The collaboration of the Asia co-founders John Wetton and Geoff Downes' iCon has led to the formation of Epicon Records (via Cherry Red) and its first release of Urban Psalm as a 2CD/1DVD set. The release was planned before John Wetton's death in January 2017 and is fully approved by Geoff Downes and the Wetton Estate.

The concert was filmed at the iconic St Mary-le-Bow church in London and features a unique set including iCon songs, heritage tracks and the greatest hits of Asia. This release of Urban Psalm is the first in a series of definitive re-releases of the iCon catalogue.

The Urban Psalm recording also features Dave Kilminster (Roger Waters, Keith Emerson) on guitars, Pete Riley (whom John called “the best drummer in the world” and played with Keith Emerson alongside Dave), Panic Room's Anne-Marie Helder on vocals and ELO's Hugh McDowell played cello.

Of the release Geoff Downes said: “Urban Psalm emerged out of a very special one-time concert featuring the music of John and I. Set in an historic church in London, the concert was recorded and filmed. Concert goers received a DVD as part of their attendance. Few people had the opportunity to see this live and until now has had very limited fan-based distribution.”

The setting was historic and intimate and the film has not been shared widely until now, although fans came from around the world to participate. You're in for a rare treat! Order via the links below:

- 2CD/1DVD
- Digital

Swedish melodic metallers, Narnia, are back with a new, self-titled album, to be released on July 21st via Massacre Records. A first impression comes in form of the official video for the single "Thank You", which you can watch below.

The new album was mixed and mastered by Thomas "Plec" Johansson. The cover artwork was created by Markus Sigfridsson.

Narnia will be available as a digipak CD with exclusive bonus tracks. Additional details will be released soon.

Tour dates:

July
8 - Halmstad, Sweden - Gullbrannafestivalen

August
4 - Rejmyre, Sweden - Skogsröjet Festival
18 - Falun, Sweden - Sabaton Open Air
19 - Sävsjö, Sweden - Sävsjö Celebration

September
9 - Uppsala, Sweden - KulturNatten

Adrenaline Mob founding member/guitarist Mike Orlando has released a guitar playthrough video for “King Of The Ring”, the opening track from the band’s new album, We The People, out now. The clip is available for streaming below.

We The People tracklisting:

“King Of The Ring”
“We The People”
“The Killer's Inside”
“Bleeding Hands”
“Chasing Dragons”
“Til The Head Explodes”
“What You're Made Of”
“Raise 'Em Up”
“Ignorance & Greed”
“Blind Leading The Blind”
“Violent State Of Mind”
“Lords Of Thunder”
“Rebel Yell”

LP bonus tracks (featuring cover songs from Dearly Departed never before released on vinyl):

“Devil Went Down To Georgia”
“Snortin' Whiskey”
“Tie Your Mother Down”

“King Of The Ring” guitar playthrough:

“Lords Of Thunder”:

"Chasing Dragons" lyric video:

“King Of The Ring” video:

Adrenaline Mob will embark on a 30 date US tour starting June 16th in Poughkeepsie, NY. Support on all dates will be provided by Canadian band The Wild!. A complete list of dates for the tour can be found below.

June
16 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Loft
17 - New York, NY - Marlin Room
18 - Haverhill, MA - The Whiskey Barrell
20 - Pittsburgh, PA - Hard Rock
21 - Rochester, NY - Harmony House
22 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
23 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
25 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar
27 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
28 - Salt Lake City, UT - Royal Bar
29 - Idaho Falls, ID - The Gem

July
1 - Everett, WA - Tony V Garage
3 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
6 - Las Vegas, NV - Beauty Bar
7 - West Hollywood, CA - Viper Room
8 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
9 - Scottsdale, AZ - Pub Rock
11 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
12 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It Live
14 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater
15 - Sanford, FL - West End Trading Co.
16 - Jacksonville, FL - 1904 Music Hall
17 - Greenacres, FL - Piepers Sports Bar
19 - Wilmington, NC - The Throne Theater
20 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
21 - Easton, PA - One Centre Square
22 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz

An old rule says that musicians usually write their best material when they leave all commercial considerations, market analyses and the public’s supposed expectations aside and simply follow their innermost artistic instinct. Which is precisely how Alpha Tiger from Freiberg in Saxony went about writing and recording their most recent oeuvre, and the result is an offering that’s as impressive as it is surprising: their latest, self-titled release sounds rock-oriented and melodic, anthemnic and diverse, and - thanks to its completely analogue production - wonderfully organic.

“This is the album that I’ve always wanted to make,” explains Peter Langforth, the band’s guitarist and songwriter. “It’s definitely our most mature and grown-up release to date.”

Mind you, the omens didn’t seem to bide all that well, seeing that Alpha Tiger had to come to terms with the departure of their previous vocalist immediately after the completion of their 2015 album iDENTITY. Luckily their short, intense search via social media produced the solution to the problem, a kind of singing saviour named Benjamin Jaino.

Jaino joined Alpha Tiger in summer 2015 and immediately underwent a real endurance test: without much time for preparations, he found himself performing live on stage alongside his new colleagues Langforth, Alexander Backasch (guitar), Dirk Frei (bass) and David Schleif (drums) only a few weeks after his enlistment, supporting Alpha Tiger shortly afterwards on their joint European tour with Battle Beast.

“This way, Benjamin had already fifty shows with us under his belt when we started working on the new album. So we knew what to do to make the new material suit his voice,” Langforth describes the challenge that the band faced and praises the new band member’s commitment: “Benjamin identifies totally with Alpha Tiger and delivered an awesome performance at the studio. His vocals are full of emotion, he literally screamed his heart out.”

Alpha Tiger will be available at physical and digital stores from August 25th on CD Digi (+ poster), 2LP plus CD, download and stream, before that the new digital single and video for "Comatose" will be released by the end of June.

The album was recorded and mixed by Richard Behrens, guest musicians were organist Johannes Walenta and Berlin bands Street Hawk and Space Chaser (the choir vocals on “My Dear Old Friend” and “Singularity”).

“It had always been my dream to record an album totally analogue with a real tape machine”, confesses Langforth, who struck lucky at Berlin’s Big Snuff Studio. “We’d rehearsed the material ad nauseam beforehand and then recorded all basic tracks practically live. This way, we’ve come up with a record that we’re all totally happy with and that’s honest and hand-made in the true sense of the word.”

No doubt about it: the band’s fans will be just as happy.

Tracklisting:

“Road To Vega”
“Comatose”
“Feather In The Wind”
“Singularity”
“Aurora”
“To Wear A Crown”
“Vice”
“Welcome To Devil's Town”
“My Dear Old Friend”
“If The Sun Refused To Shine”
“The Last Encore”

 

Shaman’s Harvest and Mascot Records are streaming the lead single from the band’s upcoming album, Red Hands Black Deeds, out on July 28th. “The Come Up” hits SiriusXM Octane straight into power rotation. It is also featured on all streaming services globally.

Singer Nathan Hunt shares, “There's so much negativity on social media today ‑ a lot of people struggling with real issues and with where we're at as a nation. This song is therapeutic for me personally, and I hope it speaks to our fans. Sometimes when you just can't change shit, you got to realize you can't mold everything in your life.  You kind of just have to roll with the punches.”

Produced by Keith Armstrong, the new album pre-meditatively took on a more organic approach, utilizing vintage gear. Nathan Hunt offers, “We used analog effects pedals and vintage amps. It was kind of like trying to find the melting point between Midwest and L.A. It still has the Shaman's Harvest Midwest vibe to it, but it definitely has organic L.A. written all over it."

Guitarist Josh Hamler adds, “Goat toes are the new cowbells. We'd tell Keith we wanted a certain sound, and he'd pull stuff out that we never thought of, like the goat toes we used on “Blood Trophies” and "A Longer View” or sandpaper on ‘Scavengers’.”

The band - singer Nathan Hunt, bassist Matt Fisher, rhythm guitarist Josh Hamler, lead guitarist Derrick Shipp, and drummer Adam Zemanek - simply didn't want to use anything digital, and when a certain effect was needed they approached the process creatively, coming up with solutions to reach a realized vision. As Hamler shares, “We had been so stuck in our way of writing and recording, but Keith had a different, more interesting approach to coming up with that sound. He really helped us find a fresh new creative path."

Red Hands Black Deeds is a darker, visceral, and more layered sound than past repertoire offered on the band’s first five studio albums. The album ranges from the ominous, haunting vibes of the title track prelude, "A Longer View," "The Devil In Our Wake," and "Scavengers" - which could fit just as easily on a horror film soundtrack as it does on this rock band's album - to quieter, more vulnerable moments as heard on "Tusk And Bone" and "Long Way Home”.

Lyrically, the band also ventured into new territory, taking on the current political, social, and economic struggles we're facing as a nation under the new administration. "Red Hands Black Deeds touches upon the darker nature inside all of us,” says Hunt. “The whole record has a contrast and push and pull tension - a juxtaposition of good and bad or questioning what is right and wrong. The record ended up having a concept, though we weren’t intending it to," says Hunt.

The writing of the record began in November 2016 at the time of the presidential election, so it's no wonder there are social and political undertones to many of the songs. "The tension in the record kind of speaks for itself. There's a dark anxiety, tension-filled feeling that reflects what’s going on in the world," says Hamler.

"The Come Up," the album’s first single, is an upbeat song that juxtaposes a Motown backbeat with classic Rolling Stones rock and roll swagger, and that delves into depression. "There's so much negativity on social media today ‑ a lot of people struggling with real issues and with where we're at as a nation," says Hunt.

But, "The Come Up" is also an acknowledgment of the singer's own battle with depression. "It's therapeutic for myself," he says. "It's just about sometimes when you just can't change shit, you got to realize you can't mold everything in your life and you kind of just have to roll with the punches," says Hunt, who overcame throat cancer in 2014 that could've derailed the band, but didn't.

"A Longer View" is a song that touches on civil unrest we face today and global race issues. "When you step back, you see we're all just humans. That's the longer view. It doesn't matter. At the end of the day, we all just want love and to be understood," says Hunt.

On a similar note, "The Broken Ones" touches on immigration issues, as well as anyone who feels disenfranchised, such as Hunt's own Native American ancestors. "My father's family is part of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, which is made of a lot of different races and regions, and because of that they don't get all of the benefits that federally recognized tribes have. The song is a cynical look at society today," says Hunt, whose heritage inspired the band's name.

"The Devil in Our Wake" tackles the topic of war. "I'd go to bed with CNN on to some bullshit at the White House, or the heartbreaking situation in Syria. I'd see what's going on in the world and think, 'Shit, how did we get so divisive?'" says Hunt.

"Soul Crusher," a funky rocker about fighting through tough times, shows off the band's musical versatility. "It mixes a lot of genres musically. You can’t help but want to dance and bob your head. It touches on that old Motown vibe. But it also has some Texas blues to it," says Hunt.

Even through the singer's battle with cancer, and other trials and tribulations every band goes through, the band has persevered. Born in Jefferson City, Missouri, Shaman's Harvest released their first album, Last Call for Goose Creek in 1999, followed by Synergy (2002) and March of the Bastards (2006) before having their break-through moment with 2009's Shine. Shine featured the standout track, "Dragonfly," which hit #9 on Billboard's Heritage Rock chart and #15 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It was also featured on the soundtrack to the major motion picture, Legendary, and the video has garnered more than 4.5 million YouTube views.

The band followed that success with their Mascot Records debut, Smokin' Hearts & Broken Guns in 2014, which has garnered more than 31 million streams. The album's "In Chains" peaked at #11 on the Media Base chart after a run of 22 weeks at Active Rock radio. It also spent over four months in the Top 10 of iTunes Metal Songs Chart. The song's video has more than 3 million views on YouTube, while the band has a cumulative 8 million YouTube views.

Shaman's Harvest has had equal success on the touring front. They've toured or shared the stage with major artists like AC/DC, Alice In Chains, Godsmack, Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Nickelback, Three Doors Down, In This Moment, Daughtry, Cheap Trick, Theory of a Deadman, Hinder, and others, and played major festivals like Rocklahoma, Rock on the Range, Rock Fest, KRockathon, Rockin' The Rivers, Texas Mutiny, Rock Carnival 2016, High Elevation Rock Festival, and Midwest Rock Fest.

The key to the band's longevity is threefold: Staying in Missouri, which gives the band a Midwestern authenticity. "Our music wouldn't be what it is if we weren't from a hillbilly kind of a state," notes Fisher. Second, knowing the gift of distance and being open to change. "It's been 21 years for us," Fisher continues, "so it's a brotherhood and there are fights, but I think over all it's just keeping some distance in between tours when we need it."

And, third: "Growing musically as a band each time. I think this record, with how differently we approached it and how we expanded our sonic palette, is a good step toward a new future for us," adds Fisher.

Tracklisting:

“Red Hands Black Deeds” (Prelude)
“Broken Ones”
“The Come Up”
“A Longer View”
“Soul Crusher”
“Off The Tracks”
“Long Way Home”
“The Devil in Our Wake”
“Blood Trophies”
“So Long”
“Tusk and Bone”
“Scavengers”

“Red Hands Black Deeds”:

Trailer:

Find the band’s live itinerary at this location.

A video for “Born Free”, from Halloween founding member Kai Hansen’s show at last year’s Wacken Open Air festival, is available for streaming below. “Born Free” is the opening track on Hansen & Friends - Thank You Waken Live, due for release on June 23rd.

The following formats will be released: Digital, CD+DVD, LP, and Blu-Ray+CD.

Filmed and recorded on a muddy vibrant summer evening at last year’s Wacken Open Air Festival, Thank You Wacken is a unique snapshot in time as this was the first and only performance of Kai Hansen’s band, with whom he recorded and co-wrote his 2016 solo debut XXX – Three Decades In Metal.

He was joined on stage by Alex Dietz on bass (Heaven Shall Burn), Eike Freese on guitar (Dark Age), Michael Ehré (Gamma Ray) on drums, Corvin Bahn on keys (Crystal Breed), Clémentine Delauney (Visions Of Atlantis) and Frank Beck (Gamma Ray) on backing vocals.

A special treat was the performance of Michael Kiske (Helloween, Unisonic) who joined Kai on stage to perform Helloween classics that for a few minutes set Wacken on fire.

Tracklisting:

“Born Free”
“Ride The Sky” (Hellowen cover)
“Contract Song”
“Victim Of Fate” (Hellowen cover)
“Enemies Of Fun”
“Fire & Ice”
“Burning Bridges”
“Follow The Sun”
“I Want Out” (Hellowen cover)
“Future World” (Hellowen cover)
“All Or Nothing”
“Save Us” (Hellowen cover)

“Born Free”:

“Fire & Ice”:

 

 

SLIPKNOT is teasing a June 9 announcement which is expected to include details of the band's new concert DVD. The set will apparently contain footage of the group's December 5, 2015 performance at Knotfest México which was part of SLIPKNOT's tour in support of its latest album, 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter".

Three teaser videos have been released thus far (see below), with each clip representing one of the three colors (green, white and red) of the Mexican flag.

SLIPKNOT's setlist for the 2015 Knotfest México show was as follows:

01. Sarcastrophe02. The Heretic Anthem03. Psychosocial04. The Devil In I05. Me Inside06. Vermilion07. Wait And Bleed08. Prosthetics09. Before I Forget10. Eeyore11. Duality12. Custer13. Spit It Out14. Metabolic

Encore:

15. (Sic)16. People = Shit17. Surfacing

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.




Soon // slipknot1.com

Posted by Slipknot on Monday, June 5, 2017



3 Days // slipknot1.com

Posted by Slipknot on Tuesday, June 6, 2017



2 Days // slipknot1.com

Posted by Slipknot on Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Amsterdam based metal band The Charm The Fury have released the full set of their show at this year's Pinkpop in Landgraaf, Netherlands.  The biggest national music station, 3voor12, voted their show as the #3 performance of the weekend. Watch the whole show below:

Summer tour:

June
9 – Paris, France – Download Paris
11 – Donington Park – Download Festival
13 – Brussels, Belgium – AB
18 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop Metal Meeting
21 – Tilburg, Netherlands – 013
22 – Madrid, Spain – Download Madrid
24 – Jsselsteyn, Netherlands – Jera On Air

July
8 – Andijk, Netherlands – Dijkpop Festival
13 – Vizovice, Czech Republic – Masters Of Rock
15 – Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands – Zwarte Cross
22 – Dresden, Germany – Woodstage
29 – Oulu, Finland – Qstock Festival

August
4 – Lissabon, Portugal – Vagos Open Air
11 – Leeuwarden, Netharlands – Into The Grave Festival
13 – Budapest, Hungary – Sziget Festival
18 – Lierop, Netherlands – Nirwana Tuinfeest
19 – Germany – Summerbreeze Festival
25 – Sulingen, Germany – Reload Festival 

Amaranthe and Eluveitie will hit the road in Europe this winter for a co-headlining tour. The Charm The Fury are on the bill as support.

Tour dates:

October
25 - Parma, Italy - Campus Industry
26 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
27 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
28 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Masters of Rock Cafe
29 - Vienna, Austria - Simm City
30 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
31 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Kino Siska

November
2 - Paris, France - Cabaret Sauvage
3 - London, UK - Assembly Rooms
4 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Effenaar
5 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
6 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
8 - Berlin, Germany - Kesselhaus
9 - München, Germany - Backstage
10 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
12 - Bochum, Germany – Zeche

Finnish "epic film score" metallers Ravenia have released a new single and lyric video “Creators Of The Apocalypse”. Led by the angelic voice of Armi Päivinen the trailer music and epic film score metal hybrid will please both fans of trailer music, such as Two Steps From Hell, Really Slow Motion, as well as lovers of symphonic metal.

Tracklisting:

“Creators Of The Apocalypse”
“In The Ever After”

Ravenia is a trailer music and epic film score metal hybrid, founded in
2013. The band says, “We are unique in our kind, our roots are made of metal but our branches extend beyond the ordinary. We are here to give you the best of both worlds!”

Ravenia released their debut album Beyond The Walls Of Death 2016 via Inner Wound Recordings.

The Elements Of King Crimson 2017 Tour Box is now available for pre-order at this location.

As with previous releases in the Elements series, the full variety of King Crimson's music is presented over 2 CDs. Featuring extracts from rehearsals, new live recordings, elements from studio recordings, full tracks, alternate takes and finished recordings from 1969-2016, many of which make their first appearance on CD.

Every lineup is featured across the double CD set. Of particular interest on the new set is the inclusion on Disc 2 of every part of “Larks' Tongues In Aspic” (some studio, some live) from “Part I” to “Level 5” - interspersed with elements taken from the original studio sessions and rehearsals.

Packaged in a DVD-sized fold out digipak style book case with a 24 page booklet including sleeve notes by co-compiler Sid Smith, photos of memorabilia, full info about the 2016 tour and a number of band and individual photos of the current band lineup.

Disc 1
“Wind” (extract)
“21st Century Schizoid Man” (Greg Lake vocals, extract) *
“21st Century Schizoid Man” (edit, live 2015) *
“In The Wake Of Poseidon” (instrumental edit)
“Improv” (Mel Collins, extract, live 2016) *
“Peace” (2015, rehearsals extract) *
“Cirkus” (live 2016) *
“Islands” (instrumental edit)
“Easy Money” (live 2015)
“Suitable Grounds For The Blues” (2015, rehearsals extract) *
“The Great Deceiver” (live, 1974)
“Improv” (Mel Collins, extract, live 2016) *
“Asbury Park” (edit)
“One More Red Nightmare” (live 2016) *
“Meltdown” (2015, rehearsals extract) *
“Thela Hun Ginjeet” (Steven Wilson alt. mix)
“Heartbeat” (live 1982)
“Sleepless” (live 2008) *
RF intermission announcement (2016) *

Disc 2
“Form No. 1”
“THRAK”
“Keep That One Nick” (edit section)    
“Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part I” (live 2015)
“Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part II” (live 1974)
“Keep That One Nick” (edit section)
“Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part III” (live 1984) *
“Keep That One Nick” (edit section)    
“Larks' IV ConstruKction” *
“Keep That One Nick” (edit section)
“Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part IV” (live 2003) *
“Level Five” (live 2016) *
“Larks' Tongues In Aspic” (radio advert)

* previously unreleased on CD

Foghat drummer Roger Earl has been fortunate enough to have had ‘too much fun’ for the past 40+ years and he and his band mates haven’t stopped yet. Neither has Foghat’s music, which is still getting lots of airplay and has developed a new generation of fans, turned on to the band through their classic song “Slow Ride”.

As a thank you, Foghat is giving away a free download of “Slow Ride” from their upcoming June 30th release, Live At The Belly Up, to everyone who pre-orders from their Pledge Music website.

Recorded on August 11th, 2016 at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA, Live At The Belly Up contains 11 high energy tracks including most of Foghat’s hits along with three tracks from last year’s release, Under The Influence. The band is running a pre-order Pledge campaign with several cool items featuring the artwork from Live At The Belly Up, which they love. And ‘pledgers’ get a free download of “Slow Ride” with every pledge. More info here.

Live At The Belly Up tracklisting:

“Fool For City” / “Eight Days On The Road”
“Under The Influence”
“Stone Blue”
“Drivin' Wheel”
“Knock It Off”
“Terraplane Blues”
“Hot Mama”
“California Blues”
“I Just Want To Make Love To You”
“Slow Ride”

“Slow Ride”:

It’s hard to believe that it has been 40 years since the August 1977 release of the double platinum Foghat LIVE album, one of the top classic rock live albums of that era, and which became their highest charting album in the US at #11. LIVE contained powerful versions of “Fool For The City”, “I Just Want To Make Love To You”, and “Slow Ride”, along with “Home In My Hand”, “Honey Hush” and “Road Fever”.

Per Roger Earl: “It doesn’t seem that long ago that we recorded the live album in Rochester and Syracuse. We were right in the middle of one of our never-ending tours, so the band was hot! Really hot! And we were having a good time! Way too good a time! Only 6 songs were on the record, although we recorded many more. I don’t know whatever became of them, but it turned out to be a great representation of what the band was all about. Playing Live!”

To celebrate, Foghat is performing the entire LIVE album in their 2017 set along with many other fan favorites.
 
According to lead singer Charlie Huhn, “Performing the Foghat LIVE album is like going back in history, so much excitement in that set!”

And current bass player Rodney O’Quinn quips: “40 years later, it still makes me want to crank it up! Foghat LIVE, was one of the greatest live albums to come out of the 70's! Growing up with Foghat LIVE, I cut my teeth trying to learn the thundering bass lines laid down by Craig MacGregor. 40 years later, I am honoured, not only to perform the Foghat LIVE set, but to have my own mark in the Foghat legacy with the release of Live At The Belly Up! Rock ’n roll dreams do come true!”

“The Belly Up show was a lot of fun, great sounding room, the band was hot, the people were rockin and the folks who ran the club were cool. And Bryan worked his magic once again on the recording. I love this band!!” - Roger Earl

A video snippet of Foghat performing "I Just Want To Make Love To You” from the Belly Up Tavern 8/11/16 can be viewed below:

Foghat is on the road (as usual) with many dates scheduled in the US and Mexico. These include some dates with George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Rock Of The 70’s dates with a terrific lineup of bands, and several dates that are part of the Jeff & Larry Backyard Barbeque.  This is a Live Nation tour with Jeff Foxworthy & Larry The Cable Guy, a very cool new idea for an evening of comedy and rock.

And to round out the tour, in October/November they are also performing six shows on the beautiful Riviera Maya in Mexico at the RockGetAway Festival with the likes of Don Henley, Steve Miller Band, Cheap Trick, Roger Daltrey, Foreigner, Bad Company and many more.

Find Foghat’s live itinerary at this location.

Pennsylvania-based metal act Next To None, featuring drummer Max Portnoy, will release their second album, Phases, on July 7th via EMP Label Group in North America, and InsideOutMusic in Europe. A new album teaser video is available for streaming below.

Formed in 2012, in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, the foursome released their debut, A Light In The Dark, in 2015 via InsideOut, before setting out to work on Phases. The album features 12 tracks of powerful modern metal, self-recorded by the band at singer/keyboardist Thomas Cuce’s home studio Battery Power Studios, and mixed by Grammy nominated Periphery bassist Adam “Nolly” Getgood.

Drummer Max Portnoy says, “It's a collective production, with all of the band having their say. We had strong ideas as to how we wanted this album to turn out, and if we'd brought in an outside producer, then this could have changed. So, it was best for us to stick together and follow our own vision.”

The recording process started early last October, with drum parts being recorded at Neal Morse's Radiant Studios in Nashville; these sessions were engineered by Jerry Guidroz.

Says Portnoy, “We then spent about four months at Thomas' home studio (Battery Powered Studios) doing the rest of the work; Thomas was the engineer for those sessions. We were in there every day until 3am. I don't know how Kris coped, because he was going to school after we'd finished in the studio and getting just a couple of hours sleep.”

He continues, "We're so excited to finally be releasing our new album. We feel it's a huge step forward for the band and shows a much heavier and much more technical side. This album is very special to us because it's the first time we recorded and self-produced our entire album. We were able to create music that is completely our own. Every note, every sound, every word, came from us and we can't wait for you all to hear it. I suppose you could say that we've done here is do more of everything we did before, but the greater experience we now have has helped us become better at what we want to do.”

Vocalist Cuce adds, “Working with Nolly on the mix has been one of the highlights of this recording for us. He captured the exact sound we wanted right from the start. Doing this upcoming tour with The Shattered Fortress will be a great opportunity to premiere this new material to an audience that will surely get where we're coming from."

Phases marks the recording debut of new guitarist Derrick Schneider, who came on a recommendation from band friend and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, who guested on the band’s first album. Guitarist Ryland Holland departed the band last year to attend Berklee College of Music.

Tracklisting:

“13”
“Answer Me”
“The Apple”
“Beg”
“Alone”
“Kek”
“Clarity”
“Pause”
“Mr Mime”
“Isolation”
“Denial”
“The Wanderer”

Album teaser:

“The Apple” video:

Dates with Shattered Fortress are listed below.

June
28 - Koko - London, England

July
1 - Trianon - Paris, France
2 - Slagthuset - Malmo, Sweden
3 - Kulturfabrik - Esch Sur Alzette, Sweden
4 - Teatro Della Luna - Milan, Italy
5 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
6 - 013 - Tilburg, Holland

September
10 - El Plaza Condesa - Mexico City, Mexico
24 - Irving Plaza - New York City, NY

On July 7th, legendary rock vocalist Graham Bonnet returns with a new live album and home video captured during his acclaimed performance at Frontiers Rock Festival III in Trezzo (Milan, Italy) on April 24th, 2016. A video for “S.O.S.” from the upcoming Live… Here Comes The Night release is available for streaming below.

Accompanied by a stellar band featuring founding member Beth-Ami Heavenstone on bass, South American guitar sensation Conrado Pesinato on lead guitar, and Mark Zonder (known for his work with Warlord and Fates Warning) on drums, Bonnet masterfully delivered a thrilling “Best of” set which included songs from his stints with bands such as Rainbow, McAuley Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, Impellitteri, and of course his solo material too.

Bonnet says: "It's been a very long time since I last released a live video, 33 years to be exact, with Alcatrazz. Myself and the band were very excited to film and record our performance at the Frontiers Rock Festival for a live album and video and are very happy with the final result!”

Bonnet has a powerful and distinctive vocal style and, indeed, a distinctive image - preferring to let the music, rather than the conventional heavy metal look, do the talking.

The Graham Bonnet Band has spent the last two years touring regularly around the world and this past winter, released his latest successful release, The Book. With the band and Bonnet fine-tuned from all their touring when they got to Frontiers Rock Festival, this stellar set that was captured there makes for a new live album that will blow GBB (and heavy rock fans in general) away!

Tracklisting:

CD-DVD/Blu-Ray:

“Eyes Of The World”
“All Night Long”
“S.O.S.”
“Stand In Line”
“Will You Be Home Tonight”
“Jet To Jet”
“Night Games”
“Suffer Me”
“Dancer”
“Desert Song”
“Island In The Sun”
“Since You Been Gone”
“Assault Attack”
“Lost In Hollywood”

“S.O.S.” video:

“Jet To Jet” video:

Lineup:

Graham Bonnet - Vocals
Beth-Ami Heavenstone - Bass
Conrado Pesinato - Guitars
Mark Zonder - Drums

In the new video below, guitarist Thomas Zwijsen performs an acoustic/classical/fingerstyle/flamenco guitar arrangement of Iron Maiden’s “The Red And The Black”, featured on Maiden’s new album, The Book Of Souls.

Thomas recently posted another Iron Maiden cover, performed at the EEF Festival in Holland. “I actually didn't want to upload any more versions of “The Trooper”,” he said. “But this one was particularly fun to play, cause we started it way too fast, so we had to finish it in that tempo... enjoy! On drums we have Nathanael Taekema and on bass Anton Zwijsen.”

Zwijsen previously posted this cover of Iron Maiden's "Dance Of Death”:

Texas power metal kings Helstar have released the video for “Awaken Unto Darkness”, the new single from their current LP Vampiro, a continuation of their classic 1989 Metal Blade release Nosferatu.

 

Preorder a limited edition copy of Vampiro on blood-red double gatefold vinyl. Order now and receive your copy by early June. A very limited amount will be available from retail and direct from EMP Merch. Order now. The album will also see a 2017 Russian release through Fono Records.

As the excitement continues to build and Ray Suhy gears up for the release of his "Fulmination" EP June 16th, he has released the track "Cess Pool". Check it out below.

Guitarist Ray Suhy of the bands Six Feet Under, Cannabis Corpse and ex-East Of The Wall is set to release Fulmination, his first release since 2015's fusion record Tessellations. Suhy returns this time with an explosive, instrumental metal EP. Fulmination will be released June 16th via Cessation Engine Records.

Suhy explains how Fulmination came to be: "Fulmination has been a long time in the making. Creating an instrumental guitar record that was riff heavy and had interesting melodies and solo sections has been in the back of my mind for about 7 years now.

“The drums, which were performed by 19-year-old Victor Montanaro, had been sitting on my hard drive for about two years. Victor was perfect for this project. He was easily able to navigate all the shifting time signatures and adapt my programmed drums into his own parts. During some down time after recording the new Cannabis Corpse record and between Six Feet Under tours I decided to finish this thing up.

“The meaning of Fulmination is "an expression of vehement protest" or "a violent explosion". I felt it was the perfect title for the song and the EP overall. I use music to express the many things I feel each day and sometimes that expression is an angry and violent one when I'm trying to process all of the insane things that are happening in the world today. As artists, we can either let what's happening around us be very upsetting and stifling to our creativity or we can flip that around and use that energy in a cathartic and positive way. Fulmination was a great for me in that way.”

Fulmination is available for pre-order in a various formats here.

Fulmination tracklisting:

“Cerulean”
“Fulmination”
“Subjugation”
“Cess Pool”

"Cess Pool":

"Cerulean" video:

Trailer:

It's a music collector's dream come true - vintage demo tracks, never heard before, from space rock supergroup Captain Beyond are released on both CD and special limited edition red coloured vinyl. For those new to the band, Captain Beyond are one of the most under appreciated gems of '70s rock. A supergroup of sorts, featuring members of Deep Purple (Rod Evans), Iron Butterfly (Lee Dorman & Rhino Reinhardt), and The Johnny Winter Band (Bobby Caldwell), Captain Beyond released three studio albums that caused shockwaves in the music world, the effects of which still ripple to this day.

Legend has it that Duane Allman heard a demo tape of the unsigned Captain Beyond and was so blown away that he all but demanded the band join The Allman Brother's own label Capricorn Records. The rest, of course, is history but those original demos remained buried by time until just recently when they were uncovered by Captain drummer Bobby Caldwell. Now these are released as Lost & Found 1972-1973 via Purple Pyramid Records.

Not only will fans be able to hear the original versions of songs such as “I Can't Feel Nothing” and “Dancing Madly Backwards”, but there’s a special treat for diehard fans: “Uranus Expressway” is a song that has never appeared on any subsequent Captain Beyond release. Lost & Found is available on CD in a deluxe gatefold wallet with extensive liner notes by music historian Dave Thompson as well as a limited edition red colored vinyl pressing.

Tracklisting:

“Uranus Expressway” (previously unreleased)
“I Can't Feel Nothing, Pt. 1”
“As The Moon Speaks (To The Waves Of The Sea)”
“Astral Lady”
“As The Moon Speaks (Return)”
“I Can't Feel Nothing, Pt. 2”
“Icarus”
“Raging River Of Fear”
“Dancing Madly Backwards (On A Sea Of Air)”
“Myopic Void” (CD only)

Purchase via the following links:

- CD
- LP
- Digital

Entheos (pictured above), the metal quartet lauded for crafting technically masterful, conceptual music, have signed to Spinefarm. The band features one-time members of highly respected heavy bands Animals As Leaders, The Faceless, and Scale The Summit, and they have shared the stage with Black Dahlia Murder, Veil Of Maya, and other metal heavyweights.

Entheos are currently working on their second album and Spinefarm debut, which is expected this fall.

"We are excited to announce that we have signed with Spinefarm Records," the band said. "After meeting and spending a little time with each person who works at the label, we can honestly say that not only are they some of the coolest, most down to earth people we have met in this industry. They truly believe in our vision for this band. We are proud to be a part of such an amazing team and roster of bands."

London's alt rockers In Search Of Sun (pictured above) have signed a worldwide deal with Spinefarm Records. The band's forthcoming album, Virgin Funk Mother, is now recorded, mixed and mastered, with Nolly Getgood from Periphery coming on board to handle the mix; this emotive, rousing, finely-crafted 11-tracker - featuring a guest appearance from Monuments guitarist John Browne on the song "Bad Girl" - will see a worldwide release later this year, preceded by singles, videos and on-the-road activity.

In Search Of Sun made their major festival debut in 2016 when they appeared at the UK's legendary Download event, getting a great turnout and response. Touring and gigging with the likes of Twelve Foot Ninja and Nothing More has helped to garner massive praise for both their energetic live performance and their dynamic sound, which refuses to play the genre game and can best be described as a "breath of fresh air."

"We are truly proud to announce that we have signed a deal with Spinefarm Records," the band said. "It is a pleasure to be a part of such a great roster of bands, and we look forward to beginning this new chapter in our career alongside a team of passionate individuals who truly believe in our vision."

Austin's From Beyond (pictured above) have signed to Candlelight/Spinefarm. With several EPs, including a split with ASG in their repertoire, the band is ready to take things to the next level by linking up with the label and releasing their debut album this fall.

With a tour history that includes gigs with The Sword, Purson, Truckfighters, and Saint Vitus, From Beyond make new fans and believers the minute they step on any stage. Blending thundering amplifier stacks and massive drums with synthesizers and effects, the band create something hauntingly familiar in unexplored sonic territory.

Everything you love about horror and all things strange, dark, and heavy find their way into their music in a something-for-everyone approach that leaves no stone unturned - no matter how heavy.

Stay tuned for updates.

Chicago-based experimental metal band THE ATLAS MOTH has inked a deal with Prosthetic Records. Described by Pitchfork as having, "turned black metal torment into post-rock splendor, mid-tempo marches into alternate-universe alternative rock, and late-album comedowns into psychedelic dreamstates", the five-piece is augmenting their ever-evolving sound with producer Sanford Parker (VOIVOD, EYEHATEGOD) at the helm. Vocalist/guitarist Stavros Giannopoulos comments on the signing: "We have nothing but the best things to say about our time with Profound Lore and we are equally excited to start our next chapter with Prosthetic Records!

"We are currently tracking our fourth full-length record, 'Coma Noir', in Chicago with Sanford Parker at the helm!

"We've known Sanford for many years and are stoked to have him be the first to produce a moth record outside of the band." "Coma Noir" will be released in the fall. THE ATLAS MOTH has released three full-length albums so far: "A Glorified Piece Of Blue Sky" (Candlelight), "An Ache For The Distance" (Profound Lore) and "The Old Believer" (Profound Lore), as well as numerous splits, EPs and singles. They have toured with GOJIRA, BORIS, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, THE OCEAN, SCALE THE SUMMIT and many more throughout the world. THE ATLAS MOTH is:

Andrew Ragin - Synth/guitarAlex Klein - BassMike Miczek - DrumsDavid Kush - Guitar/VocalsStavros Giannopoulos - Guitar/Vocals

DISTURBED's cover version of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence" was officially certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association Of America on May 26, commemorating more than two million units' worth of sales and streams.

The RIAA's certification program was launched with the gold record in 1958. Presently, the RIAA awards a gold honor for 500,000 units sold, a platinum honor for 1 million units sold and a diamond award for more than 10 million units sold, with 100 streams counting as one certifiable unit.

Asked if DISTURBED had to get permission from Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel to record a cover version of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence" for DISTURBED's "Immortalized" album, singer David Draiman told the X96 radio station: "No. When you do a cover, you don't actually have to get permission from anybody. You just need to give them the publishing that it generates, legally. Now, you always hope that whoever the writer is, that they'll give you their blessing, or at least like what you've done, but unless you're going to utilize it for television purposes, or things of that nature, it's a different licensing, and for those purposes, you'd have to get permission. But just to actually cover the song, that you don't need permission.'

He continued: "Permission or not, Paul reached out to me and we've been in contact with each other a number of times already. He contacted me right after [DISTURBED's] 'Conan' performance [of 'The Sound Of Silence'] and was very, very complimentary, and has been a big supporter. And [he] posted the 'Conan' performance, actually, on his own social media and has really been very, very positive and, like I said, very flatteringly complimentary about it. So it's been very surreal."

The video for DISTURBED's version of "Silence", which was released in December 2015, has been seen more than 233 million times, a record number of views on YouTube for the group.

DISTURBED went on hiatus at the end of 2011, with Draiman and the other members of the band all pursuing other projects for several years before returning in 2015.

For the first time ever, SIX FEET UNDER's Chris Barnes will make a special voice-over appearance on an animated series: "The Olympians", a comedy about the Greek gods falling on hard times and struggling to find a place in modern society.

Recently screened at the Portland Comedy Film Fest (where it won "Best Animated Comedy"!), "The Olympians" is directed by Bob Spang ("Lilo & Stitch", "Brother Bear") and scored by Cormac Bluestone ("It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia"), with voices by Jon Etheridge ("Battlefield Friends", "Doraleous And Associates"), Jimmy Euringer (MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE, "Guardians Of The Galaxy 2"), Stevic Mckay (TWELVE FOOT NINJA), Bill Gaal (NOTHINGFACE, IN FOR THE KILL, KNIVES OUT), Rob Kersey (PSYCHOSTICK), Sean Zatorsky (CHIMAIRA, DAATH, SINSAENUM), Jason Suecof (producer, mixer, guitarist and songwriter), Richard Thomas (MUSHROOMHEAD, VENTANA), Matt Foran (CIRCUS OF DEAD SQUIRRELS, VENTANA) in addition to Barnes as "Chad."

Barnes comments: "Lending my voice for an animated feature is something I haven't had the privilege of attempting or being involved with... So I feel pretty lucky and excited to be involved with 'The Olympians'!!"

SIX FEET UNDER's twelfth studio album, "Torment", wwas released on February 24 via Metal Blade. The disc was brought to life by Barnes with bassist/guitarist Jeff Hughell (BRAIN DRILL) shouldering the load of writing the music, along with heralded drummer Marco Pitruzzella (BRAIN DRILL, ANOMALOUS, SLEEP TERROR).

According to the Associated Press, TWISTED SISTER has sued the promoter of last year's Rock Carnival festival, claiming the band has only been paid $50,000 of the $200,000 it was to receive for headlining one of the three nights at the Lakewood, New Jersey event.

In court papers, promoter John D'Esposito and his company Rock N Festivals said they "suffered catastrophic economic losses" due to three days of heavy rain that weekend.

"Thousands of people were prevented from attending because of torrential rains and excessive winds," he said. "Refunds had to be issued."

TWISTED SISTER says it was paid $50,000 in early December for its October 1 performance but it has not yet paid the remaining $150,000.

The case is pending in state Superior Court in Monmouth County.

TWISTED SISTER played what was billed as the band's last-ever concert on November 12, 2016 at the Corona Northside Rock Park Meeting Fest at Fundidora Park in Monterrey, Mexico.

Most of TWISTED SISTER shows in 2016 featured the core lineup of Dee Snider (vocals), Jay Jay French (guitar), Mark Mendoza (bass) and Eddie Ojeda (guitar), along with drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, ex-DREAM THEATER).

In a 2016 interview with Goldmine magazine, Jay Jay French talked about TWISTED SISTER's decision to call it quits. He said: "Whether you like it or not, once you reach a status of 'classic,' you really start to understand people — if you really truly want to understand why people like you. You can make new product, it's all well and good, but when someone spends 200-300 bucks for a ticket, they expect certain songs, they expect the songs played correctly, they expect you to be proficient, on time and professional — that's what an entertainer is. And I will tell you that the club scene taught us an enormous amount of discipline."

He continued: "You know, I can't emphasize it enough. Dee became one of the greatest frontmen in the world because he learned how to do it on the club scene. We learned how to be great entertainers in the bars and we followed through. And I think the band just wants to say that we reached a point where we can't do it anymore in the manner that we feel we need to do it and we should probably be respected for that. Because I don't want to takes someone's money that I don't earn. And it's hard for some people to understand that. They want to keep you hermetically sealed in a jar with their memories forever. Which I get. I do get it."

TWISTED SISTER's movie, "We Are Twisted F***ing Sister!", was released in February 2016 on DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, and digital formats, with an included two hours of bonus material and director commentary.

Grammy-nominated classic rock band GREAT WHITE is branching out into brewing by introducing its Once Bitten India Pale Ale (IPA).

Distributed by Redlands, California's Escape Craft Brewery, the Once Bitten IPA is refreshingly sharp. Crafted with the same integrity and patience found in the studio, Once Bitten's citrus-like base is brewed in the same vein as the guys in the band. Just as they celebrate their Californian roots, the awesome citrus bite is brewed like no other!

"It's impossible to capture the spirt and flavor, per se, of our fans," GREAT WHITE drummer Audie Desbrow said. "But in working with Escape Brewery, we feel confident we have something really special.

"Our fans are always sharing with us how their songs are a part of their lives. Now they can further celebrate that feeling and that energy. Cheers to our fans for being there with us all of these years."

The IPA can be purchased exclusively at Escape Craft Brewery beginning Saturday, June 10 at 721 Nevada Street, Suite 401, Redlands, California. Call 909-713-ESCP (3727) or visit EscapeCraftBrewery.com for more information. Must be 21 or over to purchase.

GREAT WHITE's new album, "Full Circle", was released on June 2. The effort sees the band re-teaming with its original producer, Michael Wagener. It's an honorable nod to their first EP, "Out Of The Night" (Aegean Records, 1983) and debut self-titled full-length record (EMI, 1984). Wagener, is, of course, the legendary producer behind ALICE COOPER, MEGADETH, METALLICA, OZZY OSBOURNE and a slew of other rock gods.

"Full Circle" was recorded in January and February 2017 at Wagener's Nashville-based WireWorld Studio. The album's packaging includes a must-have companion DVD called "Making Of Full Circle". Rockslide Entertainment (produced by Todd Sadowski) captured the band developing the songs in the studio — a never-before-seen band access.

Photo credit: Neil Zlozower

Once Bitten IPA the official beer of Great White, @ EscapeCraftBrewery , Redlands,CA. pic.twitter.com/T0sZQk4jMP

— Audie Desbrow (@AudieDesbrowGW) June 6, 2017

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN played the third show of the 2017 North American leg of "The Book Of Souls" tour last night (Wednesday, June 7) at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. If Eternity Should Fail02. Speed Of Light03. Wrathchild04. Children Of The Damned05. Death Or Glory06. The Red And The Black07. The Trooper08. Powerslave09. The Great Unknown10. The Book Of Souls11. Fear Of The Dark12. Iron Maiden

Encore:

13. The Number Of The Beast14. Blood Brothers15. Wasted Years

IRON MAIDEN bassist and main songwriter Steve Harris recently told Express & Star about the band's current trek: "We are really looking forward to returning to North America for a full tour. We had always planned to go back there and to the U.K. as last year, due to the global nature of the tour and the period it took, we just didn't have time to cover them properly and we do still like to get to fans in as many places as possible.

"We will, of course, be bringing the full production with us, including all the Eddies and the Maya-themed stage sets. There's been a great reaction from everyone to this tour's theme; people really seem to love it.

"Most of our North American fans haven't seen the show yet, so as we want to give them the same 'Book Of Souls' live experience that we took around the world, it's unlikely we'll change much. And, of course, we know our fans appreciate us playing a lot of the older songs too, so we will continue to do that."

MAIDEN's recent European tour consisted of a total of sixteen dates, including three shows in Germany, eight in England, two in Scotland and one each in Ireland and Wales. The U.K. leg marked MAIDEN's first full U.K. arena tour in six years.

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

A teaser for Alice Cooper's new single, titled "Paranoiac Personality", is available below. The track will be released tomorrow (Friday, June 9).

"Paranoiac Personality" is the first single off Cooper's new album, "Paranormal", which is due on July 28 via earMUSIC. It will be made available on 2CD digipak, 2LP, limited-edition box set and on digital formats — and will come with a special mini-album.

A statement from earMUSIC reads: "The 12-track album has been recorded in Nashville with longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin and features a very special bonus CD — a mini-album consisting of three brand new songs written and recorded together with the original ALICE COOPER band members Dennis Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith and guitarist Michael Bruce, alongside carefully selected live recordings. 'Paranormal' also features special guest appearances by U2's Larry Mullen Jr., ZZ TOP's Billy Gibbons and DEEP PURPLE's Roger Glover."

During an appearance on the SiriusXM radio show "Trunk Nation", Cooper said producer Bob Ezrin was responsible for getting Mullen Jr. involved in the sessions.

"Bob Ezrin and I sat there, and Bob says, 'What do you think about Larry Mullen on drums?' And I went, 'That's a great idea. It'll change things up so much on just the basic tracks.'"

Cooper also talked about the U2 drummer's somewhat unusual approach to recording. Alice recalled: "Larry [said], 'I wanna see the lyrics.' I said, 'Really?' He [said], 'Yeah, I play to the lyrics. I don't play to the bass.' And I said, 'That is so cool — just the idea that you're interpreting the lyrics on the drums.' So that totally makes the album another album."

Gibbons, meanwhile, plays guitar on a song called "I've Fallen In Love And I Can't Get Up". "After we cut the record, I went, 'If Billy Gibbons doesn't play on this, we shouldn't put this one out,' 'cause, I mean, it is so much him," Alice said. "And he got the record, and he said, 'I've got the flu, but, man, this song makes me feel better.' He just killed it."

In addition to performing on "Paranormal", original ALICE COOPER bandmembers Neal Smith (drums), Michael Bruce (guitar) and Dennis Dunaway (bass) were involved in the songwriting for the new record. "I wrote three songs [with them] for the new album. Dennis brought in two songs, Mike brought in a song. There's one song called 'I Wanna Be A Genuine American Girl'. It was gonna be 'I Want A Genuine American Girl', and I went, 'No, no, no. I Wanna Be A Genuine American Girl! It's really a tough song, so it's this guy going, 'I've gotta paint my nails, I've gotta do my hair.' [Laughs]"

With regards to the "Paranormal" album title, Cooper said: "I love that title, 'Paranormal', but it's not really a scary record. There's a couple of scary songs on it, but [it is] 'paranormal,' meaning 'other than normal.' This is not a normal Alice record. Bob and I decided, 'No theme this time. We're gonna make a record of things that just get us off, songs that we like. And it might go in a lot of different directions, but these are just songs that get us off."

Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes has released the official video for the song "T.F.M.F.". The track is taken from his latest album, "Shitting Bricks", which was released in 2015 via M & O Music. Having first toured Europe last year, Holmes's new band, MEAN MAN, plays no less than seven W.A.S.P. classics in its set and includes a crowd invitation to three members of the audience to come and join in on "I Wanna Be Somebody", promising for a very memorable night. Free meet-and-greets are organized at the end of each gig at the merch booth.

In an interview with Noisey, Holmes talked about his decision to move to France back in 2014. He said: "My wife is from France. But since I left W.A.S.P. I dangled around in L.A., trying to find musicians to play with, but it just didn't work out. The change of culture in the last ten years… My kind of music isn't played that much — not like it was in the '80s."

He continued: "[A few] years ago, I pulled into a 7-11, and this kid got out of his car. He wasn't listening to rock. When I was his age, that's all I listened to. That made me realize the kind of music I do here anymore… [He was listening to] hip-hop. And I just don't play that kind of music."

Holmes added: "I was talking to one of my friend's kids — he's in high school — and I asked him, 'Why don't you listen to rock, like DEEP PURPLE or something?' And he said, 'Man, that's pussy music.' This is a white kid. So I thought, if people don't listen to this kind of music anymore, why should I even be here? I'm in my 50s, but I want to still keep on going, kind of. So I talked to my wife and we decided to move. They listen to rock more over here. There's lots more concerts and stuff."

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, Holmes rejoined W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Holmes has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

Holmes in 2013 released a solo album called "Nothing To Lose". Chris composed, performed, and produced the music and vocals, and teamed up with former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor to perform on and engineer the effort.

PAPA ROACH's video for the song "Periscope" can be seen below. The track, which features a guest appearance by Skylar Grey, is taken from the band's ninth studio album, "Crooked Teeth", which was released on May 19 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc was made available digitally and physically, as a standard (10 tracks) and deluxe (10 tracks + 3 brand new tracks + 16 Live tracks Live at the Fillmore Detroit) editions.

The "Periscope" video was directed by award-winning firm The Uprising Creative (Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Big Sean, Lil Jon), which said the inspiration for the clip was "to create a moody, different look for the band using a stylistic light exploration — exploring color through light, projection and dynamic performances of the performers."

PAPA ROACH vocalist Jacoby Shaddix said: "'Periscope' is inspired by the realization that sometimes within a relationship you might not be worth being loved or that the other person may not be worth your love, and the struggle within that — how much effort it takes to make things work. One part that I think is really meaningful in the video is when Skylar and I are in the shot at the same time, yet we're not engaging with each other. It represents the 'disconnection' with two people, which is very much what the lyrics describe." Grey added: "You are loving someone from a distance, not able to reach them."

Regarding how the Grey collaboration came about, Shaddix told the Q103 radio station: "We wanted to have a guest female vocal on ['Periscope'], and on the last album, we had Maria Brink from IN THIS MOMENT on 'Gravity'. I didn't wanna just go in and grab another rock chick. I wanted to work with somebody that was outside the box and different but that I was a fan of. So I've been listening to this girl Skylar Grey for [a few] years now. And she's been on some great tracks — she's been on some Dre stuff, some Eminem stuff, she's been on a FORT MINOR track. But she's kind of this indie, alternative, pop type of girl, and she's just got a lot of credibility in that scene, and she's got a great voice, and I'm a big fan."

Written and recorded in a cramped North Hollywood studio, "Crooked Teeth" was produced by first timers Nicholas "RAS" Furlong and Colin Brittain, with the exception of "Born For Greatness", which saw the band collaborate with writer/producer Jason Evigan (Jason Derulo, Demi Lovato, Zedd, MAROON 5) for this positive, pulsating anthem. Furlong and Brittain, who grew up listening to PAPA ROACH, inspired the band to revisit some of the traits that personally endeared the band to them, most notably singer Jacoby Shaddix's remarkable rapping technique and the band's intense live energy.

"The first time we met up with RAS and Colin, they said that [2000's] 'Infest' was on constant rotation when they were growing up and they wanted to bring back some of that fire," says Shaddix. Adds Furlong, "The whole idea was to take the classic elements of PAPA ROACH that everyone loved and revamp them into a modern version of the sound through the creative process, and we ended up with a bold, courageous and more adventurous version of PAPA ROACH."

The Furlong/Brittain production team worked to bring in elements of music from different genres and parts of the world, and pockets of rhythm people associate more with rap or reggae, while still staying true to PAPA ROACH's sound. "The people who have wanted to hear me rap for years are gonna love some of the viciousness on this record," Shaddix proclaims.

From the instantly infectious nature of the title track to the atmospheric sheen of the moody ballad "Periscope" and the acoustic/ hip-hop rock mashup of "Sunrise Trailer Park" (featuring Machine Gun Kelly adding a verse to Shaddix rap) "Crooked Teeth" displays the various sides of PAPA ROACH and illustrates why they've managed to remain relevant while other musical trends ebb and flow. "We didn't go into this album with the intention of trying to write radio singles," guitarist Jerry Horton explains. "This collection of songs was really about bookending everything that we've done prior to this album and reintroducing PAPA ROACH to people who didn't realize the depth that we have," says drummer Tony Palermo.

In many ways making "Crooked Teeth" reminded Shaddix of the band's earliest days, well before they sold millions of albums and became a household name. "When we were in the rehearsal space I wasn't thinking about who I needed to impress, I was thinking about how much I love making music with the guys in this band." "It [the album] feels honest and pure and that's all we could hope for," adds bassist Tobin Esperance.

Terry Ilous, lead singer for Great White, and founder of '80s metal band XYZ, has released his third solo venture, Gypsy Dreams. A video for the first single from the album, a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", can be viewed below.

Gypsy Dreams is a cover album of classic rock and hard rock favorites with a Latin and flamenco edge. It features an amazing cast of LA based artists including:

Terry Ilous - vocals
Luis Villegas - guitar
Jose Garcia - guitar
Mike Paganini - bass
Mike Bennett - bass
Ben Woods - guitar
Jesse Stern - drums / percussion
Chris Trujillo - drums / percussion
Al Velasquez - drums / percussion
Natalie Gelman - background vocals

Gypsy Dreams tracklisting:

“Whole Lotta Love” - (Led Zeppelin)
“Boys Of Summer” - (Don Henley)
“In Your Eyes” - (Peter Gabriel)
“Long Train Running” - (The Doobie Brothers)
“Wicked Game” - (Chris Isaak)
“Heaven And Hell” - (Black Sabbath)
“Ride Like The Wind” - (Christopher Cross)
“Love Bites” - (Def Leppard)
“Kill The King” - (Rainbow)

Terry states: "This album is just the start in a series of different projects I have in mind for the future. I decided to start with covers of familiar rock favorites to introduce the Latin / Flamenco Rock sound to my audience, and I plan to start up a series of intimate club shows reminiscent of close-knit Latin and Gypsy gatherings.”

Terry on recording “Long Train Running”: "In the late '80s I would warm up with 'Long Train Running' while on the road with XYZ; and for years I wanted to record the song with more of a Latin edge."

Terry Ilous on recording “Heaven And Hell”: "Dio was arguably one of the biggest inspirations in music. And this is one of the songs that really influenced my decision in making this album.”

Order your copy of Gypsy Dreams now at this location. Check out the album trailer: