Swiss folk metallers ELUVEITIE have announced their new lineup (pictured from left to right):

* Jonas Wolf (guitar)* Matteo Sisti (whistles, bagpipes, mandola)* Nicole Ansperger (fiddle)* Alain Ackermann (drums)* Chrigel Glanzmann (vocals, whistles, mandola, bagpipes, bodhran)* Fabienne Erni (vocals, celtic harp, mandola)* Kay Brem (bass)* Michalina Malisz (hurdy gurdy)* Rafael Salzmann (guitar)

The new lineup of ELUVEITIE will make its live debut at the Eluveitie & Friends festival, set to take place January 6-7 at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland.

The band states: "Above all we're super happy and thankful that we're complete again (even more than complete, actually) and given the chance to have such gifted musicians on board!

"What could be a better start into a new year? 2017 is our year!

"We cannot wait to enter the studios soon and finish 'Evocation II'. And right afterwards we'll be back with full force to rock the summer festival stages."

"Evocation II" is the long-awaited second part of ELUVEITIE's acoustic concept effort "Evocation".

ELUVEITIE in May 2016 announced the departure of drummer Merlin Sutter, vocalist Anna Murphy and guitarist Ivo Henzi.

The band's latest album, "Origins", was released in August 2014 via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was once again recorded at New Sound Studio in Pfäffikon, a municipality in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland, with producer Tommy Vetterli (a.k.a. Tommy T. Baron; CORONER/ex-KREATOR guitarist).

Photo credit: Manuel Vargas

Rock icon Tony Iommi has written a special piece of music for Birmingham Cathedral after he wanted to "give something back" to his home city. The BLACK SABBATH lead guitarist, widely credited with creating the heavy metal music genre, worked with his friend the Dean of Birmingham, the Very Reverend Catherine Ogle, on the five-minute-long arrangement, which features lyrics performed by Birmingham Cathedral Choir. Called "How Good It Is", the song features the BLACK SABBATH star on acoustic guitar, with lyrics inspired by Psalm 133.

Sixty-eight-year-old Tony, who gave birth to the heavy metal music genre in the 1960s, is currently on "The End" world tour with BLACK SABBATH, and will be performing two last-ever gigs at Birmingham's Genting Arena on February 2 and February 4.

He described writing the music for the Cathedral as "a nice thing to do" for his hometown.

"It's great to be involved with the Cathedral and doing something for it," he said. "When Catherine mentioned it, it felt like a nice thing to do, to be able to give something to the city."

BLACK SABBATH rose to fame in the late 1960s with an entirely new sound shaped by industrial Birmingham and the city's factories and steel works.

"How Good It Is" will be seen by fans as a considerable departure from the raw, uncompromising music that made the band global icons.

"It's just a little bit different to SABBATH!" joked Tony.

"We've done instrumental work before with orchestras and it's something I enjoy doing. It's completely different from any of the heavier stuff.

"This is a completely new piece of music and I'm really pleased with it."

Dean Ogle will soon be leaving Birmingham to become Dean at Winchester Cathedral. She played a pivotal role during the Cathedral's recent 300th anniversary celebrations with community, art and heritage projects to tell the story of "the church that became a cathedral in the town that became a city."

"Tony and I were introduced by a mutual friend and we discussed a possible music collaboration sometime in the future," said Dean Ogle.

"Then, when Tony was unwell, we got to know one another better when I began to pray for him and kept in touch with Tony and his wife about his health.

"This is a most wonderful gift Tony offered to the Cathedral.

"Tony has a huge fan base in the city. The Cathedral is here to serve everyone so we want to connect with them too.

"The words come from scripture and are really positive about people living together in peace and harmony. This is what Birmingham is all about.

"Birmingham is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate how such a diverse group of people can live together in peace. That's what we all want.

"Working with Tony and bringing together such different musical styles is a really good illustration of that.

"It's wonderful when a son of this city, who has had tremendous success, wants to give something back.

"That he wanted to do that through the Cathedral is very touching."

Celebrated musician Tony takes enormous pride in his Birmingham roots and the recognition he receives in the city.

"So much has changed," he said.

"The city is hard to recognise these days. There's so much building work going on, it's really great that the city is expanding and offering people more to do here. It's different from my day.

"It's great to know after all these years we've been recognised in our city. It's something we're really proud of.

"Fifty years ago we never would have thought that one day we would be honoured with things like the Broad Street stars and Ozzy's Metro tram, it's really great and makes us proud."

Tony described the misunderstanding surrounding BLACK SABBATH's early days and links to Satanism.

"People used to think we were Satanists but we weren't. The songs were the opposite and all about the dangers of Black Magic and Satanism," said Tony.

"The closest we came was Black Magic chocolates!"

"How Good It Is" is available on iTunes.

"Love Don't Live Here", a brand new song from JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE — which features ex-GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell alongside former GREAT WHITE bassist-turned-guitarist Tony Montana (as a guitar player and keyboardist), Dan McNay (MONTROSE) on bass, Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar and Dicki Fliszar (BRUCE DICKINSON) on drums — can be streamed below. The track is taken from JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's debut album, "He Saw it Comin'" (originally titled "The Gauntlet"), which will be released on January 27 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Rather than look backwards and merely attempt to relive the multi-platinum hard rock entity's storied origins, Jack Russell set his sights on the future. In December 2011, JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE first bared its teeth. Robby Lochner has been with Jack since JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's inception, and they soon welcomed longtime bassist and friend Tony Montana — this time as a guitar player and keyboardist. They then added drummer Dicki Fliszar, then bassist Dan McNay. This group has a sharp, soaring, eclectic, hook-laden new album ready, boasting the bluesy hard rock stomp that made Russell and Montana icons in the first place.

"It's a powerful band," Russell proclaims. "The music is dynamic and I've gone where I've never gone before. Lochner was a catalyst for moving forward. I wasn't sure how the writing would go at first but soon realized the chemistry is beyond words. He's my co-pilot and one of my best friends."

This past year the musicians hit the studio to cut their official full-length debut. It taps into the bluesy bombast and heavy energy of Russell's celebrated material, but it's a distinctly modern metallic monster.

"We want the new material to blow people's ears back," Russell goes on. "It has the elements of the best of GREAT WHITE, but there's diversity, vibe and an edge to it. It draws from our '60s and '70s roots in a more modern way."

Montana agrees. "It's got the classic sound," he says. "The first element is Jack's voice. No other band sounds like this one, ever did or does now. When I was 17 years old, I remember walking around the UCLA campus listening to the band's first EP. I was a fan before I ever joined the band. We're going to maintain that integrity moving forward."

"He Saw it Comin'" track listing:

01. Sign Of The Times02. She Moves Me03. Crazy04. Love Don't Live Here05. My Addiction06. Anything For You07. He Saw It Comin'08. Don't Let Me Go09. Spy Vs Spy10. Blame It On The Night11. Godspeed

"For me this is so much more than a collection of songs, it is the culmination of a lifetime of living," said Jack. "It is about addictions, love, pain and many facets of the human condition. I tend to write autobiographically and on this album I dealt with topics I've never explored."

Russell recently told disc jockey Eddie Winters about the songwriting process for "He Saw It Coming": "There wasn't any songs that were really a struggle to write. I write the music on some and I had the melody lines and some lyrics, and I showed it to Robby, and I don't play [guitar], so I've kind of gotta [hum the riffs or chord progressions], or whatever, and he's gotta figure out a chord from one note. So he just picked up on that right away, and it was amazing. 'Cause you write with somebody for thirty-some years and all of a sudden you write with somebody else, and you're, like, 'Okay. How's this gonna be? Is he gonna have a bunch of dumb ideas that I don't like? Or is he gonna think my ideas are crappy? Or are we just gonna hit it off. And I was really surprised when it was just… boom! We were thinking along the same lines. But Robby added a flavor to what I was doing guitar-wise and melody-wise. He's one of those music-theory guys, so we have a lot of moving harmonies and stuff we never had before."

About the song "Blame It On The Night", Russell said: "Most of the material I have written in my life has been autobiographical, [but] this song is one of the exceptions. The song was written for and about my wife's childhood. Because of the subject and the feelings I have for my wife, this was a very difficult song to sing. But I believe that the topic is an important one to bring into the light and out of the shadows."

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

Southern California metal veterans LEATHERWOLF have announced the addition of guitar virtuoso Joey Tafolla of JAG PANZER fame to the lineup. Tafolla replaces Greg Erba, whose last show with the band was last summer at Germany's Bang Your Head!!! festival. Tafolla joins original members Michael Olivieri and Dean Roberts, longtime bassist Patrick Guyton, and lead guitarist Rob Math (LIGHTNING STRIKES, PLAYER). States vocalist/guitarist Michael Olivieri on his Facebook page: "Ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome the amazing Joey Tafolla as the new guitarist for LEATHERWOLF!! Joey is a great guy and great player! We're excited to have him a part of the Triple Axe Attack! We thank Greg Erba for his dedication to the band for the last number of years. A fantastic guitarist and an awesome dude!" In other news, LEATHERWOLF has been confirmed for this year's '80s metal extravanganza Hair Metal Heaven, which is set to take place August 25-27 at O'Riley's in Hull, England. Other bands on the bill include D-A-D, SPREAD EAGLE, SMASHED GLADYS and PRINCESS PANG.

"We are extremely excited to make our return to the U.K. after almost three decades," says Olivieri. "The last time we played Britain was opening up for VOW WOW back in 1989 in support of 'Street Ready'. Great memories! We can't wait to finally rock for our British fans again who've been asking about gigs for years. See you in August!" A recently released pro-shot video of "Spiter" from the 2015 Keep It True festival apperance can viewed below.

German/American metallers ACCEPT will release a new live set titled "Restless And Live" on January 13 via Nuclear Blast. This package will include the entire show ACCEPT played at 2015's Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen, Germany on Blu-ray/DVD plus two CDs.

A performance clip of the song "Fast As A Shark" — taken from "Restless And Live" — is available below.

ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann explains: "It was actually never really planned; it sort of just happened. At Bang Your Head!!!, they always record their shows, so we just thought, 'Yeah, let them film it!'" After Andy praises their stage show as being crucial for the great atmosphere, Wolf continues: "Yes, as well as the crowd. We've been there before so it felt familiar to film it and see what happens. Then we got the footage and we thought, 'Wow, it's pretty good!'"

"Restless And Live" track listing:

Blu-ray / DVD:

01. Stampede02. Stalingrad03. London Leatherboys04. Restless And Wild05. Dying Breed06. Final Journey07. Shadow Soldiers08. Losers And Winners09. 200 Years10. Midnight Mover11. No Shelter12. Princess Of The Dawn13. Dark Side Of My Heart14. Pandemic15. Fast As A Shark16. Metal Heart17. Teutonic Terror18. Balls To The Wall

CD1:

01. Stampede02. Stalingrad03. Hellfire04. London Leatherboys05. Living For Tonite06. 200 Years07. Demon's Night08. Dying Breed09. Final Journey10. From The Ashes We Rise11. Losers And Winners12. No Shelter13. Shadow Soldiers14. Midnight Mover

CD2:

01. Starlight02. Restless And Wild03. Son Of A Bitch04. Pandemic05. Dark Side Of My Heart06. The Curse07. Flash Rockin' Man08. Bulletproof09. Fall Of The Empire10. Fast As A Shark11. Metal Heart12. Teutonic Terror13. Balls To The Wall

Commented Hoffmann: "We didn't know exactly what would happen back in 2010, what happens if... But this was six years ago and we've released three records since then. With 'Blind Rage', we had our first No. 1 chart record! There can be nothing nicer!"

The package's title, chosen by the band couldn't be more suitable: "'Restless And Live' simply fits what we experienced at Bang Your Head!!! and for what we stand for until today!" Wolf says. "It goes on and on and on! We're already working on a new production. The thought of being on the road again soon gets our blood flowing: And it is possible to overcome everything that happened before."

Asked why it's so important for ACCEPT to still make new music after all this time, Wolf recently told Canadian rock journalist Mitch Lafon: "For us, it was very important, especially since we got [singer] Mark [Tornillo], and when we had our reunion with Mark, the new singer, we really wanted to show to the fans and to us that we still can write relevant new songs, and so that's why we really did three albums in five or six years — really banged them out, one after the other. And those three albums are, in a lot of fans' views, as strong as most of the stuff we've done in the eighties, if not stronger. So I think it's very important for us to come up with new songs, 'cause, you know, once you stop trying, or you're just living on the past, I think that's no good. We're trying to stay relevant, and the fans really appreciate that."

Regarding what Mark Tornillo has added to ACCEPT's sound, Wolf said: "He very much inspired us to write songs, because all of a sudden, he can pretty much sing anything we want him to do. With Udo [Dirkschneider, former ACCEPT singer], it was much more limited, what worked and what didn't work. And Mark, man, anything Peter [Baltes, bass] and I come up with, he can perform, and so that opened a lot of doors, musically, for us, and that inspired us totally. But, like I said before, we always try to stay close to what ACCEPT fans are wanting to hear from us, 'cause we could write a bunch of stuff that was left and right, genre-wise, but I'm not sure if fans would really appreciate it that much. And that's also where [producer] Andy Sneap came in, especially during the 'Blood Of The Nations' [2010] recording. He really, sort of, forced us more to stay true to the course. 'Cause he grew up being an ACCEPT fan and listening to the old albums, and he came in with an expectation, 'All right, we're gonna make a great new ACCEPT album, but it'd better sound like I want it to sound as an ACCEPT fan.'"

A seven-minute video recap of METALLICA's promotional tour in Southern California can be seen below. The clip was filmed between December 12 and December 16, 2016 as the band crisscrossed Los Angeles, appearing on radio, a few podcasts and playing gigs on both "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and at The Fonda Theatre.

METALLICA's latest studio album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield recently said that the reaction to "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" has been so positive, it has inspired him and his bandmates to release the next record sooner.

Speaking to Italy's Linea Rock about METALLICA's plans for the foreseeable future, Hetfield said: "I think we plan… At least for now, we've booked out two years [of touring]… at least. So I can't predict the future, but we start there and hopefully there's more than that. And 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."

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

Electric Guitars, one of the most popular hard rock bands from Scandinavia, recently finished the recordings of their third album Rock'n'Roll Radio at Medley Studio, Copenhagen (Mike Tramp, Glenn Hughes, Artillery). This time around fans will be offered quite a different album from Electric Guitars. Jacob "Cobber" Binzer, guitar player from D-A-D, has produced the album and his brother and D-A-D frontman Jesper Binzer is screaming his guts out on the first single "Headless Chicken”. Check out the official video for the track below.

"We have made our most complete album so far and this is 100% due to the fact we have opened the door for someone outside to produce us this time. We agreed to let Jacob ‘Cobber’ Binzer have the final say under the whole process and this has made a major different for Electric Guitars,” Soren Andersen says.

Mike Vandborg adds "We decided to name the album Rock’n’Roll Radio, simply because we miss rock music in the radio. It could might as well have been titled More Riffs To The People!"

Rock'n'Roll Radio will be released internationally on  Mighty Music/Target Group Friday, February 10th, 2017 on LP, CD and digital.  The "Headless Chicken" single is due on January 1st 2017.

Tracklisting:

“Rock’n’Roll Radio”
“False Flag Operation”
“Headless Chicken”
“Swagman”
“Splinter”
“Bambi On Ice”
“Lucy Glow”
“Homewrecking Woman”
“Stay Under The Radar”
“Back To You”  

Nuclear Blast Entertainment has announced the signing of ruminant Arkansas progressive doom quartet PALLBEARER for the territories of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The band's third record, titled "Heartless", will be released on March 24, 2017. The effort will be made available via Nuclear Blast Entertainment in Europe, Australia and New Zealand and via Profound Lore in North America.

Initially formed in 2008, PALLBEARER grew from the fertile underground metal scene of Little Rock — releasing their debut full-length, "Sorrow And Extinction", in early 2012. The record made an immediate and immense impact on die-hard doom fans and metal critics alike, also forming the four-piece fans outside of the metal scene. Their formidable sophomore record, 2014's "Foundations Of Burden", featured on countless critics' end-of-year lists and cemented their reputation as an unstoppable and emotive force — driving doom beyond its imagined limits, carving themselves an entirely original path through the realm of heavy music.

"Heartless" track listing:

01. I Saw The End02. Thorns03. Lie Of Survival04. Dancing In Madness05. Cruel Road06. Heartless07. A Plea For Understanding

PALLBEARER commented on "Heartless": "This album finds us exploring new territories; instead of staring into to the void — both above and within — 'Heartless' concentrates its power on a grim reality. Our lives, our homes and our world are all plumbing the depths of utter darkness, as we seek to find any shred of hope we can."

Regarding the ruminative album artwork, created by hugely talented Indiana based oil painter Michael Lierly, PALLBEARER said: "Michael Lierly's indelibly expressive work perfectly captures the feelings of fear and heartbreak we hoped to convey as our world crumbles around us."

The album layout was handled by Chimere Noire.

"Heartless" was recorded entirely to analog tape at Fellowship Hall Sound, Little Rock, Arkansas between June and August 2016. The record was produced by PALLBEARER, and mixed by acclaimed producer Joe Barresi (TOOL, MELVINS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, FU MANCHU). Engineering was handled by Jason Weinheimer and Zach Reeves, and mastered by Grammy-winning mastering engineer Dave Collins (BLACK SABBATH, ALICE COOPER, SOUNDGARDEN, STING).

PALLBEARER commented on the Nuclear Blast signing: "We are very excited to be working with Nuclear Blast on this record, as so many of the bands that have helped to shape our own artistic pathways have before us."

Monte Conner, Nuclear Blast Entertainment president, added: "PALLBEARER continue to evolve and scale new creative and sonic heights with 'Heartless'. I am very honored to be working hand-in-hand with the band, Profound Lore and Oblique Artist Management, and look forward to Nuclear Blast playing a key role in exposing new fans to this incredible band."

PALLBEARER is:

* Brett Campbell - Lead Vocals, Electric And Acoustic Guitars, Synthesizers* Devin Holt - Electric And Acoustic Guitars, Vocals* Joseph D. Rowland - Electric Bass, Vocals, Synthesizers* Mark Lierly - Percussion

Photo credit: Diana Lee Zadlo

According to a new Facebook post from Glenn Hughes, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION has entered a Hollywood, California studio to begin recording its much-anticipated fourth album, due later in the year.

The supergroup, which features Hughes alongside drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN, FOREIGNER), keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER, BILLY IDOL) and blues-rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, is working on the follow-up to 2012's "Afterglow" effort after a near-four-year split that was caused by tensions between Bonamassa and Hughes.

Helming the new album once again is Kevin Shirley, a man known for his production work with artists such as IRON MAIDEN, JOURNEY and Bonamassa. Shirley has worked closely with Joe on every album that the guitarist has recorded since 2006's "You & Me", a period of time that has seen the artist's success and popularity grow massively.

In a recent interview with Icon Vs. Icon, Hughes stated about BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's decision to return to the studio: "One thing I want to make clear to everybody across air nation is that Joe Bonamassa and I never fell out. It just happened that after 'Afterglow' was recorded and released in the fall of 2012, there was no touring schedule set. Being that there was no touring schedule set, I decided to leave the band simply because I needed to go back to my solo career. There was never falling out. Joe was continuing with his solo career and it just never worked out that we could do a lot of touring. Over the course of the years, we have spoken to each other and we had lunch the spring. We said, 'Wouldn't it be great to make another record? Maybe the time is right to do that.' There's certain times when people get back together for reunions and if they have their material, they have a good insight."

Hughes also discussed the musical direction of the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION material. He said: "You know, it's a combination of all three albums. It will sound like BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION. When you hear the first few bars of the song, you will know it's us! We are not making any severe left turns or opening up any new doors of trying to do something that is different from the way we started. We are very focused on what we should do. We are making a rock album for rock fans. We're not making anything different than pure rock music in the tradition of what BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION set out to do in 2010."




Here we go 🚀BCC 4 recording in Hollywood @joebonamassa @jasonbonham @derek_sherinian @glennhughesonline @kevthecave 🔛

Posted by Glenn Hughes on Tuesday, January 3, 2017

British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) will release his ninth solo album, "Endure And Survive (Infinite Entanglement Part II)", on March 3, 2017 via Blaze Bayley Recording. The record is an exciting and enthralling sequel to his 2016 release "Infinite Entanglement", which was the first of a trilogy of releases following a sci-fi concept and storyline.

"Endure And Survive" will be accompanied by a world tour totalling some 120 shows. The European leg of the tour takes place principally between February and June 2017. After a small number of summer shows, Blaze will then go to the United States and Canada during August-September. It's also planned to take the tour to Latin America in 2018.

Throughout this world tour, Blaze will be backed by his main recording and touring musicians, picked from British metal band ABSOLVA and including Chris Appleton (guitar, backing vocals), Martin McNee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass, backing vocals).

In addition to the established bandmembers as above from ABSOLVA, "Endure And Survive" also contains a talented array of collaborators: Luke Appleton (ICED EARTH, ABSOLVA) on backing vocals; Michelle Sciarrotta on nylon acoustic, backing vocals, voice actor; Jo Robinson on backing vocals; Mel Adams on backing vocals; Liz Owen on backing vocals; Thomas Zwijsen on nylon acoustic, Anne Bakker on violin, backing vocals; Corvin Bahn (Uli Jon Roth) on accordion; Aine Brewer (voice actor); and Rob Toogood (voice actor) on backing vocals.

The spectacular album artwork has been completed by Andreas Sandberg, with additional images from Christopher Steenstrup who is also working on a Blaze Bayley video game.

"Endure And Survive" was recorded between October and December 2016 at Robannas Studios, Birmingham, produced by Blaze Bayley and Chris Appleton, mixed and engineered by Miguel Seco, mastered by Ade Emsley (IRON MAIDEN, TANK, PHIL CAMPBELL). As with the previous record, the songwriting has been a collaboration between Blaze, Chris Appleton and Michelle Sciarrotta.

"Endure And Survive" track listing:

01. Endure And Survive02. Escape Velocity03. Blood04. Eating Lies05. Destroyer06. Dawn Of The Dead Son07. Remember08. Fight Back09. The World Is Turning The Wrong Way10. Together We Can Move The Sun

Pre-orders for the new album are available now at www.blazebayley.net/webshop.

The first single from the new album will be available early in February, along with a music video.

2014-2015 was a period of building momentum for Blaze, partly created by the highly popular release of the fifteenth anniversary edition of his debut solo record, "Silicon Messiah", as well as his "Soundtracks Of My Life" thirty-year compilation celebrating his career since he began singing with his first band WOLFSBANE, before catapulting to worldwide fame with IRON MAIDEN.

2016 saw a significant renaissance with the remarkable plaudits given to the "Infinite Entanglement" album from fans and critics alike. The year was also notable for Blaze's special guest performance with DISTURBED at the U.K.'s premier festival Download when the warmth and recognition from the crowd was as crystal clear as it was predictable given Blaze's reputation for connecting with audiences.

Finnish epic metallers WINTERSUN have completed work on their third studio album, due later in the year via Nuclear Blast. According to a press release, the as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2012's "Time I" features main songwriter Jari Mäenpää once again breaking the boundaries of metal and adding a new and majestic twist to the history of music.

Says WINTERSUN: "It's 2017, folks, and it's going to be a great year! Time for some big WINTERSUN news? Yes, it is!

"When we said that 'it is done,' we did not mean 'Time II', but we meant a new album for sure! 'Time II' won't be the next WINTERSUN album, because of reasons you already know from past updates and interviews.

"So what is 'it'? 'It' is a new album and it is 100% done! And no, that's not the name of the album. This album will be something new and different, but equally great or perhaps even better in some ways. Over 53 minutes of solid WINTERSUN material (with no intro tracks) and with a killer concept!

"This album will be the third full-length WINTERSUN album. We will release the name of it soon and other details such as the track list etc. We're gonna start putting the pieces of the puzzle together for you guys, how it's going to be released and what will happen... It will be a whole new experience! It will all make sense to you very soon!

"And this album is not the only thing we've done, not by a long shot! In fact, your minds will be blown soon! That is a guarantee."

WINTERSUN's "Time I" was nominated in the "Metal Album Of The Year" category at the 2013 Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent), which was held at Barona Areena in Espoo, Finland.

"Time I" sold nearly 4,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States to land at position No. 109 on The Billboard 200 chart.

WINTERSUN's debut CD was released in September 2004 through Nuclear Blast Records.

"Vehicle Of Spirit", the new DVD/Blu-ray from Finland-based symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH, has registered the following first-week chart positions:

#1: Finland#1: Germany #1: Sweden#2: Switzerland#3: Netherlands #5: Austria#9: Belgium#10: Spain #15: France

"Vehicle Of Spirit" was released in Europe last month and will follow in the U.S. on January 6. It features not only two full concerts, but also plenty of bonus material.

"The title 'Vehicle Of Spirit' came from a friend of Troy's [Donockley, multi-instrumentalist], who after seeing our show a few years ago defined NIGHTWISH as 'a vehicle of spirit that defies category.' That beautiful description has followed us ever since, and felt like a perfect match as the DVD title," states NIGHTWISH keyboardist and songwriter Tuomas Holopainen.

"Vehicle Of Spirit" was made available in the following formats:

* 2BluRay-Digibook (feat. Live @ Wembley Arena London & Live @ Ratina Stadion Tampere + extras)* 3DVD-Digibook (feat. Live @ Wembley Arena London & Live @ Ratina Stadion Tampere + extras)* 2BD+3DVD+2CD-Earbook (limited edition, content as above + 2CDs (feat. The Wembley Show)* Exclusive NB Mailorder BOX (Earbook + 3LP vinyl (black, white, red vinyl) + 12" poster + 12" photo card)

DVD1 (The Wembley Show)

01. Shudder Before The Beautiful02. Yours Is An Empty Hope03. Ever Dream04. Storytime05. My Walden06. While Your Lips Are Still Red07. Élan08. Weak Fantasy09. 7 Days To The Wolves10. Alpenglow11. The Poet And The Pendulum12. Nemo13. I Want My Tears Back14. Stargazers15. Ghost Love Score16. Last Ride Of The Day17. The Greatest Show On Earth DVD2 (The Tampere Show)

01. Shudder Before The Beautiful02. Yours Is An Empty Hope03. Amaranth04. She Is My Sin05. Dark Chest Of Wonders06. My Walden07. The Islander08. Élan09. Weak Fantasy10. Storytime11. Endless Forms Most Beautiful12. Alpenglow13. Stargazers14. Sleeping Sun15. Ghost Love Score16. Last Ride Of The Day17. The Greatest Show On Earth DVD3 (Extras)

01. Weak Fantasy (Vancouver)02. Nemo (Buenos Aires)03. The Poet And The Pendulum (Mexico City)04. Yours Is An Empty Hope (Joensuu)05. 7 Days To The Wolves (Espoo, Barona Arena)06. Sleeping Sun (Masters Of Rock)07. Sahara (Tampa Bay)08. Edemah Ruh acoustic (Nightwish Cruise)09. Last Ride Of The Day (Rock In Rio feat. Tony Kakko)10. Élan (Sydney)11. Richard Dawkins Interview From Wembley

Sold-out arenas and spectacular shows with never before seen pyro effects, wind machines, video screens and of course NIGHTWISH's incomparable melodies are the elements that made their latest tour so unique. Special highlights for the band have been two particular shows though: The one in London, where they not only played their hymns such as "Élan" and the majestic "The Greatest Show On Earth" to more than 12,000 fans, but also welcomed the world famous scientist Richard Dawkins live on stage with them. Richard Dawkins's works had a massive impact on the thematical orientation of their latest studio album "Endless Forms Most Beautiful". Finland's Tampere show however was a home run for the band and never before NIGHTWISH had such an immense stage production with them:

"I would say the main part of the DVD are those two shows, both Wembley and Tampere," says Tuomas. "Wembley is mentioned first due to its recognizability and legendary status. I remember the show being very special, both a goal achieved, and a starting point. The crowd was heartwarming. The presence of Richard Dawkins on stage was just mind-blowing. The overall experience was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill ride! The show in Ratina Stadion, Tampere, was a home crowd specialty (for four-sixths of the band) with the biggest stage production we've ever had. A lovely atmosphere throughout the concert, with many same faces in the front row as there were 15 years ago. Heartfelt."

When it comes to the fine artwork of the DVD, NIGHTWISH decided to walk different paths this time and come up with a little alternative idea, as Tuomas explains. "We didn't want to include a traditional band shot for the cover, as on the previous DVD release 'Showtime, Storytime'," he says. "So we started brainstorming on different options and the idea of a classic silent movie era Hollywood visuals quickly came up. With those classic slogans the cover has a little tongue-in-cheek-touch to it, but it's still classy and eye catching in its simplicity and originality."

On November 17, 2016, METALLICA recorded its first-ever BBC radio session at the world-famous BBC Maida Vale studios in London, England. The 36-minute video recap below includes five tracks and interviews, as James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich speak with BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show" host Daniel P. Carter.

As previously reported, Hetfield told Revolver magazine in a new interview that METALLICA wanted its new album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", to be more "palatable to the ear." Hetfield explained: "I wanted the new one to have a little more layers than [2008's] 'Death Magnetic', but I also wanted it to be more simple — and I wanted it to be more palatable to the ear. I think 'Death Magnetic' is very, very powerful, and I love it, but it abuses the ear quite a bit. This record sounds loud and powerful, but in a warmer way."

"Death Magnetic" was produced by Rick Rubin and many fans complained that the album's volume levels were too loud, resulting in an unpleasant listening experience. Drummer Lars Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio at the time that he didn't understand the fuss. "I listen to this record, and I listen to it every couple of days," he said. "And when I hear it, it puts a smile on my face and it blows me away, and I don't understand what people are talking about. Somebody told me the other day that there were 12,000 people that had signed a petition to remix the record. We've sold two and a half million copies of 'Death Magnetic'. You do the math yourself."

For "Hardwired..." , METALLICA did not work with Rubin again but promoted Rubin's engineer, Greg Fidelman, to the role of producer. He also mixed the sound for the band's 2013 concert movie, "Through The Never". Hetfield said about the collaboration this time: "We really enjoyed his sonics and the approach he had on the movie. The 'Through The Never' stuff sounds really, really warm and powerful, so it's easy to turn up. That's what we were going for this time, and Greg stepped up."

Hetfield also applauded Fidelman for being able to work with him and Ulrich, saying: "I've gotta give him credit, because it's not easy to hang out with us. It can be pretty rough jumping into the mix between Lars and I. He did a good job of being the swing vote, or the referee, or whatever you want to call it."

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release.

METALLICA will head out on a major world tour in support of the set later this year, with North American dates rumored to begin in the spring.

Season Of Mist has announced the signing of NOCTURNAL GRAVES. The Australian old-school death metal wrecking crew will release its third full-length album later in the year.

Comments the band: "NOCTURNAL GRAVES would like to extend our gratitude to Season Of Mist and we look forward to working with them on our next releases.

"We are in the process of writing our third album, so expect nothing less than total death metal savagery!!"

NOCTURNAL GRAVES formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2004. Two well-received demos, "Profanation Of Innocence" and "Deathstorm", followed the same year. Quickly scoring a record deal, the band officially released the "Necromancer" seven-inch single (2006) before unleashing its debut full-length, "Satan's Cross", in 2007. The Australians hit Europe in 2009 and celebrated the event with "The Gravespirit Sessions" split. Former DESTRÖYER 666 and RAZOR OF OCCAM guitarist Shrapnel and drummer L.W. joined in 2012.

NOCTURNAL GRAVES widely extended its international fanbase with the release of its sophomore album, "...From the Bloodline Of Cain", in 2014, which resulted in an invitation to the 2016 edition of Maryland Deathfest and more shows in the U.S. The tour concided with the release of a limited-edition seven-inch EP, "Sharpen The Knives / Lead Us To The Endless Fire".

Photo credit: Dijana Krv

Swedish blackened death metallers NECROPHOBIC have been rejoined by guitarists Sebastian Ramstedt and Johan Bergebäck following the band's split with their axeman of the past five years, Fredrik Folkare.

Commented NECROPHOBIC drummer Joakim Sterner: "The last couple of years, Fredrik has been handling all the guitar parts as a single guitarist. He is a great guitar player, but he can't play two guitars live and to have two guitarists is an important part of our sound — especially live. The music is written for two guitars. It has been so in the past and it's still so today."

He continued: "Lately, I have also come to realize that me and Fredrik are too far from each other on the musical side. Our mindset and our musical roots are too different.

"NECROPHOBIC is very special in that way that it has very strict, call it rules, on how music shall sound, and not to sound, so with that in mind, along with that one guitar player was 'missing' live, I slowly started to think of this solution — to let Fredrik go.

"It's always hard to tell a person to go, especially since we have always got along very well on the personal basis. He's a great guy, but I had to set the band, and what's best for the band, in first place. There's no hard feelings between us. At least not from my side."

Joakim added: "Since some time back, a newborn relationship started with my old friends, and former bandmates, Sebastian and Johan, and that made this lineup change into reality.

"Sebastian was part of this band for fifteen years and Johan for ten years, so I'm really excited to have them back in the band again and I'm looking forward to what we will accomplish together, both live and on the songwriting terms."

Regarding his return to NECROPHOBIC, Sebastian said: "It's a great honor to be back! It feels like coming home.

"NECROPHOBIC has, by far, been the band where I can let my creativity flow the most. Joakim's vision and my way of writing songs has always fit together naturally.

"The funny thing is that me and Johan never really quit NECROPHOBIC. After years of working closely together, we, in the beginning of 2011, said that we needed a break, but it became longer than we expected.

"I do respect Fredrik's work in this band. He is a fantastic guitar player and his work with NECROPHOBIC, both as a guitar player and a producer, will not pass unnoticed.

"The time for a return is now and we will unite in forces stronger than ever."

Added Johan: "The time has come for me to reunite with the mighty force of NECROPHOBIC. Together we will bring forth the black flag and reclaim our position as a great live act. Join us when we venture into the eternal fire. See you out there."

NECROPHOBIC 2017 is:

Anders Strokirk - VocalsAlexander Friberg - BassJoakim Sterner - DrumsSebastian Ramstedt - GuitarJohan Bergebäck - Guitar

NECROPHOBIC has already started to write new music and plans to record the long-awaited follow-up to 2013's "Womb Of Lilithu" at the end of this year.

SnakeyeS would like to wish a Happy New Year to all the band's fans with a special gift, a cover version of Accept's legendary “Metal Heart”.

Says SnakeyeS: “This song has been constantly featured on SnakeyeS' setlist during the Ultimate Sin Tour, so the band decided to record it as a free gift to its fans during the studio sessions for the new album.”

Listen to SnakeyeS' version of “Metal Heart” below, and download the mp3 at this location.

SnakeyeS' version of “Metal Heart” was produced, mixed and mastered by Jose Pineda at Area 51 Studios. SnakeyeS will continue work on their second full-length album, which is being recorded and mixed right now, with a short sample being included in the following video:
More on SnakeyeS at the band's official Facebook page.

Sweden's GMR Music are now offering Crucified Barbara's first 4 singles on limited edition 7" vinyl. Only 300 copies of each have been pressed: 

#1 - "Losing The Game" / "Killed By Death"
#2 - "Rock 'N' Roll Bachelor" / "Shout It Out Loud"
#3 - "Play Me Hard" / "My Heart Is Black" (acoustic version)
#4 - "Jennyfer" / "Fire"

Go to this location to order.

Crucified Barbara announced the band’s demise in 2016 with the following statement:

“Hey everyone! Today we are sad to say that a long journey has come to an end. Crucified Barbara were our dream and you all, made it come true! The times we've had together as a band and shared on (and off) stage with you guys, leaves memories that no time can kill.

Our lives have parted and we need to move on. The last years have taken its toll on all of us and the joy of playing together got lost somewhere along the way. But we are musicians at heart and the last chord is not taken for any of us, so we will probably see each other again, under different circumstances and in other variations.

Thanks to everyone we worked with during the years who believed in us when no one else did. But without you, our fans, we wouldn't have seen the beauty and the strength of what rock music can do. Thank you again for making our dream come true!

All the best and biggest respect!”

(Photo - Crucified Barbara Facebook)

DeFox Records and Invincible Records have announced the debut album of death metal band from Iraq, Dark Phantom.

The album titled Nation Of Dogs contains ten songs in vein of melodic death metal. The digital release is now available on every worldwide webstores like iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Deezer, Google Music, and more.

Dark Phantom’s idea began in Kirkuk, Iraq late in 2007. The impression was to reach their dreams in western music and to express the inferior circumstances in the city, and explain it to the universe. 

In 2008, the band was able to start up again and started rehearsal, despite all the dangers. Death was a consequence of being caught playing this music in an Al Qaeda controlled situation. It was a volatile situation.

Dark Phantom could then hardly compose their first song, before there was a decline in the band's musical direction. They turned to cover songs, and, at the same time, worked on original music.

In 2011, the band played their first concert in the city of Kirkuk. It was unforeseen, that under the same circumstances (volatile aggression, anti-metal music “laws”, etc.) a crowd came to see them and news of the event rocked the small city.

After the band reputation was spread in the area, exactly in 2013 they started getting invitations to perform live concerts in different cities and indeed they responded, making three successful concerts in three different cities.

In 2016 finally the band began a negotiation with an international label (DeFox Records) which has led to the launch of Nation Of Dogs in the world and spread Dark Phantom to Western metallers and in the music market.

Tracklisting:

“Dark Ages”
“New Gospel”
“Nation Of Dogs”
“Judgment Call”
“Unholy Alliance”
“O! Holocaust”
“Atomosphere”
“Confess”
“On The Brink Of Terror”
“State Of War”

“Nation Of Dogs” video:

Somewhere in the dark depths of death and thrash metal, lies the inspiration for Hate Unbound's new album Plague. Those influences remained constant throughout Hate Unbound's writing and arranging process which is a collaborative effort between all members of the band.  

Plague was recorded, mixed and mastered during the spring and summer of 2016 at Elaire Studios which is located in the shadow of the decaying city of Detroit, Michigan.

Hate Unbound's Plague is a tribute to, as well as a continuation of, all things heavy. And a salute to all headbangers everywhere. Plague is released February 17th via Inverse Records. Listen to the tack “Baptized In Lies” via the Bandcamp player below.

Tracklisting:

“Baptized In Lies”
“Cut”
“Suffering”
“Burn Your Idols”
“Soiled”
“Puncture”
“Plague”
“I, Martyr”
“Grey Skies”
“The Fallen”

“Baptized In Lies”:

Baptised in Lies by Hate Unbound

Spread The Plague Tour dates:

April
13 – New Haven, IL
14 – Chicago, IL
15 – Milwaukee, IL
16 – Des Moines, IA
17 – Peoria, IL
18 – St. Louis, MO
19 – Nashville, TN
20 – Louisville, KY
21 – Pittsburgh, PA
22 – Cleveland, OH
23 – Toledo, OH

Dan Reed Network has released a new video for the track “Champion”, featured on the new album, Fight Another Day, out now. Watch below.

Fight Another Day marks the return of one of the most infectious and gifted bands to come out in the melodic rock world in the second part of the 80's. The new album was recorded primarily in the home town of members of DRN, Portland, Oregon, while most of the writing process took place in Dan Reed's private studio in Prague in the Czech Republic, where Reed currently resides with his family. Demos were sent back and forth between Derek Shulman (A&R for Frontiers), Brion James, Melvin Brannon Jr. and Rob Daiker, making notes and refining the songs over great distances via the internet. This process was not unlike with DRN composed songs back in the late 80's and early 90's as Dan Reed used to demo out songs on his Akai 12 track machine and bring the songs into rehearsals where the band members would then arrange and flesh out the band's classic 'funk rock' sound.

After the tracking was completed, band's keyboardist Rob Daiker went to work editing and mixing each track alongside Shulman and Reed, sending mixes back and forth, making notes and shaping and moulding the album to best represent what DRN sounds like currently, while paying respect to what brought the band to the world's attention back in the late 80's.

Fight Another Day tracklisting:

“Divided”
“The Brave”
“Infected”
“Champion”
“Ignition”
“Give It Love”
“B There With U”
“Save The World”
“Eye Of The Storm”
“Reunite”
“Heaven”
“Sharp Turn”
“Stand Tall”

“Champion” video:

“The Brave” video:

“Divided” video:

Dan Reed Network is:

Dan Reed - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitars, Piano, Synth Programming, Moog Bass
Brion James - Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Synth Guitars, Synth Programming, Drum Programming
Dan Pred - Drums, Percussion, Videographer
Melvin Brannon II - Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Bass, Electric Contra Bass, Synth Bass
Rob Daiker - Vocals, Keyboards, Synth Programming, Drum Programming

Norwegian black metal heavyweights Emperor have announced a handful of European Summer festival appearances - during each of these shows they will be performing the Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk album live - details are as listed:

June
16 - Hellfest - Clisson, France
17 - Graspop - Desssel, Belgium
23 - Tons Of Rock - Halden, Norway

July
1 - Rockfest - Barcelona, Spain

August
3 to 5 - Wacken Open Air - Wacken, Germany (exact date and stage tba)
9 to 12 - Brutal Assault - Jaromer, Czech Republic (exact date and stage tba)

Ignitor, the Austin, Texas-based true metal titans featuring iconic vocalist Jason McMaster, have released the limited edition Years Of War Collection box set, which includes five CDs spanning 10 years.

The box set consists of their legendary debut Take To The Sky, Road Of Bones, The Spider Queen, Year Of The Metal Tiger and for the first time ever, a CD version of their classic covers album, Mixtape 85. Also included for a limited time, a live bonus DVD of Ignitor's performance from the 2005 Keep It True Festival in Germany, as well as a limited edition back patch.

Ignitor vocalist Jason McMaster has checked in with the following comment: "Finally, you can get the history of Ignitor's first five music releases, all in one kick ass box set. It is really cool to have all the band's chronological releases in one place including our never before released on cd old school classic covers album Mixtape 85. It was a ton of fun organizing this set with all worldwide true metal fans in mind.

Years Of War Collection includes the following titles (with band comments).

Take To The Sky (2004) - “Ignitor's first record. It was recorded at the end of 2003 and released through CD Baby. This is where it all began and is an example of a band doing what they love. When Germany’s Rock Hard magazine named it "Demo of the Month," we figured we were on to something.”

Tracklisting:

“Demon Slayer”
“Execution”
“The Grey Ghost”
“Take To The Sky”
“The Last King Tiger”
“Lean Mean Leather Machine”

Road Of Bones (2007) - “This is Ignitor's second record, the last to feature Erika on vocals and the only to feature Annah Moore on guitar. It was recorded in the summer of 2006 and released in 2007. This is a great record that never got the chance to be properly promoted. Unfortunately, Erika left the band the week it was released, leaving Ignitor unable to play until a new singer was found.”

Tracklisting:

“Intro
“Road Of Bones”
“Scarlet Enigma”
“March To The Guillotine”
“Wings Of The Blackheart”
“Hymn Of Erin”
“Phoenix”
“Broken Glass”
“Castle In The Clouds”
“God Of Vengance”
“Reinheitsgebot”

The Spider Queen (2009) - “This is Ignitor's third record and the first to feature Jason McMaster on vocals and the return of Beverly Barrington. It was recorded and released in 2009. The Spider Queen is a concept album following the traditional "boy meets girl, girl turns out to be a giant spider that's also his mother, boy's grandmother kills girl, boy kills grandmother" format. We still don't know why some people didn't "get" the story. This album diverged a little from the true metal ideal as Batlord was inspired by long form rock 'n roll works including The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Flash Gordon."

Tracklisting:

“Magnum Opus”
“Evil Calling”
“I Never Knew”
“The Games Begin”
“Angels Descend”
“The Spider Queen”
“Rune Of Power”
“What Love Denies”
“Construct of Destruction”
“My Heart Turns To Dust”
“Dynasty Of Darkness”

Year Of The Metal Tiger (2012) - “This is Ignitor's fourth record. It was recorded in 2011 and released in the spring of 2012. We really got back to basics on this one: no ballads, a guitar solo in every song, no over-arching conceptual storyline to confuse the instant gratification addicted. Just classic metal by metalheads for metalheads.”

Tracklisting:

“Heavy Metal Holocaust”
“Beast In Black”
“Raiders Of The Void”
“Shadow Of The Needle”
“Island Of The Damned”
“The Kaiser”
“We Are Ignitor”

Mixtape 85 (2013) - “This is Ignitor's last recorded output released in 2012. It is a compilation of Ignitor playing our favorite classic metal tunes. Super fun and a must have for all metalheads, it embodies the excitement of the old school 80's metal experience.”

Tracklisting:

“Deathrider” (Anthrax cover)
“Fast As A Shark” (Accept cover)
“Violence And Force” (Exciter cover)
“Into The Coven” (Mercyful Fate cover)
“Witching Hour” (Venom)
“Hell Bent For Leather” (Judas Priest cover)
“A Lesson In Violence” (Exodus cover)
“Highway Star” (Deep Purple cover)

Order the box set at this location.

Spanish death metallers, Christ Denied, have announced that their new drummer is Fabio Ramírez (ex-Internal Suffering).

Christ Denied is currently working on new songs for their third full length album, to be titled Christopsy, for which six songs are already written and a few more will be finished during the next months. Recordings are planned for this summer featuring Fabio, which will mean the very first recording of the band with a human drummer in its 23-year history!

The band is also preparing songs for their next live appearance at the 4th edition of the Frankfurt Deathfest on April 8th, together with bands like Avulsed, Dead Infection, Mercyless, Aborted Fetus, Mass Infection, Savage Annihilation and many more. This will be a free-entrance festival. Details at this location.

Check out this playthrough video that Fabio recorded, playing the song “Putrid Christian Blood”.

“Practising together is actually impossible since Roger B. lives in Lithuania, Roger P. in Barcelona and the other two (Dave Rotten and Fabio) in Madrid, but at least you can see how Fabio blasts like a true motherfucker!!”

Rock legends Deep Purple will release their new album, inFinite, the highly anticipated follow-up to their worldwide chart topping album NOW What?!, on April 7th via earMUSIC. According to Darker Than Blue, inFinite will be available in the following formats:

* CD
* CD + DVD
* Double Vinyl + DVD
* Small Fan Box
* Large Fan Box

The Large Fan Box is expected to include the 2LP, CD, DVD, plus three 10″ singles and a t-shirt.

Also, the first single, “Time For Bedlam” will include the following tracklisting:

“Time For Bedlam”
“Paradise Bar”
“Uncommon Man” (instrumental)
“Hip Boots” (Ian Paice rehearsal version)

The track “Time For Bedlam” (lyric video below) is available as instant grat as part of the digital album pre-order, as well as on all streaming platforms. A limited edition EP for “Time For Bedlam”, with non-album songs and unreleased recordings will hit the shops on February 3rd.

“Time For Bedlam” lyric video:

A documentary movie, witnessing the songwriting process and the recording of the album with producer Bob 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.

Deep Purple recently announced their Long Goodbye Tour, which will bring the legendary live show once again all over the world. The band have not yet answered, in fact, 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 has in fact 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…”

inFinite trailer clips:

Tour dates:

May
17 - Wien, Austria - Stadthalle Halle D
19 - München, Germany - Olympiahalle
23 - Lodz, Poland - Atlas Arena
24 - Katowice, Poland - Spodek
30 - Hamburg, Germany - Barclaycard-Arena

June
1 - Lille, France - Zenith Arena
2 - Amsterdam, Holland - Ziggodome
3 - Paris, France - Accorhotels Arena
6 - Köln, Germany - Lanxess Arena
7 - Dortmund, Germany - Westfalenhalle
9 - Leipzig, Germany - Arena Leipzig
10 - Frankfurt/Main, Germany - Festhalle
13 - Berlin, Germany - Mercedes-Benz-Arena
14 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schleyer-Halle
16-18 - Clisson, France - HellFest (exact date TBC)

July
1 - Barcelona, Spain - Rock Fest

November (with Europe)
17 - Birmingham, England - Birmingham Arena
18 - Manchester, England - Manchester Arena
20 - Cardiff, Wales - Cardiff Arena
22 - Glasgow, Scotland - SSE Hydro
23 - London, England - 02 Arena

Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick presents “The Monday Blues” saying, “Since the Holidays are sadly over, enjoy my riffs and here's to a fabulous 2017!”

In other recent news, Bruce Kulick performed the American national anthem at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on December 23rd when the Los Angeles Clippers played the Dallas Mavericks. Video from the performance is available below.

And Kulick played 10 KISS songs on December 6th at Ultimate Jam Night's tribute to KISS at the world famous Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Live video footage shot by Johnny Angel of “I Still Love You“ with Bruce Kulick, Debby Holiday, Matt Starr, Jorgan Carlsson and Alex Kane can be seen below, along with more footage from the night.

Kulick, also known for his membership in Grand Funk Railroad, was a member of KISS from 1984 – 1996 during its so-called “no makeup” era. His performance of 10 KISS songs at Ultimate Jam Night was the most played in one show since his inclusion in the band.

Over 50 artists including Ace Frehley bassist Chris Wyse, L.A. Guns guitarist Michael Grant, Gov’t Mule bassist Jorgen Carlsson, Autograph vocalist Simon Daniels, drummer Jason Sutter of Marilyn Manson, guitarist Nikki Stringfield of the Iron Maidens and Ira Black of Westfield Massacre performed tunes from KISS’ entire career.

Divebomb Records has reissued I Hate Therefore I Am, the debut album from classic thrash metal act, Cyclone Temple. The reissue features a separate companion CD of unreleased demos/live tracks entitled Land Of The Greed, Home Of The Depraved.

The special deluxe 2CD set is limited to 500 units worldwide and available only via Divebomb Records store, CDBaby and limited DIY partners.

Additionally, 500 copies of I Hate Therefore I Am (album only CD) will be available via Amazon (widget below), Best Buy and other big box retailers beginning January 13th.

I Hate Therefore I Am tracklisting:

“Why”
“Sister (Until Will Meet Again)”
“Words Are Just Words”
“Public Enemy”
“In God We Trust”
“I Hate Therefore I Am”
“March For Me – Die For Me”
“Born To Lose”
“Silence So Loud”

I Hate Therefore I Am by CYCLONE TEMPLE

Bonus CD tracklisting:

Land Of The Greed, Home Of The Depraved (Demo - 1989)
“Sister (Until We Meet Again)”
“In God We Trust”
“March For Me - Die For Me”
“Public Enemy”
“Why”
“Drug Of The Masses”
“Born To Lose”
“Silence So Loud”

Building Errors In The Machine (Demo - 1991)
“Drug Of The Masses”
“Down The Drain”
“Me, Myself & I”

Live Hatred (Captured at Alrosa Villa - Columbus, OH)
“I Hate Therefore I Am”
“Words Are Just Words”
 
Land Of The Greed, Home Of The Depraved by CYCLONE TEMPLE

 

 

 

Florida death metal veterans, Killing Addiction, have returned with a new four-song EP, titled Shores Of Oblivion. The EP was recently released via Xtreem Music and can be streamed in its entirety below. Order the CD here.

On Shores Of Oblivion, Killing Addiction exemplifies a style that spans death metal (Death, Morbid Angel), grindcore (Napalm Death, Carcass), and thrash (Slayer, Kreator). Equally heavy is a lyrical approach that deals in themes both political and philosophical.

After its 1989 formation, right in the thick of the influential Florida death metal scene, Killing Addiction released a demo and EP prior to the release of its 1993 full-length debut, Omega Factor. After another EP and a split release, the band called it quits in 1998, then reformed in 2006, eventually releasing sophomore full-length Fall Of The Archetypes on Xtreem Music in 2010 (also released as a limited-edition, six-song EP). The When Death Becomes an Art 7" EP followed in 2015 (Inverse Dogma Records).

Momentum gained and all cylinders firing, Killing Addiction wasted no time in releasing Shores Of Oblivion last fall, but the season was a bittersweet one for the band, as founding member Chad Bailey passed away in September. The band is slowly moving forward in an effort to continue the work and vision he helped create.

Tracklisting:

“Engine Of Ruin”
“Cult Of Decay”
“Extinction Agenda”
“Into Shadow”

Shores of Oblivion by KILLING ADDICTION

"Engine Of Ruin" promo video:

Lavadome Productions have announced another outburst of massive death metal destruction in the form of Execration Diatribes, the debut album from Portuguese trio, Pestifer.

The album contains nine raging compositions of the finest death metal havoc and will be released on February 14th. The new song, "Mars Exult”, is available for streaming below. Pre-order the album here.

Tracklisting:

“March Of The Dead Orchestra”
“Mars Exult”
“Brutal Eruption Of Chaos”
“Dark Dimensions”
“Enslavement Of God”
“Awaken By Death”
“Nothing Remains”
“Riding The Storms Of Hate MMXVI”
“Confront Death”

“Mars Exult”:

Pestifer is:

Pedro Silva - Guitars and Vocals
Jorge Marinho - Bass
Diogo Pereira - Drums

(Photo - João Fitas)

A Killer’s Confession, the new project of former Mushroomhead vocalist Waylon Reavis, has announced dates for their first US tour, dubbed The Year Of The Killers, and featuring EMP labelmates Dead By Wednesday, plus Kissing Candice, and Erasing Never. Dates are listed below.

January
27 - Jacksonville, NC - Hooligans
28 - Clarksville, TN - The Warehouse
31 - Orlando, FL - The Haven

February
1 - Spartanburg, SC - Ground Zero
2 - Reading, PA - Reverb
3 - Queens, NY - Blackthorn 51
4 - Providence, RI - Fete Music Hall
8 - Toronto, ON - The Coalition
9 - Rochester, NY - Pineapple Jack's
10 - Akron, OH - The Empire
11 - Fort Wayne, IN - The Hub
12 - Covington, KY - Madison Live
13 - Johnson City, TN - The Hideaway
15 - Cudahy, WI - The Metal Grill
16 - Mansfield, OH - Whiskey Warehouse
17 - Chicago, IL - Portage Theater
18 - Detroit, MI - The Token Lounge

AKC has also revealed the cover art for their debut full-length LP, Unbroken, being released in March via EMP Label Group/Amped. The intense album was rendered by legendary comic/horror artist “Mister Sam” Shearon, responsible for artwork for Rob Zombie, Fear Factory, Rammstein, Iron Maiden, Arise In Chaos, Clive Barker (Books of Blood, Hellraiser), IDW Publishing (KISS, The X-Files) and more. The album is available in several pre-order configurations now from empmerch.com.

The debut single, “A Killer’s Confession”, featuring Brian “Head” Welch from Korn, was released to metal radio in November. A lyric video can be seen below: