Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody are streaming “Dark Fate Of Atlantis”, the live track from Prometheus, The Dolby Atmos Experience + Cinematic And Live, out now via Nuclear Blast. Listen below:

Prometheus, Symphonia Ignis Divinus was chosen to be the first studio album in music history to be remixed in Dolby Atmos. Renowned producer/mixing engineer Chris Heil (Scorpions, David Bowi) mixed the entire masterpiece in Dolby Atmos. Prometheus, The Dolby Atmos Experience + Cinematic And Live was released on December 9th.

Prometheus - The Dolby Atmos Experience (Audio Blu-ray) tracklisting:

“Nova Genesis (Ad Splendorem Angeli Triumphantis)”
“Il Cigno Nero”
“Rosenkreuz (The Rose And The Cross)”
“Anahata”
“Il Tempo Degli Dei”
“One Ring To Rule Them All”
“Notturno”
“Prometheus”
“King Solomon And The 72 Names Of God”
“Yggdrasil”
“Of Michael The Archangel And Lucifer's Fall Part II: Codex Nemesis”

“Rosenkreuz (The Rose And The Cross)”:

Cinematic And Live tracklisting:

CD1
“Nova Genesis”
“Il Cigno Nero” [Reloaded]
“Rosenkreuz (The Rose And The Cross)”
“Land Of Immortals”
“Aenigma”
“War Of The Universe”
“Of Michael The Archangel And Lucifer's Fall” [Extract]
“Excalibur”
“The Ancient Forest Of Elves”
“Son Of Pain”
“Prometheus”
Drum Solo
“Knightrider Of Doom”
“Warrior's Pride”

CD2
“The Astral Convergence”
“The Pride Of The Tyrant”
“Tormento E Passione”
“Demonheart”
Bass Solo
“Warrior Of Ice”
“Of Michael The Archangel And Lucifer's Fall Part II - Of Psyche And Archetypes”
“Dark Fate Of Atlantis”
“Dawn Of Victory”
“Quantum X”
“Ascending To Infinity”
“Emerald Sword”
“Finale”

British rock band STATUS QUO will release "The Vinyl Collection 1981-1996", on February 24, 2017 via UMC. This carefully curated release comes as a ten-LP deluxe edition box, with each LP also available via a digital download code. All of the material contained within "The Vinyl Collection 1981-1996" is remastered from original tapes and presented on 180-gram vinyl with original covers and inserts. This incredible collection takes us further into the world of one of the U.K.'s most cherished bands, with albums such as "Rock Till You Drop", "In The Army" and "Never Too Late". It also contains the never-before-on-vinyl "Don't Stop" as well as the hard-to-find "Perfect Remedy". To top it off "The Vinyl Collection 1981-1996" also contains a disc featuring a selection of rare 12" mixes. Charting the growth, development and burgeoning power of one of hard rock's all time classic acts, "The Vinyl Collection 1981-1996" is a tour de force highlighting the incredible catalogue created over one incredible decade by rock's true survivors. With nine complete albums, and a rarities album, this is a phenomenal collection that will be cherished by QUO fans the world over. Following on from the well-received release in 2015 of "The Vinyl Collection 1972-1980", STATUS QUO "The Vinyl Collection 1981-1996" is a triumphant revisiting of the glory days of one of the world's most important rock acts.

German power metal pioneers PARADOX, who were founded in February 1986, are reforming after 28 years in their original incarnation, with Charly Steinhauer (vocals/guitar), Markus Spyth (guitar), Roland Stahl (bass) and Axel Blaha (drums). This was the band's lineup for its debut album, "Product Of Imagination", that was released 1987. Soon they were hailed as the No. #1 German newcomer and their LP was named "Record Of The Month" in several print magazines. Also their second album, "Heresy", is considered to be an old-school speed metal classic. PARADOX will play their first reunion show in the original lineup at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen, Germany next July. An appearance at the Harder Than Steel festival in Dittigheim will follow in late September. They will play an old-school setlist with songs from the first two albums.

The announcement of the reunion of PARADOX's original lineup comes six months after the band celebrated its 30th anniversary with the release of its seventh studio album, "Pangea". Issued in June via AFM, the follow-up to 2012's "Tales Of The Weird" was produced by Steinhauer. The effort was mixed and mastered by Panagiotis Katsaounis at P.K. Productions in Athens, Greece.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, BRING ME THE HORIZON singer Oli Sykes has released a new collection through his clothing brand, Drop Dead, that is inspired by the new "Star Wars" movie, "Rogue One". Working in collaboration with Lucasfilm, Sykes said on Twitter that the the line was "an intensely challenging project for both sides, but worth it."

One of the jackets is designed in distressed denim and is aligned with the Rebel Alliance via patches and hand-painted designs with sayings like "What chance do we have?" and "We have hope." Another item, a white bomber jacket, nods toward the Empire with an image of an Imperial Stormtrooper and other iconic symbols.

Sykes's company has also posted a video about how these limited edition items were created.

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" was released in theaters last Friday and grossed more than $290 million worldwide in its opening weekend.

BRING ME THE HORIZON recently issued a music video for "Oh No", the latest track taken from the band's 2015 album, "That's The Spirit".

The disc reached No. 2 on The Billboard 200 album sales chart and featured the hits "Happy Song" and "Throne".

Heres some shots of our collaboration with @starwars for #rogueone was an intensely challenging project for both sides, but worth it. pic.twitter.com/biHWwQ7mCv

— Oliver Sykes (@olobersyko) December 19, 2016

British heavy metal legends SAXON performed a cover version of the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades" in memory of Lemmy Kilmister on December 17 in Madrid, Spain. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of César Muela).

SAXON recently revealed that the band's forthcoming album will include a song dedicated to MOTÖRHEAD. "[It's] called 'They Played Rock And Roll', 'cause that's what Lemmy [late MOTÖRHEAD frontman] used to say every night [from the stage]," SAXON singer Biff Byford told Sonic Shocks. "It's basically about early MOTÖRHEAD — '79/'80 MOTÖRHEAD, like around 'No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith', 'cause that's the tour we were on, that one. So, yeah, it's about the band, really, and their music."

According to Biff, "They Played Rock And Roll" will be musically similar to Lemmy and Co. He explained: "I asked Nibbs [Carter, SAXON bassist] to write me some music that was like MOTÖRHEAD, and he did. So it sounds very MOTÖRHEAD-ish, but not MOTÖRHEAD, if you know what I mean."

SAXON's follow-up to 2015's "Battering Ram" album will be released in early 2017.

"Battering Ram" was released in North America via UDR Music. The effort featured Byford alongside Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt on guitar, Nibbs Carter on bass and Nigel Glockler on drums.

Hailing from Louisiana, Electric Age, since forming in 2013, have taken the craft of their sludge and southern metal contemporaries, and incorporated the dynamics of more traditional metal, along with folk, doom and straight-forward rock, to create the epic tale of their debut album Sleep Of The Silent King.

This Southern Louisiana three piece outfit are equally at ease finding their groove within traditional song structures to extended cerebral doom riffing, while never forsaking the simple art of storytelling in the process.

The band says: “We are excited  to be a part of the Argonauta family, and find solace in being with a label that truly respects the genre and shares in the love of this style of music and all it can offer."

In their relatively short career of bringing their live performance to the people, Electric Age have had the honor to share the stage with, among many others, sludge metal pioneers Crowbar, and thrash metal pioneers Anthrax.

Sleep Of The Silent King, mixed and mastered by acclaimed producer  Christopher “Zeuss”  Harris, is their debut album, and is a conceptual and mythological journey through the threshold of time and consciousness, into the heart of darkness and divinity, through death and redemption, and finally into the inexorable void.

Argonauta has allowed them to tell their story to you, all there is left to do... is listen. Sleep Of The Silent King will be available on CD from the 27th of February 2017, pre-orders run here.

Tracklisting:

"The Threshold"
"Shepherd And The Raven"
"Robes Of Grey"
"Cold Witch"
"Priestess Pt.1"
"Black Galleons"
"Sleep Of Winter"
"Silent King"
"Elders"
"Priestess Pt.2"
"Electric Age"
"The Dreaming"

Check out the official video for “Robes Of Grey”:

 

Following an extensive year of non-stop touring in support of their new release Ride Forth, Los Angeles neoclassical shred outfit Exmortus have just completed an immensely successful winter jaunt across North America alongside Children Of Bodom, Abbatth and Oni. The group will stop by The Warehouse in El Paso, Texas on December 22nd for a final headlining show before heading home for the holidays. 

While not busy out on the road with acts including Amon Amarth, Marty Friedman, Enforcer, Warbringer, Entombed A.D., Holy Grail and Cauldron - just to name a few, vocalist/guitarist Conan took time to begin a new solo project, Conan's Conquest, which features his own take on popular classical songs. Just in time for the holiday season, he recorded his take on the famous Russian composer Tchaikovsky's  eight track ensemble, "The Nutcracker Suite" with Allen Falcon at Birdcage Studios. 

Conan stated, "I've been wanting to record this masterpiece for quite some time now and it's finally complete and I'm very proud of the work! Enjoy this rendition of your favorite tunes this Christmas / Yule or any other time of the year!"

The Nutcracker Suite tracklisting:

"Overture"
"March"
"Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy"
"Russian Dance"
"Arabian Dance"
"Chinese Dance"
"Dance Of The Reed Flutes"
"Waltz Of The Flowers"

Check out an excerpt of Conan performing a section of "March" in the video clip below. The full suite is available for download and/or streaming at BandCamp, Amazon, and Google Play.

 

ORANGE GOBLIN frontman Ben Ward has launched a fundraising campaign for employees of U.K. music media company Team Rock.

Ward started the campaign after news broke yesterday (Monday, December 19) that more than 70 members of staff were laid off with no severance pay.

Team Rock's titles and brands include Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, the Golden Gods Awards and the Classic Rock Awards.

Team Rock was founded in 2012 and the business acquired the Classic Rock, Prog and Metal Hammer magazines from Future Publishing in 2013 in a £10.2 million deal. The business had grown to a staff base of 80, with 31 based in Glasgow and 49 based in London.

A handful of staff have been retained to assist the administrators, with all other employees let go.

According to The Scottish Sun, staff at the South Lanarkshire-based company said they had to watch the office locks being changed as they were told the devastating news.

One source told the site: "As we were being told, a joiner turned up and literally started changing the locks on the doors. That's not something I've ever seen happen before and it certainly didn't help the mood. It feels like an unnecessary slap in the face."

The source added: "Christmas certainly isn't going to be a good one for the 73 people here."

Ward hopes to raise £20,000 via a campaign on fundraising platform JustGiving. "Today, 73 members of the Team Rock staff were told that the company is going into liquidation and that they are being made redundant with immediate effect with ZERO pay," he said in a statement. "These are good, hard-working, committed people that through Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Prog, Team Rock Radio and more, have supported the rock and heavy metal scene in this country for decades and now we, the rock community, need to pull together to help give something back."

According to the Daily Record, most recent accounts filed by Team Rock Ltd covering the 2015 year to March 31 show the business booked a pre-tax loss of £8.8 million, having booked a pre-tax loss of £4.3 million the prior year.

The company ended the 2015 year with net debts totalling £11.7 million, up from £5.9 million the prior year.

Team Rock generated sales of £6.5 million in the 2015 year, down from £7.5 million in 2014 and administrative expenses ballooned to £12.4 million, up from £9.3 million in 2014.

FRP Advisory is seeking buyers for the company's assets. Joint administrator Tom MacLennan said the business had traded at a loss for "a significant period of time."

MacLennan added: "The company explored every option to secure the long-term future of the business. However, the constraints on the cash position of the business were such that administration was the only viable option. The administration presents an excellent opportunity to acquire high-profile rock music titles, products and brands that have a substantial global following."

According to the Daily Record, UK Publisher Team Rock Ltd has gone into administration (UK's equivalent of bankruptcy/liquidation) with the loss of 73 jobs.

The Hamilton-based business, founded in 2012, published a stable of rock music magazines including Classic Rock, Prog and Metal Hammer magazines, as well as the rock music website www.teamrock.com and TeamRock internet radio.

Appointed administrators from FRP Advisory said the business had traded at a loss “for a significant period of time, with consequent constraints on the cash position”.

The administrators added: “Cost-cutting measures were implemented and despite the best efforts of the directors to seek additional investment or a purchaser for the business, no deal could be completed, leaving the company with no viable option other than to enter administration and to immediately cease trading.

“A handful of staff have been retained to assist the administrators, with all other employees made redundant.”

Most recent accounts filed by Team Rock Ltd covering the 2015 year to March 31 show the business booked a pre-tax loss of £8.8 million, having booked a pre-tax loss of £4.3 million the prior year.

Read more at the Daily Record.

Anders Fridén (vocals), Björn Gelotte (guitar) and Niclas Engelin (guitar) of Swedish metallers IN FLAMES recently performed an acoustic version of their song "In My Room" at the HardDrive Radio studio. Check out video footage of their appearance below.

"Battles", IN FLAMES' twelfth studio album, was released on November 11 via Nuclear Blast in all territories excluding North America and Scandinavia and Eleven Seven Music Group in the U.S.

IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced last fall that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life. He has since been replaced by Joe Rickard, who played on "Battles" as a session musician.

More recently, bassist Peter Iwers issued a statement last month saying that he would leave IN FLAMES at the end of the current U.S. tour "to pursue other endeavors." A replacement bassist has not yet been announced.

"Bring The Hammer Down", the new video from RIOT V, the band featuring the remaining members of legendary metal pioneers RIOT, can be seen below. The clip was filmed at Phat Cat Guitars in Saginaw, Michigan when the band was rehearsing for a tour of Japan. The video was edited by Sascha Weins.

"Bring The Hammer Down" is taken from RIOT V's debut album, "Unleash The Fire", which was released in October 2014 via SPV/Steamhammer. The CD marked the first release from RIOT without the late, great founding guitarist Mark Reale, who passed away in early 2012 and was limited on his participation on 2011's reunion album "Immortal Soul" because of his health issues. The band was encouraged at the request of Mark and the Reale estate to forge ahead in his honor and has dedicated this new offering to him.

RIOT V recently played number of dates with original "Fire Down Under" guitarist Rick Ventura. The trek included appearance at the Loud Park festival in Japan in early October.

"Unleash The Fire" promised to please fans of the "Thundersteel" era of RIOT, as main songwriter and longtime Reale music collaborator Don Van Stavern did much of the writing, as he did on "Thundersteel" and "The Privilege Of Power". Don is joined by longtime RIOT bandmate, songwriter and Reale's guitar partner of over 20 years, Mike Flyntz, to create what they feel is something they are proud to call a RIOT record. The RIOT V lineup is completed by powerhouse vocalist extraordinaire Todd Michael Hall (BURNING STARR, REVERENCE), Frank Gilchriest (VIRGIN STEELE, RIOT's "Army Of One") and former Mike Flyntz guitar student and resident shredder Nick Lee.

"Mission Possible", the new song from SOFTEN THE GLARE, the band featuring MUDVAYNE bassist Ryan Martinie alongside guitarist Bon Lozaga and drummer Mitch Hull, can be streamed below. The track will appear on SOFTEN THE GLARE's debut album, which is being produced by Jamie King (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME) and is tentatively due in March. Fans can pre-order the CD and get the new single, a bunch of perks and help fund the new record through PledgeMusic. People can get gear, swag and even time with the band in the studio.

When Martinie and Lozaga first met in Los Angeles and started talking about getting together to create some music, they didn't know what to expect. Now as SOFTEN THE GLARE, their music is evolving and constantly changing, bringing in elements from both their worlds and others. Currently their music is headed in an instrumental jazz/rock direction with elements of metal, funk, prog and a touch of chaos.

Martinie is known for his bass playing and songwriting for MUDVAYNE. Numerous world tours (including a stint with KORN), MTV awards and millions of records sold are part of his musical heritage. Bon Lozaga (GONG, TINY BOXES) is known in the jazz/rock world and jamband scene (playing with MOE. and UMPHREYS MCGEE) and has released over a dozen albums featuring such noted guests as Allan Holdsworth, Kai Eckhardt, David Torn, David Fiuczynski, with his various projects and has also toured throughout the world.

It's been seven years since MUDVAYNE released its self-titled fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

"1969", the first song from DRESS THE DEAD, the new band featuring former THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving alongside ex-FORBIDDEN guitarist Craig Locicero, can be streamed below. The track 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."

Added Dolving: "So. What the hell is '1969' about? Simply put; It's a comment on the times in which we live, how it seems as we are moving backwards in society's evolution in so many ways. How everything seems upside down and inside out.

"It's too weird.

"I have learned, it's a question of attitude. Life is just life. What do I want out of my life? So I guess the only thing I can do is adress love and care.

"Seriously, if you are afraid of losing your tough-guy face by talking about love, care and communication, you are not really very tough…

"We have come to a point where it seems we have some big challenges in regards of what it means to be a human.

"I personally think we need more connectivity and communication, not everyone disconnecting off into their own private algorithms…"

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.

"Candiru", the new video from Dutch doom death metallers ASPHYX, can be seen below. The clip was shot during the band's recent appearance at Turock Open Air festival in Essen, Germany and was edited by Maurice Swinkels of Younique Film, who previously worked with ASPHYX on the "Forerunners Of The Apocalypse" video.

ASPHYX vocalist Martin Van Drunen stated about "Candiru": "'Candiru' is a no-nonsense, non-compromising, three-riff-containing, fast ASPHYX death metal track. A gory story about a revolting little fish from the Amazon that can nest itself in human genitals to suck blood after it got there via the urine stream. Only removable through amputation, so be careful there where you relieve yourselves, folks! The video was recorded at this year's Turock Open Air in Essen Germany, which we can almost call our second home. The very first time we ever rammed that tune on stage. We had a ball, as always, so hope you do too while watching this."

"Candiru" is taken from ASPHYX's new studio album, "Incoming Death", which was released on September 30 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Deathhammer" was recorded at several different studios throughout 2016 and was once more mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö, who previously worked with the band on the "Deathhammer", "Death…The Brutal Way" and "Live Death Doom" releases.

"Incoming Death" track listing:

01. Candiru02. Division Brandenburg03. Wardroid04. The Feeder05. It Came From The Skies06. The Grand Denial07. Incoming Death08. Forerunners Of The Apocalypse09. Subterra Incognita10. Wildland Fire11. Death: The Only Immortal Martin Van Drunen previously stated about ASPHYX's new album: "'Incoming Death', the third ASPHYX album after our resurrection in 2007, contains 11 furious songs in the traditional death/doom style which we are known for so well. Only more unmerciful than ever! Lyrical themes include gore humor, death, doom, war, sci-fi, the varying trustworthy ASPHYX subjects, each fusing perfectly with the metal of the tracks. "The album title already existed two or three years ago, being a phrase that doesn't really exist but refers to what entrenched soldiers cry out when under severe artillery fire. Thus 'Incoming Death' implies another relentless bombardment of monstrous ASPHYX death/doom metal!" The "Incoming Death" artwork was once again created by longtime cover artist Axel Hermann (SODOM, GRAVE, MORGOTH), who commented: "'Incoming Death' is my tenth collaboration with ASPHYX. Instead of visualizing the obvious, which would have been a reaper just collecting the soul of a dying man on his deathbed, I tried a maybe more sinister approach, simply by giving the concept a slightly different twist. A demon-infested living cemetery filled with decaying souls, forever being tortured with their own consciousness...or worse!" Martin added: "Of course, no ASPHYX release without the magnificent cover art of Axel Hermann, whose interpretation of the title fits superb with the atmosphere of the recordings. His demons are ours and soon they will be yours too!" ASPHYX is:

Paul Baayens - GuitarAlwin Zuur - BassMartin Van Drunen - VocalsStefan "Husky" Hüskens - Drums

Former BOLT THROWER and current HAIL OF BULLETS vocalist David Ingram joined MEMORIAM on stage this past Saturday, December 17 at the Eindhoven Metal Meeting in Eindhoven, The Netherlands to perform the BOLT THROWER song "Inside The Wire". Check out fan-filmed video footage below.

MEMORIAM is the new Birmingham, United Kingdom-based death/grind metal band featuring Karl Willets (BOLT THROWER) on vocals, Frank Healy (BENEDICTION, CEREBRAL FIX) on bass, Scott Fairfax (CEREBRAL FIX) on guitar and Andy Whale (BOLT THROWER) on drums. Founded in January 2016, the group will release its debut album next year.

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

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

Ingram joined BOLT THROWER in 1998, officially replacing Martin Van Drunen after having handled vocals temporarily for the band during a show in July 1997 in Zwickau, Germany. He appeared on the 2001 album "Honour Valour Pride" before leaving the group in 2004 due to health problems.

PEARL JAM, JOURNEY, YES and ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA are among the 2017 inductees into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Also being inducted at next April's ceremony will be folk legend Joan Baez and the late hip-hop star Tupac Shakur. CHIC's Nile Rodgers will be given the Award For Musical Excellence.

The 32nd annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will be held on April 7 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where it will be held for the third time. An edited version will later air on HBO and there will be a radio broadcast on SiriusXM. Ticket details will be announced in January.

Artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single.

"I kind of feel like we were already in with our fans and the amount of records we've sold all over the world," JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon told Rolling Stone. "I wasn't expecting anything at all. I've learned to be that way. If you don't expect something and it comes, then its good news. I'm honored. I think we're all honored."

Schon said that he hoped former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry will take the stage with the band on the big night. "I would be surprised if it didn't happen," he said. "But I'll deal with it whichever way… I'm going to try and reach out [to Perry], as I've done many times. And [our current singer] Arnel [Pineda] is so gracious. He says, 'Any time he wants to come on and do anything, I'll very gladly step aside and let him sing.'"

Perry's manager said the singer would not be available for interviews, but he did release a very short statement on his behalf: "I'm truly grateful that JOURNEY is being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

YES's induction, following two previous nominations, will occur one year shy of the legendary progressive rock band's 50th anniversary. "What an honor this is for us and all involved with the history of this band," said YES guitarist Steve Howe. "We thank all the YES fans who have been so passionate over the decades, and helped us to keep the flag flying. It is the fans who have constantly demanded our inclusion. They have been heard." "We look forward to accepting this esteemed award next spring in honor of our fallen brother, Chris Squire, who would have been delighted to see his musical vision finally receive such recognition," added YES drummer Alan White. "We thank everyone who voted for YES. We'll see you soon, Cleveland!" The members of YES who will officially be inducted into the Rock Hall are the "Union" tour lineup: current members White and Howe, the band's late bassist and founding member Chris Squire, and former members Jon Anderson (vocals), Bill Bruford (drums), Tony Kaye (keyboards), Rick Wakeman (keyboards) and Trevor Rabin (guitar). "YES was like my first girlfriend, to whom I was hopelessly committed," said Bruford. "Despite a couple of wrinkles, I'm glad to hear the old girl is in fine shape."

Kaye added: "I am honored to be included in YES's induction. I am delighted for my friends in the band, and I salute Chris, without whom it would never have happened. Chris would have been so very proud." In addition to Steve Howe and Alan White, YES's current lineup includes Geoff Downes (keyboards; first joined in 1980), Jon Davison (vocals since 2011) and Billy Sherwood (guitar/keyboards in the 1990s and Chris Squire's choice to take over bass/vocals in 2015).

PEARL JAM guitarist Mike McCready was asked at the 2013 ceremony about his band's chances. "You know, you never want to place any bets on anything," he said. "I'm not a gambler, so I'm not going to try to put any odds on that. But I don't know. I hope so. But you never know. You never know what happens. It could take a while."

PEARL JAM will be the second of the seminal Seattle "grunge" acts — after NIRVANA — to enter the Hall. Two others, SOUNDGARDEN and ALICE IN CHAINS, are also both eligible for induction.

McCready told The Pulse Of Radio he was appreciative of the long career he and the band have had. "When it comes down to it, getting to be 50 years old and looking back at that and going, 'Wow, done all these PEARL JAM records and toured all over the world and played at a thousand-plus shows and got to make a career out of this,' I'm very lucky and I'm aware of that, and I feel grateful that I'm still doing this."

During a brand new interview with Vanyaland, Sebastian Bach was asked once again about the chances of him reuniting with the other members of the classic lineup of SKID ROW. He responded: "All I can say is in recent days, when I said before that the managers [of Bach and SKID ROW] 'are talking,' I have to say now that the managers 'were talking.' [Laughs] I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah. It's kind of actually… I don't know really why, but it's taken a turn in the other direction, unfortunately. You can bust the bad news to everybody. I'm really so busy, that it's beyond comprehension. I would love to do that, but if it doesn't happen, I've got a lot of other things on my plate to tackle. So whatever happens, happens, but it's not even up to me whatsoever at all — it has nothing to do with me — it's just me. [Laughs]

SKID ROW has played a number of shows in recent months with the South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I), but he has not been officially named the band's new frontman. Theart stepped into the group following the departure of Tony Harnell, the TNT vocalist who joined SKID ROW in April 2015 as the replacement for Johnny Solinger, the band's singer for fifteen years.

Despite the fact that fans have been clamoring for a reunion of SKID ROW's most popular lineup for nearly twenty years, guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo told The Aquarian Weekly a few months ago that the band had no intention of reconnecting with Bach. "Happiness, to me, is my spirit and my soul is more important to me than having dollars in my wallet," he explained. "People may [not] believe that and that's okay. Anybody who knows me knows that to be true. I don't think you can place a price on happiness. We've been hit repeatedly over the years with, 'Why don't you do a reunion tour?' And you know what? I understand the question and I get it. I really do, and if I were on the outside, I'd be asking the same question, but no one feels comfortable with that idea."

Bach has consistently expressed his desire to reunite with his former bandmates, telling Loudwire earlier in the year: "I don't have any reason why not to do that. I have no animosity towards anybody in SKID ROW, and the fact that we're all, five of us, still alive in this world is a pretty amazing feat. So I would someday definitely like to hear the five guys who made those records play live together again. Yes, I would. 'Cause I'm a fan too." He added: "I'm up for it, if they are."

Kanye West was photographed wearing a TESTAMENT t-shirt as he joined wife Kim Kardashian for dinner Sunday night (December 18) in Santa Monica, California, marking the first time the couple have been seen together since he was hospitalized last month.

Check out a picture below in a tweet from DailyMail.co.uk.

Guitarist Alex Skolnick was the first member of TESTAMENT to react to seeing the rapper sporting a piece of the band's merchandise. He wrote in an online post: "'Oh no he didn't!' Wait, yes he did... Goodness gracious. This whole decrepit clan must have picked up a pile of old concert t-shirts (the same pile Kourtney K's SLAYER shirt came from) which have somehow become a 'thing' in trendy fashion (who'd have thought?!!). Inconceivable that any of these pop-culture vultures know who the heck any of the bands are. My guess is he thinks it's a religious group (not the first time that's happened). That is, if he thinks at all, which lately seems unlikely. And I thought this time period couldn't get any weirder..."

Kanye has previously been criticized for repping vintage band tees, and Kim Kardashian is regularly spotted wearing METALLICA t-shirts. More recently, Kim's maternal half-sibling Kendall Jenner was seen getting around in a SLAYER tee, and SLAYER guitarist Gary Holt apparently responded by wearing a t-shirt onstage that read "Kill The Kardashians".

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian seen together for first time since his breakdown https://t.co/FH3gaWqf3Y pic.twitter.com/sgbSNcQgOk

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) December 19, 2016

Swedish melancholic death doomers, October Tide, have released a music video for the song "Reckless Abandon", taken from their latest album, Winged Waltz. The video was directed by Bloudengaztia Wolfgang at Dronicon Films.

October Tide will embark on a tour of Finland in March. The band will also make an appearance at Maryland Deathfest (US) and Karmøygeddon Metal Festival (Norway) in May.

Tour dates

March
1 - Tampere, Finland - Klubi
2 - Helsinki, Finland - On the Rocks
3 - Järvenpää, Finland - Blackpool
4 - Jyväskylä, Finland - Katse

May
4 - Karmøy, Norway - Karmøygeddon Metal Festival
26 - Baltimore, MD - Maryland Deathfest

Vancouver progressive virtuosos Omnisight will be kicking off 2017 with the release of their new EP The Power Of One on January 20th, to follow their 2016 live album Live At The Theatre. Omnisight are influenced by greats like Soundgarden, Dream Theater, Meshuggah, Tool, and Faith No More, but transcend their influences to become very much their own creation. Justifiably highly regarded for their musicianship and finely wrought song-craft, Omnisight bring progressive metal into new dimensions.

“I think our guitar player fans will really like the new EP,” comments vocalist / guitarist Raj Krishna. “I think of the songs will also be pleased with the thoughtful lyrics. I’m questioning the status quo. The song ‘The Power Of One’ is about how one person can make a difference in the world around them just with knowledge and a little spiritual balance. The album as a whole is a musical journey, there is the concept of standing up to the oppression and deceptions of the ruling class.”

The EP's title track, "The Power Of One" is now streaming via the YouTube clip below.

The artwork and tracklisting for The Power Of One have been unveiled:

"Shift The Paradigm"
"Resistance"
"Seven Sisters"
"Fall Of The Empire"
"The Power Of One"

Pre-orders can be placed via BandCamp. The Power Of One will also be available on iTunes and Spotify as of January 20, 2017.

 

Bulgarian metal opera project Pagliacci has released the third digital single from their upcoming album The Village Of Madmen. The song is called “Wise Men & Lunatics” and introduces the third vocalist in the album - Dimitar Belchev (Volentory, Vivaldi Metal Project) - in his role as the main character of the story - the Traveler.

Here is Pagliacci's description of the song: "The Traveler has failed to save the world. The villagers have offered him their madness / enlightenment and a place to call home. "One of us," they say, "for a long time now you've been one of us." And maybe, just maybe, the world never needed saving in the first place."

Pagliacci is founded by two ex-members of the symphonic metal act Allegorist – Zhivko Koev (keys, music, lyrics) and Katerina Simeonova (vocals). The duo has also been heavily involved in Vivaldi Metal Project – an all-star symphonic metal undertaking boasting members of Helloween, Symphony X, Rhapsody Of Fire, Sonata Arctica and others.

“Wise Men & Lunatics” features a special appearance by the producer of Vivaldi Metal Project and virtuoso keyboardist Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson, Rob Rock, Vivaldi Metal Project) on piano.

Pagliacci previously released videos for “Black Flowers” and “So Sane”, both of which also appear on The Village Of Madmen album.

 

Slovenian thrashers Panikk have just finished the recordings of their second album, to be titled Discarded Existence, which will be released on March 15th, 2017 through Xtreem Music.

The artwork for Discarded Existence, pictured above, was created by Mario E. Lopez M. (Gravesite, Skeletal Remains, Evil Invaders). Furthermore, a teaser video has been released as an advance for this thrash metal monster album that will undoubtedly appeal to fans of Vio-lence, Exodus, and Forbidden.

In the meantime, you can listen to Panikk's 2013 debut album Unbearable Existence, which was re-issued by Xtreem Music in 2014, online at this location.

(Band photo by Dominika Torkar)

 

Behind-the-scenes footage from the making of METALLICA's official video for the song "Am I Savage?" can be seen below. The clip features a man who moves through stark scenes surrounded by family, coworkers and others who all wear white body stockings that disguise their faces. The track is taken from METALLICA's latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart on November 27, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release.

The "Am I Savage?" video was directed by the Brooklyn-based high-art photography duo Herring and Herring, who photographed METALLICA for the "Hadwired… To Self-Destruct" album package, and also helmed clips for "Halo On Fire" and "Now That We're Dead".

The long-awaited follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic", "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

"Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" was produced by Greg Fidelman with frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. The band recorded the disc at its own studio.

Instead of a previously announced bonus disc of demos, the deluxe edition of the album features a number of cover tunes that the band has recorded over the past few years, including a medley of Ronnie James Dio songs, IRON MAIDEN's "Remember Tomorrow" and DEEP PURPLE's "When A Blind Man Cries".

The deluxe version also features a live set recorded at Rasputin's in Berkeley, California on Record Store Day 2016 and a concert version of the song "Hardwired" recorded at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Legendary Atheist singer Kelly Shaefer has checked in with the following update:

"Thor has landed! 9lbs exactly, and mama and baby are PERFECT! Thank you science, and the staff of Sarasota Memorial Hospital for impeccable care of my wife and new baby, Thor. Ladies and gentleman please welcome to the stage of life, Thor David Shaefer!"

Shaefer recently went Hollywood and has a role in the upcoming movie Rocky Mountain Fast Guy which is described as follows:

Rocky Mountain Fast Guy is a manic depressive ride of passion, weirdness, worry, laughs and the pain of dishonest opportunities that Guy Montaine can never seem to pass up. He's a high risk dreamer and a good ol' boy-songwriter with talent passed down from his Daddy. Guy longs to free his family from the money problems that plague their large Florida ranch. But with each good intention backfiring and getting him deeper into a hole, he soon becomes a wanted man who finds himself on a mission to get his songs to Nashville, no matter what the cost...

“Super stoked to be a part of this movie,” Shaefer says. “In select theatres soon. I got to play a redneck asshole cop, and had a blast doing it. Director/star John McElroy and I have been friends for many years, and when he told me about the part, I couldn’t wait to do it. Plus I got to drive recklessly in a police car! Please share! Cheers!”

Rocky Mountain Fast Guy  //  feature movie trailer from John McElroy on Vimeo.

Fan-filmed video footage of former QUEENSRŸCHE and current OPERATION: MINDCRIME vocalist Geoff Tate performing an acoustic set at the Bluesiana rock café in Velden, Austria on December 13 can be seen below.

"Resurrection", the second album from OPERATION: MINDCRIME, was released on September 23 via Frontiers Music Srl. The album is the second part of Tate's musical trilogy. He explained in a recent interview: "It continues the story that began on the first album 'The Key' with the near-death experience of the lead character known as 'H' and his subsequent recovery of the missing encryption key. With the Key finally in his possession, 'H' has everything he needs to finally launch his long awaited project called 'The New Reality'. Or does he..." The singer continued: "I'm excited for people to hear and experience 'Resurrection' because I think it answers some of the questions that were posed in the first album, 'The Key'. Musically, it offers some of the most diverse and challenging material that I've ever written."

Asked about the viability of making albums in an age where anything that isn't instant invariably struggles to gain currency with the masses, Tate told "The Classic Metal Show": "Oh, I don't know, really, about that. My records are paid for upfront. So I get paid for them. The company that buys them, they have to recoup that money back by their ability to sell them, I suppose."

He continued: "I love making new music, and I'll always write new material and perform it. That's what I love most in life."

Tate did acknowledge, however, that diminishing record sales have resulted in record companies investing less funds into breaking younger artists and promoting new releases.

"There isn't the economy to support record companies anymore, or the families of the people that work at record companies," he explained. "That industry is completely gutted from what it was."

He added: "It's like everything. Times change, the world moves on, and you have to adapt to the new and changing world. It's very similar to people lamenting the loss of their jobs overseas to different places. Well, that's just the way things work, and you have to adapt and you can't keep pining away for the way things used to be; you have to create what's now and be part of the conversation and be part of the changes that need to be made.

"I see a lot of times people just get really hung up on the way things used to be and they start dreaming and pining away for life the way it used to be, and it's never gonna be that way again."

ETERNAL IDOL's video for the song "Awake In Orion" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's debut album, "The Unrevealed Secret", which was released on December 2 via Frontiers Music Srl.

ETERNAL IDOL is a new band formed in early 2016 and that marks the start of a new musical adventure for RHAPSODY OF FIRE and ANGRA singer Fabio Lione, together with the experienced Italian guitar player Nick Savio (ex-HOLLOW HAZE) and a lineup completed by the young vocal rising star Giorgia Colleluori, Camillo Colleluori (both also from HOLLOW HAZE) on drums and Andrea Buratto (SECRET SPHERE, HELL IN THE CLUB) on bass.

While all the musicians have solid pedigrees and musical history behind them, ETERNAL IDOL have a brand new and original sound which will certainly catch many fans by surprise. Lione says: "After all the experiences with bands such as KAMELOT, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, ANGRA and many more, I think it is time to show the world a new side of myself with this amazing new band.

"Musically, ETERNAL IDOL offer an intriguing mix of classic metal, symphonic rock and a few progressive twists which is truly unique, thanks to the combination of female and male vocals."

Fabio took care of most of the lyrics and vocal melodies, along with three gorgeous tracks he wrote, while Nick Savio worked hard on songwriting and arrangements.

"'The Unrevealed Secret' is the album where all our ideas came to the light," says the axeman from Vicenza. "Heavy classic rock with symphonic elements and the magic atmosphere of two lead vocals, male and female, create a contrast between good and bad as the main subject, as it is possible to see on the impressive and mysterious cover artwork."

The album was recorded in the summer of 2016, produced by Nick Savio and mixed by Simone Mularoni (DGM, SUNSTORM) and promises to be one of the melodic metal releases of the year. Fans of KAMELOT, MAGNUS KARLSSON'S FREE FALL, MASTERPLAN and AVANTASIA should pay attention.

"There is a story to be told with this album, and the secret will be revealed on the next ETERNAL IDOL releases, so please take your time to listen this first chapter and enjoy... A new story has begun," Nick concludes.

"The Unrevealed Secret" track listing:

01. Evil Tears02. Another Night Comes03. Awake in Orion 04. Is The Answer Far From God?05. Blinded 06. Sad Words Unvailed 07. Desidia 08. Hall Of Sins 09. Feels Like I'm Dying 10. A Song In The Wind 11. Stormy Days 12. Beyond

ETERNAL IDOL is:

Fabio Lione - Lead VocalsGiorgia Colleluori - Lead VocalsNick Savio - Guitar, KeyboardsCamillo Colleluori - Drums Andrea Buratto - Bass

This weekend (December 16th - 17th), Eindhoven Metal Meeting took place, with Hail Of Bullets performing on Friday, and Memoriam on Saturday.

Hail Of Bullets/ex-Bolt Thrower vocalist Dave Ingram joined Memoriam onstage and they performed the Bolt Thrower track “Inside The Wire” (from the Honour Valour Pride album). Check out fan-filmed video below:

Death metal supergroup Echelon, featuring Dave Ingram on vocals, Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Down Among The Dead Men) on bass, Johan Berglund (Ribspreader, Demiurg) on bass, Kjetil Lynghaug (Johansson & Speckmann, Paganizer) on lead guitar, and Travis Ruvo (Cropsy Maniac, Akatharta) on drums, are streaming the new track “Lex Talionis” (listen below).

“Lex Talionis” is the third track from the band’s second album, The Brimstone Aggrandizement, to be released on December 22nd via Indian record label Transcending Obscurity. The album artwork was specifically commissioned from the artist Propraetor.

New death metal supergroup Echelon carry on where another supergroup Stench Price left, employing the services of Dave Ingram (Hail Of Bullets, ex-Bolt Thrower, ex-Benediction), Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Demiurg, Putrevore), Johan Berglund (Ribspreader, The Grotesquery), Kjetil Lynghaug (Johansson & Speckmann, Paganizer) and Travis Ruvo (Akatharta, Cropsy Maniac). Expect death metal that is stupendous, old school and fleshed out, emphasizing on crushing British brutality coupled with classic Swedish melodic sensibilities and riffing power. Care has been taken to ensure that the nostalgic value remains foremost, as the music traverses through many winding yet memorable songs, with impeccable compositions by the riff-master Rogga and probably one of Dave Ingram's finest vocal performances of his career. This is a varied, bombastic album that will go down as one of the strongest albums of this era.

Tracklisting:

“Plague Of The Altruistic”
“The Forbidden Industry”
“Lex Talionis”
“Of Warlocks And Wolves”
“The Brimstone Aggrandizement”
“Vital Existence”
“The Feared Religion”
“Monsters In The Gene Pool/Sonic Vortex”

"Lex Talionis":

“Plague Of The Altruistic”:

Order the new album at this location.

Greek progressive metal band, Sunburst, have released a drum playthrough video for the song "Reincarnation”, with the bands drummer Kostas Milonas. The band’s debut album, Fragments Of Creation, was released on February 26th in Europe and North America through Inner Wound Recordings.  

The sound of Sunburst can be described as Dream Theater meets Nevermore and Conception, and with Fragments Of Creation they show that they are a force to be reckoned with.

“Lullaby” video:

"Symbol Of Life” playthrough video:

"Symbol Of Life" drum playthrough:

“Break The Core” playthrough video:

“Out Of The World” video:

“Dementia” video:

Sunburst are:

Vasilis Georgiou (Black Fate, Innosense) - Vocals
Gus Drax (Biomechanical, Paradox, Black Fate, Suicidal Angels) - Guitars
Kostas Milonas (Blacklegs, N.U.R.V, G.K Group) - Drums
Nick Grey (End Of Innocense, Jailcat) - Bass