Japanese trance metal act Blood Stain Child, who have been plagued in recent years by line-up changes, have returned with a new single/ video entitled "Tri Odyssey" for their new album Project Tri Odyssey, due out on April 3rd. The album was produced by Jacob Hansen and features new vocalist Saika, along with new bassist Yakky. They replace Kiki - who joined in 2012 replacing Sophia (Season Of Ghosts) - and founding bassist/vocalist Ryo repsectively.

In May 2016, Blood Stain Child surfaced with their new line-up, releasing the single "Nexus", also available below.

 

 

Prosthetic Records has announced the signing of technical death metal band, Exist. Formed in the late ‘00s by guitarist/vocalist Max Phelps, who has cut his teeth as a touring member of Cynic and Defeated Sanity as well as is the frontman to Death To All (the touring tribute to Chuck Shuldiner), the band self-released their debut EP, In Mirrors EP, in 2010 which was shortly followed by their debut full-length, Sunlight, in 2013. 

Exist began recording new material in 2016 and sent it to Prosthetic Records, who immediately got on board. Comments Phelps:

"We are thrilled to have found a home with the Prosthetic team. The label has always held such a diverse roster from instrumental-prog to the more extreme side of the spectrum and has helped push some of the most influential, forward-thinking bands in the genre. We feel this is a place where we can truly be uninhibited in creating our own honest language, regardless of how off center it may be."

Exist will release their debut Prosthetic effort this summer, just in time for the band to hit the road with Canadian progressive metal masters, Gorguts and the aforementioned Defeated Sanity, with Phelps providing vocals for them as well. When asked how it will be like pulling double duty, Phelps simply stated “Two bands, one club.”

Supergroup CHICKENFOOT released "Best + Live", the band's first-ever best-of collection, on March 10. CHICKENFOOT features legendary guitarist Joe Satriani, former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar, ex-VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith.

In addition to "Divine Termination", CHICKENFOOT's first new tune in five years, "Best + Live" includes over 90 minutes of live music for the first time released on CD. Also featured on the set is CHICKENFOOT's cover version of the DEEP PURPLE classic "Highway Star".

A video clip of CHICKENFOOT performing "Highway Star" at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco during the band's debut run of shows in small clubs in May 2009 can be seen below.

In May 2016, CHICKENFOOT reunited for two highly-anticipated one-time shows at Harrah's Lake Tahoe, and played their first complete set in more than six years, along with a special unveiling of the new tune "Divine Termination". Satriani describes the track as "bone-crunching, hell-raising rock, dripping with attitude and vibe. Just the way CHICKENFOOT likes it!" Both the extra CD "Live" and the bonus tracks on the best of feature a 13-song strong setlist, including almost every song from CHICKENFOOT's debut album as well as Hagar's old MONTROSE classic "Bad Motor Scooter", THE WHO's "My Generation" and Satriani's interpretation of "The Star-Spangled Banner" — all recorded live in Phoenix 2009 and available for the first time on CD (previously only available as video on the DVD/Blu-ray "Get Your Buzz On"). "Best + Live" track listing:

CD1 – Best Of

01. Divine Termination (brand new song)02. Soap On A Rope03. Sexy Little Thing04. Oh Yeah05. Get It Up06. Future In The Past07. Big Foot08. Different Devil09. Lighten Up10. Dubai Blues11. Something Going Wrong Bonus Live Tracks:

12. Highway Star13. Bad Motor Scooter14. My Generation CD2 - Live

01. Avenida Revolution02. Sexy Little Thing03. Soap On A Rope04. My Kinda Girl05. Down The Drain06. Bitten By The Wolf07. Oh Yeah08. Learning To Fall09. Get It Up10. Turnin' Left11. Future In The Past

CHICKENFOOT has not made a new CD in five years but returned to the studio to record "Divine Termination".

"I wrote the lyrics while on an airplane to Cabo," Hagar told Rolling Stone about the song. "It's a dark tune, but it's fucking cool. It's a really raw production and a giant step for the 'FOOT."

Satriani told The Oakland Press that he is not holding his breath for a new album from CHICKENFOOT. "It'll always be upsetting to me, the fact [the band] is under-realized," Satriani said. "That befuddles me still. However, the other guys do have plenty of things to do, and I suppose maybe I get it. But when I think about it from an artistic point of view, it just seems ridiculous that we didn't do more. It just seems completely wrong."

CHICKENFOOT reissued its gold-selling 2009 self-titled debut as a double-disc set. The new version features bonus live tracks recorded on the group's tour behind its sophomore studio effort, "III".

CHICKENFOOT's most recent touring lineup included legendary drummer/musician Kenny Aronoff, who was filling in for Smith while Chad was on the road with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.

"III" sold 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's self-titled debut opened with 49,000 units back in June 2009 to debut at No. 6.

"Woe To The Vanquished", the fifth album from Los Angeles-based thrash metallers WARBRINGER, can be streamed in its entirety using the widget below. Due on March 31 via Napalm, the disc was produced and mixed by Mike Plottnikoff (FEAR FACTORY, IN FLAMES), mastered by Howie Weinberg (SLAYER, PANTERA), with cover art by Andreas Marschall (SODOM, BLIND GUARDIAN, OBITUARY).

"Woe To The Vanquished" track listing:

01. Silhouettes02. Woe To The Vanquished03. Remain Violent04. Shellfire05. Descending Blade06. Spectral Asylum07. Divinity Of Flesh08. When The Guns Fell Silent

Bonus 7" single track listing:

01. Evil Dead (DEATH cover featuring Chris Monroy of SKELETAL REMAINS) 02. Arc Lite (CORONER cover featuring Jadran "Conan" Gonzalez of EXMORTUS)

"Woe To The Vanquished" will be made available as:

* Regular jewel-case edition * 1LP gatefold edition (black and other colored editions)* Super deluxe wooden box warchest edition (CD, exclusive 2 track 7” single, flag, band logo dog tags) only available via the Napalm Records webstores in the U.S. and Europe — strictly limited to 500 copies!

WARBRINGER singer John Kevill, who is studying to be a history professor, explained the "Woe To The Vanquished" title: "The title 'Woe To The Vanquished' comes from early Roman history — before they were the huge empire they became. In 390 BC, a host of Gauls led by a warlord called Brennus attacked Rome, and captured all the city except the Capitoline Hill. From this hill, the defeated Romans made a bargain, they would pay 1,000 pounds of gold for the Gallic army to leave the city with no further bloodshed. The Romans bring the gold before Brennus, who uses his own scales to measure it. On the Gaul's scales, the Roman's thousand pounds of gold measured to be less, which led the Romans to complain that the scale was rigged (it probably was). Responding to this, Brennus speaks 'Vae Victis' (Woe To The Vanquished) and throws his sword on the counterweight. Because the Romans lost, they have to pay the rigged sum of gold as well as the weight of the sword, to add insult to injury. The irony here is that vowing this type of humiliation would never happen again, Rome went on to become an ancient war machine conquering and subjugating most of the old world. On the record, 'Woe To The Vanquished' is spoken in an ironic, mocking tone — the defeated are trampled and time marches on, uncaring, and forgets they ever existed."

He added: "One of the great things about heavy metal as a genre is you can express tougher subject material than 'I met a (boy/girl) and it was (happy/sad).' I looked for the most monolithic evil I could find to write about with this destructive, intense music... and I did not have to look any further than reality. Forget Satan, that's a children's story. Real evil is in the hearts of men."

GHOST lead singer and founder Tobias Forge — who performs as Papa Emeritus — lost his balance while singing the song "Mummy Dust" during the band's concert Tuesday night (March 28) at O2 Academy Leeds in Leeds, causing him to fall feet first into the space between the barrier and the stage. The incident was captured on video by a fan and was posted on YouTube for everyone to see.

