ME AND THAT MAN, which pairs BEHEMOTH founder, songwriter and singer Adam "Nergal" Darski with British/Polish rock musician John Porter, performed its song "Nightride" on a recent episode of Kuba Wojewódzki's Król TVN show. You can now watch video footage of their appearance below.

ME AND THAT MAN will release its debut album, "Songs Of Love And Death", on March 24 through Cooking Vinyl.

With the release of this side project, the duo puts away any pre-conceived ideas about what heavy music "should" be. The project draws heavily on blues, country and folk to make music as dark as if it was being screamed over shredding guitars. "Songs Of Love And Death" is a dark journey through sun-bleached, dusty plains, soundtracked by low-slung acoustic guitars and steeped in the rawest essence of rock and blues. The duo's debut will prove to be a revelatory affair for BEHEMOTH's huge global fan base, while simultaneously luring many more people into Nergal's artistic world. Fans of everything from Nick Cave, DANZIG, Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash's American Recordings, through to the grim, frontier polemic of WOVENHAND will find countless mesmerizing moments on the album. "This album is not meant to turn ME AND THAT MAN fans into BEHEMOTH fans," Nergal notes. "If one day they follow, okay. Something like 'My Church Is Black' is a strong declaration, a song that naturally invites people from the extreme metal world, and perhaps they'll want to enter this world too. They might even like it. With ME AND THAT MAN, I'm telling simple stories in a simple way, not overloaded with metaphors and hidden meanings. It's just got to be as natural, organic and stripped down as it can be." He further explains: "With ME AND THAT MAN, the songs just come out in a very organic way. One would be bluesy, one would be more of a ballad, but put together they all made sense. I need ME AND THAT MAN to keep the balance, as the potential of my mother band seems limitless. It gets bigger and bigger, more advanced and more sophisticated... and darker ...and blacker. But ME AND THAT MAN is at the opposite pole, artistically speaking. With all the best art, once you have it in you, you have to release it, otherwise it becomes intoxicating and dangerous to your own system. This is how I deal with my emotions and my dark feelings and shadows. This is not happy music, but it's liberating." "This is a side-project, but I don't really know what it's going to grow into," Nergal concludes. The idea was just to get this music out to people. There's no hidden agenda. It is what it is, and if you like it, it's cool. If you don't, that's cool too. This is the battle we've already won." Plans are underway for a series of live dates in Europe around the release of the album and across the U.S. in April/May. Stay tuned for further details soon. "Songs Of Love And Death" features artwork by Daniel P. Carter and is available for pre-order now.

ICED EARTH has completed work on its new album, "Incorruptible" (formerly "The Judas Goat"), for a mid-June release.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Great Heathen Army02. Black Flag03. Raven Wing04. The Veil05. Seven Headed Whore06. The Relic (Part 1)07. Ghost Dance (Awaken The Ancestors)08. Brothers09. Defiance10. Clear The Way (December 13th, 1862)

Regarding how "Incorruptible" compares to previous ICED EARTH albums, guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer told Metal Wani: "They're all kind of their own thing, but I have a very strong gut feeling about this, and so does everybody in the band, that this is one of the really special ones. So I put it up there with 'The Dark Saga' [1996], 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' [1998], 'Dystopia' [2011] — it's in that league of records — so it's really gonna be something special, man. I know musicians always say that, but there is something going on here, so it's cool. We're all very excited about it."

On the topic of the concept for the lyrics on "Incorruptible", Schaffer said: "There is no concept on this record; it's just ten individual tracks not related to each other. Actually, on 'Plagues Of Babylon' [2014], it was only the first six that were related to the 'Something Wicked' story; it was like a zombie apocalypse within the 'Something Wicked' framework. But this album, it's just ten individual songs. We have one called 'Clear The Way', which is about the Irish Brigade at the Battle Of Fredericksburg — very tragic, actually — but that's a big epic, like ten minutes; and then we have one called 'Black Flag', which is a pirate song. It's quite a… I think I pulled it off pretty well with the lyrics, to be able to tell such a big story in a very short amount of time. I think it's gonna be a highlight of the record. And then on [the last European] tour, [we opened] the show with a new song that will be the opener on the album — it's called 'Great Heathen Army' — that's got a Viking kind of a vibe to it. So there's a lot of different things, and none of it's really related. There's one called 'Raven Wing'… I can't really think of all of them righ now… 'Seven Headed Whore' — that's one that's actually pretty brutal; it's like a total kick in the balls. But, you know, there's a lot of varied emotions on this, and it's cool stuff, man."

Asked about singer Stu Block's contribution to "Incorruptible", Schaffer said: "Well, he came at the end of… for about the last month or so of pre-production… maybe a little bit more… five weeks… and we worked on his vocal parts. We do it like Stu and I normally do it. Some of the stuff we write together. I mean, I write the musical arrangements and do all that — he doesn't play any instruments — but he comes in… At the end of the writing process is when we focus on his parts. And the lyrics that we worked on together, on a song called 'Brother', which is about our brotherhood, [between] Stu and I and within the band… We've gone through a lot of shit together and we've had a lot of great times together, but the bond is very strong, and that's clear. So it's just a song, really, for us. And then he wrote the lyrics for 'The Great Heathen Army'. I'm trying to think… I can't think of 'em, man; I have to look at the list [of songs]. But usually, he goes to an area and works, and I go in my area and work. And, like I said, on some songs we collaborate sometimes. On this one, the only we did was 'Brother'… We work in the way we always work. And it's a very cool chemistry."

ICED EARTH took a break from touring in 2015, primarily due to Schaffer's second cervical fusion surgery.

Longtime ICED EARTH drummer Brent Smedley returned to the band for the current recording and touring cycle. Smedley had to step down due to personal family reasons in 2013 shortly before the recording of "Plagues Of Babylon".

Professionally filmed video footage of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's March 3 performance at Enmore Theatre in Sydney, Australia can be seen below. The multi-camera clips were shot by Christina Rowatt, D.K. Robinson and Tim Oxford and were edited by Christina Rowatt.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and ANTHRAX will hit the road this spring to co-headline a 27-date North American tour, presented by SiriusXM. The bands' itinerary will also include an April 15 appearance at the Texas Independence Festival in Austin, as well as each band headlining two solo shows separate from the double bill.

With KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and ANTHRAX rotating the closing slot over the course of the dates, the tour will hit the ground on March 29 in Montclair, New Jersey and then criss-cross the continent, wrapping up in Boston on May 7. The intense and dynamic THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA will provide direct support on all dates.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE recently released the "Beyond The Flames: Home Video Part II" two-disc, Blu-ray and CD package. At the heart of this release is a 75-minute documentary that chronicles the return of singer Jesse Leach, after nearly a decade of being apart, to the band he helped form back in 1999. The piece also takes a close look at the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE early years that eventually led to Leach's initial departure. Produced and directed by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE storyteller Denise Korycki, this documentary picks up right where their 2005 "(Set This) World Ablaze" release left off, revealing the untold rest of the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE story.

Reunited cult New York thrash metal act DEMOLITION HAMMER will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its second album, "Epidemic Of Violence", by performing the LP in its entirety at a special show on June 24 at the Gramercy Theater in New York City. There will also be special 25th-anniversary "Epidemic Of Violence" merchandise that will only be sold at the show and will never be manufactured and sold again afterwards.

Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday, March 17 at 10 a.m. EST.

DEMOLITION HAMMER was active between 1986 and 1994 and released three full-length albums — "Tortured Existence" (1990), "Epidemic Of Violence" (1992) and "Time Bomb" (1994) — all through Century Media.

A DEMOLITION HAMMER compilation, "Necrology: A Complete Anthology", was issued in 2008, also through Century Media. The set contained the band's entire three-album discography across two discs.

In March 2015, Century Media reissued "Tortured Existence" and "Epidemic Of Violence" on vinyl.

Asked how the DEMOLITION HAMMER reunion came about, guitarist Derek Sykes told Rock Hard magazine: "It's kind of something that we've been watching, or I've been watching, for a very long time. Our last show that we played, up until recently, was twenty-five years ago. I've kind of maintained web sites and things like that, and I've been just kind of listening to people talking about the band, and they started talking more and more and more and more. And I had the idea, went to Steve [Reynolds; bass/vocals] and said, 'Hey, what do you think? Maybe we [should] try it.' And he was, like, 'I don't know.' So it really just kind of sat for a while and I just sat in awe, looking at how many people were kind of into it. I didn't expect that at all. And then we reconnected with Jim [James Reilly, guitar] here, and it was great just all three of us hanging out and really just having a great time. And then we went to the Maryland Deathfest not last year, but the year before. And our friends' band SOLSTICE played one of our songs, and we saw the crowd went nuts, and that's really when it hit us: 'Holy shit! We can actually do this.' So we dusted off the guitars, dusted off our arms, and tried to re-learn stuff that we hadn't literally played in twenty years. And we got most of it right."

Added Reynolds: "Derek had been talking to me about it and said, 'Hey, there's really a lot of interest,' and I said, 'Yeah, you're crazy, you're delusional. No one cares about DEMOLITION HAMMER.' But I'm not somebody who's very connected with the Internet or Facebook or anything. He was persistent about it, and like he said, when we went to the Maryland Deathfest and I saw it with my own eyes how much interest there was, I said, 'Okay, you're not crazy. Maybe there is something about this.' Then when we talked to James about it and he was in, that's what really put us over the top."

Regarding whether there are plans for DEMOLITION HAMMER to record a new album, Steve said: "We've talked. But we were so busy just trying to work all this in, we haven't really solidified any plans for that. But we're still talking about it."

Added Reilly: "Now that we see how well this is going, we do have it in our heads to start writing some new material and see where it goes."

Said Derek: "We're just amazed that we can actually still play the stuff that we played twenty-five years ago, and it sounds relatively good. So the next step is, 'Can we still write stuff that holds up to what we did twenty-five years ago?' 'Cause if it doesn't, we're not doing it. So that's really the last hurdle: can we still do it? We'll try to find out."

Continued James: "I think we can. As long as we stay true to ourselves and try not to be something we're not, it should work. I think it'll work."

By Carl Begai

"Life is too short to wonder 'What would have happened if I'd done something else?'"

So says former Amaranthe vocalist Jake E., who announced back in February that he was leaving the band he co-founded in 2008 after nine years and four albums. His departure boiled down to being unhappy with Amaranthe's current musical direction, and following a great deal of soul searching Jake decided to call it quits in the interest of devoting his energy to family life and an assortment of projects. One such project became Cyhra, which began as a collaboration with an old friend and evolved into a band with a future.

"I formed Cyhra with a guitar hero of mine, Jesper Strömblad of In Flames," Jake begins. "Peter Iwers (bass) recently left In Flames and is also part of this, and on drums we have Alexander Landenberg from Luca Turilli's Rhapsody. The music is written straight from the heart and it's a lot of fun. It's an amazing feeling but it's also a little bit weird to start over."

"I think I had the idea of starting a new band for a long time," he continues, "but when you're in a band it's like being in a relationship. If it's bad you're thinking 'Things will get better...' but you get to a point where you have to move on. It was the Amaranthe fans that kept me from doing this earlier; playing the shows, meeting the fans afterwards and seeing how happy they are, I had a bad conscience about the situation. There is a sentimental value to it which is what prevented me from leaving earlier because without the fans I'd still be working at a bar. Without the fans I would be nothing."

Cyhra's origins are simple and pure, its foundation based on friendship and a shared drive to make music.

"Me and Jesper have been friends for many years," says Jake. "We're from the same city and I used to do pyrotechnics for In Flames way back in the day, so we became friends when we were on tour. At the end of 2015, beginning of 2016 we met at a bar and I told Jesper I was thinking about doing a solo album. He told me that he had also wanted to do a solo album and asked if I would sing on it. I suggested he play guitar on my solo album, and that's when Jesper had the idea that we should do something together."

"We started to write songs just for fun; no timeframe, no plans to release anything. Later in the year I mentioned to Alexander Landenberg that me and Jesper were working together and suggested he come in to play drums because I thought he really fit the project. A few months later we had four songs done and decided it wasn't just a project, that Cyhra would be a band. And then, out of the blue, Peter told us that he'd love to play bass on the new material (laughs). He decided to leave In Flames a short time later and that's when things came together. At that point we decided to look for a record label to make this band a reality."

Asked to describe Cyhra's sound to Amaranthe fans and worshippers of the Strömblad-era of In Flames, Jake doesn't mince words. Elements of both bands exist in Cyhra but this is a different animal entirely.

"You can immediately hear that Jesper is involved. It's not old In Flames or anything like that. The music is modern metal but you hear straight away that Jesper is a part of it; you hear his melodies and that's what makes working with him so interesting. It's like Slash.... you know directly that it's Slash playing when you hear him, and it's the same thing with Jesper. When it comes to Amaranthe fans hearing Cyhra, the hooklines, the melodies, the choruses that stick to your brain, that's how they'll know I'm a part of this. It's a combination of Jesper's style from old melodic In Flames and my vocal melodies. It's a good mixture. Our intention is that both Amaranthe fans and In Flames fans will at least have a listen to Cyhra and hopefully like what we're doing."

Looking back, Jake cites Amaranthe's first two albums (self-titled debut and The Nexus) as being "exactly what I wanted the band to sound like; a mix between those Soilwork-like guitars and melodic Bon Jovi-type vocals." It seems likely that Cyhra would follow a similar path given Jake left Amaranthe when those elements became stifled.

"In one way, yes," he agrees. "You can hear that Cyhra is metal but over the eight years that I was with Amaranthe, I became really inspired by bands like Bring Me The Horizon, 30 Seconds To Mars, SIXX:A.M. and bands like that. There are heavy guitars, heavy drums, heavy bass, but you also have a bit more of this melancholic feeling in some of the Cyhra songs. That's why I said the music sounds a bit more modern. As you get older you evolve as a songwriter and Cyhra is the result of that."

Once Cyhra's debut album is released (through Spinefarm/Universal) the next order of business will be touring, which Jake assures the fans will happen. This begs the question: will the band pull out an old Amaranthe or In Flames song as part of their live set?

"That's a really interesting question," Jake laughs. "I hadn't even thought about that doing that. I can't say yes or no, but it would definitely be fun. It would be really cool. I wonder how it would sound with me on an In Flames song.... maybe something like Bon Jovi singing Slayer (laughs)."

www.cyhra.com

"Come Alive", the new video from American musician Nick Douglas, can be seen below. The song is taken from his second solo album, titled "Regenerations", which was released in North America on March 10 via Metalville Records.

Commented Nick: "The song 'Come Alive' is about facing a difficult situation and not losing hope, no matter how challenging it may seem and the truth you discover inside yourself in the process."

He added: "The video was filmed at The Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and directed by Steve Truglio. We had a small budget but a lot of ideas. I'd like to thank The Sherman staff, Steve and my friends for being a part of it."

Most noted for his work with the queen of rock and metal Doro Pesch, for the past 25 years Douglas has recorded several albums with DORO and has backed her on stages across the globe. Throughout the years, Douglas has also lent his talents to tours and recorded works with Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN) and Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE).

"Regenerations" was recorded and produced mostly at Douglas's own studio and he performed nearly all instrumentation himself. The result is a contemporary rock album featuring eleven catchy tracks with real hit potential.

Douglas said: "The songs on 'Regenerations' were written over the course of about 15 years. I've learned and changed so much through this time and the lyrics reflect that. That's how the name of the album came about. Letting go of old ways and growing into something new."

"Regenerations" track listing:

01. Come Alive02. All On Me03. Before You Break (feat. Sharlotte Gibson)04. I Need Real05. Didn't We Try06. My Lucky Day07. Uncomfortable08. The Soul You Keep09. Blackwood10. You Break11. Blue (feat. Rebecca Gowarty) At the age of 19, Douglas became a member of the heavy metal band DEADLY BLESSING from Turnersville, New Jersey, with which he wrote and recorded songs for their first album, titled "Ascend From The Cauldron", on New Renaissance Records in 1988. In late 1989, he decided to leave the band and moved to New York City. In the summer of 1990, Douglas auditioned for Pesch and was chosen among many candidates. Douglas has been the bassist of Doro's band since then and recorded several albums with her, touring often in Europe as well as rest of the world. Douglas has also worked with Bayley's band BLAZE for the tours of 2004 and 2005. In 2005, he also played bass for Caffery on his "Faces" tour and at the end of the same year he participated in a reunion of DEADLY BLESSING for some live performances and the release of an album containing rare and previously unreleased material. In 2007, Douglas played bass on one track on Caffery's third solo album "Pins And Needles", afterwards going on tour with both Caffery and Doro. He also started making plans to release a new solo CD, to which he devoted time to in the breaks between touring.

Former PANTERA and current HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott celebrated his 53rd birthday on stage during the latter band's concert this past Saturday, March 11 at the Samsung Hall in Duebendorf (Zurich), Switzerland.

Prior to launching into the song "Startariot", HELLYEAH was joined on stage by three members of the headlining band KORN — bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, guitarist Brian "Head" Welch and drummer Ray Luzier — who presented Vinnie Paul with a birthday cake. Fieldy handed the cake to the drummer, who proceeded to blow out the candles and take a bite of the cake before resuming the concert with his bandmates.

Vinnie Paul's long-awaited cookbook, tentatively titled "Drumming Up An Appetite With Vinnie Paul", is expected later this year. He told the Banana 101.5 radio station that the book will feature "a picture of me sitting behind the drum set. I'm holding two big, old turkey legs; those are otherwise known as drumsticks. And it's got a lot of really cool recipes that I came up with on my own; a lot of them my mom taught me when I was growing up; and just a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor, and it's just a lot of fun. It's not real serious."

Vinnie added: "A lot of people think cooking is throwing something in the microwave. It's really not. There's a passion to it. It's like playing music. If you love doing it, you really put everything you've got into it and want it to be special, and that's what we do."

HELLYEAH's cover of the 1982 Phil Collins hit "I Don't Care Anymore" is featured on the band's new album, "Unden!able". The song includes a guitar track from late PANTERA guitarist — and Vinnie Paul Abbott's brother — "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, which the siblings first recorded fifteen years ago.

Renowned Dutch vocalist Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex-THE GATHERING) joined Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend on stage on March 10 at Melkweg in Amsterdam, The Netherlands to perform several tracks from Devin's vast catalog. Fan-filmed video footage of her appearance can be seen below.

In a 2016 interview with OneMetal, Anneke stated about her ongoing collaboration with Devin on his albums: "I am surprised how he can make even better stuff then he already did, and it's a gift from god when you have this endless inspiration. He works hard for it, and he leaves a lot of things undone because of his music — he goes through a lot for it. I think you can hear just how honest it is. I'm just proud to be on it."

Anneke also revealed that she thinks "all the time about asking Devin to write me an album, but I don't think he ever could because he's always working on something. So I never have the guts to ask him — but that would be my ultimate thing if Devin wrote me an album." She added: "We have such a good chemistry and working relationship — I learn a lot from him. You learn about music and you learn about life. I always think I know about vocals but I learn so much from Devin; and that makes me a richer person. So that would be the ultimate thing — one day I'll have the guts to ask him."

Devin told Noisefull in a 2014 interview that his relationship with Anneke "is peculiar because I never planned to continue it after 'Addicted!'." He explained: "The way that it works with her and I is: I write the music, she flies to Vancouver for literally two or three days, and then she's gone... So it's like a very open relationship that we have with each other — if you are looking it that way — and it doesn't require a lot of effort... And it's fun! I mean, we get along really well; it's like we kinda have a brother-sister thing that's fun. And it just works out that way. For me, I write so much music with female vocals in mind that it's great to have someone I could rely on to do that. So, I don't think too much about the involvement with Anneke. She's just one of the most pleasurable parts of the process."

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

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

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

Encore:
"The Nail" 
"Towards Dead End"

 

 

 

 

Remaining tour dates:

March
14 - Le Cargo - Caen, France
15 - L’Echonova - Vannes, France
16 - La Nef - Angouleme, France
17 - Disney - Le File 7 - Magny-Le-Hongre, France
18 - Le Metaphone - Oignie, France
20 - Komplex - Zurich, Switzerland
21 - Theaterfabrik - Munich, Germany
22 - Live Club - Milan, Italy
23 - Tvornica Kulture - Zagreb, Croatia
25 - Arena - Vienna, Austria
26 - Strasse E - Dresden, Germany
27 - Astra - Berlin, Germany
30 - Pustervik - Gothenburg, Sweden

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

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

Stryper frontman Michael Sweet has checked in with the following update:

"Diving back into new Sweet & Lynch songs. Really sounding great! I'm ready for this and a new Stryper album as well. Gonna be a great year. Right now we're looking at a 2017 Fall release for the new S&L album and a 2018 late spring release for the new Stryper album."

Sweet & Lynch - featuring Stryper frontman Michael Sweet and legendary guitarist George Lynch of Lynch Mob/Dokken - released their debut album, Only To Rise, in January 2015 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The video for the song "Dying Rose" can be seen below. "Dying Rose is the perfect representation of this album. It's heavy yet dynamic with a riff and melody that reminds you of the greatest era in rock. George and I are proud of this song and excited that you all have the opportunity to finally hear it in it's entirety and to see it as well!" exclaims Michael Sweet.

"When I was approached to help put together an all-star lineup, instantly I thought of George Lynch,” explains Sweet. “George is one of the most talented guitarists out there and a ‘bucket list’ player for me. George wrote riffs/basic ideas and I wrote melodies, lyrics and arranged and completed the songs. I knew that we would compliment each other's style. When you add the amazing rhythm section of Brian Tichy and James Lomenzo, you just can't go wrong with this line-up. It really is a special project and I'm honored to be a part of it!"

From the opening notes of “The Wish” to the drum solo finish on the album-closer “Only To Rise,” it is evident that this musical partnership between Michael Sweet’s unmistakable voice and George Lynch’s signature guitar tone has yielded incredible results. Songs “Like A Dying Rose,” “Me Without You” and “Strength In Numbers” showcase the diversity that permeates throughout the entire album.

Sweet & Lynch released a lyric video for the 9/11 inspired track “September” which can be seen below. An EPK featuring Michael and George discussing this new project can also be found below. Only To Rise was produced by Michael Sweet who also produced the last Stryper album, No More Hell To Pay, which received massive fan praise and critical acclaim alike.

Only To Rise tracklisting:

"The Wish"
Dying Rose"
"Love Stays"
"Time Will Tell"
"Rescue Me"
"Me Without You"
"Recover"
"Divine"
"September"
"Strength In Numbers"
"Hero-Zero"
"Only To Rise"

"September" lyric video:

EPK:

Long-running Boston-based power metallers Meliah Rage have announced that they’ve reunited with singer Paul Souza, the vocal powerhouse that can be heard on the their Barely Human (2004), The Deep And Dreamless Sleep (2006) and Dead To The World (2011) albums. The band are currently working on the follow-up to 2014’s Warrior, with an expected release date later this year via Metal On Metal Records. The as-yet-untitled opus will feature nine new songs and is being produced by Pete Rutcho. It is the first record since leader/guitarist Anthony Nichols broke his wrist and it was uncertain if he’d play guitar again after three serious surgeries. Meliah Rage will be playing a handful of shows later this year through the US North East, the first live shows since 2010.

Paul Souza says about rejoining his former bandmates: “I’m really looking forward to getting back to making some loud music and doing some long overdue live dates with the band.”

Meliah Rage cover the Alice Cooper classic “Halo Of Flies”:

Check out the 2016 reissue of Barely Human at this location.

Original Y&T rhythm guitarist Joey Alves has died. He was 63 years old. His passing leaves frontman Dave Meniketti as the only surviving member of the Y&T lineup — then known as YESTERDAY AND TODAY — that recorded the band's self-titled debut album.

Two founding Y&T musicians — drummer Leonard Haze, 61, and bassist Kennemore, 57, who both had left the lineup — died from complications of lung cancer: Kennemore on January 7, 2011, and Haze on September 11, 2016.

The news of Alves's passing was broken by Meniketti on Facebook. He wrote: "It's with great sadness that I write this today. Y&T's original rhythm guitarist, Joey Alves, passed away at 7:10 this morning. He suffered from ulcerative colitis and other complications that led to his passing.

"Joey was one of the finest rock rhythm guitarists, and I'll always remember playing next to him chunking out those monster chords with his classic red double cutaway '59 Les Paul Jr.

"As Ronnie Montrose once said about Joey, 'There are rhythm players, then there's Joey. A class of his own.....'

"He was a fun guy who always played with attitude and conviction, and was responsible for writing some memorable riffs for Y&T over the years. His friendship and presence will be missed.

"This is a great loss for all the Y&T family and faithful. He now joins Phil and Leonard in rock and roll heaven."

Speaking about Kennemore and Haze's absences, Meniketti told the Stockton Record back in January: "It was incredibly disheartening and emotionally wrenching. Anything I can say just doesn't come up to describing it. When you lose your best buddy [Kennemore] you've been standing next to for 37 years, the best word is 'time.'

"You come out of it. When you've gone through all those hard times so often, losing him — on all of us — was not an easy thing. His spirit's still here. Regardless."

As previously reported, Y&T is putting the finishing touches on its documentary, "On With The Show", to be released before the end of the year. The film is expected to be built out of the hundreds of hours of personal footage shot over the years. It is set to cover the band's earliest days of rehearsing in Haze's grandmother's house, then move through the first two albums, touring with JOURNEY, BOSTON and QUEEN, to their big breaks with AC/DC, OZZY OSBOURNE and DIO.

Y&T's current lineup is rounded out by guitarist John Nymann, drummer Mike Vanderhule and bassist Aaron Leigh.

Y&T's live album, "Live At The Mystic", was released in November 2012 via Frontiers Records.

The band's first studio album in 13 years, "Facemelter", came out in Europe on May 21, 2010 via Frontiers.




It’s with great sadness that I write this today. Y&T's original rhythm guitarist, Joey Alves, passed away at 7:10 this...

Posted by Dave Meniketti on Sunday, March 12, 2017

It was reported back in March 2013 that German/Norwegian folk metallers Midnattsol were working on new material, but the band hasn't been heard from since. They recently broke the silence with an update:

"Hey Folks,

If you can`t believe what you`re reading right now, we fully understand you, it has been years since the last album. Despite this, we can assure you that it`s true: Midnattsol is alive!

Lots of things have happened in our personal lives. There were new jobs, new loved ones and a lot of little 'sols' have entered in our lives. Still, we always kept on writing songs and just waited for the right moment to shine again.

We appreciate your everlasting support deep within our hearts – thank you for never stop believing in us! A new era for Midnattsol has started, and we are more than ever eager and excited for the following time. More special news is waiting for you, and we`re pretty sure that at last one will blow you away. Stay tuned!"

Vocalist Carmen Elise Espenaes has now checked in with the following:

"Time for some really special news! After sending a current demo to our label Napalm Records it`s official: Midnattsol will make a fourth album together with Napalm Records!  The release will be at the beginning of 2018, and there will be live gigs next year. We are so excited!"

Midnattsol's third album, The Metamorphosis Melody, was released in April 2011.

 

For information and updates on Midnattsol go to this location.

The flagship of the Belgian metal scene, After All, released their new thrash metal hammer, Waves Of Annihilation, on June 10th, 2016 via NoiseArt Records. The band has checked in with the following update:

"Fellow metal maniacs, the wait is finally over! We are beyond excited to announce our new powerhouse singer: Mike Slembrouck. Check out Mike’s amazing voice on the brand new lyric video for 'Restore To Sanity'.

And that’s not all... both 'Restore To Sanity' and 'Target Extinction' – originally from the Waves Of Annihilation album – were given the Mike Slembrouck treatment and are scheduled for release through NoiseArt Records as digital single (April 10th) and as limited edition 7 inch vinyl single (April 28th). 

Team After All is complete again and we look forward to thrash as many stages as possible. The first show with Mike in our ranks is scheduled for May 27 at dB’s in Utrecht (Holland). And yes, we are also writing new tunes. The best is yet to come…

No retreat! No surrender!"

 

Waves Of Annihilation is After All’s ninth full-length album. As on the previous two, Dan Swanö once again delivered a crushingly heavy, yet open production. No loudness war on this one.

Saigon Kick performed on the 2017 edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise, which set sail February 2nd - 6th on board Royal Caribbean’s luxurious Independence Of The Seas, leaving from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to an all new Caribbean dream destination: Labadee, situated on the northern coast of Haiti, featuring pristine beaches, coral reefs and lagoon-like bays surrounded by forested mountains. Fan-filmed video of the band's complete show is available below.

The setlist was as follows:

"New World"
"I.C.U."
"Suzy"
"Down by the Ocean"
"All I Want"
"Coming Home"
"World Goes Round"
"Peppermint Tribe"
"Ugly"
"God of 42nd Street"
"Month of Sundays"
"The Lizard"
"Hostile Youth"
"Love Is On The Way"

 

 

 

Saigon Kick recently updated their live schedule with three shows in Texas over the summer. It is now as follows:

April
6 - The Studio at Webster Hall - New York, NY
28 - The Viper Room - West Hollywood, CA

June
29 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
30 - Trees - Dallas, TX

July
1 - Fitzgerald's - San Antonio, TX

In addition, guitarist Jason Bieler has issued the following update:

"Reworking a bunch of music for some upcoming solo shows which are being announced on Monday. It will be both comedic and musical... not to be confused with music that sounds unintentionally comedic. That would be tragic and more like Shakespeare and who has the time for that?"

Bieler's solo shows will feature Saigon Kick, Owl Stretching and Supertransatlantic material as well as some cover songs. Stay tuned for more information.

Original members of Junkyard have reunited to deliver their first album of new material in decades. Combining equal parts Southern rock, boogie-woogie and self-destruction, High Water is a bad-ass collection of raw, punk rock blues that picks up where the band left off.

Scheduled for release on April 21st via Acetate Records, High Water is Junkyard's first full-length release of original material since 1993's Sixes, Sevens and Nines. It features 11 tracks, including "Cut From The Same Cloth" (which can be heard via the Soundcloud audio player below), "Styrofoam Cup", and "W.F.L.W.F".

The cover art for the retail version of High Water can be seen below; pre-orders are available now at this location.

Only 500 copies of High Water will be available in a Limited Edition CD Gatefold cover (pictured below), printed on thick cardboard stock, numbered and signed by members of Junkyard; including five bonus tracks. Get yours now - before they're all gone - by clicking here.

In live news, catch Junkyard at the following shows:

April
13 - The Dive Bar - Las Vegas, NV
14 - Whisky-A-Go-Go - West Hollywood, CA
29 - M3 Rock Festival - Columbia, MD

May
19 - Blackthorn 51 - New York, NY (with Little Caesar)
20 - Jewel Nightclub - Manchester, NH
22 - The Brass Monkey - Ottawa, ON
23 - The Rockpile - Toronto, ON (with Little Caesar)
25 - Phat Headz - Green Bay, WI

Peaceville Records presents the early works of Rotting Christ, commencing with the 1993 classic album Thy Mighty Contract from the Greek black metal legends, on 180gm heavyweight vinyl, featuring an eight page booklet with thoughts and reflections from the band penned by Cult Never Dies author Dayal Patterson, and including rare images. Also available will be a special old school shirt design from the early era of the band, featuring the iconic Satanas Tedeum demo artwork.

Release set for April 21st. Preorders available here.

Tracklisting:

Side A
“The Sign Of Evil Existence”
“Transform All Suffering Into Plagues”
“Fgmenth, They Gift”
“His Sleeping Majesty”

Side B
“Exiled Archangels”
“Dive The Deepest Abyss”
“The Coronation Of The Serpent”
“The Fourth Knight Of Revelation”

Swedish melodic death metallers The Crown recently went into the studio to work on some new songs. In the video below, check out some highlights from the demo recordings and receive a taste of the new tracks.

 

When you talk about the second wave of Swedish death metal that started in the mid-‘90s there is no way to get around The Crown from Trollhättan.

The Crown released nine longplayers to date and it's the albums Hell Is Here (1999) and Deathrace King (2000) that turned events for the band. Before The Crown was a relentless underground act with a solid fanbase and a few gigs here and there. With their new partners Metal Blade and the release of Hell Is Here, The Crown became a worldwide touring band without losing a single bit of their driving force. The Crown remained raw and belligerent, shown best on Deathrace King, an epic yet roaring manifest.

Due to growing demand, both albums are reissued now for the first time since their initial release.

The vinyl are part of the Metal Blade Originals series that started in early 2016 with the reissues of the Slayer titles Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits, Haunting The Chapel and Live Undead!

Both albums were released with 400g heavy cardboard spine sleeves (inside out print), 60x60cm two-sided artwork posters and 250g inserts. 'Hell Is Here' has been given a vinyl mastering from Patrick W. Engel.

Hell Is Here
--180g black vinyl
--orange/red-marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
--red/black-marbled vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

Deathrace King
--180g black vinyl
--white/black-marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
--clear white vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

Swedish death metallers Sarcasm have returned with Within The Sphere Of Ethereal Minds. The album will be released April 28th on Dark Descent Records. A lyric video for new song "In The Grip Of Awakening Times" is available below.

Following the unearthing of their first proper full-length, Burial Dimensions (originally recorded in 1994 and officially released in 2016), the new long player is in a sense the payoff of a long, bumpy history that included demos, compilations, and an EP (Scattered Ashes in 2000). Indeed, it is the full realization of Sarcasm's blackened Swedish death metal sound, yet with an identity all its own.

While the music of all eight tracks was written by guitarist Peter Laitinen, he somehow did find that perfect balance in between that very specific sense of melody that could only be summarized as “typically Swedish” (fans of the early No Fashion records catalogue will know exactly what we mean here), raging speed and brutality. With one foot firmly planted in the mid-‘90s and another in the present, Sarcasm is no nostalgia trip, but a genuine return to form to that specific mix of black and death-metal. Moving from the melancholic leads of "Embodiment Of Source," they answer with the blast-o-thon that is "Scars Of A Land Forgotten" or the epic-to-kill-all-epic that is the eight-minute-plus "A Black Veil For Earth."

Tracklisting:

“Bloodsoaked Sunrise”
“From The Crimson Fog They Emerged”
“Embodiment Of Source”
“Scars Of A Land Forgotten”
“In The Grip Of Awakening Times”
“Silent Waves Summoned Your Inner Being”
“A Black Veil For Earth”
“The Drowning Light At The Edge Of The Dawn”

“In The Grip Of Awakening Times” lyric video:

New Jersey metal act, Fit For An Autopsy, have released a video for “Black Mammoth”, featured on their upcoming new album, The Great Collapse.

"We were recording the new record when the shit hit the fan in North Dakota, and I felt compelled to write a song that would address it," says guitarist and producer Will Putney. "This short clip we pieced together gives a little insight into the events that have transpired over the past few months throughout the protests."

"It got bad, then it got better, then it got worse, and now the natives of North Dakota need more help than ever, so we're launching an additional CD/Shirt bundle in conjunction with the single.  All the profits from this sale will go directly to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe - Dakota Access Pipeline Fund.  No one in this country should have their rights denied or their homes taken from them."

The Great Collapse will be the the band's fourth full length record, continuing the momentum gained from a solid 200+ days of worldwide touring backing the buzz-worthy release of Absolute Hope Absolute Hell in late 2015, as well The Depression Sessions, a split release with The Acacia Strain and Thy Art Is Murder in 2016. “It’s going to be the strongest record in our catalog. The overall mood and atmosphere of this album feels fully realized and emotionally stirring.”

The Great Collapse is set to release on March 17th via Entertainment One (eOne) / Good Fight Music in North America, Long Branch Records in Europe, and SPV overseas. Artist Adam Burke was tapped to create the visually stunning cover art seen below.

Tracklisting:

“Hydra”
“Heads Will Hang”
“Black Mammoth”
“Terraform”
“Iron Moon”
“When The Bulbs Burn Out”
“Too Late”
“Empty Still”
“Spiral”

“Iron Moon”:

“Heads Will Hang” video:

The crushing music of Fit For An Autopsy is for any fan of extreme metal, as it’s devoid of preachy politics or grandstanding soapboxing, but its sound and fury is absolutely unflinching in purpose. The band expertly blends excessive-force fueled death metal with atmospheric groove and impassioned personal diatribes, reflecting back the dark state of current events. Their fourth album, The Great Collapse, doesn’t waste time with fantasy bullshit or cliché gore horror. Fit For An Autopsy are metal guys, to be certain, but they grew up in the hardcore scene. They embrace the responsibility to put as much devoted purpose into their lyrics and message as they do into their dense, heady, songs, forging a magnificently powerful new post-deathcore.

“When I write a song, I’m trying to feel emotionally connected to it. I really don’t like saying things that don’t matter over music that I want to matter,” says Putney, guitarist, principal songwriter and cofounder. “We’ve always addressed serious topics going back to our first album. We aren’t a politically charged band up on a podium yelling at people – anybody can relate to the aggression, anger, frustration, and sadness often communicated in our music. But we absolutely raise important questions in the lyrics. Those themes are there to discover.”

Putney’s fellow guitarist/cofounder, Patrick Sheridan, strongly agrees. He emphasizes that while the music of Fit For An Autopsy may evolve it will always be aggressive and will always have purpose. “We think it's important to carry that torch. Somebody's got to say something about the shit that's going on. If you're not using your music, which is a great platform, for something meaningful that you care about on some level, then you're kind of wasting it.”

The six-men of the New Jersey based group - which includes vocalist Joe Badolato, bassist Peter Spinazola, third guitarist Tim Howley, and drummer Josean Orta - put maximum intentionality into everything they do. They are constantly challenging themselves as musicians, adding to the band’s overall creative arsenal, connecting with audiences around the world, and supporting one another in the band as individual people.

Fit For An Autopsy are taking part in the Carry The Flame Tour featuring After The Burial, Emmure and Fit For A King. Remaining dates can be found here.

(Photo - Bobby Bates)

Today Is The Day has released two tracks from the forthcoming reissue of Temple Of The Morning Star. This marks the 25th anniversary of the band, as well as the 20th anniversary of the band’s seminal album. Temple Of The Morning Star: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, set for release March 24th, is remastered and available on digital, CD/DVD, and 2LP formats, featuring exclusive, never-before seen and heard bonus material from the band's deep archives.

You can now listen to the re-mastered live audio of "Miracle" from the band's 1997 show at the legendary Whisky A Go-Go, as well as the re-mastered acoustic demo of the title track "Temple Of The Morning Star”, both available for streaming below.

The pre-order for the album is now live.

The CD/DVD package includes:
Disc 1 - Newly remastered album plus bonus tracks*
Disc 2 (DVD) - Today Is The Day live at The Whiskey A Go-Go (1997)

*Bonus Tracks:
“Miracle” (Demo)
“Pinnacle” (Demo)
“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” (Demo)
“Temple of The Morning Star” (Demo)

The 2LP package includes:
LP 1 - Newly re-mastered album
LP 2 - Bonus demos plus live audio from The Whiskey A Go-Go (1997)

Tracklisting (Included in all three package options):

“Temple Of The Morning Star” (Acoustic)
“The Man Who Loves To Hurt Himself”
“Blindspot”
“High As The Sky”
“Miracle”
“Kill Yourself”
“Mankind”
“Pinnacle”
“Crutch”
“Root Of All Evil”
“Satan Is Alive”
“Rabid Lassie”
“Friend For Life”
“My Life With You”
“I See You”
“Hermaphrodite”
“Temple Of The Morning Star”
“Miracle” (Demo)
“Pinnacle” (Demo)
“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”
“Temple Of The Morning Star”

Live At The Whiskey A Go Go (1997)
“Crutch”
“High As The Sky”
“Pinnacle”
“Hermaphrodite”
“Kai Piranha”
“Bugs (Death March)”
“Willpower”
“My First Knife”
“The Man Who Loves To Hurt Himself”
“Blindspot”
“Miracle”

“Miracle” (live):

“Temple Of The Morning Star” (demo):

“Blindspot”:

Florida-based metallic doom trio, Weltesser, have released a video for “Terminal”, a track from their new album, Crestfallen, which was released via Prosthetic Records on February 10th. Watch the new clip below.

Self-produced and engineered by Dan Byers, Crestfallen is available now on limited-edition CD,  LP and digital download at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Regret”
“Guide”
“Living To Try”
“Terminal”
“Rats”
“Crestfallen”

“Terminal” video:

“Guide”:

“Living To Try”:

“Rats”:

During a recent interview with Psycho Babble TV, RATT singer Stephen Pearcy briefly touched upon the legal battle the band has been embroiled in with drummer Bobby Blotzer over the rights to the group's name.

"It's water under the bridge," Stephen said. I really don't like to dwell on it, because, you know… Somebody should when they're doing something right or wrong, and it just so happened that we just had enough — the three remaining guys — and respect to Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist] and the integrity in our songs to say 'enough is enough.'"

Describing RATT as a "dysfunctional family," Pearcy acknowleged that keeping the group together can sometimes be a formidable task, especially when it comes to making sure that the bandmembers are working smoothly toward a unified goal. "We haven't been let out of our cage in a few years, so it's still delicate," he explained. "It's, like, we need therapists around us to get us through everything."

But Pearcy was quick to point out the main reason RATT is still around three and a half decades after the band's formation. "That's the most important thing — the music," he said. "That's the still the one thing that keeps us — no pun [intended] — [going] back for more: the music."

RATT, featuring three members of the band's classic lineup —Pearcy, bassist Juan Croucier and guitarist Warren DeMartini — will embark on a more proper tour next year after spending most of 2017 making select festival appearances and playing one-off shows.

Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini played their first official show as the reunited RATT on February 11 at Treasure Island in Welch, Minnesota. They were joined on stage by former QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on RATT's last studio album, 2010's "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

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

CHASTAIN singer Leather Leone has announced the formation of her solo band, dubbed simply LEATHER. Joining the vocal powerhouse in the new formation are Vinnie Tex (guitar), Daemon Ross (guitar), Thiago Velasquez (bass) and Braulio Drumond (drums).

LEATHER is putting the finishing touches on its debut album, to be released later in year.

The band has nine dates confirmed in Europe between end of April and beginning of June, with more to be confirmed soon.

CHASTAIN's latest album, "We Bleed Metal", was released in November 2015. It was the follow-up to the band's 2013 reunion CD "Surrender To No One".

Leone has long been considered one of the originators of the female power metal vocal style, having appeared on the classic CHASTAIN albums "Mystery Of Illusion", "Ruler Of The Wasteland", "The 7th Of Never", "The Voice Of The Cult" and "For Those Who Dare".

The Leather-fronted version of CHASTAIN recorded five CDs in the mid-to-late 1980s: 1985's "Mystery Of Illusion", 1986's "Ruler Of The Wasteland", 1987's "The 7th Of Never", 1988's "The Voice Of The Cult" and 1990's "For Those Who Dare". After the "For Those Who Dare" tour, David and Leather amicably went their separate ways but kept in touch over the years before reuniting in 2013.

Leather in 2012 released the debut album from her SLEDGE LEATHER project, "Imagine Me Alive". The CD was inspired in 2010 when Leather called Sandy Sledge to collaborate on the Ronnie James Dio track "Egypt" for a demo tribute recording. Due to the overwhelming response for more material, SLEDGE LEATHER was born and performed at Germany's Keep It True festival in April 2011.

Nova Collective (featuring members of Between The Buried And Me, Haken, Trioscapes, Cynic) have released their debut album, The Further Side, via Metal Blade Records. A full album stream is available below

Nova Collective's music can be described as fusion, weaving progressive rock influences with world music, jazz and classical, to create something entirely new that is pure aural candy for prog/jazz fans.

The album can be ordered here in the following formats:

- CD
- Black 180g LP
- Clear-red marble LP (limited to 200 copies)
* digital options are also available

Album stream:

"Ripped Apart And Reassembled" playthrough video:

"Dancing Machines" performance video:

Nova Collective began in 2014 when bassist Dan Briggs (Between the Buried and Me, Trioscapes) and guitarist Richard Henshall (Haken) began exchanging emails about music; before long, a few demos were fleshed out into full arrangements. Drummer Matt Lynch (Trioscapes, Cynic) and keyboardist Pete Jones (ex-Haken) came on board shortly after to finish writing the album. The Further Side was written on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, with Briggs and Lynch in America and Henshall and Jones in England, sharing session files until the group could get together at the beginning of 2015 to record with engineer Jamie King (Between the Buried and Me, The Contortionist). Mixed by Rich Mouser (Neal Morse, Transatlantic), it is immediately clear that The Further Side is a labor of love for all involved, and that enthusiasm shines throughout.

Nova Collective lineup:

Dan Briggs - Bass
Matt Lynch - Drums
Pete Jones - Keyboards
Richard Henshall - Guitar

Canada’s Dead Tires has announced their Vol. Two EP will be released on April 7th via New Damage Records. The EP will be available digitally and on 7” vinyl and features a guest appearance from Damian Abraham from Fucked Up on “Here Comes The Fall”.

The vinyl pressing is limited to 300 (colour green) and will be available here as of April 7th. A limited run of 50 special bundles including an enamel pin will also be available April 7th at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Complicated Pleasures”
“Hedonic Adaptations”
“Here Comes The Fall” (ft. Damian from Fucked Up)
 
Dead Tired have also announced EP release shows in Hamilton and Toronto. Tickets for the Hamilton date are available at Dr. Disc, Cheapies and online here. More dates will be announced when available. See below for more details.

April
7 - Hamilton, ON - This Ain’t Hollywood (with Sinner, Hounds, Mountain Dust)
15 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck (with Hounds)
 
Formed at Martin's Bowling Alley in Hamilton, Ontario, Dead Tired is comprised of Alexisonfire vocalist George Pettit, Franz Stefanik, Chris Whetstone, Nick Ball and Marco “Sparky” Bressette. More information and tour dates will be announced when available.

(Photo - Nick Ball)

Barcelona, Spain’s Moonloop have released a video for “Medusa”, a track from their upcoming Devocean album, to be released on March 24th through Listenable Records. . The video can be found below.

Originally formed in 2001, Moonloop have kept on impressing the press and local fans with their own mix of progressive and death metal. Often tagged as a non mimicking but challenging combination of Opeth’s catchy arrangements and musical sensibilities and Gojira / Death heavy menacing yet melodic powerful guitar grooves and bashing drums.

Moonloop is a band with the broadest opportunities for evolution, consistently forward thinking yet retaining the death metal roots in their songwriting. Devocean is undoubtedly the band 's most accomplished adventure.

Devocean will be available in limited edition transparent blue vinyl of 300 copies worldwide and digipack. Pre-order now at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Megalodon”
“Zeal”
“Gallery Of Dminished Nightmares”
“Expired Kings”
“Medusa”
“Oceans”
“Interglacial”
“Origin”

“Medusa” video:

“Zeal”:

Lineup:

Eric Baulenas: Vocals, lead & rhythm guitars
Juanjo Martin: Rhythm guitars & background vocals
Raul Payan: Drums
Vic Granell: Bass

Tainted Lady is a hard-hitting, unadulterated, energetic rock band from Denmark consisting of five passionate musicians in their early twenties. Learning their craft from bands of different eras of rock like Deep Purple, Skid Row and even The Beatles, they are determined to write original music of real substance, always seeking unique ways to arrange and refine their old-school style of playing. Fueled by a passion to make rock music dangerous again, the five members strongly voice their opinions through their lyrics and are never afraid to speak their minds - Soren Andersen even calling the music “rebel-rock”.

After being joined by British singer Michael Catton in 2015, Tainted Lady has been collaborating with musician and producer Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Electric Guitars, Mike Tramp), and now they are ready to release their debut album, How The Mighty Have Fallen, on May 26th 2017 through Mighty Music. With a pure live production, the band’s renowned energetic live performances and attitude has been captured for all to experience.

Anders Frank, Tainted Lady: "We are happy and proud to have signed with Mighty Music, and we're looking forward to collaborating on the release of our debut-album out in May. So far they've been really cool and ambitious on our behalf. Our first single "Ampburner" provides a good example of what we're about as a band musically. The song was written in the weeks after the terror attacks on the Bataclan in Paris in 2015, and it's about finding peace from whatever is going on in the world, by turning up our amps and being as loud as possible. We can't wait to reveal all the different sides to our band in the coming months."

“Ampburner” video:

Tainted Lady has been touring all over Denmark in recent years, including playing major Danish festivals such as Jelling Musikfestival and Rock Under Broen. The band also got the chance to support acts like Deep Purple, Pretty Maids, and Electric Guitars. At the moment Tainted Lady is planning extensive touring in Denmark and Europe throughout 2017-2018, and following the release of their album,this band is truly set to make a real impact on the rock scene today.

Lineup:

Michael Catton - Vocals
Jon Roxx - Guitars
Anders Frank - Guitars
Daniel Bach - Bass
Fred Over - Drums

Melbourne, Australia-based rockers, Mammoth Mammoth, have released a lyric video for the new song “Spellbound”, from the upcoming Mount The Mountain album. Find the video below.

Over the course of their career, Mammoth Mammoth have already left a stamp on the music scene and have proved to be one of Australia’s hottest and heaviest rock exports. Now the 4-piece band, well-known for their unique and energetic live shows which are fronted by the charismatic vocalist Mikey Tucker, unveil first details about the bands upcoming fourth studio album, titled Mount The Mountain, set to be released April 28th via Napalm Records.

Eleven power tracks that threaten to blow your mind, Mammoth Mammoth yet again deliver stompers that will lead us blindfolded into a hellish inferno of psyched-out riffs and debauched, fist-pumping anthems.

“We consider the writing of our albums not unlike working on a top fuelling drag car. We tinker around a bit, we strip the engine down to rebuild it by adding a couple new parts whilst taking some out, always trying to make it run faster and sounding louder, this time though we've added a bigger exhaust system and a shitload of nitrous… and a cup holder,” comments frontman Mikey Tucker on the upcoming release.

Mount The Mountain tracklisting:

“Mount The Mountain”
“Spellbound”
“Hole In The Head”
“Kickin’ My Dog”
“Procrastination”
“Sleep Walker”
“Epitome”
“Hard Way Down”
“Wild And Dead”
“Cold Liquor”
“I Cant Get You Out Of My Head” (Bonus Track)

“Spellbound” lyric video:

Mount The Mountain will be available as a CD Digipack, Digital Download and LP Gatefold.