Eliminate, a new group of classic thrash metal musicians comprised of singer Don Doty (Dark Angel), guitarists Scott Owen (Hirax, Subversion) and Henry Elizondo (Devastation), bassist John Signorelli (Subversion) and drummer Joe Cangelosi (Whiplash, Kreator, Massacre), is wrapping up their five date West Coast run with a performance in San Francisco tonight. The band will going to the studio the following week to record some original songs for a demo and possible EP.

Below is some live clips at the Regent Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Eliminate will also be embarking on a quick two show stint in New York later this year in October.

Eliminate says, "The band would also like to thank everyone for their support and want to express our gratitude to the people who made it possible for us to play these run of dates.”

“We Have Arrived” from the Regent Theatre:

Joe Cangelosi drum cam (footage by Jose Lopez from WorldWideRockyMetal):

After a small hiatus and lineup change, Candada’s Chariots Of The Gods return in 2016 full force with an new album, Ages Unsung, set for release on September 16th. Creating a Kickstarter / pre-order campaign (thank you video below), COTG surpassed their goal of $3,000 and recorded the album at The Grid with legendary Montreal producer Chris Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Beyond Creation, Neuraxis). A new teaser is streaming below.

COTG are also streaming the first single, “Into Oblivion”, which features a guitar solo from Pascal Jobin of The Agonist. Check it out below.

Ages Unsung tracklisting:

“Primordial Dawn”
“Tusk”
“Of Prometheus And The Sacred Flame”
“War of The Gods”
“As The Sky Falls”
“Resurrection”
“Through Darkness And Decay”
“Into Oblivion”
“New World”
“Ages Unsung”

Teaser:

“Into Oblivion”:

The partly reunited classic lineup of GUNS N' ROSES hit Dodger Stadium Thursday night (August 18) for the first of two hometown shows as part of the influential hard-rock band's "Not In This Lifetime" tour.

Three separate reviews of the concert can be found at the links below:

* Los Angeles Times* The Orange County Register* MXDWN.com

GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" stadium tour features classic lineup members Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Axl Rose (vocals) backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and new second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Slash told Boston's WZLX radio station about the trek: "Everybody's getting along, everybody's playing great. We were all pretty positive that that would never happen so it's still sort of blowing our minds. It seems so surreal to me, but everybody's really getting along great and I think everybody's come a long way and it's all cool."

Live Nation exec Bob Roux predicted the company would sell one million tickets for the 25-show tour, roughly 90 percent of what was available. He added that some less well-attended shows were the result of the band playing cities it wanted to play, rather than sticking to the highest population centers that would better guarantee sellouts.

Drummer Steven Adler performed with GUNS N' ROSES at two shows early last month. Adler joined GUNS for "My Michelle" and "Out Ta Get Me" on July 6 in Cincinnati and July 9 in Nashville.

Guitarist Izzy Stradlin remains the last member of the classic band to keep his distance from the current reunion, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that he was approached about the reunion, but did not wish to tour and/or was not happy with the money he was offered.

Reed, a 22-year veteran of the group, told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that unpredictability has always been part of the band. "The volatility is definitely still there, especially for me, because I've seen a lot," he said. "It keeps you on your toes for sure. I just show up every night as prepared as possible to do my job, and anything else that happens is out of my control. There's really no way to truly deal with that."

Photo credit: Katarina Benzova

Affiance are steaming their cover of Toto's '80s soft rock gem, "Africa." Listen below. The song is available for purchase here.

Earlier this year, Affiance released their Gaia EP, which is streaming  via the YouTube playlist below.

Gaia EP tracklisting:

"Reboot"
"Gaia"
"Hollow Empire"
"Knowing"
"Crusader"
"PRSVR"
"Exist"

EP stream:

"Reboot" video:

Skull Fist frontman Zach Slaughter has checked in with the following update: 

"We recorded a few cover tracks. It was beyond exciting for us to record a version of this song because Tom Petty is one of the very few songwriters that I have a serious amount of respect for. Although it's impossible to match the awesomeness of the original, we did our best! We are really only interested in covering music that we can do justice to and add our own feeling to. For the Fist, covering tracks is a very sacred ritual that has one mandatory consideration. Does this NEED to be covered or is the original just too perfect to even attempt? It was a fine line for this track!

This video also includes photo's we received over the last while of fellow 'Fistians' with Skull Fist tattoos, so thanks to the bro's and bro-ettes for feelin' what we do strong enough to ink it on you! I promise we won't make you regret them! If your tattoo is NOT pictured here, sorry, I just pulled some from the Skull Fist photos, but share them with us and they will appear in other places!"

Zach Slaughter has also checked in with the following announcement:

"I released a solo CD; it's pretty different from the Skull Fist stuff but I've been very limited with the voice surgeries over the last year and I wanted to keep recording. You might like it, you might not (haha). It's ranging from celtic, flamenco, folk and world music. Me and my little pals Whitey and Chubs (chubs not pictured, was busy hiding food in my bed) worked pretty hard on it.

You can hear it all at this link, download it for free or buy it at this location.

The Skull Fist CD and some proper tours will happen just as soon as I have recovered, until then we're going to release three cover songs we did over the next few weeks, hang tough and listen to some other crap in the meantime."

Check out the tracks from Zach Slaughter's Nowhere EP below.

Florida doom metal force, Northern Crown, have announced the October 14th release of their full-length debut album, The Others. Following 2014's In The Hands Of The Betrayer EP, the new Northern Crown is stretching out to new heights, with emphasis on the rock organ and a less rigid approach to the genre.

Main songwriter and guitarist Zachary Randall notes that, "this is easily the most personal art I've ever created, both musically and lyrically." The care and attention to detail have refined the songs, creating real character and vision. Northern Crown is the sound of realization and reaction, with a touch of smoke and mirrors. Equal parts austere and ostentatious, but heavy all the way through.

Vocalist/guitarist Frank Serafine notes, “We know what we're good at now, and focused more on bringing out those performances from each other." The long-running title track, recalling a quote from philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, is sure to be another enthralling critical favorite.

Serafine summons a heady blend of his influences, such as Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, Roy Khan, and Jorn Lande, for his performance. Former Northern Crown founding member Leona Hayward returns to the fold, rounding out the rhythm section with a heavy Steve Harris/Geezer Butler-inspired attack. Drummer Josh Brown is guided by the rule of elegant simplicity in his stylings and momentum. Guest performers on The Others also include Nightfall/Dark Hound guitarist Evan Hensley and organs by Vincent Perez.

Tracklisting:

“With Malicious Eye”
“Surreality (The Tell-Tale Mind)”
“No One Came to Mourn Me”
“Apostate”
“A Pox Upon Your House”
“Les Autres”

Following their wildly successful debut EP, Breaking Out, UK trio Raveneye are set to release their full length debut album, NOVA, worldwide on September 23rd. A lyric video for the track “Inside” can be found below.

Since forming in 2014, UK-based rock band Raveneye has toured globally, supporting bands such as The Darkness, Slash, Deep Purple, Halestorm and Blues Pills. The band has headlined their own tours through Europe and America and have performed at major international rock festivals such as Download Festival​ (UK), Hellfest Open Air Festival​ (France), Azkena Rock Festival ARF​ (Spain), Rock For People (Czech Republic), Louder Than Life​ (US), and Aftershock Festival​ (US), and will also perform at this year’s Maximus Festival​ in Brazil and Argentina this September. Their incendiary live shows have captivated crowds and put them on the map as a ‘must see live’ band.  

Warren Riker (Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson, Down, Anders Osborne), who engineered the debut EP, took over as producer to capture the band’s true sonic identity on NOVA. Together, Oli Brown, Aussie bassist Aaron Spiers and renowned drummer Gunnar Olsen worked at Water Music in Hoboken, New Jersey for 25 days and created an eleven-track album that pushed the band beyond its boundaries and into new ground. From the hard hitting riffs of “Inside”, “Madeline” and “Hero” to the raw sounds of “Wanna Feel You” and “Oh My Love’ to the stark reality of life and death in “Eternity”, NOVA takes you on a journey of defiance, pain, hate, death and, yes, love.

With songs filled with deep, bluesy grooves and infectious hooks that invoke giants such as Led Zeppelin and Soundgarden, Raveneye (who formed just two years ago) continue to win fans over around the world with their huge sound and killer live shows. The extensive touring in 2015 laid the ground work for a hungry fan-base and, this past April, one year after the release of their debut EP, Breaking Out, the band debuted on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart.

NOVA tracklisting:

“Wanna Feel You”
“Come With Me”
“Inside”
“Hero”
“Supernova”
“Walls”
“Oh My Love”
“Madeline”
“Hate”
“Out Of The Rain”
“Eternity”

“Inside” lyric video:

“Hero” video:

Wardruna’s new album, Runaljod – Ragnarok, will be released on October 21st. This is the third instalment in a trilogy of albums that began with Runaljod – gap var Ginnunga (2009) and continued with Runaljod – Yggdrasil (2013). Listen to the new track, “Odal”, streaming below.

In short, the ambitious idea behind the trilogy was to create musical interpretations of each of the twenty-four old Nordic runes. It proved to be a lengthy and challenging task. Some of the material on the album even date back to 2003 and the early stages of the project, when multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Einar Selvik started to develop the genre-defying sound and style that Wardruna have become known for. It is a contemporary sound, but one that is characterized by the use of old and historical instruments like Kraviklyra, taglharpe, goat horns, birchbark lures and more. The vocals range from whispering voices to melodic song and mighty choirs. All performed with sincerity and conviction.

Musically and conceptually there is a clear continuity between all three of the albums, but with time and experience comes refinement. And new elements has certainly been added along the way. Most notable on Runaljod – Ragnarok is the use of the Scandinavian bronze lures, whose iconic sound and appearance make them a perfect fit with Wardruna’s instrumentation and concept. Special guest performances by Einar’s own children and Skarvebarna children's choir must also be noted.
 
Runaljod – Ragnarok was written, recorded and produced by Einar Selvik from 2003 to 2016 at his own Fimbulljóð studio.

Tracklisting:

“Tyr”
“UruR”
“Isa”
“MannaR - Drivande”
“MannaR - Liv”
“Raido”
“Pertho”
“Odal”
“Wunjo”
“Runaljod”

“Odal”:

A tour in support of the album will commence in November, with concerts in Norway, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Denmark, the UK and the US. As many of the concerts were sold out quickly and further touring is planned for 2017.

Peaceville Records has announced the signing of US blackened noise occultists T.O.M.B. for the release of their impending Fury Nocturnus album, currently set for release on October 21st. A video for the new song “Abysmal Channeling” can be found below.

Through 18 years of existence, T.O.M.B. (Total Occultic Mechanical Blasphemy) has created a multitude of horrific, spell-binding sound structures across thirteen different releases including compilations, splits, EPs and LPs. During that time, the project has devoted itself to developing material with an essence directly derived from areas and elements associated with death, paranormal activity and occult practices.

Formed in 1998, and inspired by projects such as Abruptum, Havohej, Samael, Sunno))) and Wardruna, T.O.M.B. members No-One, B. Zimimay and Samantha Viola – the trio also notable as King Dude-signed act Dreadlords - orchestrated their latest recordings into thirteen hypnotic and malicious tracks, resulting in a ritualistic album outside of the boundaries of contemporary ambient, doom, industrial, noise or traditional black metal music. When creating these field recording soundscapes, certain necromantic instrumentation was used: human and animal bone, cemetery crypt doors, tombstones and coffins, and audio EVP equipment.

Key musicians contributing their craft throughout Fury Nocturnus are legendary drummer Hellhammer of Mayhem, shaman doom guitarist John Litchko of Goreaphobia/Necrotion and the mighty death industrial noise artist Grant Richardson from the project Gnawed, along with famous sound engineer Alan Douches of West Westside studios in New York. Artwork for Fury Nocturnus appears courtesy of Watain’s Erik Danielsson.

T.O.M.B. - “With the release of Fury Nocturnus under the banner of Peaceville Records, T.O.M.B. will now enter a new era in composing nefarious noise frequencies; giving new life to the sonic musical sorcery we choose to conduct. It is a true honor to have T.O.M.B. recognized by a label that for decades has been historical in providing a solid foundation and support-mechanism for their individual artists to flourish, within the realms of extreme music. Peaceville's acknowledgment of T.O.M.B.'s authentic approach and past accomplishments is extremely exciting, and we are completely grateful to be granted the opportunity to be a part of such a professional and prestigious label.”

Drummer Steven Adler performed with GUNS N' ROSES for the third time on the "Not In This Lifetime" reunion tour earlier tonight (Friday, August 19) at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, where he once again joined the group onstage to play drums on "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle".

Adler previously played with GUNS N' ROSES on July 6 in Cincinnati and July 9 in Nashville.

These three shows marked Adler's first two appearances with GUNS N' ROSES since 1990, although he performed with members of the band at their 2012 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Speculation about Adler having some sort of involvement in the GUNS N' ROSES reunion has been rampant ever since the band made it official with a surprise April 1 show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.

Adler was reportedly going to appear at that gig until he was sidelined by a back injury.

The regular GUNS N' ROSES drummer for several years has been Frank Ferrer, who is also part of the current lineup that boasts classic lineup members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan.

Adler was thrown out of GUNS N' ROSES in 1990 due to his heavy drug use, a problem he struggled with for years after his dismissal.

Izzy Stradlin, the rhythm guitarist who was also part of GN'R's classic lineup — as defined by the era of the rock band's debut album, 1987's "Appetite For Destruction" — has yet to appear with the reunited band onstage.

Last month, Slash spoke of how things were going on the road. "We were all pretty positive that that would never happen so it's still sort of blowing our minds," Slash said during a radio interview. "It seems so surreal to me, but everybody's really getting along great and I think everybody's come a long way and it's all cool."

Adler said last October that he would be the last person to hear about his involvement in a GUNS N' ROSES reunion because Slash couldn't trust him to keep the information secret. "I've known for Slash thirty-what… thirty-nine years, and he knows that I would climb to the [highest] mountain and I would do, as Paul Stanley would say, 'shout it out loud,'" he said.

Adler told VH1 Classic's Eddie Trunk in a separate interview about the possibility of his involvement in a GN'R reunion: "I love those guys, and I always will, but Duff, he doesn't think I'm cool. And Slash, he doesn't believe that I have [two years] sober. He doesn't believe it. I don't know why, but they forget that at one time in their life, they were doing drugs and drinking and they were fucking up. They forget that they were like that too. Duff has got 20 years sober or more, Slash has got, like, 11 or 12 years sober, and I've got [two years]. So everybody gets it at a different time. I'm just thankful I got it."

He expressed frustration that the original GUNS had not reunited, saying, "I don't get it. We just play music. We're living our dream. When we're together, we play it really great. Let's just do it. What's the problem?"

The current U.s. leg of the "Not In This Lifetime" tour concludes on Monday (August 22) in San Diego, California.

London metallers Exist Immortal have unveiled the video for their new single, “Follow Alone, to be featured on their brand new album, Breathe, out October 28th.

The video, shot at the epic Lee Quarry in Lancashire, sees the band performing on the edge of a cliff face, overlooking the vast caverns below. Cut between floor shots and jaw dropping aerial drone footage, “Follow Alone” is a must-watch, and the band’s most breathtaking offering yet.

The track is taken from their newly announced second album, Breathe. The follow up to their debut 2014 release Darkness Of An Age, its eleven tracks are prime examples of genre-spanning, hook-laden melodic metal, which are both unique and imaginative in their approach and execution.

Since releasing Darkness Of An Age in 2014, the band has been working tirelessly, expanding their reach and building a solid, dedicated following. Performing at a range of festivals, countless tours, and sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in the underground, from SikTh and Heart Of A Coward, to Fallujah and Circles, their brand of modern metal has so far taken them the length of breadth of the UK, across the vast majority of mainland Europe and as far as India.

In preparation for the new album, the band will once again be bringing their tight and intense live show to hungry audiences. They’re currently on a small UK run, ending at London’s Dingwalls with Agent Fresco, Zoax, Press To Meco & No Consequence. Exist Immortal will also be performing at this year’s Euroblast Festival alongside the likes of Born Of Osiris, Veil Of Maya, Heart Of A Coward and many more.

With the release of “Follow Alone”, a stellar second album and more singles, tours and updates to be announced, 2016 is shaping up to be a defining year for one of the country’s most exciting young metal acts.

Breathe tracklisting:

“Saviour”
“In Hindsight”
“Invisible Lines”
“Misconduct”
“Follow Alone”
“Erode”
“Escape”
“Lucid”
“Breathe”
“Release”
“Chi”

Tour dates:

August
19 - Bridgwater, UK - Cobblestones
20 - Brighton, UK - Sticky Mikes
21 - London, UK - Dingwall

October
2 - Cologne, Germany - Euroblast Festival

Singaporean grindcore trio Wormrot have released an official music video for their new single, "Fallen Into Disuse" (streaming below). Taken from their long-awaited new album, Voices, the video features live footage from the band's recent performance at KL Metalcamp festival, which took place on May 1st in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Frontman Arif comments: "“Fallen Into Disuse” is about unconscious abandonment from reality. Desperately trying to be accepted into the norm. At the very least. Failed miserably."

The new music video and album are the first to feature Wormrot’s new drummer, Vijesh, who brings a fresh and fitting sound to one of the most original bands in the grindcore scene   Combined with Rasyid's godlike grind riffage and Arif's distinct vocals switching effortlessly between deep guttural growls and rasping screams, the band's third full-length goes far beyond expectations from a band that already can seemingly do no wrong.

Due to be released worldwide on October 14th, Voices features 20 brand new songs and is available to preorder now on limited edition signed CD and vinyl, as well as regular CD, vinyl, and digital formats.

Tracklisting:

“Blockhead Fuck Off”
“Hollow Roots”
“Exit Fear”
“God’s In His Heaven”
“Oblivious Mess”
“Descending Into The Unknown”
“Dead Wrong”
“Fallen Into Disuse”
“The 1st Syndrome”
“Shallow Standards”
“Fake Moral Machine”
“Forced Siege”
“Take Aim”
“Still Irrelevant”
“Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Grind”
“Compassion Is Dead”
“Buried The Sun”
“Defaced”
“The Face Of Disgrace”
“Outworn”

“Fallen Into Disuse” video:

Studio video:

The official lyric video for "Anfang Des Albtraumes", a song from SINSAENUM, the project featuring Frédéric Leclercq, virtuoso bass player of London-based power metallers DRAGONFORCE, and Joey Jordison, formerly of SLIPKNOT and currently of VIMIC, can be seen below. The track is taken from SINSAENUM's debut album, "Echoes Of The Tortured", which was released on July 29 via earMUSIC. The CD was mixed in Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden, where Jens Bogren (OPETH, KREATOR, DEVIN TOWNSEND) put the finishing touches to 21 tracks that are — in one word — expansive.

The self-titled two-song EP from SINSAENUM was released on June 6. The ten-inch vinyl version of the effort features an embossed logo on the album cover and comes with an exclusive signed inner sleeve.

Having worked on some material that owed more to death metal than the power metal of his day job as far back as 1998, Fred had long been concocting a plan to put together an extreme metal project. Having secured the involvement of Stéphane Buriez, a French scene icon with LOUDBLAST for 30 years, it was only after an unexpected message from the U.S. when things began to really take shape. Fred explains: "Joey Jordison sent me an SMS to ask what I was up to, so I told him about those death metal songs." After the former SLIPKNOT drummer had heard the demos, he wanted to know whom Frédéric had recruited to beat the skins. As there was nobody yet, he eagerly suggested adding his own ferocious style. Joey also had the idea for the name SINSAENUM, a fitting combination of the words "sin" and "insane." When it came to choose a voice for the trio’s godless tunes, it actually ended up with two, the main criterion being "death metal with a clear enunciation." The first was no other than Attila Csihar from Norwegian black metal legends MAYHEM and drone masters SUNNO))), another long-time acquaintance of Leclercq's and Jordison's, notorious for his many registers ranging from tortured screams to throat singing. Sean Zatorsky from NWOAHM titans DÅÅTH and CHIMAIRA became the other vocalist. With another countryman of Frédéric's — Heimoth, the brain of eclectic extremists SETH — completing the picture on bass, the material for SINSAENUM's full-length was rounded off and perpetuated at different places.

"Brotherhood Of The Snake", the twelfth album from San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans TESTAMENT, will be released on October 28 via Nuclear Blast.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Brotherhood Of The Snake02. The Pale King03. Stronghold04. Seven Seals05. Born In A Rut06. Centuries Of Suffering07. Neptune's Spear08. Black Jack09. Canna-Business10. The Number Game

The cover was once again created by renowned artist Eliran Kantor, who also handled the art for the TESTAMENT's last album, 2012's "Dark Roots Of Earth", and also worked with bands like HATEBREED, SOULFLY and KATAKLYSM in the past.

"Brotherhood Of The Snake" was recorded under the watchful eyes of producer Juan Urteaga (EXODUS, HEATHEN, MACHINE HEAD), guitarist Eric Peterson and singer Chuck Billy and was mixed and mastered by British metal producer Andy Sneap (ACCEPT, ARCH ENEMY, CRADLE OF FILTH, KREATOR, MACHINE HEAD, MEGADETH).

Peterson told Kaaos TV about "Brotherhood Of The Snake": "The only difference on this one is we're trying to be a little bit more organic, and getting away from Andy's perfection sound, and get more of a looser… you know, still keeping the slickness of it, but trying to get a little bit more raw. So it's kind of a hard way to describe it. But we don't want it too perfect. And I didn't record four guitars; I did two this time. So there's a lot more air going on with the rhythms and stuff like that."

Asked whether the musical direction of TESTAMENT's new material is a throwback to the band's early albums or if it's more similar to the recent TESTAMENT records, Eric said: "More like the modern [TESTAMENT sound], but, you know, like I was saying earlier, having that more raw feeling. Of course, our influences have changed a lot. For me, I always get accused of listening to older stuff [and I am told that] I need to listen to more new stuff. But I always like to go back and listen to records from the '70s and the '80s. And I won't name the bands I listen to, but I listen to a lot of different stuff that has nothing to do with metal, because I hear things differently. I don't hear it, like… You know, like if I listen to [American blues rock guitarist] Joe Bonamassa or something, I'm not, like, 'Wow, I wanna sound like that.' I just kind of get ideas of key changes and the way he hits certain notes or whatever and apply it to what we're doing. And that's the same thing with anything."

TESTAMENT will promote "Brotherhood Of The Snake" by teaming up with AMON AMARTH for a European tour this fall.

Photo by Gene Ambo

Professionally filmed video footage of TWISTED SISTER's entire August 12 performance at this year's edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival, which was held at Catton Hall, Walton-On-Trent, West Midlands, United Kingdom, can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You)02. The Kids Are Back03. Burn In Hell04. Destroyer05. Like A Knife In The Back06. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll07. The Fire Still Burns08. I Am (I'm Me)09. I Wanna Rock10. The Price11. I Believe In Rock 'N' Roll12. Under The Blade13. We're Not Gonna Take It14. It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It)

Encore:

15. Come Out And Play16. Shoot 'Em Down17. S.M.F.

Most of TWISTED SISTER shows in 2016 are featuring 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).

TWISTED SISTER's movie, "We Are Twisted F***ing Sister!", was released on February 23 on DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, and digital formats, with an included two hours of bonus material and director commentary.

During a recent interview with Goldmine magazine, Jay Jay French talked about TWISTED SISTER's decision to call it quits after a final round of dates, dubbed "Forty And Fuck It - The Final Tour". 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 [Snider, TWISTED SISTER singer] 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. But I think at some point this year will be our last show, and I'll turn around to the other guys in the band and that'll be it."

The official lyric video for "Startariot", a new song from HELLYEAH, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's fifth album, "Unden!able", which was released on June 3 via Eleven Seven Music. The effort marks the first time HELLYEAH's current lineup — vocalist Chad Gray, guitarists Tom Maxwell and Christian Brady, drummer Vinnie Paul and bassist Kyle Sanders — has recorded together as a unit.

HELLYEAH's previous album, 2014's "Blood for Blood", was the album metal fans and critics were waiting for HELLYEAH to make, based on the revered metal pedigree of the individual members. Such an artistic achievement — the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock album chart — meant the band set the bar incredibly high. HELLYEAH does not disappoint with "Unden!able". "We turned a corner with 'Blood For Blood' and we wanted to continue that path," Paul states. "It's much heavier and darker, and we take it to another extreme." The album also fosters a sense of community and the notion that "We're all in this together" among the metal community we are part of. The upside down "i" in the title is an exclamation point — a subtle indicator of how metal fans live their lives against the grain for their entire daily existence. "It doesn't matter how old you are — you are always a metal kid," Chad Gray declares, referencing himself and fans as one. With the 2007's self-titled debut, HELLYEAH broke the ice, introducing the world to a band comprised of familiar faces who played in influential bands with signature sounds. 2010's "Stampede" showed off a more pleasure-seeking side of HELLYEAH. 2012's "Band Of Brothers" was marked by internal change and further experimentation, while "Blood For Blood" found the band reaching the summit of brutality, creativity, and artfully mined piss and vinegar. "Unden!able" is the logical next step and it's frontloaded with songs that crackle with a palpable industrial aggro energy. As guitarist Maxwell succinctly says, "It's belligerent and brutal, with peaks and valleys that bring you up and down, emotionally and lyrically." One reason it's so belligerent and brutal? The time crunch that came along with crafting the album. The band spent 18 glorious but grueling months on the road in support of "Blood For Blood" and was given exactly two weeks (!!!) off before it had to start working on "Unden!able". The pressure and lack of recess awakened a sleeping giant within Maxwell. There was literally no time to waste and he marshalled his emotions for inspiration. Without any time to decompress, Maxwell, came out of the gates in sniper mode, admitting there was "no time for demo-itis!" He confessed, "I was pissed, agitated, and distraught. In the long run, it helped. There was so much intensity in the frustration." Paul notes that the band "took no time off so that we didn't get complacent. We knew there was a window of opportunity." It may not have been optimal at the time, but it yielded a maximized result. "We know we did great, broken ankles and all," he states. HELLYEAH's usual formula remained unaltered when it came to the recording process. They demoed at Paul's home studio in Dallas, Texas before writing and recording with Kevin Churko in Las Vegas. "Unden!able" hosts redemptive, but throttling songs that will "scratch your soul," according to Gray. "X" is fast, furious and "over the top," says Paul. "It is something that metal fans need." It's expected to become an instant fan favorite. Meanwhile, the more contemplative "Human" is HELLYEAH's version of a power ballad, with an emphasis on "power." It's moving yet it's monstrous. The title track surges with raw energy and industrial crunch. "Love Falls" is a rhythmic and sultry departure for the band, which measures pain and anger equally, while "STARTARIOT" is nothing short of a fist-pumping, fuel-burning heavy metal epic. "Unden!able" is a complete work, including the cover artwork inspired by Chad Gray and designed by William "Wombat" Felch, who the band discovered by his artistic interpretations of HELLYEAH songs on YouTube, and whom Paul labeled "like a new member of the band," is a definitive visual matching the album's sonic wrath. It's also emblematic of the metal community and the kids who find their kindred spirits in HELLYEAH. The eyes are the portal to the soul," Gray says. "There is more extremity, so I wanted it to represent looking into the eye of someone who is a member of the metal community being cast out. You always feel like a fighter. So we created this eye and the exclamation point [in the title] as the stamp on this madness. You are looking into the soul of a metalhead." Overall, there's a surging current of hunger in "Unden!able". The members have had success in the past, but they're not satisfied with all they have done. "It's all I know," Paul muses about what keeps him manning the kit and making new music, despite a career so illustrious that no one would fault him if he chose to hang up the sticks. "I could have quit and could be playing golf. Being a traveling musician? That fuels me. I have a true passion and belief in HELLYEAH and heavy metal music." Gray concludes, "We're all in this together. We are metal fans first and foremost. We play off each other every night with our metal family. As a metal kid, I'd go to shows because I needed the release. Being on the other side now, I need this as bad as the fans do. I need to hit that deck every day and give everything I can." The divide between HELLYEAH and their fans has been erased with "Unden!able". It's an album made for the metal community, by the metal community.

"Unden!able" track listing:

01. X02. Scratch A Lie03. Be Unden!able04. Human05. Leap of Faith06. Blood Plague07. I Don't Care Anymore08. Live Or Die09. Love Falls10. STARTARIOT11. Grave

"Secret Sciences", a brand new song from DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, the band led by Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend, can be streamed below. The track is taken from DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT's new album, "Transcendence", which will be released on September 9.

The follow-up to 2014's "Z2" double album (half of which was made up of the DTP full-length "Sky Blue"), "Transcendence" sees the award-winning Townsend exploring a relatively new way of working, collaborating with the entire DTP band during the writing stages of the record. "The result of this process is a record that I truly think the intention of is special," he says of the album. "I 'found' gas to put into the tank and am glad I did. I think the intention, the theme, and the participation of everyone involved allows this album to act like a fulcrum between the past few years and what I intend to do next with the symphony. I am very proud of it and everyone involved."

"Transcendence" will be available as a limited 2CD digipak (featuring an extra disc of eleven additional new tracks), standard CD jewelcase and gatefold heavyweight 2LP + CD with etching (on various colours), as well as digital download.

The"Transcendence" artwork was once again created by Anthony Clarkson, whom Devin has been working with for several years now. Townsend commented on the cover: "[Anthony] presented me the main image of the girl as a painted version, and I was intrigued and asked him to redo it with a girl he knew with photos. I liked the idea that it seemed like a mashup of religious and spiritual imagery, in a sense, representing the idea (to me) that these types of connections to the infinite are often more like identities we can cling to rather than what lies behind. In a sense, the character on the front almost seems like the ideologies she's representing are more 'brand names' than anything else."

"Transcendence" track listing:

01. Truth02. Stormbending03. Failure04. Secret Sciences05. Higher06. Stars07. Transcendence08. Offer Your Light09. From The Heart10. Transdermal Celebration "Z2" was a double album where the first CD was a DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT album called "Sky Blue", and the second disc was a ZILTOID album called "Dark Matters".

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT will team up with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME for the "Transcending The Coma Tour" this fall. Support on the trek will come from FALLUJAH.

CROWBAR's Kirk Windstein has pointed out similarities between the cover artwork of his band's 1998 release, "Odd Fellows Rest", and METALLICA's upcoming album, "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

Kirk wrote on his Facebook page: "In all fairness, after touring with the mighty METALLICA while in DOWN, I know the fellas know who CROWBAR is. However, I seriously doubt that any member of METALLICA stole this idea from us. Maybe the artist? Anyway you slice it... it's a cool cover idea!!! Now James and Lars, go listen to 'Odd Fellows Rest'!!! LOL"

The "Odd Fellows Rest" art direction was handled by John Buttino.

"Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" will be released on November 18 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. The long-awaited follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic" consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

"Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" was produced by Greg Fidelman with METALLICA frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. The band recorded the disc at its own studio and is still putting the finishing touches on the LP.

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on "Moonbathers", the fifth studio album from Dutch symphonic metallers DELAIN, can be streamed in the YouTUbe clip below. The CD will be released on August 26 via Napalm Records.

Comments DELAIN: "We have never had so many milestone events in one year. The release of our EP, 'Lunar Prelude', our fifth studio album, 'Moonbathers', our upcoming 10-year anniversary celebrations and live registration, and there is still more to come. All of this while playing our most heavy touring year ever. We are on a roll, and our new album, 'Moonbathers', is here to embody that. We hope you will enjoy this new effort and join us on our endeavors making 2016 the biggest year for DELAIN ever!"

"Moonbathers", mastered by Grammy Award winner Ted Jensen, will satiate your hunger for the symphonic greatness, catchy hooks and a solid dose of metal that the band is known for. It showcases DELAIN from both their most extravagant and sensitive sides as they explore all things nocturnal through an especially varied set of tracks, including a surprising cover of classic rock legends QUEEN as well as a reappearance of Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY) as a special guest on opening track "Hands Of Gold".

The visual counterpart comes courtesy of longtime collaborator and neo-Victorian romantic Glenn Arthur.

DELAIN singer Charlotte Wessels told Xpress Radio about the songwriting process for "Moonbathers": "For this new album, we cut up… Normally, you would like to take a few months to go into writing mode, to go into recording mode, and then go and put it all together. But we never really had the time for that this year. We kind of did a few writing blocks and a few recording blocks and a few production blocks. I really like the way that has allowed us to keep touring and to not take a break on anything else we were doing. On the other hand, I do also like the feeling of really immersing yourself in that creative process, and for my taste, we've been having to move on very soon. It's not really saying that one is better than the other, but everything comes with a price. And last time we were really, really busy touring, and I wouldn't have done anything else, but you do notice that for everything that you want to do, there's something else that you cannot do. So now we solved that challenge by kind of cutting up that whole production of the new album in different blocks. And I think it was a creative solution that worked."

Regarding the musical direction of the new DELAIN material, Charlotte said: "Listening to the album now, I think that in the style of the songs, it really goes in… It's more varied than our… Like, the production is a lot like our last album, because we really like the mix and we really like the master, so we chose to handle some of those the same, with the same people. But at the same time, if you listen to the songs… For example, on the last album, there wasn't like a real 'ballad ballad,' and there is on this record, but also it has probably some of the loudest tracks. Amd then there is like a really uptempo rock kind of track. There's really a lot of different stuff there, but the overall feel is really dramatic, and I like that. There's not one particular thing that I can pinpoint as being different, but I think in a way that the album is kind of going from one end of the style spectrum to another on this record, I think that's pretty interesting."

"Moonbathers" track listing:

01. Hands Of Gold (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)02. The Glory And The Scum03. Suckerpunch04. The Hurricane05. Chrysalis - The Last Breath06. Fire With Fire07. Pendulum08. Danse Macabre09. Scandal10. Turn the Lights Out11. The Monarch Bonus CD

12. Suckerpunch (live in The Netherlands)13. Turn The Lights Out (live in The Netherlands)14. The Glory And The Scum (live in The Netherlands)15. Don't Let Go (live in The Netherlands)16. The Glory And The Scum (orchestra)17. Hands Of Gold (orchestra)

As previously reported, DELAIN will celebrate its tenth anniversary with a special show in Amsterdam on December 10 that will also be recorded and filmed for a release on CD, DVD and Blu-ray.

DELAIN released a new EP, "Lunar Prelude", on February 19 via Napalm Records. Mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Ted Jensen, the set offered two brand new songs in the shape of the catchy "Suckerpunch" and the melancholic "Turn The Lights Out". "Don't Let Go" (taken from 2014's "The Human Contradiction") came in a brand new version, while the EP also contained four live cuts, as well as an orchestral reprise of "Suckerpunch".

DELAIN recently announced the addition of guitarist Merel Bechtold to the group's ranks.



Listen to DELAIN – Fire With Fire byNapalmRecords on hearthis.at 
 

A 15-second preview of the new KORN song "Insane" is available below. The full track will be premiered this Sunday, August 21 on the BBC Radio 1 "Rock Show" with Daniel P. Carter.

"Insane" is taken from KORN's new album, "The Serenity Of Suffering", which will be released on October 21. The follow-up to 2013's "The Paradigm Shift" was helmed by Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON and RUSH, among others. The CD features a guest appearance by SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor on the song "A Different World".

"The Serenity Of Suffering" marks the band's return to Roadrunner, which previously released 2010's "Korn III - Remember Who You Are" and 2011's "The Path Of Totality".

"The Serenity Of Suffering" track listing:

01. Insane02. Rotting In Vain03. Black Is The Soul04. The Hating05. A Different World (feat. Corey Taylor)06. Take Me07. Everything Falls Apart08. Die Yet Another Night09. When You're Not There10. Next In Line11. Please Come For Me

The official video for the song "Rotting In Vain", which stars actor Tommy Flanagan ("Sons Of Anarchy", "Gladiator"), can be seen below. The clip, which taps into the dark underbelly of a bizarre world, was lensed by famed rock video director Dean Karr.

The cover art for "The Serenity Of Suffering" was created by acclaimed artist Ron English. It depicts a teenage KORN fan at a dystopian acid-nightmare funfair who is clutching a disembowelled and skeletal version of the doll who adorned 1999's "Issues". KORN frontman Jonathan Davis told Rolling Stone about the track: "'Rotting In Vain' was written about being in that black place, being in situations that I don't like in life — be it relationships, or feeling when you're stuck and you're just being abused or you don't like where you're at, and you just sit there and rot. It takes you years and years to figure out how to claw your way out. That's where 'Rotting In Vain' came from. I'm just sitting there, fucking dying and letting it happen for years and years and not helping myself to get out of that place. That's the vibe that inspired the song."

"The Serenity Of Suffering" marks the second KORN album since the return of guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, who said, "This is a record to me that the intensity of KORN is back, and the live energy. Raw energy is there."

KORN's co-headlining tour with ROB ZOMBIE, "Return Of The Dreads", kicked off on July 19 in Englewood, Colorado. That trek winds down on September 3 in Bristow, Virginia.

KORN will also hit the road this fall with co-headliners BREAKING BENJAMIN for the "Nocturnal Underground Tour", which will kick off on September 24 in Fargo, North Dakota and run through late October.

Photo credit: Dean Karr

.@Korn will premiere their new track 'Insane' Sunday night on the @Radio1RockShow. pic.twitter.com/y2eSQmhu0a

— Roadrunner Records (@rrusa) August 19, 2016

FAITH NO MORE celebrated the reissue of its landmark debut, "We Care A Lot", by reuniting with its former singer, Chuck Mosley, for a special performance last night (Thursday, August 18) at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, Calfornia. Video footage of the concert can be seen below.

FAITH NO MORE and Mosley are also scheduled to perform this Saturday, August 20 at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.

"We Care A Lot", which was initially released in 1985 and has been out of print for 20 years, sees an August 19 reissue via Bill Gould's Koolarrow Records.

"This was an album that started as a demo, before any label had any interest in us," explained FAITH NO MORE bass player Bill Gould. "There were a couple of reasons we decided to release this now: first of all, it's been 20 years since it has been commercially available. Secondly, when cleaning out my basement, I discovered the original master reels, and we all thought that resurrecting this from the original tapes would be a great way to reintroduce 'We Care A Lot' into the world. Lastly, this has been a band effort; we are releasing this in the same way as we recorded it, deciding everything amongst ourselves and getting our hands deep into the nuts and bolts… just like we used to." The original 10-song album, remastered by Maor Appelbaum via the original reels Gould alluded to, is enhanced with nine bonus tracks including demo versions (taken from the original 8-track tapes) of "Greed", "Mark Bowen", "Arabian Disco" and "Intro", live versions of "The Jungle" and "New Beginnings" and new mixes, via Matt Wallace, of "We Care A Lot", "Pills For Breakfast" and "As The Worm Turns". Liner notes from keyboard player Roddy Bottum and behind-the-scenes photos will be included with the physical release.

"We Care A Lot" arrived in November 1985 via Maximum RocknRoll editor Ruth Schwartz's Mordam Records. The seminal album, boasting the timeless title track, which can still be heard daily on radio stations worldwide, confounded music fans and critics alike. As Pitchfork said in a 2015 article dubbed "The Misunderstanding of Faith No More," the unpredictable and hard-to-define band "had radically altered the parameters of popular music years before the fabled alternative revolution." Rolling Stone called it a "raw punk album" while Select magazine dubbed it "a lustful marriage of mutoid metal and dance floor verve." "When strangers ask what FAITH NO MORE is, I've always said, 'well, it's kind of an art band…' I say that mostly to distance us from the hard rock world that we're often times lumped into. I mean, hard rock, sure, that was part of it, but our roots most definitely and pointedly stem from a specific freakout art time and place in San Francisco, a time that no longer exists. In 1982, the hippies mingled with the punks, the artists hung out with the musicians, the dance people and the punks were one and the Satanists and the sexual pioneers… all part of the same scene," Bottum explains, colorfully setting the scene for the original inspiration for the band and "We Care A Lot". "That weird SF window provided a platform from which we were free to express and cultivate a really uniquely odd sound experience. In Los Angeles, no one really cared much, but SF was always super supportive, encouraging us, directly and not, to get our collective freak on." "We felt like it was time to take the next step," adds drummer Mike Bordin. "We raised as much money as we were able and booked time at Prairie Sun Studios just north of San Francisco. I can't remember how long it took us to record the album, but not a lot, maybe a few days. The songs were sharp from having played most of them at various shows. Very stripped down, basic as could be. The place was on a farm in chicken country (Petaluma). Hard work, but a ton of fun too."

Said Chuck Mosley: "With 'We Care A Lot', I always felt like I was part of something new and different than anything else out there at the time. It made me feel privileged to be a part of it. The other guys were so cool, and there was so much camaraderie. And that came across in the music; Bordin's drums battling it out with Billy's bass in antagonistic harmony, Roddy's melodic atmosphere, swallowed up by Jim's crunchy metal riffs. I found my place somewhere between them all, and when the album was finished, it didn't sound like anything else." "We Care A Lot (Deluxe Band Edition)" track listing: 01. We Care A Lot02. The Jungle03. Mark Bowen04. Jim05. Why Do You Bother06. Greed07. Pills for Breakfast08. As The Worm Turns09. Arabian Disco10. New Beginnings11. We Care A Lot – 2016 Mix12. Pills for Breakfast – 2016 Mix13. As The Worm Turns – 2016 Mix14. Greed – Original Demo15. Mark Bowen – Original Demo16. Arabian Disco – Original Demo17. Intro – Original Demo18. The Jungle – I-Beam, SF, 198619. New Beginnings – I-Beam, SF, 1986






FNM w chuck. Live.

Posted by Faith No More on Thursday, August 18, 2016

MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake says the band recorded its forthcoming album, "The Violent Sleep Of Reason", live in the studio — marking the first time they have done that "in 20-25 years."

The band's eighth full-length effort will be released on October 7 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was inspired by a Goya painting called "The Sleep Of Reason Produces Monsters".

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

Haake tells Metal Hammer: "This album is recorded live. It's the first time we've done that in 20, 25 years. It was time limitations that stopped us doing it before. And it's been interesting.

"If you put it all together using computers, then you often have to fix problems after the fact. I've gone back to records where I've not known every drum part. And once you do that, you can start with drums and then just add layers of guitars and then bass and it all sounds perfect.

"'Obzen' and 'Koloss' are great albums, but, to me, they are a little too perfect. It didn't really capture what we sounded like honestly. But where we recorded live, you get to hear the push and pull, one person might be a little ahead and the other might be a little behind. If you kill that, you can kill the energy."

He adds: "So for us it was just about going back to those albums that inspired us when we were growing up, that were important to us in our formative years, and all of those bands had that energy. The albums in the '80s and early '90s had the rawness that I'm talking about — that's what we wanted to recapture."

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.

Swedish metallers IN FLAMES will release their new concert DVD, "Sounds From The Heart Of Gothenburg", on September 23 via Nuclear Blast.

A performance clip of the song "Take This Life", taken from the "Sounds From The Heart Of Gothenburg" DVD, can be seen below.

Nostalgia or a return to their roots has never been an option for the progressive IN FLAMES, but the setlist of this bombastic DVD tears through the band's entire history. With 20 tracks, the show that was recorded on November 7, 2014 at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden reaches a length of one and a half hours, and achieves in capturing the band at their very best, celebrating current hits such as "Through Oblivion", "With Eyes Wide Open" and "Rusted Nail" to a packed arena. But, of course, old-school classics like "Trigger", "Cloud Connected" and the hypnotic closer "Take This Life" are not left out. Prepare for an intense and visually explosive performance in front of ten thousand fans, featuring pyros, circle pits, flying crowdsurfers and IN FLAMES' incomparable riffs. "This DVD is for everyone who was been following our career; we have songs from the early years, the middle years and the new era," states IN FLAMES guitarist Björn Gelotte. "It has to be fun for us to play but also fun for the audience to watch and we try to get a good flow with nice dynamics and different songs."

IN FLAMES recently signed with Nuclear Blast for all territories excluding North America and Scandinavia.

Formed in 1990, the band is considered one of the forefathers of melodic death metal and the purveyors of the "Gothenburg sound." With eleven studio albums released, countless successful tours around the globe, millions of records sold and a massive fanbase worldwide, IN FLAMES has proven to be an unstoppable force in heavy music. From their 1994 debut, "Lunar Strain", to the most recent CD, "Siren Charms" (2014), the band's intricate twin-guitar attack, melodic vocals and superb arrangements have given them a signature sound that has evolved throughout the years.

"In a way, IN FLAMES and Nuclear Blast share a similar story," said IN FLAMES vocalist Anders Fridén. "Both started in a garage in Europe, both love metal and both have grown a lot bigger over the years. For these reasons, it seemed a natural fit to come back to the place it all started."

"We're enormously happy that IN FLAMES decided to return and trust in us for the second time — Nuclear Blast is their home again from now on. I remember well how their debut album, 'Lunar Strain', inspired me back in the days. I was totally fascinated by their great and absolutely unique blend of death metal with delicate melodies," commented Nuclear Blast CEO Markus Staiger. "One year later, IN FLAMES signed with us and released eight splendid records over the years, including groundbreaking classics such as 'Whoracle', 'Clayman' and 'Reroute To Remain'. IN FLAMES developed all the time, reinvented themselves again and again and enthused fans of various genres with their always innovative sound. We're looking forward to the common future with Anders, Björn, Peter and Niclas."

IN FLAMES has been working on a new studio album, the details of which have not yet been announced.

IN FLAMES last year inked a new management deal with Tenth Street Entertainment, which also looks after MÖTLEY CRÜE and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, among others.

"Siren Charms" sold around 9,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 26 on The Billboard 200 chart.

IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced last fall that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life. He said in a statement: "It's hard to leave what have become my second family, but now it's time for me to take care and spend more time with the most important people in my life — my wife and my three daughters."

IN FLAMES has not yet named a replacement for Svensson.

IN FLAMES is:

Anders Fridén - VocalsBjörn Gelotte - GuitarPeter Iwers - BassNiclas Engelin - Guitar

Legendary rock band LIVING COLOUR will release "Mixtape" on September 9 — a new EP based upon their powerful reinvention of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya" and a subsequent series of remixes. The cornerstone of the set is producer Andre Betts's remix, which includes guest verses by Chuck D., Prodigal Sunn, Black Thought, Pharoahe Monch and Kyle Mansa. The members of LIVING COLOUR, who've been politically outspoken in the past, were inspired to release the song by the ongoing crisis of gun violence and police brutality towards people of color in the U.S.

"Our version of 'Who Shot Ya' was initially an organic outgrowth of pure fandom for the work of the brilliant Christopher Wallace. Corey [Glover, vocals] would frequently sing the song during soundcheck, so we worked it up," says LIVING COLOUR guitarist Vernon Reid. "But tragically Biggie's question has taken on new and urgent significance over the last year.

"The amount of people who die on a daily basis because of gun violence is unacceptable in a civilized society. The disproportionate use of deadly force in communities of color is equally unacceptable in a civilized society. It inspired the idea to reach out to some of the most provocative voices in hip-hop to invite them to add their words to the track.

"We all feel paralyzed as to how we can meaningfully affect change, but at the least we can keep our voices raised in solidarity and not let this plight fade into the background until it happens again."

LIVING COLOUR continue to tour extensively around the world, including shows this summer with JANE'S ADDICTION and DINOSAUR JR.

The band will be among the headliners at AfroPunk Fest next week in Brooklyn.

They're currently putting the finishing touches on their first new full-length studio album in seven years, titled "Shade", which is planned for an early 2017 release.

Legendary metal band BLACK SABBATH kicked off the final U.S. leg of its "The End" tour last night (Wednesday, August 17) at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York.

This is the second, and final, leg of the band's farewell tour. They played across the country earlier this year.

SABBATH's setlist for the Wantagh concert was as follows:

01. Black Sabbath02. Fairies Wear Boots03. After Forever04. Into The Void05. Snowblind06. War Pigs07. Behind The Wall Of Sleep08. N.I.B.09. Hand Of Doom10. Rat Salad11. Iron Man12. Dirty Women13. Children Of The Grave

Encore:

14. Paranoid

Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

BLACK SABBATH has announced that it will play its last show ever in the U.S. on November 12 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The gig will take place nearly five years to the day that the legendary act announced their reunion.

The group has also added two more headlining shows to its North American trek, on November 8 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma and November 10 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

These dates and the previously announced headlining slot at at the Ozzfest Meets Knotfest weekend event on Saturday, September 24 in San Bernardino, California come at the end of the band's North American tour, which kicks off on August 17 in Wantagh, New York.

SABBATH will make their final visits to Mexico and South America at the end of the year as they wind down their farewell tour.

SABBATH will bring its storied career to a close in the band's native England, with seven shows booked there in January and February. The last two, on February 2 and February 4, will take place in SABBATH's hometown of Birmingham and will likely be their final shows.

The original lineup of SABBATH came together in 1969 with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, Tony Iommi on guitar, Butler on bass and Bill Ward on drums. That lineup recorded and toured through 1978, and periodically reformed through the '90s and 2000s for live work.

They regrouped again in late 2011 for a new album and tour, although Ward dropped out after just a few months. The remaining trio issued the "13" album in 2013 and backed it with a successful world tour — despite Iommi being treated for lymphoma since 2012.

On September 23rd, Pink Floyd Records will continue the reintroduction of the Pink Floyd catalogue on vinyl with Atom Heart Mother, Meddle and Obscured By Clouds, all remastered from the original analogue master tapes. The Wall and The Division Bell are also back in stock on vinyl from August 26th.

Pink Floyd followed their 60s albums with their fifth studio album, 1970‘s Atom Heart Mother. Featuring the classic lineup of Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, the LP went on to become the band‘s first UK No.1 record.

In a short break from touring Atom Heart Mother, in 1971 Pink Floyd released the experimental album, Meddle. The LP saw the band move musical direction away from their original psychedelic sound, especially highlighted by the 23-minute track Echoes which occupied the entirety of the b-side of the record.

Pink Floyd‘s seventh album, Obscured By Clouds was originally recorded as the soundtrack to the French film ‘La Vallée’ but released as a stand alone album in 1972.

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, A Saucerful Of Secrets, More, Ummagumma, are also available through Pink Floyd Records. For more information, head here.

Swedish melodic metal band Narnia will release their new self-titled studio album worldwide on September 16th. A new music video for the track “Messengers” can now be seen below.

On the new album, Narnia revisits their melodic roots but with an updated sound, creating a perfect blend; a powerful production by CJ Grimmark, mixed and mastered by Thomas “Plec” Johansson.

Tracklisting:

“Reaching For The Top”
“Still Believe”
“Highest Mountain”
“Set The World On Fire”
“Thank You”
“Who Do You Follow”
“Moving On”
“Messengers”
“One Way To The Promised Land”

“Messengers” video:

“Reaching For The Top” video:

During the years Narnia has been established as one of the leading forces in melodic, neoclassical metal, with a strong reputation of being a great live act that always delivers. And so it continues.. The fans are asking for more and the band is hungrier than ever.

Narnia tour dates:

August
19 - Hope Night Festival - Sävsjö, Sweden

September
23 - Scenen Sofiehof Underjord - Jönköping, Sweden
24 - Nalen Klubb (Alcazar) - Stockholm, Sweden
25 - iNTiMAN - Västerås, Sweden

November
5 - Blast Of Eternity - Neckarsulm, Germany
11 - Brainstorm Festival - Apeldoorn, Netherlands

Narnia lineup:

Christian Liljegren – Vocals
CJ Grimmark – Guitars, keyboards & backing vocals
Andreas “Habo” Johansson – Drums
Martin Härenstam – Keyboards
Andreas Passmark – Bass

Skull Fist frontman Zach Slaughter has checked in with the following announcement:

"I released a solo CD; it's pretty different from the Skull Fist stuff but I've been very limited with the voice surgeries over the last year and I wanted to keep recording. You might like it, you might not (haha). It's ranging from celtic, flamenco, folk and world music. Me and my little pals Whitey and Chubs (chubs not pictured, was busy hiding food in my bed) worked pretty hard on it.
 
You can hear it all at this link, download it for free or buy it at this location.

The Skull Fist CD and some proper tours will happen just as soon as I have recovered, until then we're going to release three cover songs we did over the next few weeks, hang tough and listen to some other crap in the meantime."

Check out the tracks from Zach Slaughter's Nowhere EP below.

Double Crush Syndrome, fronted by former Sodom guitarist Andy Brings, has checked in with the following update:

"Finally we can announce it: Double Crush Syndrome signed a worldwide deal with Arising Empire / Nuclear Blast Records, and we couldn´t be happier about it! We got some amazing stuff planned, and the craziness will just get crazier! Booking is now in the hands of Contra Promotion, which is just as cool!"

Following is the official press release:

Germany's most real rock n' roll band Double Crush Syndrome landed at Arising Empire/Nuclear Blast and was welcomed with open arms. The cooperation is already in full swing and the first results can soon be watched and heard.

"Andy Brings is the biggest phenomenon that I've seen in a while in the rock n roll circus. A real powerhouse in every way! With his band Double Crush Syndrome he's the captain on an unstoppable rock n roll ship - always with the guitar ahead! To me next they're year's sensation!" - Tobbe Falarz (Arising Empire)

"Andy Brings is the German rock star par excellence! He and Double Crush Syndrome have the potential to climb the rock olymp and become the next big thing! We're very glad to welcome the band to the extended Nuclear Blast family!" - Andy Siry (Nuclear Blast)

"We've entered the best possible haven! No ass will be left unkicked. We bought some new boots for that! We die for rock n' roll!" - Andy Brings (Double Crush Syndrome)

"The real rock n' roll is back! That's what I thought when I heard the new record of DCS for the first time. It can't be louder, it can't be more awesome' it can't be more authentic. We're very happy to welcome Andy Brings and his boys in our Contra artist roster. Now it's gonna be loud here!" - Enrico Karolczak (Contra Promotion)

The band's tour schedule is as follows:

October
1 - Hameln, Germany - Mad Music
2 - Leipzig, Germany - Flowerpower
6 - Hamburg, Germany - Klubsen
7 - Schwerte, Germany - Rattenloch
8 - Köln, Germany - Essigfabrik
14 - Frankfurt, Germany - Elfer
15 - Pforzheim, Germany - Sakrema
20 - Berlin, Germany - Wild At Heart
21 - Wachenroth, Germany - Toxicity
28 - München, Germany - Garage
29 - Sissach, Switzerland - Kultik

November
4 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Live & Loud
5 - Varna, Bulgaria - Usmivka
6 - Russe, Bulgaria - Karaoke Star