Dallas trio True Widow are streaming the new track “O.O.T.P.V.”, featured on their fourth album, Avvolgere, due out this September 23rd on CD/2xLP/DLX 2xLP/Digital via Relapse Records. Pre-order the album at this location.

The forthcoming LP perfects the formula that 2013's Circumambulation established: Avvolgere rocks and rolls with serene, rounded climaxes and steep, jangling choruses that engulf the listener with waves of downbeat, saccharine melodies and mesmerizing distortion. True Widow's signature alternation between male and female vocals helps further blur the boundaries between the heft of stoner rock, the droning atmosphere of shoegaze, and the twangy catchiness of blues and indie rock. It's both concise and circuitous - the album takes you on a journey that you can't ever quite predict or expect. Avvolgere is True Widow sounding more infectious and consummate than ever before.

The band recorded Avvolgere with Matt Pence, who recorded their 2013 release, Circumambulation, at his Echo Lab studio in Argyle, Texas earlier this year.

Avvolgere tracklisting:

“Back Shredder”
“Theurgist”
“F.W.T.S:L.T.M”
“The Trapper & The Trapped”
“O.O.T.P.V”
“Entheogen”
“To All That He Elong”
“Sante”
“Grey Erasure”

“O.O.T.P.V”:

“Theurgist” video:

“Entheogen”:

The band have also announced their first round of US dates in support of the new album, with the tour launching on October 13th in Phoenix.
 
October
13 - Phoenix, AZ - Last Exit
14 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
15 - San Francisco, CA - Brick & Mortar
17 - Portland, OR - Holocene
18 - Seattle, WA - Highline
19 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
20 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
22 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
23 - Kansas City, KS - Riot Room
24 - Norman, OK - The Opolis

November
3 - New Orleans, LA - Zeitgeist
4 - Birmingham, AL - Syndicate Lounge
5 - Orlando, FL - Will’s Pub
7 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
8 - Charlotte, NC - The Station
9 - Nashville, TN - The End
11 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
12 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
13 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
14 - Boston, MA - Great Scott
15 - New York, NY - Market Hotel
17 - Pittsburgh, PA - Cattivo
18 - Cleveland, OH - Malhall’s
19 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
20 - Detroit, MI - El Club
21 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar
 
Lowlands open dates from October 13th - 24th.

(Photo: Stephanie Hageman)

The new and third full-length album from the deadly mastermind duo, Johansson & Speckmann, entitled Edge Of The Abyss, will be released via Soulseller Records on September 16th. The album track “You’ve Stepped On A Dime” is streaming below.

Master’s Paul Speckmann comments: “Rogga and I are looking forward to sharing Edge Of The Abyss with the masses. You can be sure that this third installment of the Johansson-Speckmann series is by far the best in the series, so go out and buy this masterpiece, you won't be disappointed!”

His partner in crime, Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader, Revolting and others), adds: “For the third time me and Paul have decided to write some awesomely ugly and heavy death metal for you all. If you liked the previous albums you will love this one, as its more of just everything you have come to know as Johansson & Speckmann. This time we are not only backed up by monster drummer Brynjar Helgetun but have also a lead guitarist in Kjetil Lynghaug, who delivers some sick solo work.”

The cover artwork was created by Roberto Toderico.

Tracklisting:

“Perpetuate The Lie”
“You’ve Stepped On A Dime”
“Misanthropy”
“Turn It Around”
“The Last Witness Is Barely Alive”
“The One They All Despised”
“The Edge Of The Abyss”
“A Concept”
“Already In Disguise”

“You’ve Stepped On A Dime”:

In a new interview with eonmusic, singer Rasmus Bom Andersen of New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) legends Diamond Head offers the first details on the band’s next album.

Asked if a new album will be coming soon, Rasmus states: “2017, yeah. We’re hoping to start actually, in 2017, to start writing some songs, and then god knows when we’ll see it.”

Are Diamond Head looking at returning to the whole album, tour, album cycle again? “I can’t stand still,” says the singer. “It’s like start me going and I’m just going to keep running, so I keep pushing forward and forward and forward. More Diamond Head music would be great for everyone.”

Read the full interview at eonmusic.

Prior to 2014, the thought of a new Diamond Head album was bleak. Guitarist and band founder Brian Tatler reveals, “I had no interest in doing another record but after working with Ras on the 2014 European tour that suddenly changed. I wanted to make a record with him. He’s a confident singer and he’s not trying to fill anyone’s shoes.”

Recording of the band’s latest album commenced last July with the band and engineer Adam Beddow at the helm. Tatler notes, “I gave Rasmus some music to listen to last January. He selected songs or riffs that he wanted to work on and we began rehearsing. We whittled things down to fourteen songs by April.”

Eleven songs were selected in the end for the album; all mixed by Dave Nicholls and mastered by John Davis at London’s Metropolis.

The album’s lyrical focus details political and environmental themes. Its opening and closing songs specifically draw attention to the world’s self-destructive path. Tatler comments, “the body of the album explores other subtopics in more depth along with songs dealing with lighter subjects that are not so heavy on the heart.” Rasmus Bom Andersen affirms, “we made the album with the band’s fans foremost in mind from start to finish. We wanted to write songs that would have ties to the best parts of all the early albums.”

Tracklisting:

“Bones”
“Shout At The Devil”
“Set My Soul On Fire”
“See You Rise”
“All The Reasons You Live”
“Wizards Sleeve”
“Our Time Is Now”
“Speed”
“Blood On My Hands”
“Diamonds”
“Silence”

Album stream:

Band lineup:

Brian Tatler - Lead, Rhythm Guitar
Rasmus Bom Andersen - Vocals
Karl Wilcox - Drums
Eddie Moohan - Bass
Andy Abberley - Rhythm, Lead Guitar

Witchcraft main man Magnus Pelander's solo project, Pelander, has revealed the artwork for his upcoming debut album, which is scheduled to be released on October 21st via Nuclear Blast. Time is now available for pre-order in various formats (CD digipak, black vinyl, clear vinyl) here, as well as digitally here.

Time will contain seven tracks with an approximate running time of 44 minutes.

Tracklisting:

“Umbrella”
“Family Song”
“The Irony Of Man”
“True Colour”
“Precious Swan”
“Time”
“Rebecka” (Bonus Track)

After his latest journey with Witchcraft, Nucleus, multi instrumentalist and lyricist extraordinaire, Magnus Pelander, returns to his solo career which without a doubt can be recognized as being tied to the cult doom/rock band, still exploring other paths and going full on acoustic.

Magnus Pelander comments: "At last my first solo album is done and soon to be released. I cannot believe this is true."

Commented Nuclear Blast A&R representative Markus Jakob: "We're thrilled to not only work with a gifted artist as Magnus on his main band but now also on his solo career. Both Witchcraft and Pelander have always stood for variety, artistic freedom and development which we're more than happy to support. Prepare yourself for another deep and intense look into the mind and musical vision of a genius!"

German symphonic metal outfit Aeternitas has revealed details about their upcoming album.

House Of Usher is a concept album based on the famous short story, The Fall Of The House Of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe. It was produced, recorded and mixed by Alexander Hunzinger at Serpina Studio, and mastered by Götz Kretschmann at Wonderlandstudio. Henning Basse produced the vocals at Vocalbase. The artwork was created by Kurt Wörsdorfer (aka Headcrime Artwork).

Tracklisting:

“Le Coeur”
“House Of Usher”
“The Prophecy”
“Roderick”
“Madeline”
“Fear”
“Forbidden Love”
“The Haunted Palace”
“Tears”
“Buried Alive”
“Can You Hear The Demons”
“The Fall”
“Falling Star”
“Open Your Eyes”
“Ethelred”

You can look forward to modern symphonic metal with complex orchestral arrangements and groovy rock parts, all held together by the strong and catchy voices of Alma Mathar and Oliver Bandmann.

House Of Usher will be released on October 21st via Massacre Records.

South Wales, UK death metal outfit, Venom Prison, have released a video for the track “Celestial Patricide”, featured on their upcoming debut full-length album, Animus, due for release in stores and online on October 14th via Prosthetic Records. The clip can be seen below.

Recorded by Tom Dring at Vagrant Recordings (Dragged Into Sunlight, Electric Wizard), Animus is 10 tracks of aural assaulting brutality. Venom Prison tackle subjects such as social Darwinism, misogyny, rape culture and the rejection of God and religion. As seen below, the artwork for Animus was created by German based legendary artist, Eliran Kantor (Testament, Sigh) who worked closely with Larissa to capture some of the themes of the album.

Vocalist Larissa Stupar elaborates: “The album's lyrics capture and portray various forms of fighting an oppressive force. One of them struck Eliran's eye as the most livid out of them all. In Perpetrator Emasculation a rapist is being force-fed his own genitalia. It's not a secret that death metal art and lyrical content often involve violence against women and we liked the idea of turning the tables. That lyrical segment depicts the title and theme of the record very well and the visual execution makes your flesh crawl with vengeance."

Tracklisting:

“Syllogism”
“Abysmal Agony”
“Celestial Patricide”
“Desecration of Human Privilege”
“Corrode The Black Sun”
“Immanetize Eschaton”
“The Exquisite Taste of Selfishness”
“Devoid”
“Perpetrator Emasculation”
“Womb Forced Animus”

“Celestial Patricide” video:

“Abysmal Agony”:

Trailer:

Italy’s Secret Sphere will release their first live album, One Night In Tokyo, on October 14th. The band has just launched a video for “X.” which can be seen below:

Secret Sphere are without a doubt one of the most well known metal bands in Japan, with a solid fan base there since their inception in 1997. All their albums have been released in Japan and in fact, it is the only country where you can find Secret Sphere’s very rare, original debut demo tape, officially released as a special edition item there. That says a lot about the respect and affection that the fans in the Land of the Rising Sun have for Aldo Lonobile’s band.

During the band’s last Japanese tour, in support of the Special Anniversary Edition of the band’s signature album, A Time Never Come, Secret Sphere had the chance to record their show in Tokyo in its entirety, which included all the band’s major hits: “Legend”, “Under The Flag Of Mary Read,” plus the melodic metal gems taken from the latest album, Portrait Of A Dying Heart. Featuring vocalist extraordinaire Michele Luppi (now also keyboard player with Whitesnake), the show was one for the ages.

The result is a genuine performance in a very warm atmosphere, a night to remember, where the band played all their classic songs with true passion. The same passion that you can expect from the band's next release, currently in the writing stages.

Aldo Lonobile says: “Since I started the band, the idea of recording our first live album in Japan, was the ultimate goal! All my musical heroes described their experiences in Japan with a happiness and a warmth that you could almost feel. That was the truth, among the most loyal fans in the world, and I am 100% happy that Frontiers liked the idea to release our first live album!”

To enhance the celebration, the band agreed to the label’s suggestion to release a brand new version of “Lie To Me”, featuring an outstanding duet between Michele Luppi and former Nightwish singer Anette Olzon. Released originally on Portrait Of A Dying Heart, the video reached almost 1M views and this new version shows a depth and a reach that makes it even better compared to the original.

One Night In Tokyo tracklisting:

CD1:
“Intro: A Journey Through Time”
“X.”
“Healing”
“Union”
“The Fall”
“Lie To Me”
“Wish And Steadiness”
“Legend”
“Under The Flag Of Mary Read”
“The Scars That You Can't See”
“Eternity”

CD2:
“Mr. Sin”
“Leonardo Da Vinci”
“Lady Of Silence”
“Dance With The Devil”
“Lie To Me” (Studio Bonus track – Duet with Anette Olzon)

DVD:
“Intro: A Journey Through Time”
“X.”
“Healing”
“Union”
“The Fall”
“Lie To Me”
“Wish And Steadiness”
“Legend”
“Under The Flag Of Mary Read”
“The Scars That You Can't See”
“Eternity”
“Mr. Sin”
“Leonardo Da Vinci”
“Lady Of Silence”
“Dance With The Devil”

Trailer:

Lineup:

Michele Luppi: Vocals
Aldo Lonobile: All Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Andrea Buratto: Bass
Marco Pastorino: Rhythm Guitars and Backing Vocals
Gabriele Ciaccia: Keyboards & Piano
Marco Lazzarini: Drums

Atlanta power trio Whores. are streaming the track “Playing Poor”, featured on their new LP, Gold, out on October 28th via Entertainment One (eOne), the first for their new label home.

The band’s debut LP was recorded at Parhelion Studios with producer Ryan Boesch (Helmet, Fu Manchu, Melvins). The artwork for Gold was created by Patrick Copeland.

Gold is the follow up to the LP Clean (2013). Also recorded by Boesch, the record sold out within a month, prompting the band to quickly release a second pressing. Clean is now on its fourth pressing.

"We've spent the ATL summer blasting feedback and pick slides in a sweaty, metal box," says frontman / guitarist Christian Lembach. "This is the result. Solid. Fucking. Gold."

The band will join Torche in supporting Red Fang later this fall. Dates will kick off on November 18th at Slim's in San Francisco, spanning coast to coast before wrapping up at the Showbox in Seattle on December 16th. "Red Fang and Torche are both huge inspirations, and we're flattered to be a part of this amazing tour," says Lembach. "Imminent tacos to follow."

"The band has also announced its plans to participate in the 2016 Aftershock Festival this October, playing alongside the likes of Slayer, Tool, Primus, Baroness and Deafheaven. Lembach adds, "Beyond flattered to be a part of Aftershock Festival this year. Our life partners in Red Fang played last year, and we're super humbled to be a part of this awesome lineup."

Tour dates:

September
1 - Nashville, TN - The End
3 - Louisville, KY - PRF BBQ at Cure Lounge

October
14 - New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa
15 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger
16 - Ft. Worth, TX - Lola’s
17 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Blue Note
19 - Colorado Springs, CO - Flux Capacitor
22 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Festival
23 - Las Vegas, NV - Divebar
25 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
27 - Memphis, TN - The Buccaneer Lounge

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

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

Sweden's doom/crust/prog-infused death metal band, Usurpress, is set to release a brand new album, titled The Regal Tribe, on September 23rd via Agonia Records. The album track “Throwing The Gift Away” is streaming below.

The album's haunting cover artwork was created by renowned Dutch artist Marald van Haasteren (Bolt Thrower, High On Fire, Baroness, Kylesa) who was given a carte blanche with regards to the visual interpretation of the album’s lyrical concept. The Regal Tribe was recorded under the supervision of rising star producer Lawrence Mackrory (FKÜ, Darkane).

The Regal Tribe is the follow up to Ordained (2014) which saw Usurpress leave their deathcrust path for more uncharted territories. During the composing of the new album, the band was plagued by mental disorders/depressions and life threatening illnesses in the member’s immediate families, most notably vocalist/lyricist Stefan Pettersson’s battle with his bone marrow cancer. Therefore, The Regal Tribe is a heavier and darker, yet more varied, complex and thoughtful effort than their previous albums. This concept album is a tragic story about life versus death, about vanity and the relentless passing of time and is by far Usurpress’ most ambitious output to date.

Pettersson states: "We decided early on to discard the traditional way of songwriting/arranging and compose The Regal Tribe one piece at the time, starting with the first riff in the first song and ending with the last riff in the 10:th song. That way we hoped to avoid the album becoming repetitive and stale and instead more fluent and powerful. Listening back to the finished album, I’m convinced we did the right thing. This is the album we have always sought to do".

Since their formation in 2010, Usurpress have gained a reputation as a creative and hardworking band that in a relative short time already have built up an extensive back catalogue of albums, EP’s and splits. Their aim has always been to constantly evolve and expand their soundscape, always looking forward in a restless and tireless way.

Pettersson: "Although we are very proud of all our previous works, we never look back. Dwelling on the past does not interest us at all. We started to write The Regal Tribe a couple of weeks after Ordained was released and we started to draw up the blueprints for our next album before we started to record The Regal Tribe. This is how we do things, we don’t wait for inspiration, we get inspiration from creating".

The Regal Tribe is also the last Usurpress album to feature original drummer Calle Lönnberg who left the band shortly after the recording and was replaced by internationally renowned sticksman Mathias "Matte" Modin (Firespawn, Raised Fist, ex-Dark Funeral, ex-Defleshed).

Tracklisting:

“Beneath The Starless Skies”
“The One They Call The Usurpress”
“Across The Dying Plains”
“The Mortal Tribes”
“The Halls Of Extinction”
“Throwing The Gift Away”
“Behold The Forsaken”
“On A Bed Of Straw”
“The Sin That Is Mine”
“In The Shadow Of The New Gods”

“Throwing The Gift Away”:

“Beneath The Starless Skies”:

"Across The Dying Plains" lyric video:

Available formats:

- Digipack CD
- Black LP
- Green LP (limited to 100 copies)
- T-shirt in two versions
- Digital

Pre-orders are available at this location.

Lineup:

Stefan Pettersson - vocals
Påhl Sundström - guitar
Daniel Ekeroth - bass
Calle Lönnberg - drums

 

A brand new Tourniquet album is on the horizon. The music is written. "It's heavy and progressive. We think you're really going to want to hear this one,” states drummer/songwriter Ted Kirkpatrick.

Recording will take place in Florida over the next weeks and months. "We're aiming for very high production value as some of the music is quite involved. We want to thank everyone for getting this off to such a great start".

The album is tentatively set for a March 2017 release.

Past Tourniquet albums have featured stellar guest musicians including guitarists Marty Friedman, Pat Travers, Scotti Hill, Bruce Franklin, Karl Sanders, Chris Poland and vocalists Michael Sweet, Dug Pinnick, Chris Jericho, and Tim Ripper Owens.

To check out the rewards and pre-order, head here.

Former Abbath guitarist Per Valla’s new band, Valla, are streaming the new track “Suffocate All Light”, which features former Abbath drummer Kevin Foley (who played the role of “Creature” in that band).

Per Valla states, “Since meeting Kevin Foley about a year ago, we have been good friends and always thought it would be really cool to record something together. Now the time has finally come!”

Check out the previously posted track, “Oceans”:

(Photo - Valla Facebook)

Australian black metal duo Ruins are preparing their Listenable Records debut and fifth overall Undercurrent, due out on October 28th. BraveWords is serving up the first track of the album with “Shadow Of A Former Self”. Listen now!

Formed in 2002, Ruins are from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. They blend ominous dark-death metal dynamics; powerful, menacing, melancholic, yet eerily seductive black metal styles; diverse and intense rhythmic structures; and both venomous and summoning vocal presence.

The writing/recording nucleus of Ruins consists of guitarist/vocalist Alex Pope, formerly of the post-punk noise-rockers Sea Scouts; and drummer Dave Haley, currently also drumming with Psycroptic. Both have also recorded and performed with The Amenta, and various other groups and projects over the last decade. Dave’s brother Joseph Haley is delivering the darkest riffs on the new album.

The band states: “The new album Undercurrent is a new beginning.  A reexamination of the thematics in which we have worked for the first four albums. Ruins have achieved a higher order of refinement, after nearly three years in production. As the title suggests, it presents an ominous and foreboding sense, looming within a strict and powerful framework.”

In a flooded market, populated by predominantly superfluous material, Ruins returns with the vital, timeless and true feeling of black metal.

Pre-order Undercurrent here.

New Orleans sludge masters CROWBAR will release their eleventh album, "The Serpent Only Lies", on October 28. The cover artwork was created by renowned artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with bands like HATEBREED, SOULFLY and KATAKLYSM.

The first song from "The Serpent Only Lies", titled "Falling While Rising", can be streamed below.

"'Falling While Rising' is the epitome of CROWBAR," says frontman Kirk Windstein. "The song is heavy, powerful, emotional and full of massive riffs! Hope everyone enjoys it and is ready for the full record!"

"The Serpent Only Lies" track listing:

01. Falling While Rising02. Plasmic And Pure03. I Am The Storm04. Surviving The Abyss05. The Serpent Only Lies06. The Enemy Beside You07. Embrace The Light08. On Holy Ground09. Song Of The Dunes10. As I Heal

Said Windstein: "I intentionally went back and listened to a lot of old CROWBAR stuff, like the self-titled and 'Broken Glass' albums, to get a feel for what my mindset was 20-plus years ago. I also went back and listened to the bands that influenced CROWBAR in the beginning, like TROUBLE, SAINT VITUS, MELVINS, and the first TYPE O NEGATIVE record. So it was kinda me doing my homework."

The result is an album that stands toe-to-toe with those early CROWBAR classics while maintaining the lumbering hooks of mid-period standouts like 1998's "Odd Fellows Rest" and 2000's "Equilibrium". "Even lyrically, the approach was a little more old-school," Windstein offered. "Some of the songs have less lyrics to let the riffs breathe a little more, which I had kind of gotten away from over the years. It was a conscious thing to go back to that.”"

The tour cycle for "The Serpent Only Lies" marks the return of original CROWBAR bassist Todd "Sexy T" Strange, who left the band back in 1999 but now joins Windstein, drummer Tommy Buckley and guitarist Matt Brunson in forging CROWBAR's future.

"Todd helped start the band, so having him back is important to me and, I think, the fans," Windstein said. "It's a great feeling to be standing onstage next to him. It's a breath of fresh air for the band and makes us stronger.

"Having this be our eleventh record, we're very fortunate because so many bands don't last this long," Windstein added. "My whole outlook on music as a career is the MOTÖRHEAD outlook, which is that slow and steady wins the race. If you continue to put out killer records, continue to kick ass onstage every night and continue to treat your fans with respect, that's the stuff people will remember."

Kadaver have released another video for the Berlin visual album concept. Watch “Reich Der Träume”, as well as three previously released videos below.

Commented the band about “Reich Der Träume”: "The song was originally written for Nico by Lutz Graf (LÜÜL), known for his work with bands like Ash Ra Tempel, Agitation Free and 17 Hippies. It is the first song Lupus sings German on. We liked the heavy mood of the song. Within the music as well as in the lyrics. It's one of the most beautiful Nico songs which unfortunately was barely recognized until now. We were very proud when we got LÜÜL's blessing to cover the song."

“Reich Der Träume”:

“Lord Of The Sky”:

"Pale Blue Eyes”:

"Filthy Illusion”:

Kadavar recently teamed up with Scion A/V Metal and Skybound Entertainment (The Walking Dead, Outcast) to release "Words Of Evil," a brand new, unreleased song.

Commented Kadavar singer Lupus: "Originally we had written the song for our album Berlin, but thought it would stick out too much and decided not to put it on the album. Nevertheless I think it is one of the best songs we've ever written. At least it is one of my faves. A lot of NWOHBM and straight to your face!"

Download the track via the Soundcloud player below:

(Photo - Kadavar.com)

In the new video below, Dutch classical guitarist Thomas Zwijsen offers a classiscal/acoustic fingerstyle guitar lesson for the Alice Cooper classic “Poison”. Get the free tabs at this location.

Zwijsen performs the Twisted Sister classic “We're Not Gonna Take It” in the clip below:

Below, Thomas performs the KISS classic “Detroit Rock City”:

Zwijsen performs the original song “Estuary” in the clip below. “Estuary" is composed by Zwijsen for classical/acoustic/Spanish/Flamenco/fingerstyle solo guitar.

Norwegian gothic metallers, Sirenia, will release their new album on November 11th via Napalm Records.

Mastermind Morten Veland has just one thing in mind for Sirenia in 2016: Pure and utter melancholy. Almost two years after the release of The Seventh Life Path this Norwegian is ready to unleash his latest dark vision of gothic and symphonic metal that shuns the light: Dim Days Of Dolor is the title of the upcoming album. The artwork was created by Gyula Havancsák, who also worked on the previously albums for the band.

Morten Veland commented on Dim Days of Dolor: "It is always a great feeling to have completed a new album. With eight Sirenia albums under the belt some people ask me if it is difficult to keep up the enthusiasm at this point. But that's not problematic at all, I have never been so enthusiastic about any album before. With this album we have reached new heights that seemed out of reach in the past. I feel that the countless hours we have put into this album really have paid off in the end. This album is also the most diverse album we've done to date, also the performances has never been better. I can't wait to share this album with all the Sirenia fans and metal heads out there. This album will mark a special point in the band's career, I am sure."

Dim Days of Dolor features 11 brand new songs and one special bonus track.

Tracklisting:

“Goddess Of The Sea”
“Dim Days Of Dolor”
“The 12th Hour”
“Treasure N’ Treason”
“Cloud Nine”
“Veil Of Winter”
“Ashes To Ashes”
“Elusive Sun”
“Playing With Fire”
“Fifth Column”
“Aeon's Embrace”
Bonus Track (to be revealed soon)

All recordings are completed and the album is being mixed in Hansen Studios at the moment. But stay tuned for much more exciting news, as the new Sirenia singer will be announced officially on September 8th.

 

British heavy metal legends SAXON will release "Let Me Feel Your Power", their tenth live album, on September 23 in Europe and October 7 in North America via UDR Music. The 16-track album was recorded in Munich, Germany during November 2015 and Brighton in January 2016, with bonus material from Chicago in September 2015.

"Let Me Feel Your Power" will be available in several formats, including DVD/2CDs, Blu-Ray/2CDs, digital download and a deluxe vinyl version which will also include the Blu-ray, DCD and CD (limited to 1500 copies).

"Let Me Feel Your Power" track listing:

01. Battering Ram*02. Motorcycle Man*03. Sacrifice*04. Destroyer*05. Power And The Glory*06. 20000FT*07. Devil's Footprint*08. Heavy Metal Thunder*09. Queen Of Hearts*10. Princess Of The Night*11. Wheels Of Steel*12. Denim And Leather*13. Crusader*14. Eye Of The Storm#15. Battalions Of Steel#16. Requiem#

*live in Munich#live in Brighton

Bonus Material (Live In Chicago):

01. Motorcycle Man02. Battering Ram*03. This Town Rocks04. Sacrifice05. Power And The Glory06. Solid Ball Of Rock07. Dallas 1 PM08. Heavy Metal Thunder09. Rock The Nations10. The Eagle Has Landed11. Wheels Of Steel12. Backs To The Wall13. Just Let Me Rock14. Strong Arm Of The Law15. 747 (Strangers In The Night)16. Princess Of The Night17. Crusader*18. Denim And Leather

*only available as video content; not available on CD or digital

In a 2015 interview with 100 Percent Rock magazine, SAXON frontman Biff Byford spoke about the difficulty of putting together setlist for the band's tours. He said: "Yeah, it is difficult with the setlist, because you can't play for as long as we'd like. It's difficult to please people, because you get quite a lot of new fans that come to concerts, they want to hear the old songs, and some of the guys that have been coming for years have heard the old songs too much and they want something new, so it's a nightmare.

"You can never please everyone and it's actually a bit stupid trying, really," he continued. "Just put some good songs together and promote the new album, and that's where to be, really."

Byford added that he is mostly proud of all SAXON has achieved in its forty-year existence.

"Have SAXON achieved everything I initially dreamed the band could? More or less," he said. "There were certainly countries we probably could have been bigger in. Australia's one of them, places like that. I don't think our management at that time really thought we'd ever be anything more than a British band, you know what I mean? I don't think their vision included the world.

"It is a shame, because I think 'Wheels Of Steel' and those albums could have been much more in people's minds outside Europe. I mean, America was all right, we did okay in America, but other countries could have gone better, I think.

"But I think we've achieved most everything, really. You know, we're still making great albums, so I suppose that's something."

DISTURBED has released a lyric video for the song "Open Your Eyes", taken from the band's sixth studio album, "Immortalized", which came out in August 2015. Check it out below.

DISTURBED singer David Draiman told the Rock 100.5 The KATT radio station about "Open Your Eyes": "The lyrical content is pretty self-explanatory. We live in a world where we're barraged by information, and it's information that differs — in fact, a friend of mine and I were just having a conversation about this online — depending on who's presenting it, and the truth is often hidden within a whole bunch of smoke and mirrors and narrative and false flags and things of that nature. So it's encouraging people to look beyond what's immediately in front of them, what's thrust upon them on their screens and to try and find the real truth and the real essence of what they should be doing in their lives, and to wake up."

DISTURBED version of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence" has been a huge hit for the band, with Paul Simon sharing his approval of it publicly after watching the band perform the song on "Conan" and also exchanging e-mails with Draiman.

DISTURBED's record label, Warner Bros., credited the song's popularity to the video for "Silence", which was released in December 2015. To date, the clip has been seen more than 95 million times, a record number of views on YouTube for the group.

"Immortalized" became DISTURBED's fifth LP in a row to enter the chart at No. 1 — a feat shared only with METALLICA and DAVE MATTHEWS BAND.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Rob Zombie and Saban Films have released a new trailer for Zombie's latest horror movie, "31". The trailer comes in advance of the Fathom Events premiere of the film on Thursday night (September 1), which will take place in selected theaters around the country and also feature a question-and-answer session with Zombie, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film and the world premieres of two new Zombie videos for his songs "Gore Whore" and "Get Your Boots On".

While Saban picked up the finished movie, Zombie raised part of the money to complete it through crowdfunding. He told The Pulse Of Radio the campaign was a positive experience. "When I did it, I didn't really know much about it at all, because I remembered a few people had done it," he said. "I remembered there was like a Veronica Mars movie, and Spike Lee had done it, and I was like, 'Ah, I don't know, is this cheesy? Is this lame? What is this, do I want to do this?' And as I looked into it more and more, I thought, well, as long as whatever I'm offering — it was like, 'Okay, if you give this much, you get this' — and as long as I thought the 'this for that' was equal, I didn't feel bad about it."

Thursday night's special screening will happen ahead of the movie's VOD premiere on September 16 and theatrical release on October 21.

"31" follows five carnival workers who are kidnapped and held hostage in an abandoned compound where they are forced to participate in a violent game and survive 12 hours against a gang of sadistic clowns. The movie stars Sheri Moon Zombie, Malcolm McDowell, Jeff Daniel Phillips and Meg Foster.

Zombie's latest album, "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser", arrived in late April. He's currently on a co-headlining tour with KORN that stops in Hartford, Connecticut on Thursday and closes out on September 16 in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Brant Bjork will release his new album, "Tao Of The Devil", on September 30 via Napalm Records. The CD is said to be "more focused" than its predecessor, 2014's "Black Power Flower", and boasts a more song-oriented and groovy stoner sound, with a healthy dose of '70s-style greatness.

The official video for the song "Stackt", taken from "Tao Of The Devil", can be seen below. As the founder of KYUSS, the singer, guitarist and drummer might be the ultimate icon the desert rock scene has to offer — but despite all this praise and worship, Brant's only concern rests in supplying the planet with unpretentious laid-back rock, adorned with hefty jam-outs.

Bjork is backed on "Tao Of The Devil" by Bubba DuPree on guitar, Dave Dinsmore on bass and Ryan Güt on drums.

In a recent interview with The Obelisk, Brant stated about "Tao Of The Devil": "It's much different than the first LOW DESERT PUNK BAND record, 'Black Power Flower'. It's a lot different. Bubba and I did some collaboration, we wrote a handful of songs together. Bubba and I really focused on the production, we had a concept. We wanted to go with a, not lo-fi, but definitely not a hi-fi sound. So we kind of left it nice and raw. Seven tracks on the vinyl, then we have a bonus track for the CD, which is an edited down 14-minute kind of organized jam. Then we re-recorded 'Lazy Bones' and 'Automatic Fantastic' and 'Freaks Of Nature' because this band in particular has a very unique take on those tracks that I really dig and I wanted to document those because I have a feeling we probably won't be doing them forever. I did those and those will get a separate release within a ten-inch which will come with the vinyl in a box set kind of thing. I don't know; the label has some fancy ideas." "Tao Of The Devil" track listing:

01. The Greeheen02. Humble Pie03. Stackt04. Luvin'05. Biker No. 206. Dave's War07. Tao Of The Devil08. Evening Jam (bonus track) "Tao Of The Devil" will be made available as:

* 4-page digipak* 1LP gatefold* Deluxe fan LP edition:- 1-LP gatefold- 1-LP slipcase (3 Bonus Tracks)- 4-page digipak- Slipmat- A2 Poster

Country singer-songwriter Electra Mustaine — the daughter of MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine — has released a lyric video for her new single "Life Is Good".

"The lyric video for 'Life Is Good' is really a reflection of all the good things in my own life in the country," says 18-year old Electra Mustaine. "The video shoot was a blast with everyone pitching in on the farm to help. Cameos include family, friends, neighbors, my horses Gerrit and Rocky — and even my little dog Gunnar! We had a great time creating it. I really hope fans enjoy and find inspiration from my new video!"

"Life Is Good" is an original song co-written by Electra Mustaine, Nathan Chapman and Blair Daly. Accomplished country artist Steve Wariner made a guest appearance performing guitar on the new single. The lyric video was shot on location at the Mustaine farm in Franklin, Tennessee. Electra found inspiration on her farm for her original creative concept of the video which she directed. "Life Is Good" is currently available for purchase on iTunes.

Electra Mustaine is a Nashville singer/songwriter originally from the small town of Fallbrook, California. Like her famous father, Electra is herself a bit of a rebel. However, instead of rock, Electra followed her heart with country music. Performing at county fairs and NASCAR events, she relocated to Music City in 2014 at age 16 to focus on her music and songwriting — collaborating with some of Nashville's best songwriters.

Legendary bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, CALIFORNIA BREED) will release his new solo album, "Resonate", on November 4 via Frontiers Music Srl. The cover artwork for the CD can be seen below.

Hughes's first solo album in eight years was recently completed at a studio in Copenhagen, Denmark. Joining him during the sessions for the follow-up to 2008's "First Underground Nuclear Kitchen" were Søren Andersen (guitar), Pontus Engborg (drums) and Lachlan "Lachy" Doley (keyboards).

Glenn told Billboard.com about "Resonate": "It's possibly the heaviest record I've ever made. I don't want to confuse it with horns-up heavy; it's not metal. But it's definitely fucking heavy. It's dense. It's dark. There's some aggression on this record. Every bloody track is begging to be played live."

Songtitles set to appear on Hughes's new album include "Let It Shine", "God Of Money" and "Steady", with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, a regular Hughes collaborator, making a guest appearance.

While he was in the studio recording his new album, Hughes talked to Denmark's Metalized magazine about the musical diversity that has been his trademark throughout his four-decade-plus career.

"I never make the same album twice," he said. "Go back to the first TRAPEZE album. The second was different and the third one was different. And then you go to 'Burn', and 'Stormbringer' was different from that, and then 'Come Taste The Band'. You got HUGHES/THRALL and that was different from DEEP PURPLE. And then you go to 'Seventh Star' with Tony Iommi. That was different from HUGHES/THRALL. And then the blues album and then the Glenn solo albums."

He continued: "Although some of [my albums] have been very, very soulful and very, very funky, the key for me — as I am an Englishman that grew up in the West Midlands — is rock. But when I moved to America in the early seventies, I started to listen to what came out of Detroit. And I met Stevie Wonder. He became a very, very close friend and still is. He became my mentor.

"I need people to know that my success has come from the foundation of rock music. As much as I love THE BEATLES, Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder, when you think of Glenn Hughes, you think of the guy who plays bass and sings in any register."

Hughes added: "I am friends with a lot of famous rock stars and they are one genre. I wouldn't say who, but they have a one-genre-dimensional sound. You know it's them. And you know it's me because of my voice.

"I have been cursed and blessed with the ability to switch very quickly from rock to soul to funk to acoustic and almost into jazz — without scaring people. When you mix those ingredients, that's Glenn Hughes.

"This will be an album that is entirely Glenn Hughes music. For that reason, it is an important album."

Hughes previously credited his involvement with the supergroup BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION as the catalyst leading to his return to rock music. "What I will do on the next Glenn album is portray the image of the Glenn Hughes on the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION albums," he told IHeartGuitarBlog.com in 2011. "Because it's the same Glenn that was in DEEP PURPLE, really. The classic rock iconic Glenn that, let's be clear, the majority of the fans want. The 'F.U.N.K.' album was very well recorded and I love the songs, but that's for a cultured audience and a different kind of audience. It's more of a cult audience, if you will. But my audience now with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and a lot of my fans are rockers, man, so it's time to rock. So the next album will be a rock record."

Professionally filmed video footage of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's August 28 performance at the Reading festival in Reading, England can be seen below.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer Jeremy Spencer told MikeJamesRockShow.com about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the band's follow-up to last year's "Got Your Six" album: "We've got a few tracks so far that we're really digging on.

"You know, it kind of changes course throughout the whole recording process; it starts one way and it finishes another way."

He continued: "I would prefer if we had more time to be off road and actually record, but we have to kind of fit it in when we can, and it's going well, and we're happy."

According to Jeremy, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will continue working on the new album over the course of the next few months while staying on the road in support of "Got Your Six".

"We'll be back in the studio finishing up [the next] record, but we'll be touring this one up through the end of this year," he said.

"Got Your Six" was officially certified gold on August 8 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of 500,000 copies.

Effective February 1, the RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in determining which releases get the coveted album awards, a change that follows a similar tweak in 2013 to include on-demand streams for its digital single award.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently signed a North American deal with Rise Records. The band's first album with Rise, the BMG-owned rock label, will be released following the completion of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's obligation to its current label, Prospect Park.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced a new co-headlining arena tour with SHINEDOWN that will kick off on October 18 in Little Rock, Arkansas and run into December. SIXX A.M. and AS LIONS will be along as support.

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale and guitarist Joe Hottinger joined THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY on stage last night (Tuesday, August 30) at Harp & Fiddle in Nashville, Tennessee to perform cover versions of LED ZEPPELIN's "Black Dog" and AEROSMITH's "Draw The Line". You can watch fan-filmed video footage of their appearance below.

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

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

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

Stephen Pearcy, best known as the voice of Ratt, will deliver his fourth solo album, Smash, at the end of September. Info on who, when and what label Top Fuel Records licensed the record to, anything about the (13) new songs, the cover art, will be revealed soon in an official press release. One interview done in a long time 2016 will be the only one until the press release for Smash. Rumors persist of the original Ratt re-uniting, Pearcy says "No comment." 

Pearcy: "The new songs are very diverse, and taking time has paid off in the long run. Not rushing the writing recording process makes the title of the new record very appropriate. Right here, right now it's all about Smash and the solo shows to promote, no matter how long it takes."

Pearcy recently guested on Episode 247 of One On One With Mitch Lafon. In the show's only interview, Pearcy talks about: his upcoming solo album, Smash, recently singing alongside Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, the Ratt album Dancing Undercover, and the recently released picture of him sitting along side Ratt bandmates Juan Croucier and Warren DeMartini. Was it simply a photo or was it a hint of things to come? "Never say never... the picture spoke a thousand words."

See the photograph in question, and listen to the audio interview below:

On July 29th, three members of Ratt's classic lineup - Stephen Pearcy (vocals), Warren DeMartini (guitars) and Juan Croucier (bass) - reunited at former RIP magazine editor Lonn Friend's birthday party in Los Angeles. Also on hand were drummer Greg D'Angelo (ex-White Lion), who is a member of Pearcy's solo band, and guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who performed on Ratt's last studio album, Infestation, from 2010.

Drummer Bobby Blotzer, who has been embroiled in lawsuits with his former bandmates over control of the Ratt name, was absent from the gathering.

Earlier this year, Croucier was accused of using his ex-band’s trademark without permission. Blotzer and DeMartini are the only remaining shareholders in WBS (the corporation which owns the Ratt trademark). WBS claims Croucier formed his own band in 2015 called Juan Croucier’s Ratt’s and is intentionally infringing on their trademark in an effort to capitalize off of their band’s recognition.

According to the TRO application, Croucier has been using the Ratt mark on advertisements, websites, merchandise and marquees and has been “referring to himself as The Other Voice of RATT, even though he was never the lead singer.

U.S. District Court judge Dean R. Pregerson isn't convinced either party owns the trademarks.

Read more at the The Hollywood Reporter.

Annihilator frontman / founder Jeff Waters has posted the following update:

"First mix of 'Set The World On Fire' by Annihilator from a killer summer 2016 concert in Germany. A few more mixes to go to get it right but I'm done for the night! Out soon on Blu Ray with tons of other (5 discs) killer stuff in the package. The live concert, live acoustic set and a kinda mini-doc that covers our May/June fun, plus audio discs of the concert and acoustic set! Totally excited about this one! And after, to work on the 16th record as well as 70k tons of metal (Annihilator and all star jam), Europe tour Part 2 soon, Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto shows, German guitar clinic run and more Maybe a special USA show. Ya think I've been busy? More than I have ever been with Annihilator... ever."

Annihilator have announced a show for Toronto on September 10th at The Opera House. It will be the band's first live appearance in Toronto in 23 years. Other bands on the bill include The Exalted Piledriver, Skull Fist and Warmachine. Go to this location for event details.

Waters recently checked in with the following update:

"In answer to a good question on the Annihilator Facebook page, here is my response. The question was why didn't our former touring bassists play on the studio records?

When I write the songs, I don't just write a guitar riff, I write the drums, bass and mostly the vocals/melodies/lyrics. Since I would, for example, write the bass guitar parts entirely, it made no sense to me to let a bassist do it when I wanted it a certain way and got it when I played the part! Another thing people occasionally don't understand is that a live touring musician can also be a not-so-good or even a bad studio musician. They are two different jobs and art forms. Some can do both, of course, but I was always looking for touring players, not writers, so often I would get guys that were good for touring but not so good under the studio scenario.

Often, out of being nice or occasionally being blackmailed, I would give credit to the occasional singer or musician who wrote nothing (actually not kidding), but sometimes a guy like Ray Hartmann (wickedly awesome drummer) would contribute something, drum-wise, that was so good you had to give him credit, even though the songs were already written. Or some of the singers were good writers; just didn't spend the time doing it! I offered ALL Annihilator singers the opportunity to write ALL the lyrics on ALL the Annihilator records... only some wrote a few songs. Hard to imagine, but some were lazy or had a home or party life that would not let them work hard at their craft. The frustrating part was that guys like Padden and Comeau were AWESOME at writing lyrics, and when I pushed them to write, they came up with VERY cool stuff; and a breath of fresh air to the writing (when one guy does most all of it, it can get repetetive or boring at times!). They just didn't offer many songs.

On the other hand, only some people have that certain insane drive to do this! Thus, many musicians in Annihilator did not go on to other things in the music business, except a few that come to mind. Neil Goldberg was on the Set The World On Fire CD and touring; he went on to make some killer music-related software and also played some killer guitar on the STWOF record, and the amazing solo on the 'Fantastic Things' song off a 1992 demo. Mike Mangini, of course, Steve Vai / Extreme / Dream Theater were only some of his achievements! Randy Black went to Primal Fear for a while and is a killer drummer. John Bates has had a great career with his rockabilly-style band. Joe Comeau went on to work as a techncian for a well known artist. I might be missing someone; apologies... but out of 40 musicians I've hired into this beast Annihilator, there are not really many that moved up the music biz ladder!"

Photo by Jasmina Vrcko

According to The Pulse Of Radio, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone that even though the members of the band are all in their 50s, he doesn't see them retiring at any time soon. Ulrich remarked: "The only unknown is the physical element of it. If the arms and legs and knees and shoulders and throats and all that stuff, the backs, the necks, if all that stays intact, there's no reason we shouldn't be able to do this for a significant amount of time longer."

Speaking of a band like THE ROLLING STONES who are performing well into their later years, Ulrich added: "I love THE ROLLING STONES more than anybody else on this planet. Obviously what we do, I'd like to argue, is slightly more physically demanding in terms of the energy that goes into it… If you can't play it at the physical demand that it deserves, it's better to not play it than play it half-assed. That's the only unknown. I think mentally we could do this for another 100 years."

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told The Pulse Of Radio what keeps him going as a musician after 35 years in the band. "Well, for me writing music is like breathing, and being able to create things in a band that has a huge family out there and a following around the world, and be able to get my confusion and questions and insanity into this music and put out to the rest of the world so people can relate... there's no better thing," he said.

The new METALLICA album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", will arrive on November 18. The first single, "Hardwired", is out now.

METALLICA has one upcoming show on its calendar: the band will perform at Neil Young's 30th-anniversary Bridge School Benefit concert, set to take place on October 22-23 at at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.