Conservation biologist Jukka Salmela of Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife in Finland recently discovered a new insect species in his home country and while remembering Tuomas Holopainen's love for nature, he decided to name it "Sciophila Holopaineni" after the NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter.

Following the release of the band's latest album, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", in 2015, Holopainen became known as someone who was highly interested in evolution and the diversity of nature.

"I am very, very touched. This is the highest honor a nature nerd like me can receive," Holopainen commented after being contacted by Salmela, who asked for permission to name the insect after the musician.

So far, this particular fungus gnat has only been spotted in eastern Lapland, Finland, and lives in shadowy environments.

NIGHTWISH frontwoman Floor Jansen recently shot down rumors that she will leave the band after welcoming her first child in early 2017 during the group's previously announced year-long break. 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."

Jansen revealed in September that she was four months pregnant. The singer's partner is SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl.

NIGHTWISH recently completed a world tour in support of "Endless Forms Most Beautiful".

The band's latest DVD/Blu-ray, "Vehicle Of Spirit", was released in December. It features not only two full concerts, but also plenty of bonus material.

Sciophila Holopaineni photo by Jukka Salmela

KISS bassist Gene Simmons will kick off his first-ever solo tour on March 18 at the Agora in Cleveland, Ohio as part of Wizard World Comic Con.

Backing Simmons at the shows will reportedly be guitarist Phil Shouse (Rodney Atkins, John Corabi, LIPSTICK, THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY), drummer Jarred Pope (THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY), guitarist/bassist Jeremy Asbrock (THE SHAZAM, John Corabi, THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY) and guitarist Ryan (HAIR OF THE DOG, THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY).

On March 2, Simmons and his solo band played a corporate event, and video footage of the gig has been uploaded to Facebook. Check it out below.

"This is gonna be a first for me," Simmons told CantonRep.com about playing his own shows. "Outside of KISS, I've never done a solo tour. I never did anything like that. Every once in a while I'll jump up on stage and do a song with somebody. Johnny Depp and I did a few songs together, a few other knuckleheads, but that's about it. When Wizard World and I agreed to do five events together, the idea of jumping up onstage and gulping it on for an hour or so came up. And I got a great bunch of guys, real rocking guys who are gonna get up with me, and we'll play all the hits and have ourselves a good old time."

Simmons will perform "An Evening With Gene Simmons And His Band" and attend five Wizard World Comic Con events as an iconic star attraction in 2017. The club venue concerts are in conjunction with appearances at conventions in Cleveland (March 18-19), St. Louis (April 8-9), Philadelphia (June 2-3), Chicago (August 26-27) and Austin (November 17-18).

Evening concerts are planned on Friday in each of the respective cities, with Simmons on hand each Saturday to greet fans, pose for photo ops, sign autographs and conduct live interactive question-and-answer sessions at each Wizard World Comic Con.

Simmons said in an interview last week that he was still working on his box set that will include "150 songs that have never been released. That news is gonna be released soon."



Posted by Philip Shouse on Thursday, March 2, 2017

LAST IN LINE will enter the studio in September to begin recording its sophomore album for an early 2018 release via Frontiers Music Srl. Helming the disc once again will be Jeff Pilson, the veteran bassist and producer who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others.

LAST IN LINE is the band featuring DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell alongside fellow founding DIO member Vinny Appice, plus singer Andrew Freeman, who has previously fronted HURRICANE and LYNCH MOB. Playing bass for LAST IN LINE is Phil Soussan (OZZY OSBOURNE, BEGGARS & THIEVES, Steve Lukather), who joined the group after original LAST IN LINE bassist Jimmy Bain passed away in January 2016 at the age of 68. He was reportedly suffering from lung cancer at the time of his death.

In a brand new interview with Shut Up & Rock On, Campbell confirmed that LAST IN LINE has been working on material for the follow-up to last year's "Heavy Crown". He said: "I'm on my way today to another writing session with them. We've had several already; I'd say we have about two thirds of the album. It's sounding great.

"I didn't know how it was going to work with Phil Soussan from a creative point of view, but I'm very happy to say that he fits in there. He absolutely gets how we write songs and it's been a really good fit having Phil.

"The songs are sounding great. Andy's got some terrific lyrics and melodies.

"We wanna keep the same team in place. We worked on the 'Heavy Crown' record with Jeff Pilson and Jeff was absolutely fantastic for us, so it's a great fit and we want to keep that. That's the good news. The bad news is that because of Jeff's schedule with FOREIGNER and my schedule with DEF LEPPARD this year, it'll be September before we can actually start recording, which, unfortunately, means it'll probably be early 2018 before the record's released. But it will be coming, at least."

Campbell also praised his LAST IN LINE bandmates, saying: "Vinny Appice is the most inspirational drummer I've ever played with. When Vinny plays behind me, I really have to raise my game.

"It's so great to connect with Vinny again, it was great to connect with Jimmy before he passed away and just to reconnect with my youth and with my original love and my original passion — to play guitar like that. And then out of that grew the chance to write and record some new material with LAST IN LINE and it's just so much fun."

The DEF LEPPARD guitarist once again dismissed persistent Internet speculation that his decision to launch LAST IN LINE was somehow financially motivated. "I read things online and people say, 'This is a cashgrab' and all this. People have no fucking idea," he said.

"I am not doing this for money; there is no fucking money in this. This is completely for the love of it.

"We just did a European tour in November, you know. I bought my own plane ticket to get there and back. I'm my own roadie — I tune strings of my guitar for every show.

"I'm doing this because I want to do this. I do this because this is my passion — to play guitar, because I do it really really fucking well. It just exercises a very different muscle than I exercise in DEF LEPPARD. I mean, LEPPARD is a great great live show but the real challenge for me in DEF LEPPARD is vocals. It is a very very vocally challenging band because we all sing in every song; the challenge in LAST IN LINE is all about guitar. I don't even sing in LAST IN LINE. I don't wanna sing in LAST IN LINE. I never sang with DIO, I was just the guitar player, so that's all I do with LAST IN LINE. I put my head down and I play the shit out of that Les Paul."

METALLICA performed its song "Dream No More" live for the first time ever Sunday night (March 5) during the band's concert at Foro Sol in Mexico City in Mexico City. Multi-camera fan-filmed video footage of the track's live debut can be seen below.

"Dream No More" is taken from METALLICA's new album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", which debuted as expected at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart last November, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release. Both of the band's previous outings, 2008's "Death Magnetic" and 2003's "St. Anger", sold more copies in shortened sales weeks. "Death Magnetic" moved 490,000 copies in a three-day window, while "St. Anger" shifted 418,000 copies in a similar frame.

Nevertheless, the overall fan reaction to the new disc has inspired the band to release its next record sooner. Frontman James Hetfield told Italy's Linea Rock, "At least for now, we've booked out two years (of touring), at least. So I can't predict the future, but… I would like to make some new music sooner than eight years, for sure. (You get) such a pleasure and a joy of hearing your new music and having other people hear it. So we don't wanna wait that long."

"Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

The North American leg of METALLICA's "WorldWired" 2017 tour kicks off on May 10 in Baltimore, Maryland and will hit stadiums in 25 cities before winding down in mid-August. Support on the quartet's first North American trek since 2009 will come mainly from AVENGED SEVENFOLD and VOLBEAT, with GOJIRA taking over for the latter group for the last six shows.

Each ticket purchased for the tour will come with a copy of METALLICA's new album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", available as a physical CD or a digital download. Various VIP packages are up for sale as well.

METALLICA has also announced the formation of its All Within My Hands Foundation, which will raise funds through ticket sales to support national, local and Bay Area charities selected by the band members, while continuing to donate to music education programs and local food banks.

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA and Iggy Pop performing THE STOOGES song "T.V. Eye" Sunday night (March 5) in Mexico City can be seen below.

Pop was the opening act for METALLICA at each of the three shows METALLICA played at the Foro Sol venue, where the two acts were seen by a total of nearly two hundred thousand fans.

METALLICA welcomed Pop on stage for the final encore, with frontman James Hetfield telling the crowd: "METALLICA has much respect for the man coming out here to sing a song with us, and we're grateful that he's been able to be on this Mexico City tour with us. Please show your sign of respect and love to Mr. Iggy Pop."

THE STOOGES singer came onstage for a blistering rendition of the "Fun House" classic, with Pop and Hetfield screaming together on the "Right on!" portion of the bridge before sharing some call-and-response vocals on the third verse.





Now HERE is some raw power! With the legendary Iggy Pop, backstage at Foro Sol, Mexico City!

📸 by Ross Halfin Photography

Posted by Metallica on Saturday, March 4, 2017

The official music video for the STUCK MOJO song "Rape Whistle" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Here Come The Infidels", which was released last June. The CD was once again produced by Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and ACCEPT, among others.

Comments STUCK MOJO guitarist and main songwriter Rich Ward: "As I have previously stated, I haven't been this excited about releasing a music video since STUCK MOJO's 'Open Season' in 2006. It perfectly captures our energy and joy for making music, while simultaneously ensuring that we receive a fatwa".

In addition to Ward and longtime drummer Frank Fontsere, "Here Come The Infidels" features STUCK MOJO's latest additions, vocalist Robby J and bassist Len Sonnier.

In a 2016 interview with Shut Up & Rock On, Ward stated about Robby J: "It's really cool to work with somebody who had a completely different experience in how they found music. And I think we've really become good partners at this, and I really love him. He's a brilliant guy… He has a really artist type of sense, and artist type of personality where's he's just quiet. He's not concerned about being the center of attention or dictating the conversation and what we should be talking about, but what he does say, he's just super insightful and super smart. And when we're performing and even in the studio, like when I'm recording guitar I sit down, in a chair, and I play. And it's really intense, but it's an internal intensity, right? I'm not like jumping up and down and creating physical energy. When Robby was performing in the studio, he's going crazy! I thought he was going to fight the microphone. He has this chaotic energy about him, and when we're done, he's this quiet, super respectful and super intelligent guy. I love that about him. I've said this before, and I've never met Kurt Cobain but he reminds me of what Kurt Cobain may have been like from all that I've read and seen in interviews with him. He's just wild man on stage and off stage he has this quiet artist personality about him and I really think that energy has brought a lot to the band."

Hailing from the Texas-Louisiana border, Len is a veteran bass player, best known for his time spent as the touring bassist in KING'S X frontman Doug Pinnick's POUNDHOUND project.

West Coast metal veterans METAL CHURCH will release "Classic Live" via Rat Pak Records on April 28. Produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof, this special edition release features nine classic METAL CHURCH songs recorded live on the band's 2016 tour and also includes a special bonus track, a powerful new studio version of "Fake Healer" that features a duet with QUEENSRŸCHE vocalist Todd La Torre.

The official video for the new version of "Fake Healer" can now be seen below. Comments guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof: "This album not only commemorates the reunion between [singer] Mike [Howe] and the band, but it also pays tribute to some of the more popular songs of that era. It's really cool to see so many old fans and new fans of all ages enjoying these classics as we perform them live, so it only made sense to release this". Howe adds: "It’s an honor to be back and it makes me very happy to see that almost 3three decades later, fans are still enjoying these songs!" On the subject of the "Fake Healer" duet with Todd, Howe comments: "The idea came from the owner of our label Rat Pak Records (Joe). It was his idea to record this as a duet with Todd. It's an amazing version and I think fans will be very surprised at how good it sounds!" La Torre says: "Having been a fan of METAL CHURCH since my early teens, never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined that the great Mike Howe would rejoin the band! Getting the opportunity to record a duet to the track 'Fake Healer' was beyond amazing!" "Classic Live" is available for pre-order via the Rat Pak Records web site in various bundles including vinyl, signed CDs and t-shirts. "Classic Live" track listing:

01. Beyond The Black02. Date With Poverty03. Gods Of A Second Chance04. In Mourning05. Watch The Children Pray06. Start The Fire07. No Friend Of Mine08. Badlands09. Human Factor10. Fake Healer (bonus studio track) (feat. Todd La Torre)11. Badlands (2015 studio version) (vinyl version only)

METAL CHURCH's latest album, "XI", debuted at No. 57 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 11,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 31, 2016.

"XI", was released on March 25, 2016 via Rat Pak Records. Produced by Vanderhoof and co-produced by Chris "The Wizard" Collier, the band's eleventh studio release marked the return of Howe.

Swedish doom metallers AVATARIUM will release their third studio album, "Hurricanes And Halos", on May 26 via Nuclear Blast. The artwork for the disc was once again created by Erik Rovanpera, who previously designed the cover art of the band's debut album, and shows a mystical creature inspired by the epic track "Medusa Child".

"To be asked to do the artwork for the new AVATARIUM album was an honor," states Rovanpera. "And without knowing the lyrics to the title song 'Hurricanes And Halos', this is my interpretation of the title. Inspired by art nouveau, comic books and many other things in the current art movement this is my take on the good, the bad, the beauty and the beast. And using a broader color palette than usual and thereby pushing my own borders was great fun to do".

"Hurricanes And Halos" track listing:

01. Into The Fire / Into The Storm (4:14)02. The Starless Sleep (4:47)03. Road To Jerusalem (5:48)04. Medusa Child (9:00)05. The Sky At The Bottom Of The Sea (5:25)06. When Breath Turns To Air (4:46)07. A Kiss (From The End Of The World) (7:14)08. Hurricanes And Halos (3:32)

As was the case with the band's first two efforts, AVATARIUM relies on beauty and darkness, heavy guitars and fragile sounds, unique female vocals and the mystic vintage blues sound from the '60s, while still staying on modern ground and trusting into the haunting soul of doom rock. Six out of the eight new tracks were forged by CANDLEMASS wizard Leif Edling, but guitar master Marcus Jidell and Jennie-Ann Smith also contributed to the songwriting and formed a worthy successor to "The Girl With The Raven Mask" — an album that landed the band the "Up And Coming" award from Germany's Metal Hammer magazine.

"Hurricanes And Halos" was produced by Jidell himself, while David Castillo (KATATONIA, BLOODBATH, OPETH) recorded and mixed it in the famous Ghost Ward Studios and the mastering was done by Jens Bogren (SOILWORK, SEPULTURA). Together they created an organic and warm sound that sets "Hurricanes And Halos" apart from the overbred, electronically optimized mass.

"Recording 'Hurricanes And Halos' has truly been an emotional roller coaster for me and I do think that has contributed to a pure and vibrating energy on the album. I am deeply proud of what we have achieved together," stated Jennie-Ann Smith. Jidell added: "It feels like the two previous albums and the EPs lead us to this one. It's been a natural flow to where we are today, musical- and emotional-wise."

Following a long radio silence, Finnish rock giants HIM have announced a farewell tour, closing the final chapter on their 26-year career.

"After quarter of a century of love and metal intertwined, we sincerely feel HIM has run its unnatural course and adieus must be said in order to make way for sights, scents and sounds yet unexplored," says HIM frontman and main songwriter Ville Valo. "We completed the pattern, solved the puzzle and turned the key. Thank you."

Formed in 1991 by Valo, guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström and bassist Mikko "Migé" Paananen, HIM truly stand out as one of the rock world’s most unique acts. Beautifully blending metal, goth and hard rock with deep, thoughtful and moving lyrics, HIM offered the world a new take on the metal genre, which became known as Love Metal (also the title of their fourth album).

Over the course of eight studio albums, HIM captured the hearts and minds of fans across the globe, drawn by their irresistible and inimitable style. Under the banner of their Heartagram logo – a potent symbol encapsulating the juxtaposition of the light and dark, the fierce and forlorn, and the evil and love found in their music — HIM filled venues and crashed charts the world over, collecting numerous awards, gracing countless magazine covers and becoming the first Finnish act to achieve gold status in the USA.

Now, four years after the release of their last studio album, "Tears On Tape", HIM are saying farewell, taking in 14 countries across 35 shows for their final goodbye.

"At the end of 2017, we will be released into the wild," says Mige. "Before this event of great transformation, we would love to offer you one last chance to experience our live performances in His Majesty's service. It shall not be a weepfest but a celebration of love metal in all its lovecraftian glory! See you there!"

Catch HIM for the last time at one of the following shows:

Jun. 14 - Spain Barcelona Razzmatazz
Jun. 15 - Spain Madrid La Riviera
Jun. 16 - Spain Santander Sala Escenrio
Jun. 17 - Portugal Porto Hard Club
Jul. 01 - Finland Helsinki Tuska Festival
Jul. 13 - Finland Tuuri Miljoonarock
Nov. 24 - Russia St Petersburg Dk Lensoveta
Nov. 25 - Russia St Petersburg Dk Lensoveta
Nov. 26 - Russia Moscow Club Stadium Live
Nov. 28 - Poland Warsaw Stodola
Nov. 29 - Germany Hamburg Docks
Dec. 01 - Germany Berlin Columbiahalle
Dec. 02 - Czech Rep. Prague Forum Karlin
Dec. 04 - Germany Leipzig Haus Auensee
Dec. 05 - Germany Munchen Tonhalle
Dec. 06 - Switzerland Zurich X-Tra
Dec. 07 - Italy Milan Alcatraz
Dec. 08 - Germany Koln Palladium
Dec. 09 - Luxembourg Esch-Sur-Alzette Rockhal
Dec. 11 - Holland Amsterdam Paradiso
Dec. 12 - Holland Tilburg 013
Dec. 14 - Scotland Glasgow Barrowland
Dec. 15 - England Nottingham Rock City
Dec. 16 - England Manchester Academy
Dec. 17 - England London Roundhouse

Tickets go on general sale on Wednesday, March 8 at 9 a.m.

HIM in 2015 parted ways with its longtime drummer, Mika Kristian Karppinen (a.k.a. Gas Lipstick), and replaced him with Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger (formerly of HERRA YLPPÖ & IHMISET).

Valo told TeamRock in an interview that HIM is "always splitting up," explaining: "We're rather feisty. Especially because we're a band that tours a lot. We've done this for such a long time that you start thinking, 'This is everything — this is all.' You have to have those difficult moments. It's a reunion every time we enter our rehearsal place."

Ville also talked about HIM's legacy, saying: "I'm proud to be friends with those guys who have supported me through many horrific and horrendous and wonderful years. That's my personal way of thinking about the legacy. It's fairly rare to live a life with your best mates, all around the world, experiencing all these wonderful and horrendous things, meeting great people, making new friends in far away countries. I certainly don't have the talents to become anything else anymore. That's all the brain damage I've done to myself."

Asked if there is ever a part of him that thinks, "I've done all I need to do. I can knock it on the head now," Ville said: "No. There are times when I get bored or when I feel repulsed when I see an acoustic guitar. After a long tour, or after an album, you can get a kind of musician's block. You think, 'Why the hell am I doing this? That's it, I'm done.' But then there are discussions that I can't have verbally — I can only have them musically. It's just that one melody, the one moment… It's a communication without words, and it's a communication with yourself, a kind of meditation. From within somewhere, you find these notes that take you into a headspace that you've never been before, or notes that take you to your childhood, or into autumn, or somewhere you've never been before. That's what makes music really interesting. For me, it's the hiding place, a way to get away. It's way better than booze and drugs."

Fan-filmed video footage of KROKUS's March 4 performance at Samsung Hall in Dübendorf, Switzerland during the "Rock Monsters Of Switzerland" mini-tour can be seen below.

The Swiss hard rock legends' latest studio album, "Big Rocks", came out on January 27. The disc sees KROKUS paying tribute to bands and artists like LED ZEPPELIN, QUEEN, THE WHO, STEPPENWOLF, Bob Dylan, THE ROLLING STONES and many more by presenting their very own versions of classic tracks such as "My Generation", "Tie Your Mother Down", "Whole Lotta Love", "Quinn The Eskimo", "Born To Be Wild" and others.

"Big Rocks" offers a total of 14 tracks: 13 cover songs and a re-recorded version of KROKUS's hit "Backseat Rock 'N' Roll", all of them flawlessly executed, brilliantly interpreted and spiced up with the typical KROKUS edge.

In a recent interview with All Music & All Bands, KROKUS singer Marc Storace stated about "Big Rocks": "The production is so good... the result of a great team work between our bass player and meticulous producer Chris Von Rohr and Dennis Ward, who engineered 'Hellraiser', 'Hoodoo', 'Dirty Dynamite' and 'Long Stick Goes Boom!' and now 'Big Rocks'!

"It's always been the band`s tradition to jam out some favorite cover songs as a warm-up for rehearsals or during soundchecks.

"'Big Rocks', according to contract, is the last album in line for Sony Music, so that inspired Chris to finally produce a cover album a la KROKUS... an old idea which had been hanging in the band air since a few years. So we threw a whole bunch of songtitles into a hat and Chris picked the cherries."

KROKUS's current lineup:

Mandy Meyer (guitar)
Marc Storace (lead vocals)
Fernando von Arb (guitar, vocals)
Mark Kohler (guitar)
Flavio Mezzodi (drums)
Chris von Rohr (bass, vocals)

FIRE FOR EFFECT has been selected as the name of the new band featuring former members of MALEVOLENT CREATION, SUFFOCATION and PESTILENCE.

Joining vocalist Bret Hoffman (MALEVOLENT CREATION), bassist Tony Choy (PESTILENCE) and drummer Mike Smith (SUFFOCATION) in the project is guitarist and songwriter Gio Geraca (MALEVOLENT CREATION, ASHES OF ARES).

Geraca said in a statement: "We are very proud at what we have accomplished in such a short time and are excited to put this out to the masses. I think people are going to be very surprised. As far as the sound [of the FIRE FOR EFFECT material goes], well, I don't know if this is a genre, but think blackened war metal at its ugliest."

FIRE FOR EFFECT will release a song and lyric video from its recent recording sessions very soon.

In a recent Facebook post, Geraca wrote that fans can expect something very different from the members' previous output but that the sound will remain quite epic and extreme with more of a Nordic atmosphere. He added that fans will be quite surprised to learn who will be doing some guest lead guitar work on a few of the tracks.

Lineup:

Bret Hoffman (MALEVOLENT CREATION) - Vocals Tony Choy (PESTILENCE) - Bass Mike Smith (SUFFOCATION) - Drums Gio Geraca (ASHES OF ARES) – Guitar

Photos courtesy of Gio Geraca

Former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 and his backing band THE CREATURES (bassist Ian Ross and drummer Rodger Carter) kicked off their U.S. tour this past Friday, March 3 at Louie G's Pizza in Fife, Washington. Video footage of the concert — courtesy of "Iron" Mike Savoia of Savoia Concert & Event Photography — can be seen below.

John 5 released his eighth full-length solo album, "Season Of The Witch", on March 3. The fully instrumental disc, which features THE CREATURES, contains experimentation with various genres — including western swing, Spanish flamenco, heavy metal and more — thoroughly showcasing John 5's diverse virtuosic abilities. John 5 took a different approach with the release of "Season Of The Witch", choosing to share his new music with fans throughout 2016 by releasing several tracks individually in the form of various music videos. Tracks/videos released include the fast-paced "Black Grass Plague", downtempo, introspective "Behind The Nut Love", hard-rocking "Now Fear This", jazz-fusion marathon "Here's To The Crazy Ones" (featuring a bit of "monkeying around"), heavy metal Claymation shredfest "Making Monsters", and last but not least, the whiskey-soaked "Hell Haw". "Since music is so visual nowadays, I thought these videos would be the best way to get my music out there, and it seems to have worked — now everybody knows the songs on the record," stated John 5. "I put so much work into this record with the videos, the artwork, the songwriting and the playing — out of my catalog, this is by far my favorite solo record." John 5 has worked with a varied range of artists, performing as guitarist for some of the biggest headlining rock bands in the world such as Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, as well as playing session with Paul Stanley, Rod Stewart, LYNYRD SKYNYRD and more. Slash has called John 5, "one of the most mind-blowing guitarists around" and Rob Zombie has dubbed him "a fucking shredder."

John 5 has written music for the likes of Avril Lavigne, GARBAGE, Ricky Martin and others. "Season Of The Witch" follows his previous solo work, "Careful With That Axe", which landed on the Billboard Heatseekers chart upon its release in 2014.

STONE SOUR's new album, "Hydrograd", will be released in June via Roadrunner Records. The news was revealed by singer Corey Taylor in a brand new video clip posted on the band's Facebook page in which he and the rest of STONE SOUR can be seen "kidnapping" an überfan from Porto's Bakery in Burbank, California and taking him to the studio to play him selections from the new disc.

"Hydrograd" was laid down at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER.

STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor told the BBC Radio 1 "Rock Show" that the band "destroyed it" during the recording sessions for "Hydrograd". He explained: "Everyone is saying the same thing — not only are the songs good but the energy is incredible, because it has that live vibe. This is not beat detected, Auto-Tuned, pitch-corrected — nothing. It is so badass, it's not even funny."

Regarding Ruston's involvemenet in the project, Corey said: "He mixed not only the two 'House Of Gold & Bones' albums [from STONE SOUR], but he also mixed the 'Burbank' covers with us. And he's just been a good friend of mine for a really long time. This is like a co-production for us. So it's, like, big, big, big time. It's unreal. People are freaking out."

Asked when fans can expect to hear some of the new STONE SOUR music, Corey said: "Hopefully soon. We have a tune that we're probaby going to leak. It's gonna be a heavier anthem tune, but not in a way that is usual. I mean, that's kind of the cool thing about this whole album — the heavy stuff is heavy, but not in a typically mediocre, normal heavy way. It just has such a different vibe to it that it's really infectious; people are really catching on to it. So the first tune, it could have very easily been a single. But we have six singles on this album as well. And you know what? We're just gonna come out and bust people and see what happens. I'm really, really excited."

Taylor also spoke about the new disc's musical direction, saying: "This album is great because it's got elements of everything. It's got the heavy energy of the '80s, there's punk moments, there's hard rock moments, all the great amalgam of music. There's even jazz and hip-hop moments. It's really, really cool. It's probably the coolest album I've made since the first SLIPKNOT album, let's put it that way. It's dope, dude. And, hey, I feel very confident making that statement, because it's so good."

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

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

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

The official video for "Black Elk", the new single from Martin Rubashov, commonly known as the outgoing radio host Bollnäs-Martin on Bandit Rock radio in Sweden, can be seen below. The song, which was released on February 10, features IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén as a guest vocalist.

"I was helping out during the recordings of IN FLAMES' 'Siren Charms' [album] in Berlin and got to sing on the song 'Dead Eyes', so I kind of felt like Anders owed me one!" Rubanov said, laughing. " I sent him the song, he said he was very fond of it and agreed to guest on it so it turned out to be a good duet."

The Indian medicine man Black Elk was an inspiration to Martin when he wrote the lyrics. Indigenous people around the world have always been oppressed and shunned throughout history and Martin applies it to the refugee situation of today. "Black Elk" is about survival and being on the edge of losing all hope, but finding strength and never giving up.

Rubashov released two prior albums via Despotz Records and has proven himself to be a bit of a one-man show as he plays almost all the instruments on his albums himself. He also gathers new instruments on his trips around the world.

"Black Elk" can be purchased on iTunes.

Mike Patton of FAITH NO MORE joined former SEPULTURA members Max Cavalera (guitar, vocals) and Igor Cavalera (drums) on stage Friday night (March 3) at Slim's in San Francisco, California to perform the SEPULTURA song "Lookaway". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Max and Igor are at the tail end of the second leg of the "Return To Roots" North American tour during which they are celebrating the twentieth anniversary of SEPULTURA's classic album "Roots" by performing the LP in its entirety.

The studio version of "Lookaway" featured Patton as a guest, along with KORN's Jonathan Davis.

During an interview with ARTISTdirect, Max recalled working with Patton and Davis on the "Lookaway" sessions. He said: "Mike Patton was on the song, and Jonathan's a huge FAITH NO MORE fan. He was actually freaking out that Patton was there. He was really nervous, which was actually kind of funny. He kept chewing on his hair the whole time he was in the studio. Ross Robinson teased him at one point and told him to calm down. [Laughs]"

He continued: "'Lookaway' came out of a jam. It's a really heavy riff. Patton started singing this Indian chant, and it gave me goosebumps in the studio when he did that. It was so intense. He showed up in the studio with a Samsonite briefcase. I was like, 'Mike, what's up with the briefcase?' He said, 'It's what I need to record.' It had an echo pedal inside for his voice and a bottle of wine. He opened the wine and we drank it. At one point, the three of us were on the floor of the studio going crazy and making weird noises and sounds! Jonathan took it to another level. He's singing about people with a fear of pussy, which is a crazy concept. It came out as a really cool, obscure song on 'Roots'."

"Roots" was certified gold in 2005 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for U.S. shipments in excess of 500,000 copies.

California-based rockers, Edge Of Paradise, will release the Alive EP on March 10th via ILS/Universal. The EP was produced by Chuck Johnson (Korn, Slipknot), mixed by Jay Ruston, Michael Wagener and Mike Plotnikoff. A music video for the title track is available for streaming below.

Frontwoman Margarita Monet states, "This song is extremely contagious, with the heavy hitting/industrial beat, and a chorus that'll get your blood pumping! Alive is dealing with us humans being so caught up in the digital world, obsessed with convenience and monetary gain, we have begun to sacrifice our humanity. We are becoming corporate led consumer machines! We get lost in the enticing virtual reality that we forget what real human interaction feels like. Sometimes I want to break away from bombardment of advertisements, social standards, never ending race with time and just breathe, and remember what it's like to feel alive! To connect with our fellow humans and the world! Production wise, the band is exploring it's heavier side, with the new industrial edge, yet keeping the band's dynamic and melodic sound! This is our best music to date! We were so fortunate to work with amazing, powerhouse people on this CD, and are confident that the outcome is the most exciting Edge of Paradise musical experience yet!"

Pre-order the EP via iTunes or the Amazon widget below. Everyone who pre-orders the new release and connects with the band via their Facebook page will receive a free signed 5x7 postcard. Edge Of Paradise will be launching exciting giveaways during this month, so keep posted on their Facebook page.

Tracklisting:

“Alive”
“Dust To Dust”
“Mystery”
“Shade Of Crazy”
“Humanoid”

“Alive” video:

Edge of Paradise have toured in over 30 states, and can't wait to hit the road again in the spring. This year the band plan to tour US, South America and Europe with an already set date at the Female Metal Event in Eindhoven, Netherlands, September 23rd, playing alongside Delain.

 

 

(Photo - Kevin Estrada)

Sweden’s In Flames have released a lyric video for “Here Until Forever”, a track from their new album, Battles, released in November 2016. Watch the new clip below:

In Flames and Metal Church will be joining Alter Bridge on select dates of the next leg of The Last Hero Tour in the United States, hitting the road this spring. Fans can head over to alterbridge.com/tour for more information on each date including public on-sale information and exclusive VIP experiences including meet & greet and guitar lesson opportunities.

Tour dates:

April
21 - Revolution - Fort Lauderdale, FL *#
22 - WJRR Earth Day Birthday - Orlando, FL*#
29 - Monster Energy Fort Rock Festival - Fort Myers, FL *#
30 - Welcome To Rockville - Jacksonville, FL *#

May
2 - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
3 - Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel - Providence, RI
5 - Lunatic Luau Festival 2017 - Virginia Beach, VA *#
6 - Carolina Rebellion - Concord, NC *#
10 - The Hippodrome - Baltimore, MD
11 - Sherman Theater - Stroudsburg, PA
14 - Northern Invasion - Somerset, WI *#
16 - Dream Makers Theatre - Sault Saint Marie, MI #
17 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
20 - Rock On The Range - Columbus, OH *#

*  - without In Flames
# - without Metal Church

German grindcore goats, Milking The Goatmachine, will release their new album, Milking In Blasphemy, on March 31st via NoiseArt Records. A new music video for the track “Nemesis Bettina” is available for streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“Farm Of Northern Darkness”
“Nemesis Bettina”
“Straw Bale Apocalypse”
“Milking In Blasphemy”
“Add The Horn Of Winter”
“Freezing Hoof”
“Goats In A Throne Room”
“Where Fat Angels Cry”
“Milk Churn Funeral”
“GoatEborgian Hunger”
“Sliden Christi”
“Wolves Upon The Cross”
“Goat Mans Child”
“Endzitze”
“G.O.A.T.M.A.C.H.I.N.E
“In The Shedside Eclipsen”

“Nemesis Bettina” video:

“Farm Of Northern Darkness” lyric video:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #3:

Double Crush Syndrome, fronted by former Sodom guitarist Andy Brings, will release their first official full length album, Die For Rock N' Roll, on March 17th. Check out the new video for “I Wanna Be Your Monkey” below.

Die For Rock N' Roll is available for pre-order via iTunes and Amazon Germany.

Tracklisting:

"Gimme Everything"
"Die For Rock N' Roll"
"Unfriend Me Now"
"She's A Pistol"
"On Top Of Mount Whateverest"
"Yeah! Pain!"
"I Wanna Be Your Monkey"
"Slow Suicide"
"Can't You Be Like Everyone Else"
"Blood On My Shirt"
"Revolution"

Bonus Tracks:

"And They Say We Are the Freaks"
"Fuck You Is My Answer"
"Right Now"

"I Wanna Be Your Monkey" video:

"On Top Of Mount Whateverest" video:

"Die For Rock N' Roll" video:

Tour dates:

March
17 - Frankfurt, Germany - 11er
18 - Hamburg - We Rock The North Party
22 - Köln - Kleine Essigfabrik
23 - München - Garage Deluxe
24 - Wachenroth – Toxicity
25 - Hameln - Mad Music
31 - Berlin - Wild At Heart

April
1 - Dresden - Puschkin
2 - Düsseldorf - The Tube
5 - Münster - Sputnik Café
6 - Hannover - Lux
8 - Stuttgart – Zwölfzehn
9 - Saarbrücken - Garage Club

Ventura, California based metal outfit, Night Demon, have unveiled the first offering from the band's upcoming sophomore record, Darkness Remains, which comes in the form of a brand new music video for the track “Welcome To The Night”, available for streaming below.

In addition to the new music video and the band's forthcoming album, Night Demon have just begun a US tour alongside the mighty Anvil, which you can find a complete list of dates for below.

Speaking about "Welcome To The Night", Jarvis Leatherby (vocals/bass) from the band comments: "As 2017 settles into existence, we realize it’s been quite awhile since Night Demon has filled your ears with some new, balls-to-the-wall Heavy Metal jams! We feel the hunger inside you has grown and we hear the call, we hear you, the creatures of the night cry out to us… Well, never fear! Night Demon is here to appease that hunger for Metal. We are proud to unleash our first offering off our new album. Prepare yourselves as we welcome you to the night!”

Speaking about their journey on the path leading to the release of Darkness Remains, the members of Night Demon came together to state the following: "Well it's about time for Night Demon to release a new album! It's been quite the whirlwind for us touring the world over the last two years on Curse Of The Damned. We really wanted to give the existing fans a chance to digest the album and have a chance to see it live a few times. We have been prepping for the new record for over a year, and now the moment is upon us to unleash this beast for one and all! Very excited to continue our road journeys with some new material for the faithful, and the newcomers. Night Demon is coming for you in 2017!"

Darkness Remains will be available in the following formats:

- Limited Edition Digipak
- LP
- Deluxe Digital Edition (featuring bonus tracks)

Vinyl will be released in the following colors:

* Dark Green - European Exclusive - Limited to 2000 copies
* Silver - US Exclusive - Limited to 500 copies

The pre-order bundles for Darkness Remains are available now at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Welcome To The Night”
“Hallowed Ground”
“Maiden Hell”
“Stranger In The Room”
“Life On The Run”
“Dawn Rider”
“Black Widow”
“On Your Own”
“Flight Of The Manticore”
“Darkness Remains”
“We Will Rock You” (by Queen )*
“Turn Up The Night” (by Black Sabbath)*

* - Bonus Tracks

US dates with Anvil:

March
3 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Putnam Den
4 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
5 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
7 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz*
9 - Cheaspeake, VA - Riffhouse Pub
10 - Vienna, VA - Jammin' Java
11 - Wilmington, NC - Reggie's 42nd St. Tavern
12 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
14 - Miami, FL - Churchill's Pub*
15 - Sarasota, FL - Kelly's Live*
16 - Jacksonville, FL - Nighthawks
17 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater
18 - Sanford, FL - West End Trading Co.
22 - Jefferson, LA - Southport Hall
23 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
24 - San Antonio, TX - The Korova
25 - Arlington, TX - Diamond Jim's Saloon
26 - Austin, TX - Grizzly Hall
30 - Omaha, NE - Lookout Lounge
31 - Oklahoma City, OK - Thunder Alley

April
1 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
2 - Iowa City, IA - Gabe's
3 - Cinncinatti, OH - The Mad Frog*
4 - St Louis, MO - Fubar*
5 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews*
6 - Westland, MI - Token Lounge
7 - Cudahy, WI - The Metal Grill
8 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's
9 - Cleveland, OH - The Grog Shop
17 - Los Angeles, CA - TBA*

* - Headlining show (no Anvil)

Finnish winter metal band Wolfheart has released their 3rd album. Just released album carries the name TYHJYYS (Finnish meaning: emptiness) and it is released worldwide via Spinefarm Records.

With its eight tracks TYHJYYS is even more darker, colder, faster and versatile Wolfheart giving the listener a brutal scent of the Finnish blizzard! 

Wolfheart has also released a new music video “World On Fire” amongst the release of TYHJYYS. The video is the last single of the new album and it ends the story what was started in the previous video “The Flood”.

Tracklisting:

“Shores Of The Lake Simpele”
“Boneyard”
“World On Fire”
“The Flood”
“The Rift”
“Call Of The Winter”
“Dead White”
“Tyhjyys”

"World On Fire" video:

“The Flood” video:

“Boneyard” video:

(Photo - Valtteri Väyrynen)

“Cursed”, the title track of Righteous Vendetta’s upcoming full-length album is available for streaming below. Cursed is set for release March 17th via Century Media Records. Pre-order the album via Indie Merch, iTunes, and the Amazon widget below.

Speaking on the creative journey behind the making of Cursed, the band states: "After two years of writing and recording we are beyond excited to finally release this album with Century Media. For anyone that follows us, they know this has been a long process. But patience has paid off, because we feel that we have crafted the best album we possibly can."

Tracklisting:

“War Is Killing Us All”
“Cursed”
“Weight Of The World”
“Daemons”
“A Way Out”
“Defiance”
“Psycho”
“Never Say Never”
“Doomed”
“Burn”
“Halfway”
“Become”
“Strangers”

“Cursed”:

“War Is Killing Us All”:

"Weight Of The World":

Teaser:

 

Hailing from Turin, Italy, 8-member symphonic metallers Aevum recently signed with Canadian label Maple Metal Records to release their sophomore full-length album Dischronia on March 17th worldwide. A new lyric video for the track "The Vitruvian Condition" is streaming below. The video was created by Erick Vaghi of OneBlindEye Design, along with a partnership from the Ronin Agency, Italy.

As part of the deal Maple Metal Records will re-distribute the band’s 2014 debut album Impressions, plus previously released material from the band’s two EPs Celestial Angels (2008) and Nova Vita (2012). Aevum was established in 2007.
 
Dischronia was recorded and produced at Aurora Recording Studio by Hannodamalj Production. The album was mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni (Vision Divine, Ancient Bards, ElvenKing) at Domination Studio, in the Republic of San Marino.

The artwork for Dischronia was also created by Erick Vaghi of OneBlindEye Design, along with a partnership from Ronin Agency, Italy.
 
Aevum are known for their theatrical live shows, and have toured all over Europe with Haggard, Vision Divine, Blaze Bayley (ex-Iron Maiden), and performed at various Metal Festivals in Italy, since their inception.  Aevum also performed at last year’s Metalhead Meeting Festival in Bucharest, Romania, that included such bands as Eluveitie, Delain, Dragonforce, Rotting Christ and Kreator.

Tracklisting:

“Sturm Und Drang”
“Death Of The Virgin”
“The Vitruvian Condition”
“Winterreise”
“Beltade”
“Inner Fire”
“The Elements”
“Memento Mori”
“Lord Of Dreams”
“Inferno Blu”
“Sleeping Venus Tarantella”
“Aremu Rindineddha” (bonus track)
“The Elements” (English version – bonus track)

"The Vitruvian Condition" lyric video:

Teaser:

The Doomsday Kingdom will release their self-titled debut album on March 31st via Nuclear Blast. A lyric video for the album track, “Hand Of Hell”, is available for streaming below.

With this first studio masterpiece, including eight epic doom metal tracks and a pinch of NWOBHM, Leif Edling (Candlemass, Avatarium) and his bringers of darkness will invoke the spirits of the catacombs and prove that doom has never been so alive.

The Doomsday Kingdom tracklisting:

“Silent Kingdom”
“Never Machine”
“A Spoonful Of Darkness”
“See You Tomorrow”
“The Sceptre”
“Hand Of Hell”
“The Silence”
“The God Particle”

“Hand Of Hell” lyric video:

“A Spoonful Of Darkness” lyric video:

“The Sceptre” lyric video:

Trailers:

The band will play their first ever live performance together on the stage of the legendary Roadburn Festival in April, so be ready to dive into this new era of doom metal.

UK rock trio, RavenEye, have announced that they have been invited to tour Europe as special guests of KISS. They have also been added as special guests on the Hellyeah UK tour in April. The band were recently added to the Download festivals in Spain and France, as well as Bulgaria’s Plovdiv Festival.

Since releasing their Breaking Out EP and debut album, Nova, RavenEye has toured globally, supporting Slash, Deep Purple, The Darkness​ and Halestorm amongst others. The band has headlined their own tours through Europe and America as well as performing at major international rock festivals such as Download Festival​ (UK), Hellfest Open Air Festival​ (France), Azkena Rock Festival ARF​ (Spain), Rock For People (Czech Republic), Louder Than Life​ (US), Aftershock Festival​ (US), Maximus Festival (Brazil and Argentina) and most recently the Shiprocked Cruise 2017. Their incendiary live shows have captivated crowds and put them on the map as a ‘must see live’ band.

Tour dates:

April
7 - Manchester, UK - Club Academy *
8 - Glasgow, UK - The Garage *
10 - Leeds, UK - Leeds University Stylus *
11 - Norwich, UK - Waterfront *
13 - London, UK - O2 Islington Academy *
14 - Bristol, UK - Thekla *
15 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City *

May
1 - Moscow, Russia - Olympiski **
4 - Helsinki, Finland - Hartwell Arena **
6 - Stockholm, Sweden - Tele2 Arena  **
7 - Oslo. Norway - Spektrum **
10 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Scandinavium **
12 - Dortmund, Germany - Westfallenhalle **
13 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schleyerhalle **
15 - Torino, Italy - Pala Alpitour **
16 - Bologna, Italy - Unipol Arena  **
18 - Munich, Germany - Olympiahalle **
20 - Brno, Czech Republic - Bvv- Outdoor **
21 - Vienna, Austria - Stadthalle  **
23 - Frankfurt, Germany - Festhalle  **
24 - Rotterdam, Holland - Ahoy **

June
9 - Download Festival, Paris France
22 - Download Festival, Madrid, Spain
30 - Plovdiv Music Fest, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

* Special Guests of Hellyeah
** Special Guests of KISS

RavenEye are:

Vocals, Guitar - Oli Brown
Bass, Synth, Vocals - Aaron Spiers
Drums - Adam Breeze

(Photo - Rob Blackham)

Ross The Boss, featuring former Manowar guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman, will embark on a European tour today. To celebrate the tour kickoff, the band has released a cover version of the Manowar classic, "Blood Of My Enemies”. Check out an official audio video below:

European dates:

March
3 - Zlin, Czech Republic
5 - Vienna, Austria
6 - Mannheim, Germany
8 - Hamburg, Germany
9 - Stadskanaal, Netherlands
10 - Essen, Germany
11 - Andernach, Germany
12 - Helmond, Netherlands
13 - Utrecht, Netherlands
16 - Barcelona, Spain
17 - Zaragoza, Spain
18 - Erandio, Spain
19 - Madrid, Spain
20 - Cangas Do Morrazo, Spain
21 - Lisbon, Portugal
24 - Brescia, Italy
25 - Torino, Italy
26 - Prato, Italy
28 - Diest, Belgium

UK dates:

March
30 - London, England
31 - Evesham, England

April
1 - Swansea, Wales
2 - Dublin, Ireland
4 - Glasgow, Scotland
5 - Edinburgh, Scotland
6 - Milton Keynes, England

European summer festival dates:

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

June
2-4 - Rock Hard Festival - Gelsenkirchen, Germany

British hard rockers, Inglorious, will release their new album, Inglorious II, on May 12th. A new music video for the album cut, “I Don’t Need Your Loving”, can be found below.

Produced by the band and mixed by the legendary Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith), Inglorious II is set to further enhance 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.

“We are so excited to release our second album. This one is very special to us and we had so much fun writing it in Somerset and recording it in Liverpool! I still cannot believe Kevin Shirley mixed it. We hope everyone enjoys listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it and can't wait to hear people singing these new tunes at our upcoming shows and festivals!” - Nathan James, Inglorious.

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 will be released as a standard CD and also as a Deluxe 2CD/DVD edition. The DVD will feature 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

A vinyl release will also be made available.

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

2016 was a stunning year for UK five-piece Inglorious. Their eponymous debut album was released in February. The album received widespread critical acclaim at press, multiple A lists at radio and a lauded performance on Vintage TV. The band toured across the world, with numerous high profile shows in the UK and Europe - including show stopping performances at Download Festival 2016 and Ramblin' Man Fair 2016, support slots for The Winery Dogs and The Dead Daisies, and culminating with a support slot for Steel Panther's European Arena tour in October and a co-headline UK tour with labelmates Last In Line in November 2016.

Formed in February 2014, the band is fronted by Nathan James, who made a name for himself having sung for the multi-platinum selling Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Scorpions guitar legend Uli Jon Roth. Nathan was looking for like-minded musicians that desired to make incredible rock music in a very honest fashion. The band's lineup on Inglorious II was completed by rhythm guitarist Wil Taylor, lead guitarist Andreas Eriksson, bassist Colin Parkinson and drummer Phil Beaver.

The band have also announced the departure of album guitarist Wil Taylor right after the end of the new album's recording. They are delighted to announce that for 2017 and moving forward they are reuniting with original member Drew Lowe on guitar, who is joining the band as a permanent member. Full details in the clip below:

As Lions, featuring vocalist Austin Dickinson (son of Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson), released their debut full-length album, Selfish Age, on January 20th via Better Noise Records. A new lyric video for the album’s title track is available for streaming below.

Selfish Age is the follow-up to As Lions’ debut EP Aftermath. Produced 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 Austin Dickinson on vocals, guitarist and keyboardist Conor O’Keefe, guitarist Will Homer, bassist Stefan Whiting and drummer Dave Fee, As Lions showcase an evolution in British rock.

Selfish Age tracklisting:

“Aftermath”
“The Suffering”
“Bury My Dead”
“Deathless”
“Selfish Age”
“White Flags”
“Pieces”
“World On Fire”
“One By One”
“The Fall”
“The Great Escape”

“Selfish Age” lyric video:

"Bury My Dead" lyric video:

“Aftermath” video:

As Lions have announced a 10-date US tour this spring with US metallers Shinedown. They have also announced their first UK festival appearance of the year at Bristol's Fat Lip Festival in July, along with Young Guns and will be playing a number of US festivals including Rock On The Range, Welcome To Rockville and Northern Invasion.
 
Tour dates:

April
1 - Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ (supporting Shinedown)
4 - House Of Blues - San Diego, CA (supporting Shinedown)
5 - Fox Theater - Bakersfield, CA (supporting Shinedown)
7 - Belasco Theatre - Los Angeles, CA (supporting Shinedown)
8 - Blaze Fest Paul Paul Theater - Fresno, CA
10 - Medford Armory - Medford, OR (supporting Shinedown)
11 - Eureka Municipal Auditorium - Eureka, CA (supporting Shinedown)
13 - Sacramento Memorial Auditorium - Sacramento, CA (supporting Shinedown)
14 - Silver Dollar Fairgrounds - Chico, CA (supporting Shinedown)
15 - Grand Sierra Resort & Casino - Reno, NV (supporting Shinedown)
17 - House Of Blues - Anaheim, CA (supporting Shinedown)
29 - Rockville Festival - Jacksonville, FL

May
5 - Carolina Rebellion - Charlotte, NC
13 - Northern Invasion - Somerset, WI
19 - Rock On The Range - Columbus, OH

June
17 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium
29 - Fat Lip Festival - Bristol, UK

Long-running Japanese brutal death metal faction Vomit Remnants will unleash a new full-length next month via Unique Leader Records. Fittingly titled Hyper Groove Brutality, the band's first studio output in twelve years was produced by Darren Cesca (Arsis, Vile, Goratory) of House Of Grind Studios and features guest appearances from vocalist Henrik Cranz of Soils Of Fate, guitarist Craig Peters of Deeds Of Flesh and Destroying The Devoid, and guitarist Paul Masvidal of Cynic/ex-Death.
 
Hyper Groove Brutality will see release on April 21st worldwide via Unique Leader and comes wrapped in artwork by Phlegeton of Phlegeton Art Studio (Braincasket, Korpse, Whoretopsy etc.) with preorder bundles to be announced soon.

Tracklisting:

“Burning All Inside”
“Hi-Fi The Art Of Rapture”
“Die Fast And Blasting”
“Extinction Of Worthless Humanity”
“Inflicted Artificial Intelligence”
“Wire Rope Strangle”
“Despairing The Atmosphere”
“Supreme Indeterminate Power”

“Wire Rope Strangle”:

Hyper Groove Brutality by Vomit Remnants

Cruz Del Sur Music has announced the upcoming 7" split release from epic metal legends Omen and Battleroar. The 7" will feature two previously unreleased tracks, Omen's "Up From The Deep" and Battleroar's "Stronghold." It will be released as a deluxe edition during Omen's April/May European tour; specifically at Keep It True 2017, where the band will play alongside with Cirith Ungol, Manilla Road, and Atlantean Kodex, among others.

Battleroar's "Stronghold" is in the same style as the fastest and heaviest songs on their last album, Blood of Legends (Cruz Del Sur, 2014). The song features a massive rhythmic punch to go along with great leads and Gerrit's classic, epic/melodic vocals. 

Omen's "Up From The Deep" sounds as if it was taken directly from 1984's Battle Cry. War cries introduce the legendary Omen sound, with Kenny Powell painting a majestic tapestry of guitar notes above which Kevin Goocher delivers a brazen, complementary vocal performance.

 

Both bands have faced line-up changes in recent months and the 7''offers the opportunity to demonstrate the new line-ups' power and chemistry. Battleroar just announced the addition of Greg Vlachos (ex-Marauder) on drums, and Michael Kontogiorgis (ex-Spitfire, Exoristoi, etc) on guitars as permanent members.

Omen just announced on their Facebook page the addition of two new members. Both are Kenny Powell's and Kevin Goocher's long-time partners in crime: Roger Sisson wrote many of the Battle Cry riffs but was never actually part of the line-up. Now after 30 years he's the official bassist. And the new drummer, Reece Stanley, was in the Phantom X line-up together with Kevin.

(Top photo: Omen, bottom photo: Battleroar)