METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich was interviewed by Justin, Scott and Spiegel of the Baltimore radio station 98 Rock the day before the launch of the North American leg of the band's "WorldWired" tour. You can now watch the chat in three parts below.

Asked which drummer he would name as his successor if METALLICA ever had to continue without him and he was given the opportunity to choose his replacement, Lars said: "If I could pick it, if I could hear somebody drum behind [James] Hetfield's riffs, I'd take Phil Rudd [AC/DC]. Just having his kind of vibe, like what he would do… And he's been probably my main, biggest source of inspiration when we did the turnaway from the super-progressive stuff, the crazy stuff after 'Justice', when we got into the 'Black' album and the 'Load' stuff, when it got a little more about the bounce and the riffs and the feel and the groove and all that. Phil Rudd, he's the top of that pyramid. Hearing Phil Rudd play behind James, that'd be pretty cool."

Ulrich also talked about a hypothetical scenario where one of the musicians in the current lineup of METALLICA was no longer able to play with the group and his bandmates had to decide whether or not to carry on with a replacement player. Asked if METALLICA could continue without one of its core members, the drummer said: "That's one of those extra-hard questions to answer. I think a lot of it would have to be under what the circumstances were. And what I've learned along the way… I always try to speak my momentary truth, and I've said a lot of shit over the years, and a lot of stuff comes back to haunt me. But I'll always say that, at that moment, whatever I was feeling, it was my truth — it wasn't a party line or whatever. And so, if somebody leaves, it's hard for me to imagine that we would not go, 'You know, we've had a great ride for thirty-five years…' But if somebody encourages the other three guys to continue, or there's an injury… I mean, there's so many arbitrary parts of that, and I can just see the headline on Blabbermouth now: 'Lars Ulrich says METALLICA will…' Whatever. And it's not any of that. But I'm just saying you never know what the circumstances are… It's hard for me to imagine, as I sit here on May-something 2017 to think that METALLICA would continue. But you never know what the circumstances would be. It's a hard question to answer, and I just want you to know that I'm happy that I don't get asked it very much. 'Cause , as you can see, I'm just waffling along here, really. I don't really have an answer. I'm just taking up time on the radio."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett confirmed in a 2015 interview with an Albany, New York radio station that the band at one point considered firing Ulrich back in 1986. The long-running rumor first gained traction in 2009 when ex-METALLICA guitarist Dave Mustaine revealed it to Rolling Stone, and surfaced again when ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian discussed it while doing press for his 2014 memoir, "I'm The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax".

Asked about the rumor by Albany station PYX 106, Hammett revealed: "That was just an old thing, you know. I think at one point or another, we were pissed off at Lars, around maybe 1985 or something. We were unhappy and we might have grumbled something to someone. And then that person might have picked up on it and made it something a lot bigger than it actually was. To be completely honest, [Lars] has a lot of drive, and that’s a part of the reason why I love the man. His drive and his motivation is just so intense, you know."

METALLICA's "Now That We're Live" live rehearsal special from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore streamed on Facebook Live on Tuesday night (May 9). The webcast featured the band performing four new songs from the "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" album, while also previewing the band's new stage production.

The special aired on the eve of METALLICA's first full-length North American tour in seven years, which kicks off Wednesday night (May 10) in Baltimore.

The trek will hit stadiums in 25 cities before winding down in mid-August. Support on the quartet's first North American trek since 2009 will come from AVENGED SEVENFOLD, VOLBEAT and GOJIRA.

EVANESCENCE frontwoman Amy Lee has finally revealed the details of the unique project which the band has been working on for the past few months. Due this fall, the album, titled "Synthesis", will be called that "because it is a synthesis — the combination, the contrast, the synergy between the organic and the synthetic, and also the past and the present," the singer said in a video message announcing the record.

According to Amy, "Synthesis" will be different from all previous EVANESCENCE albums in that it will be "about orchestra and electronica. We're taking our music, stripping out the big distorted guitars, stripping out the rock drums and replacing it with full orchestration in a completely synthetic world of beats and sounds. We've gone through our entire catalog of music and picked out the songs that are made to be heard in this way, and we're sewing them together from the ground up," she explained.

Clarifying that "Synthesis" is not a collection nof remixed versions of existing EVANESCENCE songs, Amy said that the album's creation involved rebuilding the material "from the ground up, with different tempos, with different parts, with intros and outros and segues and new pieces, and putting this all together like one big piece of music, like one big classical piece, or sort of like a soundtrack. Actually, in a lot of ways, it sounds a lot like the soundtrack of my life. [Laughs]"

In addition to reworked versions of EVANESCENCE songs that fans will already be familiar with, "Synthesis" will contain "two completely new and original compositions as well." Amy added: "We're collaborating on this with the legendary David Campbell, who arranged the strings for all three of our albums. This time he's come to the table with way more — full orchestra, meaning wood winds and brass and strings and harp and just the whole thing. It's really awesome."

In support of "Synthesis", EVANESCENCE will embark on a special tour this fall which will see the band performing with a "full orchestra." "Get ready to put on your fancy clothes and experience EVANESCENCE in a whole new way," Amy said.

EVANESCENCE debuted a previously unheard song called "Take Cover" during its North American tour last fall.

Lee also released a solo single called "Love Exists" in February, while a second solo song, "Speak To Me", appears on the soundtrack for the supernatural thriller "Voice From The Stone", which came out on April 28.

The current EVANESCENCE lineup includes Jen Majura, the German guitarist who joined the group in August 2015 as the replacement for Terry Balsamo.

Dez Fafara says that DEVILDRIVER will start performing material from COAL CHAMBER, the band that put him on the musical map and gave him his first and only gold-certified album in the shape of the group's 1997 debut.

COAL CHAMBER existed for ten years before disbanding in 2003 to pursue other musical projects. They reunited in 2011 for touring purposes but it wasn't until 2014 that the band began work on a new studio album of original material, 2015's critically acclaimed "Rivals". Several months of touring activity followed before Dez returned to DEVILDRIVER to make a new record, 2016's "Trust No One".

Speaking to Greece's Metalpaths, Fafara said: "I will tell you this now: DEVILDRIVER is going to start playing four COAL CHAMBER songs. I'm tired of wating to play the music that made me who I was. I waited thirteen years to play 'Loco' again, and that's the song that made me who I was, that I wrote… And I refuse to wait to play 'Fiend' or 'Sway' — any of those songs — anymore. I'm not gonna wait for people."

He continued: "I had a late-night phone call a couple of months ago with Glenn Danzig, who called my house. And Danzig told me: 'Listen when I left the MISFITS, I played SAMHAIN songs and MISFITS songs when I was playing DANZIG songs. When Rob Zombie left WHITE ZOMBIE, he played WHITE ZOMBIE songs. Why have you waited so long?"

Fafara painted a bleak picture of COAL CHAMBER's future during a 2016 interview with Revolver magazine. He stated at the time: "I had a lot of fun doing that record and playing shows with them again. But there were some circumstances that were not ideal and that's why that thing is not continuing as of right now. If something comes up and I have time and want to make a record and the members have their shit together, I'll do it. But as of now, there's some deep-seated shit that certain dudes in the band still need to work out. And if they work it out and want to tour or make another record, they can come back and give me a call. But right now, everyone in DEVILDRIVER is stoked. No one's fighting. And I feel lucky to be where I am."

Dez had stated in previous interviews that COAL CHAMBER's original split happened because "I did not want to be around the band's hard drug use and I realized that going onstage every night that the money was feeding their habit, so I walked to save my friends." He added that his COAL CHAMBER bandmates were "clean" as of 2012, which made him realize that "it was the right thing to walk [away from the group back in 2003]."

AEROSMITH's Joe Perry and Steven Tyler became same-day grandfathers on Wednesday, May 10. According to an announcement on AEROSMITH's Facebook page, the co-founders of the legendary Massachusetts hard rock band both welcomed new family members yesterday, with Tyler celebrating the birth of a grandson and Perry adding a granddaughter.

"Congrats to Steven Tyler and Joe Perry on the birth of their new grandchildren. Both born today!" the post reads. "How cool is that! The newest member of the Tyler family is a beautiful little boy, 7 lbs 11 oz born at 5:45 am. The newest member of the Perry family is a beautiful little girl, 6 lbs 9 oz born at 2:11 pm. Let's give them a huge #BlueArmy welcome."

Perry recently said that AEROSMITH pushed back a proposed North American tour for later this fall so that they can record a new album. The band heads out later this month on a prolonged string of dates dubbed their "Aero-Vederci Baby!" tour.

Perry spoke about the band putting future shows on ice to hit the studio before the end of the year, telling AZcentral.com, "We postponed the American tour we were supposed to do this fall. And we're gonna go out and tour until, you know, we're done. And we're gonna try and hit every place we've ever played and never played. There's always new places to go. New countries. I'd like to play China and the Far East. There's a lot of places that are off the beaten path. Is this the last tour? Well, I don't know. I don't think so."

AEROSMITH's most recent album, "Music From Another Dimension!", was released in November 2012 and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Perry maintains that the strength of any album begins and ends with the quality of the songwriting. "We've made records that have taken two years and cost millions of dollars," he said. "We made records in the early days that cost next to nothing. And the correlation between the two is never, 'A great record costs a lot of money, or a shitty record doesn't cost much.' One doesn't have anything to do with the other."

One of the most prolific hard rock vocalist of all time, Josh Todd (BUCKCHERRY) has returned with an amazing and dynamic new project appropriately dubbed JOSH TODD & THE CONFLICT. The group has just signed a worldwide deal with Century Media Records and plans to release its debut offering, "Year Of The Tiger", early fall.

In the meantime, JOSH TODD & THE CONFLICT will kick off this brand new partnership by headlining the label's sponsored stage at KISW's Pain In The Grass festival on June 24, alongside such acts as FOZZY, LIKE A STORM and many others.

Todd states: "It was time for me to make a record. It has been two years since I put out new music and that's a long time for me.

"I am a student of the game and this was an opportunity to not just make a traditional-sounding rock record like I have been doing in the past.

"THE CONFLICT stuff is heavy, melodic and honest, with a lot of risk taking and these are the records that bring out the best in me.

"Stevie D [BUCKCHERRY] and I wrote all the songs and it was a long time coming. He also co-produced the record with Eric Kretz (from STONE TEMPLE PILOTS) and we had a lot of fun doing it.

"After working with Stevie beating a lot of songs into shape, we started understanding our songwriting language.

"Stevie is a well-rounded musician and we are in the zone on this one. Both of us are in the same boat in every aspect of our lives and have been friends since I was 19.

"This record is a divine intervention with a lot more to come.

"The record is called 'Year Of The Tiger' and we are coming to every nook and cranny of the world to pulverize and mesmerize, put it on turn it up and go kick some ass!

"These guys are great people and amazing players and it comes off live in a BIG way. You don't want to miss it."

JOSH TODD & THE CONFLICT is:

Josh Todd - Vocals
Stevie D - Guitars/Back-Up Vocals
Sean Winchester - Drums
Greg Cash - Bass

As was the case for the recently completed U.S. shows, legendary U.S. heavy/doom metal band PENTAGRAM will play its previously booked European tour dates this summer without frontman and founding member Bobby Liebling.

PENTAGRAM explains in a statement: "Bobby called on April 17 saying he had been admitted to the hospital. He called again on April 19, this time after being transferred to a Maryland detention facility. He's now awaiting a preliminary hearing at which time it will be determined if a follow-up on any alleged charges are necessary. An update will be published when information is available. The band will be fulfilling all currently booked appearances with 36-year mainstay guitarist Victor Griffin performing all vocals."

Griffin, bassist Greg Turley and drummer Pete Campbell last month released a statement in which they blamed Liebling's absence from the gigs on "circumstances that are beyond anyone's control, that are a direct result of Bobby Liebling's personal actions."

Liebling was the focus of "Last Days Here", the critically acclaimed 2011 documentary that detailed his lifelong struggle with drug addiction and followed him as he revived PENTAGRAM in his 50s while emerging from his parents' basement to start afresh with a wife less than half his age and their newborn son.

PENTAGRAM adds in a "a personal note": "The outpouring of support on our recent U.S. dates was outstanding! Your energy was matched tenfold and encouraged us to carry on and deliver what many have called, even by skeptics, some of the best PENTAGRAM performances they've seen. Thank you!

"We have the best fans in the world and if not for you, the legacy of this band would have died long ago. We won't let you down now. The music lives on and as we move forward, we reiterate the lyrics of 'Curious Volume':
'In this venture, death waits in the shadows, but in survival, the volume won't die!"

THE OFFSPRING frontman Dexter Holland, an avid scholar with both his Bachelor's and Master's degree in Biology, has completed his dissertation and will graduate today (Thursday, May 11) with a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Southern California.

Holland began his studies before THE OFFSPRING achieved major commercial success with its third album, "Smash", in 1994. He eventually put his education aside to focus on his music career but asked the prestigious L.A. university five years ago if he could return and received the go-ahead.

"You might ask, why are you getting a Ph.D.?" Holland writes in a statement on THE OFFSPRING's official web site. "Well, pick the correct answer from the choices below!

A) I was bored
B) I like suffering
C) I am interested in the molecular dynamics of HIV infection and of virus:host interactions in general

"No, the answer's not all three!... Actually, as many of you already know, I started the Ph.D. a long time ago, but put it on hold when we started touring a lot. I finally went back a few years ago. To finish, I had to research and write a thesis, or dissertation, which is kind of like the biggest term paper you'll ever do (mine is about 175 pages).

"My research focused on the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.I am interested in virology and wanted to contribute in some small way to the knowledge which has been learned about HIV and AIDS. This terrible disease remains a worldwide epidemic — over 35 million people worldwide are currently infected and living with the HIV virus. Over one million people a year die from this disease.

"My research is not meant to be a cure or even an immediate step toward a cure, but I believe that by adding to the vast amount of information that we've learned about HIV in the last 30 years or so, we'll get there.Toward that end, I'm going to continue to do research, and you'll probably see some of my research papers get published here and there over the next few years.

"So, what does this all mean for the band? It means...the BAND IS BACK ON! Well, we never really stopped touring and making records, but we'll be doing a bunch of shows all around the world this year plus recording new stuff every chance we get. Look for new music by us out soon."

Dexter's thesis, "Discovery of Mature MicroRNASequences within the Protein-Coding Regions Of Global HIV-1 Genomes: Predictions Of Novel Mechanisms For Viral Infection And Pathogenicity", can be found at this location.

Metallica kicked off their WorldWired Tour 2017 at M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore, Maryland on May 10th. The first batch of fan-filmed live videos have hit the internet and can be viewed below.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Hardwired"
"Atlas, Rise!"
"For Whome The Bell Tolls"
"Fuel"
"The Unforgiven"
"Now That We're Dead"
"Moth Into Flame"
"Wherever I May Roam"
"Halo On Fire"
"Hit The Lights"
"Sad But True"
"One"
"Master Of Puppets"
"Fade to Black"
"Seek And Destroy"
"Battery"
"Nothing Else Matters"
"Enter Sandman"

WorldWired live dates:

May
12 - Philadelphia, PA - Lincoln Financial Field*^
14 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium*^
17 - Uniondale, NY - New Coliseum^
19 - Boston, MA - Gillette Stadium ^#
21 - Columbus, OH - Rock On The Range Festival

June
4 - St. Louis, MO - Busch Stadium^#
7 - Denver, CO - Sports Authority Field*^
9 - Dayton, IA - Iowa Speedway
11 - Houston, TX - NRG Stadium*^
14 - San Antonio, TX - Alamodome*#
16 - Dallas, TX - AT&T Stadium*#
18 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field*#

July
5 - Orlando, FL - Camping World Stadium*^
7 - Miami, FL - Hard Rock Stadium*^
9 - Atlanta, GA - Suntrust Park*^
12 - Detroit, MI - Comercia Park*^
14 - Quebec City, QC- Festival D'Ete
16 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre*^
19 - Montreal, QB - Parc Jean-Drapeau*^
29 - Los Angeles, CA - Rose Bowl*+

August
4 - Phoenix, AZ - University of Phoenix Stadium*+
6 - San Diego, CA - Petco Park*+
9 - Seattle, WA - Centurylink Field*+
11-13 - San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands
14 - Vancouver, BC - BC Place*+
16 - Edmonton, AB - Commonwealth Stadium*+

* With Avenged Sevenfold
^ With Volbeat
+ With Gojira
# With Local H

Photo courtesy of Metallica's Official Facebook page

Alice Cooper will release his new album Paranormal in July. The album will feature guest appearances by ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, three members of the original Alice Cooper band (Neal Smith, Michael Bruce, and Dennis Dunaway), and U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. 

During an appearance on last Friday's (May 5th) episode of the SiriusXM radio show Trunk Nation, Cooper said producer Bob Ezrin was responsible for getting Mullen Jr. involved in the sessions.

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

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

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

Original Alice Cooper band members Dennis Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith and guitarist Michael Bruce will perform with the legendary shock-rock performer at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall on May 14th. Nashville is the only date on the 2017 Spend the Night With Alice Cooper US tour where fans can experience a special mini-set featuring the four original members of the group, who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011.

Tickets are on sale now at TPAC.org, by phone at 615-782-4040, and at the TPAC box office (505 Deaderick St.) in downtown Nashville. VIP packages are available through the TPAC box office for a limited time.
 
Bassist Dennis Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith, and guitarist Michael Bruce have contributed to and appear on Cooper's forthcoming new album due this summer, produced again by longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin.
 
“We've recorded much of my last album and my new one in Nashville and it's such a great music town,” said Cooper. “With so many musician, songwriter and producer friends here, as well as great rock fans who come to our concerts, it's special to be performing with Neal, Michael and Dennis in Nashville for them.”
 
Spend The Night With Alice Cooper
May 14, 2017 - 8:00pm
TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall
Nashville, TN
505 Deaderick St.

Alice Cooper will tour Australia in October to mark the 40th anniversary of his first tour down under. Alice will be joined on the tour by special guest Ace Frehley, the former KISS guitarist, reports NEWS.com.au.

This will be Alice Cooper’s 13th Australian tour. He will play Perth Arena on October 17th, Thebarton Theatre in Adelaide on October 19th, Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne on October 20th, Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on October 21st, AIS Arena in Canberra on October 23rd, Newcastle Entertainment Centre on October 24th and Brisbane Convention Centre on October 25th.

KISS icon Gene Simmons recently guested on The Ride With JMV on 107.5/1070 The Fan and revealed he will release a new book entitled On Power this November. According to Simmons the book is about "how everybody can make more money and actually become relatively rich." 

Simmons released his book, Me, Inc.: Build An Army Of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win In Life And Business in 2014. The official press release for Me, Inc.:

In Me, Inc., the marketing and finance wizard Gene Simmons gives aspiring entrepreneurs the critical tools they need to succeed. Simmons teaches you how to build a solid business strategy, harness the countless tools available in the digital age, network like hell, and be the architect for the business entity that is you. Inspired by The Art of War, Me, Inc. is organized around thirteen specific, easy-to-understand principles for success, drawn from Simmons’s own triumphs and failures. From finding the confidence necessary to get started, to surrounding yourself with the right people, to knowing when to pull the plug and when to double-down, these principles can help you attain the freedom and wealth of your dreams. Pre-order at HarperCollins.com or by using the Amazon.com widget below.

Speaking to Good Celebrity on May 1st at the 10th anniversary George Lopez Celebrity Gold Classic at Lakeside Country Club in Toluca Lake, CA, Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell revealed the band will begin recording their new album in June.

Cantrell said, "We are just gearing up to make a record. We'll be moving up to Seattle in about a month and record the record over the summer out there in the same studio we recorded our third record in. So it'll be kind of fun — go home, make a Seattle record. Hometown boys in a hometown studio."

The band’s last album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, was released in 2013 and was the band’s second album with singer William Duvall, who joined in 2006.

 

Greek melodic epic power metallers Valor have returned with their third album, four years since their last offering (The Yonder Answer) which received nothing but praises from all over the world.

Originally formed in 2002, Valor have released since then an EP, a 7” single and two albums while also playing live with every chance they got, perfecting the chemistry between them as well as their song-writing while fine-tuning their sound.

Valor have always been distinguished by unique epic compositions and superb performances filled with melody and passion and of course pure epic heaviness. These attributes are clearly evident throughout the band’s newest release, Arrogance: The Fall.

Even though their latest work might be a bit more on the aggressive side in terms of song-writing, the band’s masterful blend of melodic power metal with galloping riffs and epic elements is still there. Along with an improved and refined sound, Arrogance: The Fall promises not to disappoint their fans who are eagerly awaiting this release or any other fans of finely-crafted epic power metal for that matter.

Arrogance: The Fall is out on June 9th on CD and Digital. Preorders are available on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Uprising”
“Arrogant Fall”
“Flying Away”
“In The Name Of Valor”
“The Crown Of Evermore”
“Dark Are The Eyes Of The Night”
“Pandora’s Gift”
“In Another Time”
“Sanctuary For All”
“No Angel’s Face”

“Arrogant Fall”:

Arrogance: The Fall by VALOR

(Photo by: Themis Giannopoulos)

Headstones, one of Canada’s most enduring and hardest rocking bands, announced earlier this year that they were heading to the studio to record their forthcoming album Little Army. It will be unleashed to the world on June 2nd via Cadence Music. They have released the official video for the first single, "Devil's On Fire". Check it out below.

In celebration of the release of Little Army, the Headstones are excited to announce that they will be performing two intimate shows in one night, in a small Toronto venue – the Velvet Underground.

These limited capacity performances will be on June 2nd, with sets at 9:00pm (doors at 8pm) and 12:00am (doors at 11:00pm). The band will be performing songs from the new album, including the single ‘Devil’s On Fire’, as well as fan favourite hits. Ticket proceeds will benefit CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health). Tickets are on sale now.

- early show
- late show

Purchased tickets are only valid for showtime indicated. Both shows are 19+.

Please note that current PledgeMusic Fan For Life pass holders will be honoured. If you hold a FFL pass, please submit your attendance by May 26th 2017, to [email protected] FFL passes can no longer be purchased.

Headstones frontman Hugh Dillon couldn’t be more excited to share this with the world, saying “We set out to write the best rock album of our career, and I think that’s what we’ve done.”

Formed in 1987, the band's debut release Picture Of Health (1993) was met with not just critical acclaim but was certified Platinum, selling in excess of 100,000 copies and spawning the singles "When Something Stands For Nothing", "Cemetery", "Tweeter and the Monkey Man" and "Three Angels". Kicking off a recording career that spans three decades, the band has since gone on to release seven studio albums and countless chart topping singles. Known for their intense and authentic performance style, Headstones remain true to their DIY aesthetic. At a time when style is often valued over substance, they craft hard hitting tunes with brutally honest lyrics and Little Army is no exception.

With Little Army, Headstones are again inclusive of their fans, sharing exclusive behind the scenes footage and real-time content. Using an old school approach while employing new school technology, Hugh and company recruit their army of fans to be a fly-on-the-wall of the recording and launch of Little Army.

Headstones are posting an ongoing series of clips to promote the album dubbed Navigating The Music Industry. The fourth clip in the series, Influencing Sales Executives, is available below.

 

 

 

During the night of April 26th, 1986, a world-changing accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. A catastrophic meltdown befell Reactor No. 4, resulting in core explosions and open-air fires. Copious quantities of radioactive materials and airborne isotopes were consequently dispersed into the atmosphere and surrounding lands. The disaster has been widely regarded as the worst accident in the history of nuclear power globally. As a result, Reactor No. 4 was destroyed and is being enclosed in a concrete and lead sarcophagus to prevent further escape of radioactivity. Large areas of Europe were affected by the accident. The radioactive cloud spread as far as Norway.
 
Moved by devastating consequences of the event, a German band called Cytotoxin pulverized the death metal world in 2010. In 2011, Cytotoxin released their self-produced full-length, Plutonium Heaven. Just one year later, they entered Kohlekeller Studios (Aborted, Benighted) to forge their critically-lauded Radiophobia full-length released via Unique Leader Records in 2012. A stunning display of musical precision, Metal Wani awarded the record a perfect 10/10 review calling it the, "most technical music I've ever heard," further lauding its, "well-structured slams and breakdowns... This music will make you headbang till you become Nearly-Headless Nicholas!...a milestone in the world of death metal."
 
Five years later, it is time for Cytotoxin's Gammageddon. Captured earlier this year again at Kohlekeller Studios, Gammageddon centers itself on the city of Pripyat. Named after the nearby Pripyat River, Pripyat was founded on February 1970 as the ninth nuclear city -- a type of closed city -- in the Soviet Union, to serve the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was officially proclaimed a city in 1979, and had grown to a population of nearly 50,000 by the time it was evacuated the day after the Chernobyl disaster. The city is now a ghost town. Gammageddon serves as a soundtrack to the horrors leading to the evacuation with its unadulterated technical extremity. At a 40 minute run time, even the deepest, densest bunkers won't protect you from this massive overindulgence of radioactive brutality.
 
Gammageddon will be released on CD and digital formats via Unique Leader Records on July 28th.

Preorders will be announced in the coming weeks. The track “Radiatus Generis” is streaming below. 

Notes the band of the track, “You all have had almost five years to prepare for the next radioactive fallout, but you may not be ready for such an overdose of extreme metal.This is brutal... this is frightening... this is Gammageddon!"

Tracklisting:

“Radiatus Generis”
“Chaos Cascade”
“Gammageddon”
“Chernopolis”
“Deadzone Outpist”
“Redefining Zenith”
“Corium Era”
“Antigenesis”
“Outearther”
“Sector Zero”

“Radiatus Generis”:

Gammageddon by Cytotoxin

Musical and heavy metal alchemists Candiria have premiered a video for the title track from their new album and Metal Blade debut While They Were Sleeping, out now. Watch the clip, recorded live at Spaceman Sound. The intimate footage truly puts the viewer in Candiria's orbit.

Fans can find additional exclusive Candiria content as part of the ongoing "90 Days to Warped" promotion, leading up to the band's appearance on this summer's Warped Tour.

Below are Candiria Warped Tour dates. Please note that Candiria joins the tour on June 21st, which is the third date of Warped Tour.

June
21 - Albuquerque, NM
22 - Phoenix, AZ
23 - Las Vegas, NV
24 - Salt Lake City, UT
25 - Denver, CO
27 - Nashville, TN
28 - Metaire, LA
29 - Atlanta, GA
30 - Orlando, FL

July
1 - St. Petersburg, FL
2 - West Palm Beach, FL
4 - Wilmington, NC
6 - Charlotte, NC
7 - Camden, NJ
8 - Wantagh, NY
9 - Hartford, CT
10 - Scranton, PA
11 - Virginia Beach, VA
12 - Mansfield, MA
13 - Darien Center, NY
14 - Burgettstown, PA
15 - Holmdel, NJ
16 - Columbia, MD
18 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH
19 - Cincinnati, OH
20 - Noblesville, IN
21 - Auburn Hills, MI
22 - Tinley Park, IL
23 - Shakopee, MN
24 - Milwaukee, WI
26 - Maryland Heights, MO
27 - Bonner Springs, KS
28 - Dallas, TX
29 - San Antonio, TX
30 - Houston, TX

August
1 - Las Cruces, NM
4 - Mountain View, CA
5 - San Diego, CA
6 - Pomona, CA

Copenhagen, Denmark-based rockers, Sea, have released a video for “The Stranger Within”, taken from the album The Grip Of Time, out on May 12th on LP, CD and digital worldwide through Mighty Music (ex. Japan by Bickee Music). The clip can be seen below.

The band's raw and challenging style is a blend of the classic heavy rock from the giants of the past and their own unique and powerful expression. Strong vocals, heavy riffs, catchy choruses, twin guitar soloing and a mission to keep the guitar led rock alive, combine into making the band a huge adrenaline boost into the Danish music scene.

The new album was recorded in Vibe Factory Studios in Copenhagen with producer Jakob Winther, who is primarily known for his work with artists like Justin Hawkins (The Darkness) and Lukas Graham. Even though the sound is heavy and energetic, The Grip Of Time explores more mellow, melancholy and melodic elements.

The Grip Of Time tracklisting:

“Rust”
“Once We Were Dead”
“Time Will Let You Know”
“Shout”
“No Dawn”
“Back To The Ground”
“Sing For Your Right”
“Dust Will Fall”
“The Stranger Within”
“Sea”

“The Stranger Within” video:

“Once We Were Dead” video:

Comatose Music has set a June 9th release date for Aftermath, the new album from Logic Of Denial. A lyric video for the album track “Euphoric Abhorrent Synthesis” can be seen below.

This is the third album by these Italian miscreants, further expanding the sonic exploration crafted in their previous 2013 effort Atonement with a more diverse, brutal and complex approach.

Conceived as a three chapter concept album about the various stages during the grieving process, Aftermath contains twelve vicious tracks which conceptually probe the resentment consistent with the incessant and infamous vilification of human vulnerability.

Album artwork by the mighty Jon Zig.

Tracklisting:

“Abscission”
“Devouring Seeds Of The Apocalypse”
“Gorging On Innocence”
“Miroir”
“Sufferance”
“Assenza (The Sufferance Ouverture)”
“Larvae Of Eden”
“The Decaying Drama (Pt. I: Quietus – Pt. II: Antinferno)”
“Defilement”
“Violating The Canvas Of Forgotten Purity”
“Immaculate”
“Euphoric Abhorrent Synthesis”

“Euphoric Abhorrent Synthesis” lyric video:

“Devouring Seeds Of The Apocalype”: