Nashville, Tennessee-based purveyors of blackened deathly alchemy Enfold Darkness continue their conquest of all realms as they move closer to the July 14th release of their sophomore full-length, Adversary Omnipotent.

Today the group has premiered "The Test Of Wisdom", a venomous hymn to the void alternating its rage between surging black metal fury and complex death metal devastation. Adding to the brilliance of the song is a guest spot from Inferi and A Loathing Requiem shredder Malcolm Pugh who adds an extra layer to the track with a guest guitar solo. 

Tracklisting:

“Awaken, Brak’tal O’Minn”
“Lairs Of The Ascended Masters”
“Liberator Of Mages”
“The Sacred Daemonic”
“Invocation Of Na’ak Ba’ran”
“Banishment”
“Arise, Morning Star, Into The Netherworld”
“The Adversary, Omnipotent”
“Terror Of A Perilous Quest”
“The Test Of Wisdom”
“The Dirge Of The Surrogate Invictus”
“Summoning The Archons”
“Vanish Into Damnation” 

“Terror Of A Perilous Quest”:

“The Adversary, Omnipotent”:

 

The official lyric video for "Wrestle The Devil", a brand new song from German melodic metallers EDGUY, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's "Monuments"2-CD/DVD-package, which will be released on July 14 via Nuclear Blast.

In February 1992, a bunch of German kids set out from the middle of nowhere and founded a band that would conquer the hearts of a whole new generation of fans around the globe. Today, 25 years later, EDGUY's founding members Tobias Sammet and the two guitarists Jens Ludwig and Dirk Sauer, as well as Tobias "Eggi" Exxel (bass) and Felix Bohnke (drums), who joined the band 20 years ago, can look back at their hugely successful career to shows in more than 40 countries, countless tours in Asia, Australia and America, ten studio albums and Top 10 chart entries from all over the world. To celebrate such an exceptional career with their fans, EDGUY will get back on the road. And while the live program will only contain the best material of their entire career, the new release will not be just a "greatest hits" album one would expect to accompany such a tour: "Monuments" will include brand new material, their best tracks of the last 25 years, and old rarities that have never been published before. In addition, the DVD will include an entire show from EDGUY's "Hellfire Club" tour in 2004 as well as the complete collection of the band's video clips. The limited edition will include an extensive coffee-table book containing material from throughout the entire history of EDGUY.

Track listing:

CD1

01. Ravenblack02. Wrestle The Devil03. Open Sesame04. Landmarks05. The Mountaineer06. 9-2-907. Defenders Of The Crown 08. Save Me09. The Piper Never Dies10. Lavatory Love Machine 11. King Of Fools 12. Superheroes 13. Love Tyger 14. Ministry Of Saints 15. Tears Of A Mandrake

CD2

01. Mysteria 02. Vain Glory Opera03. Rock Of Cashel04. Judas At The Opera 05. Holy Water 06. Spooks In The Attic07. Babylon 08. The Eternal Wayfarer 09. Out Of Control 10. Land Of The Miracle 11. Key To My Fate 12. Space Police13. Reborn in The Waste

DVD

01. Mysteria02. Under The Moon03. Navigator04. Wake Up The King05. Land Of The Miracle06. Lavatory Love Machine07. Vain Glory Opera08. Fallen Angels09. The Piper Never Dies10. Babylon11. King Of Fools12. Chalice Of Agony13. Tears Of A Mandrake (feat. André Matos)14. Out Of Control

Video Clips:

15. Love Tyger16. Robin Hood17. Two Out Of Seven18. Ministry Of Saints19. Superheroes20. Lavatory Love Machine21. King Of Fools22. All The Clowns

The official lyric video for the new song "Ravenblack" can be seen below. Sammet states: "Whilst collecting all of this picture material together, we were once again made aware of how proud we are of what we have created.

"There are probably not many musicians who are lucky enough to be able to look back on a 25-year-old band history at the end of their thirties. And especially without any lineup changes in the last 20 years! This is even more incredible considering that we’re not from Birmingham, New York or a German metropolis but from a small town called Fulda, a place where you normally only know about the insights of the music business by hearsay. I mean, as kids we started to play EDGUY shows even before we had visited concerts as fans ourselves! Then we started to play shows outside our home town, then outside Germany and, all of a sudden, we found ourselves touring in Asia, America and Australia on a regular basis, because apparently there were people who liked our music. And they became more and more. For us, this always felt quite normal, the next step was all that mattered. We didn't think about what happened while things were happening. But if you look back now, you will realize how lucky we were!"

He continued: "It's now time to celebrate our anniversary with our fans. We'll celebrate our quarter century with the release of 'Monuments' and live in some selected cities! We'll perform a best-of set list, a journey throughout our past, with a lot of fuss and at full throttle!

"The first quarter century is over and we want to honour these years with our fans! To the next 25 years!"

Fan-filmed video footage of GUNS N' ROSES' June 27 performance at Telia Parken in Copenhagen, Denmark can be seen below.

GUNS N' ROSES recently made Forbes magazine's "Celebrity 100" list of the world's top-earning entertainers for the first time. The band landed at No. 12 with earnings of $84 million in the past twelve months, before taxes and fees for managers.

The "Not In This Lifetime" tour has grossed more than $230 million since launching in April 2016, according to Billboard.

That figure includes a $38 million haul from eight concerts in Australia and New Zealand, but does not account for earnings from seven Asian markets that the band visited during the first quarter of 2017.

One of the stops on the Australian trek, a two-night stand in Sydney, was the fourth biggest of the entire tour, pulling in $9.2 million from a total of 84,277 tickets sold.

The top earner on the tour remains a two-night stop in New York City, where 100,177 fans forked over $11.6 million.

Last summer's North American leg, which featured 25 stadium shows in 21 cities, grossed a whopping $116.8 million with over one million tickets sold.

The "Not In This Lifetime" tour features classic GUNS members Slash on guitar, Duff McKagan on bass and Axl Rose on vocals, backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

The band, with this same lineup, will come back to North America for at least another 15 stadium dates this summer, starting on July 27 in St. Louis and ending on September 8 in San Antonio.

GUNS kicked off its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion trek in April 2016 with a club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the release of GUNS N' ROSES' classic debut album, "Appetite For Destruction", which arrived on July 21, 1987.

Finnish folk metallers KORPIKLAANI will release their first-ever live Blu-ray/DVD+2CD package titled "Live At Masters Of Rock" on August 25 through Nuclear Blast.

In addition to KORPIKLAANI's performance at the Masters Of Rock festival in Vizovice, Czech Republic, "Live At Masters Of Rock" will include a second full show from 2014 as a bonus feature. The 2016 concert features guest appearances from Tero Hyväluoma (additional fiddler) as well as Toni Perttula (additional accordion player), Sami's identical twin brother. The mixing and mastering of "Live At Masters Of Rock" was handled by frontman Jonne Järvelä.

Jonne comments: "This our first ever DVD release, and we are quite proud of it. It has no backing tracks, no choirs, no samples, all the mistakes are included. It is just us, KORPIKLAANI, pure live rock 'n' roll. I spent a lot of time during the mastering process with Svante Forsbäck, who recently handled the RAMMSTEIN mastering, and we worked very hard to get the right ambience and crowd sound. So when you turn it up loud, it feels like you are right there in the thick of it." As a first taste of "Live At Masters Of Rock", a performance clip of the song "Pilli On Pajusta Tehty" can be seen below. "Live At Masters of Rock" track listing: Blu-ray/DVD

2016:

01. Intro (Tanhuvaara)02. A Man With A Plan03. Journey Man04. Pilli On Pajusta Tehty05. Erämaan Ärjyt06. Lempo07. Sahti08. Ruumiinmultaa09. Vaarinpolkka10. Viima11. Metsämies12. Kultanainen13. Kipumylly14. Ämmänhauta15. Rauta16. Kylästä Keväinen Kehto17. Wooden Pints18. Vodka19. Beer Beer

2014:

01. Intro (Tanhuvaara)02. Tuonelan Tuvilla03. Ruumiinmultaa04. Metsämies05. Kantaiso06. Juodaan Viinaa07. Petoeläimen Kuola08. Sumussa Hämärän Aamun09. Vaarinpolkka10. Kultanainen11. Uniaika12. Louhen Yhdeksäs Poika13. Uni14. Vodka15. Ievan Polkka16. Rauta17. Wooden Pints18. Pellonpekko19. Happy Little Boozer

CD1 (2016)

01. Intro (Tanhuvaara)02. A Man With A Plan03. Journey Man04. Pilli On Pajusta Tehty05. Erämaan Ärjyt06. Lempo07. Sahti08. Ruumiinmultaa09. Vaarinpolkka10. Viima11. Metsämies12. Kultanainen13. Kipumylly14. Ämmänhauta15. Rauta16. Kylästä Keväinen Kehto17. Wooden Pints18. Vodka19. Beer Beer

CD2 (2014)

01. Intro (Tanhuvaara)02. Tuonelan Tuvilla03. Ruumiinmultaa04. Metsämies05. Kantaiso06. Juodaan Viinaa07. Petoeläimen Kuola08. Sumussa Hämärän Aamun09. Vaarinpolkka10. Kultanainen11. Uniaika12. Louhen Yhdeksäs Poika13. Uni14. Vodka15. Ievan Polkka16. Rauta17. Wooden Pints18. Pellonpekko19. Happy Little Boozer

The official lyric video for "The Hermit", a brand new song from CELLAR DARLING, the band featuring former ELUVEITIE members Anna Murphy (vocals, hurdy-gurdy), Merlin Sutter (drums) and Ivo Henzi (guitars, bass), can be seen below. The song is taken from CELLAR DARLING's debut album, "This Is The Sound", which was released on June 30 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded at New Sound Studio with producer Tommy Vetterli (CORONER, ELUVEITIE).

When asked about the biggest challenges facing CELLAR DARLING since the band's conception, Anna told AAA Backstage: "There haven't really been many, as everything kind of fell into place and happened naturally. For us, writing the album was actually quite an easy task because we had so many ideas and so much output. But, of course, there were struggles within the realm of real life. Financially, we obviously weren't having a great time since we lost our main job in ELUVEITIE and thus didn't have any money. Merlin's living at the rehearsal room at the moment and I'm also forced to leave my apartment, so everything is a bit chaotic. We're trying to get our real lives back on track, but creative things are so great and that's more important so I would say we're facing the challenges we have very well."

Murphy went on to say that "some" of these struggles are reflected in the lyrics of CELLAR DARLING's debut album. "Everyone's always subconsciously inspired by what they’re going through, but with CELLAR DARLING, I don't really want to convey what I am currently feeling or currently experiencing," she said. "I want to take those feelings and make stories out of them — completely new stories and abstract poems, so I think it would be pretty hard to tell what is going on in our lives.

"A lot of our songs deal with the end of something, like an apocalypse or a death," she continued. "It kind of represents what is going on with us because something very important ended and something very new started. You can definitely interpret some of that in our lyrics.

"When I write lyrics, it's similar to when I'm writing melodies and songs — it all just comes to me. I don't sit there and have something in mind. It's really interesting because looking at the album and listening to the songs, it's only after we realized what was going on in our lives that we started to interpret out own songs." "This Is The Sound" track listing:

01. Avalanche02. Black Moon03. Challenge04. Hullaballoo05. Six Days06. The Hermit07. Water08. Fire, Wind & Earth09. Rebels10. Under The Oak Tree…11. …High Above These Crowns12. Starcrusher13. Hedonia14. Redemption

Bonus tracks, available exclusively on the digibook:

15. The Cold Song16. Mad World17. The Prophet's Song After their split with ELUVEITIE, Murphy, Henzi and Sutter quickly realised their musical journey was far from over. What quickly developed was a unique and fresh combination of grand and heavy riffs, powerful drumming and a unique voice along with the signature folky, earthy tones of the hurdy gurdy. This, combined with classical elements as well as inherited folk influences, led to the creation of something entirely new, setting CELLAR DARLING on the path of musical innovation.

As previously announced, AVENGED SEVENFOLD is expanding its new album, "The Stage", into an evolving body of work by adding a series of new tracks over the course of the coming months. Today sees the release of the album's latest addition, their rendition of MR. BUNGLE's "Retrovertigo".

"Retrovertigo" follows the recent release of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first-ever Spanish-language recording, "Malagueña Salerosa", a song whose companion video has already amassed over two million YouTube views. The band recorded both tracks with producer Joe Barresi (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, TOOL).

"We're massive fans of MR. BUNGLE," says AVENGED SEVENFOLD vocalist M. Shadows. "'Retrovertigo' is one of their softer songs and a particular favorite of ours and we thought it'd be a fun twist to make a heavy version. We hope this song encourages the uninitiated to dig a little deeper into the brilliant world of MR. BUNGLE. Mike Patton is one of the greatest vocalists of our generation and it was pretty daunting for me to sing one of his songs, but we had a great time recording this track. More coming."

"The Stage" was released at the end of October with almost no promotion beforehand.

The surprise release of the disc, which was announced the night it went on sale, earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED album in 11 years. It sold 76,000 copies in its first week, 73,000 of which were physical.

M. Shadows recently confirmed to Kaytie of the Razor 94.7 radio station that AVENGED SEVENFOLD will embark on a full North American headlining tour in January and February 2018. The trek, which will be announced after the completion of AVENGED's current stadium run as the support act for METALLICA, was originally "supposed to happen this summer until we got that call from METALLICA, so we decided to put it on hold," the singer explained.

"Whiteworm", a brand new song form former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, can be streamed below. The track is taken from his upcoming album, "Wall Of Sound", which will be released on August 4 via Prosthetic Records. Produced by Friedman, engineered by Paul Fig (GHOST, RUSH, ALICE IN CHAINS) and mixed by Jens Bogren (KREATOR, OPETH, SEPULTURA), the disc "expands and destroys any conventional notions of instrumental music," according to a press release. Legendary QUEEN producer Mack came on board to handle the mixing on two tracks, "Streetlight" and "For A Friend", which Friedman proclaimed was "an honor for me, for sure."

Friedman said last year about the musical direction of the follow-up to his 2014 album "Inferno": "This time it's even more ambitious than that album was, a bit more dense, and, with any luck, more exciting for those of you who will hear it."

He added: "There will be elevent or twelve songs in total. Sometimes a song you really love doesn't make it to the album because it doesn't fit nicely in the sequencing. Either way, we're pushing sixty minutes, so it won't be a short album."

Marty's new CD was recorded in part at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in California with engineer Paul Fig (ALICE IN CHAINS, RUSH, DEFTONES) and was previously described by Friedman as "a way more intense version" of its predecessor: "deeper, sadder, happier and more aggressive."

Like "Inferno", Friedman's upcoming album will feature several guests, including prog-thrashers MUTOID MAN, Jørgen Munkeby of the Norwegian avant-garde jazz-metal outfit SHINING and Jinxx of Los Angeles theatrical rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES.

Regarding how the collaboration with Jinxx came about, Friedman told Guitar World: "I'm a big fan of Jinxx and BLACK VEIL BRIDES. He came to my show in L.A. in 2015. Right after that, I was told that he plays violin. I didn't even know that! Then light bulbs went off. I thought now's the chance to really turn some heads by doing something that's a little bit, well, a lot, unexpected to my fans and his fans."

"Wall Of Sound" track listing:

01. Self Pollution02. Sorrow And Madness (featuring Jinxx of BLACK VEIL BRIDES)03. Streetlight04. Whiteworm05. For A Friend06. Pussy Ghost (featuring Shiv Mehra of DEAFHEAVEN)07. The Blackest Rose08. Something To Fight (featuring Jørgen Munkeby of SHINING)09. The Soldier10. Miracle11. Last Lament

"Hydrograd", the new album from STONE SOUR, can be streamed in its entirety in the YouTube playlist below. The disc will be released on June 30 via Roadrunner Records.

"Hydrograd" was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER.

The band tracked the album live in the studio, cutting a total of 18 songs from which 15 made the CD.

STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor told iHeartRadio about "Hydrograd": "It is kind of a departure, but not really. To me, it's more of an evolution. It's taking everything that we've done on the last few albums, and really honing it down and turning that diversity into more cohesion and really finding the strength in the song to be able to express ourselves through all of these different genres that we've always dipped our toes in, whether it's hard rock, or heavy, or metal, or just rock and roll, or straight up punk, or even in one of the cases a bit of California country."

He added: "I don't think it's so much a departure, as it is just becoming more of what STONE SOUR really means."

Taylor went on to call "Hydrograd" "the best stuff that [STONE SOUR] has ever written." He explained: "I think the songwriting is stronger, I think the energy in the recording is better, and I think that comes down to the way we recorded it, which was live in the room. No click, no grid, no beat detective, no Auto-Tune, no fake guitar sounds, everything was real. That really allowed the songs to become very alive and very exciting. I also think that it's some of our strongest performances. Obviously, it's our first album with Christian [Martucci, guitar] and with Johny [Chow, bass], and those guys shine like crazy. And with Roy [Mayorga, drums], this is really his coming-out party. People are really going to start looking at him very differently. [He's] just one of the best drummers on the planet. Josh [Rand, guitar] [can be heard] really experimenting, doing all these crazy things. It's some of the best music that we've ever created as a band, and I hope that people listen to my singing and my writing and just can see where I'm at from a personal standpoint and from a professional standpoint. I feel like it's my best work that I've done in a long time and I don't really care if people don't hear it, say it's heavy or whatnot. It's just really good straight-up rock and roll, and it's amazing."

Regarding the "Hydrograd" title, Taylor told told Detroit radio station WRIF that he was running through an "antiquated" airport in Eastern Europe a few years ago where the gate info was "on those old-school '80s block-letter, number, digital horrible Timex watch kind of readers" and scrolling between different languages. As he ran past, Taylor thought he saw the word "Hydrograd."

Taylor said: "So my brain is trying to do geometry while also at a sprint because I don't wanna miss my plane. I pass one and I look up and I could have swore it said 'Hydrograd.' And I kept running for a second and I was, like, 'Hydrograd? Where the hell is Hydrograd? What?'"

Taylor eventually realized that the word wasn't "Hydrograd," recalling, "It didn’t even start with an 'H.' It wasn’t even close." But he still remembered the word, saying, "It’s a cool name. It was what I saw but didn’t really see."

"Hydrograd" track listing:

01. YSIF02. Taipei Person/Allah Tea03. Knievel Has Landed04. Hydrograd05. Song #306. Fabuless07. The Witness Trees08. Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)09. Thank God It's Over10. St. Marie11. Mercy12. Whiplash Pants13. Friday Knights14. Somebody Stole My Eyes15. When The Fever Broke

"Forever And Back", a brand new song from MR. BIG, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's ninth studio album, "Defying Gravity", which will be released on July 7 via Frontiers Music Srl. The effort will be available at traditional retail and all digital service providers, as will a deluxe edition version with CD and bonus DVD that features music videos and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new album. The album will also be made available on vinyl in the coming months.

"Defying Gravity" deftly showcases that patented MR. BIG blend of crunch and melody, from the freight-train ride of opening cut "Open Your Eyes" to the harmony-laden wonderment of "Damn I'm in Love Again" to the grateful/wistful nostalgia of "1992" (recalling the days when the band was flying high atop the singles charts with their international No. 1 smash "To Be With You") to the barnburning slide-blues closer, "Be Kind". Overall, "Defying Gravity" is prime evidence that the only thing MR. BIG remains tethered to is their ongoing pursuit of achieving creative excellence. Original members Eric Martin (lead vocals), Paul Gilbert (guitars), Billy Sheehan (bass) and Pat Torpey (drums) reunited with producer Kevin Elson (who was behind the boards for the band's 1989 self-titled debut, 1991's "Lean Into It" and 1993's "Bump Ahead") for an intensive six-day recording session in Los Angeles. While Torpey was unable to perform some of the songs on "Defying Gravity" due to a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, Matt Starr has been filling in for him on a majority of the album. Starr also been touring with the band for the past couple of years, with Torpey able to play a couple of songs at each stop. "It was great to get back in the studio with our original producer, Kevin Elson," says Gilbert. "Kevin recorded all of our original classic albums from the '80s and '90s, and we immediately felt that magic chemistry with him on 'Defying Gravity'. We basically played live in the studio.

"Over the years, we've all had a chance to experiment with every recording technique possible, but it's still always the best just to play together as a band. Most of my guitar solos were tracked live with the band. I've worked hard on my improvisation in the last few years, and it really paid off on this record… both melodically and on the face-melting stuff." MR. BIG is gearing up for the launch its latest worldwide tour, which starts May 31 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Potowatami Casino. "2017 is filling up quickly with tour dates all around the world," proclaims Gilbert. "I can't wait to play the new songs, and, of course, our favorites from the old days, like 'Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy', 'Just Take My Heart', 'Green Tinted Sixties Mind', 'Wild World' and 'To Be With You'." "Defying Gravity" track listing: 01. Open Your Eyes02. Defying Gravity03. Everybody Needs A Little Trouble04. Damn I'm In Love Again05. Mean To Me06. Nothing Bad (About Feeling Good)07. Forever And Back08. She's All Coming Back To Me Now09. 199210. Nothing At All11. Be Kind

Photo credit: William Hames

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 first single from "Out Of The Voiceless Grave", a song called "Vortex Spawn", can be streamed below.

THE LURKING FEAR vocalist Tomas Lindberg said: "To us, this track sums up all the raging, interstellar evil that we try to convey with this album. We want the riffs to slither out of your speakers like torrents of tentacles, crowned in festering doom. The vocals pulsating with aeons of filth and death. Spewing out of its cosmic, voiceless grave: the 'Vortex Spawn'. Timeless death."

The cover artwork for "Out Of The Voiceless Grave" was designed by Stefan Thanneur and can be seen below. "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…"

Veteran Colorado metallers JAG PANZER will release their new album, "The Deviant Chord", on September 29 via SPV/Steamhammer.

For JAG PANZER, team spirit is more important than anything else. Without team spirit, guitarist Mark Briody would no longer see any reason for continuing the band. "We're like a family, we've all known each other for many years," he says and looks back at the years between 2011 and 2013 when JAG PANZER were on the brink of calling it a day. "Two bandmembers quit and there was little interest in hiring new people and starting over. Introducing new musicians would have been tough, so we decided to disband." But then the American power metal act's strong fan base made itself heard, causing the spark to be rekindled. Briody explains: "We had a lot of interest in our early albums, so my bandmates soon noticed that people were still listening to JAG PANZER, that the audience was still there. We started talking on the phone more and more. Some excellent gig offers arrived so we decided we should get back together."

"The Deviant Chord" is a veritable metal manifesto, consisting of ten awesome songs featuring all those typical JAG PANZER strengths that the band's fans have come to appreciate. Together with band members John Tetley (bass), Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin (vocals), Rikard Stjernquist (drums) and Joey Tafolla (lead guitar), who has returned to the fold, Briody has recorded an album that impresses in every respect and that benefits from the outstanding qualities of all five band members.

"John does our 'quality control,' meaning that he makes sure every song we do is the best it can be. Harry is a musical genius. He's been singing since we were kids, he's very skilled in vocal arrangements and vocal recording techniques. This skill makes him a very big contributor in the songwriting. Rikard is all about drumming. He's been drumming since he was a small child and has never stopped. He grew up living all around the world and he has always been in a band. Joey is the classic lead player in every sense of the world. He has amazing skill on the guitar plus an outstanding stage presence. His playing makes every song better." "The Deviant Chord" will be available as a CD digipak (including poster) and double LP colored version as well as for download and streaming. The cover artwork was created by Serbian artist Dusan Markovic and reflects the album's haunting atmosphere perfectly. Briody gives also some hints: "Fans of both science fiction and real-life scientists should look closely at the new JAG PANZER album as the band has placed a few hidden tributes in the album art!"

There can be no doubt: the spark has rekindled the fire in JAG PANZER and it's burning brightly. Briody says: "The mood in the band is very focused. This album was the first time we did multiple demos for every song. So everyone has been very involved in every step. Each band member got to see a song grow and change with time. That's very exciting for us. And we're all excited to unleash 'The Deviant Chord' unto the world."

"The Deviant Chord" track listing:

01. Born Of The Flame (4:00)02. Far Beyond All Fear (3:49)03. The Deviant Chord (5:37)04. Blacklist (4:19)05. Foggy Dew (3:20)06. Divine Intervention (3:30)07. Long Awaited Kiss (6:16)08. Salacious Behavior (4:07)09. Fire Of Our Spirit (4:37)10. Dare (5:17)

The official video for "Tuska20 - The Anniversary Song", a track celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Finland's Tuska open-air metal festival, can be seen below. The clip, which was edited by Antti Kuivalainen and Ykä Järvinen, includes excerpts from Tuska 2015 and 2016 aftermovies as well as newly shot studio footage.

The 12-inch vinyl version of "Tuska20 - The Anniversary Song" is available for order from Levykauppa Äx. This edition is very limited, so be sure to act fast.

"Tuska20 - The Anniversary Song" features contributions from members of NIGHTWISH, STRATOVARIUS, WINTERSUN, AMORPHIS, HIM, BATTLE BEAST and CHILDREN OF BODOM.

Tuska promoter Jouni Markkanen said: "All proceeds from this project will be collected to the 'Tuska 20 Years' fund that operates under the umbrella of Elmu Säätlö, and will be donated to charity. The object of charity will be determined by an advisory board, which consists of musicians, industry notables and Tuska-related persons throughout the history of the festival."

"Tuska20 - The Anniversary Song" has also been a great experience for the musicians involved, and an exciting one, as CHILDREN OF BODOM drummer Jaska Raatikainen explained: "This project is more secret than North Korea. Even the musicians don't know what's going to happen…"

The seven-minute epic, which was written by Esa Holopainen of AMORPHIS, features guest appearances by the following musicians:

* Akira Takasaki (LOUDNESS)* Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND)* Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH)* Lauri Porra, Jens Johansson and Timo Kotipelto (STRATOVARIUS)* Roope Latvala and Janne Joutsenniemi (STONE)* Jari Mäenpää and Teemu Mäntysaari (WINTERSUN)* Santeri Kallio (AMORPHIS)* Janne Johannes Puurtinen (a.k.a. Burton; HIM)* Noora Louhimo (BATTLE BEAST)* Archie Cruz (SANTA CRUZ)* Esa Holopainen (AMORPHIS)* Nino Laurenne (THUNDERSTONE, Sonic Pump Studio)* Jaska Raatikainen, Alexi Laiho, Daniel Freyberg, Janne Wirman (CHILDREN OF BODOM)* Gas Lipstick (ex-HIM, HALLATAR)* Tomi Joutsen (AMORPHIS)* Kai Hahto (WINTERSUN, NIGHTWISH)* Marko Annala and Tuomo Saikkonen (MOKOMA)* Pasi Rantanen (THUNDERSTONE)* Antti Hyyrynen (STAM1NA)* Samy Elbanna (LOST SOCIETY)* Ville Sorvali (MOONSORROW)* Netta Skog (ENSIFERUM)

"Tuska20 - The Anniversary Song" can be downloaded as an MP3 or WAV file through www.fundyou.io. Each download costs 5 euros.

HIM, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MAYHEM, APOCALYPTICA, DIRKSCHNEIDER and SONATA ARCTICA are among the bands who are set to perform at the 20th-anniversary edition of the Tuska festival, which is taking place June 30 - July 2 in Helsinki, Finland.

The 2016 edition of the Tuska festival saw 28,000 fans gathered at Suvilahti, formerly an energy production area, a present-day venue for festivals, flea markets and graffiti, located in Helsinki's Sörnäinen district.

The festival offers a variety of ticket options: from 255 euros for the three-day Tuska Turbo VIP package to 129 euros for a normal three-day ticket and 105 and 75 euros for a two- or one-day ticket, respectively. Tickets can be exchanged for wristbands at the festival site.

For more information, visit Tuska.fi.

"Fairytale", the new video from SAINT ASONIA, the act featuring ex-THREE DAYS GRACE frontman Adam Gontier and STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok, can be seen below. The song is taken from SAINT ASONIA's self-titled debut album, which came out in July 2015.

SAINT ASONIA is continuing work on its sophomore album, tentatively due before the end of the year. Gontier told Meltdown of Detroit, Michigan's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station back in February that the band was "about halfway done, meaning the writing process is pretty much done. Right now, we're just in the stages of demoing what we, as a band, believe are four or five of the best tracks that will be on the record, that we feel are the best tracks, that we are most happy with. And as well, we're looking into producers and whether or not we're actually going to hire a producer to produce this record."

He continued: "Between myself, Mike Mushok and [SAINT ASONIA bassist] Corey Lowery, we've all done some producing in our day, and at this point, a producer isn't one hundred percent necessary. So we're kind of going through the motions of that and trying to decide what the next step is in the way of production and where we're gonna go to record the record. But as for the songwriting, it's pretty much done, and we're having a really good time putting the finishing touches on the music we've got so far."

Asked how important it is for a rock band in 2017 to work with a producer, Gontier said: "I've been really fortunate to work with some really great producers — Howard Benson and Don Gilmore, and a whole bunch of different guys. I think as a young band, it's very important, because as a young band, you're very influential and you definitely need that outside ear to help you move along and help you decide the direction of where you wanna go as a young band. In our case, just because we've done it so many times and we've made quite a few records between all of us, it's one of those things that we feel pretty confident that when we finish a batch of songs, or we finish a record that between the three of us, if we're happy with it, we're almost positive that our fans, definitely our loyal fans as well as maybe some fans that might not have heard of us before are gonna enjoy it as well. Young bands tend to use producers, and I think for a band like us, it's one of those things where we don't necessarily need one, but it's always nice to have an extra set of ears around regardless."

SAINT ASONIA was announced in early 2015, with Mushok and Gontier joined in the band by ex-FINGER ELEVEN drummer Rich Beddoe and Lowery. The group's self-titled debut album contained the Top 10 rock radio hit "Better Place".

"I don't think we had any expectations in the beginning," Gontier told WRIF. "We were more excited than anything just to get this record out that we had made and get on stage and start touring. And we've done that. So that's been incredible. The most we could ask for was just to be able to get out and play the songs live in front of people.

"We all have the back story — me with THREE DAYS GRACE, Mike with STAIND and Corey with STUCK MOJO and DARK NEW DAY and EYE EMPIRE — but we definitely… we don't lean on our pasts to try to help us in the future," he continued ."It's more so a case of we're making another record and we just wanna keep evolving as musicians. I know working with Mike Mushok in the studio has been incredible for me. It's raised the bar tenfold from the band that I used to be in where it was a little bit different, where we'd all get in the studio and things would just be, for lack of a better word, things would be sort of mediocre. And this time around, we go into the studio trying really hard to be the best we can be, and Mike Mushok is legendary. He can write incredible guitar riffs and he can write incredible music, and the same goes with Corey. So the three of us together, we're in a place right now where we're really happy with the music that we're writing. We're taking a step forward."

He added: "I believe this record is a big evolution for us. I honestly believe the next record is going to be… For us, for SAINT ASONIA, I believe it's gonna be the record that will jumpstart — if we haven't already — catapult what we've been trying to do so far."

Fan-filmed video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE's June 27 performance at Backstage in Munich, Germany can be seen below.

QUEENSRŸCHE is tentatively scheduled to enter the studio in September to begin work on the follow-up to 2015's "Condition Hüman" album, to be released in early 2018 via Century Media. Helming the record once again will be Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked on "Condition Hüman".

"Condition Hüman" debuted at No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 14,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

KAMELOT's Casey Grillo made his live debut with with QUEENSRŸCHE on April 1 at Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, California. He is filling in for regular QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who is taking time off from the band's touring activities to spend time with his newborn son, appropriately named Rockson.

When asked if he feels comfortable as frontman of QUEENSRŸCHE, Todd La Torre recently told Straus Project: "I feel great. Since I got into the band, everyone in the band has been just very gracious and let me be who I am. We're all just really good friends and very close, and so… I think after… especially after the last record, people know what I sound like. I was able to go in some areas on the last record that the songs didn't quite call for on the 2013 [self-titled] release, but I still love that record. And hopefully this next one will be everything that we want it to be and that the supporters of the band dig it; we hope they really like it. But, again, you just never know, and that's kind of scary. Because you say, 'Oh, they've been off for three years. This'd better be good!' You know, [it's been three years] since the last release or something like that, so there's that little bit of… I don't wanna say it's 'anxiety,' but 'concern.' On the other hand, we're just gonna keep writing music and recording. So this isn't gonna be the third and final record. We're gonna keep going and keep doing records. Yeah, it'll be… I think June or July [of 2012] is when I got into the band, so we're going on five years, three albums. It feels great."

BLACKFINGER, the band led by former TROUBLE singer Eric Wagner, will release its new album, "When Colors Fade Away", on September 15 via M-Theory Audio.

Renowned and still cherished for the classic material he recorded with Chicago's TROUBLE for over two decades, Wagner has in recent years been focusing on a couple other promising new bands in a similar vein, including BLACKFINGER. Now relocated to Pittsburgh, Eric is joined in the new BLACKFINGER lineup by another respected name in doom metal circles, guitarist Terry Weston of DREAM DEATH/PENANCE.

Featuring photos from Matt Bluejay and graphic design by Al Oaks, "When Colors Fade Away" is a striking and artistic package with a full color twelve-page CD booklet and a four-page vinyl insert. Vinyl limited to 400 copies of blue/black marble.

Pre-order now at www.m-theoryaudio.com/store. "Colors were a common theme throughout the first record… I think it was a reference for life, or maybe it was hope," explains Eric Wagner. "What happens when colors start to fade or you feel like all hope is lost?

"I think there comes a time in everyone's life when you need to confront your dark side in order to get to the light.

"When I saw the photographs of the old abandoned funeral home by Matt Bluejay, I thought it would make the perfect album cover for 'When Colors Fade Away', and the start of the journey to feel good about oneself again." M-Theory Audio is the new label recently launched by Marco Barbieri, the former president of Century Media Records, whose previous experience includes Nuclear Blast and Metal Blade. Joining Marco in this adventure are colleagues whose past experience includes work for labels like Century Media, Prosthetic, Victory and Epitaph. The label's roster includes Bay Area thrash outfit CULTURAL WARFARE, Las Vegas prog/power metal band SICOCIS, Sacramento headbangers BLESSED CURSE, Southern California's pagan death metallers HELSOTT, nomadic folk metal band TENGGER CAVALRY, female-fronted symphonic metal band GRAVESHADOW and Nor Cal's death/metalcore band APOTHESARY. "Eric Wagner is a true artist, talent and storyteller," says Barbieri. "I've spent the last 34 years listening to classic tales weaved by this man; and he is truly one of my favorite vocalists. Along the way I've had the pleasure of working with Eric and TROUBLE while at Century Media during their 'Plastic Green Head' album cycle and even had his other band, THE SKULL, headline one of the Doom In June festivals. Now our co-operation and friendship continues and I am fortunate to release the new and phenomenal BLACKFINGER album."

BLOODCLOT, the project featuring John Joseph of the CRO-MAGS, plus former members of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (Joey Castillo, drums; Nick Oliveri, bass), and DANZIG (Todd Youth, guitar), will release its new album, "Up In Arms", on July 14 via Metal Blade Records. The cover artwork for the disc can be seen below.

The song "Manic", taken from "Up In Arms", can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

BLOODCLOT has confirmed a near-three-week U.S. tour with NEGATIVE APPROACH. ] In addition to being the leader of one of the most influential hardcore bands of all time — the CRO-MAGS — Joseph is an author, an outspoken advocate of plant-based nutrition, and a competitive Ironman tri-athlete. Youth — who played in AGNOSTIC FRONT at the age of 12 — has played guitar with a myriad of artists, including DANZIG, Glen Campbell, MOTÖRHEAD, Ace Frehley, and many more. Additionally, Nick Oliveri has played bass in QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, alongside one of the most sought-after drummers in the scene, Joey Castillo — who has also sat behind the kit for DANZIG and EAGLES OF DEATH METAL.

These four renowned musicians came together when CRO-MAGS guitarist AJ Novello was unable to play a show, and John Joseph called Todd Youth to fill in for him. The two rekindled their friendship and enjoyed playing together so much that a decision was made to reform BLOODCLOT (whose origins date back to a 1981 BAD BRAINS tour). Todd began the songwriting process, and soon after, Joey Castillo and Nick Oliveri were recruited to join the band. With the new lineup in place, and songs to record, Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel offered BLOODCLOT a worldwide deal.

BLOODCLOT is:

John Joseph (CRO-MAGS) - Vocals Todd Youth (ex-DANZIG) - GuitarsNick Oliveri (ex-QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) - BassJoey Castillo (ex-QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, ex-DANZIG) - Drums

Photo credit: Wass Photography, Dustin Jack Photography, Lloyd Nickell, Tony Virgadamo

Just a week after announcing their resurrection, Swedish melodic metal masters Nocturnal Rites already come up with a brand new single: the lyric video for “Before We Waste Away” is available now! It marks the first new recorded NOCTURNAL RITES music since the release of 2007’s “The 8th Sin”.

“This track has a classic Nocturnal Rites vibe to it – a melodic and catchy mid-tempo tune that still incorporates some edge and heaviness. On a whole, though, the album is really diverse. It has a few tracks with some obvious “Afterlife” aggression to them and some that are more orchestral and epic, which is somewhat new to us. We are thrilled to release this first song and can’t wait to get the entire record out! More to come", commented the band.

The band’s new album „Phoenix” will be released on September 29th, available as CD, Digipak, clear/blue/black marbled Vinyl (limited to 250 units) and clear orange Vinyl (limited to 250 units).

Pre-order "Phoenix" here: http://bit.ly/2sYz5Kw

Tracklisting:
1. A Heart As Black As Coal
2. Before We Waste Away
3. The Poisonous Seed
4. Repent My Sins
5. What’s Killing Me
6. A Song For You
7. The Ghost Inside Me
8. Nothing Can Break Me
9. Flames
10. Used To Be God *
11. Welcome To The End

* bonus track on ltd. Digipak and Vinyl (Digipak also comes with a Nocturnal Rites patch)

Bonfire​ sign with AFM Records. After BONFIRE's latest studio records "Glörious" (2015) and "Byte The Bullet" (2017) both made it to the Top 50 of the German album chart and more than 160 live shows played in the last two years, AFM Records and BONFIRE decided to strike a new path together!

During the more than 30 year-long history of the band, there were of course several different label partners releasing BONFIRE's 16 studio records and some were not available at times. So in Autumn of 2017, big parts of BONFIRE's back catalogue will be made available again before the new album will be released in Spring 2018.
Besides being in the studio to record their next record, BONFIRE will be on tour for the rest of the year!

Find all tour dates below and on www.bonfire.de

BONFIRE are:
Hans Ziller (Git & Back-Voc., founder of BONFIRE)
Alexx Stahl (Lead-Voc)
Ronnie Parkes (Bass & Back-Voc)
Tim Breideband (Drums)
Frank Pané (Git & Back-Voc)

Tour dates:

2017:
08.07. (GER) - Ingolstadt - Bürgerfest-Rathausplatz
15.07. (GER) - Jamboree-Open Air
23.07. (GER) - Regensburg - Piazza Open Air
03.08. (GER) - Günzburg Open Air
12.08. (CH) - Gossau Rock On Open Air
19.08. (GER) - Rhön Rock Open Air
02.09. (PL) - Zgierz - City of Power-Open Air
16.09. (PT) - Lissabon - RCA Club
23.09. (PT) - Coimbra - Festival
30.09. (GER) - Alzey - Oberhaus
02.10. (GER) - Teltow Open Air
07.10. (GER) - Braunschweig - Lokpark
19.10. (GER) - Hamburg - Logo
20.10. (GER) - Mannheim - MS Connexion
21.10. (GER) - Memmingen Kaminwerk
11.11. (GER) - Renchen - COME INN -Charity
16.12. (GER) - Obermachtal - Kreuz
19.12. (GER) - Nürnberg - Hirsch
20.12. (GER) - Oberhausen - Zentrum Altenberg
21.12. (GER) - Augsburg - Spectrum
22.12. (GER) - Ingolstadt - Eventhalle
23.12. (GER) - Burglengenfeld - VAZ

2018:
03.05. (GER) - Würzburg - Posthalle
04.05. (GER) - Neuss - Partytur-Halle
05.05. (CH) - Aarburg - Musigburg
06.05. (GER) - Ludwigsburg - Rockfabrik .- Grosser Saal
Juni (AT) Wien Bike & Music-Open Air
20.07. (GER) Burg Greifenstein Open Air
17.11. (GER) Markneukirchen- Framus & Warwick MusicHall

German power metal force ORDEN OGAN will release their highly anticipated new studio album “Gunmen” on July 7th. The upcoming album’s third single is “Come With Me To The Other Side”, which features former Leaves’ Eyes/Theatre Of Tragedy as guest vocalist. A lyric video for the song is available now.

"When whe had just finished the intro for "Come With Me To The Other Side", we immediately felt that it needed a fragile, angelic, female voice to bring it to full bloom and capture the song’s atmosphere in a perfect way. Of course Liv was our first choice and were happy that she confirmed right away. When she came to my studio and sang her parts, she even exceeded our expectations”, vocalist /guitarist Seeb says. “Funny note: in a very early stage, we even considered making “Come With Me To The Other Side” a pure ballad – well, for just about 3 seconds”, he grins.

In a brand new interview with Germany's Bild, Ian Gillan spoke about his relationship with Ritchie Blackmore nearly twenty-years after the former DEEP PURPLE guitarist famously told the Swedish TV program "Metal Magazinet" that he would one day attack Gillan in the back alley while they were both on tour with the band.

"I don't think Ritchie's ever grown up, really," Gillan said (see video below). I mean, I grew out of all that stuff when I was forty years old. I should have done it when I was twenty. But you're cushioned from life in this job; you're not brutalized by it quite so much as you are in other ways of life.

"It's a fine line between self-assuredness and arrogance," he continued. "It's a fine line between all of those things. And it depends on the perspective of where you're standing, 'cause other people see things differently to you."

Gillan and Blackmore were two of the DEEP PURPLE members who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016 — despite being eligible for induction since 1993. The band had long been overlooked, though they had been considered in 2013 and 2014 before ultimately getting voted in last year.

Gillan told Bild: "Yes, [Ritchie and I have] made our peace. I think pretty much… We're in communicaton now. We've solved a lot of difficulties that were nothing to do with the direct relationship — old management problems that were dividing us and things like that; boring stuff, but important nonetheless within the group. So that's all been solved now. So there are message going back and forth, and I can sense goodwill much more than in the past.

"I don't think anyone has ever said anything disrespectful about Ritchie's ability to play," he continued. "He was a fantastic, wonderful showman and a great, articulate guitar player — very lyrical and expressive. And so we were fortunate to have him in the group. I mean, to have him and Jon Lord and Ian Paice and Roger Glover in a band that is primarily an instrumental band… No matter what I do, I've always recognized that DEEP PURPLE is primarily an instrumental band. That's where all the music comes from in rehearsals — it all stems from the music.

"So, yeah, I wish Ritchie good luck — always have done, really. And we'll see. It's coming to an end now anyway."

When asked if he could ever imagine himself working with Blackmore again, either as part of DEEP PURPLE or another project, Gillan said: "I have got a good imagination. [Laughs] But, you know, when you get divorced, it's hard to go back. You must always respect and enjoy the memories and the nostalgia, but would you do it again? Probably not. No. Just enjoy what happened, because it could so easily be damaged by something like that. And I think if I'm gonna be part of DEEP PURPLE coming to an end, then I've got a lot of other things to do. I would quite happily sit with a couple of beers and do my writing and maybe do some solo stuff with other musicians. But [with Ritchie]… no. No."

Blackmore is a co-founder of DEEP PURPLE and wrote many of their most memorable riffs, including "Smoke On The Water", but he has not played with the group since his 1993 departure.

Blackmore was absent from DEEP PURPLE's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last year. He later posted a statement on his Facebook page in which he said: "I have my reason for not attending the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, although I appreciate the award."

Despite Blackmore being a no-show at last year's Rock Hall, he was given several shoutouts during the induction speeches of the DEEP PURPLE members in attendance. In addition, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, who inducted DEEP PURPLE into the institution, praised "Ritchie fucking Blackmore" for one of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time on "Smoke On The Water".

Metal Wani's Laura Vezer recently conducted an interview with former SLAYER and current SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and DEAD CROSS drummer Dave Lombardo. You can now listen to the second part of the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow.

You been playing with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES for more than a year now and you played on the latest record, "World Gone Mad". Fans are loving every bit of SUICIDAL on road as well as the record. How has it been so far with Mike [Muir] and the other guys?

Lombardo: "It's been amazing working with Mike Muir and the rest of the band. I've been a fan of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES since probably '82 when I first saw them play in Orange County, a neighboring city. And working with them now, listening to the music and the style just brings back a lot of memories — really good memories — of the SLAYER/SUICIDAL years, when we used to tour together and just enjoy SUICIDAL's music, let's say. In the van, when SLAYER would travel across the country in a van, we'd listen to SUICIDAL, and other punk bands as well, but I remember in particular [Jeff] Hanneman [late SLAYER guitarist] and I trading off lyrics, singing along to SUICIDAL records. Very, vert good memories. And even on stage right now performing with them, it's just a lot of fun. It's just a great band, a great organization. And I love the 'World Gone Mad' album. It taps into a different style that I'm able to play — a little more groovier, funkier, but still [with] the punk edge. So it's just another perfect album to add to my list of albums I've recorded." Mike recently said "World Gone Mad" is probably the last SUICIDAL album although you keep asking [him to] write new music. Do you think there will be another SUICIDAL album in the future?

Lombardo: "I hope. I really hope. I feel like that guy has a lot more creativity in him and a lot more energy than to throw in the towel. I feel Mike is on top of his game, and he's got a great band and great history with this band and I think that we should keep going, and I hope he does. And I'm not gonna stop asking him to record. I'm going to make sure that I keep bugging him: 'Man, we've gotta record. Let's do some recording. C'mon, let's record another album. Why not?' I try to motivate the musicians I'm with because there's no reason to stop. You've gotta keep recording, you've gotta keep creating. It's what we do for a living."

In a recent interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, Mike Muir called the 2016 addition of Lombardo to SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' lineup "literally… just a power kick in the butt." The vocalist said: "Dave's a little different than me. I think every show might be the last one, not in a defeatist type of way, but I take that approach; I learned a long time ago there's no five-year plans… But we take it tour by tour, and I think that's a good approach. Dave's kinda like, 'I'm gonna be playing drums 'till I'm 85.' That's how he lives his life," Muir added. "And it's different, but it's a similar kind of approach. I think that every show is very important. And his whole thing, as a truly legendary drummer, people are gonna see him play, and he wants to be there and blow people away. We've kinda intersected at a great point, where we're here to blow people away rather than be nostalgic."

"World Gone Mad" was released last September.

Alex Stojanovic of Metal Master Kingdom conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE on June 22 at The Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.

When asked about the status of the songwriting sessions for BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's upcoming follow-up to 2015's "Venom" album, Tuck said: "it's very early days. I wouldn't really like to say any more about what it sounds like, 'cause it's just instrumental stuff at the minute and we're still finding our feet. We've only got six instrumentals; two of them we've kind of demoed vocals on. So it's very early days, but early signs are good. We're very excited. And, yeah, I don't know. I can't say any more about it because there isn't anything yet. We're just working our asses off trying to [come up] with something special, as we always do."

Tuck also addressed the absence from the road of longtime BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas, who has not played with the group since early last year when he stepped away to spend time with his wife as they awaited the birth of his first child. He has since been replaced on tour by Jason Bowld (PITCHSHIFTER, AXEWOUND).

Regarding what it's like playing with Bowld, who previously backed Tuck in the AXEWOUND project, Matt said: "It's amazing. He's up there with the best of the world. So to have someone of that caliber behind you, I can't tell you how it feels. It's weird. It's a band thing. He's just an animal."

On the subject of how Moose is doing nowadays, Matt said: "He's doing good, I think. I haven't spoken to him for a while, but I think he's doing good."

When asked if he expects Moose to return to BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE anytime soon, Matt answered simply: "That's a Moose question."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's next album will be released through the band's new label home, Search And Destroy, the imprint launched in 2014 by Spinefarm and international artist management company Raw Power Management.

The band's latest song, "Don't Need You", was released as a standalone single last November.

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

Chris Cornell's wife of 13 years has blamed addiction for her husband's death, saying that he was "not a depressed man."

On May 18, the SOUNGARDEN and AUDIOSLAVE frontman was found dead in a Detroit hotel room after performing one final concert with the former group. The corner ruled his cause of death to be suicide by hanging, but his wife thinks there's more to the story.

"My Chris was happy, loving, caring and warm," Vicky Cornell told People magazine. "This was not a depressed man — it wasn't like I missed that. What I missed were the signs of addiction."

Cornell previously struggled with addiction issues but had been sober for years, according to his wife. Shortly after his death, it was revealed that Cornell had prescription drugs and an anti-anxiety medication in his system. But assistant medical examiner Theodore Brown wrote in his post mortem report that Cornell died from hanging and that "drugs did not contribute to the cause of death."

Vicky told People that she believes the drugs in his system significantly altered his state of mind.

"He didn't want to die," she said. "If he was of sound mind, I know he wouldn't have done this."

Addiction psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Nordstrom told the magazine that it's "hard to overstate how unpredictable the effects of mixing various mind-altering substances can be. Some of these combinations, especially those that involve sedative drugs, can lead to levels of impairment that are far out of proportion to what would have happened if the drugs were taken separately."

In previous interviews, Vicky had said Chris seemed a bit short, confused and irritated during their final phone conversation on the night of his death. Normally, according to her, Chris was "humble, sweet, kind and good, with the patience of a saint."

Even after Cornell received a prescription for the anti-anxiety drug Ativan last year — also used as a sleep aid in some cases — Vicky said he still seemed tired. "That was a sign something was off," she told People. "Addiction is a disease. That disease can take over you and has full power."

Chris was laid to rest on May 26 at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Fan-filmed video footage of MEGADETH's June 27 performance at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

MEGADETH is planning on returning to the studio at the end of the year to begin work on the follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album.

The Dave Mustaine-fronted band is currently touring North America with MESHUGGAH and will play arenas later in the year as the support act for German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS.

Speaking to KATT Rock 100.5 FM's "No Brown M&Ms", Mustaine stated about MEGADETH's next disc: "We plan on going back in the studio. We're probably gonna go back in and start throwing some ideas around at the end of the year. We were thinking about November or December, and actually spoke about it last night."

MEGADETH's upcoming effort will mark the band's first release to feature new drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who officially joined the group a year ago.

"As good as [Chris] Adler [the LAMB OF GOD drummer, who played on 'Dystopia'] was, Dirk's feet are more advanced," Mustaine said. "And I didn't think that was possible, because Chris is such a great drummer. But there's a reason why Chris recommended Dirk, and I love him for that. I think that he's a really solid friend for making that recommendation, 'cause a lot of guys wouldn't do that, but he's a true friend, and I was stoked having him in the studio."

He added: "[Dirk] is one of the most pleasant, easy-to-get-along-with guys I've ever met in my life. I'll walk up to him and he'll smile and lean forward and pat me on the back. He goes [adopts thin accent], 'How's it going, buddy?' I could say, 'Oh, man…'… anything. 'Oh, okay, buddy.' [He] smiles and pats me, 'cause he's just a happy guy. I've never, ever, ever seen him not smile."

MEGADETH was honored with in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 59th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on February 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. MEGADETH was nominated for "Dystopia", the title track of its 2016 album.

"Dystopia" was the first album to feature Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

"I Don't Know Anything", a brand new song from RIVERDOGS, the band featuring DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE guitarist Vivian Campbell, can be streamed below. The track is taken from RIVERDOGS' comeback album, "California", which will be released on July 7 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Featuring original members Campbell, Rob Lamothe (vocals, guitars) and Nick Brophy (bass, vocals), along with drummer Marc Danzeisen, the band's fifth album is RIVERDOGS' first new music since the eight-song mini album, "World Gone Mad", came out in October 2011.

Mixing the soulful vocals of Lamothe with the edgy guitarwork of Campbell and solid rhythmic lines from Brophy and Danzeisen, the album marks a definitive return to the sound of their critically acclaimed 1990 self-titled debut album. On the making of the album, Campbell says: "When my friends at Frontiers suggested a RIVERDOGS album in the spirit of the original debut record, I jumped at the chance to make it. In my opinion, 'Riverdogs' was a highlight of my career with some of my best guitar playing and definitely a record that flew under the radar. Having a clear direction of exactly what kind of record to make really helped the four of us create the music and there was an intense collective focus throughout the entire process that never wavered. I really think that we hit the target in creating a record that has all the hallmarks, the integrity and the emotional strength of the original debut. The fact that we've all remained such close friends throughout all the years only added to the joyous experience that was the making of this record."

Adds Lamothe: "Going into this project, my goal was to enjoy the opportunity of making music with some of my best friends, to share this incredible experience with my family... and to create something that RIVERDOGS fans will probably think is pretty bloody awesome. Big guitars! Beautiful melodies! Words about crazy, complicated, real stuff! I feel like Nick, Viv, Marc and I all brought our 'A' games to the writing and recording sessions. That's way more important than money and awards and fame to me" Brophy sums up the writing process for the album: "In summer of 2016, I found myself in Los Angeles, reunited with three of my closest friends, about to begin a new RIVERDOGS album. Marc had arranged a rehearsal environment at a friend's house, which was to provide the creative atmosphere for writing new material. I stood there with bass in hand thinking, 'Okay, now what?' Little did I know that a few days later we would have six new RIVERDOGS songs and the album 'California' was born. The remaining six songs came, surprisingly, just as easily, a testament to the amazing talents of Vivian, Rob, Marc and the effortless way in which we work as a group. Our clear goal for this album was to remain true to the original RIVERDOGS sound and provide fans with a new set of songs which carry on the legacy of a truly remarkable band." RIVERDOGS formed in Los Angeles at the end of the '80s when flashy, glitzy hard rock ruled the day, but they were determined to avoid clichés and adopted an original sounding blues-rock style. Campbell of SWEET SAVAGE, DIO and WHITESNAKE fame at the time (soon to join and become a long-standing member of DEF LEPPARD and later, founding member of LAST IN LINE as well) was initially brought on board to produce the band's first demo, but was so impressed with the band that he actually became a member and played on the debut album. Soon after the release, Marc Danzeisen joined Rob, Nick and Vivian to complete the lineup. Though fans and critics gave the album a warm reception and high regard, the unfortunate and age old story of change of personnel at their record label came about and eventually led the band members to go their own ways, with Campbell settling into the DEF LEPPARD lineup and Nick Brophy becoming a respected engineer and producer. RIVERDOGS, with a revamped lineup, released two more records in 1993, "Bone" and "Absolutely Live", before going on an extended hiatus. They reconvened, with the original lineup, in 2003 to record new material and play a few reunion shows. Those new songs were recorded as demos, but only completed in the studio in 2011 when their last album, "World Gone Mad", was released.

Now, six years after their last studio album, RIVERDOGS have crafted "California", a record that truly recreates the magical sounds of their early days and that will surely be welcomed with open arms by fans both old and new. "California" track listing:

01. American Dream02. The Revolution Starts Tonight03. Something Inside04. Golden Glow05. You're Too Rock And Roll06. The Heart Is A Mindless Bird07. Searching For A Signal08. Welcome To The New Disaster09. Ten Thousand Reasons10. Catalina11. I Don't Know Anything

The official trailer for "Anticult", the seventh album from Polish metal extremists DECAPITATED, can be seen below. The disc will be released on July 7 via Nuclear Blast.

"Anticult" track listing:

01. Impulse02. Deathvaluation03. Kill The Cult04. One-Eyed Nation05. Anger Line06. Earth Scar07. Never08. Amen

The official music video for the song "Earth Scar" can be seen below.

"We're really excited to release the second song from our upcoming new record 'Anticult' — 'Earth Scar'!" said DECAPITATED guitarist and founding member Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka. "I have always drawn influence from all spectrums of metal and this song and our new record really reflect those influences.

"Much like 'Never', this song has been designed to crush on a stage and we can't wait to add it to our set. [Vocalist] Rasta [a.k.a. Rafał Piotrowski] wrote the lyrics with a lot of metaphorical content dealing with touring. The opposing lifestyles from the 'normal,' day-to-day of being at home vs. being on the road and seeing our 'tribe' interacting with the music and the almost restorative qualities of that. We hope you all enjoy it and we can't wait to see you all very soon!"

DECAPITATED's sixth album, "Blood Mantra", was released in September 2014 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2011's "Carnival Is Forever" was recorded at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland with producers Wojtek and Slawek Wiesawski.

Norway's melodic extreme metallers SUSPERIA comprising former members of DIMMU BORGIR and SATYRICON, have inked a record deal with Agonia Records. The band's long-awaited new album, "The Lyricist", is tentatively due later in the year. The follow-up to 2009's "Attitude" will mark SUSPERIA's first studio album to showcase new vocalist Bernt Fjellestad (a.k.a. Dagon), whose official stage debut with the band was made at last year's 70000 Tons Of Metal festival at sea.

The band commented on the signing and upcoming material: "SUSPERIA is proud to announce the signing with Agonia Records for our upcoming album, 'The Lyricist'. It's going to be a harder and more grim album, going back to SUSPERIA's black roots!"

SUSPERIA may have their roots in the Norwegian black metal scene, but it is merely a starting point for a band that describes their music as "extreme metal with melodic twists". A simple philosophy of "no boundaries" demonstrates that the band has no hesitation in embracing and exploring a variety of musical avenues with ease.

The origins of the Oslo-based group can be traced back to 1998 when Tjodalv, then occupying the drum seat with DIMMU BORGIR, and longtime friend Cyrus (ex-SATYRICON, OLD MAN'S CHILD) got together to share ideas and write songs. A chance meeting between vocalist Athera and Tjodalv at 1999's Wacken Open Air festival in Germany would lead to the completion of the SUSPERIA lineup, as Athera brought in also two other members — bass guitarist Memnock and guitarist Elvorn.

SUSPERIA's lineup can easily be described as a long-lasting one, with all original members in place since its inception, and the exception of Dagon filling in Athera's boots, after the latter's departure in 2015. But even Dagon isn't new to SUSPERIA. He performed with it on several occasions as a live mussician, at times Athera had other engagements. Primarily a heavy metal signer, Dagon has mastered also other vocal techincs, performing with the band. Nowadays, there's new found confidence and determination running through the SUSPERIA camp.

With five studo albums under the belt and an etiquette of a powerful live act, SUSPERIA has consistently remained focused on the live area. The band's numerous high profile shows include supports to W.A.S.P., IN FLAMES, DESTRUCTION and DIMMU BORGIR, as well as headline and festival appearances. One of the group's most cherished experiences thus far, remains the invitation to be the main support to the then-newly reformed TESTAMENT, in late 2005.

SUSPERIA is:

Dagon - vocalsTjodalv - drumsMemnock - bassCyrus - guitarElvorn - guitar

In a brand new interview with Las Vegas Weekly, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith spoke about the band's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", which marked the group's fifth release in a row to be produced by Kevin Shirley. Asked what Shirley brings to the recording process that MAIDEN really likes, Adrian said: "He's old school. He likes to record live. We always did record live, really. We recorded everyone playing together, and then we used to overdub, redo the guitars and the vocals. But now, it's pretty much live. We fix a few things up and do a few overdubs and that's it.

"When you've been doing it as long as we have, you kind of know what you're doing, and you just try and get it down on tape," he continued. "But you're still playing to four walls when you're in that studio, and that's always a problem. You're trying to give stuff life and energy, and you've got no audience to play [to], because the band obviously thrives in front of an audience. Hopefully we hit the mark sometimes."

Adrian also talked about how IRON MAIDEN has changed since he first hooked up with the group three and a half decades ago. "When I first joined, I couldn't believe the energy and how fast they used to play the songs," he said. "It was just pure adrenaline, energy, testosterone. We went onstage and just went for it. I think now it's a bit more measured. We like to give a little bit more space in the music so everyone can express themselves within the framework of the song. There's a little bit more respect for other people. When you get older, you give people space, you give them a bit more respect, you consider the way they're feeling. I think that comes across. But when we hit that stage, some of that old feel takes over sometimes and we still hurdle through some songs. I like to say it's controlled power now. That's my motto for a gig: Keep it powerful but controlled."

MAIDEN's "The Book Of Souls" world tour has been going on since early 2016 and has just returned to North America. The band's Mayan-themed set sees Eddie, MAIDEN's omnipresent mascot, having his heart torn out of his chest by singer Bruce Dickinson, who throws the heart into the crowd.

"The Book Of Souls" is MAIDEN's first ever double studio album and their most successful chart-wise to date, debuting at the No. 1 spot in over 40 countries around the world and No. 4 in the U.S.A.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor was among the first people Rolling Stone consulted when the magazine began work on its recently published list of the "100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time."

Prior to unveiling Taylor's picks, Rolling Stone had posted "favorite metal albums" by METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford and BLACK SABBATH's Ozzy Osbourne.

Taylor's list, which is sorted in alphabetical order, includes MAIDEN's "Somewhere In Time" album, featuring the song "Wasted Years", which he called "my fucking soundtrack for years, and I think it's probably one of the most perfect heavy metal songs ever written — just from a song standpoint, not riffage or anything like that. It's just so fucking catchy," he said. "And you can still put it on, to this day, for people who don't like heavy metal, and they'll dig it. It's just got a cool vibe to it."

Another classic LP on Corey's list is JUDAS PRIEST's "Screaming For Vengeance", which he said was "the perfect fucking power-metal album, outside of the stuff that IRON MAIDEN was doing, to my ears. 'Screaming For Vengeance' was just so fucking dope, dude. Whether it was the opening with 'The Hellion' right into 'Electric Eye', or going into 'You've Got Another Thing Coming', the whole fucking album is amazing. And the title track is ridiculous. Just hearing those fucking [screams], that crazy shit coming out of your fucking speakers. I was like, 'What? Should I be listening to this, man?' But it was such a great album and it really showed their evolution, just how fucking amazing that band is."

Unsurprisingly, Taylor selected METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets" as one of his favorites, saying that the 1986 album is "heavy and yet it's so fucking melodic. It is badass and yet it has moments of pure fucking contemplative cool flow stuff. It is sludgy and yet will rip your fucking head off. And it has the best METALLICA song ever written, 'Disposable Heroes', on it. That fucking song is a clinic, not only in alternate picking, but also down picking. I can't play it, and I can play almost anything. That's how good it is." [The LP has] got some of James [Hetfield's] best performances, and the whole band is amazing on it. And it's got some of his best lyrics on it. You listen to it and you're like, "This is criminal, how fucking good this album is."

Taylor also picked two albums that arguably directly shaped SLIPKNOT's sound prior to the recording of the band's self-titled 1999 debut: KORN's first effort and SEPULTURA's "Roots". "To me, I would put 'Korn' on the same level as [GUNS N' ROSES'] 'Appetite [For Destruction]' and [NIRVANA's] 'Nevermind' as far as albums that shifted things culturally," Taylor said. "It's just one of those 'Where the fuck did this band come from?' kind of moments."

As for "Roots", Corey said: "That album… Jesus Christ. I mean, besides [SLIPKNOT's] 'Iowa', that album is probably one of the thickest-sounding, heaviest-sounding albums that I've ever heard, from a production standpoint. It's so gross and yet so fucking awesome. You can almost hear the hair on it. [Laughs]."

Corey Taylor's 10 Favorite Metal Albums:

* ANTHRAX - "Worship Music" (2011)* IRON MAIDEN - "Somewhere In Time" (1986)* JUDAS PRIEST - "Screaming For Vengeance" (1982)* KORN - "Korn" (1994)* MEGADETH - "Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?" (1986)* METAL CHURCH - "The Dark" (1986)* METALLICA - "Master Of Puppets" (1986)* PANTERA - "Far Beyond Driven" (1994)* SEPULTURA - "Roots" (1996)* WHITE ZOMBIE - "Astro-Creep: 2000 - Songs Of Love, Destruction And Other Synthetic Delusions Of The Electric Head" (1995)

MEGADETH is planning on returning to the studio at the end of the year to begin work on the follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album.

The Dave Mustaine-fronted band is currently touring North America with MESHUGGAH and will play arenas later in the year as the support act for German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS.

Speaking to KATT Rock 100.5 FM's "No Brown M&Ms", Mustaine stated about MEGADETH's next disc: "We plan on going back in the studio. We're probably gonna go back in and start throwing some ideas around at the end of the year. We were thinking about November or December, and actually spoke about it last night."

MEGADETH's upcoming effort will mark the band's first release to feature new drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who officially joined the group a year ago.

"As good as [Chris] Adler [the LAMB OF GOD drummer, who played on 'Dystopia'] was, Dirk's feet are more advanced," Mustaine said. "And I didn't think that was possible, because Chris is such a great drummer. But there's a reason why Chris recommended Dirk, and I love him for that. I think that he's a really solid friend for making that recommendation, 'cause a lot of guys wouldn't do that, but he's a true friend, and I was stoked having him in the studio."

He added: "[Dirk] is one of the most pleasant, easy-to-get-along-with guys I've ever met in my life. I'll walk up to him and he'll smile and lean forward and pat me on the back. He goes [adopts thin accent], 'How's it going, buddy?' I could say, 'Oh, man…'… anything. 'Oh, okay, buddy.' [He] smiles and pats me, 'cause he's just a happy guy. I've never, ever, ever seen him not smile."

MEGADETH was honored with in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 59th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on February 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. MEGADETH was nominated for "Dystopia", the title track of its 2016 album.

"Dystopia" was the first album to featire Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.