Bay Area thrash legends DEATH ANGEL closed out their year with two sold-out concerts at Slim's in San Francisco last weekend. Billed as the third annual "Another Death Angel Xmas Show", the shows have become a tradition in the Bay Area. Fans showed up in full force and were rewarded with the band opening both dates with a cover of Ronnie James Dio-era BLACK SABBATH classic "Falling Off The Edge Of The World" from the "Mob Rules" album.

Asked why DEATH ANGEL chose to cover that particular SABBATH song, drummer Will Carroll said: "Rob [Cavestany, DEATH ANGEL guitarist] suggested we do it and we all thought it was a great idea. It's my favorite song on 'Mob Rules'. We jammed on it a few times and it sounded really good, so we decided to open with it. Mark [Osegueda, DEATH ANGEL vocalist] does a hell of a job on the Dio-era SABBATH."

DEATH ANGEL is taking a break from the road before taking part in the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise and then joining DEVILDRIVER on a month-long U.S. tour. A European trek will follow in the summer of 2017.

DEATH ANGEL's latest album, "The Evil Divide", entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 98 with first-week sales of just over 6,000 units — nearly all from pure album sales. The set followed the No. 72-peaking "The Dream Calls For Blood", which opened with around 5,400 copies back in 2013.

"The Evil Divide" was released on May 27 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was once again recorded at AudioHammer studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, DEICIDE), who previously worked on 2010's "Relentless Retribution" and 2013's "The Dream Calls For Blood". Mastering duties were handled by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York City. The cover artwork was created by Tyrrell.




(Thanks: Cip Cipriano)

German power metallers HELLOWEEN will be rejoined by vocalist Michael Kiske and guitarist Kai Hansen for a world tour in 2017 and 2018. Dubbed "Pumpkins United", the trek will feature seven musicians — including current singer Andi Deris and guitarist Sascha Gerstner — performing material spanning HELLOWEEN's entire three-decade-plus history.

"Pumpkins United" touring lineup:

Michael Kiske - VocalsKai Hansen - GuitarMichael Weikath – GuitarMarkus Grosskopf - BassAndi Deris - VocalsSascha Gerstner - GuitarDaniel Löble - Drums

The first official photo of the "Pumpkins United" lineup can be seen below.

For thirty years, HELLOWEEN has been delighting its fans with fantastic riffs, great songs, and haunting melodies — three decades of a global career they officially celebrated with the "Hellbook" in 2015. This is when the idea for "Pumpkins United" was born: The "Anniversary Bible" as well as touring with Kai made them realize that this band’s story is demanding its next chapter. Or, as Michael Kiske describes it: "Playing an original HELLOWEEN tracks with UNISONIC was quite a flashback already, but rocking with the original lineup and Andi will be something really special. The time has come!"

The super-tour's first confirmed date is October 28, 2017 in Sao Paulo, Brazil and takes the full "Pumpkins" entourage across selected cities and venues in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the U.S. An extremely big deal, which, including a few secret surprises, will present almost three hours of the biggest hits from three decades of HELLOWEEN as the band will obviously insist on performing a full-speed trip through the HELLOWEEN repertoire.

"We already had an awesome time on the 'Hellish Rock' part 1 & 2, but this time we'll definitely double down on it," says Hansen, and Markus Grosskopf adds: "There'll for sure be songs that we haven't played in a very long time or even ever before."

Kiske, who acrimoniously left HELLOWEEN in 1993, has been resistant to any kind of a reunion with his former bandmates, telling Dead Rhetoric in a 2013 interview: "I wouldn't do that. I'm up for peace, up for talking everything out and getting everything out of our systems. I met up with [HELLOWEEN guitarist Michael] Weikath a in Sweden. He was extremely nice and friendly. It was clear they have changed their mood. They've changed their attitude toward me. They really did me a lot of wrong over the years. I don't want to pass the blame here, but they've accused me of doing things that they know very well are not right. They needed some stuff to convince the old fans that it's good I'm not there anymore, and they went way too far. One of the things that I was really pissed about was this 'musical direction' talk, as if I would be the person to tell anyone what kind of music he should do. Everyone who knows me — anyone who really knows me — knows my attitude is totally different. I would always say, 'Do what you believe in. Whatever song is your song, write it, go play it.' I would never be the person to tell anyone in HELLOWEEN the direction we were supposed to go. That was so ridiculous, to blame me for the things that came up. Yes, I was responsible for my own songs, but it was always something the band made work… or not."

He added: "I don't know how they have suddenly changed their tone and why I should be there for a reunion tour and all. Like I said, I'm fine with making peace, but you can't undo the past. I'm a typical person. I can easily forgive, but I never forget. If someone betrays me, I tell them, 'Okay, I forgive you. Go in peace. I don't trust you anymore. You showed me who you are. I'm not saying you can't change, but you have to do a lot to convince me you have changed.'"

Pressed on whether he would consider doing a special guest appearance with HELLOWEEN at a festival, Kiske — who has been touring and recording with Hansen for the last few years as part of UNISONIC — said: "I can do that with UNISONIC. For the fans who are in love with the records of those times, like the 'Keeper' records, I understand they have hopes and think it would be a cool thing. I don't think they could give me the amount of money, just for business reasons to say yes. My heart is just not there. If they give me 2 million euros, I'd be stupid not to do it, but I know they'd never do it. [Laughs] This will never be an option. For the fans, you can do a lot, but for me, it would be very difficult to be on a stage and to sing among people who are not my friends, people who I have such a negative past with and feel so betrayed by. My voice would probably be gone."

Also in 2013, Weikath told Dead Rhetoric that he was open to the idea of reuniting with his former bandmates: "We've given thought to that and we've heard his [Kiske's] words that he doesn't like when people dream about those things in public in interviews. I've only merely been answering the questions of those wondering about [it], so I haven't been dreaming. I don't need that reunion as much as he wants it, or doesn't want it. If he ever gives in to any of that, then you can swear we'd probably try something like that. Maybe make some good money and have some fun on occasions where people are enjoying what we're doing then, as that particular strange outfit for the actual existing HELLOWEEN, with a few ex-members intertwined and you wouldn't know."




Here you're ! First BAND pic of the Reunion-Babe. Thanx 4 the post.... #metal #helloween #reunion #danilöble #drummer #helloweenreunion

Posted by Dani Löble on Thursday, December 22, 2016

Metal Blade Records, SCORPIONS and the Rainbow Bar & Grill have joined the list of metal royalty who will be inducted into the 2017 Hall Of Heavy Metal History next month. The all-star induction ceremony will take place on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at the Anaheim Expo Center in Anaheim, California. Radio personality Eddie Trunk will host the event.

Performing at the ceremony will be DIO DISCIPLES featuring Craig Goldy, Simon Wright, Scott Warren, Bjorn Englen, Tim "Ripper" Owens and Joe Retta. Former MANOWAR guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman will perform with his solo band, which features drummer Rhino (formerly of MANOWAR), vocalist Marc Lopes and bassist Mike LePond (SYMPHONY X). Surprise artists will also take part in the event. Support bands include BUDDERSIDE and L.A. rockers DIAMOND LANE.

The 2017 Hall Of Heavy Metal History inductees are: * Ronnie James Dio (RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) (with Wendy Dio accepting the induction)* Metal Blade Records (with Brian Slagel accepting the induction)* SCORPIONS (with drummer Mikkey Dee accepting the induction)* Rainbow Bar & Grill (With Rainbow Bar & Grill owner Mikael Maglieri accepting the induction)* Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD) (With manager Todd Singerman accepting the induction)* Ross "The Boss" Friedman (MANOWAR)* Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE, QUIET RIOT, DIO)* Frankie Banali (QUIET RIOT) (along with a special 33rd anniversary induction of QUIET RIOT, as the first heavy metal band to achieve the No. 1 album status on the Billboard chart).* Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL)* Don Airey (DEEP PURPLE)* Andy Zildjian (president/CEO of Sabian Cymbals)* Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE) (with the Rhoads family members accepting the induction) "The induction of Ronnie into the annual Hall Of Heavy Metal History is indeed an honor and I know Ronnie would have been very proud," says Wendy Dio. "On behalf of the board of directors of the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, we thank you for your support and donation. Every penny will go to cancer research and education, to hopefully one day find a cure for this horrible disease that takes the lives of so many of our loved ones."

"We are totally honored to be inducted into such a great organization," says Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel. "I am awestruck at the names that stand beside us, and so thankful for everyone who has helped us along the way. Huge thanks to all at the Hall Of Heavy Metal History for this great honor."

"Our family is so deeply honored to have Randy inducted into the Hall Of Heavy Metal History," say Kathy and Kelle Rhoads. "To think that after all these years since he has passed, he is still remembered and respected is totally awesome. His passion for music continues to inspire so many. It was always about the music for him. He would be speechless about this award, and so would our mom!!"

A press conference and general admission entrance will commence at 6:30 p.m. The induction ceremony will take place from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. A VIP meet-and-greet with the celebrity inductees will take place after the induction ceremony. Ross The Boss, BUDDERSIDE, DIAMOND LANE, and surprise guests will perform throughout the night.

Music fans can be a part of the most important night in heavy metal! Tickets are $25.00 for general admission, and $100.00 for combined general admission and VIP meet-and-greet with the celebrity inductees. VIP ticket includes special VIP seating, pictures and autographs with the celebrity inductees, gift bag with an official VIP pass, an official event poster, an official event t-shirt, an official event program, and additional sponsor items. For tickets, go to www.thehallofheavymetalhistory.org/store.

Los Angeles, CA progressive triumvirate, Cosmosquad, have announced the release of The Morbid Tango, the group's first new studio album since 2007's Acid Test.

The album will be issued through Marmaduke Records on January 14th and features founding members Jeff Kollman (Bombastic Meatbats, Glenn Hughes, Mogg/Way) on guitar and Shane Gaalaas (B'z, Diesel Machine, MSG) on drums, along with new addition Kevin Chown (Tarja, Bombastic Meatbats, Paul Gilbert) on bass whose musical association with Kollman goes back to the Edwin Dare days in the early 90's.

States Chown: “I have known Jeff and Shane for a long time. I have performed with them so many times on our musical adventures through the years. To create The Morbid Tango, we directed that friendship to create a work of deep meaning, without a single word being spoken, that reflects our life adventure as dear friends - the good times and the bad, into what I personally consider to be the greatest musical achievement of my career. It reflects all that I am as a bassist, and it's an honor to, after all this time, dating all the way back to being the bassist back in the 90’s on some of the original demo tapes of what became Cosmosquad, that Jeff and Shane have now officially asked me to join them on their musical adventure, filling the shoes of the many other amazing bassists that have preceded me in this band. I am truly honored. I perform alongside some pretty amazing musicians in my many musical adventures, but there is nothing like music that is created with the deep trust of long time friends, all on the same mission to change the world with music!

“We have worked incredibly hard to create a work which is a statement as to the meaning of life itself. Every title tells the story, the intensity of the music capturing the emotion. We have been there for each other as friends through each of our own personal Morbid Tangos, and now we are on a shared mission to demonstrate that art, as it always has, leads to truth. I personally, CANT WAIT for people to hear this record. And I can’t wait to officially perform as a member of this long time institution. It's one of the greatest honors of my career.”

Adds Gaalaas: "It took awhile for the Cosmos to align itself once again but some things just happen all in good time….. Chime in Kevin Chown! From our early writing jams, it was evident we were onto something profoundly cosmic. We could’ve easily made 3 records from all the ideas we had… just flowed out naturally and uninhibited. We used a couple of first takes live off the floor in there which rarely happens these days but, it just worked! This record feels right for me because it incorporates so many things that I love about music. Firstly, being spontaneity and synergic energy. It’s like the soup broth: If you get that right off the bat, you’re in good shape. There are some masterful arrangements that really take the listener on a ride. Akin to life, it paralleled so much of the roller coaster craziness we had going on during this time and really stretches some stylistic boundaries far into the abyss. The guys played their asses off musically and Jeff’s guitar brilliance takes it another step beyond. I love the balance between old school raw organic and modern production electronica. I think we found a nice recipe of both to keep the listener interested and curious as to what will happen next."

The Morbid Tango was conceived and recorded at Crumb West Studios in Simi Valley, CA, produced by the tandem of Shane Gaalaas and Jeff Kollman, and mixed by Gaalaas, with guest contributions coming from top LA session musicians Jeff Babko on keyboards, David Collier on percussion, and Jono Brown providing strings.

Tracklisting:
 
“Morbid Tango”
“Cyclops”
“The Ballad Of Rick James”
“Anatomy Of A Beatdown”
“Recollection Epilogue”
“Always Remember The Love”
“The Crosses”
“Still Life”
“Sangfroid”
“Beyond Death's Door”
“Beyond Death's Door Reprise”
 
The song “Recollection Epilogue” is currently streaming at this location. The Morbid Tango mashup reel can be viewed below:

Riding high on the success of their own independent label, Record Breaking Records, Striker is the fastest growing metal band out of Canada. 2017 will see the release of their fifth album. More details will be made available soon, but before they are, Striker has released a video for the track "Phoenix Lights”, from their previous release Stand In The Fire.

Striker will be on tour in the United States from January 15th to February 15th to go with the pre-order campaign for the new album, they will as well as provide direct support for Sonata Arctica in Europe from February 20th to April 10th, with more tours to be announced shortly.  Be sure to check out the new Striker Store with all new designs and products here.

Tour dates:

January
20 - Highline - Seattle, WA
21 - The High Water Mark - Portland, OR
22 - Old Nick's Pub - Eugene, OR
23 - Elbo Room - San Francisco, CA
24 - Complex - Glendale, CA
25 - Club Red - Mesa, AZ
27 - Grizzly Hall - Austin, TX
28 - Rudyards - Houston, TX
29 - Siberia - New Orleans, LA
31 - Jack Rabbits - Jacksonville, FL

February
1 - Haven Lounge - Winter Park, FL
7 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
8 - Fubar - St. Louis, MO
9 - Reggie's - Chicago, IL
10 - Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN
20 - Hirsch - Nuremberg, Germany
21 - Masters of Rock Cafe - Zlin, Czech Republic
22 - Szene - Vienna, Austria
23 - Backstage - Munich, Germany
24 - Vox Club - Modena, Italy
25 - Orion - Rome, Italy
27 - Dynamo - Zurich, Switzerland
28 - Kulturfabrik Kofmehl - Solothurn, Switzerland

March
1 - Les Docks - Lausanne, Switzerland
3 - Le Moulin - Marseille, France
4 - Bikini - Barcelona, Spain
5 - La Riviera - Madrid, Spain
6 - Custom - Sevilla, Spain
7 - Lisboa ao Vivo - Lisbon, Portugal
9 - Totem - Pamplona, Spain
10 - Barbey Theatre - Bordeaux, France
11 - Le Metronum - Toulouse, France
12 - Le Ninkaso Kao - Lyon, France
14 - La Rodia - Besancon, France
15 - L'Austre Canal - Nancy, France
16 - Antipode - Rennes, France
17 - Engine Rooms - Southampton, United Kingdom
18 - Marble Factory - Bristol, United Kingdom
19 - Tramshed - Cardiff, United Kingdom
20 - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, United Kingdom
22 - Club Academy - Manchester, United Kingdom
23 - Corporation Room 1 - Sheffield, United Kingdom
24 - The Classic Grand - Glasgow, United Kingdom
25 - Limelight 2 - Belfast, United Kingdom
26 - The Academy - Dublin, Ireland
28 - Slade Rooms - Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
29 - Le Splendid - Lille, France
30 - X - Hereford, Germany
31 - Colos-Saal - Aschaffenburg, Germany

April
1 - Effenaar - Eindhoven, Netherlands
2 - Tivoli Pandora - Utrecht, Netherlands
4 - Essigfabrik - Cologne, Germany
5 - Rockfabrik - Ludwigsburg, Germany
6 - Hellraiser - Leipzig, Germany
7 - KB - Malmö, Sweden
8 - Frimis Salonger - Örebro, Sweden
9 - Pustervik - Göteborg, Sweden

Footage of German power metallers, Thunder And Lightning, performing the new track “Welcome To The Darkside” earlier this month in Berlin, Germany, can be seen below. The track is featured on the band’s new album, The Ages Will Turn, and the video was shot by Jan Henrik Bauer.

Orders for The Ages Will Turn can be placed here.

Tracklisting:

“The Ravaging Overture”
“Welcome To The Darkside”
“Silent Watcher”
“Black Eyed Child”
“Eternally Awake”
“Columbia”
“One Blood”
“The Ages Will Turn”
“Hysteria”
“Mary Celeste”
“The Ravaging Overture” (Extended Orchestral Version) (Pre-order bonus track download)

"One Blood" video:

“Eternally Awake”:

“The Ages Will Turn”:

For more on Thunder And Lightning, visit the band’s website, here.

Fan-filmed video footage of DRESS THE DEAD, the new band featuring former THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving alongside ex-FORBIDDEN guitarist Craig Locicero, perfoming the song "No Hallelujah" on December 17 at Slim's in San Francisco, California can be seen below. The show marked DRESS THE DEAD's second-ever live show and was part of a two-date run of shows as the support act for DEATH ANGEL.

DRESS THE DEAD earlier in the week released a demo song called "1969", which was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California and was produced by MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn. It was engineered by Zack Ohren and mixed by Joel Wanasek.

DRESS THE DEAD's lineup is rounded out by Mark Hernandez on drums, James Walker on bass and Dan Delay on guitar.

Commented Locicero: "When I started writing music for DRESS THE DEAD, I simply started with the notion that I wanted riffs that complimented Peter Dolving and his style. I started digging into it with Mark, James and Dan and what we thought he might gravitate towards. Then he came back to us with his lyrics and melodies in '1969' and we knew for a fact that this was going to work! He defined an attitude we were trying to convey with the music and nailed it. He wrote a true fucking story.

"'This ain't 1969 no more. So why are we fighting the same goddamn war!?!?!' That says a lot in a sentence and relates to the NOW. That excited us and started the ball rolling much faster.

"Only a few short months later, we'd written a bunch of songs and recorded six of them with Robb Flynn. Robb loved the material and helped us by producing the tracks and pulling out great performances.

"Peter and Robb working together was one of the cooler things I've ever witnessed in the studio. It was all positive energy and pushing Peter further and challenging him to dig deeper. It was awesome to watch.

"This is exactly what I've been wanting in a singer at this stage of my musical life. Somebody who can tell stories and relate on the most human of levels.

"Peter Dolving is not afraid to 'go there.'

"Since this has all begun, the five of us have all become closer and better friends in a relatively short amount of time. It's not easy to put it all into words. So I'll just say this… we've got killer chemistry! That's just a fact and I believe the listener will recognize it."

DRESS THE DEAD is:

* Peter Dolving (IAMFIRE, THE HAUNTED, MARY BEATS JANE) - Vocals* Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN, SPIRALARMS, MANMADE GOD) - Guitar* Mark Hernandez (FORBIDDEN, VIO-LENCE, RE:IGNITION) - Drums* James Walker (MANMADE GOD, ORION) - Bass* Dan Delay (DRAWING HEAVEN) - Guitar

Previously a vocalist for MARY BEATS JANE, Dolving joined THE HAUNTED in 1997 and sang in their debut self-titled album. In 1998, he left the group to concentrate on a band called ZEN-MONKEY but returned in 2003 following the departure of Marco Aro (the vocalist which took over Dolving's spot after Peter's 1998 exit). He has since appeared on the studio albums "Revolver" (2004), "The Dead Eye" (2006), "Versus" (2008) and "Unseen" (2011).

Dolving left THE HAUNTED again in February 2012, explaining in a statement that he "had fucking had it with dysfunctional bullshit." He has since been replaced by a returning Marco Aro.

FORBIDDEN's last album, "Omega Wave", was released in October 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD landed at position No. 27 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Locicero spent the last few years focusing all his attention on SPIRALARMS, the San Francisco Bay Area-based heavy rock band also featuring Tim Narducci (ex-SYSTEMATIC) on vocals, Chris "Cornbread" Lombardo on bass, Brad Barth on keyboards, Anthony Traslavina on rhythm guitar and Ron Redeen (THE ESSENESS PROJECT) on drums.

Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner returned to the EMGtv studio to play over an original track, "Hosnian Prime”.

Richie came straight from a Rock ’N’ Roll Fantasy Camp on a short break before starting pre-production for the new Judas Priest album. Richie’s guitar is loaded with the EMG 57/66 humbucker set running through a Dunlop Wah and chorus pedal.

In other Judas Priest news, the band recently announced the reissue of their tenth studio album, Turbo. The album has been remastered and will be released via Sony Music on February 3rd on 3CD (the original album and two bonus discs) as well as 1LP 150g vinyl.

In the video below, vocalist Rob Halford and guitarist Glenn Tipton discuss Turbo and the importance of the record in the band's legacy:

 
 
 
 

 

 

A video posted by Judas Priest (@judaspriest) on Dec 19, 2016 at 6:27am PST

Originally released in 1986, Turbo features all the hallmarks of classic Priest on tracks such as “Turbo Lover”, “Parental Guidance” and “Locked In”.
Included on disc two and three of the CD reissue is, previously unreleased, Live in Kansas City, a live recording from the band’s 1986 Fuel For Life tour in support of Turbo.

The band add: “The ’80’s is considered to have been the best decade for heavy metal – Judas Priest roared through it and at the half way point went into unchartered territory with Turbo.  Always believing that metal should have no boundaries, Priest challenged themselves taking on board new technical inventions to create fresh ideas and push their sound forward.  The combined songs show another side of Priest’s range of creativity that captures a theme and energy infused with the over the top sensibilities of that era. The Fuel For Life tour certainly encapsulated the decadence of the times! Turbo remastered and accompanied by a pedal to the metal live recording from Kansas reveals Priest on high octane – Raising fists and devil horns to the next level.”

Tracklisting:

Disc One – Turbo: Remastered
                    
“Turbo Lover”
“Locked In”
“Private Property”
“Parental Guidance”
“Rock You All Around The World”
“Out In The Cold”
“Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days”
“Hot For Love”
“Reckless”

Disc Two – Live At The Kemper Arena, Kansas City

“Out In the Cold“
“Locked In”     
“Heading Out To The Highway”     
“Metal Gods”     
“Breaking The Law”     
“Love Bites”     
“Some Heads Are Gonna Roll”     
“The Sentinel”     
“Private Property”    
“Desert Plains”     
“Rock You All Around The World”    

Disc Three- Live At The Kemper Arena, Kansas City

“The Hellion”     
“Electric Eye”     
“Turbo Lover”     
“Freewheel Burning”    
“Victim Of Changes”     
“The Green Manalishi (With The Two -Pronged Crown)”     
“Living After Midnight”     
“You've Got Another Thing Coming”

Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED have extended their long-standing co-operation with Century Media Records by signing a new worldwide deal with the label.

Commented the band: "We are very pleased to announce that THE HAUNTED has re-signed with Century Media Records, expecting a new album in 2017. Right now we're in pre-production mode and the material we have now sounds really heavy and thrashing."

THE HAUNTED has just been announced as main support to MESHUGGAH for their upcoming tour of the U.K. and Ireland in January next year. The eight-date trek will kick off on January 12 at Bristol's Academy and will finish on January 20 at London's Forum.

Earlier in the year, THE HAUNTED guitarist Ola Englund told Kaaos TV about the upcoming follow-up to 2014's "Exit Wounds" album: "I think that with 'Exit Wounds', there was a lot that THE HAUNTED needed to prove, because it was some kind of a comeback album, in a way. And I think the pressure of that album, we don't have that with this one, so with this one, we can take more time, we can focus more on maybe quality. And we don't have to do everything super fast or play super-fast songs."

He continued: "I think for the dynamic of the album, it will be a lot better this time than 'Exit Wounds'. 'Exit Wounds' was just a head-on, super-intense album from start to finish, and I think with this one, it's way more dynamic sounding. I mean, from the songs that we've written so far. So it's gonna be interesting."

Asked if they felt they were rushed during the making of "Exit Wounds", Ola said: "Not necessarily rushed, but it was stressful for us [during] the recording. I mean, we had a deadline, and we were basically late on that deadline a couple of times. If we had gotten more time, we could have put a lot more effort into that album. But everyone was waiting for the album, and we had to do something. But we're still happy with the album."

Added vocalist Marco Aro: "[Now] the people understand that we're back and we're around, so we don't have to try to catch a window where we need to fit in there. So, as Ola said, we can keep it a bit more relaxed and more thoughtful."

"Exit Wounds" was recorded with THE HAUNTED's longtime producer Tue Madsen at Denmark's Antfarm Studio (DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, SICK OF IT ALL).

Guitarist Axel Rudi Pell has signed another contract with his longtime record company Steamhammer / SPV. Pell has been with the label since 1989.

The axman states: “I´m very happy that we will continue our long work and friendship and looking forward to gain even more success together!”

Expect The Ballads V to be released in spring 2017. In other news Axel Rudi Pell will play at the Graspop Festival in Belgium on June 17th after a 12 year absence.

Current 2017 dates:

June
14 – Augsburg, Germany – Spectrum
15 – Rock Fels, Germany – Loreley
16 – Pratteln, Switzerland – Z7
17 – Belgium – Graspop Festival

The official lyric video for the song "Mean, Green, Killing Machine" from legendary New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's eighteenth album, "The Grinding Wheel", which will be released on February 10, 2017 via Nuclear Blast.

Commented OVERKILL lead vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth: "Let's keep this rolling. 'Mean, Green, Killing Machine', the opening track — brand new, from us to you! Bang thy head."

"The Grinding Wheel" was produced by OVERKILL and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, ACCEPT). The artwork was created again by Travis Smith (NEVERMORE, OPETH, SOILWORK, DEATH).

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

"The Grinding Wheel" track listing:

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

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

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

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

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

Italian black deathsters Infernal Angels reveal the first song from their upcoming 4th full-length album Ars Goetia in form of the killer official video of "Belial: The Deceiver", written and directed by Andrea Mandozzi and Apsychos.

This song is a black monolith where glimpses of pure aggression are blended in parts with sudden melodic grafts and a strong Scandinavian component. Ars Goetia will be released on January 20th, 2017 through My Kingdom Music on CD and digital format. Preorder at My Kingdom Music.

Special guests on the album are Mancan from Ecnephias, Lorenzo from Frostmoon Eclipse and Snarl from Black Faith.

The cover art was created by the band's guitarist. Apsychos:

Tracklisting:

“Amdusias: The Sound Of Hell”
“Vine: Destroyer Of The World”
“Asmoday: The Impure Archangel”
“Purson: Matter And Spirit”
“Bael: The Fire Devour Their Flesh”
“Paimon: The Secret Of Mind”
“Balam: Under Light And Torment”
“Zagan: The Alchemist”
“Belial: The Deceiver”
“Beleth: Lord Of Chaos And Spirals”

"Belial: The Deceiver" video:

Teaser:

Special guests on the album will be three great characters of the Italian scene, Mancan from Ecnephias, Lorenzo Sassi from Frostmoon Eclipse and Snarl from Black Faith, who add new and obscure facets and atmospheres to the songs.

In a new interview with FOX News, country singer/songwriter Electra Mustaine, the daughter of Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine, discusses her Dad’s influence on her music and reveals any advice he gave her.

“I was very fortunate to have grown up with him as my father and in the household,” says Electra. “He's done a lot, he’s had a lot of platinum records and awards, etcetera, etcetera. But, yeah, he's offered invaluable advice about how the business works and things to look out for, things to make sure you pay attention with. Songwriting, it’s funny, because when I first came to Nashville, my first song I wrote, we wrote in an hour, and to this day, he'll tell you, 'I can't believe in country music they write songs so fast, it takes me, like, a month’, and stuff like that. So it's very different, but I have grown up with a very good counsellor."

Earlier this year, Electra released a country cover of the Megadeth song "I Thought I Knew It All”, which originally appeared on the 1994 album, Youthanasia. The official video is available below, along with the original Megadeth version.

Electra commented, saying her interpretation is for both country fans and disciples of the thrash titans: "We thought it'd be a great tribute to Megadeth fans for all the years of support. I wanted to say thank you, because honestly if it weren't for Megadeth fans, I wouldn't be able to try to fulfill my dreams now. I thought, let's show everyone this is where I come from, and yes, I am Dave Mustaine's daughter, but look what I can do with it. We tried to make it organic, raw and vocally driven."

For information and updates on Electra Mustaine go to this location.

The attorney who led the charge in the copyright suit against Led Zeppelin wants the Supreme Court to take his case — but it's not the one against the iconic band.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, shortly after the rock band prevailed in the "Stairway To Heaven" trial, the plaintiff's attorney, Francis Malofiy, was suspended from practicing law for just over three months. The court found Malofiy violated "various rules of conduct" during a copyright infringement lawsuit over Usher's "Bad Girl" — including tricking unrepresented co-defendant William Guice into signing an affidavit without consulting a lawyer.

Malofiy says not only is he innocent but also the judges conspired to rule against him and held to that predetermined three-month suspension despite a special prosecutor's recommendation that a private reprimand was the appropriate penalty.

Read more at hollywoodreporter.com.

As the year 2016 wraps up, Swedish progressive death metal duo, Witherscape, looks back to the release of their sophomore full-length album, The Northern Sanctuary, via Century Media Records.

And with many year-end polls mentioning the outstanding quality of this album, a next track off The Northern Sanctuary has now been launched, check out “Marionette” below.

Multi-instrumentalist and producer Dan Swanö (ex-Edge Of Sanity/Bloodbath, Nightingale, etc.), who partners up with fellow Swedish multi-instrumentalist Ragnar Widerberg in Witherscape, comments the song as follows: "Sometimes a song can take some unexpected twists and turns and what started out as an acoustic ballad, inspired by a very strange guitar tuning, turned into one of the first shoe-gaze/death/doom/A.O.R. ballads that the world has ever heard. The reactions to this track have been some of the strongest from any other track from any other band I have been in. There are several reports from tears of joy, goosebumps and other pleasant experiences when listening to this track, and if you, just like me, love "Leprosy" by Death as much as Journey's "Frontiers" well, then you are in for a sonic treat ;)"

Swanö also sent over a quick message about the fading year 2016 and a preview for 2017: “My musical highlights from 2016 are… Finishing off and releasing the 2nd Witherscape album The Northern Sanctuary. By far the most satisfying metal experience of my life so far! And also to see that the album even found its way to the #1 spot on some year lists makes all the hard work extra worthwhile!

“There's also a lot of awesome stuff that I mixed in the studio, and I'd love to mention them all, but in order to keep it short I can only recommend you to check out the awesome power-pop of The Sigourney Weavers and hear my mix work on something more traditional for a change! On the gig front, it was a milestone to finally step up on the stage of the mighty Rock Hard festival, with Nightingale!

“2017 has some cool stuff lined up already: Mix work with Rage, Misery Index, God Dethroned, The Project Hate, Entrails and lots more. I probably won't release new albums with any of my own projects. But that doesn't mean that I won't work on some of my own music. If all goes according to plan, I will get more work done on the Second Sky album… and hopefully some more Witherscape.”

Witherscape lineup:

Dan Swanö - Vocals, Keyboards and Drums
Ragnar Widerberg - Guitars and Bass

(Photo - Erik Ohlsson)

Robb Chavez of San Antonio cult TV-show, Robbs MetalWorks, interviewed lead vocalist/guitarist, Julz Ramos, of San Francisco Bay Area thrashers, Hatchet during the band’s stop in Austin on December 4th as part of the Forbidden Territories Of The World tour. Julz discusses the concept and maturity behind their latest, The End Records release, Fear Beyond Lunacy, touring with legends Helstar and Flotsam & Jetsam, extending their recording contract with The End Records and why they would like to release new music in 2017.

Far Beyond Lunacy was released in October 2015 via The End Records/ADA. The follow-up to 2013's Dawn Of The End debuted the new Hatchet lineup behind founding member, vocalist, and lead guitarist, Julz Ramos: Clayton Cagle on guitar, Kody Barba on bass, and Ben Smith on drums. The new members have injected the band with a surge of raw energy, and fans of Hatchet will be overly satisfied with this revived enthusiasm laid into the recordings.

Finnish melodic death/thrash metallers Re-Armed have released an official video for "Lullaby Of Obedience," a track from new album The Era Of Precarity.  The video was filmed with GoPro and the clips therein are taken from The Era Of Precarity Tour. 

Re-Armed released The Era of Precarity internationally on September 30th via Finland's Saarni Records. The physical core of the album is packed into a stylish digipak, which is made from ecological materials. The band has pledged to donate 50 cents from the sale of every copy to Karma Ry (organisation), which supports elder people and young adults in band's hometown area with their activities to prevent disenfranchisement.

The folks over at Banger are offering holiday greetings with the video below, featuring the Abbath Snow Globe.

Says Banger: “It's Winter Solstice in Canada and on this darkest day of year here's a little holiday cheer from our favourite new office ornament. Merry Christmas from everyone at Banger and long live Abbath!”

Order your Abbath Snow Globe in North America here, or in Europe at this location.

Abbath’s 2016 self-titled release lands at #14 on BraveWords’ BravePicks 2016. Check out the feature at this location.

Death metal band No More Fear recently released their new album, Malamente, a celebration of 20 years of extreme music and devotion. The band recently completed a new video for the single "Mare Mortum", directed by Daniele Campea. Watch a teaser for the upcoming video below:

Recorded last June at the ACME Recording studio by Davide Rosati, the new album is available digitally and on physical CD via Memorial Records. Order here.

About the new album the band says: “An attack to the stagecoach behind the wheel of very Italian car (Alfetta). The tarantella continues… MALAMENTE (Badly)!”

Tracklisting:

“Morte e Orazione”
“Mare Mortum”
“The Boss Letter”
“A Sinister Murder Case”
“Lady 'ndrangheta”
“Tre Cavalieri”
“Conferimento della Santa”

Album stream:

Finnish theatrical metal newcomers, Lost In Grey, have released a music video for the new song “Dark Skies”. The track will be featured on the band’s new album, The Grey Realms, due for release on March 3rd via NoiseArt Records.

Pre-order the album here, and check out the new video below.

Tracklisting:

“Waltz Of Lillian”
“Road To Styx”
“Dark Skies”
“Revelation”
“The Order”
“New Horizon”
“The Grey Realms”
“Silence Falls”

“Dark Skies” video:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

"The Outsider", a brand new song from Los Angeles rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES, can be streamed below. The track will appear on the band's fifth album, which is due in early 2017.

The follow-up to BLACK VEIL BRIDES' 2014 self-titled effort was produced by John Feldmann at his Southern California studio. Frontman Andy Biersack told Alternative Press about the new disc: "Ultimately, it would be very silly for me to come out in the capacity of the guy that says [adopts loud, boorish tone], 'This is the greatest fuckin' thing we've ever done! It's our most melodic and our most heavy,' and all that other shit you hear everybody say. The reality is that I'm better at what I do now than when I was 18. All of us [in the band] are. You're looking at a group of people who understand this band more than anything else. Emotionally, I think this record will connect all the dots and bring the story full circle."

He continued: "If you listen to all of our records, there is a through line. And it is watching the growth of five people who come from different backgrounds and didn't have a whole lot in common, barring a shared experience in life. At this point, the level of comfortability in the band is that we know how to finish each other's sentences, musically. And I think we know where we're going."

Biersack also spoke about his mindset going into the making of the new BLACK VEIL BRIDES album. He said: "Anybody who follows me on social media knows I haven't been very active. That's because as I write this record and work on these things, I find that the free time I have, I want to spend enjoying the moment with my family. When I'm writing for the record, it's an emotional experience because I'm talking about things that affect me deeply. During the making of the ANDY BLACK record [Biersack's solo project], I don't think I was ready to talk about a lot of that stuff."

According to the singer, "nine or ten songs" have been recorded for BLACK VEIL BRIDES' forthcoming album and "are currently in the mixing process." He added: "I don't think we'll go too much further; it's been a process of shedding down to this point. Rather than record a hundred songs we didn't like, we were really able to strip away the stuff that didn't seem as strong. It feels like the story I want to tell will be done in the ten or eleven songs in this record. I can't tell you how great it is seeing how much [guitarists] Jake [Pitts] and Jinxx have grown as players and songwriters. The future is so bright."

GOLDFINGER frontman John Feldmann previously helmed BLACK VEIL BRIDES' 2013 effort "Wretched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones".

BLACK VEIL BRIDES released its first-ever concert DVD and Blu-ray, "Alive And Burning", in July 2015. The cover artwork for the set was designed by the band's longtime friend and previous album cover illustrator Richard Villa.

BLACK VEIL BRIDES' fourth, self-titled album was helmed by producer Bob Rock, whose resume includes LPs by METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE CULT and many others.

Killer Bee have released a music video for “Shout It Out”, a track from their new album, Eye In The Sky, out now. The new clip can be found below.

Eye In The Sky tracklisting:

“Eye In The Sky”
“Shout It Out”
“One Step Closer”
“Higher And Higher”
“Face The Night”
“The Flight”
“Get On Board”
“Joystick Warrior”
“Right Between The Eyes”
“By My Side”

“Shout It Out” video:

“Get On Board” video:

Teaser:

Killer Bee lineup:

Brian “Bee” Frank - Vocals
Anders “LA” Rönnblom - Bass
Andre Hägglund - Guitar
Paul “Tonka” Champman - Guitar
Morgan Evans - Drums & Percussion
Denny DeMarchi - Keys

 

 

 

 

Norwegian black metal icons, Mayhem, are commemorating the release of their 1994 landmark De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas full-length. In celebration of its release, the band has self-issued De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive. Captured live in Norrköping, Sweden last year during the band's headlining set at the Black Christmass Festival, the show marked Mayhem’s first time ever playing De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas in full.

De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Tore Stjerna and NBS Audio and produced by vocalist Attila Csihar and guitarist Teloch with light production by Anne Weckstrom, stage design and production by Jonas Svensson, video recording by Thornfields Production and video editing by Tamàs Tarczi.

The offering is available now on CD, LP, and DVD (the first 1000 copies are numbered) as well as digitally. For physical orders, point your browser here. For digital orders go here. You can stream the record in full below.

De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive tracklisting:

“Funeral Fog”
“Freezing Moon”
“Cursed In Eternity”
“Pagan Fears”
“Life Eternal”
“From The Dark Past”
“Buried By Time And Dust”
“De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”

De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive by The True Mayhem

Mayhem will march their way across North America next month performing De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas in its monumental entirety. Set to commence on January 20th in Montreal, Quebec, the headlining tour will pillage its way through two-dozen cities, the trek coming to a close on February 19th in New York, New York. Support will be provided by Black Anvil and Inquisition.

Tour dates:

January
20 - Club Solda - Montreal, QC
21 - Phoenix Theater - Toronto, ON
22 - Agora Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
23 - Metro - Chicago, IL
24 - Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI
25 - Mill City Nights - Minneapolis, MN
27 - Gothic Theater - Denver, CO
28 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
30 - Marquee - Calgary, AB
31 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB

February
2 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
3 - Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver, BC
4 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
6 - Social Hall SF - San Francisco, CA
7 - The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
8 - Club Red - Phoenix, AZ
10 - Alamo Music Hall -  San Antonio, TX
11 - Trees - Dallas, TX
13 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
14 - Throne Theater - Wilmington, NC
15 - The Howard Theater - Washington, DC
16 - Theatre Of The Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
17 - The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY
18 - Royale - Boston, MA
19 - Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY

Mutiny Within is back with their most ambitious and best album to date. This is the band's third full-length album, entitled Origins. The band spent all of 2016 writing and recording brand new music. Confirmed release date is February 10th, 2017. First single “Archetype Of Destruction” is streaming below.

The band is also doing a LIMITED run of physical CDs and merchandise. Preorder now at Mutiny Within’s official website.

Quote from bassist Andrew Jacobs:

"At the end of last year, we found some old demos we thought had been lost, which led to a discussion about putting together an EP. We planned on releasing the demos along with a couple of new songs but once we got started, we had more and more ideas for new songs and the plan quickly evolved into making an EP of brand new tracks. Our fans have stuck by us through so much and as we kept working we felt we were selling them short with just an EP, so we pushed on and turned it into a full album. We've now been in the studio for almost a year and have put together what we think are our best songs to date. It's Mutiny Within but evolved, more extreme, longer songs, but still with everything that made people excited about us. My favorite part; it's all real. The drums, the vocals, the shred, and most of all, the passion we've always had for our music...we tried to capture the energy as if we were on stage and we've done that. We're so excited about the results and have no plans on stopping now. We owe our fans everything and we hope they continue to enjoy listening to us for a long time to come."

Tracklisting:

“Origins”
“Archetype Of Destruction”
“Justify”
“Silent Weapons” (feat. Per Nilsson)
“Reasons” (feat. Andy James)
“Internal Dissension”
“Circles”
“Serenity” (feat. Justin Hill)
“Stay Forever”
“Secrets”

“Archetype Of Destruction” single:

Norwegian black metallers IMMORTAL — now consisting of lyricist/guitarist Demonaz (real name Harald Nævdal) and drummer Horgh (real name Reidar Horghagen) — will enter the studio in January to begin recording their ninth full-length studio album, to be released later in 2017 via Nuclear Blast.

Said IMMORTAL in a statement: "The songs have been ready for some time, but we wanted to record it at the right place and time.

"We will once again work with Peter Tägtgren at Abyss Studio who produced our four last albums.

"The band will enter the studio during wintertime to have the right atmosphere.

"We look forward to record and present the new album to the IMMORTAL hordes sometime in 2017.

"The tracks that will appear on the album are: 'Northern Chaos Gods', 'Into Battle Ride', 'Gates To Blashyrkh', 'Blacker Of Worlds', 'Where Mountains Rise', 'Grim And Dark', 'Called To Ice' and 'Ravendark'."

IMMORTAL previously promised that its upcoming effort would be its "darkest and coldest album in a long time: pure Blashyrkh metal the way our fans know it, with massive majestic riffs, grim frostbitten vocals and tales from our mighty realm. Fast and furious tracks, epic tracks and longer playtime than any of our previous albums."

Demonaz is now also handling the vocals for IMMORTAL following the 2014 split with frontman Olve Eikemo (a.k.a. Abbath).

"The massive fan support has been very inspiring and we will not let down the fans," the band said.

At a time when true and original black metal is nearly dead, IMMORTAL is said to be "in ultimate spirit."

"After the last years' incidents, it was time to go back to the roots to what this band is really about musically, and also to take the integrity of the band back to where it belongs," the group stated. "Cold, grim uncompromising Blashyrkh metal with a true feeling is what we deliver."

IMMORTAL also explained the delay in getting the new music out to the fans, saying: "From 2010 until 2014, IMMORTAL wrote all the songs for the successor to 'All Shall Fall', but when ex- member Abbath left the band in 2014, he changed the lyrics, songtitles and recorded these songs for his so-called 'solo album.' We had to focus on making a new album nearly from scratch, which is the main reason why things have taken this much time. We are now looking forward to record the new album and present it to all those who have shown their loyalty and support.

"IMMORTAL has always been a unique and unstoppable force, and that goes for our fans as well. We will never change our music or attitude."

IMMORTAL's core trio consisting of Abbath, Demonaz and Horgh had been together since 1996 and was responsible for crafting the band's last five albums: "Blizzard Beasts" (1997), "At The Heart Of Winter" (1999), "Damned In Black" (2000), "Sons Of Northern Darkness" (2002) and the 2009 reunion album "All Shall Fall".

The String Quartets is a new album by Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson and the Carducci Quartet featuring the classic songs of Jethro Tull, arranged and orchestrated by John O’Hara. A video for “Ring Out These Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells)” can be found below

Ian plays flute on most of the tracks and even sings a few lines here and there to provide his trademark sounds in the context of classical music traditions. “Living In The Past”, “Aqualung”, “Locomotive Breath” and “Bungle In The Jungle” are amongst the album tracklisting but appear, along with their fellow musical travelers, under more cryptic titles to differentiate them from the original recordings and arrangements.

Recorded in the crypt of Worcester Cathedral, UK and in St Kenelm’s Church, Sapperton, Gloucestershire, UK, Ian says that this album is, “Perfect for lazy, long sunny afternoons, crisp winter nights, weddings and funerals.”

He forgot to add, perfect also after a night of wild, abandoned sex or to celebrate the win of your favourite football team. Essentially, anytime music for sophisticated lovers of classic rock too afraid to wear their Tull T-shirt at the village barbecue.

The album will be released on March 24th via BMG/The End Records. Pre-order now at PledgeMusic.

Tracklisting:

“In The Past (Living In The Past)”
“Sossity Waiting (Sossity: You’re A Woman / Reasons For Waiting)”
“Bungle (Bungle In The Jungle)”
“We Used To Bach (We Used To Know / Bach Prelude C Maj)”
“Farm, The Freeway (Farm On The Freeway)”
“Songs And Horses (Songs From The Wood / Heavy Horses)”
“Only The Giving (Wond’ring Aloud)”
“Loco (Locomotive Breath)”
“Pass The Bottle (A Christmas Song)”
“Velvet Green (Velvet Green)”
“Ring Out These Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells)”
“Aquafugue (Aqualung)”

“Ring Out These Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells)” video:

“Pass The Bottle (A Christmas Song)”:

Check out a video interview with Ian Anderson, below:

Hellion guitarist Maxxxwell Carlisle has released a music video for "Have Yourself a Metal Little Christmas", a metal version of the traditional holiday classic.

The single is available on iTunes and Amazon (widget below). Watch the new video below: