Beautiful Creatures have announced they will be releasing a remixed, remastered, re-sequenced Deluxe edition of their sophomore album Deuce.

Following Beautiful Creature's self titled release in 2001, the core band Joe LeSte (vocals), Kenny Kweens (bass) and Anthony Focx (guitar) immediately entered the studio with a new lineup which included lead guitarist Alex Grossi and began recording material for the follow-up to their debut, which would end up being titled Deuce.

Produced by guitarist Anthony Focx and bass guitarist Kenny Kweens mixed by Toby Wright, (whose past production work includes Alice In Chains, Korn and KISS), Deuce was released worldwide in 2005 and ultimately landed premier placements on the hit FX TV series Sons Of Anarchy, the Walt Disney/Touchstone hit film The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as well multiple other TV and movie soundtracks.

Beautiful Creatures founding bassist Kenny Kweens states: "unlike our  debut record, Deuce was never properly released digitally and nearly impossible to get physically due to all the changes in the industry. We are really looking forward to everyone hearing Deuce as it was meant to be sonically.”

Deuce Deluxe (which is currently set for a March release) will feature every track the band recorded for the Japanese Release (JVC Records) as well as the US release (Spitfire/Eagle Rock), In one digital package that has been re-mixed and remastered. It will also include new album cover artwork and edits that up until now, were not included in either initial release.

"We are really excited to be doing this,” says Joe LeSte. "We have all been through a lot both personally and professionally as a band - and even though we have all gone down different roads, whenever we see each other or chat on the phone, it's like no time has gone by at all. I saw Kenny (Kweens) and Alex (Grossi) on the last Monsters Of Rock Cruise, we ended up all onstage together playing a Beautiful Creatures tune, it was really fun - within 48 hours, all of our phones lit up. So, we collectively said fuck it, let's go for it and well, here we are!"

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett has issued his strongest condemnation yet of Donald Trump, comparing the new president's inaugural address to the speeches that were made in Germany under Adolf Hitler's rule and urging the American people to "reject the lies from the people in the new administraton."

After Trump — one of the most polarizing figures to assume the office — was officially sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, January 20, a number of celebrities took to social media to share their thoughts, including Hammett, who has previously said that the new leadership lacks "a general sense of what is right and what's wrong."

In a series of tweets, the METALLICA guitarist was especially critical of Trump's inaugural address, which painted a bleak picture of life for some in the United States, promised to end what Trump called the "American carnage," and work tirelessly to put "America first."

Hammett wrote: "Trump's Inaugural Address and his asking us to put America first sounds, to me, familiar to what was said in speeches going around Germany in the 1930's …and later Russia in the 1940's

"Pay attention people Stand up for truth, compassion and togetherness. Don't settle for anything less.

"Reject lies, Fear mongering, Misguided Anger

"The system wants us divided, so it's easier to control us emotionally.

"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!

"LIKE IT OR NOT, WE NEED EACH OTHER TO OVERCOME THE BIGGER THREAT…

"And we all know what the threat is – people in power who are trying to deny us and our children and grandchildren a healthy green future REJECT AMERICAN CARNAGE

"We are a better nation right now than ever, better than just 5 years ago! REJECT THE LIES FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE NEW ADMINISTRATON, THEY ARE THERE ONLY TO FEED THEIR OWN THIRST FOR GREED AND POWER

"America never stopped being great!!

"America is one of the wealthiest and most prosperous nations on the planet.

"I'm proud of America!!

"To say America is not great, that it lacks greatness, sets up a scenario for manipulation and control from others – pay attention people!

"Remember the great America of today.

"Then I'll check in with you about America's greatness in 6 months and we'll see what's changed.

"The only people who deny CLIMATE CHANGE are the same people who stand to lose from renewable energy

"This administration is thinking that it can just ignore CLIMATE CHANGE.

"People, it now comes down to us to make up the difference..

"Let's not stand for their preaching lies about our Mother Earth –DENY THE DENIERS !!!

"THEY ARE THE EARTH KILLERS

"REJECT the term Alt-Right, just another sneaky euphemism for white supremacy, call it what it is!

"Don't let them hide behind dishonesty!

"One final thing – If we don't put up a fight we risk losing our rights..

"Defend Democracy from those who want to crush it !"

Hammett's latest comments echo those he made last month when he told Billboard: "For me, a good leader is someone with integrity, honesty and altruism, and a general sense of what is right and what's wrong. We don't have that in our leadership right now, and that puts me in a state of awareness and attentiveness, and it puts me in a state of wait and see what will happen. But if anything happens that I'm not okay with, I'm going to be super vocal about it for the first time in my life."

Hammett added that his decision to speak out on political matters was a departure from METALLICA's long-standing policy of not getting involved in issues that could be considered divisive.

"The thing is, METALLICA appeals to such a wide range of people," Hammett explained. "We have people on the left, people on the right, in droves. Part of the reason why we don't consider ourselves a politically oriented band is because when you start talking about politics you draw a line in the sand, and all of a sudden [there's] division, and that's not what we want. We want everyone to be in this together, experiencing the music together. We see politics as a completely different thing. It's like music and NASCAR racing, that's how different politics are to METALLICA."

Acknowledging that music has the power to reach people and change their minds, especially young fans that hang on their favorite artists' every word, Hammett said: "That's why I've chosen my words carefully, that I — not METALLICA, but I — will take it upon myself to get involved, if there is something I see that is seriously wrong, and I really feel that it's my job to say something, and to call out people who need to be called out. I believe in fairness. I believe in equal ground for everyone. I believe in equal opportunity and I believe that everyone is equal. That guy doesn't even believe in that! He does not believe that everyone is equal."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, who has made no secret of his liberal views, said in a recent interview with Vulture that he has never "willfully had a political conversation with" frontman James Hetfield, who has described himself as being somewhat conservative politically. Ulrich explained: "The thing you've got to understand is that METALLICA is made up of four people from four different places who took four very different paths to where we are now. The one thing that unites us is the love of the music that we're playing and that all four of us felt like outsiders trying to figure out who the hell we were. We didn't come together because we were questioning this in the culture or that about politics. We came together because we were all a little lost and trying to get a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. I'll sit and talk politics with you all night, but I don't necessarily feel the need to do it in an interview. METALLICA is a collective, but we've just never been the kind of band to sit down and say, 'Okay, what's our common view of the world?'"

Ulrich made headlines in October when he said that he would consider returning to his native Denmark if Donald Trump won the election.

Hetfield told BBC 6 Music that METALLICA stays away from topics like politics or religion in its music because "that just seems to polarize people even more. We all have our own beliefs, but at the end of the day, we're trying to connect with people and it seems like political views don't do that as much as music does."

The singer/guitarist continued: "There's a lot of polarization going on in the States, and I see it other places as well. But it just seems like you have to get more extreme to balance out the other extreme. We've got to find some balance in the middle here somewhere."

During Friday night's (January 20) broadcast of "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC, host Rachel Maddow opened the program by drawing an unlikely connection between the 2010 "American Carnage" tour featuring SLAYER, MEGADETH and TESTAMENT and President Donald Trump's grim inaugural address, which painted a bleak picture of the America he now leads, declaring, as he had throughout the election campaign, that it is beset by crime, poverty and a lack of bold action. "This American carnage stops right here," Trump declared in his speech. "From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, it's going to be America first."

Maddow stated at the start of her show (see video below): "I have somebody to introduce you to on this fine inaugural Friday. His name is Tim Araya [sic]. Tim Araya is the bass player and lead singer for the band SLAYER. And being the lead singer of the band SLAYER is a job — actually, being anybody in the band SLAYER — it's a job that has specific requirements that don't apply to all that many other jobs in life. One of the things you have to do if you're in the band SLAYER is you have to really wang your head around a lot — all the time, every time you play in public, any time you shoot a video, everything."

She continued: "You know, it's one thing if you're, like, in a metal band for a year in high school and you're 16 and you're basically made of rubber, right? But the guys in SLAYER have been doing this for a very, very long time. They've been doing this for decades. They're a very successful band. They haven't gone away. But the guys in SLAYER are now old guys. And there are just these seven little vertebrae in your neck, in all of our necks. And once you're no longer in high school, and you're an awesome metal dude who has started to turn gray, and you're still wanging your head around as part of your day job, those little vertebrae in your neck don't like it when you do that for decades. And so, in January, Tim Araya got cervical radiculopathy, which is a bad thing. And in order to deal with his cervical radiculopathy, he had to get surgery on his neck. And that was a drag for him. It was also a drag for a bunch of other aging metal dudes in his band and in other bands. It was also a drag for their fans, because him having to get surgery delayed the mega-metal all-star tour that was due to start in January 2010.

"This was an incredible tour. This was not just gonna be SLAYER — this was gonna be SLAYER and MEGADETH and TESTAMENT all playing the same concert, all playing the same night. This was an incredible tour. And because of the surgery, the whole tour had to get postponed, because the SLAYER guy had to get an anterior cervical discectomy to deal with all the consequences of all of his decades of vigorous headbanging. And nobody knew if the show would be able to go on. But lo and behold, it turns out the Almighty smiles even on bands named SLAYER, and Tim Araya recovered and we did, in the end, get — this is the important part — look at the top there [on the tour poster], see the red banner at the top there, it's kind of a bloody background. That's right — the 'American Carnage' tour. You can still buy posters, you can still buy commemorative posters from the 'American Carnage' tour. It's funny, by the time they got to their Canadian dates, they changed it to the 'Canadian Carnage' tour, but when they were in America, it was the 'American Carnage' tour. As you see on the poster there, it was a meeting of metal titans — SLAYER and MEGADETH and TESTAMENT. Even though it had been in doubt, it had to be delayed, it did happen, and for a certain generation of metal fans, that was metal heaven on earth. SLAYER and MEGADETH same night. And before today, if you were looking for 'American Carnage' in our national cultural life, that is what it was — it was when SLAYER and MEGADETH toured together in 2010 after the SLAYER guy had his neck surgery and nobody knew if he would be able to make it. That was 'American Carnage' before today. Now, as of today, 'American Carnage' will be forever known as the theme for the inaugural address of the 45th president of the United States."

This is not the first time heavy metal bands were mentioned on Maddow's program. Back in August 2012, she brought up the Tampa, Florida death metal scene in a segment debunking stories in the day's news. Three years earlier, she interviewed METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich about a number of topics, including how he felt about his group's music being used to psychologically torture prisoners of war.

Vocalist C.J. McMahon, who rejoined Australian extreme metallers THY ART IS MURDER earlier this month after a twelve-month absence, has blamed his drug addiction for his initial departure from the group and has vowed to move forward as "a new man."

McMahon wrote on his Instagram account: "You made me a rock star, you made me a God, you made me immortal. I owe my fans everything. I made myself a drug addict, I made myself a liar, I made myself lose and destroy friendships, I made my family and friends hurt. I come back to the world a new man who, with my closest friends (THY ART IS MURDER), will prove that we are the greatest, strongest, and most powerful force in metal, I will take no prisoners, we will crush all charts and expectations. We will take over the game and raise the bar so no one will touch it or us. I am C.J. McMahon and I will stand as a king with my brothers for the rest of time."

THY ART IS MURDER last week released a brand new song titled "No Absolution". Guitarist Andy Marsh spoke on McMahon's return and the track: "A little over a year ago, we were left in a pickle when C.J. had finally reached his breaking point — the physical, emotional and mental stresses of touring, and the lifestyle had taken its toll on him. After the dust had settled, we had time to speak amongst ourselves, and with him, and we were all able to get on the same page. He was able to take time off from the road and work consistently, tick off some life goals like getting married, and enjoy the routine and familiarity of life at home with his friends and family. Conversely, the rest of us kept going, touring relentlessly, playing bigger tours to more people than ever before, going to new countries for the very first time, and had a blast taking a few great vocalists and mates out for the ride with us while we weathered the storm and figured things out. Special thanks must go out to Monte Barnard, Nicholas Arthur, Lochlan Watt, and every other vocalist who took the time to apply in our discrete vocalist auditions. "After a few months away from the chaotic life on the road, C.J. reached out to us and we started maintaining more regular communication. He mentioned how he had started cleaning up, was focused on working hard and saving for his wedding and enjoying time at home, but he also mentioned he missed the shows, the friends, and us — his band. "After months of working things out, gaining his voice back, and mending wounded friendships, we are overwhelmed with excitement to announce that we have completed writing for a new record to be released later this year, featuring the one and only Christopher John McMahon. Welcome back, C.J.!"

In regards to the song "No Absolution", Marsh stated: "'No Absolution' is a rich tapestry, intertwined in faith, scripture and doctrine, and a story about the process that we have endured throughout the last year. We recorded this during the session for 'Holy War' but quite simply ran out of time to finish writing lyrics and recording vocals for it in order to make the record. This song now stands alone, without a record or release — a gift from us to you, thank you for your continued support, we can't wait to show you what we're making for 2017."

McMahon rejoined THY ART IS MURDER on stage on January 14 at the Unify festival in Tarwin Meadows, South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.

THY ART IS MURDER's third album, "Holy War", entered the official Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) chart at position No. 7 — the highest-ever position for an Australian extreme metal act. The Sydney-based band has generated controversy for the strong anti-religious stance of the title track's video, as well as the album cover which features references to a suicide bomber.

"Holy War" was released in Australia via UNFD and in other parts of the world through Nuclear Blast.

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON have released a short teaser for their upcoming album, which is tentatively due in March. The one-and-a-half-minute clip features an unidentified MASTODON bandmember — whose face and voice are obscured, but who appears to be drummer Brann Dailor — saying in part: "I'm not at liberty to say who I am or what I am doing here. This is a room. I'm pretty sure it's inside of a city or a town or a village. I'm in a recording studio. We're recording something. I don't know. I can't talk about it. Recording music, different kind of music. World music. Uh, heavy metal, R&B, Celtic music, music to dance to, music to sit down to, music to do yoga, music to, uh, do different kinds of, um, exercises to. Things like that. But I can't tell you any of the names of the songs or what the songs sound like."

MASTODON's follow-up to 2014's "Once More 'Round The Sun" album was once again helmed by famed producer Brendan O'Brien, who first collaborated with the band on their 2009 groundbreaking concept album "Crack The Skye".

MASTODON recorded the new disc at the Quarry in Kennesaw, Georgia before moving to Henson Studios in Los Angeles for the mixing stage. Songtitles set to appear on the disc include "Show Yourself", "Precious Stones" and "Your Own Blood".

MASTODON has confirmed a spring U.S. headline tour, which will kick off 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.

GUNS N' ROSES kicked off the Japanese leg of its "Not In This Lifetime" tour Saturday night (January 21) in Osaka, Japan.

The concert at Kyocera Dome once again saw classic GN'R lineup members Slash, Duff McKagan and Axl Rose backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and new second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

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

GUNS N' ROSES has four more shows in Japan scheduled for later this month, to be followed by dates in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Thailand and United Arab Emirates in February and March.

The "Not in This Lifetime" tour sold more than three million tickets in 2016, making it the year's most successful rock tour.

As previously reported, GUNS N' ROSES is coming back to North America next summer for at least another 15 stadium dates, as the band continues its reunion tour. The new North American run kicks off on July 27 in St. Louis, ending on September 8 in San Antonio.

The group has also mapped out a European jaunt that will begin on May 27 in Dublin, Ireland, ending on July 12 in the Netherlands. A July 15 show in Tel Aviv, Israel will also precede the North American leg.

The band kicked off its reunion trek last April with a club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

The first North American leg of the tour kicked off in late June and included 25 concerts, grossing a staggering $117 million.

On January 10, Alex Stojanovic of Metal Master Kingdom conducted an interview with former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER frontman Udo Dirkschneider at The Mod Club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can watch the full chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On if he envisioned doing a full world tour playing ACCEPT songs:

Udo: "[This] was not planned, then it got longer and longer and longer. When we are finished with the American tour, then we are at 100, or maybe 120 shows, then we go into the studio to work on the next U.D.O. album. We will do some more festival shows over the summer. Of course, it takes a lot for a new U.D.O. album to come out, but if I want, I can continue with this tour. I don't know. But it's good to see that people like it. That means, for me, in a way, it's what the people want to see. What can I say? I'm really happy. For me, it's now time to say 'I have to close the book.' I'm also a little bit tired of all this comparing who's playing the songs better, classic ACCEPT, or U.D.O. Now when the people want to hear some ACCEPT songs, they can go to ACCEPT."

On the ACCEPT songs he enjoys singing the most:

Udo: "You can see from the stage there a bunch of people who like 'Neon Nights', 'Princess Of The Dawn', 'Metal Heart', most of all, and 'Fast As A Shark'. In a way, what I'm doing is all the classic ACCEPT songs. Some songs like 'Wrong Is Right' I never played with ACCEPT, which is from the 'Metal Heart' album, and also 'Midnight Highway' we didn't play very often. But the people really appreciate what I'm doing with the classic songs. It's really hard to put a setlist together, so, of course, some people come up 'Why aren't you playing this song or this song?' If I want, I can make up another setlist."

On having his son Sven play drums in U.D.O.:

Udo: "When Francesco [Jovino] was leaving, I had auditions with a lot of drummers, but at this time, my son was [sitting in] for a couple of shows for Nigel [Glockler] from SAXON. I was with the guys in SAXON in Berlin, and I said to Biff [Byford], 'Shit, I have to look for a new drummer.' He said, 'Why are you not taking your son?' I wasn't really sure about it. But I knew that he was a really good drummer. But the family thing in the band, blah, blah, blah and so on. Then I asked my son, 'Can you maybe be the drummer U.D.O.?' He didn't say 'Yes' right away. He took three or four weeks to think about it. I said, 'Come on!' I knew that he was rehearsing like hell. For him it was very important–he told me this afterword–that he could play all of this stuff. Then he did the 'Decadent' tour with us perfectly. He's done a great job on all the ACCEPT stuff."

On ex-U.D.O. and ACCEPT guitarist Stefan Kaufmann's role with the band:

Udo: "He is the director of the upcoming DVD. He's more into video stuff. For this tour, for all the ACCEPT stuff, he was in the rehearsal room showing the guitar players the notes and showing my son some special things on the drums. Now, we are still really good friends. He's working a little bit behind the scenes and coming up for the U.D.O. album with some songs, I don't know. He's always writing songs, so we will see. Some people have asked if we had a fight, but no."

On if he's working on any new U.D.O. songs during the tour:

Udo: "Sometimes we have a jam [session] going on during soundcheck. We have some ideas, then we record them very quick. Also at home, we've already been working on some ideas, not finished songs, but we have tons of ideas at the moment. We're starting at the beginning of March with all the ideas, so for two or three weeks we'll do pre-production and all of the arranging. Then we'll see in the end, we'll have 16 or 17 songs we'll want to record."

DIRKSCHNEIDER released a live album called "Live - Back To The Roots" on October 28, 2016 via AFM Records. The effort, which was recorded on April 2, 2016 at Kaminwerk in Memmingen, Germany, was made available as two-CD digipak and gatefold three-vinyl in four different colors (black, gold, silver and clear).

DIRKSCHNEIDER touring lineup:

Udo Dirkschneider - VocalsSven Dirkschneider - DrumsFitty Wienhold - BassAndrey Smirnov - GuitarKasperi Heikkinen - Guitar

On Friday, January 20, METAL ALLEGIANCE, the all-star metal band consisting of a rotating cast of musicians, including members of TESTAMENT and MEGADETH, gathered at the City National Grove Of Anaheim for a monumental tribute to our fallen heroes. Hosted by Jackson and Charvel EVH, the event was a who's who of the metal community playing some heavy music!

This night marked the first time in a year that the core METAL ALLEGIANCE four — David Ellefson, Alex Skolnick, Mark Menghi and Mike Portnoy — played together. Joining them on stage were Marty Friedman (MEGADETH), Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE), Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH), Richie Faulkner (JUDAS PRIEST), Mike Inez (ALICE IN CHAINS), Mikkey Dee (MOTÖRHEAD, SCORPIONS), Hernan "Eddie" Hermida (SUICIDE SILENCE), Arejay Hale (HALESTORM), Carla Harvey (BUTCHER BABES), Chris Jericho (FOZZY), Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL), Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD), Gary Holt (SLAYER, EXODUS), Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX), Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT) and Billy Sheehan (THE WINERY DOGS). The show started at 7 p.m. with sets by Marty Friedman, Gus G. and MARTYRD.

METAL ALLEGIANCE's a special EP, titled "Fallen Heroes", was released on August 12, 2016. The band united to pay homage to the three legends — Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie and Glenn Frey — who impacted not just their lives but the world as well.

METAL ALLEGIANCE took the news of Lemmy's passing very hard as the bands very first gig was on MOTÖRHEAD's first Motörboat cruise. It was on that boat where the idea to write a record together and carry the METAL ALLEGIANCE flag as a brand/band rather than a sporadic, special event show.

In late 2015, the band scheduled a West Coast string of intimate club dates with a stop as the world-famous Whisky A Go Go. The year concluded with the band heartbroken saying goodbye to their beloved friend. They later found out that his funeral and memorial services would be held the day of their performance. The band was asked by their tour agent who is also MOTÖRHEAD's agent, Lemmy's management, close friends of his, and the owner of the Rainbow and Whisky to incorporate a tribute which, of course, they obliged. The day of their performance, Sunset Blvd. was shut down and their bus was parked on a street filled with tears, madness, partiers and a sea of mourning metal heads. They said goodbye to their friend that evening with help from MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee amongst a ton of other special guests. The next day they played their final show at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. Mid-set, they were informed that David Bowie had passed.

Recorded at Conclave Studios in New York City, "Fallen Heroes" was produced by Mark Menghi and Alex Skolnick. The album was mixed by Jay Ruston in Los Angeles, California and mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City by Ted Jensen. The initial sketch of the artwork was created by Mark Menghi and Stephen Thompson (ANTHRAX) and was later finalized by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER).

"Fallen Heroes" track listing:

01. Iron Fist (featuring Troy Sanders)02. Suffragette City (featuring Mark Osegueda)03. Life In The Fast Lane (featuring Alissa White-Gluz)

US hard rockers Letters From The Fire will release their debut album Worth The Pain in Europe/UK on March 18th via Sand Hill Records/Cargo Records. Worth the Pain features 13 new songs that offer a beguiling mix of melody and heaviness.

The album was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Kile Odell (Motionless In White, Cursed Sails, Killwhitneydead, Vanisher).

“These are our stories our trials and tribulations. This is who we are.” That’s Mike Keller, the guitarist/founder behind the Bay Area rock powerhouse Letters From The Fire, explaining his band’s moniker.

Ostensibly lifted from an old lyric, the phrase now serves as both a reminder of the band’s sometimes turbulent originals well as a rallying cry as the group moves forward and (re)introduces themselves to the music world. While Letters From The Fire has existed for a bit, the group only recently solidified a lineup that best represents Keller’s original vision (the band is rounded out by Alexa Kabazie, Cameron Stucky, Clayton Wages and Brian Sumwalt).

The band found a modicum of early success doing national tours with the likes of Fuel, Trapt, Non Point and Pop Evil, recording with former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody and scoring a few rock radio hits (“Zombies In The Sun,” a cover of “Eleanor Rigby”).

But singer changes abounded... until they met Alexa Kabazie. “We heard about this singer from Kile Odell, this producer we were working with,” says Keller. “She was killing it on the demos we heard. We had to fly to North Carolina just to see if she could do it in person. She nailed the audition literally on the first try. Two weeks later, we already had seven songs ready to go. She’s a star in the making.”

With Kabazie now helping out on melody and lyrics, the band shifted gears. “She was all over the heavy stuff,” says Keller. “We actually scratched a lot of stuff and wrote around her voice. It’s interesting what she brings, because we’re not really like In This Moment or Halestorm or anything you’re hearing in rock right now.”

You can hear the band’s new focus on Worth The Pain, 13 new songs that offer a beguiling mix of melody and heaviness. Along the way, the album offers twists and turns: The slow piano build of “At War” gives way to the harsher realm of “Control,” while the heavy groove of “Last December” co-exists near the perfect mix of pop and aggression in “Mother Misery.” Throughout, Kabazie sounds both defiant and reflective, stating “I’ve been a soldier in every battle except my own” and, in the title track, simply stating “Thank you for walking away.”

Tracklisting:

“Perfect Life”
“Mother Misery”
“Give In To Me”
“Bruised”
“Live A Lie”
“My Angel”
“Last December”
“Holy Ghost”
“At War”
“Control”
“Worth The Pain”
“Scars”
“One Foot In The Grave”

“Give In To Me”:

“Worth The Pain”:

FALLING IN REVERSE has set an April 7 release date for its fourth album, "Coming Home", via Epitaph. The band has also shared the track listing, album artwork, and the new song "Loser". Listen to it below.

The follow-up to 2015's "Just Like You", "Coming Home" finds the band exploring its sound, all the while retaining the signature ethos and aesthetic that has won the love and loyalty of its incredibly invested fans and followers.

Frontman Ronnie Radke previously told Alternative Press that the album is "a huge left turn. It sounds like nothing we've ever done. Every song is very vibey. There's more feeling in it."

He continued: "We're challenging ourselves now more than we ever have in the weirdest ways possible, because you would think writing the craziest solo or riffs would be the challenging part. But the challenging part is trying to stick to a theme and not go all over the place like we would normally do."

FALLING IN REVERSE will embark on a busy touring schedule in support of the album. The band is currently on tour in the U.S. with ISSUES and MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.

"Coming Home" track listing:

01. Coming Home02. Broken03. Loser04. Fuck You And All Your Friends05. I Hate Everyone06. I'm Bad At Life07. Hanging On08. Superhero09. Straight To Hell10. I Don't Mind

Vangough is a three-piece, American progressive metal band. Their eclectic brand of songwriting straddles the line between the familiar and the volatile - a temperamental cocktail that invites both heavy metal fans and those seeking refuge from the beaten path. With an ever-growing catalog of acclaimed releases under their belt, Vangough continue to captivate their fanbase with the unexpected.

And now they will further their legacy with the release of their latest masterpiece, Warpaint, on March 17th. Today the artwork, tracklisting and a special album teaser have been revealed. View the teaser that features 60 seconds of new music from the album below. Pre-order the album here.

Warpaint, ferments their audacious songwriting style across seven formidable yet emotionally vulnerable songs. Spending over a year in production, this album represents the delicate inculcation of restraint, self-doubt and introspection that was afforded as a result of their recent touring efforts. Exposing the nakedness that we struggle to conceal, Warpaint is the story of embattled spirits.

Following on the heels of a raucous performance at the annual ProgPower USA music festival in 2014, Vangough set out on their first North American tour with one of their modern influences, Pain of Salvation. The following year saw Vangough hit the road once again, this time in support of progressive metal pioneers Fates Warning. Even with their limited touring experience, Vangough have been recognized by fans for delivering one of the most aggressive and powerful live performances in the genre.

As a live band first and foremost, Vangough is currently focused on hitting the road for their next American tour, in support of Warpaint, which releases March 17th.

Warpaint tracklisting:

“Morphine”
“Dust”
“The Suffering”
“Gravity”
“Till Nothing's Left”
“Knell”
“Black Rabbit”

Teaser:

Former members of disbanded symphonic black metal band, Sothis, have regrouped to form progressive blackened death metal project, Witch Casket.

The formation of Witch Casket began in 2013 when ex-Sothis guitarist Colin "Nylock" Cameron and guitarist Neal Tiemann started working on writing songs together in Nylock's Los Angeles studio. Once a majority of the songs had been written, ex-Sothis vocalist Adam "Drogoth" McCarthy was brought on to handle writing lyrics and recording vocals.

Originally formed simply as a studio project, all musical instrumentation was composed and executed by both Nylock and Tiemann. The album in its entirety was also produced, engineered, and mixed by Nylock himself in both his personal Hollywood studio and Los Angeles based Unfriendly Studios, where he is the lead engineer and co founder along with Metal Sanaz.

The album was completed with this lineup, however towards the end of the recording process, Tiemann departed the project to focus on writing for and touring with established SoCal metal band DevilDriver. As completion of the band's debut album, Hatred Index, approached, live rehearsals were started with the addition of ex-Sothis guitarist Robert "Scathe" Enriquez, drummer Kaspars Lucey-Grinbergs, and bassist Rick DC.

With the debut album recorded and the formation of the live band complete, Witch Casket are poised to explode on the metal scene with a crushing brutality, a high-energy live show, and are ready to deliver to the masses their unique brand of progressive blackened death metal.

Witch Casket have released a lyric video for their debut track, “That Damn Devil”. While they are putting the final touches on their debut full-length album, Hatred Inde”, the band also have plans to shoot music videos for several of the upcoming song releases.

(Photo - Witch Casket Facebook)

THUNDER will release a brand new studio album, "Rip It Up", on February 10, through earMUSIC. The disc, the band's eleventh, features eleven brand new songs recorded in 2016, and is proof positive that this is a band that exists only to push itself and aim higher. Following on from the Top Ten success enjoyed by previous release "Wonder Days", "Rip It Up" — as the title suggests — sees Danny Bowes, Luke Morley, Ben Matthews, Chris Childs and "Harry" James stretching themselves musically, lyrically and creatively.

A live studio session video for the album's lead track, "No One Gets Out Alive", can be seen below. Frontman Danny said simply: "After the positive reaction to 'Wonder Days', we were very happy, and it justified the approach we took in the writing and recording. We decided to push it further on all fronts this time, to see what happened, and I think it shows in the writing and the individual performances. We couldn't have made this album 10 or even 5 years ago, we weren't good enough! We're really looking forward to playing the new tunes live alongside the more established ones." Fans don't have to wait long, the band will embark on a nationwide U.K. tour in March, with full details and ticket links on the band's web site. This album comes nearly three decades into their career and, if 27 is normally famed and feared as the rock milestone at which many of the great and the good have had their creative flames extinguished, then THUNDER have arrived with a bulging bag of tunes, a notebook of great lyrics, a jerrycan of petrol, and a match. There are rockers, like the incendiary title track, ripsnorters like "She Likes The Cocaine", while songs like "Right From The Start" take the pace down, but turn the intensity up. While the album closes out with the stylish blues-tinged melancholia of "There's Always A Loser", it's clear that the band have continued with their winning ways. After a summer of great gigs including killer performances at Ramblin' Man and Steelhouse festival, the quintet know what works and how to pace a set of songs. Title track "Rip It Up" is more than just a great and contemporary rock track, it's a statement of intent. THUNDER, as Danny sings, "Don't do subtle, don't rely on luck," there's quality in depth and style to burn here. THUNDER have never sounded so intent or intense and, whilst this album cleaves to what made the band's fans fall in love with them originally, there's risk taking and ambition aplenty here. THUNDER have no interest in taking the easy way. "Rip It Up" track listing:

01. No One Gets Out Alive02. Rip It Up03. She Likes The Cocaine04. Right From The Start05. Shakedown06. Heartbreak Hurricane07. In Another Life08. The Chosen One09. The Enemy Inside10. Tumbling Down11. There's Always A Loser

Drummer Paul Wandtke has confirmed that he is no longer a touring member of the Florida-based metal band TRIVIUM.

On December 22, BLABBERMOUTH.NET exclusively reported the rumor that TRIVIUM had parted ways with Wandtke and welcomed Alex Bent, a member of BATTLECROSS and DECREPIT BIRTH who has previously played with TESTAMENT as the fill-in for that band's longtime drummer Gene Hoglan.

After TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy stated in a Metal Insider interview that TRIVIUM's last three drummers were merely "session" musicians, Wandtke posted a message on his web site in which he said: "I guess the rumors are true, so check out my new band called BEDLEM that I'm starting in Chicago." Paul went on to refer to himself as "TRIVIUM's former 'touring powerhouse,'" and revealed that BEDLEM's debut single, "Triumph", will be released in February.

Meanwhile, Heafy has continued to downplay the fact that TRIVIUM has undergone yet another drummer change, tweeting yesterday that fans should "read beyond the headlines" and "go into the substance," apparently referring to his comment in the Metal Insider interview that "the last three [TRIVIUM drummers] were session players [who] aren't the people in the band." He also tweeted out a "list of ex-drummers of TRIVIUM you didn't know about (various studio gigs, live gigs, extensive tour fill-ins, etc.)"

Heafy's current stance is a far cry from the picture he painted less than a year ago when he heaped praise on Wandtke, saying that it felt as if Paul had been part of the group for years.

"For the first time in our careers, everything we're playing sounds like the record," he said at the time. "And I'm not putting that as a fault upon any of the previous drummers, but I'm putting that as a fault of the previous three lineups.

"The four of us, at each point in time when we had to make a drummer change, because our band wasn't able to either perform well or create good music or really be functional as a unit anymore… So, thankfully, with someone like Paul, who comes to the table with a full set of a musical pedigree, it allows us to play anything. And we're playing music from records two through seven right now. I finally retrained myself how to scream again, so everything is exactly as it was."

Heafy added that finding the right drummer to fill the drum position was vital, as TRIVIUM didn't have the time to being someone up to speed.

"[Paul's] an amazing drummer," Matt told Full Metal Jackie in early 2016. "He's what we've always been missing. We've been missing someone who can keep up with us musically and creatively and someone who already has stage presence. So he comes to the table completely prepared; it's as if he's been with us the whole time."

Wandtke made his live debut with TRIVIUM on December 5, 2015 at Knotfest in Mexico. A short time later, he appeared in an official promotional photo with the three core members of the band.

Paul previously drummed for the hit musical "Rock Of Ages" and sat behind the kit for KILL HANNAH during the band's main-support run with the SMASHING PUMPKINS.

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

In addition to Wandtke, BEDLEM includes the drummer's "good old best friends from high school," Joe Brassal, Mike Petrasek and Brian Acorn.

Bent is also a member of TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson's DRAGONLORD project, whose long-awaited third album, "Dominion", is expected to arrive later this year.

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

List of ex-drummers of #trivium you didn't know about (various studio gigs, live gigs, extensive tour fill… https://t.co/vAYauYwWky

— Matthew Kiichi Heafy (@matthewkheafy) January 19, 2017

Greek / Swedish metallers, Nightrage, are streaming the new song, “Affliction”, featured on the band’s new album, The Venomous, out on March 31st via Despotz Records. Listen to the track below, and pre-order the new album here.

The Venomous  is a relentless tale of extinction, told with as much venomous aggression as there are intriguing and mesmerizing melodies. Memorable hooks and some of the catchiest choruses that metal has seen in decades does nothing to compromise the brutality and honesty that Nightrage is known for. The music is catchy and extreme.  Lyrically the album deals with the failure of mankind and how we as human beings are racing towards our own extinction.

Tracklisting:

“The Venomous”
“Metamorphosis/Day Of Wrath”
“In Abhorrence”
“Affliction”
“Catharsis”
“Bemoan”
“The Blood”
“From Ashes Into Stone”
“Trail Of Ghosts”
“Disturbia”
“Desolation And Dismay”
“Denial Of The Soul” (Instrumental)

“Affliction”:

"The Venomous”:

Nightrage is:

Marios Iliopoulos - guitar
Anders Hammer - bass
Ronnie Nyman - vocals
Magnus Söderman - guitar
Lawrence Dinamarca - drums

(Photo - Soile Siirtola)

Nancy Wilson, one of the founding members of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group HEART, has teamed up with former Prince bandmember and R&B singer Liv Warfield to form a new supergroup called ROADCASE ROYALE. The sound of ROADCASE ROYALE is muscular rock with some R&B/blues and in-depth ballads thrown in, reflecting the iconic sounds of both their respective bands.

ROADCASE ROYALE's debut song is available to stream now via the band's Soundcloud page. The track, "Get Loud", is a ROADCASE ROYALE original, and will debut January 20 immediately following "Concert For America: Stand Up, Sing Out!", which will be livestreamed through Facebook. The song will also be featured at the Women's March on Austin, Texas (the largest ever gathering of Texas women) on January 21.

Joining Wilson (guitar) and Warfield (vocals) are lead guitarist Ryan Waters (the musical director for Liv's solo work and Prince protégé) along with HEART members Chris Joyner (keys), Dan Rothchild (bass), and Ben Smith (drums). Each of the members' musical talents shines in "Get Loud". The song begins with a laid-back groove, providing a solid acoustic and electric foundation for Warfield's vocals – all about getting loud and standing up for women's equality. "Get Loud" blends this important message with the group's R&B and rock influences, resulting in a uniquely powerful track.

The band has recorded five new original songs as well as plans for a tour early in 2017. Wilson has said ROADCASE ROYALE's activity doesn't mean HEART is going away. "ROADCASE ROYALE is a side project," she noted, "and not a replacement for HEART." She also stated that the name ROADCASE ROYALE came to the group during a backstage meeting they had last year, and said: "When I came up with the name ROADCASE ROYALE, it was an interesting symbol to me since the big heavy duty road cases that our amps, drums and guitars travel in are much like the musicians they accompany on the road. Strong and regal looking yet all scuffed up and dented, covered in funny stickers that tell the story of a crazy traveling circus."

"It's going to be fun to see our road cases with ROADCASE ROYALE stenciled on the side!" Wilson added.

After forty years together, Canadian rockers SAGA will call it quits following one more "Final Chapter" of touring in 2017.

SAGA's original singer Michael Sadler said in a statement: "This year marks four decades of writing, recording and touring as a band. However, after much deliberation and discussion, my brothers and I have regretfully decided that after forty incredible years together, 2017 will be SAGA's 'Final Chapter'.

"With the exception of a very special one-off performance on the 2018 'Cruise To The Edge', I'm afraid this is it, folks!

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank absolutely everyone. You have made it possible for us to have been on this incredible ride. Words alone will never be enough to expess all our thoughts and feelings. We are completely aware that without all of you and your support, well… we wouldn't be where we are right now.

"Although it will be bittersweet, we're very much looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible this year. We will make every effort to visit new territories and hope the circumstances will allow it.

"Here's hoping we'll see you all somewhere on the road so we can thank you in person!"

SAGA formed in 1977 in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, and released its first album in 1978. Since that time, SAGA has sold ten million albums and performed in over twenty countries to over fifteen million people.

For over thirty-five years, SAGA has led the way in music innovation and audience interaction. Throughout this time, the band has released twenty-one studio recorded CDs under the umbrella of major record companies and have filmed over twenty music videos. Their hits include "Don't Be Late", "Wind Him Up", "On The Loose", "The Flyer" and "Scratching The Surface".

SAGA is widely regarded as one of the most influential progressive rock bands in Canada and around the world.

SAGA is: Michael Sadler, Jim Crichton, Ian Crichton, Jim Gilmour and Mike Thorne.

VESCERA, the new band led by acclaimed heavy metal vocalist Michael Vescera (LOUDNESS, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, OBSESSION), has signed a worldwide deal with Pure Steel Records. The group — whose lineup is completed by ex-NITEHAWKS members Mike Petrone (guitar) and Frank Leone (bass), along with drummer Fabio Alessandrini, will release its debut album, "Beyond The Fight", in April.

According to a press release, fans can expect "superb melodic heavy metal of the highest quality."

Check out a preview of the upcoming album below.

VESCERA is:

* Michael Vescera (OBSESSION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, LOUDNESS, ANIMETAL USA) - Vocals * Mike Petrone (ex-NITEHAWKS) - Guitar * Frank Leone (ex-NITEHAWKS) - Bass * Fabio Alessandrini (ANNIHILATOR) - Drums

Vescera joined LOUDNESS in 1988 following the firing of Minoru Niihara. In pursuit of greater commercial success with English-speaking audiences, Vescera and the rest of LOUDNESS recorded two albums, "Soldier Of Fortune" (1989) and "On The Prowl" (1991). However, the pairing did little to improve the band's status in America and also took its toll on LOUDNESS' Japanese fan base. Vescera exited LOUDNESS (and joined Yngwie J. Malmsteen in 1993) during the group's American tour in 1991 and was eventually replaced by EZO vocalist Masaki Yamada.

Vescera rose to metal popularity at the age of 18 years old as the legendary vocalist of the band OBSESSION. A classically trained pianist, Mike chose the path of a metal frontman instead of Julliard.

In recent years, Mike Vescera has gained a reputation in the business as being a masterful producer and engineer working from his studio The Toy Room, which was located in the hills of Connecticut just outside of New York. A few years ago the studio moved to Nashville, where Mike now makes his home.

Mike continues to front OBSESSION and ANIMETAL USA, the American counterpart to ANIMETAL, the Japanese heavy metal band which specialized in metal covers of popular Japanese anime/tokusatsu theme songs.

US power/thrash metal act Wretch will release their new album, The Hunt, on February 24th via Pure Steel Records. The pre-order phase will start on February 10th. Listen to the single "The Final Stand" below.

Wretch are pioneers of their local Cleveland metal scene and have since forged ahead to become an internationally recognized force of powerful melodic metal with festival performances in Germany and Greece. Prepare for the bands latest release The Hunt - a shredding masterpiece that will appeal to fans of Primal Fear, Iced Earth, Helloween and Iron Maiden.

The first album to feature new singer Juan Ricardo, who has a voice reminiscent of the mighty Bruce Dickinson, the new album is 40 minutes of exceptional power/thrash that marks the bands long journey since its 2006 debut, Reborn.

Released through Pure Steel Records, who also released the band’s previous album Warriors, the new album will be released in February before the bands upcoming European tour in March alongside Split Heaven.

Tracklisting:

“Sturmbringer”
“The Hunt”
“Throne Of Poseidon”
“Twilight´s End”
“The Final Stand”
“Fortune’s Fool”
“The King In Red”
“Straight To Hell”
“Pierce The Veil”
“Once In A Lifetime”
“She Waits”

"The Final Stand":

Lineup:

Juan Ricardo - vocals
Nick Giannakos - lead- and rhythm guitar
Michael “Mjölnir” Stephenson - lead- and rhythm guitar
Tim Frederick - bass
Jeff Curenton - drums

Amsterdam based metal band, The Charm The Fury, has announced their sophomore album, The Sick, Dumb & Happy, will be released on March 17th via Nuclear Blast (worldwide) and Arising Empire (Europe).

Today, the band released the music video for the first single, "Down On The Ropes". Watch the music video below.

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

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

Tracklisting:

1. Down On The Ropes
2. Echoes
3. Weaponized
4. No End In Sight
5. Blood And Salt
6. Corner Office Maniacs
7. The Future Need Us Not
8. Silent War
9. The Hell In Me
10. Songs Of Obscenity
11. Break And Dominate

“Down On The Ropes” video:

Teaser trailer:

Lineup:

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

Pride & Joy Music has announced the signing of Italian modern hard rock band Starsick System for the release of their second album, Lies, Hopes & Other Stories. Release is set for June 23rd.

Starsick System is a new sensation in modern hard rock, mixing influences from bands like Alter Bridge, Sixx:A.M, Shinedown with the deep research for a personal sound where catchy choruses and melodies are melted with heavy riffing.

After the release of their debut album Daydreamin’ in the year 2015, the band supported Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society and Gus G. (Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist) on tour in Italy.  

The sophomore release, Lies, Hopes & Other Stories, was recorded during the year 2016 and caught the attention of Pride & Joy Music in the same. The first instant grats, a lyric video and a full video clip will be released shortly and more touring is planned for later in the year. 

Line-up: 
Marco Sandron – vocals, guitars 
David Donati – guitars 
Ivan Moni Bidin – drums 
Valeria Battain – bass

Vicious metal-edged hardcore band, First Blood, are streaming the new song “These Are The Rules”, featured on their new album, Rules, out February 10th via Pure Noise Records. Listen to the track below, and pre-order the record at this location.

First Blood’s union with Pure Noise Records marks a new chapter for the band as they join the label’s eclectic roster, which includes fellow hardcore acts like Terror, Knocked Loose, Senses Fail and more.

"Not only has Jake (Round) at Pure Noise been there and seen us during our earlier days back in the San Francisco Bay Area, but he has worked hard and created a tremendous record label that continues to make a huge impact in the underground music scene worldwide,” says vocalist Carl Schwartz. “We are proud to join the Pure Noise roster, excited to share our newest album with the world, and thankful for the new life. FIRST BLOOD RULES 2017."

On their first album in seven years, First Blood has come out swinging with a savage third full-length record, Rules. Produced by recording mastermind Will Putney at Graphic Nature Studios (formerly known as The Machine Shop) in Belleville, NJ, Rules features 12 tracks of the band's hardest, yet most inward-looking material to date. Elaborating on the album title, Schwartz adds, "Rules are everywhere. Explicit rules. Unwritten rules. Unspoken rules. The rule of law. Some rules we accept. Others we hate or choose to ignore. Frequently, those who set the rules are found guilty of breaking those rules. Many have become victims of the rules they live by, either by conquest or consent. I hope that, after listening to this album and reading the lyrics, we can revisit and remind ourselves of the very essence of the underground music scene: Living our own lives by our own rules."

That rebellious sentiment can be felt throughout the band’s torrential new song “Rules of Life,” which pushes back against society’s norms and puts a fist in the air for individuality and freedom of thought.

“We are often the product of the rules we are taught to live by,” Schwartz adds. “Growing up, someone I looked-up to once told me, "You wake up everyday. You go to a job you hate. You come home miserable. Then you go to bed. And then you do it again. And again. And again. And then you die. That's life." For a while, I believed this was true. Now that I am older and have a son of my own, I wish for him to see things differently--to live differently. To him, I say "Have courage to stand on your own. Follow what you believe even when you're alone. Be strong. Be proud. Be brave. Be a fucking rebel instead of a slave. See the world and follow your dreams. Wolfgang, this is for you. That's life."

First Blood will tour Europe with Deez Nuts and Comeback Kid in February and are expected to return to the US later this year.

Rules tracklisting:

“Fuck The Rules”
“These Are The Rules”
“Rules Meant To Be Broken”
“Rules Of Life”
“Rules Of Conviction”
“Rules Of Engagement”
“Rules Of Justice”
“Rules Of Survival”
“Rules Of Freedom”
“Rules Of Sacrifice”
“Rules Of Government”
“Rules Of Crisis”

“These Are The Rules”:

“Rules Of Life” lyric video:

(Photo - Azumi Tomoshige)

Thrash-metal stalwarts, Havok, are disseminating the first new track off their upcoming album, Conformicide. The song, titled "Hang 'Em High”, can be heard via the lyric video below and is the first instant grat track for those who pre-order the album on Amazon and iTunes. Conformicide will see a March 10th release on Century Media Records.

Speaking about the message behind "Hang 'Em High" and the accompanying lyric video, David Sanchez (lead vocals, guitar) comments, "In our current political atmosphere, corruption runs deep. This is our response. It's time to wake up."

In addition to Conformicide being released on CD, digital and streaming platforms, the album will also be available in an array of limited edition vinyl colors. See below for a complete list of these color LPs and where fans can purchase them.

Color Vinyls:

Black - All Outlets (unlimited)
White - CM Distro Europe Exclusive (100 copies)
Lilac - Europe (200 copies)
Golden - Nuclear Blast Europe Exclusive (200 copies)
Neon Yellow - US Stores / Indie Merch (400 copies)
Clear - Pledge Music Exclusive (300 copies)
Transparent Blue - Tour/Band Exclusive (300 copies)

Fans can now pre-order Conformicide via CMDistro or Pledge Music. Also available via iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.

Tracklisting:

“F.P.C.”
“Hang 'Em High”
“Dogmaniacal”
“Intention To Deceive”
“Ingsoc”
“Masterplan”
“Peace Is In Pieces”
“Claiming Certainty”
“Wake Up”
“Circling The Drain”

Bonus Tracks (Special Edition CD)
“String Break”
“Slaughtered”

Bonus Tracks (Gatefold 2LP + CD)
“String Break”
“Slaughtered”
“Claiming Certainty” (Live)

North American Headline Tour with Exmortus, Extinction A.D.:

February
8 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's Rock Club
9 - Detroit, MI - Small's
10 - Toronto, ON - Rockpile West
11 - Quebec City, QC - L'Anti
12 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques
13 - Somerville, MA - Once Ballroom
14 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus
15 - Philadelphia, PA - Voltage Lounge
16 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
17 - Dayton, OH - Rockstar Pro Arena
19 - Oklahoma City, OK - Thunder Alley

Suicidal Tendencies will embark on a headlining tour through The US during February and March with Crowbar as main support and Havok as opening band. Tickets go on sale January 6th, confirmed shows are as listed.

February
22 - Santa Ana, CA - Observatory
23 - San Diego, CA - Observatory
24 - Tucson, AZ - Club XS
25 - Farmington, NM - Top Deck
27 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
28 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger

March
1 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
3 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
4 - Ft. Meyers, FL - Harborside Events Center
5 - Tampa, FL - State Theatre
7 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theatre
8 - Lawrence, KS - Granada
10 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall Complex
11 - Salt Lake City, UT - Complex

 

 

European Headline Tour with Warbringer, Gorod & Exmortus:

April
1 - Edingburgh, UK - Heavy Scotland Festival * Havok only!
2 - Manchester, UK - Rebellion   
3 - Birmingham, UK - Mama Roux’s  
4 - London, UK - Underworld  
5 - Hasselt, Belgium - Muziekodroom   
6 - Tilburg, The Netherlands - 013   
7 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo  
8 - Aarhus, Denmark - Royal Metal Festival  
9 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers  
11 - Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia  
13 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset Klubben  
14 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset   
15 - Berlin, Germany - Cassiopeia  
16 - Markneukirchen, Germany - Framus & Warwick Concert Hall  
17 - München, Germany - Feierwerk  
19 - Vienna, Austria - Arena  
20 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Orto Bar  
21 - Brescia, Italy - Circolo Colony  
22 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7  
23 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage  
24 - Nantes, France - Ferrailleur   
26 - Madrid, Spain - Caracol  
27 - Barcelona , Spain - Salamandra 1  
28 - Puget, France - Le Rats  
29 - Paris, France - Petit Bain  
30 - Essen, Germany - Turock

(Photo - Havok Facebook)

Global Music Award-winning heavy metal group, Enemy Remains, have released their new album, No Faith In Humanity. A full album stream can be found below.

No Faith In Humanity features pre-production by Jeffrey Weed (Trivium, Korn) and Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More, Sepultura, Halford). The album was recorded, engineered and mixed by Nick Bellmore (Toxic Holocaust, Jasta, Kingdom of Sorrow) at Dexters Lab Recording, and mastered by Chris Zeuss Harris (Rob Zombie, Queensrÿche, Hatebreed).

No Faith In Humanity tracklisting:

“Colony”
“Trust In No One”
“Divided By Hate” (feat. Nick Bellmore [Toxic Holocaust, Jasta, Kingdom of Sorrow])
“Civilization”
“No Faith In Humanity” (feat. Joey Concepcion [Armageddon, Dead By Wednesday] & Jeff Curtis [Obsession & StikPin])
“Breathe Again”
“Empty Inside”

Album stream:

“Trust In No One” video;

 

“No Faith In Humanity” video:

Enemy Remains will perform with Nonpoint on February 8th at The Webster in Hartford, CT. The second stage opens at 5 PM and the main stage opens at 7 PM.

Enemy Remains is:

Steve Zimmerman - Drums
Bob Bryk - Keyboards
Tommy Blardo "The Beast" - Guitars/Vocals
Frank Morin - Vocals
Jeff Curtis - Bass
Scott Kadish - Guitars

Egonaut, the Swedish doom connoisseurs, return to the sonic maelstrom that is streaming music media with the new single “Initiium”. Mellotrons and organs set the scene followed by crushing drums, heavy guitars and soaring vocals giving the listeners a taste of what is to come from Egonaut.

Intended as a preview of the upcoming album, "Initiium" continues down the musical path from Egonauts previous full length album, Deluminati, albeit a bit doomier and gloomier.

Egonaut's fourth album, The Omega, will be out on Mighty Music in late summer 2017.

Egonaut are:

Emil Kyrk - Vocals
Fredrik Jordanius - Guitars
Mikael Bielinski - Bass
Dennis Zielinski - Keyboards
Markus Johansson - Drums

Capitol Chaos TV has uploaded live footage of Entombed A.D. performing live from the Starlite Lounge in Sacramento, CA last night (January 19th).

Check out the death metallers bang out “Out Of Hand” and “Revel In Flesh”:

Entombed A.D.’s US tour wraps up this Sunday.

Remaining dates:

January
20 - Portland, CA - Dantes
21 - Seattle, WA - Highline
22 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw

Fairport Convention will release a new album to celebrate their 50th anniversary, featuring guest vocals from Robert Plant, reports Uncut.

The singer joins Pentangle vocalist Jacqui McShee on the record, titled 50:50@50 and tentatively set for release in May. It will consist of both new studio recordings and live favourites.

Plant has collaborated with Fairport Convention before, including joining them onstage at their Cropredy festival in 1986 and 2008, at the latter performing a version of Led Zeppelin‘s “The Battle Of Evermore”, which originally featured Fairport’s Sandy Denny on vocals.

Read more at Uncut.co.uk.

Cult Of Luna has released a video trailer for their ucpcoming CD/DVD package of live recordings, entitled Years In A Day. Watch the trailer below.

The band states: “A few years ago we took the decision to keep touring to a minimum. The sole reason was to prevent us from burning out, to keep the flame and the passion burning. But the experiences on the road that we've shared for almost 20 years has been life changing for all of us. It has boned us together like brothers and we have been given the privilege to interact with incredible people all around the globe. So we thought it was time to release a special object related to the live aspect of Cult Of Luna and how we have progressed since the release of Fire Was Born eight years ago.”

Years In A Day will contain:

- 2 hour DVD captured in Paris last year at La Gaîté Lyrique
- 2 live CDs from Roadburn Festival 2013 and 2016
- Hi-res digital audio from Paris

The release will be coming in a collector 10” vinyl digipack only on sale at the band’s website and strictly limited to 7,000 copies.

Pre-orders at cultofluna.com.

Anglo-Swedish modern metal powerhouse Sonic Syndicate are streaming the third and final single from the Confessions album, released in 2016. On “Still Believe”, the band is joined by alt pop singer Madyx. Listen below:

A video for “Confessions”, the title track of the album, can be seen below. The video, directed by Bröderna Blom, features the band in a "live" situation with intercut scenes of people from carious walks of life, a female boxer, a model, a nun, a businessman and a young girl, amongst others, revealing and confessing their sins to the world.  

“Confessions” video:

Amaranthe have announced four spring shows for their homeland featuring Sonic Syndicate as support. Dates are as follows:

March
16 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervik
17 - Malmö, Sweden - KB
18 - Ronneby, Sweden - Club Ron
31 - Huskvarna, Sweden - Folkets Park

After announcing their new line-up recently (the addition of new vocalist Giacomo Voli and drummer Manu Lotter), Italian symphonic power metal kings RHAPSODY OF FIRE are now working on their upcoming release, which will be a 75 minutes long album revisiting a selection of songs written and produced during the 5 first years of the Rhapsody Era (1997-2002). Yes, indeed: 14 epic tracks completely re-recorded! All drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, vocals, epic choirs, opera choirs, and numerous classical instruments have been recorded already. The album will be mixed by Seeb Levermann (Orden Ogan).

“To re-record old historic tracks is not that common among bands because there is probably a lack of self-confidence or because, for some musicians and fans, what is part of the past should not be touched. We do not agree”, Alex Staropoli says.

RHAPSODY OF FIRE are different and absolutely confident to achieve a stunning result. The precision of playing, the new vocal approach of Giacomo, the modern technologies, a careful mix and great mastering will give the songs a new incredibly great sound. Of course everything is done with immense dedication, passion, emotion and respect for these beautiful tracks co-written by Alex Staropoli and the band’s former guitarist Luca Turilli.

“We already had the chance to listen to some rough mixes and we can clearly say that the result goes far beyond any bright expectations. The result is just fantastic. We can’t wait to start the mix!"

The album will be released during Spring. Exact release date and album title will be announced soon.