New England-based death squad, Scalpel, have released a lyric video for new single, "Feeding The Worm”. The song is taken from forthcoming album, Methods To Delusion. Watch the video below.

Scalpel will self-release  Methods to Delusion on July 25th. A promo video for another new song, "Labors Of Loathing”, is also available for streaming below.

Crusted severed toes nailed to walls; humans covered head to toe in needles administering horrific psychoactive chemicals; an infants head being turned to apple sauce on a kitchen counter's edge - these are only fragments of the surreal and vicious stories told on Scalpel’s Methods To Delusion. Wielding chainsaw guitars and sledgehammer percussion, Methods To Delusion brings back a psychedelic element to extreme music, inflicting chaos and sickening truth unto the listener.

The album was engineered by Colin Marston (Gorguts) at Thousand Caves Studios. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

“The Cleaner”
“Labors Of Loathing”
“The Stink”
“Feeding The Worm”
“Interdelude”
“Methods To Delusion”
“The Woodsman (Part II)”
“Brooding In The Gloom”
“Lung Butter”
“Intensified Festering”

“Feeding The Worm” lyric video:

“Labors Of Loathing”:

Steven Wilson has released a video for the track “Song Of I”, featured on his upcoming fifth album, To The Bone. The clip, featuring Sophie Hunger, is available for streaming below.

To The Bone is a gloriously dynamic modernist pop record as imagined by the UK's biggest underground artist. The album releases on August 18th. Pre-orders are live at this location.

Fusing driving futurist rock and spectral electronics to elegiac hyper-space ambience and dizzying, squalling guitars, To The Bone is Steven Wilson's hat-tip to the hugely ambitious progressive pop records of his youth (think Peter Gabriel's So, Talk Talk's Colour Of Spring, Tears For Fears' Seeds Of Love).

Lyrically, the album's 11 tracks veer from the paranoid chaos of the post-truth era and the creeping self-loathing of the technology age to steely fly-on-the-wall observations of the everyday lives of religious fundamentalists with a welcome shot or two of wide-eyed escapism. Sonically and melodically stunning, To The Bone is a high definition snapshot of the disconcerting times we live in.

The follow up to 2015’s Hand. Cannot. Erase., To The Bone is Steven Wilson’s first album since signing with Caroline International (Iggy Pop, Underworld, Thurston Moore, Glass Animals).

Formerly the founder and mainstay of outsider rock band Porcupine Tree, Steven released his first record under his own name, Insurgentes, in 2008. He has been resolutely independent throughout a three-decade career that’s made him the most successful British artist you've never heard of.

Tracklisting:

“To The Bone”
“Nowhere Now”
“Pariah”
“The Same Asylum As Before”
“Refuge”
“Permanating”
“Blank Tapes”
“People Who Eat Darkness”
“Song Of I”
“Detonation”
“Song Of Unborn”

“Song Of I” video:

“Pariah” video:

Boston-based death metal act, Soul Remnants, have released the new track “Echoes Of Insanity”, featured on their second full length album, Ouroboros, out on July 21st via Entertainment One Music / Lifeblood Inc. The track is available for streaming below.

"We are proud to releasing our new album Ouroboros through eOne Music / Lifeblood, Inc.  An insane amount of hard work and passion was poured into the creation of this record and we wouldn't have it any other way." says the band. "Ouroboros is as versatile as it is volatile.  Flowing seamlessly from track to track it runs the gamut from extreme technicality to filth ridden grooves, with plenty of other surprises to offer."

Ouroboros is a concept album revolving around a futuristic, dystopian war amongst all mankind. The all new effort will the follow up to their second album, Black And Blood, released in 2013.

“Echoes Of Insanity” and the previously released “Dissolving Into Obscurity" are being offered as iTunes instant gratification tracks, meaning those who pre-order the LP via iTunes will receive the songs as an instant downloads. Digital pre-orders are available here.

Tracklisting:

“Mechanical Synapse Modulations”
“Regurgitated And Consumed”
“Depravity’s Lock”
“Walled City”
“Mental Tourniquet”
“Echoes Of Insanity”
“Dissolving Into Obscurity”
“Decomposition”
“False Kingdom Of Prophecy”

“Echoes Of Insanity”:

“Dissolving Into Obscurity”:

Israel-based progressive metal band, Soul Enema, will release their new album, Of Clans And Clones And Clowns, on June 23rd. The album is now available for pre-order from Bandcamp and iTunes.

The promising band's second album represents an interesting and varied combination of influences, including 14 tracks mixed an mastered by legendary Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Paradise Lost, Symphony X).

Soul Enema has issued a statement on the forthcoming album saying: "Looking back, it took a lot of time and effort to create Of Clans And Clones And Clowns, and the final result brings the feeling of a real accomplishment. It was a long, complicated process, constantly laden with a myriad of good reasons to give up or compromise. It probably couldn't be any different, as our goal was a mature, well-produced statement, consistent in quality throughout, and at the same time versatile enough in its various moods, styles and approaches.

“A creative and diverse rock/metal album, exploring vast melodic and rhythmic territories from ABBA to Zappa, from King Crimson to King Diamond, between East and West and way beyond — in true progressive fashion. Like any reflection of the world we live in, it takes a wild ride over a wide emotional spectrum: sad, funny, perfectly sane, totally insane, very direct, quite obscure, and everything in between.”

Of Clans And Clones And Clowns also features guest contributions from Ayreon’s Arjen Lucassen, Yossi Sassi (ex-Orphaned Land, Yossi Sassi Band), Sergey Kalugin and Yuri Ruslanov (from leading Russian proggers Orgia Pravednikov).

The band commented: “We had a great honor of featuring the instrumental talents of these,  as well as other wonderful musicians. Our next aim was to ensure that all of these components  work in the final picture, and that's the reason why we welcomed one of the best guys on the list to mix and master this work — Jens Bogren. It deserved the best possible treatment, just as you as a listener deserve the best possible quality. The mixing process was far from trivial, and it took some effort to shape everything our way - clear and powerful enough, yet not overproduced. So, if you like what you hear, please order yourself a CD, or the highest quality digital download, to have it the way we really meant it to sound - full-scale and uncompromising. We hope you will have your own exciting experience with the album!”

Soul Enema have released a few singles from Of Clans And Clones And Clowns, you can check them out below.

Of Clans And Clones And Clowns tracklsting:

“Omon Ra”
“Cannibalissimo Ltd.”
“Spymania”
“Breaking The Waves”
“The Age Of Cosmic Baboon”
“In Bed With An Enemy” (ft. Y. Ruslanov, S. Kalugin)
“Last Days Of Rome”
“Dear Bollock (Was A Sensitive Man)”
“Aral Sea I - Feeding Hand”
“Aral Sea II - Dustbin Of History” (ft. Yossi Sassi)
“Aral Sea III - Epilogue” (ft. Sergey Kalugin)
“Octopus Song”
“Eternal Child” (ft. Arjen Lucassen)
“Of Clans And Clones And Clowns”

“Aral Sea III - Epilogue” video:

“Breaking The Waves” lyric video:

“In Bed With An Enemy” video:

Teaser:

Soul Enema lineup:

Noa Gruman - vocals
Yoel Genin - guitars
Michael Rosenfeld - bass, sitar, violin
Dor Levin - drums
Constantin Glantz - keyboards, programming, songwriting, production

Fan-filmed video footage of VENOM's June 10 performance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden can be seen below.

VENOM is not to be confused with VENOM INC., the new band featuring original VENOM members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Anthony "Abaddon" Bray (drums) alongside ex-VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan.

Without directly mentioning VENOM INC., VENOM guitarist Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) told Metal-Rules.com in a November 2015 interview: "Don't be fooled by pale imitations." VENOM bassist/vocalist Conrad "Cronos" Lant added: "Yes, indeed. Check out the real VENOM. We know that there's been some sites who've been putting our photographs and our VENOM logo up for a whole load of dates that don't have anything to do with us. VENOM play one-off shows, and that's the way we've always done it. And we like to have it as big and as best as we can. We don't do little club tours; that's never been the VENOM way. And we're trying to contact some of these sites to say, 'Look, you're misrepresenting the band. We don't know who this band is that you're talking about, but we're not coming to America to play thirty shows. Please get your shit together and sort it out.' But these web sites must just wanna put any shit on their site."

Cronos also talked about VENOM's musical evolution over the last three and a half decades. He said: "The thing is, the way I've always seen VENOM is… VENOM needs to be a band that evolves. You know, I don't wanna play the same songs fucking year after year after year. I wanna evolve this band. I wanna stay with a slightly commercial… Rock and roll has to be something that you remember, and a lot of the death metal stuff that's all based on the same sort of [fast rhythm], to me, it doesn't have a hook. And I've always found that with songs like 'Welcome To Hell', it's something that stays with you. I know people think 'commercial' is a dirty word with metal, and [they] can fuck off, because commercial just means something that stays with you, that you like, that you enjoy. And that's something that we do well. We come up with songs where you're still thinking about them weeks later, months later after you've heard them. They stick with you. They're not throwaway songs. We don't want any throwaway songs. If the song doesn't move you, and if you don't remember it, you don't wanna keep playing it in the car or wherever, then we throw it away; it's goodbye. We want the stuff that stays hardcore and evolving. You know, still being a bit controversial as well. You know, the song 'Smoke', I'm sure people didn't expect that one out of VENOM; it's a little bit different. But we've always done that. We got shit for '7 Gates Of Hell' back in the day. 'What the fuck? That's not like 'Angel Dust'.' But that's what I love about this band. We have the ability to just keep trying out new ideas and retaining that 'Black Metal' stamp. So fucking long may it continue."

VENOM's latest album, "From The Very Depths", was released in January 2015 via Spinefarm.

You can’t design rock ’n’ roll at the drawing board. You have to feel it from within, be really passionate if you want to play this music authentically and convincingly. Flo The Fly, guitarist with Berlin rock group Travelin Jack, refers to this phenomenon as “self-entertainment”, putting his band’s philosophy in a nutshell.

He and his three comrades-in-arms, vocalist Alia Spaceface, bassist Steve Burner and drummer Montgomery Shell, are prototypes of passionate rock musicians who won’t be deterred from following their chosen path.

“We don’t care what other people think about us, whether we rub them the wrong way or polarise,” says Flo. “We do what we believe in and what we enjoy most.”

This enthusiasm and their uncompromising attitude is the seed that has borne fruit on their upcoming new album Commencing Countdown. From September 8th, Travelin’ Jack’s latest offering will be released on Steamhammer/SPV as CD Digipak, vinyl LP, download and stream. Mark the day in your calendar, because that’s when the annals of rock music will be enhanced by another colourful chapter.

Founded in summer 2013, Travelin Jack have developed into one of Germany’s most unusual rock acts over the past four years, establishing their inimitable style, which is tailored to the vocals of Alia Spaceface, with two successful tours and shows at important festivals beyond the German borders. The general flair of Commencing Countdown may bring to mind great rock groups from the seventies, such as Thin Lizzy, Rush, Scorpions and Deep Purple, but the Berlin band’s compositions and the warm, analogue production of their new album are both contemporary and modern.

Flo: “There’s nothing retro about our material, we simply prefer the sound of the era when this music was really wicked.”

This motto is emphasised by the visual trademarks of their explosive live show - the make-up, the platform shoes and the glitter outfits which Travelin Jack are set to don when they present their album Commencing Countdown live on stage soon. As the legendary David Bowie would probably have commented: “I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring!”  

A taster of the first single and video "Keep On Running", can be found below. Both will be released by the end of June

Tracklisting:

“Land Of The River”
“Metropolis”
“Keep On Running”
“Cold Blood”
“Galactic Blue”
“Time”
“Miracles”
“What Have I Done”
“Fire”
“Journey To The Moon”

"Keep On Running" teaser:

Live dates:

August
11 - Plattenburg, Germany - Aquamaria Festival
18 - Bad Kötzting, Germany - Void Fest
19 - Luckenwalde, Germany - Sky Way Jam

September
7 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche (with  Wucan)
8 - Münster, Germany - Rare Guitar
9 - Berlin, Germany - Cassiopeia
21 - Hannover, Germany - Mephisto (with Wucan)
22 - Erfurt, Germany - Tiko
23 - Dresden, Germany - Scheune (with Wucan)

October
5 - Vienna, Austria - Das Bach (with Wucan)

Jorn have released an EPK video on the making of their recently released studio album, Life On Death Road. The new clip is available for streaming below.

Easily one of the greatest rock singers of the 21st century, Norway's very own giant Viking warrior Jorn Lande's vocals are resoundingly strong once again on his ninth original studio album, Life On Death Road. This absolutely brilliant new album sees Lande attacking the microphone with rejuvenated vigor, accompanied by a new band and a bigger and stronger sound.

Life On Death Road took several months of hard work for the songwriting vision to come together. Jorn needed to take the music to a new level to push the concept of the band further than it has ever gone before. The result is a record that is deep, strong, full of groove and powerful with anthemic songs aplenty. Songs like "Man Of The 80's", "Love Is The Remedy", Life On Death Road, "Insoluble Maze (Dreams In The Blindness)", and "The Slippery Slope (Hangman's Rope)" capture the essence of Jorn as a singer, songwriter and lyricist.

The album also marks the debut of a new lineup of very experienced and gifted musicians around the Norwegian singer. On bass is Mat Sinner (Primal Fear, Sinner, Kiske/Somerville) who needs virtually no introduction to European heavy metal fanatics. On keyboards and production is Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline, Revolution Saints), who already joined Jorn for the recording of his last covers album, Heavy Rock Radio, and was the glue that helped Jorn to create the feel and the direction for the new album. Francesco Iovino (Primal Fear) is on drums and Alex Beyrodt (Primal Fear, Voodoo Circle) handles guitar.

Life On Death Road tracklisting:

“Life On Death Road”
“Hammered To The Cross (The Business)”
“Love Is The Remedy”
“Dreamwalker”
“Fire To The Sun”
“Insoluble Maze (Dreams In The Blindness)”
“I Walked Away”
“The Slippery Slope (Hangman's Rope)”
“Devil You Can Drive”
“The Optimist”
“Man Of The 80's”
“Blackbirds”

EPK:

“Fire To The Sun” video:

“Life On Death Road” video:

“Love Is The Remedy” video:

“Man Of The 80's” lyric video:

Trailer:

Jorn lineup:

Jorn Lande - Vocals
Alex Beyrodt - Guitars
Mat Sinner - Bass
Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards
Francesco Iovino - Drums

German metal queen Doro Pesch is celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of WARLOCK's "Triumph And Agony" album by performing the LP in its entirety at select shows around the globe.

"Triumph And Agony" was WARLOCK's fourth and final album. By the late 1980s, Pesch was the only original member remaining in the group, and under legal threats from former management, decided to carry on under the DORO banner rather than put her career on hold fighting over the WARLOCK name. (Pesch has since won back the right to use the WARLOCK moniker.)

Asked why now was the right time to go out and play the "Triumph And Agony" songs again, Doro said prior to an appearance at last week's Sweden Rock Festival (see video below): "Well, because we have our thirtieth anniversary of this big record. It was called 'Triumph And Agony', and it was the biggest record. I think it was one of the best records. And I thought, 'Man, we have to play one time the whole album in its entirety,' and we never did before. And then I called my old guitar player, Tommy Bolan, and he played on the whole record, he played all the solos. And I asked him if he was into that idea, doing a couple of shows with just the 'Triumph And Agony' album and then some encores. And he said, 'Oh, let's do it. I'm ready.' And then we were rehearsing all, yeah, the last week, and I think it sounds really good. We are playing some songs we've never played before, but I think they will sound really amazing. And I'm very excited."

Doro was asked during the same interview if she was comfortable with her status as a pioneer for women in heavy metal music. She responded: "I just always try to give it my all, and I'm so glad when people like it, when people can get some positive energy out of it. I never thought about being special or that it's different for a woman to do it. I just my thing, and it's always from the heart, from the gut. And I always wanted to become a metal singer, so it all feels natural to me. I don't put on an act or something, but when people love it… ahhh… that's, like… And the fans, to me, that's the most important thing in my life — it always was, it always will be — and so when they like it, that means the world to me."

Doro will celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of "Triumph And Agony" on a short U.S. tour in September.

Confirmed dates are as follows:

Sep. 08 - Worcester, MA - PalladiumSep. 10 - New York, NY – B.B. King Blues Club & GrillSep. 12 - Westland, MI – The Token LoungeSep. 14 - Chicago, IL - ReggiesSep. 16 – West Hollywood, CA - Whisky A Go Go

In a 2000 interview with Metal Rules, Doro stated about WARLOCK: "I loved that so much and my heart and soul was so much into it. I was totally devastated when it broke up and it broke up not because of the band but because of all the bullshit around it. It was the record companies, the management, everything. The band had no control anymore — everybody else had, and the band did not. It was really tough and there were a lot of problems and I was totally heartbroken about it. But those times were awesome, man, it was awesome! I will always treasure them. I love to think about the great times."

Doro told Get Ready To Rock! that "everything fell into place" for WARLOCK after "Triumph And Agony" was released. "The record company was totally behind it, MTV put our song 'All We Are' on heavy rotation, which was a big plus, I must say, the fans were there and metal was at its peak between 1987 and 1988. Sometimes you do wish for everything to fall into place, but it's very rare that this happens as things need to work like a watch."

Doro's last release was a package titled "Strong And Proud - 30 Years Of Rock And Metal", which came out in June 2016 via Nuclear Blast. It contained three decades of Doro — three unforgettable nights — forever captured on three DVDs and two Blu-rays, including a two-hour-plus music movie.

For more than 30 years, Metal Hammer has been the biggest heavy metal magazine on the planet, and after a turbulent end to 2016, and their resurrection in 2017, they threw the party of all parties for their readers at this year's Golden Gods Awards 2017 in association with Orange Amplification. Taking place at IndigO2 at The O2, London on Monday, June 12, the 2017 edition of the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards was hosted by WWE megastar and FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho, and like all Golden Gods shows, this year's event was all about the fans. There are no tables, no sit-down dinners, no industry backslapping — this is a room full of genuine fans who have voted in their hundreds of thousands to see their favorite bands be victorious. The night celebrated the best of heavy metal from the past twelve months as well as performances from some of the world's most exciting bands. "After a difficult end to last year in which the future of our magazine looked uncertain, we couldn't have thought of a better way to celebrate our comeback," says Metal Hammer editor Merlin Alderslade. "From the one and only Chris Jericho returning to host our awards for a record-breaking third time, to seeing legends like Tony Iommi, Tom Morello and Chuck D walk out on stage, to honouring the contemporary names who make our scene great, it was the kind of evening that only the Golden Gods can provide. As always, though, the most important thing was the metal community coming together again — and we salute everyone who has supported us in the last year and beyond, be it by coming to the show, buying our magazine or simply spreading the good word of heavy. Horns up!" The godfathers of metal, BLACK SABBATH, collected the evening's main honor: the Golden God award presented by Roadrunner Records. Founding member and metal legend Tony Iommi was on hand to collect the gong in the year that saw the end of the band's final, 81-date world tour and glittering 49-year career. MASTODON headlined the evening's ceremony with a blistering live set in what was one of their most intimate performances in years. Following the release of their acclaimed "Emperor Of Sand" album in March, the band's stock has risen monumentally to become one of the world's must-see live acts, proven by them winning Best Live Band presented by Monster Energy. Opening the show were riff veterans ORANGE GOBLIN, one of the U.K.'s most vital and important metal bands. Frontman Ben Ward, along with his partner Sandie Soriano, were behind the incredible campaign to raise money for TeamRock (Metal Hammer's then-parent company) staff following the closure of Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Prog magazines — and rightly the team behind those magazines felt that Ben and Sandie deserved the Defender Of The Faith award presented by Orange Amplification. Sweden's AVATAR brought their catchy "circus metal" and enthralling theatrical live show to the proceedings. This truly unique band were also voted Breakthrough Band Of The Year presented by World Of Tanks, proving they are a band on the up. Completing the live lineup were blues rock legends CLUTCH, simply one of the greatest live bands heavy music has ever seen! One of the evening's most sought-after awards is Album Of The Year and this year it was awarded to "Magma" by GOJIRA. The follow-up to 2012's critically acclaimed "L'Enfant Sauvage", "Magma" was one of the most hotly anticipated albums of the past twelve months and also topped Metal Hammer's end-of-year critics' poll. EXODUS are true legends of the game. Founded in 1979 in California, they were one of the pioneers of thrash metal. A mainstay in "Greatest Thrash Metal Bands Of All Time" lists, they inspire and influence bands to this day and were rightly crowned 2017's Inspiration presented by Spinefarm Records, an award presented on the night by fellow thrash icon Mille Petrozza of KREATOR. This year's Icon presented by uDiscover Music award went to THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN. Currently on a world tour, the band announced earlier this year that they will be disbanding following their Tokyo date in October. In their 20-year career they've released six acclaimed albums and are regarded as the pioneers of mathcore. Best International Band presented by Nuclear Blast went to AVENGED SEVENFOLD, who continue to sell out arenas around the world, pushing the boundaries of rock and metal. Best U.K. Band went to ARCHITECTS, whose 2016 album "All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us" broke the Top 15 of the U.K. charts and capped off a significant and difficult year for the band. Rap metal supergroup PROPHETS OF RAGE picked up the Spirit Of Hammer award. This is an award for those who hold the principles and passion of metal and what Metal Hammer stands for in their daily lives. The group consists of three members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE (bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk), two members of PUBLIC ENEMY (DJ Lord and rapper Chuck D) and rapper B-Real of CYPRESS HILL. On announcing the band, Morello stated, "We're an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of election-year bullshit, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing." Need we say more about them collecting this year's Spirit Of Hammer gong?! IRON MAIDEN's role-playing mobile game, "Legacy Of The Beast", took the Best Game accolade, with Eddie himself making an appearance via VT to collect the award. Formed in 2015, U.K. death metallers VENOM PRISON have been making a serious impact on the scene and beyond, and they picked up Best New Band. Doom metallers PALLBEARER, who released their third album, "Heartless", in March, have received huge critical acclaim since their inception in 2008 and picked up the Best Underground award. Once again the guitarists got the plaudits that they deserve — after all, where would music be without the incredible axemen and women we love to worship?! This year, AIRBOURNE's kamikaze guitarist Joel O'Keeffe picked up the Dimebag Darrell "Shredder" award, and tour de force Devin Townsend was rightly awarded Riff Lord presented by Century Media. The Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in association with Orange Amplification winners are: Best New Band: VENOM PRISONBest Underground Band: PALLBEARERBest U.K. Band: ARCHITECTS Breakthrough Band: AVATAR Best Live Band: MASTODONBest International Band: AVENGED SEVENFOLDBest Independent Label: Nuclear BlastDimebag Darrell "Shredder": Joel O'Keeffe (AIRBOURNE)Best Game: "Legacy Of The Beast" by IRON MAIDENRiff Lord: Devin TownsendInspiration: EXODUS Best Album: "Magma" by GOJIRA Icon: THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN Defender Of The Faith: Ben Ward and Sandie Soriano Spirit Of Hammer: PROPHETS OF RAGEGolden God: BLACK SABBATH

American metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH played an abbreviated concert earlier tonight (Monday, June 12) in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

There are conflicting reports about how long the band's performance at the Poppodium 013 venue actually lasted, with some attendees claiming the group was on for only forty minutes, while others have suggested that FIVE FINGER had played almost the entire set before exiting the stage.

A friend of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer Ivan Moody, Tommy Vext (DIVINE HERESY, SNOT), handled lead vocals for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH for the first two tracks of the group's set, with Ivan joining his bandmates for the third song, during which he jumped into the crowd.

After performing most of the set, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH left the stage as three thousand fans waited for a return that never came.

At one point, Moody told the audience they were seeing his last show with the band (see video below), although it's unclear if his comment was serious or meant in jest. Meanwhile, guitarist Jason Hook threw his guitar down during "Burn MF" (see video below).

This is not the first time FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has been forced to cut short a show due to issues involving the band's lead singer. Last November, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH walked off stage in Worcester, Massachusetts because Moody was unable to perform. Although it was reported that Moody was overcome with grief over the illness and possible death of someone close to him — not his mother as initially reported — a number of audience members reported that he appeared to be intoxicated and disoriented.

Moody previously had an onstage meltdown during a May 2015 show in Memphis. The incident was blamed on his abuse of alcohol and drugs. He entered rehab after that.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that Moody was a true rock 'n' roll spirit. "He's very much the 'last pirate,' the middle finger of this generation, you know what I mean?" he said. "He's really the guy who jumps in a car anywhere in the world and says, 'Yeah, let's go' — no passport, no papers, nothing, just goes anywhere. He's really the last free spirit, he pretty much just lives for the now, you know, does what he feels like doing. So there's something admirable, for me at least — I'm looking at, like, I wish I could do that."






Five Finger Death PunchMandrake's Monster

Foto's door: Lotte Schrander FotografieAll Rights Reserved - www.lotteschrander.nl

Posted by Poppodium 013 on Monday, June 12, 2017

Wargaming and World Of Tanks have announced a long-term collaboration with the Swedish heavy metal band SABATON.

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

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

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

Fans of Wargaming and SABATON can expect some cool surprises on the way, so you'd better stay tuned for more information. And, of course, rock on!

World Of Tanks is a team-based massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare of the mid-20th century. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with other steel cowboys all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 500 armored vehicles from the United States, Germany, the Soviet Union, France, Great Britain, Japan, China, Sweden and Czechoslovakia carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

For more information, visit www.worldoftanks.eu.

The new animated video for the song "Black Rose" from Danish/American rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT can be seen below. The clip was produced and directed by Toon53 Productions.

"Black Rose" is taken from VOLBEAT's sixth full-length album, "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie", which was released in June 2016 via Republic Records.

VOLBEAT guitarist Rob Caggiano told TeamRock about "Black Rose": "This song features Danko Jones and he's a good friend of the band; we love what he does and he loves what VOLBEAT do. We took him on tour on the last album cycle and it was great. He's such a cool dude, and he's a huge music nerd like we are. He's awesome. So we were working on this song 'Black Rose', and Michael [Poulsen, VOLBEAT frontman] was singing the verse part, and he was, like, 'Maybe Danko Jones could sing on this one. It sounds like something that he would do.' And it totally does! We could almost hear it before it even happened. When we approached him about doing it, he was totally psyched, and he completely nailed it."

Poulsen explained the story behind the "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie" album title. He said: "When I write, I'm pretty much locked into this bubble. And sometimes when I come out, I have no idea where I've been or where I got the idea from. And going back to where I came up with the title, I really don't remember. I think it popped up when I was writing the song called 'Seal The Deal' and things just popped up improvising, and I said, 'Well…that sounds pretty good.' And I pretty much used that title on every song somehow, because you can analyze the title in many different directions. So I think I came up with the title when I was writing the song 'Seal The Deal'."

Asked how VOLBEAT deals with the fact that fans sometimes worry that each new album from the band is going to be softer than the previous one, Michael told Studio Brussel: "We don't. [Laughs] We do what we do, and we love what we're doing. And we're just progressing as a band. Sometimes people think the next record is too heavy or too soft. It depends on which ears are listening to it. We don't care too much about it. We are VOLBEAT and we found our signature sound and style on the first record. And there's a lot of new songs that could be on the first record, but then again, we're also progressing as a band, so maybe some of the songs are a little bit more soft, but there will always be metal influences and… We don't care too much about it. We just like to write songs and be on the road. We would never like to be on the road if we didn't care about what we were doing. So who knows? Maybe the next record will be an extreme metal album. It really depends on where you are when you sit down and write. So we don't think too much about it."

WESTFIELD MASSACRE has parted ways with singer Tommy Vext (ex-DIVINE HERESY, SNOT) and has replaced him with Seann Nicols (pictured; a.k.a. Sheldon Tarsha; Bobby Blotzer's RATT, formerly of ADLER'S APPETITE and QUIET RIOT).

The new lineup of WESTFIELD MASSACRE will embark on a U.S. headlining tour, the "North American Meltdown", in early July.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE features lead guitarist Ira Black (METAL CHURCH, LIZZY BORDEN), guitarist Stephen Brewer, bassist Erik Tisinger (OTEP, THROWN INTO EXILE) and Brazilian drummer Dio Britto.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE stated: "We are committed to fulfilling all obligations and promises we've made to our fans. We have secured the legal right to perform and do business as WESTFIELD MASSACRE. Unfortunately, it's not always easy for our fans to understand the internal workings of a band. We appreciate all of our fans support as we move forward and are anxious to deliver our record and get back on the road."

WESTFIELD MASSACRE's self-titled debut album was released in April 2016 via Urban Yeti Records. The CD was recorded at Echelon Studios with producer Joseph McQueen.

GUNS N' ROSES as 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 GUNS N' ROSES "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.

"Freak Flag", a brand new song from QUIET RIOT, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Road Rage", which will be released on August 4 via Frontiers Music Srl.

QUIET RIOT is led by drummer Frankie Banali, who is joined by bassist Chuck Wright (who has been in and out of the band since 1982), guitarist Alex Grossi (who has been in the band since 2004), and new vocalist James Durbin.

Durbin, who became known as the "metal guy" on 2011's season of "American Idol" after performing "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law" with JUDAS PRIEST, hooked up with QUIET RIOT last month after the dismissal of Seann Nicols (a.k.a. Sheldon Tarsha; formerly of ADLER'S APPETITE). Nicols was with QUIET RIOT for just a few months, but long enough to record the vocals for an early version of "Road Rage".

"Road Rage" was originally scheduled for release in the spring of 2017, but with the injection of newfound energy for the band with the addition of Durbin in the vocalist slot, the band decided to scrap the original sessions and record a new version of the album with the new and improved lineup.

Banali said: "QUIET RIOT has always recorded songs that have a link with the QUIET RIOT 'sound' and at the same time always musically moving forward. 'Freak Flag' is such a song with a strong connection to our iconic sound from the past, which I think our longtime fans will appreciate and newer fans will embrace." Durbin added: "'Freak Flag' is a concept I've been holding on to for a few years. It's all about being you no matter what life has labeled you with. We're all broken and searching for acceptance, but there's a beauty in that search and it's something that should be celebrated."

"Road Rage" track listing:

01. Can't Get Enough02. Getaway03. Roll This Joint04. Freak Flag05. Wasted06. Still Wild07. Make A Way08. Renegades09. The Road10. Shame11. Knock Em Down

"The recordings for the new 'Road Rage' record have been an incredible musical journey in the storied history of QUIET RIOT," said Banali.

"I asked vocalist James Durbin to fill the very large shoes of the late great Kevin DuBrow because I knew he could. While no one can ever replace Kevin DuBrow, he has the same spirit and drive that Kevin had.

"James is an amazing live performer with insane vocal range, but he is also a very gifted songwriter and brought to the 'Road Rage' record totally unique original lyrics and melodies. Not only do they fit perfectly to the music we wrote, but took the songs to a completely new level.

"All the work that we have put into this record has been well worth the wait!

"I am extremely proud of guitarist Alex Grossi, bassist Chuck Wright and especially James Durbin for the work we have created on this record.

"QUIET RIOT continues to tour relentlessly and will be on the road throughout the year. Expect to hear your QUIET RIOT favorites as well as new songs from 'Road Rage' at our shows!" Durbin comments on joining the band and his work on "Road Rage": "The crown jewel, on top of joining one of your favorite bands, has to be writing, recording and releasing a new album. No matter what, you are now a part of that band's history and I'm honored to have had the opportunity to do that with QUIET RIOT.

"I spent just over three weeks marathon songwriting brand new lyrics and melodies for every song and recording vocals.

"I'm extremely proud of the 'Road Rage' record, not only that I had the band's support and trust to deliver, or how great of a personal accomplishment and blessing it's been, but that we can keep the QUIET RIOT freak flag flying and have the chance to inspire a new generation of fans!" Durbin made his live debut with QUIET RIOT on March 18 at The Cotillion in Wichita, Kansas.

Banali revived QUIET RIOT in 2010, three years after DuBrow's death, along with Grossi and Wright. The group went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Jizzy Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT last October.

POWERMAN 5000 has inked a worldwide deal with Pavement Entertainment. The band's new album, "New Wave", will be released later in the year.

POWERMAN 5000 vocalist Spider One stated about the follow-up to 2014's "Builders Of The Future": "We went a bit dirtier on this one. Ripped it up more than the last couple of records. One of the goals was to recreate the noise of the live show. Keep in the chaos."

Regarding the new album title, Spider said: "New Wave? Are we a new wave band? Well, I would say that we have always had more in common with DEVO than DIO."

POWERMAN 5000's legacy continues to push the boundaries of rock, metal, industrial, rap and punk to create innovative and groundbreaking releases time and time again. With songs like "David F**king Bowie", "Cult Leader" and "Sid Vicious In A Dress", the new album is sure to please longtime fans, as well as turn the heads of many more to come.

"New Wave" is POWERMAN 5000's eleventh official release since forming in 1992 and continues the strides and success, from their platinum-selling album "Tonight The Stars Revolt!" to their most recent chart-topping single in 2014, "How To Be A Human".

"Builders Of The Future" sold around 4,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 63 on The Billboard 200 chart. Issued in May 2014, the CD was released through POWERMAN 5000's partnership with T-Boy Records, a co-venture with Universal Music Enterprises founded by veteran rock manager Andy Gould.

"Song On Fire", the new video from NICKELBACK, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's ninth album, "Feed The Machine", which will be released on Friday, June 16 via BMG.

NICKELBACK leader Chad Kroeger told Music Choice about "Feed The Machine": "This album is definitely heavier, as a whole, than a lot of our previous records. We've gone back to some pretty crunchy roots, and we're happy about that. I mean, we're always stretching off in different directions and trying different things, but we definitely went with more of an aggressive sound on this record."

"Feed The Machine" track listing:

01. Feed The Machine02. Coin For The Ferryman03. Song On Fire04. Must Be Nice05. After The Rain06. For The River07. Home08. The Betrayal (Act III)09. Silent Majority10. Every Time We're Together11. The Betrayal (Act I)

Set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future where machines have imprisoned humans (think "The Matrix" and "The Terminator"), the video for the "Feed The Machine" title track sees Kroeger and his bandmates depicted as freedom-fighting revolutionaries who free the enslaved humans from their machine captors.

NICKELBACK is set to hit the road this summer on the colossal headlining "Feed The Machine" tour. Produced exclusively by Live Nation, the "Feed The Machine" trek will begin on June 23 in Noblesville, Indiana, with 44 dates across North America including stops in Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, and more. DAUGHTRY will join NICKELBACK as their special guest for all of the U.S. dates, as well as Toronto and Montreal, while SHAMAN'S HARVEST will be seen on all dates. Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame icons CHEAP TRICK will be special guests for the western Canadian leg of the tour.

In June 2015, NICKELBACK canceled the majority of its tour dates in support of the band's eighth album, "No Fixed Address", so that Kroeger could recover from surgery to remove a cyst on his vocal cords.

"No Fixed Address" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart in November 2014.

Photo credit: Richard Beland

Maryland-based rockers LIONIZE will release their new full-length studio album, "Nuclear Soul", on September 8 in digital, CD and LP formats. The video for the first single, "Blindness To Danger", can be seen below.

"Nuclear Soul" follows the band's widely praised 2014 album, "Jetpack Soundtrack", and continues their ever-maturing sound. It's emotionally driven and steeped in introspection, with subjects ranging from the end of times to heart break within the industry. Recorded locally in Maryland, production has been handled by CLUTCH's Jean-Paul Gaster with J. Robbins and LIONIZE.

About the song's meaning, LIONIZE bassist Hank Upton explains: "So much of our career as a band has been following our instincts and running headlong into the unknown with no regard for how insane a tour/show/song idea might be. I feel like that passion and willingness to take a risk has gotten us very far. Naturally, though, you're walking a tightrope. Same goes for your personal life with romance or substances, etc. Passion and heart will take you everywhere but where's the line? I was trying to investigate that feeling."

The video for "Blindness To Danger" toes that exact line, pinning LIONIZE's Nate Bergman against pro-wrestler The Almighty Sheik. Shot entirely on an Apple iPhone 7 with the Moment Wide and Tele lenses, video director Miguel "M.i.G." Martinez chose this intimate format to show his young students that they don't need expensive equipment to create a music video/film. "Nuclear Soul" track listing

01. Darkest Timeline02. Face Of Mars03. Fire in Athena04. Power Grid05. Ain't It A Shame06. Election Year07. March Of The Clones08. Let You Down09. The Mad Scientist of Sunshine10. Nuclear Soul11. Blindness To Danger

Leading up to the album release, LIONIZE — consisting of Chris Brooks (keyboards), Hank Upton (bass), Chase Lapp (drums) and Nate Bergman (guitar) — will tour this summer throughout the U.S. and U.K.

Following their jaw-dropping set at Download festival this weekend, U.S. rock giants ALTER BRIDGE have announced their return to the U.K. for two very special headline shows on October 2 and October 3. Appearing at the legendary Royal Albert Hall in London for the first time, the band will treat the audience to an array of songs never before played live as well as fan favorite hits, drawn from their acclaimed five-album catalog. In another first, the group will also be accompanied by the Parallax Orchestra — a 52-piece London-based symphony orchestra conducted by Simon Dobson — adding an impressive new dimension to their already captivating live show.

Tickets for the two nights go on general sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 16. Pre-sales begin 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 14 via O2 and 10 a.m. Thursday, June 15 via Live Nation and the Royal Albert Hall.

ALTER BRIDGE will release of a new live album and rarities collection, "Live At The O2 Arena + Rarities", on September 8 via Napalm Records.

One of the biggest moments of the band's career was the monumental show at London's famous O2 Arena on November 26, 2016. That landmark performance was captured in its entirety. The two-CD, nineteen-track recording documents what an enormous presence ALTER BRIDGE have become on concert stages around the world.

Myles Kennedy, Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips tear through hits like "Farther Than The Sun", "Show Me A Leader", "Rise Today", and their masterpiece "Isolation", showcasing a band at the top of their game. Other highlights include the Tremonti-sung "Waters Rising", the acoustic-driven "Watch Over You" and ALTER BRIDGE's signature anthem "Blackbird".

In addition, this latest release includes an exclusive full-length rarities CD sure to excite fans everywhere. The disc features the never-before-released tracks "Cruel Sun" and "Solace" that were recorded during the "One Day Remains" sessions, as well as the song "Breathe" from the same time which has only ever been available as a U.S. retail exclusive via Best Buy. These tracks join seven other songs that have only been released in Japan until this collection.

This incredible selection of ALTER BRIDGE gems will be released in multiple formats. In addition to a standard three-CD audio version, fans can also pick up one of the limited deluxe editions (including a four-LP set and a CD/DVD Earbook) which also include an exclusive ALTER BRIDGE documentary featuring extensive interviews with the band, their crew, and family, giving an amazing glimpse behind the scenes of this legendary show at London's O2 Arena.

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Wherever I May Roam" on June 7 at the Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado can be seen below.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band is touring in support of its tenth studio album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", which features the current single "Now That We're Dead".

The North American leg of METALLICA's "WorldWired" trek will hit stadiums in nineteen more cities before ending in mid-August. METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone that the band was genuinely surprised to learn they could still play stadiums, saying, "It was like, 'Holy fuck, people really still care about this band in ways that you stopped taking for granted literally decades ago. It was very inspiring and kind of eye-opening."

He added: "Full stadium runs can sometimes be a little intimidating. There's all these things to worry about like, 'You should really try to play maybe only on the weekend,' and, 'Where do you play on Tuesday?' and some of those practicalities can get a little bewildering. We just threw caution to the wind. Doing a stadium run seemed like the perfect thing on the back of how well this record has been received and all the good will that's out there in METALLICA's world right now."

The next stop on the tour is Houston, Texas on June 11.

Support on the quartet's first North American trek since 2009 is coming mainly from AVENGED SEVENFOLD and VOLBEAT, with GOJIRA taking over for the latter group for the last six shows.

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" was certified platinum on April 12 by the RIAA (Recording Association Of America). The platinum certification reflects a million equivalent album units, which blends traditional album sales, tracks sold from an album and on-demand audio and video streams.

The recent gain in "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" sales is owed mostly to a concert ticket/album bundle sale redemption promotion with the band's stadium tour that went on sale on February 17. Redemptions of albums included with the purchase of a concert ticket register as a sale in the week the customer redeems/receives the album.

SLIPKNOT. A genuine sonic phenomenon, a nine-piece force of nature and one of heavy music's most important, recognizable, uncompromising and creatively ingenious bands. Yet to their millions of fans across the world, affectionately known as "maggots," SLIPKNOT aren't just a group, they're also a counterculture and a way of life. Those fans play an important role in a new documentary brought to you by MusicScreen, titled "Day Of The Gusano". The 90-minute documentary is to be premiered in more than a thousand screens across the world as a one-night-only cinematic spectacle on September 6.

Watch the trailer below. Directed by SLIPKNOT's own M. Shawn Crahan, a.k.a. Clown, "Day Of The Gusano" documents the Iowa band's first ever visit to Mexico in December 2015 and features exclusive interviews with SLIPKNOT's members talking about the importance of their fanbase and the band's long-awaited first-ever show in Mexico City.

Confirmed cities and ticketing for the screenings will be announced in July.

Talking about the movie, Clown says: "SLIPKNOT still has dreams for itself. Finally playing Mexico was one of them. It's been a surreal life of rock and roll for SLIPKNOT and the fact that the dreams still go on for us is simply incredible. Thank you." Guitarist Jim Root adds: "We had such a great time at Knotfest Mexico... Not only with all the friends and bands that were there, but with the fans and the crowd we had to document it with. Now we get to share it with the world." "Day Of The Gusano" also chronicles the rabid devotion of the Mexican maggots and sees the band hearing personal, emotive stories from some of their fans, all interspersed with footage from SLIPKNOT's incendiary live show at the inaugural Knotfest México. The film features a full surround soundtrack, so you'll not only hear the show, but you'll 'feel' it as if you were actually there. To tie in with the movie announcement, SLIPKNOT also launch their #AskSlipknot campaign. Fans are asked to submit their questions to the band on either Facebook or Twitter, using the hashtag, #AskSlipknot, and a selection will be chosen by the band to answer as part of the cinematic screening event. Submit your questions before June 13 in order to be in with a chance of getting your question included.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor told the 97.1 The Eagle radio station last month that the band was "not really doing anything right now." He explained: "I know we're kind of slowly starting to write some music. Other than that, we're just kind of taking some time off. Clown's gonna direct some movies, Sid's gonna do some stuff… We're all kind of doing our own thing… But that's it. I mean, really. Next year is everybody kind of doing their own thing, and then probably after that, we will slowly but surely start to get together to do some SLIPKNOT stuff."

SLIPKNOT's touring cycle in support of ".5: The Gray Chapter", ended in November, with Taylor returning to his other band STONE SOUR this year.

".5: The Gray Chapter" was released following a six-year hiatus during which founding SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray died and drummer Joey Jordison was dismissed.

One of last gigs of "The Gray Chapter" touring cycle saw SLIPKNOT performing its 2001 second LP, "Iowa", live in its entirety for the first time during the band's set at their annual Knotfest.

".5: The Gray Chapter" sold around 132,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores in October 2014 via Roadrunner.

Gray died in 2010 from a drug overdose, while Jordison was let go in December 2013, just before SLIPKNOT began recording the last album.

Formed in the year 2000 as a studio project and then as a regular live-band six years later, Devilish Impressions from Poland is a dominant black death metal band that’s quickly pummeling through the genre and making their way to fans and media around the globe. 

After already having released their 2012 third studio album Simulacra with Lifeforce Records the label has brought back Devilish Impressions to the Lifeforce Records roster for the release of their new album The I, which is set to come out in late September.

“I’m thrilled to work with Devilish Impressions again to hopefully push the band to the next level. The guys in the band are dedicated hard workers. They know exactly what they want, what is needed to reach their goal and their new album is very big step forward musically. I truly believe we can turn some heads with The I!” - comments Lifeforce Records owner Stefan Lüdicke.

The title chosen, The I, for the record is not only a phonetic acronym of the band’s name, but above all it reflects the manifesto they stand for since the Horde’s inception in the year 2000 – the notion of freedom of choice and will. A supremacy of an individual over any external factors being imposed on us by others, with special emphasis on religion and its convictions, dogmas and paradigms. The I is a rebellious manifesto targeted against all those who stand opposed to anything that drives us towards individual perfection.

Rob Zombie is planning to enter the studio this summer to begin work on the follow-up to last year's "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" album. The rocker-turned-film-director told Kerrang! Radio at this weekend's Download festival in the U.K.: "Right now we're just doing shows all summer, then we're starting a new record in August. And then I won't start a new movie till next year, 'cause it's all music for the rest of this year. So that's about it."

Rob added that his band will continue to play scattered shows while making the new disc. He explained: "These days, as everybody knows, there's not really like a proper album cycle where you make an album and you just tour it to death, because no one really gives a shit if anyone's making records that much anymore."

While rock radio has largely stopped playing his newer records, fans are continuing to embrace new music from Rob Zombie. The week of its release, "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard album chart and was the only rock record in the top 30. It would have been No. 4, if two previously released Prince albums weren't near the top of the chart.

Several of Zombie's singles from "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser", including "In The Age Of The Consecrated Vampire We All Get High" and "Well, Everybody's Fucking In A U.F.O.", were accompanied by their respective attention-grabbing videos, a trend that is likely to continue with the upcoming effort.

"I love making videos," Rob told Kerrang! Radio. "We made more videos for the last record than we've made in the last ten years, because that's all that matters. People go, 'Oh, no one listens to music.' Yeah, they do, but they watch it at the same time. I mean, you look at a video and go, 'Wow, it's got fifty million views.' Well, you didn't get fifty million views on fucking MTV. It's great!"

"The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" was released on April 29, 2016 via UMe/T-Boy Records. The disc was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris and features Zombie alongside John 5, Piggy D. and drummer Ginger Fish.

On Saturday, June 10, BackStory Events and Guitar World presented an intimate conversation with Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan, Pat Torpey and Matt Starr of MR. BIG at the Cutting Room in New York City. They discussed their upcoming album, "Defying Gravity", and covered career highlights and raucous anecdotes from years of musical pursuits. The event featured a long-form interview, an opportunity for audience questions, a short acoustic performance and a meet-and-greet.

MR. BIG was interviewed by author and journalist Brad Tolinski. The event was part of the BackStory Events online series and was livestreamed by Guitar World magazine.

"Defying Gravity" 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."

Fan-filmed video footage of CARCASS's June 10 performance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden can be seen below.

CARCASS guitarist Bill Steer told Dead Rhetoric last year that the band's next studio album should arrive by the end of 2017. But, he added, "we can't really rush this. We don't want to waste anyone's time, including our own by putting out something substandard."

Regarding the musical direction of CARCASS's follow-up to 2013's "Surgical Steel" album, Steer said: "All I would say is there has to be small stylistic elements that haven't appeared on CARCASS records before. We're going to be walking the tightrope of sounding like the band CARCASS and bringing in new elements. There's nothing valid to say if we're going to do a retread… what's the point? That was a very nice summary of our previous records. We updated all of the stylistic parts of those albums without trying. It just happened."

Joining Steer and bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker in CARCASS's current incarnation are drummer Daniel Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and guitarist Ben Ash (PIG IRON, DESOLATION, LIQUEFIED SKELETON).

"Surgical Steel" sold around 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Light" is the first track off Helfir’s sophomore album, The Human Defeat. It’s presented with an intimate video directed and edited by photographer Antonio Leo (who realized the artwork for the album’s 20-page booklet) with the collaboration of Shotalive group.

The Human Defeat will be released on June 30th via My Kingdom Music. You'll hear something really direct, decadent and obscure. Pre-order the album at this location, or digitally via iTunes.

Tracklisting:

“Time In Our Minds”
“Light”
“Tide”
“Protect Me”
“Chant D'Automne”
“Mechanical God”
“Climax 2.0”
“Golden Tongue”
“The Last Sun”
“Chant D’Automne” (Instrumental Version)

“Light” video:

Available for streaming below is the music video for “Break The Chains”, the first single from Damn Freaks, featuring Tygers Of Pan Tang singer Jack Meile.

Jack Meile says, “”Break The Chains” was one of the first song I listened to form the album and it reminded me of the early '80 US metal. I was, and still am, a huge fan of Dokken and Van Halen and I was definitely inspired by that when doing the vocals for this track.”

"I like songs based on a strong riff,” adds Damn Freaks guitarist Marco Torri. “Songs like “Ain't Talking About Love”… it's pure energy, it's like a steaming train rolling at full speed on the trails... for me that's what  a hard rock song should be all about!"

"Break The Chains" is the first single from the upcoming debut album Damn Freaks, released worldwide via Mighty Music on August 11th on CD and digital. The album was recorded in their home town Florence in Tuscany, Italy, and mixed and mastered by Harry Hess from Harem Scarem fame.

Damn Freaks are:

Matteo Panichi - drums
Marco Torri - electric and acoustic guitars
Iacopo “Jack” Meille - lead and backing vocals
Claudio Rogai - bass

(Photo - Nicola Serena)

Los Angeles rock'n'roll ambassadors, The Lords Of Altamont, have just inked a deal with European powerhouse Heavy Psych Sounds for the release of their sixth album, due out in the fall of 2017.

The Lords Of Altamont bring forth raw rock'n'roll fury birthed from the end of the peace and love era. What was meant to be the “Woodstock of the West", the infamous Altamont free concert on December 6th, 1969, was instead known for its heavy drugs, motorcycle chains, knuckle-dusters and later punctuated with shoving matches and fist fights. This palpable sense of bawdy foreboding resulted in four births, four deaths and extensive property damage.

While the hippies had been grooving and mellowing out in the Bay Area, the forefathers of The Lords Of Altamont were playing high energy rhythms in the beer soaked venues of Detroit and the dingy clubs along LA’s Sunset Strip. Mid-60s London R'n'B shares equal space with the scruffy 70s NYC Bowery among their influences, they take their other cues from kids banging out primitive riffs on cheap guitars all across the USA in garages, alongside chopped bikes and American v-8 muscle cars lingering exhaust fumes mixing with sweat... to conjure the rare elixir of real rock'n'roll.

The story of the band who would be soon known as The Lords Of Altamont gets a proper start in 1999. A son of Southern California and a veteran of the SoCal music scene, Jake Cavaliere - with numerous bands and projects from garage to punk dating back to the late 80s under his belt - enlisted fellow motorcycle rider and bandmate of instro/surf sensation The Bomboras, Johnny Devilla, to form something new. Max Eidson, Doran Shelley, and Gabriel Hammond rounded out the original lineup known as “The First Five”. Besides holding their first show at the legendary venue The Garage in Hollywood, high points include touring as the support act for their primitive rock'n'roll idols The Cramps, infamous rock gods The Who as well as counting late Michael Davis of the MC5 as a past member.

Through personnel changes and various adventures over the past 17+ years, The Lords Of Altamont continue to release albums and Jake “The Preacher” Cavaliere, along with his assemblage of gritty and talented personalities, continues to captivate audiences with unparalleled, hard-driven performances over the world.

The Lords Of Altamont are:

Jake Cavaliere
Dani Sindaco
Rob Zimmerman
Steven Van Der Werff

After the release of Dead Man's Voice' (2016, Napalm Records), German rockers The New Roses played more than 250 shows all over Europe, highlights included were their live performances at the UEFA Champions League Festival in Berlin, shows at the Hamburg and Swiss Harley Days and being special guests on tour with acts including Accept, Tremonti, Y&T, Saxon and The Dead Daisies to name just a few.

Now the band return with their third album, One More For The Road, which will be released on August 25th via Napalm Records. Delivering phenomenal hearty hymns, with One More For The Road, The New Roses again share the feeling of stepping into endless freedom and the album surely marks the band's catchiest, emotional and heaviest record to date.

Says the band: “One More For The Road is 100% New Roses, straight in your face rock’n’roll, no compromises, based on the experiences of the countless shows we played over the last year, dedicated to our great live audience. We can’t wait to play it live on our upcoming tour, because these songs were written for a hot stage, a loud crowd and a kick ass rock’n’roll band!"

Find the band’s tour schedule here.
   

Bay Area technical death core metallers, Rings Of Saturn, arrive back on the scene to release their fourth full length studio album Ultu Ulla on July 28th via Nuclear Blast Records. The alien death core quartet present an entirely new and esoteric proposition to heavy metal. In the video below, the band discusses their signing with Nuclear Blast:

Rings Of Saturn mastermind Lucas Mann discusses the album title: "The album name, Ultu Ulla, means "Time Immemorial" in Sumerian Cuneiform. Ultu Ulla (Time Immemorial) is about aliens transcending space and time and uncovering an ancient incomprehensible entity that threatens the fabric of universal existence."

Today, the band releases the first single of the album, "Inadequate". Watch the music video below.

Order your copy of the album digitally on iTunes and Amazon Music and receive a download for "Inadequate" instantly! http://nblast.de/RingsOfSaturnDigital

The album is be available in the following formats from the Nuclear Blast web shop::

- CD Jewel
- Mint Green Vinyl (Limited to 300 worldwide)
- T-shirt bundle ( T-shirt + CD + Poster)

The album is also available in the following formats from the official Rings Of Saturn merchandise store:

- CD Jewel
- T-shirt, Zip-up Hoodies, Sweatshirts, & Hat Designs
- Womens leggings
- Vinyl
- Extended Album Artwork Banners
- All-Over Prints

Pre-order Ultu Ulla in the format of your choice as well as merchandise here.

The hallucination inducing cover artwork was completed once again by Mark Cooper of Mind Rape Art. Made-up of a 3-piece painting that continues the story from the 2-piece artwork from Lugal Ki Em. Cooper fuses the band's musical and conceptual ideas forming a piece of art that embodies the complexity of the bands music.

Mark Cooper comments, "The general idea was to create a scene where gods from beyond time and space are invading 3D-reality and taking over. They are chaotic beings that can take any form at will and manifest anything with their imaginations."

The guitars, bass, and synth tracks for Ultu Ulla were completed at Mann Studios. The drums and vocals were recorded in Florida at Krikbride Studios. Mixing, mastering, and production was completed by Studio 344 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Tracklisting:

“Servant Of This Sentience”
“Parallel Shift”
“Unhallowed”
“Immemorial Essence”
“The Relic”
“Margidda”
“Harvest”
“The Macrocosm”
“Prognosis Confirmed”
“Inadequate”

“Inadequate” video:

Rings Of Saturn are:

Lucas Mann - guitars, bass, synth
Ian Bearer - lyrics, vocals
Aaron Stechauner - drums
Miles Dimitri Baker - guitar