Florida-based death metal veterans OBITUARY recently announced "Ten Thousand Ways To Die", a special two-song single containing a pair of brand new studio tracks plus a bonus live set of twelve classics and fan favorites from the band's storied catalog. Recorded in eleven different cities during the band's highly successful 2015 "Inked In Blood" world tour, the live tracks capture the incredible performances of a band that has stood atop the death metal pantheon for almost 30 years.

"Ten Thousand Ways To Die" will be released worldwide on October 21 on CD and digital formats and is sure to satisfy new and die-hard OBITUARY fans and will quench the bloodthirst of listeners until the band's new album drops in spring 2017. Listen to a live recording of "Intoxicated", captured at the Revolution Center in Boise, Idaho and included on "Ten Thousand Ways To Die", using the SoundCloud widget below.

Commented the band: "We are very excited about the live songs that we recorded on this last U.S. tour. Joe Cincotta from Full Force Studio is also our live sound engineer and he had his full recording rig on the road with us so we took advantage of the opportunity and recorded the show every night. The quality was amazing so we decided to include this as part of the 'Ten Thousand Ways to Die' release to give the fans a little OB bonus! We selected songs from different cities so you will hear the sound difference between each song. Nothing was done to the songs after the live performance recording so it gives you the real, true, unedited 'live show' sound and feeling that the fans experienced at each show." OBITUARY will return to Europe as part of the colossal "Battle Of The Bays" European tour in October / November 2016 alongside San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans EXODUS. Support will come from influential groove crossover metallers PRONG and Australian wrecking machine KING PARROT.

OBITUARY's ninth studio album, "Inked In Blood", sold around 5,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 75 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's first full-length CD in over five years, "Inked In Blood" was recorded by OBITUARY in April 2014 at the group's own RedNeck Studio in Gibsonton, Florida.

Legendary New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL are putting the finishing touches on their new studio album, titled "The Grinding Wheel". To give their fans a taster of what to expect from their forthcoming record, a brand-new single called "Our Finest Hour", will be released in the first week of OVERKILL's European tour, on November 4.

The seven-inch single will be made available on black, clear, green, and splatter vinyl.

Listen to a snippet of the track below.

Said OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth: "Looks like the 'machine' is up and rolling, but for all good things we wait.

"The delay for 'The Grinding Wheel' will take us to February 2017, at the start of the U.S. tour... but fear not, the Euro tour will happen and happen with some new music!

"Friday, November 4th, we will let go of the first cut; 'Our Finest Hour', available on various colors of vinyl along with some ear-shattering madness. We will also have it with us on the road to quench your thirst and fill the hunger.

"So you heard it here first and you can hear more live the first time on tour!

"To the road, onward and upward into '17!"

Ellsworth recently told Patch.com about OVERKILL's decision to title its forthcoming album "The Grinding Wheel": "When we were looking for a title, when you think in terms of the word 'grind,' you think of something that is relentless and doesn't wear down, whether it be an old stone mill or something metallic where sparks are flying through it. It's about an all-purpose tool through all time. It's a good, quality OVERKILL record."

Regarding the musical direction of the follow-up to 2014's "White Devil Armory", Ellsworth told Alternative Nation: "At the end of the day, OVERKILL is OVERKILL. Our trademark is that we are always recognizable on every release. For the three decades we have been around, we were always OVERKILL. So, sure, it is a metal record, and like always, it will have sort of a thrash vibe to it with some melody in it."

As previously reported, OVERKILL and NILE will join forces for a U.S. tour in February/March 2017. AMORPHIS will also play a couple of shows toward the end of the trek, but will not be part of the OVERKILL/NILE tour. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon.

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's September 18 performance at the Rock Allegiance festival in Chester, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King recently spoke to Jägermeister about when fans can expect to see the band's follow-up to 2015's "Repentless" album. He said: "We've got lots of leftover material from the last album, 'cause we wrote so much stuff, and we recorded a bunch of it too. If the lyrics don't change the song musically, those songs are done. So we are way ahead of the ballgame without even doing anything for the next record. And I've been working on stuff on my downtime. Like, I'll warm up and a riff will come to mind and I'll record it. I've gotten a handful of those on this run. So wheels are still turning. I haven't worked on anything lyrically yet except for what was done on the last record, so that's something I've gotta get on. But, yeah, 'Repentless' isn't quite a year old yet."

He continued: "There was a while I didn't consider… I thought maybe this record ['Repentless'] would be like Ozzy's first record, with 'Blizzard Of Ozz' and 'Diary Of A Madman', where they did both at once and put one out and then sat on the other one for a couple of years and put the next one out. But we didn't quite get that far, but there's plenty of stuff."

King added: "Me and [late SLAYER guitarist] Jeff [Hanneman] would usually write 'till we got around the ballpark of a record, and there might be two or three left over, but this time there's, like, eight left over. Plus a lot of ideas, like half-songs. Like, the first half a song will go with another half a song. So we might be inching up on ten songs already, when I get down and think about it, and that's very unique for SLAYER, and very cool, because can do a one-two punch on this record.

"We could probably start doing something at the end of next year, but, man, we've still got a lot of touring going on next year. So I'm guessing… What's this… '16, '17… I'm guessing it won't be '18 before we record anything."

SLAYER's seven-week North American tour with ANTHRAX and DEATH ANGEL kicked off in Cleveland on September 9.

"Repentless" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 50,000 equivalent album units in the week ending September 17, 2015.

A KILLER'S CONFESSION, the new project led by former MUSHROOMHEAD vocalist Waylon Reavis, has signed with EMP Label Group. The band is working on its debut album, "Unbroken", for an early 2017 release.

Said Reavis: "I am so proud of this project, and being able to come back with an absolutely killer record, with killer musicians. Anyone who has been a fan of anything I have done previously is absolutely going to be floored by A KILLER'S CONFESSION. Seriously, if you have a dick, this record is going to knock it in the dirt."

"Unbroken" is being produced by Reavis and EMP's Thom Hazaert, with engineer/mixer Richard Easterling (AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE, DOLL SKIN, EMPERORS AND ELEPHANTS) at Richmond, Kentucky's Third Sky Studio, responsible for recent releases from AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE ("Tango Umbrella"), DOLL SKIN ("Furious Fixation"), TANTRIC, and more.

On signing to EMP, Reavis had this to say: "I am so thankful to Thom and David for believing in me and getting behind this project the way they have. I have been watching everything they’ve done the last year, and I am so proud and excited to be part of the EMP family."

