer Eric Wagner, can be seen below. The track is taken from BLACKFINGER's latest album, "When Colors Fade Away", which was released on September 15 via M-Theory Audio.

"After I finished the first BLACKFINGER record and actually sat back and listened to it, it dawned upon me that 'when colors fade away' would be a great title and concept for the next one… of course, I didn't know there would be one, but I always hope," explains Eric. "A common thread throughout that album was the different feelings of what colors meant to me. I wondered what would happen if all the colors were gone? What would life be like without colors? I also wanted to clear up some of the misconceptions of what we are taught throughout our lives, most of which seems unrealistic to me and only serves to better the collection plate."

Renowned and still cherished for the classic material he recorded with Chicago's TROUBLE for over two decades, Wagner has in recent years been focusing on a couple other promising new bands in a similar vein, including BLACKFINGER. Now relocated to Pittsburgh, Eric is joined in the new BLACKFINGER lineup by another respected name in doom metal circles, guitarist Terry Weston of DREAM DEATH/PENANCE.

Featuring photos from Matt Bluejay and graphic design by Al Oaks, "When Colors Fade Away" is a striking and artistic package with a full color twelve-page CD booklet and a four-page vinyl insert. Vinyl limited to four hundred copies of blue/black marble.

"When I saw the photographs of the old abandoned funeral home by Matt Bluejay, I thought it would make the perfect album cover for 'When Colors Fade Away', and the start of the journey to feel good about oneself again," explains Eric M-Theory Audio is the new label launched by Marco Barbieri, the former president of Century Media Records, whose previous experience includes Nuclear Blast and Metal Blade. Joining Marco in this adventure are colleagues whose past experience includes work for labels like Century Media, Prosthetic, Victory and Epitaph. The label's roster includes Bay Area thrash outfit CULTURAL WARFARE, Las Vegas prog/power metal band SICOCIS, Sacramento headbangers BLESSED CURSE, Southern California's pagan death metallers HELSOTT, nomadic folk metal band TENGGER CAVALRY, female-fronted symphonic metal band GRAVESHADOW and Nor Cal's death/metalcore band APOTHESARY. "Eric Wagner is a true artist, talent and storyteller," says Barbieri. "I've spent the last thirty-four years listening to classic tales weaved by this man; and he is truly one of my favorite vocalists. Along the way I've had the pleasure of working with Eric and TROUBLE while at Century Media during their 'Plastic Green Head' album cycle and even had his other band, THE SKULL, headline one of the Doom In June festivals. Now our co-operation and friendship continues and I am fortunate to release the new and phenomenal BLACKFINGER album."

Marco Mendoza has signed wordwide record deal with Mighty Music. He is currently in Denmark recording his long-awaited new solo album, "Viva La Rock", with producer and guitar player Søren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Mike Tramp).

The new disc will be the first solo album in eight years from Mendoza, whose last effort, "Casa Mendoza", came out in 2010 via Mascot Records.

"Viva La Rock" is a tour de force of ten soulful, hard-rocking songs inspired by Mendoza's roots from the seventies through the bands he has been involved with in recent years, including WHITESNAKE, THIN LIZZY, Ted Nugent and THE DEAD DAISIES.

Mexican/American-born Mendoza is mostly known for his bass playing, but on "Viva La Rock", he will underline how gifted a singer he is and has always been. Like fellow bass man Glenn Hughes, the voice of Mendoza has only grown stronger with age.

"Viva La Rock" recording lineup:

Marco Mendoza - Vocals, BassSøren Andersen - GuitarsMorten Hellborn - Drums

Says Marco: "I'm so jazzed to annonce that I will work with Mighty Music and my talented, good friend Søren Andersen on a worldwide album release. Very exciting and creative times for me."

Adds Michael H. Andersen, CEO of Mighty Music: "So proud to welcome Marco Mendoza to our label. Marco is one of those musicians from the glorious days of rock 'n' roll who's still got the voice, the stage presence and the ability to write songs."

"Viva La Rock" will be released in early 2018 and will be followed by an extensive tour.

This week, Mendoza will be heading on a threee-week solo European tour with Michael McCrystal (TYGERS OF PAN TANG) and John Macaluso (Yngwie Malmsteen).

BMG has set a November 17 release date for "Decade Of The Eagle", a deluxe anthology featuring thirty-four tracks that look back at the years that built the SAXON legend.

"Decade Of The Eagle" is a retrospective that spans the band's first nine albums and represents the very best of the first decade of their astonishing career during which time SAXON notched up five Top 40 albums and four Top 20 singles. These 4LP (180g vinyl) and 2CD deluxe editions are in a gatefold sleeve that features a special metallic embossed coin on the cover. They also include new liner notes by frontman Biff Byford that document the decade and which are accompanied by rarely seen and classic photos from the era.

Biff says: "These are the albums from a time in the eighties that moved a generation of rock fans around the world, when British rock was once again at the forefront. Great times — never to be forgotten and still reverberating to this day."

SAXON played a significant part of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement, perhaps the greatest metal genre of them all and have become one of the all-time masters of heavy metal. In doing so, SAXON have ensured they are now representative of the heart and soul from the NWOBHM time. Always remaining true to the values which established them in the first place they are driven by a desire to continuously set the highest standards and meet them head on, SAXON's work on those nine studio albums still resonates resoundingly — this is timeless stuff.

"Decade Of The Eagle" track listing:

01. Stallions Of The Highway02. Big Teaser03. Backs To The Wall04. Militia Guard05. Wheels Of Steel06. 747 (Strangers In The Night)07. Suzie Hold On08. Motorcycle Man (live)09. Strong Arm Of The Law10. Heavy Metal Thunder11. 20,000ft (live)12. Dallas 1PM13. And The Bands Played On14. Never Surrender15. Denim And Leather16. Fire In the Sky (live)17. Princess Of The Night18. Power & The Glory19. This Town Rocks20. The Eagle Has Landed21. Midas Touch22. Sailing To America23. Crusader24. Devil Rides Out25. Back On The Streets26. Rockin' Again27. Rock N' Roll Gypsy28. Broken Heroes29. Waiting For The Night30. Rock The Nations31. Northern Lady32. Battle Cry33. Ride Like The Wind34. Red Alert

To pre-order your copy of "Decade Of The Eagle", go to www.pledgemusic.com/saxon.

SAXON's new album, "Thunderbolt", is tentatively due in January 2018. The follow-up to 2015's "Battering Ram" is once again being recorded with British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH, EXODUS and TESTAMENT.

According to Billboard, FOO FIGHTERS' new album, "Concrete And Gold", is likely to move more than 120,000 equivalent album units in first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

FOO FIGHTERS previously topped the chart in 2011 with "Wasting Light". Seven of the band's albums have landed in the top 10, including 2014's "Sonic Highways", which debuted and peaked at No. 2.

FOO FIGHTERS last week released an animated mini-documentary on the making of "Concrete And Gold", which arrived on Friday (September 15). In the short film, frontman Dave Grohl talks about how the band selected the producer it wanted to work with, Greg Kurstin, and how it landed a guest appearance from Justin Timberlake, among others.

Grohl recalls meeting Kurstin at a restaurant after hearing a song by his band THE BIRD AND THE BEE on the radio in his car. As the two become friends, Grohl decides he wants Kurstin to record the next FOO FIGHTERS album. Kurstin has previously produced artists like Adele and Pink.

Grohl also recounts how he floated the idea of working with Kurstin to the rest of the band, who were puzzled because Kurstin had never worked on a heavy rock record.

In addition to Timberlake, the disc features guest appearances from Paul McCartney, THE BIRD AND THE BEE's Inara George, THE KILLS' Alison Mosshart and BOYZ II MEN singer Shawn Stockman.

FOO FIGHTERS have lined up a fall North American tour that kicks off on October 7 in San Bernardino, California with Cal Jam 17, also featuring QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, CAGE THE ELEPHANT, Liam Gallagher, ROYAL BLOOD, THE STRUTS and more. The rest of the tour begins on October 12 in Washington D.C.

Symphonic metallers XANDRIA claim that they learned about singer Dianne Van Giersbergen's departure in a "surprising" way.

On September 12, XANDRIA canceled its previously announced U.S. tour, which was scheduled to kick off on September 29 in Buffalo, New York and conclude on October 21 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The band also announced that it had recruited Aeva Maurelle (AEVERIUM) to sing for XANDRIA at its European shows in November and December.

One day later, Van Giersbergen released a statement saying that she was exiting XANDRIA because "staying in the band would cause further damage to the health problems the band has caused me." She went on to say that her attempts "to put band and management issues on the table… failed and have been ignored" and her "cries for help have been met with financial threats and emotional extortion," ultimately leaving her with "uncontrollable stress symptoms."

On Sunday, the remaining members of XANDRIA released a follow-up statement, claiming that their decision to enlist a "temporary replacement singer" was purely an attempt to "celebrate the music we love so much together with you and us, instead of cancelling any more concerts."

They wrote: "We are very sad about the situation that we and you, the people following XANDRIA, have to face now.

"After we already had to cancel many concerts since July due to Dianne not being able to perform we had now been informed by her that she is leaving the band with immediate effect. This happened after we published news that the upcoming concerts will be played with a temporary replacement singer. It was clear to everyone, including Dianne, that it was supposed to be a temporary solution only.

"We had to learn about her departure in a way that has been surprising us very much and with a statement in which we do not recognize ourselves in.

"We have been very downhearted about not being able to play these concerts, and probably would not have been able to play for an undetermined time also in the future. For that reason, we wanted to play at least the concerts in November and December with a temporary replacement singer that can celebrate the music we love so much together with you and us, instead of cancelling any more concerts.

"We always have been doing our best to be there for you fans, so we tried the same in this difficult situation.

"Just as we always tried to find a good way to care for all members of the band to live the passion that is music, which can sometimes be difficult for everyone. Unfortunately, it seems that Dianne's needs and goals were drifting apart from the band's ones.

"However, we are proudly looking back at what we achieved together and we are thanking Dianne for the great times we shared and everything she did for the band. We wish her all the best for what she is heading for on her future way.

"We will live the passion we have for our music together with you all on our concerts in November, December and beyond! With a heavy heart, but at the same time looking forward to the future and to see you out there sharing our music with you."

XANDRIA in 2013 parted ways with their singer of three years, Manuela Kraller, and replaced her with Van Giersbergen, who also fronts the progressive metal outfit EX LIBRIS.

Dianne Van Giersbergen made her live debut with XANDRIA at the end of November 2013 on a Spanish tour.

XANDRIA's latest album, "Theater Of Dimensions", was released on January 27 via Napalm Records.

Australian hard rockers AIRBOURNE will release "Diamond Cuts" on September 29 via Nettwerk. The box set will be made available in limited-edition vinyl and CD formats, containing the band's first three discs — "Runnin Wild", "No Guts. No Glory." and "Black Dog Barking" — along with the brand new "Diamond Cuts - The B-Sides" collection featuring two previously unavailable tracks ("Money" and "Heavy Weight Lover") plus a bonus DVD of the brand new band documentary, "It's All For Rock 'N' Roll", housed in a slipcase box including original "Diamond Cuts" artwork.

A trailer for the "It's All For Rock 'N' Roll" documentary is available below.

"'Money' was found covered in piles of dust and reel to reel tape," said AIRBOURNE. "It was part of the recording sessions for 'No Guts. No Glory.', and, for some reason, it just didn't make the album, but hearing it again today we're pumped to get it out there."

AIRBOURNE in April parted ways with guitarist David Roads and replaced him with Harri Harrison (PALACE OF THE KING).

The band's latest album, "Breakin' Outta Hell", landed in the Top 10 in both the U.K. and Australia after its September 2016 release.

On October 27th, Dragonhammer will release their new album Obscurity, via My Kingdom Music. The cover art, created by Rob Marconi, along with the tracklisting can be viewed below.

"Darkness Is Coming"
"The Eye Of The Storm"
"Brother vs Brother"
"Under The Vatican's Ground"
"The Game Of Blood"
"The Town Of Evil"
"Children Of The Sun"
"Fighting The Beast"
"Remember My Name"
"Obscurity"

Expect a lyric video for an as yet undisclosed song to surface in the coming days. In live news, Dragonhammer will open for Firewind on October 27th in Rome, Italy at Jail Break Live Club.

