The Jamie Brown-directed video for "Breakout", a brand new song from KXM, the project featuring drummer Ray Luzier (KORN), bassist/vocalist Doug Pinnick (KING'S X) and guitarist George Lynch (LYNCH MOB, DOKKEN), can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's sophomore album, "Scatterbrain", which will be released on March 17 via Rat Pak Records.

The follow-up to KXM's 2014 self-titled debut is currently available for pre-order via the Rat Pak web site in various bundles, including signed CDs and t-shirts. "Scatterbrain" was recorded at the Steakhouse studio in North Hollywood, California. The 13-track effort was helmed by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, PRONG, LAST IN LINE), who also produced KXM's debut. From the infectious riff of the album opener "Scatterbrain" to the outro of "Angel", KXM has created something truly special and musically diverse. Songs like "Breakout", "Calypso" and "True Deceivers" are sonically different from each other, taking the listener on a musical journey.

"Scatterbrain" is thematically a darker record than the debut. The album builds upon the developed KXM rock sound but this time includes some different dynamics drawing inspiration from prog, ska, punk and metal. Through it all, it remains undeniably KXM. Recorded over the span of ten days, every song on "Scatterbrain" was the result of a musical jam from all three members playing together in the same room. Luzier explains: "We wanted to use the same formula as the first KXM record: book studio time, come in fresh every day with a new idea and run with it and not overthink anything." Lynch describes the sessions as record-topia: "We showed up in the studio, camped out with a bunch of gear and let the tape roll! Just like the first album — no pre-production, no rehearsal, no pre-written songs." Pinnick adds: "The vibe was like a bunch of old friends having fun creating music like the previous record — nothing but fun!" "Scatterbrain" track listing: 01. Scatterbrain02. Breakout03. Big Sky Country04. Calypso05. Not A Single Word06. Obsession07. Noises In The Sky08. Panic Attack09. It's Never Enough10. True Deceivers11. Stand12. Together13. Angel KXM takes its name from the combination of the members' other projects: K from KORN, X from KING'S X and M from LYNCH MOB.

In an interview with Revolver magazine, Luzier, Lynch and Pinnick spoke about how KXM came together.

"I had a birthday party for my son and invited a bunch of friends and musicians," Ray said. "Doug and George ended up in my home studio picking up my guitars and jamming around a bit. George said, 'We should all do a record together sometime,' and I said, 'That would be a dream come true!'

"I've been a huge KING'S X fan for decades and have been following George and had respected his playing for decades. We just tried to figure out everyone's schedules to make it happen. I give it up for George for being so persistent in getting this going. KORN tours all year, every year, and with Doug and George's crazy schedules, it's just awesome that we made it happen. I'm very pleased with the result."

Pinnick added: "George was the instigator. Ray and I have known each other for quite a while and always talked about doing something together, but George brought it up at Ray's party and we agreed. George got after it and Ray did the same! Before I knew it, we were in a studio in the mountains, got a record deal, a video and a CD. As they say in Texas, 'You gotta get after it!' George has an incredible amount of energy and humor, and he gets things done. I've learned a lot from him. He's a true genius with the heart of a saint — and he comes up with some crazy guitar parts."

Lynch said: "When you're working as a pro musician in L.A., you're frequently running into other players who you know and respect. A lot of times, the 'dream band' conversation comes up. It's fun to talk about. A lot of times, it's the alcohol talking. But the reality for most of us is that we're locked into other commitments and obligations that in the cold light of day don't really afford us the time or flexibility to pull off these projects that look great on paper.

"I'm not trying to take credit here, but I gotta honestly say I was determined to follow through and at least push hard enough to see if we could get any momentum going. Ray jumped right in and was obviously really excited about making it happen, despite his insanely busy schedule with KORN. I think for Doug, it was sort of like, 'Well, yeah, sure, I'll invest some time and energy into this,' but I don't think he realized how profound and potentially musically rewarding and even important KXM could become. But as the writing and recording started to happen and evolve, he became like a little kid in a candy store!"

INVIDIA, the new band featuring former and current members of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, IN THIS MOMENT and SKINLAB, will release its debut album, "As The Sun Sleeps", on March 31 via SPV.

The official video for the song "Feed The Fire" can be seen below.

Fans may recognize vocalist Travis Johnson as the bassist from in IN THIS MOMENT as well as bassist Matt Snell as ex-member of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH. Guitarists Brian Jackson and and Marcos Medina have worked together in SKINLAB. Since forming at the start of 2016, INVIDIA has had one purpose — to create good rock music with no rules and an open mind, leading them to immerse in everything from "radio rock" to "Bay Area thrash" and all that lies in between. INVIDIA has allowed each of the members of the band to produce music in their purest form.

When asked about "Feed The Fire", Snell asserted: "This video will blow you away! Brian Cox and everyone at Flare Light Films really knocked this one out of the park." Jackson added: "It was a fantastic experience being a part of this video and bringing the song to life. It was a pleasure working with such a talented cast and crew. We hope you all enjoy it as much as we do."

"As The Sun Sleeps" track listing:

01. Now Or Never02. Making My Amends03. Feed The Fire04. Rotten05. Marching Dead06. Smell The Kill07. Til Death08. Step Up09. Truth In The Sky10. The Other Side11. As The Sun Sleeps

"As The Sun Sleeps" was produced and co-written by Logan Mader (ONCE HUMAN, MACHINE HEAD). "I loved working on this album!" he said. "INVIDIA's sound has huge balls while maintaining a great sense of mass appeal with big hooks and heavy grooves. The guys are dead serious about making it all happen and very self-sufficient. Producing records like this makes my job fun and inspiring."

Regarding the vibe and feel of "As The Sun Sleeps", Mader said: "I would call it hard rock/metal with big balls. It's got big choruses. It's got big hooks. It also has a serious 'metal energy,' which is where we all come from in our musical backgrounds. There are some songs that fit the American active rock radio format. There are some songs with a modern-industrial-type feel mixed with a kind of a pop sensibility and big chorus. The other end of the spectrum is more of a groove metal which draws a little bit from that classic PANTERA vibe. It gives it that sort of heavy testosterone metal feel."

In an interview with Rich Inzinna and Paula Noto from "The S.I.R.E.N." radio show on iRadioUSA.com, Travis stated about how INVIDIA was formed: "This all came together super fast and super flawless. I guess stars kind of aligned, really. I put something up online and Brian hit me up. He said, 'Dude, I'd be totally down t do some work together,' and that kind of thing. And I was, like, 'You know what? I totally miss singing. And I'm totally down for that.'"

He continued: "The funny thing is, everybody that's involved in this project as of now has worked together at different times except for me and Brian. So it's almost funny. It was like this circle that was just missing a piece for it all to connect. So once me and Brian got together, the whole circle came together, and within six weeks, this whole record's done, completely recorded, everybody's in place. And it's almost super ironic the way it all came together."

Travis, who still plays bass in IN THIS MOMENT, added: "We're all super excited about this project. I'm stoked to be singing again. I love playing bass, obviously, but I've been a singer for a long fucking time. I just took a huge break, so it's good to be able to kind of get back into it and kind of have my cake and eat it too, and be on both sides."

INVIDIA is:

* Matt Snell (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) - Bass* Travis Johnson (IN THIS MOMENT) - Vocals* Brian Jackson (SKINLAB) - Guitar* Darren Badorine - Drums* Marcos Medina (SKINLAB) - Guitar

Photo credit: Fred Morledge / PhotoFM.com

Reactivated Brooklyn hard rock veterans LIFE OF AGONY will release their new album, "A Place Where There's No More Pain", on April 28 via Napalm. The band's fifth studio LP will mark LIFE OF AGONY's first release since singer Mina Caputo (formerly known as Keith Caputo) came out as transgender in 2011.

The "A Place Where There's No More Pain" title track can now be streamed below.

"We have a long history of connecting to our fans on an emotional level through our words and music," says LIFE OF AGONY bassist/lyricist Alan Robert. "And that's why I think there's something really relevant and timeless about the message behind the title track, 'A Place Where There's No More Pain'. It's about facing your problems head-on in order to find peace within yourself. A topic that really hits home for a lot of our fans struggling with their own demons. The opening line, 'running away only makes it worse,' couldn't be more true, because sooner or later those problems will catch up with you, and when they do, you gotta be strong enough to deal with them."

"A Place Where There's No More Pain" track listing:

01. Meet My Maker 02. Right This Wrong 03. A Place Where There’s No More Pain 04. Dead Speak Kindly 05. A New Low 06. World Gone Mad 07. Bag Of Bones 08. Walking Catastrophe09. Song For The Abused 10. Little Spots Of You

In support of "A Place Where There's No More Pain", LIFE OF AGONY will hit the road this spring in the Northeast United States. The first short run of dates kicks off April 27 in Allston, Massachusetts and runs through April 29 in Poughkeepsie, New York. The second jaunt begins May 12 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and runs through May 20 in Sayreville, New Jersey. LIFE OF AGONY returned to the stage and performed on multiple festival dates in Europe over the summer of 2014. The band's famed "River Runs Red" lineup, consisting of vocalist Mina Caputo, guitarist Joseph Zampella (a.k.a. Joey Z), bassist Alan Robert and drummer Sal Abruscato, was excited to take the stage together once again after a three-year hiatus.

Robert previously stated about "A Place Where There's No More Pain": "This record is a monster and we're so psyched to finally share it come April. It's got such an energy to it. Raging guitar riffs, heartfelt lyrics and killer grooves.

"We definitely turned things up a few notches in 2017, and it feels great. And I gotta say, we've never been so focused as a band. Before we even wrote the first note, we all knew what kind of record we wanted to make. You can hear that drive and intensity in the tracks and you can feel the momentum building."

"Goddamn Trouble", the new video from New Jersey thrash metal veterans OVERKILL, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Kevin Custer and edited by Denise Korycki at Wild Wind Productions (CANNIBAL CORPSE, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE).

Commented OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth: "We hooked up again with Kevin Custer, the director behind the videos 'Armorist', 'Bitter Pill', 'Rattlesnake' and 'Bring Me The Night'. It was an 'all-day' event in the great state of New Jersey and Kevin shot two vids for us on that cold January day, 'Goddamn Trouble' and 'Shine On'. A long day but well worth it as he captured the metal chaos and energy. So hit 'Play' and get some 'Trouble'."

"Goddamn Trouble" is taken from OVERKILL's new album, "The Grinding Wheel", which will be released on February 10 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was produced by OVERKILL and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, ACCEPT). The artwork was created again by Travis Smith (NEVERMORE, OPETH, SOILWORK, DEATH).

"The Grinding Wheel" track listing:

01. Mean, Green, Killing Machine02. Goddamn Trouble03. Our Finest Hour04. Shine On05. The Long Road06. Let's All Go To Hades07. Come Heavy08. Red White And Blue09. The Wheel10. The Grinding Wheel

Pre-order "The Grinding Wheel" digitally and receive "Mean, Green Killing Machine" and "Our Finest Hour" as instant-grat tracks.

Ellsworth recently told the Croatian metal portal NoiseEyes.com about the delay in getting "The Grinding Wheel" released: "It was simplicity. It was a matter of internal mix-ups. We thought we had the entire month of August to mix, when we really had none of the month of August to mix. When Nuclear Blast [OVERKILL's record label] called us, and said, 'Where's the music?' We said, 'Fifteen more days.' We were really close with the mix, but this was our first time working with [producer/mixer] Andy Sneap and he told us, 'Hey, man, it's close, it's 90 percent, but let's do another twelve days when I get back from a business trip. D.D. [Verni, bass], Dave [Linsk, guitars] and I discussed it, and asked: Do you take the great product? Or do you take the money? That's the way we thought about it. We took the dignity over the money with regard to pushing the release back. I always think of every record as your best opportunity to prove yourselves. If you go out pushing that record out, thinking it's 90 percent, then it fucking is 90 percent. It was a real simple mix-up with regard to time. We blame ourselves for 50 percent and Nuclear for the other 50 percent. No, 51 percent for them, 49 percent for us. [Laughs]"

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

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

OVERKILL and NILE will join forces for a U.S. tour in February/March 2017.

Band photo credit: Mark Weiss

A hologram of the late Ronnie James Dio made its U.S. debut last night (Thursday, February 2) at the 28th annual Pollstar Awards at the The Novo (formerly Club Nokia) in Los Angeles, California. Created by Eyellusion, the appearance of the heavy metal icon took place during a performance by DIO DISCIPLES, which pays tribute to Ronnie and is fully supported by his widow/manager, Wendy.

Pollstar Awards honors the best of the worldwide concert industry as the concluding event of Pollstar Live!, which will be held January 31 to February 2 at the J.W. Marriott hotel.

"We were thrilled to give this audience just a taste of the experience that we will start to tour globally later this year," said Jeff Pezzuti, CEO of Eyellusion. "This 'We Rock' performance is now being retired and production is underway on a full show. We are pulling out all the stops to create a live experience that is unlike anything Ronnie's fans have seen before." The day before the performance, as part of the Pollstar Live! conference program, Pezzuti led an Eyellusion-organized panel of music industry veterans in a discussion about the touring hologram opportunity. The session featured Wendy Dio, digital effects pioneer Scott Ross, McGhee Entertainment senior vice president Mark Stroman, Rhino Entertainment president Mark Pinkus, TKO president Andrew Goodfriend, and Singerman Entertainment owner Todd Singerman.

DIO DISCIPLES features former DIO members Simon Wright (drums), Craig Goldy (guitar) and Scott Warren (keyboards) alongside vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and bassist Bjorn Englen (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN). They are joined by singers Oni Logan (LYNCH MOB) and Joe Retta (SWEET, HEAVEN & EARTH).

The Dio hologram was first introduced at last year's Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.

Pezzuti recently spoke about plans for a 2017 tour featuring the hologram, which will showcase various eras of the legendary metal singer's career.

"For the tour, he's going to have different looks," Pezzuti told the "Talking Metal" podcast. At Wacken, the hologram was built around Dio's image from "somewhere around '88, the 'Dream Evil' era. For this next tour, we're going to be somewhere later than that for certain songs and maybe earlier than that for other songs."

Pezzuti went on to promise "an over-the-top, mind-blowing experience. We are going to have both live singers with Ripper Owens and Oni Logan as part of the show, as well as Ronnie appearing throughout the show at different parts, some duets. It's going to be mind blowing from the fans' perspective. We are going to bring album covers to life. We are going to bring things that are known to Ronnie to life onstage."

The concerts will include several classic tracks from Ronnie, Pezzuti revealed. "Ronnie will be involved in each show from probably six to seven songs a night that he will be singing on," Jeff said. "Some of the ones we can expect are 'We Rock', 'Holy Diver' and 'Rainbow In The Dark'."

Wendy, who manages DIO DISCIPLES and is affiliated with the Eyellusion team, said last year that she was blown away by the initial public appearance of the Ronnie James Dio hologram. "When I first experienced the full production of Ronnie performing with his band as a hologram, I couldn't believe my eyes and ears," she said. "We have been able to get Ronnie back up on stage where he belongs, ensuring that his music and memory live on."

Goldy defended DIO DISCIPLES' decision to perform with the Dio hologram, saying: "We know how much the fans miss Ronnie and the special and unequaled element that he brought to his live performances. Being able to recreate that same kind of magic for his fans at Wacken was incredible. For so many years, Ronnie always invested big in his live shows as his way to give back to the fans, and that is exactly what we aimed to do with this latest performance. We can't wait to bring this experience to even more of his fans and perhaps even a newer generation when we bring this incredible live experience on the road."

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, the company which creates "beautiful lullaby versions of your favorite artists," has just released "Lullaby Versions Of Avenged Sevenfold V2" via Roma Music Group.

"Lullaby Versions Of Avenged Sevenfold V2" track listing:

01. Hail To The King02. Not Ready To Die03. God Damn04. Roman Sky05. The Stage06. This Means War07. Shepherd Of Fire08. Scream

The song "Hail To The King" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star was born for the parent that wants to pass along their biggest passion to their child, music. Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star transforms popular music into instrumental lullabies perfect for babies, yoga or just relaxation. Now, parents can enjoy the music from LADY GAGA to METALLICA in soothing lullaby style. With over 135 titles to choose from, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star is the largest line of pop, rock, metal and jamband music lullabies in the world. These aren't novelty recordings. They are cute, they are soft but these are serious recordings. Roma Music Group, which releases Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, is run by two music industry veterans who put the fidelity of these recording at the top of the priority list. Let's face it, much like the brand name clothes you buy for your infant, this music is really for you. Whether you are raising a metal baby, rocker or hippie baby, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star has your music transformed from arena anthems into nursery classics.

German hard'n'heavy legends SINNER will release their highly anticipated new studio album "Tequila Suicide" on March 31st.
Meanwhile, have a listen to the brand new song "Battle Hill"!

Produced by Mat Sinner
co-produced, engineered & mixed by Dennis Ward
Written by Mat Sinner & Magnus Karlsson

Mat Sinner - Bass & Vocals
Tom Naumann - Guitars
Alex Scholpp - Guitars
Francesco Jovino - Drums
Sasch Krebs - Vocals

"Gods Of Violence", the new album from German thrash titans KREATOR, has entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 1.

Commented singer, guitarist and main songwriter Mille Petrozza: "Wow! Number One in Germany! What a great day in the history of KREATOR. Words can not describe how we feel about this, so we just want to say thanks to all the fans who have made this possible. See you on the 'Gods Of Violence' tour!"

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 is currently touring Europe in support of the new CD. Petrozza and his crew are accompanied by a varied as well as iconic billing. Brazilian-American extreme metal pioneers SEPULTURA are direct support to the headliners, followed by visionary Swedish melodic death metallers SOILWORK and Belgium's finest death/grind outfit ABORTED.

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.





North American cover (by Marcelo Vasco):



International cover (by Jan Meininghaus):

"Salem's Fate", the new video from THE RAVEN AGE, the U.K.-based band led by IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's son George Harris, can be seen below. The song is taken from THE RAVEN AGE's debut album, "Darkness Will Rise", which will be released on March 17 via BMG.

George told The Moshville Times about THE RAVEN AGE's musical direction: "We label ourselves as melodic metal. Pretty broad, I know, but it describes us perfectly. We're a modern metal band, which you could say sounds metalcore musically, but we use clean vocals only on top of the low-tuned heavy music, which makes it a different thing. We're also influenced by film score and epic music, which I think is apparent in our songs."

Regarding THE RAVEN AGE's influences, George said: "Luckily, we're generally into similar music. We all have our favorites, but are definitely on the same wavelength when it comes to bands. I think metalcore and modern styles of metal were breaking through at the time when we started getting into rock music, so, naturally, we fell in love with bands such as BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, TRIVIUM, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, AS I LAY DYING, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, PARKWAY DRIVE, etc. These are the bands, I think, we take most influence from musically, even though we're slightly different."

"Darkness Will Rise" track listing:

01. Darkness Will Rise02. Promised Land03. Age Of The Raven04. The Death March05. Salem's Fate06. The Merciful One07. Eye Among The Blind08. Winds Of Change09. Trapped Within The Shadows10. My Revenge11. The Dying Embers Of Life12. Angel In Disgrace13. Behind The Mask

THE RAVEN AGE is a melodic metal band from London, United Kingdom consisting of five individuals who very quickly became friends through sharing a love for heavy music and a passion for songwriting.

In 2009, guitarists Dan Wright and George Harris began establishing their vision of a band that combines contemporary heavy music with powerful melodic vocals to create an epic and unique sound.

After writing their first album, they began searching for likeminded musicians to join the band and make their vision a reality.

Taking on bass player Matt Cox in 2012, with vocalist Michael Burrough and drummer Jai Patel joining in early 2013, the lineup was complete and ready to take their music to the stage.

THE RAVEN AGE is:

Michael Burrough - VocalsMatt Cox - BassDan Wright - GuitarGeorge Harris - GuitarJai Patel - Drums

The third trailer for "Bringer Of Pain", the fourth album from Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST, is available below. Due on February 17 via Nuclear Blast Records, the ten-track disc was recorded and produced at JKB Studios by keyboardist Janne Björkroth, was mixed by Björkroth alongside Viktor Gullichsen and Mikko Karmila, and was mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios. The cover artwork was crafted by Jan Yrlund.

"Bringer Of Pain" is BATTLE BEAST's first album to feature guitarist Joona Björkroth, who joined the band in 2015.

BATTLE BEAST in February 2015 parted ways with lead guitarist and main songwriter Anton Kabanen due to "insurmountable disagreements" with the other members of the band.

Speaking to Metalholic, BATTLE BEAST vocalist Noora Louhimo stated about the writing process for "Bringer Of Pain": "You always have the pressure on to write good music and do a good album, but now we had extra pressure because people had their suspicions. People were already judging us that, 'They're not going to make it. They're not going to make as good music.' But as you can hear, yes we can! [Laughs] So, yes, it was a nerve-breaking, but still a very rewarding process to do this new album. For me personally, this was such a great experience. I learned so much about the other guys; the other band members. We got Joona to be part of this BATTLE BEAST family and now I'm just full of excitement. I can't wait to get on the road and bring the pain!"

Asked how she thinks having six songwriters instead of one impacts the sound and dynamic of the band, Noora said: "We all learned a lot from each other, how we want to work together. There are so many different ways to write songs. For example, Janne likes to write songs by himself and bring them to the table when they are almost final. I like to do solo also, but I like co-writing also. With Joona, we have a similar wave we are on, and we have a really good work ethic, and a good friendship also. So it's very easy to work with him. I did write some demos with Eero, our bass player, and our other guitar player Jusso, and it was fun also. I think through these next years, we are going to find new ways, and the best ways, for BATTLE BEAST to produce music."

"Bringer Of Pain" track listing:

Digi / CD

01. Straight To The Heart02. Bringer Of Pain03. King For A Day04. Beyond The Burning Skies05. Familiar Hell06. Lost In Wars07. Bastard Son Of Odin08. We Will Fight09. Dancing With The Beast10. Far From Heaven

Bonus (digi only)

11. God Of War12. The Eclipse13. Rock Trash

2LP

Side A

01. Straight To The Heart02. Bringer Of Pain03. King For A Day04. Beyond The Burning Skies

Side B

01. Familiar Hell02. Lost In Wars03. Bastard Son Of Odin

Side C

01. We Will Fight02. Dancing With The Beast03. Far From Heaven

Side D (Bonus)

01. God Of War02. The Eclipse03. Rock Trash

BATTLE BEAST's third studio album, "Unholy Savior", entered the Finnish chart at position No. 1. The CD was released in January 2015 via Nuclear Blast.

Louhimo joined the band in 2012 as the replacement for Nitte Vänskä.

MEMORIAM, the new Birmingham, United Kingdom-based death/grind metal band featuring Karl Willets (BOLT THROWER) on vocals, Frank Healy (BENEDICTION, CEREBRAL FIX) on bass, Scott Fairfax (CEREBRAL FIX) on guitar and Andy Whale (BOLT THROWER) on drums, will release its debut album, "For The Fallen", on March 24 through Nuclear Blast Records. It will contain eight tracks, including "War Rages On", "Resistance" (both featured on "The Hellfire Demos I") and "Surrounded (By Death)" (featured on "The Hellfire Demos II"). The album's impressive artwork was created by Dan Seagrave (BENEDICTION, DISMEMBER, HYPOCRISY, SUFFOCATION).

The third trailer for "For The Fallen", in which the members of MEMORIAM talk about the lyrics and inspirations of the album, is available below.

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

To give a first taster of what to expect from this highly-anticipated record, the first single from "For The Fallen", "Reduced To Zero", can be streamed below.

Willetts stated about the track: "'Reduced To Zero' is a comment on the times that we live in. In a world that is dominated by fear, hatred and intolerance, the song is a direct result of Brexit and Trump and the general rise of right wing nationalistic xenophobia."

Pre-order "For The Fallen" now digitally and receive "Reduced To Zero" instantly.

"For The Fallen" track listing:

Digi

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

LP

Side A

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

Side B

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

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

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

Photo credit: Gobinder Jhitta

On February 17th, SPV/Steamhammer will re-release Virgin Steele's Visions Of Eden as a 2CD digipak. The first disc will contain a remixed version of the entire album and the second disc will contain a remastered presentation of the original version. The package will also include a huge booklet with new liner notes and unseen photos by David DeFeis. A new lyric video for the remixed version of “The Ineffable Name” is available for streaming below.

The music from this album first appeared on the Theatrical Stage in what was already the third metal opera delivered by David DeFeis to the Landestheatre Scwaben of Memmingen Germany, the first being Klytaimnestra Oder Der Fluch Der Atriden (based on the two Virgin Steele albums The House Of Atreus - Act I, & The House Of Atreus Act II). Due to the success of the first opera, that work was quickly followed by Die Rebellen, an epic based on The Marriage Of Heaven & Hell and Invictus albums. Both of the first two operas, Klytaimnestra Oder Der Fluch Der Atriden, and Die Rebellen premiered to huge success in Germany, and were extravagantly staged and taken on tour. In 2003 the Visions Of Eden Work premiered on the theatrical stage as Lilith again to great success, with over 50 performances to its credit. While many groups have presented metal operas on record, Virgin Steele is the only group that I know of that has managed to present not just one, but three metal operas on the theatrical stage. The band even managed to get noticed by the “straight press”, such as Der Speigel and Opera News. In the truest sense Virgin Steele combine classical music and subject matter with true power metal in their own inimitable fashion.

In the Work Visions Of Eden - The Lilith Project - A Barbaric Romantic Movie Of The Mind…contrary to what the title implies, this album promises no fulfillment of the utopian dream even though the orchestration again shows lavish full-metallic creativity and the band re-demonstrates its compositional strength throughout.

Its composer David DeFeis, explains: “Visions Of Eden is most definitely not about happiness, peace, contentment or eternal tranquility… it is in fact the complete opposite. It is about disorder, strife, struggle, dominance, the annihilation of a culture, the annihilation of a way of life, and the violation and annihilation of a human being. I have based this work around the history of the destruction of Paganism, Gnosticism and the desecration and eradication of the Goddess Principle that once dwelt so freely within Divinity. A massive blow was struck against these early beliefs, by first, the rise of the "Father-God" principle, and second by the development of "organized" religions. The Visions Of Eden album concerns Lilith, first wife of Adam, (he of Biblical fame, as in Adam & Eve and the apple, the snake and all that fig leaf and rib propaganda), plus Ancient Sumerian Myths concerning Lilith’s relationship with Adam, Eve and God. However, that being said, in actuality, it is really about today…modern times and how we might have arrived here at this strange place we now currently inhabit.”

Visions Of Eden tracklisting:

CD1: Remixed Version

“Immortal I Stand (The Birth Of Adam)”
“Adorned With The Rising Cobra”
“The Ineffable Name”
“Black Light On Black”
“Bonedust”
“Angel Of Death”
“God Above God”
“The Hidden God”
“Childslayer”
“When Dusk Fell”
“Visions Of Eden”

CD2: Remastered

“Immortal I Stand (The Birth Of Adam)”
“Adorned With The Rising Cobra”
“The Ineffable Name”
“Black Light On Black”
“Bonedust”
“Angel Of Death”
“God Above God”
“The Hidden God”
“Childslayer”
“When Dusk Fell”
“Visions Of Eden”

“The Ineffable Name” (Remixed) lyric video:

Legendary Southern California industrial metal group, Society 1, has signed a deal with DSN Music, to release their new album, Rise From The Dead, this March. A video for the album’s first single, “It’s Yours Now” featuring Ministry’s Sin Quirin, can be seen below:

Society 1, which was founded in 1996 by the infamous Lord Zane on lead vocals, also features veteran guitarist Maxxxwell Carlisle, bassist Dirt Von Karloff, and drummer Iorden Mitev.

"It feels good to be back at it again, like an old lover who fucked you better than anyone before or after,” said Zane, during a decadent signing party at the DSN Music complex in Malibu, California. "Everyone has those moments when you resurrect and reinvent. This album Rise From The Dead is one of those moments."

The comeback for Zane follows a hiatus that lead to a successful Hollywood career as music video director, working on projects with such acts as Zakk Wylde, John 5, DMC, Wayne Static and Orgy.

"For me this isn't so much of a return for the band but more a return of my understanding of how necessary musical exploration is to my existence,” said Zane.

Society 1 gained a name for itself nationally for their wild stage antics, including the Download Festival in 2005, where Zane broke several records by performing the entire set suspended from four meat hooks through his back.

“Lord Zane is one of the most talented individuals you will ever come in contact in our industry these days,” said DSN President Guy Giuliano. “He has conquered every media platform, with a level of true professionalism, and he's only really just getting started!”

Rise From The Dead from Society 1 goes on sale worldwide on March 7th, via online and mobile stores such as iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Spotify and more.

(Photo - Anabel DFlux)

Los Angeles, California-based melodic death metal band, Dreaming Dead, will release their new album, Funeral Twilight, on February 20th via Hammerheart Records. A full album stream can be found below. Order the new album here.

Formed in 2006 by frontwoman Elizabeth Schall and drummer Mike Caffell, Dreaming Dead continues to capture the attention of audiences and listeners across the globe. Whether through pummelling fans as a live act, or releasing fist-pumping albums, Dreaming Dead is consistently in the business of turning heads.

With two previously released full-length albums under their belt, Within One and Midnightmares, Dreaming Dead currently prepares to release their third full-length album, titled Funeral Twilight.

Tracklisting:

“Your Grave”
“Funeral Twilight”    
“No Masters, No Slaves”
“Remnants Of A Time Long Forgotten”
“Widowed”
“Buried”
“Beyond The Black Moon”
“Unseeing”

Album stream:

The band lineup continues with the usual suspects Elizabeth Schall (also active in Cretin), Mike Caffell (also active in Terrorizer LA), Chris McCarthy (also active in Murder Construct) and William Toledo.

Nailed To Obscurity have released a video for “Protean”, a track from the band’s new album, King Delusion, out tomorrow, February 3rd, via Apostasy Records. Watch the new clip below.

On the follow-up to their album Opaque (2013) the German five-piece Nailed To Obscurity sends the listener on a journey through emotional abysses, but they also open pondering views into the innermost. They teamed up with producer Victor Santura (Triptykon, Dark Fortress, Noneuclid) in his Woodshed Studio to find the best sound for all facets of their melodic doom death metal. The overall atmosphere is nailed within the artwork of Argentinian artist Santiago Caruso.

Tracklisting:

“King Delusion”
“Protean”
“Apnoea”
“Deadening”
“Memento”
“Uncage My Sanity”
“Devoid”
“Desolate Ruin”

“Protean” video:

“King Delusion” video:

Track by track part 1:

Track by track part 2:

Lifeforce Records recently announced the signing of melodic metal act All But One to the label roster. The band’s new music video for the song “Little White Lies” can be found below. The track will be featured on the band's debut album, Square One, to be released in late April.

With members of Alestorm, Heaven Shall Burn and Lifeforce Records' very own When Our Time Comes, All But One have a brand new message to deliver. Their powerhouse debut album tastefully fuses the worlds of pop and metal music, combining accomplished melody with masterful guitar and fearsome breakdowns.

All But One was born as a passion project of Alestorm guitarist Máté Bodor. After catching the attention of an elite group of likeminded musicians, what began as a side project evolved into what will undoubtably become a formidable force in the rock music industry.

All But One are a product of professionalism, uncompromising passion and an unstoppable hunger to succeed.

“Little White Lies” video:

Black Star Riders, founded by members of the legendary Thin Lizzy, performed at Germany’s Wacken Open Air festival in 2014 after having released their debut album, All Hell Breaks Loose. Video footage of the full performance can be seen below:

Nuclear Blast will release Black Star Riders’ third studio album, Heavy Fire, tomorrow, Friday, February 3rd. Guitarist Damon Johnson has issued the following:

“To celebrate the release of our third Black Star Riders album, I've prepared this guitar demo of the monstrous title track, "Heavy Fire". Featured are my black Gibson Explorer that I played on the album and my Yamaha THR10 practice amp. Enjoy and please share!”

2016 saw Black Star Riders return to the studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, The Foo Fighters, Mastodon), at his studio just outside Nashville. The resultant album is Black Star Riders most accomplished work to date. From the immediate riffs of album opener “Heavy Fire” to the instant hooks of first single “When The Night Comes In”, from the dirty bass groove of “Thinking About You Could Get Me Killed” to the familiar and trademark dual guitars of Gorham and Johnson on “Testify Or Say Goodbye”, this is an album that will further cement BSR’s reputation as one of the world premiere rock acts.

"Angst, passion, power, glory, love, truth, lies, loyalty, questions that begged to be answered. There's a guitar army coming…and it's bringing the Heavy Fire.” – Ricky Warwick (vocals)

"Not many new bands get to record three albums these days. Without doubt this is BSR'S best album so far. We had a great time recording it and can't wait to play the new songs live on tour in March." – Scott Gorham (guitars)

Following on from their critically acclaimed albums All Hell Breaks Loose and The Killer Instinct, which have paved the way for Black Star Riders to be recognized as a power force in the modern day of rock n’ roll, Heavy Fire will be once again released by Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The band have also brought in Pledgemusic, one of the most innovative and successful platforms of the modern music world, to give fans extra special product and experiences to go along with the album’s release.

Formats: Limited Edition Digibook CD (including bonus track), CD, Vinyl, Vinyl Picture Disc, Digital Album

Mail order: Limited Orange & Clear Vinyl (Pre-order)

Tracklisting:

“Heavy Fire”
“When The Night Comes In”
“Dancing With The Wrong Girl”
“Who Rides The Tiger”
“Cold War Love”
“Testify Or Say Goodbye”
“Thinking About You Could Get Me Killed”
“True Blue Kid”
“Ticket To Rise”
“Letting Go Of Me”

The Limited Edition Digibook CD will include the above tracklisting plus the bonus track “Fade”.

“Heavy Fire” tracklisting:

“Testify Or Say Goodbye” video:

“When The Night Comes In” lyric video:

Trailers:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Mighty Music welcomes the legendary NWOBHM band Blitzkrieg to the family.

Blitzkrieg formed in 1980 and besides the legendary album A Time Of Changes from 1985, the band is known for the close connection to Metallica, who recorded the song "Blitzkrieg" on the 1984 “Creeping Death" single plus the 1998 Garage Days Inc album and has performed the song on a regular basis live.

Blitzkrieg's latest album is Back From Hell from 2013, which was released both in Europe and in Japan. Blitzkrieg has been touring actively the last years with a new strong line-up, playing festivals like Sweden Rock, Metal Days and Hammer Fest. On top of that the band has toured both South America and Japan.

Blitzkrieg are currently writing material for the new album and will be entering the studio in the late summer of 2017. The first single is expected to be released in late 2017 and the album in early 2018.

Founding member and singer Brian Ross comments: "We can't wait to get started on our new album, which we should be doing towards the end of the year. This is a new, fresh start for the band in many ways.”

Michael H. Andersen, CEO Mighty Music/Target Group: "It's means a lot to me and Mighty Music to be able to sign bands I loved since I was a kid and one of them is Blitzkrieg. We will be working hard on getting this band up in the major leagues of heavy metal again where they deserve to be".

Blitzkrieg lineup:

Brian Ross - vocals
Ken Johnson - guitars
Alan Ross - guitars
Huw Holding - bass
Matt Graham - drums

Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's January 31 concert at The O2 in London, United Kingdom can be seen below.

BLACK SABBATH is bringing its storied career to a close in its native England, with seven shows in January and February. The last two, on February 2 and February 4, will take place in SABBATH's hometown of Birmingham and will likely be their final shows.

Asked if he has regrets about anything that transpired during SABBATH's nearly five-decade career, singer Ozzy Osbourne told Kerrang! magazine: "You're talking about my fucking diary! I've made a fucking idiot of myself so many times. I don't drink anymore. I haven't drunk for four years, I haven't got stoned for four years, but back in the day when I did get stoned, I was constantly making a fucking idiot of myself, falling on my arse or some crazy fucking thing."

Guitarist Tony Iommi said: "You always think there's loads of things you could've done, but would you be where you are now if you'd done them? I could say, 'Oh, I wish I hadn't done all those drugs in the early days,' but there must have been a reason, somewhere along the line, why you do these things, so you learn something and go on to the next stage. I can complain about things, but there's been a reason for it."

Stated bassist Geezer Butler: "It's hard to say because I believe in fate, and the whole thing has been guided by something else beyond us. There are things I could be unhappy about — the way we got ripped off in the '70s and stuff like that — but it's all worked its way out. Things happen for a reason, I really believe that, and there's nothing I can change about anything, so I don't really regret anything. And we've always maintained our friendship. It's almost like friends going on tour together. We went through such a lot together; we've got really strong bonds together."

BLACK SABBATH played its last show ever in the U.S. on November 12 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The gig took place nearly five years to the day that the legendary act announced their reunion.

The original lineup of SABBATH came together in 1969 with Osbourne on vocals, Iommi on guitar, Butler on bass and Bill Ward on drums. That lineup recorded and toured through 1978, and periodically reformed through the '90s and 2000s for live work.

They regrouped again in late 2011 for a new album and tour, although Ward dropped out after just a few months. The remaining trio issued the "13" album in 2013 and backed it with a successful world tour — despite Iommi being treated for lymphoma since 2012.

The official video for "Let Me Out", the debut single from former SISTER SIN vocalist Liv "Sin" Jagrell, can be seen below. The track was produced by longtime U.D.O. bassist Fitty Wienhold and will be featured on Liv's debut solo album, "Follow Me", which will be released on April 28 via the Swedish label Despotz Records. The effort was co-produced by longtime ACCEPT and U.D.O. member Stefan Kaufmann.

Liv says of the track: "The song is about what a person is willing to do and sacrifice to take themselves out of a destructive situation, sometimes with fatal consequences. We see it every day, the desperation in the world is spreading out and gets people to behave irrationally.

"It feels incredibly good to release this single and finally show what we've been working on. I've found a really good gang of new band members and we can't wait for the world to hear our songs and to come out and play live."

From the gutters of south Sweden, Jagrell emerged as a major force as the vocalist for hard rockers SISTER SIN. Throughout their 13-year career, SISTER SIN sold thousands of albums and toured the world with high-profile tours supporting the likes of SLAYER and KING DIAMOND on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, as well as being a part of the Revolver magazine "Hottest Chicks In Metal" tour. SISTER SIN toured relentlessly for over a decade across Europe and North America garnering an intensely loyal following of rockers that craved the band's aggressive and melodic brand of hard rock.

When SISTER SIN called it quits at the end of 2015, Liv knew that she had much more to give to her fans. From this, LIV SIN was born. Liv's new music shows the power, sexiness, and attitude that she is known for.

Liv said: "For me, it has never been an option to stop singing. I live for the stage and for my fans. I still miss SISTER SIN, but I am very excited to work on my own project, and I can promise it will not be some soft pop rock. This is going to be metal deluxe, because that's who I am!"

LIV SIN offers a modernized hard rock sound to take Liv into her next phase, a sound that is destined to please both new fans and her longtime fans of SISTER SIN.

"Follow Me" track listing:

01. The Fall02. Hypocrite03. Let Me Out04. Black Souls05. Godless Utopia06. Endless Roads07. Killing Ourself To Live08. I'm Your Sin09. Emperor Of Chaos10. Immortal Sin11. The Beast Inside

Liv recently told East Texas Music Scene about the end of SISTER SIN: "There are no hard feelings, but the parting wasn't exactly mutual. Neither me nor Dave [Sundberg, drums] wanted to end the band. We totally understand that not everyone felt that way and you can't force people to play with you. So it was probably for the best before something got infected 'cause of people touring even if they were too burnt out from it."

"Show Yourself", a brand new song from Atlanta heavy rock icons MASTODON, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's eighth studio album, "Emperor Of Sand", which will be released on March 31 via Reprise Records. The follow-up to 2014's "Once More 'Round The Sun" is available for pre-order beginning today at www.mastodonrocks.com. The deluxe pre-order package will contain the album on double 180-gram vinyl housed in a gatefold jacket along with a bonus Color-In-Your-Own vinyl jacket, plus an exclusive box of MASTODON colored pencils. In addition, fans will receive a digital copy of the entire album on March 31, along with an instant download of the album track "Sultan's Curse". "Emperor Of Sand" will also be available digitally and on CD.

The typically stunning "Emperor Of Sand" album artwork was created by Alan Brown, a.k.a. Medusawolf, who is also responsible for the inside gatefold images.

"Emperor Of Sand" finds MASTODON returning to a deeply imaginative and complex conceptual storyline that ponders the nature of time. Threading together the myth of a man sentenced to death in a majestically malevolent desert, the band conjures the grains of a musical and lyrical odyssey slipping quickly through a cosmic hourglass.

"'Emperor of sand' is like the grim reaper," says drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor. "Sand represents time. If you or anyone you know has ever received a terminal diagnosis, the first thought is about time. Invariably, you ask, 'How much time is left?'"

"We're reflecting on mortality," adds bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders. "To that end, the album ties into our entire discography. It's 17 years in the making, but it's also a direct reaction to the last two years. We tend to draw inspiration from very real things in our lives."

"Emperor Of Sand" was recorded at The Quarry Recording Studio in Kennesaw, just outside MASTODON's hometown of Atlanta, with producer Brendan O'Brien (PEARL JAM, NEIL YOUNG, AC/DC, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), who first worked with MASTODON on their seminal 2009 album "Crack The Skye".

Over the course of MASTODON's career, the band members have fearlessly continued to push themselves towards greater creative heights on their recorded output. Each studio album has united an ever-expanding worldwide legion of fans who have come to expect the unexpected twists and turns that have elevated MASTODON to become one of the most respected and influential creative forces in rock music.

MASTODON kicks off a spring U.S. headline tour in support of "Emperor Of Sand" on April 14 in Missoula, Montana, with support from EAGLES OF DEATH METAL and RUSSIAN CIRCLES. The tour also includes stops at several festivals, including the Carolina Rebellion on May 5.

Each pair of tickets purchased online for MASTODON (excluding festival dates and the May 6 Philadelphia show) includes a choice of a physical or digital copy of "Emperor Of Sand". Ticket purchasers will receive instructions via e-mail on how to redeem the album on March 31. Tickets are on sale now.

"Emperor Of Sand" track listing:

01. Sultan's Curse02. Show Yourself03. Precious Stones04. Steambreather05. Roots Remain06. Word To The Wise07. Ancient Kingdom08. Clandestiny09. Andromeda10. Scorpion Breath11. Jaguar God

Progressive metallers DREAM THEATER have launched a mobile game based on their 2016 double concept album "The Astonishing".

The collaboration between the band and Turbo Tape Games recites the original story from the album tuned to unique tactical gameplay pitching rebels against oppressors, artists against totalitarians in epic battles to influence the minds and sway the will of the people in The Great Northern Empire of the Americas. It is available on iPhone, iPad and Android.

Game features include a single player campaign, player-versus-player matches on the same device, music from the album and video artwork shown during the band's live sets.

Players may win show tickets, after show passes and autographed records by completing tasks in-game.

"The Astonishing" was released in January 2016 via Roadrunner. The CD was made available in a wide range of distinctive versions, including standard 2-CD set, 4-LP vinyl box set and a limited-edition deluxe box set.

Recorded at Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, New York, with guitarist John Petrucci producing, studio luminary Richard Chycki (AEROSMITH, RUSH) engineering/mixing and legendary arranger, composer and conductor David Campbell orchestrating, "The Astonishing" paints a tale of a retro-futurist post-apocalyptic dystopia ruled by medieval style feudalism. It's a place aching for a Chosen One to rise above the noise and defeat an Empire defined by the endless drone of noise machines and the illusion of safety in bland conformity.

Metalliluola's Ville Krannila recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza and lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö of German/Finnish thrash titans KREATOR. You can listen to the full chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the band's new "Gods Of Violence" album:

Mille: "Not all the songs are like the title track [which is fast]. There is a very large variety of music on the new record. There's soft bits, there's sad bits. [Laughs] But there's also a lot of brutal bits, and some very melodic, some very nice stuff. A lot of lead guitars, even a harp and a bagpipe; you get to hear that. There's definitely some surprises for some people."

Sami: "Especially the song 'Totalitarian Terror'. There's going to be a video because it's a combination. It's furious, it's angry, it's thrash, and there's some really melodic parts. We have an interesting combination."

Mille: "That was our plan, if there was one. We wanted to continue the path of where we left off with 'Phantom Antichrist', but give it a new twist, and come up with something that's even more exciting, or exciting again."

On if there is an underlying theme throughout "Gods Of Violence":

Mille: "No. That was an idea at first, to make this a concept album, but it felt forced. It didn't feel natural to come up with a concept album. Concept albums, there's certain concept albums where there's moments that are, even on the best concept albums, maybe not with 'The Wall' by PINK FLOYD, but a couple of concepts albums, there are moments that are funny, cheesy, then all the sudden 'Mary Jane walked through the…' What's that?"

Sami: "QUEENSRŸCHE's 'Operation: Mindcrime'."

Mille: "That was also a good concept album. If you do a concept album, we have to find the cool way on how to connect the songs. It has to have a certain storyline… It felt like a limitation in my creativity rather than adding something."

On whether 2001's "Violent Revolution" could be considered KREATOR's "rebirth":

Mille: "That was the kick-off, and also the moment when Sami joined. We haven't changed the lineup since. That tells a lot. We got to a point where we're a good team. I guess 'Violent Revolution' was the kick-off."

Sami: "With every album, there is a progression. If you compared 'Endless Pain' with the new one, there is quite a progression. I'm not saying it's worse or better…"

Mille: "Some people will go ''Endless Pain' is better!' [Laughs] It's hard when you have 14 albums to reinvent. You have to always think 'This is the first album.' You have to reinvent and rethink, not overthink stuff, but really try to give your best every time you put out an album."

On how KREATOR weathered the '90s:

Mille: "It wasn't only a difficult time for metal, but also an exciting time. It seemed like there were no rules. We were developing as artists, as musicians. It was difficult because we had lineup problems, and I think if Sami would have joined in the middle of the '90s, maybe the progression would have been earlier. We would have maybe come up with something completely different. Then again, you never know. We were all busy. He was playing in other bands, I was busy keeping the lineup together, fighting record companies. I was really happy when the '90s were over and we got the new deal with SPV and Sami in the band, and some good tours. From then onward, we just kept it like that."

On if KREATOR will tour with their German thrash contemporaries DESTRUCTION and SODOM again:

Mille: "To give a real answer to your question, it's about scheduling. We would like to play some shows with these other two German bands, but it's not our focus."

On if the band will ever play their classic "Endless Pain" or "Terrible Certainty" albums in full live:

Mille: "There are no plans to do that. I was talking about this… I don't think, Sami, would it be interesting for you to play a setlist with only songs up to 'Coma Of Souls'? This is an official question."

Sami: "Maybe not. Not now. Now, I'm looking forward to playing the new stuff."

Mille: "There's always these questions, and they come up a lot. We can see this happening, but there's no time. We don't overdo things and if we want to focus on the tour for the new album now, when are we going to do a classic tour? Why would we do it? [Laughs]"

Sami: "It would eat time from the next album."

Mille: "I remember when we were on tour with EXODUS in Japan. All of the sudden they played the whole 'Bonded By Blood' album. It was good, but then on the other hand, I was like, 'Okay… it's long.' This is thrash metal. I don't see the reason why. There's also, and I've said it before too, there's also a reason why certain songs never made it into the playlist back in the day. On 'Pleasure To Kill', there are a couple of songs we never played live for a reason. If we try it now, maybe it would be amazing, but maybe it would also suck."

"Gods Of Violence" was released on January 27 via Nuclear Blast.





North American cover (by Marcelo Vasco):



International cover (by Jan Meininghaus):

Singer Myles Kennedy, who has fronted Slash's solo band since 2010, was asked in an interview with journalist Gary Graff if there is a future for the group, dubbed SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, now that Slash is off touring with the reunited GUNS N' ROSES. Kennedy responded: "That's a good question. I mean, the door's certainly open on my end. If it works out again in the future, I'm certainly up for it. I think that we'll just see how it plays out... I think it's just one of those things. We still talk; we just talked the other day, and we do a lot of texting and whatever. But, you know, there's no… I think, because both of us are so busy right now with our other entities, there's no definitive plans in place."

GUNS N' ROSES, with Slash and bassist Duff McKagan rejoining frontman Axl Rose in the band, began touring last year and has already book dates for much of 2017.

There's no word yet on how long GUNS intends to stay on the road or whether they plan to record new music.

Slash's second album with Kennedy and the CONSPIRATORS, titled "World On Fire", came out in September 2014. Their previous effort was 2012's "Apocalyptic Love".

Slash released his first self-titled solo effort in 2010. On that album he employed a different vocalist on each track, before settling on Kennedy for both touring and eventually recording.

Kennedy and ALTER BRIDGE issued their fifth studio album, "The Last Hero", in October.

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST are preparing to enter the studio to begin recording their long-awaited follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" album.

During an appearance on "Trunk Nation", Eddie Trunk's show on SiriusXM channel Volume (106), PRIEST singer Rob Halford said about the songwriting process for the band's new disc: "Yeah, everything's coming together great. We're excited to be making new material.

"As you know, whenever we go out to play, we like to say that we're there for not only the reason to see our wonderful fans again but to show off what we're doing. And that's what we're doing right now — we're hard at work, and it's all coming together great.

"As you and I have done so many times in the past, Eddie, when the appropriate time arises, I'll be happy to come to New York and sit with you and we'll talk about all the new PRIEST that is being made and ready to release."

Halford also confirmed that there is no set-in-stone timetable for the release of PRIEST's next album. "You know, there is no rush," he said. "There is no rush. We feel great. We're very happy, we're very confident, we're very excited. And so, yeah, we're working with our label and with promoters, and there's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes."

He continued: "When we go out, we want it to be good — we want it to be good, we want it to be well planned, we wanna make sure that everybody's happy. So, again, as things come to the table, I'll let you know."

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 will be 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".

In a brand new interview with Greece's Rock Overdose, EVANESCENCE guitarist Jen Majura was asked if there are plans for the band to record a new album as a follow-up to 2011's self-titled effort. She responded: "Well, you know, I am the European part of EVANESCENCE. Amy [Lee, EVANESCENCE singer] and the [other] guys are overseas, and… To be honest, from what I can tell, we mainly focus on the touring for this year, which is, first of all South America in spring and Europe in summer… and something else. [Laughs] But I guess… I think Amy said in one of her interviews that she's already working on new music. You never really stop working on music, because you get inspiration from every moment in your life. So it could be, like, you're travelling in your car and then you get a great inspiration or idea, and maybe you just pick that up later — like months later or years later — or you find cool stuff on your computer which you recorded, like, gazillions of ages ago, and that might be something… So you never really stop being creative. And, from what I can tell, I think she's already collecting and working on music. So, we'll see."

Jen also talked about what it has been like to join EVANESCENCE in August 2015 as the replacement for Terry Balsamo. She said: "[To be] honest, I've never been, like, one of those insane EVANESCENCE fans. Of course, I knew the music — everybody does — and I love the music, and I bought the CDs, and I listened to the songs, and I sang along… But being able, and thankful for being able, to be one part of this band is… It's hard to describe it in words, because… I do not see it as a job. Of course it's work, but, for me, mainly, after I got to know all the guys really [well], [it's] mainly fun, because we really get along very good. Even if we're not on the road touring, we keep texting each other and talk on Skype and stuff, and it's really a very, very mature, friendly relationship that we have, with a lot of respect for each other. And playing those shows… One can never understand the feeling f how it is to stand on stage together with those guys, because they're just so talented, creative, great musicians, and we're just having so much fun on stage, andI think the people can see that. It has nothing to do with, 'Oh, we've gotta work now?', 'Oh, we've gotta deliver music?' It's more like, 'Come on! Let's do a rock show and have fun and have a great time!' And I really appreciate that, because this is something that is not happening within every band. I know bands [where] hardly the singer talks to the guitar player, and they have different hotels, and so many issues and stuff and… I was looking for a band my entire life where I can say that everybody is friends, everybody is honest, everybody is talented and working on the same thing, which always should be... Do a really cool rock show, enjoy yourself and make fans happy. And I think that is something I found in EVANESCENCE, because… it's just cool! [Laughs]"

EVANESCENCE released a very special career-spanning vinyl box set last fall encompassing all of the band's studio albums — "Fallen", "The Open Door" and "Evanescence" (with the latter two making their vinyl debut) — and, for the first time ever, the commercial debut for the previously unreleased demo album "Origin". Also included in "The Ultimate Collection" six-LP set is "The Lost Whispers" album, which officially culls the band's legendary bonus tracks and features the studio version of the long sought-after tour intro "Lost Whispers" and the first new EVANESCENCE studio recording in years, "Even In Death (2016)", a song that originally appeared on "Origin". The box set includes a 52-page casebound book featuring art, handwritten lyrics, photos and rarities.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, STYX's Todd Sucherman is being sued by a fan who claims to have suffered injuries in the face after the drummer allegedly "negligently threw a drumstick into the audience" during band's 2015 performance in Georgia.

Sucherman failed to give a "timely and proper warning to allow [the fan] to fully protect herself from injury," the suit alleges.

The fan is seeking to recover damages, including medical expenses and lost income.

Also named in the lawsuit is TMB Productions, which is said to have "owned, operated or managed the band STYX in its musical performances" at the time of the June 2015 incident.

Sucherman joined STYX in 1996 when founding member John Panozzo proved too ill to perform with the band. Sucherman toured with STYX and first appeared on their live album/video "Return To Paradise" (1997), then on the studio album "Brave New World" (1999). Two live albums, "Arch Allies: Live At Riverport" (with REO SPEEDWAGON) and "Styx World: Live 2001", followed. "Cyclorama", another studio album, appeared in 2003. "Big Bang Theory", which consists of cover versions of classic rock songs, arrived in 2005.

A Music Blog, Yea! conducted an interview with vocalist Neil Fallon of Maryland rockers CLUTCH prior to the band's December 30, 2016 show in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about CLUTCH's plans for the coming months, Fallon said: "Well, we'll take a couple of weeks off just to unpack our heads. And then we plan to get right back into it and start working on new material with the idea that we'll probably record a year from now. So knowing what kind of tours we have, we have to start soone rather than later. And do, you know, boring domestic chores that we've been putting off for eighteen months."

Fallon also talked about how CLUTCH manages to keep things fresh during the songwriting process. He said: "Well, we write sort of a surplus of material and then we kind of cut off the fat and dilute it. I think over the years we've become more… I don't know… more skilled at writing efficient rock songs — just cutting to the chase. We've been doing this for twenty-five years and it's easy to kind of get into a… I hesitate to use the word 'rut,' but you can get too comfortable with your own tempos and your own groove. It gets too easy sometimes. To play faster is more challenging. So that's kind of what we're trying to do — just to keep up our momentum."

CLUTCH's latest album, "Psychic Warfare", debuted at No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart after shifting 26,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

"Psychic Warfare" was released via CLUTCH's own label Weathermaker Music.

CLUTCH drummer Jean-Paul Gaster told How Was It Detroit? about the band's plans for 2017: "We're gonna write some, and then we're gonna go back on tour. Touring really never ends. We take breaks from time to time. We'll take off the first three months of next year and we'll get down to writing, see what kind of direction that's gonna take us in, and then start making plans to record. Probably what will happen is we will do some shows in the spring, and then, for us, it's really important to play the new songs live, so I have a feeling that wherever we choose to record, we'll do shows on the way out there to work through the material, play the material. You know, for me, as a drummer, those experiences are crucial to recording a record that, at the end of the day, you feel proud of. In the live setting, you can immediately tell where the pulse of that tune is. You gauge by the audience reaction, how they're latching on to whatever groove that is, and you start to tweak things — you might pull stuff back or you might push stuff, change up an approach entirely, maybe. But that's really crucial — it really brings the song to life."