Raucous rockers UGLY KID JOE will release a new full-length album titled "Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" in North America on October 16 via Metalville/UKJ Records. The CD was recorded at JT Studios and Balance Studios in Louisiana with producer (and UGLY KID JOE guitarist) Dave Fortman (SLIPKNOT, GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE).

The song "She's Already Gone" from "Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" can be streamed below.

Whitfield Crane (vocals) and Klaus Eichstadt (guitar) teamed up with Sonny Mayo (guitar), Shannon Larkin (drums), Zac Morris (drums), Cordell Crockett (bass) and Dave Fortman (guitar) to form the now seven-member lineup (a.k.a. "Seven-Headed Monster"; pictured below) and write and record in the studio. The result is the most cohesive sounding UGLY KID JOE record to date.

"Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" boasts a collection of well-crafted rock tunes, from the riff-driven "Let The Record Play" to the hard-hitting "She's Already Gone" and "Hell Ain't Hard To Find".

"It's a full circle of sorts," says Crane. "There was a lot of love and talent in one room and that is exactly what this album sounds like."

In addition to the nine newly written original songs, the album features a couple of cover songs, including RARE EARTH's version of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", with Australian chart-topping vocalist Dallas Frasca lending her unmistakable vocals behind Crane, and the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades", with a very special guest appearance from MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell, who lends his signature sound to the timeless track. Campbell also appears on the songs "My Old Man" and "Under The Bottom".

"Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" track listing:

01. Hell Ain't Hard To Find02. Let The Record Play03. Bad Seed04. Mirror The Man05. She's Already Gone06. Nothing Ever Changes07. My Old Man (feat. Phil Campbell)08. Under The Bottom (feat. Phil Campbell)09. Ace Of Spades (feat. Phil Campbell)10. Enemy11. Papa Was A Rolling Stone (feat. Dallas Frasca)

UGLY KID JOE's most recent CD + DVD, "Stairway To Hell", was released in October 2013 via Metalville. The set contained the band's latest EP, "Stairway To Hell", which was originally released independently in 2012, plus three bonus acoustic tracks and a special bonus DVD, including the 2012 Download festival concert, two new video clips and a "making-of" segment.

UGLY KID JOE released three full-length albums and toured extensively throughout the 1990s before disbanding in 1997.

From left to right in photo below: Whitfield Crane, Dave Fortman, Klaus Eichstadt, Cordell Crockett, Zac Morris, Shannon Larkin, Sonny Mayo

"Existence Fading", the new video from SANCTUARY, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's comeback album, "The Year The Sun Died", which was released in October 2014 via Century Media. Recorded in Seattle at Soundhouse Studios with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SOULFLY, SHADOWS FALL, HATEBREED, MUNICIPAL WASTE), the CD features 11 tracks. There was a deluxe media book, available exclusively at CM Distro in the United States, which featured expanded packaging and the bonus track, a cover of THE DOORS classic "Waiting For The Sun". The vinyl version came with a CD featuring this bonus track as well. The cover artwork for the album was created by Travis Smith (OPETH, NEVERMORE).

Fueled by the fire sparked from the European dates, SANCTUARY is gearing up for its long-awaited return to North American stages. The tour kicks off October 9 in Indianapolis and will keep the band on the road through the end of the month, wrapping up with an October 31 gig in SANCTUARY's hometown of Seattle.

SANCTUARY recently parted ways with guitarist Brad Hull and replaced him with Nick Cordle (ex-ARCH ENEMY, ARSIS).

Speaking about the fact that he is no longer hitting the same high notes while performing the SANCTUARY classics during the band's current tour, singer Warrel Dane told Planet Metal: "Well, you know, I'm not in my 20s anymore, so I have to be realistic and say… So, obviously, I'm not going to be singing like I've been sucking on a helium tank anymore. But at least, you know… I know people wanna hear these old songs, so you have to make an effort, at least. Yeah, it takes a little bit of practice, a little bit of rehearsing, and it all works out in the end, I guess. I hope people are happy. There's some people on the Internet that are pissed off that I don't sing it exactly the same as I did in 1988. I'm, like, really? C'mon! be realistic. I'm a human. I'm a flash machine. This is how it works. It's work. It's not easy. But you've gotta do it for people to show up at the shows."

Dane also addressed comparisons that some people have made between SANCTUARY's comeback album, "The Year The Sun Died", and the CDs that he made while a member of NEVERMORE. He said: "I think people are gonna say that this sounds like NEVERMORE because of one obvious reason: I'm singing. And I think for the bulk of many years, people have associated my voice with NEVERMORE, so, of course, when they hear this, they're gonna say it sounds like NEVERMORE. Whatever… But the music is completely fucking different. And people kind of overlook that and just focus on the vocals, for some reason. I don't know why."

Added guitarist Lenny Rutledge: "It [the comparison] doesn't bother me. Honestly, I welcome it. I mean, if people… What I hope is that people can enjoy both [NEVERMORE and SANCTUARY] and that they like it. I don't agree with it, but if you think it sounds like that, but you still enjoy it… That's what I'm hoping. I really don't think the music sounds like NEVERMORE. In a way, that's kind of a compliment, because, I mean, I thought the NEVERMORE stuff was very complex and deep. So, to me, it's, 'Hey, great.' I mean, at least they're not comparing it to some horrible band. It could be worse."

Warner Music has announced that their first collaboration with IRON MAIDEN for the British heavy metal legends' new album has resulted in a resounding first-week global chart success. MAIDEN's sixteenth — and first ever double — studio album, "The Book Of Souls", was released worldwide on September 4 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the U.S.A). IRON MAIDEN maintain their status as one of the foremost contemporary and influential rock bands in the world as they debut at No. 1 in the U.K. with "The Book Of Souls" (their fifth No. 1 album here, the first being 1982's seminal "The Number Of The Beast" album) and 23 other countries to date with many more still to be reported. In addition to the phenomenal amount of No.1 debuts in all parts of the world, MAIDEN are currently No.2 in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, New Zealand Poland, No.3 in Turkey, No.4 in South Africa and USA (BMG). Miles Leonard, chairman, Parlophone Records, comments: "The team at Parlophone and WMG are delighted to announce that 'The Book Of Souls' is No. 1 in 24 countries with more to come, but more impressively has even sold more than 'The Final Frontier' in its first week five years ago — a remarkable achievement!

"IRON MAIDEN and Phantom management are one of the most potent forces in rock music and we're delighted to be part of their team and their exciting plans for 2016 and beyond!”

Dave Shack, managing director at Phantom Music, adds: “The team at Phantom are delighted with the results of our very first album through Warner after so many great years with EMI. They have backed up our vision for 'The Book Of Souls' in every sense and really been fantastic partners to us all around the world — as these charts and sales clearly show."

Having recorded the new double album at Guillaume Tell Studios in Paris at the end of last year, IRON MAIDEN's 2015 plans were put on hold while vocalist Bruce Dickinson underwent treatment for a cancerous tumour on the back of the throat, from which he has now been given the all-clear. MAIDEN recently announced an extensive world tour starting in February 2016, with the band expected to visit 35 countries flying over 55,000 miles across six of the seven continents, taking touring to a whole new level by using a Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet, which will be piloted by Bruce who is currently in training to qualify for his 747 license. All chart positions received to date are as follows - * No. 1 - Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK* No. 2 - Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland* No. 3 - Turkey* No. 4 - South Africa, USA

The official lyric video for the song "I Hurt" from Finnish metallers can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's ninth studio album, "I Worship Chaos", which will be released on October 2 via Nuclear Blast. The artwork for the CD was created by Finnish artist Tuomas Korpi and can be seen below.

"I Worship Chaos" was once again recorded at Helsinki, Finland's Danger Johnny Studios and was produced by CHILDREN OF BODOM and Mikko Karmila, who worked with the band on their earlier albums "Halo Of Blood", "Hatebreeder", "Follow The Reaper" and "Hate Crew Deathroll". The CD was mixed and mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland.

"I Worship Chaos" will be available in following formats:

* CD + DVD digibook (incl. bonus DVD and three bonustracks!)* CD* 2LP (black, clear, silver, yellow, picture)* digibook + canvas (Nuclear Blast mailorder edition)

The album can be pre-ordered at this location. Comments CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho: "To me, it seems like 'I Worship Chaos' has a lot darker vibe in it than the previous albums and so far everyone has told me that the songs are a lot catchier this time, which I'm definitely glad about. To sum it up, it's angry, dark and catchy as fuck. I think it's safe to say 'I Worship Chaos' is CHILDREN OF BODOM reborn even more pissed off." "I Worship Chaos" track listing:

01. I Hurt02. My Bodom (I Am The Only One)03. Morrigan04. Horns05. Prayer For The Afflicted06. I Worship Chaos07. Hold Your Tongue08. Suicide Bomber09. All for Nothing10. Widdershins

Bonus tracks (digibook only):

11. Mistress Of Taboo (PLASMATICS cover)12. Danger Zone (KENNY LOGGINS cover)13. Black Winter Day (AMORPHIS cover)

CHILDREN OF BODOM has recruited Antti Wirman, the younger brother of the band's keyboardist Janne Wirman, to handle second-guitar duties for their upcoming shows.

Antti, who has been a member of Janne's band WARMEN since 2001, made his live debut with CHILDREN OF BODOM on May 30 when the group played a surprise six-song set at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland.

"We wanted to go with someone close to the band we can count on and who can nail these songs. Antti was the obvious choice," said Janne.

Antti will play with CHILDREN OF BODOM through the end of the year. The group will then decide what to do about the second-guitarist position on a more permanent basis.

CHILDREN OF BODOM's first official concert with Antti took place on June 4 at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden.

CHILDREN OF BODOM in May announced the departure of the band's guitarist of the past decade, Roope Latvala.

"Domina", the new video from Portuguese metallers MOONSPELL, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "Extinct", which was released on March 17 via Napalm. The CD was completed at Fascination Street Studio in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with KATATONIA, AMON AMARTH, OPETH and PARADISE LOST, among others.

The cover artwork for the mediabook edition of "Extinct" was designed by Seth Siro Anton.

According to a press release, "Extinct" is "all but a musical and emotional manifesto. It puts the D of darkness back into dark metal. It's a true lesson for the new generations of goth metal about how it's played and felt with body and soul; a lesson taught by no others than our Portuguese gentlemen wolves."

"Extinct" was made available as a mediabook, jewel case, special limited deluxe edition and LP.

MOONSPELL recently extended its worldwide deal with Napalm Records.

Commented MOONSPELL vocalist Fernando Ribeiro: "MOONSPELL has come to an interesting moment of our life as a band, and after releasing 'Extinct', it was like a veil was taken off our eyes end we decided to only pair with people who believe in our music and who can see beyond and rise above the rotten waters most of the business and music fell into these past few years. With that in mind, we joined forces with Napalm again, because they believe us, because they let us go and dare with our music, and because they hold truth to their word. We might not have signed in blood but our stars aligned, and it's with pleasure and hope in a great future that we say these news to all our fans. The future might be dark, but without true people like the ones working for Napalm, there would be no tomorrow."

Added Napalm Records vice president Thomas Caser: "We are proud that one of the most exciting and innovative metal bands of today have prolongued the cooperation with Napalm Records. The path we have started together with the band two albums ago will continue and we will spare no efforts to grow the Portuguese wolves in the future!"

Geezer Butler (BLACK SABBATH), Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), Perry Farrell (JANE'S ADDICTION) and pop superstar Kesha are among the guest musicians who performed with HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES during the band's live debut Wednesday night (September 16) at the 500-capacity The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California.

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' touring lineup features Alice Cooper on vocals, Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on bass, Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES) on drums, and Joe Perry (AEROSMITH) and A-list actor Johnny Depp on lead and rhythm guitar.

Butler and Morello got up on stage for Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression", while Farrell took on lead vocals for Harry Nilsson's "Jump Into The Fire". Kesha stepped up for a version of LED ZEPPELIN's "Whole Lotta Love", before re-emerging later — along with Morello and Farrell — for Cooper's "School's Out" mashed up with PINK FLOYD's "Another Brick In The Wall".

The HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' album was released on September 11. The self-titled set, which was produced by Bob Ezrin, features appearances by Paul McCartney, Brian Johnson, Joe Walsh, Zak Starkey, Perry Farrell, Dave Grohl, Slash, Robbie Krieger, and Kip Winger, among others. All artist proceeds will be donated to MusiCares.

Perry told The Pulse Of Radio that he's looking forward to HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES growing into a solid working live outfit. "I'm an East Coast guy, y'know. I mean, everybody else is kinda like, West Coast, or… So, to spend all the time in L.A. and to be part of this, it's a real gas. And I know it's something that Johnny's wanted to do for a long time, actually have a band, y'know? And, y'know, we're gonna put a lot of time into the rehearsals, so it won't take anything but bring your guitar and show up."

The HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES project is a salute to Alice Cooper's hard-partying L.A. crew in 1973-1974, which included Keith Moon, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson and Micky Dolenz, among others. A plank of wood featuring the legendary musicians' signatures is immortalized at Hollywood's Rainbow Bar And Grill in the club's upper level, known as "Over The Rainbow."

Following the impressive main-stage performance of Zak Stevens with SAVATAGE and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA in front of 80,000 people at Wacken Open Air festival 2015, Zak and his band CIRCLE II CIRCLE will release their new album, "Reign Of Darkness", on October 16 via earMUSIC.

The song "Victim Of The Night" from "Reign Of Darkness" can be streamed below.

earMUSIC/Edel and Zak Stevens have enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success together over the years with SAVATAGE albums like "Edge Of Thorns", "The Wake Of Magellan" and "Dead Winter Dead" (true milestones of hard rock and metal and some of the biggest charts metal successes of the '90s) and CIRCLE II CIRCLE albums such as "Seasons Will Fall" alike.

CIRCLE II CIRCLE is a band that has been reinventing itself through the years, but maintaining that signature sound that fans around the world love. "Reign Of Darkness" is no exception to that attitude, bringing out the very best CIRCLE II CIRCLE has to offer. Needless to say, "Reign Of Darkness" overshadows what has been done before.

Says Stevens: "You might say that 'Reign Of Darkness' represents a musical reinvention for us, but the minute you hear each song you know right away that it's CIRCLE II CIRCLE. We wanted to pay homage to the past, but we also wanted to create a musical renaissance within our genre that is fresh and energetic. This is an album that will positively pave the way for our future."

"Reign Of Darkness" features the powerful metal sound, strong hard rock riffs, both emphasizing Zak Stevens's passionate melodic rock vocals. Again, the band has created something new, something fresh and vigorous. And the artwork definitely sets new standards.

"Reign Of Darkness" track listing:

01. Over-Underture02. Victim Of The Night03. Untold Dreams04. It's All Over05. One More Day06. Ghost Of The Devil07. Somewhere08. Deep Within09. Taken Away10. Sinister Love11. Solitary Rain

CIRCLE II CIRCLE is:

Zak Stevens (SAVATAGE) - VocalsMitch Stewart - Bass/VocalsBill Hudson (POWER QUEST, CELLADOR) - Guitars/VocalsChristian Wentz - Guitars/VocalsHenning Wanner (WHITE LION, JADED HEART) - Keyboards/VocalsMarcelo Moreira (ALMAH, SYMBOLICA, MARMOR) - Drums

RESURRECTION KINGS is the name of new so-called "supergroup" featuring singer Chas West (RED DRAGON CARTEL, TANGO DOWN), guitarist Craig Goldy (DIO, GIUFFRIA, ROUGH CUTT, DIO DISCIPLES), bassist Sean McNabb (DOKKEN, GREAT WHITE) and drummer Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL). The band is currently working on its debut album for a 2016 release via Frontiers Music Srl.

Appice and Goldy played sporadic shows earlier in the year as part of BLACK KNIGHTS RISING, also featuring bassist Elliott Rubinson (Uli Jon Roth, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, Carmine Appice) and vocalists Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, DIO DISCIPLES) and John West (BADLANDS, LYNCH MOB, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA).

After joining DIO in 1987, Goldy became Ronnie James Dio's right-hand man and went on to co-write such DIO classics as "Dream Evil", "One More For The Road" and "As Long As It's Not About Love".

Vinny Appice has anchored the rhythm and power live and in the studio for the music of DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, WWIII, AXIS, Rick Derringer, John Lennon, and more. He has recorded and co-written songs on over 25 albums and CDs, including many multi-platinum records. Touring the world for over two decades resulted in selling millions of records. Vinny's drumming can also be heard on numerous movie soundtracks, including "Wayne's World 2", "Heavy Metal", "Iron Eagle" and "Bedazzled". Vinny, the author of drum instruction book "Rock Steady" and DVD "Hard Rock Drumming Techniques", has performed incredible powerhouse drum clinics around the globe. Numerous books have been written about BLACK SABBATH and DIO with the authors always mentioned Vinny's unique powerful drumming style.

Martin "Kiddie" Kearns, the drummer of British death metal pioneers BOLT THROWER, has passed away at the age of 38. He died peacefully in his sleep after feeling sick at rehearsal.

In a statement, the surviving members of BOLT THROWER say: "With the heaviest of hearts, and still numb from shock, we have to share the very sad news that on Monday, BOLT THROWER lost our powerhouse drummer, Martin 'Kiddie' Kearns.

"After the first rehearsal for our upcoming tour of Australia, Kiddie suddenly felt unwell which continued throughout the night, and the next day he passed away peacefully in his sleep.

"He was a fantastic dad, husband, son, friend, but to us he was always Kiddie, the same 17-year-old Coventry kid whose drumming style and personality blew us away when he first walked into our rehearsal room more than 20 years ago.

"Kiddie enriched our lives and the BOLT THROWER sound. He leaves a massive hole in the lives of everyone who knew him and will be very sorely missed by many."

As a result of Kearns's passing, BOLT THROWER's Australian tour has been canceled.

The last three albums from BOLT THROWER — "Mercenary" (1998), "Honour Valour Pride" (2001) and "Those Once Loyal" (2005) — were reissued on vinyl on October 24, 2011 via Metal Blade Records. All three albums were released as gatefold LPs in colored vinyl, limited to 1,000 units each.

BOLT THROWER indefinitely postponed plans to record a new studio album after the band realized that the new stuff it had written "just doesn't match up" to the group's last CD, "Those Once Loyal". "We have a lot of pride in our back catalogue, and we refuse to turn into one of the many bands (like the ones we grew up listening to) who end up releasing crap, and we're also not prepared to compromise by instead releasing an album of cover versions or a 'best-of' album," BOLT THROWER explained in a statement.

"Those Once Loyal" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 76 — the group's highest-charting release in Germany so far. The follow-up to 2001's "Honour, Valour, Pride" was recorded at Andy Faulkner's Sable Rose studios and was the band's first album since the return of original vocalist Karl Willetts as a full-time member.

SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers recently took part in an interview and acoustic performance at the studios of the Arizona radio station 98 KUPD. You can now watch video footage of their appearance below.

SHINEDOWN's much-anticipated new album. "Threat To Survival" — the rock band's first new album in three years — arrives everywhere on September 18 via Atlantic. "Threat To Survival" follows 2012's RIAA gold-certified "Amaryllis".

"'Threat To Survival' refers to that primal instinct in all of us that determines how we respond to crisis and conflict — the idea of 'fight or flight' and the choices we make in any given situation," explains Smith. "This album represents those deciding moments for us as a band. It's a collection of scenarios that made us who we are, and is, by far, the most autobiographical album we've created to date."

"Cut The Cord" — produced by SHINEDOWN's own Eric Bass — arrived in June and fast ascended to #1 at Active Rock radio outlets across the country. The single's immediate success continues a record-setting streak in which every one of the 19 singles released over SHINEDOWN's decade-plus career has ascended to the upper regions of the radio charts — a feat that no other rock band has achieved.

In addition, the "Cut The Cord" companion video recently had its world premiere on Billboard.com. The powerful clip was directed by the band's longtime collaborator Darren Doane ("Devour", "Sound Of Madness", "Bully").

SHINEDOWN will return to the road in October to headline a string of festivals: Mobile, Alabama's Bayfest (October 2), Louisville, Kentucky's Louder Than Life (October 4) and Sacramento, California's Monster Energy Aftershock (October 24). The band is already set to kick off 2016 by crossing the Atlantic for the inaugural United Kingdom version of the "Carnival Of Madness Tour", joining fellow hard rock icons BLACK STONE CHERRY, Atlantic Records labelmates HALESTORM, and newcomers HIGHLY SUSPECT for arena dates slated through mid-February.

"Threat To Survival" track listing:

01. Asking For It02. Cut The Cord03. State Of My Head04. Outcast05. How Did You Love?06. It All Adds Up07. Oblivion08. Dangerous09. Thick As Thieves10. Black Cadillac11. Misfits

SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith told The Pulse Of Radio what we can expect from the record. "A lot of bands and a lot of artists take the initiative to say — if they're lucky enough to get to a fifth album — 'Yeah, it's such a different record' and all these things," he said. "And you listen to it and you go, 'That's cool, it sounds exactly the same as your last records.' That's really not the case with this. It's a devastating record. It's a heartbreaking record. It's a beautiful record, but it's ferocious."

Smith said in a statement about "Cut The Cord": "In your truest moment of weakness… When everyone and everything has betrayed you, and evil and hatred has wrapped itself around your mind, body and soul… this is the song that you play. This is the statement to the world that you will not give up, you will not give in, and you refuse to fail!!! Now is your time… to 'cut the cord.'"

"Under The Red Cloud", the new album from Finnish masters of melancholic metal AMORPHIS, has registered the following first-week chart positions:

Finland: #2Germany: #10Switzerland: #11Austria: #20Belgium: #40 (Flanders), #53 (Wallonia)Netherland: #50France: #61Australia: #157England: #162

Comments AMORPHIS guitarist Esa Holopainen: "With our 12th studio album, we finally made it to Top 10 in Germany. In most of territories, we beat our previous chart entries in these times when there's tons of albums released every week and artists are struggling with sales. This is absolute hats off and humblest salute to our fans. Feels unbelivable, thank you."

"Under The Red Cloud" was released on September 4 via Nuclear Blast.

"Under The Red Cloud" track listing:

01. Under The Red Cloud02. The Four Wise Ones03. Bad Blood04. The Skull05. Death Of A King06. Sacrifice07. Dark Path08. Enemy At The Gates09. Tree Of Ages10. White Night

Bonus tracks (digipak & 2LP):

11. Come The Spring12. Winter’s Sleep

Esa Holopainen previously stated about "Under The Red Cloud": "The artwork is done by Valnoir Mortasonge. Valnoir is well known from his works for LAIBACH, PARADISE LOST, WATAIN, BEHEMOTH and many more. It was a great pleasure to work with him as he [captured] the lyrical topics really well. Colors and details describe the music perfectly."

He continued: "'Under The Red Cloud' is produced by Jens Bogren, who did amazing job with the album. There's a lot's of elements in the songs but every note and element is in perfect harmony so that the result is fucking heavy and melodic. All I can say is that 'Under The Red Cloud' will be in my personal Top 3 AMORPHIS albums that we've ever done."

San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL will enter AudioHammer Studios in Sanford, Florida on October 9 to begin recording their new album, for a spring 2014 release via Nuclear Blast. The CD will once again be produced by the team of Jason Suecof and DEATH ANGEL guitarist Rob Cavestany.

Says the band: "We wrote, toured North America, wrote more, toured Europe and the U.K., and are now in the final stages of writing. Totally inspired by our lives on the road, in music and all that comes with it, these songs are fueled by intense emotion!"

DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda recently told Rock Hard magazine about the musical direction of the band's forthcoming follow-up to 2013's "The Dream Calls For Blood" album: "We actually had a plan, to a certain degree. When we started working with [producer] Jason Suecof for the last two records, [2010's] 'Relentless Retribution' and 'The Dream Calls For Blood', we thought we were gonna do two records intense like that and kind of go back [to the more] melodic [direction of 1990's] 'Act III', but the last two records, we've been loving so much writing that style, and the crowds have been enjoying them so much. And I think we're gonna kind of stick with the same brutality and technicality and, yeah, kind of keep writing this route. 'Cause one thing… In our minds, even if we think we're being more brutal than we've ever been, it's inevitable that we are obsessed with melody, so there's always gonna be melody that separates us from, say, different thrash bands or extreme bands, because we always veer to a melody and catchy hooks. No matter how brutal we think we're being, we like to throw in hooks, so we're just gonna carry on how we're doing now and try to pick as many of the young punters there and keep our stronghold on the old punters."

DEATH ANGEL guitarist Ted Aguilar told Groovey what fans can expect from the band's next CD: "It's gonna be DEATH ANGEL. In my personal opinion, I don't think we're gonna try to top ['The Dream Calls For Blood']. You can't recreate that moment in time. 'The Dream Calls For Blood' is 'The Dream Calls For Blood'. This next album we're writing… It's always gonna be heavy. The foundation of DEATH ANGEL is still there, but it's kind of hard to describe what direction we're going in until it's recorded, mixed and mastered. 'Cause the way DEATH ANGEL writes, we write a song, but it's always evolving — up until the point of recording. Even when it comes down to the mixing. It's just, like, 'Ah, let's change that up.'"

He continued: "'The Dream Calls For Blood', it's a great record. We're proud of it. And the next album, it's just gonna be DEATH ANGEL in our mindset today. I'm not gonna say, 'It's gonna be this,' and it ends up being a little different. Who knows what this album is gonna sound like? [But] it's gonna be good."

DEATH ANGEL released "A Thrashumentary" on July 24 via Nuclear Blast. The DVD was directed, shot and edited by Tommy Jones (KATAKLYSM, SOILWORK, LAMB OF GOD, CARCASS, TESTAMENT) of Videohammer Studios. The release also includes a full live album titled "The Bay Calls For Blood".

Legendary Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant performed at the Molson Amphieater in Toronto, Ontario on September 15th, featuring a set loaded with Zeppelin classics. Fan-filmed video from the show is available below. The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Trampled Under Foot" 
"Turn It Up" 
"Black Dog"
"Rainbow"
"Black Country Woman" 
"Spoonful"
"The Rain Song" 
"No Place To Go" / "Dazed and Confused" 
"The Lemon Song" 
"Little Maggie" 
"Crawling King Snake" 
"Whole Lotta Love" / "Who Do You Love"

Encore:
"Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down" / "In My Time Of Dying" 
"Rock and Roll"

Remaining dates on Plant's current tour are as follows:

September
17 - The Capitol Theatre - Port Chester, NY    
18 - Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom    - New York, NY
20 - Blue Hills Bank Pavilion - Boston, MA
22 - Murat Theatre at Old National Centre - Indianapolis, IN    
23 - FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island - Chicago, IL

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters concluded the first North American leg of their 2015 tour on June 17th in Philadelphia, PA, at the Mann Center. The tour included Plant’s return to Bonnaroo the weekend of June 12th. Pro-shot footage from the festival is streaming below:

See what happened on the road in North America with this video by Skin Tyson:

Robert Plant’s lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar, which was released September 2014 on Nonesuch/Warner Bros. Records.

Plant described lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar as, “a celebratory record, powerful, gritty, African, Trance meets Zep.” He continues, “The whole impetus of my life as a singer has to be driven by a good brotherhood. I am very lucky to work with The Sensational Space Shifters. They come from exciting areas of contemporary music…”

The Sensational Space Shifters are Justin Adams: bendirs, djembe, guitars, tehardant, background vocals; John Baggott: keyboards, loops, moog bass, piano, tabal, background vocals; Juldeh Camara: kologo, ritti, Fulani vocals; Billy Fuller: bass, drum programming, omnichord, upright bass; Dave Smith: drum set; and Liam “Skin” Tyson: banjo, guitar, background vocals.

A short movie detailing the band’s experience in South America can be seen below:

Montreal's Hasta La Muerte have released a new single entitled "Step Up", currently available for free download via Bandcamp. A video for the track is due to be released soon. Check it out below:

Step Up by Hasta La Muerte

The band recently issued the following update:

"We want to thank you for the great feedback from our first single "Pour Anotha Shot", it's great to see we can still manage to move people by taking the piss! We had alot of fun making this clip, you can check out our "behind the scenes" on our youtube channel for a sneak peak of what happened behind the camera. By the way, you can still get the single here."

Hasta La Muerte recently released their official video for "Pour Anotha Shot" and posted a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot. Check out the clips below:

Stuck Mojo / Fozzy guitarist Rich Ward saw the video and took to Twitter with his thoughts on the band.

Hasta La Muerte guitarist David Evangelista comments: "That feel when one of your favorite rockstar guitarists and tweets you this. This made my day."

Pour Anotha Shot by Hasta La Muerte

For information and updates on Hasta La Muerte go to this location.

Occult heavy metal conjurors, Mirror, will unveil the cult crafting of their self-titled debut through Metal Blade Records on November 13.  
 
The brainchild of bassist/diehard metal connoisseur/Satan's Wrath vocalist Tas Danazoglou, Mirror was forged in fire following a chance meeting with London-based producer (Cathedral, Angel Witch, Paradise Lost) and accomplished drummer, Jaime Gomez Arellano. The union ultimately led to the two embarking on a shared musical vision that encompasses a classic hard-rock/proto-metal sound with tasteful songwriting and musicianship. Satan's Wrath guitarist, Stamos K., was next to join, his musical instincts and considerable production experience suiting the band's ethos perfectly. Vocalist, Jimmy Mavromatis who, with his operatic tenor, rounded out the growing unit would subsequently join the ranks. The last addition was completed with the final addition of Los Angeles-based guitarist Matt Olivo whose infamy was earned as the co-founder of grindcore pioneers, Repulsion.

The recording of Mirror's self-titled debut began in London at Orgone Studios (Ghost, Paradise Lost, Cathedral) in the autumn of 2014 with Arellano handling production duties. The recording boasts strong melodic ideas with classic, heavy riffs inspired by the sounds of UFO, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and the like. Preorder options are available at Metal Blade.

Tracklisting:

“Mirror”
“Curse Of The Gypsy”
“Year Of The Red Moon”
“Heavy King”
“Madness And Magik”
“Galleon”
“Cloak Of A Thousand Secrets”
“Orion’s Sword”
“Elysian”

“Heavy King”:

Wisconsin-based death metal institution Jungle Rot makes its Decibel Magazine Flexi Series debut in the November issue (Iron Maiden cover) with "Speed Freak”, their take on the 1988 Hallows Eve classic.

"We figured if anyone was gonna cover Hallows Eve, it would be a song from their first two albums," says bassist James Genenz. "But we chose to go with something from their third album, Monument, as it's usually overlooked."

Hear “Speed Freak” below:

David Matrise (vocals/guitar) on the track, ““Speed Freak” was the song that I would play over and over again and again in my first car going to school. It’s the song we always played hanging with my buddies years ago driving to party's and fucking shit up!”

Pick up the November issue of Decibel now.

Power Prog has announced the signing of one of the most promising Brazilian heavy metal bands nowadays, the powerhouses of Heaviest. The first common goal is the worldwide release of their debut album Nowhere on October 23 as audio-CD, download card, as digital download and as stream.

Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Heaviest is a stronghold occupied Brazilian metal band and was founded by worldwide known singer Mario Pastore, Guto Mantesso (Guitar), Marcio Eidt (Guitar), Renato Dias (Bass) and Felipe Perini (Drums) in late 2014. The guys feature and prefer a heavy and modern sound, mainly influenced by bands like Adrenaline Mob, Stone Sour and Disturbed and additional personal influences of each member to create a unique stylistic direction within the heavy metal music. 

A press release states: “Now, after months of creative, extensive and hard work and a line-up change (Vito Montanaro is the new one on drums), the time has come for the bang and Heaviest are able to present their impressive debut album to the world. What can you expect? Brilliant, massive and full throttle heavy metal comes with enormous power, expressive songwriting, enraged heavy-as-hell crunching guitars and a more than compelling state-of-the-art production. Mario Pastore's limitless vocal performance is a real ‘straight in your face’ experience in matters of power and range. With this high caliber metal masterpiece, Heaviest will properly shake up the whole scene and do not need to hide from the all-time greats of the metal business ... Not a single second!”

Nowhere tracklisting:

“Buried Alive”
“Decisions”
“Nowhere”
“Betrayed”
“Crawling Back”
“Torment”
“Resurrection”
“Finding A Way”
“Land Of Sin”

“Nowhere” video:

Preorder the album at Bandcamp.

The sixth studio full-length from French dark extreme metallers Otargos, titled Xeno Kaos, will be released on November 13th via Kaotoxin Records, with pre-orders starting on October 12th at Kaotoxin.

A second trailer video is now available. Watch both clips below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

A press release states: “Completing their stylistic shift towards a unique kind of dark extreme metal started with their previous full-length, Apex Terror, Otargos are back stronger than ever with a brand new approach, as dark as before but more intense, heavier, still as fast and catchy, but with more diversity thrown in through background industrial noise and samples, a wider spectrum of extreme arts which includes black metal, death metal, dark metal and more... a very personal approach of darkness somewhere between Behemoth, Septicflesh and The Amenta.”

Tracklisting:

“Dominatrix”
“The Ruinous Powers”
“Chariots Of The Godz”
“Dark Mechanicus”
“Phase Shifters”
“Xeno Kaos”
“Realm Of The Dead”
“Human Terminate”
“Infernal Legions Strike A.E.” (Bonus track exclusive to digisleeve)

Recorded at various locations including Gorod's Mathieu Pascal's Bud Studio (Ad Patres) and mixed and mastered at The Order Of Apollyon's Herr Krauss' Vamacara Studio (Azziard, Antropofago), Xeno Kaos will be released as a 1000 copies limited edition deluxe digisleeve CD, including 100 copies as a collector, hand-numbered and autographed, boxset version featuring the digisleeve CD, alternative artwork, exclusive sticker, exclusive picture, exclusive patch and exclusive guitar pick and, of course, Digital, along with a new line of merchandising including t-shirts, tank tops and sweat shirts. Alongside CD and Digital preorders, a crowdfunding campaign will be launched for 12" LP and cassette tape versions.

Otargos will also be touring Europe with label-mates The Negation and Sidious from October 26th to 31st. The Xeno Kaos Tour will be split in two parts. The first leg will see Otargos invade the UK with The Negation and Sidious. The second will take the band across Europe with The Negation. Otargos will also co-headline the second KaotoxinFest alongside CinC (ex-Carnival In Coal) on December 5th - 6th in Lille, France.

Twitching Tongues have posted a new live video today for their songs "Eyes Adjust" and "World War V." Fans will quickly know that "Eyes Adjust" and "World War V" are classics from the band's 2013 full-length, In Love There Is No Law. The new video also comes just as Twitching Tongues is gearing up for the release of their new album, Disharmony, out October 30th on Metal Blade Records.

Twitching Tongues has announced a fall headlining tour with Harm's Way in support of their upcoming record, Disharmony. Additional support will be provided by Homewrecker and Malice At The Palace.

Tour dates:

November
13 - Dallas, TX - Sons Of Herman Hall
15 - Houston, TX - Walters Downtown
17 - Orlando, FL - Backbooth
18 - Tampa, FL - Epic Problem
19 - Jacksonville, FL - Underbelly
20 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
21 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall
22 - Richmond, VA - Canal Club
23 - Amityville, NY - Amityville Music Hall
25 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison*
26 - Montreal, QC - La Vitrola*
27 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East Downstairs
28 - New York, NY - The Studio at Webster Hall
29 - Philadelphia, PA - Voltage Lounge

December
1 - Pittsburgh, PA - Cattivo
2 - Cleveland, OH -  Now That’s Class
3 - Detroit, MI - The Café*
4 - Chicago, IL - Double Door

*no Harm’s Way

Led by brothers Colin Young (vocals) and Taylor Young (guitars/vocals; also of grindcore band Nails), Twitching Tongues has carved out a prominent place in Los Angeles' burgeoning music scene over the last several years. With two albums, Sleep Therapy (2012) and In Love There Is No Law (2013), under their belts and extensive worldwide touring, the band has quickly managed to become one of the underground’s most discussed bands and is on the cusp of a major breakout with the release of Disharmony this fall.

"This record represents every single thing we have done and have worked towards these past 5 years…It is a new beginning for this band, and it feels incredible to finally share it with all of you." - Colin Young

Disharmony is a powerful display of unrelenting sound. The band wastes no time ripping into the record with the title track that perfectly showcases their unique blend of doom, sludge and hardcore. Disharmony features ten aggressive tracks like "Asylum Avenue" and "Sacrifice Me" that find a balance between accessibility and cataclysmic destruction.

Disharmony tracklisting:

“Disharmony”
“Insincerely Yours”
“Asylum Avenue”
“Love Conquers None”
“Insatiable Sin”
“Cannibal”
“Sacrifice Me”
“Arrival”
“The End Of Love”
“Cruci-Fiction”

"Disharmony" video:

Osmose Productions has announced the reissue of Samael’s Worship Him album, on April 1st, 2016, on limited edition of 1,000 CDs and 1,000 LPs. This will mark the 25th year anniversary of the record company.

Worship Him is the first full album from the Swiss heavy metal band, released in 1991. Complete details to follow.

Samael will visit Poland on four dates this November. The band will be celebrating their cult album Ceremony Of Opposites (1994) by performing it in its entirety. Support on these dates will come from two Pagan Records bands that have already performed together plenty: Furia and Bloodthirst.

Tour dates:

November
26 – Cracow, Poland – Fabryka
27 – Wroclaw, Poland – Alibi
28 – Warsaw, Poland – Progresja
29 – Gdansk, Poland – B-90

Tickets for the Cracow, Wroclaw, and Warsaw shows can be bought via the Knock Out Productions webshop and tickets for Gdansk show can be purchased via the B-90 website.

The organizers of 70000 Tons Of Metal have confirmed the addition of Samael to the cruise.

Next year's lineup now holds: Ancient Rites, At The Gates, Belphegor, Carach Angren, Children Of Bodom, Delain, DragonForce, Epica, Firewind, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Gamma Ray,  Hammerfall, Holy Moses, Iced Earth, Insomnium, Moonspell, My Dying Bride, Lacuna Coil, Rhapsody Of Fire, Rotting Christ, Samael, Sodom, Thyrfing, Turisas, Týr, and Visions Of Atlantis.

After five consecutive sellouts, 70000 Tons Of Metal, The Original, is gearing up for Round 6 of The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise!

There are many Oceans and many ships, but 70000 Tons Of Metal always was and is the leading light of a new trend: They are truly The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise. It's not enough that 70000 Tons Of Metal 2016 will sail on one of the biggest cruise liners on the planet, the 154,000ton Independence Of The Seas: On 70000 Tons Of Metal you get unrestricted festival access to all live shows on board, not just one show per band with assigned seating based on which cabin category you booked. On The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise you can come and go to any and all events as you please. With 60 Bands on board you get access to 120 shows, 70000 Tons Of Karaoke until sunrise, as well as Clinics and Work-Shops with the musicians on board. Next year for the first time ever they are introducing #SuperMetalSunday: The last day of the cruise will coincide with the 2016 SuperBowl which will be screened live on board but it will also include Jamming In International Waters the 70000 Tons All Star Jam that makes Metal history year after year, their infamous Belly Flop Contest and the last night of 70000 Tons Of Karaoke in a very special, yet to be revealed location! Did we mention they have bars on board that never close? Yes, you heard right: They have bars on board that never close!

Two full days at sea and the opportunity to mingle side-by-side with your favorite artists on a floating luxury resort in the middle of the Caribbean. This event truly has no comparison and since there are no VIP areas it's like everyone has a backstage pass!

Moving The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise to Royal Caribbean's Independence Of The Seas exemplifies 70000 Tons Of Metal's continued dedication to constant improvement and on board innovation. This cruise liner, the younger sister ship of the “Liberty Of The Seas” offers everything you could dream of having on your floating Heavy Metal Paradise including 4 Stages: The Alhambra Theater is a five-story concert hall in which they spare no expense to remove part of the (very comfortable) seating so you have a real Mosh Pit on the High Seas; The more intimate Egyptian themed Pyramid lounge offers the local club atmosphere; The third indoor stage is in Studio B, the ice skating rink featuring a maritime version of the Arena experience and last but not least their jewel: The Pool Deck stage - The World’s Biggest Open Air Stage Structure to ever sail the Open Seas, surrounded by multiple bars and pools, plenty of room to sunbathe on several decks and even hot tubs incorporated into the Pool Deck stage to soak in while you watch the shows!

This year's sailors liked going to Jamaica so much that the organizers decided to go back. However, it wouldn't be 70000 Tons Of Metal if they were simply sailing to the same destination. Next year's port of call will be Falmouth, Jamaica which offers a wider range of shore excursions than ever before.

70000 Tons Of Metal, The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise, will sail Thursday, February 4, 2016 aboard the Royal Caribbean Independence Of The Seas from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale near Miami, FL and will not return to the real world until Monday, February 8, 2016.

Ticket prices start at USD 666 plus USD 348 Taxes and Fees per person and include all on board entertainment, most non-alcoholic and non-carbonated beverages, all meals in the dining rooms, most on board restaurants and even 24 hour room service!

Public sales are now underway. Check out 70000tons.com for more information.

 

Long-running Norwegian black metal band, Tsjuder, are streaming their new studio album, Antiliv, in it’s entirety (listen below).

The album was mixed by Andy LaRocque (King Diamond) at his Sonic Train Studios in Sweden. The follow-up to 2011’s Legion Helvete will be released on September 18th via Season Of Mist.

Tracklisting:

“Kaos”
“Krater”
“Norge”
“Djevelens Mesterverk”
“Demonic Supremacy”
“Slumber With The Worm”
“Ved Ferdens Ende”
“Antiliv”

Album stream:

Tsjuder 2015 are:

Nag (Jan-Erik Romøren) – bass, vocals
Draugluin (Halvor Storrøsten) – guitar
Anti-Christian (Christian Svendsen) – drums

 

Three years after releasing their self-titled studio album, Saint Diablo have finished their sophomore album, entitled Devil Horns And Halos, which was produced by Tim “Rumblefish” Gilles (Anthrax, Ill Nino) at Big Blue Meenie studios in Jersey City, NJ. The album will be released worldwide via Eclipse Records on November 13th.

The band is offering a free download of “Dark Horse”, taken from Devil Horns And Halos. The free song can be downloaded at this location.

Saint Diablo has posted a video interview with members of the band about Devil Horns And Halos.

Guitarist Justin Adams states, “We were on cloud nine, working with a well-known producer in a world-class recording studio. Tim’s approach to capturing our sound was so inspirational, and then life threw us some pretty significant detours… I got divorced, and shortly thereafter I was diagnosed with cancer.”

Vocalist Tito Quinones elaborates, “He was faced with some difficult decisions, and the lyrics for “Survive This” were written about him. I was impressed with how he balanced the pain, faced his mortality, and was still able to write and perform some of the most powerful music that’s ever come out of him.”

In addition, the band talk extensively about recording with producer Tim Gilles, what it was like getting the album finished in the midst of their personal chaos, and some of the finer things in life, such as drinking lots of Old Milwaukee beer.

The new album features ten ferocious metal tracks which capture the band’s abilities as songwriters and performers like they’ve never been showcased before. “Saint Diablo has written the best record of their career yet”, says producer Tim Gilles. “We’re definitely making a statement with this album!”
 
The cover art was designed by Jordan Stanley (Stanley Studios), and it conveys elements and themes of various songs within the album.

Tracklisting:

“Devil Horns And Halos”
“Survive This”
“Meet My Maker”
“Dark Horse”
“Ancient Astronauts”
“Trust Me”
“Last Fight”
“My Time”
“Adios En-Amigos”
“Reincarnation”

Saint Diablo is:

Tito Quinones (vocals)
Justin Adams (guitar)
Brian Bush (drums)
Tyler Huffman (bass)

British AOR band Blood Red Saints will release their debut album, Speedway, on December 4th in Europe and North America.

Blood Red Saints is a new band formed in late 2014 by singer Pete Godfrey and bassist Rob Naylor. Pete made his recording debut on the October 2014 In Faith album, but hungry to be in a 'band' rather than a project, Pete formed Blood Red Saints with Rob from the band Angels Or Kings and quickly got to work writing their debut album.

“I went in to the In Faith knowing it was a project,” says Pete Godfrey. “We were offered shows but we couldn't find any common ground to move forward. That was the moment where I decided I wanted to be in a 'real band', one that goes out and plays live and has that 'us against the world' mentality. Without doubt, we are going to play live. We have a launch show December the 4th in Bolton, UK then we are playing the JSY/ARFM charity show in Derby at the end of January and also HRH AOR in March - working on more shows right now!”

Blood Red Saints lineup was completed by another former In Faith member, Pete Newdeck (also from Eden’s Curse and currently the vocalist for Tainted Nation) on drums and Lee Revill on guitar (ex-Gary Hughes). “Pete and I quickly became good friends,” says Pete. “It was a simple choice on my part to want him involved. Rob Naylor I knew from the 1990's, but we became friends last year, we just gelled as far as wanting the same things musically, again. Lee Revill was talked about by everyone on the local scene, his reputation was that of a phenomenal guitar player who hadn't made the jump from local bands. He is our secret weapon, unbelievably talented and not precious or egotistical at all, a genuine nice guy also!”

The search for a name ended with the chance discovery of a semi legendary Speedway team, “The Blood Red Saints”. BRS were formed in the late 1920s in Brooklyn, New York. Their leader and icon, 'Freddie Rendetti' became synonymous with the team. Freddie was a fiery colorful character who ultimately lived the fast life a little too fast.

No history of the Blood Red Saints can be complete without the inclusion of James Martin of Vega. James was instrumental in getting the band signed and – together with his twin brother Tom, he also co-wrote two songs on the album. Harry Hess from Harem Scarem took care of the mastering of the album.  

The band’s debut album is an impressive slice of classic British AOR, following in the traditions of early Dare, FM and Newman, though according to Pete, “if you were to take elements of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Winger, FM, mix them all together, I think that is pretty much where we are. Our intention was to have great songs and next we want to take them out live and put on a great show!”

Speedway tracklisting:

“Kickin' Up Dust”
“Mercy”
“Best Of Me”
“Dangerous”
“Love Set Me Up Again”
“Better Days”
“The Best Thing”
“Unbreakable”
“Wrapped Up In These Arms”
“Cgrnr”
“Feels A Lot Like Love”
“Faith”

Trailer:

Blood Red Saints lineup:

Pete Godfrey – vocals
Lee Revill - guitars
Rob Naylor – bass guitar
Pete Newdeck - drums

 

Philadelphia-based sci-fi thrashers Vektor have revealed the title of their upcoming new album, along with dates for their first ever European tour.

Officially titled Terminal Redux, the brand new album was recorded and produced by the band at their home studio and at Panther Pro Audio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was re-amped and mixed by Byron Filson at Villain Studios in Arizona. The album is due to be released in early 2016 on Earache.

The First Contact European tour kicks off on November 21st in France and will see Spanish thrashers Angelus Apatrida co-headline, with Dutch thrashers Distillator opening.

Vektor vocalist/guitarist David DiSanto comments: "We are extremely excited to announce Vektor's first European tour! We will be playing new material to promote our upcoming album, Terminal Redux, and also a heavy mix of songs from both Outer Isolation and Black Future. Prepare yourselves for total annihilation! Europe, we are coming for you!"

Tour dates:

November
21 - Nantes, France - Ferrailleur
22 - Paris, France - Glazart
23 - Luynes, France - Korigan
25 - Brescia, Italy - Colony
26 - Rome, Italy - Traffic Club
27 - Prato, Italy - Exenzia
28 - Winterthur, Switzerland - Gaswerk
29 - Prague, Czech Republic - Modra Vopice
30 - Vienna, Austria - Escape

December
2 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
3 - Burglengenfeld, Germany - VZA Pfarrheim
4 - Oberhausen, Germany - Ruhrpott Metal Meeting (Vektor only)
5 - Cottbus, Germany - Gladhouse
6 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
9 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Truckstop Alaska
10 - Oslo, Norway - Vulkan Arena
12 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Eindhoven Metal Meeting
13 - London, UK - The Black Heart

Podrooom Videos conducted an interview with FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares on July 12 at the Exit Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if he has read any funny comments about himself on the Internet, Dino said: "I try to read as many comments as I possibly can. I mean, obviously, there's so many different sites, so it's hard to red every one of them, but I do read the ones that are on the Facebook page, and I do read the ones that are on the Twitters and the Instagrams. And, you know, Blabbermouth. I read the comments there. I read 'em everywhere. I read a lot of funny comments about myself. It's usually comments about me being fat. But whatever… it's, like, I am fat. So what? It doesn't matter. I enjoy what I do, I play guitar, and that, to me, is what matters."

He continued: "When you're playing in a band, you have to have thick skin, because everybody… When your band puts out the first record and you start getting more known, you're under scrutiny and everybody's gonna make fun of you. And, obviously, with the Internet, anybody can leave any kind of comments that they want. It doesn't matter. You know what I mean? So you kind of have to have thick skin to be able to let… don't take these comments personally. Usually, when people make fun of me personally, I don't take it personally. But when they talk crap about the music, then I take it personally."

FEAR FACTORY's new album, "Genexus", was released on August 7 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The follow-up to 2012's "The Industrialist" was co-produced by longtime collaborator Rhys Fulber, along with guitarist Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell and mixed by Andy Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD). Artwork was once again handled by Anthony Clarkson. Drums on "Genexus" were performed by Mike Heller (MALIGNANCY).

The "Dielectric" video was filmed with director Ramon Boutviseth, who has previously worked with TRIVIUM, NONPOINT, DARKEST HOUR, INCUBUS and ALL THAT REMAINS, among others.

FEAR FACTORY recently parted ways with bassist Matt DeVries (previously of CHIMAIRA, where he played guitar, and SIX FEET UNDER) and replaced him with Tony Campos (ex-SOULFLY, STATIC-X, PRONG, MINISTRY).

In a brand new interview with Overdrive, IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain was asked if he thought the band was over when it was discovered that MAIDEN lead singer Bruce Dickinson had a cancerous tumor.

"Well, I'd be a liar if I didn't think for a minute that IRON MAIDEN [was] finished," he said. "[But] I thought more about the possibility of losing my friend than anything else, to be honest. Then later, I was thinking, 'God forbid if the worst ever happened, the legacy would be the last 16 albums.'"

McBrain, who is a dedicated Christian, continued: "I've got to be honest, I did question his mortality at one point and thankfully that didn't last long. Honestly, I got down on my knees and said a prayer, picked my thoughts up and got positive about it all, thinking to myself, 'If anyone can beat this, it's Bruce.' He's so positive about everything he's ever done in his life, or whatever he is about to do. Basically, I prayed for him and my prayers were answered, as well as everybody else that knows and cares for him."

According to McBrain, Dickinson's diagnosis didn't affect the recording of MAIDEN's new album, "The Book Of Souls".

"Do you know that none of us knew that he was poorly until after the record was done?" he said. "He performed that whole album knowing that something wasn't quite right with himself, but didn't get diagnosed 'till after we'd finished the tracks. So this album, 'The Book Of Souls', is just very special to me and all the rest of the guys.

"Bruce didn't know until December 2014 and then started his treatment in January 2015. We weren't aware, and neither was he, that he had the tumor."

Wow, that’s such a short amount of time considering that you have yourselves a double / triple (vinyl) album there. That’s really good timing for a project of that length. Especially when you look at the likes of Metallica, taking up 8/9 years to make an album.

"Well, Metallica take about 2 years to tune up the guitars for starters! (laughs) Only joking mate! The thing is, when you are in a situation where there clock is ticking, sometimes it can work against you and other times there is no pressure, but you just have to get on with your own work schedule and do the best you can. Look at Def Leppard, Pyromania, that took 2 years and that was down to Mutt Lange (producer), who was doing his “Mutt Lange” thing back in those days and it worked for them.

For us in the first 5 songs we were like hmm… these are a bit long. I mean, fucking hell, The Red and The Black comes in as long as Rime of the Ancient Mariner, for crying out loud, ha ha! But at the end of the day, we just get on with it and we had the best time and it was the greatest record I’ve ever made with the band. In my personal opinion, the way we did this record, with the choice of studio and having Kevin Shirley involved, turned out to be a great album for us, sound-wise. Too be honest with you, sonically I think this is the best album we have ever done."

"The Book Of Souls" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 75,000 equivalent album units in the week ending September 10. That equals MAIDEN's highest rank ever, first achieved with 2010's "The Final Frontier".

Released globally on September 4 through Parlophone Records (Sanctuary Copyrights/BMG in the U.S.), "The Book Of Souls" was recorded in Paris, France with producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in late 2014, with the finishing touches added earlier this year.

IRON MAIDEN announced in May that touring plans to support the album wouldn't happen until 2016 to allow Dickinson time to fully recuperate after his successful cancer treatment.

Germany's Rock Hard magazine recently conducted an interview with SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. You can now watch the chat in six parts below.

Asked what he thought when he first heard the final version of SLAYER's eleventh studio album "Repentless" — the band's first without both founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman and drummer Dave Lombardo — Araya responded: "When I heard it… After I heard the whole thing, 'My God, this is SLAYER.' It's SLAYER. When someone [asks], 'How do you feel about the record?' I say, 'It's SLAYER. Well, half of SLAYER, but it still sounds like SLAYER.' It sounds like a SLAYER record. When you listen to it, you go, 'This is SLAYER.' But then you have to sit back and [go], 'Well, part of SLAYER… It's half of SLAYER.' You know what I mean? Because of what we've gone through. I listen to it and… Inside, yeah, I feel like, 'Okay, well this is…' Because of my perspective, it's half of SLAYER. But when I listen to it, it's SLAYER; it's identifiable."

He continued: "I think it's really good for half of SLAYER. That's what I'm saying. When you listen to it, [you go], 'Oh my God, this is SLAYER.' I said that without the thought that it's just me and [guitarist] Kerry [King from the original lineup]. I said it with, 'Oh my God. this is SLAYER.' 'Cause I'm a fan. You know what I mean? And my concern is, 'What are people gonna think?' 'What am I gonna think?' And so when I heard it, I was, like, 'Oh my God, this is SLAYER.' But deep inside, I know… I know that Jeff's not here, and that we were lucky enough to have a song of his on the record. So that, to me, was… 'Oh my God, this is SLAYER.' But inside I correct myself. I go, 'Well, half of SLAYER, but this is SLAYER.' As a fan, I can sit back and go, 'My God…' And it sounded awesome."

"Repentless" was released on September 11 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2009's critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated "World Painted Blood" was produced by Terry Date, who has previously worked with PANTERA, DEFTONES and SOUNDGARDEN.

The artwork was created by Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco in collaboration with the band's Tom Araya and Kerry King.

David Gunnarsson, the airbrush artist who works with the best goalies in the National Hockey League, has unveiled his latest creation for Buffalo Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner. Inspired by In Flames, as both hail from the same hometown of Gothenburg, the mask is dubbed Inferno - Come Clarity.

Gunnarsson writes on Facebook: “Robin Lehner and I have been working together since Robin was a kid. It is an awesome feeling to cooperate for so many years and see a goalies hard work and see his way to become a pro.

It is time to unleash Robin Lehner’s lastest mask art for his new team Buffalo Sabres. A mask design from a series of totally unique masks…

Robin and I had a vision to create a dark and gritty design, inspired by nightmares… With a violent look filled with scratches and marks and splatter, the design transforms into a tribute to Robin Lehner´s favorite music…

The matte finish of the mask helps the design to become something totally spectacular…

The closer you come the more details you will discover and the design transforms in front of your eyes.

And be ready, Robin and I have more stuff in the pipeline…

Thanks Robin, I am so proud to be your artist. And thank you all for your interest.”

Visit David Gunnarsson on Facebook.