 

 

 

Winnipeg, Manitoba-based progressive death / technical metal outfit Inverted Serenity have been actively pursuing an eclectic and ambitious death metal sound all their own for many years now. On October 6th, the group will officially release their third full-length, As Spectres Wither. The album will strongly appeal to fans of Beyond Creation, Decrepit Birth, Decapitated, and Death.

Today the band launches "Grave", the third single to debut off the album thus far. Of particular note, "Grave" thrives on a distinct black metal and melodeath tinged influence within it's technical and prog-death flavored depths.

As Spectres Wither tracklisting:

“Dead Dialectics”
“Mitral Genesis”
“We Who Wander”
“Cornerstones”
“Paragon”
“Mechanical Gods”
“Grave”
“Lunar Cradle”
“Mountains Of Stoke” (Hidden Track)

Grindcore/death metal outfit, Implore, have released an unboxing video for their upcoming album, Subjugate. Watch the clip below.

Subjugate will be released on September 22nd in the following formats:

- Ltd. CD Digipak (with two bonus tracks and patch)
- LP (gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl, CD with two bonus tracks)
- Digital download/stream

The following vinyl colours are offered:

- Black vinyl: unlimited
- Silver vinyl: limited to 100 copies, exclusively available at CM Distro Europe
- White vinyl: limited to 200 copies, available at various mailorder stores
- Clear/black haze vinyl: limited to 300 copies, exclusively offered at Pelagic Records

Pre-order options here.

The cover artwork for Subjugate, as well as the entire layout, was created by Brian D’Agosta, who many of you will know from his excellent work for bands such as Vallenfyre, Goatwhore and others.

Tracklisting:

“Birth Of An Era”
“Loathe”
“Cursed Existence”
“Paradox”
“Disconnected From Ourselves”
“Totalitarian”
“Patterns To Follow”
“Ecocide”
“Technology A Justification For Killing”
“Cult Of El”
“Desolated Winds”
“Boundary”
“Untouchable Pyramid”
“Gazing Beyond”
“Manufactured Reality”
“Victims Of The Hollowing”

“Patterns To Follow” video:

“Untouchable Pyramid”:

“Loathe”:

To present the new album live, Implore are touring Europe with label mates Vallenfyre now, followed by shows in October/November with Gadget. The band visit Japan as well.
 
September (with Vallenfyre)
20 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, Denmark
 
October (with Gadget)
26 - Dynamo - Zurich, Switzerland
27 - Bloodshed Fest - Eindhoven, Netherlands
28 - Westwerk - Leipzig, Germany
29 - Nove Korzo - Ruzomberok, Slovakia
31 - Dude Fest Fall Edition - Karlsruhe, Germany

November (with Gadget)
1 - Magasin 4 - Brussels, Belgium
2 - Hafenklang - Hamburg, Germany
3 - Tommy Haus - Berlin, Germany
 
Japan tour:

November
8 - Chaotic Noise - Kochi, Japan
9 - K2 - Tsuyama, Japan
10 - Sengoku Daitoryo - Osaka, Japan
11 - Kunperuza - Shizuoka, Japan
12 - Dues - Tokyo, Japan
13 - El Puente - Nishi Ku, Japan

Implore lineup:

Gabriel Dubko - Bass & Vocals
Eduard Petrolillo - Guitars
Guido Montanarini - Drums

Veteran Canadian rockers Headstones have unleashed a video for the song "Broken" from their new album, Little Army. The clip, which can be seen below, was directed by Ian Harnarine.

Catch Headstones live in concert:

October
14 - Waterloo, ON - Maxwell's
28 - Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Resort & Casino

November 
9 - Victoria, BC - Sugar NightClub
10 - Vancouver, BC - The Commodore Ballroom
11 - Vancouver, BC - The Commodore Ballroom
13 - Kamloops, BC - CJ's Nightclub Kamloops
14 - Medicine Hat, AB - Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre
16 - Winnipeg, MB - Club Regent Casino
17 - Regina, SK - Casino Regina
18 - Saskatoon, SK - O'Brians Event Centre
20 - Winnipeg, MB - Club Regent Event Centre
23 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room
24 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room
25 - Grande Prairie, AB - Better Than Fred's
26 - Grande Prairie, AB - Better Than Fred's

December
8 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
9 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom

Norwegian dark metal masters, Gothminister, will release their sixth studio album, The Other Side, on October 13th worldwide via AFM Records. You can pre-order your copy here. A music video for “The Sun” can be found below.

With tracks like “Devil” (Gothic Electronic Anthems 2003), “Monsters” (Empire of Dark Salvation 2005), “Darkside” (Happiness In Darkness 2008), “Liar” (Anima Inferna 2011) and “Utopia” (Utopia 2013), the last single from the CD/DVD horror movie concept album which even reached the national finals of the Norwegian Eurovision contest, Gothminister has gotten a significant following of fans through the years. His new album The Other Side, produced, mixed and mastered by Henning Verlage (Unheilig, Eisbrecher), exceeds even the highest expectations. Powerful metal riffs march relentlessly arm in arm with huge orchestras and heavenly choirs.

The Master himself reveals an astonishing range of vocal-art: from the deepest Gothic-dungeons up to the higher spheres of steaming rock. The Other Side is about spiritistic seances, and supernatural experiences. And again, Gothminister find it in the dark and unknown, where the greatest inspiration lies from within the motto Happiness In Darkness, as he sings in the opening track “Ich Will Alles” (I want everything): “Cause I have darkness on my mind - It is the sign of the times”

Tracklisting:

“Ich Will Alles”
“The Sun”
“Der Fliegende Mann”
“Aegir”
“Red Christ”
“We Are The Ones Who Rule The World”
“All This Time”
“Day Of Reckoning”
“Taking Over”
“Somewhere In Time”

“The Sun” video:

“Der Fliegende Mann” video:

Ghost Iris have released a video for “Detached”, a track from their new album, Blind World, released back in February via Long Branch Records. The new clip is available for streaming below.

Blind World contains 10 brand new tracks from Denmark’s most streamed metal act in 2016, including the singles "Pinnacle" and "Save Yourself”. Order the album at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Gods Of Neglect”
“Save Yourself”
“The Flower Of Life”
“Pinnacle”
“No Way Out”
“Blind World”
“Time Will Tell”
“The Silhouette”
“After The Sun Sets”
“Detached”

“Detached” video:

“Save Yourself” video:

Canadian bashers, Skull Fist, performed last month at Germany’s annual Wacken Open Air festival. Professionally filmed footage of the band’s entire performance is available for streaming below.

Setlist:

“Sign Of The Warrior”
“Ride The Beast”
“Like A Fox”
“Chasing The Dream”
“Hour To Live”
“Get Fisted”
“Mean Street Rider”
“Bad For Good”
“Head Of The Pack”

Danish power thrash metallers, Artillery, have released a video for the song "When The Magic Is Gone", taken off the band's latest album, Penalty By Perception.

Artillery comments: "Our new video 'When The Magic Is Gone' is a song about death and grief, it is a very personal song which shows the more mellow side of Artillery. The video was recorded in Norrebro, Copenhagen by Terkel Christensen (Aggressive Art) who is an old friend of Artillery."

On September 23rd, Artillery will start their co-headline tour with Onslaught. Artillery will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of their Terror Squad album on this run, playing 5-6 songs from that album, plus new songs from their latest album Penalty By Perception, as well as some more classics. See below for dates.

September
23 - Helvete Club - Oberhausen, Germany
24 - Hedon Club - Zwolle, Netherlands
25 - De Verlichte Geest - Roeselare, Belgium
26 - Roxy Concerts - Flensburg, Germany
27 - Garage Deluxe - Munchen, Germany
28 - Moonlight Music Hall - Diest, Belgium
29 - Fuizenfest - Riel, Netherlands
30 - Kiehool Burgum - Burgum, Netherlands

October
2 - Schwarzer Adler - Tannheim-Egelsee, Germany
3 - Escape Metalcorner - Vienna, Austria
4 - 7er-Club - Mannheim, Germany
5 - Musigburg - Aarburg, Switzerland
6 - Dada Live Club - Pavia, Italy
7 - Revolver Music Hall - Venice, Italy
8 - Borderline - Pisa, Italy
9 - Sala Utopia - Zaragoza, Spain
11 - SMAC de La Gespe - Tarbes, France
12 - Sala Upload - Barcelona, Spain

Artillery will also tour Denmark in November together with Impalers and with a different setlist - see below for dates.

October
13 - Amager Bio - Copenhagen

November
3 - Konfus - Esbjerg, Denmark
4 - Pitstop - Kolding, Denmark
10 - Ungdomshuset - Fredericia, Denmark
11 - TBA
18 - Von Hatten - Randers, Denmark
24 - Kontrast - Herning, Denmark
25 - Sonderborghus - Sonderborg, Denmark

December
1 - Templet - Lyngby, Denmark
2 - TBA

German power metal outfit Stormhammer have released a lyric video for “Road To Heaven”, a track from the band’s new album, Welcome To The End, out now via Massacre Records. Watch the clip below.

Graced with artwork created by Jan Yrlund, mixed by Mario Lochert and mastered by Jan Vacik, Welcome To The End features the 14 tracks listed below.

"The Beginning Of The End"
"Northman"
"Welcome To The End"
"The Heritage"
"Secret"
"The Law"
"Watchmen"
"Road To Heaven"
"My Dark Side"
"Into The Night"
"Spirit Of The Night"
"Soul Temptation"
"The Awakening"
"Black Dragon"

"Road To Heaven" lyric video:

"Northman" lyric video:

Album stream:

Visit the official Stormhammer Facebook page for further details.

Ritchie Blackmore has been known worldwide for his guitar shredding in DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW. He has also shown hints of his penchant for medieval music in both of those bands. That 18th and 19th Century love, though, has only truly come to the fore within the acoustic context of his "renaissance rock" project, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT. Together with his wife, award-winning vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Candice Night (often compared to Stevie Nicks and Karen Carpenter), BLACKMORE'S NIGHT is currently celebrating the band's twentieth anniversary.

Passionate about the musical melodies and styles of the past, combined with their love for the spirit of the holiday season, they recorded "Winter Carols" to share with their fans, friends and BLACKMORE'S NIGHT families. "Winter Carols" is holiday music at its best, performed and sung as it was hundreds of years ago, when the peasants and royalty alike shared the jovial spirit of the holidays.

For this very special re-release of their holiday album (out on digital formats on September 22, on CD October 13), BLACKMORE'S NIGHT included three brand new recordings of "Deck The Halls", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Oh Christmas Tree". Each song, arranged by Ritchie Blackmore, is lovingly filtered through the BLACKMORE'S NIGHT prism, given an eclectic renaissance touch topped with Candice Night's ethereal vocals.

It's this love of renaissance-based and classical melodies that endears BLACKMORE'S NIGHT to hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide. Their unique genre is classified as "fantasy music for all ages."

"The holiday season has always embodied joy, love, peace and togetherness," says Candice. "We are entranced by the magic of the season. The sentiments of the holidays are what we try to express in our music year round — so this CD is a natural progression. All the music we craft and create has always been about love, unity and friendship. These songs as a whole are beautiful unifying carols. Feel the warmth of friendship! Everyone can join in."

"The origin of the word 'carol' means 'dance','" adds Ritchie. "I am naturally attracted to these melodies. As a kid, I would go from house to house during the holiday time and sing them just to earn some money. As an adult, I thought I could play them and make more money!"

Track listing:

01. Deck The Halls02. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen03. Oh Christmas Tree 04. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Come All Ye Faithful 05. I Saw Three Ships 06. Winter (Basse Dance)07. Ding Dong Merrily On High 08. Ma-O-Tzur 09. Good King Wencesla 10. Lord Of The Dance/Simple Gifts 11. We Three Kings 12. Wish You Were Here 13. Emmanuel 14. Christmas Eve 15. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

REVOLUTION SAINTS, the band featuring Deen Castronovo (JOURNEY, BAD ENGLISH), Doug Aldrich (THE DEAD DAISIES, WHITESNAKE, DIO), and Jack Blades (NIGHT RANGER, DAMN YANKEES), will release its second album, "Light In The Dark", on October 13 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The official video for the song "I Wouldn't Change A Thing" can be seen below. "Light In The Dark" will be available on CD, CD/DVD deluxe edition (includes live bonus tracks on the CD and on the DVD, footage from the band's first-ever live performance captured at Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan this past April, a "making-of" mini-documentary, and music videos for "Light In The Dark" and "I Wouldn't Change A Thing"), vinyl, and as a special limited-edition box set (includes the deluxe edition CD/DVD, 180-gram vinyl, T-shirt [size L], poster, lithograph and sticker). For "Light In The Dark", REVOLUTION SAINTS once again teamed up with producer/songwriter Alessandro Del Vecchio (HARDLINE, JORN), who was also behind the boards for the band's debut album. Most of "Light In The Dark" was recorded at Del Vecchio's studios in Somma Lombardo, Italy, with additional recording taking place at Blades's studio in Washington, Aldrich's CasaDala studio in Los Angeles, and other countries all over the world while Aldrich was on tour with THE DEAD DAISIES. "This is a fun band!" exclaims Blades. "I think the fans are going to pick up on the excitement and the sheer musical enjoyment we are having. It was great going to Italy to get the album started and film the videos, and the music speaks for itself." "'Light In The Dark' is such a great song," says Castronovo. "It was the first one we recorded. We ran through it a few times and nailed it in the first couple takes.

"We're so excited for everyone to hear this record. We're very happy with what we came up with and can't wait to bring it to everyone live." As Aldrich proclaims: "I'm very excited about REVOLUTION SAINTS' second record! First, I want to say that it's because of huge support from the fans that RS2 happened. Thank you. If you liked #1, I think you'll love this one even more. It's stronger, and a bit heavier in some spots. We tried a few new things and we can't wait for our fans to hear it! There's a very good chance we'll finally get to play live and we're currently exploring the possibilities of a tour. For now, get ready, because the album kicks ass and it's comin' at you real soon!" REVOLUTION SAINTS was born from the vision of Frontiers' president, Serafino Perugino, who for years had hoped to work on a project highlighting Castronovo's amazing vocal abilities. Having previously worked with all three artists on different projects on Frontiers, having Deen, Jack and Doug on board together was a dream come true for Perugino. This time, with one album already under their belt, REVOLUTION SAINTS entered the studio to record the new album more familiar with one another and a clear understanding of where they wanted this to go. As with the first album, Castronovo's superb vocal talents are in the spotlight on this release and deservedly so. Pretty impressive for a man who is most widely known for his incredible drumming talents. Blades really needs no introduction at this point, but for those who have been living under a rock, his bass and vocal talents are well documented over the years through his work with NIGHT RANGER, DAMN YANKEES, SHAW/BLADES, and more. And, of course, a major feature is the fiery and intense playing from former WHITESNAKE and DIO guitarist Doug Aldrich, whose blistering guitar fretwork is on full display here. "Light In The Dark" builds off the classic melodic rock style of the debut, but fans should prepare for a somehow even more inspired set and a few (pleasant) surprises. Inspiring, uplifting, emotionally powerful, and thoughtful, this album will be the soundtrack to many a moment in your life. "Light In The Dark" track listing: 01. Light In The Dark02. Freedom03. Ride On04. I Wouldn't Change A Thing05. Don's Surrender06. Take You Down07. The Storm Inside08. Can't Run Away From Love09. Running On The Edge10. Another Chance11. Falling Apart12. Back On My Trail (live, bonus track on deluxe edition only)13. Turn Back Time (live, bonus track on deluxe edition only)14. Here Forever (live, bonus track on deluxe edition only)15. Locked Out Of Paradise (live, bonus track on deluxe edition only) Bonus DVD contents: * REVOLUTION SAINTS live at Frontiers Rock Festival ("Back On My Trail," "Turn Back Time," "Here Forever," "Locked Out Of Paradise")* Making of "Light In The Dark" (documentary)* "Light In The Dark" (song video)* "I Wouldn't Change A Thing" (song video)

The official video for the song "Baphomet" from European diabolical death/black metal kings BELPHEGOR can be seen below. The clip was shot and edited by Polish company Grupa13 (AMON AMARTH, BEHEMOTH, KREATOR, ELUVEITIE).

"Baphomet" is taken from BELPHEGOR's new album, "Totenritual", which was released on September 15 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded at Stage One Studios in Germany and Studio Mischmaschine in Austria and was mixed by Jason Suecof and mastered by Mark Lewis at Audiohammer Studios in Florida.

The artwork was once again created by Greek artist Seth Siro Anton, who also painted the cover artwork for 2006's "Pestokalypse VI" and 2014's "Conjuring The Dead". Check it out below.

BELPHEGOR singer, guitarist and founder Helmuth Lehner states: "It is the most brutally heavy offering we have consecrated thus far. The drums are precise and very technical with loads of breaks, fills and tempo changes. The bass is like a panzer tank. Also, the rhythm guitars are utterly aggressive and obscure. You don't hear guitars like that anywhere with such a massively low tuning."

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Baphomet02. The Devil's Son03. Swinefever - Regent Of Pigs04. Apophis - Black Dragon05. Totenkult - Exegesis Of Deterioration06. Totenbeschwörer [Instrumental]07. Spell Of Reflection 08. Embracing A Star09. Totenritual

"The Frost", the new video from AUGUST BURNS RED, can be seen below. Co-directed by Dan Fusselman and Samuel Halleen, the clip follows the band as they perform through various weather cycles and showcases the group's signature style with intricate musicianship and captivating melodies.

"The Frost" is taken from AUGUST BURNS RED's seventh full-length album, "Phantom Anthem", which will be released on October 6 via Fearless Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Found In Far Away Places" was recorded with longtime producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland.

"Phantom Anthem" track listing: 01. King Of Sorrow02. Hero Of The Half Truth03. The Frost 04. Lifeline 05. Invisible Enemy 06. Quake 07. Coordinates08. Generations 09. Float 10. Dangerous 11. Carbon Copy

The imaginative music video for the song "Invisible Enemy" can be seen below.

