British metal band Def-Con-One featuring ex-Venom drummer Antton Lant are putting their third album out for free. The band has issued the following update:

"Earlier in the year the band went through a few changes and the third album was close to being finished, so it ended up getting shelved, but a lot of people have been asking for the album to be released as it is, so we've decided to put it out warts n' all. The album will be free but we are asking people if they could give a donation of their choice to a charity of their choice.

To get the album 3 for free all you need to do is log onto the band's website, submit your details, and you will be emailed a link to download it. Thanks a lot."

Go to this location to download 3 for free.

Lant issued the following update back in April:

“When the band kind of fell to bits back in February I was gutted, I’ve had this band for 20 years now with a lot of lineup changes over the years, the band only really started to work once I left Venom and put my all into getting things rolling.

“I basically looked after every aspect of the band, from booking all our gigs to getting the record deals the band had etc. I was basically left on my own not knowing what to do, I’ve been inundated with messages from people wanting to join the band or wanting me to join their bands, a couple of quite well known bands too, and lots of messages suggesting I carry on with the band with new people, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, one thing I definitely did not want is a parody, I didn’t want anyone wanting to sound or look like past members.

“I want people to be themselves, which I’ve definitely found, since I have written most of the stuff since day one it will definitely still sound like Def-Con-One.

“A good friend of mine that I’ve known over 30 years suggested a singer and I sent him a few backing tracks I had and let him do his thing, I was floored when I got them back, it’s very different and very powerful, he doesn’t sound like any of the singers that have gone before him, and it most definitely still sounds like Def-Con-One.

“I put this short clip together and sent it to a chosen few in the industry to get feedback, people I’ve worked with, promoters and DJs, I am over the moon with all the feedback.

“A few people saying similar things about other bands, you know some people like Paul Di’Anno in Maiden, some prefer Bruce, some prefer Blaze, I know people who prefer Dio over Ozzy in Sabbath, or Bon over Brian in AC/DC, it’s all down to taste and I think fans of Def-Con-One will like what they hear.

“Here is a short clip of an old track called “Brute Force And Ignorance”; it’s the old backing with a new vocal over it. Full 2017 lineup will be announced soon with photos, etc.”

Geoff Tate was a guest on The Lucas H Gordon Show and revealed that Operation: Mindcrime’s new album will be released in the fall. The new album will be the third in a trilogy of concept albums following 2015’s The Key and 2016’s Resurrection. Details of the album will be revealed shortly

 

On July 16th, vocalist Geoff Tate (Operation: Mindcrime, ex-Queensrÿche) guested on the Las Vegas radio station KOMP 92.3 program 92 Minutes Of Hair With Mel and revealed that he recently had a brief reunion with his former Queensrÿche bandmates during Rock Fest Barcelona in Spain while attending / performing with Avantasia. He also saw his replacement, Todd La Torre, perform with Queensrÿche , calling him "fantastic" and "amazing." Check out the interview below.

Listen to "Geoff Tate 7-16-17" on Spreaker.

During an interview with The Chicago Tribune about his band, Operation: Mindcrime, Tate opened up about the encounter with his former bandmates in Barcelona:

"We actually had kind words to say to each other, hugs and handshakes," Tate said. "I don't know if that's the beginning of the healing process. It's too early to tell. I can just say it was nice seeing everybody. It was good to actually be able to talk to each other."

Go to this location for the complete story.

Australia's Heavy spoke with Queensrÿche frontman Todd La Torre in late 2016 about fronting the band and replacing Geoff Tate. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

La Torre: "Seriously, he’s been hailed as one of the greatest of all time of the genre. In my opinion, he created a sound and style of singing. At first, I knew I was going to be harshly criticised. Even if I sounded perfect, I am not him. And because I’m not him, people will say 'You’re never as good as him in his prime,' and blah fuckin’ blah. And I say, 'at almost 43 years old, I’m hitting notes that he wasn’t.' He carved a path for many and was very influential in my vocal styling and was a reason why I enjoy this kind of singing. I didn’t invent it, I put my own little twist on things, but that guy was very innovative and unique. He should be immensely respected for that."

Go to this location for the complete story.

Swedish death metal supergroup THE LURKING FEAR will release its debut album, "Out Of The Voiceless Grave", on August 11 via Century Media. Recorded at Welfare Sounds in Gothenburg, Sweden, the disc will be available as special-edition digipak CD, gatefold LP on 180-gram vinyl with a poster and as a digital download. The album's LP edition will be available on classic black vinyl as well as on limited colored runs as follows: silver vinyl (200 copies; CM Distro Europe), clear vinyl (200 copies, Sweden) and golden vinyl (300 copies; CM USA).

The official lyric video for the song "The Starving Gods Of Old", taken from "Out Of The Voiceless Grave", can be seen below. The clip was created by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight 13 Media, based on the album's artwork by Stefan Thanneur.

THE LURKING FEAR vocalist Tomas Lindberg said: "So, for the next video clip we had the idea of letting our old friend Costin work on it, but having him use Stefan's amazing cover artwork. I think Costin really captured the eeriness of the track 'The Starving Gods Of Old' perfectly. It feels like you are thrown into the darkened void of the starving gods themselves, being devoured by them alive, while getting your ears blasted by another serious dose of twisted death metal madness. The song is like an anthem to what lurks beyond this world. Like watching an old '70s horror movie on a worn-out VHS cassette."

"Out Of The Voiceless Grave" track listing:

01. Out Of The Voiceless Grave02. Vortex Spawn03. The Starving Gods Of Old04. The Infernal Dread05. With Death Engraved In Their Bones06. Upon Black Winds07. Teeth Of The Dark Plains08. The Cold Jaws Of Death09. Tongued With Foul Flames10. Winged Death11. Tentacles Of Blackened Horror12. Beneath Menacing Sands

Lindberg previously stated about the "Out Of The Voiceless Grave" artwork: "Stefan Thanneur understood the vision I had for 'Out Of The Voiceless Grave' straight away. He has portrayed the exact same nightmare vortex of interstellar death and terror that I envisioned when I wrote the lyrics and came up with the concept. Pure cosmic evil. Even more twisted madness than my imagination could portray. I have been very happy to work with yet another great talent. You can never get enough tentacles." Featuring members/ex-members of illustrious and influential acts like AT THE GATES, THE HAUNTED, SKITSYSTEM, DISFEAR and GOD MACABRE, THE LURKING FEAR is not just another retro all-star project, but a real band of five death metallers who organically got together in order to celebrate the metal breed closest to their roots as well as their hearts. THE LURKING FEAR is:

* Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES) - Vocals* Jonas Stålhammar (THE CROWN) - Guitar* Fredrik Wallenberg (SKITSYSTEM) - Guitar* Andreas Axelsson (DISFEAR, TORMENTED, EDGE OF SANITY) – Bass* Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, THE HAUNTED) – Drums

Citing common inspiration by bands like AUTOPSY, POSSESSED, early DEATH, REPULSION, early MORBID ANGEL, SLAUGHTER, BATHORY, early SLAYER and MASTER/DEATH STRIKE, THE LURKING FEAR previously stated about the band's formation: "We are a death metal band. Not your average new wave of old-school death metal band. We play death metal from the heart with pure emotional impact and a focused artistic vision. This is the music we live and breathe. Always have, always will. "We have all played in various other bands for over 25 years and we just want to spew out the music that we want to hear. When we get together, this is what comes out of naturally, because we share the exact same reference points. We love 'Seven Churches' and 'Mental Funeral' for the exact same reasons. "We want our death metal ugly, twisted and possessed. We miss the urgency, intensity and 'realness' in a lot of the modern death metal. Therefore, it is natural for us to stray away from the streamlined sounds of today, but rather focus on bringing sheer, natural weirdness and horror back to the table…"

On December 2nd, at the Beachland Ballroom, in Cleveland, Ohio, Night Demon will perform a 90 minute set that will be recorded for Live Darkness, to be issued via Steamhammer/SPV. Their show will be part of a yet-to-be-announced, multi-band event at the 9th Annual Cleveland Holiday Food Drive, benefiting the Cleveland Food Bank and Friends of the Cleveland Kennel (dog & cat donations).

That night will also commemorate WJCU disc jockey Bill Peters' 35 years spinning metal, for his ongoing Friday night program. Admission to the event is free, although food/cash donations are requested (but not mandatory), in lieu of an entrance fee. More details, as they become available.

Night Demon live:

August
5 - Rheine, Germany - Hypothalamus (with Flotsam And Jetsam)
8 - Krefeld, Germany - Kulturrampe
9 - Oldenburg, Germany - MTS Records
10 - Schlotheim, Germany - PartySan Open Air
11 - Weiher, Germany - Live Music Hall
13 - Paris, France - Le Klub
14 - Gent, Belgium - Casa Papa Giovanni
15 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage (Club)
16 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze Festival

Rolling Stone has premiered "Korn And The Prodigy Son", a 15-minute documentary about METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo's twelve-year-old son, Tye Trujillo, a member of NorCal group THE HELMETS, filling in on bass for KORN's recent South American tour after that group's regular bassist, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, was unable to make the shows due to "unforeseen circumstances."

The documentary was directed by KORN's official videographer, Sébastien Paquet, who told Rolling Stone: "Tye is truly a musical prodigy. His skills on the bass, especially for his age, are extraordinary. It's in his DNA. He was always slapping his bass, practicing, jamming and improvising. I have never witnessed a musician being glued to his instrument like that before."

Robert Trujillo told NBC Boston that his song was "fearless" while performing with KORN. "He [was] just bringing the performance, playing the songs, even improvisational moments within the set. Which is really a challenge, especially for… for anybody, let alone a twelve-year-old."

Robert Trujillo previously told Brazil's Globo Play that he "never forced" Tye to play music. He explained: "I always felt that if he wanted to embrace an instrument, great; I'd try to help him with it. So initially, at first, it was drums. And then around that same time, when he was one, he had a little plastic guitar, and he would play it all the time, just strumming it — always strumming it everywhere, to the point where the plastic was worn down."

He continued: "It's a beautiful thing, 'cause he's still a twelve-year-old, and he still acts wild and crazy, as a twelve-year-old should, but when it comes to music, he's very focused."

Robert Trujillo told the Huffington Post that Tye is "an amazing bass player and a really great writer. The bass lines that he's writing and the riffs, I'm like, 'Man, I wish I had written that.' He's coming up with stuff on his own, but he's also been influenced by players like Jaco Pastorius, but also Miles Davis or BLACK SABBATH or LED ZEPPELIN. He's like a sponge. He loves funk. He loves James Brown, he's this little twelve-year-old who's soaking up and embracing all this different music and I can tell that it's helping him creatively in what he's writing with his band."

Tye's own band, THE HELMETS, counts TOOL, ALICE IN CHAINS and METALLICA among their influences. Tye told Billboard last year, "We hate pop, we despise it. It's all the same sound."

VUUR, the new band featuring renowned Dutch vocalist Anneke Van Giersbergen, will release its debut album, "In This Moment We Are Free – Cities", on October 20 via InsideOut Music. The disc was produced by Joost Van Den Broek, who was also involved in the writing process. Others co-writing partners are Mark Holcomb (PERIPHERY), Esa Holopainen (AMORPHIS), Daniel Cardoso (ANATHEMA), and both of VUUR's guitar players wrote a song as well.

An album preview, including snippets of all songs, is available below.

The album will be available on special edition CD digipak, gatefold 2LP + CD (including etching on side D) and digital download.

Regarding "In This Moment We Are Free – Cities", Anneke says: "The cover is designed by Black & Finch, with whom I've previously worked on the 'Verloren Verleden' release.

"The lyrical themes of this album revolve around cities and freedom. Exposure to big cities can be overwhelming and you can feel engulfed by everything around you. At the same time it's easy to be a stranger in a big city and for me that brings out a feeling of freedom as well. This past year I've thought a lot about the virtues of rural versus urban life, since me and my family are moving back to the city. It's very exciting, but at the same time I know that sense of urban solitude from past experiences. The cover artwork represents this duality."

"In This Moment We Are Free – Cities" track listing:

01. My Champion - Berlin02. Time - Rotterdam03. The Martyr And The Saint - Beirut04. The Fire - San Francisco05. Freedom - Rio06. Days Go By - London07. Sail Away - Santiago08. Valley Of Diamonds - Mexico City09. Your Glorious Light Will Shine - Helsinki10. Save Me - Istanbul11. Reunite! - Paris

In early 2016, Anneke decided for the sake of clarity to narrow her musical focus, choosing to go in a folk acoustic direction as a solo artist and in a heavy progressive metal direction as a band vocalist. The name VUUR — translated from Dutch as "fire", which can also be interpreted to mean "passion" or "drive" — was chosen as a moniker to represent Anneke's metal side, with the idea that when fans buy a ticket with the VUUR name on it they will be getting her heavy progressive music, while an Anneke Van Giersbergen show will be entirely different.

"It's like I'm searching for contradictions," Anneke said of splitting her focus in two. "I want the heavy to be really heavy, and the soft acoustic stuff that I can do can be almost silent and inward. I'm trying to find those outer limits. I'm still writing and collaborating with different people, so VUUR's style is still kind of different from THE GATHERING and THE GENTLE STORM. You could say VUUR's music has the melancholy of THE GATHERING and lots of elements from THE GENTLE STORM, but it's a bit darker with fewer folk elements. It's still melodic and warm, but heavy."

The band shares some members with THE GENTLE STORM live band, and you can find the full lineup below:

* Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex-THE GATHERING) - lead vocals* Ed Warby (HAIL OF BULLETS, AYREON, ex-GOREFEST) - Drums* Jord Otto (MY PROPANE, ex-REVAMP) - Guitar* Ferry Duijsens - Guitar* Johan Van Stratum (STREAM OF PASSION) - Bass

Anneke commented: "The band has a different name, because the music will be slightly different from THE GENTLE STORM, but most band members are still involved and the music will be heavy too, so in that perspective not a lot will change, especially in the live situation. I think people will really embrace VUUR as a live band because there are nothing but stars in this band. [Laughs] They're some of the best heavy metal players in Holland so I didn't want to let them go."

VUUR begin playing live this summer and has also been confirmed as main support to EPICA in late 2017.

The band also recently announced they will team up with SCAR SYMMETRY for a short co-headline tour in December. Opening act for these exclusive shows will be MY PROPANE.

Heavy metal warlords Forged In Black have announced their new EP Sinner Sanctorum.

Having achieved such spectacular results working with legendary producer Chris Tsangarides (Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Exodus, Overkill, Girlschool, Anvil and so many more) on their last release – Fear Reflecting Fear – the band decided not to mess with a winning team and once again entrusted their songs to the man responsible for the sound on stone cold classics like Thunder And Lightning and Painkiller.
 
The Tsangarides/Forged In Black partnership has again served up real magic, with Sinner Sanctorum towering over all previous Forged In Black efforts, even Fear Reflecting Fear. Sharper, more focused, more accomplished and infinitely more powerful than anything they have released before, Sinner Sanctorum dares to stand tall beside the illustrious releases of Chris Tsangarides past work. No metal heart can remain unmoved by songs such as “Crimson Echoes” or “Pay The Price”.

Artwork by Luciferum War Graphics:

SikTh released their new album, The Future In Whose Eyes?, on June 2nd via Millennium Night, the newly created label imprint from Snapper Music, home of Peaceville Records and Kscope. The record found the band venturing into new musical territories and exploring new possibilities and was the first Sikth album to feature a guest vocalist.

After being invited to join Periphery on a US tour in the summer of 2016, vocalist Mikee W Goodman and Periphery singer Spencer Sotelo began to hatch a plan that would lead to Sotelo travelling to the UK to record the song "Cracks Of Light" with Goodman at R&R Studios in Uxbridge.

Summer 2017 saw Periphery touring in the UK, and the chance for Mikee not only to perform with Periphery during their London headline show, but film Sotelo for the video for "Cracks Of Light”.

Goodman recalls the shoot, saying, "I met up with Spencer in Manchester and we literally found a cloak room, put a white sheet up, and got the shots. Very DIY, but it looks great! I think it came out really well, the black and white vibe is cool."

Goodman talks about the reaction to the song, saying, "I have had a lot of positive messages from fans thanking me for the lyrics in this song actually. 'Cracks of Light' is a dark song but it does have a positive message. Inspiration comes from my own battles with depression and trying to find light through the darkness. Some days people have to go through such sadness to find the happiness. People learn a lot more about themselves in certain situations like this."

Order the new album in the following formats here:

- Digipak CD
- Mediabook 3xCD hardcover set with page booklet, bonus instrumental disc, and bonus "Re-Imagined" disc.
- Black Vinyl (180 gram)
- Orange Splatter Vinyl (Limited to 500)
- Purple Splatter Vinyl (Limited to 500)

Tracklisting:

“Vivid”
“Century Of The Narcissist?”
“The Aura”
“This Ship Has Sailed”
“Weavers Of Woe”
“Cracks Of Light”
“Golden Cufflinks”
“The Moon’s Been Gone For Hours”
“Riddles Of Humanity”
“No Wishbones”
“Ride The Illusion”
“When It Rains”

“Golden Cufflinks” video:

“Vivid” lyric video:

“No Wishbones” lyric video:

SikTh are set to play summer festivals in August in the UK and Czech Republic.

SikTh are:

Mikee W Goodman - vocals & lyrics
Dan Weller - guitar
Dan Foord - drums
James Leach - bass
Pin - guitar
Joe Rosser - vocals

German dark rockers, End Of Green, have released a video for “Dark Side Of The Sun”, a track of their upcoming album, Void Estate. Watch below:

End Of Green come from a world of their own; no other band is able to visualize isolation in the midst of beauty with such ear-piercing power and after 25 years of agony they release opus number nine - out on August 18th via Napalm Records.

So what should one expect from Void Estate? Inside of a maze of goth, doom, metal, doleful alternative and deep-rooted pain, they are desperate to find hope. Michelle Darkness sings touching and intimate dirges about aging, loss and loneliness. Every note is clutched by wistfulness and somewhere in these lofty melodies glimmers a spark of optimism; A redeeming ray of hope sheltered in melodic hook lines.

The album artwork was created by Oliver Merkle.

Void Estate tracklisting:

“Send In The Clowns”
“Dark Side Of The Sun”
“The Door”
“Head Down”
“Crossroads”
“The Unseen”
“Dressed In Black Again”
“Mollodrome”
“Worn And Torn”
“City Of Broken Thoughts”
“Like A Stranger”
“Leave This Town” (Bonus Track)

Void Estate available formats:

- 2CD Digipak (CD+DVD)
- 2LP Gatefold
- Digital Album

The 2CD digipak comes with a DVD and very special End Of Green acoustic show at PBHF Club in Berlin 2016. Get your hands on these exclusive End Of Green pre-orders here.

The DVD tracklisting reads as follows:

“Demons”
“Hurter”
“Under The Sway”
“Let Sleeping Dogs Lie”
“Slaves”
“Goodnight Insomnia”
“Final Resistance”
“Pain Hates Me”
“Crossroads” (Calvin Russel Cover)
“Dying In Moments”
“Ghostdance”
“Weakness”
“Head Down”
“Death In Veins”
“Tragedy Insane”
“Sunday Mourning”
“Nice Day To Die”

“Send In The Clowns” lyric video:

“The Door” video:

Teaser #1:

Teaser #2:

End Of Green will be busy touring Germany in October and November. Don't miss this chance to see this five-piece live on the road:

October
20 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theater
21 - Leipzig, Germany - Werk 2

November
3 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos Saal
4 - München, Germany - Backstage
9 - Nürnberg, Germany - Hirsch
10 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
11 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
18 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn

End Of Green lineup:

Michelle Darkness (Vocals, Guitar)
Kirk Kerker (Guitar)
Lou Siffer (Drums)
Sad Sir (Guitar)
Rainier Sicone Di Hampez (Bass)

MØRKE, the new album from Copenhagen-based modern hardcore group Psy:code is out today on Pavement Entertainment. The official video for album cut "Leech" has been released as well.

A 360 video of album track “Loosen The Tight” is streaming below.

Psy:code is a band driven by a desire to reach beyond its own boundaries.

The band's first two releases, Delusion and Cause and Neglect, were met with critical acclaim by critics worldwide. The praise was not met with complacency and Psy:code set the bar higher when writing their third album.

MØRKE is a natural progression, but remains grounded in the roots planted by its predecessors.
 
Over the years Psy:code has supported several major acts, including Slayer, Mastodon, Amon Amarth, Trivium, Gorefest, Illdisposed and Artillery. The band has toured extensively in their native Denmark and throughout Europe. 

Psy:code has a series of videos planned in the months following the release of MØRKE. Tour dates in support of the album will be announced soon.

Sabaton has released a new teaser dealing with their collaboration with World Of Tanks. The band states, “We can’t wait to see the final video! And yes, controlled pyrotechnics are the best thing in the world! We love it!”

Wargaming and World Of Tanks are marking the beginning of a long-term collaboration between the game and the heavy-metal band Sabaton, reports Gamasutra.

For Wargaming and its millions of players, the combination of history and epic music is a huge part of their gaming scene. Not only is Sabaton a big influence for fans of the game, but the band themselves love playing World Of Tanks when they have some free time between shows. It just goes to show that this kind of united inspiration brings a massively diverse bunch of people together to share their passion… and blow stuff up.

This year won’t be Sabaton’s first tour of the Metal Hammer Golden God Awards. In 2011, the band won the Breakthrough Band Award. They were nominated for another award in 2012, which was sponsored by Wargaming. Having also performed in 2012, it only seems right that on the 15th anniversary of the event Sabaton returns.

“It’s fantastic to see that Sabaton’s members are an active part of World Of Tanks,” said Maxim Chuvalov, World Of Tanks Marketing Manager. “We know our players’ interests don’t just stop at gaming - their talents go far beyond. With this collaboration, we wanted to celebrate the musical talent from our World Of Tanks community because it’s an extremely important part of the in-game experience. This was our chance to share the music in and around our games with the global gaming communities and help inspire them even more.”

“History is a great source of inspiration to us,” said Joakim Brodén, lead singer of Sabaton. “We like to tell stories that influenced the lives of a lot of people. We’ve all been playing World Of Tanks, and seeing the company step outside of just gaming in lots of cool ways is an awesome thing to be a part of.”

Fans of Wargaming and Sabaton can expect some cool surprises on the way, so stay tuned for more information.

Norwegian dark metal masters Gothminister will release their sixth studio album, The Other Side, on October 13th worldwide via AFM Records. You can pre-order your copy here.

With tracks like “Devil” (Gothic Electronic Anthems 2003), “Monsters” (Empire of Dark Salvation 2005), “Darkside” (Happiness In Darkness 2008), “Liar” (Anima Inferna 2011) and “Utopia” (Utopia 2013), the last single from the CD/DVD horror movie concept album which even reached the national finals of the Norwegian Eurovision contest, Gothminister has gotten a significant following of fans through the years. His new album The Other Side, produced, mixed and mastered by Henning Verlage (Unheilig, Eisbrecher), exceeds even the highest expectations. Powerful metal riffs march relentlessly arm in arm with huge orchestras and heavenly choirs.

The Master himself reveals an astonishing range of vocal-art: from the deepest Gothic-dungeons up to the higher spheres of steaming rock. The Other Side is about spiritistic seances, and supernatural experiences. And again, Gothminister find it in the dark and unknown, where the greatest inspiration lies from within the motto Happiness In Darkness, as he sings in the opening track “Ich Will Alles” (I want everything): “Cause I have darkness on my mind - It is the sign of the times”

Tracklisting:

“Ich Will Alles”
“The Sun”
“Der Fliegende Mann”
“Aegir”
“Red Christ”
“We Are The Ones Who Rule The World”
“All This Time”
“Day Of Reckoning”
“Taking Over”
“Somewhere In Time”

Haken are set to hit the road in North America later this month for their 10th Anniversary tour. In advance of that, the band have released a brand new animated video for the track “Lapse”, taken from last year's Affinity album, and created by Miles Skarin at Crystal Spotlight.

The band comments: “’Lapse’ was one of the first tracks we wrote for Affinity. Now more than a year since the album's release, it's great to finally give this song a chance to stand out on its own, as it's one of our favorites! Visually, we wanted to maintain a consistency with our videos for 'Initiate', 'Earthrise' and 'The Endless Knot', so we returned to Miles Skarin at Crystal Spotlight to complete the series. The video incorporates a 3D motion capture technique (previously used on Frost*'s 'Numbers' video) to tie in with Affinity's themes of artificial intelligence/consciousness."

North American tour dates begin on August 23rd in Detroit, MI.  

Dates with special guests Sithu Aye (except Atlanta and Mexico):

August
23 - Detroit, MI - The Shelter
24 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace
25 - Montreal, QC - Club Soda
26 - Quebec City, QC - Salle Multi
27 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
29 - Columbus, OH - Skully’s Music Diner
30 - Cleveland, OH - The Grog Shop
31 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater

September
1 - Philadelphia, PA - Foundry at The Fillmore
2 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
3 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
5 - Durham, NC - Motorco Music Hall
6 - Atlanta, GA - ProgPower USA XVIII
10 - Mexico City, Mexico - El Plaza Condesa
12 - Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues
13 - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s
14 - West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy Theatre
15 - Las Vegas, NV - Backstage Bar & Billiards
16 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
17 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
19 - St. Paul, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Hall
20 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall
21 - Indianapolis, IN - The Emerson Theater
22 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
23 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge

Tickets available here.

The band recently reissued their first two albums Aquarius and Visions as brand new remastered editions.

Newly remastered by the renowned Jens Bogren (Devin Townsend Project, Between the Buried & Me) both are available as 2CD Digipaks, digital album including the entire albums as instrumentals, and on vinyl, arriving as Gatefold heavyweight 2LP editions with the full album on CD included.

Buy limited colored vinyl and the 2CD digipak here.

Produced by Mark Ronson and co-produced by Mark Rankin and mixed by Alan Moulder, Villains is the first full album offering from Queens Of The Stone Age since 2013’s …Like Clockwork. Out on August 25th via Matador Records, the album is available across three formats. Pre-order here. Check out a new video trailer below.

“The title Villains isn’t a political statement. It has nothing to do with Trump or any of that shit. It’s simply 1) a word that looks fantastic and 2) a comment on the three versions of every scenario: yours, mine and what actually happened… Everyone needs someone or something to rail against - their villain - same as it ever was. You can’t control that. The only thing you can really control is when you let go." - Joshua Homme

Tracklisting:

“Feet Don’t Fail Me”
“The Way You Used To Do”
“Domesticated Animals”
“Fortress”
“Head Like A Haunted House”
“Un-Reborn Again”
“Hideaway”
“The Evil Has Landed”
“Villains Of Circumstance”

Trailers:

“The Way You Used To Do”:

Queens Of The Stone Age recently released a video trailer in support of their Villains World Tour 2017. Watch the clip below, and find the band’s tour schedule at this location.

A lucky 70000 Tons Of Metal "survivor" was selected to interview BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski for 70000tons.tv's #SurvivorsAsk at the New York City stop of the band's North American tour with SLAYER and LAMB OF GOD. You can now watch the chat below (starting at around the four-minute-thirty-second mark).

Asked what it has been like for BEHEMOTH to open for bands like SLAYER and LAMB OF GOD on the current tour, Nergal said: "It's good to be back in that position where you have nothing to lose. You are exposed in front of people who probably maybe heard about you, and there are some of the BEHEMOTH fans, but the majority is SLAYER and LAMB OF GOD fans. And you are there to fuck… You enter the stage like a hungry wolf and you have nothing to lose and you just fight for it — you know what I mean?"

He continued: "We are very violent and aggressive — I'd say more than at the regular headlining shows, where we are more in the safety zone: 'Okay, this is our headlining show. We are comfortable.' You know what I mean? We are, like, 'This is our people. Of course they're gonna scream for us. Of course they're gonna buy merchandise.' So it's good to go to the position where you must fight for it or you're gonna be missed out. And it's a very redefining position; you've gotta go back and see how it is, where you started, and you always start from scratch. It's a pretty exciting start."

BEHEMOTH has tapped former JOB FOR A COWBOY and SCORPION CHILD drummer Jon Rice for the tour with SLAYER and LAMB OF GOD. Rice is filling in for longtime BEHEMOTH drummer Inferno (real name: Zbigniew Robert Promiński), who stayed home in Poland in order to await the birth of his second child.

SLAYER's six-week expedition with LAMB OF GOD and BEHEMOTH kicked off on July 12 in Bemidji, Minnesota, and will conclude on August 20 in Phoenix, Arizona.

BEHEMOTH is continuing work on the follow-up to 2014's "The Satanist" album for a tentative fall 2018 release.

Last year, BEHEMOTH completed a North American tour where they played "The Satanist" in its entirety.

Eskimo Callboy, the modern metal six piece from Castrop Rauxel, have released a video for “VIP”, a track from the band’s upcoming album, The Scene, out on August 25th via Century Media Records/People Like You Records. The new clip can be found below.

The band have kicked up a lot of dust, not only in their native Germany, but also internationally. Their latest two albums landed in the German Top Ten Album Charts, We Are The Mess (2014) at #8 and Crystals (2015) at #6, they toured Europe with the likes of Callejon, Papa Roach, Five Finger Death Punch and Asking Alexandria and played high profile festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Summer Breeze, Open Flair and Nova Rock. Moreover, Eskimo Callboy already toured countries such as Japan, Russia, China and South Africa and played a full US tour with Deuce and Kottonmouth Kings.

Tracklisting:

“Back in the Bizz”
“MC Thunder”
“The Devil Within”
“Banshee”
“The Scene” (feat. Fronz)
“VIP”
“Shallows”
“Nightlife” (feat. Little Big)
“X”
“New Age”
“Frances”
“Rooftop”
“Calling”
“The Devil Within” (Acoustic) (feat. Tobias Rauscher)

“VIP” video:

“MC Thunder” video:

“The Scene” (feat. Fronz) video:

The band will only play selected shows and festivals during the summer and prior to the album release.

August
3-5 - Lustenau, Austria - Szene Open Air
5 - Horb am Neckar, Germany - Minirock Festival
25 - Gränichen, Switzerland - Open Air Gränichen

Swedish post punk/dark wave masters, Then Comes Silence, have released a lyric video for “Strange Kicks”, a track from their upcoming, fourth full-length studio album, Blood, which will be released on October 20th worldwide via Nuclear Blast. Watch below.

Blood tracklisting:

“The Dead Cry For No One”
“Flashing Pangs Of Love”
“Strange Kicks”
“My Bones”
“In Leash”
“Choose Your Poison”
“Good Friday”
“The Rest Will Follow”
“Magnetic”
“Warm Like Blood”
“Mercury”
“Into Death Alone” (limited first edition bonus track)

“Strange Kicks” lyric video:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #3:

"The Dead Cry For No One" video:

Lineup:

Alex Svenson - vox, bass, synth
Seth Kapadia - guitars
Jens Karnstedt - guitars
Jonas Fransson - drums

(Photo - Per Kristiansen)

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's July 25 performance at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts can be seen below.

SLAYER's six-week North American tour with LAMB OF GOD and BEHEMOTH kicked off on July 12 in Bemidji, Minnesota and will run through August 20 in Phoenix, Arizona.

In a recent interview with Revolver magazine, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was asked if there are any plans in place for the band to begin working on a follow-up to 2015's "Repentless" album. He responded: "Funny thing is, 'Repentless' isn't even two years old yet, though it seems like it is. But from that session, there are six or eight songs that are recorded — some with vocals, some with leads, but all with keeper guitar, drums and bass. So when those songs get finished lyrically, if the lyrics don't change the songs, they'll be ready to be on the next record. So we already have more than half a record complete, if those songs make it."

He continued: "This is actually the most prepared we've ever been for the next record in our history; there's no reason to not do more work, because it's already more than halfway done. Just write four or five new songs, and give the others some attention, and we'll be good to go. If we get a down period of time, which I know is coming at the end of this year, maybe we'll focus on that and get to it."

Pressed about whether it's "conceivable" that we could see a new SLAYER record next year, Kerry said: "It's conceivable — but I'm certainly not gonna promise it, because every time I do, I make a liar of myself! [Laughs]"

"Repentless" was released on September 11, 2015 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2009's critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated "World Painted Blood" was produced by Terry Date, who has previously worked with PANTERA, DEFTONES and SOUNDGARDEN. The artwork was created by Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco in collaboration with Tom Araya and Kerry King.

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

Mark Evans, who played bass for AC/DC from 1975 until 1977, has joined fellow legendary Australian hard rockers ROSE TATTOO.

News of the 61-year-old musician's addition to ROSE TATTOO's lineup was broken in a Facebook post by another new member, former ANGELS guitarist Bob Spencer. Joining Evans and Spencer in ROSE TATTOO's current incarnation are former AUSTRALIAN CRAWL drummer John Watson, Dai Pritchard — the band's guitarist for the past decade — and frontman Angry Anderson.

"How's this for a band? Dai Pritchard, Mark Evans, John 'Watto' Watson, Angry, Moi. Meet the new ROSE TATTOO," Spencer wrote.

Anderson, Evans and Pritchard recently played together in the band BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS, a touring outfit put together in celebration of the music featured in writer Murray Engleheart's Australian rock history book of the same name.

Evans joined AC/DC in 1975 and remained with them through their barroom days, their first international tours, and the majority of the Bon Scott-era albums: "High Voltage", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap", "T.N.T.", "Let There Be Rock", and the U.S.-only '74 "Jailbreak" collection — recordings that have since sold in excess of ten million copies in the U.S. alone.

Although Evans's tenure in AC/DC was short-lived, it was during a pivotal point in the band's development. "We were really honing the classic AC/DC sound," he told Music Radar. "The steady, pounding rhythms; the hard-edged, twin-guitar attack; the in-your-face vocals — it was all right there. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was honest. It was something everyone could relate to."

Evans in 2011 released his memoir, "Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside Of AC/DC".




How's this for a band?Dai PritchardMark Evans John "Watto" Watson AngryMoi.

Meet the new Rose Tattoo.:-)

Over!Bob.

Posted by Bob Spencer on Thursday, August 3, 2017

STAIND members Aaron Lewis and Mike Mushok were joined on stage by GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna at last night's (Friday, August 4) Aaron Lewis And Friends benefit concert at Pines Theater at Look Park in Northampton, Massachusetts to pay tribute to SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell and LINKIN PARK vocalist Chester Bennington, both of whom died earlier this year within months of each other.

Video footage of the three musicians performing acoustic cover versions of TEMPLE OF THE DOG's "Hunger Strike" and LINKIN PARK's "Crawling" can be seen below.

After Cornell committed suicide in May, Bennington sang at his funeral and also wrote a heartfelt message paying tribute to the SOUNDGARDEN frontman. In part, he wrote "I can't imagine a world without you in it." Bennington was also reportedly godfather to one of Cornell's children.

Chester died on July 20, which would have been Cornell's 53rd birthday.

Neither Chester nor Chris left a suicide note.

The two singers bonded when they toured together nearly a decade ago.

The encore of last night's Aaron Lewis And Friends concert featured three original members of STAIND — Lewis, Mushok and bassist Johnny April — with current drummer Sal Giancarelli performing a three-song acoustic finale that included "Outside", "Something To Remind You" and "It's Been A While".