LIVING COLOUR paid tribute to Chris Cornell by performing the SOUNDGARDEN song "Blow Up The Outside World" on May 19 at the final show of the group's New Zealand/Australia tour at Astor Theatre in Perth. Singer Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Doug Wimbish and drummer Will Calhoun played an emotional cover of the 1996 "Down On The Upside" number, welcoming fans to join in during the song's chorus.

Reid had always been a huge fan of SOUNDGARDEN, and LIVING COLOUR had previously performed "Blow Up The Outside World" throughout 2001-2003 after the track was banned from radio play after the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

In the days since Cornell's tragic death, a number of artists have paid tribute by covering his songs, including MEGADETH, DREAM THEATER, QUEENSRŸCHE, STONE SOUR, LIVE, THE PRETTY RECKLESS and HEART's Ann Wilson, while LINKIN PARK dedicated their appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to him.

While the surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN have not yet issued a public statement about Cornell, drummer Matt Cameron posted a brief message on Facebook, saying, "My dark knight is gone… Thank you for the incredible outpouring of kindness and love."

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

LIVING COLOUR's sixth studio album, "Shade", will be released on September 8 via Megaforce Records. The follow-up to 2009's "The Chair In The Doorway" was recorded with producer Andre Betts.

Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist and solo artist Chris Caffery has posted the following tribute to Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who died on May 18th at the age of 52.

"I headed out this evening to support a local karaoke. I sang an Ozzy song but a couple of people asked if I could do a Soundgarden song. Now, Chris was one of those people that made me happy that I chose guitar as an instrument. To me he was the best of that entire decade. The grunge movement I adored Alice In Chains and Soundgarden. There were a lot of other bands that I liked but those two were my favs. Chris Cornell was always one of those singers you would have loved to do a record with. I met him a couple times at festivals in Europe. He, to me, was a modern day Jim Morrison but he had a Dio-like voice. Type of guy that as they say 'could sing the phone book!'

I'm not going to touch on the how and why and how come. I've dealt with enough death this year as it is.

Just wanted to post a lil bit of respect for a real superstar. I have never sang this before just gave it a go and I hope you don't mind me covering one of the greatest ever. If Paul O'Neill is producing Heaven's rock band he just got someone alongside of Ray Gillen and Ronnie Dio that makes it even better."

Respectfully,
Chris

P.S.: "If your sync is off open Facebook in a browser and not and app! They have problems!"

A report from Variety reveals that Cornell’s family has issued a statement questioning the coroner’s report that the singer intentionally took his own life.

“Without the results of toxicology tests, we do not know what was going on with Chris - or if any substances contributed to his demise,” the Cornell family said.

The vocalist had a prescription for Ativan, the family shared, and may have taken a higher dosage that impaired his judgement. Attorney Kirk Pasich noted that Ativan can cause paranoid or suicidal thoughts and slurred speech. Ativan is a tranquilizer and anti-anxiety medication that is sometimes used as a sleeping aid.

Cornell was a recovering addict and had allegedly been sober since 2002. His wife, Vicky, said in an emotional statement, “Chris’s death is a loss that escapes words and has created an emptiness in my heart that will never be filled. As everyone who knew him commented, Chris was a devoted father and husband.”

She said Cornell flew home from Soundgarden’s tour the weekend before to spend time with his wife and children, before returning to the mid-west.

Read the full report at Variety.com.

Chris Cornell was found dead in his hotel bathroom at 12:05 AM, ET on Thursday. Soundgarden had played a show just hours before at Detroit’s Fox Theater. Fan-filmed video of his final performance can be seen below:

James LaBrie forgot some of the lyrics to SOUNDGARDEN's classic song "Black Hole Sun" while paying tribute to Chris Cornell during DREAM THEATER's May 20 concert in Bucharest, Romania.

The embarrassing moment took place just before the end of DREAM THEATER's main set Saturday night at Arenele Romane when the frontman joined keyboardist Jordan Rudess on stage for an extended keyboard intro during the band's 2017 "Images, Words & Beyond" tour.

LaBrie sang the first half of "Black Hole Sun"'s opening verse correctly before losing his way and changing one of the lines to "I forgot the fucking words" prior to launching into the song's chorus. The visibly frustrated singer could be heard saying "shit" into the microphore before the duo proceeded to play the regularly scheduled DREAM THEATER song "Wait For Sleep", followed by "Learning To Live", thereby concluding the "Images And Words" "Act 2" portion of the Bucharest show.

In the days since the SOUNDGARDEN singer's tragic death, a number of artists have paid tribute by covering his songs, including MEGADETH, STONE SOUR, LIVE, THE PRETTY RECKLESS and HEART's Ann Wilson.

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

AEROSMITH paid tribute to Chris Cornell by holding a moment of silence in his memory during the band's May 20 concert at Black Sea Arena in Batumi, Georgia.

AEROSMITH honored the SOUNDGARDEN frontman by displaying a photo of Cornell on the stage's video screens before singer Steven Tyler came out for the show's first encore and positioned himself behind a white grand piano. He told the crowd: "Let's take a moment of silence for Chris Cornell." After a brief pause, he added: "Dear God, may this man forever 'dream on.'" Tyler then launched into the first notes of AEROSMITH's 1973 rock epic "Dream On".

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

The family's attorney, Kirk Pasich, said in a statement that the family would await the toxicology results to see if Ativan — the anti-anxiety prescription drug Cornell was taking — or other drugs contributed to his death.

"The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions," Pasich said.

According to CNN, Cornell will be laid to rest on May 26 in Los Angeles. His body will be flown from Michigan to Los Angeles on Sunday, and the singer will be buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Seattle-based progressive metallers QUEENSRŸCHE paid tribute to Chris Cornell by performing the TEMPLE OF THE DOG song "Say Hello 2 Heaven" in the SOUNDGARDEN frontman's honor during QUEENSRŸCHE's May 20 concert at the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Prior to launching into the track, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre addressed Cornell's passing, telling the crowd: "So many of us have seen just all of these amazing people that touch our lives. And a lot of us, including the band, music is our escape, so when we lose an artist that writes music that touches our heart, I don't know that the artists even realize how that might feel to a lifelong fan or a listener. It's our friend, right? It's our therapy. And so it was tragic news when the singer of SOUNDGARDEN, Chris Cornell, was… He passed away. I'm not gonna get into why that happened, because it's not even my business, but the fact is it was deemed a suicide. It is very tragic. I'm sure there's people in this room that have been affected by that. I have — my dad committed suicide in 2014 — so it's rough. And so this next song… We decided to try to honor Chris Cornell and his family and the millions of people around the globe that have been touched by him and his music and his amazing voice — amazing voice; very unique. His music lives on beyond all of our time. And so we threw this together, literally. We're gonna give it our best attempt. We had about three hours to try to learn this song to try to perform for you. It's something that we don't [usually] do. But our hearts go out to the band and his memory and his family. I'm sure many of you know this song, so please sing along, won't you? Yes, I have a couple of 'cheat sheets,' but we wanted to show the most respect we could in a short amount of time."

In the days since Cornell's tragic death, a number of artists have paid tribute by covering his songs, including MEGADETH, DREAM THEATER, STONE SOUR, LIVE, THE PRETTY RECKLESS and HEART's Ann Wilson.

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

According to TMZ, Chris Cornell used "red elastic exercise band" to take his own life after performing at a concert in Detroit Wednesday night. Sources tell the site that the SOUNDGARDEN frontman secured the band attached to a carabiner to the top of his hotel bathroom door. A carabiner is a device commonly used by mountain climbers which they attach to a belt to keep them from falling. The device can withstand enormous weight. Cornell jammed the door shut with the carabiner at the top of the frame. The carabiner was jammed so tight it left an indentation in the door frame.

A police report obtained by The Detroit News reveals that Cornell's wife asked his bodyguard to check on him in his hotel suite because she became concerned when her husband kept repeating "I am just tired" in a telephone conversation with her a short time earlier. The bodyguard, Martin Kirsten, went to Cornell's room in the MGM Grand Hotel just after midnight and kicked two doors open — the front door as well as a second door leading to the bedroom suite — before finding Cornell slumped on the bathroom floor "with blood running from his mouth and a red exercise band around [his] neck."

According to the police report, which was filed by officers from the Detroit Police Gaming Unit who responded to the scene, Kirsten was in Cornell's room late Wednesday night to help him fix his computer and to give Cornell two Ativan pills, "which victim takes for anxiety."

MGM medic Dawn Jones arrived at the room at 12:56 a.m., the report said. "Jones untied the red exercise band from [the] victim's neck and began CPR on [Cornell, who] was not breathing."

At 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, Cornell was pronounced dead by a doctor who came to the scene, the report said.

On Thursday afternoon, the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office announced Cornell's cause of death "has been determined as suicide by hanging." But, it added, "A full autopsy report has not yet been completed."

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

Cornell family's attorney Kirk Pasich added in a statement that the family is "disturbed" by inferences that Cornell knowingly took his life.

"Chris, a recovering addict, had a prescription for Ativan and may have taken more Ativan than recommended dosages," Pasich said. "The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions."

According to CNN, SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell will be laid to rest on May 26 in Los Angeles. His body will be flown from Michigan to Los Angeles on Sunday, and the singer will be buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

A source told CNN: "The family is thinking about a [public] memorial for fans, but is coping now with their loss and the funeral service."

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

SOUNDGARDEN had been working on material for its seventh studio album and had tentatively planned to enter the studio later this year.

The band reunited in 2010 after a 13-year hiatus, first touring and then writing and recording "King Animal", its first new studio album in 16 years.

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

He formed SOUNDGARDEN in 1984 with guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Hiro Yamamoto, originally playing drums in addition to singing until drummer Matt Cameron joined the lineup.

SOUNDGARDEN became one of the first and most successful bands to emerge from the Seattle scene, alongside friends and contemporaries NIRVANA, PEARL JAM and ALICE IN CHAINS.

The band first broke through to rock radio with its 1991 third album, "Badmotorfinger", which featured the singles "Outshined", "Rusty Cage" and "Jesus Christ Pose". That paved the way for 1994's five-million-selling "Superunknown", which included "Black Hole Sun", "My Wave", "Spoonman" and "Fell On Black Days".

SOUNDGARDEN split up in 1997 due to tensions within the band, with Cornell first starting a solo career than teaming in 2001 with the instrumental members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE to launch AUDIOSLAVE. That band recorded three studio albums before splitting in 2007.

Cornell also collaborated in 1990 with members of what would become PEARL JAM to form TEMPLE OF THE DOG, making a self-titled album in 1991 in tribute to late MOTHER LOVE BONE frontman Andrew Wood. TEMPLE OF THE DOG reunited last year for a short five-date tour, its first ever.

Cornell also contributed solo songs to a number of films, including "Great Expectations", "Machine Gun Preacher", "12 Years A Slave" and the recent "The Promise". He also sang the theme song, "You Know My Name", to the 2008 James Bond adventure "Casino Royale".

Cornell and his wife also started the Chris And Vicky Cornell Foundation to support children facing challenges, including homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect.

He is survived by Vicky and three children, a daughter named Toni, a son named Christopher and a daughter named Lillian from his previous marriage to former SOUNDGARDEN manager Susan Silver.

Chris Cornell's friend, Detroit artist and musician Kevin Morris, who attended the singer's final show with SOUNGARDEN on Wednesday (May 17) at Detroit's Fox Theatre, has told People.com that something was definitely wrong with Chris at the gig.

"The whole performance, you could tell something wasn't right," Morris said. "Into the second song, he started getting disoriented or something. I just figured he wasn't feeling well.”

"Everybody felt there was something going on," Morris continued. "Like he wasn't with us. Like he was on a cloud. It was like he was really fighting to get through the show."

He added: "What was troubling him I don't think we'll ever know. I think he was a little nervous about playing in Detroit, the music capital of the world, and he took a little too much of the Ativan."

Ativan is the brand name for lorazepam, a benzodiazepine, that is used to treat anxiety, drug withdrawal, agoraphobia and seizure disorders, among other things. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, serious side effects of using Ativan include worsening depression, unusual mood or behavior and suicidal thoughts.

A bodyguard gave Chris Cornell two Ativans before his suicide and found his dead body. According to a police report, the bodyguard gave Cornell two of the anti-anxiety pills after the Detroit concert. Cornell's attorney said that the singer had a prescription for the medication.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, who has worked with everyone from actors and musicians to everyday folks as an addiction specialist, told 95.5 KLOS that, as a recovering addict, Cornell "should never have been exposed to" Ativan. He added (hear audio below): "Benzodiazepines can make people suicidal. It's the hidden epidemic. People have gotta remember — we're getting awareness about opiates. Benzos, over a long term, particularly — and by long term, I mean more than two weeks — are a very dangerous class of medications, and extremely dangerous if you have a history of addiction."

Cornell admitted to becoming a "daily drug user" at the age of just 13 and returning to drug use after SOUNDGARDEN disbanded in 1997. He said he used "everything," describing himself as a "pioneer" in the use of OxyContin. In the mid-2000s, he went to rehab. "I'm not sure if it was the best place for me, but it worked," he later said.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor had an emotional moment as her remembered Chris Cornell, saying that his "one regret" is that he never got to tell the SOUNDGARDEN singer how much Chris inspired him.

Speaking to SiriusXM at this weekend's Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio, Taylor said (see video below): "[Chris] was truly an inspiration for me as a songwriter, as a singer, as a performer, because he wrote what he wanted. He didn't care about anything. He didn't let genres get in his way, he didn't let styles get in his way, and he was like that from the very beginning, whether it was stuff like 'Badmotorfinger' or the solo stuff that he put on the 'Singles' soundtrack, like 'Seasons'. It was amazing! He could go back and forth and all over the place musically, and that inspired me so much. And my one regret is that I never got to tell him… [Pauses and gets choked up] We love you, Chris."

STONE SOUR honored Cornell by performing a cover version of SOUNDGARDEN's "Outshined" Thursday night (May 18) at the Rock On The Range Kick-Off Party at Express Live! (formerly LC Pavilion) in Columbus, Ohio. Taylor stated about his band's decision to play the track: "It was important, you know. Chris's impact can never probably ever be really encapsulated and spoken about enough. So us playing 'Outshined', and playing it with heart, and not just because we wanted to, but because we needed to, it came off really well, and the audience loved it."

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

The family's attorney, Kirk Pasich, said in a statement that the family would await the toxicology results to see if Ativan — the anti-anxiety prescription drug Cornell was taking — or other drugs contributed to his death.

"The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions," Pasich said.

According to CNN, Cornell will be laid to rest on May 26 in Los Angeles. His body will be flown from Michigan to Los Angeles on Sunday, and the singer will be buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.



Chris Cornell remembered at Rock on the Range
Chris Cornell's music and spirit live on here at Rock On The Range.

Stone Sour Slipknot Corey Taylor Chevelle Of Mice & Men

Posted by SiriusXM Octane on Friday, May 19, 2017

The first photo of I AM MORBID, the new band featuring former MORBID ANGEL members David Vincent (vocals, bass) and Tim Yeung (drums) alongside guitarists Bill Hudson (CIRCLE II CIRCLE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Ira Black (METAL CHURCH, LIZZY BORDEN), can be seen above.

I AM MORBID, which plays material from MORBID ANGEL's "Altars Of Madness" (1989), "Blessed Are The Sick" (1991), "Covenant" (1993) and "Domination" (1995) albums, will perform five shows in Russia in late May, followed by fourteen dates in the rest of Europe. The tour, which is presented by The Flaming Arts Agency, will feature NECROPHAGIA as direct support.

Vincent recently told Ghost Cult about I AM MORBID: "It's been discussed off and on for a few years now, but, as they say, actions speak louder than words. While it was exciting to discuss, it was held off for a few years until I decided to go through some personal changes in my life, and really absorb the possibility of it happening. I went ahead and focused on my roots music, but this kept lingering, and now it's time for I AM MORBID to finally happen."

Regarding the I AM MORBID setlist, Vincent said: "Like everything I do, I want to make this special. This is very different from MORBID ANGEL. If you want to see a MORBID ANGEL show, you know where to go, but this isn't it. I'm only going to be performing songs that I wrote on this tour. If I didn't write it, we aren't playing it. We are going to throw in things, here or there, to make things more unique, but it's going to be one brutal show. I can promise you that."

MORBID ANGEL's controversial 2011 album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", marked the group's first CD to feature Vincent since "Domination".

The band recently recorded a new studio album with a lineup that includes Steve Tucker on bass/vocals, Scott Fuller (ANNIHILATED, ERRORGEIST) on drums, and Dan Vadim Von (guitarist/frontman of the American death metal group VADIMVON) on second guitar.



Posted by I Am Morbid on Friday, May 19, 2017

PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix has paid tribute to Chris Cornell, saying the SOUNDGARDEN singer was "an amazing performer" who "always came with solid music and a good vibe onstage."

Speaking to Ryan Daniels of Kilpop at this weekend's Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio, Shaddix said (see video below): "When you become a fan of someone's band and you get to know them through the music… When they write songs, it's their invitation for us to get to know them as people. Yeah, I didn't know him personally, but I knew him through the music and his energy and his vibe, and he just always came with solid music and a good vibe onstage and was an amazing performer.

"I've been a fan for many years and so to hear the news, it was just, like, 'Uhh…' Gutted, man," he continued. "And you just think he's got kids and a wife and my heart just goes out to them, and his band too, man. And then being in a similar profession, I'm a singer in a rock band and I've been in moments in my life that I haven't been in such a good space. He will be missed, I will say that."

In a separate interview with 100.3 The X Rocks, Jacoby said about Cornell: "I've been connected to that music since I was a young kid. 'Badmotorfinger', when that came out, I was, like… [It was] ridiculous. We just played with 'em a week ago and they were off the chain — it was amazing. So it is a very, very, very heavy moment in rock music."

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

The family's attorney, Kirk Pasich, said in a statement that the family would await the toxicology results to see if Ativan — the anti-anxiety prescription drug Cornell was taking — or other drugs contributed to his death.

"The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions," Pasich said.

According to CNN, Cornell will be laid to rest on May 26 in Los Angeles. His body will be flown from Michigan to Los Angeles on Sunday, and the singer will be buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Slash appeared at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association's (GLAZA) annual Beastly Ball on Saturday, May 20 at the L.A. Zoo. This year's signature fundraiser celebrated the L.A. Zoo's 50th anniversary and featured a performance with the GUNS N' ROSES guitarist and noted wildlife advocate in an exclusive live concert backed by Jimmy Vivino and THE BASIC CABLE BAND, who performed a mix of blues and R&B, joined by special guests Jack Black, Grace Potter and Bernard Fowler. The Ball honored Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation and bestowed the Tom Mankiewicz Leadership Award on the National Geographic Society, represented by Gary E. Knell, president and CEO.

Video footage of Slash and Jack Black performing the GUNS N' ROSES classic "Welcome To The Jungle" at this year's Beastly Ball can be seen below (courtesy of the Gibbos YouTube Channel).

Beastly Ball proceeds in part support the Zoo's new Species Conservation Action Network (SCAN), including a dedicated Curator of Conservation whose sole focus will be to identify and respond to urgent animal conservation issues around the world. Beastly Ball guests, invited to dress in "safari casual" attire, stroll through the Zoo during a rare after-hours visit observing its inhabitants, watching animal feedings, chatting with keepers, viewing small animals up close, and enjoying entertainment and dining on bountiful fare provided by some of L.A.'s most popular restaurants. Also featured are a live auction and an online mobile-bidding silent auction — open to the public — comprised of hundreds of remarkable items and one-of-a-kind opportunities, plus opportunities to donate a Program Book ad or make other gifts in honor of the Annenberg Foundation, National Geographic Society, Slash or GLAZA.

The GUNS N' ROSES "Not In This Lifetime" tour will come back to North America for at least another 15 stadium dates this summer, starting on July 27 in St. Louis and ending on September 8 in San Antonio.

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

METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo paid tribute to Chris Cornell by working in a snippet of SOUNDGARDEN's classic song "Black Hole Sun" into his bass solo during the former band's concert Friday night (May 19) at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Check out video footage below.

According to CNN, the SOUNDGARDEN frontman will be laid to rest on May 26 in Los Angeles. His body will be flown from Michigan to Los Angeles on Sunday, and the singer will be buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

A source told CNN: "The family is thinking about a [public] memorial for fans, but is coping now with their loss and the funeral service."

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

The family's attorney, Kirk Pasich, said in a statement that the family would await the toxicology results to see if Ativan — the anti-anxiety prescription drug Cornell was taking — or other drugs contributed to his death.

"The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions," Pasich said.

A video tribute to former MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza, who passed away a year ago today, can be seen below. The eighteen-minute clip features remembrances from David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT), Jason Bittner (OVERKILL, SHADOWS FALL), Rob Cavestany (DEATH ANGEL) and Chris "OJ" Ojeda (BYZANTINE), among others.

On May 21, 2016, Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack during a concert with OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of natural causes. The cause of Menza's death was listed as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Nick's long-awaited memoir, "Megalife: Nick Menza - The Book", will finally be released in late 2017. The book, which was written with J. Marshall Craig, was delayed after being drastically reworked in the months following Nick's passing.

Menza's longtime manager Robert Bolger says the book will reveal how poorly Nick was being treated by MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine and the brutal truth of why there was never a MEGADETH reunion with the band's "Rust In Peace" lineup.

Nick rightfully earned his place as heavy metal's fiercest drummer during MEGADETH's ten-year peak at the top. With "Megalife: Nick Menza - The Book", music fans are going to be thrilled to discover his candor just as fierce as his drumming.

The highlight of his career, Nick said, was playing Rock In Rio before more than 100,000 people. The lowest point was being fired by Mustaine while he was still in a hospital bed after surgery to remove was doctors feared was a cancerous growth.

The revamped version of RAINBOW will release its first new music in more than two decades on May 26. Two tracks are currently available for pre-order on iTunes: a new song called "Land Of Hope And Glory" and a re-recording of the RAINBOW classic "I Surrender", which was written by Russ Ballard and was first released by RAINBOW in 1981.

Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore stepped away from his Renaissance-inspired brand of music with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT last year to perform a handful of shows with a brand-new lineup of the band he had formed after quitting DEEP PURPLE.

Although Ritchie initially said that he had no plans to make a new RAINBOW album — explaining in early 2016 that he wanted to "just get back to playing the old songs one more time" — he revealed to Japan's Burrn! magazine that he changed his mind.

The current incarnation of RAINBOW includes singer Ronnie Romero, originally from Chile but now settled in Madrid, Spain, as well as STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT), and backing singers Candice Night and Lady Lynn.

Blackmore was full of praise for Romero, who spends some of his time fronting the Spanish metal band LORDS OF BLACK and is a member of a new project called THE FERRYMEN. "When I heard him, he seemed like the right guy to sing the [Ronnie James] Dio-era songs of RAINBOW," Ritchie told Burrn!. "He is versatile, he can sing like Freddie Mercury or Ronnie James Dio or Graham Bonnet.

"The reason I did not ask [former RAINBOW singer] Joe Lynn Turner [to get involved in the RAINBOW comeback] is because I thought European fans wanted to hear the Dio lineup of RAINBOW.

"I was very surprised that tickets [to the first RAINBOW comeback shows] sold out in 15 minutes. It was nice to know so many people wanted to hear RAINBOW at this time."

Joe Lynn Turner last year slammed Blackmore for the guitarist's decision to go out and perform classic DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW material with a new group musicians instead of reforming RAINBOW with a more "authentic" lineup.

Less critical of the new RAINBOW lineup was former DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, who admitted to Metal Express Radio earlier this year that he had watched some YouTube clips of the new RAINBOW lineup performing in 2016. "Singing Ronnie's [James Dio] songs needs a special kind of singer and I think the young chap did a reasonably good job and I think Ritchie may well have found the guy for him," Hughes said of Romero. "He was certainly a good fit for RAINBOW."

The two shows RAINBOW played in Germany last June were caught on camera to produce "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", which was released in November via Eagle Rock Entertainment on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, and digital formats.

After Ritchie left DEEP PURPLE for the final time in 1993, he reformed RAINBOW for one album (1995's "Stranger In Us All") and one tour, ending things in Denmark in 1997.

RAINBOW will embark on its first U.K. tour in twenty-two years next month.

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Hardwired" on May 17 at The New Coliseum Presented By NYCB in Uniondale, New York can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hardwired02. Atlas, Rise!03. For Whom The Bell Tolls04. Ride The Lightning05. The Unforgiven06. Now That We're Dead07. Moth Into Flame08. Harvester Of Sorrow09. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)10. The Four Horsemen11. Sad But True12. One13. Master Of Puppets14. Fade To Black15. Seek & Destroy

Encore:

16. Blackened17. Nothing Else Matters18. Enter Sandman

A review of the concert can be found at Newsday.com.

METALLICA was joined in Uniondale, as they will be on most of the rest of the trek, by VOLBEAT and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

The North American run will hit stadiums in 20 more cities before ending in mid-August. METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone that the band was genuinely surprised to learn they could still play stadiums, saying, "It was like, 'Holy fuck, people really still care about this band in ways that you stopped taking for granted literally decades ago. It was very inspiring and kind of eye-opening."

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

The next stop on the tour is Rock On The Range on Sunday (May 21).

THE PRETTY RECKLESS paid tribute to Chris Cornell by performing a cover version of AUDIOSLAVE's "Like A Stone" on May 20 at the Philadelphia rock radio station WMMR's annual MMR-B-Q at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey. Check out fan-filmed video footage below.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS opened for SOUNDGARDEN in Detroit Wednesday night, a couple of hours before Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging. He was 52 years old.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen wrote in an Instagram post that her "heart is broken."

"Still in a state of shock," she added. "I have no words right now except my heart pours out to his beautiful family and friends."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS also posted a tribute to Cornell on the band's Twitter, writing: "Our deepest sympathies to family and new friends we just had the privilege to join for an all-too-brief moment. Our hearts are with you."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS postponed its May 19 show at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey as a result of Cornell's passing.

Early Wednesday, just hours before Cornell's death, Momsen praised SOUNDGARDEN, writing on Instagram: "Tonight is our final show with Soundgarden at the Fox Theater in Detroit, great band, great people, wonderful crew, new family, thanks to all #tprtour2017."

Momsen is a longtime fan of SOUNDGARDEN, having previously said that the Cornell-fronted outfit was the band for which she most wanted to open for.

PEARL JAM guitarist Mike McCready has paid tribute to Chris Cornell, saying that the SOUNDGARDEN frontman gave him "the break into the music business" that he had wanted since he was eleven years old.

McCready and Cornell were bandmates in TEMPLE OF THE DOG, the legendary Seattle supergroup that also featured SOUNDGARDEN/PEARL JAM drummer Matt Cameron, and fellow PEARL JAM members Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard.

TEMPLE OF THE DOG was formed as a tribute to Andrew Wood, Cornell's former Seattle roommate and lead singer of the bands MALFUNKSHUN and MOTHER LOVE BONE, who died in March 1990 of a heroin overdose shortly before the release of MOTHER LOVE BONE's debut album, "Apple". To help deal with his grief, Chris wrote two songs and approached Ament and Gossard, both of whom had been in MOTHER LOVE BONE with Wood, about properly recording them. The project soon evolved into an entire album, "Temple Of The Dog", which came out in April 1991 via A&M and became a Top 5 hit after PEARL JAM broke through. The disc featured the song "Hunger Strike", which included guest vocals from a then-unknown Eddie Vedder.

Speaking to Seattle Times on Thursday, McCready said: "Chris Cornell painted in song the darkness and beauty of life in Seattle.

"Chris means a lot to me today, as he trusted me to play on TEMPLE. He handed me a dream in getting to actually play on beautiful songs. Informed how I would play on PEARL JAM records in the future, I believe. Gave me the break into the music business I'd wanted since I was eleven.

"He was a friend I will miss. I miss you, brother."

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

Chris and his wife Vicky had two children, 12-year-old Toni and 11-year-old Christopher, while Chris also had a 16-year-old daughter, Lillian Jean, from his first marriage to former SOUNDGARDEN manager Susan Silver.

Majesty have released a music video for “Heroes In The Night”, a track from their new album Rebels, released back in March. The video is available for streaming below.

Recorded in the band's own studio and refined by the mixing and mastering of Frederik Nordsträm in the Studio Fredman, Rebels is the fundament for "Majesty 2.0".

Tracklisting:

“Path To Freedom”
“Die Like Kings”
“Rebels Of Our Time”
“Yolo Hm”
“The Final War”
“Across The Lightning”
“Not Available”
“Iron Hill”
“Heroes In The Night”
“Running For Salvation”
“Fighting Till The End”

“Heroes In The Night” video:

"Rebels Of Our Time” video:

“Die Like Kings” lyric video:

Red Fang, who play Rock On The Range today, add to their canon of comedic clips, debuting the video for “Cut It Short”. Whitey McConnaughy directed the clip, continuing the partnership that birthed videos for “Wires”, “Prehistoric Dog”, “Hank Is Dead” and most recently “Shadows”.

In the “Cut It Short” video, McConnaughy explores the inner dynamics of touring bands with hilarious accuracy.

Red Fang plays one additional North American date (May 26th at the Modified Ghost Festival II) before heading to Europe for a month of shows. The band resurfaces Stateside at Bumbershoot in September followed by a performance at Crucial Fest.

Tour dates:

May
19 - Columbus, OH - Rock on the Range
26 - Vancouver, BC - Modified Ghost Festival II

June
10 - Guilford, UK - Boileroom
11 - Donnington, UK - Download Festival
12 - Lille, France - L’Aeronef
14 - Orleans, France - Astrolabe
15 - Lyon, France - Epicerie Moderne
16 - Clisson, France - Hellfest
17 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop
19 - Berlin, Germany - Lido
20 - Vienna, Austria - Flex
21 - Orfu, Hungary - Fishing on Orfu
23 - Saarwellingen, Germany - Saarmageddon Festival
24 - Scheessel, Germany - Hurricane Festival
25 - Neuhausen, Germany - Southside Festival
28 - Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde
29 - Nimjegen, Netherlands - Doornroosje

July
1 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Fuzz Jam Festival
5 - Biarritz, France - Atabel
6 - Viverio, Spain - Resurrection Festival
8 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzamatazz 2
9 - Ile du Gaou, France - Pointu Festival

September
1 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot
2 - Salt Lake City, UT - Crucial Fest

With song titles like "You're a Fucking Dick”, "Busted, Broke & American" and "All Out of Bubblegum" you would think that M.O.D. - shorthand for Method Of Destruction - and their founder and fearless leader (the artist formerly known as the legendary Billy Milano), aren't masking their intentions on their new album. In fact, it would be a logical assumption that Milano and co. are putting their unabashed and unedited thoughts and feelings out there for all to see and hear with their new album Busted, Broke & American - self-righteous and politically correct social justice warriors be damned! Busted, Broke & American will be released July 7th via Megaforce Records.  The album’s title track is available for streaming below.

As to be expected, Busted, Broke & American is fast, it's furious, and it makes no apologies. It also mixes hardcore, punk rock, and thrash and the end result is a thoroughly combustible collection of songs. The words "I'm sorry" are not a part of the album's vocabulary. At the center of the sonic storm remains Milano, who has never been known to shy away from speaking his mind.

Billy Milano, a voracious reader, avid cook and a Proud and Loud Republican, inadvertently resurrected his hardcore punk rock band in a time when he needed it most. You'd be mistaken to assume anything when it comes to Billy Milano. For M.O.D. and their new album, which finds the band returning to original label home Megaforce Records after two decades, there was no pre-determined mission. At all. It was born of love.

"I had taken off time with M.O.D. in 2009," Milano recalls. "We had done 100 shows for [2007's] Red, White & Screwed. I needed a break. My dog Buster, an American bulldog, got sick with cancer and I started to play guitar again while staying home with him. I started jamming again, anticipating something quick, but it wasn't."

Buster was a huge part of Milano's life, having toured with the frontman. As anyone that truly has forged a deep bond with a canine can relate to, Milano turned to his trusted instrument to help him endure the pain of watching his friend wind down his life. "I just started playing guitar, while sitting there, looking at him, giving him medicine," he says. "I wanted to run and play with my dog, and I couldn't. The only way to be with him was to sit there and play guitar. I had no goal to do a record. I just wrote all the material."

While Milano may be older and wiser these days, he's not any softer. He's admittedly still cynical, but has learned to temper it by being more caring and forgiving. Still, music remains something he loves doing and he still operates off the zero fucks given principle. "I don't give a fuck, but I like playing," he reasons. "I like making records. It's like cooking - it's an extension of me."

Busted, Broke, & American tracklisting:

“Eisenhower Was Right”
“The Final Declaration”
“You're A Fucking Dick”
“Busted, Broke & American”
“Fight”
“Hooligan”
“Billy Be Damned”
“Shattered Dreams & Broken Glass”
“They”
“All Out Of Bubblegum”
“Go Go Revolution”
“Kennedy Speaks”

“Busted, Broke & American”:

Napalm Records welcome a new family member to their ever-expanding artist roster, as Lord Of The Lost have signed a worldwide record deal with the Austrian rock & metal empire.

Founded in 2007 by Chris Harms, over the last decade this Hamburg-based dark metal group has become one of the most well-established and exciting acts the international scene has to offer. The band's sound has always been a heavy ride traveling through many diverse dark genres, while never standing still and constantly in the process of reinvention.

Lord Of The Lost features big melodies, aggression and emotions, fronted by Chris Harms' impressive vocal range of styles that can abruptly leap from a sonorous clear voice to brutal death growls and wild screams. With effortless grace, Lord Of The Lost have managed to establish their unique trademark sound while they create a contrast of musical extremes: Catchy ballads with hit-potential meet harsh metalcore-attacks, with no fear for excursions into the symphonic, industrial metal and heavy rock that goes straight into your heart and face.

With their relentless energy on stage Lord Of The Lost always deliver lots of sweat, sex and rock ’n’ roll making every single show a memorable and special event for their constantly growing fan base all over the world.

After their previous 2015 acoustic release Swan Songs, the quintet from the heart of St. Pauli, Hamburg, has now signed a worldwide deal with Napalm Records and will release a brand new acoustic and ensemble album titled Swan Songs II in the fall of 2017.

Says Chris Harms: "Progress means movement; and for us any movement can only head forward and upward. It's been an important step for us to continue our path of success together with a new, strong partner and we are proud that we have found this partner in Napalm Records! It could not be better for us!"

To celebrate the band's upcoming release, Lord Of The Lost will heavily hit the road this fall for an ensemble album release tour as well as in support of KMFDM in the UK and United States. Find the band’s live itinerary at this location.

Lord Of The Lost are:

Chris Harms - vocals, guitar, cello
π - guitar
Class Grenayde - bass
Gared Dirge - piano, synths, percussion, guitar
Tobias Mertens - drums

Pictured above: Lord Of The Lost with Senior Product Manager Billie Klein At the Napalm Records Berlin Office

German death metallers, Dawn Of Disease, are streaming the new song “Perimortal”, featured on their upcoming new album, Ascension Gate, set to be released on August 11th via Napalm Records. Listen to the track below.

Says the band: “Ascension Gate was created and given birth within a comparatively short lapse of time. Thus it embodies pure energy and raw intensity. In comparison to our former releases our fourth full-length album is different in many ways as it modifies and expanses the musical elements we used to employ before. Besides the typical Dawn Of Disease trademarks you will find more elaborate melodies that carry the listener through an atmospheric journey. Inspired by gloomy autumn days and the sheer endless darkness of winter Ascension Gate adds more depth and catchiness to our sound than ever before without neglecting a huge portion of blastbeating brutality. Regardless of this dark and melancholic leitmotif we can promise you one thing: Ascension Gate will bring you a very hot summer!“

Album artwork by Mark Cooper.

Tracklisting:

“Passage”
“Perimortal”
“Leprous Thoughts”
“Beneath The Waters”
“Ascension Gate”
“Akephalos”
“Fleshless Journey”
“The Growing Emptiness”
“Lucid”
“Mundus Inversus”

“Perimortal”:

After monstrous records such as Legends Of Brutality , Crypts Of The Unrotten and most recently their epic Worship The Grave released just last year, Dawn Of Disease set a new standard for the expanding Swedish death metal scene with Ascension Gate  - their fourth hail of bombs full of volatile riff power. This is the new era of modern death metal.

Coming August 11th via Napalm Records on CD, LP Gatefold and Digital Download, Ascension Gate will be available for pre-order soon.

In support of their upcoming album, Dawn Of Disease will appear on several festival stages this summer. Catch them live on the following dates:

July
8 - Ballenstedt, Germany - Rockharz Open Air

August
3 - Wacken, Germany - Wacken Open Air
10 - Schlotheim, Germany - Party.San Open Air
12 - Graz, Austria - Metal on the Hill
16-19 - Dinkelsbuehl, Germany - Summer Breeze

September
1-2 - Katzenbach, Germany - Metallergrillen Open Air

Dawn Of Disease are:

Tomasz Wisniewski - Vocals
Lukas Kerk - Guitars
Oliver Kirchner - Guitars
Christian Wösten - Bass
Mathias Blässe - Drums

earMUSIC recently announced that British rockers Status Quo will, on July 14th, release The Last Night Of The Electrics, a live set recorded at the band’s emotionally charged, barnstorming show at London’s O2 last year. A video for “Caroline”, the opening track from the set, is available for streaming below.

This fantastic concert will be released on a series of formats 2CD, DVD, Blu-ray, Limited Edition 180g Black Triple Vinyl with side 6 etched (double gatefold), earBOOK (with 2 x Audio CD, 1 x DVD & 1 x Blu-ray, coffee table book including approx. 120 pages) and Digital.

Francis Rossi said, “This release captures Quo on incredible form, at a concert that will live long in my memory. It was a difficult time, but we knew what we needed to do and we delivered. This was by no means business as usual, nor should it have been, but the energy of the music, the band and the crowd coming together was palpable”.

Having been envisaged as a swansong for the band’s legendary electric set, the 2016 winter tour turned into something very different as Rick Parfitt was forced to be absent having suffered the first of a series of health issues that would tragically end his life as the year closed. With the band having been urged by both Rick himself and the fans to carry on and keep the music blasting, they found yet another gear, and the show captured in front of a the loyal O2 crowd turned out to be very special indeed.

Tracklisting (slip in various ways across formats):

“Caroline”
“The Wanderer”
“Something About You Baby I Like”
“Rain”
“Softer Ride”
“Beginning Of The End”
“Hold You Back”
“Proposin’ Medley”
“Paper Plane”
“The Oriental”
“Creepin' Up On Youv
“Gerdundula”
“In The Army Now”
“The Caveman”
“Roll Over Lay Down”
“Down Down”
“Whatever You Want”
“Rocking All Over The Worldv
“Burning Bridges”
“Rock and Roll Music”/“Bye Bye Johnny”

“Caroline” video:

Trailer:

Status Quo are one of the world’s greatest rock bands. Their path has taken many a twist and a turn along the way. The events of last year were unparalleled in the band’s history but The Last Night Of The Electrics release sees them meeting difficult times head on, doing justice to their legacy and that incredible back catalogue. It’s the sound of Quo.

Pre-order at the following links:

- 2CD
- DVD
- LP
- Digital

New York death metal pioneers Suffocation will release their new album, ...Of The Dark Light, on June 9th via Nuclear Blast Records. A second video trailer for the album  is available for streaming below.

...Of The Dark Light was produced by Suffocation and tracked at Full Force Studios with longtime engineer Joe Cincotta (Obituary). Mixing and mastering was handled by world renowned producer/engineer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Arsis, Suicide Silence). Cover artwork was created by Colin Marks (Origin, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Kataklysm).

Comments founding guitarist Terrance Hobbs: "The moment we have been waiting for is here, our new album ...Of The Dark Light will finally be released through Nuclear Blast on June 9th, 2017! Over the last 4 year period Suffocation has taken its time to write this record and we couldn't be prouder. It is our most brutal record yet!

"Suffocation worked through the end of 2016 to hash out and lay down the tracks at Full Force Studios with Joe Cincotta and once again enlisted Zeuss to bring this creation to life! Myself, Frank Mullen, Charles Errigo, Eric Morotti and Derek Boyer have all pushed the limit of what Suffocation is and we hope you enjoy it!

"We also had the honor of having Colin Marks handling our artwork which is a new frontier for us and a different avenue and style to the traditional Suffocation records. We also included some backup vocals from Kevin Muller (The Merciless Concept) which for us makes this album very unique!  This will be our 10th studio release and we really hope you like ...Of The Dark Light! Keep the grind alive and hope to see you on the road!"

Pre-order ...Of The Dark Light in various bundles and formats, here. Receive the song "Your Last Breaths" instantly, when you pre-order the album digitally through iTunes or Amazon..

Tracklisting:

“Clarity Through Deprivation”
“The Warmth Within The Dark”
“Your Last Breaths”
“Return To The Abyss”
“The Violation”
“Of The Dark Light”
“Some Things Should Be Left Alone”
“Caught Between Two Worlds”
“Epitaph Of The Credulous”

“Return To The Abyss” lyric video:

“Your Last Breaths”:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Find the band’s live itinerary here.

Santa Cruz CA’s tech-death masters, Decrepit Birth, will release their first album in seven years, Axis Mundi, on July 21st via Nuclear Blast Records (North America) and Agonia Records (Europe). Listen to "Epigenetic Triplicity" from the upcoming album below.

Recorded at three different studios over the course of a year, Axis Mundi sounds incredible. The clarity, the power, the musicianship, and the brutality aren’t vying for attention. They’re in absolute harmony. The guitars - tracked by guitarist Matt Sotelo at his home studio - are razor sharp yet spine-snappingly heavy. The drums - tracked by Ryan Forsyth at Private Ear Studios in Winnipeg, Canada - are genre-defining, recalling what Sean Reinert, Gene Hoglan, and Steve Flynn did for Death and Atheist, respectively. And the bass - tracked by bassist Sean Martinez, also at his home studio - has a great deep-end against the ceaselessly wicked rhythms. Tracks like “Hieroglyphic”, “Spirit Guide”, and “The Sacred Geometry” wouldn’t have crushed skulls and blown minds if it wasn’t for the accomplished mixing and mastering of Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studios.

The cover artwork was created by Dan Seagrave (Entombed, Suffocation).

Axis Mundi tracklisting:

“Vortex of Infinity - Axis Mundi”  
“Spirit Guide”       
“The Sacred Geometry”   
“Hieroglyphic”      
“Transcendental Paradox”              
“Mirror of Humanity”        
“Ascendant”         
“Epigenetic Triplicity”        
“Embryogenesis”

“Epigenetic Triplicity”:

Fans can pre-order the Axis Mundi in various formats and bundles at this location.

For the better part of their 16-year existence, California-based death metallers Decrepit Birth haven’t followed the rules. From debut album, 2003’s …And Time Begins, to new album, Axis Mundi, they’ve shuffled the tried and true tenets of death metal into something defiantly other. Certainly, the Surf City denizens have written and continue to write brutally brutal music, but after years of purveying labyrinthine riffs and blasts at light-suffering speeds, they’ve transcended, they’ve transformed, they’ve gone beyond. Decrepit Birth in 2017 aren’t entirely the same band that unfurled …And Time Begins in their twentysomethings.

Seven long years separate Polarity from Axis Mundi. The absence would kill the fan velocity of most bands. But not Decrepit Birth. Even after 2014’s The Summer Slaughter Tour - the last time the West Coasters were on tour - the group’s legion of freaks have stayed true to their death metal masters, pleading and pining with regularity on social media for new technically-proficient savagery. That wait will soon be over with Axis Mundi.

Decrepit Birth is:

Matt Sotelo (guitar)
Bill Robinson (vocals)
Samus Paulicelli (drums)
Sean Martinez (bass)

German rockers, Nitrogods, have released a video for “Boogeyman”, a track from their upcoming album, Roadkill BBQ, out worldwide via Steamhammer / SPV on May 26th. Watch the new clip below.

The German rock n’ roll three-piece recorded 14 brand new Nitrogods songs for album number three and on top of that... four great cover versions which will be pressed on an exclusive EP, only available in the Limited Edition box set.

Get the “Rancid Rock” single here, and pre-order the new album at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Rancid Rock”
“Roadkill BBQ”
“My Love's a Wirebrush”
“Boogeymqan”
“Bad Place Wrong People”
“Wheelin'”
“A Los Muertos”
“The Price of Liberty”
“Race To Ruin”
“I Hate”
“Father”
“Where Have the Years Gone”
“Russian Rocket” (Bonus Track)
“Did Jesus Turn Water Into Beer” (Bonus Track)

“Boogeyman” video:

“Rancid Rock” video:

Swedish metallers Dream Evil are streaming the new song “Creature Of The Night”, from their sixth album, aptly titled SIX, due out on May 26th via Century Media Records.

The band commented about “Creature Of The Night” as follows: “When we chose from all recorded songs the ones to be released on the main album, we summoned a Heavy Metal Jury which ranked the songs. From this ranking the top 12 songs were set for SIX. The song “Creature Of The Night” got the highest ranking from the H.M.J., so it was a no-brainer to have this song as a single.”

Next to the album’s standard version as CD and Digital Download, SIX is also being made available as 180gr. vinyl version with a poster and bonus CD as well as in the limited edition Mediabook CD format with two bonus tracks (“Under Attack” and “Nowhere To Run”) and three stickers.

Succeeding 2010’s In The Night release, SIX has been once again produced by Dream Evil guitarist Fredrik Nordström at his own Studio Fredman facilities, which is obviously the birth place of many modern metal masterpieces by bands such as In Flames, Arch Enemy, HammerFall, At The Gates, Dimmu Borgir, Powerwolf or also Architects and Bring Me The Horizon.

The cover artwork for the upcoming album was once again created by Gustavo Sazes (Arch Enemy, Amaranthe, Firewind).

SIX tracklisting:

“Dream Evil”
“Antidote”
“Sin City”
“Creature Of The Night”
“Hellride”
“Six Hundred And 66”
“How To Start A War”
“The Murdered Mind”
“Too Loud”
“44 Riders”
‘Broken Wings”
“We Are Forever”

"Antidote" video:

“Dream Evil” video:

Trailer:

Fresh from a successful tour of the western U.S., the Northern California-based death metal/core quartet Apothesary has finished recording their sophomore full-length. Titled Accept Loss Forever, the album, described by the band as an “ode to suffering,” will be issued by M-Theory Audio on July 7th. More details about the release will surface in the coming weeks.
 
Taking advantage of a break in the busy touring schedule of his other band Hatchet, guitarist Clayton Cagle and his Apothesary bandmates – guitarist/vocalist Jared Eandi, drummer Greg O'Neill and bassist Brittany Shankle – spent much of April on the road in support of their acclaimed 2016 EP Sensory Overload. The release was previously supported by a tour that saw the group play alongside the likes of Psycroptic, Motograter, Soil and American Head Charge.
 
That was all just a precursor for Accept Loss Forever, which Cagle describes as an emotional and cathartic album that painstakingly captures the group's evolution, musically and personally. “Accept Loss Forever is the true definition of 'coming of age,' as some of its material dates back to 2012 – when our average age was just 17 – and spans over half the life of the band,” he explains. “That makes these songs special, because they're the most accurate representation of our growth both as a band and as human beings. Every significant moment of our transition from adolescence to adulthood has a place on this record, and I don't know where I would be right now if I didn't have this outlet to help put life in perspective. It is my hope that the music on this record helps someone else in the same way it helped me, and the rest of Apothesary, to write. We can't thank the M-Theory team more for believing in us enough to make this release a reality.”
 
Apothesary self-released their first album, 2011's A Harsh Reality, while its members were still in high school. During summer breaks, the group embarked on DIY-booked tours to spread their name by playing shows with the likes of Killswitch Engage, Dark Tranquillity, Fear Factory, Dying Fetus, Helloween, Suffocation and Warbringer. The band has subsequently released two EPs, They All Carry Ghosts and Sensory Overload, that showcased new and old-school death metal influences blending to concoct something simultaneously brutal, melodic and adventurous.
 
Apothesary will next perform live on May 27th, when they will headline the seventh annual Metalfest of Middletown in Northern California. Later this summer, the group will share the stage with M-Theory label mates Helsott and Sicocis at Hollywood's legendary Viper Room. Additional tour dates will be announced shortly.

 

Boston death metal act Soul Remnants have signed a worldwide deal with Entertainment One Music / Lifeblood Inc. and is releasing an all new track today titled “Dissolving Into Obscurity".

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

Soul Remnants will release their second full length LP, Ouroboros, on July 21st. A concept album revolving around a futuristic, dystopian war amongst all mankind. The all new effort will the follow up to their second album, Black And Blood, released in 2013.

"Dissolving Into Obscurity" is being offered as an iTunes instant gratification track, meaning those who pre order the LP via iTunes will receive the song as an instant download. Digital preorders are available here.

Tracklisting:

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

“Dissolving Into Obscurity”: