SOUNDGARDEN bassist Ben Shepherd has confirmed in a new interview with Weld that the band is "pretty much ready to record" the follow-up to 2012's "King Animal" album. Speaking about the group's approach for the upcoming disc, Shepherd said: "It's pretty much the same. Each one of us brings in a song and we work on it — or we'll all start something together, though there's less of that now than there was on any previous record, where we would just start jamming and form something out of it. We'd do that and we'd each bring in a song and work on it, and then one of the other guys would change it or add something. This time around, we haven't tended to jam as much. We've just been more focused on working on the next song.

"We're more capable of recording at any second and working out ideas than we used to be," he continued. "Of course, we've aged and figured out how to do things a lot better. Same thing with 'King Animal'. It was like, 'We know what we're doing, and we can do it better now than we used to.' So our songwriting, we have it more honed, and we know more what to do. It's not stale or anything — it's just more honed, more simpatico with each other. It's easier and more attainable to get to the idea."

Work on SOUNDGARDEN's seventh studio effort started in 2015, but the band took breaks while singer Chris Cornell toured his "Higher Truth" solo set and drummer Matt Cameron hit the road with PEARL JAM.

SOUNDGARDEN 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.

The band kicked off a North American tour on May 3 in Atlanta, winding down on May 27 at the Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma.

Support on selected dates is coming from THE PRETTY RECKLESS and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN. This is SOUNDGARDEN's first trek since a summer 2014 co-headlining run with NINE INCH NAILS.

Vocalist Shagrath (real name: Stian Tomt Thoresen) of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR spoke to Antihero about the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2010's "Abrahadabra" album, tentatively due before the end of the year via Nuclear Blast. He said: "I can't go really into details, but what I can say about it is that we have used now three years to make a new album. It's just finished right now, actually, so the plan is that it will be out during fall. These days we do the preparation in connection with that release. If I can say something about the album, it will be that we are very proud of it, it sounds great, it's very atmospheric, and it also includes a lot of the elements which DIMMU BORGIR are known for, so I think the fans will not be disappointed. It also includes a lot of themes and riff ideas that you can link back to '93. So, it's like a combination of different themes throughout the history of DIMMU BORGIR. It also has a lot of symphonic elements and we are using a big choir on this new record, and it's also darker, more atmospheric, more primitive, more black metal. Yeah, a mixture of different things, basically.

Shagrath elaborated on the musical direction of the new DIMMU BORGIR album, saying it's "a mixture of everything, but in DIMMU BORGIR you can expect the unexpected. That's how we like to, when we do something we want to, there is no limits for where we can take it, in which direction, and that's how we want it to be, it needs to be. It's progressive also, the new album, but it also includes a lot of atmosphere, as I said. Elements from like the riff atmospheres from 'Enthrone Darkness Triumphant' [1997] album and the 'For All Tid' [1995], the debut record, and all that stuff. So, it's a good combination of it all, but at the same time, it's also progressive, and that's very important for us as artists to stretch the limits and try out new stuff. We are a band, we have never been afraid of going into new directions and as an artist, it's also important to not try to repeat yourself too much, because then it would be boring. But we are not a band like AC/DC, where you buy an album and you know what to expect. But DIMMU BORGIR are quite different, even though I'm a fan of AC/DC."

Drummer Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad of Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON spoke to HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show", about SATYRICON's upcoming album, which will be released on September 22 via Napalm Records. He said (hear audio below): "This is an album that we have been really working a lot with for a long time. It's all about getting the right expression for each and every song.

"It has never been anything that we've discussed in the band, but at least I personally feel that every song has a life of its own, a very strong and unique identity," he continued. "This album is really about giving life to those eight songs that constitute it.

"Like with every SATYRICON album, I guess it's very, very diverse, and this is more true than ever with the new one," he said. "In particular, when it comes to this identity bit, I feel the songs, even if they fit extremely well together in a compilation of songs, each and every one, it's very, very different from the others — almost like human beings are different from each other."

According to Frost, the more varied approach of SATYRICON's 2013 self-titled album was a musical precursor to the exploratory nature of the band's upcoming disc.

"I realize that the previous albums opened lots of doors for us," he said. "There was a reason that we chose to name the [last] album after the band itself. Basically, we felt that somehow SATYRICON became a very complete band with that album. We managed to bring that dynamic element into the band that somehow had been missing a little, and we felt that when that was there, it was like we had all the basic components that should constitute SATYRICON. And as those doors were opened with that album, we then found ourselves in a situation where we were, like, roaming about in those different rooms. And this new album is a result of discovering and searching through and basically exploring new territory and making it ours."

SATYRICON has already announced a European tour for September/October to coincide with the release of the upcoming studio album.

SATYRICON frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2015, told Metal Hammer 's "In Residence" show on Spotify that SATYRICON's follow-up to 2013's self-titled album would see the band moving away from the "violent, aggressive" vibe of its earlier efforts.

He said: "When we started getting back in to the rhythm after I was hospitalized, the music changed. I wasn't so much into what we did earlier — it wasn't that I didn't like it, but I didn't feel it in the same way anymore.

"A lot of what we did in the beginning is relentless, violent and aggressive. It's not like it's sobbing or really sad now, but it's more percussive, varied and soulful. There's less emphasis on the aggressive violent part of it."

In 2016, SATYRICON celebrated the 20th anniversary of its seminal album "Nemesis Divina" with a series of exclusive European shows which saw the Norwegian trailblazers performing the LP in its entirety for the first and last time.

In a brand new interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Sammy Hagar was once again asked about the possibility of a reunion with VAN HALEN, almost a year and a half after he sent a tweet to Eddie Van Halen wishing him a happy birthday — and getting a cordial response. "That whole VAN HALEN thing lurking in the woods out there, I feel there's a sniper out there — any minute the bullet is going to come flying in that says 'VH' on it, 'You're it!' We'll see what happens. I don't understand them. I haven't understood them in a long time. I would only do it with Sam and Dave [Lee Roth] anyway. I'd rather Dave go out and sing his own songs. I'll sing my songs. That would be the ultimate show, I think. If we could do it that way, I would suck it up. It would be fun."

Hagar told The Pulse Of Radio a while ago that his problems with Eddie began as far back as the sessions for VAN HALEN's 1995 effort "Balance", Hagar's last album with the group. "Eddie needs somebody to make decisions and a leader, y'know?" he said. "He's not a natural born leader kind of guy. And his brother was always the leader before — or Roth was the leader before — and when Roth left, his brother and him bumped heads so much, when I walked in it was like, 'Well, what does Sam wanna do?' y'know? So it became kind of like, yeah, I was making all the decisions, so then on 'Balance', all of a sudden, he didn't like my decisions and it was like really weird."

Hagar blasted his former bandmates in a 2015 interview, saying there was "no chemistry" between the members of the group's current lineup, including David Lee Roth. He said at the time: "They don't like each other. I mean, it's obvious. It's like a backup band with a guy out there in front. I bet they don't say five words to each other offstage."

Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, Alex and Eddie Van Halen last teamed up in 2004 for a U.S. summer tour. In exchange for taking part in the tour, Anthony reportedly had to agree to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the band name and logo.

Metal Wani editor in chief Owais "Vitek" Nabi recently conducted an interview with former MORBID ANGEL and current I AM MORBID frontman David Vincent. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his decision to launch I AM MORBID after his latest exit from MORBID ANGEL:

Vincent: "Well, as the world knows, Trey [Azagthoth, MORBID ANGEL guitarist] and I don't work together anymore. But that has little to do with my love for all of the things that I've been involved in over the years. So I don't look at it as… I look at it as something separate. This is not MORBID ANGEL, and for sure it will sound much different."

On how he selected the musicians for I AM MORBID: Tim Yeung (drums; MORBID ANGEL), Bill Hudson (guitar; CIRCLE II CIRCLE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Ira Black (guitar; METAL CHURCH, LIZZY BORDEN)

Vincent: "Well, quite frankly, this is an idea that I had many years ago, and to be able to perform songs that I love, that the fans love, and that there wasn't any interest within the guys of actually MORBID ANGEL that some of these things were ever gonna happen.

"Tim and I get along very well. We spent a lot of time hanging out. Obviously, bass players and drummers tend to get along pretty well, 'cause it is the rhythm section after all. And then both of the guitar players have been longtime friends of mine."

On the possibility of I AM MORBID making a studio album after completing the upcoming tour:

Vincent: "We had a very casual discussion about that. I think that it's something… We'll see how this goes."

On whether the I AM MORBID album would feature the same lineup as the upcoming tour:

Vincent: "That would be my choice. Again, all of these people that I'm working with are longtime friends and quality musicians. I mean, there's definitely a lot of talent."

On his decision to name the new band I AM MORBID:

Vincent: "Well, it's the title to a song that I wrote, and it is really the way that I feel. I'm definitely not an angel, but I am morbid."

I AM MORBID, which will play 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.

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.

Video footage of former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo's SUPERJOINT project — previously known as SUPERJOINT RITUAL — performing on April 27 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below (filmed by Jake Perry).

SUPERJOINT kicked off the second leg of its "Caught Up In The Gears" U.S. tour on April 21 at Alamo City Music Hall in San Antonio, Texas. The eighteen-date journey is working its way west, ending on May 14 in Dallas, Texas. Support is again provided by Motor City thrashers BATTLECROSS and noise rock eccentrics CHILD BITE, also of Detroit, who both trekked out with SUPERJOINT during the first leg of the tour in January.

Anselmo told Decibel magazine that SUPERJOINT was forced to drop the "RITUAL" from its name was "because there's a bloodsucking leech out there who took advantage of a situation. But we're all at fault as well for signing a document that basically has a zero sunset clause, meaning that this person is privy to a cut of any money a 'SUPERJOINT RITUAL' would make. Hence getting rid of the 'RITUAL,' coming back as SUPERJOINT, and cutting out that cancer."

SUPERJOINT's new album, "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application", was released in November via Anselmo's Housecore record label. The disc was recorded at Philip's New Orleans-area studio, Nodferatu's Lair and was produced by Anselmo and Stephen Berrigan. The effort was mastered by Scott Hull (AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, PIG DESTROYER) at Visceral Sounds.

Anselmo stated about "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application": "The overall theme [of the album] means many things, or no things, but there is an underlying message regardless, about how modern technology — computers and all that comes with them, mainly — has affected our lives. As a musician, it has affected my life both negatively (music being stolen) and positively (being in touch with fellow musicians around the world and staying visible). But when looking at the broader spectrum, computer-land has given everyday people a platform in which to bellow like carnival barkers about anything and everything, humdrum or political, whether qualified or not, some with good intentions, some with disingenuous intentions, and some with ideas that lay somewhere in the middle, creating a mishmash of results."

SUPERJOINT's current lineup includes guitarists Kevin Bond (CHRIST INVERSION, ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER) and Jimmy Bower (DOWN, EYEHATEGOD), drummer José Manuel Gonzalez (WARBEAST, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) and bassist Stephen Taylor (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, WOVEN HAND, 16 HORSE POWER).

Singer Kyle Thomas (TROUBLE, EXHORDER) has announced his departure from DEVIL'S HIGHWAY, the band he launched several years ago with Ralph Santolla (DEICIDE, OBITUARY, DEATH), Steve DiGiorgio (TESTAMENT, SADUS), guitarist Matt Brunson (CROWBAR, KINGDOM OF SORROW) and Tony Laureano (DIMMU BORGIR, NILE).

Thomas said in a statement: "It is with great sadness, disappointment, and regret that I must announce that I am withdrawing myself from any involvement with DEVIL'S HIGHWAY. This is due to personal and business differences that are irreconcilable.

"This project started with much promise, magic, and pleasure. Eight years later, it is still unfinished, and the vision that I had for what it could and should have been can no longer come to fruition.

"I thank everyone that was involved in trying to help it get off of the ground, but sadly I believe it never will. If it does, it will be without me.

"I wish nothing but peace, love, happiness, prosperity, and good health to all of the band members."

Thomas recently spent time at Carriage House Studios in the suburbs of Stamford, Connecticut laying down vocals DEVIL'S HIGHWAY's debut album with legendary producer Max Norman, who has previously worked with OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, SAVATAGE and LOUDNESS, among others.

DEVIL'S HIGHWAY's sound was previously described in a press release as "a mixture of classic metal and hard rock with nods to BLACK SABBATH, ALICE IN CHAINS, vintage SCORPIONS and early OZZY OSBOURNE.

Back in 2014, Thomas had the following to say about the formation of DEVIL'S HIGHWAY: "I met Ralph on tour when ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY was doing main support for OBITUARY. We hit it off perfectly from day one and have been close friends ever since. On that tour, he played me some songs he was writing and asked if I'd be interested in working on it with him. I immediately said yes, because I thought it was fantastic. After going to Japan with Ralph, Tony and Steve [as the DEATH METAL ALLSTARS], we decided it was so much fun that we should make a real band."

Pictured: Kyle Thomas with producer Max Norman

Will there be a new KISS studio album, or won't there? Bassist / vocalist Gene Simmons was recently interviewed by Michael Cavacini, during which he answers that very question; an excerpt follows:

Paul Stanley publicly announced on stage that KISS is going to record a new album. You’ve said that you don’t want to record a new KISS album. Which is it?

"There’s some writing going on. Not too long ago I wrote a song called "Your Wish Is My Command'. It sounds anthemic, like something that might have come off Love Gun, maybe. But I’m not incentivized. The idea that you work your ass off and then someone with freckles on their face decides they want to download your music and file share – that’s not what I work for. How’d you like to be a plumber, come over somebody’s house and work all day to fix their plumbing and then when it’s time to get paid they say, “No, I just wanted to say thank you."

No.

"You do work and you get paid for that work, right?"

Yes.

"Why shouldn’t I?"

Right. Makes sense to me.

"I’ve heard people say, 'Oh, you have enough money.' That’s what I need: an eighteen-year-old kid telling me when enough is enough. It doesn’t affect me at all. And it doesn’t affect the Stones or U2 – a lot of the bands that do well. There’s only a handful, actually. The saddest thing of all is that the next great bands, with the talent and the charisma and all that stuff, will never have the chance that we did – because there’s no music industry. There’s no way for them to pay the rent. They’re going to have to give away their music, practically, for free.

My daughter last year, Sophie, had a huge song that was released on Casablanca: 10 million downloads. Do you know how much she made?"

How much?

"$450."

Wow! That’s nuts.

"It almost makes you say, 'You know what, I’ll get a day job.' The saddest part of all is that, it’s not aliens from another planet, it’s not another country that invaded us and did that. No, no, no. Your next-door neighbor, the fans, are killing new music. They’re killing the bands that want to create music for them. That’s who’s killing it. You’re killing it, by not paying for it. Imagine how long a supermarket would stay in business if everybody went in, took the food and went away and didn’t pay for it."

Not very long.

"No, wouldn’t last very long at all."

To read the complete interview, visit this location.

KISS is currently on tour in Europe, their next show is May 12th in Dortmund, Germany. To view the complete live itinerary, click here.

Fan-filmed video of KISS performing "Shock Me" and "Cold Gin" live in Helsinki, Finland earlier this month can be enjoyed below:

 

 

 

 

 

METALLICA kicked off the North American leg of its 2017 "WorldWired" tour this past Wednesday night (May 10) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, marking the start of the band's first full trek here in seven years.

The 18-song setlist included five tracks from METALLICA's latest studio effort, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", along with classics from throughout the group's 35 years and nine previous albums.

Official video footage of METALLICA performing the new song "Atlas, Rise!" in Baltimore can be seen below.

METALLICA was joined in Baltimore, 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 23 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 MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday (May 14).

GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose joined Billy Joel on stage last night (Saturday, May 13) at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to perform two songs: AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" and Joel's own "Big Shot". Fan-filmed video footage of Axl's appearance can be seen below.

Joel has frequently performed "Highway To Hell" during his concerts in recent years, often recruiting his roadie Chainsaw to sing lead vocals.

Rose did a string of European and North American concerts with AC/DC in 2016, mostly to fan and critical acclaim.

It is unknown whether Rose will continue singing with AC/DC. The band's future remains in doubt after the band completed its world tour in support of 2014's "Rock Or Bust", a cycle that saw a massive turnover in the group's personnel. Guitarist and sole original member Angus Young has not yet indicated whether the group will continue recording and touring.

In March 2016, AC/DC's singer of 35 years, Brian Johnson, had to leave the band's North American tour after doctors told him he might lose his hearing, while 40-year bassist Cliff Williams announced his retirement at the rescheduled trek's conclusion.

The lineup that completed the tour consisted of Williams, Angus Young, Rose, Chris Slade on drums and Angus's nephew Stevie Young on guitar.

Fan-filmed video footage of British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) performing on May 9 at Lemmy in Kaunas, Lithuania can be seen below.

Bayley's ninth solo album, "Endure And Survive", was released on March 3 via Blaze Bayley Recording. The disc was recorded at Birmingham, England's Robannas Studios and said to be "an exciting and enthralling sequel" to his 2016 release "Infinite Entanglement", which was the first of a trilogy of releases following a sci-fi concept and storyline.

Throughout the "Endure And Survive" world tour, Blaze is being backed by his main recording and touring musicians, picked from British metal band ABSOLVA and including Chris Appleton (guitar, backing vocals), Martin McNee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass, backing vocals).

In addition to the established bandmembers as above from ABSOLVA, "Endure And Survive" also contains a talented array of collaborators: Luke Appleton (ICED EARTH, ABSOLVA) on backing vocals; Michelle Sciarrotta on nylon acoustic, backing vocals, voice actor; Jo Robinson on backing vocals; Mel Adams on backing vocals; Liz Owen on backing vocals; Thomas Zwijsen on nylon acoustic, Anne Bakker on violin, backing vocals; Corvin Bahn (Uli Jon Roth) on accordion; Aine Brewer (voice actor); and Rob Toogood (voice actor) on backing vocals.

The spectacular album artwork was created by Andreas Sandberg, with additional images from Christopher Steenstrup who is also working on a Blaze Bayley video game.

"Endure And Survive" was recorded between October and December 2016, produced by Blaze Bayley and Chris Appleton, mixed and engineered by Miguel Seco, mastered by Ade Emsley (IRON MAIDEN, TANK, PHIL CAMPBELL). As with the previous record, the songwriting has been a collaboration between Blaze, Chris Appleton and Michelle Sciarrotta.

Fan-filmed video footage of Yngwie Malmsteen's May 11 performance at Newton Theatre in Newton, New Jersey can be seen below.

Malmsteen's current trek marks his first run of dates in the States since 2016 when he took part in the "Generation Axe" tour alongside Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi, playing to more than 70,000 people over 27 shows.

Yngwie's latest album, "World On Fire", came out last June via King Records. He told Seymour Duncan about the CD: "I spent two years [working] on it, touring, recording, touring, recording. And that's much, much better, actually, in a way. Back in the day I would write the songs then rehearse them with some musicians, then go and do a backing track and we'd record it, mix it, learn the songs to go play them on tour, then do it all again. That way isn't necessarily conducive to making the best music, y'know what I mean? So in a very, very backhanded way, this weird twist of fate in the music industry has actually made it a more inspiring environment, for me at least. I can write anytime and record anytime. My recording studio is always open, 24 hours. I can just record when I want and it's a beautiful thing."

Asked what the new record sounds like, Malmsteen said: "It's a Malmsteen record. [Laughs] But I would say it's a little different. First of all, I do all the lead vocals on it. Any time I did lead vocals in the past, I was singing blues stuff. This time I decided to do lead vocals in my style of songwriting, so it's different in that way. It's a very hard-hitting album and some parts are very advanced, very complicated. But it's a broad record. It's definitely a must-listen-to!"

Regarding what keeps him inspired to regularly release studio albums over the last thirty years, Malmsteen told Heavy Metal Bands Info in a 2015 interview: "It's the same approach I have when I am in the studio. I go into the studio and pick up the guitar or play the drums or whatever. I just do something and something comes out that inspires me. Then I carry on with it. I wanna have it happen like an inspired thing. Then I just put it down and listen to it in the car or wherever and I think, 'Oh, that sounds great.' I mean, I play it back a week later or so and I don't even remember doing it. Then I go, like, 'Wow, that’s great,' or, 'Wow, that's shit.' This is important to me, because at that stage I am listening more like a listener. Then I take that further and make it into a more complete thing. I found that this is the best way for me. That makes it exciting and inspiring. That's why I'm still doing it."

METALLICA played its first concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 2009 Friday night (May 12) at Lincoln Financial Field. The two-hour show included a four-man drum jam that first made an appearance at METALLICA's Mexico City gigs in March within the new song "Now That We're Dead". During the section where drummer Lars Ulrich, from the back of the stage, played some tribal tom grooves, the other members started banging on individual sets of toms, with Ulrich coming out to join them.

"I know it's been on [frontman James] Hetfield's laundry list for some time to experiment with a drum piece," Ulrich told Newsday. "He's always been a bit of a closet drummer, so he suggested that we all somehow stitch together a drum interlude."

METALLICA's setlist for last night's show was as follows:

01. Hardwired02. Atlas, Rise!03. For Whom The Bell Tolls04. Creeping Death05. The Unforgiven06. Now That We're Dead07. Moth Into Flame08. Wherever I May Roam09. Halo On Fire10. Motorbreath11. Sad But True12. One13. Master Of Puppets14. Fade To Black15. Seek & Destroy16. Battery17. Nothing Else Matters18. Enter Sandman

METALLICA is touring in support of its latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", which came out last November.

Hetfield told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he still recalls METALLICA's very first gig, with original lead guitarist Dave Mustaine. "First METALLICA show was at Radio City in Anaheim," he said. "I remember the first song we played, Dave broke a string, and I was stranded up there. I was just singing, I wasn't playing guitar back then, and I was so uncomfortable, I was like, 'So, how's it going...' There were about 200 people. You know, your first gig, everyone shows up. Second gig, there's about 20, you know. [Laughs]"

The North American run will hit stadiums in 24 more cities before ending in mid-August. 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 MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday (May 14).

The band is joined on most of the trek by VOLBEAT and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD was forced to miss last night's concert in Philadelphia after the band's guitarist, Synyster Gates, flew home to be with his wife, who unexpectedly went into early labor with the birth of their first child.

The official video for "Shadows Inside", the title track of the new album from MISS MAY I, can be seen below. Due on June 2 via SharpTone Records, the disc was co-produced by Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, EMMURE, CROWN THE EMPIRE) and Nick Sampson (ASKING ALEXANDRIA, BORN OF OSIRIS). Andrew Wade (A DAY TO REMEMBER, THE WORD ALIVE, NECK DEEP) handled all mixing duties.

MISS MAY I vocalist Levi Benton stated: "Not only does this song open up our new record, it also sets the tone for the record.

"This album is all about changes throughout life, good and bad. It's about the past that lives within everyone; their 'Shadows Inside'. The lyrics talk about how great new things can give light to your past and put you in a better place."

Sharing some details about the creation of the music video for "Shadows Inside", Levi added: "We have quite a few videos and we're always trying to change things up. With this video for 'Shadows Inside', we not only wanted to recreate the cover of the record in real life, but we also wanted the performance to be abstract. We had black lights and used old lens effects from the '90s to achieve a very classic look and something totally different for us."

According to a press release, "Shadows Inside" "doubles as monster riff-fest and forcefully vocal driven statement shaped by changes both within and without. Make no mistake, this isn't an about-face album full of contrived sentiment or glossy emptiness. It's a record where the band challenged each other to work from outside of their comfort zone, to really hone in on what makes MISS MAY I vital, and deliver something fully authentic and raw."

MISS MAY I has begun a six-week North American headlining tour. The Canadian dates will feature support from OBEY THE BRAVE and AURAS, with UPON A BURNING BODY, KUBLAI KHAN and CURRENTS joining them in the U.S.

"Shadows Inside" track listing:

01. Shadows Inside02. Under Fire03. Never Let Me Stay04. My Destruction05. Casualties06. Crawl07. Swallow Your Teeth08. Death Knows My Name09. Lost In The Grey10. My Sorrow

MISS MAY I is:

Levi Benton - VocalsBJ Stead - GuitarJustin Aufdemkampe - GuitarRyan Neff - BassJerod Boys - Drums

San Diego extreme metallers PATHOLOGY will release their ninth studio album, simply titled "Pathology", on July 21 via Comatose Music.

Over two years of tenacious effort went into the creation of this self-titled album, which can be described as their most superior work to date. Featuring murderous guitar riffs and a skillful drum performance chock full of grooves and blasts, topped off with filthy guttural vocals spewed forth by Matti Way, this is the ferocious PATHOLOGY homecoming you've been expecting! The artwork was created by Pär Olofsson (IMMOLATION, DEEDS OF FLESH, ABOMINABLE PUTRIDITY, DEVOURMENT) and can be seen below.

PATHOLOGY drummer and founding member Dave Astor says: "We are very happy and excited to be working with Comatose Music again! The label has always been a great supporter of the band through the years. They put out some of the heaviest underground music out there and we are glad to be back on the roster."

PATHOLOGY has gone from strength to strength, incorporating variations and technical flourishes within the ultra-heavy framework of the sub-genre. Eight full length albums have cemented their position worldwide as one of the best bands of their ilk, and their new one on Comatose Music will only uphold their global status and take it higher. On their latest opus, we have ten songs of cutting-edge brutality without any intros or beating around the bush; and yet each song has its own identity largely due to the compositional skills of the members. High-speed execution is matched perfectly by the standard-setting guttural vocals of Matti Way who is in best form since the early DISGORGE days. All in all, this is a contemporary death metal beast that remains true to its art and will go down as one of the best albums in the style for years to come.

"Pathology" track listing:

01. Lamentation02. Dolorous03. Litany04. Servitors05. Dissevered06. Putrescent07. Doth08. Shudder09. Opprobrium10. Vermilion

PATHOLOGY is:

* Matti Way (ABOMINABLE PUTRIDITY, ex-DISGORGE, LITURGY A.D.) - Vocals* Dave Astor (ex-CATTLE DECAPITATION) - Drums, Vocals* Tim Tiszczenko (BEING KILLED) - Guitar

earMUSIC has announced that British rockers Status Quo will, on July 14th, release ‘he 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 trailer can be found 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”

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

LACUNA COIL singers Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro were interviewed by the Impact metal channel before the band's May 7 concert in Budapest, Hungary. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if LACUNA COIL has commenced the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2016's "Delirium" album, Andrea said: "No, we haven't started. Next year's gonna be twenty years of LACUNA COIL, so first we're preparing some surprises for next year, and then after that maybe we'll start working on a new record. So I don't think there will be a new record at least until 2019."

Added Cristina: "Usually when we are on the road, when we are playing shows for a record, we usually don't write for the next one. We like better to stop to completely focus on something, when we get the right idea, the right vibe. We don't really write on the road, because there are too many distractions and we wanna be a hundred percent focused on our music when it's the right time to write a new record."

Scabbia and Ferro revealed to the Brazilian metal channel Heavy Talk earlier in the year that they were planning "something special" to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut EP.

Asked if LACUNA COIL will release another DVD to follow 2008's "Visual Karma (Body, Mind And Soul)", Cristina said: "We have plans. We don't know if it's gonna be a DVD or something, but we are planning something special for the twentieth anniversary of the band that will be coming late next year. So it will be something different — not just a typical [release]."

Added Andrea: "We have kind of a secret project. We can't really tell right now, but it involves different things. It might also be a DVD, but it's a more complete package we're gonna offer to celebrate the twentieth anniversary. So there is something in the works, but not specifically just a DVD."

LACUNA COIL recently announced that it will join Dutch symphonic metal giants EPICA on the North American leg of the band's "The Ultimate Principle" tour. The month-long September trek marks the band's first U.S. tour dates in over a year, as they continue to support "Delirium". Joining LACUNA COIL and EPICA on "The Ultimate Principle" tour are INSOMNIUM and ELANTRIS.

LACUNA COIL in December released a new song called "Naughty Christmas". The front cover and font were all created by bassist Marco "Maki" Coti-Zelati. "Delirium" entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 33 with first-week sales of just over 13,000 units — nearly all from pure album sales. The set followed the No. 27-peaking "Broken Crown Halo", which also opened with around 13,000 copies back in 2014.

"Last Ride", a brand new song from DANZIG, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's first album of all-new material since 2010's widely acclaimed "Deth Red Sabaoth". "Black Laden Crown", 50 minutes of long-awaited brand new DANZIG music, will be released on May 26 via Evilive Records/Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

"Black Laden Crown" track listing:

01. Black Laden Crown02. Eyes Ripping Fire03. Devil On Hwy 904. Last Ride05. The Witching Hour06. But A Nightmare07. Skulls & Daisies09. Blackness Falls09. Pull The Sun The details of "Black Laden Crown" follow on the announcement of DANZIG's "Blackest Of The Black" festival: two days of non-stop music and mayhem taking place at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado, California on May 26 and May 27. DANZIG will close the festivities May 27, headlining a bill featuring more than 20 artists playing amidst a full scale takeover and transformation of the park grounds featuring literally dozens of attractions, vendors, performers, and other surprises musical and otherwise. "Blackest Of The Black" promises to create a site-wide atmosphere like no festival before or since. This June also marks the 25th anniversary of "Danzig III: How The Gods Kill". "How The Gods Kill" was the first DANZIG album to crack Billboard's Top 30 and the first DANZIG album produced by the band's frontman and namesake Glenn Danzig himself. In honor of this momentous occasion, DANZIG will play a select handful of shows this summer and will perform many songs from "How The Gods Kill".

In a 2015 interview with Noisey, Glenn Danzig was asked what it is that keeps him coming back to the creative well. He responded: "It's so many different things. There's always stuff to write about, but I think that the whole punk thing helped a lot. If it gets boring, change it, fix it, make it exciting, make it relevant again, and that's what I did without sacrificing the music. That's what I try to do. I try to do stuff where first thing is I'm excited about the record, and then I hope that the people who listen to my music are gonna dig it too. That's pretty much how I go into doing a record, and I don't do a new record until I have stuff to write about it. I don't force myself to do a record. Someone doesn't come to me and say, 'Hey, it's been a year or two since your last record. You've gotta write a record and put one out in a couple of months.' No one comes to me and says that to me."

Asked if that attitude of not forcing the creative process is something that's always been there for him, Danzig said: "Yeah. I mean, I used to do it on a more frequent basis. [Laughs] But I think even back in the MISFITS and SAMHAIN days, I put out a record every two years, I think. The same thing with DANZIG, too, where I put out a record every two years. Later on it became further and further apart, but that's just the way it worked out. I think in between 'Danzig IV' and 'V' was probably a two-year period, and then between 'V' and 'VI' was probably a three-year period. It seems to be now it's gone to four or five. I think one of the things also was for 'Deth Red' we toured a lot over those years. Not two or three months at a time, but we just kept getting offers to go to Europe and then back to America. The record did pretty well for me, especially the way it was received, so hopefully the next one will be the same."

Glenn's covers record, "Skeletons", was released in November 2015 in North America via Nuclear Blast Entertainment/Evilive Music. A labor of love that dates back to 1979, "Skeletons" saw Danzig pulling back the curtain behind his influences with a collection of ten covers spanning artists as diverse as Elvis Presley, ZZ TOP, and AEROSMITH to BLACK SABBATH, THE TROGGS, THE EVERLY BROTHERS, and more.

Classic rock band KANSAS has scrapped its entire 22-concert European tour this summer. The group explained in a statement: "The cancelation is based on safety and security warnings issued by the United States government and various U.S. law enforcement agencies concerning Americans traveling in Europe this summer. KANSAS is extremely saddened that the band will not be able to perform for its European fans this year."

KANSAS's current lineup includes two of the original members — guitarist Richard Williams and drummer Phil Ehart — who played with the band during its most popular period in the 1970s.

Steve Walsh, the voice behind KANSAS's signature hits like "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust In The Wind" — and the singer who had fronted the band for all but a few years of its four-decade-plus existence, retired in 2014.

Joining Williams and Ehart on tour are bassist and vocalist Billy Greer, keyboardist David Manion, vocalist and keyboardist Ronnie Platt, violinist and guitarist David Ragsdale and guitarist Zak Rizvi.

"The Prelude Implicit", the band's most recent album, which was released last September, marked KANSAS's biggest-selling week in the SoundScan era, and the highest-charting release since "Power" (1986).

KANSAS has a catalog of 15 studio and five live albums, including eight gold albums and three sextuple-platinum albums. The band has also scored two one-million-selling singles in the aforementioned "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust In The Wind".




KANSAS regretfully announces the cancellation of its 2017 European Tour. The cancellation is based on safety and...

Posted by Kansas on Friday, May 12, 2017

KORN has canceled its previously announced May 13 appearance at Pointfest in St. Louis, Missouri. According to a post on the band's Facebook page, singer Jonathan Davis "has been given doctor's orders to rest his vocal cords, and is not able to perform on Saturday."

In a video message explaining the Pointfest cancelation, Davis said: "My voice is thrashed. I've had to cancel some shows. This stuff happens sometimes. There's nothing I can do about it. I need to rest up and get my voice back in good singing shape. I'll be out there rocking you guys hopefully next weekend at Rock On The Range. Again, my apologies, I'm sorry for everything, but sometimes this stuff just happens."

KORN recently postponed more than half a dozen headlining tour dates that the band was set to play this month due to what the band called in a statement "unforeseen circumstances."

The band just returned from a short run of shows in South America on which METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo's 12-year-old son Tye played bass. Tye was filling in for KORN's regular bassist, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, who was unable to make the tour due to what the group also called "unforeseen circumstances."

It is not clear at this point if the newly postponed dates are also connected to why Arvizu missed the South American tour.

KORN's summer trek with STONE SOUR is set to get underway on June 16 in Salt Lake City.




We regret to announce that we will not be performing at Pointfest this weekend. Jonathan has been given doctor's orders to rest his vocal cords, and is not able to perform on Saturday. We're sorry we can't be there with you and for you, and appreciate your understanding.

Posted by Korn on Friday, May 12, 2017

Unleashing their new album The Immortalist on May 26th, Calgary, AB progressive death metal band Divinity have teamed up with BraveWords for the exclusive premiere of their next video "Atlas".

The bands comments:

"Believe it or not, we shot and produced this entire music video in our jam space all on our own. This time we used a programmed light sequence and setup a bunch of special shots to produce the look for this and we're stoked with how it turned out! This is a very different style of a song for us but we feel it encompasses many of our influences while standing out as a unique track. Crank it up!"

Plus the track is available for immediate download with pre-order of the album at Divinity.ca, iTunes, and Amazon plus an exclusive digipak CD available on their website for those who want to support the band directly.

The Immortalist is a culmination of 5 years of hard work and dedication to their craft.  The album features 12 tracks that include their two previous EP releases The Immortalist, Pt. 1 – Awestruck and The Immortalist, Pt. 2 –Momentum with their 3rd EP The Immortalist Pt. 3 - Conqueror now finished completing the trilogy series for one huge full length album. All the tracks on the album are remixed and remastered by the talented Chris Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Grid Productions) to make the songs more cohesive and work as a full-length album experience. This album also features Bjorn ‘Speed’ Strid of Soilwork on vocals for the song “D.M.T.”. Divinity is also offering fans an exclusive digipak CD available on their website for those who want to support the band directly.

The bands comments on release:

"Closure is such great thing! We’ve finished our third EP for The Immortalist trilogy concept and have decided to take all three EP’s and turn it into a full-length album."

Tracklisting:

“Manhunt”
“Atlas”
“Hallowed Earth”
“D.M.T.”
“PsyWar”
“Distorted Mesh”
“The Dead Speak From Behind”
“Lucid Creator”
“The Reckoning”
“All Seeing Eyes”
“Momentum”
“Conqueror”

“Manhunt” video:

Album teaser:

Pennsylvania-based metal act Next To None, featuring drummer Max Portnoy, have announced the release of their forthcoming second album Phases, on July 7th via EMP Label Group in North America, and InsideOutMusic in Europe. The band recently completed their first ever European tour alongside label mates Haken, and have forthcoming dates supporting Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress.

Formed in 2012, in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, the foursome released their debut, A Light In The Dark, in 2015 via InsideOut, before setting out to work on Phases.

The album features 12 tracks of powerful modern metal, self-recorded by the band at singer/keyboardist Thomas Cuce’s home studio Battery Power Studios, and mixed by Grammy nominated Periphery bassist Adam “Nolly” Getgood.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

Dates with Shattered Fortress are listed below.

June
2 - Koko - London, UK

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

September
8 - Prog Power USA - Atlanta, GA
10 - El Plaza Condesa - Mexico City, Mexico
24 - Irving Plaza - New York City, NY

Joe Bonamassa’s new release, Live At Carnegie Hall - An Acoustic Evening, will be available on  on June 23rd on 2CD, 3LP, 2DVD and Blu-ray via Mascot Label Group. A for “Song Of Yesterday” from the upcoming release can be found below, and pre-orders can be made at this location.

Last year, on January 21st and 22nd, Joe Bonamassa performed two unique all-acoustic shows at the iconic Carnegie Hall in New York City. Both performances were filmed and made into Joe Bonamassa Live At Carnegie Hall - An Acoustic Evening.

An evening of extraordinary music with new arrangements of favourite songs as well as brand new, never-before-heard songs. It will be released on Double CD, Double DVD, Blu-ray and 3 LP Vinyl on June 23rd. The video pieces include 104 minutes of feature film, over 45 minutes bonus features and all are sold in beautifully designed packages that are perfect for a music lover’s collection.

The concert was part of a special all-acoustic tour and featured an all-star ensemble of world-class musicians. Acclaimed Chinese cellist and erhuist Tina Guo, whose repertoire stretches from classical to heavy metal; and Hossam Ramzy, the Egyptian percussionist and composer, who has performed on dozens of film soundtracks and records, including on Jimmy Page and Robert Plant’s No Quarter: Unledded Tour. Reese Wynans (piano), Anton Fig (Drums) Eric Bazilian (mandolin, hurdy-gurdy, saxophone, acoustic guitar, vocals), and three Australian backing vocalists, Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins, and Gary Pinto round out the band.

Says Bonamassa: “Despite being among the most ambitious things I’ve done - I played with a 9 piece acoustic band - It came out great. It was a typical Joe freak show.”

“Song Of Yesterday”:

Trailer:

Seared by the Sunflower State of Kansas, The Midnight Ghost Train keeps rollin’ again - and they are about to return with their most diverse album to date.

The band's fourth opus, titled Cypress Ave., is set to be released July 28th via Napalm Records, and will please both old and new fans alike. Never before has The Midnight Ghost Train shown this side of themselves. Their new album proves that they 're not just another rock band, they're explorers, risk takers, and true artists. This is not a departure, but an expansion:

“It was time to challenge ourselves, and our fanbase, and do something completely different that hasn't been done before in this genre“, says guitarist & vocalist Steve Moss. “No sense in doing the same thing over and over again, there is no growth in that. We want to learn, create, and leave our true artistic impression on the world.“

He continues: “Not one song on this album sounds the same. Each track has a completely different feel and unique quality to it. Something in this album for everyone in every genre of music out there. Exploring and challenging new grounds is what this album is about.“

Cypress Ave. tracklisting:

“Tonight”
“Red Eyed Junkie Queen”
“Glenn's Promise”
“Bury Me Deep”
“The Watchers Nest”
“Break My Love”
“Lemon Trees”
“The Boogie Down” (feat. Sonny Cheeba)
“Black Wave”
“The Echo”
“I Can't Let You Go” (Bonus Track)

The band's organic and authentic sound lives in the musics throaty vocals, deep lyrics, melancholy melodies and forceful, shaky riffs. Honest, straight-forward and peppered with woefulness.

Cypress Ave. is an absolute must for every blues and rock fan. Be prepared, for the return of The Midnight Ghost Train with their most diverse and uniquely sounding album to date.

Deathcore titans Oceano are streaming “Lucid Reality”, a track from their upcoming full-length album, Revelation, out on May 19th via the band’s new label, Sumerian Records. Listen below.

Fans can pre-order Revelation here, and anyone pre-ordering the album through iTunes will have instant access to download “The Great Tribulation”.

Part of the First Wave of American Deathcore, Oceano burst forth onto the scene with the release of 2009’s Depths, a pure and pummelling deathcore debut from the Chicago, IL quintet. Oceano established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the heavy metal scene by way of constant touring and the release of three more bone shattering full-length albums via their former label Earache Records. After capturing the attention of Los Angeles based label Sumerian Records, the band found themselves with a new home in 2017 and entered The Nook Recording Studio in New Lenox, IL to record their 5th full-length release and follow up to 2015’s Ascendants. Fans can expect a devastating display of heaviness blended with vast atmospherics on Revelation; an album that sees the band continuing to take strides forward with their writing and involved lyrical message.

Tracklisting:

“Dark Prophecy”
“Lucid Reality”
“Path To Extiction”
“The Great Tribulation”
“Illusions Unravel”
“Majestic 12”
“Final Form”
“The Event”
“Human Harvest”
“Revelation”

“Lucid Reality”:

“Human Harvest” video:

“The Great Tribulation”:

The Revelation Tour wraps up on May 20th in Indianapolis, IN. Joining Oceano on The Revelation Tour is Slaughter to Prevail, Aversions Crown, Spite, and No Zodiac. Remaining tour dates below.

May
12 - Amityville, NY - Revolution Bar & Hall
13 - Hartford, CT - Webster Underground
14 - Worcester, MA - Palladium Upstairs
16 - Pittsburgh, PA - Cattivo
17 - Pontiac, MI - Pike Room at Crofoot
18 - Berwyn, IL - The Wire
19 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
20 - Indianapolis, IN - Emerson Theater

Anathema recently announced the release of their eleventh studio album, The Optimist (June 9th, Kscope), and have now released a fourth teaser video for the upcoming 11-song collection. Watch four clips below:

Teaser #1:

Teaser #2:

Teaser #3:

Teaser #4:

Anathema, led by brothers Daniel and Vincent Cavanagh, along with drummer John Douglas, singer Lee Douglas, bassist Jamie Cavanagh and drummer/keyboardist Daniel Cardoso began recording The Optimist in the winter of 2016 at Attica Audio in Donegal, Ireland and then finished at Castle Of Doom studios in Glasgow with producer Tony Doogan at the helm and was mastered at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.

Tracklisting:

“32.63N 117.14W”
“Leaving It Behind”
“Endless Ways”
“The Optimist”
“San Francisco”
“Springfield”
“Ghosts”
“Can’t Let Go”
“Close Your Eyes”
“Wildfires”
“Back To The Start”

“Springfield”:

Pre-order the album here in the following formats:

Deluxe 12" hardbook featuring:

* 40-page artwork book, with artwork from Travis Smith
* CD The Optimist with 11 original album tracks
* CD featuring 6 bonus tracks - 3 demo versions and 3 live demo recordings from the band's November 2016 dates
* DVD-V The Optimist with 11 original album tracks, 24/96 LPCM Stereo & 24/96 DTS 5.1 surround mix
* Blu-Ray disc The Optimist 11 original album tracks, 24/96 LPCM Stereo, 24/96 LPCM 5.1 lossless surround mix & 24/96 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless 5.1 surround mix

2-Disc CD & DVD Mediabook:

* 24 page booklet
* CD The Optimist with 11 original album tracks
* DVD-V The Optimist with 11 original album tracks, 24/96 LPCM Stereo & 24/96 DTS 5.1 surround mix

Blu-Ray featuring:

* The Optimist 11 original album tracks, 24/96 LPCM Stereo, 24/96 LPCM 5.1 lossless surround mix & 24/96 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless 5.1 surround mix

CD featuring:

* The Optimist with 11 original album tracks

Double gatefold 180g heavyweight LP featuring:

* The Optimist 11 original album tracks (with MP3 download code)
* Limited edition red vinyl LP version (with MPD download code) available exclusively through the band's webstore

Digital download featuring:

* The Optimist 11 original album tracks with pre-orders receiving an instant download of "Springfield"

Anathema have announced their first North American dates since 2014. The nine dates, which kick off on August 16th in Baltimore, include stops in New York, Chicago and a trio of Canadian dates.

"Touring the US and Canada is always a fantastic privilege,” said guitar player Daniel Cavanagh. “These countries have been the birthplace of some of the most revered recording artists of all time. We are delighted to visit the east coast and we promise to visit the west coast, following up soon. Our new album, The Optimist, is set in America. It will be a blast!"

North American tour dates:

August
16  Baltimore, MD  Soundstage
17  New York, NY  Gramercy Theater
18  Boston, MA  Brighton Music Hall
19  Quebec, QC  Saile Multi
20  Montreal, QC  Astral
21  Toronto, ON  Opera House
23  Chicago, IL  Bottom Lounge
24  Cleveland, OH  House of Blues
25  Philadelphia, PA  Theatre of Living Arts

Tickets are available now. For more details, visit facebook.com/anathemamusic.

LIVING COLOUR's sixth studio album, "Shade", will be released on September 8 via Megaforce Records. The disc's cover artwork can be seen below.

Corey Glover, Vernon Reid, Doug Wimbish and Will Calhoun recorded the follow-up to 2009's "The Chair In The Doorway" with producer Andre Betts. The effort was mixed by Ron Saint Germain.

"'Shade' is the sound of a band coming to terms with its shadows and light," says Reid. "From the blue pulpit of Robert Johnson to the mean red streets of Brooklyn to the golden lure of Hollywood, 'Shade' is the next chapter of a unique American journey."

Glover told Loudwire about the recording process for "Shade": "It took us almost four years to make this record. We went through problems with managers, with record companies and schedules — it just took forever and finally we got it done. I can't wait to get that process over with so I can go back and start working on new stuff again, personally, and just start writing new things. Part of the process was that we weren't going to compromise on a lot of stuff. There were some sonic things that we weren't going to compromise on; we needed to get it right. It took long enough, so hopefully it's right. I mean, we'll still have to fix things — 'right' to us is that you don't go, 'Uh, if only I had done this.' At the same time, there's something about discovering something as you play it that changes it and that makes the difference between the recorded version and the live version. 'Cult Of Personality' live doesn't sound the way it was recorded because we've been playing it for almost thirty years and it changes based on the environment, the gear and the temperament and all that. I think we're satisfied with 'Shade' for what it is as a recording."

Italian symphonic power metal kings, Rhapsody Of Fire, have re-recorded their biggest classic songs of the “Rhapsody” years (1997 - 2002) with enormous effort and a huge result. “Land Of Immortals” from the album is available for streaming below.

Mixed and mastered by Seeb Levermann (Orden Ogan), Legendary Years will be released on May 26th via AFM Records, available as Digipak CD and Limited Edition 2LP set (coloured vinyl).

Tracklisting:

“Dawn Of Victory”
“Knightrider Of Doom”
“Flames Of Revenge”
“Beyond The Gates Of Infinity”
“Land Of Immortals”
“Emerald Sword”
“Legendary Tales”
“Dargor, Shadowlord Of The Black Mountain”
“When Demons Awake”
“Wings Of Destiny”
“Riding The Winds Of Eternity”
“The Dark Tower Of Abyss”
“Holy Thunderforce”
“Rain Of A Thousand Flames”

“Land Of Immortals”:

“When Demons Awake”:

(Photo - Massimo Goina)

Horror aficionados BROKEN HOPE pay tribute John Carpenter's 1982 classic "The Thing" with the worldwide premiere of the title track of their new album, "Mutilated And Assimilated".

Directed by Tommy Jones, and featuring illustrated storyboards by Mark Rudolph, the infectious essence of brutal death metal details the decimation of the living in this gripping audio-visual recount. You can almost feel your bones start to crumble as lacerating guitar riffs rip through terrified flesh, serenaded by the vocal infliction of delicious sonic wounds.

Says BROKEN HOPE guitarist Jeremy Wagner: "As you watch and hear, the story of a monstrous alien thawed out of Antarctic ice unfolds in pure horror with a death metal soundtrack.

"The video was directed by Tommy Jones, who uniquely wove in BROKEN HOPE concert footage from Berlin with incredible storyboards by the great Mark Rudolph.

"Mark Rudolph worked hard to create these amazing storyboards — much like legendary artist Mike Ploog did for the original movie."

Produced by Scott Creekmore, "Mutilated And Assimilated" will be released on June 23 via Century Media Records. Available formats include a limited edition CD+DVD digipak in North America and in a special edition CD+DVD digipak in Europe; as well as digital and streaming versions available on all the major outlets worldwide.

"Mutilated and Assimilated" track listing:

01. The Meek Shall Inherit Shit (02:48)02. The Bunker (03:28)03. Mutilated And Assimilated (03:31)04. Outback Incest Clan (02:31)05. Malicious Meatholes (03:50)06. Blast Frozen (01:58)07. The Necropants (03:14)08. The Carrion Eaters (03:07)09. Russian Sleep Experiment (03:15)10. Hell's Handpuppets (02:48)11. Beneath Antarctic Ice (01:25)12. Swamped-In Gorehog (06:21)

The "Mutilated and Assimilated" artwork was created by Wes Benscoter and can be seen below.

BROKEN HOPE in 2015 overhauled its lineup by adding bassist Diego Soria (DISGORGE) and guitarist Matt Szlachta (DIRGE WITHIN, CHIMAIRA).

BROKEN HOPE is:

Damian Leski - VocalsJeremy Wagner - GuitarsMike Miczek - DrumsMatt Szlachta - Lead GuitarsDiego Soria – Bass Regarding the follow-up to 2013's "Omen Of Disease", Wagner said: "BROKEN HOPE studio album number seven?! Un-fucking-believable! I'm floored at how amazing our new album turned out. The songs are relentless and violent and dark and heavy — and all from a fresh and ferocious place we haven't shared before. Moreover, thanks to my new studio and the stellar work of engineering/producing Jedi — Scott Creekmore — the production is on a sonic level like we've never had in our career.

"For me personally, I feel 'Mutilated And Assimilated' is my own finest hour as a guitarist and lyricist since I formed this band as teenager. I've never felt this inspired before. The album has my strongest riffage to date, it also has Leski riffage on a few songs, it has my best friends on it, and in a crazy twist, I used Jeff Hanneman's guitars to write the album with and used them to track with in honor of his influence on myself and the world of metal."

Maryland-based technical death metal outfit, Exist, will release their Prosthetic Records debut, So True, So Bound, worldwide on June 9th. The album track “Happily Ever After (For A Week Or So…)” is available for streaming below.

The self-produced album was mixed by Nolly Getgood (Periphery) and features eight forward-thinking tracks clocking in at just over 60 minutes. The album's artwork, featured above, was completed by Sebastian Jerke (Ahab, Zodiac).

Guitarist/vocalist Max Phelps commented, "We were fortunate enough to work with a really great team throughout the entire process. Nolly crushed the mix, as expected, and we were fortunate enough to find an amazing visual artist, Sebastian Jerke, who wasn't afraid to jump down the rabbit hole with us, illustrating and adding some very specific concepts in his own beautiful style of painting".

Formed in the late '00s by Phelps, who has cut his teeth as a touring member of Cynic and Defeated Sanity, in addition to acting as frontman for Death To All (touring tribute band to Chuck Shuldiner), the band is rounded out with bassist Alex Weber (Jeff Loomis), and guitarist Mathew Rossa. Drummer Hannes Grossman (Necrophagist, Obscura) lent his hand on the So True, So Bound recording, stating "Exist is hands down one of the most talented and musically interesting young bands out there. Deciding to record with them was a no-brainer."

Phelps added, "In absence of a drummer, Hannes Grossman stepped in as our session guy and fully delivered.”

Tracklisting:

“Take My Picture”
“Happily Ever After (For A Week Or So…)”
“So True: Imitation’s Flattery”
“So Bound: One Of The Herd”
“Peer Prejudice”
“To Sever The Strings”

“Happily Ever After (For A Week Or So…)”:

“Take My Picture” video:

One week prior to the album's release, Exist with kickstart a North American tour with Montreal-based progressive metal giants, Gorguts. Phelps will pull double duty on the run, as he will also be fronting for tourmates Defeated Sanity. No small feat for two such hard-hitting bands.