Hazaert, who is no stranger to the Cleveland scene that spawned MUSHROOMHEAD, securing major label deals for Cleveland artists including CHIMAIRA, SWITCHED and ERASE THE GREY, adds: "I have a long, great relationship with Waylon, I’ve collaborated with him on projects in the past (Reavis also appears on a track on the current DEAD BY WEDNESDAY guest vocalist release 'The Darkest Of Angels'), and he is one of the humblest, hardest-working guys in this business. His talent and drive are endless, and I couldn’t be more excited to help bring this project to the masses."

Reavis was co-vocalist for MUSHROOMHEAD from 2004 to 2015, and appears on the albums "Savior Sorrow" (2006), "Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children" (2010) and "The Righteous & The Butterfly" (2014), as well as other projects including TENAFLY VIPER, which also featured former CHIMAIRA bassist Jim LaMarca.

As of late, the state of Pennsylvania has been churning out a lot of quality new death metal such as Rivers Of Nihil, Black Crown Initiate, and Alustrium. Now you can add another name to that list, Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania natives Burial In The Sky.

The band came to life in 2013 when guitarists (and multi-instrumentalists) William Okronglis and James Tomedi decided to form an ambitious new project after already spending years playing music with each other prior to Burial In The Sky. Joining them on Persistence Of Thought is none other than world class drummer extraordinaire Samus Paulicelli (Decrepit Birth, ex-Abigail Wiliams) whose expert skills perfectly complements the stunning atmospheric technical death metal that James and William write.

Fans of Rivers Of Nihil and Fallujah would be wise to keep an eye on the band, although Burial In The Sky is far from being a derivative copy of either. Burial In The Sky’s album, Persistence Of Thought, is set for release on Friday, November 4th. The first single from the album will be released on Wednesday, September 28th.

Persistence Of Thought tracklisting:

“Entry I”
“Entry II”
“Entry III”
“Anchors”
“Galaxy Of Ghosts”
“Dimensions Divide”

Persistence Of Thought lineup/additional credits:

William Okronglis - vocals, rhythm guitar, bass, keys, and percussion
James Tomedi - lead guitar, bass, keys, mandolin, slide guitar, and percussion
Samus Paulicelli - session drums

* Additional synths performed by Danny Greene

Vocals and all instruments played by William and James recorded at BITStudio
Drums written, performed, and engineered by Samus Paulicelli in Winnipeg, Canada
Re-amping, mixing, and mastering done by Numbskull Audio Production, Cambridgeshire, UK
Album art by Nathan Lee

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Extreme’s classic multi-Platinum, Grammy nominated Pornograffitti, the definitive album of the band’s career. To mark the anniversary, Pornograffitti Live 25 / Metal Meltdown will be released on October 14th (delayed from the original September 23rd date) by the award-winning production company Rock Fuel Media in association with Loud & Proud Records as part of their four-part Metal Meltdown DVD series. The concert film captures the Boston band performing the album Pornograffitti in its entirety.

Directed by Brian Lockwood (Bon Jovi, Metallica, Motley Crue), the Pornograffitti Live 25 / Metal Meltdown package includes a Blu-ray, DVD, and audio CD of the complete concert that was filmed on May 30, 2015 at The Joint at the world famous Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. It also features Rockshow, a bonus documentary that takes fans through Extreme’s story, with exclusive interviews, ‘80s archive footage, and an exclusive photo gallery. Mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound, it’s set for release September 23. A trailer can be seen below.

“It was a great thrill to perform Pornograffitti in its entirety,” says singer Gary Cherone. “Some of these songs were never played live before so we had to go back and relearn them for the tour.  The album was a watershed moment in the bands career…it’s when we came in to our own and it will always be special.”

As guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt continues, “The band always prided itself on its live performance. Over the years, some of these songs have evolved where the band actually plays them better now than when we had recorded them. Hope you enjoy it. “

Extreme achieved their greatest success with their 1990 album Pornograffitti, which peaked at #10 on the Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, and was certified multi-Platinum. Musically, Pornograffitti is dominated by blistering guitar riffs, often with funky, syncopated timing, and incendiary, high-speed rock/metal solos. The record provided Bettencourt with widespread admiration from rock guitar enthusiasts and continual exposure in leading guitar playing publications. But it was the acoustic ballad single, "More Than Words,” that reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.” The subsequent single, "Hole Hearted,” another acoustic track, was also successful, rising to #4 on the same chart. "Decadence Dance" and "Get The Funk Out" were also released as singles both landing on Billboard's Rock chart and becoming fan favorites.

To date, the Grammy-nominated Extreme have released five albums, plus a greatest hits set - selling over 10 million records worldwide. The band’s trademark sound is a mix of hard rock funk in the spirit and style of their predecessors Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Queen and Van Halen - fueled by Bettencourt’s signature guitar flights and Cherone’s resonant vocals - and matched with a social consciousness in their lyrics.

Award-winning producer Barry Summers of Rock Fuel Media commented, “It was a real privilege to produce Pornograffitti Live 25 / Metal Meltdown in celebration of Pornograffitti, to have the opportunity to work first-hand with such high caliber musicians and audio purists. Over 25 years after this iconic album was released, we captured the band at their very best. Watching Nuno Bettencourt's off-the-charts guitar solos is simply mind-blowing, as confirmed by Queen's Brian May and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, whom we filmed paying homage to the Guitar God himself in the RockShow documentary. One of the highlights of the documentary is a moment where Gary and Nuno are sitting on the doorstep of Gary’s childhood home, and they perform a spontaneous version of “More Than Words”.”

Pornograffitti Live 25 / Metal Meltdown tracklisting:
 
“Decadence Dance”
“Li’l Jack Horny”
“When I’m President”
“Get the Funk Out”
“More Than Words”
“Money (In God We Trust)”
“It (‘s a Monster)”
“Pornograffitti”
“When I First Kissed You”
“Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)”
“Flight of the Wounded Bumble Bee”
“He-Man Woman Hater”
“Song For Love”
“Hole Hearted”
“Play With Me” *
“Cupid’s Dead” *
 
* Songs do not appear on the audio CD.

In a new interview with Gearphoria.com, Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt discusses the band’s upcoming studio album. The follow-up to Saudades de Rock (2008) is expected early next year.

"We're about 17 songs into it,” says Nuno. “We're just wrapping them up. We've got to do vocals, some guitar. Slowly but surely. We're going to release it early next year. Whether that's February or early spring, but definitely not past the spring. This thing is coming out, even if I've got to leak this fucking thing out. We've been recording mostly at my home studio. The guys have been coming out periodically."

Read the full interview at Gearphoria.com.

During their upcoming tour of Japan, Extreme will be performing live, for the first time ever, the entire third side of III Sides To Every Story, The Truth - "Everything Under The Sun". Confirmed dates are as listed:

September
29 - Tokyo Hitomi Kinen Kodo
30 - Sendai Pit

October
3 - Osaka Archaic Hall
4 - Zepp Nagoya
5 - Tokyo Dome City Hall

 

 

Trap Them will release their new album, Crown Feral, on September 23rd via Prosthetic Records. A full advanced album stream can be found below.

The band's fifth full-length, and third for Prosthetic Records, features 10 chest-pounding tracks that feature the group's famed blend of metal, d-beat punk and darkened hardcore. Once again, the band enlisted unofficial fifth member Kurt Ballou (Converge, Skeletonwitch) at GodCity Studios in Salem, Mass. to capture their unrestrained and unapologetic sound. The album features cover art from Mattias Frisk.

Tracklisting:

“Kindred Dirt”
“Hellionaires”
“Prodigala”
“Luster Pendulums”
“Malengines Here, Where They Should Be”
“Speak Nigh”
“Twitching In The Auras”
“Revival Spines”
“Stray Of The Tongue”
“Phantom Air”

Album stream:

“Luster Pendulums” video:

Trap Them have also announced plans for a headlining North American East Coast tour with direct support from Nashville heavy hitters Yautja. The tour will kick off shortly after the band returns from their recently announced European tour with Okkultokrati andl labelmates Venom Prison.

Swedish adventure metallers, Twilight Force, have released a new video, entitled The Lore Of Blackwald, in support of their new studio album, Heroes Of Mighty Magic, out now via Nuclear Blast. Learn more about keyboardist Blackwald below.

Heroes Of Mighty Magic tracklisting:

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

The Lore Of Blackwald character video:

The Lore Of De'Azsh character video:

The Lore Of Born character video:

The Lore Of Aerendir character video:

The Lore Of Lynd character video:

The Lore Of Chrileon character video:

“Powerwind” video;

"To The Stars" lyric video:

“Battle Of Arcane Might” lyric video:

HammerFall have release a teaser for their upcoming “Hammer High” video, out this Friday. The track is featured on the band’s new album, Built To Last, due for release on November 4th via Napalm Records.

Guitarist Oscar Dronjak previously stated: "Built To Last is our 10th studio album in 19 years, incredibly enough, but I think we sound more alive and vibrant than ever before! We have worked our asses off to make sure this album is a worthy successor to (r)Evolution, and I have no doubt in my mind that we have created one of the strongest records we have ever done. I am immensely proud and excited about this album, and I am confident all our Templars of Steel will agree once they hear it in November."

The album artwork, designed by Andreas Marschall, and tracklisting can be seen below.

Built To Last tracklisting:

“Bring It!”
“Hammer High”
“The Sacred Vow”
“Dethrone And Defy”
“Twilight Princess”
“Stormbreaker”
“Built To Last”
“The Star Of Home”
“New Breed”
“Second To None”

“The Sacred Vow” lyric video:

HammerFall will embark another celebrated tour throughout Europe, beginning on January 12th, 2017 in Bremen, Germany.

Known for their energetic and engaging live shows, HammerFall have been masters of ground-breaking metal anthems since the start of their remarkable career. With an extensive world tour taking place over the past two years, the band is now gearing up for another run following the release of their yet untitled album.

“It’s been a hectic time juggling the remaining shows of the tour with song writing and, ultimately, recording, so the name of this venture feels very fitting”, says 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!”

HammerFall’s Built To Tour 2017 dates can be found here (with ticket links).

(Photo - Tallee Savage)

 

Germany’s Mob Rules have released a lyric video for “Somerled”, a track from their latest album, Tales From Beyond, out now via Steamhammer/SPV. Find the new clip below.

Tracklisting:

“Dykemaster’s Tale”
“Somerled”
“Signs”
“On The Edge”
“My Kingdom Come”
“The Healer”
“Dust Of Vengeance”
“A Tale From Beyond (Part 1: Through The Eye Of The Storm)”
“A Tale From Beyond (Part 2: A Mirror Inside)”
“A Tale From Beyond (Part 3: Science Save Me!)”
“Outer Space” (Digipak bonus track)

“Somerled” lyric video:

“On The Edge” lyric video:

Trailer:

Back after a successful tour with Axel Rudi Pell and the release of Tales From Beyond, Mob Rules hit the stages this fall again. On their headlining tour, the band will play this time a comprehensive set of new songs and especially band classics – this is why the tour is titled Beyond The Classics. The program will include tracks of all previous eight albums and beside some surprises, the fans will also have the opportunity to directly affect the setlist via Facebook by voting their "favourite songs" personally.

"In our concerts we often note that our audience is mixed,” says singer Klaus Dirks. "Besides many longtime fans of the first hour, we have many new fans and their favourite songs and albums are quite different. This time, we want to offer a perfect mix: new material, proven classics and songs we have never played before."

Tour dates:

October
1 - Wetzikon, Switzerland - Hall Of Fame
2 - Weiher, Germany - Live Music Hall     
4 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
5 - Siegburg, Germany - Kubana
6 - Wilhelmshaven, Germany - Pumpwerk
7 - Roselare, Belgium - De Verlichte Geest    
9 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix

Swedish metallers IN FLAMES have premiered the music video for their new single "The End". Directed by Patric Ullaeus (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, SONIC SYNDICATE, KAMELOT), the clip is infused with pure adrenaline, stepping inside a first-person shooter game and bringing the viewer front and center of exhilarating action and suspense.

"The End" 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 described "The End" as "a fairly straightforward IN FLAMES song. Having said that, it's a really positive vibe [to] the song. It's not a slash-your-wrists kind of vibe; it makes you realize to just make sure you appreciate that moment."

Gelotte also 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".

Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH have released the official music video for the song "Raise Your Horns". The clip, which can be seen below, which features cameos from figures across metal, sports, television and horror cinema, including King Diamond, Zakk Wylde, Dave Mustaine, members of SLAYER, DISTURBED, MACHINE HEAD, BEHEMOTH, NIGHTWISH and many other bands, along with Olympic swimmer Paul Biedermann, NHL goalie Mike McKenna and MMA fighter Shayna Baszler, actress Jessica Pimentel of "Orange Is the New Black" and "Hatchet" director Adam Green.

"Raise Your Horns" is taken from AMON AMARTH's latest album, "Jomsviking", which debuted at No. 19 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 21,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 31.

"Jomsviking" was released on March 25 via Metal Blade in North America and Sony Music internationally. The first concept record in AMON AMARTH's storied career tells a tragic tale of love and revenge, backed by the Swedes' trademark melodic, anthemic metal, which was produced and mixed once again by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT) and also features special guest session drummer Tobias Gustafsson (VOMITORY). The epic original story is set in the world of the Jomsvikings, the legendary order of mercenary Vikings.

