South Carolina-based extreme technical death metallers NILE have parted ways with guitarist/vocalist Dallas Toler-Wade and have replaced him with Brian Kingsland.

The band will support OVERKILL on a North American tour beginning on February 14 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Commented NILE founding member Karl Sanders: "I would like to personally thank Dallas Toler-Wade for his many years with the band, and sincerely wish him well with his music.

"All of us in NILE are truly happy and thankful to be working with Brian. Not only is he a seriously talented extreme metal guitar shredder, but he has a great brutal metal voice with a very versatile range. Brian is also a genuine, down-to-earth, hard-working and motivated guy who has helped reignite and re-establish a sense of team work back into NILE.

"With the addition of Brian on guitar and vocals, the band right now seems to me a lot more like the early years of NILE — the classic NILE era when we were all functioning as a cohesive unit in viciously brutal triple-vocal-attack mode.

"The mood in the NILE rehearsal room for the last three months has been focused and relaxed with four positive, energized, hard-working people all on the same metal page.

"We simply can't wait to share what we have been working on with metal fans on the upcoming OVERKILL tour.

"Between the addition of Brian and bassist/vocalist Brad Parris now in his second year in the band, this lineup is going to crush skulls.

"Seriously, the last time I felt this strongly about a NILE lineup was when [drummer] George Kollias joined the band." Kollias comments: "I want to thank Dallas for everything he did for NILE all these years. It's been some amazing years and I wish him the best with his new project! Also, I want to say a big 'welcome to NILE' to Brian Kingsland! Brian is an amazing guitar player/vocalist and he has brought a very fresh vibe to the band.

"We are so looking forward to get out there and deliver the best metal you ever heard from us! See you all on the road!!"

NILE is already working on songs for its next album, which will be recorded in late 2017 for an early 2018 release.

The band's latest album, "What Should Not Be Unearthed", was released in August 2015 via Nuclear Blast. Produced by NILE and mixed by Neil Kernon, the CD's artwork was handled this time by Michal "Xaay" Loranc.

Fan-filmed video footage of SODOM's February 12 performance at the HRH Metal festival at the O2 Academy in Birmingham, England can be seen below.

SODOM's latest album, "Decision Day", was released last August via SPV/Steamhammer.

Bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such, guitarist Bernd "Bernemann" Kost and drummer Markus "Makka" Freiwald spent four months in the studio honing the new SODOM material. The result is a hard-as-nails, diverse thrash metal offering on the subject of D-Day, the day in June 1944 when the troops of the Western Allied forces landed in Normandy to liberate mainland Europe from the scourge of Nazi Germany. Songs such as "Belligerence", "Decision Day" and "Strange Lost World" present the SODOM frontman once more as a historically well-versed contemporary witness and critical observer of current international events.

"Decision Day" was produced by Cornelius "Corny" Rambadt, sound engineer and drummer with Angelripper's side project ONKEL TOM. The effort features impressive artwork courtesy of none other than Joe Petagno. As well as having worked for PINK FLOYD and LED ZEPPELIN, Petagno is MOTÖRHEAD's favored graphic designer and has created legendary album covers such as "Overkill", "Orgasmatron" and "Another Perfect Day".

Corey Glover from LIVING COLOUR joined JUDAS PRIESTESS — New York City's all-girl tribute to metal masters JUDAS PRIEST — on stage on January 6 at Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey to perform the PRIEST classic "Painkiller". Video footage of his appearance can be seen below (video shot by Kevin Vonesper).

JUDAS PRIESTESS features in its ranks Rena Sands, wife of DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci and former guitarist in the all-female heavy metal band MEANSTREAK.

Rena and John live in St. James, New York and have three children together — twins Samantha and Renato, and Kiarra

Formed in 2009, JUDAS PRIESTESS has a worldwide reputation with acclamation from press and fans alike. With favorable notice from members of JUDAS PRIEST themselves, notably Rob Halford, K.K. Downing, and JUDAS PRIEST original founder Al Atkins, these women have successfully demolished anyone's preconceived idea of what a "tribute" band is, and especially an all-female tribute. They have carved a very special and distinct place for themselves in the over-saturated world of rock and roll with their original interpretations of the classic metal repertoire of that influential and legendary band. The stellar performances by the ladies of JUDAS PRIESTESS always wow the crowd with both blistering talent and the unmistakable hard-rockin' look that defines who they are.

JUDAS PRIESTESS is:

Militia Vox (lead vocals)Gyda Gash (bass)Josette (guitar)Rena Sands (guitar)Hillary Blaze (drums)

METALLICA is featured in the trailer for the "Carpool Karaoke" Apple Music series.

The preview for the spinoff based on the "Late Late Show" segment, featuring "Late Late Show" host James Corden, aired as a commercial during the Corden-hosted Grammy Awards Sunday night (February 12). Other stars appearing in the spot include Will Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, Ariana Grande, John Cena, Billy Eichner, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Seth MacFarlane, Chelsea Handler, Blake Shelton, Michael Strahan and Jeff Gordon.

METALLICA's appearance on the series will see them driving around Hollywood with Eichner and making a stop at a supermarket where the band ends up serenading the workers behind a deli meat counter.

"Carpool Karaoke: The Series" is being rolled out in partnership with Apple Music, where episodes will premiere exclusively through the tech giant's $10-a-month streaming service. The show will feature 16 celebrity pairings riding along in a car as they sing their favorite songs.

The series is produced by CBS Television Studios and Fulwell 73 with Corden and "Late Late Show" executive producer Ben Winston serving as co-creators and executive producers along with executive producer and showrunner Eric Pankowski.

GOTTHARD drummer Hena Habegger was forced to leave the band's current European tour "for health reasons." Filling in for him on the Swiss rockers' run in support of their just-released twelfth studio album, "Silver", is HELLOWEEN's Dani Löble.

GOTTHARD said: "[Dani] did a hell of a job learning our set in no time and saved [Monday night's] show for the fans in Frankfurt, Germany. Thank you, Dani, and get well, Hena!"

"Silver" was released on January 13 on Musikvertrieb in Switzerland and internationally via PIAS. The CD was recorded at the Yellow House Studio in Lugano. The third disc with lead singer Nic Maeder was produced by Charlie Bauerfeind (HELLOWEEN, BLIND GUARDIAN) and Leo Leoni.

GOTTHARD's 2012 album, "Firebirth", marked the band's first release with singer Nic Maeder, who was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, lived in Melbourne, Australia and grew up between Switzerland and "Down Under."

GOTTHARD's previous vocalist, Steve Lee, was killed on October 5, 2010 in what has been described as a freak road accident in Nevada.

Photo courtesy of GOTTHARD's Facebook page

Metal Wani editor in chief Owais "Vitek" Nabi recently conducted an interview with former OPETH/AMON AMARTH and current SOEN drummer Martin Lopez. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Asked if he would ever consider rejoining either OPETH or AMON AMARTH on a full-time basis if the opportunity presented itself, Lopez said: "No, no. Not full-time. My only band right now is SOEN, and that's the only full time that I can handle. Both OPETH and AMON AMARTH, it's other people's bands — people that I really like and people that I respect, but it's other people's bands. SOEN is my band. It's my band and Joel's [Ekelöf, vocals] band and it's Stefan [Stenberg, bass] and Marcus [Jidell, guitar] and Lars's [Åhlund, keyboards] band, but it's my band — our band — and I feel like a part of it in a way that I never felt a part of other bands. Which is completely understandable, and it's something that I knew from the beginning. So, finally, I'm doing my thing, and this is exactly where I want to be. I feel better than ever doing this and having SOEN."

He continued: "Of course, playing one old track [with either OPETH or AMON AMARTH] for fun is something that I could even enjoy, but no full-time. I'm not into full-time, not even with SOEN. I don't wanna have schedules and tours and, 'You have to do this…' 'This year and next year, you're gonna…' I don't wanna have that. I hate that. I've done that, and I hate it. I just wanna play music whenever I want, how I want, and the only way to do that is just with my band, because we are the same level."

The 38-year-old Lopez was born in Sweden and later moved to Uruguay, then back to Sweden. He joined OPETH in 1998, after leaving the viking metal band AMON AMARTH, with whom he recorded the album "Once Sent From The Golden Hall". As a member of OPETH, he played on the albums "My Arms, Your Hearse", "Still Life", "Blackwater Park", "Deliverance", "Damnation" and "Ghost Reveries".

SOEN's latest album, "Lykaia", was released on February 3 via UDR Music.

Frontiers Music Srl will release QUIET RIOT's new studio album, titled "Road Rage", on April 21. Famously known as the first heavy metal band to top the pop charts, the Los Angeles quartet became a global sensation thanks to their monstrous smash hit 1983 album, "Metal Health". The band now continues its historic journey in 2017 with founding member and drummer Frankie Banali who, on this new release, is joined by veteran bassist Chuck Wright (who has been in and out of QUIET RIOT since 1982) and guitarist Alex Grossi (who has been handling his duties since 2004,) together with new vocalist Seann Nicols (a.k.a. Sheldon Tarsha; formerly of ADLER'S APPETITE). "I'm very excited about the release of 'Road Rage' on Frontiers Music Srl which is the first official QUIET RIOT release in eleven years," Banali said. "It contains all newly written and recorded original songs. We stayed true to the great tradition and sound of QUIET RIOT while at the same time always moving musically forward." Banali's history with QUIET RIOT spans over 34 years and he has the distinction of being the only member of QUIET RIOT to have recorded on every single QUIET RIOT release from 1983's "Metal Health" through 2017's "Road Rage". After nearly ten years since the loss of his friend and co-founding member and bandmate Kevin DuBrow, and with careful consideration, soul searching and with the blessings and support of DuBrow's family, Frankie has moved forward with the band to bring the fans "Road Rage". Musically, "Road Rage" offers exactly what you would expect from QUIET RIOT: arena-ready hard rock with strong hooks and infectious riffs, along with maturity in the songwriting that only a band with such a history and pedigree can offer.

Vocalist Jizzy Pearl (LOVE/HATE, L.A. GUNS, ADLER'S APPETITE, RATT) left QUIET RIOT at the end of 2016 to concentrate full time on his solo career.

Banali revived QUIET RIOT in 2010, three years after DuBrow's death, along with Wright and Grossi. The group went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Pearl in 2013.

The Pearl-fronted QUIET RIOT recorded six new songs for an album called "10", which was released digitally on iTunes and Amazon.com in June 2014, but Banali pulled the songs from both download stores shortly after putting the effort on sale and hasn't made them available again. He later explained that his decision to remove "10" from iTunes and Amazon.com was motivated in part by the fact that he couldn't find a record label that would properly promote the album. In addition, he said that the system that brought us classic rock music has been forever altered by the times and the promotional and marketing engine that is broken, no longer effectively exposing music from the labels through radio and to the masses. "Road Rage" track listing:

01. Nothing But Trouble02. Let It Go03. Snake Charmer04. Hey Lil' Sister05. I Don't Need You Anymore06. Sledge Hammer07. Never You Mind08. Empty Rooms09. Dirty Money10. The Seeker11. Road Rage QUIET RIOT tour dates:

Feb. 17 - Amarillo, TX @ Amarillo Civic CenterFeb. 18 - Clearwater, FL @ Quaker Steak & Lube (Florida Motorcycle Expo)Mar. 18 - Wichita, KS @ The CotillionMar. 24 - Savannah, GA @ Stage on the BayMar. 25 - Toledo, OH @ John F. Savage ArenaApr. 07 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Bowery LiveApr. 23 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Rainbow (45th Anniversary Celebration)Jun. 02 - Lincolnton, NC @ Court Square @ Alive After 5 Concert SeriesJun. 23 - Lynchburg, VA @ Phase 2Jun. 24 - Spring, TX @ 15th Annual Funtastic 4th FestivalJul. 15 - Lake Ozark, MO @ The Horny ToadAug. 11 - Greenville, TX @ The Texan TheaterAug. 12 - Longview, TX @ Maude Cobb Event CenterAug. 26 - Port Falls, ID @ CruisersOct. 29 - Pekin, IL @ The Avanti's Dome

METALLICA today announced their "WorldWired" 2017 North American tour in support of their new album "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct". The "WorldWired" 2017 tour is produced by Live Nation and kicks off on May 10 in Baltimore, Maryland at M&T Bank Stadium. The tour will crisscross its way across North America into the summer, marking the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees and Grammy Award-winning band's first proper North American tour since 2009. AVENGED SEVENFOLD and VOLBEAT will be the main support acts for the tour run. See below for a list of all confirmed dates.

Presale tickets will be available to Legacy Fan Club members beginning on Tuesday, February 14 at 9:00 a.m. local time, with presale tickets available to all Met Club members beginning on Tuesday, February 14 at 11:00 a.m. local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning this Friday, February 17 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Each ticket purchased will come with a copy of the "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" album, available as a physical CD or a digital download.

Citi is the official credit card of the "WorldWired" 2017 North American tour. Citi cardmembers can take advantage of a special presale opportunity for all show dates in the U.S. beginning on Tuesday, February 14 at 11:00 a.m. local time.

Every ticket purchased through official outlets includes your choice of a standard physical or standard digital copy of "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct". Fans should expect to receive information from Warner Music Artist Services on how to redeem their albums within 14 business days after their purchase. Full details of how you can gift the album, should you have already purchased, will be given on the redemption page.

METALLICA has partnered with CID Entertainment to offer four options of special enhanced experiences on this tour, including premium tickets and amenities, including: early access to the venue, a visit to the "Memory Remains" exhibit of memorabilia, and meet-and-greets.

Additionally, METALLICA has announced the formation of their All Within My Hands Foundation, which will raise funds to support a cross-section of national, local and Bay Area charities that the individual band members support, along with continuing to donate to music education programs and local food banks. Through a collaboration with Crowdrise, the band encourages fans to make a donation when purchasing tickets to the upcoming shows.

Tour dates:

May 10 - Baltimore, MD - M&T Bank Stadium*^May 12 - Philadelphia, PA - Lincoln Financial Field*^May 14 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium*^May 17 - Uniondale, NY - New Coliseum^May 19 - Boston, MA - Gillette Stadium ^May 21 - Columbus, OH - Rock On The Range Festival (SOLD OUT)June 04 - St. Louis, MO - Busch Stadium^ June 07 - Denver, CO - Sports Authority Field*^June 11 - Houston, TX - NRG Stadium*^June 14 - San Antonio, TX - Alamodome* June 16 - Dallas, TX - AT&T Stadium* June 18 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field* July 05 - Orlando, FL - Camping World Stadium*^July 07 - Miami, FL - Hard Rock Stadium*^July 09 - Atlanta, GA - Suntrust Park*^July 12 - Detroit, MI - Comercia Park*^July 14 - Quebec City, QC- Festival D'Ete July 16 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre*^July 19 - Montreal, QB - Parc Jean-Drapeau*^July 29 - Los Angeles, CA - Rose Bowl*+August 04 - Phoenix, AZ - University of Phoenix Stadium*+August 06 - San Diego, CA - Petco Park*+August 09 - Seattle, WA - Centurylink Field*+August 14 - Vancouver, BC - BC Place*+August 16 - Edmonton, AB - Commonwealth Stadium*+

*With AVENGED SEVENFOLD^With VOLBEAT+With GOJIRA

METALLICA has not done a full-length U.S. tour in more than seven years, but lead guitarist Kirk Hammett recently promised that the band will end that dry spell in 2017. Speaking with Billboard, Hammett said that the band's home country will finally get the trek it deserves. "We're very excited about it because it's been a long, long time since we've done a proper American tour," he said. "I mean, we've done European tours, Asian tours, South American tours, but we have not done a proper American tour as of late. So we're very, very excited about it, and we're very excited to be able to do it bringing new material to all our fans out there."

METALLICA will be touring in support of its tenth studio album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", the band's first all-new studio effort in eight years.

The album went to No. 1 in 58 countries, including the U.S., where it topped The Billboard 200 album chart.

Hammett also hinted at METALLICA bringing out a "special stage" for the tour, adding, "It's gonna be really cool, really fun and very METALLICA."

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield recently said on the Nerdist podcast that the band will cap its live schedule starting in 2017 at around fifty shows a year. He explained: "My body has told me to tell these guys that fifty shows a year is kind of what we can do, so make the best of those."

Drummer Lars Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back how METALLICA has changed the way it tours. "The old days of a year and a half on the road, I mean, that's not going to happen again," he said. "If our success has bought us anything, it's the freedom to do these things the way we want to do them, on our own agenda, on our own time frame. We don't really even need to have, like they say in the business, a 'product' out there. We can just sort of go out and tour if we wake up one morning and feel like it."

METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo told The Pulse Of Radio that the band is looking forward to getting back on the road in the U.S. "Oh yeah, it's exciting, you know," he said. "We haven't spent enough time in the States in recent years and it's been a while, so rather than going and hanging out in Europe and spending a lot of time there before we come to the States, we're actually hitting the States first. And that's something that I'm really excited about, because it's been a while. It seems like people are hungry for METALLICA again and they've been waiting a long time."

METALLICA played three shows in Copenhagen, Denmark last week and performed at the 59th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday (February 12) in Los Angeles. The band also played an intimate concert for around 3,000 or so fans at the Hollywood Palladium that same night.

Following the release of their acclaimed debut album 1917 and last year's successful Pledge Music campaign, doom pop act Courtesans will release their new 5-song EP, Better Safe Than Sober, on March 31st. Check out the official video for the new song "Mesmerise" below.

Hailing from London, England, Courtesans are reminiscent of Aegis-era Theatre Of Tragedy according to BraveWords scribe Carl Begai.

Tracklist:

"Mesmerise"
"Feel The Same"
"John Doe"
"Knowhere"
"The Tide"

The band has issued the following statement: "We want more women to pick up instruments. Be musicians, tour managers, sound engineers... Don’t leave it up to the boys, but do not dumb down your femininity to be respected, be yourself and be free! We want to not only encourage women in music but for more men to accept that it is ok to look up to female artists."

Three members of RATT's classic lineup — singer Stephen Pearcy, bassist Juan Croucier and guitarist Warren DeMartini — played their first official show as the reunited RATT this past Saturday, 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.

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

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

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

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

Blotzer's most recent lineup of RATT included singer Josh Alan alongside guitarists Mitch Perry (TALAS, HEAVEN, STEELER, MSG, LITA FORD) and Stacey Blades (L.A. GUNS) and bassist Brad Lang (Y&T).

Colombian melodic death metal powerhouse Eshtadur have revealed their new single "Cornered At The Earth". The track is taken from their upcoming album Mother Gray, due May 12th via Bleeding Music Records.

The cover art for Mother Gray can be seen below.

For further details, visit Eshtadur on Facebook.

 

Meliah Rage have officially began recording a new studio album and are planning on a late 2017 release date. With this news, the band and vocalist Marc Lopes, who sang on the band’s last record Warrior, have mutually decided to part ways. Marc is very busy now touring with former Manowar guitarist Ross The Boss and his other band Let Us Prey have recently signed with Megadeth's Dave Ellefson EMP Label Group. 

As far as the new Meliah Rage recording, guitarist Anthony Nichols has brought nine songs to the table and is working with drummer Stu Dowie to give the songs more of a live feel than what was captured on some of the more recent records. The band has admittedly gotten lazy in the ProTools era and relied more on trading demo CDs than actually rehearsing, but that will not happen on this record.   

Regarding the vocalist for the new record, that decision will come within the next couple of weeks. Nichols states, "As everyone in the band gets older, it gets more difficult for everyone to have the same goal." There are some names on the table and it's a major goal of the band to have the next singer to be a long term fit.

Texas progressive rock band Valeluna has unveiled the official music video for "Evensong," off of their July 2016 full length release Affinity. "Evensong" was directed and edited by Ben Chai.

"We had met with Ben, the director for ‘Evensong’, about 4 months before actually filming to discuss plans and what our visions were for our music videos and right off the bat, it felt right. We wanted to hire someone that would work as hard filming and directing as we did making the music. Ben is that guy and I think this video exudes our passion for what we both do all in one phenomenal moment." – Valeluna

Drawing inspiration from the calming ambiance of Texas post rock, nostalgic classic rock influences, and the alluring nature of progressive songwriting, Valeluna's Affinity will envelope you in an atmosphere of emotional rock music and take you on a journey through soothing soundscapes to powerfully orchestrated anthems.

On April 21st, 2017, Profanity are returning with a new full-length: The Art Of Sickness on Apostasy Records. Its title reveals the route of the new material which is full of playfulness and technical brilliance while it strikes a balance between art and insane chaos. 

Recorded at Iguana Studios (Spheron, Imperium Dekadenz, Necrophagist) with producer Christoph Brandes the new songs will bring all tech death gourmets to the scene. To make the album even more diverse, the band invited guests like Terrance Hobbs (Suffocation), Adrie Kloosterwaard (Sinister), Ricky Myers (Disgorge, Suffocation), Christian Münzner (Alkaloid, ex-Obscura) as well as their ex-bassist Martl Bauer. 

The artwork was done by Pär Olofsson:

Tracklisting:

“The Great Obstacle”
“Who Leaves Stays”
“Mouth Of Nepotism”
“Recreating Bliss”
“Specific Souls”
“Better Left Alone”

On February 10th, Swedish pop metallers Amaranthe kicked off their Maximalism North American tour at the Scout Bar in Houston, TX. Fan-filmed video is available below.

 

 

Remaining dates on the tour are as follows:

February
14 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
15 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue
16 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
18 - Las Vegas, NV - Vinyl
19 - San Francisco, CA - Social Hall SF
20 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco Theater
22 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
23 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
24 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
26 - Calgary, AB - Marquee Beer Market
27 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room

March
1 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
2 - Arlington Heights, IL - HOME Bar
3 - Ft. Wayne, IN - The Hub
4 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater
5 - Toronto, ON - The Opera House
7 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
8 - New York, NY - Marlin Room at Webster Hall
9 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
10 - Asbury Park, NJ - House of Independents
11 - Reading, PA - Reverb

Prior to the tour, Amaranthe checked in with the following update:

"It is finally time to release our brand new video for “Boomerang”, an Amaranthe take on the classic heist movie," said guitarist Olof Mörck. "Directed by the legendary Patric Ulleaus, it is everything you have come to expect of an Amaranthe video and much more! It is perhaps the most ambitious video from the band so far, since it is packed to the brim with action, glitter, and glamour. You can try to bring us down, but we'll come around, like a Boomerang!”

Sweden's self-styled “Alfapokalyptic Rockers”, Alfahanne, have launched the first somng from their upcoming album, Det Nya Svarta, due out on April 7th via Indie Recordings. Titled "Stigmata", the band explained  that the track "is about our home town. How you are born full of hope for the future, but the raw climate destroys you and the town drags you down".

Hailing from Eskilstuna, Alfahanne burst onto the scene in 2010 with the avowed intent to bring back a sense of danger to rock n’ roll. Playing what the band calls “Alfapocalyptic Rock”, which mixes black metal with classic rock and punk, and good old rock n’ roll, Alfahanne have created their own style of music, full of the kind of swagger and attitude that earns them plaudits from critics and fans alike.

Add to this the fact that Alfahanne were, right from the word go, able to attract high calibre guests such as as Taake’s Hoest, Shining’s Niklas Kvarforth, Helheim’s V’gandr, Kvelertak frontman Erlend Hjelvik, Spellgoth from Horna and Turmion Katilot, and Nattfursth from Sorhin, not just on their first two albums, but also live on stage, and have continued this enviable the tradition with Det Nya Svarta, and you know you have something pretty special.

The band's lineup of Pehr Skjoldhammer on vocals and guitar, Fredrik Sööberg on guitars, Niklas Åström on drums and Jimmy Wiberg on bass, have a couple of decades of experience under their belts in bands like Vinterland and early Maze Of Torment. Bringing that experience to the studio Alfahanne released their debut full-length album Alfapokalyps on Dark Essence Records in 2014.

This was followed by Blod Eld Alfa in 2015, and, within a short two-year period , Alfahanne's high energy, exuberance, and easy going, friendly interaction with the fans (both on and off the stage) brought the band to the attention of audiences world-wide, garnering them a legion of fans.

Frontman Skjoldhammer explains that with their third full-length album Alfahanne continues to explore the dark side of mankind: "Alfahanne's lyrics are very personal and have many layers of dirt. Once you dig deeper into them you find many truths as I see them. Alfahanne will never lean to the left or to the right or write about political issues. The only political issue that is close to our hearts is equal rights but the flipside of that same coin is that we think everyone is equally.... Equally useless."

Det Nya Svarta was recorded at the Dödskult studio by Alfahanne's Pehr Skjoldhammer and Mixed and mastered by Stamos Koliousis. Guests on the album include Kampfar’s Dolk, David Lindh from Yvonne & Broder Daniel, Sanrabb from Gehenna, and Nadine Skjoldhammer

Tracklisting:

“Satans verser” (with Dolk from Kampfar)
“Stigmata”
“Avgrundsgravitation” (with David Lindh from Yvonne & Broder Daniel)
“Klubb 27”
“Mitt mörker är mörkare än ditt” (with Nadine Skjoldhammer)
“Dödsmaskin” (with Samrabb from Gehenna)
“Även hund har sin dag”
“Svarta får”
“Det nya svarta”

Commenting on their collaboration with Indie Recordings Alfahanne had this to say: "We think Indie is a natural choice for us and we are very pleased to be collaborating with them. Now we just hope that they are aware that they have thrown a bone to a dog, fed the beast, poured gasoline on the fire and unchained a monster."

Det Nya Svarta is now available to pre-order in CD and Vinyl formats here, and in Digital format here.

Swedish bashers Nasum formed in 1992, releasing four studio albums and disbanding following the death frontman Mieszko Talarczyk, who was killed by the tsunami that decimated Thailand in 2004. In 2012, Nasum reformed with Rotten Sound frontman Keijo Niinimaa up front for a tour to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary.

Nasum will release Blasting Shit To Bits - The Final Show, a documentary focusing on the band's last live performance in 2012. The movie was helmed by now former Nasum members and filmmaker Michael Panduro. It will premiere at Copenhagen's Music Film Festival on April 27th.

Check out the teaser below.

IceFish is an exciting new progressive rock/metal project. The band features legendary drummer Virgil Donati and virtuosic musicians Marco Sfogli (guitar), Alex Argento (keyboards), and Andrea Casali (bass/vocals). IceFish is an international collaboration between musicians on two sides of the globe. Virgil lives and works in Los Angeles, while Marco, Alex, and Andrea are Italian musicians living in Italy. Each with a worldwide fanbase.

The music in this projects is the real story: carefully crafted power melodies, soaring vocals, and intricate hard-rocking rhythms. Add in state-of-the-art production – and you get a truly inspiring collection of tunes worth listening to again and again. Pre-order it now via Pledge Music.

When you pre-order through the IceFish Pledge Music page, you'll see clips from the rehearsals – with amazing sound and in beautiful HD. The band is also posting interviews, production tips/lessons, and more throughout the journey. They are also offering some great extras, such as: play along versions of the tunes (with video), a full behind-the-scenes movie, Skype lessons with any of the guys, and much more.

Check out the official IceFish Facebook page here.

Hailing from Turin, Italy, 8-member symphonic metallers Aevum have signed with Canadian label Maple Metal Records to release their sophomore full-length album Dischronia on March 17th worldwide.

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 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)

Teaser:

Amsterdam based metal band, The Charm The Fury, will release their sophomore album, The Sick, Dumb & Happy, on March 17th via Nuclear Blast (worldwide) and Arising Empire (Europe). Today, vocalist Caroline Westendorp and drummer Mathijs Tieken discuss the band’s formation, the band name and sound. Watch video trailer #1 below.

Pre-order your copy of The Sick, Dumb & Happy here. Pre-order your copy of the album on either iTunes or Amazon and receive a download for "Down On The Ropes" instantly.

The album was recorded at Wisseloord, ICP Belgium. The mixing was completed by Josh Wilbur (Megadeth, Lamb Of God) with additional mixing by Stefan Glaumann (Within Temptation, Paradise Lost). Ted Jensen (Machine Head, Death Angel) of Sterling Sound in New York City and  Brian 'Big Bass' Gardner (David Bowie, Gemini Syndrome) handled the mastering of The Sick, Dumb & Happy..

Tracklisting:

“Down On The Ropes”
“Echoes”
“Weaponized”
“No End In Sight”
“Blood And Salt”
“Corner Office Maniacs”
“The Future Need Us Not”
“Silent War”
“The Hell In Me”
“Songs Of Obscenity”
“Break And Dominate”

Trailer #1:

“Down On The Ropes” video:

“Down On The Ropes” vide behind the scenes:

Teaser trailer:

Lineup:

Caroline Westendorp - Vocals
Mathijs Tieken - Drums
Rolf Perdok - Guitars
Martijn Slegtenhorst - Guitars
Lucas Arnoldussen - Bass

Devil To Pay return with a new video, “Kobold In The Breadbasket”, available for streaming below.

The four-piece issued their fifth full-length, A Bend Through Space And Time, last year via Ripple Music, and in follow-up clips for “Your Inner Lemmy” and “On And On (In Your Mind)” they take to the woods for the moody “Kobold In The Breadbasket”, a somewhat slower, more languid and ultimately darker track that was nonetheless a standout from the record.

Guitarist/vocalist Steve Janiak, joined in the band by guitarist Rob Hough, bassist/backing vocalist Matt Stokes and drummer Chad Profigle, says, “”Kobold In The Breadbasket” is our little mythological lament, a fairy tale where a farmer in another time and place inadvertently curses himself and his family. It was intended as a metaphor for mankind’s disregard for nature and penchant for ecological disaster. In keeping with the nature theme, we filmed the video in Brown County, Indiana, at the edge of a man-made lake with our good friend Jay Rich. Our upcoming West Coast tour is currently in the works. It starts 4/20 and will be our first trip back to the coast since 2006.”

More to come from Devil To Pay in 2017, so stay tuned.

Relapse Records has announced the signing of genre-bashing Texan trio, Mammoth Grinder. Formed in 2006 in Austin, TX, and consisting of members of Power Trip and Iron Reagan, Mammoth Grinder combine primitive, punk-inflected death metal with the most manic elements of hardcore, crust and grindcore. The band has released three full-lengths and numerous splits and EPs since forming over a decade ago.

After a brief hiatus in 2014, Mammoth Grinder have returned and entered the studio earlier this week to record their fourth full-length album. Entitled Cosmic Crypt, the new album will consist of 11 tracks recorded to analog / tape at Trax East in South River, NJ.

The band commented on the signing and the new material: "Relapse has always been a good home for death metal and we're very pleased to be a part of their roster. This album will surely be our filthiest one yet."

Cosmic Crypt is slated for a fall 2017 release via Relapse Records and artwork will once again be handled by the legendary Joe Petagno (Motorhead, Sodom, Autopsy). Stay tuned for more info on the band and release.

Mammoth Grinder is:

Chris Ulsh - Bass / Vocals
Mark Bronzino - Guitar
Ryan Parrish - Drums

(Photo - Jillian Keats)

METALLICA performed its song "Moth Into Flame" with pop superstar Lady Gaga earlier tonight (Sunday, February 12) at the 59th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. After opening with an awkward staged mosh-pit, with Gaga emerging from the crowd of "moshing" backup dancers, it became quickly clear that James Hetfield's microphone wasn't working, visibly frustrating the METALLICA frontman as Gaga carried on performing. To remedy the situation, the two singers shared a mic until his was fixed.

Gaga herself took charge of the performance, which took place in front of gyrating dancers, flashing lights and flames. Gaga even jumped into the audience and briefly crowd-surfed at one point before returning to the stage to close out the song.

At the end of the performance, Hetfield knocked down his mic stand and threw his guitar offstage.

Prior to her appearance with METALLICA, Gaga honored the band by getting a new tattoo — a large moth with skull. She posted a photo of the tattoo on her Instagram and captioned it "The Moth & Metallica," as an apparent homage to "Moth Into Flame".

METALLICA was up for a Grammy for "Best Rock Song" for the track "Hardwired" from its new album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", but lost to the late David Bowie's "Blackstar".

Following the Grammy Awards, METALLICA will play an intimate show later tonight for around 3,000 or so fans at the Hollywood Palladium.

Fan-filmed video footage of KREATOR's February 7 performance at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway can be seen below.

KREATOR kicked off its European tour with Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA on February 1 at La Bam in Metz, France. Also appearing on the bill are visionary Swedish melodic death metallers SOILWORK and Belgium's finest death/grind outfit ABORTED.

KREATOR's latest album, "Gods Of Violence", entered the official chart in Germany at position No. 1.

The cover artwork for "Gods Of Violence" was created by renowned artist Jan Meininghaus, who also made the limited-edition artwork for KREATOR's last album, 2012's "Phantom Antichrist", and has lent his talents to bands like BOLT THROWER, ACCEPT and OVERKILL in the past.

The exclusive North American cover was created by renowned artist Marcelo Vasco, who has previously worked with SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY and HATEBREED.

KREATOR will headline this year's edition of the annual Decibel Magazine Tour. Support on the trek will come from Florida death metal legends OBITUARY, old-school Ohio brutalizers MIDNIGHT and celebrated progressive death prodigies HORRENDOUS.

Drummer Alex Bent made his live debut with TRIVIUM last night (Saturday, February 11) at the Academy in Dublin, Ireland. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Bent has played with BATTLECROSS and DECREPIT BIRTH in the past and has filled in for Gene Hoglan in TESTAMENT at a number of shows. He is also a member of TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson's DRAGONLORD project, whose long-awaited third album, "Dominion", is expected to arrive later this year.

Alex was recruited by TRIVIUM last November after the band fired its drummer of eleven months, Paul Wandtke.

TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy later said in a Metal Insider interview that the band's last three drummers were merely "session" musicians.

Wandtke made his live debut with TRIVIUM in December 2015 at Knotfest in Mexico. A short time later, he appeared in an official promotional photo with the three core members of the band.

Paul joined the Florida outfit on the recommendation of DREAM THEATER's Mike Mangini and replaced Mat Madiro, who departed due to reasons of "creativity."

Madiro was the featured drummer on TRIVIUM's latest album, "Silence In The Snow", which was released in October 2015 via Roadrunner.

RED DRAGON CARTEL, the band led by former OZZY OSBOURNE and BADLANDS guitarist Jake E. Lee, has recruited Phil Varone (SAIGON KICK, SKID ROW) as its new drummer. Varone joins RED DRAGON CARTEL as the replacement for Jonas Fairley, who played on the band's 2014 self-titled debut album. The group's current lineup is rounded out by singer Darren James Smith and bassist Anthony Esposito.

RED DRAGON CARTEL is rehearsing new material in Pennsylvania before entering the studio next week to begin recording its sophomore album for a late 2017 release. The band said: "It's gonna be awesome!"

Back in September 2015, RED DRAGON CARTEL was rejoined by Darren James Smith after a period of several months during which the band played shows with a number of other vocalists, including former JONES STREET frontman Shawn Crosby, Canadian singer Paul D'Eath (CITIZENS UNITE, MUSHROOM TRAIL), Chas West (Jason Bonham, LYNCH MOB, 3 LEGGED DOGG) and Michael Beck.

RED DRAGON CARTEL in March 2015 announced the departure of bassist Greg Chaisson, who exited the group because he could "no longer take any more time away from [his] regular job."

RED DRAGON CARTEL's debut CD sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 69 on The Billboard 200 chart.

RED DRAGON CARTEL's setlist includes original material like the singles "Feeder" and "Deceived", as well as major hits from Jake E. Lee's glorious past: "Bark At The Moon", "The Ultimate Sin" and "Rock 'N' Roll Rebel" (all originally recorded by OZZY OSBOURNE), as well as "Shine On" and "High Wire" (BADLANDS).

MEGADETH was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 59th annual Grammy Awards, which is being held tonight (Sunday, February 12) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. MEGADETH was nominated for "Dystopia", the title track of its 2016 album.

As MEGADETH approached the stage to accept the award, the house band inexplicably played METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets".

In his acceptance speech, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine said: "Fantastic! Only took twelve tries to get this. Last time we were here, we were talking to Kenny G, and he asked me how many times we were here and he goes, 'Well, eleven isn't that bad.' I said, 'How many times did it take you?' And he said, Twenty-one.' And I was, like, 'Oh, my god. If it takes twenty-one times… I don't know if I'll live that long.'"

Mustaine continued: "I want to thank Jesus Christ, I want to thank my wife, my children, all the band's wives and kids, I want to thank our management, our label, our agent, our attorney, our crew, all of you, especially the metal community. It's a little weird that we ended up being category 69, but somebody's got a sense of humor."

The nominees in the "Best Metal Performance" category were as follows:

BARONESS - "Shock Me"
GOJIRA - "Slivera"
KORN - "Rotting in Vain"
MEGADETH - "Dystopia"
PERIPHERY - "The Price Is Wrong"