Wolfheart has released a new video for “The Flood”, the new single from Tyhjyys, the band’s third full-length, out March 3rd via Spinefarm Records. Watch the new video below.

Tracklisting:

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

“The Flood” video:

“Boneyard” video:

(Photo - Valtteri Väyrynen)

Progressive rock band, Pendragon, return with their brand new live release, entitled Masquerade 20. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of the most successful albums in their career - an album that won them near-overwhelming acclaim and made them one of the highest-selling bands unsigned to a major label at that time - the band returned to the Wyspianski Theatre in Katowice, Poland in May 2016 to record a special show, consisting of all the classics from The Masquerade Overture as well as a number of fan-favourites from their other releases.

Nick Barrett, guitarist and vocalist comments: "This DVD is probably the most cohesive performance from the band so far captured on film. Just as we have been together for so many years as musicians it shows us as friends as well, even with new boy, Vinnie our drummer and Verity and Tina on backing vocals who appear for the first time with us on DVD. The overall feel of the music and performance is fantastic and the sound is amazing."

The cover artwork was done by Björn Gooßes – Killustrations, know also for the band’s previous artworks: Pure, Passion, Men Who Climb Mountains and Out Of Order Comes Chaos DVD.

The DVD will also include an interview with Peter Gee and Jan-Vincent Velazco, photo gallery and other extras. Masquerade 20 DVD is scheduled for release on April 7th via Metal Mind Productions (May 5th in North America). Also available as a double CD.

Tracklisting:
 
“The Masquerade Overture”
“As Good As Gold”
“Paintbox”
“The Pursuit Of Excellence”
“Guardian Of My Soul”
“The Shadow”
“Masters Of Illusion”
“King Of The Castle”
“Schizo”
“Beautiful Soul”
“Faces Of Light”
“Nostradamus”
“Explorers Of The Infinite”
“Come Home Jack”
“This Green And Pleasant Land”
“Breaking The Spell”
“Indigo”

Extras:

Interview with Peter Gee and Jan-Vincent Velazco
In Bardo in Sri Lanka
Photo gallery
Discography
Desktop images

Spanish sludge doomers MotherSloth have revealed the cover artwork and first single from their forthcoming new album. The song, “Once Human”, is available for streaming below.

Formed in Madrid during 2008, MotherSloth are authors of a huge and quite original doom sludge that will easily suit all fans of sonorities like Pallbearer, Alice In Chains and Danzig. The album, Moon Omen, will be released via Argonauta Records and will be available from March 3rd. Pre-orders here.

Tracklisting:

“Shadow Witch”
“Once Human”
“The Firemill”
“Doomsday Cyborg”
“Wish For Dawn”
“Moon Omen”

“Once Human”:

Psychedelic ritual sludge trio, Nibiru, will enter the studio this month to begin recording its long-awaited follow-up to Padmalotus, which was released via Argonauta Records in 2015.

Nibiru frontman Ardat comments: “After the release of “Teloch” 12” EP as a four-piece in spring 2016, we will enter MusicLab Studio to record our new effort live in the studio in February 2017. The new album, called Qaal Babalon, will be the perfect incarnation of Nibiru as power trio. Working with the drummer L.C. Chertan we found harmony, professionalism, accuracy and anger. According to me and Ri, a lot of rage is essential. Our new music emerged from the deep with no effort. We do not love the peace of soul.

“The songs have been written between October 2016 and January 2017. We are very happy about the result. Nibiru came back to their roots, to a sound that is ours. Since the beginning this kind of sound is a Nibiru trademark. Psychedelic, ritualism, noise were, are, and will be Nibiru. The album will be ready in Spring 2017. In profundum laci.”

Updates to follow.

On February 24th, Dutch necromantic death metallers AntropomorphiA returns with their latest collection of gospels of the obscene: Sermon Ov Wrath. For another preview of the album, the new single "Crown Ov The Dead" (featuring guest vocals by Dool's Ryanne van Dorst), can be heard below.

AntropomorphiA singer/guitarist Ferry Damen comments: "The compositional approach ov this audial incantation was very instinctive, and although it wanders from the traditional framework, it is the continuation ov our path, and breathes AntropomorphiA to the fullest."

The new record can be pre-ordered in the following formats:

- CD
- 180g black vinyl
- deep violet marble vinyl (limited to 200 copies)
- blackberry red marble vinyl (limited to 100 copies)
- clear/purple marble vinyl (limited to 100 copies; USA exclusive)

An exclusive t-shirt bundle, plus digital options are also available. Pre-order at this location.

AntropomorphiA singer/guitarist Ferry Damen comments: "This is by far our most diverse and strongest incantation to date. Sermon Ov Wrath has a veil ov our poisonous roots breathing throughout the whole album while never compromising or abiding to any limitation. We've entered a new realm and have become a different type ov beast. Beyond the veil ov wicked Dead!"

Featuring artwork by 13 Candles Tattoo/Madeleine Hoogkamer, Sermon ov Wrath was once again recorded at drummer Marco Stubbe's Aftermath Studio, and then mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio, giving the album a savage, crushing sound. As their most diverse record to-date, Sermon ov Wrath contains a bewitching atmosphere, furious groovy riffs, and merciless brutality - proving that the band is not afraid to experiment within the genre.

Sermon Ov Wrath tracklisting:

“Sermon Ov Wrath”
“Suspiria de Profundus”
“Murmur Ov The Dead”
“Ad Me Venite Mortui” (Intro)
“Crown Ov The Dead”
“Sinful Rapture”
“Within Her Pale Tomb Ov Putrid Lust”
“The Blistering Splendour Ov Darkness”
“In Bestial Decadence”

“Crown Ov The Dead”:

“Sermon Ov Wrath”:

AntropomorphiA lineup:

Ferry Damen - vocals, guitar
Jos van den Brand - guitar
Marc van Stiphout - bass
Marco Stubbe - drums

Emerging from the dissolution of the respected bands Agalloch and Giant Squid, a new group is born: Khôrada. Featuring former Agalloch members Don Anderson (guitar), Jason Walton (bass) and Aesop Dekker (drums) alongside ex-Giant Squid guitarist / vocalist Aaron John Gregory, Khôrada exists to create expansive, epic and passionate music. The quartet has announced that it has signed with the independent label Prophecy Productions and is currently writing and demoing material for its as-yet-untitled debut album.

"Khôrada members Don Anderson and Jason Walton have been fans of Prophecy Productions since their inception in 1996," comments the band. "We have always admired and respected their commitment to quality packaging and uncovering the most cutting-edge artists in the scene. We are honored and humbled to be a part of their family."

Immediately following the breakup of Agalloch in May of 2016, Walton, Anderson and Dekker remained committed to writing and playing together and unanimously agreed on working with Aaron John Gregory from the recently disbanded Giant Squid. Musically, Khôrada (an ancient Greek term for an empty space, or place of reflection) is dedicated to heavy, brooding and deeply emotional songs while lyrically, Gregory will write about the anxieties and fears of raising his daughters in a world that is both environmentally and politically in turmoil; where animal life and human life continue to be treated like property and assets to be exploited; the grind of living in an ever-competitive world with an ever-growing and unsustainable population and the fierce determination of nature to violently reset these terrifying imbalances.

Agalloch (1995-2016) was a dark metal band from Portland, OR. The group released five acclaimed albums including Pale Folklore (1999), The Mantle (2002), Ashes Against The Grain (2006), Marrow Of The Spirit (2010) and The Serpent & The Sphere (2014) and was hailed as "an American extreme metal institution." Giant Squid (2003-2015) was a progressive doom rock band from the California Bay Area. The avant-garde unit issued a string of celebrated releases including Metridium Field (2004), The Ichthyologist (2009), Cenotes (2011) and Minoans (2014) and was lauded for making "beautiful, strange, cinematic music that not only has no real peers, but belongs to no extant genre."

Khôrada features:

Don Anderson – former guitarist, original member and co-songwriter for Agalloch; guitarist and vocalist for technical death metal band Sculptured; collaborator with Sol Invictus.

Aaron John Gregory - guitarist, vocalist, lyricist, for Giant Squid (2003-2015), and bass and vocals in bay area sludge-wave band, Squalus. Gregory is also an internationally published scientific illustrator and cartoonist, professional aquarium biologist, and is married to renown metal cellist, Jackie Perez Gratz, (Grayceon, Giant Squid, Amber Asylum).

Jason Walton - bassist for Sculptured and doom band Celestiial; founder of experimental bands Snares Of Sixes and Self Spiller; solo experimental noise artist, sound engineer, former bassist, original member and co-songwriter for Agalloch.

Aesop Dekker – drummer for Vhol, Worm Ouroborus, Extremity, ex-Lucicra, ex-Agalloch.

(Photo - Cody Keto)

Rochester, NY-based rockers, Unwill, have released a new video for their track "Tomb”.

"We're very excited to share the official music video for "Tomb" with you!," says the band. "This song encompasses the heart of the album and we wanted to make the video express exactly that. Watch this to see what Past Life is all about."

Directed by Josiah Moore / Jeffery Fergusin, the new video can be found below.

The band’s new album, Past Life, is out on February 10th via Entertainment One Music / Lifeblood Inc. Fans can pre-order album bundles at the band's merch store here.

The Past Life album will be the follow up to the band’s 2015 debut single and video for “Calm”, directed by Josiah Moore (Ice Nine Kills, Sirens and Sailors, It Lives, It Breathes). That year the band expanded its touring across the Northeast, exposing its unforgiving live performance alongside such acts as Letlive, He Is Legend and Norma Jean. Musically, Unwill has been compared to the likes of Linkin Park, Deftones, Chevelle and Underoath. But the band doesn’t shy from putting its own spin on alternative rock.

Past Life features eleven songs that are unrelenting in their grim honesty. The album deals with themes of identity, faith, self-doubt, solipsism, regret, and the truest parts of our natures. Beneath the dark exterior of these songs, however, are shreds of light.

Within the eleven-song journey of Past Life, listeners will come across the many sides of Rocco Sylvio’s voice, smooth on one end and coarse on the other. They will also hear cleaner guitars mixed in with the dirtier tones, and soaring melodies alongside unapologetic heavy riffs.

Wherever listeners come to face Unwill, whether it be through live performance or studio recording, they can be sure to always be met with relentless force.

Past Life tracklisting:

“Doubt”
“Bitter Truth”
“The Way”
“Tomb”
“Back Again”
“You Wanted Out”
“Drifting”
“On My Own”
“Soul”
“Past Life”
“Go”

“Tomb” video:

“Back Again”:

“Soul”:

(Photo - Josiah Moore)

French melodic death metal band, Right To The Void, present their new drummer, Alex Dumas, who according to the band and to all the people that know him, is going to blast beyond the speed of light.

Says the band: “We are thrilled to welcome Alex in the band, we know him from the various bands he was in and we know he is the best drummer we could hope for. His natural groove will help the band to go further.”

Alex states: “I am honoured to be part of Right To The Void and I will give it my all to meet their expectations.”

Right To The Void is inspired by many different music styles. From death to thrash through Swedish metal, the band plays a modern, incisive and melodic metal.

The band released its first EP It Has To Be Done, recorded by Rakan Musics, in 2010 and played a lot of shows in France; sharing the stage with Napalm Death, Immolation, As They Burn, E-Force and many more. In 2012 the band signs with the international label Wormholedeath for its first album, Kingdom Of Vanity, released in 2013. The recording took place at the MathLab Recording Studios in Prato (Italy) with the producer Jonathan Mazzeo (The Way Of Purity, Mechanical God Creation). The mixing and the mastering were executed by Christian Donaldson (The Agonist, Beneath The Massacre, Cryptopsy) in Canada.

In 2014 the quintet goes back to the studio and records its second album Light Of The Fallen Gods with the same team to give an outstanding mixture of brutality and melody. Since the release of this album, the band toured all over Europe and never stopped writing new material for an upcoming release, expected in 2017.

Invictus Productions and Iron Bonehead Productions announce April 7th as the international release date for the debut album from Belgium's Possession, entitled Exorkizein. Invictus will handle the album's CD release while Iron Bonehead will handle its vinyl LP version.

One of the hottest bands in the modern black/death metal underground, Possession's ascent has been rapid but never exacting, and more than rightly earned. Forming in 2012, their debut demo, His Best Deceit - released jointly by Invictus and Iron Bonehead, in 2013 - exploded with excitement, showing an incendiary charisma rarely heard, not to mention a veteran's grasp of engaging songwriting. But for however filthy 'n' furious His Best Deceit was, less than a year later, the band released the Anneliese EP: a catacombed dirge that proved there were yet more haunting depths to this still-young band.

Between the two records, Possession's name was already on the tongues of legions worldwide - which is all the more remarkable considering their canon, to that point, consisted of six songs. Alas, in 2015 arrived the 1585-1646 mini-album. The band's longest work to date at 25 minutes, 1585-1646 studiously explored more concerted lyrical themes, marrying the conceptualism of the Anneliese EP to a still-unfolding, still-unholy synthesis of ancient Metal of Death and the pitchest-black metal. It was the band's boldest move to date, teasing their now-rabid fanbase with greater glories to come...and now they have arrived with Exorkizein.

Effectively a summation of Possession's powers and prowess they displayed across their first three recordings, Exorkizein is the bold and brazen first-album statement that will fully write the band's name into black/death legendry. Its fury is more feral and unchained than ever, its downshifts into doom more swirling and fatal, and its recording is as rounded and robust as a highly anticipated debut requires. And yet, for however much this is all unmistakably Possession, Exorkizein marks a change in lineup: vocalist Mestema is out of the band and has been replaced by Viriakh, while S.Iblis enters as new bassist. Far from a disabling blow, this lineup shakeup has resulted in a stronger Possession than ever before, brimming with madness and mystery, slavering with sin and ever prepared to strike. The youthful discordance has slightly, subtly given way to an ageless confidence, without one sacrifice of the core ethics of authentic, deeply-felt black/death metal.

More or less written in one year, with no stopping doing gigs, Possession's Exorkizein was recorded once again at Blackout Multimedia with Phorgath (Enthroned, Emptiness). Artwork was also once again created by underground icon Chris Moyen. And Possession once again chose Invictus and Iron Bonehead to release the album because they're "a loyalty-above-all kind of band, and that is part of our identity and strength."

Exorkizein tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Sacerdotium”
“Infestation - Manifestation - Possession”
“Beast Of Prey”
“In Vain”
“Take The Oath”
“Preacher's Death”

“Infestation - Manifestation - Possession”:

Much like the lyrical conceptualism explored on the previous two Possession records, Exorkizein tells a story flowing through its six central songs  the life, the work as an exorcist, and the death of Gabriele Amorth, last-known chief exorcist of the Vatican, who died on the 16th of September of 2016.

"We start writing about him before his death," the band state, "but it seems that Evil was once again on our side, as the exorcist died while we were still writing lyrics. We changed the lyrics in regards of that event."

From there, each song on Exorkizein could be summarized like this:

“Sacerdotium” - “His heart filled with faith, a young & devoted priest is about to accept the exorcist sacerdotium..." This song is about the young priest Amorth swearing the oath of the Exorcist.

“Infestation - Manifestation - Possession” - “As written in the holy book of exorcism, demoniac possession comes by progressive steps ...when the last one is complete, it is already too late..." This song explains the three steps of the demoniac possession.

“Beast Of Prey” - “Hear the words of the Evil invading your soul, feel his fire burning inside you, let him speak through your throat and tongue..." The demon speaks through the voice of the possessed one.

“In Vain” - “Hard is the work to fulfill the exorcism ritual, only a few can achieve it, many are done in vain..." The exorcist performs the ritual on the possessed one, but preaches are sung in vain as the demon is the strongest.

“Take The Oath” - “Used as living weapons, exorcist priest must kneel before the altar and swear an oath for lifetime..." The now-old priest Amorth indoctrinates young priests to force them to take the exorcist oath.

“Preacher's Death” - “At the twillight of his life, devoured by sickness, the priest is waiting to join his creator, but demons are tormenting him as they wait for his soul to ascend..." On his deathbed, the priest wishing to return to his creator is now tormented by demons telling him that Evil can't be defeated.

Overtures have released a video for “Go(l)d”, a track from the band’s fourth album, Artifacts, released last year via Sleaszy Rider Records.

The video, filmed by Marco Falanga, directly connects its images with the lyrics of the song with three mini-stories showing how the modern society is affected by the lost of real values. A girl addicted to the modern drug: socials; a kid victim of the standardization of averageness; mankind devoted to the new God: go(l)d. Find the clip below.

Artifacts tracklisting:

“Repentance”
“Artifacts”
“Go(l)d”
“As Candles We Burn”
“Profiled”
“Unshared Worlds”
“My Refuge” (feat. Paolo Campitelli on keyboards)
“New Dawn, New Dusk”
“Teardrop” (feat. Marco Pastorino, Caterina Piccolo on vocals, Paolo Campitelli on keyboards)
“Angry Animals”
“Savior” - Alternative version

“Go(l)d” video:

“Artifacts” video:

“Unshared Worlds” lyric video:

East German thrash metal band, Tormentor, will release their new album, Morbid Realization, on March 17th via Iron Shield Records.

Tormentor was formed in 2006 by Max Seipke, when he was 12 years old. Together with producer Evil (Evil Studios) they recorded the first demo, Lesson In Aggression, in 2007, which was released in the following year.

Shortly after the release, Thomas Wedemeyer became the new drummer of the band. With the demo and some new songs they took over the road as a two-pieced band for the next two years. The demo received good feedback, but the biggest compliment came from Kreator mastermind Mille Petrozza, as he praised the band in a radio station interview.

In the year 2010 the band went into the studio, once again with producer Evil, to record their debut album, Violent World. After the recording was done, Christian Schomber on bass and Kevin Hauch on the rhythm guitar became new members of the band. Violent World was released in 2012 via Iron Shield Records. Following the release they toured through Saxony, Brandenburg and Poland and established their name in the underground scene.

2013 and 2014 there mostly used for writing new songs, which were recorded at the end of 2016. The result will be released as CD/ LP and download/streaming via Iron Shield Records.

Tracklisting:

“Hope”
“Kill With No Excuse”
“Morbid Realization”
“Comprehension Failed”
“Burning Empire”
“Endless Emptiness”
“Forgotten”
“Lurks In The Dark”
“Walk Past Myself”
“Path To The Dark Side”

Lineup:

Max Seipke - vocals, guitars
Kevin Hauch - guitars
Christian Schomber - bass
Thomas Wedemeyer - drums

Veteran Spanish melodic death metallers, In Thousand Lakes, will release their second album, Age Of Decay, on February 20th via Xtreem Music. A video for the album track “I Rise” is available for streaming below.

Age Of Decay tracklisting:

“Death Train”
“Fall Into The Void”
“I Rise”
“True North”
“Age Of Decay”
“Hunter Of Souls”
“Blind Eyes”
“Ethereal”
“Vanished”
“Wolfzeit”
“4 Walls (Scars)”

“I Rise” video:

“Death Train”:

“True North” lyric video:

Long-running Swedish death metallers, Deranged, whose new album Struck By A Murderous Siege was released a few months ago, have parted ways with their vocalist, Anders Johansson. The band's choice as his successor fell on Johan Bergström (Visceral Bleeding).

Commented Deranged: "2016 has been a hell of a year for Deranged. First US show at Maryland DF, an amazing week in Indonesia, signing with Agonia, recording and releasing our ninth album - intense and heavy work! We're 100% grateful for all the support we've had, from organizers, the press, and most of all YOU, our fans!

“And now we head into 2017, with both some bad news and some good news to follow. Bad news first: Anders has left the band. He wishes to focus on his family, so we part as friends and wish him the best of luck! Now for the good news: while Anders' shoes are big to fill, we have already found a perfect replacement.

“Johan is an old friend of ours, we've played with him before in different projects and there is no doubt he will take Deranged's brutality to another level, onstage and in the studio! Anyone who has seen him perform in any of his other bands knows that he is a bloody powerhouse with one hell of a voice, and we're looking forward to lay waste to Europe this coming spring together.”

Deranged has announced the following spring dates:

February
17 - Retro - Malmo, Sweden

March
10 - Musicon - The Hague, Netherlands
11 - Deathfest - Heidelberg, Germany
30 - Sala Silikona - Madrid , Spain
31 - Nave Bunker - Salamancea , Spain

April
1 - Tondela Rocks II - Tondela, Portugal
2 - Transylvanie Club - Vigo, Spain
21 - From Hell - Erfut, Germany
22 - April Valley Festival, Germany

May
12 - Deathfest  - Holsteiner, Germany
13 - Incineration Fest - London, UK
18 - Viper Room - Vienna, Austria
19 - Bandhaus - Leipzig, Germany
20 - Elpee - Deinze, Belgium

Gutted, the long-running death metal band from Hungary, have braved trends and challenges of all kinds. They're back with their fourth full-length album, Martyr Creation, out now via Xtreem Music.

If you like death metal that's astoundingly solid and sufficiently brutal, this is for you. The band have released an official lyric video for “Into Oblivion / Atrophied Existence” featuring Mayhem’s Attila Csihar. The clip can be found below.

Gutted have been around since 1998 and have been an impressive act throughout. They were always forward-thinking with their music which keeps getting better with each album. They've honed their style imbibing influences of technical as well as brutal death metal, and the dark flavour a la Immolation doesn't hurt at all. Their style is a cross between American and European (mostly Dutch) death metal and it's satisfying as hell. On their latest release, again on the ever-supportive Xtreem Music, they've improved their songwriting and the songs are not only intense but also dark and memorable. It has an epic quality to it as well as a brutish one that is welcome as most bands in this style are too polished-sounding for their own good. This is tangible, organic and drives the point home better than others. For vigorous and hard-hitting death metal, look nowhere else.

Tracklisting:
 
“Chaos Of The Beginning” (intro)
“Cosmos Of Humans”
“False Happiness”
“Consuming Life”
“Deeper Than Hell”
“Fades Away”
“Kings Of Emptiness”
“Hell Dwells Inside”
“Into Oblivion”
“Atrophied Existence” (outro)

“Into Oblivion / Atrophied Existence” lyric video (featuring Attila Csihar):

Lineup:

Sándor Hajnali - Vocals, all lyrics
Gábor Drótos - Guitars, song writing
Sándor Tamás - Drums
András Horváth - Guitars (Live Musician)
Péter Lipák - Bass (Live Musician)

Danny Worsnop, the newly returned frontman for U.K. metalcore pioneers ASKING ALEXANDRIA, will release his debut solo album, "The Long Road Home", on February 17 via the U.K.-based independent label Earache Records. The effort marks a slight musical departure from his previous work with ASKING ALEXANDRIA, now forging a deeper and often darker path through the British-born, Nashville-based musician's mind and displaying a truly stunning singing voice only hinted at in his previous work.

The official video for the track "Prozac", filmed at the Lattitude Studio South in Tennessee, can be seen below.

Longtime fans will see a much more personal and reflective side of Danny's, with brutally honest lyrical themes ranging from loss and heartache to Danny's past (and often public) struggles with drugs and alcohol. Backed by authentic, blues-soaked outlaw country, the album is also interspersed with a few more upbeat tracks, showing that Danny's ability to craft catchy melodies which will have listeners singing along in no time is still very much alive and well.

Worsnop comments: "It has been an emotional roller-coaster creating these songs, but the end result has left me humbled, proud, and more excited about a project than I ever have been in my life.

"Writing as deep and personal as I have on this record brought up a lot inside me from my years, allowing me to grow and move on from demons I didn't even acknowledge having.

"I've done everything in my power to keep this album honest and pure, and it gives me chills every time I hear it. I'm beyond proud of what I've made and cannot wait to share it with the world. These songs are a reflection of my soul, and I hope you all enjoy them. See you on the other side!"

"The Long Road Home" is available to pre-order now on limited-edition signed CD and colored vinyl, along with a range of merch bundles.

"The Long Road Home" track listing:

01. Prozac02. Mexico03. I Feel Like Shit04. Anyone But Me05. High06. I Got Bones07. Quite A While08. Don't Overdrink It09. I'll Hold On10. Midnight Woman11. Same Old Ending12. The Man

Last month, Shawn SixX of Boston's WZLX radio station conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford. You can now listen to the chat using the widget below. A couple of excerps follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On JUDAS PRIEST's biggest hurdle going forward:

Rob: "Well, putting the notes in a different order. [Laughs] Because, let's face it, I've been doing this now for over forty years of my life, and I know that's what it's all about. This is about trying to display an idea from a different perspective, a different angle that has not yet been done before. And it's extremely challenging, particularly when you're as microscopic as PRIEST are. We've never kind of thrown things together. Sometimes we've got lucky, you know — 'Living After Midnight', 'Breaking The Law'. I would say the bulk of the work that we've made over the years has been a labor of love. So that's where we're at now — really trying to touch places, go to places, musically, that we haven't done yet."

On whether he still feels writing the best songs is the most important thing for a new hard rock and heavy metal band:

Rob: "Yeah, I do. I think that particularly in today's really kind of hustling and bustling metal world, you've just really gotta work hard, you've really gotta try and find an edge, find a direction, find something that makes people go, 'Hey, what is that? What is that riff? What is that melody? What is that hook? That's pretty cool.' And it's easier said than done, but that's the tenacity, that's the determination, that's the real power that you've gotta try and find within yourself to make a spark that nobody else has made."

JUDAS PRIEST is preparing to enter the studio to begin recording its long-awaited follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" album.

Halford said last year that JUDAS PRIEST wasn't interested in making "a 'Redeemer Of Souls Part Two'." He explained: "I think it's very important that we make another stand-alone record again, a heavy metal record that's going to have its own legs and just be as different as all of them have been so far."

"Redeemer Of Souls" was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

JUDAS PRIEST's tenth studio album, "Turbo", was recently remastered and was released via Sony Music on February 3 on three CDs (the original album and two bonus discs) as well as one-LP 150-gram vinyl. Included on disc 2 and 3 of the CD reissue is, previously unreleased, "Live in Kansas City", a live recording from the band's 1986 "Fuel For Life" tour in support of "Turbo".

Banger TV's Daniel Dekay recently conducted an interview with vocalist/guitarist Alexi Laiho of Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the title of CHILDREN OF BODOM's latest album, 2015's "I Worship Chaos":

Alexi: "At first it was just a songtitle. Then I started thinking about it, like, 'What am I saying with this shit?' It makes perfect sense for me, 'cause I'm kind of a dude that I'm a very restless person. For example, total silence freaks me out; there always has to be something going on. It's scary, dude. It is. When I go to sleep, there always has to be something… That's the funny part of it, though. Okay, 'I Worship Chaos' sounds very strong, but it can also mean that I just need to have fucking 'Seinfeld' in the background when I go to sleep. But total fucking silence, dude, I cannot… It scares me. Therefore, chaos around me sort of makes me feel comfortable. And I just the pitched the songtitle to the other guys, and they were, like, 'That's pretty fucking strong. So that could be an album title,' which I agreed. It's pretty in your face."

On why performing live is so important to a band like CHILDREN OF BODOM:

Alexi: "We just love playing live, and that's what CHILDREN OF BODOM's always been about. Since Day One, we've been touring so fucking much — like, non-stop. And I love being on the road. I mean, all of us, we kind of grew up on the road. We were just kids when we started. We were seventeen and eighteen years old when we started, so I don't really know any other way to live. I would be so lost if all of a sudden I had to stop touring completely. I don't see us slowing down. As long as the band's together, I think we're always gonna be touring."

CHILDREN OF BODOM will perform most of its debut album, "Something Wild", on a European tour later this year to celebrate the record's twentieth anniversary. The month-long trek, dubbed "20 Years Down & Dirty", will kick off on March 8 in Hanover, Germany and conclude on April 4 in Stockholm, Sweden.

CHILDREN OF BODOM recently embarked on a 21-date North American tour with special guests iconic black metal artist ABBATH, California-based metal act EXMORTUS, and Canada's progressive metallers ONI. The trek commenced in Quebec on November 23 and concluded in Brooklyn on December 19.

A rare sports car from the personal collection of Steven Tyler has been auctioned, raising $800,000 for his Janie's Fund, a philanthropic partnership with Youth Villages.

Tyler and his "car for a cause" were one of the biggest draws at the auction by Barrett-Jackson, "The World's Greatest Collector Car Auction," at Westworld in Scottsdale, Arizona. The black 2012 Hennessey Venom GT was one of only 12 produced, the convertible version of the "fastest street-legal car." Tyler was on the stage and fifteen thousand were in the arena audience as the auctioneer chanted the bid. The auction was broadcast live on Velocity TV. To sweeten the deal, the rocker threw in a vacation stay at his Hawaii home and a guitar autographed by AEROSMITH band members. The car sold for $800,000, with all proceeds going to Janie's Fund.

"We raised enough tonight to provide 20,000 days of therapeutic support to abused girls across America," Tyler said. "I want to thank Barrett-Jackson and the thousands of my fans who have been drawn to this cause this year. As a father to three daughters, a son, and now a grandfather, it broke my heart to learn that each year in America alone, 700,000 children are victims of serious abuse or neglect, and 68,000 will be sexually abused. Together through Janie's Fund, we're helping girls rebuild their lives and overcome the trauma they experienced."

Youth Villages CEO Patrick Lawler joined Tyler on stage as the car sold. "Everyone knows Steven as a rock star, but we know him as one of the world's most caring and compassionate people, a leading child advocate committed to helping girls who have suffered abuse," Lawler said. "One in five girls report abuse before their 18th birthday, and we think the actual incidents of abuse are much higher. Steven is giving his big voice to girls who have lost theirs."

At the end of its first year, an outpouring of support from donors across 38 countries had raised more than $1.9 million for Janie's Fund, allowing Youth Villages to directly help more than 300 girls. In December, Tyler was honored at the UN Ambassadors Ball, receiving the 2016 Humanitarian Award from the Hospitality Committee for United Nations Delegations.

Tyler's concern for this issue dates back to the 1980s when he was in a program for his own recovery. Hearing the personal accounts of women who had experienced incredibly painful and debilitating abuse as children, he saw how the abuse put them on a path of suffering, post-traumatic stress and other disorders that eventually led to substance problems. It was their plight that inspired Tyler to compose the song "Janie's Got A Gun".

Tyler recently released a country album "We're All Somebody from Somewhere", which debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and at the top of the iTunes country downloads. Tyler and AEROSMITH have sold more than 150 million records worldwide; he has won four Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards and an Emmy Award. In addition to having nine number one hits, 25 gold, 18 platinum and 12 multi-platinum album certifications, Tyler, along with the rest of his band members, were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001. Tyler and his songwriting partner Joe Perry were named to the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2013.

Youth Villages is a private nonprofit organization that helps more than 22,000 of America's most vulnerable children and families each year in 13 states and Washington, D.C. Youth Villages has been recognized by Harvard Business School and U.S. News & World Report, and was identified by The White House as one of the nation's most promising results-oriented nonprofit organizations.

On Friday, February 3, El Prezidente of "The Chainsaw Symphony" radio program conducted an interview with former CANNIBAL CORPSE and current SIX FEET UNDER frontman Chris Barnes. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.

Asked about the possibility of SIX FEET UNDER and CANNIBAL CORPSE one day touring together, Chris said: "That would be a tough one to put together, my friend. [Laughs] You wouldn't have any problems from my side of things, but I don't think other people would be agreeable to that."

He continued: "I don't think there's animosity [between us]. I think there's just protecting other people's feelings. I think that everyone knows certain things about everything and they'd like to see things a certain way, and that wouldn't portray things a certain way that they would wanna portray them. So… I'm being very general and trying to be diplomatic about it."

Barnes also talked about the circumstances behind his departure from CANNIBAL CORPSE in 1995, one year after the release of the band's "The Bleeding" album. He said: "I just didn't like being around them, because I was being ridiculed, and I just didn't feel comfortable being in the same room with people that weren't very nice to me personally. And I was part of that too, so we had all of our own type of differences, personally, and I don't think it was gonna be able to be worked out. You know, mutual respect goes a far way when it comes to being in close quarters with people."

He continued: "I'm sure we'd do things differently [today] — I mean, I know we would. It's just the way things worked out. And I don't have any animosity towards those guys at all, and I don't think they do towards me. It's just that… It would be too confusing for things [if we were to tour together], I think, from their perspective."

Barnes added: "I'd do anything. I just like to see a lot of people out there with smiles on their faces; that's the only thing that's important to me, man. Like, seriously, if I see a big crowd of people that everyone's smiling, like, 'Oh, yeah! This is what we've been waiting for,' I'm ready then, man. If I see a small room of people that are just fired up to go, man, it just gets me going on stage, you know. And that's all I'm there for — that feeling, that sharing of energy, man. And I'll go for it any which way to get that any way I can with any person I can get it with. And if it gets to that means to an end, that's all that's important, man — that transference. And some people just don't see it that way, man, and it's cool.

"I'm not gonna be mean to anybody, and I never wanted to be. I'm my own person, and sometimes I'm put at fault for that, and I think we all are in our own way. And that's just life; those are the things we deal with as people."

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

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

SIX FEET UNDER's new album was mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris and was previously described by Barnes as "the most brutally intense, groove-laden masterpiece we've ever put together!"

Don Dokken joined JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE on stage on February 3 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California to perform the GREAT WHITE song "On Your Knees". Check out video footage of his appearance below (filmed by Jake Perry).

"On Your Knees" was originally recorded for GREAT WHITE's debut EP, "Out Of The Night", which came out in 1982. The effort was produced by Dokken and Michael Wagener and featured backing vocals from Don on the aforementioned track.

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's debut album, "He Saw it Comin'" (originally titled "The Gauntlet"), was released on January 27 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc features Jack Russell alongside former GREAT WHITE bassist-turned-guitarist Tony Montana (as a guitar player and keyboardist), Dan McNay (MONTROSE) on bass, Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar and Dicki Fliszar (BRUCE DICKINSON) on drums.

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with the current touring and recording version of GREAT WHITE, which features Mark Kendall, Scott Snyder (bass), Audie Desbrow (drums), Michael Lardie (guitar, keyboards) and Terry Ilous (lead vocals).

The official lyric video for "Turned To Stone", a brand new song from Florida death metal veterans OBITUARY, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's self-titled, tenth studio album, which will be released on March 17 via Relapse.

Picking up where 2014's "Inked In Blood" left off, OBITUARY show no signs of slowing down as they continue to reign as kings of death metal. Recorded at the band's home studio in Tampa, "Obituary" is a ten-track tour de force of bone-pulverizing death metal that is as heavy, uncompromising and infectious as anything they've released in the group's historic, nearly 30-year career.

"Obituary" track listing:

01. Brave02. Sentence Day03. Lesson In Vengeance04. End It Now05. Kneel Before Me06. It Lives07. Betrayed08. Turned To Stone09. Straight To Hell10. Ten Thousand Ways To Die

The cover art was created by Andreas Marschall and can be seen below.

Commented OBITUARY vocalist John Tardy: "When writing records the song titles and album titles are always the last things on our minds. We know that the songs themselves are the most important thing, so with this our tenth studio album and nearly three decades as a band, we thought it was the perfect time for a self-titled release. It always helps to have a killer album cover so we worked with Andreas Marschall, gave him our ideas and thoughts and asked him to break out the big guns to create an epic logo and he delivered like he always has for OBITUARY." Added the band in a collective statement: "We could not be any more excited about this new album. We had a blast writing and recording it and having Ken [Andrews, guitar] and Terry [Butler, bass] as part of the writing process was a very cool experience for all of us.

"We really took our time with the writing process of these new songs, recording riffs and ideas as we went along and recording them as rough mixes then listening back and making necessary changes to help mold them into the songs that we are extremely proud of. "It's always a challenge in the studio to get the song ideas out of your head onto the recording the way you want but we made sure we were comfortable with the songs and the sounds we were getting before we even hit the record button and it made it a great experience.

"It's hard to believe it's been two and a half years since the release of 'Inked In Blood' and we are so excited to get this new album into the hands of our fans.

"Can't wait for everyone to hear it. Hang on to your ass!!!!"

OBITUARY will hit the road this spring as part of the 2017 Decibel Magazine Tour with KREATOR, HORRENDOUS and MIDNIGHT. The tour kicks off on March 17 in Charlotte, North Carolina and runs through April 15 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Photo credit: Ester Segarra

Fan-filmed video footage of THE PRETTY RECKLESS's February 3 concert at Backstage Werk in Munich, Germany can be seen below.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS recently broke a record set by 3 DOORS DOWN and has seen its first four mainstream singles hit No. 1 on Billboard's rock chart. The band's new song, "Take Me Down", topped the chart, following in the footsteps of "Heaven Knows", "Messed Up World" and "Follow Me Down" from 2014's "Going To Hell" album. That broke the group's tie with 3 DOORS DOWN and put them in a position to tie or break the next record, five No. 1 singles, which is owned for now by Canada's THREE DAYS GRACE.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS also now have the most No. 1 singles by a female-fronted rock act.

"Take Me Down" is from the band's third studio set, "Who You Selling For", which arrived on October 21.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer Taylor Momsen told Yahoo! Music about the musical direction of the band's new album: "It wasn't intentional to go all over the place with this record, but when [guitarist] Ben Phillips and I were writing, we tried really hard not to limit ourselves. As soon as you put any limitations on yourself as a writer, you're immediately stunting yourself. So nothing was off the table. The reason we love rock 'n' roll so much is it represents freedom and it really does encompass everything. Rock 'n' roll is everything — it's the blues, it's jazz, it's funk, it's country, it's pop. It's all those things, so you can go in so many different directions and it's still rock 'n' roll."

Asked what the greatest challenge was that THE PRETTY RECKLESS faced making "Who You Selling For", Taylor said: "Challenges come up along the way. It starts from the beginning. The writing process is always the most torturous, but it's also the most rewarding. It takes the longest and it's the hardest because these songs are coming from your own head and you never know when an idea is going to come. But when we finish a good song, there is no better feeling. The next challenge is taking it to the band and figuring out where the song is going to take us when we're playing as a full band and where the recording is going to go. It's all torture and then complete and utter bliss. But it's all cathartic as well. The ups and downs are necessary to create good art."

HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta has just released a new solo song as JASTA called "Chasing Demons" featuring guest vocals from former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and current DEVIL YOU KNOW singer Howard Jones. It is only available for GAS Digital subscribers here. If you aren't a subscriber, you can get the track by signing up with the offer code "Jasta."

JASTA will open the first ten shows of the upcoming KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and ANTHRAX tour — including the two KILLSWITCH ENGAGE headline shows that do not feature ANTHRAX.

"I rarely get to tour with JASTA and since the rest of my year is booked up with HATEBREED tours, I jumped at the chance to hit the road and debut some new JASTA songs with some of my favorite people in metal," said Jasta. "Not only is the tour hitting some of my favorite cities to play, the lineup offers something for every generation of metal and hardcore fan. Come out early and get the pit started with us!"

Jamey's debut solo album, "Jasta", sold around 4,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 133 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 1 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Jasta" was released in North America on July 26, 2011 via eOne Music and in Europe one day earlier through Century Media Records.

BUSH will release its new album, "Black And White Rainbows", on March 10. Lead single "Mad Love" can be heard now on Spotify and is available as an instant download by pre-ordering the disc on iTunes.

Written, recorded and produced by Gavin Rossdale, "Black And White Rainbows" is the follow-up to 2014's "Man On The Run" and will arrive just prior to BUSH's headlining tour of North America, which kicks off May 4 in Dallas, Texas.

March will also see the live television premiere performance of "Mad Love" on the U.K. version of the popular singing reality show "The Voice", where Gavin currently serves as a coach along with will.i.am, Tom Jones and Jennifer Hudson.

Among "Black And White Rainbows"'s highlights is the propulsive "Dystopia", the sweeping chorus of "Lost In You" and "People At War", which was written last summer in honor of World Refugee Day, followed by a People premiere for the song's companion video (directed by Jesse Davey), which is particularly poignant given recent events.

Gavin stated about "People At War": "Having seen the footage of innocent refugees forced to flee their homes and lives, culminating in the picture of the young boy, Aylan Kurdi, lying dead on the shore — the horror of that photograph, as a father, as a human being — was too powerful to avoid. It was the catalyst to write this song and to show empathy with the plight of the refugees.

"We stand #WithRefugees. Stand with us."

When asked about the sound of the follow-up to 2014's "Man On The Run", the 51-year-old rocker told Metro: "My whole career I've been trying to make music that's a hybrid of rock and electronic. I'd say it's a textured, approachable and commercial record. People are going to fucking love it."

"Black And White Rainbows" track listing:

01. Mad Love02. Peace-s03. Water04. Lost In You05. Sky Turns Day Glo06. Toma Mi Corazon07. All The Worlds Within You 08. Nurse09. The Beat of Your Heart10. Dystopia11. Ray Of Light12. Ravens13. Nothing But A Car Chase14. The Edge of Love15. People At War

"Man On The Run" was released in October 2014. It followed up BUSH's 2011 comeback effort, "The Sea Of Memories", which was the first all-new BUSH album in a decade.

BUSH is comprised of Gavin Rossdale (vocals/guitar), Robin Goodridge (drums), Chris Traynor (guitar) and Corey Britz (bass).