According to The Star, a collection of BLACK SABBATH-related memorabilia recently unearthed in London has been bought by Ozzy Osbourne's family just days before it was due to go on sale. Dating from the period 1968-1973, the collection includes a number of postcards from Ozzy to his mother in Birmingham written while on tour. Also in the collection on offer from Sheffield Auction Gallery, were publicity posters, flyers, handwritten song lyrics and photographs from EARTH, BLACK SABBATH's original name.

The items were scheduled to be auctioned on September 30. But they were withdrawn from sale, with Stephen Flintoft, specialist music valuer and auctioneer at the Sheffield auction house, revealing that every item had been bought by the Osbourne family.

"The items have been sold by private treaty, for an undisclosed sum, to the Osbourne family, ensuring that this important piece of hard rock musical history remains intact," he said.

Flintoft previously said about the collection: "Perhaps the most interesting item, among so many, is the handwritten lyrics headed by EARTH to the song 'Changing Phases', a title later changed to 'Solitude', which featured on the 1971 double platinum BLACK SABBATH album 'Master Of Reality'."

EARTH (shortened from EARTH BLUES COMPANY) was formed in 1968 after Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward got their start in such psychedelic outfits as the RARE BREED and MYTHOLOGY.

Everything changed when Butler came to the band with an idea for a song inspired by a disturbing apparition. A fan of horror films and the black magic-themed novels of Dennis Wheatley, he flirted briefly with the black arts. But when he saw what he believed to be a figure from the dark side at the foot of his bed one night, he ceased his dabblings in the goth world. With lyrics by Osbourne, the group composed a song about the visitation, titling it "Black Sabbath" (after the 1963 Boris Karloff film). It provoked a reaction in audiences unlike anything else in their repertoire, and they knew they'd stumbled onto something powerful and unique. Forced to change their name because there was already another band named EARTH, they made an obvious choice: BLACK SABBATH.

"That's when it all started to happen," Iommi told writer Mick Wall. "The name sounded mysterious, it gave people something to think about, and it gave us a direction to follow."




Early and Pre Black Sabbath Rock Memorabilia

A unique collection of early and pre Black Sabbath rock memorabilia...

Posted by Sheffield Auction Gallery on Thursday, August 4, 2016

Garden State death metal faction Cognitive will release their new full-length next month via Unique Leader Records. Entitled Deformity, Cognitive's sophomore full-length was recorded at Full Force Studio by Joe Cincotta (Suffocation, Internal Bleeding, Dehumanized) and mastered at West West Side Studios by Alan Douches (Cannibal Corpse, Converge, Black Breath, Mastodon), and boasts nine tracks of unrepentant heaviness.

A new video for the track "Birthing The Deformity”, shot deep within New Jersey's sprawling Pine Barrens, can be seen below.

Says vocalist Jorel Hart, "'Birthing The Deformity' describes the nightmare that is the beginning of existence for the great and terrible horror that dwells in the vast and desolate Barrens. We agreed that the best way for us to portray the abominable actions that may have taken place that night was to film in the fabled forest itself."

Deformity will see release on Unique Leader Records on October 28th.

Deformity tracklisting:

"Awakening The Miscreation"
"Birthing The Deformity"
"Haunted Justice"
"Beneath The Floorboards"
"The Forgotten"
"Dead Soil"
"The Cull"
"Wraiths"
"Merciless Forest"

Hailing from South Jersey, Cognitive was born in 2011 with the sole intent to create heavy, intensely technical music, while maintaining an edge of creativity that separates them from the over-produced sea of subgenres. Combining technicality, guitar solos, grooves, and abstract ideas within their song writing, Cognitive is continually pushing itself to think outside of the proverbial box while maintaining an organic and unapologetically brutal edge. Cognitive seeks only to advance itself musically and export New Jersey's undying hatred globally.

Pink Floyd will release The Early Years 1965-1972 on Friday, November 11th. A comprehensive 27-disc boxed set, it pulls together material from the Pink Floyd archive, as well as licensed Radio and TV recordings, to comprise a deluxe package that includes seven individual book-style volumes, (six of which are dedicated to particular years), featuring much previously unreleased material, as well as bonus content, reproduction memorabilia, and the band's first recording from 1965, released on CD for the first time.

Check out an unboxing video below:

The packages contain more than 100 photographs of Pink Floyd, the majority of which are previously unseen, as well as more than 40 items of memorabilia in special wallets. In addition, Pink Floyd's first five UK singles have been included in the box, on 7" vinyl with replica sleeves.

The Early Years 1965-1972 box set contains unreleased tracks, BBC Radio Sessions, remixes, outtakes and alternative versions. Ten CDs, nine DVDs and eight Blu-ray discs contain more than 130 audio tracks, as well as more than 14 hours of audio-visual material. There are more than 20 unreleased songs, plus previously unreleased live audio, rare concert footage, feature films and new sound mixes. Previously unreleased tracks include 1967's Vegetable Man and In The Beechwoods, both mixed especially for this release.

The six individual year-specific book-style packages will be released separately early in 2017, although the bonus volume, Continu/ation, will be exclusive to the box set, as will the larger memorabilia items, which are reproduced in actual size for the box.

Pink Floyd’s “Grantchester Meadows” (taken from The Early Years 1965 – 1972) is a Roger Waters song, originally performed solo on the Ummagumma album, that celebrates the English countryside, as in other compositions such as “Time”. This special group performance, taped for the BBC, with acoustic guitars and vocals from Roger Waters and David Gilmour, plus additional piano from Richard Wright and taped songbirds, successfully evokes a summer’s day in Grantchester, a small village close to Cambridge, England.

Grantchester’s famous former residents include the Edwardian poet Rupert Brooke, who moved there and subsequently wrote a poem of homesickness entitled The Old Vicarage, Grantchester.

Creative Director: Aubrey Powell, Hipgnosis. 2016 footage directed and edited by Nick Edwards. Performance footage director: John Coney for KQED, San Francisco 1970. Audio recorded for BBC Radio, 12 May 1969.

Also released on Friday, November 11th will be a companion edition, Cre/ation – The Early Years 1967-1972, a 2CD collection of some of the highlights of the box set, focussing on the band's material from 1967 to 1972.

2CD tracklisting here. Full tracklisting here.

 

 

 

 

On September 23rd, Pink Floyd Records will continue the reintroduction of the Pink Floyd catalogue on vinyl with Atom Heart Mother, Meddle and Obscured By Clouds, all remastered from the original analogue master tapes. The Wall and The Division Bell are also back in stock on vinyl from August 26th.

Pink Floyd followed their 60s albums with their fifth studio album, 1970‘s Atom Heart Mother. Featuring the classic lineup of Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, the LP went on to become the band‘s first UK No.1 record.

In a short break from touring Atom Heart Mother, in 1971 Pink Floyd released the experimental album, Meddle. The LP saw the band move musical direction away from their original psychedelic sound, especially highlighted by the 23-minute track Echoes which occupied the entirety of the b-side of the record.

Pink Floyd‘s seventh album, Obscured By Clouds was originally recorded as the soundtrack to the French film ‘La Vallée’ but released as a stand alone album in 1972.

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, A Saucerful Of Secrets, More, Ummagumma, are also available through Pink Floyd Records. For more information, head here.

Iberian extreme metal act Noctem are streaming "Pactum With The Indomitable Darkness", a track from their new album Haeresis, due out September 30th via Prosthetic Records in North America, The UK and Europe, and through Art Gates Records in Spain.

Haeresis consists of ten brutally punishing tracks which conceptually delve into the dark history of Noctem's home country of Spain. Complimenting cover artwork, as seen below, was completed by Seth Siro Anton (Septicflesh, Moonspell, Behemoth) and depicts an epic and grotesque display of obscene torture extracted from the Spanish inquisition (1.500 A.C.).

Haeresis tracklisting:

"Through The Black Temples Of Disaster"
"Auto-Da-Fé"
"The Submission Discipline"
"Blind Devotion"
"The Dark One"
"Haeresis"
"Whispers Of The Ancient Gods"
"Conjuring Degradation And Morbidity"
"The Paths Of The Lustful Abandon"
"Pactum With The Indomitable Darkness"

"Pactum With The Indomitable Darkness”:

“The Submission Discipline” video:

"Through The Black Temples Of Disaster”:

Noctem, consisting of Beleth (vocals), Exo (lead guitars), Ethell (rhythm guitars), Varu (bass) and Voor (drums), self-recorded and produced Haerisis earlier this year at Firework Studios in Valencia before sending it to Sweden's Necromorbus Studio for mixing and mastering by Tore Stjerna (Watain, Valkyrja).

The band collectively proclaimed; "This record is proof that a band like us can keep evolving with time. It looks, sounds, smells and tastes different from anything we've ever done while keeping our original essence in every track. We're sure that any fan of extreme metal will be satisfied with this new opus."

Catch Noctem live:

October
27 - Salamanca, Spain - Nave Bunker (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)
28 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Silikona (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)
29 - Zaragoza, Spain - CC Vadefierro (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)
30 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Monasterio (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)

Italian rockers Be The Wolf will release their new album, Rouge, on November 18th via Scarlet Records.

Formed in 2011 in Turin, Italy, Be The Wolf had one goal: to write and play rock music, plain and simple, with no masterplans and with no need to conform to any genre, definition or label. Since then they released a bunch of singles, videos and an EP that were very well received worldwide, and played countless shows in their home country and beyond.

Scarlet Records saw their enormous potential and signed them in June 2015. Their debut album Imago was released shortly after, to critical acclaim and commercial success. The band was received tremendous support by the most important music media outlets, including MTV, Virgin Radio and Rolling Stone, and were invited to perform in Japan, where they received the prestigious “Brightest Hope Award” by influential music magazine Burrn!.

Be The Wolf's music is an addictive mix of contemporary but Seventies-inspired rock and a touch of blues-filled atmospheres. Groovy anthems alternate with slow paced tracks and folkish ballads, with wide range vocals delivering catchy refrains and haunting melodies, enhanced by gospel-infused choirs. Rouge, the band’s new album, was recorded, mixed and mastered by Andrea Fusini (Upon This Dawning, MSWhite, Ready,Set,Fall!) and sets new standards for the band: longer than the debut yet straight to the point, the record is a concept about blood, fire and faith, a raw analysis of modern society, with its French title to be seen as an homage to the Bataclan victims.

Tracklisting:

“Phenomenons”
“Down To The River”
“Animals”
“Blah Blah Blah”
“Shibuya”
“Gold Diggers”
“Peeps”
“Rise Up Together”
“The Game”
“Freedom”

More details will be revealed soon.

Red Fang, the beer-loving Portland-based rock band re-emerge with their greatest and latest full-length album, Only Ghosts, due in October. David Sullivan offers a guitar tutorial for the album’s lead track, “Flies”, in the video below:

Produced by the legendary Ross Robinson (At The Drive In, The Cure, Slipknot, and many more) and mixed by Joe Baressi (Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Melvins), Only Ghosts consists of 10 new tracks of the band's signature, high-impact, hook-filled, hard rock.

Red Fang prove once again they are top-notch songwriters who have mastered the heavy anthem without taking themselves too seriously. Only Ghosts is a rock album of incredible magnitude that demands to be played at maximum volume!

Only Ghosts was recorded earlier this year at Robinson’s Venice, CA studio. The album is set for release this October 14th on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical pre-orders are available via Relapse.com here, and digital pre-orders can be found at the band's Bandcamp page at this location.

Only Ghosts tracklisting:

“Flies”
“Cut It Short”
“Flames”
“No Air”
“Shadows”
“Not For You”
“The Smell of the Sound”
“The Deep”
“I Am a Ghost”
“Living in Lye”

"Shadows" video:

“Flies”:

In-studio videos:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

"I Am A Ghost" tutorial video:

 

In support of their upcoming European tour dates, the band band have launched this new trailer video (tour schedule listed below):

Red Fang live:

September
22 - Portland, OR - Northwest Hesh Fest

September (with Torche)
26 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2
27 - London, UK - Koko
28 - Bristol, UK - Bierkeller
29 - Leeds, UK - Leeds Stylus
30 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Academy 2

October (with Torche)
2 - Birmingham, UK - Institute2
3 - Glasgow, UK - Garage
4 - Newcastle, UK - Riverside
5 - Southampton, UK - Engine Rooms
7 - Athens, Greece - Desert Fest
9 - Paris, France - Trabendo
10 - Munich, Germany - Strom
11 - Vienna, Austria - Szene Wien
12 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
13 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
15 - Leipzig, Germany - Conne Island
16 - Hamburg, Germany - Markethalle
18 - Odense, Denmark - Posten
19 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee
20 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Medis
21 - Malmo, Sweden - KB
22 - Munster, Germany - Skater’s Place
23 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
24 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg (OZ)

November
18 - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s
19 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
20 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
22 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
23 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
25 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
26 - Dallas, TX - Three Links
27 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Studio
29 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Hell)
30 - Durham, NC - Motorco

December
1 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel
2 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
4 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair
5 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Spirit Lounge
8 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
9 - Detroit, MI - El Club
10 - Chicago, IL - Metro
11 - Bloomington, IL - Castle Theater
13 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
15 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
16 - Seattle, WA - Showbox

Red Fang is:

John Sherman - Drums
Aaron Beam - Bass, Vocals
David Sullivan - Guitar
Maurice Bryan Giles - Guitar, Vocals

Illinois-based symphonic melodeath group, Starkill, have released a video for “Burn Your World”, a track from the band’s upcoming third album, Shadow Sleep,  to be released via Prosthetic Records worldwide on November 4th. The new clip can be found below.

Recorded and mixed at Electrowerks Studio with Chuck Macak (Fall Of Troy, Oceano Letlive) while being sent for mastering by Troy Glessner (August Burns Red, Devin Townsend, Death Cab For Cutie), Shadow Sleep presents 13 tracks of melodic, majestic death metal reinforced by Jameson’s over-the-top shredding paired with one of the tightest rhythm sections in the scene.

"This album was the culmination of many tours, new experiences and knowledge, and in our opinion, marks the starting point of where the true Starkill sound begins" exclaimed ead guitarist and vocalist, Parker Jameson. "We've finally found ourselves, our musical style and finally have access to all the musical tools we've ever wanted: two screamers, two male singers, and newly featured on this record, the addition of a female vocalist. This album marks a critical turning point for Starkill, and we are excited to be with Prosthetic Records for this new chapter."

Shadow Sleep tracklisting:

“Walk Through Fire”
“Burn Your World”
“Through The Darkness”
“Shadow Sleep”
“Cloudless”
“Piece Of Paradise”
“Ruin”
“Into The Grey”
“Razors Edge”
“No Savior”
“Erase Me”
“Farewell”
“Captive Of The Night”

“Burn Your World” video:

Signing announcement with audio clips:

Starkill have won fans over throughout the country with their solid live performances on stages alongside bands including Epica, Moonspell, Arch Enemy and Ne Obliviscaris. In addition to the release of Shadow Sleep on November 4th, the band will also kickstart an extensive jaunt across North America with Gothenburg melodic death legends Dark Tranquility, Finland doom metallists' Swallow The Sun and Swedish heavy metal outfit Enforcer. Prior to this, the band will be seen at Illinois' Full Terror Assault with Dying Fetus, Belphegor and more.

A full list of their upcoming appearances can be found here.

Starkill is:

Parker Jameson - lead guitar, vocals, keyboards
Spencer Weidner - drums
Tony Keathley - guitar, backing vocals
Shaun Andruchuk - bass guitar

Taken from the forthcoming Something Else; Something Rotten EP, Hertfordshire, UK extreme metallers Aghast! have released a lyric video for the title track, produced by Andy Pilkington of Very Metal Art.

"We're are not a political band," vocalist James Anson states, "but we always write about what effects us, or things that we feel strongly about in our daily lives. “Something Else, Something Rotten” is a song about ordinary people struggling to make a living in a world which is weighted in favour of faceless corporations. It is a call to action that is perfectly visualised by Andy Pilkington from Very Metal Art. Andy took our idea and ran with it and we couldn't be happier with the results. Learn those words!"

Aghast! have been making waves of late, first with the announcement of Something Else; Something Rotten EP, which is also a collaboration with US based dubstep and D&B label Abducted Records and more recently with a UK tour in support of the new record.

With the band's upward trajectory Aghast! have gotten the attention of the New York based Extreme Management Group, a deal has been signed and this new found partnership has given the band a home on a roster with well known acts such as Suffocation, Cattle Decapitation, Cryptopsy, Origin, Decrepit Birth, Atheist, Rings of Saturn, Internal Bleeding and more.

Bassist Daniel Henderson comments, "We are delighted to be welcomed into the Extreme Management Group family! We look forward to grabbing this opportunity with both hands. It is an honour and a privilege to share a roster alongside many of the bands that inspired us to make music in our early years as well as some of our new favourites."

EMG's Matt Young adds, "We are excited to welcome Aghast! to the EMG roster. The band have proven in since their existence they are force to be reckoned with having already achieved great things. Aghast! joining the EMG roster will ensure their place in the international scene is solidified as they justly deserve. Exciting times ahead for both the band and management and you can be sure you'll be seeing much more of Aghast! in the future."

The band have also revealed the first in a series of teasers for the forthcoming EP where the viewer is taken behind the scenes in the recording of Something Else; Something Rotten.

Something Else; Something Rotten is out October 3rd via Abducted Records. Catch the band live across the UK. Dates on the flyer below:

Canadian progressive metal band, Auras, are streaming the track “Infinite Influence”, featured on their debut album, Heliospectrum, to be released on September 30th via Good Fight Music. Pre-order options can be found at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Waterstone”
“The Ripple Effect”
“Eloquence”
“Stars Abound”
“Cosmic Black”
“Dream Elixir”
“Chronos Fear”
“Spiral”
“Infinite Influence”
“Solar Pulse”

“Infinite Influence”:

"Dream Elixir" video:

“Spiral”:

“Waterstone”:

Greek thrash metal tank, Suicidal Angels, released their new album, Division Of Blood, on May 27th via NoiseArt Records. Today, the band presents the official video clip for the track "Image Of The Serpent".

The clip was created by students at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia as part of the Bachelor of Design (Animation & Interactive Media) program.

Directors: Brandon Chung & Aonghas Shearer-Boyd

Animators: Veronika Aifeld, Laura Battista, Constance Boyce, Sean Carter, Kangsun Cho, Brandon Chung, Bonita Colles, Toby Garrow, Skye Henwood, Dylan Langmaid, Saskia Milledge, Thomas Murray, Madison Palmieri, Jaidon Powell, Aonghas Shearer-Boyd

Producers Aaron McLoughlin & Simon Norton spent around 3,000 working hours with their team to create the vdeo.

The band states: "What an honor it is, when a piece of your music becomes the project of work from some students, obviously really talented, in the other side of the world! An absolutely killer animated video for the song “Image Of The Serpent”, from the RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia which gives another view and different approach to the world of animation. Thank you very much guys, best of success to anything you do in the future!"

Division Of Blood’s cover artwork was created by acclaimed artist Ed Repka (Megadeth, Death, Municipal Waste).

Tracklisting:

“Capital Of War”
“Division Of Blood”
“Eternally To Suffer”
“Image Of The Serpent”
“Set The Cities On Fire”
“Frontgate”
“Bullet In A Chamber”
“Cold Blood Murder”
“Of Thy Shall Bring The Light”

"Division Of Blood" video:

“Capital Of War” lyric video:

"Divide & Conquer" live video:

“Image Of The Serpent” lyric video:

There’s a buzz in Central and South America and Costa Rican act Advent Of Bedlam is the cause with their ripping death metal sounds. The band has caught the attention of Philip Anselmo and also VH1 Classic's That Metal Show. BraveWords brings listeners their new lyric video for “Creatures Of Yore”, a massive sonic journey through an ancient place called Tassili N’ajjer which is part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Dive into the legend now!

The Tassili N’ajjer caves contain ancient tales about the climatic changes, the animal migrations and the evolution of human life, told by rupestrian art, drawings and engravings in a place dated 12,000 years old, where representations of ancient gods, giants and powerful visitors are also present. Is the “Great Martian God” drawing found on one wall an outer powerful beings or is it just a representation of ordinary humans in ritual masks and costumes? Which is the real history?

Advent Of Bedlam released the “Creatures Of Yore” single at a listening party where they also debuted their locally brewed beer, Castigo. The event was a resounding success and the band’s new beer proved to be a great way to release the single. “Creatures Of Yore” is available on digital outlets like iTunes, Spotify, and also the band’s Bandcamp page.

Sweden's Civil War will release their new album, The Last Full Measure, on November 4th via Napalm Records. Check out an announcement video below.

Tracklisting:

“Road To Victory”
“Deliverance”
“Savannah”
“Tombstone”
“America”
“A Tale That Never Should Be Told”
“Gangs Of New York”
“Gladiator”
“People Of The Abyss”
“The Last Full Measure”
“Strike Hard Strike Sure”
“Aftermath”

Order The Last Full Measure in various formats at this location.

(Photo - Civil War Facebook)

Los Angeles, CA-based heavy metal band Lightning Strikes have signed a worldwide deal with Pure Legend Records, a division of Pure Steel Records, for the release of their forthcoming eponymous debut album.

“All can say is that we are excited to be part of the Pure Legend Records roster worldwide,” states founder / drummer, Karpis Maksudian. “We can’t wait to get this album out to all the metal heads who appreciate classic heavy metal.”

For their debut, Lightning Strikes enlisted a trio of guest players, keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Kiss), as well as Tony Martin (Black Sabbath) and Japanese visual kei star Noah (Avanchick) on lead vocals.

Lightning Strikes was mixed by Roy Z (Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson, Helloween) and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Halford, Yngwie Malmsteen, Anvil).

Line-up
Nando Fernandes (Hangar) – vocals
Rob Math (Leatherwolf, Player) – guitars
Cat Tate (Snew, Red Again) – bass
Karpis Maksudian – drums

A new song from Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS can be previewed in the clip below. More information is expected to be unveiled tomorrow (Friday, September 16).

ALL THAT REMAINS recently spent time recording its eighth album at a Los Angeles-area studio with producer Howard Benson, who has previously worked with such acts as MOTÖRHEAD, PAPA ROACH, THREE DAYS GRACE, FLYLEAF, P.O.D. and HALESTORM.

ALL THAT REMAINS frontman Phil Labonte stated about the follow-up to 2015's "The Order Of Things": "The disc we are working on right now is going to blow people's minds. It's gonna challenge you. There are songs like nothing we've ever done before.

"It's still a while 'till it gets released, but it's going to blow people's minds. Can't fucking wait!"

Added ALL THAT REMAINS bassist Aaron Patrick: "I can't even wait to hear the final result. These songs are such a step up on all fronts. [Benson] is really bringing out the best in all of us as musicians and we are already so proud of the progress towards new material."

Labonte told the Q103 radio station that ALL THAT REMAINS's next record will arrive in February 2017.

ALL THAT REMAINS last year parted ways with bassist Jeanne Sagan and replaced her with Patrick, who was previously in BURY YOUR DEAD and DEVILDRIVER.

"The Order Of Things" marked the first time that Labonte collaborated on his lyrics, in this case with producer Josh Wilbur.

Video footage of former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted and his CHOPHOUSE BAND (named after his four recording studio facilities around the U.S. and featuring a fluid roster of players) performing at the studios of KSRO 1350AM's "The Drive With Steve Jaxon" radio show can be seen below. The clips include Newsted's acoustic cover versions of John Prine's "Bear Creek Blues", Doug Seegers's "Down To The River" and Willie Nelson's "Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die".

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.

Seventh Wonder's first live album, Welcome To Atlanta Live 2014, will be released on September 23rd. Pre-orders are available here. Listen to the track “Taint The Sky”, streaming below.

One of the major draws of the fifteenth edition of ProgPower USA, that was the opportunity to get to see Sweden's finest progressive metal band, Seventh Wonder perform their signature album Mercy Falls in its entirety. And judging by the crowd's reaction on that night, it was obvious that the fans had been waiting for this for a long time. Not content, the band played again the following day to a crowd of gold badge-holders and VIPs, including singer Tommy Karevik's mates from his other band Kamelot, and performed a bunch of songs from other albums which were not played the night before.

All in all it was a genuine and raw performance and this live album sums up very well all the best material included in Seventh Wonder's acclaimed first four albums and lets you know what to expect in terms of direction of new material to come. In fact, the band decided to round out this amazing release with two studio tracks. One is the awesome "Inner Enemy", already available on YouTube (streaming below). The other song, "The Promise", is an epic track of almost 10 minutes in length which highlights the multifaceted talents of this band.

Bass player Andreas Blomqvist says, "It has been a dream of mine for many, many years to be able to record and release a solid live product. Fans of music such as ours usually enjoy watching live performances, as the musicianship is often very much in focus. "Mercy Falls" was the perfect album to bring to the live setting, but we just never had a chance to pull it off before. Finally the stars aligned, and we made it happen. As icing on the cake, Frontiers stepped in to release it for us, which we are delighted about. We are very happy with the way it turned out, and the mix is nothing short of amazing! I am thrilled to be able to bring you guys this release and thankful that Frontiers chooses to prioritize this release right away, so that the fans starved for Seventh Wonder releases at last gets something solid to sink their teeth into while waiting for the upcoming studio album!"

This album aptly closes the first chapter of the band's history and works as a tasty appetizer for the new studio album planned for release in early 2017.

Welcome To Atlanta Live 2014 will be available in two physical configurations: a 2 DVD set and a very special, limited edition deluxe digibook containing 2 CDs and 2 DVDs. Final tracklisting below (CD version is only available in the deluxe edition 2CD/2DVD).

DVD1 - Mercy Falls Live
“A New Beginning”
“There And Back” (overture)
“Welcome To Mercy Falls”
“Unbreakable”
“Tears For A Father”
“A Day Away”
“Tears For A Son”
“Paradise”
“Fall In Line”
“Break The Silence”
“Hide And Seek”
“Destiny Calls”
“One Last Goodbye”
“Back In Time”
“The Black Parade”

Encore:
“Inner Enemy”
 
DVD2 - Bonus Tracks
“Taint The Sky”
“Banish The Wicked”
“Alley Cat”
“Walking Tall”
“The Edge Of My Blade”
“King Of Whitewater”
“Seventh Wonder Odyssey”
 
CD1 - Mercy Falls Live (Deluxe Edition only)
“A New Beginning”
“There And Back” (overture)
“Welcome To Mercy Falls”
“Unbreakable”
“Tears For A Father”
“A Day Away”
“Tears For A Son”
“Paradise”
“Fall In Line”
“Break The Silence”
“Hide And Seek”
“Destiny Calls”
“One Last Goodbye”
“Back In Time”
“The Black Parade”
 
CD2 - Bonus Tracks (Deluxe Edition only)
“Taint The Sky”
“Banish The Wicked”
“Alley Cat”
“Walking Tall”
“The Edge Of My Blade”
“King Of Whitewater”
“Seventh Wonder Odyssey”
“Inner Enemy” (new studio track)
“The Promise” (new studio track)

“Taint The Sky”:

“Alley Cat”:

“Welcome To Mercy Falls”:

Trailer:

“Inner Enemy”:

Seventh Wonder lineup:

Vocals: Tommy Karevik
Bass: Andreas Blomqvist
Guitar: Johan Liefvendahl
Keys: Andreas Söderin
Drums: Stefan Norgren

"Blood Moon", the new video from GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA, the band featuring ALICE IN CHAINS singer William DuVall alongside members of MASTODON and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, can be seen below. The track is taken from GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA's debut album, "Broken Lines", which will be released on September 23 via Party Smasher Inc./ Cooking Vinyl.

DuVall recently told the Rock 98-9 radio station about "Broken Lines": "It's a serious, serious album, man. I could not be more proud of this thing. We just pushed each other to new heights all around, and it's amazing… It's such a dynamic record, and it's just so powerful. And these are some of the best lyrics that I've ever written, because I was pushed to write to this really cinematic soundtrack."

Regarding GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA's musical direction, DuVall said: "It has a lot of what people might expect in terms of heavy, progressive… a lot of riffing, a lot of stuff going on… A lot of beats per minute, a lot of beats per second. I mean, Thomas, he can scramble the eggs like nobody else. So there is a lot of that. There's a feast for the senses. For all the musicians and musos out there, we've got you covered. But as much of that heavy, progressive stuff is there, there are also more, shall I say, straightforward, for lack of a better way of putting it, there's more straightforward tunes, but they still have the drive and the attitude and the go-for-the-throat quality. But, you know, a couple of them you might even be able to dance to as much as headbang to. We all have eclectic tastes, and we wanted to represent all of that."

GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA — whose lineup also includes Ben Weinman of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, Brent Hinds of MASTODON, DETHKLOK bassist Pete Griffin and former THE MARS VOLTA drummer Thomas Prigden — made its live debut at this year's Reading (August 27) and Leeds (August 28) festivals in the United Kingdom.

Weinman told the "Rock Show" about GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA: "This band has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. Many times I considered just giving up on it, because it just seemed like it wasn't meant to be. From the very start, it was something that was just supposed to be fun and kind of casual, so, in essence, even if it didn't work out, that would have been fine. For some reason, Brent and I kept just wanting to continue to try to find the right kind of chemistry to make this happen, and William actually was the first guy we ever talked to about singing with this project when it was just me and Brent, interestingly enough."

From adventurous progressive-metal epics like "Crucifixion", "Broken Lines" and "Fragments & Ashes" to pounding rock anthems like "Adapt Or Die" and "Back To The Light" (featuring a vocal cameo from actress and singer Juliette Lewis), to future crossover classics like the gorgeous power ballad "All We Have Is Now" and the electrifying made-for-radio dance-rock of "Everyone Gets Everything They Really Want", and the equally propulsive "Blood Moon", GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA's debut album promises to be one of the most exciting releases of 2016.

The GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA name itself represents strength and ingenuity. Hinds explained: "During the time MASTODON was [in Australia] for Soundwave, I was at the zoo in Sydney and was checking out the giraffes. They are amazing animals. One just grabbed a bunch of bananas from my hand with its tongue and peeled them with it as well. By the time the bananas got to its mouth, they were ready to be eaten. I saw Ben who was at Soundwave too and said, 'Man, I think I found the name for our band,' and told him the story." Ben added: "That giraffe made it happen… like us, he figured it out." When asked about the genesis of "Broken Lines", DuVall shared: "Writing lyrics for these songs was somewhat like writing for film — the mood shifts rapidly and drastically within a song … sometimes the whole scene changes. There were a lot of times where, if you were trying to impose conventional rock songwriting standards on this, you'd be in a whole world of trouble."

As unconventional as the creation process was, what brought the core of the band together was simple — mutual admiration and friendship. "Brent, William, and myself have all been friends for a long time," said Weinman. "Finishing the GTO record with William completes the puzzle. He is a man of diverse talents, and this band gives him the opportunity to spread his wings."

"Broken Lines" track listing:

01. Adapt Or Die02. Crucificion03. No-One Is Innocent04. Blood Moon05. Fragments & Ashes06. Back To The Light07. All We Have Is Now08. Everyone Gets Everything They Really Want09. Thieves And Whores10. Broken Lines

Appearing on two tracks is QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Jon Theodore.

Kai Hansen, earMUSIC and Wacken Foundation are gearing up for the release of "XXX - Three Decades In Metal", the first solo album by Hansen, one of the most influential guitarists and singers to emerge from Germany during the first part of the '80s.

Hansen first made his name with the ground-breaking band HELLOWEEN (of which he is one of the founding members) and later with GAMMA RAY, one of the bands that contributed to define the genre power metal, bringing it to generation of devoted fans worldwide since its first album.

"XXX" is, in pure Hansen tongue-in-cheek style, a reference to over 30 years of involvement in the world of heavy rock, as explained with the album's sub-title, "Three Decades In Metal".

The album will be released tomorrow, September 16, via earMUSIC as 1CD, 2CD Special Edition including all 11 songs with Hansen on vocals, 2LP and digital.

"XXX - Three Decades In Metal" track listing:

01. Born Free02. Enemies Of Fun (featuring Ralf Scheepers & Piet Sielck)03. Contract Sun (featuring Dee Snider & Steve McT as The Manger)04. Making Headlines (featuring Tobias Sammet)05. Stranger In Time (featuring Michael Kiske, Frank Beck, Tobias Sammet & Roland Grapow - guitar solo)06. Fire And Ice (featuring Clémentine Delauney, Marcus Bischoff, Richard Sjunnesson & Michael Weikath - guitar solo)07. Left Behind (featuring Alexander Dietz & Clémentine Delauney)08. All Or Nothing (featuring Clémentine Delauney)09. Burning Bridges (featuring Eike Freese)10. Follow The Sun (featuring Hansi Kürsch & Tim Hansen - guitar solo)

Check out audio samples below.

Shot at Chameleon Studio in Hamburg where the album also was recorded, the video for "Born Free" perfectly captures the essence of the song. Starting with the line "Born in the city of Hamburg, in 1963…," Kai sets the direction for his solo debut — a reference, a bow to his home town which is also represented in the images. Hansen roars into the mic like his life depends on it — like a wild, unleashed beast — and breaks free with liberating screams. Add explosive guitar solos, heavy riffs and the stellar line up that is Alex Dietz (guitar player of HEAVEN SHALL BURN) on bass, Eike Freese on guitar and phenomenal drummer Daniel Wilding (CARCASS) to the mix, and you get everything you ever searched for in metal/hard rock.

Or as Hansen puts it in "Born Free": "It made me feel so groovy — it gave me instant heat."

"XXX - Three Decades In Metal" is a magical journey. It is the story of how powerful dreams can be. Dreams and passions big enough to bring a teenager from Hamburg who is in love with rock music, glam rock and the first heavy metal sounds from the practicing space in his bedroom and rehearsal rooms to the biggest stages in the world practicing, and ending up influencing and sharing the stage with the very same bands he admired in the first place.

Not strictly autobiographical, "XXX - Three Decades In Metal" is without doubt the story of Kai Hansen but it could very well represent the story of anybody who is not afraid to believe in dreams, with passion and dedication. It is the story of the ups and downs that everybody faces at some point during the journey of life: the lost-and-found-again friends, the glory, the tragedies and the joys.

After the achievements enjoyed by Hansen lately with UNISONIC and especially GAMMA RAY's recent work "Empire Of The Undead", Kai Hansen started working on the album with no precise commercial masterplan — just playing music with the same spirit as in the very beginning. This certainly was the reason for Hansen to communicate to his label the intention of donating the first advance payment he will receive for "XXX" — which in the meantime has shaped into a proper album — to the Wacken Foundation, a foundation which helps and supports young hard rock and heavy metal bands for over seven years now: musicians full of hopes and dreams, exactly as Hansen had in the beginning of the thirty years story told on this album... in the hope that one day, somebody could tell another thirty years long magic story, also thanks to this album.

"Seven Stars", the new video from U.S. progressive metal pioneers FATES WARNING, can be seen below. The clip was directed by David Brodsky for MyGoodEye.

FATES WARNING vocalist Ray Alder stated about the video: "We are happy to debut the new video for 'Seven Stars' from our latest album, 'Theories Of Flight'. This song is very special to me. The lyrics for this song were the first that I had written for the new album. I knew that my life was changing, I had met my lovely (now) wife who lived in Madrid, Spain and she was the inspiration for this song. I knew that I would be moving to Madrid soon, so the lyrics tended to come very organically. That theme would develop more as the writing progressed. Stories of change and moving on. Living life, really.

"I found the flag of Madrid quite interesting. Seven white stars surrounded by red...Hence the inspiration for the title. I figured I would give a little tour of the city in the video since I'm now here. Enjoy!"

FATES WARNING recently confirmed its first European tour in support of "Theories Of Flight". The trek will take place in January/February 2017 and will feature ARMORED DAWN in the opening slot.

"Theories Of Flight" was released on July 1 via InsideOut Music. The cover artwork for the CD was created by Michigan artist Graceann Warn.

Performed by the FATES WARNING lineup that returned to form with 2013's acclaimed "Darkness In A Different Light" release, "Theories Of Flight" was produced by guitarist Jim Matheos and mixed/mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios (OPETH, SYMPHONY X).

Frank Aresti contributed a couple solos on the new record, but due to his current work commitments, he is not be able to tour with FATES WARNING. He is being temporarily replaced by Mike Abdow, who is described by Aresti as "a great guitarist and a great guy."

Fan-filmed video footage of AC/DC's September 14 performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City 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.

In his review of the Madison Square Garden concert, Newsday's Glenn Gamboa wrote: "Questions about how well Rose could handle the material were quickly answered, as he powerfully delivered classics like 'Back In Black' and older cuts like 'Rock 'N' Roll Damnation' that the band rarely has touched since original lead singer Bon Scott died in 1980. However, make no mistake, Rose was not the focus of the 'Rock Or Bust' show. [Guitarist Angus] Young was. Rose would settle into the background when he wasn't singing, letting Young have the spotlight to himself."

Angus recently said that he has not made a decision yet regarding AC/DC'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".

The official 360° lyric video for "Nostrum", a brand new song from Swedish extreme tech-metal pioneers MESHUGGAH, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "The Violent Sleep Of Reason", which will be released on October 7 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was inspired by a Goya painting called "The Sleep Of Reason Produces Monsters".

MEHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake told Rolling Stone about the song: "It ties in with the Biblical Apocalypse, the idea of a deity coming back to undo it all and taking to heaven the ones who are righteous. It's about a monster that's coming for us, or maybe an asteroid hurtling towards the earth. It's always been a weird conundrum for me how some people, even devout people, fear the Apocalypse whilst others welcome it. I've never understood that."

"The Violent Sleep Of Reason" was produced by the band and was engineered by Tue Madsen of Puk Studios in Kaerby, Denmark.

For "The Violent Sleep Of Reason" cover, MESHUGGAH once again enlisted Keerych Luminokaya who created the artwork for "Koloss" and "The Ophidian Trek" as well as the new images for each of the seven albums and three EPs featured in the "25 Years Of Musical Deviance" box set.

"Basically, the whole idea of why we chose the title is it kinda connects with the lyrical content of the album," Haake said. "Which is, to a fair degree, about current events and what you see is going on as far as terrorism today, extremist views on ideals, and religious dogma and the violent implications that you get from being asleep, so to speak, and not acting/reacting to what is going on in the proper way."

"The Violent Sleep Of Reason" track listing:

01. Clockworks02. Born In Dissonance03. MonstroCity04. By The Ton05. Violent Sleep Of Reason06. Ivory Tower07. Stifled08. Nostrum09. Our Rage Won't Die10. Into Decay

Haake told Metal Hammer that MESHUGGAH recorded "The Violent Sleep Of Reason" live in the studio — marking the first time they have done that "in 20-25 years." He said: "It was time limitations that stopped us doing it before. And it's been interesting.

"If you put it all together using computers, then you often have to fix problems after the fact. I've gone back to records where I've not known every drum part. And once you do that, you can start with drums and then just add layers of guitars and then bass and it all sounds perfect.

"'Obzen' and 'Koloss' are great albums, but, to me, they are a little too perfect. It didn't really capture what we sounded like honestly. But where we recorded live, you get to hear the push and pull, one person might be a little ahead and the other might be a little behind. If you kill that, you can kill the energy."

He added: "So for us it was just about going back to those albums that inspired us when we were growing up, that were important to us in our formative years, and all of those bands had that energy. The albums in the '80s and early '90s had the rawness that I'm talking about — that's what we wanted to recapture."

BLACK SABBATH will release "The Ultimate Collection" on October 28 via BMG. Curated in conjunction with the band, the 31-track collection features the band's classic songs, including "Paranoid", "Iron Man", "War Pigs", "N.I.B." and "The Wizard" as well as choice cuts from their classic albums and is the definitive accompaniment for all SABBATH fans as well as those with a love of hard rock.

Remastered by renowned engineer Andy Pearce (MOTÖRHEAD, DEEP PURPLE, LOU REED, IGGY & THE STOOGES), "The Ultimate Collection" is available in multiple formats. Alongside the 2-CD and digital/HD formats, a limited edition "Crucifold" edition will follow on November 18, a heavyweight 4 LP vinyl version produced in the shape of the cross.

CD Disc One track listing:

01. Paranoid02. Never Say Die03. Iron Man04. Black Sabbath05. Children Of The Grave06. Fairies Wear Boots07. Changes08. Rat Salad09. Sweet Leaf10. War Pigs11. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath12. Hole In The Sky13. Symptom Of The Universe14. Spiral Architect15. Rock 'N' Roll Doctor

CD Disc Two track listing:

01. Dirty Women 02. Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me03. A Hard Road04. Lord Of This World05. Into The Void06. Behind The Wall Of Sleep07. Snowblind08. Tomorrow's Dream09. The Wizard10. N.I.B.11. Electric Funeral12. Embryo13. Killing Yourself To Live14. Am I Going Insane15. Wicked World16. It's Alright

Vinyl track listing:

Side 1

01. Paranoid02. Never Say Die03. Iron Man04. Black Sabbath

Side 2

05. Children Of The Grave06. Fairies Wear Boots07. Changes08. Rat Salad

Side 3

09. Sweet Leaf10. War Pigs11. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Side 4

12. Hole In The Sky13. Symptom Of The Universe14. Spiral Architect15. Rock 'N' Roll Doctor

Side 5

16. Dirty Women 17. Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me18. A Hard Road

Side 6

19. Lord Of This World20. Into The Void21. Behind The Wall Of Sleep22. Snowblind

Side 7

23. Tomorrow's Dream24. The Wizard25. N.I.B.26. Electric Funeral

Side 8

27. Embryo28. Killing Yourself To Live29. Am I Going Insane30. Wicked World31. It's Alright

Digital track listing:

01. Paranoid02. Never Say Die03. Iron Man04. Black Sabbath05. Children Of The Grave06. Fairies Wear Boots07. Changes08. Rat Salad09. Sweet Leaf10. War Pigs11. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath12. Hole In The Sky13. Symptom Of The Universe14. Spiral Architect15. Rock 'N' Roll Doctor16. Dirty Women17. Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me18. A Hard Road19. Lord Of This World20. Into The Void21. Behind The Wall Of Sleep22. Snowblind23. Tomorrow's Dream24. The Wizard25. N.I.B.26. Electric Funeral27. Embryo28. Killing Yourself To Live29. Am I Going Insane30. Wicked World31. It's Alright

BLACK SABBATH has announced that it will play its last show ever in the U.S. on November 12 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The gig will take place nearly five years to the day that the legendary act announced their reunion.

The group has also added two more headlining shows to its North American trek, on November 8 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma and November 10 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

These dates and the previously announced headlining slot at at the Ozzfest Meets Knotfest weekend event on Saturday, September 24 in San Bernardino, California come at the end of the band's North American tour, which kicked off on August 17 in Wantagh, New York.

SABBATH will make their final visits to Mexico and South America at the end of the year as they wind down their farewell tour.

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 Ozzy 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.

"Everyone Talking Over Everyone Else", the new video from Atlanta, Georgia's NORMA JEAN, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's seventh full-length, "Polar Similar", which came out on September 9 via Solid State Records.

First and foremost, "Polar Similar" is a reminder that NORMA JEAN is anything but rudimentary. "Sonically, we hoped to open minds to something different," explains lead singer Cory Brandan. "It seems like the world has found the cookie cutter, microwaved form of everything, and we pushed ourselves really hard to be something else." Decisions like recording at Pachyderm Studio (the same studio where NIRVANA recorded their boundary-pushing classic "In Utero") in Minnesota proves it. Each morning the band walked from the cabin to the backyard studio, turned on "The Shining", Stanley Kubrick's isolation-themed thriller, and used the space's legendary acoustics to record audio that would end up so powerfully raw, it would need no added effects.

Using the haunting chill of winter woods, the eerie acoustics from an indoor pool, and the unrelenting drive to capture natural, the band stayed put until their record — a vulnerable, haunting accomplishment — was complete. The finished product stacks itself atop an already impressive catalog of releases that yells just as powerfully, just as distinctly, and just as as profoundly as the ones preceding it. "Polar Similar"'s lyrical themes, however, set it apart.

Much of "Polar Similar" centers around abuse. Inspired by a tumultuous relationship Brandan experienced many years ago, this album is his most unguarded. "As a man, it wasn't easy to face the reality of that abuse. Decades out of that relationship, I think it's important to reach out to listeners who feel like I did then, who feel alone or different — like this has only happened to them — because the facts are one in three women and one in four men will find themselves in abusive relationships in their lives," he explains. "It's not just physical abuse either — physical abuse is the product of an already abusive relationship. The record deals with all this in emotional detail."

From the track "Everyone Talking Over Everyone Else", an anthem about clawing yourself out of the cave of abusive relationships, to the song "A Thousand Years A Minute", which looks inside self-harm, to "Reaction", a song dealing with the struggle to reach victims, "Polar Similar" exposes — honestly and powerfully — the varied perspectives of relational abuse.

Although each of NORMA JEAN's albums are fastened together by unyielding talent and ingenuity, their seventh release does stand out in motive. "I hope fans can be reached through this," notes Brandan. "It's hard to know when you're in an abusive situation; the most important thing is to know what the signs of abuse are and to take action."

The making of "Polar Similar" in a secluded studio in the woods, however haunting, became a sanctuary for a twenty year legacy — one with the ability to build such mammoth sound as to reach the ears of those who need to hear it most. Inspired by their isolated setting, NORMA JEAN made a powerful record to remind listeners that they aren't alone. "Polar Similar" track listing: 01. I. The Planet02. Everyone Talking Over Everyone Else03. Forever Hurtling Towards Andromeda04. 1,000,000 Watts05. II. The People06. Death Is A Living Partner07. Synthetic Sun08. Reaction09. III. The Nebula10. The Close And Discontent11. An Ocean Of War12. A Thousand Years A Minute13. IV. The Nexus

Photo credit: David Jackson

Legendary German alcohol-soaked thrash metal act TANKARD is currently working on material for the follow-up to its acclaimed 2014 album "R.I.B. (Rest In Beer)". The band will enter Gernhart Studios in Troisdorf with producer Martin Buchwalter (DESTRUCTION, ACCUSER, PERZONAL WAR, SUIDAKRA) in January 2017 begin recording its 35th-anniversary disc for a mid-year release via Nuclear Blast.

"R.I.B. (Rest In Beer)" entered the official chart in Germany at position No. 41.

The video for the "R.I.B. (Rest In Beer)" title track can be seen below. The clip was filmed in March 2014 under the direction of Jan Öhlenschläger in Frankfurt.

"R.I.B. (Rest In Beer)" was released on June 20, 2014 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2012's "A Girl Called Cerveza" was recorded at Studio 23 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Seattle-based metallers DEMON HUNTER are putting the finishing touches on their eighth studio album, "Outlive", for a tentative spring 2017 release. The band has released two album covers, along with a trailer video, in anticipation for the upcoming release, which you can check out below. The album and other one-of-a-kind items are available for preorder at PledgeMusic.

Said DEMON HUNTER in a statement: "The last three years have been an absolute whirlwind. We've welcomed five (!) children into the DEMON HUNTER family, endured heartbreaking trials, and experienced joy beyond comprehension. 'Outlive' is a culmination of these peaks and valleys. It is a journey through adversity, survival, and overcoming the odds.

"They say the best stories are told by those who have lived a life worth commenting on, and we believe that our stories will resonate with each of you in some way.

"The relationship we share with you has always been uniquely special. You've come to expect a high level of quality from us and we intend to honor that promise. We've been working for months assembling every piece of the album and its presentation with dedicated attention to detail.

"The new album is scheduled for a spring 2017 release and we are going to make the journey from here to there as thrilling as possible. We are simply beyond excited to share every aspect of DEMON HUNTER's eighth chapter, 'Outlive', with all of you. Prepare yourselves and join us."

DEMON HUNTER's seventh album, "Extremist", sold around 18,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 16 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released in March 2014 via Solid State.



OUTLIVE - Pledge Music Preorders!
Preorder our brand new album. PledgeMusic.com/DemonHunter

Posted by Demon Hunter on Wednesday, September 14, 2016

See The Dead Daisies blast through Portland, Bridgeport, Richmond, and Huntington with KISS - and play a sweaty and packed headline show at Webster Hall in New York City, joined by former member Richard Fortus. It's all in there: Marco singing Aerosmith, the backstage sport of "box throwing" and Doug's kickass "pick bounce" technique.

Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of The Dead Daisies' US Summer Tour Video Recap can be enjoyed below.

Tomorrow - September 15th - The Dead Daisies will headline the Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles, California.

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 

Having set November 4th as the release date, Dark Essence Records have revealed the details of Vidsyn, the second full-length album from Slegest.  Recorded at the Conclave & Earshot and Systrond Studios,  Vidsyn was jointly produced by the band's founder and frontman Ese, and  Bjørnar E. Nilsen (Vulture Industries, Black Hole Generator), who also mixed the album.  Mastering is by Herbrand Larsen (Enslaved).  Guesting on the album is Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved).
 
The cover of Vidsyn once again has its roots in the art of Nikolai Astrup. Design is by Tom Korsvold and drawing is by Lars Hellebø.  

Vidsyn sees Slegest confidently building on the sound they developed on their debut full-length Løyndom.  As Ese explained recently:
 
"We will pick up where we left off with Løyndom - mid-paced heaviness in all its glory and filth. I have read blackened doom applied as a description to our music.  But really you need to add a good dose of rock and then you might get the idea of what we are all about. There is so much to explore in our world of heavy rock and we are proud of our new songs which, to our ears - and, after all, we are the blueprint - sounds bloody brilliant. The album will of course deal with death, and, since I write all the music and spend plenty of time thinking about death, I guess it is safe to say that we are most likely onto something.”

Tracklisting:

“I Fortida Sitt Lys”
“Som I Eit Endelikt”
“Du”
“Komfortabelt Nommen Midtvekes”
“Wolf”
“The Reanimator”
“Inn I Uvissao”
“Tenn Den Gamle Varde”

Slegest will hit the road in December of this year , joining Shining's 20th Anniversary tour, which also features Dark Essence label mates Taake, with whom the band has previously toured.  The prospect of sharing a stage with Niklas Kvarforth and Hoest, widely acknowledged to be two of the most accomplished and exciting front men in extreme metal, would seem daunting to most bands, but judging from the reviews Slegest has received for its live performances, and from the number of fans the lineup of Ese on vocals and rhythm guitars, Sør (Bäääv, Vonbråten) on lead guitars, Hövard (Bombeklüchter) on bass and Fjøsne on drums, has  picked up following those performances,  this is a band that is more than able to hold its own against the two titans. 
 
Before the start of the tour Slegest will launch the new album with a show at Krøsset in Oslo, where they will be joined by Alfahanne, and, given the dynamism and sheer entertainment value of the two bands, this will be an evening to remember.

New Zealand death metal innovators Ulcerate are streaming the track “Abrogation”, from their forthcoming fifth full-length album and follow-up to 2013's Vermis. Shrines Of Paralysis is due out via Relapse on October 28th. Preorders here.

Shrines Of Paralysis tracklisting:

“Abrogation”
“Yield To Naught”
“There Are No Saviours”
“Shrines Of Paralysis”
“Bow To Spite”
“Chasm Of Fire”
“Extinguished Light”
“End The Hope”

"Abrogation":

“Extinguished Light”:

Ulcerate have announced a headlining North American tour with Icelandic dissonance-mongers Zhrine and Montreal death metal quartet Phobocosm. Ulcerate will also be performing two exclusive dates in New Zealand at the end of October before the tour's kickoff. A full list of dates is available below.

October
21 - Auckland, NZ - Kings Arms
22 - Wellington, NZ - San Fran

November (with Zhrine and Phobocosm)
2 - Los Angeles, CA - Complex
3 - San Francisco CA - Elbo Room
4 - Portland, OR - Panic Room
5 - Seattle, WA - Highline
6 - Vancouver, BC - Astoria
8 - Oakland, CA - The Golden Bull
9 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
10 - Tempe, AZ - Yucca Tap Room
11 - El Paso, TX - Mesa Music Hall
12 - San Antonio, TX - Limelight
13 - Houston, TX - Acadia Bar
15 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia
16 - Gainesville, FL - Atlantic
17 - Tampa, FL - The Brass Mug
18 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
19 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
20 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
22 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
23 - Boston, MA - Great Scott
24 - Montreal, QC - Piranha Bar
25 - Toronto, ON - Coalition
26 - Detroit, MI  - Corktown Tavern
27 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
28 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Smiling Moose
29 - New York City, NY - Saint Vitus

LED ZEPPELIN will release an expanded version of its 1997 "BBC Sessions" on September 16. The updated set, retitled "The Complete BBC Sessions", was produced by Jimmy Page and features eight previously unreleased tracks — including "I Can't Quit You Baby", "You Shook Me" and the only recorded performance of "Sunshine Woman".

The official animated video for the BBC rendition of the song "What Is And What Should Never Be", featuring ZEPPELIN concert footage alongside "innovative animation," can be seen below.

"The Complete BBC Sessions" will be available in multiple formats from Atlantic/Swan Song on September 16: * Deluxe Edition (3CD) – Remastered original album plus a third disc of unreleased audio.* Deluxe Edition Vinyl (5LP) – Remastered original album, plus a fifth LP of unreleased audio, on 180-gram vinyl* Digital Download – Remastered album and unreleased audio will both be available.* Super Deluxe Boxed Set (3CD/5LP)– This collection includes: * Remastered album. 2 CDs, each in a replica sleeve.* Unreleased audio on CD in a separate card sleeve.* Remastered album on 180-gram vinyl.* Unreleased audio on 180-gram vinyl.* High-def audio download card of all content at 96kHz/24 bit.* 48-page book filled with photos of the band, the recording locations, BBC memorabilia, and session information.* High-quality print of the original album cover, the first 20,000 of which will be individually numbered.

"BBC Sessions" was originally released in 1997 and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA. "The Complete BBC Sessions" builds on that collection with a third disc that boasts eight unreleased performances. In addition, the set includes extensive session-by-session liner notes written by Dave Lewis. For the first time ever, it provides accurate details and notes about all of the band's BBC sessions. Musical highlights on this new collection include the debut of a long-lost radio session that has achieved near-mythic status among fans. Originally broadcast in April 1969, the session included three songs: "I Can't Quit You Baby", "You Shook Me" and the only recorded performance of "Sunshine Woman", which can be streamed below. Also included are two unreleased versions of both "Communication Breakdown" and "What Is And What Should Never Be". Separated by two years, the performances vividly demonstrate the young band's rapid evolution over a short period of time. Jimmy Page spoke about the band's growth in an interview with Guitar World. "The 'BBC Sessions' show in graphic detail just how organic the group was," he said. "LED ZEPPELIN was a band that would change things around substantially each time it played…We were becoming tighter and tighter, to the point of telepathy." Speaking with Wall Of Sound, John Paul Jones added: "We'd been on the road a lot by the time those sessions were recorded. The albums were always the starting point of the music, and then we'd take it out and expand it on the road. Then we'd come straight off the road into those BBC studios." Recalling the BBC experience in an interview with Mojo, Robert Plant said: "The whole thing was very quaint: the politeness of the audience, the technicians fumbling about, proper hallowed low-key introductions. Like there was some sort of holy moment about to occur." "The Complete BBC Sessions" CD track listing Disc One

01. You Shook Me02. I Can't Quit You Baby03. Communication Breakdown04. Dazed And Confused05. The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair06. What Is And What Should Never Be07. Communication Breakdown08. Travelling Riverside Blues09. Whole Lotta Love10. Somethin' Else11. Communication Breakdown12. I Can't Quit You Baby13. You Shook Me14. How Many More Times Disc Two

01. Immigrant Song02. Heartbreaker03. Since I've Been Loving You04. Black Dog05. Dazed And Confused06. Stairway To Heaven07. Going To California08. That's The Way09. Whole Lotta Love (Medley: Boogie Chillun/Fixin' To Die/That's Alright Mama/A Mess of Blues)10. Thank You Disc Three

01. Communication Breakdown *02. What Is And What Should Never Be *03. Dazed And Confused *04. White Summer05. What Is And What Should Never Be *06. Communication Breakdown *07. I Can't Quit You Baby *08. You Shook Me *09. Sunshine Woman * * Previously Unreleased

Ex-IN FLAMES guitarist Jesper Strömblad has slammed his former bandmates, saying that he is "happy" that he "left the sinking ship."

Strömblad, who quit IN FLAMES in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction, made his latest comments in response to a 2014 interview with IN FLAMES members Anders Fridén (vocals), Björn Gelotte (guitar). In that video interview, which was conducted by Germany's Rock Hard magazine, Anders was asked what the songwriting process has been like for IN FLAMES now that there are only two main writers involved instead of three. Anders responded: "Both me and Björn complete each other really well these days. I know him, he knows me. And, yeah, it's a slightly different process being two songwriters than three, but I think it makes it… Maybe before there was more compromises. Today there's no compromises, 'cause [Björn has] gotta be happy and I've gotta be happy. Otherwise it's not getting done. We both need to agree that this is the best song ever until we write the next 'best song ever,' so to speak, and then continue."

Earlier today (Tuesday, September 13), Jesper took to his personal Facebook page to post a link to the Rock Hard interview and to add the following comment: "Anders says as it is breaking news. He [has] never been a songwriter. Trying to 'sing' with a vocal producer doing his best to polish the turd. And most importantly, I had no impact on the songwriting whatsoever *crying*... Sorry guys, I just could be quiet for once. Just happy I left the sinking ship."

After leaving IN FLAMES, Strömblad formed THE RESISTANCE with Marco Aro (vocals, THE HAUNTED) and Glenn Ljungström (guitar, ex-IN FLAMES). Strömblad announced his departure from that group in March of this year, with the band's bassist, Rob Hakemo, saying in an interview that Jesper "saved" THE RESISTANCE by quitting and explaining that the guitarist is "an alcoholic" and "drug addict" who "doesn't want to [get] sober." Rob added: "[Jesper] thinks that two weeks [sober] is good, and then he can drink some. And then he's gone for a month, and then he's back and he's not drinking [for a short while]. It's a sad thing, and we really tried to help him and wanted the best [for him]. So when he told us that 'I'm leaving the band,' we were relieved. We were really relieved."

"Battles", IN FLAMES' twelfth studio album — and its third since Jesper's departure — 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.