AMON AMARTH's tour with MEGADETH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, METAL CHURCH and BUTCHER BABIES kicks off on September 20 in Casper, Wyoming and runs through October 15 in Camden, New Jersey.

"Humanize Me", a brand new song from Danish hard rock veterans PRETTY MAIDS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Kingmaker", which will be released on November 4 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. When God Took A Day Off02. Kingmaker03. Face The World04. Humanize Me05. Last Beauty On Earth06. Bull's Eye07. King Of The Right Here And Now08. Heavens Little Devil09. Civilized Monsters10. Sickening11. Was That What You Wanted

PRETTY MAIDS' last release was 2014's "Louder Than Ever", a collection of new songs and re-recorded tracks from the band's past albums. The CD included eight re-recorded classic songs from the 1995-2006 era, plus four brand new songs specially written for this record and a special bonus DVD including archive footage from the '80s and brand new interviews.

Regarding the PRETTY MAIDS lyric-writing process, frontman Ronnie Atkins told Myglobalmind in a 2013 interview: "Well, it's often that the atmosphere of the song sort decides which direction the lyrics will take. I'd always preferred to write about something that most people could relate to, not being political in trying to take people in any direction or inspire them to. But there's so much shit going on in this world that there's plenty to write about. But let me state I'm no, and don't pretend to be some sort of, Dylan or Lennon! [Laughs] After all, we've always seen ourselves and what we do as merely entertainment and not pretending to be highly intellectual."

PRETTY MAIDS is:

Ronnie Atkins: VocalsKen Hammer: GuitarRene Shades: BassAllan Tchicaja: Drums

Frontiers Music Srl will release of ETERNAL IDOL's debut album, titled "The Unrevealed Secret", on December 2.

ETERNAL IDOL is a new band formed in early 2016 and that marks the start of a new musical adventure for RHAPSODY OF FIRE and ANGRA singer Fabio Lione, together with the experienced Italian guitar player Nick Savio (ex-HOLLOW HAZE) and a lineup completed by the young vocal rising star Giorgia Colleluori, Camillo Colleluori (both also from HOLLOW HAZE) on drums and Andrea Buratto (SECRET SPHERE, HELL IN THE CLUB) on bass.

While all the musicians have solid pedigrees and musical history behind them, ETERNAL IDOL have a brand new and original sound which will certainly catch many fans by surprise. Lione says: "After all the experiences with bands such as KAMELOT, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, ANGRA and many more, I think it is time to show the world a new side of myself with this amazing new band.

"Musically, ETERNAL IDOL offer an intriguing mix of classic metal, symphonic rock and a few progressive twists which is truly unique, thanks to the combination of female and male vocals."

Fabio took care of most of the lyrics and vocal melodies, along with three gorgeous tracks he wrote, while Nick Savio worked hard on songwriting and arrangements.

"'The Unrevealed Secret' is the album where all our ideas came to the light," says the axeman from Vicenza. "Heavy classic rock with symphonic elements and the magic atmosphere of two lead vocals, male and female, create a contrast between good and bad as the main subject, as it is possible to see on the impressive and mysterious cover artwork."

The album was recorded in the summer of 2016, produced by Nick Savio and mixed by Simone Mularoni (DGM, SUNSTORM) and promises to be one of the melodic metal releases of the year. Fans of KAMELOT, MAGNUS KARLSSON'S FREE FALL, MASTERPLAN and AVANTASIA should pay attention.

"There is a story to be told with this album, and the secret will be revealed on the next ETERNAL IDOL releases, so please take your time to listen this first chapter and enjoy... A new story has begun," Nick concludes.

"The Unrevealed Secret" track listing:

01. Evil Tears02. Another Night Comes03. Awake in Orion 04. Is The Answer Far From God?05. Blinded 06. Sad Words Unvailed 07. Desidia 08. Hall Of Sins 09. Feels Like I'm Dying 10. A Song In The Wind 11. Stormy Days 12. Beyond

ETERNAL IDOL is:

Fabio Lione - Lead VocalsGiorgia Colleluori - Lead VocalsNick Savio - Guitar, KeyboardsCamillo Colleluori - Drums Andrea Buratto - Bass

Fan-filmed video footage of GHOST's September 18 performance at the Rock Allegiance festival in Chester, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

As previously reported, GHOST has recruited a female bassist for its "Popestar" North American tour, which kicked off on Friday night (September 16) in Rochester, New York. As with all the members of the band, the new member's identity has not been divulged and she is just one of the five Nameless Ghouls behind singer Papa Emeritus.

Although two early rumors making the rounds suggested that the bassist was either ex-WHITE ZOMBIE member Sean Yseult or Swedish musician Linnéa Olsson, who previously played guitar in THE OATH and GRAVE PLEASURES, it is believed that GHOST's latest addition is actually a different American female musician.

None of the band members' real names have ever been revealed, although Papa Emeritus is believed to be Swedish rock musician Tobias Forge. The other five musicians are simply known as Nameless Ghouls.

Since none of the musicians in the band are ever identified, personnel changes in the group have gone unannounced. It is believed, however, that the lineup has changed a few times over the years.

GHOST was missing a Ghoul on its last North American tour, with the rhythm guitarist absent from the roster for that run. The current trek, in support of the band's new "Popestar" EP, features all six members onstage again. It appears, however, that the Ghoul previously playing bass has now moved to rhythm guitar and that the previous rhythm guitarist is out of the group.

The five-song "Popestar" EP features covers of songs from bands like ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN and EURYTHMICS along with a new original tune called "Square Hammer".

After unquestionably solidifying themselves as a band-to-watch in the technical progressive metal scene with 2008's 3.14 demo and 2009's Revitalized EP, fans have been eagerly awaiting a full-fledged comeback. After dropping a track here (specifically 2014's "DM") and a hint there for the last few years, Painted In Exile are officially back with their brand new, first full-length album, The Ordeal, set for release on October 28th. A video for “House Of Cards” is streaming below. The video was directed by Tom Flynn and is reminiscent of an intense action film.

Preorders are available for The Ordeal now at this location. Featuring the band's signature progressive sound that further melds classic rock, jazz, classical and even hip-hop influences, The Ordeal transcends far beyond what Painted In Exile has released to date, fully showcasing the band's gifted and refreshed line-up.

The Ordeal was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Jamie King, who is recognized for his work with bands such as Between The Buried And Me, The Contortionist, Scale The Summit and other modern progressive metal mainstays. The album was recorded at both Basement Recording Studios in Winston-Salem, NC and The Fidelitorium in Kernersville, NC. Orchestral arrangements on the album were written by Alan Hankers. Additional production and engineering support was provided by Painted In Exile guitarist Ivan Chopik.
 
Producer Jamie King states, "This record is a truly great prog rock/metal record. And I'm not just saying that because I was hired to record it. I'm honored to have been a part of it. It will be revered as a classic!"
 
Painted In Exile guitarist Ivan Chopik adds, "The ingredients for The Ordeal had been brewing for several years, so we went into the recording process with a specific vision of what we wanted the record to sound like. When the opportunity came up to have Jamie King produce and engineer, it was a resounding 'Yes'. He'd already worked on some of our favorite albums, so we knew the sonics would be on point. Beyond that, he gave us the environment to stay creative in the studio and pushed us to get our best, real performances. His vision and experience was integral to shaping The Ordeal."

Tracklisting:

“House Of Cards”
“Welcome (One And Come All)”
“The Bazaar”
“Jupiter”
“Transition Wow”
“DM”
“Not For Nothin’”
“Like A Memory”
“These People”
“My Keeper”

“House Of Cards” video:

The Ordeal was fully crowd-funded due to massive fan support via Indiegogo campaign (the band actually surpassed their goal of $15,000).

Dragons Of The North was originally released in 1996, the golden era for Norwegian extreme metal. As one of the pioneers, Einherjer have been in the forefront of an exploding genre for more than two decades. 20 years later, Einherjer will release Dragons Of The North XX, re-recorded version of a cult classic for the older generation, and a hidden gem for new fans of Viking metal. The album is due out on November 25th.

Tracklisting:

“Dragons Of The North”
“Dreamstorm”
“Forever Empire”
“Conquerer”
“Fimbul Winter”
“Storms Of The Elder”
“Slaget Ved Hafrsjord”
“Ballad Of The Swords”
“After The Storm”

Trailer:

Preorders are available at this location.

(Photo by: Jørgen Freim)

The US Summer Tour for The Dead Daisies came to an end with a bang, as the band played a sold-out show at the famous Whisky-A-Go-Go on Sunset Strip. Of course, this called for celebration. And let us tell you, the aftershow party at the Sunset Tower Hotel was epic. Drinks, loud music and, yes, mermaids...

The first five parts of The Dead Daisies' US Summer Tour Video Recap can be enjoyed below.

Remaining 2016 tour dates are as listed:

October
9 - Loud Park 16 - Saitama, Japan

November
4 to 9 - Kiss Kruise - Cozumel, Mexico
12 - Lemon Tree - Aberdeen, United Kingdom
13 - Classic Grand - Glasgow, United Kingdom
14 - Corporation - Sheffield, United Kingdom
15 - Riverside - Newcastle, United Kingdom
16 - Picturedrome - Holmfirth, United Kingdom
18 - Diamond Live Lounge - Doncaster, United Kingdom
19 - Academy 2 - Birmingham, United Kingdom
20 - Concorde 2 - Brighton, United Kingdom
22 - Waterfront - Norwich, United Kingdom
23 - Electric Ballroom - London, United Kingdom
25 - Tivoli - Utrecht, Netherlands
26 - Biebob - Vosselaar, Belgium
28 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
29 - Magazzini Generali - Milan, Italy
30 - Backstage Halle - Munich, Germany

December
2 - Planet Rockstock - Trecco Bay, United Kingdom
3 - Knust - Hamburg, Germany
4 - Paradiso Nord - Amsterdam, Netherlands
5 - Matrix - Bochum, Germany
7 - Colos-Saal - Aschaffenburg, Germany
8 - Le Trabendo - Paris, France
10 - Sala Caracol - Madrid, Spain
11 - LA2 Apolo - Barcelona, Spain
13 - Omega Live - Toulon, France
14 - Transbordeur - Lyon, France
16 - New Age - Treviso, Italy
17 - Container - Grottammare, Italy
19 - Szene - Wien, Austria
20 - Bluesiana - Velden, Austria

ANTHRAX performed the song "Aftershock" live for the first time since 1985 during their very special concert this past Friday, September 16 at Brooklyn, New York's Saint Vitus Bar. Fan-filmed video footage of the show can be seen below.

"Aftershock" originally appeared on ANTHRAX's sophomore album, "Spreading The Disease", which came out in October 1985. It marked the band's first LP to feature vocalist Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello; they previously played on the band's "Armed And Dangerous" EP.

"The day Joey showed up at the studio, he sang JOURNEY and FOREIGNER a cappella on the mic and we were blown away," ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian told Rolling Stone last year. "His voice was amazing and we knew it's what we needed to set us apart from the pack. Nobody sounded like he did playing the type of music we were playing. We found our [Ronnie James] Dio, our [Rob] Halford, our [Bruce] Dickinson, no easy feat." Bello added: "He sang the beginning of the Steve Perry song 'Oh Sherrie', and we looked at each other and knew it was right fit for us."

"If it wasn't for Joey being in the band, we might not have gotten as big as we were," ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante said. "He separated us from the other types of bands."

All proceeds from the Saint Vitus concert will go to benefit Gilda's Club NYC, and everyone who purchases a show ticket got a special, limited-edition t-shirt created just for cancer awareness, courtesy of Jakprints.

ANTHRAX is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "For All Kings", which sold 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart.

ANTHRAX has joined forces with SLAYER and DEATH ANGEL for a seven-week North American tour. The dates kicked off in Cleveland on September 9 and are hitting both major and secondary markets across the continent.

Fan-filmed video footage of AC/DC's September 14 performance at at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Rock Or Bust02. Shoot To Thrill03. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be04. Back In Black05. Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder06. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap07. Rock 'N' Roll Damnation08. Thunderstruck09. High Voltage10. Rock 'N' Roll Train11. Hells Bells12. Given The Dog A Bone13. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)14. Live Wire15. Sin City16. You Shook Me All Night Long17. Shot Down In Flames18. Have A Drink On Me19. T.N.T.20. Whole Lotta Rosie21. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

22. Highway To Hell23. Riff Raff24. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

The rescheduled dates of AC/DC's North American tour — which are the band's first concerts here with GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose on lead vocals — kicked off on August 27 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.

AC/DC guitarist Angus Young recently said that he has not made a decision yet regarding the band's future once the current "Rock Or Bust" tour cycle ends. Following the 2014 retirement of his brother and co-founder Malcolm Young due to dementia, Angus also dealt with the exit of drummer Phil Rudd later that year because of legal problems, and more recently the departure of singer Brian Johnson because of hearing loss and bassist Cliff Williams's decision to retire after the tour ends.

