Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON have announced a European tour for September/October to coincide with the release of their highly anticipated upcoming studio album. The revered and groundbreaking extremists are hard at work on the new opus, with a release pencilled for Friday, September 22.

SATYRICON has always excelled live, its powerful, evocative performances, spearheaded by charismatic frontman and visionary Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven, are shows that stick in the memory. Their gigs are increasingly becoming special events, as the frequency is dialled back to accommodate the Oslo band's "modus operandi."

Speaking about the band's new album and return to the live fray, Satyr comments: "The vast majority of our shows have been sold out in recent years and it makes me very thankful and proud.

"Our fans know that we are done a long time ago with relentless touring, so that makes every opportunity special to us now.

"I know our new album is one that our fans will love and we know how much people appreciate SATYRICON as a live band. We are going to make every show unforgettable".

Tour dates:

Sep. 24 - Hamburg - Grunspan (Germany)Sep. 25 - Essen - Turock (Germany)Sep. 26 - Tilburg - 013 (Netherlands)Sep. 27 - Vosselaar - Biebob (Belgium) Sep. 29 - London - Heaven (UK) Sep. 30 - Paris - La Maroquinerie (France)Oct. 01 - Nantes - MJC De Reze (France)Oct. 02 - Toulouse - Le Metronum (France) Oct. 04 - Madrid - Sala But (Spain) Oct. 05 - Barcelona - Razzamatazz (Spain)Oct. 06 - Montpellier - Rockstore (France)Oct. 07 - Bologna - Zona Roveri (Italy)Oct. 09 - Zurich - Dynamo (Switzerland)Oct. 10 - Munich - Backstage Halle (Germany)Oct. 11 - Vienna - Szene (Austria)Oct. 12 - Prague - Akropolis (Czech Republic) Oct. 14 - Krakow - Kwadrat (Poland)Oct. 15 - Warsaw - Progresja (Poland)Oct. 16 - Berlin - SO36 (Germany)Oct. 17 - Copenhagen - Pumpehuset (Denmark)Oct. 19 - Aarhus - Train (Denmark)Oct. 20 - Gothenburg - Pustervik (Sweden)Oct. 21 - Stockholm - Klubben (Sweden)

Tickets are on sale now.

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

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

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

Satyr also revealed that SATYRICON's next album is being recorded on a farm outside Oslo, Norway.

"We've been jamming in a barn for a long time," he said. "Every time we go there, the atmosphere is really nice — we really enjoy being there.

"I just said, 'We play so well when we're here — the spirit and the soul, and what we do comes across as unique. What if we brought recording equipment and engineers here, instead of bringing SATYRICON to a studio?' So we're doing that."

SATYRICON drummer Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad told VirtualFestivals.com last summer that the material for the band's next album "feels more creative than anything we have done before. I think that we managed to open quite a few doors, creatively, than with previous albums at least. This dynamic element was important. What I have been feeling is all those doors lead somewhere, and we have been exploring them and the result is what you will hear on that next album. It will go much further than previous albums, and I think it will be a very loaded album. Intense, very very diverse. An album impossible to sum up in a few words, which is a good thing."

SATYRICON celebrated the 20th anniversary of its seminal album "Nemesis Divina" with a series of exclusive European shows which saw the Norwegian trailblazers performing the LP in its entirety for the first and last time. The album was also re-released in spring 2016, newly remastered by Satyr himself and boasting upgraded and revamped packaging.

Eleven songs — raucous, blues-based, uncompromising — mark a triumphant return for "Hollywood" rockers JUNKYARD on their first official album in 26 years, due on April 21 via Acetate Records.

While odds and sods have been released over the decades, "High Water" is a firm statement of the band's 2017, and onward, intent. As singer and founding member David Roach explains, in recent years, JUNKYARD had a blast playing "reunion" shows, which quickly turned into mini-tours through Spain and packed gigs across America. New songs began percolating, and JUNKYARD began writing.

"I had no grand illusions of a magnum opus, or that we'd try and recreate what we were 25 years ago," Roach states. "This album is not a departure; it's a rock 'n' roll record from JUNKYARD with songs about life, love, regret, addiction and memories." JUNKYARD, who hit MTV and radio hard with their self-titled 1989 Geffen Records debut and singles "Hollywood" and "Simple Man", cement the authenticity their first two records on "High Water", such blunt songs as the soul-searching of "Cut From The Same Cloth" to "We Fuck Like We Fight" (politely abbreviated as "WFLWF" for the politically correct) going down as easy as an aged Kentucky bourbon. The band members are straight ahead guys, but "High Water" has a few shades of meaning. Guitarist Tim Mosher explains: "It could be interpreted more than one way — like a 'high water mark' or the old phrase come 'hell or high water,' or with the image of the bottle on our CD cover, the actual 'high water,' aka booze!" "High Water" also boasts writing and lead guitar credits from Brian Baker, a JUNKYARD founding member who played with the band more than 25 years, but now plays his trade full time with BAD RELIGION. On the road, JUNKYARD are joined by Jimmy James (THE HANGMEN), with founding member Pat Muzingo and bassist Todd Muscat, who joined the band in 1991, rounding out the lineup. "The JUNKYARD sound is a pretty classic one: big guitars and drums with David spilling his guts on top," says Mosher, who produced the album. We wanted 'High Water' to sound loose and live, so as far as production goes we weren't trying to re-invent the wheel, just deliver the songs in the best light we could, then mix in some big riffs and throaty vocals and that's 'YARD."

JUNKYARD's classic sound got some help from a fan and friend on "High Water": Charlie Starr from the band BLACKBERRY SMOKE wrote the dramatic, forthright statement "Till The Wheels Fall Off" specifically for JUNKYARD. As for a theme running through "High Water", Roach jokes "we're not that clever," but describes the album as "a rock 'n' roll record with a nod to punk rock and outlaw country rock." It's a sound that's both timeless and timely.

As always, JUNKYARD steer clear of politics: "I personally prefer to keep politics out of my rock. I understand it's a great platform, and maybe some feel it's your duty to use it to a purpose, but I just feel our music is just for escape." For his part, lyricist Roach is unafraid to mine his own missteps in song, as he did in the past with 1989 fan favorite, "Hands Off". This go-round, he confesses all via the tune 'Wallet". "That song was inspired by a night I spent with a stranger on the eve of a tour," says Roach. "I met her at [Hollywood bar] Boardners and we went to her place. The next day I snuck off like a rat to go home and pack for the tour. After I left, I realized I left my wallet and had to do the walk of shame to retrieve it. Similar incidents have occurred — before and since to me — and I'm sure, countless others."

The band — and it's legion of longtime fans — is excited that "High Water" brings back JUNKYARD as an ongoing concern. As one of the great guttersnipe L.A. bands of the late '80s — a storied crew that includes GUNS N' ROSES, LITTLE CAESAR, THE HANGMEN — JUNKYARD were proud to be part of "one of the last great rock 'n' roll scenes," as they term it.

"I don't think we dated ourselves too badly in the beginning so a lot of our songs still have some relevance," said Roach. "Also, we were in hibernation a while, we weren't playing while a lot of our contemporaries were. It's not so much longevity as it was people who missed us 20 years ago finally have a chance to see us." Mosher, who was a fan of the group before joining JUNKYARD in 2000, sees all angles of the JUNKYARD saga...

"Although it's been 17 years since I joined, I'm still 'the new guy,' so with 'High', I wanted to give the fans something I would've wanted as a JUNKYARD fan — a proper third album," said Mosher. "It was important to all of us that the record be a statement of intent that could connect with fans from back in the day as well as hopefully find new ones for whom this might be their first 'YARD record. It's a tall order, but we're up for it." "High Water" track listing:

01. Walk Away02. Faded03. Cut From The Same Cloth04. Styrofoam Cup05. Hellbound06. W.F.L.W.F.07. Don't Give a Damn08. Hell or High Water09. Wallet10. 'Til The Wheels Fall Off11. Kindness to the Dead Bonus tracks:

12. The River13. Rome Is Burning14. Don't Give A Damn (acoustic)15. Styrofoam Cup (acoustic)16. Wallet (live) JUNKYARD is:

David Roach - VocalsTim Mosher - GuitarTodd Muscat - BassPatrick Muzingo - DrumsJimmy James - Guitar

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted has weighed in on the band's latest album, saying that it has "substance."

Newsted became METALLICA's third bassist in 1986, following Ron McGovney and Cliff Burton. Robert Trujillo took over in 2003 after Newsted's exit.

During a recent interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Newsted shared his thoughts on "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", telling the web site: "[The album] is a bit different than the other efforts that led up to it. Robert's a great fuckin' bass player and he's always been a great bass player. I've known him for 25 years at least. He's always been good and I owned all the INFECTIOUS [GROOVES] records and I wore INFECTIOUS t-shirts. I'm down. That guy has always got my respect. He got in there and he can hang with those guys and make it sound like it does? Peace, peace, power to you."

He added: "This last [album], I feel they've kinda come back into stride and there's something of substance here."

Last August, Newsted told the SiriusXM satellite radio show "Eddie Trunk Live" that he was impressed by the first single from the new METALLICA album, "Hardwired". "I can't believe how wicked it is," he said. "I heard it a couple of times. Somebody played it for me in a car, and I brought it home and listened to it a little bit. I like its nature. I like its teeth, man. It's great."

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001 but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Ulrich, guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and Trujillo, in 2009.

Newsted's current endeavor is a pair of acoustic groups, including the CHOPHOUSE BAND (named after his four recording studio facilities around the U.S. and featuring a fluid roster of players), which played several shows last September.

After returning from a triumphant tour of South America and right before hitting the road with their Century Media labelmates ARCH ENEMY and THE HAUNTED, Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL have released a new video for one of their crowd favorites, "Blood, Tears, Dust". The clip was directed and edited by Cosimo Alemà and produced by the production company Borotalco. Commented LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia: "Right now I can't tell you everything about 'Blood, Tears, Dust', as this video is part of something bigger... This is the core of who we are as a band: the sweat, the dirt, the raw energy. It's our insanity and all of us feeling comfortable with it.

"I love how by Cosimo Alemà filmed this. The photography, the colors and the hints in the story are perfectly placed and it is the first time we are really 'acting'. This video is only a part of a much bigger plan... stay tuned. Hope you enjoy this video as much as I do!"

"Blood, Tears, Dust" is taken from LACUNA COIL's latest album, "Delirium", which was released last May through Century Media. The CD was recorded at BRX Studio in Milan between December 2015 and February 2016. The effort was produced by LACUNA COIL bassist and main songwriter Marco "Maki" Coti-Zelati, with engineering by Marco Barusso and additional assistance from Dario Valentini. Coti-Zelati also created the artwork for "Delirium", which is based on an atmospheric session captured by Italian photographer Alessandro Olgiati.

LACUNA COIL has recruited Diego Cavallotti as a fill-in guitarist for the band following the departure of Marco "Maus" Biazzi.

Biazzi left LACUNA COIL in January 2016, explaining in a statement: "I felt I couldn't add more in this project any longer so I decided to leave my second family, LACUNA COIL, to take a different path for a new challenge in my life.

LACUNA COIL in February 2014 parted ways with guitarist Cris "Pizza" Migliore and drummer Cristiano "Criz" Mozzati.

The official video for the song "Lawbreaker" from German power metallers GRAVE DIGGER can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Healed By Metal", which was released on January 13 via Napalm Records.

Asked if GRAVE DIGGER has ever been "healed by metal," vocalist Chris Boltendahl told Spark TV: "Yeah, I've [been] healed by metal a lot of times in my life. Mostly in bad times. When I listen to metal music, it builds me up again. I think it's a good title for GRAVE DIGGER. There's so many people outside who have problems. I think this record can help some people.

Regarding why the band named the album "Healed By Metal", Chris said: "Two years ago, we played a big open-air festival in Moscow. There was a hospital beside the festival [site]. There were people inside who had to listen to metal all day. I said while I was with our sound engineer, 'Oh, the poor people. They have to listen to GRAVE DIGGER all day.' He said, 'Look at me. Yes, all the people are healed by metal.'"

Chris also talked about GRAVE DIGGER's goal with the new album. He said: "First, to satisfy ourselves, then to satisfy the people outside. We want to always deliver a piece of quality. This time, it's much better quality, not than the previous albums, but in our own mind. Yeah, I think it's a piece of metal."

"Healed By Metal" track listing:

01. Healed By Metal02. When Night Falls03. Lawbreaker04. Forever Free05. Call For War06. Ten Commandments Of Metal07. The Hangman’s Eye08. Kill Ritual09. Hallelujah10. Laughing With The Dead

Digipack bonus:

11. Kingdom Of The Night12. Bucket List

GRAVE DIGGER's previous collection of all-new material, "Return Of The Reaper", was released in July 2014 via Napalm Records.

ADRENALINE MOB — the band featuring Russell Allen (vocals; also of SYMPHONY X) and Mike Orlando (guitar) — will release its third studio album, "We The People", on June 2 via Century Media. The follow-up to 2014's "Men Of Honor" is the first ADRENALINE MOB release to feature the band's new drummer Jordan Cannata and bassist David Zablidowsky (of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA).

"We The People" will be available for purchase as a special edition CD digipak, gatefold 2LP+CD, and on all standard digital and streaming music platforms.

ADRENALINE MOB will soon announce a world tour which will commence in June, coinciding with the release of "We The People".

"We The People" track listing:

01. King Of The Ring02. We The People03. The Killer's Inside04. Bleeding Hands05. Chasing Dragons06. Til The Head Explodes07. What You're Made Of08. Raise 'Em Up09. Ignorance & Greed10. Blind Leading The Blind11. Violent State Of Mind12. Lords Of Thunder13. Rebel Yell

As the title "We The People" indicates, there's a political side to ADRENALINE MOB. Throughout their years as a musicians and songwriters, they hadn't stayed silent on matters significant. Whether they were masked in metaphor or flatly conspicuous, they've always poured their feelings into song. It was, as Orlando puts it, a form of catharsis. So, as they were watching the presidential campaigns, feeling the negativity — the constant bickering and finger pointing — they knew ADRENALINE MOB's next venture would be affected. In fact, the first song Orlando began writing for "We The People" was the politically charged rocker "Blind Leading The Blind". "The title track is very much inspired by the past election year," confirms Allen. "It touches on our society, here in America. The album title is a reflection of our times. The songs have certain particular stories that stand on their own. Many of them are also driven by the climate we live in today and some are about having a good time, being free and loving rock 'n' roll. All the tracks have a personality and character to them."

ADRENALINE MOB and TWISTED SISTER drummer A.J. Pero died in March 2015 of a heart attack.

Bassist John Moyer, who has been a member of DISTURBED since 2004, joined ADRENALINE MOB in February 2012 and appeared on the band's "Covertà" EP (2013) and "Men Of Honor" album (2014).

"Men Of Honor" sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 99 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's full-length debut, 2012's "Omertá", opened with around 6,600 units to enter the chart at No. 70.

Drummer Mike Portnoy (FLYING COLORS, THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) quit ADRENALINE MOB in June 2013 due to "scheduling conflicts."

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, commemorates the tenth anniversary of Record Store Day with an electrifying lineup of exclusive new and collectible 7" and 12" vinyl releases. Among these is ALICE IN CHAINS' "Get Born Again"/"What The Hell Have I", two 7" black vinyl singles in gatefold sleeve.

This special ALICE IN CHAINS 45 RPM double 7" single collects four hard-hitting tracks remastered and available on vinyl for the first time. "What The Hell Have I" and "A Little Bitter", released on the soundtrack to the Arnold Schwarzenegger film "Last Action Hero" in 1993, were the first to feature new bassist Mike Inez, who'd played with Ozzy Osbourne for five years. "Get Born Again" and "Died", released on the box set "Music Bank" in 1999, were the band's final recordings with original vocalist Layne Staley.

Now in its tenth year, Record Store Day is an annual day-long celebration of record store culture held on the third Saturday in April. Record Store Day has named St. Vincent as Record Store Day's Madame Ambassador 2017.

Record Store Day 2017 will be celebrated at independent record stores worldwide on Saturday, April 22.

To locate your nearest participating Record Store Day 2017 retailer, go to this location.

"Welcome To Wacken", an interactive virtual reality documentary that takes you deep inside Germany's Wacken Open Air — the biggest heavy metal festival on Earth — will receive its world premiere at Hot Docs, Canadian International Documentary Festival as part of the DocX programme (April 28 to May 1) in Toronto. It will be available on most major VR platforms following the festival.

Produced by Canada's Banger Films ("Metal Evolution", "Iron Maiden: Flight 666") and Secret Location, it's the first fully 360-degree virtual reality music festival documentary. A story in five parts as told by different fans from around the world and climaxing with a live performance from ARCH ENEMY that puts viewers on stage with the band.

"Ever since our first film, 'Metal: A Headbanger's Journey', we've wanted to create something unique about Wacken," said Sam Dunn, director and co-founder, Banger Films. "Metalheads around the world know that going to Wacken is a truly transformative experience. And we felt that the best way to capture this feeling was by filming in Virtual Reality. It's the next best thing to actually having your feet in the mud at Wacken!"

Wacken, which has a paid crew of 2,500, does not announce the names of its headliners before tickets go on sale. Still, the first 45,000 tickets to Wacken Open Air 2016 were sold within two hours after the pre-sale started. It didn't take long for the remaining tickets to be snapped up — marking the eleventh time in a row that all tickets to the event have been sold.

Florida power metal act, Seven Kingdoms, have recently signed to Napalm Records and are now ready to unveil the tracklisting, release date and cover artwork for their forthcoming full-length album and Napalm Records debut, Decennium.

A band started for fun, found that hard work and dedication to their craft has major pay offs... Seven Kingdoms is carving its own path in metal history creating something genuinely unique, yet undeniably power metal.

Decennium tracklisting:

“Stargazer”
“Undying”
“In The Walls”
“The Tale Of Deathface Ginny”
“Castles In The Snow”
“Kingslayer”
“The Faceless Hero”
“Neverending”
“Hollow”
“Awakened From Nothing”
“In The Walls” (EP Master) (Bonus Track)
“Undying” (EP Master) (Bonus Track)
“The Bloody Meadow” (Re-Recording) (Bonus Track)
“Stormborn” (Re-Recording) (Bonus Track)

Decennium will be released worldwide via Napalm Records on May 5th. Pre-order here.

Decennium was recorded with Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Savatage, Death) and Phil Pluskota (Abiotic, King Conquer) at North Avenue Studios and Morrisound Recording. Seven Kingdoms mixed the album at Morrisound Recording and was mastered by Jacob Hansen (Avantasia, Evergrey, Volbeat).

Commented Seven Kingdoms guitarist Camden Cruz: "We are very excited to start the pre-orders for the official worldwide release of Decennium via Napalm Records. We are very, very happy with this album and it is undeniably the best product the band has put fourth yet. Napalm ensures that a significant amount of people overseas will get a chance to get the record now without the incredible shipping prices, and also we are excited to finally bring digital and streaming platforms to the fold thanks to Napalm. We are very excited for what all of this new stuff brings! Please pre-order the record and tell your friends to do the same! See you on tour with Evergrey in about 6 weeks! Get your tickets for the North American dates!"

Seven Kingdoms will embark on full length North American tour with Evergrey, Need and Ascendia in May and June 2017 to support the new album. More shows are being added; catch them live at the following confirmed shows:

May
6 - The Haven - Orlando, FL
7 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL
9 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
10 - Gas Monkey - Dallas, TX
11 - The Rock Box - San Antonio, TX
13 - Joe's Grotto - Phoenix, AZ
14 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
15 - Adrenaline bar - Las Vegas, NV
17 - The Viper Room - Los Angeles, CA
18 - TBA - San Francisco, CA
19 - TBA - Portland, OR
20 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
21 - The Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC
22 - Dickens Pub - Calgary, AB
23 - Exchange - Regina
25 - The Cabooze - Minneapolis, MN
26 - Reggie's - Chicago, IL
27 - The Token Lounge - Detroit, MI
28 - Mod Club - Toronto, ON
30 - L'Anti - Quebec City, QC

TBA - New York, NY
TBA - Philadelphia, PA
 
More dates will be announced shortly.

Seven Kingdoms lineup:

Sabrina Valentine - Vocals
Camden Cruz - Guitar
Kevin Byrd - Guitar
Keith Byrd - Drums
Aaron Sluss - Bass

"End Of Earth", the new video from Richie Kotzen, can be seen below. The song is taken from the ever-adventurous triple-threat songwriter/guitarist/vocalist 21st solo album, "Salting Earth", which will be released on April 14 via his own custom label, Headroom-Inc. Kotzen tossed convention on its ear by actually taking one step back in order to move two steps forward. "It's something I really needed to do in order to reset myself," he explains. Kotzen's "charge to recharge" was officially put into play following the mega-success of the 2015–16 tour behind his band THE WINERY DOGS' sophomore effort, the oh-so-appropriately named "Hot Streak". And the man's reset manifesto wound up hitting all the right buttons too. The proof is on display deep within the grooves of "Salting Earth", which veers from the balls-out, heads-up declaration of the opening track and first single, "End Of Earth", to the burning-sky harmonic thrust of "Thunder" to the Prince-like funk-jazz swing of "This Is Life" to the acoustified take-me-as-I-am self-reflection of the album's final song, "Grammy". The majority of "Salting Earth" is the result of Kotzen's one-man production machine, with the exception of Julia Lage adding background vocals to "Make It Easy", a tasty, sing-along groove stew. "It's really not deliberate when the record is finished and suddenly I'm the only performer on it," Kotzen admits. "It actually comes out of my process of writing and documenting my ideas. It started back in the late '80s when I had a makeshift studio in my parents' barn. I grew up fairly isolated, and I soon realized in order to get this music out of my head and onto a format where I could listen to it, I'd have to figure out how to do it alone." Kotzen's previous solo release, 2015's diverse, far-reaching "Cannibals", was a well-received hit among his core fan base, and "Salting Earth" cuts like the aforementioned "End Of Earth", "Thunder" and "Divine Power" all showcase the scorching guitar solos and soaring vocals that one would expect from a Kotzen solo album. That said, there's also quite a vulnerable side on display here that's perhaps best demonstrated in the stripped-down approach to the album's closing salvo, "Grammy". "That song came to me in the oddest way at the most inconvenient time," he reveals of the track that can be filed in the "first thought, best thought" category. One night when he was home alone, "I basically woke myself up with the chorus melody in my head, and in my haze, I knew that if I didn't at least record the idea, it would be forever lost. I ended up programming a simple drum beat, and then recorded the acoustic guitar. The lyrics pretty much wrote themselves. By 6 in the morning, the song was finished. I was going to do more overdubs, but I kept playing it over and over, and I just felt like there was something so personal coming out of the speakers. By messing with it, I'd likely destroy the magic — so I left it as it is." Bringing "Salting Earth" live to the people is Kotzen's next holy mission. "My real outlet is touring — playing live as much as I can, wherever I can, whenever I can," he says enthusiastically. "It's one of the few things you can't copy, steal, or download. It's an engaging human experience that's a give-and-take between both the performer and the audience, and there is nothing else like it on this earth." Kotzen will launch his "Salting Earth" tour on April 21 at The Canyon club in Agoura Hills, California. He and his band are planning to tour extensively throughout the U.S. and continue their journey into Mexico, South America, and Europe. "Salting Earth" track listing: 01. End Of Earth02. Thunder03. Divine Power04. I've Got You05. My Rock06. This Is Life07. Make It Easy08. Meds09. Cannon Ball10. Grammy

Photo credit: Julia Lage

Negură Bunget drummer Gabriel “Negru” Mafa has died at the age of 42.

Vocalist, guitarist Tibor Kati has released the following statement:

“With great grief in our souls, we inform you that our friend and colleague, Gabriel ‘Negru’ Mafa, passed today, March 21st, 2017, aged 42.

“We deeply regret the death of the man who founded and maintained Negură Bunget, and who dedicated his life to the sacred side of our culture, bringing it to life through music and transmitting it to various generations from all over the world. 

“We hope that his legacy will continue to enchant and console those whom he left behind. 
With regret and sadness, we offer our condolences to his family and to those who knew and cherished him in this life.”

Negură Bunget’s most recent album, ZI, was released on September 30th, 2016. The band was planning 20th anniversary shows throughout the year in North America and Mexico.

Arjen Lucassen’s Ayreon have release four fan-made videos for “The Source Will Flow”, featured on the upcoming album, The Source.

Says Arjen: “A month ago we asked the fans to make a video for the song “The Source Will Flow” from the new Ayreon album. It’s finally time to reveal the four best videos, we want you to decide the winning video! Please head to my website and vote to let us know which video you like best! And of course... I hope you enjoy the music.”

Vote for your favourite video here.

The Source is an exciting new chapter in Arjen Lucassen’s Ayreon saga, with contributions from renowned vocalists like James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Simone Simons (Epica), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Tobias Sammet (Edguy, Avantasia), and Russell Allen (Symphony X). The Source will be released on April 28th through Ayreon’s new label Mascot Label Group/Music Theories Recordings.

Pre-order the album in various formats at this location.

The Source tracklisting:

CD1

Chronicle 1: The Frame
“The Day That The World Breaks Down”
“Sea Of Machines”
“Everybody Dies”

Chronicle 2: The Aligning Of The Ten
“Star Of Sirrah”
“All That Was”
“Run! Apocalypse! Run!
“Condemned To Live”

CD2

Chronicle 3: The Transmigration
“Aquatic Race”
“The Dream Dissolves”
“Deathcry Of A Race”
“Into The Ocean”

Chronicle 4: The Rebirth
“Bay Of Dreams”
“Planet Y Is Alive!”
“The Source Will Flow”
“Journey To Forever”
“The Human Compulsion”
“March Of The Machines”

DVD

Videos:
“Everybody Dies”
“Star Of Sirrah”
“Run! Apocalypse! Run”
“The Day That The World Breaks Down”
Interviews
Behind The Scenes
5.1 Audio Mix

“Everybody Dies” lyric video:

“The Day That The World Breaks Down”:

Vocalists confirmed for the new Ayreon album include:

- James LaBrie (Dream Theater) as The Historian
- Tommy Rogers (Between The Buried And Me) as The Chemist
- Simone Simons (Epica) as The Counselor
- Michael Mills (Toehider) as TH-1
- Floor Jansen (Nightwish) as The Biologist
- Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian) as The Astronomer
- Tobias Sammet (Edguy, Avantasia) as The Captain
- Michael Eriksen (Circus Maximus) as The Diplomat

Toronto rockers Danko Jones kicked off their Wild Cat European tour on March 15th at the Garage in London, England. Fan-filmed video from the night is available below.

The band recently updated their European tour schedule for 2017 with festival and club shows April through August. It is now as follows:

March
22 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
23 - Warsaw, Poland - Proxima 
24 - Krakow, Poland - Kwadrat 
25 - Dresden, Germany - Beatpol
26 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
28 - Winterthur, Switzerland - Salzhaus
29 - Solothurn, Switzerland - Kofmehl 
30 - Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
31 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix

April
21 - Sälen, Sweden - Högfjällshotell

June
14 - Budapest, Hungary - A38
15 - Nickelsdorf, Austria - Nova Rock Festival    
16 - Erlangen, Germany - E-Werk 
23 - Tuttlingen, Germany - Southside Festival

July
28 - Oulu, Finland - Qstock    

August 
3 - Åndaaalssnes, Norway - Raumarock
4 - Uskedalen, Norway - Festivalen
9 - Eschwege, Germany - Open Flair Festival

Danko Jones have released a video for “My Little RnR”, a track from their upcoming Wild Cat album, out on March 3rd via eOne in Canada and Bad Taste Records/AFM Records internationally.

Says band leader Danko Jones: "This is a fun stop-motion horror-themed music video from the POV of a blood-sucking vampire. Who doesn’t love blood and guts and RNR?”

Danko Jones have never felt more vibrant or hungry than they are on Wild Cat. The 11-track album is a raw representation of the band’s collective musical history and influences, and without a doubt their most solid album yet.

Tracklisting:

“I Gotta Rock”
“My Little RnR”
“Going Out Tonight”
“You Are My Woman”
“Do This Every Night”
“Let's Start Dancing”
“Wild Cat”
“She Likes It”
“Success In Bed”
“Diamond Lady”
“Revolution (But Then We Make Love)”

Wild Cat teaser:

Wild Cat is available as a special limited edition coloured vinyl - 500 units each - in black, white, purple yellow and orange. Go to this location for purchase details.

Singer, poet, illustrator, author and activist Otep Shamaya shook things up at SXSW this past weekend by dropping her latest artistic protest of mounting regressive political actions. She took a further stand for equal rights with the world premiere of her band's empowering new music video for the heavy, rap-influenced track "Equal Rights Equal Lefts". Fans at Colours Couture's SXSW fashion showcase presented by 3Thirteen Entertainment Group this weekend were treated to the video (directed by Aleks Rastovic) for the first time during OTEP's headlining set. After the premiere, OTEP posted the video on her YouTube channel for the world to see. Watch it below (**Warning: Portions of this video are NSFW**). The "Equal Rights Equal Lefts" video and track further solidify OTEP's diligent quest for equality.

"I wrote this song to celebrate and empower all people to live their authentic selves, to live their truth, and to fight for their right to exist," Otep says. "Every day the LGBTQ community faces bigotry, bullying, ridicule and legislative attacks. We are not 'the other.' We are your friends, your family, your neighbors, your coworkers, your doctors, nurses, soldiers and fellow Americans. Simply put, this song and this video are about love and equality." OTEP will wrap up the first leg of its "The Resistance" world headline tour this week.

The band is touring in support of its most recent full-length release, "Generation Doom", which hit stores in April 2016 via Napalm Records.

Birthed in 2005, prior to the more-recent explosion of tech death, Lacerta paved the way for later-era tech death bands such as Beyond Creation and Archspire and released their debut effort, entitled Mind Processor, in 2010. The album, produced by Psycroptic guitarist Joe Haley, was the perfect combination of brutality and brains, with the over-arching sci fi themes the perfect narrative to the clinical-yet-complex compositions.

In the time it would take an astronaut to circle the earth 38,000 times, Lacerta wrote and recorded their debut effort, toured with the likes of Ruins, Psycroptic, Dreadnaught, Gape, and MSI, and wrote and recorded their brand new sophomore effort. This latest self-titled album contains eight tracks of classy, sophisticated, death metal architecture that will certainly go on to inform a whole new journey of tech death into the furthest reaches of space.

The band’s self-titled album will be released on April 14th via CDN Records. A video for the lead track, “Pillars Of Deceit” can be found below.

Tracklisting:

“Pillars Of Deceit”
“Grotesque Design”
“Hell To Pay”
“Incubation Of Tyrants”
“Void Of Shadows”
“Gargantua”
“Molecular Residue”
“Ambiguous Forms”

“Pillars Of Deceit” video:

Tech and death. Those two words, when combined, can mean one of either two things - either all-noodle-no-brutal, or all-brutal-with-just-the-right-amount-of-noodle. Thankfully, Tasmanian tech death mavericks Lacerta fall into the latter category.

Lineup:

Anthony Gilbert - Lead Guitars
Gabe Latham - Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Patrick Neumayer - Drums
Justin Wilton - Bass

Metal-Heads.de conducted an interview with guitarist Andreas Kisser of Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA before the band's March 4 concert in Essen, Germany as the support act for KREATOR. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if there are plans for SEPULTURA to return to Europe in the near future for a headlining tour, Kisser said: "We have a plan to come back to Europe at the end of the year, doing our own tour. And pretty soon we're gonna have news about it. We're preparing something very special, very different — something we never did before — and hopefully it will work great. So be aware that we will be back."

Kisser also offered an update on the official SEPULTURA documentary which has been in the works for several years. He said: "It's finally done, actually. The director is following the band the last seven, eight years almost. He went on different tours — he went to Indonesia, Europe, States, everywhere with us — and also [collected] interviews with a lot of different people, musicians and roadies, and I think it will be very interesting to show how it is to be a part of a band like SEPULTURA and to have a family. Not only for the metal crowd, but for the normal crowd, to see the trajectory of a band from Brazil and thirty-three years of a career and stuff. I'm very excited about it. It took a while, but there's no other way to do something like that. But hopefully now in May or in April, we're gonna have more news and a date for the specific official release."

SEPULTURA's latest album, "Machine Messiah", was released on January 13 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was produced by the band and Jens Bogren (SOILWORK, OPETH, KATATONIA, AMON AMARTH) of Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden. The CD's cover artwork was created by Filipino artist Camille Della Rosa.

SEPULTURA will join veteran San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT on a North American tour in April. Additional support on the trek will come from PRONG.

Roadburn Live is Enslaved’s first official live album, a split release between Roadburn Records and By Norse Music. The album was recorded during one of the band’s headline shows at the renowned Roadburn Festival 2015; an edition curated by Enslaved’s guitar player Ivar Bjørnson.

Walter Hoeijmakers / Roadburn's Artistic Director comments on the release:

"It’s no secret that there’s a strong friendship between Roadburn and Enslaved. One of the most hard-hitting and progressive bands to come out of Norway, Enslaved has played a significant part in the festival's history - both musically and artiscally. Not only has Enslaved been our artist in residence, bringing side-projects such as The Armageddon Concerto (the Enslaved / Shining collaboration), Dream of an Opium Eater and Trinacria to Roadburn, Ivar Bjørnson has also been our 2015 co-curator, along with Wardruna’s Einar Kvitrafn Selvik, and resulting in Skuggsjá's first ever performance outside of Norway. Enslaved’s 2015 performances were the pinnacle of this enduring and artistic friendship, and showcased the massive influence the band has had on both Roadburn, and the (underground) metal scene for the past two decades. To have these shows captured on vinyl is a dream come true for me, and I truly hope it’s the same for anyone who was in attendance, or those who want to indulge themselves in the Northern magic of Enslaved."  

Roadburn Live will be available as limited and exclusive Record Store Day (April 22nd) color editions and as Roadburn/Enslaved-Webshop Gold edition including the original A3 Roadburn poster and color stickers.

To celebrate the release, what better way than to hold a playback session with the members of Enslaved at the Roadburn Festival 2017! Becky Laverty / Roadburn Festival comments: 

“Enslaved and Roadburn share a history that is entwined and their 2015 performance on the main stage was such a fantastic milestone for both parties, that it makes perfect sense for the show to be released as a live album. As the album will be released during Roadburn 2017, it seemed fitting to invite attendees and the band alike to join us for a playback session at the festival as part of our popular side program.”

Roadburn Live also features a brilliant layout created by highly respected artist and Roadburn’s regular graphic designer Costin Chioreanu. The album was mixed by Iver Sandøy at Solslottet Studio, mastered by Jens Bogren (Kreator, Opeth, Sepultura) in Fascination Studios. It is also the last official release with Herbrand Larsen on keys and vocals.

After celebrating 25 years in 2016 showcasing a majority of older material, Roadburn Live displays songs mainly from the "newer" and more progressive era of Enslaved’s career, with songs from In Times, Riitiir, Isa, Below The Lights and Monumension. Featuring guest appearances of Einar Selvik (Wardruna), Aðalbjörn Tryggvason (Sólstafir), Per Wiberg (Opeth, Candlemass); and Menno Gootjes (Focus) on "Immigrant Song", this is the first cover song by Enslaved to appear on any record ever.

Grutle Kjellson comments on the album: "I'm generally not a huge fan of live albums, I like to be present at a show, to grasp the energy of the band and to witness the, sometimes, magical symbiosis that occurs between the band and the audience. I am, however, a huge fan of the Roadburn Festival! I consider this to be my all-time favorite, both as a musician and as a guest. Therefore; if ever Enslaved were to release a live album, it had to be from a Roadburn show! I hope you will enjoy listening to this piece of wax as much as we did recording it!"

Tracklisting:

“Building With Fire”
“Death In The Eyes Of Dawn”
“In Times”
“Daylight”
“Convoys To Nothingness”
“As Fire Swept Clean The Earth”
“Isa”
“Immigrant Song” (Led Zeppelin cover)

“Death In The Eyes Of Dawn”:

STONE SOUR bassist Johny Chow has described the band's upcoming disc, "Hydrograd", as "a straight rock and roll album," explaining that it's "a little bit of a departure from previous STONE SOUR" releases.

"Hydrograd" is tentatively due in June via Roadrunner Records. The disc was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER.

Speaking to Meltdown of the WRIF radio station in Detroit, Michigan, Chow stated about the "Hydrograd" songwriting process (hear audio below): "[STONE SOUR singer] Corey's [Taylor] been out doing SLIPKNOT, so the whole time while he was out doing that, we'd all get together every six months or so and record about six songs over at Roy's [Mayorga, drums] studio, and came up with eighteen songs, and we recorded all of 'em."

He continued: "Everybody in the band wrote on this album. People would have their song ideas kind of in demo form, and we'd all exchange them, learn them, and then when we would meet up at Roy's, we would work 'em out and lay 'em down. Then Corey would come in and lay down his vocals. There was a couple of songs on there that were just acoustic guitar and him singing that turned into full-band songs."

When time came to lay down the songs in the studio, "We recorded the whole album live," Chow explained. "We didn't do it piece by piece in Pro Tools and chop it up. We wanted to not have a sterile feeling; we wanted the energy to translate from our demos onto this album, and we really were able to capture that raw, aggressive feel and tone. Roy would get a click, and then the click would be pulled out after we started, and that way, it gives it a little bit of room to breathe and adds some life to it. We had three days in rehearsal, and went right in there, and, man, we were doing about a song every day, day and a half for a little bit. We really had a great momentum going there, and it was a great experience doing it that way, man. In the years that passed, everything's just cookie cutter, chopped up, put to the grid, perfectly played, and you go over and punch in a million times over, where most of the drums and the bass were recorded live and the guitars, obviously — solos and stuff — would have to be overdubbed."

According to Chow, "Hydrograd" will contain "about fourteen songs, fifteen tracks, being that we wrote an intro as well. But that's kind of up to the record label. But we're hoping for fourteen songs. We don't wanna go less, just because we don't wanna shortchange our fans on waiting for as long as they have and just throw 'em ten songs. We don't think that'd be fair."

Regarding the musical direction of "Hydrograd", Chow said that "this album is just a straight rock and roll album. There's some kind of FOO FIGHTERS-meets-CHEAP TRICK, but there's also groove-heavy stuff. It's not heavy in the way of SLAYER; it's more heavy in the way of [BLACK] SABBATH — not sounding like SABBATH, but not that super-heavy, super metally. It's just very groove-oriented, very melodic [with] big choruses. We've got some mellower songs on there too, which are equally just as amazing and have a lot of groove to them."

He added: "This album is a little bit of a departure from previous STONE SOUR albums. We think it's the best one yet."

Chow was a bit less clear about the origin of the "Hydrograd" album title, explaining that "that's more of a Corey question. It was his idea to name it 'Hydrograd'." But, he added, "it has to do something with him being in an airport, going to the wrong gate, but the gate he thought he saw said 'Hydrograd,' and it just always stuck with him for some reason — that word 'hydrograd.' So I don't know if it's an actual true word or not."

The bassist also confirmed that "Hydrograd" will once again feature special packaging, although details have not yet been finalized. "Corey's got this [artist] that we work with that drew up a few different ideas for us, and there's one that's sticking right now, and I really can't say much about it, but it's pretty cool, man, it's pretty cool," Chow said. "It'll be different.

Taylor recently told The Pulse Of Radio that the new STONE SOUR disc is a natural progression from the band's last studio efforts. "All the promise that we showed on the 'House Of Gold & Bones' albums, we are really trying to kind of push even further with this, and it's exciting, man," he said. "Style-wise, it'll feel like it's kind of all over the map, but it'll be very, very unifying when everybody hears it. I'm really excited."

STONE SOUR's last full set of new material was the "House Of Gold & Bones" double album, which was released in two parts in 2012 and 2013. The band also released two EPs of cover songs in the last couple of years, "Meanwhile In Burbank..." and "Straight Out Of Burbank".

Taylor returned to the STONE SOUR fold this year after his other band, SLIPKNOT, completed the touring cycle for its 2014 album, ".5: The Gray Chapter".

Interview (audio):

Finland's Kaaos TV conducted an interview with ASKING ALEXANDRIA guitarist Ben Bruce before the band's March 20 concert at Pakkahuone in Tampere. You can now watch the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On when ASKING ALEXANDRIA made the decision to split with singer Denis Shaforostov and reunite with Danny Worsnop:

Ben: "I don't know that it was really decided. You know, it's not something that we sat down and thought about a lot. We were continuing on as ASKING ALEXANDRIA with Denis to keep the band going, and we had a great time. We wrote and recorded a great record together, and I have no regrets at all. But Danny is part of our family. He started the band with me and the other guys; we're the five original members. We went through a tough time, obviously, like a lot of relationships do. But I did say to Danny the day he called me and left the band the first time, I said, 'There'll always be a place for you in ASKING ALEXANDRIA,' because he started the band with us. And people forget everything that we went through to get to where we are. Everything happens for a reason… So, like I said, whilst we had fun, we had a great time with Denis, we toured, it was a good time, the album is great, I love 'The Black', it wasn't quite ASKING ALEXANDRIA. So none of us could be any happier than we are now. We're all stoked that Danny's back, and we're all having fun, and we're all happy. Danny's a lot healthier and doesn't really drink much anymore — same as me. And it's just been awesome. We're having a much better time. We get to actually mess around and enjoy other's company now instead of just being drunken idiots all the time."

On how Danny came to rejoin ASKING ALEXANDRIA:

Ben: "It's weird. Me and Danny just met up to hang out. We met up in L.A. I was over there doing movie stuff and he just so happened to be in L.A. at the same time. He was actually supposed to fly back the day I landed, but we found out that we could cross paths, so he changed his flight. And there was no plan or anything. We just hung out. We watched the movie that I started recently together, and we had such a good time and reconnected and everything just felt really good again. So when the situation arose that Denis no longer wanted to be in ASKING ALEXANDRIA, he just kind of disappeared. And I was, like, well, let's see if Danny would be interested again. We had such a good time the other night. We buried the hatchet, and it was like everything was great. I was, like, why not see how he feels? And I think he was excited by the idea too. Like I said, everything happens for a reason."

On the recently released clip of new ASKING ALEXANDRIA song and whether it represents the overall direction of the band's new material:

Ben: "We're holding our cards close to our chest right now. We're not gonna give too much away. Obviously, that was music that we had written. Whether it makes the album or not, we'll see. The whole album's written and is ready to be recorded properly. And then we have some huge touring opportunities in the works that we are working on right now, so it's gonna be exciting."

On whether the upcoming ASKING ALEXANDRIA album was written on the road:

Ben: "We used to write on the road. I mean, a lot of 'The Black' was written on the road, a lot of 'The Black' was written on the road, a lot of 'From Death To Destiny' was written on the road. But this album, though, I actually went into a studio. I spent months in the studio with [producer] Matt Good and wrote the album. I was, like, 'This has to be better than anything we've ever, ever written.' So I spent months locked away in the studio, all night, all day. I used to go into the studio at lunchtime and not get home until lunchtime the next day. And my baby would already be awake, and I'd be, like, 'Damn, I need to go to bed for a bit.' For months, I was on that brutal schedule. But it's been worth it."

The reunion between Danny and ASKING ALEXANDRIA was confirmed last October following weeks of rumors and speculation regarding the status of Shaforostov, who joined the band in 2015.

Bruce said in a video message that Shaforostov had "just stopped talking to us." But the singer later tweeted, "I left AA because I can't be in a touring band at this point in my life. There's no drama and I don't want to be a part of it."

For his part, Worsnop said about the reunion, "I'm now in a place mentally where this is something I can embrace again, with the men I started this crazy journey with."

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, the band led by brothers and founding SEPULTURA members Max (also of SOULFLY) and Igor Cavalera, has commenced work on material for the follow-up to 2014's "Pandemonium" album.

Speaking to Chad Carsten of Faygoluvers, Max said of CAVALERA's plans for the coming months: "CAVALERA is working on a new record this year, which is gonna be great. I won't give more details, 'cause it's still… A lot of it is just being born right now. I'm working on the riffs and sending ideas to Igor. But it's gonna be a beast of an album. It's gonna be our fourth album. We're gonna try to make the best one of all, everything we've done. We'll try to clean slate on the whole thing and make just an awesome, in-your-face great record."

"Pandemonium" sold around 2,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 177 on The Billboard 200 chart.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's previous CD, 2011's "Blunt Force Trauma" opened with around 5,000 units to land at No. 122.

The band's first CD, 2008's "Inflikted", registered a first-week tally of 9,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 72.

"Pandemonium" was produced by John Gray, who has previously worked with SOULFLY.

Max and Igor have spent the last few months celebrating the twentieth anniversary of SEPULTURA's classic album "Roots" by performing the LP in its entirety.

Former CANNIBAL CORPSE and current SIX FEET UNDER frontman Chris Barnes was interviewed on the latest episode of "The Metal Podcast". You can now listen to the chat below.

Regarding how his former CANNIBAL CORPSE bandmate Jack Owen came to join him in SIX FEET UNDER after being fired from DEICIDE, Barnes said: "We'd been talking for a while about writing and doing some stuff, and I don't know… I guess the stars were just aligned at the right spot this time.

"Me and Jack have been, I think, silently closer friends through the past twenty years or whatever than myself and any of the other [CANNIBAL CORPSE] guys, even though I've seen the other guys more often than I'd been in contact with Jack. So, yeah, it's been cool, man. I always had a blast with him in the CANNIBAL days, so it's gonna be fun."

According to Barnes, Owen's dismissal from DEICIDE took place after the two of them had already discussed a possible collaboration. "We had been talking before that happened — just texting here and there, you know, staying in contact — and he texted me one day and just was, like, 'Yeah, I've been let go,'" Chris explained. "And I was, like, 'Wow, man! Holy shit!' So we just started talking from there on every couple of weeks or a month or something, just saying, 'What's up?' And it finally came down to the day before we did that press release [when we decided to make it official]."

Owen said in a statement that he was "super excited" to work with his "metal brother" Chris Barnes in SIX FEET UNDER. He added that "performing with Chris will be like reliving our youth."

After Barnes left CANNIBAL CORPSE to form SIX FEET UNDER, he was replaced in the former band by George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher.

SIX FEET UNDER's twelfth studio album, "Torment", wwas released on February 24 via Metal Blade. The disc was brought to life by Barnes with bassist/guitarist Jeff Hughell (BRAIN DRILL) shouldering the load of writing the music, along with heralded drummer Marco Pitruzzella (BRAIN DRILL, ANOMALOUS, SLEEP TERROR).