The new lineup of GHOST gave its first live performance on Friday night (March 24) as the Swedish-based band kicked off its 2017 "Popestar" European tour in Norwich, England. As previously reported, rumors have circulated for several months that Forge fired the entire previous lineup at the end of GHOST's fall 2016 North American tour.

Since the musicians wear masks and are only identified as Nameless Ghouls, personnel changes in the group over its eight-year existence have gone unannounced.

Earlier this month, however, Swedish guitarist Martin Persner released a video message in which he claimed to have played in GHOST for seven years under the name Omega. He also revealed that he exited the band last July, although he did not disclose the reasons for his departure.

Forge writes almost all of the group's music and does most of the act's interviews disguised as a Nameless Ghoul.

GHOST will begin recording its fourth full-length album in August, after the band returns home from a North American tour with IRON MAIDEN.

Latin metallers ILL NIÑO are preparing to commence work on their next studio album.

The New Jersey-based group, which is currently celebrating the 15th anniversary of their debut LP, "Revolution Revolución", with a European tour, hasn't released a full-length record since 2014's "Till Death, La Familia".

Asked by "Mike James Rock Show" if ILL NIÑO has any plans to start composing material for the next disc in the near future, singer Cristian Machado said: "Oh, definitely. I know we're all excited to begin the writing process. We haven't yet — we have some ideas throwing around, things like that, but we haven't started gelling ideas together."

Regarding whether ILL NIÑO writes any music on the road, Machado said: "We've tried it. We've done some writing on tour buses, but it never works out. You can of need to be in a room and playing loud, or in a studio, in the proper environment, experimenting and things like that. I suppose it depends what kind of music. If you just wanna write a simple song, I suppose you can do it on your tour bus, and I guess creativity can spark at any moment; you just write a song. But on the road you get into this mental state of going to bed really late, and by the time you wake up, the sun is almost gone and then you're looking for a bathroom and then you just wanna get the things in the venue, and then you've gotta do soundcheck. And by the time you do soundcheck, you just want an hour to clear your head. It's not even the right atmosphere, if you ask me. But some people can do it. I don't know… The guys in my band I don't think can write on the road."

Machado, who immigrated to America from Venezuela more than thirty years ago at age 11, told NorthJersey.com about the impact of ILL NIÑO's debut album: "I think having the title in both English and Spanish captured the spiritual and musical essence of the band. We wanted to find our own niche and bring parts of South America to our music. We were trying to put ourselves into the music however we could. We sounded different out of creative curiosity."

A rehearsal video of the song "Act Of Valor" from CORE 10, the band featuring original KORN drummer David Silveria, can be seen below. He is joined in the new group by Duncan Nisbet on vocals, Sean Lenhoff on vocals, Chris Dorame on bass, Joe Taback on guitar and Ronnie King on keyboards.

Says CORE 10: "[This clip] was recorded in one take and mixed down and the live video was edited from a few different cameras/angles. THIS RECORDING was RAW! We have yet to record anything professionally but we wanted to show you guys what we are up to!!

"'Act Of Valor' is inspired by, and dedicated to, the men and women who make up the United States Armed Forces, heroes who protect us and sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve our freedom to speak, to be, to live."

Asked by BackStage360 why CORE 10 opted to have two singers instead of one, Lenhoff said: "Well, it's trying to create your own sound, something original. Duncan had CORE 10 going for a little bit before I got involved. I left the previous band I was in, and he was, like, 'Sean, do you wanna come in and try this? Let's see how it works. Let's try and do a metal/punk rock fusion thing with two singers.' He's very much a high-end, I'm very much a lower-end power singer. And it just ended up blending really well, and it's done nothing but grow from that point."

According to Lenhoff, CORE 10's sound has been described as a fusion of metal, rock and punk. "From doing different styles like that, we've been able to open up for KMFDM, FEAR FACTORY, MISFITS… And that's pretty much some of the heaviest — in FEAR FACTORY — metal you can get, and KMFDM is completely electronica and you know what the MISFITS are," he explained. "And it's gone over really well. So we never wanted to pigeonhole ourselves into one genre. It's so hard to make a living as a band and a musician now, you just take your influencces and you just run with it. Why not create something for everybody but having continuity still in what you're doing?"

Although Lenhoff is perfectly aware CORE 10 is not for everybody, he believes that the band's music will have a lasting impact on those that give it a chance.

"One thing I've heard that I loved was music is supposed to be disruptive," he said. "It disrupts your being — emotionally, physically — it makes you wanna move, it makes you wanna cry. And that's what's highly important. That's kind of where we're at with it. It's gotta affect you.

"If people don't have an opinion about you, whether they hate you [or] love you, then you're dead in the water," he continued. "So they have to love or hate what you do, and as long as you get a reaction, that's all that matters."

Asked how he first got involved with CORE 10, Silveria said: "I've known Sean for about… probably fifteen, twenty years from downtown Huntington Beach days. And he kept sending me MP3s of songs, and the more I listened to it, it was kind of, like, you either love it or hate it. I was kind of conflicted when I first heard it. And I would show it to my wife and said, 'What do you think about this?' 'Cause I didn't really understand it at first. And the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. Now they come over and play, and I come out and my wife is all giddy and excited going, 'I love that song. It's one of the best songs you guys have ever done.' And now I'm just in love with the music. So I'm all in now."

CORE 10 will make its live debut on April 1 at Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, California.

Silveria, who left KORN in late 2006, sued his former bandmates in February 2015, claiming that his exit from the group was merely a hiatus and that he was rebuffed when he tried to return to the band in 2013. Silveria said he still had ownership interest in KORN and was asking a judge to force the band to reveal how much money they've made since he left so that he can get his rightful share. Silveria was said to be especially upset over the fact that KORN welcomed back guitarist Brian "Head" Welch four years ago but wouldn't do the same for him. Welch left the group in 2005 and continued as a solo artist before rejoining in 2013.

KORN singer Jonathan Davis told The Pulse Of Radio that he believed Silveria had lost his passion for playing music, saying, "The first two albums, I think, he really enjoyed playing drums and then after that he just lost his love for playing drums. It happens."

Silveria told fans in 2013 that KORN was not the same since he left, saying, "Until they have the real 'funky drummer' it's just not gonna groove the way it could. I've made it clear that I would come back and restore the groove."

Brazil-based animator Val Andrade has returned with another new Iron Maiden cartoon clip, based this time on "When The Wild Wind Blows" from the 2010 album, The Final Frontier. Check it out below along with other examples of Andrade's work.

 

 

 

Parlophone Records will follow 2014’s reissue of the first eight Iron Maiden albums, which spanned the 1980s, with twelve brand new pressings of albums from the period 1990 - 2015 in heavyweight 180g black vinyl.

Unlike the 1980’s reissues which were cut from the original analogue master tapes, the audio on these releases has been cut from the high resolution remasters of 2015 when the Maiden catalogue was digitally upgraded. They will be packaged in identical artwork to the initial vinyl releases.

The records will be released chronologically across a three month period:

May 19th: Collector's Box / No Prayer For The Dying / Fear Of The Dark / The X Factor / Virtual XI

June 23rd: Brave New World / Rock In Rio (Live) / Dance Of Death / A Matter Of Life And Death

July 21st: Death On The Road (Live) / Flight 666 (Live) / The Final Frontier / En Vivo! (Live)

As a bonus, the first two albums (No Prayer For The Dying / Fear Of The Dark) will also be made available in an exclusive Collector’s Box sized to house all 12 albums with additional space for fans to insert the latest Maiden studio album The Book Of Souls, which was released on triple black vinyl in 2015. The Collector’s Box will be a strictly limited edition and available while stocks last.

These high quality, black vinyls comprised of eight studio albums together with a specially selected choice of four live recordings from this period, completes the Iron Maiden album reissues series and offers Maiden fans the opportunity to own the band’s entire studio album legacy on vinyl simultaneously for the very first time.

Iron Maiden’s The Book Of Souls Tour resumes with a series of arena shows opening in Sportpalais, Antwerp, Belgium on April 22nd and continuing into Germany, UK and Ireland, finishing with two sold-out shows at London’s 02 arena on May 27th & 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 & 22nd. This is the final leg of 'he Book Of Souls Tour.

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

Legendary Canadian rockers Headstones are back in the studio recording their forthcoming album entitled Little Army, which will be released this spring through Cadence Music. They are posting an ongoing series of clips to promote the album dubbed Navigating The Music Industry. Enjoy...

 

 

 

Headstones are bringing everyone into the fold and giving them an exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of Little Army, produced by Hugh Dillon and Chris Osti. The band will be live streaming and posting through their social media accounts, from The Tragically Hip's Bathouse Studio in Kingston, Revolution Studio in Toronto, and Engine Room Audio in New York City.

"In true Canadian fashion, we trekked through a huge snow storm last year to meet the guys and hear the new songs. The enthusiasm in the room was incredible and the deal was cemented on the spot!" says Cadence Music Group President and CEO Iain Taylor.

Headstones frontman Hugh Dillon, also thrilled about this partnership says, "It's outstanding to see people in the music business who still give a shit about music, I haven't felt this way since Picture Of Health. It's exciting."

Check out some new behind-the-scenes footage below.

Headstones are one of Canada's most enduring and hardest rocking bands. Formed in 1987, the band's debut release Picture Of Health (1993) 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.

Visit Headstones on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for more.

A "lost" scene from the 2016 movie "Why Him?", featuring a cameo from KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, can be seen below.

Released in December, "Why Him?" tell story about Ned, an overprotective dad, who visits his daughter at Stanford where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend, Laird. A rivalry develops and Ned's panic level goes through the roof when he finds himself lost in this glamorous high-tech world and learns Laird is about to pop the question.

The movie stars James Franco, Bryan Cranston, Zoey Deutch, Megan OMullally, Keegan-Michael Key and Cedric The Entertainer.

'80s hard rock queen Lita Ford says that she has "a lot of songs written" for her new studio album, to be released early next year. Helming the project once again is guitarist/producer Gary Hoey, who previously worked with Lita on 2012's "Living Like A Runaway" disc.

Speaking to Uber Rock's The Dark Queen at the HRH AOR festival, which was held earlier this month in North Wales, Ford stated about her plans for her next album (see video below): "We started writing. We've got a lot of songs written. We've just gotta get into the studio and now take them from the demo form and put them into the master form." She added: "We still have a little ways to go."

Lita also talked about her autobiography, "Lita Ford - Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir", which was released last year via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. "It was really difficult to write," she said. "I had a couple of different co-authors that I was working with, and they weren't quite capturing my voice. It didn't sound like me, and they didn't picture things like I pictured them. And I thought, 'This isn't working, and it's not true. It's not right.' So I'd fire one, and I'd bring in somebody else, and they would do the same thing. They just couldn't understand; they didn't see things in the way that I saw things. So I would fire them. I went through different people. And finally I just said, 'Fuck it! I've gotta write this myself.' Because nobody gets it, I guess, because it was such an individual story, coming from someone who had never done this before, really, when you think about it. So I had taken an entire summer. I didn't take my bathrobe off, and I sat at home and I wrote the entire book by myself, along with a friend who was good on computer. So I would write the story, send it off to her, and she would insert it, and then we would send it off to HarperCollins. So it was good teamwork."

Ford told VintageRock.com in January that her next album would be "dark" and "riffy" with "lots of guitar." She added: "I'm gonna really let the guitar flow on this one. So that's exciting."

Ford's last release was 2016's "Time Capsule", a collection of songs that were recorded by Ford in the past, but never before made available. "Time Capsule" was tracked after her 1988 "Lita" album — a time when, as Ford put it, "we had a break between recordings and it seemed so many of us were always in the same place, at the same time." Some of the album's featured guests: Billy Sheehan (bass), Rodger Carter (drums), Dave Navarro (mandolin), Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander (backing vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass).

After three studio albums, The Dead Daisies will release their first live album, Live & Louder, on May 19th via Spitfire Music/SPV. "Here's what we recorded last year in Europe," says the band. "And holy cow, you guys were loud!"

Tracklisting:

"Long Way To Go"
"Mexico"
"Make Some Noise"
"Song And A Prayer"
"Fortunate Son"
"We All Fall Down"
"Lock’N'Load"
"Something I Said"
"Last Time I Saw The Sun"
"Join Together"
"With You And I"
"Band Intros"
"Mainline"
"Helter Skelter"
"American Band"
"Midnight Moses"

Exclusive Bonus 7″ in Limited Edition Box Set:

"My Generation"
"American Band"
"Maggie May"
"Ramble On"

Lead singer John Corabi: “We’re extremely excited and proud of Live & Louder! A lot of the fans have been writing to us and saying how much they LOVED our records but were even more blown away by the band live. The album shows the world how truly loud and supportive The Dead Daisies fans are! Turn It Up!!!!”

Pre-order your copy now at this location.

Live & Louder formats:

• Digipak (Contains CD & DVD & massive photo booklet. The DVD features an exclusive Live & Louder Documentary, a massive “Make Some Noise World Tour” Documentary, all music videos of the Make Some Noise album cycle and a picture gallery)

• Vinyl (Double 180g Multicolor Vinyl, Gatefold, Printed Inner Sleeves, 4-Page Booklet, CD in Paper-Sleeve)

• Limited Edition Box Set (contains Digipak with CD & DVD, Double 180g 12” Vinyl, Exclusive Colored-Vinyl 7” Single, Poster, Sticker, Button, Patch, PhotoCard)

• Digital Download & Stream

The Dead Daisies, have announced a massive world tour in celebration of the release of Live & Louder. In addition to prestigious high profile UK & European festival appearances throughout all of June, The Dead Daisies are set to enthral Japanese fans with their highly-coveted return to the land of the Rising Sun in July after which they’ll travel to South America to make their long-awaited debut. It’s then back to Poland to play Woodstock, one of Europe’s biggest festivals. August and September will see the band embark on their first ever North American headline tour where demand has been steadily building after 2016’s smash success of Make Some Noise and their summer tour with the mighty KISS.

The tour will take the band to many new markets and revisit some old stomping grounds. Lead Guitarist Doug Aldrich adds: "The Dead Daisies update: Getting my guitars ready for the 2017 Live & Louder Tour! We’re gonna be doing a quick blast this summer… come and hang with us when you hear about the band coming through! See ya soon for a good dose of the Daisies!"

The Live & Louder World Tour 2017 will visit the following countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom, Holland, France, Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Poland, Canada and the US.

Tour dates:

June
2 - Rock Hard Festival - Gelsenkirchen, Germany
3 - Rock In Vienna - Vienna, Austria
4 - Substage - Karlsruhe, Germany
6 - Dynamo - Zürich, Switzerland
8 - Amager Bio - Copenhagen, Denmark
9 - Sweden Rock Festival - Solvesborg, Sweden
11 - Download Festival - Donnington, United Kingdom
12 - Liquid Room - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
14 - Boerderij - Zoetermeer, Netherlands
16 - Le Forum - Vaureal, France
17 - Hellfest - Clisson, France
18 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium
20 - Hirsch - Nürnberg, Germany
21 - Hellraiser - Leipzig, Germany
23 - Harley Days Festival - Hamburg, Germany
25 - Bluesiana - Velden, Austria
26 - Bluesiana - Velden, Austria
27 - Rockhouse - Salzburg, Austria
28 - A38 - Budapest, Hungary
29 - Lucerna Music Bar - Prague, Czech Republic

July
1 - Freigericht Rockt Festival - Freigericht, Germany
5 - Shibuya Club Quattro - Tokyo, Japan
6 - Umeda Club Quattro - Osaka, Japan
12 - Opera de Arame - Curitiba, Brazil (special guest to Richie Kotzen)
13 - Carioca Club - Sao Paulo, Brazil (special guest to Richie Kotzen)
15 - Vorterix - Buenos Aires, Argentina
16 - Teatro Vorterix - Rosario, Argentina

August
3 - Woodstock Poland - Kostrzyn, Poland

More dates to be announced.

For additional information visit thedeaddaisies.com.

“Make Some Noise” live video:

Trailer:

Wolvhammer has been confirmed to support for Shining and Revenge on their upcoming North American tour which consumes the month of May. The band also announces the upcoming recording of their fourth full-length album, which will see release late this year.
 
From May 5th through 24th, Wolvhammer will lead the charge on tour with Sweden's prolific black metal outfit Shining and Canada's brutal black/death act Revenge on No More Safe Space 2017. The tour begins in Baltimore and crushes a counter-clockwise path through the continent, with shows in Trenton, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Oakland, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Forth Worth. Additional Wolvhammer tour dates are nearing announcement as well.
 
Days after the tour, Wolvhammer will travel to Florida to enter the studio June 1st to record the band's fourth full-length album with Jarret Pritchard (1349, Goatwhore) at New Constellation Studio in Orlando. The album will see CD and digital release through Disorder Recordings and on vinyl through Vendetta Records early in the second half of the year. Additional details will be announced upon the album's completion.

Dates:

May
5 – Baltimore, MD – Sparta Inn
6 – Trenton, NJ – Championship Bar
8 – Montreal, QC – Foufounes Electriques
9 – Toronto, ON – Garrison
10 – Detroit, MI – Harpo’s
11 – Chicago, IL – Reggies
12 – Kansas City, MO – Riot Room
15 – Vancouver, BC – Red Room
16 – Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
17 – Portland, OR – Tonic Lounge
18 – Oakland, CA – Metro Opera House
19 – Las Vegas, NV – Adrenaline
20 – Los Angeles, CA – Complex
21 – Phoenix, AZ – Joe’s Grotto
23 – Austin, TX – Grizzly Hall
24 – Fort Worth, TX – Rail Club

(Photo by: Adam Degross)

Vancouver progressive virtuosos OmnisighT teamed up with Blackroom Films to release a new live video for their track "Shift The Paradigm" off their new EP The Power Of One released in January of this year. The video was shot during their EP release party on March 11th at The Astoria in Vancouver, BC. 

"‘Shift The Paradigm’ is definitely a track that features everything OmnisighT's known for: Extreme musicianship, big vocal hooks and great grooves. I was having some technical difficulties at the beginning of the song, but the show must go on! I've always liked music videos that show the realism of live performance, so I think it's pretty cool. It was awesome to debut the new material and shred it up live!" says guitarist Blake Rurik.

Power Of One is now streaming along with CD and digital download at BandCamp.

“Seven Sisters” lyric video:

Florida death metal veterans Killing Addiction have released a lyric video for "Cult Of Decay," a song from the Shores Of Oblivion EP. Order the EP here.

On Shores Of Oblivion, Killing Addiction exemplifies a style that spans death metal (Death, Morbid Angel), grindcore (Napalm Death, Carcass), and thrash (Slayer, Kreator). Equally heavy is a lyrical approach that deals in themes both political and philosophical.

After its 1989 formation, right in the thick of the influential Florida death metal scene, Killing Addiction released a demo and EP prior to the release of its 1993 full-length debut, Omega Factor. After another EP and a split release, the band called it quits in 1998, then reformed in 2006, eventually releasing sophomore full-length Fall Of The Archetypes on Xtreem Music in 2010 (also released as a limited-edition, six-song EP). The When Death Becomes an Art 7" EP followed in 2015 (Inverse Dogma Records).

Momentum gained and all cylinders firing, Killing Addiction wasted no time in releasing Shores Of Oblivion last fall, but the season was a bittersweet one for the band, as founding member Chad Bailey passed away in September. The band is slowly moving forward in an effort to continue the work and vision he helped create.

Former HANOI ROCKS frontman Michael Monroe will release a best-of compilation album, "Michael Monroe - The Best", before the summer to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of his debut solo album, "Nights Are So Long". Included on the new collection will be five bonus tracks, one of which is a new song called "One Foot Out Of The Grave", to be released as a single on April 7. There will also be a "very significant" cut featuring an as-yet-undisclosed "big-name" guest.

Monroe revealed the first details of the upcoming compilation during an interview with "Star Radio Rock Show With Neil Jones". Asked if he has already begun work on material for the follow-up to his last solo album, 2015's "Blackout States", the Finnish singer said: "We've already got a bunch of stuff. Right now we've got at least half an album of really strong stuff.

"Right now we're in the middle of labels, actually," he continued. "Well, I'm releasing a compilation of… It's been thirty years now since my first solo album, 'Nights Are So Long', came out, so it's like a thirty-year-anniversary kind of year. So we're releasing a best-of of all these years of all my solo albums. It's twenty-six songs, including the last three, and there's five bonus tracks, including a new single called 'One Foot Out Of The Grave', which is also included. There's five bonus tracks, previously unreleased, and one of them is very significant. I can't reveal yet, but there's a big name playing on one of them, so it'll be a nice surprise."

"Michael Monroe - The Best" was mastered earlier this month at Chartmakers studio in Espoo, Finland with mastering engineer Svante Forsbäck.

Even though HANOI ROCKS was formed in Finland, their trashy, hedonistic, decadent hard rock/pop-metal boogie influenced many Los Angeles acts, including GUNS N' ROSES and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

Asked in a January 2016 interview with Ytsejam if he ever felt like he was unfairly coined within the hair metal scene, Monroe said: "First of all, I never felt like I was part of that hair metal scene, I was blamed for it. I got blamed for it a lot. I said don't blame me. I didn't do that, I couldn't relate to a lot of that stuff. Those guys were into posing; sex drugs, rock and roll stuff. They guys were so wacky; partying, chicks and booze that always seemed more important to the music. To me, it was always about music and the attitude. HANOI ROCKS was always more about punk. I think any words such as glam, punk, or grunge or whatever, as soon as something has a name, it's over. The cool thing about HANOI ROCKS is that it defied all categories. Nobody could categorize us because we played everything from punk to calypso. I think, okay, what do you call AEROSMITH? Are they a rock band? I never liked being put into categories. The hair metal thing was ridiculous. Most of those bands played their hairspray cans better than they did their actual instruments. That was why I was almost embarrassed to say I was a rock singer."

Finnish extreme death metal band Enragement and Inverse Records have joined forces concerning their second album named Burned, Barren, Bloodstained. Release is set for June 9th. Preorder the album at Inverse Records.

The “Blood For The Sun God” single was released today as a video and can be streamed below and listened to on Spotify.

Since their debut full-length, 2014’s Omnimalevolence Of Man, Enragement has taken ever further leaps into the darkness. Honing skills, technique and atmosphere, and above all, their myriad visions of evil, the band’s new opus Burned, Barren, Bloodstained paints the band’s most abysmal portrait of man to date. 

Enragement presents a unique blend of three equal-footed growlers adding twisted nuances into the sea of brutality, to seamlessly highlight each step of their disgusting stories. No sound, no idea is beyond Enragement’s quest to create the ultimate song to capture the human condition at its darkest.

Tracklisting:

“River Of Corpses”
“Dead Flesh Treasury”
“Raining Bodyparts”
“Mass Of A Thousand Suns”
“Divine Catatonia”
“Ashen Unity”
“As The Acid Burns”
“To Become Earth”
“Blood For The Sun God”
“Armed Redeemer”
“Smite The Impure”

“Blood For The Sun God” video:

(Photo by: Joel Korhonen)

Dress The Dead have parted ways with former The Haunted vocalist, Peter Dolving. Guitarist Craig Locicero (ex-Forbidden) has posted the following message via the Dress The Dead Facebook page:

“After the last few weeks of change and the shock that followed, it was best to regain our bearings before saying too much.

“Let's recap. Peter announced to Facebook that he almost took his own life, has occupational burnout and he's retiring from being a professional musician. Just the day before we were having conversations about him moving to the Bay Area and setting up a string of local shows to sharpen our claws as well as our future dealings with a certain kick ass record label. He hit us without warning and left us standing at the alter.

“Of course we went through the natural cycle of emotions when you hear these things. Shock, worry, sorrow, anger, questions, numb, frustration, repeat and then finally some more clarity. We understood how this makes anyone who was getting into DtD feel. I mean, we just got started, played two kick ass sold out shows with Death Angel (thanks Boys!) and released “1969” to a fantastic response. It was brutal to be thrown into chaos and we deservedly needed to reevaluate ourselves and the band.

“What in the fuck does anyone say to such a dark statement and change? We love the hell out of Peter, but finding this out on Facebook was completely unacceptable and it made for an uncomfortable situation much worse by the way everyone was alerted. No way around it. He owed us at least a private conversation. Maybe a warning shot? At least he's alive and that's what matters on that level. But there's the others in the band that are continuing to think about. Our careers and family's. We matter as well. What's done is done and we're are moving on...

“This band started with my vision and that vision will continue. I wanted to create something heavy, beautiful, thrashy, melodic and rocking with dynamic musicians. I found the right brothers and we've done that. Our template has been set and we will continue doing so with the another singer. So far we've had some inquiries and conversations. Haven't brought anyone into the room as of yet.

“We feel as if we need to cast a larger net for submissions because the right person may or may not be located in the Bay Area. They would be preferably the U.S. and willing to relocate if need me. That would be ideal, but this is the modern era so nothing is off the table. We have the example of “1969” already out there, but there's so much more music to be worked on.

“This is how we'll do it... For now submit your audio or video clips via PM our Dress The Dead page on Facebook. It can be your own material, live or in the studio. Doesn't matter, just make it your best example.

“In the meantime we will be setting up a way for those who make the cut to get a couple of tracks with no vocals on them that the public hasn't heard to work with. This will be ideal for anyone serious about inquiring. There will be a clean slate going forward. What was in the past is now far behind us.

“That being said there are a few requirements. Have your shit together. Be able to sing and scream with range when needed. Be brave enough to stay the fuck out of the box. Be a great live performer with stage presence. Don't take yourself too seriously and have a sense of humor. No hard drugs or alcoholics. Simple stuff, really.

“It's okay to start feeling better about DtD again. Spring has sprung and we're moving on.

“Please keep buying those shirts and supporting “While we've been knocked down for a minute, we're getting right the fuck back up!

Canadian progressive metallers, Trilateral, have released a bass playthrough video for “Arbitrarium”, the track from their critically-acclaimed album, Elliptic Orbits.

In this second of three playthroughs, bassist Sam Smit demonstrates the dexterity, prowess, and sophisticated-brutality that have become the hallmarks of the Trilateral experience.

The first of three playthrough videos, featuring the talents of drummer Jacob Goose, delves into the subtle-yet-punishing percussive nuances of their song “Fountainhead”.

Trilateral is a multidimensional progressive metal band with influences as diverse as their music. A trinity of adept and nonconformist musicians, the band are not easily categorized into one simple genre, but that’s exactly what keeps hungry, forward-thinking metal fans interested in their unique sound. Although they integrate various fundamental elements of multiple genres and styles, Trilateral delivers their neural depth without mercy to shatter audiences’ expectations of what modern prog metal is truly capable of.

With their unique blend of brutality and jazz-fusion, the band manages to create a vast soundscape within every track that is not typically associated with metal.

Elliptic Orbits can be ordered at the band’s Bandcamp page.

Tracklisting:

“Dividers Of Infinity”
“Cloud Forest”
“Airlock”
“Celestial Bodies”
“Whalefall”
“Fountainhead”
“Nomad”
“Blessed Protagonist”
“Charon”
“Darkless”
“Arbitrarium”
“Convergence”

“Whalefall” lyric video:

Promo video:

Band lineup:

Graeme Kalb - Guitar/Vocals
Sam Smit - Bass/Vocals
Jacob Goose - Drum

Texas' Power Trip has released their official video for "Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)". The band continues to tour the planet in support of their Nightmare Logic LP, as they are currently torching the West Coast of North America and will head to Europe in the coming weeks.

Power Trip's new video for "Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)" takes us front and centre, into the eye of what is guaranteed to be a perfect storm time and time again. The footage, captured at a spirited hometown show in Dallas melts with clips of political propaganda which encompass vocalist Riley Gale's lyrics that hone in on the devaluation of human life by those who've gained power through money and politics. The video was directed by Andy Capper (Vice, Noisey) with director of photography Joel Pront, and editor Andrew Betsch.

After a wild, sold out East Coast/Midwest tour, Power Trip is currently taking over West Coast this month with Destruction Unit. Highlights include Los Angeles, Portland, Denver, Vancouver, and more just before they head to Europe with Napalm Death and Brujeria. Check below for a full list of dates.

March
28 - Marquis Theater - Denver, CO (with Destruction Unit, Call Of The Void, Primal Rite)
29 - Beehive Social Club - Salt Lake City, UT (with Destruction Unit, Primal Rite)
30 - WavePOP House - Boise, ID (with Destruction Unit, Primal Rite)
31 - Real Art Tacoma-The Deal - Tacoma, WA (with Destruction Unit, Primal Rite, Gag)

April
1 - Astoria - Vancouver, BC (with Destruction Unit, Primal Rite, Gag)
2 - Analog Theater - Portland, OR (with Destruction Unit, Gag)
4 - Arlene Francis Center - Santa Rosa, CA (with Destruction Unit, Mizery)
5 - Thee Stylehouse - Stockton, CA (with Mizery)
6 - The New Parish - Oakland, CA (with Destruction Unit, Primal Rite, Mizery)
7 - The Ritz - San Jose, CA (with Destruction Unit, Mizery)
8 - Teragram Ballroom - Los Angeles, CA (with Destruction Unit, Mizery)
9 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA (with Destruction Unit, Mizery)
10 - The Casbah - San Diego, CA (with Destruction Unit, Mizery)
11 - Rebel Lounge - Phoenix, AS (with Destruction Unit, Mizery, Gatecreeper)
12 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ (with Destruction Unit, Mizery, Gatecreeper)
25 - Amager Bio - Copenhagen, Denmark (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
26 - Pustervik - Gothenburg, Sweden (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
27 - Kraken STHLM - Stockholm, Sweden (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
28 - Roxy - Flensburg, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
29 - Flensburg - Magdeburg, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
30 - Patronaat - Haarlem, Netherlands (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)

May
1 - Underground - Koln, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
2 - SO36 - Berlin, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
4 - Kwadrat Club - Krakow, Poland (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
5 - Klub Fléda - Brno, Czech Republic (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
7 - Garage - Saarbrücken, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
9 - O2 Institute - Birmingham, UK (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
10 - Classic Grand - Glasgow, UK (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
11 - Rebellion - Manchester, UK (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
12 - The Electric Ballroom - London, UK (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
13 - Le Glazart - Paris, France (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
14 - Zappa - Antwerpen, Belgium (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
16 - Espace André Malraux - Six Fours Les Plages, France (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
17 - L'Usine - Geneva, Switzerland (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
18 - Zona Roveri - Bologna, Italy (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
19 - NCO Club - Karlsruhe, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
20 - Backstage - München, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
21 - Effenaar - Eindhoven, Netherlands (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)

(Photo - Sarah Churchill)

On April 7th, Australian thrashers Harlott will release their new album, Extinction, worldwide via Metal Blade Records. For another preview of the album, the third and final single, “Whore”, can be streamed below.

Harlott returns with a harrowing offering of thrash metal, and a bleak interpretation of mankind's future. A blistering assault of speed and aggression awaits those who endure Extinction, as well as a reverent journey into the power and force that is metal.

The album can pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- Digipak CD
- 180g black vinyl
- clear blue green vinyl (limited to 200 copies - EU exclusive)
- toxic green vinyl (limited to 100 copies - EU exclusive)
- burnt orange-marbled vinyl (limited to 100 copies - USA exclusive)

* digital options are also available

Featuring artwork by Andrei Bouzikov, Extinction is Harlott's third album and the successor to 2015's critically acclaimed Proliferation. Recorded at Monolith Studios (Orpheus Omega, In Malice's Wake, Bane of Winterstorm) and mastered by Jens Bogren (Kreator, Opeth, Soilwork), the album seeks to rain pure savagery upon any listener with furious riffs, spitting verses and face melting shred that are blended effortlessly with triumphant melodies and thundering groove to make a diverse and adaptable record which pays tribute to the kings of thrash metal, while making waves in the new dawn of evil. Taking what they had already mastered and pushing the limits of dissonance, evil, and atmosphere, they bring together an offering that will satisfy the bloodlust of their manic legion, and draw in the revelers of a dying breed. Containing 12 songs of pure bedlam, Extinction pauses only for the deafening silence between each blistering track.

Extinction tracklisting:

“Extinction”
“First World Solutions”
“The Penitent”
“Whore”
“No Past”
“Conflict Revelation”
“Better Off Dead”
“Violent Conspirator”
“And Darkness Brings The Light”
“Final Weapon”
“Parasite”
“Epitaph”

“Whore”:

“The Penitent”:

“First World Solutions”:

Harlott recently announced new lead guitarist Jake Weber: "We are psyched to announce we have found the right guy in Jake! It was never going to be an easy task but we couldn't be happier with how everything has fallen into place. With our new album Extinction due out on Metal Blade on April 7th, he couldn't have come along at a better time!"

Jake had this to add: "A little over 16 years ago, I first picked up the guitar and I've been swinging that axe ever since. In that time, I've played for bands such as The Murdering and Deprivation, as well as toured and recorded at home and abroad. Finally, I feel like I've really found my home and it's right where I always thought it would be, playing Thrash! I've joined at a very important time in Harlott's career. Andy, Tom and Tim have welcomed me with open arms and we are ready to become the tightest, fastest and hardest working machine Harlott can be! See you in the pit!"

Harlott lineup:

Andrew Hudson - Guitar/Vocals
Jake Weber - Lead Guitar
Tomas Richards - Bass
Tim Joyce - Drums

Florida-based metal band, World Gone, has released the official music video for their single, "Feed The Machine”. Self-directed and produced, "Feed The Machine" was shot in a Florida bunker.

Says the band: “”Feed the Machine" is a story of human enslavement and the struggle to find a way to finally be free. Afraid of death, future loss, injury, and imprisonment, the majority of humans have become easily controlled and dominated by the powerful few. The greatest resource in history has not been gold or oil, it has been the extortion of other humans. You can't get a hen to lay more eggs by threatening it but you can get a human to give you his eggs by threatening him. Human fear farming has been the most lucrative trade of all time and even now continues to feed the evil plans for domination of the universe by the bloated, power mad, and greedy Human Coercion Machine.”

Hailing from a rusted old shed behind a trailer park on the Westside of Jacksonville, World Gone is preparing to assault your life and senses with a freak audio apocalypse like none before. Years of pent up aggression and disgust with state of our so called civilized society and clustered masses of trendy spineless media outlets have bred a wholeheartedly honest and vigorously explosive combination of volatile ingredients forming the thing know as World Gone. Your ears will be forcefully penetrated and your eyes will be ruthlessly violated by being witness to this xenomorph of maximum twisted force.

Coming into existence through the wake of an unrealized dream, fueled by discontent and unwanted experiences, feelings, and thoughts, World Gone dissects and probes the depths of these shadow areas somehow trying to make something sick yet beautiful from the darkness in our lives and their current state of disrepair. World Gone has set on a journey to provoke inspired thought among the listening legions with poetry wrapped in an audial onslaught of brutality tempered with deep emotions that have been carved from the rotten flesh we call life.

Singer and frontman Joe Bennett is no newcomer to the shit storm known as the music business. Formerly with platinum selling artist Cold and other local Jacksonville heavy hitters like Snagglepuss and Order By Chaos, Joe has set out to make a difference not just for one group of listeners but all listeners. He has the presence, mind, and voice to delivers this post apocalyptic mutant gospel through at times terrifying and haunting orchestrations. Through years of writing and collaborating with some of the most creative minds in the industry like former and current members of Puddle Of Mudd, Cold, and Evanescence, Joe has honed his craft and ability to pull at the frayed heart strings of your soul. Prepare to feel something, prepare to think, prepare to go beyond what is seen and explore the hidden dark corners of your mind.

World Gone will rise to the pulpit to deliver this sermon with a dysfunctional choir to the fallen congregation. Give us your restless and shattered souls, we will give them the nourishment they seek. Sick and twisted things are happening in the underground of Florida. Come with us.

Italian folk/power metal band, Wind Rose, will release their new album, Stonehymn, on May 26th in Europe and North America via Inner Wound Recordings.

Having toured with bands like Wintersun, Eluveitie and Ensiferum, and with two successful albums under their belt, Wind Rose are ready to take things to the next level with the release of their third album Stonehymn, an album filled by the epic, powerful and folk inspired brand of power metal the band is known for.

Stonehymn was mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni (DGM, Ancient Bards, Secret Sphere) and the artwork was created by Jan Yrlund (Apocalyptica, Korpiklaani, Tyr).

Stonehymn tracklisting:

“Distant Battlefields”
“Dance Of Fire”
“Under The Stone”
“To Erebor”
“The Returning Race”
“The Animist”
“The Wolves’ Call”
“Fallen Timbers”
“The Eyes Of The Mountain”

Wind Rose are confirmed for Masters of Rock 2017, that takes place in Vizovice, Czech Republic July 13th - 16th. Other bands confirmed for the festival are Sabaton, Running Wild, Kreator, Edguy, Epica and more.

Corners Of Sanctuary (COS) have released the Cut Your Losses EP, available via Exquisite Noise Records. Purchase at this location.

The 4-song release is a nostalgic collection from the group as it contains new versions of two previously released songs, "Wild Card" and "My Revenge".

"These songs appeared on our first album and never came across the way we wanted them to in the studio," said Mick Michaels, COS guitarist and founder. "We wanted the opportunity to do it right and this was that opportunity. Both have new arrangements as well as all new lyrics for My Revenge... these are the versions we wanted," he continued.

The EP also includes two new tracks, the 80's anthem laden "Tonight We Roll" and "Mind's Eye"' a much darker-sounding change of pace for the band which was co-written by Michaels and bassist James Pera.

"I have to admit, I don't know how these guys can keep cranking out the quality tunes at such a furious pace! It's pretty amazing," stated Jason McGathey, Exquisite Noise Records President. "I love the machine gun sounding drums in My Revenge...and Wild Card is definitely a favorite,” he added.

A new music video, produced by A Creation Productions, for the single "Wild Card", was released in conjunction with the EP.

The video was filmed at the 3,400 acre Green Lane Park, the largest county park in northwestern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the band's home state. Primary footage was shot at the now closed Farms Bridge. The historic 133 foot structure, which overlooks Yellow Breeches Creek, was built in 1889 by the Phoenix Bridge Company and has become a center piece for Park hikers, fishermen and bird enthusiasts.

"Most of my memory of that day was trying to stay warm before, during and after takes... the wind was extremely frigid," said lead singer Frankie Cross. “I did more than my share of complaining...," he joked. "...but after seeing the final edit, it was well worth the hypothermia," Cross added.

A free mp3 download of ”Wild Card" is available here.

COS has a number of upcoming shows which include supporting Tim "Ripper" Owens of Judas Priest and Iced Earth fame, thrash legends Blood Feast and the Italian power metal band Savior From Anger. Plus spots at the NEPA Metal Meltdown Fest in May and the Chicago Festival of the Witch in July which will coincide with a short run of Midwest shows among others.

“We are really grateful for all the support,” said drummer Mad T. “The new EP sounds great… the shows have been going well… at times I still can’t believe all this happening and I have had a chance to be part of it,” he further added.

Corners of Sanctuary also plan to release a new full-length album, The Galloping Hordes, later this year and are currently in the studio recording.

"Everything is written and all the music is recorded. We're moving forward with vocals at this point," said Pera. "There are going to be a few surprises with this album... COS is an ever-changing musical landscape," he added.

Tour dates:

April
1 - Irish Wolf Pub - Scranton, PA (with Beyond Fallen)
2 - Whiskey Tango - Philadelphia, PA (with Tim “Ripper” Owens)
22 - The Vinyl Closet - Jeffersonville, PA (with Powerless Rise)
28 - Jabber Jaws – Allentown, PA

May
5 - NEPA Metal Meltdown 2017 - Plains, PA (with Sacred Oath)
6 - Backstage Pass - Ronkonkoma, NY (with Blood Feast)
7 - WADIO Radio (in Studio Performance) - Long Island, NY
12 - Saints Tavern – St. Clair, PA
13 - Metal Devastation Fest -Oddity Bar - Wilmington, DE
20 - On the Rox - Richmond, VA (with Fallout of Fear & Scarz Within)

June
3 - Bobby’s Place - Erie, PA (with Storms Within)
23 - The Rusty Nail - Ardmore, PA (with Savior From Anger)
24 - Irish Wolf Pub - Scranton, PA (with Savior From Anger & Beyond Fallen)

July
22 - Festival Of The Witch - Chicago, IL

More to be announced.

Argentina-based heavy/power metal band, Helker, have released a lyric video for “Fight”, a track from their new album, Firesoul, out on May 5th via AFM Records. The new clip is available for streaming below.

Helker is widely considered as the leading South American heavy metal band to emerge from Argentina. Since their start, Helker released three highly respected albums in their native language, Legado Secreto in 2001, Resistir in 2008 and A.D.N. in 2010; these albums helped a lot to built up a loyal fan-base not only by Argentina’s metal fans. Since their beginning, Helker was one of the most active live bands in South America and toured with Primal Fear, Hammerfall, Stratovarius, Gamma Ray, Shaman, Sinner, Masterplan and many more across Argentina and its neighbouring countries.

Firesoul will also be released in a Spanish version, Alma de fuego, which will be available digital only, also on May 5th.

Tracklisting:

“Genesis” (Intro)
“Fight”
“For All The Eternity”
“Playing With Fire”
“The One”
“Where You Belong”
“You Are In My Heart”
“Empty Room”
“Leaving Out The Ashes”
“Stay Away”
“Break Your Chains”
“Firesoul”

Bonus tracks:

“Rise Or Fall”
“Neon Knights”

“Fight” lyric video:

Snakecharmer’s sophomore album, Second Skin, will be released on May 12th. An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for the album is available for streaming below.

The British hard rock supergroup was originally founded in 2011 by former Whitesnake/David Coverdale members Micky Moody and Neil Murray along with the perfect mix of high calibre musicians including Laurie Wisefield (Wishbone Ash), Harry James (Thunder, Magnum), Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath live), and Chris Ousey (Heartland).

The band’s debut self-titled album was released in 2013 and musically the record showed a finely crafted hard rock style mixed with blues and melodic overtones, akin to Micky and Neil's former band and Bad Company, with hints of early Foreigner as well.

Snakecharmer played live shows regularly in support of the album’s release and built a solid fanbase in the UK and Europe. In 2016, Moody left the band and was replaced by the Irish-born Simon McBride on lead guitar.

Second Skin is the hotly anticipated second effort from Snakecharmer and brings the listener straight back to the good old days of real rock n' roll played with heart and soul. Slightly harder edged compared to the debut, but with roots still firmly planted in the classic hard rock vibe with a hint of late '70s AOR, this new record sounds fresh and crisp.

Bassist Neil Murray says: “It’s been a rather long journey, but finally I’m very pleased to announce that Snakecharmer are soon to release our new album, Second Skin. The band has now found its own unique musical identity and in particular Laurie Wisefield and Chris Ousey have contributed some very powerful and melodic songs, which still have the Snakecharmer blues-rock distinctive trademarks. The band works in a very democratic and collaborative way, which means that sometimes there is a lot of discussion before decisions are finally made, and it was great to have a more objective viewpoint from producer Gary Stevenson, who also fired the band up with his ideas, enthusiasm and sonic skills. We can’t wait to get out on tour and play some of the new songs, together with the best of our established classics, both Snakecharmer and Whitesnake, and showcase our new virtuoso guitarist, the brilliant Simon McBride.”

Tracklisting:

“Sounds Like A Plan”
“That Kind Of Love”
“Are You Ready To Fly”
“Follow Me Under”
“I'll Take You As You Are”
“Hell Of A Way To Live”
“Fade Awayv
“Dress It Up”
“Punching Above My Weight”
“Forgive & Forget”
“Where Do We Go From Here”

EPK:

“That Kind Of Love” video:

UK tour dates:

May
5 - Cardiff, UK - The Globe
7 - Bingley, UK - Bingley Arts Centre
10 - Hull, UK - Fruit
12 - Sheffield, UK - The Plug
13 - Tavistock, UK - The Wharf
14 - London, UK - O2 Academy Islington
18 - Glasgow, UK - 02 ABC2
19 - Newcastle upon Tyne, UK - 02 Academy
20 - Alva, UK - Scotland
24 - Preston, UK - Guildhall
25 - Milton Keynes, UK - The Stables
26 - Frome, UK - Cheese And Grain
27 - Holmfirth, UK - Picturedrome

Snakecharmer lineup:

Chris Ousey - vocals
Laurie Wisefield - guitar
Simon McBride - guitar
Adam Wakeman - keyboards
Neil Murray - bass
Harry James - drums

Dave Mustaine says that he made a "mistake" releasing "Risk" under the MEGADETH name, explaining that it would have been received far better if it had been made available as his solo album.

Issued in 1999, "Risk" received a mixed response from critics and alienated hardcore MEGADETH fans due to its departure from the band's heavy thrash metal roots to a more commercial, pop rock sound. The album debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard chart and was later certified gold for selling half a million copies in the United States.

In a recent interview with uDiscover about the birth of thrash metal, Mustaine admitted that MEGADETH had a few directional missteps over the course of its three-decade-plus career and pointed to the mid-to-late 1990s as a particularly turbulent period in the band's history.

"We did write some songs with [a] much larger scope in mind, obviously," he said (hear audio below). "I think if you look at the record 'Youthanasia' [1994], for example, there was an accompanying DVD that we put out with that record called 'Evolver', and during 'Evolver', there was a scene in there — if you have seen that, you may recall — [producer] Max Norman is holding a metronome and he's counting out beats per minute."

He continued: "This is what happens when you have a production team and somebody has control over the time and different stuff like that that goes along with creating the songs. Because the BPM [beats per minute] for that record… He had said the key to hit songs is everything being in the 120 BPM range. So it wouldn't surprise me if you got a metronome and went and listened to 'Youthanasia' how many songs you would find are in that 120 BPM range. And that's one of the reasons why, when I went back and remixed those and remastered those records, we reset some of those songs back to their original temps, which a lot of them were a little faster. 'Cause the songs felt better, but when you slowed them down, sure, they got a certain heaviness to them, which was awesome, but there was also that speed complex that you have to add into the equation if it's MEGADETH music. Thus the backlash with 'Risk', because people expected that speed and thrashy kind of stuff. If that record would have been called the 'Dave Mustaine Project', people would have loved it. But because it said MEGADETH, they expected MEGADETH. And that was my mistake; I should have called it a solo record. But I had the band guys on there, which would have been totally disrespectful to do that."

Mustaine's latest comments echo those he made to Full Metal Jackie last month when he said that writing MEGADETH's latest album, "Dystopia", was "really invigorating" since he didn't "care anymore about trying to write stuff for radio because it just backfires." He added: "Whenever you try and do something for somebody, it usually doesn't work, it ends up being something that's hit-or-miss. At this stage in my life, I don't wanna be taking any chances. I wanna have fun, I wanna write music that I love listening to, and I think that's what we did with 'Dystopia'."

MEGADETH will open for German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS on a month-long North American tour this fall.

On February 12, MEGADETH was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category for "Dystopia".

MEGADETH recently completed a month-long U.S. tour with AMON AMARTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, METAL CHURCH and BUTCHER BABIES.

Singer Myles Kennedy, who has fronted Slash's solo band since 2010, was asked in an interview with Metal Wani if there are still plans for the group, dubbed SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, to work on a new studio album now that Slash is off touring with the reunited GUNS N' ROSES. Kennedy responded: "Yeah, there's been talk of that. I think it's just a matter of when everybody's schedules can make it so that can happen. 'Cause the GUNS N' ROSES thing is going great. So it's just a matter of when that window comes."

Kennedy was also asked if he agrees with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons's controversial "rock is dead" comment. He responded: "No, absolutely not. I think that [the GUNS N' ROSES 'Not In This Lifetime'] tour is a testament the fact that there are still millions of people that wanna hear rock and roll, which is a good thing. I think that people have been saying that rock and roll is soon to be dead, really, since it started, which is fascinating to me. But I don't think it's gonna die anytime soon."

GUNS N' ROSES, with Slash and bassist Duff McKagan rejoining frontman Axl Rose in the band, began touring last year and has already book dates for much of 2017.

There's no word yet on how long GUNS intends to stay on the road or whether they plan to record new music.

Slash's second album with Kennedy and the CONSPIRATORS, titled "World On Fire", came out in September 2014. Their previous effort was 2012's "Apocalyptic Love".

Slash released his first self-titled solo effort in 2010. On that album he employed a different vocalist on each track, before settling on Kennedy for both touring and eventually recording.

Kennedy and ALTER BRIDGE issued their fifth studio album, "The Last Hero", in October.

Distorted Sound recently caught up with Children Of Bodom keyboardist Janne Wirman on the band's 20 Years Down & Dirty European Tour. An excerpt is available below.

Q: What made you choose this special setlist? I’ve seen on Facebook that you hinted you’d use material from your first four albums. What made you choose them?

Janne: "Well, this year is the 20th anniversary of the first album, so we decided to build a setlist mainly on the first two albums, so we have five songs from the first album and five songs from the second album. And then we came up with the idea of filling the rest of the setlist with songs only from the first four so we don’t play anything newer than that on this tour."

Q: Awesome. What would you say your highlights are of your career with Children Of Bodom?

Janne: "Well, some of the highlights, like these days, the first three or four albums we never got to tour the US, but after the fourth album we started touring the US. That was, obviously, a big thing for us because it’s a big market, it’s a whole other continent out there. But there’s so many, we’ve played in so many countries, over 60 countries, and stuff like that. I mean, a lot of great stuff has happened, but yeah, we’ve got to play in so many places, and I think that’s probably the best thing ever! (laughs)"

Q: So, what have you guys got planned for after the tour?

Janne: "This year, we’re going to start writing our new album, we will record a new album this year."

Read the complete interview here.

On March 10th, Children of Bodom played the third show of their current 20 Years Down & Dirty European Tour at Den Atelier in Luxembourg. The tour sees the band dusting off material from their first two albums, Something Wild (1998) and Hatebreeder (1999). "In The Shadows" had never been performed live prior to this tour, "Black Widow" hadn't been played since 2000, "Red Light in My Eyes: Part 2" was last heard on the COB stage in 1999, and "The Nail" has been put back into the set after almost 20 years.

Fan-filmed video is available below. The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Deadnight Warrior" 
"In The Shadows" 
"Needled 24/7"
"Black Widow" 
"Bodom After Midnight"
"Warheart" 
"Angels Don't Kill"
"Red Light in My Eyes: Part 2" 
"Hate Me!"
"Downfall"
"Everytime I Die"
"Lake Bodom"
"Bed of Razors" 
"Children of Decadence"

Encore:
"The Nail" 
"Towards Dead End"

 

 

 

 

Remaining tour dates:

March
30 - Pustervik - Gothenburg, Sweden

April
1 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, Denmark
2 - KB - Malmö, Sweden
3 - Rockefeller - Oslo, Norway
4 - Debaser Strand - Stockholm, Sweden

September
14 - Bingo Club - Kiev, Ukraine
15 - Re:public - Minsk, Belarus
16 - Yotaspace - Moscow, Russia
17 - Cosmonaut - St. Petersburg, Russia

RATT singer Stephen Pearcy, who, along with some of his bandmates, is involved in a legal battle with drummer Bobby Blotzer over the rights to the group's name, spoke in a brand new interview with "Sound Matters" about the fact that a legendary act like FOREIGNER is continuing to tour with Mick Jones as the sole remaining original member of the band. Asked if FOREIGNER's situation is different from RATT's in the sense that Jones has been the former outfit's main songwriter throughout its four-decade-plus existence, Pearcy replied: "Oh, I think so. And he's been around longer and has more of these redeeming qualities. He's not doing anything… I mean, that's the guy — he wrote the words and music. I mean, what are you gonna say? You can't do that? Anybody can play anybody's music, but, I mean, c'mon! Give respect. That was the analogy [comparing FOREIGNER to RATT] this other person [Editor's note: referring to Blotzer] was trying to use in this situation, but it doesn't work, because we wrote all the music, including myself, and to see it destroyed… I don't even wanna dwell on this shit; it's just psychopathic."

Pearcy went on to suggest that Blotzer should be placed under an involuntary 5150 psychiatric hold and is need of a trip to rehab. "It's just a scary situation to think of," the singer said. "It's, like, 'Woah!' Help is needed, please."

Last November, a California judge ruled against Blotzer with respect to whether bassist Juan Croucier had committed trademark infringement by using the RATT name and logo to advertise his band RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER back in the fall 2015. The judge furthermore decided that the corporation WBS, Inc. — of which Blotzer and guitarist Warren DeMartini were thought to be the sole shareholders — did not have ownership interest in the RATT marks and that the name and brand was still owned by the members who were part of the original RATT partnership agreement.

In addition to claiming to have expelled Blotzer from the partnership following the latest court ruling, DeMartini, Croucier and Pearcy said that Blotzer could now only refer to himself as a "former member of RATT," as per the partnership agreement.

Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini played their first official show as the reunited RATT on February 11 at Treasure Island in Welch, Minnesota. They were joined on stage by Cavazo and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

A completely different version of RATT — led by Blotzer and featuring a revolving door of members — has been hitting stages across the country since the fall of 2015.


Listen to "INTERVIEW: Stephen Pearcy from Ratt on Sound Matters" on Spreaker.