Former and current members of HALESTORM, SLIPKNOT and SUICIDAL TENENDCIES took part in a tribute show honoring the music of Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS, NIRVANA) last night (Thursday, April 27) at The Basement East in Nashville, Tennessee.

The event, dubbed "Rock N' Grohl: A Tribute To Dave Grohl", saw HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger joined by former SUICIDAL TENDENCIES members Josh Paul and Nico Santora and SLIPKNOT drummer Jay Weinberg.

Video footage of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of King Thrust Entertainment).

HALESTORM's third covers EP, "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP", was released on January 6 via Atlantic. The effort was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN).

"ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP" follows HALESTORM's previous covers EPs, 2011's "ReAniMate" and 2013's "ReAniMate 2.0".

Lzzy recently told Swedish outlet RockSverige that HALESTORM is continuing to write material for its next album, tentatively later this year.

The new record will follow up 2015's "Into The Wild Life", which was criticized by some fans for veering too far into pop music territory.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based melodic death metallers THE AGONIST have fired back at their former singer Alissa White-Gluz, accusing her of "slandering" their name openly and as purposely trying to sabotage them within the music industry at any opportunity.

White-Gluz was announced as the new singer of ARCH ENEMY on March 17, 2014. That same day, THE AGONIST revealed that they had recruited Vicky Psarakis as Alissa's replacement, saying in a statement that they wished White-Gluz "all the best with ARCH ENEMY and her future endeavors." A day later, Alissa released her own statement in which she claimed that she "had every intention of (and had even started) writing and recording yet another killer album [with THE AGONIST] this year," but explained that her "former bandmates decided to choose a different path." She also said that "the unfortunate decision" to part ways "was made beyond [her] control" and added that she would "always be proud of the three albums [she and THE AGONIST] created since 2005."

Alissa, who co-founded THE AGONIST in 2004 (then known as TEMPEST), had been largely quiet about the circumstances that led to her departure from the band, choosing instead to focus on the touring activities in support of ARCH ENEMY's 2014 album "War Eternal", which marked her recording debut with the latter group. But during a recent appearance on HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show", Alissa aired her side of THE AGONIST split for the first time, saying that she "never in a million fucking years" suspected that she would get kicked out of her own band. She added, "I don't agree with what they did. I don't have respect for what they did," and vowed to never mend fences with her former bandmates. "I'll never talk to them again — ever!" she said. "That was the worst betrayal I've ever felt in my life. They stole a lot from me. It was not right."

But now, in a lengthy statement, THE AGONIST guitarist Danny Marino has responded to Alissa's comments, claiming that "she was playing both sides to have her cake and eat it too" and accusing her of not "factoring in the other four lives in the band and their aspirations."

Marino's statement in full:

"In the years since it became known that we parted with Alissa, we have been committed to keeping private matters private. We did not want to get mired in an online drama, as we have seen with other bands making member changes. However, since 2014 Alissa has slandered our name openly and has purposely tried to sabotage us within the music industry at any opportunity. We had assumed that with time, and as she enjoyed success with ARCH ENEMY, this obsession would subside.

"As much as we have tried to avoid a public debate that just adds drama and negativity, we feel that after her most recent comments we cannot maintain silent. We feel we have no choice but to discuss the deceptive betrayal that occurred, as well as our longtime issues with Alissa's manipulative and unprofessional behavior, her lack of respect for our fans, crew and producer, as well as her frequent freak-outs and instability that affected the band both in the studio, on tour, and behind the scenes that lead to our decision to change singers.

"When Alissa talks about how we betrayed her, she conveniently leaves out the year-long betrayal (or maybe more) that took place before it. She officially accepted to join ARCH ENEMY without telling us. They began to write a record, plan tours and make business plans all prior to saying anything to us. Many months later, she told us that she would be joining another band and that it would not affect THE AGONIST's plans and 'not to worry.' In the months that followed, we pleaded repeatedly for the band's name or any other information, but we were told she couldn't tell us. After a few months, we gave up asking about what band it was and we were simply asking for more information on her availabilities and were still told that she couldn't really say. We were in the dark, frustrated, and made our feelings known to her. We had a serious meeting where it was laid out that the band couldn't go on in the dark about these things anymore. At this point we had tours and festivals already booked for later in the year and she needed to tell us if we are still available for them. She finally agreed that she would ask for more of a timeline from her other mystery band. She came back saying that we needed to cancel all the already booked tours, as well as our first ever European festival tour. It was made clear that we would be at the mercy of this other band's schedule indefinitely.

"Until this point, at her request, we had not told anyone about this other secret band. Our manager, agent, and label were all in the dark. With this new information though, we needed to at least tell the people who work for us what is going on and decide how to proceed. I called our A&R at Century Media and explained everything. I had not spoken with him for some time because our record was now two years old and CM was just waiting for us to write a new one. I apologized that we had been keeping this from him but explained how Alissa had joined some other band that she can't tell us anything about, and now we'd need to delay the recording of our album, cancel our festival tour, and hold off on any tour booking indefinitely. His reaction was utter confusion and shock. 'What do you mean ��mystery band? I thought you guys were in on this whole plan? She told us you guys were fine with this and that you will be taking a break while she does the ARCH ENEMY cycle.' Century Media was not in the dark. In fact, they were instrumental in the entire lineup switch and had been told by Alissa that we were all 100% on board and knew everything about this whole scenario. After getting over the initial shock I asked him how long she would be busy for. He replied, 'Long.' And when I asked if we should wait for her I was told 'I wouldn't.' After calling our manager at the time and filling him in on the details he also agreed that, based on the scenario, we couldn't trust that she would dedicate the time we need to make our band active and successful.

"THIS was the betrayal. She was playing both sides to have her cake and eat it too. She didn't factor in the other four lives in the band and their aspirations.

"Alissa's Instability And The Ultimatum

"Prior to 2014, Alissa quit the band three separate times in 2012 — twice via face-to-face talks on tour and once in email (which we still have.) Because of this, we had already done research on possible fill-in singers prior to this mystery band issue. We had a tour booked in the USA with CRADLE OF FILTH and THE FACELESS in early 2013 and she had her third freak-out, this time by email, saying that she quit the band. After sending it, she went completely M.I.A. and wouldn't respond to calls or messages. This was going to be the biggest USA tour opportunity THE AGONIST had done to date. We began asking around and searching online for possible fill-ins for that tour. After a few weeks and more conversations, she said she actually didn't want to quit, so we told the possible singers there is no need anymore. In the end, that tour was cancelled literally one day before it started because Dani Filth didn't get in the country. Now that we faced with this AE scenario, we re-opened those singer dialogues, which now included Vicky.

"A week after our learning of her plan with ARCH ENEMY and Century Media, we called the final meeting she spoke of. This was our last-ditch effort to see if there was a way to co-exist. As soon as the meeting started, we told her we spoke with CM and we know everything. There was no need to continue to be vague about things. The ultimatum was not threatening one member to leave. The ultimatum was that we were not okay with cancelling all our European festival dates and other 2014 tour dates and we wanted some assurance that we could still get our new record out before 2015. We even said we could cancel the tour dates but could we still do the festivals since ARCH ENEMY is also playing the same festivals? She said she couldn't give us that. So we sat there at a standstill. So even though we had a potential replacement candidate waiting in the wings we still tried to give her one last chance to prove to us that THE AGONIST could still be a priority for her. And she couldn't. None of us were looking forward to the potential shitstorm of a singer-switch so we exhausted every option before pulling the trigger.

"Once Alissa understood that we were serious, she asked, 'What do you guys intend to do? It's not like you can get another singer. I'm sorry if this sounds egotistical but no one can do what I do.' We simply replied that 'We'd just have to see about that.' This was clearly the first time it occurred to her that we were not going to continue to be manipulated. What she said next made us realize we had a serious problem. She threatened, 'I am not okay with someone else singing in THE AGONIST and I will not sit back and allow this to happen!' That's when we realized we could not allow her to access the band's email account or the band's Facebook page. In today's digital era, it is so easy to completely sabotage an entire career with one email or one Facebook post. Or even simply deleting our social media accounts altogether. We did not block her access to her own personal email accounts or her own social fan pages. We couldn't if we wanted to. And the misleading language she has used in her statements to imply this was the case is manipulative and defamatory.

"The Back Story

"Working with Alissa was challenging. Nothing was ever easy, starting with songwriting. Firstly, the instrumental songs were written completely by me and the guys. This was demoed and passed off to Alissa, who then wrote the vocals. However, she would not demo these and she would not rehearse new songs with us. So, in effect, we never had any idea whatsoever what the lyrics or vocal arrangements would be until we heard the final mixed product. I sometimes heard a few things in studio while tracking but over the course of our second album, it went from 'I'd prefer to be alone with [our producer]' to 'I have to be alone' by the time our third album came to be recorded — which we complied with. Recording became a nightmare. Both our second and third albums, 'Lullabies For The Dormant Mind' and 'Prisoners', were delayed by more than six months of their original delivery date to Century Media. In both cases, all the instrumentals of the songs were 100% written and recorded with our producer on schedule. In both cases, however, the vocal tracking ended up spanning over many months. Part of this was due to the fact that she showed up to the studio with many tracks unfinished or not started. She will probably swear up and down this is not true but we know it is, our A&R at the time does, and so does our producer. Once again, she did not consider how this was affecting our lives and a label, and now also our producer's life. He was spending entire days in studio and sometimes coming out with half a song if he's lucky. On a lot of days, nothing would be kept. We work on a flat rate with him because we are close friends and no matter how long it took he kept the same rate.

"Touring was also difficult. Alissa made it abundantly clear that she was miserable on tour; in turn the rest of the band was miserable. From our first tour, where she grinded the van to a halt on the highway to give me the ultimatum to either kick out our other guitar player for being 'too annoying' or she would quit (which I eventually had to do), to the tours closer to the end where she ranted furiously backstage about hating us, hating tour, hating fans, and wanting to quit. Shows became embarrassingly affected as well, as any issue with sound would result in her instant anger. Often she would stop singing, glare angrily at crew, or make rude comments into the mic about the soundman or the bad venue quality. One night at a show in Detroit she stopped singing, walked off stage and didn't return, leaving us to finish the set on stage alone without explanation. We became accustomed to walking on eggshells to avoid petty arguments, and routinely had to make excuses or apologize to crew or fans for her rude behaviour. Constantly making these excuses weighed heavily on us, as we value the hard work of crew members and fans immensely.

"Filming videos also became difficult. Our third album only had one music video (filmed live), as Alissa would not cooperate with filming any others. Alissa blew off appointments or show up very late to meetings with the videographer. This behaviour had been 'normal' for years, but became even worse at this time. She blew off band practice (eventually refusing to attend even a single practice before tours) and she was very difficult to get a hold of: she was clearly disinterested and we were already a low priority.

"On Alissa Having Written For Our Fourth Record

"We sent Alissa three instrumental demos in April 2013. She said she would get right on it. As of December 2013, the time of our split, we had not heard one note or seen one lyric. We asked regularly for an update on those songs and were always told that she hasn't had time to dig into them yet but she likes the songs a lot and will get on it soon. Her claims about how she was showing us new vocals and talking to us about it is a fabrication. By December we had eleven instrumental songs demoed. The band was supposed to hit the studio in the first half of 2014, and clearly this was not going to happen. The band couldn't get good touring opportunities without a new record, and the 2014-2015 tours we booked were contingent on the fact that we would have a fresh record to promote. Based on experience, even without adding AE into the mix, we knew she would not have the material ready. Now with AE in the mix, it was beyond impossible, and frankly insulting to expect us to believe it would be the case.

"Credit where credit is due

"Alissa has a way of removing all credit from all the people in and around THE AGONIST. I take nothing away from her: she wrote and arranged all vocals. It was an integral part of the sound of the first three albums. But for Alissa to say that it is 'my band' and 'I built that band from nothing' and to say that THE AGONIST 'is dead' is really telling of her appreciation for the compositions that she sang over and the work that surrounded the band. I would agree if we were in an acoustic folk band playing three basic chords that the vocal IS the song. Listening to our records though, to say that without the vocals the musical arrangement, performance, and composition are nothing is not only insulting to the four of us but all musicians in our genre.

"She said she built this band with 'my contacts.' While Alissa was clearly the face of the band anyone that has ever dealt with us in the industry knows that I am the main point man on behalf of the band dealing with label, management, agent, email and phone exchanges. There is also the not-so-fun work that goes into being in a smaller band that doesn't have a business manager, accounting and tour management firm. Chris Kells and I have always managed all the finances, tax reporting in the USA and Canada, visa applications, tour management, merch orders, online stores, and social media accounts. Alissa did work with our album art designers and photographers in bringing her lyrics to visual, however she did not 'design' them. Again, credit where credit is due. Those artists and photographers did a lot of work and creative input to say that she is responsible for it. Myself and Vicky currently do the same thing with our designers but if I was asked I wouldn't say I designed the album art because I directed the artist.

"Alissa's assertions about THE AGONIST's former manager dropping the band as a result of switching singers are also untrue. He supported our decision 100%. He stopped managing the band in June 2014 (seven months after our split), at the same time as he also stopped working with a few other extreme metal acts in his roster. He suggested alternative management, expressed belief in the band and the quality of our work, dedication, and we remain on good terms.

"Conclusion:

"Being at the mercy of ARCH ENEMY's touring writing, recording, and press schedule is not a great place to be. THE AGONIST is still a growing band, and we do not get to pick and choose when we tour. Support-slot opportunities most often present themselves randomly and you need to make a fast decision on whether you'll accept the tour (sometimes even in the same day before it gets offered to the next band in line!). Anyone in this business knows ARCH ENEMY are known for having one of the most active touring cycles of any band in metal. Just look at how many tours were done since 'War Eternal'. The band, our management, and our label, saw this coming. All this on top of the existing personal and professional problems we had been living with left THE AGONIST with few options.

"Since Vicky joined THE AGONIST, we have released two full-length albums, put out seven music videos and completed more than ten tours, with more to be announced for later this year. On top of this, we are all breathing a lot easier these days, as everyone is getting along much better. The band members are confident we made the right decision with the support of our management and labels past and present."

Former Thor guitarist, Jeff Decker, passed away yesterday (April 27th, 2017) in Omaha, Nebraska, reports The Metal Voice. Possible cause of death is a heart attack, with more information to come.

Jeff played with Canada's Jon Mikl Thor (aka Thor) on the Devastation Tour in 2006, and appeared in the Thor documentary, I Am Thor, in 2015. Jeff also played Gene Simmons in a KISS tribute band called Kissology.

Read more at The Metal Voice.

CELLAR DARLING, the new band featuring former ELUVEITIE members Anna Murphy (vocals, hurdy-gurdy), Merlin Sutter (drums) and Ivo Henzi (guitars, bass), will release its first studio album, "This Is The Sound", on June 30 via Nuclear Blast. "In less than a year, we've formed a new band, written an album and come up with what we believe is our sound. This is who we are and we're looking forward to what happens with it," states Murphy. Adds Sutter: "This is it: this is the result of nearly one year of incredibly intense creativity, of ups and downs, of loss and gain. This is the most personal work of our lives. This Is The Sound." CELLAR DARLING showcased its freshly recorded songs two weeks ago for the very first time.

"We've had the best time at our show in Lucerne earlier this month," the band states. "For the first time, we got to play our brand new and freshly recorded songs live for you. We only wish that all of you who couldn't make it, but who showed us such amazing support in the last year, could have been there with us. It was a magical and unique experience and we can’t wait for more." This was CELLAR DARLING's very first performance after recoding their debut album at New Sound Studio, under the watchful ear of the legendary producer and guitarist Tommy Vetterli (CORONER, ELUVEITIE). After an incredibly successful first show, the band will bring their new material, exclusively pre-release, to a few select clubs in Europe at the beginning of May. This is a unique chance to catch these intimate first shows before the release. And in the fall, the travellers will embark on a journey together with symphonic metallers DELAIN and SERENITY. After their split with ELUVEITIE, Murphy, Henzi and Sutter quickly realised their musical journey was far from over. What quickly developed was a unique and fresh combination of grand and heavy riffs, powerful drumming and a unique voice along with the signature folky, earthy tones of the hurdy gurdy. This, combined with classical elements as well as inherited folk influences, led to the creation of something entirely new, setting CELLAR DARLING on the path of musical innovation.

Two songs, "Challenge" and "Fire, Wind & Earth", were made available in September 2016 and can be streamed below.

Legendary singer Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, MSG, ALCATRAZZ, GRAHAM BONNET BAND) has joined forces with Italian axeman and producer Dario Mollo in a new project called EZOO. The band's debut album, "Feeding The Beast", will be released on June 2 via earMUSIC. Grooving and stomping music, with the great feeling straight from the golden days of hard rock, EZOO features the immediately recognizable voice of Bonnet and Mollo's melodic and powerful guitars. While Mollo is well known for his collaboration with Glenn Hughes (VOODOO HILL) and his three albums with former BLACK SABBATH singer Tony Martin, you can claim that probably every rock fan has heard the biting and unique voice of Bonnet before.

The classic hit single "Since You Been Gone" (still played worldwide on the radio) from Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW album "Down To Earth" gave the band which, at the time, also featured two current DEEP PURPLE members Roger Glover and Don Airey, one of its biggest successes. Not to be forgotten, Bonnet also worked with the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and ALCATRAZZ, which launched the careers of Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Drawing on the experience of these two rich rock careers, the two leaders of EZOO obviously know how to rock. Nobody is free from a good dose of nostalgia, but the pair has created an album that catches the charm and the grandeur of the classic hard rock sounds but comes in a modern and contemporary guise.

The first time Mollo and Bonnet worked together was during a tour, as Mollo remembers: "In 2001 I received a call from Don Airey, who I know since the dawn of my career. He asked me to participate to an English tour with Graham Bonnet on vocals and Harry James and Chris Childs from THUNDER on drums and bass. I really enjoyed the tour so much that in 2004 we repeated the same experience with Graham, organizing an European tour with a new band that we called ELECTRIC ZOO. During the tour rehearsals, we recorded three RAINBOW songs."

Out of this very enjoyable experience the idea to record a new album started to grow, but it took quite a while to make it real.

"In 2007, I decided to record a new album with Graham and we started to write new material. This process took a very long time because I was very busy with my projects with Glenn Hughes (VOODOO HILL) and Tony Martin (THE CAGE) and Graham was busy too. A while ago, I received a call from Graham's manager telling me that he had listened to some of the demo songs and that it would have been criminal to not release this awesome material. We decided to add new songs and we recorded the now renamed EZOO album with some members from the ELECTRIC ZOO band, Roberto Gualdi on drums (of Italian prog legends PFM), Guido Block on bass and backing vocals on the RAINBOW songs and a new keyboards and bass player (Dario Patti) for the rest of the album."

As a special treat, "Feeding The Beast" contains new versions of RAINBOW classics "Eyes Of The World" and "Since You Been Gone" (written by Russ Ballard).

"Feeding The Beast" track listing:

01. You Are Your Money02. The Flight Of The Sapini03. C'est La Vie04. Guys From God05. Feeding The Beast06. Eyes Of The World07. Colder Than Cool08. Too High To Be Falling09. Motorbike10. Since You Been Gone11. Don't Look Back12. Coda

Terror has has released their new EP, The Walls Will Fall, via Pure Noise Records (digital, CD) and Triple B (vinyl). Order the EP here, and find a full stream of the release below.

The Walls Will Fall is Terror’s first record with their new label Pure Noise Records. The record follows their most recent full-length, 2015’s The 25th Hour, and features some of the most crushing tracks the band has ever recorded.

The hardcore veterans also recently announced a US headline tour with God’s Hate and Abuse Of Power that will start in May. Dates are listed below.

The Walls Will Fall tracklisting:

“Balance The Odds”
“Kill 'Em Off”
“The Walls Will Fall”
“No Love Lost”
“Step To You” (Madball Cover)

EP stream:

“Kill ‘Em Off” video:

Tour dates:

May
10 - Boston, MA - The Hardcore Stadium
11 - Syracuse, NY - TBA
12 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
13 - Fayetteville, NC - Drunk Horse Pub
14 - West Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern
15 - St. Petersburg, FL - Local 662
16 - Jacksonville, FL - Nighthawks
17 - Atlanta, GA - MJQ
18 - Louisville, KY - Spinelli’s Pizza
19 - Erie, PA - Basement Transitions
20 - Waterfront, NY - Dukes Grove
21 - New York, NY - Webster Hall *BNB Bowl

(Photo - Alexander Malecki)

On June 16th, Brooklyn's Tombs will release their fourth full-length, The Grand Annihilation, via Metal Blade Records. Produced once again by Erik Rutan (Cannibal Corpse, Soilent Green, Belphegor, Hate Eternal), The Grand Annihilation remains rooted in the blackened, post-metallic sound that the band has become known for since 2007's self-titled EP, while also being their most experimental record to-date. The album track “Saturnalian” is available for streaming below.

The Grand Annihilation can be pre-ordered in the following formats at this location:

- Digipak CD
- 180g black vinyl
- dark olive-marbled vinyl (limited to 400 copies - EU exclusive)
- ivory/grey-marbled vinyl (limited to 200 copies - EU exclusive)
- orange/brown-marbled vinyl (limited to 100 copies - EU exclusive)
- gray/green-marbled vinyl (limited to 200 copies - US exclusive)

* exclusive bundles with a shirt, plus digital options are also available

Tombs front-man Mike Hill is not a man interested in appeasing his existing audience or modifying the music he makes in the hope of luring in a broader one. Letting the songs come as and when inspiration hits him is integral to Hill's process, and this accounts in part for The Grand Annihilation's diversity. The blasting, scathing yet melodic black metal savagery of opener "Black Sun Horizon" and "Way Of The Storm" are very much built to destroy, while wielding a poignancy that is undeniable - both of which stand in strong contrast to the uncomfortable post-punk squall of "Underneath" that showcases Hill's Nick Cave/Ian Curtis-esque singing voice, while the likes of the throbbing "Saturnalian" and unnerving tribal thunder of "Walk With Me In Nightmares" stand in categories all of their own.

While every track on The Grand Annihilation stands separate from those around it, it is still a cohesive collection, and at no point do the stylistic twists and turns undermine its coherence. "If you've been following Tombs, you probably know to expect the unexpected, and I always strive to present a full range of emotion on everything with the band's name on it," Hill explains. "That said, this is a very dark and introspective record that digs deep into the common ideas of mortality, infinity and cosmic mysteries. The lyrics on the new record are a celebration of freedom through embracing the dark side. Once you realize that you follow the dark path - the path of the individual - there is a certain feeling of liberation that accompanies it."

The Grand Annihilation tracklisting:

“Black Sun Horizon”
“Cold”
“Old Wounds”
“November Wolves”
“Underneath”
“Way Of The Storm”
“Shadows At The End Of The World”
“Walk With Me In Nightmares”
“Saturnalian”
“Temple Of Mars”

“Saturnalian”:

“Cold”:

To kick off the album's release, Tombs will embark on a US tour on release date (June 16th) with Fit For An Autopsy and Moon Tooth. See below for all dates.

Tour dates:

June
16 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
17 - Reading, PA - Reverb
18 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
19 - Greensboro, NC - Blind Tiger
20 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
21 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum
23 - Austin, TX - Grizzly
24 - Houston, TX - Walters
25 - Dallas, TX - Curtain Club
27 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Half Room
28 - West Hollywood, CA - Roxy
29 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
30 - Chico, CA - Lost On Main

July
1 - Portland, OR - Analog
2 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
4 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall (Black Metal & Drag BBQ) *
5 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre
6 - Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
7 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
8 - Cleveland, OH - Foundry
9 - Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory

* - Tombs headline show

The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite, the first in a series of special releases from Swiss spiritual black-metal avant-gardists, Schammasch, will be released on June 9th via Prosthetic Records.

Says the band: “With last year's release of Triangle the numerological trilogy I - II - III has been closed. Different territories are about to be explored in the future, beginning with the first work of a series of records entitled The Maldoror Chants. As the title clearly tells, the concept of those records is based on the grand novel Les Chants de Maldoror, one of surrealism's dire fathers and up to this day one of the biggest literary mysteries and outgrowths.

“Having been an inspiration to Schammasch ever since Contradiction, the times have come to give this inspiration the room it deserves. Each record will follow one specific moment of the book, the first one being Hermaphrodite, a short story which appears aside the main story line in the book's first half.

“From a musical point of view these records are to be seen as an artistic experiment, apparently deriving from a different place than what we've done so far. Focus lies on telling instead of singing, atmosphere instead of technique, flow instead of structure. Don't expect anything but explore everything.”

The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite is available in various pre-sale formats here.

 

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST are putting the finishing touches on their long-awaited follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" album, singer Rob Halford has confirmed. Helming the sessions for the new disc are the band's longtime producer Tom Allom, acclaimed British knob-twiddler Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT) and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

Speaking to Planet Rock's Paul Anthony at the launch of "Hell Bent For Leather", a new exhibition of leather jackets hand-painted by world-renowned tattoo artists, Halford stated about the progress of the recording sessions for PRIEST's new disc (see video below): "Well, we're still tracking. I won't say we're at the end [of the recording process], but we feel like we're coming to some of the final moments. And it's just great to watch how a record comes together, from those early, early days where there was just me and [guitarists] Glenn [Tipton] and Richie [Faulkner] sitting in the studio with a couple of guitars and just, you know, doing what we do. You start the day with nothing, and then at the end of day, potentially, you've got a really great, classic PRIEST song that may live forever."

He continued: "So we're hard at it. We're still doing what we love to do. PRIEST is a working band more than anything else. It's that Midlands ethic, the work ethic of anybody that goes to work… I say it's work, 'cause it is work — you're working with your mind, you're being creative. And now we're moving through into other stages, we're preparing for another big world tour, getting stage designs sorted, lighting designs sorted. So this is the beginning of what's gonna be a very exciting 2018 period."

Allom produced every PRIEST release from "Unleashed In The East" (1979) through "Ram It Down" (1988), along with several live records since then. As a young engineer, he also worked on the first three BLACK SABBATH records under producer Rodger Bain.

During a January 2017 appearance on "Trunk Nation", Eddie Trunk's show on SiriusXM channel Volume (106), Halford said that there was no set-in-stone timetable for the release of PRIEST's next album. "You know, there is no rush," he said. "There is no rush. We feel great. We're very happy, we're very confident, we're very excited. And so, yeah, we're working with our label and with promoters, and there's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes."

He continued: "When we go out, we want it to be good — we want it to be good, we want it to be well planned, we wanna make sure that everybody's happy."

Halford said last year that JUDAS PRIEST wasn't interested in making "a 'Redeemer Of Souls Part Two'." He explained: "I think it's very important that we make another stand-alone record again, a heavy metal record that's going to have its own legs and just be as different as all of them have been so far."

"Redeemer Of Souls" was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

JUDAS PRIEST's tenth studio album, "Turbo", was recently remastered and was released via Sony Music on February 3 on three CDs (the original album and two bonus discs) as well as one-LP 150-gram vinyl. Included on disc 2 and 3 of the CD reissue was, previously unreleased, "Live in Kansas City", a live recording from the band's 1986 "Fuel For Life" tour in support of "Turbo".

Richmond, Virginia's MUNICIPAL WASTE will release its sixth album, "Slime And Punishment", on June 23 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The first single from the disc, "Amateur Sketch", can be streamed below.

Ryan Waste states: "We've been getting punished for the last five years by people asking for a new album. Now we're here to return the favor with an aural onslaught of speed metal punk. Enjoy a taste of slime courtesy of the WASTE."

"We're sorry this took so long," comments vocalist Tony Foresta. "That was our bad. It feels good to be back musically kicking you in the balls... and or titties."

"Slime And Punishment" is the first WASTE album to be engineered by bassist Phil "Landphil" Hall at Blaze of Torment Studios in Richmond, Virginia. Mixing and mastering was completed by Bill Metoyer (SLAYER, W.A.S.P., LIZZY BORDEN and DARK ANGEL) in Hollywood, California.

The cover artwork for the sixth album was created by the bands good friend, Andrei Bouzikov. This is the fourth cover he has created for them as he was responsible for the art for "Massive Aggressive", "The Art Of Partying" and the split with TOXIC HOLOCAUST, "Toxic Waste".

"Slime And Punishment" track listing:

01. Breathe Grease02. Enjoy The Night03. Dingy Situations04. Shrednecks05. Poison The Preacher06. Bourbon Discipline07. Parole Violators08. Slime And Punishment09. Amateur Sketch10. Excessive Celebration11. Low Tolerance12. Under The Waste Command13. Death Proof14. Think Fast

German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR are returning with a vengeance on June 2 with a brand new live album/home video, titled "Angels Of Mercy - Live In Germany", on Frontiers Music Srl.

A performance clip of the song "Metal Is Forever", taken from "Angels Of Mercy - Live In Germany", can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

The package will be released on CD/DVD and Blu-ray on June 2, with vinyl and a limited-edition special box set in the works as well.

Track listing: CD:

01. Countdown To Insanity02. Final Embrace03. In Metal We Trust04. Angel In Black05. Rulebreaker06. Sign Of Fear07. Seven Seals08. Angels Of Mercy09. The End Is Near10. Rollercoaster11. The Sky Is Burning12. Nuclear Fire13. When Death Comes Knocking14. Metal Is Forever15. Fighting The Darkness DVD / Blu-ray:

01. Countdown To Insanity02. Final Embrace03. In Metal We Trust04. Angel In Black05. Rulebreaker06. Sign Of Fear07. Seven Seals08. Let There Be Drums09. Angels Of Mercy10. The End Is Near11. Rollercoaster12. The Sky Is Burning13. Nuclear Fire14. When Death Comes Knocking15. Metal Is Forever16. Fighting The Darkness17. Running In The Dust Bonus features:

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

PRIMAL FEAR is:

Ralf Scheepers - VocalsMat Sinner - BassTom Naumann - GuitarAlex Beyrodt - GuitarFrancesco Jovino - Drums

Wednesday 13, who mixes punk rock and metal with kitschy horror imagery and who is formerly one half of the MURDERDOLLS braintrust, will release his seventh solo studio album, titled "Condolences", on June 2 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The follow-up to 2015's "Monsters Of The Universe" was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with Wednesday 13 and guitarist Roman Surman on the 2010 MURDERDOLLS album "Women & Children Last". The artwork was created by Travis Smith (OPETH, KATATONIA, NEVERMORE) and can be seen below.

The official video for the song "Blood Sick" can be seen below.

Wednesday 13 comments: "I'm really excited for you all to see the video for 'Blood Sick'. It was all shot on green screen with director Matt Zane.

"The song is about a spider torturing a fly in its web before devouring it, and I wanted to try and capture that scenario with the band in a giant spider web.

"I had this vision in my head when we first wrote the song and it's so cool to see it finally come to life."

"Condolences" track listing:

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer

The UK’s Mirror is reporting that Iron Maiden scheduled their current Book Of Souls World Tour around the World Snooker Final. The German leg was halted so drummer Nicko McBrain could fly to Sheffield to watch the championship on Sunday and Monday.

He said, “My manager said to us last year when we were halfway through our tour that we’d be doing a three-month jaunt this year to finish off - with a British tour and a proper American tour and a handful of European shows,” said McBrain.

 “I said, ‘Well, all right mate, there’s one condition: I have to have the Bank Holiday weekend off - the Sunday and Monday’.”

Iron Maiden kicked off their The Book Of Souls Tour 2017 onApril 22nd in at the Sportpalais in Antwerp, Belgium. The band's setlist featured:

“If Eternity Should Fail"
“Speed Of Light"
“Wrathchild"
“Children Of The Damned"
“Death Or Glory"
“The Red And The Black"
“The Trooper"
“Powerslave"
“The Great Unknown"
“The Book Of Souls"
“Fear Of The Dark"
“Iron Maiden"

Encore:
“The Number Of The Beast"
“Blood Brothers"
“Wasted Years”

Check out the new tour intro and a selection of fan-filmed footage from the show below:

Iron Maiden’s The Book Of Souls Tour will continue into Germany, UK and Ireland, finishing with two sold-out shows at London’s 02 arena on May 27th and 28th.

The band then flies to the US for an extensive series of arena and amphitheatre shows including dates in Canada, ending with two nights in Brooklyn, New York on July 21st and 22nd.

Most shows are already sold-out. Go to ironmaiden.com/tours for dates availability.

Lonely Robot, the project masterminded by producer, guitarist and singer/songwriter John Mitchell (It Bites, Frost*, Arena), release the new studio album, The Big Dream, today (April 28th). A video for the album track “Sigma” is available for streaming below.

Following 2015's debut Please Come Home, The Big Dream has a core theme running through it - one that sees The Astronaut, the central character in the Lonely Robot adventure, emerging from a long period in stasis.

Mitchell explains: "The Astronaut wakes up from a cryogenic sleep but finds he's no longer in space, and is instead in a woodland area surrounded by a group of strange people with animal heads! It's a little surreal, a little 'Midsummer Night's Dream' to some extent. This is something of a solipsistic haze, for want of a better description!"

Mitchell explains more about his Lonely Robot concept: "I have always envisaged the storyline of The Astronaut's journey evolving over the course of three albums. And I always knew where I wanted to go with the second album - taking The Astronaut away from space and into a strange and unfamiliar environment. Right now, I have no thoughts of what will happen for the third one but I'd better start thinking about it now!"

"The key inspiration for Lonely Robot comes from my love of science fiction films, and the atmospheric soundtracks that often accompany them - such as Alan Silvestri's compositions for 'Contact' and Clint Mansell's work for 'Moon'."

The album once again features drums by Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson), with all other instrumentation on the album delivered by Mitchell himself.

The Big Dream is available as a special edition digipak CD (including three bonus tracks), gatefold 2LP + CD & digital download.

Tracklisting:

“Prologue (Deep Sleep)”
“Awakenings”
“Sigma”
“In Floral Green”
“Everglow”
“False Lights”
“Symbolic”
“The Divine Art Of Being”
“The Big Dream”
“Hello World Goodbye”
“Epilogue (Sea Beams)”
“In Floral Green” (acoustic version) (bonus track)
“The Divine Art Of Being” (acoustic version) (bonus track)
“Why Do We Stay?” (feat. Kim Seviour) (bonus track)

“Sigma” video:

Track-by-track Pt. 1:

In conjunction with Cirith Ungol's first ever live show on European soil at the Keep It True festival in Lauda-Konigshofen, Germany, Metal Blade Records has released the Ultimate Edition of Cirith Ungol's King Of The Dead album. The album is available for streaming in it’s entirety below.

King Of The Dead Ultimate Edition can be ordered here in the following formats:

- CD/DVD Digipak
- 180g black vinyl
- clear ice blue vinyl (limited to 300 copies - EU exclusive)
- turquoise green/black-marbled vinyl (limited to 200 copies - EU exclusive)
- blood-red vinyl (limited to 200 copies - USA exclusive)

* digital options are also available

The King Of The Dead - Ultimate Edition digipak CD features a full re-mastering by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony, five bonus tracks, expanded packaging and a bonus-DVD. The King Of The Dead - Ultimate Edition LP will be released as part of the Metal Blade Originals series; featuring 400g spine sleeves, a 12-page booklet and an A1 sized poster, the vinyl was also mastered and fully restored by Patrick W. Engel in January 2017. This version reflects the original sound of the 1st vinyl pressing, released on Enigma in 1984.

King Of The Dead Ultimate Edition tracklisting:

“Atom Smasher”
“Black Machine”
“Master Of The Pit”
“King Of The Dead”
“Death Of The Sun”
“Finger Of Scorn”
“Toccata In D Minor”
“Cirith Ungol”
“Last Laugh” (Live)*
“Death Of The Sun” (alt mix)**
“Master Of The Pit” (Live)***
“King Of The Dead” (Live)***
“Cirith Ungol” (Live)***

* Live 1984 (bonus Track on original CD)
** alternative version (taken from Metal Massacre I)
*** Live at Frost & Fire Fest II at the Majestic Ventura Theater in Ventura on October 8th, 2016

Bonus-DVD track-listing (Live at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA on January 19th, 1983):

“Atom Smasher”
“I'm Alive”
“Black Machine”
“Master Of The Pit”
“King Of The Dead”
“Death Of The Sun”
“Finger Of Scorn”
“Cirith Ungol”

Album stream:

Cirith Ungol lineup on King Of The Dead:

Tim Baker - vocals
Jerry Fogle - guitars
Michael 'Flint' Vujejia - bass
Robert Garven - drums

Cirith Ungol will perform live in Europe for the first time ever at the Keep It True festival in Lauda-Konigshofen on April 28th - 29th. See below for all dates.

April
28-29 - Lauda-Konigshofen, Germany - Keep It True Festival

May
26-27 - Athens, Greece - Up The Hammers

July
21-22 - Crispendorf, Germany - Chaos Descends

November
17-18 - Wurzburg, Germany - Hammer Of Doom

St. Louis metal act Black Fast has released a cover track of “Thunder And Lightning,” the classic Thin Lizzy  track from 1983 album of the same name.. The track is also available on iTunes.

“Thin Lizzy is my favorite band," says frontman and guitarist Aaron Akin. "I have this double live album they recorded on their last tour called Life that starts with this song. You can hear the crowd, imagine them walking out onstage and going right into this track. Sadly 'Thunder and Lightning' was the last Thin Lizzy record, Phil died a few short years after its release. It oozes cool, as he did. And the John Sykes guitar solo! I had to call on one of my best buds Reece Scruggs (Havok / Century Media Records) to step up and let one rip for us and he absolutely nailed it. I think this fucker landed pretty cool. It’s dangerous. it's streetlights and leather. It's a switchblade." 

America’s newest neo-classic riff masters Black Fast released Terms Of Surrender a few summers ago via eOne Music. Ripping pages from Death's technical death metal guidebook, the St. Louis foursome conjures the spirit of the late, great Chuck Schuldiner while channeling the viciousness of Megadeth's young-and-hungry Dave Mustaine and blistering aggression of Kreator’s Mille Petrozza.

The band tapped veteran producer Erik Rutan for the effort on their debut LP for eOne Music. Known for his work with Hate Eternal, Six Feet Under, Goatwhore and Cannibal Corpse, Rutan was an easy choice.

(Photo by: RKNPHOTO, Kenny Williamson)

Rhino has announced the release of deluxe editions of the Bad Company albums, Run With The Pack and Burnin’ Sky, on May 26th. Listen to the previously unreleased Run With The Pack track, "Sweet Lil' Sister" below:

Both feature the remastered original album along with rare and unreleased recordings like this previously unissued version of "Young Blood" (Alternate Version 2) recorded in Grasse, France and engineered by Ron Nevison (Led Zeppelin, UFO, Hear) and "Morning Sun" (Take 3, Early Version) recorded by Chris Kimsey at Le Chateau Studios, Herouville, France, in the summer of 1976.

Download the tracks instantly when you pre-order their respective albums from iTunes (links below).

- Run With The Pack

- Burnin’ Sky

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Izzy Stradlin makes a guest appearance on "Grandview", the new single from John Mellencamp. Also featured on the track — which is included on Mellencamp's new album "Sad Clowns & Hillbillies" — is country singer Martina McBride.

According to NPR, "Grandview" is "the album's only real rocker," and it is "sung from the perspective a working-class middle-aged man whose biggest dream is outfitting himself with a trailer and getting out of town."

Stradlin previously appeared on Mellencamp's song "Miss Missy", which was included on the rocker's 1998 album "John Mellencamp".

"Sad Clowns & Hillbillies" is being released today (Friday, April 28).

It was rumored in September that Stradlin turned down a five-figure fee to play with GUNS N' ROSES at last April's reunion shows.

Stradlin tweeted about the dispute, writing that the band didn't want to "split the loot equally."

The April gigs included a warm-up gig at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, two shows at the Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena, a pair at Foro Sol in Mexico City and the band's headlining appearance at Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival. It is unclear which shows Stradlin would have performed at and/or if he could have signed on for the summer reunion tour.

GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" tour features three members of the classic GUNS N' ROSES lineup — guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and singer Axl Rose — backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, and keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese.

Influenced by bands such as Symphony X, Dream Theater, Haken, Plini, Rush along with classical, jazz and progressive rock, Montreal-based Cydemind will be releasing their first full length album, Erosion, on May 26th to follow their to 2014 debut EP Through Mist and Ages.

The album offers a refreshing take on progressive music that is sure to attract interest from a wide audience, especially with classically trained violinist Olivier Allard, who leads the listener throughout the different moods of their compositions. The album track “Tree Of Tales” is available for streaming below.

"After the release of our first single “What Remains”, we wanted to show another side of Cydemind. “Tree Of Tales” offers many different moods and time signatures. There’s some groovy drum and bass lines, lots of grand piano and of course Olivier’s violin shines on top of all that,” explains guitarist and main songwriter Kevin Paquet.

Erosion was recorded in Montreal at The Grid with producer Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Beyond Creation, Neuraxis) along with additional recording of grand piano done at Studio 270. The release consists of six compositions including a 27 minute masterpiece of the album's title track, making it the band's most ambitious project to date. The album artwork was done by drummer and band co-founder Alexandre Dagenais along with lyrical poems included with the release written by pianist Camille Delage. The poems describe each composition as the album gravitates around the theme of nature and its persistence through time.

Erosion will be available on iTunes, Bandcamp, Spotify and all other major online retailers as of May 26th.

Tracklisting:

“What Remains”
“Tree Of Tales”
“Derecho”
“Red Tides”
“Stream Capture”
“Erosion”

“Tree Of Tales”:

“What Remains”:

Cydemind is:
Olivier Allard (Violins)
Alexandre Dagenais (Drums)
Camille Delage (Keyboards/Piano)
Nico Damoulianos (Bass)
Kevin Paquet (Guitars)

Pictured above, L-R: Camille Delage (Keys), Nico Damoulianos (Bass), Olivier Allard (Violin), Alexandre Dagenais (Drums), Kevin Paquet (Guitars)

"Paris", the new concert DVD and Blu-ray from German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN, will be released on May 19. The set was recorded in March 2012 at the then-named Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris (now AccorHotels Arena) during RAMMSTEIN's "Made In Germany" tour, and was helmed by the band's longtime collaborator, Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund. Åkerlund has also worked with METALLICA, SATYRICON, MADONNA and THE PRODIGY, among others.

A performance clip of the song "Links 2 3 4", taken from "Paris", can be seen below.

21 years down the line, with the original lineup, the six East Berliners stand at the very apex of the rock world, achieving album and DVD sales in the millions, headlining festivals and major venues around the world and selling out shows in record time (the band's bill-topping appearance at New York's Madison Square Garden saw the 20,000 seats snapped up in just 20 minutes!) Trafalgar Releasing had worldwide rights to "Paris" excluding Germany, Austria and Switzerland (which were distributed by NFP). The top-performing territories for Trafalgar Releasing were Russia, Latin America and Poland, helping to achieve over $1 million for the outfit. NFP's territories saw a grossing of almost $1.2 million across two screening dates, coming in second on Germany's weekend box office. "Paris" has become one of Trafalgar Releasing's top music events following the worldwide screenings of "Roger Waters: The Wall" (which made almost $5 million at the global box office with top performing territories including Italy, Latin America, Czech Republic, France and Germany) and "One More Time With Feeling With Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds" (from acclaimed director Andrew Dominik, which achieved over $2.2 million). 2017 has also seen Trafalgar Releasing (in partnership with CinEvents) screen across the U.K. and selected European territories, a targeted release of "Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars" (alongside a new interview with the drummer from David Bowie's band produced by MOJO magazine), which made an impressive $240,000 from just 200 screens. Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing, has said on the success: "It was great to work so closely with RAMMSTEIN's management team on the release of 'Paris' — they helped us talk directly to the passionate fan base of the band, who came out to celebrate this truly unique event. We look forward to working on similar kinds of projects in the future and bringing music events to the big screen around the world."

Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., who joined Ozzy Osbourne's just under a decade ago, says that "it's great to see" the BLACK SABBATH singer back together with his longtime axeman Zakk Wylde.

It was announced earlier today that Wylde would be rejoining Ozzy's backing group for all his upcoming 2017 solo show dates. Osbourne's touring lineup will also include Rob "Blasko" Nicholson on bass, Tommy Clufetos on drums and Adam Wakeman on keyboards.

Within a couple of hours of the announcement, Gus, who played on Ozzy's latest studio album, 2010's "Scream", released a statement thanking his former boss and praising the singer's decision to rejoin forces with Zakk.

"It's been an honor and a privilege playing by your side since 2009," Gus wrote on social media. "Nothing but great times and an experience of a lifetime.

"To Ozzy and Sharon — thanks for everything. [I] love ya!

"To Blasko, Adam and Tommy — [it has] been a pleasure rocking with you!

"As a fan, it's great to see Ozzy and Zakk back together. It's been long overdue.

"Last but not least — thanks to all the fans that showed love and support all these years. See you out there soon!

"Ozzy rules!"

Wylde originally joined Osbourne's band three decades ago and backed the legendary frontman from 1987 to 1995, then again in 1998, from 2001 to 2004 and also from 2006 to 2009. His guitar playing can be heard on Osbourne's studio albums "No Rest For The Wicked", "No More Tears", "Ozzmosis", "Down To Earth", "Under Cover" and "Black Rain". The first album with Wylde went double platinum and "No More Tears" remains Ozzy's most successful album, going four times platinum in the United States with four Top 10 songs on the U.S. Billboard chart. Wylde also appeared with Ozzy on three live albums.

In a 2010 interview with Metal Insider, Gus said that he "wouldn't be surprised" if Ozzy one day felt like playing with Zakk again. He said: "For me, when I was growing up, Zakk was there. The first time I ever saw on TV, Zakk Wylde was on guitar. From my generation, Zakk Wylde was the man. As a fan above all, I know these guys, they're like family more than just a team. So I definitely wouldn't be surprised if one day he would jam again with Ozzy. I know these guys love each other."

He continued: "Don't take what I'm saying the wrong way, but as a fan, trying to look from the outside, I mean I grew up watching Ozzy and Zakk together and that's all I'm saying. I also know that Zakk's been in and out of the band as well a couple of times. But with all that said, I'm very happy and feel very honored that I have this position right now and am there doing it."

Gus recently released a new studio album with his long-running band FIREWIND, "Immortals", after issuing two discs as a solo artist.

For the first time in more than a decade, Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde are together again.

Known as one of rock's most lethal singer and guitarist pairings, the two will hit the road for a series of Ozzy headlining shows in the U.S. this summer and fall, beginning July 14.

While they've performed together over the years, these shows are the first collaboration for the duo for a full tour since 2006. These dates also mark Ozzy's first solo tour in the U.S. in years beyond one Ozzy & Friends performance at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans, Louisiana in October 2015.

Ozzy and Zakk first teamed up 30 years ago when Zakk (whom Ozzy describes as "a fucking absolutely amazing guitar player") joined Ozzy's band in 1987; they last recorded in 2007 on Ozzy's acclaimed "Black Rain" album.

In addition to reuniting with Zakk Wylde on guitar, Ozzy's band will include longtime collaborators Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (bass), Tommy Clufetos (drums) and Adam Wakeman (keyboards). Ozzy's tour dates kick off in July at the Rock USA festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with additional dates to be announced in the coming weeks.

"I'm so happy to be getting back on the road with Zakk, Blasko, Tommy and Adam," says Ozzy Osbourne. "This is what I do. This is where I belong, on the road."

"I'm really looking forward to the hardcore powahlifting training sessions with Ozzy as well as playing music in between sets of heavy squats, benching and deadlifts," Zakk Wylde adds.

Next up for Ozzy: prepping for a new solo album for 2018 on Epic.

Ozzy's initial 2017 tour dates are as follows:

Jul. 14 - Oshkosh, WI Ozzy at Rock USAJul. 16 - Chicago, IL Chicago Open Air FestivalAug. 09 - Sturgis, SD The Legendary Buffalo ChipAug. 21 - Cartersville, IL Moonstock 2017 Festival

Asked in a March 2016 interview with the SiriusXM show "Dirty Sexy Funny" if he had spoken to Ozzy about possibly playing together again, Zakk said: "Well, my relationship with [Ozzy]… He's the godfather of [my] oldest son, so I mean… And Sharon [Ozzy's wife and manager], I love her like a mother. So, our relationship is bigger than the music. If they called me up and asked me to come over, bring some eggs and milk over to the house and clean the dog run 'cause they had company coming over, I'd do it. But if Ozz ever wants to do anything, we'd do it. But Gus [G.], who plays guitar with him now in the solo band, I'm buddies with Gus, and Gus is a phenomenal, shredding, awesome guitar player and awesome dude. But, nah, I mean, Gus is the guitar player now, but if Ozz ever asked me… Like I said, if Gus's wide was pregnant and they were having kids and he was, like, 'Gus is gonna be down for three months, 'cause he wants to be home. Can you come out on the road?' I'd do it. That's the way we roll."

In a 2010 interview with Metal Insider, most recent Ozzy guitarist Gus G. said that he "wouldn't be surprised" if Ozzy one day felt like playing with Zakk again. He said: "For me, when I was growing up, Zakk was there. The first time I ever saw on TV, Zakk Wylde was on guitar. From my generation, Zakk Wylde was the man. As a fan above all, I know these guys, they're like family more than just a team. So I definitely wouldn't be surprised if one day he would jam again with Ozzy. I know these guys love each other."

He continued: "Don't take what I'm saying the wrong way, but as a fan, trying to look from the outside, I mean I grew up watching Ozzy and Zakk together and that's all I'm saying. I also know that Zakk's been in and out of the band as well a couple of times. But with all that said, I'm very happy and feel very honored that I have this position right now and am there doing it."

Ozzy first announced that he was looking to replace Wylde in his solo band in June 2009 interview with Classic Rock magazine.

As for why he wanted to break away from Wylde, who had played with Ozzy on and off since 1988, Ozzy said, "I haven't fallen out with Zakk, but Zakk's got his own band, and I felt like my stuff was beginning to sound like BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. I just felt like I wanted a change, y'know?"

In an interview with a Eugene, Oregon radio station in July 2009, Zakk slammed Ozzy over his Classic Rock comments, saying in part, "I've gotta be honest with you. The boss hasn't even given me a phone call, so I mean... I'm just like... I don't know what's going on over there. Are we doing this thing or are we not doing it?... I mean, it's like, dude, you don't wanna play with me anymore? Fine. Play with whoever the hell you wanna play with. I couldn't give a rat's ass. Like I'm gonna get all jealous or whatever. But you know what?! Man up and give me a phone call and tell me what the hell's going on."

Wylde's answer after that abruptly turned into an obscenity-filled rant directed at Ozzy that had to be heavily bleeped by the station.

Zakk reportedly quit drinking and has been sober since being diagnosed with blood clots in 2009.

Photo credit: Mark Weiss Photography

Progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD have announced a new string of dates in support of their latest mini-CD, "Post Society". The trek, which will kicked off in early June, will see the band playing festivals and club shows in Europe as well as selected dates in their Canadian home afterwards, including an appearance as support to METALLICA in Quebec City. VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin stated: "The writing of the new album is nearing completion, but it is already time for us to fresh up the set list for the first leg of our European tour in June. I am especially excited to play Sweden Rock once more. When we played there in 2009, I got to watch UFO performing a stellar set. This time we are sharing the stage with other heroes of mine, LUCIFER'S FRIEND! "We will come back home to play some cool shows in July, including the Quebec City Summer Festival with METALLICA. In August, we will record the new album before playing the famous Wings Of Metal festival in Montreal in September. Then we will head for Europe again in the fall."

Tour dates: June 08 - Hamburg – Logo (Germany)June 09 - Sölvesborg – Sweden Rock Festival (Sweden)June 10 - Rheine – Hypothalamus (Germany)June 11 - Goes – Podium ��t Beest (The Netherlands)June 12 - Aalst – Cirque Mystic (Belgium)June 13 - Norwich – Waterfront (UK)June 14 - Glasgow – Audio (UK)June 15 - Newcastle – Riverside (UK)June 16 - Leeds – Temple Of Boom (UK)June 17 - Nottingham – The Dog House (UK)June 18 - London – Underworld (UK)June 19 - Essen – Turock (Germany)June 20 - Dresden – Scheune (Germany)June 21 - Tilburg – Little Devil (The Netherlands)

2013's "Target Earth", VOIVOD's first album of new material written without original guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour's left-over riffs, was almost universally hailed it as a triumphant return to form, a return to the "classic" VOIVOD sound, and the best thing they'd done in years.

VOIVOD in 2014 parted ways with bassist Jean-Yves Thériault (a.k.a. Blacky) and replaced him with Dominic "Rocky" Laroche.

Amplified Ale Works has announced their newest beer collaboration with rock legends Motörhead. Born to Lose IPA is a boldly aggressive West Coast-style IPA, befitting of the band's loud, aggressive style. The 6.5% IPA is brewed with Cascade, Simcoe and Citra hops that provide an earthy, resinous aroma with notes of fresh citrus.

In an ode to Motörhead’s British roots, the beer was also brewed with Maris Otter, a premium British malt that brings a sweet balance to the beer's bold bitterness.

The limited edition beer will be sold directly from Amplified's two San Diego locations and will also be available for purchase via TheBeerConnect.com for refrigerated shipping throughout California.

The can features an original design of band members in a dystopian "Born To Lose" future from LA-based artist Jack Gregory. The follow-up beer in the series, Live To Win IPA, will be released later this year. 

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. The first single from the album, “When Demons Awake”, is now available for download on all digital platforms. The track 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”

“When Demons Awake”:

(Photo - Massimo Goina)

Fan-filmed video footage of IRON MAIDEN's April 25 performance at König-Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. If Eternity Should Fail02. Speed Of Light03. Wrathchild04. Children Of The Damned05. Death Or Glory06. The Red And The Black07. The Trooper08. Powerslave09. The Great Unknown (live debut)10. The Book Of Souls11. Fear Of The Dark12. Iron Maiden

Encore:

13. The Number Of The Beast14. Blood Brothers15. Wasted Years

MAIDEN's European tour consists of a total of sixteen dates, including three shows in Germany, eight in England, two in Scotland and one each in Ireland and Wales. The U.K. leg marks MAIDEN's first full UK arena tour in six years.

The German leg will see MAIDEN also perform in Frankfurt and Hamburg before dates in Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool, Birmingham, London, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Cardiff and Dublin.

SHINEDOWN is providing support act on all sixteen dates.

Prior to the tour, IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris said: "As it's been so long since our last full U.K. arena tour, we really wanted to get to our fans in as many cities as possible. We're really looking forward to it, especially visiting places we haven't been to for a very long time, like Leeds, where we haven't played since 2005, and Liverpool, where we haven't played since 1990.

"The whole band is really enjoying this tour and although we love playing festivals and stadiums, it is terrific to return to the intimacy and atmosphere of arenas.

"The songs from 'The Book Of Souls' album and the new Maya-themed Eddies and stage sets have gone down really well and fan reaction has been amazing. And, of course, we know our fans appreciate us playing a lot of the older songs too, which we will continue to do."

"The Book Of Souls" is MAIDEN's first ever double studio album and their most successful chart-wise to date, debuting at the No. 1 spot in over 40 countries around the world and No. 4 in the U.S.A.

IRON MAIDEN's "The Book Of Souls" world tour will return to North America for an extensive series of arena and amphitheater shows in June and July. Support on the trek will come from GHOST.

Swedish classic/progressive rock supergroup, The Night Flight Orchestra, featuring members of metal frontrunners Soilwork and Arch Enemy, are streaming the new song “Sad State Of Affairs”, featured on their forthcoming third studio album, Amber Galactic, which is scheduled to be released on May 19th via Nuclear Blast. Listen to the track below.

The standard cover for the new album can be seen below.

Singer Björn Strid states: "Amber Galactic is a relationship drama set in space, the first classic rock space opera on double vinyl. As seasoned musicians, we're taking this project seriously, although we might come across as slightly retrofuturistic at times, there's no irony involved. It's just us trying to shape our future into a place where our race is led by female space commanders with pearl necklaces and a quasar sense of gravity. Amber Galactic is about setting free from genre boundaries and expectations that are put on people like us. We just want to create music that we would like to hear ourselves, but that isn't only for us.

“The Night Flight Orchestra is here to set you free, to invite you to enjoy music in whatever form it is presented. For this particular journey, we'd like you to follow us into space, but who knows where we'll go next! After entering the NFO universe, you won't ever be the same!"

Amber Galactic will be available as a limited edition digipak CD featuring an alternate cover art (see below), 2LP vinyl (black and violet sparkle) and as digital download and stream via all known platforms. Pre-order the new album here.

Amber Galactic tracklisting:

“Midnight Flyer”
“Star Of Rio”
“Gemini”
“Sad State Of Affairs”
“Jennie”
“Domino”
“Josephine”
“Space Whisperer”
“Something Mysterious”
“Saturn In Velvet”
“Just Another Night” (bonus track, limited edition digipak, vinyl)
“Fly Tonight (Never Rewind)” (bonus track, Japan only)

“Sad State Of Affairs”:

“Gemini” video:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #3:

“Midnight Flyer” lyric video:

When asked about the direction of NFO within the realm of classic rock, Strid explains with a chuckle: "Most other classic rock bands sound like weed or LSD - we sound like cocaine."

Amber Galactic was recorded at Handsome Hard Studio in Lund, Sweden. The album follows The Night Flight Orchestra's two previous releases, 2012's Internal Affairsand 2015's Skyline Whispers. Stay tuned for more coming soon in the world of The Night Flight Orchestra.

The Night Flight Orchestra lineup:

Björn Strid - vocals
Sharlee D' Angelo - bass
David Andersson - guitars
Richard Larsson - keyboards
Jonas Källsbäck - drums
Sebastian Forslund - guitars, percussion

(Photos - Wayne Bregulla)

Danish / American rock singer Maryann Cotton has completed the recordings of his new, untitled, third album. No release date has been announced yet.

Maryann comments:

“'The new Maryann Cotton album is done! Just listened to the final master and I'm super happy about the final result! This is going to be my third official studio album, and the best one I've done so far! Can't wait for the fans to hear it! We have worked very hard on this album and I think that the whole thing has been taken to another level!

“It's old fashioned and modern at the same time, it's dark and dirty and overall just pure rock 'n roll!''

Maryann Cotton returned to Detroit for the 3rd Annual Dick Wagner Memorial Concert - March 24th at the Motor City Casino.

Norwegian rock band, Pristine, featuring lead singer Heidi Solheim, have released a video for “You Are The One”, the opening track from their upcoming, fourth studio album, Ninja, out on June 23rd via Nuclear Blast. Watch the new clip below.

Commented Heidi Solheim: "We are extremely excited to share the new music with old and new fans! The music on Ninja was written as a result of a very fun and adventurous 2016 where we got to meet a lot of great people. Inspiration is our creative fuel. Hope you will enjoy the record and see you on the road!"

Tracklisting:

“You Are The One”
“Sophia”
“The Perfect Crime”
“The Rebel Song”
“The Parade”
“Ghost Chase”
“Ninja”
“Jekyll & Hyde”
“Forget”
“Ocean”
“California” (Live)
“No Regret” (Live)

“You Are The One” video: