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

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

Steinfeld tracklisting:

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

“A Bissl Glick” video:

Teaser #1:

Teaser #2:

Drescher lineup:

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

Maiden United, the acoustic Iron Maiden tribute project featuring Damian Wilson (Threshold, Headspace) and Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation), have released a live video for the track “Remember Tomorrow”, which can be found on their Remembrance album, released last year and available via maidenunited.com. The new video can be found below.

Remembrance tracklisting:

“Strange World”
“Charlotte The Harlot”
“Killers”
“Remember Tomorrow”
“Burning Ambition”
“Futureal” (ft. Blaze Bayley)
“Aces High”
“Prowler” (ft. Paul Di’Anno)
“Still Life '15”

“Remember Tomorrow” live video:

Album trailer:

"Fight", the new video from U.K./Swedish melodic rockers SEVEN, can be seen below. The song, which was co-written by well-known songwriter Jeff Paris (MR. BIG, VIXEN, Y&T, Paul Stanley), is taken from SEVEN's new album, "Shattered", which was released on September 23 by U.K. label Escape Music Ltd..

The roots of SEVEN can be traced back to the late '80s/early '90s in South Africa, of all places. At the time, Keith McFarlane and the brothers Simon and John LeFevre were in a band called FACE TO FACE, while Mick Devine was drummer in another band, called UC27. After releasing several singles and one album in a period of 18 months, FACE TO FACE split and the brothers LeFevre returned to the U.K. After a few months, they decided to reform the band and Mick was asked to join them in the U.K. as their drummer. It wasn't before long that the brothers discovered that Mick was actually a better singer than drummer, and so Mick became the band's lead vocalist. A couple of years later, they were joined by Pat Davey on bass and Austin Lane on drums and the band name was changed to SEVEN.

The AOR scene in the late '80s was a thriving hive of activity. At the turn of the new decade, the likes of Mitch Malloy, Paul Laine, FIREHOUSE, TYKETTO and TALISMAN were all signed up and ready to make an impact on the genre. Everybody wanted an AOR band, and Polydor Records was no exception. Having been fairly successful in the U.K with the likes of MAGNUM and LITTLE ANGELS, the label had set their sights on SEVEN, which at the time was a relatively unknown act from Bournemouth.

SEVEN toured extensively supporting an eclectic variety of acts that included the likes of Jason Donovan, Richard Marx, THE MONKEES and BROTHER BEYOND. It's a time period that Mick Devine is keen to reminisce about. "Even though they were out and out pop gigs, we loved the crowds and the noise," he says. "We went from pubs to opening to 3000 screaming fans in Southampton. It is a very addictive adrenaline rush. We got to play all the top venues, which were fantastic — including Wembley Arena, the NEC, BIC, SEC and even the Royal Albert Hall. The Richard Marx tour was definitely the best for us with a more grown up audience we were able to rock it up and truly be ourselves. It went down really well!"

With John Parr as producer, they recorded two very strong singles in the shape of "Inside Love" and "Man With A Vision", both of which achieved moderate success in the U.K. In 2014, the original bass player Pat Davey was working alongside Robert Hart on an Escape Music album when the name SEVEN cropped up in the conversation. It would seem that Khalil Turk was a big fan, as Devine explains. "Yeah, back in the day, Khalil had really loved the band and he got in touch to see if we would be interested in finally releasing an album," he says. Without too much convincing, the project was born.

The production talents of Lars Chriss (the LION'S SHARE guitarist whose repertoire includes albums with Steve Overland, Chris Ousey, LUGNET and RADIOACTIVE) were enlisted to produce the band's debut album, called "7", which was released to critical acclaim and was held up as one of the "albums of the year" on many lists. Following the success of the first album, a passion was rekindled within Devine and McFarlane, who began work on new material, and along with the writing talents of Lars Chriss, Fredrik Bergh (BLOODBOUND, ROB MORATTI, STREET TALK), Andy Loos (LION'S SHARE, GLORY, CHRIS OUSEY), Kay Backlund (LION'S SHARE, NIVA) and Jeff Paris, that passion was given focus and a place to come to life. What they discovered was a well of untapped creativity that had been hidden for far too long and the songs poured out.

SEVEN's "Shattered" is a collection of wonderfully catchy songs that rely on clean and memorable melodies that allow Devine's distinctive voice to shine through. It was Devine who took the lead in writing the lyrics on this album, matching the intensity and feel of the music to deliver a modern melodic rock album with influences ranging from hints of FOREIGNER in "A Better Life" and "Broken Dream", JOURNEY in "High Hopes" and even traces of MAGNUM in "Light Of 1000 Eyes" and "Last Illusion". The lyrical themes are drawn from a depth of life experience and observations and are heartfelt and real. The production talents of Chriss and the lineup of truly great musicians, deliver an album of depth and variation which ranges from driving guitar-led tracks with memorable riffs to melodic anthems, all backed by stunning keys, bass and standout solos. It is an album that is a worthy follow-up to the critically acclaimed "7".

"Shattered" track listing:

01. Light Of 1000 Eyes02. A Better Life03. Fight04. Shattered05. Live This Life06. Pieces Of You07. Broken Dream08. High Hopes09. I Needed Time10. Taking Over11. Last Illusion12. World Of Make Believe (bonus track)

SEVEN is:

Mick Devine: VocalsLars Chriss: Guitars, DrumsAndy Loos: BassFredrik Bergh: KeyboardsKay Backlund: Keyboards

Produced and mixed by: Lars ChrissMastered by: Mike LindExecutive producer: Khalil Turk

"Life", the new Ville Juurikkala-directed video from Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new studio album, "The Ninth Hour", which will be released on October 7 through Nuclear Blast.

Commented SONATA ARCTICA frontman Tony Kakko: "I tried desperately to have at least one positive, uplifting song on this album and maybe this is it.

"I always struggle writing positive lyrics; that's the thing.

"We've been called 'happy metal' many times because of the melodies and so on, but lyrics are usually something that do not walk the sunny side of the road. They contrast the music.

"'Life', anyway, is telling people to find good things in life, find the things hurting and causing harm and replacing them with positive things with help of friends.

"Go out and be together with people, share experiences, live. I know it's a dumb thing to say, but life is better alive."

"The Ninth Hour" was produced by SONATA ARCTICA themselves and mixed by Pasi Kauppinen to create a typical yet refreshing sound that defines the spirit of the band in the year 2016.

"The Ninth Hour" track listing:

01. Closer To An Animal02. Life03. Fairytale04. We Are What We Are05. Till Death's Done Us Apart06. Among The Shooting Stars07. Rise A Night08. Fly, Navigate, Communicate09. Candle Lawns10. White Pearl, Black Oceans Part II – "By The Grace Of The Ocean"11. On The Faultline (Closure To An Animal)

After a North American tour with their friends from NIGHTWISH plus many headline shows around the globe, the band was once again able to take a look at the entire world as it is at the moment — on the edge of a possible armageddon. This spirit is reflected in the artwork of "The Ninth Hour". "The artwork of our ninth studio album, 'The Ninth Hour', depicts a future utopian landscape on the background," Tony said. "Nature and human technologies are in balance. In the middle we have an hour glass contraption with a knob for us to meddle with. The right-hand side cup represents the nature side with no humans left, on the left we have the human dystopia after we have destroyed Nature. The idea I had was, that turning the knob will tilt the hour glass in one direction or another, and the other cup will slowly empty and that future will be erased. Biblically we are expected to repent and sacrifice on 'The Ninth Hour'… to dive right back to a more mundane reality, it's a fact that we are currently living in critical, historical times. Our decisions will define the future. Not only ours as a race, but the future of this entire planet. We need to make sacrifices and in many cases we will repent our already made choices."

Right after the summer festival season and the release of "The Ninth Hour", the band will embark on a European tour together with their labelmates TWILIGHT FORCE to present the new songs to their fans.

The first official photo of the new lineup of Bobby Blotzer's RATT can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fan-filmed video footage of the new lineup of Bobby Blotzer's RATT performing on September 4 at Goodyear Theater in Akron, Ohio can be seen below.



Posted by RATT on Friday, September 23, 2016

"Sociopathic Herd Delusion", a brand new song from former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo's SUPERJOINT RITUAL project — now known simply as SUPERJOINT for legal reasons — can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application", which will be released on November 11 via Anselmo's Housecore record label. The disc was recorded at Philip's New Orleans-area studio, Nodferatu's Lair and was produced by Anselmo and Stephen Berrigan. The effort was mastered by Scott Hull (AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, PIG DESTROYER) at Visceral Sounds.

SUPERJOINT's current lineup includes guitarists Kevin Bond (CHRIST INVERSION, ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER) and Jimmy Bower (DOWN, EYEHATEGOD), drummer José Manuel Gonzalez (WARBEAST, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) and bassist Stephen Taylor (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, WOVEN HAND, 16 HORSE POWER).

"The minute we started writing, I knew this record would be brutal," reflects Bower.

"Sticking to our true hardcore roots and signature SUPERJOINT sound, we accomplished a record that needed to happen in today's underground. It's pissed off!

"After being on hiatus for eleven-plus years, the chance at a new SUPERJOINT record wasn't something we took lightly.

"With newcomers Steven and Joey, we were psyched and eager to get in the Lair and start writing and after two tours with the new lineup, we were able to hit the writing hard! Didn't take long to accomplish, and we stood and smirked at the playback of what would be the new SUPERJOINT record.

"With songs like 'Receiving No Answer To The Knock' and 'Sociopathic Herd Delusion', we had everything to smirk about!

"This record brings our viscous style of hardcore back to life.

"Pissed off with everything to prove, SUPERJOINT is back!"

Adds Anselmo: "The overall theme [of the album] means many things, or no things, but there is an underlying message regardless, about how modern technology — computers and all that comes with them, mainly — has affected our lives. As a musician, it has affected my life both negatively (music being stolen) and positively (being in touch with fellow musicians around the world and staying visible). But when looking at the broader spectrum, computer-land has given everyday people a platform in which to bellow like carnival barkers about anything and everything, humdrum or political, whether qualified or not, some with good intentions, some with disingenuous intentions, and some with ideas that lay somewhere in the middle, creating a mishmash of results."

"Caught Up In The Gears Of Application" track listing:

01. Today And Tomorrow02. Burning The Blanket03. Ruin You04. Caught Up In The Gears Of The Application05. Sociopathic Herd Delusion06. Circling The Drain07. Clickbait08. Asshole09. Mutts Bite Too10. Rigging The Fight11. Receiving No Answer To The Knock

According to Anselmo, the direction of SUPERJOINT's new material is very similar to that one the band's first two albums, 2002's "Use Once And Destroy" and 2003's "A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred". "It won't sound any different, because myself, Jimmy and Kevin have always been the main writers in SUPERJOINT anyway, so, really — for the most part, really, me and Jimmy. So it shouldn't sound much different at all," he told Full Metal Jackie back in July 2015.

In a separate interview with the Phoenix New Times, Anselmo was asked why he feels that SUPERJOINT's current live shows are so much better than those that he played with the band more than a decade ago when the group was known as SUPERJOINT RITUAL. He responded: "So-briety! [Laughs] Simply put. Sobriety."

He continued: "You know, originally we were plugging along with SUPERJOINT, truth is, and I'm not a bit embarrassed or ashamed to admit it at all, I really don't remember much about SUPERJOINT from back then except for little pieces. I was fucked up out of my fucking mind on heavy drugs … and the overindulgence of booze. These days, don't get me wrong, I like my suds and I like a bit of the white grape…. But I think every damn one of us has a much clearer mind. A much more stable support system within that realm. And we're all veterans now, man. We've been through the lowest of times together, and this group of people — specifically, Jimmy Bower and Kevin Bond — when it was time to say 'fuck this road to destruction,' we all kind of did that together. We all came off of heavy drugs at the same time. So I think there's this strength with knowledge there about what not to do. So really it just happened from our clear minds and fresh blood there. It's a positive thing. It feels like it's fun again, and isn't that the point? If you're going to make music and you're having fun while you're doing it, nothing in this world cane deter from that."

Anselmo also talked about how SUPERJOINT approaches its live performances. He said: "I would just say, as far as energy goes, we know from being in the scene for 20, 30 years that we don't have to get up there and jump around and dance around for the kids anymore. All we need to do is throw our amps and drums up on stage… And play the music as tight as possible with no bullshit, man. Just lay it on them."

Fan-filmed video footage of former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted and his THE CHOPHOUSE BAND (named after his four recording studio facilities around the U.S. and featuring a fluid roster of players) performing on September 15 at Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol, California can be seen below.

THE CHOPHOUSE BAND began in 1992 when Newsted founded The Chophouse Records Studio in San Francisco.

Following the success of METALLICA's 1991 Black Album, The Chophouse Records Studio was conceived by Newsted to assemble friends and comrades from other established acts and groups, to have a special place to enjoy chasing ideas and sounds, having fun playing pure and wild music on breaks and downtime, mixing up wicked musical soup away from rigorous touring schedules and agendas.

Now, after 25 years of playing host to a diverse array of talent from varying genres, THE CHOPHOUSE BAND is finally offering a sampling of the musical flavors that have been cooking in these exclusive sessions and personal projects.

THE CHOPHOUSE BAND is led by Newsted, playing acoustic guitars and performing lead vocal, accompanied by 
close friends/musicians of all walks and styles, sharing some great American songs from familiar and unfamiliar heroes.

The members of THE CHOPHOUSE BAND reside from coast to coast, including Chris Barnett, Mike Hughes, Tom Jordan, Joe Ledesma, David Lopez, Jesus Mendez, G.E. Perez, Mike Ramos, Brian Sagrafena, Angeline Saris, Chris Scianni, Amir Tal and Rob Tucker.

During an appearance on the August 29 edition of the SiriusXM satellite radio show "Eddie Trunk Live", Newsted explained how his mother's illness and eventual passing in March of this year inspired his current acoustic-based projects. He said: "What transpired was I had to keep playing, and she knows I had to keep playing. So I picked up the acoustic and started doing what I was able to do when I was just hanging around her, and started learning my cowboy chords and started collecting my songs. This was about the beginning of summer of 2014. So I would play certain songs for her, kind of choking through 'em — a bass player playing heavy handed on the acoustic guitar and just banging these cowboy chords out and learning Johnny Cash and Neil Young and George Jones and some more popular things like that. And by now, a couple of years later, I've dug in a lot deeper than that, but it was originally inspired by that thing, where I'd play mom songs. And she wouldn't necessarily remember, the next day or the next couple of days, which ones I'd played for her, and so she would react to certain songs the same way each time she heard them as if she was hearing them the first time. And so that kind of showed me which ones to chase, that showed me which ones had the groove, which ones my voice fit with, and all that. That's how I started collecting my songs. I had to keep playing music, of course, but the way and the form that it had to take was me with an acoustic, one voice, working through those songs as I had to put everything else on hold."

Asked how the CHOPHOUSE BAND grew into a live concept, Newsted told For Bass Players Only: "We'd all play together and do all these crazy songs — 'John Henry', CARTER FAMILY songs, Neil Young songs — and we'd do private keg parties with our buddies up the street. We'd take our Fender amps and load up the trucks and hack through the songs. Whoever wanted to be included could be included. We'd take hand drums, and people who weren't even necessarily musicians could be included. It was like a porch jam. And we did that for years, just our friends, and finally this year I decided we were going to start sharing it with more people — if they gave a crap. But we've been talking about it for a long time."

Regarding whether the CHOPHOUSE BAND will be a recording endeavor at some point, Newsted said: "I really haven't thought very seriously about it since most of the stuff is songs a lot of other people have [on] recording. There's a handful of originals, maybe a dozen, I've got together in this style. But I'm not ready to do any kind of recording with it. I'm kind of digging the idea that I just play it as much as I can and share it with people. The shows so far have only been 70 people or a couple hundred people, and it's people who want to be there. That's what I want. It's a grassroots vibe. We've been offered bigger shows for this from the agency; the initial offers were 700 people in a room, 900 people. That's not okay. We haven't earned that yet with this outfit. I want to build up the right way and earn it. I'm not in a hurry that way. I'm going to cherish every minute I do it, but I'm not going to hurry it up and ruin it."

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001 but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Ulrich, guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009.

DEVILMENT — the British band led by vehement frontman Dani Filth of CRADLE OF FILTH, will release its new album, "II: The Mephisto Waltzes", on November 18 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

The official lyric video for the song "Under The Thunder", taken from "II: The Mephisto Waltzes", can be seen below.

Dani had this to say about the follow-up to 2014's "The Great And Secret Show": "Everybody in DEVILMENT is very excited about the prospect of releasing our latest album, 'II: The Mephisto Waltzes', which we have worked extremely hard on.

"The album is definitely a step up from our debut, featuring a more mature, dissonant presence coupled with a darker edge, yet at the same time utilizing our better musical assets to deliver a unique metal hybrid. I don't even know what to classify it!" Dani's crew has meticulously pieced together a second blood-spattered batch of deranged anthems that brings vastly more color, intensity and lyrical versatility to this band's spectral palate. The second DEVILMENT record makes no splintered bones about its nefarious intent, offering a bewildering torrent of disparate and demented ideas and delivering them with refined, ultra-gothic panache and several jolting doses of Dani's trademark verbal subterfuge. Assisted by longtime collaborators Lauren Francis (keys and vocals), Colin Parks (guitar), Nick Johnson (bass) and new drummer Matt Alston, Dani has arrived at the telling moment where DEVILMENT become a genuine force to be reckoned with.

Regarding the album's artwork, Dani revealed: "Winner of many international awards, the artist for the new DEVILMENT album is Elena Vizerskayaaka Kassandra, whose photography and photo-manipulation perfectly complements the mysterious and magical world of DEVILMENT.

"Elena's work is sometimes compared to Dali and Magritte due to the complexity of artistic figures and the perceptible amount of layers, something to be felt and not necessarily understood, exotic dreams filled with reflections and allusion.

"I have been a fan of Elena's work for a long while now and had originally wanted to utilize it for the CRADLE OF FILTH album 'The Manticore And Other Horrors' as far back as 2011, which only fell through when band politics intervened and an in-house label artist was used instead.

"In conjunction with Elena, the booklet was compiled and further augmented with illustration by Dan Goldsworthy, who has also undertaken album artwork for the likes of ACCEPT, HELL, XENTRIX, GLORYHAMMER and SYLOSIS, amongst others. His contribution to the album has provided it with a minimalist dark uniformity, punctuated by slick and classically macabre imagery, the perfect balance to Elena's gorgeously vibrant photography." "II: The Mephisto Waltzes" was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered at Grindstone Studios by close friend and long-term collaborator Scott Atkins (CRADLE OF FILTH, BEHEMOTH, SYLOSIS, SAVAGE MESSIAH) between March and July of this year. Dani added: "Scott has worked very closely with the band to share our vision and we are very proud of the finished result, especially the megalithic production values and the hammered-home emphasis on songwriting." DEVILMENT recently announced an extensive U.K. tour which will commence this December. The run will kick off on December 6 in Colchester, taking the band through eleven U.K. cities — before wrapping up at eminent Southampton venue, the Engine Rooms on December 19.

"Hammer High", the new video from Swedish metallers HAMMERFALL, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's tenth studio album, "Built To Last", which will be released on November 4 via Napalm Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Bring It!02. Hammer High03. The Sacred Vow04. Dethrone And Defy05. Twilight Princess06. Stormbreaker07. Built To Last08. The Star Of Home09. New Breed10. Second To None

Asked what the most difficult song was to sing on "Built To Last", vocalist Joacim Cans told Spark TV: "It's 'The Sacred Vow', the lyric video that we released. Because the chorus was not supposed to be sung by me; we decided only to do it with a choir because it's so damn high, you can't really sing up there. But in the studio, I was in such great shape that day; it felt like I was breathing helium and I was on cocaine and crystal meth and everything at the same time."

He continued: "I always try to renew myself when it comes to composing the vocal melodies. 'Okay, how should I approach this part? Ah, maybe I should actually go up even higher this time,' which I did in a couple of songs; I never sang as high as I did on this album.

"I think there are a lot of new elements [on this new record]. But the most important thing of all [is that there] is still a lot of energy, and even though we are [in our] mid-40s, it sounds like a young, hungry band."

HAMMERFALL will embark on a European tour in early 2017. The trek, dubbed "Built To Tour", will kick off on January 12 in Bremen, Germany.

"It's been a hectic time juggling the remaining shows of the tour with songwriting and, ultimately, recording, so the name of this venture feels very fitting," said guitarist Oscar Dronjak. "The 'World Wide (r)Evolution' was a resounding success on every level with half of the shows sold out, and we can't wait to get back on stage again to have a gigantic heavy metal party every night with all our Templar friends!"

Swedish metallers IN FLAMES have premiered the music video for their new song "The Truth". Once again directed by Patric Ullaeus (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, SONIC SYNDICATE, KAMELOT), the clip sticks to the same storyline as "The End" while throwing you into a dark world of virtual reality.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Poison In Your Veins", a brand new song from ALTER BRIDGE, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's fifth studio album, "The Last Hero", which will be released on October 7 by Caroline Records in the United States/Canada and Napalm Records throughout the rest of the globe.

"The Last Hero" is now available for pre-order via iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. The album is also available in various fan bundles at www.Alterbridge.com/store.

"The Last Hero" was produced by longtime friend and collaborator Michael "Elvis" Baskette (SLASH, TREMONTI, TRIVIUM) and mastered by Grammy Award winner Ted Jensen. ALTER BRIDGE is heading out on select U.S. headline dates in support of "The Last Hero" and select ticket purchases will come with a digital album. The headline run kicked off September 22 in Destin, Florida. The band will also perform at a few festival dates this fall, including the inaugural Houston Open Air, Sonic Boom, Louder Than Life and the Tulsa State Fair. ALTER BRIDGE is Myles Kennedy on vocals/guitars, Mark Tremonti on guitars/vocals, Brian Marshall on bass and Scott Phillips on drums.

After going through a period of "struggling and juggling with personal issues," Swedish rockers GRAVEYARD have officially called it a day.

The band — which most recently consisted of guitarist and vocalist Joakim Nilsson, guitarist Jonatan Larocca-Ramm, drummer Axel Sjöberg and bassist Truls Mörck — released four full-length albums, the latest one being 2015's "Innocence & Decadence".

The band says in a statement: "Dark clouds above the graveyard today. Due to the all-so-classic reason 'differences within the band,' the GRAVEYARD is, as of today, officially closed.

"This is the unfortunate final decision we've had to make after going through a period of struggling and juggling with personal issues. Things have gone out of hand and now our energy is very low.

"As a direct result of this, we're sorry to say that all scheduled touring is canceled.

"GRAVEYARD have always been more about the music than the talking and that approach is the way we intend to deal with this situation also.

"What we can say is that we don't know if and when the GRAVEYARD will re-open and return in full force.

"Stay tuned, stay awesome and no endless night in sight."

GRAVEYARD had four German dates scheduled for October and was slated to play at Desertfest in Antwerp, Belgium next month.

Finland's ominous progressive metal outfit Oddland has released a lyric video for the track “Will”, featured on the band's second album, Origin, out now via Sensory Records. Find the new clip below.

Oddland stylistically incorporates a broad spectrum of tones and methods into their forward-thinking delivery, melding aggressive tones, spacious textures, and glorious melodies into a seamless and cohesive entity. The band's new Origin was partly recorded by Oddland, the rest captured at Fantom Studio (Insomnium, Korpiklaani, Oranssi Pazuzu) after which it was mixed and mastered by Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames, Dimmu Borgir). Containing over 45 minutes of music, the album bears a theme which ties deeply into the lyrics and extensive artwork, with a separate piece of art created by Egyptian artist Mohammed Essam for each of the nine songs.

Tracklisting:

“Esotericism”
“Thanatos”
“Penumbra”
“Untrue”
“Hidden”
“Skylines”
“Unknown”
“Faraway”
“Will”

“Will” lyric video:

"Thanatos" art video:

"Hidden" animated video:

Trailer:

(Photo - Jarno Terho)

Swedish death metallers, Cut Up, have entered the Big Balls Productions Studio in Sweden to record the successor to their debut album, Forensic Nightmares.

Drummer Tobias Gustafsson comments: "We have started the recording of our second album! Again, we have entered Big Balls Productions Studio in Karlstad/Sweden with engineer Mats Lindstrom. The majority of 2016 has been spent writing and working on the new material. The process has been very intense, which I think reflects in the music, in a very positive way. Following the direction of our debut Forensic Nightmares, our second, yet untitled album will take things up a notch or two! Drums are already almost done, and during the next couple of weeks we will continue to shape this death metal gore bomb into its final form. The mixing and last touches will be done by no less than Dan Swano at Unisound!"

Cut Up tour dates:

November
12 - Stockholm, Sweden - EN Arena

March
19-20 - Hyvinkaa, Finland - Steelfest

Cut Up lineup:

Andreas Bjornson - guitar/vocals
Erik Rundqvist - bass/vocals
Anders Bertilsson - guitar
Tobias Gustafsson - drums

This November, Dutch death metallers Apophys will join Vader and Hate Eternal on their co-headlining European run. The trek also features Threat Signal and Lord Of War as support, making this one tour not to be missed.

Apophys comments: "We couldn't be more excited about this tour! Being able to embark on a three week trip with some of our favourite bands is an honor and a privilege. We've been working hard to get to this point and this makes our determination that much stronger. See you on the road!"

Tour dates:

November
4 - Bad Oeynhausen, Germany - Druckerei
5 - Andernach, Germany - Juz
6 - Arlon, Belgium - L'Entrepot
7 - Jena, Germany - F-Haus
8 - Weinheim, Germany - Cafe Central
9 - Zurich, Switzerland - Dynamo
10 - Puget, France - Le Rat's
11 - Brescia, Italy - Circolo Colony
12 - Munchen, Germany - Backstage
13 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Baroeg
14 - London, UK - The Dome
15 - Birmingham, UK - The Courtyard
16 - Bremen, Germany - Tivoli
17 - Haarlem, Netherlands - Patronaat
18 - Berlin, Germany - Nuke Club
19 - Essen, Germany - Turock
20 - Rostock, Germany - Alte Zuckerfabrik

Apophys have also launched a new video for the track "Ego", taken from their latest album, Prime Incursion. Featuring time-lapse artwork created by guitarist Sanne van Dijk, "Ego" can be viewed below.

Apophys comments: "The idea behind this video was to incorporate all of the talent in the band to make a concept, that combines visual art and music in such a way that both elements work independent from each other, yet come together beautifully."

Apophys lineup:

Kevin Quilligan - Vocals
Sanne van Dijk - Guitar
Dave Meester - Guitar
Michiel van der Plicht - Drums
Mickeal Schuurman - Bass

Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE have uploaded a six-minute video recap of their summer 2016 European festival appearances. Check out the clip below.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE was scheduled to enter the studio last month to commence work on its first new material since 2015's "Venom" album.

Guitarist Michael "Padge" Paget explained to ARTE Concert that BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's quick return to the studio was part of a strategy "to keep the momentum of the band and to sort of bring a bit more focus back [on] our winter tour and just see what comes out. So hopefully it'll be happy days."

He added: "I think we're hoping [the session will result in] two [new tracks], but if not, it'll just be one song."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE recently signed a worldwide deal with Search And Destroy/Spinefarm Records.

"Venom" was released in August 2015 via RCA. The CD marked BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE 's first release since the departure of longtime bassist Jason James and addition of Mathias (formerly of REVOKER).

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas took a temporary leave of absence from the band earlier this year to spend time with his wife, as they awaited the birth of his first child. He has since been replaced on the road by Jason Bowld (PITCHSHIFTER, AXEWOUND).

Fan-filmed video footage of TRIVIUM's September 17 performance at the Rock Allegiance festival in Chester, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

TRIVIUM's "Silence In The Snow" album was released on October 2, 2015 via Roadrunner. The follow-up to 2013's "Vengeance Falls" was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette (SLASH, ALTER BRIDGE, THE AMITY AFFLICTION) and was mixed by Josh Wilbur (GOJIRA, LAMB OF GOD).

Asked if TRIVIUM still writes music on the road, guitarist Corey Beaulieu told Pavillon webzine: "We used to write on tour, but there's so much other stuff going on and so many distractions, it's kind of hard to focus on writing. Maybe if you're warming up for a show, you might stumble upon an idea that you will remember, but we tend to nowadays… We don't write on tour anymore. We just kind of enjoy playing shows, hanging out where we're at. We usually go out and try to find good local restaurants and eat. It kind of helps, 'cause we just kind of enjoy touring and the whole experience. When we have breaks off tour, we do a lot of writing. The last tour we [did] before we came over [to Europe], we were home for, like, seven or eight days [after it], and I demoed three new songs in that time. So usually, we just kind of take a break, and then when we have time off at home, we can really focus, and a lot of ideas just come out. So we have plenty of stuff, at least ideas, for material that has come about over the last… well, since [last] record came out, just from free time at home playing."

New TRIVIUM drummer Paul Wandtke made his live debut with the band on December 5, 2015 at Knotfest in Mexico.

Wandtke previously drummed for the hit musical "Rock Of Ages" and sat behind the kit for KILL HANNAH during the band's main-support run with the SMASHING PUMPKINS.

Noisey's Matt Sweeney recently pulled up to the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York City to shred with one of his childhood idols, original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley. Check out the footage below.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Frehley recently said that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley's mistreatment of him at KISS's 2014 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction actually inspired him musically. Frehley, who released the covers collection "Origins, Vol. 1" back in April, received great reviews and scored a Top 25 hit with the set. To the surprises of many, Paul Stanley has joined forces with Frehley on the album, taking the lead on a cover of FREE's classic 1970 track "Fire And Water". The recording marked the first time the KISS co-founders appeared on an original album together since the band's 1998 set, "Psycho Circus".

Frehley revealed to The Pulse Of Radio that the impetus for "Origins, Vol. 1" reaching its potential actually came from his treatment by his former bandmates at the Rock Hall induction. "As you probably know, we were asked to perform at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony, by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and me and Peter [Criss] were up for doing that and Paul and Gene shot it down, y'know?" he said. "They made some innuendos that maybe me and Peter weren't up for the task, and that just made me do a better record. [Laughs]"

The Pulse Of Radio asked Frehley how his sobriety improved the recording process this time around. "I'm a lot more focused and I think when people listen to this album, they're probably going to say that — in fact, a lot of reviewers have already said that," he said. "I'm a lot healthier than I was ten years ago. Not everybody can say that in their 60s, y'know, that they're healthier than they were in their 50s. So, I mean, it's a big plus. Y'know, I got a beautiful lady that I'm engaged to, who co-wrote two songs on the record with me and, y'know, life's good today."

On November 11th, Ravencult will release their third full-length (and Metal Blade Records debut), Force Of Profanation. The first single, "Beneath The Relics Of Old", is streaming below. Pre-order the record in various formats here.

Ravencult comments: "In this first sample of our new album, one can witness a big part of what Ravencult is all about in the Force Of Profanation era. Almost all important elements of the band's sound here shine in their entirety, combining our adoration for the old thrash/d-beat pace with sinister black metal in a variety of tempos. Lyric-wise, “Beneath The Relics Of Old” is inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's At The Mountains Of Madness, completing our vision of descending into bottomless depths of horror. For us, making steps forward means definitely not incorporating modern or more complex/technical parts; it's all about honoring our roots and sound by maximizing aggression and morbidity each time, maintaining the riff-after-riff mentality while everything is executed with absolute determination."

Originating from Athens, Greece, Ravencult was spawned to revive the relentless side of black/thrash metal, bringing forth an unpolished, organic sound to manifest their morbid darkness. With Force Of Profanation, they dive even deeper into the abyss of metal obscurity, delivering a merciless barrage of metallic death that continues the tradition of their trademark conceptual axis: revenge, horror and mocking of all that is holy.

Tracklisting:

“Tormentor Of Flesh”
“In Macabre Triumph”
“Beneath The Relics Of Old”
“Merciless Reprisal”
“Into Depths”
“Doom Oracle”
“Altar Of Impurity”
“Temple Of The Void”

“Beneath The Relics Of Old”:

Ravencult lineup:

Alex - Vocals
Stef - Guitars
Kostas - Bass
JV - Drums

 

Klee Project is an "all-star band" that was created from an idea of Roberto Sterpetti (a known Italian vocalist) and backing vocalist/lyricist Enrico "Erk" Scutti (ex-Cheope, ex-Figure Of Six). Other names include Marco Sfogli (Pfm, James La Brie) on guitars, Lorenzo Poli (Vasco Rossi, Nek) on bass, and Antonio Aronne (Pavic, Figure Of Six). All accompanied by a symphony orchestra conducted by Francesco Santucci, with the collaboration of Tina Guo (Foo Fighters, Cirque Du Soleil, John Legend) on the cello.

Recorded at the Memphis Recording studio in Rome by Gabriele Ravaglia (Fear Studio) arranged by Francesco Altare and mastered by Riccardo Parenti, The Long Way will be available on October 28th via Memorial Records. The tracks are a combination of southern rock and contemporary alternative metal, moving from 80's electro pop to symphonic music, always maintaining a strong live vibe and a mixture of energy and melody that transports you from the first to the final note.

The album encloses a mixture of emotions that each individual has experienced once in life. In this symmetry between music and emotions,we can be transported on the journey of the Klee project. Watch the video for "Everybody Knows" below.

The Long Way tracklisting:

“Everybody Knows”
“Southern Boy”
“The Long Way”
“If You Want”
“The Prisoner”
“Hereafter”
“Time Is Over”
“Your Sacrifice”
“Close To Me”
“You Should Be Mine”
“This Game”
“Lucrezia's Night”
“Lucrezia's Night” (Reprise)

“Everybody Knows” video:

Heaven Below, the current project of Union Underground/Lita Ford guitarist Patrick Kennison recently signed with EMP Label Group, the label of Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, distributed by eOne Entertainment, who will release the band’s upcoming LP Good Morning Apocalypse on October 14th. A music video for the track “Renegade Protest Movement” can be seen below:

GMA, a mind-blowing masterpiece of an apocalyptic concept album, features guest appearances from Lita Ford, Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, Broken Teeth), Udo Dirkschneider (Accept), and Kobra Paige of Kobra And The Lotus.

Fronted by Kennison, who also handles guitar duties, Heaven Below has been breaking ground in LA for several years with their brand of progressive hard rock/metal, self-releasing three LPs and a series of EPs, spawning several active rock hits, including “When Daylight Dies”, and the band’s monstrous take on Rush’s “Subdivisions”, featuring a guest appearance from the one and only William Shatner.

Says Kennison, “Nearly 4 years ago the band and I decided that we’d like to start working on a concept record. We knew how ambitious it sounded to even consider that, but once several legendary artists offered to help make it become a reality, we knew we had something.”

He continues, “With over 30 songs written, we narrowed it down to the top 12. Udo Dirkschneider, Lita Ford, Jason McMaster, and Kobra Paige all stepped up to lend their amazing talents. We feel this album is a powerful culmination of old school metal meets current fresh metal. This kind of undertaking only comes along once in a lifetime, and we think we captured the moment on "Good Morning Apocalypse". The timing was perfect with EMP’s outside of the box approach to new music.”

EMP operations and A&R director Thom Hazaert says, “Me and Patrick go back a long time, and I was, and still am, a huge fan of The Union Underground. He is an extremely talented player (and vocalist), and Heaven Below was doing some amazing stuff, so it was a really great fit. I got the record from Patrick, sent it over to David, and we were both blown away. We are definitely blessed to continually find new amazing rock and metal artists who are pushing the envelope the way Heaven Below is.”

Tracklisting:

“Nefarious Angels” (feat. Jason McMaster)
“Renegade Protest Movement”
“Follow Me Under”
“Devilina And The Damage Done” (feat. Kobra Paige)
“Nightfall Comes To Life”
“Killing The Deadman”
“Running Under Satan’s Hand” (feat. Lita Ford)
“Death Battalion”
“Bonded By Blood”
“Black Sunrise / War Of The Gods” (feat. Udo Dirkschneider)
“Among The Wolves / Worldwide Suicide”
“I Would Do It All Again / Burials At Sunset”

Album sampler:

Los Angeles hard rockers Budderside will release their self-titled debut album, Budderside, tomorrow, September 23rd via Motörhead Music/UDR. Their new video for the track “Open Relationship” can be found below.

Doused in the (street) waters of Los Angeles, California, gritty hard rockers Budderside are fronted by Patrick Stone, who was with the likes of Quiet Riot, Velvet Revolver and Adler's Appetite before realizing the ultimate dream of his own band and singing his own songs to the world. Enter Michael "The Stoneman" Stone on bass, Rich Sacco on drums and Johnny Santoro, (Still Standing, Rock Sugar) on guitar to form a rock-solid band of brothers with instantly unbreakable bonds.

Budderside manager Todd Singerman of Singerman Entertainment (Motörhead) ensured the band went into Rosewood Strat Studio with producer Paul Inder Kilmister (son of Lemmy Kilmister). And the result is a searing-hot, self-titled debut album Budderside.

Budderside vocalist Patrick Stone's drive and verve come from a need to make sense of all life's challenges - politics, sex, philosophy, rage, love, light, sound, senses - and express them all with one unifying current racing through it all - electricity, and Stone is far from encumbered by any perceived 'limitations' of a rock band more than he is empowered by the freedom to explore.

That seeker-spirit sees Budderside go from the thick, thumping, leather-clad rock riffery of "The Envelope" to the ska-tinted mobility of "Ska-Bra" which also features Motörhead's Phil Campbell on guitar. There's the bendy, grungy intoxication of "X-Girlfriend", the big-stage orchestral grandiosity of "Can't Wrap My Head Around You" and the thicker, space-fuzzy buzz-riff of "Open Relationship"... which all serve to say that whatever sonic broadsword Budderside want to swing, they swing with freedom and verve.

Infectious, gritty, contagious and altogether dangerous, Budderside demand your fullest focus and most engaged attention.

Budderside tracklisting:

“Genocide”
“Ska Bra” (feat. Motörhead's Phil Campbell)
“Pain”
“X-Girlfriend”
“Clear Blue Sky”
“Open Relationship”
“My Religion”
“The Enevelope”
“Let This One Breathe”
“Can't Wrap My Head Around You”

“Open Relationship” video:

“Pain” video:

Budderside is:

Patrick Stone - vocals
Michael Stone - Bass
Johnny Santoro - guitar
Rich Sacco - drums

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have signed Baltimore, Maryland's punishing black metal act Unendlich, and are set to release their new album entitled Scales Of Existence on October 28th on CD and digital formats.