Working with director Samuel Halleen, the band was turned into 3D marionette versions of themselves, with no details spared, even including a scene of one of their most iconic videos for "Meddler". To the clothes they wear on stage, to the small details in their personal instruments, this video truly captures the energy of AUGUST BURNS RED's commanding presence and even includes some of the band's top fans in the video.

"Found In Far Away Places" marked AUGUST BURNS RED's second consecutive Top 10 debut on the Billboard Top 200. The single "Identity" notched a Grammy Award nod in the category of "Best Metal Performance."

"Lilith", the new video from BUTCHER BABIES, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's third album, "Lilith", which will be released on October 27 via Century Media. The follow-up to 2015's "Take It Like A Man" was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marks the band's recording debut with new drummer, Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner last year.

Pre-orders for "Lilith" are available now in both physical and digital formats.

"Lilith" track listing:

01. Burn The Straw Man02. Lilith03. Headspin04. Korova05. #Iwokeuplikethis06. The Huntsman07. Controller08. Oceana09. Look What We've Done10. Pomona (S**t Happens)11. Underground And Overrated

BUTCHER BABIES co-vocalist Heidi Shepherd stated about "Lilith": "After a year of writing and recording, we are thrilled with the growth and maturity of this album. Leading with our title track, 'Lilith', the artistic development within the band shines.

"We worked with producer, Steve Evetts, to bring you the rawest form of BUTCHER BABIES. No Auto-Tune, a hundred percent real drums, real guitars, real bass, and an all-out BUTCHER BABIES assault on your senses. As we know in this industry, these standards are quickly replaced by machines and can eliminate what makes a band an actual band.

"We are so proud of the hard work and dedication that each member of our team put in to create this masterpiece."

BUTCHER BABIES co-vocalist Carla Harvey told Meltdown Of Detroit's WRIF radio station that the music on BUTCHER BABIES' upcoming disc "runs the gamut" from "great thrash metal" to "a little bit of '90s influence." She said: "We're singing, we're screaming and it's just a great, great album. I couldn't be prouder of it. I think there's four songs where we do predominantly singing on it. And normally that would scare even me, 'cause I'm, like, 'I'm a metal girl! I don't wanna be singing.' But it's so beautiful — it really is. So it's kind of ballady, but not too ballady. It's very dark, sensual — the lyrics are very sensual on this album."

She continued: "I think we're bringing a little bit of the sexy back on this album that we kind of steered away from for a while. When we were building up our career, we wanted to be taken so seriously as metal chicks, so I think we kind of let those hindrances go a little bit and said, 'Let's just be us in all aspects of us' — from the metal to the sexy to everything else."

Although there is a lot of variety on BUTCHER BABIES' upcoming effort, Carla is quick to point out that "I couldn't do an album with no thrash on it, 'cause that's my passion. I think my favorite song on the album is a completely ridiculous thrash metal song that you'll hear," she said. "It's just amazing. In fact, one line in the song is about my Corvette that is always broken down. I have a '75 Corvette, 'cause I'm a real Detroit girl with a real American car. The song has completely ridiculous lyrics, but it's so cool — total thrash."

Carla said that BUTCHER BABIES next album will contain eleven songs, with an extra track for Japan. The disc's first single has "got a super-sexy rhythm to it," according to Harvey. "But everything is still… When you hear the album, you say, 'That's definitely BUTCHER BABIES.'"

Regarding BUTCHER BABIES' collaboration with Evetts, Carla said: "He doesn't do any Auto-Tuning or any pitching or anything like that, so every note on this album is a hundred percent authentic. And it's really cool to be able to say that about an album nowadays, I think, because people are so used to hearing everything Auto-Tuned and touched up and fixed up. This album is exactly what we've always wanted to do — it's something passionate and raw — and we're all just over the moon for it."

She added: "That's the one thing that we've always wanted to capture, because I think that we're a great live band, and when you're a good live band, you wanna capture that energy, and we finally found a producer that can help harness that live energy, actually, into the album."

According to Carla, Chase's addition to BUTCHER BABIES contributed to the upcoming album being "just on another level." She explained: "He's just a great, great, great drummer with all kinds of new ideas, and we blend really well together. And we actually toured with Chase on our very first tour with OTEP years and years ago, so we're all old friends already and he just fit in seamlessly."

Shepherd stated about the "Lilith" title and cover artwork, which can be seen below: "Historically, Lilith has become demonized as a representation of promiscuity and disobedience. We, however, see her as a positive figure. A symbol of autonomy, sexual equality, and full control over your own destiny.

"Lilith is the supreme representation of the left-hand path woman: independent, having discarded the patriarchal yoke, and not afraid to use all the tools available to her, including her sexuality, to gain the most out of existence. The eels in the cover art represent sleek symbolism of new beginnings and adventure.

"With this album, we have musically taken a leap through old boundaries and landed in new oceans. It is said that a the dream or visions of eels is confirmation that the path we currently lead is the right one.

"In this new chapter of BUTCHER BABIES, we welcome evolution as we bare ourselves with 'Lilith'."

Added Harvey: "When we were thinking of titles for our album, we wanted to find something that embodied sensuality, lust, danger and power. We kept going back to Lilith. We researched Lilith and her origins in different cultures and forms and knew that this figure, once feared but now a beautiful, symbolic middle finger to repression, would be a perfect representation of our album.

"The cover art we created with our graphic artist perfectly pulls together the last year we've spent working on 'Lilith'.

"I've always loved water themes and there is something terrifying yet calming about the deep sea; submersing yourself in it could be the death of you, yet at the same time it's cleansing and renewing.

"With this album we dove in fully and drowned ourselves in emotion, sexuality and even turmoil, and let the two-headed beast we created has emerged even stronger."

BUTCHER BABIES will support HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD on a U.S. tour which will kick off on October 1 in Atlanta, Georgia.

RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Kruspe says that the band's upcoming album could be its last.

The German industrial metallers are working on what will be their seventh studio disc — and in an interview with Resurrection Fest in July, Kruspe spoke about how the follow-up to 2009's "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da" was shaping up.

"I was very skeptical to go back with RAMMSTEIN into the studio, because last time we almost broke up because of making a record," the guitarist admitted (see video below). "So it's just always very, very stressful and painful. And I think going through that experience, I was a little nervous about that. And we came up with a deal, or an agreement. We said that we wanna go back and only record maybe five songs, to not put any pressure on us.

"We started, like, two years ago, and I can say just playing with the guys, for some reason, it was very natural and I had a lot of fun," he continued. "And since then, we've just created around twenty-eight ideas — I wouldn't say 'songs,' but ideas. And somehow we managed to move back to the beginning of the world of RAMMSTEIN where we, basically, are very emotional and very enthusiastic about writing again. It wasn't like that before. We came back to a point that everyone is really respecting the other one, and it feels kind of like a circle almost, that we start from zero again, which feels nice. It's kind of like you've been through all the problems, which you have when you play with the same lineup for twenty-two years, which is difficult. A lot of bands, they can't really stay there, they're changing people, and we don't really believe in that. We've been through a lot of downs, and there were probably a lot of moments where I felt like, 'I don't wanna do it anymore, I don't wann be in a band anymore,' but somehow we've managed it, through talking and communication, to stay together. So here we are, writing and feeling very good about it, so I'm pleased."

Regarding the overall direction of the new RAMMSTEIN material, Kruspe said: "Of course, a band wants to always do the best album [it can] do at the moment. This time, what we're really gonna do is we'll try changing the producer team. We've worked with our producer for the last six records, and this time we felt like we need a chance, so at the moment we're meeting new producers and finding what is the best for the team at the moment.

"I just feel like, for some reason, that it's gonna be the last record we do. That's a feeling — I can be wrong, but just at the moment, I feel like this is maybe the last [shot at making an album] we have, and I wanna give two hundred percent in that and make it as good as it can be," he added. "When I listen to the stuff, there's so much potential, and I'm very pleased about what we do at the moment. So I'm looking really forward to start recording maybe next year."

According to Kruspe, RAMMSTEIN didn't play many shows so far in 2017 because the band "toured last year, all the festivals, and so there were three people in the band that didn't wanna tour and there were three people in the band that wanna tour. So we made a compromise that… We said we don't wanna do as much shows as last year. So that's why we only played, I think, twenty, twenty-five shows this year.

"In RAMMSTEIN, it's a democracy, so everyone has a vote," he explained. "And if you have three saying 'yes' and three saying 'no,' you have to have a compromise, so that's what we did."

Kruspe also talked about why it takes RAMMSTEIN so long to release new music compared to some other bands.

"There's a different reason for everything, obviously," he said. "First of all, the music industry has changed a lot. It used to be that the main income for bands would be making records and selling records. That has changed. Secondly, we always believed, and we didn't have any other chances to believe in our show. In the beginning of RAMMSTEIN, nobody would play any songs on the radio, nobody would take our videos and show 'em on TV — we had a lot of trouble with that — so the only chance we had was to really focus on our live show. And we didn't know at this point that it would have changed after [so many] years. Our focus was always playing live in the beginning.

"As a European, or a German band especially, you have to tour much more than other, American bands," he continued. "They play their market and then they come to Europe and play maybe two or whatever, five or ten, shows — that's it. So we always had to play the European market and go back to America, so we played much more, I guess. So we always had a different rhythm. And also, the other reason is that when we do a record, it takes forever, because, again, we're six members that have six different opinions about everything and everyone in the band thinks that he's on the right path. So it's a lot of discussion and compromising — it takes a lot of time until we finish a record. But at the moment, we're really in a situation that we don't have to do it. We're really kind of privileged to not having any pressure — there's no record companies or managements or something; it's only us that put pressure on us. And we're at that point in our lives that we kind of feel that we wanna be sure that what we do is worth putting out. And we also wanna have the freedom to say, 'You know what? That's not good enough. Let's just don't do it.' It's a real privilege to do so, and I'm happy that we're in this situation."

The guitarist revealed that making a new RAMMSTEIN album requires "a lot of communication, a lot of love and a lot of reflection about yourself. I mean, there were times I needed distance," he said. "I moved to New York at one point of my life just to see the bigger picture. It's very important that you realize and to overcome your ego, [to] see the bigger picture with the band and see what it needs. And sometimes you have to realize that doing more is not even the best formula for the band at the moment. Sometimes you have to step back. It's just constantly like therapy with yourself, with the band. Fifty percent of our time, we're pretty much talking about stuff."

RAMMSTEIN last year played a number of concerts where the band opened each show with a brand new song, presently only known as "Ramm 4". The track contains lyrics that seem to be a combination of various titles of previous RAMMSTEIN songs.

RAMMSTEIN released a new concert DVD and Blu-ray, "Paris", on May 19. The set was recorded in March 2012 at the then-named Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris (now AccorHotels Arena) during RAMMSTEIN's "Made In Germany" tour, and was helmed by the band's longtime collaborator, Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund.

LINKIN PARK has announced a special show in honor of its bandmate and friend, Chester Bennington. The one-night-only celebration will take place in Los Angeles, at the legendary Hollywood Bowl on Friday, October 27.

The singular event marks the first time the five members will be performing on stage together since Chester passed on July 20. The band will be joined by a number of other artists, for an unforgettable night of music to honor the man who touched the lives of so many around the world.

The individual band members intend to contribute their fees from the event to Music For Relief's One More Light Fund in memory of Chester.

Pre-sale for tickets begins Tuesday, September 19, and general on-sale Friday, September 22.

The official video for the title track of LINKIN PARK's latest album, "One More Light", premiered this morning on the band's social pages. Initially, the song had not been scheduled as a single, but the strong connection with fans in the weeks following Bennington's passing brought the track to the forefront.

Directed by LINKIN PARK's Joe Hahn, and longtime band videographer Mark Fiore, the video not only reflects on the memory of Chester, but also the comradery of the band, the people they work with, and the community that has given them strength.

"It has been incredibly emotional to work on this, and especially to watch it," says Hahn. "I feel that by doing it, we not only faced some of our biggest fears, but it enabled us to use our talents to bring some light to people who need it.

"As we move forward to the Hollywood Bowl show and beyond, I think about the people who connect with the band, outside and inside our circle. This video is a gesture of good will to the people who want that connection."

"'One More Light' was written with the intention of sending love to those who lost someone. We now find ourselves on the receiving end," says LINKIN PARK co-vocalist Mike Shinoda. "In memorial events, art, videos, and images, fans all over the world have gravitated towards this song as their declaration of love and support for the band and the memory of our dear friend, Chester. We are so very grateful and can't wait to see you again."

San Francisco Bay Area metal titans MACHINE HEAD have announced the first U.S. tour dates of their world tour in support of their upcoming album, "Catharsis".

Vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn states: "It's been far too long since we've demolished venues in America.

"We have had an awesome and productive break writing our new album, 'Catharsis', but now it's time for MACHINE HEAD to go melt some faces!

"The reaction to our last 'Evening With' tours in America were nothing short of incredible, so once again these dates will be 'Evening With' and will see us performing two and a half to three hours every night with no opening bands.

"We loved performing as an 'Evening With' for you Head Cases, and you guys loved it as well, the freedom to do whatever the fuck we wanted for as long as we wanted every night was liberating. It's not what everyone else is doing, and frankly, there are not a lot of bands who could even pull it off, but MACHINE HEAD can pull it off, and we are excited as fuck to do it again. We are carving our own path here, playing by our own rules, and as an artist, it's the best feeling in the world!

"No festivals, period, no forty-five-minute slots, no supporting some stupid DJ, no parking lots in a rainstorm, The Head will only be 'headlining,' so come on down and rage!!"

MACHINE HEAD's ninth full-length album, "Catharsis" was recorded with Zack Ohren (FALLUJAH, ALL SHALL PERISH) at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California. A January 2018 release via Nuclear Blast is expected.

North American "Catharsis" tour dates:

Jan. 25 - Phoenix, AZ - Nile TheaterJan. 27 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine TheaterJan. 29 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec TheaterJan. 30 - Dallas, TX - Gas Moneky Live!Jan. 31 - Houston,TX - HOBFeb. 02 - Birmingham, AL - SaturnFeb. 03 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl MHFeb. 05 - Orlando, FL - Plaza LiveFeb. 06 - Atlanta, GA - CenterstageFeb. 08 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living ArtsFeb. 09 - New York, NY - PlaystationFeb. 10 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock ClubFeb. 11 - Montreal, QC - Club SodaFeb. 13 - Toronto, ON - Danforth MHFeb. 14 - Buffalo, NY - Town BallroomFeb. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AEFeb. 16 - Cleveland, OH - AgoraFeb. 17 - Detroit, MI - MajesticFeb. 20 - Des Moines, IA - WoolysFeb. 21 - Madison, WI - MajesticFeb. 22 - Minneapolis, MN - First AvenueFeb. 23 - Chicago, IL - Concord MHFeb. 24 - Saint Louis, MO - PopsFeb. 27 - Denver, CO - Summit MHMar. 01 - Las Vegas, NV - HOBMar. 02 - Los Angeles, CA - FondaMar. 03 - Oakland, CA - The Fox TheaterMar. 05 - Portland, OR - RoselandMar. 06 - Vancouver, BC - CommodoreMar. 07 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Market

MACHINE HEAD's latest track, "Is There Anybody Out There?", cracked the Top 40 on the Active Rock chart in the United States in August 2016. It marked the first time any Nuclear Blast artist has entered what is widely considered to be the "official rock chart" for the United States, and only the the third time the band had charted in the Top 40 in their illustrious career.

MACHINE HEAD last year wrapped up the tour cycle for its first Nuclear Blast Entertainment album, "Bloodstone & Diamonds", where the band toured for twenty months and performed a whopping two hundred and eighty-three concerts on five different continents around the world. Around two hundred and fifti of those shows were performed as "An Evening With MACHINE HEAD," with no support bands and performances often lasting two and a half to three hours. Three tours of the United States, three tours of Europe, (including multiple dates in Russia and Greece), shows in Mexico and South America, a completely sold-out run of nine Australian / New Zealand shows, sold-out dates in Japan,and their first-ever plays in Taiwan and Thailand, and all without any festival performances which the band publicly announced they would stop performing at in 2014.

"Bloodstone & Diamonds" debuted at No. 21 on The Billboard 200 chart with 19,000 sold its first week.

Wymer Publishing has set a November 30 release date for "Aerosmith In Full Flight", a pictorial document as seen through the lens of British photographer Tony Mottram.

Tony photographed the band over many years for various magazines. As was often the case, only one photo ever got published. In the fast-moving world of weekly magazines, sometimes entire sessions would be done and left undeveloped.

Tony started shooting AEROSMITH from toward the end of the period with Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay and onwards through the return of original members Joe Perry and Brad Whitford that resulted in the albums "Done With Mirrors", "Permanent Vacation" and "Pump".

As well as featuring photos of the band shot several times in England, this collection includes images from a session at the band's rehearsal room in Boston. Littered throughout is a mixture of live and offstage photos, including a selection of photos taken at London's famous Marquee club when they were joined on stage with Jimmy Page.

This limited-edition hardback book, presented in a flight case, is an opportunity to own a unique selection of photos, most of which have never seen the light of day before.

Earlybird subscribers who order by October 31 will have their name printed within a dedicated page in the book.

According to Wymer, "Aerosmith In Full Flight" has not been authorized or approved by AEROSMITH or the band's management.

AELONIA, the band founded by BLACK VEIL BRIDES guitarist Jake Pitts and his wife Inna Logvin-Pitts, has released its debut single.

The track, titled "The End", was produced, recorded and mixed by Jake and is now available on all the streaming services.

AELONIA previously released a cover version of the LINKIN PARK classic "Crawling" in memory of Chester Bennington.

According to AELONIA's Instagram, the band recently took part in a music video shoot and is currently in the studio working on more songs.

BLACK VEIL BRIDES is planning to release its fifth album in early 2018 to coincide with the launch of a major tour. The follow-up to BLACK VEIL BRIDES' 2014 self-titled effort, which was originally expected to arrive in September, was produced by John Feldmann at his Southern California studio.

A new BLACK VEIL BRIDES song called "The Outsider" was released last December.