Kelly Hansen and Jeff Pilson of Foreigner dropped by the Nights With Alice Cooper studios to perform an acoustic version of their classic hit, “Feels Like The First Time”. Video footage of the performance can be seen below:

Foreigner are celebrating their 40th anniversary by bringing their friends along for a year-long celebration.

First up is a mammoth worldwide tour, set to launch in Syracuse, NY on July 11th. For the US shows presented by Live Nation, Foreigner will be alongside Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers Cheap Trick - who are also celebrating 40 years since the release of their self-titled debut album - and special guest Jason Bonham who will be bringing the music of Led Zeppelin to great night of rock ’n’ roll. Tickets available at livenation.com.

“I never could have imagined when I set out to create Foreigner forty years ago, that we’d still be touring around the world and performing the music we love all these years later,” says Mick Jones. “I can’t express the gratitude I feel when fans share stories of how our songs have been woven into their milestones and memories over the years. This summer we are going to celebrate these songs, and I can’t imagine a better group of friends to share this monumental tour with, than Cheap Trick and Jason Bonham who are sure to make it a true tribute to the everlasting power of rock and roll."

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, Cheap Trick is undoubtedly one of the most influential classic rock groups of the past 50 years. They have performed over 5,000 shows spanning four decades and have sold 20 million records worldwide. Cheap Trick formed in 1974 and while they have evolved throughout the years, the band continues to reach mainstream and critical success. Hits such as "I Want You To Want Me”, “Dream Police" and "Surrender" have cemented the group as one of America's top rock 'n' roll bands of all time. In 2016, Cheap Trick released its 17th studio collection, Bang Zoom Crazy…Hello

“I was thrilled to hear Mick Jones wanted me to be involved in celebrating 40 years of Foreigner. I spent 3 years as their drummer and had a great time," says Jason Bonham. "Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience show will hit home run after home run with these timeless classics done to perfection. JBLZE started 7 years ago as a way to show my appreciation not only to my dad and the music of Led Zeppelin, but also to the fans themselves. With the amazing Cheap Trick along with the one and only Foreigner this is show not to be missed.”

To coincide with the tour, Foreigner - Mick Jones (lead guitar), Kelly Hansen (lead vocals), Jeff Pilson (bass, vocals), Tom Gimbel (rhythm guitar, sax, vocals), Michael Bluestein (keyboards), Bruce Watson (guitar) and Chris Frazier (drums) - will be releasing a celebratory 40th anniversary album that features forty Foreigner tracks throughout the years entitled 40 - Forty Hits From Forty Years (Rhino). This album is a comprehensive compilation of original hits and several tracks from the current lineup with Kelly Hansen on vocals including “Cant Slow Down”, “Too Late” and the Top 20 AC hit “When It Comes To Love”. The album also features two new songs, “The Flame Still Burns”, and “Give My Life For Love”, a brand new song by Jones. Rhino is kicking off a year-long catalog promotion with the January 24th picture disc release of Head Games.

Since the 1977 release of their first hit “Feels Like The First Time” and their self-titled debut album on Atlantic Records, Foreigner has been universally hailed as one of the world’s most popular rock acts with 10 multi-platinum albums, 16 Top 30 hits, and worldwide album sales exceeding 75 million.  Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including “Juke Box Hero,” “Cold as Ice”, “Feels Like The First Time”, “Urgent”, “Head Games”, “Say You Will”, “Dirty White Boy”, “Long, Long Way From Home”, and the worldwide #1 hit, “I Want To Know What Love Is”, Foreigner continues to rock the charts more than thirty years into the game.

Recent albums like Juke Box Heroes, a new compilation of digitally recorded Foreigner hits, and The Best of Foreigner 4 & More, recorded live from The Borgata, Atlantic City, both entered the Billboard Top 200 chart. Foreigner also featured strongly in every category in Billboard's recently released Greatest Of All Time listing.  Catalog sales often eclipse those of Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Def Leppard, Van Halen and most of their Classic Rock peers (Source: Nielsen SoundScan 2/11/16 - 2/3/16).

Check out the tour at any of the following stops, with more dates to be announced in the coming weeks and posted on the band’s official website.

July
11 - Syracuse, NY - Lakeview Amphitheater
13 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion
14 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
15 - Hershey, PA - Giant Center
17 - Boston, MA - Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
18 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
20 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
21 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
22 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
25 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
26 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
28 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater
30 - Pelham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

August
1 - West Palm Beach, FL - Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre
2 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
5 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
6 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek Amphitheater
8 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
9 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
11 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
12 - Burgettstown, PA - KeyBank Pavilion
13 - Noblesville, IN - Klipsch Music Center
15 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
16 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheater - St. Louis
19 - Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
20 - Austin, TX - austin360 Amphitheater
23 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater ***
24 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion ***
26 - West Valley City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre ***
29 - Chula Vista, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre ***
30 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre ***

September
1 - Marysville, CA - Toyota Amphitheater ***
2 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre ***
4 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre ***
8 - Ridgefield, WA - Sunlight Supply Amphitheater ***
9 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre ***

*** Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience not on this date

Additional dates and support to be announced.

British hard rockers, Inglorious, released their new album, Inglorious II, on May 12th. A new EPK (Electronic Press Kit) can be seen below:

Produced by the band and mixed by the legendary Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith), Inglorious II further enhances the standing of this remarkable band. From the body blow riffs of “Read All About It”, to the beautiful melodies of upcoming first single “I Don’t Need Your Loving”, from the groove of “High Class Woman” to the classic feeling ballad “Making Me Pay”, this is an album that shows the bands influences stem from iconic rock and roll shrine of rock albums from the 1970s - many years before the band members were born - merged with a truly contemporary feel. Driving riffs and instant melodies all overlaid with the unique and powerful vocals of Nathan James.

Tracklisting:

“I Don't Need Your Loving”
“Taking The Blame”
“Tell Me Why”
“Read All About It”
“Change Is Coming”
“Making Me Pay”
“Hell Or High Water”
“No Good For You”
“I Got A Feeling”
“Black Magic”
“Faraway”
“High Class Woman”

“I Don’t Need Your Loving” video:

“Read All About It” lyric video:

The album is available as a standard CD and also as a Deluxe 2CD/DVD edition. The DVD features a previously unavailable live performance from Download Festival 2016 plus extra bonus content, including videos for "I Don't Need Your Loving" and "Taking The Blame".

DVD Content:

Live At Donington:
“Until I Die”
“Breakaway”
“High Flying Gypsy”
“No Good For You”
“Holy Water”
“Warning”
“Unaware”

Special Features:
Inglorious EPK
“Taking The Blame” Music Video
“I Don't Need Your Loving” Music Video
Behind The Scenes

Consummate live performers the band already have a number of high profile shows confirmed, with more to follow through 2017. Dates listed below.

June
16 - Clisson, France - Hellfest Festival
18 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Festival
22 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Festival
24 - Vitoria, Spain - Azkena Rock Festival 2017

August
19 - Tilford, UK - Weyfest Festival

According to The Pulse Of Radio, one of the former PEARL JAM drummers invited by the band to attend its induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next month has indicated that he won't attend the ceremony. Matt Chamberlain, who played with the group in the early stages of the "Ten" touring cycle back in 1991 and appeared in the video for "Alive", said that work commitments will prevent him from attending the ceremony. He told Rolling Stone: "I'm so happy they are getting honored by the Hall Of Fame. They are good friends and total inspirations. I wish them all the best. Of course, I appreciate the shoutout."

Dave Abbruzzese, the drummer on the "Vs." and "Vitalogy" albums who has been the most vocal about being excluded from the induction, reposted PEARL JAM's invite on his Facebook page, seeming to indicate that he will likely attend. Reports that claimed he would not show up were deemed false.

Jack Irons, who played on the "No Code" and "Yield" albums and tours, has yet to issue a statement on the matter.

The only two drummers who will actually be inducted with the band are original stickman Dave Krusen and current drummer Matt Cameron.

Krusen, who played in PEARL JAM during its formative months and left shortly after the recording of its 1991 debut album "Ten", was asked if he would be up for jamming with his former bandmates at the Hall Of Fame ceremony in April. He told Rolling Stone: "I think the fans would dig that. I'd love to do it … I don't think it is likely, but I'm down."

PEARL JAM will be inducted alongside JOURNEY, Joan Baez, ELO, YES and Tupac Shakur at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 7.

An edited version of the 32nd annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will later air on HBO and there will be a radio broadcast on SiriusXM.

Artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single.

Italy’s Secret Sphere performed at Germany’s Wacken Open Air festival in 2013, and video of the band’s full performance is now available for streaming below.

Setlist:

“X”
“Healing”
“Union”
“The Fall”
“Lie To Me”
“Wish & Steadiness”

Harem Scarem's 14th studio album, United, will be released on May 12th. The new recording offers up 11 tracks of trademark Harem Scarem music from Harry Hess (lead vocals, keyboards), Pete Lesperance (guitars, bass, keyboards), long-time drummer Creighton Doane, and backing vocals from original sticksman Darren Smith (who will be playing live drums for the band on tour dates). The band is back and stronger than ever.

Check out this just released 30-second audio teaser:

Frontman Harry Hess says: "This year will mark the 30th year of Harem Scarem and I can tell you that we are just as excited about writing and recording today as we were then. The brand new United album is one of the best collection of songs we have ever put on one release and I can't wait for everyone to hear it!"

Harem Scarem make it clear they still have something to say right from the start with the title track, "United", a chunky slice of guitar-driven melodic rock nirvana that kicks off their strongest studio outing since the early 00’s. From there, the album lifts off with well-crafted songs featuring big choruses with simple and addictive hook-laden earworms. Each track carries a power-rock-packed punch, swaggering riffs, and hooks to die for. Hess and Lesperance without a doubt show the world that their partnership still works, that they indeed are still "United".

With sales well over a million records in 43 countries and 12 top 40 hits around the globe, 2017 will see Harem Scarem return and ready to dominate while touring the world in support of their 14th studio album, United.

United tracklisting:

“United”
“Here Today Gone Tomorrow”
“Gravity”
“Sinking Ship”
“One Of Life’s Mysteries”
“No Regrets”
“Bite The Bullet”
“Things I Know”
“The Sky Is Falling”
“Heaven And Earth”
“Indestructible”

Tour dates (with more to be announced):

September
30 - The Music Hall, Oshawa, Canada

October
6 - Norma Jeans - London, ON
14 - The Brass Monkey - Ottawa, ON
20-22 - Trent University - Nottingham, UK (Rockingham Festival)

 

Spanish '70s hard and heavy rock band The Wizards have inked a deal with Fighter Records for the release of their second album, Full Moon In Scorpio, which will see the light on May 16th internationally.

Formed in Bilbao (Basque Country) back in 2013, these five outcasts decided to form a band after several intense sessions of drug abuse and hard liquor drinking marathons at backyard parties where the records of Black Sabbath, Danzig, The Cult, Blue Oyster Cult, Pentagram, Deep Purple, Dio, Horisont, and Electric Wizard were played so loud, neighbors would call the police sooner than expected.

In January 2014, The Wizards recorded their first demo, Plagues. With only four songs recorded and a bunch of covers, they were able to win the 26th edition of the local pop/rock contest Villa de Bilbao, and during 2015, they released their self-titled debut album through their own label, Witch Records, in collaboration with French label Geea Music.

The band played live in France, Basque Country, and Spain opening for legendary bands and artists such as The Dictators, Iggy Pop, and Turbonegro, sharing the stage with bands like Horisont, Peter Pan Speed Rock, and Hypnos among others. They were even invited to participate in festivals such as Madrid Stoner Scene Fest, Kriston Fest, and Faan Fest.

During April 2016, The Wizards entered Gaua Studio together with Brooklyn-based produced Dean Rispler, current bass-player for The Dictators. During two weeks, they recorded eight songs that form their upcoming second album, Full Moon in Scorpio, engineered by Asier Zubelbu and mixed & mastered by Jesse Cannon (The Cure, The Misfits, The Dillinger Escape Plan) at Cannon Found Soundation in Union City, New Jersey.

Full Moon In Scorpio contains eight tracks of hard & heavy rock attack, the lyrics dealing with such issues as the destruction of the veils that blind us, the vast concepts of space and time, the search for spiritual enlightenment, and so on. For the band, it truly means a step forward in their quest for world domination. The sound is bigger, the songs are better, and The Wizards are ready to destroy and fuck things up wherever their presence is needed. The western world is collapsing - let's dance over the fires while we howl at the Scorpio Moon. 

The Wizards' Full Moon in Scorpio will be released May 16th through Fighter Records on CD and vinyl LP formats.

Tracklisting:

“Avidya”
“Calliope (Cosmic Revelations)”
“Odinist”
“Stardust”
“Leaving The Past Behind”
“Halftones To Eternity”
“Who Are You, Mr. Gurdjieff?”
“When We Were Gods”

“Avidya”:

Toronto's Famous Underground, featuring former Slik Toxik frontman Nick Walsh, have welcomed guitarist Wolfgang Verbeke to the fold. Verbeke is known for his work with instrumental groove rock band The Unchained, and worked with Walsh previously in Revolver.

In addition, Famous Underground have announced a show for Toronto at The Rockpile on April 1st. Details are availailable below.

Famous Underground officially announce the release of their brand new digital 45, “Corrupted”. The digital 45 has two singles, Side A features their brand new song “Corrupted”, and the B Side is a mash up of Megadeth’s “Peace Sells” with Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up”.

“Corrupted” delivers energy and power; it’s definitely a track that gets the fists pumping. If you are listening to “Corrupted” while driving, Warning - keep your eye on the speedometer.

The tracks were mastered by Harry Hess of HBomb Mastering (Three Days Grace, Monster Truck, Madonna) and mixed by Daniel Tsourounis (Skullfist, Moxy).

Famous Underground decided to release “Corrupted” as a digital 45 as a way to engage with fans and new listeners on a more frequent basis. Like in the 50’s and 60’s, bands, like the Beatles and Stones released singles regularly before even packaging it as an album. Since people are not buying CDs as much these days, Famous Underground wanted to embrace the traditional and release two new tracks every couple of months.

Famous Underground chose to release Megadeth’s “Peace Sells” since they were already performing this at their live shows. The idea to meld "Get Up, Stand Up” with this track came to Nick while he was listening to Bob Marley. He felt the two songs would work well together because of their lyrical points of view.

The digital 45 is available now worldwide on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play, iHeartRadio and Slacker to name a few.

Australian black metal band A Mournful Path are currently in pre-production stages for the debut release on Inverse Records later this year. The band plans to unleash “subterranic tri-tonal augmented bone-chilling hell.” It is still unclear if the release will be EP or album format. More details to be announced later.

Conceived in July 2016, A Mournful Path is the product of a long standing collaboration between brothers David and Michael Romeo. Born of a mutual love of Scandinavian Black Metal, A Mournful Path is a unique coalescence of modern black, atmospheric and death metal. 

A single "From The Wreckage Of Humiliation" was released this week on all essential digital stores like Spotify, iTunes, Deezer, Google Play just to name a few. An excellent foretaste of what's to come. 

 

For more information go to AMournfulPath.com

Experimental death metal juggernauts Gigan are set to enter Big Bad Sound studios this April with engineer Sanford Parker. Below is a statement from founding member and guitarist, Eric Hersemann:

"Greetings, from the Gigan Universe! Well, it's finally time! Gigan is currently rehearsing; in Southern California, for the upcoming recording of the newest Gigan album! Gigan will enter Big Bad Sound studios; located in Los Angeles CA, in April! This will be Gigan's fourth full length album and it will be released late this year, by our good friends at Willowtip Records! Sanford Parker will again be engineering and the tunes will once again be wonderfully and colorfully warped, extreme and beautiful! Due to some boring contract stuff, it took longer than usual to get back in the studio but all has been sorted out and now the gates to the Gigan Universe will be opened again! As usual, the future is bright with lots of exciting things on the way! Album title, art, songs, merch and tours will all be announced periodically through the rest of the Spring/Summer, so stay tuned! ...and as always; dear friends and allies, THRASH IN SPACE!"

Gigan’s new as of yet titled new album will surface later this year via Willowtip.

New Jersey death metal derelicts Kalopsia will release their third album, Angelplague, on May 19th through Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. 

Weaving together the blasting intensity of American death metal, Scandinavian  melodies and Jersey's home grown breakdowns, Angelplague is Kalopsia's most ferociously heavy effort to date. The relentless opener "Destined To Return" is a high-velocity foreshadowing of things to come, while "Christened Upon The Slab" and "Not Peace But Pestilence" focus on knuckle-dragging, head nodding groove. "Scorched Earth And Blackened Skies," the longest and most dynamic track on the album showcases frenzied fretwork and brutal groove before unleashing a dual-guitar hook that gets stuck in the listener's head with all the subtlety of a pick axe.

"We wanted to come out swinging," says guitarist Matt Medeiros. "Our last album was focused on speed and dexterity. This time we wanted bigger hooks, and bigger breakdowns."

Angelplague continues Kalopsia's horrific mutation, blending blasting brutality, pit-inducing ignorance, melodic guitar interplay and an old-school vibe to create a pestilential soundtrack to scorch the earth and blacken the skies. The album was produced by Bobby Torres at Frightbox Studios.

Tracklisting:

"Destined To Return"
"As The Serpent Devours"
"Christened Upon The Slab"
"Not Peace But Pestilence"
"Scorched Earth And Blackened Skies"
"Source Of My Evil"
"Surge Of Terror"
"Bitter Sacraments"

Christened Upon the Slab by Kalopsia

Kalopsia is:

Matt Medeiros - vocals, guitars
Justin Spaeth - drums
Drew Murphy - bass
Steve Horvath - lead guitars

For further details, including live dates, visit Kalopsia.org.

 

Strike Mortal Soil, the debut album from Vancouver's Wormwitch is scheduled for worldwide release on May 12th via Prosthetic Records. Strike Mortal Soil will be available for pre-order on limited-edition vinyl on lightning bolt blue with black specks as well as on CD and digitally on March 30th.

"To go from recording a demo over a couple days in a sweaty jam space to putting out an LP on Prosthetic within a year and a half... it's just not something we could have realistically expected," remarks the band, "It's got our fingerprints all over it. If something was possible to do ourselves, we did it, down to mixing and artwork." 

Tracklisting:

"As Above"
"Howling From The Grave"
"Weregild"
"Even The Sun Will Die"
"Relentless Death"
"Cerulean Abyss"
"Everlasting Lie"
"...And Smote His Ruin Upon The Mountainside"
"Mantle Of Ignorance"
"So Below"

Thematically, Strike Mortal Soil is about being alive and what that means in today's society. The band elaborated, "We live in a society both obsessed with and terrified of death. We exist in a world constantly seeking immortality through fame or Gods. Strike Mortal Soil means to live with a furious passion. It is to be able to enter one's grave like lightning, in rejection of eternity. It enforces the message that life has worth, not from your nationality, your land, your God or your flesh, but what you do with yourself."

For further details, visit Wormwitch on Facebook.

 

Stockholm, Sweden's Krehated have released a powerful new music video for the song "Awaken Ignorance" taken from their latest full-length album, The Venomous Mind. The video was directed and produced by David Andersson, Dennis Andersson, and Johan Hallman. The lead actor portrayed in the video is Andreas Vrenning. 

Krehated recently inked a deal with Zombie Shark Records, the new label founded by Noah "Shark" Robertson, (Motograter, The Browning). The band wields a devastatingly heavy, groove-oriented sound that is reminiscent of nu-metal-era bands such as Chimaira, Slipknot, and Korn.

The band recorded their feature full-length album The Venomous Mind at JV Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. It was mixed and mastered by Christian Svedin (The Unguided, Vildhjarta, Imminence). The artwork was created by Tomas Lacke; with additional artwork and logos provided by Gustavo Sazes and Henrik Englund (Scarpoint, Amaranthe). The song "The Parasite" features a guest appearance from Richard Sjunnesson (The Unguided, Sonic Syndicate).

"We all have demons inside our heads. It doesn't matter how successful you are, how wealthy you are or how sane you seem to be. Everyone has been through rough times at some point in their lives and then carried around the aftermath... demons or venom in their minds. The Venomous Mind is all about that. Our inner demons. Our inner fears. Our infected minds. The world of today is a disgusting place at times. This world brought us this hate. This world created us. We are the Krehated."

Tracklisting:

"Venenum Introrsum"
"Our Fallen Ideals"
"Awaken Ignorance"
"My Venom Inside"
"The Parasite" featuring Richard Sjunnesson
"Scum"
"Stay Away (From Me)"
"The Floods"
"Final Farewell"
"Triumph In Terror"
"Needle"
"Rip It Up"
"Faceless Memory"

Full album preview:

 

Norwegian black metallers, Endezzma, have released a second video trailer for their upcoming album, The Arcane Abyss, which is set for release via Pulverised Records on March 31st in CD digipak, gatefold LP and digital formats. The video can be seen below.

Endezzma's distinctive sound has all the aggression of old school black metal with icy overtones that merge together to create what the band describes as "Nekro Requiems". Formed in 2006 by Morten Shax and the late Trondr Nefas (Urgehal, Beastcraft, Vulture Lord), Endezzma's lineup comprises Shax on vocals, Malphas (Beastcraft, Carpathian Forest, Svarttjern) on lead guitar, Nihil on rhythm guitar, Skriu (ex-Blood Red Throne live) on drums and Aske (Byrdi) on bass.

The Arcane Abyss will be Endezzma's second full-length album, and the follow up to the band's 2012 debut album, Erotik Nekrosis. Recorded at Gravlund Studio, and mastered by Tore Stjerna at the Necromorbus Studio (Watain, Repugnant, Tribulation, etc.), the album features artwork by Remember The Fallen Artworks.

Tracklisting:

“Malferno”
“The Arcane Abyss”
“Gates Of Mephisto”
“Morbus Divina”
“Sick Kulta Lucifer”
“Serpent Earth”
“Esoterisk Mystagon”
“A Grave So Deep”

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

In the video below, Swedish grindcore stalwarts Gadget perform The Great Destroyer album track, “From Graduation To Devastation”,  live at Saint Vitus Bar in New York City. The footage was filmed by Frank Huang.

The Great Destroyer, released last year via Relapse Records, is the band's first full-length in a decade. A blistering high-speed assault of relentless grind, The Great Destroyer is a cohesive exercise in extremity that blends hints of doom, sludge and death metal with unadulterated, old-school grindcore.

The Great Destroyer tracklisting:

“Enemies Of Reason”
“Känslan”
“Pillars Of Filth”
“Choice Of A Lost Generation”
“From Graduation To Devastation”
“Dedication”
“Violent Hours (For A Veiled Awakening)”
“The 02666 Heritage”
“The Great Destroyer”
“Down And Out”
“In The Name Of Suffering”
“Lost On A Straight Path”
“Forsaken”
“Collapse”
“Lack Of Humanity”
“Svart Hål”
“I Don't Need You - Dead And Gone”

“I Don't Need You - Dead And Gone”:

 
“The Great Destroyer”:

“Violent Hours (For A Veiled Awakening)”:

“Choice Of A Lost Generation”:

Hyborian are streaming their debut album, Hyborian: Volume I, ahead of it’s official release tomorrow,  March 17th via Kansas City-based label The Company. The full stream can be found below, and the album is available for pre-order here. iTunes pre-orders receive the first single, "Maelstrom", as an instant grat track.

Volume I tracklisting:

“As Above, So Below”
“Maelstrom”
“Blood for Blood”
“Dead Lies Dreaming”
“Ajna”
“Dross”

Album stream:

As many parts stoner rock as it is retro-inspired and deliciously groovy, Hyborian's Hyborian: Volume I takes the listener on a ride that emits wall-shaking-levels of heaviness and lyrical fantasy, remaining engaging for any metal listener. Immense riffage, barrelling verses and piercing leads combine to create a sound that invites the listener to sit back and become fully-absorbed, when it isn't summoning involuntary elbow-throwing. Lyrically, the album's storytelling style is inspired by Robert E. Howard's Conan stories, but based on an interstellar, extra-dimensional cloaked being called The Traveller. Hyborian: Volume I tells his legends from the time before written language.

Lead vocalist Martin Bush discusses the roots of Hyborian's lyrical inspiration, "I grew up reading pretty much anything I could get my hands on, which included me raiding my dad's book collection. He had a ton of classic sci-fi and fantasy, from Asimov and Heinlan to Howard and Cooper. Because of that, this writing style comes very naturally to me."

He further explains, "Basically The Traveller is a being that exists outside of humanity's understanding of space and time. He is the source of all life in the universe, but is not omnipresent. He wanders the cosmos, visiting and recording times of great strife or hardship, great suffering or great triumph.  We are his chosen mouthpiece on Earth, so we relate those stories, whether from far in the past or far in the future. For instance, "Maelstrom" is the story of a mountaintop battle between a being who has just achieved a higher consciousness in the midst of a scuffle with a sentient storm. In order to defeat the creature in the storm, he expends his newfound powers and gives up his life. We are also pretty into cryptography, so there are several hidden messages on the album from The Traveller if the listener is clever enough to find them."

When a band says they built their sound from the ground up, they normally don't mean it literally. Once again, Hyborian prove individuality in this department, as Hyborian: Volume I was recorded at the band's own studio that they built themselves and eventually began also using as a rehearsal space. The album was then mixed by Justin Mantooth at Westend Studios (Radkey, Family, Godmaker) and mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East (The Red Chord, Torche, Trap Them).

Bush says that recording on the band's own terms, in their own space, really helped them achieve their best product: "We decided to build our own space to record simply because it cost us about what it would have cost to track at a decent studio, but now we have a home base to make record after record after record. The art of crafting an album as opposed to a group of songs is somewhat lost, or at least relegated to the realms of people with incredibly deep pockets, so being able to really play around and do all the extra stuff that makes an album an album was really important to us."

Since forming in 2015, Hyborian has performed as support for the likes of Iron Reagan, Power Trip, Mothership, Acid King, Mutoid Man, Tweak Bird, Vektor, Whores and many others. The band will once again give fans a chance to witness their live assault this month during their Midwestern U.S. tour. The run will feature varying support acts in each city. See below for all confirmed tour dates:

March
16 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room (with Iron Reagan, Power Trip)
17 - Kansas City, MO - Private Location Release Party (with Keef Mountain, Expo 70, Orphans of Doom, Inner Altar)
18 - Omaha, NE - O'Leavers (with Dirty Talker)
19 - Lincoln, NE - Duffy's Tavern (with High Ruler, Sweats)
20 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
21 - Iowa City, IA - Gabes
22 - Chicago, IL - Township (with Guerilla)
23 - Madison, WI - The Frequency
24 - Minneapolis, MN - Hexagon Bar (with Lungs)
25 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar (with Bastard)

Hyborian is:

Martin Bush - lead vocals, guitar
Ryan Bates - vocals, guitar
Justin Rippeto - drums
Anthony Diale - bass

Irish extreme progressive metal act, Mirrors Of Obsidian, will release their second album, From One Form, on May 10th. A video trailer for the upcoming release can be found below.

The eight-track album, recorded by the band at their own Dublin-based Megatech Studios, was mixed by guitarist Eoin Ennis and Mastered by Mick Kenney of Anaal Nathrakh.

Singer Ciaran Ennis has described the sound of the album as, "fast and aggressive modern metal with progressive elements".

There have been two singles released from the album so far, "Neutral Disease" and "The Core", both of which are available to download free from the band's Bandcamp page. Pre-orders for the album will be made available shortly so fans should keep an eye on the bands website for updates.

(Photo - Mirrors Of Obsidian Facebook)

Argonauta Records has announced the signing of stoner/hard rockers, Uncommon Evolution.

Uncommon Evolution hails from high in the mountains of North West Montana USA. Since forming in the spring of 2013, they have traveled all over the country and had the honour of playing the South by South West Festival in Austin Texas, where they also love to record at the Machine Shop Recording Studio.

With fiery vocals, big ballsy riffs and grooves thick enough to shake mountains, these guys have honed a sound truly all their own, though their wide ranging influences shine through in a cornucopia of flavour.

Most recently, the legendary producer, Machine (Clutch, Lamb Of God, Crobot, etc.) produced, mixed and mastered their new EP, Junkyard Jesus, to be released by Argonauta Records early this summer.

The band says: “We are so STOKED to partner up with Argonauta Records on this release!! It has been an amazing journey so far and with Argonauta, we’re going to kick more ass then we thought possible. We can’t thank our families, friends and fans enough, for helping us to continue growing and evolving. See you soon.”

EVANESCENCE frontwoman Amy Lee has unveiled her new single, "Speak To Me", the end title theme from the forthcoming suspense/drama "Voice From The Stone". "Game Of Thrones"' Emilia Clarke stars in the film alongside Marton Csokas, Caterina Murino, Remo Girone, Lisa Gastoni and Edward Dring.

Directed by Eric Howell and scored by Michael Wandmacher, the haunting thriller set in 1950s Tuscany is due July 24. USA Today premiered the movie trailer on Tuesday, which can be viewed below. As a prelude, Lee shared an intro video to the track on her YouTube channel last April. Captured during the recording of the song at legendary Skywalker Ranch, the piece gives us a glimpse inside the process, with the gorgeous piano of "Speak To Me" as the backdrop. A few exclusive clips are also included, providing fans with a preview into the movie. "Speak To Me" is available for download on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play, and streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Lee has a message for her fans about the film and her creative process behind the song and its accompanying video: "I'm very excited to share a new song which I was asked to create as the end title for the forthcoming film 'Voice From The Stone', which stars the incredibly talented and captivating Emilia Clarke. The song is called 'Speak To Me'. "There are many reasons why I felt inspired to work on this project.

"'Voice From The Stone' tells the haunting story of Verena, a nurse who is asked to aid a young boy who has fallen silent after the sudden passing of his mother. Verena is brought in to help him speak again.

"As a new mother myself, the film resonated very deeply with me. I had the opportunity to work closely with Eric Howell, who directed the film, and Michael Wandmacher, who composed the score.

"I was very moved by the movie, and after having my first conversation with Eric and Michael, I felt a surge of inspiration and immediately began writing.

"It is a rare phenomenon to really share a creative vision so completely, and that made for a very powerful experience, and an end result that I am very proud of.” "It was an honor to be able to work with Eric on the music video as well, which was shot in Sienna, Italy, at the same beautiful location as the film.

"We conceived the video as a parallel and backstory to the film, which explores the strong bond of love between Malvina and her son, and the belief that love is stronger than death." Amy Lee is currently in the studio with EVANESCENCE working on new music, to be released later this year.

The official video for the song "One By One" from AS LIONS, the British rock outfit fronted by Austin Dickinson — the son of IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson — can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's debut full-length album, "Selfish Age", which was released on January 20 via Better Noise Records.

Filmed underground in Manchester, and with the metal five-piece's rip-roaring performance at its heart, the video's narrative conveys the themes of metamorphous, shedding your skin and ultimately embracing who you really are.

"One By One" comes ahead of AS LIONS' London headline show at the Boston Arms Music Rooms on March 22, with support coming from BRUTAI and SHADOWS INTO LIGHT. This special date in the capital serves as the perfect warm-up for their upcoming string of U.S. shows across April and May with the likes of SHINEDOWN, NOTHING MORE, I PREVAIL and P.O.D. AS LIONS is also confirmed for its first U.K. festival appearance of the year at Bristol's Fat Lip Festival in July with YOUNG GUNS. The band will also be playing a number of European and U.S. festivals, including Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, Graspop Metal Meeting, Rock On The Range and Northern Invasion. "Selfish Age" is the follow-up to AS LIONS' debut EP, "Aftermath", released last year. Helmed by award-winning producer David Bendeth (OF MICE & MEN, PARAMORE, BRING ME THE HORIZON) and Kane Churko (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, DISTURBED, IN THIS MOMENT), "Selfish Age" is an illustration of the band's mission to create "the biggest, baddest hard rock we could, and on an almost cinematic scale." The album's 11 dynamic tracks are a study in contrasts, with the epic and evocative "Aftermath", the crushing "Deathless", which targets the Internet culture's obsession with image, "Bury My Dead", a hard-hitting personal statement complemented by stately piano tinklings, and the electro-tinged title track, "Selfish Age".

Comprised of Dickinson, guitarist and keyboardist Conor O'Keefe, guitarist Will Homer, bassist Stefan Whiting and drummer Dave Fee, AS LIONS are the evolution of British rock.

"Selfish Age" track listing:

01. Aftermath02. The Suffering03. Bury My Dead04. Deathless 05. Selfish Age06. White Flags07. Pieces08. World On Fire09. One By One10. The Fall11. The Great Escape

AS LIONS was formed after the breakup of Austin's previous band, RISE TO REMAIN, which released one album, "City Of Vultures", in 2011.

Swedish traditional heavy metal band, Mean Streak, have revealed the cover artwork and tracklisting for their recently announced fourth studio album, Blind Faith, produced by Peter Andersson and Max Norman, mixed by Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne, Armored Saint, Megadeth, Y&T) and mastered by Thomas “Plec” Johansson (Soilwork, Onslaught, Armageddon, Degradead, Dynazty).

The record is set to be released in Europe via ROAR Rock Of Angels Records on June 2rd, in Japan via Marquee/Avalon including one exclusive bonus track on May 31st and in North America via HighVolMusic on June 16th.

Blind Faith tracklisting:

“Blood Red Sky”
“Animal In Me”
“Retaliation Call”
“Settle The Score”
“Tear Down The Walls”
“Tears Of The Blind”
“Love Is A Killer”
“Come Undone”
“Fire At Will”
“Caught In The Crossfire”
“Gunnerside”
“Smile Of A Clown” (Japan Bonus Only)

Apart from the CD version, Blind Faith will be available on vinyl in Europe via ROAR Rock Of Angles Records on June 2rd.

Mean Streak is a Swedish metal band who manages the legacy of traditional heavy metal. The band was formed in 2008 by Peter Andersson. The general idea was (and still is) to write classic metal straight from the heart.

Mean Streak is:

Peter Andersson - Bass and background Vocals
Andy LaGuerin - Lead Vocals and Guitars
Thomas Johansson - Guitars
Jonas Källsbäck - Drums and Background vocals

(Photo - Joanna-photo)

"You Don't Know", a brand new song from Canadian hard rockers KOBRA AND THE LOTUS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Prevail I", which will be released on May 12 via Napalm Records. The disc was produced by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, AMARANTHE, EPICA) and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Ted Jensen.

Frontwoman Kobra Paige states about "You Don't Know": "To be alive brings many great things, but among those things includes great suffering. It's painful to feel backed into a corner, judged, misunderstood for who we really are. We can never really know a person until we have seen their point of view, crawled into their skin, and walked a mile in their shoes, but that will never happen. This is the anthem for the man, the woman, the human, navigating their life the best way they can. After all, 'You don't know what it's like to be me!'"

"Prevail I" track listing:

01. Gotham02. TriggerPulse03. You Don't Know04. Specimen X (Mortal Chamber)05. Light Me Up06. Manifest Destiny07. Victim08. Check The Phyrg09. Hell On Earth10. Prevail

Kobra previously stated about the story of "Prevail I", the band's most ambitious effort to date: "When we are born, we are innocent, pure, and unshaped. This mandala signifies a human at the beginning of its journey. Unscathed and beautiful, the mandala is each and every one of us. As this album unfolds, you will notice it's more than just music. 'Prevail I' is a story of visceral truth and I believe, if we're really being honest with ourselves, everyone will find their story within it. After all, the battles may differ, but we all started as the same mandala and we are more relatable than we'd like to admit. Our only wish is that you may enjoy the freaking crap out of this album and find comfort in realizing you're not alone."

Evolution is inevitable and KOBRA AND THE LOTUS has delivered its most powerful album to date, "Prevail I", with "Prevail II" to complete the story in the not-too-distant future.

Led by Kobra Paige, KOBRA AND THE LOTUS has been making a name for itself worldwide since 2010 with extensive touring and three well-received albums.

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS is loaded with exquisite precision, heavy emotion, vocal brilliance and grand-scale dynamics, highlighting the glories of classic heavy metal and rock. Known for their exceptionally strong live shows, they proudly carry the flag for all metal/hard rock fans.

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS is:

Kobra Paige (vocals)Jasio Kulakowski (guitars)Brad Kennedy (bass)Marcus Lee (drums)

Frontiers Music Srl will release "Saint Of The Lost Souls", the tenth studio album from HOUSE OF LORDS, on March 24. The song "New Day Breakin'", taken from "Saint Of The Lost Souls", can be streamed below. Recorded and produced by the band's singer and mastermind James Christian, the follow-up to 2015's "Indestructible" has an incredible flow of up-tempo and mid-tempo rockers mixed with power ballads, which lean a bit more toward keyboards this time around, but without compromising the band's trademark sound which is based around Jimi Bell's guitar. "Saint Of The Lost Souls" is already one of the year's most anticipated melodic rock releases and will not disappoint fans of the band or genre. James Christian's well-crafted and smooth vocals bring the band's songwriting to new heights. Guitarist Jimi Bell is on fire and the melodic riffs throughout the album will leave you breathless. A new addition on bass is Chris Tristram, who is no stranger to the rock community. His solid performance adds another dimension to the sound and BJ Zampa brings a solid and powerful rhythm foundation to HOUSE OF LORDS. The band has toured relentlessly in Europe and the States in support of their releases and has now become a true staple of the hard rock scene on both continents.

HOUSE OF LORDS stands for superb hooks and majestic atmospheres that bring back the memories of their stellar debut album, monumental guitar riffs and a production to die for. All these ingredients you will find on "Saint Of The Lost Souls" which shines from the first second to the last! "Saint Of The Lost Souls" track listing:

01. Harlequin02. Oceans Divide03. Hit the Wall04. Saint of the Lost Souls05. The Sun Will Never Set Again06. New Day Breakin'07. Reign of Fire08. Concussion09. Art of Letting Go10. Grains of Sand11. The Other Option

"Shine On", the new video from New Jersey thrash metal veterans OVERKILL, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "The Grinding Wheel", which was released on February 10 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was produced by OVERKILL and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, ACCEPT). The artwork was created again by Travis Smith (NEVERMORE, OPETH, SOILWORK, DEATH).

OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth recently told the Croatian metal portal NoiseEyes.com about the musical direction of "The Grinding Wheel": "First and foremost, production. Andy has done some great work with different bands in the genre from ACCEPT to ARCH ENEMY. He's really the metal go-to guy. But we wanted to use his abilities, but we wanted to use them with regard to how we saw the record being. One of the things we saw in modern metal is a guitar tone that doesn't have a cohesive relationship with the drums. We wanted more organic drums to start with, and we wanted a guitar tone that came somewhere out of the high technology of the '90s. So it's really kind of a throwback with regard to our thinking, so if you're thinking a drum sounding like a drum and the guitars sounding more in the vein of 'Horrorscope' for us, where it wasn't just top end, but top end and low end with a little bit of mids carved out of them. I think that's the thing I noticed the most about it."

He continued: "With regard to songwriting, we had done three records, 'Ironbound', 'The Electric Age' and 'White Devil Armory', that were for us, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. [Laughs] Or sisters! There's something about them where there was a formula that we were, I think in our opinion, neglecting some of the other tools that we've accumulated over the years. 'The Grinding Wheel' is much more diverse. There's an epic feel to some of the songs. There's a sludgy, slower feel. There is 'Our Finest Hour', which has been released, which could fit on one of those other three records but everything else doesn't seem like it would fit on these records. I think it's a wider OVERKILL, but press play when you get it. I think that's the best way for people to decide. Everybody has got to be a critic. That's the idea of being a music fan. I'm a music fan, but I'm also a critic. I love or I hate, or it's okay. It'd rather be loved or hated, not 'Ah, it's okay, whatever.'"

The official lyric video for the song "Resistance" from MEMORIAM, the new Birmingham, United Kingdom-based death/grind metal band featuring Karl Willets (BOLT THROWER) on vocals, Frank Healy (BENEDICTION, CEREBRAL FIX) on bass, Scott Fairfax (CEREBRAL FIX) on guitar and Andy Whale (BOLT THROWER) on drums, can be seen below. The track is taken from MEMORIAM's debut album, "For The Fallen", which will be released on March 24 through Nuclear Blast Records. The album's impressive artwork was created by Dan Seagrave (BENEDICTION, DISMEMBER, HYPOCRISY, SUFFOCATION).

Seagrave stated about the "For The Fallen" artwork: "Starting from the band's thoughts on visualizing a kind of funeral procession with a theme of combat, war and in conjunction with the title 'For The Fallen', as with all my works, I then attempt to make the information evolve in my mind's eye, and allow imagination to take over those elements but retaining the core concept. The painting thus depicts a funeral procession moving through a long-wartorn cityscape. Twisted shards of towers and buildings. A cathedral facade stands defiantly, yet riddled with destruction and decay. At closer insp,ection the structures all seem to be infected with an element of natural decomposition, as if organically inclined to fade with the demise of the season, the season itself lost in a timeless void. The figures appear as remnants of once soldiers, now strange in their gathered mass, drawn forwards by the drifting momentum of the procession. Unaware of their emaciated state they follow the commander. The commander's elongated appearance is tattered and almost creature-like, with the combat-style elements and gasmask falsely presenting as a costume. The procession appears almost ghost-like, ancient and serene, slowly moving through this eerie place as if forever. Far in the background there might still be a war happening, but perhaps in another time. As we view a sublevel of reality, lost in the present, captured in light, where the war had passed through and we are left in a ghost biology, where chemicals and history meet to create an inescapable surrealism."

"For The Fallen" track listing:

Digi

01. Memoriam02. War Rages On03. Reduced To Zero04. Corrupted System05. Flatline06. Surrounded (By Death)07. Resistance08. Last Words

LP

Side A

01. Memoriam02. War Rages On03. Reduced To Zero04. Corrupted System

Side B

01. Flatline02. Surrounded (By Death)03. Resistance04. Last Words

MEMORIAM was primarily developed to fill the void that was left following the tragic death of Martin "Kiddie" Kearns, the drummer from BOLT THROWER, back in September 2015. BOLT THROWER subsequently placed all activity on hold for the foreseeable future which gave Karl Willetts an opportunity to develop a new project with friends that had expressed interest in forming a band for some time.

MEMORIAM is an old-school death metal band, maintaining the standards set by their previous bands, focusing on the themes of death, loss and war. Initially, the bandmembers got together to play covers of songs that had influenced them throughout their careers within the death metal scene. However, it soon became apparent that the new songs that they created were of a superior standard.

Photo credit: Gobinder Jhitta

NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen and SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl welcomed their first child, a daughter named Freja, on March 15. They say in a statement: "We are very happy parents! Thank you for your kind support coming in from all over the world during this time!"

Van Dahl is sitting out shows on SABATON's European tour so that he could spend time with his family during this period. Fillling in for him is Daniel Sjögren (TWILIGHT FORCE, BLOODBOUND).

Asked by Spain's Metal Journal whether his family situation will have an impact on his ability to tour with SABATON, Hannes said: "Well, you know, as far as I'm concerned, nothing will really change, 'cause this is what I do, an this is… this is what I do to make a living. People have had kids before in this business. So, to stop any worries — 'cause I know a lot of people are worried [about me] quitting the band — I will stay in the band. And as far as I can say, when it's time, I need to go and be there with my family. But when I've done that, I'm going back to touring. So I won't leave. I will be there."

Jansen herself has spoken about the challenges of raising a child while being in a touring band like NIGHTWISH. She told Finland's Radio Rock last fall: "Of course, it's a very challenging combination, and I was very happy that the way [NIGHTWISH is] today — or, actually, have always been — it's a very open group; we can talk about things. And the guys, actually, were curious. A few months ago, we started talking about it, like, 'So, 2017… How about kids? Yeah?' So it's great to think about things together: how can we combine it? Also 'cause my partner is in a successful band, touring a lot. Yeah, then you need the cooperation of the people that you are family with also. So I am not afraid that won't work. It will be a challenge, for sure, but, yeah, a little SABATON or NIGHTWISH daycare program sounds lovely, doesn't it? [Laughs]"

Jansen also dismissed rumors that she will leave the band after welcoming her first child. She told Mariskal Rock TV: "No, I won't [quit NIGHTWISH]. I love this way too much; don't worry. You don't even have negative speculations one way or another. Things are great, and let's keep on doing this forever."

SABATON's eighth album, "The Last Stand", was released last August via Nuclear Blast.

Van Dahl joined SABATON in November 2013 after previously playing with another Swedish band, EVERGREY.




In perfect health our daughter Freja was born on the 15th of March. We are very happy parents! Thank you for your kind support coming in from all over the world during this time! Hannes, Floor & Freja.

Posted by Floor Jansen on Friday, March 17, 2017

DIRKSCHNEIDER decided to continue the tour in 2017. You can read the official statement below:

"Dear Fans, Friends and Partners,

We want to let you know that we have decided to continue with DIRKSCHNEIDER!

Originally it was our plan to go back to touring with U.D.O. in 2017. But we have received an incredible number of emails and letters from fans begging us to continue with DIRKSCHNEIDER, and as there are still so many (Accept) songs left to be sung, we have decided to bow to your demands!

During the last tours with DIRKSCHNEIDER, the audience had a lot of fun, and we as a band also had the time of our lives on stage. In fact, a whole lot of people in countries all over the world have been knocked out by these shows. Just check out all the media (especially from the US, where we have just finished a 5 week tour) and you will read the caption „tour of the year“ multiple times……

We are thrilled by the idea of continuing and we are really looking forward to seeing you all again live on tour!

Oh, we nearly forgot to tell you about possibly the most important point of all: From Oct 2017 on, DIRKSCHNEIDER will tour with an almost completely NEW setlist. Of course, it will still contain only Accept hits, but this time with many different songs compared to the last tours.

Get your tickets here: https://www.adticket.de/Dirkschneider.html

For this tour you will also have the chance to purchase special hard tickets from metaltix ltd. https://www.metaltix.com/udo-dirkschneider-tickets-4983.html"

LINKIN PARK's official lyric video for the song "Battle Symphony" can be seen below. The track is the second single from the band's seventh studio album, "One More Light", which will be released on May 19 through Warner Bros.

LINKIN PARK debuted the disc's first single, "Heavy", on Los Angeles radio station KROQ on February 16, followed by a performance of the track later in the day on Facebook Live. The song features guest vocals from Kiara Saulters, who is best known for recording stop-motion, hip-hop-inspired electro-R&B under the name Kiiara and who is featured in the track's accompanying video.

"Heavy" sees LINKIN PARK teaming up with pop songwriter Emily Wright, who has worked with artists like Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Flo Rida. Vocalist Mike Shinoda told The Pulse Of Radio about the concept behind the song and its very different sound: "The question popped into my head, what would it be like, first of all, to write with people outside the band? What would it be like to really approach things with our arms kind of wide open, wrapped around a larger audience? And still make it a hundred percent LINKIN PARK and a hundred percent true to what we do. Almost a year and a half later, this is the first taste of what that sounds like."

Asked what the rest of "One More Light" is like, Shinoda told Billboard: "One of the reasons why we chose 'Heavy' as the first single is because it is really the core sound of the album. This wasn't a scenario where the whole album sounds one way and the single sounds different. This is how the album sounds. So we wanted to go out with a song like that, where everybody can get a sense of the direction of this body of work."

Shinoda also talked about LINKIN PARK's decision to collaborate with other writers this time around.

"The thing that really drove this album was we kind of flipped our writing process backwards," he said. "Historically for us the (instrumental) track usually comes first, like we'll make a body of music and the music will inspire the lyrics. In this case, we actually flipped that around and the very first thing we'd do each day is we'd get into the studio and say, 'What's on my mind? What do I want to sing about and write about?' and that defined a whole different kind of writing. It builds a wonderful foundation to put everything else on top of. And the soundmaking is actually one of the most fun parts for me, so then it's like icing on the cake. I know I've got a strong song, a strong foundation and then it's just icing to put on top of it."

Other tunes on the new CD include "Nobody Can Save Me", "Good Goodbye", "Talking To Myself", "Invisible", "Sorry For Now", "Halfway Right", "Sharp Edges" and the title track.

Photo credit: James Minchin

Legendary progressive metal act FATES WARNING celebrated the 30th anniversary of its third album, "Awaken The Guardian", in 2016. The album was to become their final release to feature vocalist John Arch. That era's lineup was rounded out by bassist Joe DiBiase, drummer Steve Zimmerman, along with current guitarist Frank Aresti and, of course, guitarist and main songwriter Jim Matheos. "Awaken The Guardian" also holds the honor as the band's very first release to debut on the Billboard chart.

"Awaken The Guardian" remains an important album for the band's fans worldwide. Decibel magazine remarked in its "Hall Of Fame" No. 134 entry that "Each member still talks with great pride of its creation, each blown away by the feedback it has received since its release 30 years ago, each amazed at the powerful and positive impact it has had on so many lives."

To celebrate 30 years since the album's release, Matheos reassembled the "Awaken The Guardian"-era lineup for two special festival appearances: Keep It True XIX in Lauda-Konigshofen, Germany and Prog Power USA XVII in Atlanta, Georgia. Fortunately for fans that were not able to attend, each show was filmed and recorded.

Arch comments about the experience: "It was truly a surreal experience being able to share the spirit of 'Awaken The Guardian' at these shows. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the fans that have given back so much over the 30-year span since the album's release. To all our family and friends, much gratitude."

Due on April 28 via Metal Blade, "Awaken The Guardian Live" consists of both festival performances in their entirety. This piece of progressive metal history will be available on CD, DVD, Blu-ray, and double gatefold vinyl.

* Keep It True festival, April 30, 2016, Lauda-Königshofen, GermanyDirected and edited by Oliver "Bomber" Barth. Mixed and mastered by Bill Metoyer at SkullSeven Studio, North Hollywood, California

* ProgPower USA, September 9, 2016, Atlanta, GeorgiaSound recording and video editing by Kent Smith. Audio and video recording services provided by Lucid Lounge Studios – Atlanta. Mixed and mastered by Bill Metoyer at SkullSeven Studio, North Hollywood, California

Art direction, design, and artwork by Ioannis.

For more information and to pre-order, visit www.metalblade.com/fateswarning.