Sólstafir have released a video for “Silfur-Refur”, the opening track of their new album, Berdreyminn, out now via Season Of Mist. The video is available for streaming below.

Sólstafir are not like any other band. Their sixth album, Berdreyminn, underscores this statement. As its title "a dreamer of forthcoming events" aptly describes, the four Icelanders have taken their already impressive evolution one step further. The band has continued to amalgamate haunting melodies, psychedelic phases, as well as strong undercurrents of classic rock and hard rock with echoes of their metal past. Yet Sólstafir’s focus is not on style but pure emotion.

Berdreyminn is eclectic by a conscious choice to make feelings audible and transform taste as well as texture to sound. Genre borders are not broken but simply ignored. Musical influences are gathered from a wide range of sources, re-arranged, and woven into new patterns. Melancholy, longing, anger, joy, pleasure, pain, and other emotions are fuelling and fulling this album.

Tracklisting:

“Silfur-Refur”
“Ísafold”
“Hula”
“Nárós”
“Hvít Sæng”
“Dýrafjörður”
“Ambátt”
“Bláfjall”

“Silfur-Refur” video:

Album stream:

Svart Records recently announced the signing of Hallatar. The first fruit of this union is the band's debut album, No Stars Upon The Bridge, which is based on the lyrics and poems of Aleah Starbridge, and is tentatively slated for release this fall. The album cover art by Fursy Teyssier can be seen below.

Hallatar have released a video for “Mirrors”, the first single from the upcoming album. The band describe the song as “one is one of the darkest and slowest song on the album for sure”. Watch the video below:

Although a brand-new name, Hallatar features among its ranks Swallow The Sun and Trees Of Eternity guitarist Juha Raivio, Amorphis vocalist Tomi Joutsen, and former HIM drummer Gas Lipstick. In fact, one could see Hallatar as an extension of Trees Of Eternity, whose massively acclaimed debut for Svart, Hour Of The Nightingale, served as the swansong of vocalist Aleah Starbridge.

Juha Raivio explains the genesis of Hallatar: "After the death of my beloved and my life partner Aleah Starbridge last April, I have been gathering writings, lyrics, and the poems of Aleah to keep them safe and close to my heart. About one month after the world came down on the blackest day of my life on April 18th, I knew I needed to pick up the guitar and try to create something or I would be truly destroyed. And something did arrive out of the darkness, and I wrote the music for the Hallatar album in a week's time. I don’t have much memory of this week, not a memory of a single day of writing the music. But all I remember when going into this abyss of the writing process was a promise to myself that whatever music would come out, I would not touch or change anything of it afterwards. What mattered was that the music would stay forever as an absolute truth of those moments as they came out. I asked my good friends - and amazing musicians - Tomi Joutsen and Gas Lipstick if they would want to record this music with me, and both of them said yes without even hearing a note of it. I am forever grateful to both of them for sharing this road with me; even the weight of the process has not been easy to carry, or will be."

Adds Gas Lipstick, "I am grateful and very honored to be asked to join this band. Juha is a dear friend of mine since many years ago, and when he told me about his vision for Hallatar and asked me to join, I said yes instantly - I just had to be part of this amazing journey. I had never heard a single note of the music before I gave my 'yes' because I didn't need to. Juha has been one of my favorite songwriters already for years, and I knew that Hallatar will be a very deep, personal, and one-of-a-kind story which I wanted to help him to bring alive."

Continues Tomi Joutsen: "I have known Juha from the year 2007, when we worked together for the first time. A couple years ago, I had the privilege to meet Juha's life partner, Aleah Starbridge, who was such a beautiful person, inside and outside, and had an angelic voice out of this world. Aleah lent her voice on the latest Amorphis album, and we called her 'the whispering ghost.' When I heard about Aleah's passing last spring, it came as a total shock and heartbreaking news out of the blue. When Juha asked me if I would want to be part of this album and carry Aleah's flame with him, I didn't have to think twice. When everything has been taken, all that is left is the music. The sorrow strips us naked and leave us humble - this is how it sounds like."

Concludes Raivio, "What we recorded was a raw moment in time honoring the memory, lyrics, and poems of Aleah Starbridge with all its pain, beauty and darkness. There are no stars left upon the bridge to light the way anymore, but the music will always be a dim light, even in the darkest of the night."

Sweden’s Vintersorg are streaming “Jökelväktaren”, the opening a track from the upcoming Till Fjälls del II album, out on June 30th via Napalm Records.

Andreas "Vintersorg" Hedlund, mastermind behind the captivating sound of Vintersorg about the track: "This song is kind of a sequel to the song called "Jökeln" from the Till Fjälls album from 1998. I really wanted to tie it back to that lyrical theme that deals with Glaciers. The first episode on that old album is more of an observation of the mightiness of a Glacier and how it effects its surroundings, including mankind. On the new episode I took a different path lyric wise. It's much more from an environmental stand point dealing with sustainability. Mankind continues to treat this planet as garbage in some aspects to the point that we actually contribute to melting poles. So, the lyric is about a human being that sees this and tries to address this problem. Still it has a lot of nature scenery-worship-style. The music has both harsh and soft edges with a very powerful chorus."

It was a tricky question... How would Vintersorg continue after 2014's intriguing album, Naturbål? Shunning repetition, Andreas “Vintersorg“ Hedlund did the unthinkable and composed a sequel to his groundbreaking 1998 album, Till Fjälls, which is considered to be one of the most important albums in the genre of black/folk metal.

What to expect from Till Fjälls del II? No scientific lyrical concept, no progressive trickery, but a heartfelt return to snowcapped mountains, pure nature-inspired mysticism, Nordic folklore and real black metal with a captivating epic streak. Vintersorg share a vision of equally harsh and melodic soundscapes that melt the raging extremes of the late 90s with the focus of 2016.  

Till Fjälls del II tracklisting:

CD1
“Jökelväktaren”
“En väldig isvidds karga dräkt”
“Lavin”
“Fjällets mäktiga mur”
“Obygdens pionjär”
“Vinterstorm”
“Tusenåriga stråk”
“Allt mellan himmel och jord”
“Vårflod”

CD2
“Tillbaka till källorna”
“Köldens borg”
“Portalen”
“Svart måne”

“Fjällets mäktiga mur” lyric video:

The album will be available as:

- 2 CD 6 pages digipak
- 2LP gatefold edition (black vinyl, strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide)

Magenta Harvest, featuring Finntroll singer Mathias Lillmåns, will unleash their new album, ...And Then Came The Dust, on September 1st via Apostasy Records. The new song, “The Murderous Breed”, can be heard below and is described as follows:

“A melody that sticks in your head right away and that is backed up by a bloodcurdling blastbeat-thunder only a few seconds after it appeared first leads into a verse-part which paves the way for a song that reveals more and more musical facets. ‘The Murderous Breed’ shows what Magenta Harvest is able to come up with these days and it’s also the first glimpse of their forthcoming record.”
 

 
Magenta Harvest from Finland’s Pietarsaari started out as the brainchild of drummer Janne Manninen and guitarist Timo Kontio. Over the years, the band evolved into a quintet, which released their debut, Volatile Waters, in 2014.

...And Then Came The Dust art:

 
Line-up
Mathias Lillmåns (Finntroll, Chthonian) – vocals
Timo Hanhikangas – guitar
Timo Kontio (Festerday, Oceans) – guitar
Jonas Frilund (Chthonian) – bass
Janne Manninen (Pain Confessor, ex-...and Oceans) – drums

German metal legends Primal Fear have released an official live video for “Rulebreaker”, featured on their new live album/home video, Angels Of Mercy - Live In Germany, out now. The video is available for streaming below.

2016 was a very busy year for Primal Fear. Following the release of their latest killer studio album, Rulebreaker in January, the metal warriors embarked on a world tour which shattered all the previously held records for shows played in one year by the band.

“We started in Europe with 11 countries and recorded the concert in Stuttgart for the album and video, which is Primal Fear’s first Blu-Ray release. We continued in the USA and Canada, Japan and for the first time, Australia. Then we played some wonderful festivals in the summer, continued touring in 10 countries in South and Latin America and ended the year with more shows in Europe. It was a fantastic experience for the band and we want to thank every single fan who joined us on this great journey!” says bassist and co-founding member Mat Sinner.

Vocalist and co-founding member Ralf Scheepers adds: “With a handy cam in my suitcase, I have recorded on multiple occasions many behind the scenes shots and funny, candid moments. We recorded an entire show right at the beginning of this fantastic world tour and it gives you an insight to the Primal Fear live experience on stage. You will find a lot of bonus material such as video clips and different additional surprises, so we can easily say that we are very proud to deliver this package to you…please enjoy and do us a favor: CRANK IT UP!”

The last tour unleashed the best Primal Fear performances since the band formed in 1998 - a consistently great mix of power, ambition, and enthusiasm filtered through the talent of these insanely great players! There is undoubtedly magnificent performances on this release, with great sound and video quality. This live album offers a barrage of metal anthems in their full glory that will please any headbanger! If you are a metal fan you, then you must see this in all it’s power and glory!

The package is available on CD/DVD and Blu-Ray with vinyl and a limited edition special box set in the works as well.

Tracklisting:

CD:
“Countdown To Insanity”
“Final Embrace”
“In Metal We Trust”
“Angel In Black”
“Rulebreaker”
“Sign Of Fear”
“Seven Seals”
“Angels Of Mercy”
“The End Is Near”
“Rollercoaster”
“The Sky Is Burning”
“Nuclear Fire”
“When Death Comes Knocking”
“Metal Is Forever”
“Fighting The Darkness”

DVD/Blu-Ray:
“Countdown To Insanity”
“Final Embrace”
“In Metal We Trust”
“Angel In Black”
“Rulebreaker”
“Sign Of Fear”
“Seven Seals”
“Let There Be Drums”
“Angels Of Mercy”
“The End Is Near”
“Rollercoaster”
“The Sky Is Burning”
“Nuclear Fire”
“When Death Comes Knocking”
“Metal Is Forever”
“Fighting The Darkness”
“Running In The Dust”

Bonus features:
“The End Is Near” (Videoclip)
“Angels Of Mercy” (Videoclip)
“When Death Comes Knocking” (Videoclip)
“King For A Day” (Videoclip)
“Strike” (Videoclip)
“Chainbreaker” (Live At Master Of Rocks)
Rulebreaker World Tour 2016 (documentary)

“Rulebreaker” video:

“The End Is Near” video:

“Metal Is Forever” video:

Primal Fear are back on the road promoting Angels Of Mercy. Currently confirmed dates are listed on the flyer below.

Primal Fear lineup:

Ralf Scheepers - Vocals
Mat Sinner - Bass
Tom Naumann - Guitars
Alex Beyrodt - Guitars
Francesco Jovino - Drums

German police have called for an evacuation of the popular Rock Am Ring festival in Nürburg over a "terrorist threat."

More than 80,000 fans are attending the three-day event, which was scheduled to run until Sunday.

The organizers said in a statement: "Due to a terrorist threat, the police have advised us to interrupt the festival.

"We ask all festival visitors to leave the festival site in a calm and controlled manner towards the exits and camping grounds.

"We have to support the police investigations.

"All visitors will be kept informed about any developments on all Rock Am Ring social media channels, radio and the speakers.

"We hope that the festival will continue tomorrow. Thank you for your cooperation."

Concert promoters Marek Lieberberg Konzertagentur told journalists at the scene: "The public reacted fantastically."

The police said the event had been suspended due to "concrete leads, which do not allow us to eliminate a possible terror threat".

They added: "We are currently conducting a very intense investigation."

Of particular concern is a person who had been involved in the festival preparations, including erecting the security fences, according to Sky News.

The organizers announced last month that backpacks would be prohibited at this year's Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park following the "horrendous attack in Manchester."

As was the case with last year's Wacken Open Air, the German sister festivals are rucksack-free zones this summer, with keys, wallets, mobile phones and bum bags/fanny packs the only personal items allowed into the main festival arena.

Marek Lieberberg paid tribute to those who lost their lives in Manchester, calling the bombing of Manchester Arena "an attack on our freedom, culture and [way of] life."

This headliners of this year's Rock Am Ring festival include RAMMSTEIN and SYSTEM OF A DOWN.

METALLICA has uploaded a 360-degree clip of the "Seek & Destroy" performance from the band's May 19 concert at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Check it out below.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield spoke to the WAAF radio station about what fans can expect from the stage production on the North American leg of the band's "WorldWired" tour, which launched last month. He said: "It's a huge stage. [When you're] our age and you've been around for thirty-six years and you're gonna do stadiums, go big."

The guitarist/vocalist added that he couldn't say for sure that it was "the biggest production" METALLICA has had so far, explaining: "I mean, when you say 'big'… I mean, we've done stuff where we've had two stages indoors and all kind sof crazy stuff. This, I would say, when you look at it, is the biggest we've done, as far as outdoors and just sheer size of it."

Hetfield also talked in more detail about the "WorldWired" stage set, which includes pyro displays that include forty-foot flames that turn into fireballs and fireworks galore.

"Some guy, the other day, in an interview, asked me… He says, 'Why do you have forty-foot flames?'" James recalled. "[I'm like] 'Why do you not? Why would you not have forty-foot flames if you could?' It's giant, it's big, it's huge."

He continued: "The whole idea around this is to make everyone feel as close as possible. That's what we've always done from day one — trying to get people drawn in. We wanna see facial expressions, we wanna see sweat, we wanna see the expression, the joy — everything that goes into making a show. So, on these big screens, if you're way up in the nosebleeds, normally you would feel like you're not a part of something. This, you're still able to count the nosehairs in Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] — whether you want to or not. You're up close and personal no matter where you are, and that's what we've been trying to do."

The summer stadium leg of the "WorldWired" tour — during which METALLICA is playing some venues with a capacity of more than 50,000 — kicked off at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on May 10 and wraps up at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta on August 16.

Later this year, METALLICA will head to Europe with a slate of fall arena dates planned through early November.

British heavy metal legends SAXON had their phones, passports and wallets stolen from their dressing room earlier today (Friday, June 1) at the U Rock festival at Campus Arena in Umeå, Sweden. The bandmembers have been able to travel following the theft, but some of their crew have not.

The group says: "[We've had] no luck in tracking the phones but we are checking regularly and the police are involved. We also have a witness, so hopefully this person is caught — especially before he strikes again!"

SAXON is continuing to tour in support of its latest release, "Battering Ram", and the live DVD "Let Me Feel Your Power". The band recently spent time in the studio working on a new studio album for an early 2018 release.

Due to demand following their hugely successful tour together in March and April, SAXIN and UFO have announced more dates in the U.S., plus two in Canada, in September and October.

SAXON is: Biff Byford (vocals), Paul Quinn (guitar), Nigel Glockler (drums), Doug Scarrett (guitar) and Tim "Nibbs" Carter (bass).

PROPHETS OF RAGE, the supergroup featuring members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PUBLIC ENEMY and CYPRESS HILL, has released a video for its new single, "Unfuck The World". Directed by Michael Moore — who previously worked with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE on the "Sleep Now In The Fire" video — it juxtaposes politically charged footage with shots of the band performing live.

"Unfuck The World" is taken from PROPHETS OF RAGE's self-titled debut album, which will be released on September 15. The disc was recorded with legendary producer Brendan O'Brien who has done notable work with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE.

Moore stated about the video in a press release: "I am thrilled to once again be working with my old friends and comrades in the struggle for a just world. PROPHETS OF RAGE is the right band saying the right shit at this very critical moment. This music video is our collective battle cry against those who seek to harm the innocent and the powerless. I am proud to have directed this video and I ask all who see it do their part to unfuck this world. ALL HANDS ON DECK!"

"Prophets Of Rage" track listing:

01. Radical Eyes02. Unfuck The World03. Legalize Me04. Living On The 11005. The Counteroffensive06. Hail To The Chief07. Take Me Higher08. Strength In Numbers09. Fired A Shot10. Who Owns Who11. Hands Up12. Smashit

PROPHETS OF RAGE guitarist Tom Morello told Billboard that the members of PROPHETS OF RAGE have set a very high bar for the material that they want to release. "The goal is a simple one: The music has to be devastating," he explained. "In all these interviews, we talk a lot about the politics, but the cornerstone is that the music has to be devastating and we have to not just be competitive with our legacies, but in [2017], it has to be something that goes beyond that and is very authentic, unapologetic and contemporary."

Even though PROPHETS OF RAGE does not feature RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE frontman Zack de la Rocha, the group plays classics like "Bulls On Parade" along with tunes by PUBLIC ENEMY and CYPRESS HILL.

"I think the music of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is more relevant today than it was when it was written," Morello told Cleveland.com. "And we give a lot of credit and honor to Zack at every show because his lyrics are brilliant."

PROPHETS OF RAGE made their live debut in May 2016 in Los Angeles.

According to Billboard, GUNS N' ROSES' "Greatest Hits" collection, which was originally released in March of 2004, has just logged its 400th nonconsecutive week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, making it just one of seven albums to spend at least 400 weeks on the list.

GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan tried to block the release of "Greatest Hits" with a lawsuit, claiming that the record label had assembled the CD without their input. The band's label, Geffen Records, insisted that it was forced to put out a greatest-hits album since Axl Rose had failed to deliver the long-delayed new GUNS album, "Chinese Democracy".

"Greatest Hits" debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart dated April 10, 2004 and has sold 5.93 million copies in the U.S.

Among the other albums that have spent at least 400 weeks on the list are PINK FLOYD's "The Dark Side Of The Moon" (927), JOURNEY's "Greatest Hits" (462) and METALLICA's self-titled album (432).

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

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

"Train Song", the new video from former PANTERA bassist Rex Brown, can be seen below. The song is taken from Rex's debut solo album, " Smoke On This", which will be released on July 28 via Entertainment One (eOne). The disc will be the first time in Brown's career in which he will serve as both lead vocalist and guitarist in a band.

Directed by Justin Reich, the "Train Song" clip was filmed in Nashville and features Brown alongside guitarists Lance Harvill and Joe Shadid, drummer Johnny Kelly and Caleb Sherman on keys and lap steel.

"Smoke On This" track listing:

01. Lone Rider02. Crossing Lines03. Buried Alive04. Train Song05. Get Yourself Alright06. Fault Line07. What Comes Around...08. Grace09. So Into You10. Best Of Me11. One Of these Days

Brown wields a six-string guitar as confidently as he wore the bass in PANTERA and DOWN. His engaging voice crackles with easygoing spirit and truth-telling power. It's a crunchy drawl that's down-to-earth, grippingly relatable, charmingly welcoming, and gritty, somewhere between the achingly resonant spiritual shamanism of Tom Waits and the instantly recognizable everyman AM radio vibes of Tom Petty and THE HEARTBREAKERS.

After a season away to gather his wits about him, rediscover his own roots, and assemble a group of players ready to help him execute his vision for the days ahead, Rex Brown re-emerges with a semi truck's worth of rock n' roll tunes as honest and sincere as they come. The new album is the sound of the man's own truth, forthright and ego-free. As he likes to say, "You're only as good as your word and your word better be good."

Rex's solo album is full of mojo and the force of character, determination, and nerve. He tracked lead vocals, rhythm guitars, and bass, working with his primary collaborator and old friend Lance Harvill, a Nashville-based guitarist and songwriter, on the album's songs. "Lance was and is my main man on this. Everything we did was finely tuned, both musically and brotherly."

Drums were tracked by Christopher Williams, himself no stranger to diverse tastes, from funk music to punk. His talent has been utilized by country music star Lee Greenwood, the reconstituted BLACKFOOT and most recently, power metal legends ACCEPT. The album was produced by New Yorker-turned-Nashville-transplant Caleb Sherman, a multi-instrumentalist with work on records by LITTLE BIG TOWN and PORTER BLOCK, among others. "Caleb produced the project from a musician's standpoint," adds Brown. "Not just a typical producer's standpoint, which was something I definitely needed. Between Caleb and Lance, we were a force to be reckoned with. They really pulled out the best in me." Peter Keyes, known for his work with LYNYRD SKYNYRD, can also be heard on a few tracks. All bass tracking came from Rex himself as well.

"My motto these days is 'Shake some shit up,'" Brown declares. "I've had my ups and downs, like anybody in this business. I wanted to feel like a true artist again, where I can write and record songs without worrying about any of the bullshit. This is just something else I'm doing for fun, man. And musical freedom. Fun has to come into it or I'm not going to do it. I've had a tremendous career and now I feel like I'm twenty-five years old again. This has given me that freedom I needed."

"I've got so much more in me," he enthuses. "I'm just getting my feet wet."

Brown previously described his solo album as "a rock and roll record. It's not your standard fare or typical metal thing," he told Metal Hammer magazine. "I was always a big [LED] ZEPPELIN fan and even though it has its little fringes of it... It's a new journey that sounds like anywhere from FOGHAT to old Tom Waits. I'm a child of the '70s and I love those kind of songs."

After leaving DOWN in 2011, Rex went on play with KILL DEVIL HILL, which has released two albums so far: "Kill Devil Hill" (2012) and "Revolution Rise" (2013).

"Condolences", the video for the title track of WEDNESDAY 13's seventh solo studio album, can be seen below. Released today (Friday, June 2) via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, the follow-up to 2015's "Monsters Of The Universe" was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with Wednesday 13 and guitarist Roman Surman on the 2010 MURDERDOLLS album "Women & Children Last". The artwork was created by Travis Smith (OPETH, KATATONIA, NEVERMORE) and can be seen below.

"We weren't trying to do a really long, IRON MAIDEN type of song — it just came out that way," Wednesday 13 said. "It wasn't forced and I think it's awesome! It's one of the first songs I wrote for the record.

"The title 'Condolences' came from when David Bowie passed away; I kept seeing 'Condolences, sorry for your loss.' I realized how powerful that word was, so I picked my guitar up and started writing the riff for it; I had the chorus instantly."

He added: "We shortened the song for the video — we cut two minutes off of it. But it's still a really, really dark song. And I think we captured that vibe in the video. It's definitely the strangest thing I've ever done — I filmed my fake funeral. I had all my friends there, putting flowers on a casket; it was really weird! I had a wreath that said, 'In Memory of Wednesday 13.' I'm the priest in it, doing my eulogy, and I'm also inside the casket, like I'm being buried alive. When we filmed the video, the director, Matt Zane, said, 'This reminds me of TWISTED SISTER 'Burn In Hell' or 'Captain Howdy'. And I was like, 'Holy shit, it does! I didn't even realize it."

"Condolences" track listing:

01. Last Rites02. What The Night Brings03. Cadaverous04. Blood Sick05. Good Riddance06. You Breathe, I Kill07. Omen Amen08. Cruel To You09. Eulogy XIII10. Prey For Me11. Lonesome Road To Hell12. Condolences13. Death Infinity

Wednesday 13 told Creative Loafing that "Condolences" may be his darkest and heaviest album to date. "The campiness is kind of gone off of this record," he said. "It's definitely heavier, and definitely the best-produced sounding thing, I think, I've ever recorded. A lot of people go, 'He's serious now!' Well, I'm 40 years old now. I'm growing with the music, my band, everything, and this record definitely has some experimenting with different sounds and things. The sense of humor is still always there, but maybe not as campy as it's always been, and sometimes that comes off more serious."

Regarding the subject matter covered on "Condolences", Wednesday 13 said: "The theme is death, and it comes from everything from the point of view of a killer, the point of view of being killed, and the whole record ends with the title track 'Condolences' and that's like the funeral."

He continued: "It's just a dark, weird record, kind of inspired by basically everybody who seems to be dropping around us. I kept seeing, 'Condolences, sorry for your loss,' and I saw that, and I themed the record around what's in the air right now."

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer

Australia's NORTHLANE has released a video for its new single, "Solar".

Lifted from the band's critically acclaimed fourth album, "Mesmer", the song is a groove-laden, multi-layered prog journey that showcases the incredible vocal talent of Marcus Bridge, whose range and dexterity has proven unparalleled.

The video, directed by long-time collaborator Jason Eshraghian, was premiered via Twitter Wednesday morning.

"Mesmer" was released on March 24, with no forewarning and completely blindsiding fans and the industry alike.

Since it dropped, "Mesmer" has been streamed over 5.38 million times. The album was received with a raft of acclaim, shaping NORTHLANE into one of the most successful Australian heavy music exports today.

"Mesmer" was recorded throughout September 2016 in New Jersey with acclaimed producer David Bendeth (BRING ME THE HORIZON, PARAMORE, A DAY TO REMEMBER).

The rest of 2017 will see NORTHLANE take "Mesmer" to all corners of the globe, starting with appearances on the main stage at Download festival (U.K.) and Hellfest (France). The band will also appear at Vainstream Rockfest (Germany), Jera On Air (Netherlands), Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium), Dissonance Festival (Italy), Rock For People (Czech Republic), Resurrection (Spain) and many more.

Prior to "Mesmer"'s arrival, NORTHLANE's last full-length studio release was 2015's "Node". A split three-track "Equinox" EP with IN HEARTS WAKE — featuring all ten members of both bands — came out last year.

"Node" was the first NORTHLANE to feature Bridge, who joined the band after the departure of longtime frontman Adrian Fitipaldes. Adrian left the band unexpectedly in 2014, citing health issues.

Newly reunited metal band EIGHTEEN VISIONS has released a video for the new song "Live Again". The clip was directed by Michael R. Garcia. "Live Again" is taken from EIGHTEEN VISIONS' comeback album "XVIII", which came out on June 2 via Rise Records. EIGHTEEN VISIONS was scheduled to take the stage for the first time in ten years last night (Friday, June 2) for a record-release show at The Observatory in Orange County. "XVIII", the reunited and reenergized band's first new album in over a decade, is both mission statement and battle cry. It's a blistering, dense, and diverse album. Recharged and newly partnered with Rise Records, EIGHTEEN VISIONS sound liberated from the expectations of the outside world and driven only by their own personal and artistic directive. This is the album promised by the raw alchemy of every other EIGHTEEN VISIONS record. The unrelenting force and unashamed ambition that fueled every stylistic incarnation of this always evolving and never boring band: it's finally fully realized in the sound of "XVIII".

The album was made at home in Orange County, with U.K. transplant and multi-instrumentalist producer Mick Kenney at the helm. His close relationship with the guys in the band (vocalist James Hart, guitarist Keith Barney and drummer Trevor Friedrich) lent itself to the most fully realized recording in their discography, emphasizing every strength of EIGHTEEN VISIONS' unique arsenal. Among the album's many highlights is "Live Again", a moving tribute to bassist Mick Morris, who passed in 2013; "Picture Perfect", a super-heavy, dirgy assault on fakery and wolves in sheep's clothing, dripping with menacing melody; and "Fake Leather Jacket", a Molotov cocktail tossed at the music industry, threatening and staunchly confident. "XVIII" track listing:

01. Crucified02. The Disease, The Decline, The Wasted Time03. Underneath My Gun04. Live Again05. Laid To Waste In The Shit Of Man06. Oath07. Spit08. Picture Perfect09. Fake Leather Jacket10. For This I Sacrifice

"Lords Of Thunder", a brand new song from ADRENALINE MOB — the band featuring Russell Allen (vocals; also of SYMPHONY X) and Mike Orlando (guitar) — can be streamed below. The track is taken from the group's third studio album, "We The People", which is being released today (Friday, June 2) via Century Media. The follow-up to 2014's "Men Of Honor" is the first ADRENALINE MOB release to feature the band's new drummer Jordan Cannata and bassist David Zablidowsky (of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA).

"We The People" is available for purchase as a special-edition CD digipak, gatefold 2LP+CD, and on all standard digital and streaming music platforms.

"We The People" track listing:

01. King Of The Ring02. We The People03. The Killer's Inside04. Bleeding Hands05. Chasing Dragons06. Til The Head Explodes07. What You're Made Of08. Raise 'Em Up09. Ignorance & Greed10. Blind Leading The Blind11. Violent State Of Mind12. Lords Of Thunder13. Rebel Yell

As the title "We The People" indicates, there's a political side to ADRENALINE MOB. Throughout their years as a musicians and songwriters, they hadn't stayed silent on matters significant. Whether they were masked in metaphor or flatly conspicuous, they've always poured their feelings into song. It was, as Orlando puts it, a form of catharsis. So, as they were watching the presidential campaigns, feeling the negativity — the constant bickering and finger pointing — they knew ADRENALINE MOB's next venture would be affected. In fact, the first song Orlando began writing for "We The People" was the politically charged rocker "Blind Leading The Blind". "The title track is very much inspired by the past election year," confirms Allen. "It touches on our society, here in America. The album title is a reflection of our times. The songs have certain particular stories that stand on their own. Many of them are also driven by the climate we live in today and some are about having a good time, being free and loving rock 'n' roll. All the tracks have a personality and character to them."

ADRENALINE MOB will embark on a 30-date U.S. tour on June 16 in Poughkeepsie, New York. Support on all dates will come from the Canadian band THE WILD!

THE WINERY DOGS, the power trio featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB), legendary bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, TALAS, DAVID LEE ROTH) and guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen (MR. BIG, POISON), will release "Dog Years: Live In Santiago & Beyond 2013-2016" on August 4 via Loud & Proud Records.

"Dog Years: Live In Santiago & Beyond 2013-2016", which will be available in both standard and deluxe editions, is a collection of live concert footage, music videos, and an EP of previously unreleased studio tracks. Pre-orders are available now on Amazon for the deluxe and standard editions. A standard two-disc edition of "Dog Years: Live In Santiago & Beyond 2013-2016" will be available which includes one Blu-ray disc of the 100-minute concert, eight music videos from the band's two albums, and the "Dog Years" EP on CD. A special edition five-disc package will consist of one Blu-ray disc, one DVD of the live concert material and the eight music videos, the "Dog Years" EP on CD, as well as two CDs of the live concert audio. "Dog Years: Live In Santiago & Beyond 2013-2016" track listing:

Live In Santiago - May 27, 2016: 01. Oblivion02. Captain Love03. We Are One04. Hot Streak05. How Long06. Time Machine07. Empire08. Fire09. Think It Over10. Mike Portnoy Drum Solo11. The Other Side12. Billy Sheehan Bass Solo13. Ghost Town14. I'm No Angel15. Elevate16. Regret17. Desire Music Videos: * Elevate* Desire* Time Machine* I'm No Angel* Oblivion* Captain Love* Hot Streak* Fire "Dog Years" EP: 01. Criminal02. The Game03. Solid Ground04. Love Is Alive05. Moonage Daydream

THE WINERY DOGS last year completed a tour in support of its second album, "Hot Streak", which was released in October 2015 in North America.

"Hot Streak" debuted at No. 30 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 13,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

In a recent interview with Myglobalmind, Kotzen said about THE WINERY DOGS' current status: "[There is] nothing [planned] at the moment, I don't foresee anything happening for a couple of years.

"It's an interesting thing, with THE WINERY DOGS I wasn't looking to join a band for the rest of my life," he continued. "My idea was to take a break from being Richie Kotzen and do something more collaborative. I thought it would be fun to do the first WINERY DOGS CD and tour to some key market shows and that would be the end of it. We ended up getting a great response and toured for over a year. People loved the CD so much that we got back in the studio to do the second one.

"For me, it's time to come home and do what I've always done. I have been making Richie Kotzen records since I was 18; it's a source of survival, sanity, art, and everything you want to call it. I know the other guys have something very exciting in the works which people will love. It may fill a WINERY DOGS void."

Kotzen added: "I'm not saying it's over; you never know in a couple of years from now we may get back together and do something. What I am saying is THE WINERY DOGS are the furthest thing from my mind right now with a new [solo] CD out."

Radiation Romeos have released a video for “Monstertraxx”, a song from their self-titled debut album, out now. The new video is available for streaming below.

Radiation Romeos is a new band formed by the singer Parramore “Perry” McCarty, best known for being the frontman of legendary US metal act Warrior and famed Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens' solo project, Atomic Playboys (in fact, the inspiration for the name Radiation Romeos came from a line in the song “Atomic Playboys").

Musically, the band moves in a melodic hard rock direction with solid, metallic edges thanks to the production of Michael Voss (Phantom 5, Casanova, Michael Schenker), who also contributed to the songwriting. In the studio, Parramore sang all vocals with Dag Heyne handling guitars, Jogi Spittka on bass, and Gereon Homann laying down the drum work with gusto.

Perry says: “Radiation Romeos started when producer Michael Voss contacted me in San Diego through Facebook. A few days later we had the record agreement with Frontiers, so the Radiation Romeos album was soon under way. Our goal was to write great melodic rock songs. The album “spans the globe” from the title track, power rockin’ Radiation Romeos to some songs with a bit more grit like Castaways. All the way to a beautiful ballad, “Like An Arrow”. Something for everyone, if you will… The recording was so much fun and exciting for me. I couldn’t wait to get up the following day to work on the next song! Michael is a wonderfully professional person with endless talent and the musicians super cool guys and top players!”

Parramore McCarty's career in music started when Robbin Crosby of Ratt gave him his start singing in cover bands. His first major label album was Fighting For the Earth on Virgin Records in 1985 for the legendary heavy metal band Warrior. Steve Stevens' Atomic Playboys followed in 1989 on Warner Bros. Records. Then he returned to Warrior and also started gigging in the LA area with Metal Freqs and Monster Traxx.

Radiation Romeos tracklisting:

“Radiation Romeos”
“Ocean Drive”
“Bad Bad Company”
“Mystic Mountain”
“Like An Arrow”
“Promised Land”
“Castaways”
“Ghost Town”
“Til The End Of Time”
“On The Tight Rope”
“Monstertraxx”

“Monstertraxx” video:

“Radiation Romeos” video:

“Castaways”:

“Like An Arrow”:

“Ocean Drive” video:

Band lineup:

Parramore McCarty - vocals
Dag Heyne - guitars
Jogi Spittka - bass
Gereon Homann - drums

During last night's (Wednesday, May 31) KISS concert at the O2 Arena in London, England, the legendary rockers asked for a moment of silence in honor of those who lost their lives in Manchester.

KISS had been scheduled to play at the Manchester Arena on May 30, just one week after a suicide bomb killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande gig at the same venue.

As a result, the Manchester Arena remains closed, which forced the band to cancel its performance.

KISS said in a statement: "We are heartbroken by the atrocity committed against the innocent victims of Manchester.

"We have always looked forward to these shows and our local fans, but in light of recent events, a canceled rock show seems of such little consequence.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those affected and all the people of Manchester at this difficult time. We are with you and you are in our prayers."

Several other artists — including BLONDIE and TAKE THAT — also canceled concerts in the wake of the attack.

As they have done at every show during their current European tour, GUNS N' ROSES paid tribute to Chris Cornell Friday night (June 2) by performing a cover version of SOUNDGARDEN's "Black Hole Sun" at Passeio Marítimo de Algés in Lisbon, Portugal. Fan-filmed video footage of the rendition can be seen below.

For his first solo album, which came out in 2010, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash invited many great musicians as guest vocalists, including Cornell, who can be heard on a song called "Promise". Slash later told Music Radar about the track: "Chris was great. 'Promise' was probably the most unorthodox piece of music that I'd written, it was very different. It was one of those things, I don't know why I thought of him for that song more than any of the others, but I sent it to him and within 48 hours he sent me this great lyric and we were off and running. It was as simple as that. Everybody seems to like this one."

Cornell told Classic Rock magazine about Slash: "I met Slash in 1992 when GUNS N' ROSES took SOUNDGARDEN on tour. He was extremely gracious and always very supportive. Often when you tour with a band that are that successful, they treat you like shit. Slash was always a very consistent and amiable person and he is now. And I will say this — and I don't mean this as a slight to him, it's actually a compliment — Slash is the most drunk guitarist I have ever seen play well on stage. I was never able to be that trashed and that good at the same time. That's a part of his consistency: he doesn't drink now and he's still great. That dedication to music is what drives his character."

A completed toxicology report confirmed on Friday that Cornell was using prescription drugs at the time of his death. The report revealed that the SOUNDGARDEN frontman had Naloxone (Narcan), Butalbital (a sedative), Lorazepam (Ativan), Pseudoephedrine (a decongestant) and barbiturates in his system on the night he died by hanging himself in his Detroit hotel room. He was 52.

Michigan's Wayne County Medical Examiner said that the manner of death was suicide and that "drugs did not contribute to the cause of death."

Decibel Geek TV has uploaded video footage of the reunited RATT, featuring three members of the band's classic lineup — singer Stephen Pearcy, bassist Juan Croucier and guitarist Warren DeMartini — performing on May 28 at the Rocklahoma festival, which took place at "Catch the Fever" Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma, just outside Tulsa. Check it out below.

As before, Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini were joined on stage by former QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on RATT's last studio album, 2010's "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

A completely different version of RATT — led by drummer Bobby Blotzer and featuring a revolving door of members — has been hitting stages across the country since the fall of 2015.

Last November, a California judge ruled against Blotzer with respect to whether Croucier had committed trademark infringement by using the RATT name and logo to advertise his band RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER back in the fall 2015. The judge furthermore decided that the corporation WBS, Inc. — of which Blotzer and DeMartini were thought to be the sole shareholders — did not have ownership interest in the RATT marks and that the name and brand was still owned by the members who were part of the original RATT partnership agreement.

In addition to claiming to have expelled Blotzer from the partnership following the latest court ruling, DeMartini, Croucier and singer Stephen Pearcy said that Blotzer could now only refer to himself as a "former member of RATT," as per the partnership agreement.

Blotzer's most recent lineup of RATT included singer Seann Nicols (QUIET RIOT) alongside guitarists Mitch Perry (TALAS, HEAVEN, STEELER, MSG, LITA FORD) and Stacey Blades (L.A. GUNS) and bassist Brad Lang (Y&T).

Heavy metal pioneers Accept are back in the game with a new studio album. The record, entitled The Rise Of Chaos, will be unleashed on August 4th. The band's fourth studio release through Nuclear Blast will continue the tradition of its three predecessors - Blood Of The Nations, Stalingrad, and Blind Rage - with grandeur and precision.

Today, the title track is available to purchase digitally. Get it here.

In addition, the new album is now available for pre-order. Get your physical copy, here, or digitally here.

The Rise Of Chaos is available in the following formats:

- CD Jewel
- Orange/Blue Swirl Vinyl (Limited to 700 worldwide)
- T-shirt bundle ( T-shirt + CD + Poster)

The cover artwork of the new record was created by the Hungarian artist Gyula Havancsák.

"The Rise Of Chaos is something I have been thinking about often. Wherever we go - there is some hidden as well as some visible destruction and it kind of changes the world we know. What was there today - can be gone tomorrow and it’s somehow irritating, because it happens on so many levels and no one knows what comes next. The cover is our last stage set - but now clearly “destroyed" - like… after a catastrophe", explains Wolf Hoffmann.

The Rise Of Chaos tracklisting:

“Die By The Sword”
“Hole In The Head”
“The Rise Of Chaos”
“Koolaid”
“No Regrets”
“Analog Man”
“What’s Done Is Done”
“Worlds Colliding”
“Carry The Weight”
“Race To Extinction”

And if this wasn't enough, Accept will celebrate the album's live premiere exclusively on August 3rd, on the day before its release, as a part of a special show at Wacken Open Air, Germany. The set will consist of three parts, which represent the band's creative power:

Part 1 will bring fans a classic Accept set, packed with new and old hits. Part 2 will present another premiere: Wolf Hoffmann will be playing tracks from his solo album Headbangers Symphony, released in 2016, with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra for the very first time. On this record, Wolf has covered famous opuses by composers such as Beethoven, Vivaldi, and Mozart, in a metal guise. And in Part 3, all elements can be seen and heard together: Accept will make the holy Wacken ground shake by sharing the stage with the orchestra, supported by a complex multimedia show.

This unique concert experience will take place on this year's Night To Remember which makes it even more special. The Night To Remember is a celebrated, long-lasting Wacken tradition; for one night of the festival a selection of established bands will do something unique and special with their performance.

Wolf Hoffmann stated: "It's always impressive to see how bands take this evening seriously and how much love the artists and the organising team put into their work to get a varied result. It's a great tradition which underlines and documents the top-notch level of the international rock community like nothing else. We also want to present something that Accept has never done before, we hope we can give something really special to the fans."

"Accept have been and are still a very important part of Germany's heavy metal scene. We're really looking forward to having them with us once more. With this epic concept, the Thursday evening will be one to remember for sure," stated Thomas Jensen, organizer of Wacken Open Air.

Get your tickets for W:O:A here.

(Photo - Holger Talinski)

FILTER's music video for the song "Mother E" can be seen below. The track comes off the band's current album, "Crazy Eyes". Frontman/mastermind Richard Patrick commissioned an epic clip for the compelling cut.

FILTER has always been about defying expectations and making strong statements. Patrick has sounded off on many timely topics of late, none more powerful than the statement "Mother E" makes about anger and hate in people's hearts.

"'Mother E' is the sound of what I call 'real-life horror,'" he said. "People that show up at a pre-school, movie theater or church firing a semi-automatic (to somehow silence the voices in their heads) scare me more than some movie monster. Real-life horror is what makes me write many of FILTER's songs." The haunting video was directed by Polish director Lukasz Pytlik.

"When we first talked with Richard about making the video for 'Mother E', I immediately saw the song's potential to tell a story that is not only brutal and unforgiving but also one that carries a message and is full of emotions," explains Pytlik.

"When working on the script, I knew that I had to make it about a subject that I could relate to. As a history buff, I wanted to tell the story of what happened during WWII when the Russian army was supposed to be our ally and free Poland from the Germany's occupation. What happened was not what was supposed to. Many of the Russian soldiers, raped, mutiliated and even killed Polish women. That was our canvas for the rape-and-revenge story we tell in the video. BUT: is it truly happening or is it happening in someone's tormented mind? That's up to viewers to decide." This fall will likely see the FILTER DVD/album release "Crazy Eyes Of America" — a recording done in 2016 of the band's powerful live show.

The official video recap of the first show of the North American leg of METALLICA's "WorldWired" tour — which launched on May 10 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland — can be seen below. According to Rolling Stone, the stage show included "seemingly hundred-foot screens that stretch to the upper rafters of the gigantic venue, chest-rattling bass drum that approximates Lars Ulrich personally kicking you in the gut and pyro displays that include 40-foot flames that turn into fireballs and fireworks galore." The stage even had giant balloons that display the cover of METALLICA's latest album, 2016's "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct".

The band's 18-song setlist included five tracks from "Hardwired", which was certified platinum last month by the RIAA (Recording Association Of America).

METALLICA was joined in Baltimore by Danish/American rock and rollers VOLBEAT and popular California act AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

METALLICA's setlist was as follows:

01. Hardwired02. Atlas, Rise!03. For Whom the Bell Tolls04. Fuel05. The Unforgiven06. Now That We're Dead07. Moth Into Flame08. Wherever I May Roam09. Halo on Fire10. Hit The Lights11. Sad But True12. One13. Master Of Puppets14. Fade to Black15. Seek & Destroy

Encore:

16. Battery17. Nothing Else Matters18. Enter Sandman

Ulrich told Rolling Stone that playing two one-off stadium gigs last year — at San Francisco's AT&T Park and Minneapolis's US Bank Stadium — showed the group that they could still draw larger venues in the U.S. as they tour in support of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct". "It was like, 'Holy fuck, people really still care about this band in ways that you stopped taking for granted literally decades ago,'" he said. "It was very inspiring and kind of eye-opening.

"Full stadium runs can sometimes be a little intimidating," he continued. "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."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett concurred, telling The Baltimore Sun: "It looks like we're selling more tickets than we have ever before in the United States. Knowing that has made everyone super excited about the tour. It's a good place to be because we feel pretty fresh."

The North American leg of the "WorldWired" tour is hitting stadiums in twenty-five cities before winding down in mid-August.

U.K. metalcore band ASKING ALEXANDRIA has released a teaser for a brand new song, apparently called "I Am Iniquity". The 41-second clip, which includes footage from the studio, can be seen below.

ASKING ALEXANDRIA singer Danny Worsnop recently said that he didn't have any interest in becoming a legal member of the band again, preferring instead to arrange his tours and recording sessions with the group one at a time.

The reunion between Danny and ASKING ALEXANDRIA was confirmed last October following weeks of rumors and speculation regarding the status of his replacement, Denis Shaforostov, who joined the band in 2015.

Danny, who released a solo album, "The Long Road Home", in February while still being involved with his other band WE ARE HARLOT in between acting gigs, told Finland's Kaaos TV that he is working closely with the members of ASKING ALEXANDRIA to ensure that he is able to pursue other projects alongside his touring and recording activities with AA.

ASKING ALEXANDRIA guitarist Ben Bruce told Kaaos TV in March that the band had already completed the songwriting process for its next album, with plans to enter the studio in the coming months.

When Danny's return to ASKING ALEXANDRIA was first announced, Bruce said in a video message that Shaforostov had "just stopped talking to us." But Denis later tweeted, "I left AA because I can't be in a touring band at this point in my life. There's no drama and I don't want to be a part of it."

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

“The Scene” (feat. Fronz) video:

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

June
14-16 - Nickelsdorf, Austria - Nova Rock
16 - Budapest, Hungary - A38

July
4-6 - Hradec Králové, Czech Republic - Rock For People
20-23 - Kiev, Ukraine - Faine Misto Festival

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

American rock act CKY (Chad I Ginsburg, Jess Margera and Matt Deis) have debuted another brand new single today titled “Replaceable”. This the second new song we've seen from the band. The band released "Days Of Self Destruction" (Feat. Brent Hinds) last month. That track can be streamed below.

“’Replaceable’ is a rockin track. Fucking solid," says guitarist / vocalist Chad I Ginsburg. "I would  say it is generally about anyone that gets in your way, holds you back or slows your potential with their own blatant insecurity, fears or sickness."

In addition to all pre-orders now being live, both tracks are also iTunes instant gratification tracks, meaning fans who pre-order the album on iTunes will receive “Replaceable” and “Days Of Self Destruction” as an instant download.

Ginsberg continues, "Individuals that you are ultimately and knowingly covering for as they selfishly sabotage you. And then realizing how much better you can be without any losers or life suckers as obstacles. Rock n roll power. Onward. Strength from within."

CKY will release The Phoenix on June 16th via eOne Music. The all new LP will be the first release since the band put out Carver City in 2009. The album was engineered and mixed at Rancho De La Luna, the highly regarded recording studio in Joshua Tree, CA.

The cover art for The Phoenix was completed by chandelier maker and artist Adam Wallacavage to create a one of a kind piece for the cover.

Tracklisting:

“Replaceable”
“Days of Self Destruction”
“Unknown Enemy”
“Head For A Breakdown”
“The Other Ones”
“Wiping Off The Dead”
“Lies From You”
“Better Than Get Even”

“Days Of Self Destruction”:

Pre-order digital copies here, or physical copies here.

The band have tour dates booked all summer highlighted by a return to the 2017 Vans Warped Tour. This is the band's first time returning to the Warped Tour since 2000. But first the band will head over to the UK to do thirteen show run, most of which are already sold out. This will be the first time the band has been back to the UK since 2009. CKY will then head to Canada for ten key shows from Quebec all the way to Vancouver.

Click here for all tour dates.

(Photo: Jimmy Hubbard)

A performance video for IN THIS MOMENT's new single, "Oh Lord", can be seen below. The clip was filmed at this year's edition of the Carolina Rebellion festival, which was held May 5-7 at Rock City Campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. "Oh Lord" is taken from IN THIS MOMENT's new album, "Ritual", which will arrive on Friday, July 21. The band's sixth studio album will be released by Atlantic Records in partnership with Roadrunner Records and is available for pre-order now.

All pre-orders will be joined by an instant grat download of "Oh Lord", with additional instant-grat downloads becoming available in the weeks leading up to the album's release. Exclusive pre-order bundles, which include custom IN THIS MOMENT branded rosary beads, are available now at the band's webstore. Produced by longtime collaborator — and multiple Grammy Award nominee — Kevin Churko (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, OZZY OSBOURNE), "Ritual" sees IN THIS MOMENT pushing their inimitably dark sound forward with a provocative sense of pervading doom and metallic blues power.

Highlights include a dramatic reimagination of the Phil Collins classic "In The Air Tonight" as well as "Black Wedding", a walk down the aisle of musical madness that sees lead singer Maria Brink sharing the mic with legendary JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford. "It's like we're going into the next realm," says Brink. "I had a conviction of feeling empowered in my life and with myself. I always write from a personal place, and I needed to share that sense of strength. I've never been afraid to hold back. Sometimes I can be very suggestive. However, I wanted to show our fans that this is the most powerful side of myself and it's without overt sexuality. It's that deeper serious fire inside of my heart." "When fans hear this, I want them to feel the music, whether they take away sadness, anger, or happiness," adds lead guitarist Chris Howorth. "As a kid, I remember listening to records and putting them on repeat over and over again. I'd love for the world to listen and absorb this as a piece of work." IN THIS MOMENT will herald "Ritual" on a major North American tour, beginning June 20 at Peoria, Illinois's Limelight and featuring support by such like-minded bands as MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, VIMIC, LITTLE MISS NASTY and STARSET. As if that weren't enough, IN THIS MOMENT is also set for two exciting support dates, joining AVENGED SEVENFOLD on June 19 at Mt. Pleasant, Michigan's Soaring Eagle Casino and PAPA ROACH on June 23 at El Paso, Texas's Streetfest. The upcoming dates follow the just-wrapped "Half God Half Devil Tour", the nearly sold-out trek marking IN THIS MOMENT's first full-scale live assault since serving as special guest on last year's blockbuster "Return Of The Dreads" tour with KORN and ROB ZOMBIE. The band's own hugely successful "Black Widow" headline tour included a wide range of sold-out shows and stage-stealing festival appearances.

"Ritual" track listing:

01. Salvation02. Oh Lord03. Black Wedding (feat. Rob Halford)04. In The Air Tonight05. Joan of Arc06. River of Fire07. Witching Hour08. Twin Flames09. Half God Half Devil10. No Me Importa11. Roots12. Lay Your Gun Down

Guitarist Fredrik Thordendal of Swedish experimental extreme metallers MESHUGGAH will sit out the band's summer tour with MEGADETH. His temporary replacement will be SCAR SYMMETRY's Per Nilsson.

A cryptic message on MESHUGGAH's Facebook page offered no specific reason for Fredrik's absence other than he would be out "on a mission to explore some interesting stuff."

MESHUGGAH's run of U.S. dates with MEGADETH will kick off on June 23 in Big Flats, New York and end on July 11 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Also appearing on the bill are TESSERACT and LILLAKE.

MESHUGGAH's latest album, "The Violent Sleep Of Reason", was released last October via Nuclear Blast.

"The Violent Sleep Of Reason" was produced by the band and was engineered by Tue Madsen of Puk Studios in Kaerby, Denmark.

For "The Violent Sleep Of Reason" cover, MESHUGGAH once again enlisted Keerych Luminokaya who created the artwork for "Koloss" and "The Ophidian Trek" as well as the new images for each of the seven albums and three EPs featured in the "25 Years Of Musical Deviance" box set.




So...we had to send our interdimensional Kazoospecialist Dr Thordendal on a mission to explore some interesting stuff....

Posted by Meshuggah on Friday, June 2, 2017

The official lyric video for the song "Cascading Failures" from U.S. extreme metallers ORIGIN can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Unparalleled Universe", which will be released on June 30 via Agonia Records in Europe and Nuclear Blast Records in North America.

For 20 years, ORIGIN has engaged a full-blown sensory assault of tight, taut, and technical death metal amplified by flashes of grindcore and groove. However, "Unparalleled Universe" sees the quartet — Paul Ryan (guitar, vocals), John Longstreth (drums), Mike Flores (bass, vocals) and Jason Keyser (vocals) — strengthen that blueprint with a handful of surprises.

"It feels like an ORIGIN album, but it's unparalleled to what you might expect if you haven't heard us for 10 or 15 years," says Ryan. "To me, it's a true reflection of ourselves. I compare it to an action movie. Our earlier material is filled with action from beginning to end. Now, the idea is to add a little more depth and dynamics. You could say there are some twists in the plot musically."

ORIGIN began compiling ideas for what would become "Unparalleled Universe" while touring in support of their 2014 sixth offering, "Omnipresent". Along the way, the record snatched their highest position on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, bowing in the Top 10. Meanwhile, it garnered acclaim from metal press and successful tours with everyone from ABORTED and EXHUMED to IMMOLATION and MARDUK over the last three years. They've also shined on the Summer Slaughter Tour in 2009 and 2014. On the road with BELPHEGOR last year, the members debuted a skeleton of the first single "Accident And Error" in front of packed crowds.

"We would ask the audience to give us title ideas, but we could never discern what they were actually saying," laughs Ryan. "Riffs typically start on tour, and I keep them in my back pocket. That's the way it is. Ultimately, 'Unparalleled Universe' begins another era for ORIGIN. In the end, we're still writing death metal songs, but we're adding new dimensions. We're still ORIGIN."

"Unparalleled Universe" was recorded and mixed at Chapman Studios in February 2017 alongside longtime collaborator and engineer Robert Rebeck (Tech N9ne). The band emerged with ten new songs, including a cover of BRUJERIA's "Revolución", that were mastered in March 2017 by Colin Marston at Menegroth - The Thousand Caves (ALTAR OF PLAGUES, JAROBE, KRALLICE) and wrapped in a cover prepared by Filip Ivanovic (DISMEMBER, CRYPTOPSY, GORGUTS).

Track listing:

01. Infinitesimal To The Infinite02. Accident And Error03. Cascading Failures04. Mithridatic05. Truthslayer06. Invariance Under Transformation07. Dajjal08. Burden Of Prescience09. Unequivocal10. Revolucion

ORIGIN is:

Paul Ryan - Guitar, Backing VocalsJohn Longstreth - DrumsMike Flores - Bass, Backing VocalsJason Keyser - Lead Vocals