Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of Stephen Pearcy for the release of his fourth original solo album, "Smash".

Pearcy, best known as the original vocalist and founding member of the platinum rock band RATT, has been working hard to complete his highly anticipated disc while at the same time keeping busy performing shows across the U.S.

"I am very happy with the new music and the diversity of the songs," he says. "It's taken some time. I'm sure all the fans will be excited too. Also, to be involved with the Frontiers Music Srl family is way cool."

The good news is that the first taste of new music has been already made available! Check out "I Can't Take It" below.

Due in early 2017, "Smash" will be mixed and mastered by none other than the legendary Beau Hill, the producer of RATT's first four albums, among many other hit records.

Stephen will support "Smash" with live dates in the U.S. and internationally.

As previously reported, Pearcy will be rejoined by his former RATT bandmates Juan Croucier and Carlos Cavazo at his headlining appearance on October 30 at the Rock N Skull festival at The Tree Performing Arts Center in Joliet, Illinois.

Croucier previously performed with Pearcy in May at M15 in Corona, California.

Three members of RATT's classic lineup, Pearcy, Croucier and guitarist Warren DeMartini, reunited in July at the Los Angeles birthday party of former RIP magazine editor Lonn Friend. Also joining them at the event were former QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on RATT's last studio album, 2010's "Infestation", and ex-WHITE LION drummer Greg D'Angelo, a longtime member of Pearcy's solo band.

Notably absent was drummer Bobby Blotzer, who has been touring the U.S. for the last few months with his own version of RATT, featuring a rotating cast of musicians, including vocalist Josh Alan (ex-SIN CITY SINNERS).

Blotzer's new version of RATT played shows early last year under the name BOBBY BLOTZER'S RATT EXPERIENCE before the drummer announced that he was taking control of the RATT name.

DeMartini later filed a lawsuit against Blotzer, claiming that the drummer was falsely advertising his "tribute band" as the real thing. That dispute is still pending in California state court.

Blotzer and DeMartini are the only remaining shareholders in WBS, Inc., the company which manages the business and operations related to RATT.

British hard rock legends UFO are in the studio recording a "covers" album for a tentative early 2017 release. According to UFO guitarist Vinnie Moore, there are "just a couple acoustic guitar parts to finish," with the vocal sessions scheduled to begin "in a couple weeks."

UFO's upcoming CD will be the follow-up to the band's 22nd studio album, "A Conspiracy Of Stars", which was released in February 2015. That CD was recorded, produced and mixed by Chris Tsangarides, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, THIN LIZZY and JUDAS PRIEST, among others.

"A Conspiracy Of Stars" was recorded by UFO's current lineup, which includes original members Phil Mogg (vocals), Paul Raymond (keyboards, guitar) and Andy Parker (drums). They are joined by two American musicians, Moore (who has been a member of the group since 2003) and bassist Rob De Luca, who joined the fold in 2012.

The majority of the "A Conspiracy Of Stars" material was composed by Moore. The album also featured two songs written by Rob De Luca, one written by Paul Raymond, and a collaboration between Raymond and De Luca. All the lyrics were penned by Mogg.

Asked what it is like being the singer in a hard rock band once you reach your 60s, Mogg told The Guardian: "It's not as much fun. Travelling's a pain now. When you start, you're full of excitement and prepared to go anywhere, and you're not very interested in money — getting paid doesn't really matter as long as you're doing the gig. Whereas now it's: are we getting paid? How much are we getting paid? Because in the mid-'80s, I ended up completely skint."

He continued: "In the early '80s, we did four nights at Hammersmith [in London]. Nine months after that, when everything fell apart, I ended up having to go to the dole office. I'd never been before. There was a bloke in front of me in the queue. He looked and said: 'Aren't you with UFO?' I said: 'Yeah.' I was already very embarrassed going there. He said: 'What are you doing here?' I said: 'Same as you. I need some money.' I was absolutely brassic. At the same point, I ended up sleeping round a friend of mine's because I was so skint. That's when you think: 'Shouldn't I have some sort of a royalty?' A lot of that was us doing albums we thought somebody else paid for. Then when you look into it, you realize all that studio time, we were actually paying for. Nobody on management had taken the time to explain to the band: 'No, you're paying for it.' Which was stupid on our part."

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the launch of a new musical partnership between singer Anette Olzon and producer/songwriter/guitar player Jani Liimatainen for a new studio album, to be released in mid-to-late 2017. Anette is mostly known for being the immaculate voice on hit albums from NIGHTWISH such as "Dark Passion Play" and "Imaginareum". Jani has been busy in CAIN'S OFFERING alongside STRATOVARIUS singer Timo Kotipelto, but left a deep mark on the minds of all power metal fans thanks to his time in SONATA ARCTICA.

Anette and Jani are now working together on a record which promises to be a huge statement in the European metal scene for years to come! Jani says: "I have always been a big fan of Anette's voice and when the opportunity to work with her arose, writing and producing an album, it was something I just couldn't say no to!

"It has been a blast working on the songs already and I can't wait for the final result; this will be epic!

"The songs will be extremely melodic and to the point.

"My goal has been to write catchy songs with hooks that will haunt your dreams, and I think it's pretty much 'mission accomplished.' Stay tuned for something special!" Anette adds: "I am so looking forward to sing on an album with Jani and to finally work with Frontiers. I believe it will be a perfect match and I am really happy that Jani and Frontiers asked me to do this with them!" Frontiers president Serafino Perugino concludes: "I originally envisioned the musical alliance between those two musical giants and the fact that they liked the concept proposed makes me incredibly proud!

"Working with two high-class musicians like Jani and Anette is a true honor and we will do our complete best to please them and to release a record which will make all the melodic and power metal fans very happy!"

According to the New York Daily News, AC/DC celebrated the end of its "Rock Or Bust" world tour with a party at a New York City steakhouse on Monday, September 12.

The band and "roughly 100 guests" showed up at the Old Homestead Steakhouse for the celebration, which took place in advance of Wednesday night's performance at Madison Square Garden.

A source at the dinner told the paper that GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose sat with AC/DC guitarist and leader Angus Young, and told stories about how he used to stop at the restaurant after performing with GUNS N' ROSES and before hitting the area's nightclubs" — adding that the area was "rough and loaded with transvestites" back then.

AC/DC's itinerary has only two more dates: September 17 in Washington, D.C. and September 20 in Philadelphia.

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

Angus 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".

APTV recently sat down with HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger to learn how to play the band's hit song "Amen". Lzzy and Joe also told APTV how they learned to play guitar and what they use to create their signature sound on stage. Lzzy said that "you can't go wrong with a really good guitar and a good amp" while Joe stressesd the importance of a tuner. Check out the clip below.

HALESTORM is currently preparing to record a third covers EP to follow 2011's "ReAniMate" and 2013's "ReAniMate 2.0".

The band's first two albums, 2009's "Halestorm" and 2012's "The Strange Case Of…" were both officially certified gold in March by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of more than 500,000 copies. The certifications came after RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in gold and platinum album award.

"Into The Wild Life" debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 56,000 copies in its first week of release — more than double the first-week haul of their second CD — but has not reached gold yet.

SERPENTINE DOMINION, the new band featuring KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, CANNIBAL CORPSE frontman George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher and ex-THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER drummer Shannon Lucas, will release its self-titled debut album on October 28 via Metal Blade.

In the new clip below, Dutkiewicz performs the song "On The Brink Of Devastation" from "Serpentine Dominion".

"Serpentine Dominion" track listing:

01. Intro02. The Vengeance In Me03. Vanquished Unto Thee04. Divide, Conquer, Burn, And Destroy05. Sovereign Hate06. On The Brink Of Devastation07. Jagged Cross Legions08. Prelude09. This Endless War

The origins of SERPENTINE DOMINION can be traced back to 2009's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, which boasted a lineup that included KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, CANNIBAL CORPSE and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. During that fateful summer, Dutkiewicz made a proposition to Fisher: "George, I want to write you a record." On the Mayhem fest tour, Lucas, who performed with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER through 2012, was tapped to record drums on the album. Between 2009 and 2016, CANNIBAL CORPSE and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE released three albums each, so scheduling time to work on SERPENTINE DOMINION was no easy feat — but when their rigorous schedules allowed, SERPENTINE DOMINION began to come together, with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE vocalist Jesse Leach penning the lyrics, which touch on corruption within the government, religion, big business, and other timely issues. Ultimately, though, this debut is a pure passion project; it was written and recorded simply for why musicians get into music in the first place: fun.

"Serpentine Dominion" pre-order formats:

* CD* 180g black vinyl* olive-green marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies!)* dark red marbled vinyl (limited to 200 copies!)* dark khaki marble vinyl (USA; limited to 250 copies!)* red/black marble vinyl (USA; limited to 250 copies!)

Dutkiewicz in 2013 spoke to Decibel magazine about how SERPENTINE DOMINION came together. He said: "When [KILLSWITCH] toured with CANNIBAL CORPSE and BLACK DAHLIA on the [Rockstar Energy Drink] Mayhem [Festival], I was just hanging out with George one night, and I was like, 'Dude, if I wrote you a bunch of songs to sing over, would you do it?' And he was like, 'Fuck yeah, man!'" he said.

Asked if this was material he had sitting around that he thought George would be good for, or if these were songs that were written specifically for George to sing, Adam said: "They were written specifically for him. He's one of my favorite singers of all time, and I thought there wouldn't be any harm in at least asking him. Once he said yes, it was like, 'Alright — let's go!'"

Regarding the musical direction of the new project, Adam said: "It's not straight death metal — there's some melodic elements in there — but it's much faster and more aggressive than KILLSWITCH is. And the drums are blazing, so Shannon is probably one of the only guys on the face of the earth who could pull this off."

Fisher told "The Jasta Show" last year that KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach ended up writing all the lyrics for SERPENTINE DOMINION. He explained: "I originally was going to write stuff [for the new band], and you know what? [Writing lyrics has] just never been my thing, and we were getting down to when I was supposed to go up there [and lay down my vocals]. And [Adam] just said, 'Look, I'll ask Jesse to write some stuff.' So he wrote it, and I just said I don't want no pro-religious crap 'cause I ain't about all that. Anyway, so it's more just about like getting revenge against corrupt motherfuckers and shit like that."

He continued: "And so [Jesse] wrote a bunch of lyrics and Adam arranged a lot of it, and then when I went up there, we recorded it in his bedroom of his house. And, basically, I would be, like, 'No, wait. We've gotta change this, fix that.' Maybe we'd tweak a word or take a word out or take a couple words out or take some lines out. We just basically fucked with it, you know? And I went up two [or] three different times [to work on the vocals]."

A year on from the death of drummer Martin “Kiddie” Kearns, who passed away on September 14th, 2015 from an undisclosed ailment. The UK death metal legends have now revealed that the band will not continue without Kearns.

Bolt Thrower updated their official website with the following announcement:

“On behalf of ourselves and Kiddie’s family, we would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and support over the last 12 months. Together with Kiddie’s family we made the conscious decision to keep his unexpected death a private matter, and to take time out to deal with it all.

“When Kiddie joined us back in 1994, although he was only 17, he instantly improved Bolt Thrower as a live band, and no one was more loyal to, and prouder to be in Bolt Thrower than him.

“We spent over 20 years together, touring the world, with 3 different vocalists, but he was so much more than just a drummer to us. So when we carried his coffin to his final resting place, the Bolt Thrower drummer position was buried with him. He was, and will now forever remain THE Bolt Thrower drummer, our Powerhouse and friend Martin “Kiddie” Kearns.

“As for the rest of us, Bolt Thrower has been our way of life for 30 years, never driven by money, fame or ego, but by our own personal principles and values that have guided us through life, and which bonded us as friends long before Bolt Thrower was even formed…”

They also included the following:

“We are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

- Tennyson – 1833

On September 17th, 2015, Bolt Thrower confirmed Martin’s passing with the following:

“With the heaviest of hearts, and still numb from shock, we have to share the very sad news that on Monday, September 14th Bolt Thrower lost our powerhouse drummer, Martin ‘Kiddie’ Kearns.

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

“He was a fantastic Dad, husband, son, friend, but to us he was always ‘Kiddie’, the same 17 year old Coventry kid whose drumming style and personality blew us away when he first walked into our rehearsal room 20+ years ago.

“Kiddie enriched our lives, and the Bolt Thrower sound. He leaves a massive hole in the lives of everyone who knew him and will be very sorely missed by many.”

Kearns performed on 2001’s Honour – Valour – Pride and 2005’s Those Once Loyal.

Relapse Records will release Arizona's death metal newcomers Gatecreeper’s debut full-length, Sonoran Depravation, on October 7th on CD/LP/digital formats. The album was recorded at Homewrecker Studios in Tucson, Arizona by Ryan Bram and mixed by Kurt Ballou at Godcity Studios. The album track “Stronghold” is streaming below.

Formed in mid-2013 based on their mutual love for bands like Dismember, Entombed, Bolt Thrower and Obituary, Gatecreeper play monstrous, low-end, old-school death metal for a new generation.

Gatecreeper commented on signing with Replase and their new album: "We are very excited to be working with Relapse, a label that we have all been following for many years. It is a dream come true to release our first full-length on such a legendary and trustworthy label."

Tracklisting:

“Craving Flesh”
“Sterilized”
“Desperation”
“Rotting As One”
“Stronghold”
“Patriarchal Grip”
“Lost Forever”
“Flamethrower”
“Grotesque Operations”

“Stronghold”:

“Desperation” video:

“Craving Flesh”:

Gatecreeper lineup:

Sean Mears - Bass
Metal Matt - Drums
Eric Wagner - Guitars
Chase H. Mason - Vocals

Iconic, Grammy Award-winning superstar band, Bon Jovi, will release their new album, This House Is Not For Sale, on October 21st in partnership with Island/UMG. The single is available now via all digital retailers.

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

“This House Is Not For Sale” video:

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

 

 

 

 

(Photo - Norman Jean Roy)

German melodic death metallers, Nothgard, will release their third album, The Sinner‘s Sake, on September 23rd via NoiseArt Records. Special guests include Jeff Loomis from Arch Enemy, Jen Majura from Evanescence and Robse from Equilibrium. A second album preview clip can be found below.

Founded in 2008 by singer and lead guitarist Dom R. Crey (from Equilibrium), Nothgard drag along the winning ways since their debut album Warhorns Of Midgard from 2011. The high technical quality of their guitar work and the epic orchestration of their melodic death metal elates fans and critics alike. In 2014, the band released another epic milestone of deadly metal, memorable melodies and influences from both neo-classical and folk music called Age Of Pandora. In the meantime, Nothgard became members of the NoiseArt Records family, who will escort their new masterpiece The Sinner‘s Sake on the band‘s way to the top of the melodic death metal throne.

Starting with an imposing blockbuster intro, The Sinner‘s Sake bestirs itself as a fantastic giant. Deadly rifs meet playful, catchy lead guitars, while the epic orchestration arranges for a cinematic atmosphere that will bring goosebumps to your skin. Completed by Dom R. Crey‘s raw vocals, Nothgard‘s sound is both stormy-spectacular and full of a sublime atmosphere. The top-class guest list on The Sinner‘s Sake adds another special mark to the album. None other than guitar virtuoso Jef Loomis (guest solo on “Iron Sights”), Jen Majura (guest vocals in “Sin Eater” and “Draining Veins”) and Robert “Robse” Dahn (additional growls in “Death Unites”) show up to leave their marks on the respective songs.

With The Sinner‘s Sake, Nothgard set of into the most spectacular chapter in the band‘s history so far. The songs that are spiced with cinematic elements will show Nothgard‘s intoxicating vibe on an entirely diferent level both in the stereo system and live on stage.

Tracklisting:

“Glittering Shades” (Intro)
“From Lambs To Lions”
“The Sinner‘S Sake”
“Iron Sights”
“Death Unites”
“Shadow Play”
“Descendants Of The Sun”
“Last Child Standing”
“Draining Veins”
“When Gods Cry”
“Sin Eater”

Preview Part 1:

Preview Part 2:

“Draining Veins” video:

In support of the upcoming release, the band will tour Europe this fall with German epic metal pioneers Equilibrium, Dutch folk metallers Heidevolk and German Black Forest metallers Finsterforst.

Tour dates:

September
22 - Nürnberg, Germany - Hirsch
24 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
25 - Prague, Czech Republic - Nova Chmelnice
26 - Wien, Austria - Szene
30 - Berlin, Germany - Bi Nuu

October
1 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
2 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Dynamo
11 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
12 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob
13 - Colmar, France - Grillen
14 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
15 - München, Germany - Backstage
16 - Dornbirn, Austria - Conrad Sohm

Norwegian progressive classic metallers, Sahg, will release their new album, Memento Mori, on September 23rd via Indie Recordings. The band have released a video for the track “Black Unicorn”, which can be seen below.

In a time when threats of religious hostility and environmental decay loom heavily over the world, we have no choice but to acknowledge the inevitability of death. Not only does it spread fear, stigma and hatred, but it also reminds us of the grasp our own mortality has on us. Death is just a heartbeat away and our fear of the unknown is apparent now more than ever. Thus the title Memento Mori (Latin: remember that you must die).

The heavy rock powerhouse Sahg have since their beginnings in 2004 delivered grade-A hard rock of the fist bumping and heavy-leaded sort. When elements hoisted from the depths of doom converge with the realm of progressive rock, one can draw parallels to greats such as Black Sabbath, Pentagram and Mastodon. Sahg procure a unique blend of the aforementioned while resting firmly on a heavy metal base. The crisp sound on their fifth and latest effort Memento Mori defies the idea of simple genre categorization in favour of delivering a damn good heavy metal album.

Tracklisting:

“Black Unicorn”
“Devilspeed”
“Take It To The Grave”
“Silence The Machines”
“Sanctimony”
“(Praise The) Electric Sun”
“Travellers Of Space And Light”
“Blood Of Oceans”

“Black Unicorn” video:

“Sanctimony”:

Preview video:

Finland’s Hexvessel have launched a brand new video clip for the song “Drugged Up On The Universe”, taken from their album When We Are Death, out now via Century Media Records. Check it out below.

Singer Mat McNerney comments: “The video references the death of the hippie movement, with a Manson-like shamanic figure, or malevolent spirit. Bringing to life 60s/70s counter culture in an Eyes Wide Shut orgy of drugs, the Alice-like central character takes a spiritual journey. Enticed by the spirit, who has entered her expanded consciousness, her mind expands. She is lead outside and discovers there is a wider universe than the one she knows. It's a nature mystic metaphor for how that era has influenced the environmental movement which Hexvessel feel a part of. If you let it in, the spirit of nature will find you and expand your consciousness. You don't need drugs to get high on the nature of the universe! It was directed by Frenchman David Fitt who has previously worked on videos for King Dude for example.”

Hexvessel have also announced a handful of shows in Germany, the Netherlands and Greece. Scroll down for the exact dates.

The Leafmeal Warm-Up Show with Motorowl at Tapir Media in Dortmund on November 4th is a special “Hexvessel Unfurled” showcase: Founding partners Mat McNerney and Marja Konttinen ceremonially unfurl the music of Hexvessel and spirit the fragments into the wind. They will invoke stripped down and acoustic renditions of songs from Hexvessel’s back-catalogue, including previously unheard material, in a darkly intimate and exclusive performance. The band will sell a strictly limited edition of 30 tapes with six previously unreleased “unfurled” tracks at the show. Each tape will have a hand-drawn cover artwork created live by Costin Chioreanu (twilight13media.com).

Tour dates:

September
20 - Bamberg, Germany - Weinstube Pizzini
21 - Hannover, Germany - Chez Heinz (with Dead Meadows)
22 -  Cologne, Germany - MTC (with Dead Meadows)
23 - Osnabrück, Germany - Bastard Club
24 - Hamburg, Germany - Reeperbahn Festival

October
22 - Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Into The Void Festival

November
4 - Dortmund, Germany - Tapir Media (pre-Leafmeal Festival show)
11 - Athens, Greece - Gagarin (with Ornassi Pazuzu)

Hexvessel lineup:

Mat McNerney - Vox & guitar
Marja Konttinen - Vox & percussion
Jukka Rämänen – Drums
Simo Kuosmanen - Lead Guitar
Niini Rossi - Bass Guitar
Kimmo Helén - Keys/Trumpet/Violin

Austrian folk metal band, Drescher, will release their new album, Steinfeld, on November 18th via Napalm Records. A new teaser video can be found below.

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

Steinfeld tracklisting:

“A bissl Glick”
“Adrenalin”
“Unten”
“Guade oide Zeit”
“Regen”
“Es reignt Bluat” (Slayer Cover)
“Olles ok”
“Endlich leben”
“I will di ausbliatn sehn”
“Der Held”
“Die Marie” (Bonus Track)
“Vater vergib mir” (Bonus Track)

Drescher lineup:

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

British heavy metal legends SAXON have commenced work on the follow-up to last year's "Battering Ram" album for a tentative 2017 release. The group's 22nd studio LP is once again being produced by Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, ACCEPT, TESTAMENT and EXODUS, among others.

In a new Facebook post, SAXON frontman Biff Byford wrote: "Started work on new album with producer Andy Sneap, sounding great. As usual the brakes don't work so we're not slowing down!"

"Battering Ram" was released last October in North America via UDR Music. The album featured Byford alongside Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt on guitar, Nibbs Carter on bass and Nigel Glockler on drums.

Byford described "Battering Ram" as "a bit more metal" than some of SAXON's recent efforts. He added: "Yeah, but there are some really melodic bits in there, like classic SAXON. But, I think, the riffs are very heavy — like 'Princess Of The Night' or 'Heavy Metal Thunder', really; they're heavy as well. So I think it's a bit more focused, this album. It's less of a mixture between hard rock and metal, if you know what I mean. It's more focused, and we like it."

In a 2013 interview with Metalholic, Biff spoke about SAXON's longevity and continued desire to make new music. He said: "We don't really bother too much about years and birthdays and how many albums, we just get on with it, basically. We just have a passion for the music. That's one of the secrets. We love to make new albums and sort of move on. We try and get new fans and get old fans back, and entertain ourselves as well as the fans. There's a passion for our style of music. That's the secret, I think."




Started work on new album with producer Andy Sneap, sounding great.As usual the brakes don't work so we're not slowing down!

Biff

Posted by Saxon (Official) on Wednesday, September 14, 2016

There are great guitarists, great vocalists and great songwriters, but Monte Pittman is one of the elite few who can truly lay claim to all three titles. With his fourth full-length, "Inverted Grasp Of Balance" (due on September 23), he has once again raised the stakes, delivering a riveting collection of full force metal that showcases his continuing evolution, undoubtedly expanding his devout — and ravenous — fan base.

"I knew exactly the album I wanted to make," he states. "I wanted to make the heaviest and craziest music I ever have. I really feel that it's an album that will grab you and demand your attention."

The results speak for themselves, and from the explosive thrash of opener "Panic Attack" through to the epic strains of closing track "New Blood Keeps Us Alive", the quality doesn't dip once, making this one of the most essential metal releases of 2016.

The song "Be Very Afraid" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

To assert that Pittman has had a storied career is something of an understatement. His resumé includes an ongoing and fruitful collaboration with multi-platinum selling artist Madonna, having recorded and toured with her extensively over a period of more than fifteen years. Then there's his first band, MYRA MAINS, his stint in the metallic behemoth that is PRONG, and collaborations with a broad spectrum of international artists. If his time with PRONG did not fully communicate just how much metal flowed through his veins, with 2014's Flemming Rasmussen-produced "The Power Of Three" — his first release with Metal Blade Records — he compellingly blended killer riffs, blistering leads and gigantic hooks to deliver an album that was equal parts anthemic grandeur and in-your-face attitude, making metalheads around the world sit up and take note.

Having never been inclined to allow his guitars to gather dust, Pittman wasted no time in commencing writing for its follow-up. "I started pretty much immediately," he said. "When I finish an album, I have a window of opportunity where I see the big picture and where it should take me next. There are sections to the songs on 'Inverted Grasp Of Balance' that are identical to the way they were when I originally came up with them, all that time ago, and there are parts that I changed at the last minute while recording. It was a real ongoing process."

Alongside wanting to make a heavier, faster record, Pittman also wanted to push the boundaries of his guitar playing, while experimenting more dramatically with song structures and tones. This is made clear by the diversity of the record, which while predominantly a blast of armor-plated adrenaline showcases an admirable range of sounds and styles, features some straight up rockers and truly beautiful moments amidst the metallic attack. "I planned on it all being heads down thrashing, but I've always liked a variety of music and sounds," he said. "The beautiful, plaintive parts snuck in and gave the album a nice dynamic. I wanted it to be a record that just pulverizes you for an hour, but having a lighter side in places gives it more balance."

The album title itself comes from a line in album opener "Panic Attack", and is centered around the idea of feeling in control when that is actually not the case at all — the ground falls out beneath you just when you think you've got things dialed. However, Pittman views such circumstances as a potential blessing in disguise. "It can mean starting again from scratch but knowing more than you did before," he said. "What is balance? It's never 50/50. Nothing is ever completely perfect. From a music theory perspective, if you take a C Major 7 chord, you have 'perfect harmony'. None of the notes are altered, and that's the only time this happens with the numerical value of the tones. But if you take the notes that give you that sound or feeling - which is a C and a B - and you put them just with each other, they're dissonant. I think the lesson in that is you have to have disharmony to have perfect harmony."

Of course, it would not be a Monte Pittman album without a bevy of killer guitar solos. As such, anyone partial to fleet-fingered shredding will also find plenty to fall in love with on "Inverted Grasp Of Balance", for Pittman has never sounded better when he lets loose on the fretboard. Again, he continued to push the envelope. "I incorporated some different, odd scales and chords into a lot of it," he said. "If I found myself repeating ideas, I knew to go somewhere else with it. As someone who teaches guitar, I also wanted to be able to use the leads as examples for teaching guitar lessons. In 'Obliterated', there are several little elements that could be guitar lessons on their own."

Teamed up with powerhouse drummer Richard Christy of CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED, ICED EARTH and DEATH fame and virtuoso bassist Billy Sheehan, famous for his work with a plethora of extremely talented artists — including David Lee Roth, MR. BIG and, more recently, THE WINERY DOGS — the skill of all concerned explodes from the speakers. With such passionate professionals and Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER) handling production duties, the record came together quickly and smoothly, Pittman recording his guitar parts wherever he found himself while on the road. With unique artwork provided by Sean K Hughes — whom Pittman met at a bar called The Black Rabbit in Melbourne, Australia — this really is the proverbial "whole package": an album that has been lovingly crafted in all aspects, that he hopes reaches as many ears as possible.

"Having Metal Blade on board for the entire process of creating this album has been incredible," Monte said. "Many people don't know, but they came on board much later in the process on 'The Power Of Three', and working alongside Brian Slagel, Mike Faley and their amazing team has been a real treat. I had a true vision for this record from the start, and I couldn't imagine a better team to help me realize it. We're going to make some real noise with 'Inverted Grasp Of Balance' — so get ready!"

"Inverted Grasp Of Balance" track listing:

01. Panic Attack02. Arisen in Broad Daylight03. Guilty Pleasure04. The Times Are Changing05. Double Edged Sword06. Cadabra07. Pride Comes Before the Fall08. California09. Be Very Afraid10. Obliterated11. Skeleton Key12. New Blood Keeps Us Alive

BLACK EARTH — the project featuring former and current members of ARCH ENEMY performing material from ARCH ENEMY's first three albums live on stage — completed a seven-date Japanese tour this past May. The shows were professionally filmed and recorded and are currently being edited and mixed for a forthcoming DVD release.

Said guitarist Michael Amott: "Been working in the studio with Staffan Karlsson on the BLACK EARTH Japan tour live material. It's sounding really cool. [I] can't wait to let you all hear it!"

Added vocalist Johan Liiva: "Listening to the mix of the BLACK EARTH live DVD right now, and it sounds totally killer! Goosebumps all over the place... Trust me, you'll all love it!"

Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK EARTH's May 23 concert in Osaka can be seen below.

BLACK EARTH's setlist for the Japanese tour was as follows:

01. Black Earth
02. The Immortal
03. Dead Inside
04. Pilgrim
05. Sinister Mephisto
06. Diva Satanica
07. Tears Of The Dead
08. Let The Killing Begin
09. Angelclaw
10. Bury Me An Angel
11. Dark Insanity
12. Eureka
13. Idolatress
14. Cosmic Retribution
15. Demoniality
16. Transmigration Macabre
17. Time Capsule
18. Fields Of Desolation

Encore:

19. Aces High (IRON MAIDEN cover)
20. Beast Of Man
21. Silverwing
22. Bridge Of Destiny

BLACK EARTH is:

Michael Amott - guitarChristopher Amott - guitarJohan Liiva - vocalsDaniel Erlandsson - drumsSharlee D'Angelo - bass

Michael Amott told Kansai Scene about BLACK EARTH: "We thought it was a great idea to celebrate [the 20th] anniversary [of ARCH ENEMY's 'Black Earth' album] and the early years of ARCH ENEMY this way. Judging by the reactions we are getting from the Japanese fans, I think we have made the right decision to book these seven concerts across Japan."

He added: "We [are] playing the debut ARCH ENEMY album, 'Black Earth', in its entirety, of course, as well as a cross-section of songs from the second and third albums, 'Stigmata' and 'Burning Bridges'…and dare I say some pretty cool surprises too!"

Asked if BLACK EARTH is a short-term or long term-project and whether it will have any effect on the future of ARCH ENEMY, Michael said: "BLACK EARTH has no impact on the ARCH ENEMY schedule. ARCH ENEMY will return with a new studio album and world tour when the time is right. I doubt that we will pursue [BLACK EARTH] any further after the [Japanese] tour."

ARCH ENEMY was rejoined by the band's original members Johan Liiva and Christopher Amott for their appearance at last year's edition of the Loud Park festival on October 10-11, 2015 at Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan.

Speaking about his 2000 exit from ARCH ENEMY, Liiva told LoudTV.net in a 2015 interview: "Actually, I wasn't that angry. I was just kind of shocked and kind of disappointed, because I wasn't expecting it. But you just have to deal with it and accept what happened. Then, a few years later, I realized, 'Okay, this is what it's like. It's the music business. [ARCH ENEMY mainman/guitarist Michael Amott] wants to make a living from his music, he wants to make the band like that.' And, honestly, at the end, I wasn't putting too much of my energy into the band; I had so many other things on my agenda, unfortunately. So it was like a mixture of all these things. I was not focused, maybe. So I totally understand it. But then again, many fans were really angry and they all supported me, and I thanked them so much for that. And now they see me doing this show in Loud Park and they wonder what the fuck is going on. You know what I mean? That I don't stand for my values or… But it's not like that. It was a very difficult thing back then."

Asked how his guest appearance with ARCH ENEMY at Loud Park came about, Liiva said: "It was Michael [that asked me to do it]. We're old friends and we speak every now and then on the phone. So he said, soon it's twenty years ago, you know — it's an anniversary for the band. And also it's an anniversary for the Loud Park festival. So he was, like, 'Would you like to do this?' And I was, like, 'Ehhh…. Yeah. Yeah, of course I want. For the fans.'"

ARCH ENEMY recorded three albums with Johan Liiva: "Black Earth" (1996), "Stigmata" (1998) and "Burning Bridges" (1999).

Liiva was replaced by German singer Angela Gossow as ARCH ENEMY's lead vocalist in 2000. Gossow exited the band in 2013 and was succeeded by former THE AGONIST frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz, while remaining as the group's manager.

Christopher Amott first left ARCH ENEMY in 2005, only to return to the group two years later. His second, and apparently final, departure came in March 2012.

Grammy nominated Christopher Hathcock has returned with the fourth album from The Reticent. Heaven & Hell Records has announced the October 5th release of On The Eve Of A Goodbye. The album was produced by Jamie King (BTBAM, The Wretched, Scale The Summit), and will be released on limited edition CD with complete lyrics. New track "The Confrontation" is streaming below.

This is undoubtedly the most ambitious and intense offering from The Reticent to date. An uncompromising autobiographical concept record, On The Eve Of A Goodbye is certain to exceed all expectations, boasting 73 minutes of stirring progressive metal that must be heard in its entirety to grasp the full magnitude.

On The Eve Of A Goodbye is an autobiographical concept album. All of the tracks serve to detail the day before, day of, and day after the suicide of The Reticent's mastermind Chris Hathcock's childhood friend, Eve. The songs chronicle his concern for her, her deterioration into self-hatred, and culminates with the tragic act and its aftermath. Not only a stylistic contrast to previous releases, this album is also intensely more personal than past Reticent albums (which were already emotional purges). The album is intended to be heard as a single entity rather than a collection of tracks.

Tracklisting:

“24 Hours Left”
“The Girl Broken”
“The Hypocrite”
“19 Hours Left”
“The Comprehension”
“The Confrontation”
“The Apology”
“10 Hours Left”
“The Mirror's Reply”
“The Postscript”
“2 Hours Left”
“The Decision”
“Funeral For A Firefly”
“The Day After”
“For Eve”

"The Comprehension":

"The Girl Broken" video:

"The Comprehension" video:

The album was recorded in order in the span of a few days in the summer of 2015 (with a touch up in November 2015). Producer/Engineer Jamie King (known for previous work with BTBAM, The Wretched, Scale The Summit, etc.) chose to allow Hathcock to do as he needed in the studio as he felt it added greatly to the emotion of the record. In fact, on the song "Funeral For A Firefly" when trying to record the lead vocal part, Hathcock made it only two lines in before sobbing hysterically as memories and the trauma he had held back for a decade came flooding to the forefront. After calming to the point that he could catch his breath, Hathcock told Jamie King that he felt unable to record the song. Jamie encouraged him to try just one more time and if it didn't work, they'd drop it. Hathcock went back into the booth and made it through the entire song with constant tears streaming down his face and his voice cracking and quivering as he went through. Jamie was so affected by the performance he said he wanted to keep the raw performance - as in no edits to the sound so every sniffle and breath could be heard putting the listener in the booth with the despairing singer.

Living Colour has released a new mixtape entitled Who Shot Ya? and includes three songs from the Shade sessions  plus “Who Shot Ya? remixes. Rolling Stone has premiered the new video for the Notorious B.I.G. cover.

"You see the names you might expect to see like Tamir Rice and Michael Brown, Jr., but you also see the names of Kurt Cobain, Malcolm X, Dimebag Darrell, Martin Luther King, Marvin Gaye and Lee Harvey Oswald," guitarist Vernon Reid tells Rolling Stone. "The absurdity of it all is staggering. We're portraying the obvious crisis through the use of graphics and stats, but we are also hoping people see the mass proliferation of guns in new ways. We can't keep ignoring the profligate amount of firearms so easily accessible to people. We respect people's rights to bear arms, but you can't argue the Second Amendment side of the issue without also looking at how the gun manufacturers are profiting from the death of others. The bitter irony of a song like 'Who Shot Ya?' is what happened to Biggie and Tupac. There's what the song was originally about and what the song wound up being about. It's a meta-tragedy."

Tracklisting:

“Who Shot Ya?” (Notorious B.I.G. cover)
“Regrets”
“This Place Hotel” (Michael Jackson cover a.k.a. Heartbreak Hotel)
“Who Shot Ya?” (Andre Betts remix featuring Chuck D, Pharoahe Monch, Black Thought, Prodigal Sunn, Kyle Mansa)
“Who Shot Ya?” (EDM remix featuring Niro Barnes and Divine Styler)
“Who Shot Ya?” (Adrian Sherwood and Matt Smyth remix featuring Taz)

Tracks 7-12 are instrumental versions of tracks 1-6.

Who Shot Ya? is only available as digital download and can be purchased from iTunes, Google Play and from the Amazon widget below.

   

Norwegian black metallers, Ancient, are offering a limited stream of their upcoming seventh album, Back To The Land Of The Dead, to be released September 16th in North America via Megadeth bassist David Ellefson’s EMP Underground / EMP Label Group, and in the rest of the world by Soulseller Records. The stream (available for one week only) can be found below.

The album is currently available for preorder (in North America only) from EMP Label Group at EMP Merch in various CD, LP, and bundle configurations, with a European preorder to follow.

Tracklisting:

“Land Of The Dead”      
“Beyond The Blood Moon”           
“The Sempiternal Haze”                 
“The Empyrean Sword”                                           
“The Ancient Disarray”                             
“Occlude The Gates”                                   

The Excruciating Journey:
“Part I - Defiance And Rage”
“Part II - The Prodigal Years”
“Part III - The Awakening”   
“Death Will Die”   
“The Spiral”                                   
“Petrified By Their End”

Bonus track:
“13 Candles” (Bathory cover)

Album stream:

Ancient is:
Zel (aka Aphazel) - vocals/guitars/keyboards
Dhilorz - guitars/bass
Nick Barker - drums
Ghiulz Borroni - session lead guitars

The cinematic metal band Dark Sarah will release their new album The Puzzle on November 18th in Europe and North America through Inner Wound Recordings.

Dark Sarah is a music project by Finnish metal band Amberian Dawn´s former vocalist Heidi Parviainen. During the years with Amberian Dawn, she released four studio albums and did several European tours. After parting ways with Amberian Dawn in late 2012, she started to build up her solo career and formed Dark Sarah.

The debut album entitled Behind The Black Veil was released in May 2015 and led you through the psychological adventure of Sarah, who was hovering between her two personalities and changed to her evil side persona, Dark Sarah.

The new album The Puzzle is a concept album and it continues the story from Behind The Black Veil. The Puzzl" tells a story of Dark Sarah who has been send to an island where the banished souls live. To get off the island she needs to solve the puzzle and find three keys.

Dark Sarah´s music combines metal, film music and theatrical elements. On The Puzzle album Dark Sarah´s thoughts are best depicted in the dialogues (duets) with the guests : Fate: Manuela Kraller (ex-Xandria), Evil Siren Mermaid: Charlotte Wessels (Delain) and Dragon: JP Leppäluoto (Charon, Northern Kings).

Tracklisting:

“Breath”
“Island In The Mist”
“Little Men”
“Ash Grove”
“For The Birds”
“Deep And Deeper”
“Dance With The Dragon (featuring. JP Leppäluoto)
“Cliffhanger”
“Aquarium” (featuring Charlotte Wessels)
“Rain” (featuring Manuela Kraller)

“Little Men” video:

Trailer:

Norwegian progressive extreme metal icons Enslaved will issue their debut full-length, the now legendary Vikingligr Veldi, on vinyl for the first time ever. Set for release on September 23rd via By Norse Music, the limited 2LP gatefold edition includes a stunning new layout design by Z. Bielak (Ghost, Mayhem) as well as four brand new illustrations specially made for this groundbreaking offering. Additionally, the record has been respectfully remastered for vinyl by Iver Sandøy preserving every bit of its original dynamics.      

Enslaved's Vikingligr Veldi, initially released in 1994, was co-produced with the legendary Pytten (Immortal, Mayhem, Burzum, Emperor) in Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway. The album features lyrics in Icelandic, and is a tribute to the Norse landscape, history, and mythology. The songs match these themes with long, horizontal songscapes, dense atmospheres, and winds from the past.  

"We have been waiting since the day we recorded it," comments Enslaved's Ivar Bjørnson, "and at last it is happening! It has been a challenging journey, and it has demanded a lot of patience and understanding from all parts involved. The day we held the finished product in our hands was as sacred a day for us as the day we finished recording it."   

Black vinyl preorders can be found via the Amazon widget below while white vinyl preorders (limited to 1000) can be found at this location.

 Vikingligr Velidi Lineup:
Ivar Bjørnson - guitars, keys
Grutle Kjellson - vocals, bass
Trym Torson - drums 

   

California metallers Vengince will release their new album Against The Tide on September 23rd via Unable Records. BraveWords is premiering the politically-charged lyric video “Police States Of America”. 

CD preorders are available at Unable Records while digital preorders can be found on iTunes.

Tracklisting:

“In Revenge, We Trust”
“Against The Tide”
“Birth Of Plagues”
“Police States Of America”
“The Sickness Well”
“Rupture”
“Where The Dead Refuse To Roam”
“Of The Same Shadow”
“Life’s Proof”
“Take Me To Your Grave”

Vengince live:

September
26 – Napa, CA – Downtown Joe’s Brewery

October
29 – Crockett, CA – Toots Tavern

Lacrimas Profundere released their first concept album, Hope Is Here, back on August 12th. New video of the band performing the album track “My Halo Ground” at M’era Luna 2016 can be seen below:

The band previously released a live video of new track “Black Moon”, also from M’era Luna 2016. The band says, “Last track out of Hope Is Here album, two instruments, two voices, no post-processing, in front of 20,000 people!”

“We’ve never done a concept before and it was quite a challenge, but once Rob (Vitacca - vocalist) started writing the story and got totally buried in it, there was simply no going back,” explains guitarist Oliver Nikolas. “When you’ve got a concept you have to arrange it like a film, you have to follow certain moods and really think about where to put the faster, harder pieces and where the slower and sadder moments best fit in,” continues the band’s founder. “We’ve never worked together so hard and so well as a unit,” explains Oliver.

In the past, Lacrimas Profundere worked separately on the songwriting, practicing in short stints in the rehearsal room. On Hope Is Here they worked intermittently for three months perfecting the pre-production at the Engine Studios, allowing the material to take shape – letting their visions develop and grow. “One of the challenges we set ourselves was that every single note should hit the listener as hard as possible, inescapable,” Oliver Nikolas explains. “We feel we’ve finally reached the next level.”

Indeed: with Hope Is Here the guys drag you out of your comfortable world, deep into a forest – to a boy who lives there. Alienated at home for years. The dangers, the emotions, the sudden twists. Feel his freedom. Taste his dirt in the deep dark woods that our parents warned us from in all those good night stories. Enjoy the trip!

 

 

Tracklisting:

“The Worship Of Counting Down”
“My Halo Ground”
“Hope Is Here”
“Aramis”
“A Million Miles”
“No Man's Land”
“Pageant”
“You, My North”
“Awake”
“The Path Of Broken Homes”
“Timbre”
“Black Moon”

"Hope Is Here" video:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Darkest Hour have entered the studio with Kurt Ballou to record their fully crowd-funded new album. The band has issued an update about everything going on in the Darkest Hour orbit right now, including the partial return of previous guitarist Kris Norris. So both fans and a former member are a huge part of this album, making it that much more special. The new Darkest Hour album is due out in February 2017.

Here's a direct update from the band, similar to what was shared with its Indiegogo supporters.

"As we told the backers who contributed to our crowd-fund campaign for our forthcoming record (album nine), we are excited to announce we are ready to move into the next phase of the process - the recording!

"We are recording with guitar/producer jedi Kurt Ballou at his very own God City studio in Salem, Mass. We'll be there for the next month and it's going to rule. The studio is amazing, Salem is beautiful this time of year, and it seems like a perfect environment to make some blistering metal.

"We have tried our best to make this project special for not only fans but ourselves. Enlisting Kurt's help is only one step in the process. It's with this in mind that we would like to let you in on another little secret - we've brought back our very own guitarist Kris Norris (of Undoing Ruin, Deliver Us, Sadist Nation fame) to collaborate with us on a few tracks and possibly a guest solo or two.
 
"We have been documenting the writing and recording process as we go so look for some web videos, live Facebook-ing, and whole lot more as we continue the journey that is making this record.

"Once again, thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered or contributed to our Indiegogo campaign. This album will NOT disappoint. We can't wait to assault you ears with these jams."

Of his return to making music with Darkest Hour, Norris said, "When the guys contacted me about the idea of a collaboration, I was excited because it has been a really long time since I've worked with them all. I've stayed in touch with them over the past years and it's really awesome to see that they keep trying new things on every album and growing musically. I've always felt there was a really good writing chemistry and it's awesome to see that it's still there."

Michael "Lonestar" Carrigan concurred, saying, "Working with Kris was a lot of fun, it started pretty causal, and developed into something natural. All of us together, in one room, was not only inspiring but has yielded some pretty awesome results. Can't wait for everyone to hear what we have been working on."

Lastly, Mike Schleibaum said, "While this album is not throwback or homage to anything we have done in the past, we are doing our best to capture the spirit and energy of those early records this time. Bringing in Kris on a few songs is just a great way to keep things fresh. This album is as forward-thinking creatively as it is noticeably Darkest Hour sonically."

ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna joined SLAYER members Tom Araya (bass, vocals), Gary Holt (guitar) and Paul Bostaph (drums) on stage during soundcheck before tonight's concert at Métropolis in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to run through an impromptu cover of the Bryan Adams classic "Summer Of '69". Video footage of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of ANTHRAX guitarist Jonathan Donais).

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

When he is not busy touring and recording with ANTHRAX, Belladonna plays drums and sings for a classic-rock covers band called CHIEF BIG WAY. The upstate New York-based group, which also features Dave Mickelson on bass, Joe Precourt on guitar and John Goodwin on keyboards, plays versions of songs from JOURNEY, AC/DC, ZZ TOP, BOSTON, CHEAP TRICK, FOREIGNER, PINK FLOYD, VAN HALEN, COLLECTIVE SOUL, THE WHO, THE DOORS, SHINEDOWN and BON JOVI, among others.

In a 2005 interview with MusicDish, Belladonna was asked about the rumor that he came to the table with a JOURNEY tune during his 1985 audition for ANTHRAX. "Actually, what happened was I went into the room and they said, 'Just go on in,' and they hadn't heard me sing," he said. "They'd heard of me and they asked me to come in, but we were going in to start tracking and stuff, to get the mic set up and all that and they said, 'Let's get you in there and get you warmed up.' I hit the mic and belted out some JOURNEY… I think it was [the song] 'Lights'. I didn't know what the hell I was getting into in the first place. I just wanted to lay some vocals or something. Just to kinda give an idea and that's what happened. It wasn't really anything more than that. I just kinda belched it out. I think I did 'Oh Sherrie' [written by JOURNEY singer Steve Perry], too, or something. I dunno why, but I just did. It was something off the top of my head I could do a cappella and it was kinda challenging. I thought maybe in range or something that would be kind of intriguing. It was definitely one they weren't expecting."

Fan-filmed 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 on September 10 at Silo's in Napa, California can be seen below.

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.

Ulterium Records will release an LP edition of Enlighten, the debut album from symphonic metal band Sleeping Romance. The LP will be strictly limited to 300 copies and the release date is set for October 7th.

Enlighten LP tracklisting:

Side A
“Hybrid Overture”
“Enlighten”
“The Promise Inside”
“Soul Reborn”
“Free Me”

Side B
“December Flower”
“Finding My Way”
“Passion Lost”
“Devil's Cave”
“Aeternum”

“The Promise Inside” video: