Demon Doll Records have teamed up with Metal Legacy Records and Canada's bad boys Syre to reissue their great sophomore release Pissed To The Gills.

"Based on the success of our first reissue of It Ain't Pretty Being Easy and all the calls we had to get that second record out to the public, we were more than happy to unleash another amazing release from Syre" says Demon Doll CEO Lance V.

Who couldn't use another album chock full of hook laden anthems (some of which were produced by Grammy winning KISS producer Bob Kulick)? Sink your teeth into the should have been hits "I Got The Luv" and "Fight Fire With Fire" as well as the amazing ballad work on the track "Wishin'".

Syre just simply delivers infectious ‘80s rock time in and time out. You can never go wrong with anything these guys record.

The album is repackaged, remastered and the packaging includes a full set of lyrics and a band biography. If you loved It Ain't Pretty Being Easy, you will love this record as well.

This CD is silver pressed, officially licensed from the band and exclusively available from Demon Doll Records. Order here.

Tracklisting:

“Got The Luv”
“Fight Fire With Fire”
“Hard Time Sayin’ No”
“Wishin’”
“Love Who U You Wanna Love”
“Believe”
“Comin’ Around”
“Need What U Find”
“Same Room”

“Fight Fire With Fire”:

Ravenscry have released a video for their track "Oscillation", directed by Max Valerio.

The song features on the band’s upcoming album entitled The Invisible, which is out on February 24th. This will be their third work after the 2014’s The Attraction Of Opposites. The new album was recorded at Ravenstudio, it was mixed at Oral Majority Recordings by Roberto Laghi and it was mastered at Hansen Studios by Jacob Hansen.

The Invisible will be distributed on all the digital platforms worldwide (except for Japan) by Audioglobe, and the physical format will be available worldwide (except for Japan) thanks to the brand new agreement signed with Plastic Head.

The new album was recorded between June and September 2016 at the Ravenstudio (instrumental parts) and at the Big Bang Studio (vocal parts), it is now through the mixing process, which is being done by Roberto Laghi (In Flames, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Entombed), who already worked on the mix of The Attraction Of Opposites. The master will be done by Jacob Hansen (Amaranthe, Delain, Epica, Primal Fear) at the Hansen Studios in January.

The Invisible is the first Ravenscry concept album. Unlikely the previous ones the composing process has been very different, as the band stated: “Creating a story and giving it a soul with music is an extraordinary job and it is fascinating, but also very hard. We got through a lot of issues and deep human emotions, digging inside every single one of us in search for the right sensations in order to translate them into music. We had an incredible amount of material to work on; we had to take some hard decisions, mainly based on the emotions we wanted to give to the listener, song by song, guided by the story. This way of working got us very deeply into what we were doing. These months have been extremely hard, but we are very satisfied about the results and we can’t wait for you to listen to it!”

The Invisible talks about a young library assistant, Coral, who lives and works in a small town in Colorado; but she is not born there, she grew up in an orphanage. Coral spends all her day between books and archives, that is probably because it is her passion, but also because she is not that great in communicating with other people. One day she finds a book with a peculiar picture, which reminds her of distant memories. From this moment on her life changes, because she starts a journey, inside and outside herself, without knowing where this will bring her and without knowing what she will find at the end of it. A risky trip, which could lead to nothing… or to everything.

It is a complex journey, as you can see also from the tracklisting below, which takes place among full songs (in parentheses), interludes and words written by the characters of the story. It is a plot that has to be listened in its fullness to be completely understood.

The artwork of The Invisible was designed by Mario Sànchez Nevado, also known as Aègis Strife. He is an illustrator and a storyteller, he has in his curriculum exhibitions at the MoMa and at the New York Guggenheim, but also many other international rewards of his work.

Tracklisting:

“The Entanglement”
Whispered Intro
“Hypermnesia”
Coral (as seen by others) - The librarian talks about Coral
“The Mission”
Monsters Inside - The director of the institute talks about Coral
“The Invisible Revolution”
The teacher talks about Coral part 1
“The Deepest Lake”
The grandmother talks about Coral
“More Than Anything”
The teacher talks about Coral part 2
“Nothing But A Shade”
Nora talks about Martin
“Oscillation”
In Collision
“The Magic Circle” - Martin talks with Coral part 1
“Flux Density”
“Overload” - Martin talks with Coral part 2

"Oscillation" video:

Musically speaking, Ravenscry renewed its style again, accepting the challenges due to the composition of a concept album, but without renouncing to their distinctive sound. There are a lot of heavy riffs and peculiar vocal line, but be ready to listen to something different, showing clearly that the band is always up to going through the creative research.

The single extracted from the new album will be “Oscillation”; it will come with an official video, which will be shot in mid-December with Max Valerio, eclectic and visionary director and photographer.

Inspired by dystopian and horror fiction, “Black Surf” is the first single from the upcoming full-length debut album from Finland’s Viper Arms.

The band is known for their energetic live shows and their catchy tunes. Last summer the band performed, among other venues and festivals, at Ruisrock - one of the oldest and biggest festivals in Europe.

The bands comment on Black Surf: ”With its eerie melodies and lyrics inspired by dystopian fiction, Black Surf describes the last staggering steps of humanity in a dark and postapocalyptic world, where the only source of light comes from the stars shining above the relics of what was once called civilization.”

Check out the “Black Surf” video below, and stay tuned for updates on the band.

 

Hour Of Penance have released a playthrough video for “Shroud Of Ashes”, a track from the band’s new album, Cast The First Stone, available via Prosthetic Records. Watch below:

The follow-up to 2014's Regicide, Cast The First Stone was recorded at Kick Recording Studio by bassist, Marco Mastrobuono. Artwork for the album, as seen below, was completed by Gyula Havancsak.

Giulio Moschini, lead guitarist and songwriter goes into more detail on the album, "Sonically speaking, this is the best sounding album we've ever recorded. We really worked hard on this, listening to the album countless times before finally delivering the masters to Prosthetic Records. It was definitely worth the wait and we're 100% satisfied by the great work Marco has done behind the mixing desk. We've literally spent weeks trying different mic techniques, hardware and preamps;  all trying to avoid plug-in technologies as much as we could. We wanted our album to sound more dynamic and I think that we've achieved that 100%."

Regarding the concept of the album, vocalist Paolo Pieri says it revolves around the idea that the injustices suffered during the Crusades and Colonialism do not justify the chain of hate that propagandizes the destruction of the West. Pieri expands on this, “I believe that the political situation in recent years has brought to light again a millennial conflict between West and East. Events like the terrorist attack at the Bataclan, where we only played a few months before the massacre, have influenced the lyrics on this record very much. It does not matter who has thrown the first stone, but who first evolved his ideology to seek peace and coexistence instead of war to the bitter end."

Cast The First Stone tracklisting:

“XXI Century Imperial Crusade”
“Cast The First Stone”
“Burning Bright”
“Iron Fist”
“The Chains Of Misdeed”
“Horn Of Flies”
“Shroud Of Ashes”
“Wall Of Cohorts”
“Damnatio Memoriae”

“The Chains Of Misdeed”:

“XXI Century Imperial Crusade”:

“XXI Century Imperial Crusade” bass playthrough:

Hour Of Penance is:

Giulio Moschini - Guitars
Paolo Pieri - Vocals / Guitars
Marco Mastrobuono - Bass
Davide Billia – Drums

(Photo - Carina Martins | Photography)

Olathia’s female singer, Chris E., has released a cover of W.A.S.P.’s “I Wanna Be Somebody”, which was incidentally brought together by Bill Peters of Auburn Records.

“Bill Peters unknowingly spurred the online collaboration last year,” states Chris E. “Bill runs Auburn Records and had turned me on to Aftershok’s new release, Detonate, and said I should check out their singer Gordon Sheffroth, Gord is a fantastic power metal singer and I dug his vibe!

“While checking out his work online, I came across some Judas Priest covers that he did with this dude Noel Priorie from New York. I sent Noel a quick message to say how much I liked their work and next thing I know I’m recording vocals for some covers at Brainchild Studio in Cleveland, Ohio. I had forgotten about our underground connection until we hit the studio again this past weekend to start demos for the follow up to Olathia’s Hunters album. The six degrees of Bill Peters! You never know what will happen when Bill is around!”

PETA Deutschland has uploaded a video clip of Miland "Mille" Petrozza of German thrashers KREATOR cooking his favorite vegan curry. Check it out below.

Asked by Noisey in a recent interview if people are ever surprised that KREATOR's lead singer is vegan, Mille said: "Not in this day and age, man. There's so many vegans nowadays, it's become kinda trendy. People are interested more than anything. Even people who aren't vegan love vegan food! Of course the whole world will never become vegan, even though it'd be better for the planet, but it's an interesting genre of food, so to speak."

KREATOR's new album, "Gods Of Violence", was released on January 27 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the disc was created by renowned artist Jan Meininghaus, who also made the limited-edition artwork for KREATOR's last album, 2012's "Phantom Antichrist", and has lent his talents to bands like BOLT THROWER, ACCEPT and OVERKILL in the past.

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

KREATOR will tour Europe in support of the new CD beginning in early February. Petrozza and his crew will be 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.



Mille from KREATOR cooks vegan
Miland "Mille" Petrozza of Kreator is cooking his favorite #vegan curry for YOU!

Posted by PETA Deutschland on Tuesday, January 31, 2017

On March 10th, Nova Collective (featuring members of Between The Buried And Me, Haken, Trioscapes, Cynic) will release their debut album, The Further Side, via Metal Blade Records.

Nova Collective's music can be described as fusion, weaving progressive rock influences with world music, jazz and classical, to create something entirely new that is pure aural candy for prog/jazz fans. For a preview of The Further Side, the first single, "Dancing Machines", can be heard below.

The album can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

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

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

Nova Collective lineup:

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

What began as a steadfast expression of the human condition comes Madison, WI atmospheric doom metal outfit Bereft with their unique style of powerful metal unbound to any genre. The group have announced their debut full-length album will be titled Lands and is scheduled for worldwide release via Prosthetic Records on March 31st. A second video trailer for the album has been released. Watch both trailers below.

The album cover artwork, as showcased below, was completed by Sam Alvarez (Bongripper).

Pre-orders, which includes a blood red vinyl variant limited to 300 copies total, will be launched on February 14th via store.prostheticrecords.com as well as all digital providers.

Lands tracklisting:

“We Wept”
“The Ritual”
“In Filth”
“Waining Light”

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Weaving elements of doom and black metal into exhaustive, dynamic songs, Bereft were eager to bring Lands vision to life and headed to Backroom Studios in Rockaway, NJ to track the album with Kevin Antreassian (Dillinger Escape Plan).

Having recently parted ways with their drummer, founding members Zach Johnson (vocals/guitars), Alex Linden (vocals/guitars) and bassist Cade Gentry enlisted the help of Michael Kadnar (Downfall of Gaia, Black Table, The Number 12 Looks Like You) to record drums for the new album. "The recording sessions couldn't have gone smoother", commented Kadner, "I've been a big Dillinger Escape plan fan for years, so it was pretty surreal to work with Kevin. He's a phenomenal engineer and also the most down to earth, funny and welcoming dude you'll meet.”

Following the completion of recording, Bereft began the  search for a permanent drummer. It didn't last long, however, when long-time friend and gear-head Jerry McDougal joined. “We’ve known Jerry for a few years.” informed Johnson. “He has been nothing but stunning behind the kit. His work as alter ego Satyrnine Amplification has been increasingly helpful for our sound as a band and we're ecstatic about his presence and talent in our collective.”

McDougal adds, “I first met the guys at a rehearsal complex we shared. They caught wind of my gear-headed nature, which struck up some great conversations. One thing lead to another and here we are. I feel extremely honored and grateful to be part of Bereft, and can’t wait to see what crazy adventures await us on the road.”

Having previously been seen across the US with acts such as Agalloch, Gloom, Downfall of Gaia, So Hideous and North, in support of their introductory 2014 EP, Lost Ages (via War Crimes/Silent Pendulum), Bereft are excited to get back on the road and will next appear at The Red Zone Madison in Madison, WI on February 11th. Further dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Fan-filmed video footage of former FLYLEAF singer Lacey Sturm's January 27 performance at Fitzgerald's in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below.

Sturm's debut solo album, "Life Screams", was released in February 2016 via Followspot Records with The Fuel Music distribution.

Writing alone, as well as with husband/guitarist Josh Sturm, SKILLET's Korey Cooper and Grammy Award-winning writer and producer David Hodges, Lacey created a record that is the sonic successor to FLYLEAF's celebrated self-titled debut (which spent a staggering 133 weeks on The Billboard 200 chart).

When she's not onstage or in the studio, Sturm leads a busy post-FLYLEAF life as an author, motivational speaker and happily married mother of two.

Lacey has earned legions of fans worldwide not only through her astoundingly emotive voice and chart-topping songwriting, but also for the sheer sincerity of the uplifting messages pervading her work. Whether fronting FLYLEAF or now as a solo artist, she remains uncommonly true to herself while inspiring others to strive for better ways to live and love. "In the beginning, FLYLEAF really centered around my story and vision," Lacey explained. "This new project continues that narrative in a cohesive way."

FLYLEAF recruited singer Kristen May as Sturm's replacement and released its fourth album, "Between The Stars", in September 2014. May has since left the group.

In the wake of one of the most controversial presidential elections in American history, Iron Reagan’s new album Crossover Ministry couldn’t have come at a better time.

Due out this Friday (February 3rd) from Relapse Records, Crossover Ministry is comprised of 18 tracks in just thirty minutes. Mixed by Kurt Ballou and recorded by Iron Reagan guitarist Phil “Landphil” Hall, the album is a further continuation of the band’s punchy, thrashy gallops and unique hardcore punk attitude. Hear their vicious sermon at a circle pit near you in February and March (dates below) and stream Crossover Ministry in full below.

Iron Reagan are no strangers to the fine art of crossover thrash. Comprised of veterans Tony Foresta, Phil Hall, Mark Bronzino, Rob Skotis, and Ryan Parrish, between them they fill, or have filled the ranks of Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse, Mammoth Grinder, Darkest Hour and numerous other bands. Formed in 2012, the punk-metal quintet quickly released a demo EP followed by their debut full-length, Worse Than Dead via A389 Recordings, and splits with both Exhumed and Toxic Shock. The gang then signed to Relapse Records and released their self-produced sophomore full-length The Tyranny Of Will, mixed by Kurt Ballou (Converge) in 2014.

Since 2014, Iron Reagan have toured the world almost non-stop, with high-caliber acts in the punk, hardcore and metal worlds such as Poison Idea, Napalm Death, Voivod, Skeletonwitch, The Black Dahlia Murder, GWAR, Seven Seconds, Eyehategod, etc. including appearances at Hellfest, Full Terror Assault, Brutal Assault, This is Hardcore, Party San Open Air, and numerous others. Now in February and March 2017, Iron Reagan will tour North America with Power Trip (dates below).

Pre-order the new album at this location.

Tracklisting:

“A Dying World”
“You Never Learn”
“Grim Business”
“Dead With My Friends”
“No Sell”
“Condition Evolution”
“Fuck The Neighbors”
“Power Of The Skull”
“Crossover Ministry”
“More War”
“Blatant Violence”
“Parents Of Tomorrow”
“Bleed The Fifth”
“Megachurch”
“Shame Spiral”
“Dogsnotgods”
“Eat Or Be Eaten”
“Twist Your Fate”

Album stream:

“Bleed The Fifth” video;

Infomercial:

Tour dates:

February (with Power Trip)
22 - Nashville, TN - The End (no Power Trip)
24 - Houston, TX - Walter's
25 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia
26 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn
27 - Raleigh, NC - Kings *
28 - Richmond, VA - Broadberry *+

March (with Power Trip)
1 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage *+
2 - New York, NY - Marlin Room +&
3 - Pittsburgh, PA - Spirit +$
4 - Cleveland, OH - Now That’s Class +$
7 - Boston, MA - Elk’s Lodge
8 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques
9 - Ottawa, ON - Brass Monkey
10 - Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground
11 - Detroit, MI - Marble Bar
12 - Chicago, IL - Reggie’s
13 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock
14 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
16 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
17 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street Collective

* with Genocide Pact
+ withConcealed Blade
& with Krimewatch
$ with Protester

March
22 - Orlando, FL - Will’s Pub (with Wrong)
23 - Miami, FL - Churchill’s (with Wrong)
24 - Tampa, FL - Crowbar (with Wrong)
25 - Greensboro, NC - Blind Tiger

(Photo - Dennis Williford)

The rise of Tragedy has been swift and incident filled. Their heavy metal meets the Bee Gees meets disco has been welcomed into the hearts and minds of people across the globe and now the band are back with the soon to be global smash album, The Joy Of Sex. The album is set for a European release on February 24th, just as the band hit the UK for another extensive run around the country.

The Joy Of Sex features eleven new Tragedy hits, including “Little Red Corvette” (Prince), “Borderline” (Madonna), “Do You Think I’m Sexy” (Rod Stewart), “Never Gonna Give You Up” (Rick Astley) and their stunning re-make of the disco floor filling classic, “Stayin’ Alive”. Much like their acclaimed re-working of the Grease classic “You’re The One That I Want”, Tragedy have taken the Bee Gees disco classic and given it a 2017 update.

The band recently finished the video for “Stayin’ Alive” in New York with special guest star Dave Hill (acclaimed US comedian) and will be launching the video clip very soon. Their video for reworked Grease classic “You’re the One That I Want” took the US by storm with 150,000 views in its first week on YouTube.

Che

Tragedy hit the UK for another fun filled tour starting on February 24th, full list of dates below.

How Deep Is Your Mum UK Tour 2017:

February
24 - Manchester, UK - Rebellion
25 - Carlisle, UK - Brickyard
26 - Liverpool, UK - O2 Academy
27 - Edinburgh, UK - Bannermans
28 - Glasgow, UK - Audio

March
1 - Newcastle, UK - Think Tank
2 - Bilston/Wolverhampton, UK - Robin 2
3 - Bristol, UK - The Fleece
4 - London, UK - The Garage
5 - Southampton, UK - 1865
7 - Swansea, UK - Sin City
8 - Milton Keynes, UK - Craufurd Arms
9 - Great Yarmouth, UK - Legends Of Rock Festival
10 - Oxford, UK - Bullingdon
11 - Buxton, UK - Buxton Rocks Festival  

Tragedy is:

Disco Mountain Man - lead vocals, lead back-up vocals, lead keyboards, lead cowbell
Mo'Royce Peterson - lead vocals, lead back-up vocals, lead lead guitar
Andy Gibbous Waning - lead bass, lead vocals, lead back-up vocals
Garry Bibb - lead guitar, lead back-up vocals
The Lord Gibbeth - lead drums, lead vocals
Lance - towel boy, complete idiot

After being chosen to open for Metallica in San Juan, Puerto Rico in October 2016, Puerto Rican death thrashers, Zafakon, have not stopped working to be recognized both national and internationally. They are premiering the music video for what would be the second single, "II. Sirens”, off their latest album, Release.

The band decided to join forces with Jean C. Arroyo, as the director, to be able to make the video possible. "II. Sirens" is the second part of the conceptual story that it is in the album Release. The video portrays how the main character (played by Puerto Rican actress Amanda Mendez), after committing suicide, starts debating about how she did the right decision while battling for her life on her to the hospital while being in an ambulance.

"With this video, we wanted to go along with what the lyrics say. With Amanda's great performance and Jean's amazing job, we could make this happen and we're extremely proud of the final product." said bassist Weslie Negrón. "It is full of mystery, suspense, but it still has the energy of what we bring in a live show."

"It was an honor to direct one of my first musical videos with Zafakon. It was tough because we wanted to try something different and ambitious, but we made it happen. I am very thankful to everyone that collaborated and to Zafakon for believing and trusting in my work." commented Jean Arroyo, director.

Swedish horror death metal outfit, Vampire, have unveiled the cover for their upcoming second full length album, With Primeval Force, a monstrous piece of handcrafted art by renowned artist Nick Keller.

With the release of their self-titled debut album and the follow-up EP Cimmerian Shade, Vampire have made quite an impression on the scene of extreme metal with their unique mixture of harsh Teutonic thrash metal riffs, sombrous melodies and ghoulish vocals from the grave. Now Vampire will return with the worthy successor of previous deeds, With Primeval Force, offering nine tracks of furious and nightmarish death/thrash metal. Still remaining true to the path they have chosen, Vampire have further embedded a dimension of eeriness, a baleful aura that indwells every track like a black spell.

A rough mix version of the album track “Skull Prayer” has already been made available. Check it out below:

With Primeval Force is set to be released on April 21st.

Vampire lineup:

Hand of Doom: Vocals
Black String: Guitars
Command: Electric Bass
Sepulchral Condor: Guitars
Abysmal Condor: Battery

(Photo - Anders Bergstedt)

My Sleeping Karma have released a new video trailer for their first live record, Mela Ananda - Live!, due for release on February 24th via Napalm Records. Find the trailer below and pre-order the new album here.

If you’ve been lucky enough to be a part of the live experience that this German four-piece unleashes, you’ll agree that the concert atmosphere provides a healthy dose of enchantment for their much-loved brand of psychedelic rock.

Mela Ananda translates directly to “a gathering of bliss”. The detailed artwork is the great work of Sebastian Jerke.

Tracklisting:    

“Prithvi”
“Enigma42”
“Glow11”
“Ephedra”
“Vayu”
“Akasha”
“Brahama”
“Psilocybe”
“Tamas”
“Hymn72”

This 8-page digipack also includes a very special bonus DVD, Let’s Give It A Try (video documentary of 10 years of My Sleeping Karma) and My Sleeping Karma live at Rockpalast in Cologne with the following tracklisting:

“Brahama”
“23 Enigma”
“Glow11”
“Ahimsa”
“Tamas”
“Hymn72”

Trailer:

Reckless heavy rock and multi-layered melodies to make you groove, freak out and dream away - whether you’re sweating in a tightly packed club or listening to Mela Ananda - Live! on your headphones, these instrumental wizards will bring light into even the darkest of souls.

Arduini / Balich has released a new teaser video (below) in support of their forthcoming debut album, Dawn Of Ages, scheduled for release on February 24th.

Arduini / Balich is the result of two very powerful figures in their own right of the metal scene. Victor Arduini needs no introduction being one of the founding members of Fates Warning, same can be said  for Brian "Butch" Balich, the mighty voice of Argus.

Dawn Of Ages is one of the most ambitious records ever released on Cruz Del Sur Music. A monumental piece of music on the level of While Heaven Wept or Atlantean Kodex's releases (to name two Cruz Del Sur recording artists). A rollercoaster of emotions, an album that captures the collisions of two worlds, progressive and doom. The final result is a really amazing journey inside human soul. Through six original compositions that last for more than an hour, the audience will be captured and hypnotized by the eclectically familiar Victor's guitar melodies empowered by Butch's passionate interpretation. Indeed Dawn of Ages is an album that could have been easily recorded in the mid / late '70s for the total dedication that transpires through each and every note of it. It is not an album that wants to please any old or new trend in metal, rather an intimate expression  of two musicians who have always put their passion for heavy music before anything else.

Dawn Of Ages will be released in a deluxe six-panel digipack embellished by a wonderful, original Michael Cowell's (Alunah) artwork. The vinyl version will be released in a gatefold colored vinyl double LP with three incredible cover songs as a bonus. Uriah Heep's "Sunrise", Beau Brummels' "Wolf Of Velvet Fortune" and Black Sabbath's "After All (The Dead)."

Tracklisting:

“The Fallen”
“Forever Fade”
“Into Exile”
“The Wraith”
“Beyond The Barricade”
“The Gates Of Acheron”
“Sunrise” (Uriah Heep) - Vinyl Bonus Track
“Wolf Of Velvet Fortune” (Beau Brummels) - Vinyl Bonus Track
“After All (The Dead)” (Black Sabbath) -Vinyl Bonus Track

Teaser video:

 
Promo video:

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry has told Ultimate Classic Rock in a new interview that the band's "farewell" tour will last for a very long time.

"The feeling is, right now is gonna be in semi-tour mode for the next few years," Perry said. "We'll be taking time off here and there, but we really want to play some of the places that we've maybe played once before, maybe never before. Kind of go around and hit all the spots you can."

The guitarist, however, stopped short of putting an end date on AEROSMITH's final trek, explaining: "We're much closer to the end than the beginning. I'm not going to say this is — after the U.S. tour that we'll never play the States again. I'm not going to say that. I feel like, at this point, every show could be the last show. You just don't know. … I always have this attitude, it's gotta be as good as it can be that day. That said, we don't have a day planned where we say 'Okay, this is the last show.' You can't picture that. On the other hand, I know there will be a last show just like there's a one last time for everything in life."

Perry also left the door open for new music from AEROSMITH, although it's not clear what form such a release would take.

"I've been talking to Steven [Tyler, vocals] a little bit about going into the studio and maybe even just getting one or two new songs," Perry said. "But I also know we're going to be looking at some of the archives and pulling out some of the more outtake things and some live stuff — stuff we've never recorded. So, I don't know. I'd like to think we'd get at least one more going into the studio."

Last fall, AEROSMITH announced what was being billed as the band's "farewell" tour of Europe — with an opening stop in Israel thrown in for good measure. The group announced the 2017 "Aero-Vederci Baby!" European tour in November, posting on its Aerosmith.com site: "AEROSMITH will return across the Atlantic with one of the greatest rock shows ever seen and will undoubtedly be the ultimate must see event of 2017 as the band embark upon this, their 'farewell' tour, saying 'Aero-Vederci Baby!'"

In addition to Israel, AEROSMITH's spring and summer dates will hit Georgia, Russia, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, England, Ireland, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. Tyler and Perry announced the tour via a fake newscast video featuring "The Toxic Twins" portraying cable TV anchors.

Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, was interviewed by rock journalist Mitch Lafon for a recent edition of the "One On One With Mitch Lafon" podcast (Facebook page). You can listen to the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the concept behind the new FIREWIND album "Immortals":

Gus: "Doing a concept record with the guys is something we talked about for years. It's not something new, but you need to have the right kind of material for that. You need to be in the right mindset, and of course, you have to decide what it's going to be about. For us, since most of us are Greek, we thought it would be cool to talk about our heritage, or some part of Greek history. In 2013, we took a break from touring and recording and I went on to do solo stuff. When I started gathering all this material over the years, I realized the character was very epic and more focused, like into power metal, and this epic style, so I thought it would be a good idea to do the concept record we talked about now. I needed a co-writer for this, so I reached out to [producer] Dennis Ward [UNISONIC, PINK CREAM 69]. To make a long story short, we decided to do a record about the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis during the second Persian invasion in 480 B.C."

On why veteran Swedish vocalist Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS) wasn't considered for the open FIREWIND vocalist position:

Gus: "Of course he was considered. Mats was always a guy I wanted to work with. After FIREWIND went on hiatus, I started doing all these songs with Mats for my solo record. He became the main singer on my solo record, on the first one ['I Am The Fire'], at least."

On selecting Henning Basse (METALIUM, SONS OF SEASONS) as FIREWIND's new vocalist.

Gus: "I had lost touch with Henning for a few years. Then there was one show Mats couldn't do, it was a festival a few years ago, and I reached out to Henning to bring him in to help me out with that. We started hanging out again and remembered the good times we had in 2007, so I asked him to help me out on the next couple of solo tours that I had. Then, it was one of those things where we started discussing FIREWIND again and when I would bring the band back again. He really wanted to be the singer. Honestly, Henning is the perfect guy for this band. He's one of the really great power metal singers of Europe. He's been doing it for a long time. He was looking to join a band; we were looking for a singer, and we knew him already. He's a good friend. We've toured with him already, so we knew he wasn't going to go weird on us."

On the 2013 departure of longtime FIREWIND singer Apollo Papathanasio:

Gus: "We both moved on. For me, when somebody leaves the band, it's done. I've never went back and played with somebody that either got fired or quit. In Apollo's case, he quit. He chose to quit. Obviously, he was the voice of the band. He was a very important part of the band. We were all disappointed in the group. We briefly tried it with another guy for our 2013 commitments, and it didn't work out. Then that's when we decided to just take a break, especially me, I started getting tired of it. I wanted to do other things."

On if he thought about dissolving FIREWIND entirely:

Gus: "It did cross my mind that I should have split up the band. During the last few years, it just felt like there was a lot of pressure, even from fans. I think it just happens when you start building a catalog and you've been around for a while, people have their own opinions, and they have their favorite eras and all of that stuff. It just started piling up too much with me. I needed a fresh start. As I went along with my solo stuff, which I really enjoyed doing… I'm a pretty stubborn guy, I'm not a quitter. I was thinking, 'I've worked pretty hard to establish FIREWIND, even to this level, for 15 years, I don't see a reason why I would quit because somebody decided to quit.' The guys had felt the same way. We decided we're going to come back."

On whether he's still a member of Ozzy Osbourne's solo band:

Gus: "That would be a question for him, not for me. [Laughs] I don't have any inside info, except for the news that we all keep seeing popping up on various web sites. I know he's been hinting at work on a new solo record, but when will that be? I sure don't know."

On whether Ozzy's recent songwriting sessions with BILLY IDOL guitarist Steve Stevens suggest Gus is out of the band:

Gus: "I don't know. I don't think [Ozzy] said that Steve Stevens is in the band. He said he was writing with him. I know some web sites went on to say, 'It sucks for Gus because he's not there anymore.' I don't think Ozzy ever said that. At least I didn't think that, anyway. That's something I've known about since last year. I've heard a couple of those demos he did with his buddy, Billy Morrison [who also plays guitar in Billy Idol's band], and Steve Stevens. Those guys are great songwriters. I love what they did on the last Billy Idol record. I don't know what the plans are. This is not the kind of band where I make decisions. I'm hired to play guitar. Whatever Ozzy and Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager] decide, or their label executives, or producer, or whoever is going to be writing that… First of all, it's too early to say, and I would be the wrong guy to ask."

On whether he would accept an offer to play for another band:

Gus: "For me, I never saw myself as being a hired gun. It just so happened that I was asked by Ozzy to join his band. You don't say no to that. That was an amazing thing, even for me, it was weird because I'm not one of those session guys. I was never used to being a sideman, but I learned a lot from doing that. Other than that, I've always been the kind of guy that had his own thing going on, and I'm really enjoying doing my thing. I was never the guy who thought, 'Where do I go? Where's the next gig for me?' I don't look for that stuff. I have my own thing, which I've been working on for the last ten years-plus. That's what I see myself doing if I'm no longer with Ozzy, or when that happens. I'm just going to keep doing my thing."

"Immortals" was released on January 20 via FIREWIND's longtime label partner Century Media Records in Europe, and AFM Records in North America.

Ozzy currently has two solo shows booked for July: Rock USA festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and Chicago Open Air festival in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Meltdown of the WRIF radio station in Detroit, Michigan recently conducted an interview with QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

Speaking about QUIET RIOT's plans for the rest of 2017, Banali said: "Well, we've got a new record coming out. This will be the first new record of all new songs, newly recorded material, that we've done since 2006; that's the last time we released an official QUIET RIOT record. And that's coming out early spring on Frontiers Records, so I'm really, really excited about that. And it's got the current lineup, it's on that record. And we continue to tour. I'm concentrating on hitting as many cities — be it large cities or small cities — as I can this year, as well as continuing to make headway in European markets."

He continued: "This is what I do, this is what I love to do. When it comes to the business of it, I'm very serious about it, but from the time I get to an event for soundcheck, and especially from the time I put the stage clothes on to the time I take 'em off in a hotel room, it's all about the music — nothing else. I don't think about business, I don't think about family, I don't think about anything except the music and the fans, and, for me, that's what keeps me going."

Asked what fans like to talk to him about when they approach him on the road, Banali said: "It runs the gamut, because I run into diehard fans that have seen us time and time again, and you have to search the memory banks: 'Oh, yeah, I remember that date,' or something that happened that particular day. The other rewarding aspect of it is that I'm seeing fans out there that clearly were not even born when the 'Metal Health' record came out, and they're equally as enthusiastic about the band as the diehard longtime fans are. And when I'm sitting there behind the drums — I've go the best seat in the house — and I'm watching an older fan and I'm watching a much, much younger fan and they're both singing the lyrics to songs, and not just the hits, but even some of the deep tracks, that's when you know you've made an impact in some manner into a lot of people's lives, and those lives have impacted mine and the career of QUIET RIOT, so I'm really grateful for that."

He continued: "It means the world to me. Most musicians won't admit it, but the reality is that without the fans, we wouldn't be able to do what we do, so I'm forever grateful for three decades of being able to do what I do with QUIET RIOT."

Last October, QUIET RIOT announced Seann Nicols (a.k.a. Sheldon Tarsha; formerly of ADLER'S APPETITE) as its new vocalist.

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

Banali revived QUIET RIOT in 2010, three years after singer Kevin DuBrow's death, along with veteran bassist Chuck Wright, who played on several of the tracks on the classic QUIET RIOT album "Metal Health", and guitarist Alex Grossi. The group went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Pearl in 2013.

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

Interview (audio):

AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Zacky Vengeance has slammed the band's former record company Warner Music Group as "imbeciles."

The label announced an AVENGED greatest hits package just days before the surprise unveiling of AVENGED's new studio effort, "The Stage", scheduling it for a December 2 release after initial rumors hinted at a December 9 arrival for the group's Capitol debut.

"As far as our old label is concerned," Zacky told The National Student, "we had no idea they were even going to attempt any of that. We didn't know about that until the album was coming up; we actually thought it was quite hysterical when they were misled by a fake tweet that [FOZZY singer and close friend] Chris Jericho sent out, and that just kind of shows what kind of a label they were in the first place that they were led on by that rumor. And that's, obviously, why we wouldn't want to be with a team of people that were — I mean, I hate to use the word 'imbeciles,' but I'll go ahead and use the word — imbeciles."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD lead singer M. Shadows was equally critical of Warner Music Group, telling the 101.1 WJRR radio station last November: "We're not promoting [the greatest-hits album] at all. That has nothing to do with us. They, basically, saw the [rumored release date] and, from what we understand, they are trying to undercut our new record, so they were trying to put it out the week before. And as childish as things can be behind the scenes with lawyers and stuff, as I'm sure you can imagine, this is childish on a whole new level."

Shadows added: "You're gonna try to put this record out right before our new record just to undercut us and try to confuse the casual fan, like, 'Is this the new record? Or is that the new record?'… It's a record label basically digging themselves into a deeper hole, as far as I'm concerned, 'cause it doesn't look good to other bands who are potentially gonna sign there, and it doesn't look good to fans."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD is locked in a legal battle with Warner Music Group over what the label claims is a breach of contract.

"The Stage" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart last November. The surprise release of the disc, which was announced the night it went on sale, earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in eleven years. It sold 76,000 copies in its first week, less than half the tally of its previous two efforts.

The group made the album available at midnight on October 27 with almost no promotion beforehand, save for the arrival of a new song one week earlier.

"For us, it was about surprising our fans," Zacky told The National Student. "Because, for [the band's previous album] 'Hail To The King', we did the three-month roll-out and we could sense the boredom in our fans: 'Oh, AVENGED is trolling us. They're doing the campaign and doing scavenger hunts, just release the fucking songs already! We just wanna hear the album!' This time, we gave them nothing and then we gave them the album, like, 'Here you go. Make up your mind!'"

He continued: "Album sales weren't as good, but at what point do people critique success on how many fucking albums you sell in a week rather than how big your balls are? So for us, I think we had some pretty big fucking balls and we did some exciting shit. I think the fans appreciate that too."

Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd says that he has changed his opinion about Axl Rose fronting the band.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.

The GUNS N' ROSES leader completed nearly two dozen shows with AC/DC last year after singer Brian Johnson, who joined in 1980 after the death of original vocalist Bon Scott, was told he was at risk of going deaf.

The controversial Rose-AC/DC pairing received mostly positive reviews, but not before Rudd panned the collaboration, claiming that he wouldn't have been willing to rejoin the band if Rose remained at the mic. "If Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist] wanted me to play, then that's up to him," Rudd said last year. "But I don't really want to play with Axl Rose. I don't really rate him."

However, in a brand new interview with Music Radar, Rudd sang a different tune, explaining that he has "watched some clips the other day of Axl singing with the boys. I was surprised; it wasn't too bad. I was quite surprised, I thought he did quite well and that's not an easy gig, mate, it's not an easy gig at all. AC/DC is a tough gig for everyone in the band. I saw Angus jamming with GUNS N' ROSES as well. Apart from watching those clips though, I don't know what's going to happen or what's going on with the band."

Rudd also revealed that has "spoken to a couple of the guys" in AC/DC, but added: "I can't say what's on the horizon for AC/DC, I can't really say. That's not my thing to say. I have seen, though, that GUNS N' ROSES are playing over here in Wellington [New Zealand] soon and they have a big tour all over the world. I wonder whether Angus will be happy to see GUNS N' ROSES going out on a big tour which means that AC/DC can't go out on tour. We will see. You'd need a crystal ball to know what's going to happen there."

Rudd appeared to take responsibility for his dismissal from AC/DC, saying: "I was just being a fucking dickhead. I shot myself in the foot. You make your own bed, mate. You make your own mistakes and you have to deal with them and that is what I have done. Hindsight is 20/20."

Rudd, who has appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 studio albums, is getting ready for his first solo tour in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

Rudd's replacement in AC/DC is Chris Slade, who also did a three-year stint with the group from 1990 to 1993.

Brad Tolinski of BackStory Events conducted an interview with Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, at this year's NAMM show, which was held January 19-22 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. You can watch the chat below.

Strauss recently released a brand new solo single titled "Pandemonium". Written, recorded and produced by Nita, the song features the axewoman on all guitar and bass, alongside her boyfriend and manager Josh Villalta on drums and Katt Scarlett on keyboards.

The drums were recorded at Sable Studios while the track was mixed and mastered by Travis Huff at Nocturnal Studios.

The official video for "Pandemonium", produced by Flarelight Films, LLC and directed by Brian Cox and Corey Soria, can be seen below.

"We did that video… We were planning on just releasing a SoundCloud link for this song, and then my boyfriend Josh looks at me a week before the premiere date and he goes, 'Let's go make a video for it,'" Nita said. "And I said, 'What? Now? We don't have time.' And he said, 'Just let me worry about that.' And I said, 'Okay.' And sure enough, we threw together a video in four days and got it ready to premiere. And, for me, it really encapsulated the song. It's a raw, aggressive song, and we shot kind of a raw, aggressive video. And it came out exactly how I wanted it to."

Regarding her plans to release more solo music, Nita said: "We've got four months off with Alice, which is a rarity in our world. So I'm gonna take these next four months. I've put together my own band, [I'm] working on original music and hoping to have something out before I leave again in April."

Strauss told Ultimate Classic Rock about her upcoming album: "I started writing music, and it turned into something that sounded like it needed to be a band. It didn't sound like something that was indulgent enough to just be like, 'This is the Nita show.' They sounded like band songs. I'm a band person. I might come across like kind of a show-off onstage and stuff, but I like collaborating with people. So I threw together a great group of girls. I thought it needed a great female lineup, and I think I've almost got it the way that I want it now."

"Pandemonium" is featured on Favored Nations Entertainment's all-female compilation "She Rocks, Volume 1". This collection of kick-ass guitar goddesses is produced by Tolinski with iconic guitarist Steve Vai as executive producer, and showcases eleven female guitarists, each a virtuoso in her own right.

Strauss is a longtime Ibanez signature series endorsee who made her name with THE IRON MAIDENS, FEMME FATALE and LA Kiss.

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford took part in the Musicians Institute Conversation Series on August 5, 2016 in Hollywood, California. The legendary frontman took the stage with Alternative Press senior editor Ryan J. Downey (MTV News, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter) for a wide-ranging question-and-answer session about Halford's illustrious career as "The Metal God." You can now watch the discussion in five parts below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his performance with the the Japanese teenage girl pop metal band BABYMETAL at last year's Alternative Press Music Awards in Columbus, Ohio:

Rob: "It was pretty cool. A lot of people hated me after that, which is… whatever. Whatever. My philosophy in life is 'do everything that you wanna do and don't let nobody try and stop you.' Because if you're living your life for yourself… That can be kind of dangerous territory in the music world, because our fans, who I love with all my heart, are like family. And when you're in a family, you're very opinionated. 'What is he wearing?' You know, that kind of thing. 'What is he doing with BABYMETAL?' I just wanted to do it because they asked me, and I think they're pretty cool, and that was that. So end of story. And then you go to Blabbermouth, there's, like, five thousand, 'Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!'"

On the JUDAS PRIEST creative process:

Rob: "I still enjoy the adventure, the challenge of a new vocal idea, an approach. PRIEST is making new music right now. I never talk about PRIEST music before it's officially time to talk about it, but there is some fucking incredible things coming from this band — some really, really serious stuff is about to happen. I think everybody's gonna be very, very happy with what we're trying to do next. And that again is always what else can you do? After forty-something years, you can still do something different. And that's what I love about this band, about PRIEST — that we haven't kind of let go of the reins. We're still very much hungry and searching and trying to prove what we've got left inside of us as musicians. And so this next batch is gonna be a real thrilling moment for everybody, I think."

On JUDAS PRIEST's 2011 announcement that it was embarking on the "Epitaph" world tour, which was intended to be a "farewell" run for the band:

Rob: "You never lose sight of the fact of where you are and how you got to the place that you're at, and I think that's not just in music, but in everything. There's very few of us that can get through life without having some kind of a team or a person or a bunch of people helping us move ahead and achieve the things that we love. And so it is with us in PRIEST. There's a tremendous love that we have for each other as far as, you know, musicians. And the fact that this thing about… When you say you're gonna do a farewell tour, please don't say that, because… [Laughs] I'm saying that because I'm talking from experience. Before K.K. [Downing, guitar] retired, it was gonna be a farewell tour, but then when Richie came along — the incredible guitar player Richie Faulkner came along — not only did he give us a boost, which is a natural thing… It's like when you change a guy on your football team or your basketball team, the team is the same but you bring in another player and the dynamics should shift, the energy should shift. And that's what happened with Richie. The sense of longevity is still within us. I don't think we're going… Even though the clock is ticking, we're not even thinking about the end. What else can we do? It's gonna be more live shows and more records for the future."

On how JUDAS PRIEST's songwriting process works:

Rob: "It still comes down to the really rudimentary stuff. It's all about riffs — it really is about riffs and just the way the notes are arranged. I always emphasize the melodic side of what we do in PRIEST. There's always melody. Even in the fiercest stuff, there's some kind of melody that you can kind of attach yourself to. So in all the years that we've been together, I don't think that's changed one bit. I've got most of the PRIEST album on my phone — the new PRIEST album — but it's very rudimentary, and it is all about the simplicity of the riffs. And that would be a great challenge: could you make another album in thirty days? That would be a throwdown, wouldn't it? And I dare say that if push came to shove, we'd have a damn good go. It's different in today's world that… I wouldn't say that we enjoy the luxury of waiting, it's just the way that things go on in life. We're still very disciplined when we go in the studio. I mean, we have set hours. We take the weekends off. We have set hours. We get there, we do the work for the day, and then we leave. And I think it's important, as a musician, to have that sense of responsibility, not only to yourself as a musician, but to your bandmates. 'Cause we're all in this together. Everybody's as important as everybody else, everybody has something valuable to share. And ideas are popping in the room right from the moment that the sound starts happening. So who knows? This one that we're working on now, it's coming together pretty quickly, but it'll be a long way off until the final crescendo, just because we're so fanatical. When you've left this incredible treasure trail behind you, we're always… We're always looking backwards, but we know we have a sense of trying to get to that next place, whatever that place might be. So it is increasingly challenging. We don't just a bang a song together. It's very deliberately kind of thought out without killing the soul and spirit. When you get spontaneous, that's a great feeling. If you can capture that spontaneity, that can be within the song, but what goes around that song can take a while to accomplish at this point, hundreds of songs later. But it works, and it's a joy making this PRIEST record right now."

JUDAS PRIEST's latest album, "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.

Interviewing #RobHalford from @judaspriest right now. We hope hope your Friday night is going just as well. pic.twitter.com/fB4oaKvPNI

— Musicians Institute (@MIHollywood) August 6, 2016

METALLICA played the song "Confusion" live for the first time on January 18 at LeSports Center in Beijing, China. Official footage of the performance can be seen below.

METALLICA's official video for "Confusion" was directed by Claire Marie Vogel. The clip, in which one soldier's civilian life blurs into a battlefield, cuts back and forth between a woman fighting in a war zone and working in a mundane office.

"Confusion" is taken from METALLICA's latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", which debuted as expected at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart on November 27, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release. Both of the band's previous outings, 2008's "Death Magnetic" and 2003's "St. Anger", sold more copies in shortened sales weeks. "Death Magnetic" moved 490,000 copies in a three-day window, while "St. Anger" shifted 418,000 copies in a similar frame.

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

METALLICA has shows booked in Denmark, Mexico and South America over the next three months, but has yet to unveil its full 2017 tour plans, including its first North American tour in eight years.

The band's sole North American date so far is May 21 at the Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio.

The brand new studio album "Novum" (on CD and 2LP) by PROCOL HARUM will be released on April 21 via Eagle Records. The band's first studio album in fourteen years, and thirteenth overall, follows 2003's "The Well's On Fire". "Novum" is released as the band celebrates its 50th anniversary, while also undertaking a European tour. The album release is preceded by that of the single "Sunday Morning" on April 7.

Half a century ago, powered by the huge and ongoing success of their debut single "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", PROCOL HARUM went on to help define the progressive rock genre while at the same time embracing their roots in blues and soul. "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" continues to be one of the best-selling singles of all time. The cover artwork of "Novum" by Julia Brown references elements of the sleeve of that album — the band's eponymous debut album in 1967.

PROCOL HARUM has been an evolving musical force from the first performance in '67, but always led by founding member, singer, pianist and composer Gary Brooker. Most of today's lineup has been playing together since the early '90s and it includes bassist Matt Pegg (JETHRO TULL, Ian Brown), drummer Geoff Dunn (Jimmy Page, Dave Stewart, Van Morrison), guitarist Geoff Whitehorn (Roger Chapman, Paul Rodgers, Roger Daltrey) and Hammond organ player Josh Phillips (Pete Townsend and Midge Ure), but to all their fans, they are the real PROCOL HARUM.

"Our last studio album was in 2003, and with 2017 being 50 years of PROCOL HARUM, something special was needed, which has resulted in a new album of new songs with the band as we've stood for the past decade, all contributing with producer Dennis Weinreich to make what I believe to be one of the finest PROCOL HARUM albums ever — 'Novum' — just listen," states Gary Brooker.

"Novum" sees a new direction for PROCOL HARUM, with the songs being written and created by the whole band, with most songs featuring words by Pete Brown, most famous for his songwriting collaboration with the members of CREAM. This has given a different feel to the songs, retaining the thought provoking content for which the band has always been known but with a different slant and elements of humor.

"Novum" marks not only an incredible fifty years of amazing music, but also the next step for this seminal band. This long-awaited collection of brand new songs is sure to be welcomed by PROCOL HARUM's devoted fanbase.

"Novum" track listing:

01. I Told On You02. Last Chance Motel 03. Image Of The Beast 04. Soldier 05. Don't Get Caught 06. Neighbour 07. Sunday Morning 08. Businessman 09. Can't Say That 10. The Only One 11. Somewhen

Available exclusively in North America and released in conjunction with the band's upcoming spring co-headline tour with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE — "KillThrax" — thrash metal icons ANTHRAX have announced the release of the limited-edition "For All Kings 7-Inch Box Set" (Megaforce Records). The set goes on sale March 24, will retail for $79.99, and is an absolutely stunning collector's item for any ANTHRAX fan, as the unboxing video below will illustrate.

The "For All Kings 7-Inch Box Set" includes a removable lenticular cover and contains ten seven-inch vinyl discs featuring twenty songs — the eleven finished album tracks, two brand new covers (THE WHITE STRIPES' "Black Math" and the classic KANSAS song "Carry On"), six demos from the "For All Kings" track listing, and "Vice Of The People", a bonus track previously released only in Japan and now making its North American vinyl debut. The original album cover art sketch by Alex Ross is also part of this package, as well as a download card enabling the holder to access the box set's track listing for free.

Each seven-inch disc features gorgeous, double-sided four-color artwork designed by Douglas Heusser with additional art by Stephen Thompson, as well as band photos by Jimmy Hubbard. The tracks are pressed onto different-colored vinyl discs — red, green, blue, maroon, orange, most with a two-color swirl design.

"Doing a box set edition of 'For All Kings' was something that we've always wanted to do," said ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante, who worked closely with Heusser and Thompson on the box set's artwork. "We wanted to do something special, something that was so much more than the original release, and have it be fun for our audience when they open it up, just be floored by the different colored vinyl, the artwork, everything that's inside. And we think we've done that."

"For All Kings 7-Inch Box Set" track listing:

Breathing Lightning (album version)Breathing Lightning (demo)

Monster At The End (album version)Monster At The End (demo)

Suzerain (album version)Suzerain (demo)

Black Math (THE WHITE STRIPES cover)Carry On (KANSAS cover)

You Gotta Believe (album version)For All Kings (album version)

Evil Twin (album version)This Battle Chose Us (album version)

All Them Thieves (album version)Vice of the People (previously unreleased in North America)

Zero Tolerance (album version)Zero Tolerance (demo)

Blood Eagle Wings (album version)Blood Eagle Wings (demo)

Defend Avenge (album version)Defend Avenge (demo)

British rock legends DEEP PURPLE will release their new album, "InFinite", the highly anticipated follow-up to their worldwide chart-topping effort "Now What?!", on April 7 via earMUSIC.

"InFinite" was tracked in February 2016 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee and was once again helmed by Bob Ezrin, who has previously worked with KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER and KANSAS, among others.

A limited-edition EP for "Time For Bedlam", with non-album songs and unreleased recordings, will hit the shops on February 3.

A documentary movie, "From Here To InFinite", witnessing the songwriting process and the recording of the album with Ezrin, has been produced, allowing for the first time for the fans to be part of the private band member interactions in the studio. The movie will be included in some editions of the album and it will be presented before release in various fan events worldwide.

A short clip from the above-mentioned documentary movie can be seen below.

DEEP PURPLE recently announced their "Long Goodbye Tour", which will bring the legendary live show once again all over the world. The band has not yet answered the many questions received by fans from all over the world who are speculating about the meaning of the title "InFinite" and "Long Goodbye".

Singer Ian Gillan declared: "If you take it literally, you may, quite reasonably, think the 'Finite' part of the word describes the life of DEEP PURPLE, with a clear beginning and a nebulous end; but what of the 'in' bit? The word 'infinite' is a three-dimensional, double-edged sword. It describes something that goes on forever in all directions; not unlike its temporal equivalent 'Eternal'. What's that all about?

"Stephen Hawking declared (in 'A Brief History Of Time') that, before the Big Bang there was nothing. That would put the kybosh on the idea of our universe being Infinite, as he provides a starting point, which is not acceptable to the concept. So, Hawking's universe in 'Finite'; by definition; whether he agrees or not.

"Ironically, he is quite wrong (scientists always are eventually), therefore the Universe is infinite, which means it will never end, and also means that it never started, and the corollary to that of course is that we don't exist.

"There is a metaphysical solution to all this, but it will have to wait until the tour is over because (thanks heavens) there are only 24 hours in a day (for the time being) or 10 hours in a metric day. More on that later…"

PURPLE drummer Ian Paice suffered a minor stroke in 2015, forcing him to miss the band's shows in Sweden and Denmark — the first time his medical condition prevented him from performing with the group.

DEEP PURPLE — which has been eligible for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for two decades now — finally entered the Rock Hall as part of the class of 2016. The band's first three lineups were inducted, including drummer Ian Paice, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, late keyboardist Jon Lord, and various singers and bassists — Rod Evans; Ian Gillan and Roger Glover; and David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes.

DECADENCE — the Sweden-based thrash metal quintet fronted by Kitty Saric (a.k.a. Metallic Kitty) — has released lyric videos for all the songs that appear on the band's fifth full-length album, "Undergrounder". Joining Kitty and her songwriting partner of over fifteen years, Kenneth Lantz, on the new effort is drummer Lawrence Dinamarca (NIGHTRAGE, LOCH VOSTOK, CARNAL FORGE).

"Undergrounder" track listing:

01. The Inner Circle02. Steam City03. Underground04. In Sickness And Health05. Powerhouse06. One More Fight07. Manifesto08. Always The More Extreme

Says Kitty: "Kenneth and I have created something that I didn't think was possible. We've taken all we've learnt and gathered through the many years we had with early DECADENCE and lifted it to create an album for you that reveals everything about who we are as musicians due to it.

"DECADENCE is such a huge part of our lives and it always will be. We didn't leave a bit behind. It's all there for you.

"We give Joakim Antman (bass) and Erik Röjås (drums) our biggest gratitude for the years we played together."

According to a press release, "DECADENCE has an inspiring resume to show for the past decade with four full-length albums, two of which were released within one year.

"DECADENCE has always been a promoter of the underground music scene. Pushing for the DIY, licensed their top selling release to three different labels simultaneously while running it through the own label HTI Records (now re-named Heavy Dose after the band's first single), pushed for other bands to do the same, and had all promotion pushed by fans for fans through street teams, fan clubs and metalheads from all over the world.

"In addition to amazing fan-driven concerts, they most recently visited Venezuela that became the summing up of the ten years together.

"DECADENCE never stopped, it evolved. And now they are back to continue spreading the message."

LIZZY BORDEN has entered the studio to begin recording the long-awaited follow-up to 2007's "Appointment With Death" album. Speaking to The Metal Voice at this year's NAMM show in Anaheim, California, the band's frontman and namesake said about the long delay in getting a new record out: "Well, what happened was we've been on tour, on this perpetual tour for, like, the last ten years, and there was no reason to release a record. We just kept booking our winters, booking our summers, and just kept going and going. And finally we were in Russia, and I said, 'That's it. I'm done.' Our last show. I took the train off the track and decided to make a record. And Metal Blade offered a great deal. And, actually, it's reasonable to make a record now. So, yeah, all my thoughts and everything I'm putting into making this new record, which comes out this year. The first single should be out in May, [and] the album should be out in August."

Regarding the musical direction of the new LIZZY BORDEN material, Lizzy said: "I went back to thinking about individual songs. I make theme albums, conceptual albums, and they all kind of work together. And I'm still doing that on this album too, but I'm more interested in each song standing up on its own and not having to do deal with the concept. So I individualized all of these songs as if they were singles. That was kind of my thinking when I did the 'Visual Lies' album in '87, which was one of our biggest records. It was the same thing; the songs were individualized even though, thematically, it was all the same. And so I went back to that way of thinking. I hadn't done that in a while. There's a ton of vocals — probably more vocals on this than I have ever done, and I usually do a lot of vocals [laughs], if you've heard any of my records."

Lizzy Borden has spent over three decades creating some of the most theatrical metal in existence, releasing classics such as "Love You To Pieces" (1985) and "Master Of Disguise" (1989), while obliterating audiences worldwide with a stage show that rivals that of Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper. For his efforts, he has become nothing short of a metal icon.

Joining Lizzy in LIZZY BORDEN's current lineup are Joey Scott on drums, Mårten Andersson on bass and Ira Black on guitar.

Gritty progressive metal band Barishi have released a new music video for the track "The Great Ennead". The clip, directed by Bobby Csehak showcases a live performance by the band, and can be seen below.

"The Great Ennead" appears on the band's ambitious new full-length, Blood From The Lion's Mouth, which can be streamed via the Bandcamp audio player below.

Blood from the Lion's Mouth by Barishi

Blood From The Lion's Mouth was recorded by Brian Westbrook at PDP Recording in Greenfield, MA during winter 2015 - 2016, and features cover art by Brian Mercer (Lamb Of God, Black Tusk, Wildlights).

Catch Barishi live in concert:

February
25 - Revere, MA - Sammy's Patio

March
31 - Stratton, VT - Grizzly's Nightclub

April 
28 - Portland, ME - Space

 

Season Of Mist has announced the signing of french black metal cultists Merrimack.

Regarding their signing, the band comments: "We are pleased to announce that Merrimack is joining the Season Of Mist roster. This is another significant step in our goal to deliver the blackest of metal, without compromising our art. Working with fellow countrymen will ensure a fruitful cooperation, and their unquestionable professionalism can be nothing but a motivation for the band to make this union last long!"

Merrimack were founded by guitarist Perversifier in 1994 with a clear vision to keep the black metal flame burning as an act of aesthetic terrorism – adamantly based in the underground as opposed to any attempts to co-opt or commercialize.

With a number of demo recordings under their belt in the mid '90s, the French gained recognition and respect in the scene for being true to their words. Following the release of three well-received full-lengths, the Parisians remained dedicated to their roots firmly lodged in dirty, grime, and fanatical passion. The band's daft combination of harsh soundscapes with epic songwriting appealed to critics and fans alike, allowing the band to embark on their celebrated first US-tour with Marduk and Nachtmystium in 2009.

Following the recording of their last album, (The Acausal Mass, 2012) at the legendary Necromorbus Studio (Watain, Destroyer 666), Merrimack embarked on a European tour with Norwegian genre icons Mayhem and accepted invitations to prestigious festivals such as Hellfest in their native France, Germany's Party-San Open Air and Summer Breeze and Montreal's Messe des Morts in Canada.

Having firmly established their black name and message around the globe, Merrimack are currently preparing to release their next milestone of extreme black metal with a malicious underground spirit this year.