A description reads: Horror Pain Gore Death Productions welcome Unendlich to the roster with the malevolent new album Scales Of Existence. Hailing from the wasteland that is Baltimore, Maryland, Unendlich is the sole creation of of multi-instrumentalist Michael Connors Jr., whose writing style retains the chaotic aggression of black metal balanced by injecting melody throughout his works.

Scales Of Existence is a journey seen through a nihilistic existence, the vices used to cope, and the resulting aftermath. Unendlich appropriately means "infinite / without end" in German, and is a brutal barrage of black metal full of memorable riffs and precise drumming. Scales Of Existence is also charged with a palpable, raw anger due to a sudden and unexpected death occurring during the album's creation. For fans of Inquisition, Burzum, Satyricon, Marduk, Gorgoroth, Dissection and Rotting Christ.

Tracklisting:

“When It's Too Late”
“Parasadistic”
“Transparent Man”
“I Despair”
“Way Of All Flesh”
“Dethroned”
“Exsanguination”
“Destroyer”
“Rearranged To Be Broken”
“Pillars Of Decay”

“Way Of All Flesh”:

Pre-order the CD for only $10 with free shipping at this location. Pre-order the Digital Download for only $6.66 here.

As heavy metal devotees may have noticed of late, rising progressive metal band Oni have been gearing up for something big. Today, the band is pleased to reveal the news of their recent signing with Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records. The label will unleash Oni's progressive metal opus, Ironshore, on Black Friday, November 25th.  Pre-orders will become available in early October.

Blacklight Media is a new label launched this past February by Chris Santos, executive chef and managing partner of the New York City restaurants Vandal, The Stanton Social and Beauty & Essex, in partnership with Metal Blade Records CEO/founder Brian Slagel. Santos states, "One of the things that I think will make Blacklight Media a label to watch for years to come is the diversity of our roster. Oni is our first crushingly heavy signing that matches their heaviness with incredible progressive precision and classically brutal breakdowns. I'm very excited to have them as part of the Blacklight Media family!"

Vocalist Jake Oni adds, "We are excited to announce our signing with Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records. It is an honor to be on the same roster as so many amazing bands. With the support of this legendary label at our side, the world is ours!"

Featuring the already-buzzing single "Eternal Recurrence", an uncompromising anthem that upon release gave metal fans an early look at Oni's undeniable technical talent, Ironshore takes listeners on an absorbing ride that provides ample opportunity for head-banging, singing along and deep introspection. Watch the official music video for the track below:

Formed in 2014, the initial vision for Oni was, "to be the band I never got to see", explains Jake Oni. With their influences rooted in progressive metal, Oni's sound can be compared to the genre's heavy hitters - The Human Abstract, Protest The Hero and Between The Buried And Me - yet they remain truly unique. With Jake Oni handling vocal duties, Martin Andres and Brandon White on guitar, Chase Bryant on bass and Joe Greulich on drums, they are also perhaps the first metal band to feature a Xylo-synth player, in the form of Johnny D, which adds an intriguing dynamic to the nine tracks found on Ironshore.

Oni has now set their sights on conquering the music world, one show at a time. After their upcoming performance at this year's Knotfest (which will feature a special guest appearance by Lamb Of God vocalist Randy Blythe during their 11:55am-12:25pm set on the Nuclear Blast stage), the band will join up with Max & Iggor Cavalera's Return To Roots tour and perform on select dates through October 21st. Following that tour, Oni will join the I Worship Chaos Tour lineup, beginning November 23rd and featuring headliners Children of Bodom and fellow special guests Abbath and Exmortus (the latter of which they will perform five off dates with prior).

Oni tour dates can be found here. Stay tuned for much more coming from Oni in anticipation of their upcoming album release this November.

Multinational melodic metal act, Eden's Curse, have released a lyric video for “The Great Pretender”, a track from their forthcoming fifth studio album, Cardinal. Find the clip below.

Written by Logue, Koehne and former drummer Pete Newdeck (Tainted Nation), “Sell Your Soul” is an upbeat, uplifting, melodic catchy tune featuring some superb guitar and synth interplay between German guitarist Thorsten Koehne and the band's new keyboard player Chrism, the thunderous Scottish rhythm section of bassist Paul Logue and drummer John Clelland and their pièce de résistance, the deliciously melodic vocals of Serbian vocalist Nikola Mijic.

"It's about how we as humans can enviously look at the other side of life. Sometimes it's better the devil you know than the devil you don’t,” says Logue.

Cardinal will be released via German metal label AFM Records on October 14th.

Tracklisting:

“Prophets Of Doom”
“Sell Your Soul”
“The Great Pretender”
“Messiah Complex”
“Find My Way”
“Kingdom Of Solitude”
“Utopian Dreams”
“This Is Our Moment”
“Rome's On Fire”
“Unconditional” (Feat. Liv Kristine)
“Saints And Sinners”
“Jericho”

Bonus video:
“Sell Your Soul”

“The Great Pretender” lyric video:

“Sell Your Soul” video:

You can now pre-order a Cardinal digipak CD or CD+T-shirt bundle (links below):

CD
CD+T-shirt bundle

Eden's Curse will kick off their World Tour in support of Cardinal in the UK during November.

November
21 - The Cathouse - Glasgow, UK
22 - Academy 3 - Manchester, UK
23 - Corporation - Sheffield, UK
24 - The Asylum - Birmingham, UK
25 - The Scene - Swansea, UK
26 - Waterfront Studio - Norwich, UK
27 - The Underworld - London, UK

Tickets are on sale now at edenscurse.com. Special guests on the tour are Sheffield's C.O.P. UK and Swiss prog metal band Evolve.

A full six years after their latest studio album release, Linköping, Sweden based blackened metallers Witchery finally return with their long-awaited sixth studio album, programmatically entitled In His Infernal Majesty’s Service, and announced for a worldwide release on November 25th.

Witchery had played a score of festivals in support of their latest release Witchkrieg (2010), did a tour of Japan together with Vader and Watain, but unfortunately the band’s line-up rotation continued. While former Dark Funeral vocalist Emperor Magus Caligula assumed live-session duties for a while (replacing ex-Marduk/ Devian frontman Legion), it was only recently that guitarist and band-leader Jensen managed to gather the right new members for the recordings of In His Infernal Majesty’s Service, as he explains:

“We've sadly had to part ways with two members prior to this album; long time band member Martin Axenrot and live member (and recording member-to-be) Emperor Magus Caligula. Martin's departure is purely down to him being too busy with his other musical endeavors and Caligula had to leave the band over an unfortunate medical condition involving his hearing. These are both serious losses for the band and we wish them all the best in the future. We have however been able to find more than able replacements for our two lost brethren: Chris Barkensjö on the drums and Angus Norder on vocals. They both bring fresh blood and fresh ideas to the band and you can clearly hear that they both have made it necessary for us "old members" to step up our game a notch or two!”

Celebrating the 20th year of the group’s existence, In His Infernal Majesty’s Service showcases an illustrious and  revamped line-up consisting of original members Jensen (guitar, The Haunted), Rikard Rimfält (guitar, Seance) and Sharlee D’Angelo (bass, Arch Enemy), alongside new additions to this nocturnal guild Angus Norder (vox, Nekrokraft) and Chris Barkensjö (drums, LIK). Self-evidently, Witchery stays the stylistic course and continues their infamous tradition of combining the best elements of old school thrash, speed, death, Bblack and ultimately pure heavy metal with dead-on songwriting precision for maximum listening pleasure. In regards to the musical approach and the recording procedure goals with the new album, which was produced and mixed by Daniel Bergstrand at Dug Out Studio (Behemoth, In Flames, Meshuggah), Jensen adds the following:

“Musically, I wanted to make this album more raw than the previous ones. Perhaps as raw as the first album even. I really didn't want to over-work things, as I myself enjoy music that comes more from feeling and enthusiasm than music that has been contemplated and construed. This album is recorded by Daniel Bergstrand at his Dug Out Studio in Uppsala, Sweden. Even though Daniel has been a high profile name for ages within the Metal community, I've never had the opportunity to work with him before. I have to say that Daniel is really easy to work with. All around a great guy and he immediately understood what I was looking for production-wise when I spoke to him about the album. My main request was that I wanted a raw and unpolished production. I really dislike productions where you can hear that the band has had ages to complete just one song. Where there might be a month's worth of coffee breaks between the guitar takes etc. I wanted it to sound like a real band that is playing together. My second request was that I wanted the drums to sound like on Van Halen's "1984" album. I seriously love that aggressive middy drum sound. I think Daniel did an amazing job and I know that he rates this production very highly on his own personal list of albums he's worked on…”

Witchery’s In His Infernal Majesty’s Service comes packaged in classy artwork (above) by Andreas Diaz Pettersson and Jensen comments on the cover as follows:

"Long-time friend of the band - and designer of many things associated with Witchery - Andreas Diaz Pettersson was once again called upon to create the artwork for our new album. He has a great ability to create artwork that really stands out within the scene, without compromising on quality or with the essence of the band. We are very pleased with what he has created for us, and we think the artwork is a great addition to the overall massive quality and appeal we truly believe this album to have. Stoked!"

While awaiting new musical samples, check out the video for the title track of Witchery’s 2010 album Witchkrieg (featuring Kerry King):

(Photo - Witchery Facebook)

Zombie Rodeo is a Helsinki-based gritty fuzz rock band. They will release a new EP entitled Cult Leader through Inverse Records on November 18th.

From the label: “This time both the music and vocals are much tighter and pronounced than with the previous releases, with a more heavy, melodic and diverse feeling. Even the band themselves were very positively surprised by the outcome. Now Zombie Rodeo is ready to spread the music and to perform energetic and loud live performances.”

The tracklist is as follows:

“Nameless Rider” 
“Silver Medicine”
“Cult Leader”
“Personal Hell” 
“Replacement Memories”

Go to this location for information on Zombie Rodeo. The first single, “Cult Leader”, is available via Spotify here.

Bon Jovi is teaming up with Target to bring fans even #MoreMusic with an exclusive deluxe edition of the band's upcoming new album, This House Is Not For Sale, featuring three extra tracks: "I Will Drive You Home," "Good Night New York" and "Touch Of Grey."

Pre-order your copy now at Target.com. The Target edition of the album will be available in Target stores and at Target.com on October 21st.

Bon Jovi will release their new album, This House Is Not For Sale, on October 21st in partnership with Island/UMG. The new video below takes you behind the scenes at the photoshoot for the new album:

This House Is Not For Sale is Bon Jovi’s 14th studio album since their 1984 debut. It reunites the band with Grammy Award-winning producer John Shanks, who began working with the band in 2005, for the RIAA platinum Have A Nice Day album, which entered the charts at #1 in 15 countries worldwide.

This will be their first major release since What About Now (2013), which was the band’s third consecutive multi-platinum album to enter Soundscan at #1 (following Lost Highway in 2007, and The Circle in 2009).

Over an illustrious career spanning more than three decades since their formation in 1983, Bon Jovi has earned their place among global rock royalty. With over 130 million albums sold worldwide, an extensive catalog of hit anthems, and more than 2,800 concerts performed in 50 countries for more than 35 million fans, Bon Jovi is the consummate rock and roll band.

Tracklisting:

“This House Is Not For Sale”
“Living With The Ghost”
“Knockout”
“Labor Of Love”
“Born Again Tomorrow”
“Roller Coaster”
“New Year's Day”
“The Devil's In The Temple”
“Scars On This Guitar”
“God Bless This Mess”
“Reunion”
“Come On Up To Our House”

“This House Is Not For Sale” video:

“This House Is Not For Sale” making-of footage:

Bon Jovi will perform four intimate shows in October as part of Tidal X: Bon Jovi. The band will play their new album This House Is Not For Sale in its entirety in historical theaters.

Dates:

October
1 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie
10 - London, UK - Palladium
17 - Toronto, ON - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
20 - New York, NY - Barrymore Theatre

Bon Jovi will be giving away tickets to these events. Sign up for the mailing list at BonJovi.com to be notified when the giveaway begins.

(Photos - Norman Jean Roy)

Codex: Factoria are a new death / thrash band aiming to crush ears and stages across the world. Their 5-track demo EP, Engines Of The Slavestate, is their declaration of all out war on the complacent!

Formed out of a mutual love for classic Canadian and European thrash and death metal, Codex: Factoria have an impressive pedigree, with members of the band having honed their skills in such luminaries as Sacrifice, Malhavoc, and Trollband.

Codex: Factoria are:

Keith Durocher (Malhavoc, Seventh Image) - vox / effects
Erik Leonhard (SlowWaveSaga, Warbear) - lead guitar
Scott Watts (Sacrifice) - bass
Manny Landry (Seventh Image) - rhythm guitar
Jeromy Coffman (GodProject) - bass
Marcell Fraser (Trollband) - drums

With the initial EP complete, the band plans to continue honing more material for a full length album while searching out a label and destroying live venues.

The Engines Of The Slavestate EP is available now via BandCamp and the audio player below.

Engines of the Slavestate EP by Codex: Factoria