Assuming neither Rudd nor Johnson return, Williams's exit means that Angus will be the only member remaining from the lineups that recorded classic albums like 1979's "Highway To Hell", 1980's "Back In Black" and 1981's "For Those About To Rock...We Salute You".

Earlier this week, Meltdown of the WRIF radio station in Detroit, Michigan conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET)

On whether there has been any talk of more shows featuring the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal: METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX:

Mustaine: "Well, people talk about it all the time. It's just that, which ones? Is it any of the people that them talking about it is gonna have any significance? When you think about the fans, they would love to see that happen, but just like you had said, you saw ANTHRAX and SLAYER, I think that ANTHRAX and SLAYER, the three of us have played so much over the years that, for me, it's kind of… it's boring now. And not taking anything away from any of the bands, because I love SLAYER and ANTHRAX, but I think that if we were gonna do something again, it should either be the four of us or give it a rest for a little while."

On whether he has heard the new METALLICA song "Hardwired":

Mustaine: "I did."

On his opinion of "Hardwired":

Mustaine: "I'm not gonna say anything."

On BUTCHER BABIES landing the opening slot on MEGADETH's fall tour after Mustaine was interviewed by BUTCHER BABIES frontwoman Carla Harvey:

Mustaine: "She was terrific. I was really impressed. I had no idea who she was, and I thought, 'Wow! This girl is really…' Besides being intimidatingly attractive, she was very, very professional. And I thought… I mean, I don't wanna say anything disrespectful, 'cause I don't know her, but I thought she was a television personality. And then when I found out after the fact [that she was singing for the BUTCHER BABIES], I was, 'Wow! That's interesting.' And when the opportunity came up for us to have them on tour, I did a little research on 'em, 'cause there's so many, many, many bands out there, I don't really know… You can't… you just can't keep track of everybody. But when I did a little research on 'em and I saw [photos of] them [performing] with the [nipple] tape, it was, like, 'Oh my God! I'm gonna hear it from my daughter.' And I'm glad that they stopped that. But it was funny, 'cause she had said that they stopped doing it 'cause it hurt. And I was thinking, 'Yeah, I can imagine. If I was putting electrical tape on my balls every day, it probably would hurt too.'"

On the MEGADETH beer which he is launching in partnership with the world-class craft brewery Unibroue:

Mustaine: "A lot of people were questioning the alcohol content, because it was 4.5 [percent]. And this is a top-notch brewery that has nearly, if not more than, three hundred gold medals. And if you look at a Budweiser can, I think they've got, like, twelve on the side of it. I could be wrong; maybe they're abbreviating it, and they've got three hundred and twelve. [Laughs] This is a very, very high-quality brewery. Most beers, when they make a beer, they'll make a batch with a yeast, and then they'll use the yeast again and do a total of anywhere from five to seven batches. We only do one batch, discard the yeast and start over again, which keeps it very clean. It's more expensive to make, but it tastes better. And at the end of the day, there are two kinds of beer drinkers — the ones who drink for the taste and the ones who drink for the effect. And I think that with this beer, because it tastes so good, the alcoholic content wasn't quite as important. Now it is one of those beers that you can drink two of 'em before you know it and have yourself a nice little beer buzz going, especially if you do it before you have your first cup of coffee in the morning."

Mustaine, who was the original lead guitarist of METALLICA, was dismissed from the band by drummer Lars Ulrich in 1983. He was replaced by Kirk Hammett and went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.

Mustaine feuded with the members of METALLICA for more than two decades before finally patching things up over the last few years. He has jammed with his ex-bandmates on several occasions during "Big Four" shows and at METALLICA's 30th anniversary concerts in 2011.

Interview (audio):

BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler spoke to AZCentral.com about the band's decision to call it quits after completing "The End" tour in early 2017.

"We just all decided that we wanted to do one last tour," Butler said. "We're all getting up there in age, and while we're still at the top of our profession, both musically and aesthetically, we wanted to go out on the top and we feel that this is the right time to do it. So the natural thing to do is to all agree on one last tour. And once we agreed on one last tour, that was it. We just set it up. And we all agreed that there won't be any more Sabbath after this. It's like a natural progression kind of thing; a natural end to the band.”

Ozzy, who said that there was no possibility of SABBATH changing their minds, once again made it clear that he has no intention of retiring from the business.

"I'm not going to stop entirely," he said. "I'm not going to sit with my slippers on and going, 'I'm retired.' We're just going to go in different directions."

He continued: "BLACK SABBATH, it's been up and down. And it's good that we've come back together at the end, more or less, to finish on a high note. It's a good way to do it. To come back and be friends with my buddies who I started up with all those years ago, it's a closure for me to have a chapter of my life which I can say, 'Well we came, we saw, we had a good time, and now it's over.' And so it's like any relationship. I'm glad we ended up having more or less whatever has gone on between us over the years. We've got rid of all that. And we are friends again. So, I mean, it's good that, at the end of my days on this planet, I can say, 'Well, we ended okay,' you know?"

Asked how it feels to be pulling the plug as such a huge part of his life in music, Osbourne said: "I mean, you can't do it forever. If you're not careful, you'd become, 'Oh, it's them again,' you know? It just felt right for me."

SABBATH will bring its storied career to a close in the band's native England, with seven shows booked there in January and February. The last two, on February 2 and February 4, will take place in SABBATH's hometown of Birmingham and will likely be their final shows.

The original lineup of SABBATH came together in 1969 with Osbourne on vocals, Tony Iommi on guitar, Butler on bass and Bill Ward on drums. That lineup recorded and toured through 1978, and periodically reformed through the '90s and 2000s for live work.

They regrouped again in late 2011 for a new album and tour, although Ward dropped out after just a few months. The remaining trio issued the "13" album in 2013 and backed it with a successful world tour — despite Iommi being treated for lymphoma since 2012.

Swedish metallers IN FLAMES have announced the addition of drummer Joe Rickard to the group's ranks. Joe joins the band as the replacement for Daniel Svensson, who left IN FLAMES last fall to focus on his family life.

Says IN FLAMES in a statement: "As you know, our longtime drummer, friend, and brother that is the almighty Daniel Svensson has left IN FLAMES to pursue other dreams. He is still with us in spirit when we write our music, in our lives, and someone whom we will cherish forever. We are truly grateful for the nearly 20 years that Daniel devoted to IN FLAMES. Because of each other, we've grown exponentially as musicians and brothers.

"Our twelfth studio album is the first we will release without Daniel since 1998, so entering the studio this time around was a bittersweet moment. At the time, we didn't know who could even replace him, and making new music without him felt strange. We were missing a piece of IN FLAMES. "From February to April of 2016, we recorded our newest album, 'Battles', with legendary producer Howard Benson. Howard and his team pushed our boundaries and kept our energy high every day while navigating us through a new process. Suddenly we felt at home.

"Howard introduced us to one of his trusted and so-talented studio drummers, Joe Rickard. Joe had formerly been a member of Grammy-nominated RED, toured with numerous bands such as ISLANDER and RED, and has played drums on many successful albums for artists such as RED, VAMPS, STARSET, Brian 'Head' Welch and our very own 'Battles'. Joe had such natural talent behind the kit; it seemed effortless. Once we witnessed him laying down drums to our own songs with parts we couldn't have imagined better ourselves, we knew we had to have him join IN FLAMES.

"During nearly two months recording in Los Angeles with Howard Benson, Joe quickly became not only a musician that we highly respected, but also a friend.

"We are proud and excited to finally announce that Joe Rickard will be taking over the drums for IN FLAMES. We feel by adding such a talented and pure musician to our band and brotherhood that we are doing Daniel a great justice in ensuring his hard work and talent will continue on. "Daniel, thank you for your incredible talent and time dedicated to this band and family that is IN FLAMES. We are so honored to have had the privilege of playing music with you all of these years and we couldn’t have achieved so much without you. "Jesterheads, please welcome Joe Rickard to IN FLAMES and make him feel welcome! We will see you all out on the road very soon."

Joe will make his live debut with IN FLAMES on November 6 at Knotfest Japan in Tokyo, Japan.

"Battles" will be released on November 11 via via Nuclear Blast in all territories excluding North America and Scandinavia and Eleven Seven Music Group in the U.S.

Filipino musician John Borja, who is rumored to have auditioned for STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' vacant singer position, says that it would be an "honor" for him to follow in the footsteps of the late Scott Weiland and LINKIN PARK's Chester Bennington as the third lead vocalist of the veteran rock act.

Although there has been no official confirmation that Borja has the job, he indicated on Facebook that he recently took a trip to the U.S. during the first week of September, while also posting a photo of himself with STP bassist Robert DeLeo and DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, taken last week in San Juan Capistrano, California. The latter two musicians currently play together in the blues project DELTA DEEP. What remains unclear is the nature of Borja's trip.

Asked by the Filipino web site Radio Republic to comment on the reports that he is being considered for the singer position in STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, Borja said: "As of now, I can't give the full details yet, but there are clues or hints that seem to be favorable to me.

"Let's wait for them to give the official announcement."

He added: "I respect the guys' decision, whatever it is. It would be my honor to play music with them."

Although Borja is a huge fan of Weiland, he is confident that he can do the STP music justice. "[Weiland] is irreplaceable, no doubt about it, but I think I can carry his legacy through my personality, despite being Filipino," he said.

He also talked about what he would add to the band's sound. "More melodic and powerful, that's the kind of voice I can provide to STP," he said.

STP began its hunt for a new frontman with open auditions last February, continuing into the spring with a smaller series of private tryouts for a narrow group of finalists.

Guitarist Dean DeLeo told The Pulse Of Radio earlier this year that STP would not cut corners in its search. "You know, I promise you one thing: we're not gonna settle," he said. "This person has to be really, really great. You know, we had the fortune of being in a band with one of the greats — twice! You know, Chester included. So we're not gonna settle."

The band started its quest following the death last year of Weiland, who had been estranged from the group since 2013, and the end of a short-lived collaboration with Bennington that produced a five-song EP that same year.

Although the members of STP have not revealed the names of anyone who has auditioned for the band, Borja did reportedly try out, as did Toryn Green, who sang for the band FUEL from 2007 through 2010.

THE CULT guitarist Billy Duffy joined ALICE IN CHAINS on stage on Saturday, September 17 at the Rock Allegiance festival in Chester, Pennsylvania to perform the AIC song "Rooster". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

ALICE IN CHAINS singer William DuVall told the WRIF radio station in June that it was "too early" to talk about the band's new music, despite the fact that it's been more than three years since the release of their last studio album.

"The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" came out in 2013 was the band's second disc with DuVall, who joined in 2006 following the 2002 death of original vocalist Layne Staley.

William also talked about ALICE IN CHAINS' songwriting process and how it has evolved over the years. He said: "We make a habit of kind of starting pretty much with a clean slate every time we've gone in. And that challenges you, so we'll have to see how it manifests this time. But we're not there yet."

"The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" sold 62,000 copies in its first week of release.

THE CULT's tenth studio album, "Hidden City", was released on February 5 via Cooking Vinyl. The follow-up to 2012's "Choice Of Weapon" was written by singer Ian Astbury and Duffy and was produced by Bob Rock, who has previously worked with METALLICA and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

NIGHTWISH vocalist Floor Jansen has revealed that she is four months pregnant.

The singer, whose partner is SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl, is expected to welcome her first child next year while NIGHTWISH is off the road for the band's previously announced year-long break.

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen told TeamRock: "The issue of Floor having a kid came up earlier this year. I asked her if she had been thinking about having a child and she said, 'Yeah, actually, I have.' So I said, 'Well, we're thinking of having a break so if you want to...' And here we are.

"It's just a wonderful, beautiful thing because now she gets to be with him or her for a year before we continue so it's perfect timing."

Jansen, who officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013, recently shot down speculation that NIGHTWISH's upcoming break has something to do with tension between members of the group. She told AXS: "Even though we will have this year off, it doesn't have anything to do with how things are in the band. I've seen some people starting to gossip online of why we [would] take a year off. We'll take a year off because we can and because we want to. That's all there is to it. It has nothing to do with how things are in the band. And it also doesn't mean that we haven't been thinking about what's coming next; we have a lot of cool stuff coming up. So we hope that, after this break, people will still be equally excited to come out and see whatever we've got cooking up in our kitchen for them."

Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon.

Olzon later told Prog magazine that her pregnancy was a major factor in her former bandmates' decision to fire her from the group. "That's how I see it," she said. "Why [else] should they kick me out when they got to know I was pregnant?

"We, of course, had some problems in 2009, but we had a good tour and there was nothing else coming until then."

The NIGHTWISH members responded in a statement on their official web site, accusing their former singer of making claims that were "full of twisted truths and defamation."

"The split with Anette wasn't because of pregnancy or illness," they said. "We discovered her personality didn't fit this work community, and was even detrimental to it."

They added: "Anette told of her pregnancy to the whole band already a week earlier in Montreal. Everyone was congratulative, and Anette herself offered an option of hiring a replacement vocalist if she couldn't manage everything, which was already agreed on. Later she took back her decision, and the difficulties really started."

NIGHTWISH will play four shows in Asia next month before completing the world tour in support of the band's latest album, 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful".

Photo above courtesy of Yell! Magazine

ASKING ALEXANDRIA's cover version of the SLIPKNOT song "Duality" can be streamed below. The track is taken from "Decades Of Destruction", a compilation of covers which was included with the 30th-anniversary issue of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine.

"Decades Of Destruction" features the following songs:

* KORN - "We Care A Lot" (FAITH NO MORE cover)* ASKING ALEXANDRIA - "Duality" (SLIPKNOT cover)* DEVIN TOWNSEND - "Fast As A Shark" (ACCEPT cover) (feat. Wolf Hoffmann of ACCEPT and Fredrik Thordendal of MESHUGGAH)* NEW YEARS DAY - "mOBSCENE" (MARILYN MANSON cover)* SABATON - "Kingdom Come" (MANOWAR)* KATATONIA - "Night Comes Down" (JUDAS PRIEST cover)* CANE HILL - "We Die Young" (ALICE IN CHAINS cover)* HACKTIVIST - "Break Stuff" (LIMP BIZKIT cover)* WILSON - "Sleep Now In The Fire" (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE cover)* THE QEMISTS - "Blind" (KORN cover)* EMPLOYED - "Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste" (NORMA JEAN cover)* COUNTING DAYS - "Disciple" (SLAYER cover)* STONEGHOST - "I Disappear" (METALLICA cover)* MAMMOTH WEED WIZARD BASTARD - "Scum" (NAPALM DEATH cover)* NO CONSEQUENCE - "The Pot" (TOOL cover)

ASKING ALEXANDRIA's latest album, "The Black", debuted at No. 9 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 30,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 31.

The effort marked the band's first effort following the departure of singer and founding member Danny Worsnop and addition of Denis Stoff.

"We hadn't reached our destination yet, and Danny had," admits guitarist Ben Bruce. "I think it was necessary. When it happened, I was devastated. I lost my best friend. We even started referring to this part of our career as 'the black period.' It was the darkest time, but we weren't going to give up. If he hadn't left, I don't think we would've been as inspired as we were. I also don’t think ASKING ALEXANDRIA would still be around. Instead, we're more excited than ever about this band."

Ukrainian singer Denis Shaforostov gained notoriety posting ASKING ALEXANDRIA covers on YouTube and consequentially inked a deal with Sumerian in his band DOWN AND DIRTY. Bruce shot him an e-mail one night. The next day, a new ASKING ALEXANDRIA song had vocals and a new era in the band's history took form.

DEEP PURPLE's new studio album is tentatively due in February 2017, singer Ian Gillan has revealed in a new interview with Antihero magazine.

The follow-up to 2013's "Now What?!", which was tracked earlier this year at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee, was once again helmed by Bob Ezrin, who has previously worked with KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER and KANSAS, among others.

Gillan also talked about the PURPLE songwriting process, explaining: "DEEP PURPLE was different than any other kind of writing I do with other people. DEEP PURPLE is primarily an instrumental band, and the routine is we book [time] in a studio somewhere, and the [other] guys [in the band] come in at noon. They start jamming and they work 'till six o'clock, take a break at three for a cup of tea and then do that every day. Roger [Glover, bass] and I listen to the music and clock out the occasional bit and think that might be okay for a tune on the album or something. Then we start refocusing on making arrangements and how to develop the song. Then when it is all tucked away, I start thinking about the lyrics and the tunes. There is no point before they get literally torn up every day because everything changes every day. There's no shortage of things to write about lyrically. There is no point trying to create a tune on something that's going to change in a couple of hours. That's how it worked with PURPLE. This is primarily an instrumental band. I just climb on board and write it along."

DEEP PURPLE — which has been eligible for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for two decades now — finally entered the Rock Hall as part of the class of 2016. The band's first three lineups were inducted, including drummer Ian Paice, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, late keyboardist Jon Lord, and various singers and bassists — Rod Evans; Ian Gillan and Roger Glover; and David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes.

Swedish metal icons In Flames will release their new DVD, Sounds From The Heart Of Gothenburg, on September 23rd via Nuclear Blast. Check out “The Chosen Pessimist” from the upcoming release:

With 20 tracks, the show that was recorded on November 7th, 2014 at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden reaches a length of one and a half hours, and achieves in capturing the band at their very best, celebrating current hits such as "Through Oblivion", "With Eyes Wide Open" and "Rusted Nail" to a packed arena. But, of course, old-school classics like "Trigger", "Cloud Connected" and the hypnotic closer "Take This Life" are not left out.

Prepare for an intense and visually explosive performance in front of ten thousand fans, featuring pyros, circle pits, flying crowdsurfers and In Flames’ incomparable riffs.

"This DVD is for everyone who was been following our career; we have songs from the early years, the middle years and the new era," states guitarist Björn Gelotte. "It has to be fun for us to play but also fun for the audience to watch and we try to get a good flow with nice dynamics and different songs."

In Flames have released a lyric video for “The Truth”, a track from their twelfth full-length studio album, Battles, out November 11th via Eleven Seven Music in North America and Nuclear Blast globally excluding North America.

Recorded in Los Angeles, the 15-track album sees the band taking a new approach while staying true to their vision and encompassing their unique, signature sound. In Flames brought in Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson (Papa Roach, My Chemical Romance, The Used) as a collaborator on Battles, creating an album that speaks to all In Flames fans alike.

“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,” says 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,” he adds. “This was a very new approach for us because we’ve never let anyone else in the way we did with Howard,” says guitarist Björn Gelotte.

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #3:

“The End” lyric video:

“The Truth”:

Since forming in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1990, In Flames have had six albums debut in the top ten in Sweden, including two #1 debuts. They have toured the globe countless times, performing alongside some of today’s biggest rock and metal acts including, Metallica, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Megadeth, and have held several mainstage and headline spots at various music festivals around the world including, Ozzfest, Download Festival, Graspop, Taste of Chaos, Hellfest and Rock Am Ring / Im Park amongst many others. Following the release of Battles, In Flames will be performing a string of dates in the UK alongside Avenged Sevenfold and Disturbed.

Tour dates:

November
6 - Tokyo, Japan - Knotfest Japan
12 - Orlando, FL - Kink Festival

January (with Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed)
10 - Glasgow, UK - The SSE Hydro
12 - Newcastle, UK - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
13 - Birmingham, UK - Birmingham Genting Arena
15 - Sheffield, UK - Sheffield Arena
16 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Arena
18 - Nottingham, UK - Motorpoint Arena Nottingham
19 - Cardiff, Wales, UK - Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
21 - London, UK - Peninsula Square O2 Arena