MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell says that he nearly retired from playing music after the death of Lemmy Kilmister. He also admits it took him months to get over the shock of his bandmate's December 2015 passing, even though he knew Lemmy had been ill for months.

Campbell tells WalesOnline: "I knew Lem wasn't well. I knew the day would come at some point, but it happened so quickly.

"He was playing better in the winter, a few weeks before he passed away, than he was in the summer. I think I started to romanticize, thinking, was he really indestructible?

"When he got up on stage, he rocked like an 18-year-old. Even though it must have been paining him inside, he still did it. It was unbelievable."

He continues: "I had the call saying Lem was not very well at all, and telling us to fly over. But our manager called a day later saying he'd gone peacefully in his sleep. It was all pretty sudden."

Campbell describes the global outpouring of grief as "something else" and adds: "The first three months, personally, I was in shock. I knew MOTÖRHEAD had great support all these years, but the extent just blew my mind.

"After the first three months, I cried more. That was when Lem's death started to sink in and I really began to miss him. Reality kicked in and it was hard to take.

"It wasn't all about playing on stage with him — I miss not being able to call him up. He was such a knowledgable and funny guy. I spent more time with him than I did my wife and family."

The guitarist, who had to miss Lemmy's funeral due to his own ill health — something he says that he was "gutted" about — didn't discuss health issues with Lemmy. "We just talked about the next gig, next song, next album. Lem wanted to carry on and wanted to play.

"He didn't want to sit around the house waiting to die. He wanted to go out on a high."

One of Campbell's favorite memories of Lemmy took place on tour a few years ago. "He called me in my hotel room and said, 'Phil, come down to my room now,'" Campbell recalls. "I thought, 'What have I done wrong now?'

"I was expecting him to say, 'I listened back to last night's tape and you played like shit.' But he said, 'I just wanted you to know, never once in all this time have I regretted having you in the band. You're a good man, Phil.'

"I've been blessed for the life I had with him. I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Campbell spent the last few months touring with PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS (formerly PHIL CAMPBELL'S ALL STARR BAND), the band he formed with his sons Todd, Dane and Tyla, plus vocalist Neil Starr.

"I was planning on semi-retiring after MOTÖRHEAD finished — but I can't see that happening now," he says. "We're going to have some fun with this. Getting back on stage has been good for me."

PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS will release their self-titled EP on November 18 via Motörhead Music.

Legendary hard rock vocalist Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, ALCATRAZZ, IMPELLITTERI) took part in a press conference at this past weekend's Hard Rock Hell festival at Camp HRH, Pwllheli, North Wales, Gwynedd. You can now watch the question-and-answer session below.

Speaking about the changes in the music industry over the course of the last few decades, Bonnet said: "Well, I think now, because it's the way it is, there's no longer [physical] albums, you can't go into a store and buy a [physical] album, the chart is not the same, everybody's downloading music, I think that's the most upsetting thing to people my age. 'Cause it's kind of, like, 'What the hell is happening? How do you sell your music?' But it's so different, and getting used to it is very hard."

Graham, whose GRAHAM BONNET BAND released an album, "The Book", on November 4 via Frontiers Music Srl, added that the music industry is dying "in a big way right now. And the only way to get through to people is to play live, so that's why everyone's going out and playing live. It's the only way to show that, 'This is what we're doing. This is what we are. This is the new band. This is the new song.' And it's the only way to do it. That's what we're doing right now."

Bonnet also talked about the state of the rock scene and the quality of the music that is being released nowadays. He said: "I think the music needs to develop more than it has done, because it's not going anywhere, to me. I haven't heard anything on the radio, or wherever, nothing new is being developed. All I hear is kind of a rehash of bands that I've heard before with a bit of distortion and a lot of noise going on. And people don't really sing — they have Auto-Tune, or whatever it may be. I want to hear something new, like the first time I heard Jimi Hendrix, the first time I heard QUEEN, the first time I heard THE BEATLES. When is it coming? It's got to come soon. Otherwise, we're gonna go around the circle and go down the shitter, I think. Because there's nothing new."

GRAHAM BONNET BAND features Bonnet on lead vocals, Beth-Ami Heavenstone on bass, South American sensation Conrado Pesinato on lead guitar, ex-ALCATRAZZ man Jimmy Waldo on keyboards, and Mark Zonder (known for his acclaimed work with WARLORD and FATES WARNING) on drums.

MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx has weighed in on underdog Donald Trump's stunning upset of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, saying that "America's split, divided right down the middle."

Trump shocked the political establishment and the world by becoming the 45th president in one of the biggest upsets in U.S. political history. He won with 289 electoral votes compared to 218 for Hillary Clinton. 270 were needed to win. Clinton, however, handily won the popular vote, despite losing the overall election.

Speaking to Australia's Music Feeds, Sixx said: "I was in a hotel room [when I found out Trump had won the White House], and I was taken aback; I was very surprised.

"America's split, divided right down the middle.

"[Trump] isn't my choice. But, you know, the thing about democracy is that the people get to go out there and make a decision. And right now in America, there's rioting and protesting and people shouting, 'Not my president.' As long as I can remember, it's one of the most volatile times.

"Some of [SIXX:A.M.'s] music was, I guess, inspired by this energy that's going on here. But it doesn't have to be American-centric at all."

SIXX:A.M. singer James Michael told BBC News earlier in the year that 2016 was "one of the loudest, most volatile election years I can remember." He added: "There's a reason for that. There's a reason people like Donald Trump are getting so much traction. Because he's just saying things very loudly, very boldly. He's not being politically correct. And the reason people are reacting to that type of a voice is they're angry. They're scared on a global level and a personal level. It affects them right down to the dinner table."

Sixx added: "You have a lot of people rallying behind that campaign, who are clearly fed up, and clearly engaged and activated. But when you really look at the policies being offered to those people, they don't sync up.

"A lot of people who say 'I like Donald Trump because he speaks his mind,' are following someone who's not really going to act in their best interests. That's what we're reacting to."

He continued: "We are under siege. Politics has become reality television. It is ridiculous.

"We have presidential candidates not being presidential at all, saying the most ludicrous stuff and the media regurgitates it, over and over. It is nothing to be proud about. So how can people not stand up and say 'this is BS'?"

AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows was recently interviewed by the 101.1 WJRR radio station in Orlando, Florida. You can now listen to the chat below.

Asked about former label Warner Music's recent announcement that it plans to release a two-CD AVENGED SEVENFOLD collection called "The Best Of 2005-2013" without the band's involvement, M. Shadows said: "No, we're not promoting that at all. That has nothing to do with us. They, basically, saw the date that Chris [Jericho] put up, and, from what we understand, they are trying to undercut our new record, so they were trying to put it out the week before. And as childish as things can be behind the scenes with lawyers and stuff, as I'm sure you can imagine, this is childish on a whole new level. You're gonna try to put this record out right before our new record just to undercut us and try to confuse the casual fan, like, 'Is this the new record? Or is that the new record?' Or parents buying stuff for Christmas. So it's just really childish. It doesn't even have a good pick of songs. It's just kind of, like… It is what it is. And it's a record label, basically, digging themselves into a deeper hole, as far as I'm concerned, 'cause it doesn't look good to other bands who are potentially gonna sign there, and it doesn't look good to fans."

M. Shadows also spoke about AVENGED SEVENFOLD's upcoming headlining tour, which is slated to kick off in early 2017. He said: "The mindset on this one is gonna be what were people seeing in the '80s that was different, but making that sort of classic statement. So, what I mean by that is, we wanna do what the '80s did for you in terms of live shows and do that for this next generation by doing something completely different and off the wall, but on a very large scale. So instead of using the same tricks they were using back then, with the fire and the stage props, we wanna really try to make our own footprint here and do something very, very over the top. We hired some people that do the stuff for Cirque Du Soleil, a lot of digital image mapping, so a lot of different things that we're gonna try out on this tour on a very grand scale."

Warner Music sued AVENGED SEVENFOLD earlier this year for breach of contract. The suit seeks compensatory damages because the band is refusing to fulfill its agreement with the company. AVENGED SEVENFOLD released four studio albums through the label but sought to exit its contract, while Warner Music contended that the group owed the company a live CD/DVD.

At the end of 2015, AVENGED SEVENFOLD notified Warner Music that they would not render services to the label, citing Section 2855 of the California Labor Code, which limits the duration of personal-services agreements to seven years — the so-called seven-year statute.

To recover damages, Warner Music will have to show how much it would have earned had it released the band's latest album.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD released its seventh studio album, titled "The Stage", via Capital Records on October 28, becoming the first-ever rock band to issue an unannounced album in both digital and physical form. The quintet revealed that their album was out during their live-streamed performance from the rooftop of the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, California on October 27. The band give a 3D/360-degree live-streamed virtual reality performance, enabling fans around the globe to view the show.

The marketing plan and launch of the album was months in the making, starting with the projection of the band's logo, the Deathbat, on buildings in cities around the world.

The campaign even included some misdirection, as the group had its friend Chris Jericho "accidentally" leak a fake album title and release date.

"The Stage" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart, selling 76,000 physical and/or digital copies in its first week of release. While the sales were decent for the current music business, they represent the lowest first-week total for any AVENGED SEVENFOLD album since "City Of Evil" in 2005. "The Stage" sold less than half as many copies in its first week as the group's two previous efforts, 2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King".

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman spoke to LA Weekly about his decision to step away from a planned reunion of the band's "Rust In Peace" lineup — featuring Friedman and drummer Nick Menza — in early 2015, sixteen years after he initially left the group. He said: "I think anyone that has something as good as 'Rust In Peace' in their history doesn't want to revisit it unless you are going to top it. I didn't see any reason to mess with that. I didn't see a reunion being what it could be and what the fans deserved. If I were to revisit that, there would have to be a reason for me to do that beyond, 'Let's go back and do it again.' That's not a good enough reason."

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine said in an interview that the "Rust In Peace" lineup reunion failed to materialize for a number of reasons, including a difference in vision for the group's new music. He said: "Marty had sent some e-mails saying, 'Oh, man, you know, the fans have this self-inflated importance of 'Rust In Peace' beyond what it really is. And I was, like, 'Huh?' So I didn't know if that was a backhand to the face of the fans or not, but he had basically said that if we were gonna do anything, it had to be better than 'Rust In Peace'. And he sent me over some links to some songs that he thought should be the direction that we were going in, and one of it was this J-Pop band with some Japanese girl singing, and I was, like, 'Uh-uh. This ain't gonna work.' More power to [Marty for being into that stuff]. Do what you want, Marty. He's a great guitar player. But I'm not gonna sing like a Japanese girl."

Friedman is putting the finishing touches on a new solo album for a 2017 release via Prosthetic Records. The follow-up to 2014's "Inferno" was recorded in part at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in California with engineer Paul Fig (ALICE IN CHAINS, RUSH, DEFTONES) and is described by Friedman as "a way more intense version" of its predecessor: "deeper, sadder, happier and more aggressive."

Like "Inferno", Friedman's upcoming album will feature several guests, including prog-thrashers MUTOID MAN, Jørgen Munkeby of the Norwegian avant-garde jazz-metal outfit SHINING and Jinxx of Los Angeles theatrical rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES.

Michelle Maher-Williams, the wife of EYEHATEGOD frontman Mike Williams, has launched a YouCaring fundraising page for her husband, who urgently needs a lifesaving liver transplant.

She writes on the site: "As many of you are aware, Michael has been battling health issues for the last 2+ years. What most of you don't know is just how serious it is. Michael is a very private person, and I respected that. Throughout this awful journey, only a handful of people were aware of his situation.

"As much as he hates the idea of asking for help, he needs your support now more than ever and has realized that his friends, family and fans deserve to know exactly what is going on with him and his health.

"I'm aware that there have been plenty of questions and concerns, as well as some grossly inaccurate assumptions, regarding his status. I will post a more detailed account in the near future to help you to understand his struggle a bit better. In the meantime, here's a general overview.

"In December 2014, while on tour with CORRECTIONS HOUSE, Michael was hospitalized in Texas. The ER doctor told him that his liver was failing and he wouldn't survive another year. He immediately returned to [New Orleans] and consulted with one of the best liver specialists in the country. Although he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, this doctor gave him the hope and encouragement that he needed to put up the fight of his life.

"Over the next year, thanks to changes in his diet and lifestyle, his liver function continued to improve. He was cleared to travel to Europe in June 2015 with EYEHATEGOD. The day after he got home, he was hospitalized for three weeks. After several more hospital stays, he seemed to stabilize. In April 2016, he was again cleared to tour with EYEHATEGOD. With only a couple of dates left of the tour, he was found unresponsive in his hotel room. He was rushed to the hospital in Kentucky and put on life support. A few days later, ever the fighter, he came out of his coma and was able to breathe on his own. Two weeks later, we returned to New Orleans to consult with his specialists. It was apparent that his liver just wasn't healing quickly enough to provide him with a life of quality. He would need a liver transplant. Thus began our journey to get him on the list. It was not an easy task by any means. He jumped through hoops, slashed red tape, and was subjected to a battery of interviews and tests, both physically and mentally. He consulted with therapists, nutritionists, radiologists, as well as cardiac, liver, kidney and infectious disease specialists, just to name a few. He submitted blood and urine specimens twice weekly.

"On October 10th, 2016, he was admitted to the CCU [Critical Care Unit], vomiting blood. Along with internal bleeding, it was determined that his liver and kidneys were failing. He was placed on life support and dialysis. Through sheer grit and determination, he was eventually able to function on his own. We were told that he would not be leaving the hospital without a new liver. His case was presented before the board and he was approved for the transplant list. He's been hospitalized ever since.

"We can't do this on our own anymore. The expenses are astronomical and overwhelming. Not only has our health insurance nearly tripled, but now we need to come up with our insurance deductible before the transplant occurs. We have a mountain of medical bills that need to be paid to ensure that his transplant isn't delayed. Since we live over an hour away from the hospital, we are required to rent an apartment nearby for 3-6 months after the transplant. His monthly prescriptions cost over $900. Mike hasn't been able to tour and I've taken a lot of time off in order to take care of him, so our income has plunged while our expenses have skyrocketed.

"Please help my lover get a liver! He's fought so hard to get this far.

"I will post updates as often as possible to keep everyone informed of his progress.

"If you are unable to donate at this time, please keep us in your thoughts and share, share, share! We thank you all."

Williams's tales of drug abuse, excess and struggles with the authorities have been well publicized over the years. The longtime New Orleans resident was arrested after Hurricane Katrina for drug possession, detoxed from heroin in prison and lived for a short time on former PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo's property. Williams, who worked as an associate editor for Metal Maniacs in the 1990s and has written for numerous underground music magazines, published his first book, "Cancer As A Social Activity: Affirmations Of World's End", in 2005.

Williams was forced to miss more than a dozen EYEHATEGOD shows this past summer and fall due to his health issues. He was temporarily replaced by Anselmo two dates in August and LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe for eleven gigs in October.

SOIL frontman Ryan McCombs has weighed in on underdog Donald Trump's stunning upset of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, saying that while he is "not a Trump fan," the real estate mogul is much a better choice than "the criminal he was running against."

Trump shocked the political establishment and the world by becoming the 45th president in one of the biggest upsets in U.S. political history. He won with 289 electoral votes compared to 218 for Hillary Clinton. 270 were needed to win. Clinton, however, handily won the popular vote, despite losing the overall election.

Speaking to Metal Underground before SOIL's November 9 concert in Bristol, England, McCombs said that he was "happy" with the election outcome, before elaborating (see video below): "I'm not a Trump fan. I think that's the thing that a lot of people get [wrong]. [If I say] I'm happy about the election, people think, 'Oh, he's a Trump fan.' I'm not, but you know what? He's not a career politician. He may not talk like a polished politician. He talks like you and I. He uses words like 'them' and 'they,' and then people wanna turn around and say he's being racist or whatever. He's just… He's not a polished career politician. And do I think he's great? No, not at all. But compared to the criminal he was running against? I couldn't be happier for the country. 'Cause that was an evil, evil woman. So I'm very happy with [the outcome]."

McCombs also addressed the fact that Trump's surprise election victory has raised concern among some world leaders after a string of controversial statements he made during his campaign. "I know a lot of people are scared — especially overseas," Ryan said. "The Democratic party has controlled the media in the U.S. for the past eight years. But if you really break [it] down, there's so much 'he's this' and 'he's that.' Find me something. Find me something other than somebody saying that about him. Find me something that actually comes from him. And that's where the arguments stops."

Ryan did admit, however, that he did not personally vote in the latest election, blaming it on the fact that "I moved just before this tour, and I forgot to set up the whole… Basically, it was too late for me to register in my new location. So I didn't end up voting."

SOIL recently commenced the songwriting process for a new studio album, tentatively due in late 2017.

The band's last disc, "Whole", arrived in August 2013 via Pavement Entertainment.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx says that he doesn't care for STEEL PANTHER, the American glam rockers from Los Angeles, California, mostly known for their profane and humorous lyrics, as well as their exaggerated onstage personas that parody the stereotypical 1980s "glam metal" lifestyle.

Despite the fact that STEEL PANTHER's look has been described as "the bastard offspring from an unholy union of POISON and MÖTLEY CRÜE circa 1989" and that they write "over-the-top hair-metal songs ripe with melody, muscle and machismo, fearlessly creating an amalgam of that maligned era's sound and embracing all its excesses and debauchery" (Isthmus), Sixx tells Australia's Music Feeds that he just can't get into STEEL PANTHER's music. "You know, it's not my thing," he says. "That's just me personally. I don't know. It doesn't feel… I guess a lot of people think it's funny and they're kind of a joke band and that's cool. But that's not my cup of tea. I kind of take my music a little more seriously."

Back in June 2015, STEEL PANTHER singer Michael Starr revealed in an interview that MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee "was pretty upset over the fact we poked fun at [MÖTLEY CRÜE singer] Vince Neil. He didn't like it. He just thinks we're just a joke, like a stupid joke band that shouldn't be playing with them. But all their fans like us."

Starr added that members of MÖTLEY CRÜE simply "take themselves a little too serious," except for Vince Neil, who "totally loves it."

"You know, he told me, 'Hey, Michael, when we retire, you can have all our fans,'" Starr said.

Before MÖTLEY CRÜE toured with POISON in 2011, Sixx famously said that his band would never hit the road with other groups from the "hair metal" era because he didn't want to be "attached to that kind of fake bullshit." He later explained his position by saying that MÖTLEY CRÜE "wanted to… separate from [bands like POISON]. And we had never planned on touring with any of the bands from that era. There was no animosity — it was just that we put a very clear line."

Punk rock icon Henry Rollins says that Donald Trump "went from grabbing pussies to being one" in the days following his election as the next president of the United States of America.

Rollins, whose outspoken views and activism work have made him one of punk's most political alumni, writes in the latest installment of his weekly column for alternative newspaper LA Weekly: "During the president-elect's acceptance speech, I noticed a difference in his tone and delivery. I don't think it was exhaustion or the adrenaline that was no doubt coursing through his veins after being elected to the country's highest office. Nor do I think it was surprise, even though every poll seemed to have gotten it wrong. I think it had just hit the president-to-be what a massive chunk of meat he had torn off.

"It was as if he had been punched in the solar plexus and rushed to the podium immediately afterward. Rather than elated or confident, he seemed stunned. This is understandable. I don't think he counted on getting this far and am not convinced he really wants the job.

"Donald Trump told his foaming fans at one rally after another that he would 'repeal and replace Obamacare.' He also said that he would build a wall on America's southern border and that Mexico would pay for it. He repeated until he was orange in the face that he would deport or arrest up to 11 million undocumented immigrants via a 'deportation force.' These were some of the 'yuger' arrows in his campaign quiver. Only days after winning the election, 'repeal and replace' was repealed and replaced by an openness to 'amend' the Affordable Care Act. The wall was walked back to fence and 11 million became 3 million.

"Word to Trump supporters: Your hero went from grabbing pussies to being one. Oh, the butthurt."

Rollins previously noted that Republicans wouldn't have stood for Trump's "racist and xenophobic" posturing during the Reagan era, and blamed cynicism towards Washington D.C. on the left and right for allowing a such a non-mainstream figure to emerge.

Back in August, Rollins spoke to the New Zealand TV show "Waatea 5th Estate" about what America might look like under President Donald Trump. He said: "I think you would have a country that would have an increasingly difficult time trying to get along with the European Union, such as it is, getting along with China, because we would become confrontational. [That's] not the way to deal with China, in my opinion. They play a longer game, their economy is run differently. They use sometimes confusion logic; there's some great writing about it. If Trump says, 'My way or the highway,' the Chinese will go, 'Okay, we're gonna collect on all that debt. And so we'll take that hotel and that whole skyline, that's ours today.'"

He continued: "I don't wanna get into any tough-guy chest puffing with any country; there's too many kids to get hurt and my country's economy can't sustain it. So if he wants to run a country like a failed businessman or like a corny reality show, I'm not in. And so under a Trump presidency, I think you'd have brown people, black people, Muslim people, gay people having potentially a dangerous or a very awful time in America."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins revealed in a new interview with Consequence Of Sound that the band's manager pressured the group to leave a song that Hawkins wrote off the FOO FIGHTERS' 2005 double album, "In Your Honor". Asked if he would want to write music for the next FOO FIGHTERS album, Hawkins replied: "I think it would be cool. I write when we have a double record. There is only enough room for Dave [Grohl] on a single record; let's leave the real writing to him. Our manager even wanted to take off the one song I ever wrote!"

Hawkins added: "I think they figured if there is one less Dave Grohl song, then there's one less chance of a hit. For the last few records, I've started singing backup vocals, so that’s become a new part and a relatively new space for me in this band."

Hawkins recently released his first solo album, titled "KOTA". The six-song EP is Hawkins' first-ever project under his own name, although in the past he has led bands like the COATTAIL RIDERS and THE BIRDS OF SATAN.

"KOTA" features Hawkins on lead vocals and almost every instrument, with a few additional yet-to-be-named guests.

The first single, "Range Rover Bitch", was inspired by Hawkins living in the same gated community as the Kardashians.

FOO FIGHTERS have been on hiatus since November 2015, but they performed at a private charity concert in Los Angeles last month and have begun booking European festival appearances for next summer.

Former ANTHRAX and current ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush has weighed in on underdog Donald Trump's stunning upset of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, saying that "everyone just has to lighten up and respect everybody."

Speaking to California Rock News at last night's (Thursday, November 10) listening party for ARMORED SAINT's new live album, "Carpe Noctum", in Sherman Oaks, California, John said: "I don't know what's gonna happen. It's kind of a volatile time, and I'm kind of bummed about it — just the general feeling of the divison in America; it's obvious. It's pretty severe, and I hope we fix it quickly, you know, 'cause it sucks. I mean, I don't really care which way you wanna lean, you know. I have friends who are on the right, I have friends who are on the left, but we're still all just people. We're supposed to all just be Americans. I think everybody's just trying to have a happy life, and everyone should be entitled to that. I don't know if there's a savior, quite frankly. I think everyone just has to lighten up and respect everybody."

After ARMORED SAINT drummer Gonzo Sandoval publicly came out in support of Donald Trump earlier in the week, his bandmates released a statement via the group's Facebook page in which they distanced themselves from his views. They wrote: "Here at ARMORED SAINT, we all believe in freedom of speech. It's a right we all share and it's a right that is very precious. Everyone in America is entitled to it. By now, all of us who are engaged in social media are well aware of the brute tone of this freedom. It is celebrated in all of its beauty but also in its insidiousness.

"First in line of importance is that we strongly believe that religion and politics are a very sacred and personal set of beliefs that should remain inside the individual, especially when we're in a shared business with several people in a group. It is in our opinion that social media is no place for us to share what we believe in politically or ideologically.

"We make art and entertain. That's what we've always done and that's what we'll continue to do. The band's philosophy has always been from the observation point of view coupled with tongue-in-cheek irony. At this time of incredible polarization in our country, we choose to stay right here. Our goal is to not change the world. Our goal is to make music."

"Carpe Noctum" will be released in January. The disc features the band's 2015 Wacken Open Air festival set as well as their headlining show in Aschaffenburg, Germany.

LACUNA COIL frontwoman Cristina Scabbia has weighed in on underdog Donald Trump's stunning upset of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, saying that she was "really surprised that Trump won" and expressing hope that "everything will be okay" under the new administration.

Trump shocked the political establishment and the world by becoming the 45th president in one of the biggest upsets in U.S. political history. He won with 289 electoral votes compared to 218 for Hillary Clinton. 270 were needed to win. Clinton, however, handily won the popular vote, despite losing the overall election.

Speaking to Metal Wani, Scabbia said (see video below): "I really, really hate politics. I strongly, strongly hate politics. Let's say that I hate extremisms from politics [and] religions. Especially for politics, I feel that we basically know nothing. We can be as informed as we want, but there are some things happening in the system that we will never know. So I really hate it when politics is really dividing people even more."

She continued: "I'll give you the stupidest example… I was really surprised that Trump won, because I was absolutely sure that Hillary would win, just because the polls showed she was the winner, and I would hear people saying, 'Fuck Trump! Trump will never win.' Blah blah blah. But, as it always happens, the favorite loses. So I posted on my social [media sites] — which I never do, because I never talk about politics — I just posted a black picture with [the caption] 'Wow!', because I was seriously genuinely surprised. And I also did it on purpose because I really wanted to see all the comments down below the picture, showing what people perceive from whatever you do. And that's kind of how politics works. I basically didn't say anything — it could have been everything — but some people commented, like, 'Fuck you, liberal! We won. Fuck you! Get out of the country.' And I was, like, okay, first of all, you don't even know that I'm not American. I live in Italy, and I'm okay in Italy. But you're attacking me without even knowing my political view. And it was just interesting how much hate politics in general raise, and this is what I really, really don't like about politics."

Asked if she thought Trump's win will have an effect on LACUNA COIL's touring activities in the U.S., Scabbia said: "I don't know what will happen. Hopefully everything will be okay. I honestly don't know. Because, to be honest, we always entered [the country] legally, so I hope that they will appreciate this, and I hope that they will appreciate the fact that we are still working and bringing money to the States, which is a territory that we absolutely adore. I'm there very often for personal reasons and for touring, and I love to be there; it feels like a second home to me. So I hope that everyone will be safe."

LACUNA COIL's latest album, "Delirium", entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 33 with first-week sales of just over 13,000 units — nearly all from pure album sales. The set follows the No. 27-peaking "Broken Crown Halo", which also opened with around 13,000 copies back in 2014.

Italy's SpazioRock recently conducted an interview with KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about KAMELOT's touring plans for 2017, Oliver said: "Not much, because we're gonna work on a new album. We have [an appearance on the] 70000 Tons Of Metal [cruise coming up] for the second time — for me, the third time; the first time I was there with EPICA — and two American shows. And so far nothing is planned. We need time for the album. Maybe a few shows coming up, but not much… We have some offers [for festival appearances], but we really don't know if we're gonna do it, because we wanna be fully immersed in the writing of the new album."

Regarding how much material has already been completed for the upcoming KAMELOT album, Oliver said: "Personally, I have finished one song, and I have a few sketches from other songs. Also, some stuff which didn't make it on 'Haven', I wanna revise that and rewrite it and rearrange it, so maybe it's gonna fit on the new record as well."

KAMELOT's latest album, "Haven", sold around 7,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was made available in May 2015 via Napalm Records as part of an exclusive licensing deal through the band's Kamelot Music LLC.

Official performance and backstage (meet-and-greet and tuning-room) footage from METALLICA's November 5 concert in San José, Costa Rica can be seen below.

METALLICA revealed yesterday that the band's new album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", is No. 1 in 57 countries, with the album going Top 3 in 75 nations and Top 5 in 105 countries.

According to music industry web site Hits Daily Double, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" is now likely to sell between 305,000 and 315,000 copies in the U.S. in its first full week of release.

Both of the band's previous studio outings, 2008's "Death Magnetic" and 2003's "St. Anger", sold more copies in shortened sales weeks. "Death Magnetic" moved 490,000 copies in a three-day window, while "St. Anger" shifted 418,000 copies in a similar period of time.

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" arrived on November 18. It consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

Drummer Lars Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he believes one reason for METALLICA's continued success is the bond the band has with its fans. "The main thing really is just the fans," he said. "How do you communicate with your fans, how do you get the music to the fans, how do you offer your fans the best METALLICA experience that you can?”

Canadian thrash/heavy metal veterans ANNIHILATOR have lacerated many senses over the years with their supreme, aggressive metal mastery, and on January 27, 2017, their legion of loyal fans can look forward to a series of fresh sensory experiences as ANNIHILATOR proudly presents "Triple Threat", a three-disc collection of ANNIHILATOR's music in a trio of very different scenarios.

The main disc comprises a set of ANNIHILATOR's classics performed acoustically, with band leader/guitarist/ songwriter and vocalist Jeff Waters bringing together band members Aaron Homma and Richard Hinks, Vancouver drummer and friend Marc LeFrance plus Ottawa session player Pat Robillard. Recorded and mixed by Waters (with Marty Sobb), this quintet laid everything down live, off the floor and in single takes at Watersound Studios in Dunrobin, Canada during late May and early June, 2016, giving Waters one of the most challenging, satisfying and perhaps "electric" creative moments in his career.

The second disc will feature ANNIHILATOR's vicious set from the 2016 Bang Your Head!!! festival, a set which illustrates the very best of what ANNIHILATOR is known for — tight, sharp, technically excellent and melodic thrash metal music. It will also contain some exclusive inside-ANNIHILATOR off-stage perspective, courtesy of Jeff Waters's own camera, which captures further elements, flavors and detail of the band which fans will flip over.

"This was one of the coolest things I have done in my long career," says Jeff. "Having five people in a room, from all different backgrounds and talents, coming together to play songs from the past and to try to sound like we are one but totally live and with feel.

"This was one of the biggest challenges that ANNIHILATOR has faced, musically, but what impressed me the most was how you can hear all the individual styles each player has and how we were able to glue the playing and feel together. Done all in one take and with all the musical blemishes and imperfections that I would never normally let slide!

"This set covers some of the melodic songs, one even from 1984 (when a few of these guys were not even born!) and I just had to do this once in my life… to challenge myself and maybe show some others that it's not always just about the metal and the thrash! Rock 'n' roll and ballads are found everywhere in heavy metal.

"ANNIHILATOR are made up of a helluva lot of styles, mixed into one. That's exactly what kind of musicians I put together for this set… a mixed bag of rockers and metalheads and they made our legacy proud!

"Enjoy… we sure love this one."

"Triple Threat" will be available in several formats, including DVD/2CDs, Blu-ray/2CDs, a 2CD audio-only and digital download.

"Triple Threat" track listing:

Unplugged: The Watersound Studios Sessions

01. Sounds Good To Me02. Bad Child03. Innnocent Eyes04. Snake In The Grass05. Fantastic Things06. Holding On07. Stonewall08. In The Blood09. Crystal Ann10. Phoenix Rising

Live At The Bang Your Head!!! Festival

01. King Of The Kill02. No Way Out03. Creepin’ Again04. Set The World On Fire05. W.T.Y.D. (Welcome To Your Death)06. Never, Neverland07. Bliss08. Second To None09. Refresh The Demon10. Alison Hell11. Phantasmagoria12. Crystal Ann13. Phoenix Rising

"Gravity", the new video from ONCE HUMAN, the band featuring former MACHINE HEAD and SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader, can be seen below. The song is taken from ONCE HUMAN's upcoming album, "Evolution", which will be released on February 10, 2017 via earMUSIC/eOne.

Mader states: "We shot this new video once again with director Ron Thunderwood, because he gives us a lot of freedom to be ourselves. He is mostly a one-man army, so the convenience aspect is awesome. We love his passion and wanted people to see his versatility and skill outside of a controlled room.

"We worked with all-natural light so we had a small window of time. The wind was so strong that we almost lost the drone and Ron had to chase it. We were not expecting the wind and the dust, but we went with it anyway and in the end it really seemed to fit with the lyrics. The lyrics and the vibe of the video are nearly the same: constantly cloudy, unexpected, messy, racing complexities of the mind, and only a moment of clarity.

"This new video also officially marks the debut of Max Karon on guitars. He's an amazing guitarist and played a big role in the creative process with Lauren [Hart, vocals] and I on our new album, 'Evolution'.

"We are releasing this song as the second single because it shows the more progressive elements within our album, has meaningful lyrics and displays Lauren's diversity as a vocalist."

"Evolution" is not just the title of ONCE HUMAN's sophomore release, it's an armor-plated declaration. Having made waves with their 2015 debut, "The Life I Remember", the band have dramatically progressed beyond the melodic death metal sound of that release into something more complex, emotional, distinct, and devastatingly heavy.

"Having been focused on recording, producing and developing bands, I had not picked up the guitar out of passion for twelve years but as soon as I started writing with Lauren, I fell in love with what we were making, and I wanted to play in the band and get back on stage," states Mader, whose name will be familiar to metalheads not only for his production and/or mixing work on records from the likes of GOJIRA, FEAR FACTORY and DEVILDRIVER, but also as the original guitarist in MACHINE HEAD, and his late-'90s stint in SOULFLY.

"Our first record was getting the ball rolling, but now it's as if we're a totally different band. We really found our sound and our identity, it's quite unique and I think what we're doing is really on fire."

Armed with this track and the eight others comprising "Evolution", ONCE HUMAN intend to build on the groundwork laid down by the two tours they did in support of their debut, and make it damn clear that this is a band to be taken seriously.

"It's only been a little more than a year since we put out our first record, but we were so driven by the new sound that we forged that we needed to get back into the studio and capture it," Mader explains. "It was also important to prove to people that this is a real band. It's not just a project I felt like doing on a whim, this is a band that's going to have a full career, and now we're really getting started."

With the lineup rounded out by drummer Dillon Trollope, bassist Damien Rainaud and guitarists Skyler Howren and recent recruit Max Karon, everything about "Evolution" makes it clear that this is a band pushing itself to deliver something that truly stands apart. "Our first record was getting the ball rolling, but now it's as if we're a totally different band," says Mader. "We really found our sound and our identity — it's quite unique — and I think what we're doing is really on fire."

With the intensity and range of Hart's roar having drastically increased, she unleashes it across complex and constantly shifting time signatures, and thick, contorted riffs that land with sledgehammer force. However, this is not only about bludgeoning the listener into submission, the violence often juxtaposed with eerie atmospherics and dark melodies to create something with great depth.

"Evolution" track listing:

01. Flock Of Flesh02. Eye Of Chaos03. Mass Murder Frenzy04. Gravity05. Dark Matter06. Paragon07. Drain08. Killers For Cure09. Passenger

Video footage of INVIDIA, the new band featuring former and current members of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, IN THIS MOMENT and SKINLAB, performing on November 20 at The Boardwalk in Sacramento, California can be seen below.

INVIDIA has signed a worldwide deal with SPV (eOne distribution) for the release of its debut album, "As The Sun Sleeps". Based in Las Vegas, INVIDIA's style embraces everything from industrial sludge to Bay Area thrash and delivers with the musical mastery and ferocity to dominate 2017. With a target drop date of April 2017, "As The Sun Sleeps" bursts through sub-genre walls and embodies INVIDIA's multifaceted sound.

SPV's A&R Manager and head of international licensing, Gero Herrde, revealed his reactions to the partnership: "Working with a band consisting of high-level experienced and skilled musicians like these guys is not only an honor, it is also a great pleasure — and it's bound for success as well. We're really proud that it's us they picked!"

INVIDIA bassist Matt Snell (formerly of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) shares Herrde's enthusiasm. "Everyone in INVIDIA is beyond excited that we found a home with SPV and we are looking forward to our partnership working together," said Snell. "When you surround yourself with the right people there are truly no limits to what could be."

INVIDIA's manager Shawn Barusch, president of Music Gallery International, helmed this game changing deal between INVIDIA and SPV. "I'm so happy to be working with SPV!" Shawn said. "I feel we have found the right home for INVIDIA. With the debut release of INVIDIA's album, 'As The Sun Sleeps', in 2017, I feel no fan will be safe from this rapture."

"As The Sun Sleeps" was produced and co-written by Logan Mader (ONCE HUMAN, MACHINE HEAD). "I loved working on this album!" he said. "INVIDIA's sound has huge balls while maintaining a great sense of mass appeal with big hooks and heavy grooves. The guys are dead serious about making it all happen and very self-sufficient. Producing records like this makes my job fun and inspiring." And on the SPV deal, co-manager Mader had this to say: "We made a solid deal for the band. It took awhile to negotiate but it ended up right. Excited for 2017!"

Regarding the vibe and feel of "As The Sun Sleeps", Mader said: "I would call it hard rock/metal with big balls. It's got big choruses. It's got big hooks. It also has a serious 'metal energy,' which is where we all come from in our musical backgrounds. There are some songs that fit the American active rock radio format. There are some songs with a modern-industrial-type feel mixed with a kind of a pop sensibility and big chorus. The other end of the spectrum is more of a groove metal which draws a little bit from that classic PANTERA vibe. It gives it that sort of heavy testosterone metal feel."

In a recent interview with Rich Inzinna and Paula Noto from "The S.I.R.E.N." radio show on iRadioUSA.com, Travis stated about how INVIDIA was formed: "This all came together super fast and super flawless. I guess stars kind of aligned, really. I put something up online and Brian hit me up. He said, 'Dude, I'd be totally down t do some work together,' and that kind of thing. And I was, like, 'You know what? I totally miss singing. And I'm totally down for that.'"

He continued: "The funny thing is, everybody that's involved in this project as of now has worked together at different times except for me and Brian. So it's almost funny. It was like this circle that was just missing a piece for it all to connect. So once me and Brian got together, the whole circle came together, and within six weeks, this whole record's done, completely recorded, everybody's in place. And it's almost super ironic the way it all came together."

Travis, who still plays bass in IN THIS MOMENT, added: "We're all super excited about this project. I'm stoked to be singing again. I love playing bass, obviously, but I've been a singer for a long fucking time. I just took a huge break, so it's good to be able to kind of get back into it and kind of have my cake and eat it too, and be on both sides."

INVIDIA is:

* Matt Snell (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) - Bass* Travis Johnson (IN THIS MOMENT) - Vocals* Brian Jackson (SKINLAB) - Guitar* Darren Badorine - Drums* Marcos Medina (SKINLAB) - Guitar

Photo credit: Fred Morledge / PhotoFM.com

METALLICA last week visited London, England's Maida Vale Studios to lay down their first-ever BBC session. The California thrash metal veterans delivered a five-song in-studio performance for BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show With Daniel P. Carter".

The band performed the following tracks:

* Atlas, Rise!* Moth Into Flame* Harvester Of Sorrow* Hardwired* Enter Sandman

Video footage of the Atlas, Rise!" and "Hardwired" performances is available below.

The entire session can be heard at BBC.co.uk.

The session also included a brief interview with the four members of METALLICA where James Hetfield talked about the evolution of his lyric-writing approach. "I want to mature, I want to be happier in life — I think everyone kinda does — [and] at some point I had to turn around and embrace that anger that has been with me since youth," he said. "What I get to do is use it as a tool; I get to use music as a voice... to get whatever's spinning in my head out."

According to music industry web site Hits Daily Double, METALLICA's new studio album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", is likely to sell between 250,000 and 270,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The SPS figure is expected to be between 260,000 and 280,000.

SPS, a practice used by Billboard magazine, stands for "sales plus streaming," which includes album sales and converted track sales plus converted streaming data.

For those interested: 10 tracks sold equal one album sale (since $1.29, the cost for an individual track, multiplied by ten gives you $12.99, a common price for an album, and 1,500 streams is equivalent to one album sale.

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" arrived on November 18. It consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

Dark Essence Records has set January 20th, 2017 as the release date for landawarijaR, the ninth full-length album from Norwegian Viking Metallers Helheim.

LandawarijaR will contain seven tracks, all of which bear the hallmarks of Helheim's traditional Norse heritage. A heritage of which they are rightly proud and to which they have remained true, eschewing the temptation to turn themselves into the Viking parodies that so many bands have espoused.  With landawarijaR, Helheim use their lyrics to express the need to include the Norse Heritage into modern life by emphasising the importance, mystery and never-changing wonder of the Runes. 
 
Just as Helheim's raunijaR followed in the same vein as its predecessor Asgards Fall, landawarijaR continues where "Heidindomr" ended. All four albums incorporate the use of timpani and horns, and the new album also has a number of artists performing guest vocals including William Hut, Morten Egeland (Narrowhead), Pehr Skjoldhammer (Alfahanne),  Bjornar E Nilsen (Vulture Industries, Black Hole Generator) and Ottorpedo.
 
With music by by H'grimnir and V'gandr,  lyrics by V'gandr and  artwork by H'grimnir, landawarijaR  was recorded at the Conclave and Earshot Studios in Bergen, and produced by Bjornar E. Nilsen (Vulture Industries, Black Hole Generator) and mastered by Herbrand Larsen (Enslaved). 

Tracklisting for landawarijaR is as follows:

"Ymr"
"Baklengs mot intet"
"Rista blodørn"
"landawarijaR" 
"Ouroboros"
"Synir af heidindomr"
"Enda-dagr"

Helheim recently announced that two songs from the album were being turned into videos by Guilherme Henriques, who is both producing and directing the videos. "Ymr" and "Baklengs mot intet" are the songs that been chosen because, as the band  explained, they are "neatly intertwined into a dualism which Guillherme will portray". The videos are expected to be debuted in the run-up to the release of landawarijaR.

A series of stills from the video shoot by the photographer Mathis Backe of Yggdrasil Photo, and featuring Helheim's lineup of Vgandr on bass and vocals, Hgrimnir on rhythm guitar and vocals, Noralf on rhythm and lead guitar and Hrymr on drums and programming , were recently published, and can be seen on Helheim's Facebook page.

 

SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan has told Rolling Stone that he has a plan to get together with guitarist Jim Root in early February and start writing new music — "because we want to write," Crahan added — and they'll leave the date they actually go back into the studio to record the follow-up to ".5: The Gray Chapter" album up in the air.

".5: The Gray Chapter" was released in October 2014 following a six-year hiatus during which founding SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray died and original drummer Joey Jordison was dismissed. Since the CD's release, several of the SLIPKNOT bandmembers, including Root and fellow guitarist Mick Thomson, have expressed hope that the group could record the follow-up effort sooner than expected, with Root claiming in interviews to have already begin compiling ideas for SLIPKNOT's next release.

SLIPKNOT has hinted that its next studio effort could be a double concept album, with singer Corey Taylor saying: "We're talking about it. [Crahan] and I and Jim have been talking about what would be next. And the idea that we had was to kind of come up with the concept and then provide the soundtrack for it. But then I told them… I was, like, 'Let's take it even further and let's make our 'Purple Rain', let's make our PINK FLOYD 'The Wall'.' With a movie — not just the album, but do the movie… like, do everything. And they were pretty into it. Yeah, I mean, it's gonna be a few years before we even get into that, but just the fact that we're laying the steps for it now just means that we're right back to where we were, which is just being five steps ahead of the game."

Taylor said in an interview with RockSverige.se that SLIPKNOT will take a "couple of years off" after completing the tour cycle for ".5: The Gray Chapter". Taylor explained, "We're gonna finish touring and then we're gonna take a couple of years off again to let everything chill. I'm gonna go do my thing, [and] everybody else's gonna go do their thing... then, in a couple of years, we'll get back together and see what happens again."

Taylor's "thing" is STONE SOUR, which released a covers EP, "Meanwhile In Burbank…, in 2015 and is scheduled to enter the studio in January to record the follow-up to the band's 2012 double concept album, "House Of Gold And Bones".

Crahan's debut as a feature film director, "Officer Downe", arrived in theaters and on-demand platforms on November 18. Based on a graphic novel, the violent sci-fi film follows a police officer who is repeatedly killed, resurrected, and sent back into the field due to a mysterious technology that essentially makes him immortal. Kim Coates from "Sons Of Anarchy" stars in the title role.

Swedish hard rockers EUROPE performed at Volkshaus in Zurich, Switzerland on November 16 as part of their special tour during which they are playing their "The Final Countdown" album in its entirety to celebrate the LP's 30th anniversary. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

A few months ago, when the tour was first announced, EUROPE singer Joey Tempest explained the band's decision to perform the entire "The Final Countdown" album: "With a catalog of songs as big as ours, it is hard to devote so much of the setlist to one album. But this anniversary is special and we want to give the fans what they have asked for.

"The whole band is proud and excited to play the whole album from start to finish, especially as this, our third album, made it possible for us to fulfil our dream to become an international touring band. To make it extra special, we will try and play songs from 'War Of Kings' and other albums we haven't played before and at the same time we want to design a show that will be majestic and memorable for all of us.

While always venturing forward, EUROPE has had a great couple of years. Last year they won a prestigious Classic Rock award at London's Roundhouse and a people's choice award in Sweden called Rockbjörnen and have been touring in support of their critically acclaimed 2015 release, "War Of Kings", produced by Grammy winner Dave Cobb (RIVAL SONS)

EUROPE will head back into the studio in early 2017 to record a follow-up to "War Of Kings". The album, as yet untitled, will have an extensive tour schedule to support the release, endeavoring to take in territories not visited in some time.

Said Tempest: "We will release our 11th studio album in 2017 and are enjoying a successful second part of our career since we started up again in 2004. Five new albums, three live DVDs and countless shows and we're still feeling adventurous and creative. No doubt we have the best job in the world and our fans, old and new, are carrying us through it all."

The UDR label earlier in the year released a very special limited-edition 12-inch three-track "sparkle blue" colored vinyl EP featuring a new 2016 recording of "The Final Countdown". A digital download version of "The Final Countdown 2016" is available via iTunes.

To celebrate the launch of its new web site, the Chicago-based metal band THE BLOODLINE, which features former members of DIRGE WITHIN and DIVINE HERESY, is offering a rare free download of the acoustic version of the track "Bedside Sorrow". Check it out at www.thebloodlinemusic.net.

THE BLOODLINE is currently writing material for its sophomore album. Guitarist Shaun Glass recently said: "So far I would say the songs have a tad more diversity in the songs and focus on big grooves and huge melodies. One new song, 'Awakening', is definitely gonna be a fan fave, I would bet."

THE BLOODLINE's debut album, "We Are One", was released in May 2015 via Another Century. The CD was recorded in 2014 with producer Joel Wanasek (RIGHTEOUS VENDETTA, VINYL THEATRE).

Regarding THE BLOODLINE's formation, singer Travis Neal told the National Rock Review: "The history of the band basically came from we were all in a band together called DIRGE WITHIN. I joined the band late in the band's career. We played a handful of shows as DIRGE, and, you know, they had a record that was out. [It] cycled for a while, so they wanted to write and start getting on a new record. So we set out to write the new record. Just slowly, we all decided that the more the music came out, the more we realized it wasn't DIRGE WITHIN at all; it was a new band. You know, DIRGE had some history behind and stuff like that. So we just kind of decided to kill the band name and start fresh — start over again with a fresh slate and a whole new brand. It's kind of a bold move for a band that's already established and has a following and tours under their belt as well as two national releases. We just felt the band wasn't the same band anymore and we needed to move forward."

Travis described THE BLOODLINE's sound as "basically a heavy active rock band. We have rock and metal tinges in our music. But overall, I would say this genre is coined active rock. We definitely keep our roots as heavy musicians. We add it in there. I guess especially with the vocals, the screams and stuff like that; I try to add them in as accents."

THE BLOODLINE is:

Shaun Glass - GuitarFrankie Harchut - DrumsChuck Wepfer - GuitarMike Sylvester - BassTravis Neal - Vocals

Melodic death metal act Mors Principium Est will release their new album, Embers Of A Dying World, on February 10th via AFM Records on digipak, limited gatefold red-black marbled vinyl (500 copies), and download. A full album audio preview can be found below.

Pre-order now and choose your shop here.

The album artwork was painted by Eliran Kantor (Testament, Iced Earth, Sodom):

Tracklisting:

“Genesis”
“Reclaim The Sun”
“Masquerade”
“Into The Dark”
“The Drowning” (Bonus Track)
“Death Is The Beginning”
“The Ghost”
“In Torment”
“Agnus Dei”
“The Colours Of The Cosmos”
“Apprentice Of Death”

Album preview:

Studio diaries:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Powerwolf is surely one of the most successful German bands in heavy metal. No other band has laid down such a path to success in recent years. Founded in 2003, Powerwolf has released six albums thus far, the last of which made it to the very top of the charts. Blessed & Posessed also hit the official German album charts at #3 and their latest effort, in form of the stunning live DVD The Metal Mass - Live, hit number #1 again. 

Now Powerwolf has unveiled the re-release of their 2015 album Blessed & Possessed, which will be coming out as an opulent tour edition on January 6th, 2017. Blessed & Possessed will be available as a 2-CD Digi Pack with brand new cover artwork, and including a special bonus live CD of their overwhelming headlining performance in front of 40,000 celebrating fans at Summer Breeze Festival 2015.

Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

Powerwolf will resume touring in 2017 with Epica and Beyond The Black; confirmed dates are as listed:  

January
12 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
13 - Cologne, Germany - Palladium
14 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - MHP Arena
16 - Geneve, Switzerland - Salle des Fetes de Thonex
17 - Zurich, Switzerland - Volkshaus
18 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
20 - Munich, Germany - Tonhalle
21 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
22 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra Music Club
24 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
25 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
27 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
28 - Prague, Czech Republic - Forum
29 - Hannover, Germany - Capitol
31 - Hamburg, Germany - Mehr! Theater

February
1 - Brussles, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
3 - London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
4 - Paris, France - Zenith

 

Massachusetts metal veterans, Within The Ruins, have debuted an all new song, "Death Of The Rockstar”, streaming below.

"“Death Of The Rockstar” stems from our distaste for the current state of the music industry," says guitarist Joe Cocchi. The track is the first bit of music the band has released off their forthcoming LP. "The song is straight forward and speaks for itself. We live in an era where mindlessness and fads now trump true art and creativity. The music industry is polluted. Please enjoy."

The new track is available on all major streaming services and will be offered as an iTunes instant gratification track. Fans who pre-order the album today will get "Death Of The Rockstar" immediately as a download.

Within The Ruins will release Halfway Human on Friday, March 3rd via Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and SPV overseas. The band recorded the new effort from their own studio with producer and guitar player Joe Cocchi at the helm. Vocal production took place at Zing studios in Westfield, MA with Jim Fogarty (Killswitch Engage, The Devil Wears Prada).

"The writing process was a bit different for this album," says Cocchi. "We took a step back and kind of reviewed some of our older material. Typically we'd rush and blast out a group of songs and then hit the studio. At the time it felt right. And It had a more organic feel. Now because of a combination of maturity and honestly just feeling sick of the same old formula, we really focused on creating something different sounding."

Halfway Human will be the band's followup to the critically acclaimed Phenomena LP released in 2014. Cocchi concludes, "We went back to a more organic style of writing and production. I personally was finally able to abandon a lot of my writing habits or 'rules,' if you will. No more 'oh, that part doesn't really sound like us, have to change that,' type of bullshit. Doing that created a fresher sound. This is the most raw and extreme sounding material we've ever written. Keep an eye out for studio blogs and more updates."

Within The Ruins maintain an emphasis on showmanship but with diversity, smartly sidestepping predictable structures and contrived breakdowns. Born and bred in the same heavy metal rich Northeast soil as New Wave Of American Heavy Metal progenitors Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, Unearth and Shadows Fall and weaned on the dark sounds of classic death metal, the technical melodicism of Scandinavia and the precision staccato crunch of Meshuggah, Within The Ruins have busted their collective ass to carve out a unique identity for themselves from those ingredients.

Within The Ruins are refreshingly authentic, feverishly committed and have proven that they will endure. Filled with power, deserving of utter respect, armed with concise compositions and technical might, Within The Ruins will not be stopped.

Tracklisting:

“Shape-Shifter”
“Death Of The Rockstar”
“Beautiful Agony”
“Incomplete Harmony”
“Bittersweet”
“Objective Reality”
“Absolution”
“Ivory Tower”
“Sky Splitter”
“Ataxia IV”
“Treadstone”

“Death Of The Rockstar”:

The band is heading over to Europe with label mates Fit For An Autopsy, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life and Phinehas. A tour poster can be seen below, click here for all tour dates.

(Photo - Jeremy Saffer)

Florida's Trivium have released the second video in the Ember To Inferno Origins series, in support of the upcoming reissue of their debut album, Ember To Inferno. In the two clips below, learn about early demos, first shows in Europe, as well as influences - then and now.

Trivium have spent the past decade-plus building their reputation and steadily rising to prominence, becoming one of the main torchbearers of heavy metal in the modern era. With millions of albums sold globally and numerous world tours (from Ozzfest, Mayhem, and Download to opening for Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden to extensive headline treks), Trivium began their journey in 2003 with their debut album, Ember To Inferno.

The record quickly captured the attention of the band's earliest fans as well as the ears of A&R reps at Roadrunner Records, who rapidly signed the band and went on to release their watershed album Ascendancy in 2005. Ember To Inferno was the catalyst for what was to come and it has been out of print for several years… until now.

The band and 5B Artist Management have partnered with Cooking Vinyl to re-release the album, along with a deluxe edition that includes 13 additional tracks that have never been previously available yet have earned evasive legend status among the diehards, on December 2nd. It's a true treasure trove of material that will delight the staunchest Trivium fans and beyond.

"The purpose of this release is to show the very early beginnings of Trivium - perhaps an era unbeknownst to most listeners of the band," said Trivium vocalist and guitarist Matt Heafy. "To look back at Ember as the starting point of Trivium becoming recognized worldwide is a staggering thought for me, considering I was 16/17 years old during the writing and recording of the record.

"As a kid, I always said the 'goal' was to be in a massive metal band. I don't think I actually knew what it would mean to have fans in different parts of the world, and I still can't believe people care so much that they actually want to hear the music that pre-dates our Roadrunner years. To this day, I am still completely blown away that people are singing words to songs I wrote when I was 16 years old. It's an amazing feeling."

Ember To Inferno will be released in four configurations, with the deluxe editions containing the band's early demos "Ruber" (aka the Red Demo), "Caeruleus" (aka the Blue Demo) and "Flavus" (aka the Yellow Demo). Fans can pre-order all formats online here.

The formats available are:

- Ember To Inferno — Standard CD.
- Ember To Inferno — Standard Vinyl LP, which is the original album in a 2LP Gatefold on orange/black marble vinyl.
- Ember To Inferno: Ab Initio - Deluxe CD, which is the original album with new artwork, plus 13 bonus tracks and expanded booklet in a digipak. The 13 bonus tracks are the band's early demos - "Ruber" (aka the Red Demo), "Caeruleus" (aka the Blue Demo) and "Flavus" (aka the Yellow Demo).
- Ember To Inferno: Ab Initio - Deluxe 5LP Box, which is five coloured LPs in a special box including the original album in a 2LP Gatefold on orange/black marble vinyl, the expanded booklet, a poster, a stencil, and 13 bonus tracks over three LPs. The 13 bonus tracks are the band's early demos - "Ruber" (aka the Red Demo) on transparent red vinyl, "Caeruleus" (aka the Blue Demo) on transparent blue vinyl, and "Flavus" (aka the Yellow Demo) on transparent yellow vinyl.

Ember To Inferno Standard Edition tracklisting:

“Inception: The Bleeding Skies”
“Pillars Of Serpents”
“If I Could Collapse The Masses”
“Fugue (A Revelation)”
“Requiem”
“Ember To Inferno”
“Ashes”
“To Burn The Eye”
“Falling To Grey”
“My Hatred”
“When All Light Dies”
“A View Of Burning Empires”

Ember To Inferno: Ab Initio Deluxe Only Bonus Tracks

Ruber (On Transparent Red Vinyl for Box Set)
“Pain”
“Thrust”
“Lake Of Fire”

Caeruleus (On Transparent Blue Vinyl for Box Set)
“To Burn The Eye”
“Requiem”
“Fugue”
“My Hatred”
“The Storm”
“Sworn”
“Demon”

Flavus (On Transparent Yellow Vinyl for Box Set)
“Like Light To The Flies”
“Blinding Tears Will Break The Skies”
“The Deceived”

“The Storm”:

Trivium returns to Europe for headline dates February-March 2017. For a full list of dates, please visit this location.

AC Angry will release their new album, Appetite For Erection, on November 25th via Steamhammer / SPV worldwide. It will be available as a CD version (digipak) and a fine vinyl version - limited edition of only 500 copies. A lyric video for “I Hate AC Angry” can be found below.

Alan Costa (AC Angry) comments: "After our well-received debut record, we decided to step up the game and deliver an even better, high-explosive monster of an album. We were absolutely happy with Black Denim, but we knew we could do better and top it! We focused on stripped down, catchy heavy rock 'n' roll tunes that will stick in your head forever by the first time you'll hear them! This album gives you the attitude to kick everyone's ass at any provocation. Convince yourself, put it on in your car, hit the gas pedal and feel the rush! The dirt is back in rock 'n' roll!"

Tracklisting:

"I Hate AC Angry"
"4TW"
"No Way To Go But Down"
"I Wanna Hurt Somebody"
"Appetite For Erection"
"Son Of A Motherfucker's Son"
"The Balls Are Back In Town"
"Take You Shake You Break You"
"Cry Idiot Cry"
"Testosterone"

"I Hate AC Angry" lyric video:

"Appetite For Erection” video:

(Photo - Manuel Schmidt)

Los Angeles glam-metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER announced their partnership with VRLIVE, a virtual reality broadcast network, to offer fans a 360-degree virtual reality live stream of their concert from The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles on Tuesday, November 22. The stream will be available on SteelPantherRocks.com and for mobile, fans can access the stream on the STEEL PANTHER YouTube channel, in the YouTube mobile app. STEEL PANTHER's new album, "Lower The Bar", will go on sale February 24, 2017. For the fans that can't hold back their PANTHER urges, pre-orders are now available at the band's web site, iTunes, and Amazon with deluxe bundle packages now exclusively available at SteelPantherRocks.com.

"Lower The Bar" is STEEL PANTHER's fourth studio album and is the follow-up to their 2014 chart-topper "All You Can Eat", which debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Current Comedy chart and #24 on their Top 200 Album chart.

To celebrate this historic moment in rock n' roll history and as a thank you their "fanthers," the band has released "She's Tight", the music video for the new album's first single. "She's Tight" is STEEL PANTHER's "sexified" version of the CHEAP TRICK song and promises the skin that was left out of the 1982 hit. Cameos in the video include CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander, Bobbie Brown, Paris Michael Jackson (the late singer's daughter) and Tony Palermo (PAPA ROACH).

"CHEAP TRICK was one of my favorite bands when I was younger. I'm so proud to have recorded this track for our new album and also to have Robin Zander himself sing with me on the song. It's like a dream come true," said Starr.

For the uninitiated, STEEL PANTHER was formed in 2000 and is Michael Starr (lead singer), Satchel (guitarist), Lexxi Foxx (bass) and Stix Zadinia (drums). Hailing from Los Angeles, the epicenter for rock n' roll in all its debauchery and glamour, STEEL PANTHER has established themselves as the world's premier party band, melding hard rock virtuosity with parody and criminally good looks. STEEL PANTHER have three full-length albums, toured across the world, enjoy platinum-level YouTube status and have, to their name, high-profile television appearances such as "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", "Larry King Now" and "FOX NFL Sunday".

My Kingdom Music will release Welcome The Dead, the seventh full-length album from Norwegian black metallers Crest Of Darkness, on November 25th. The band has released a video for the title track. Directed by Anders Børresen for MONITORmeda, the video for "Welcome The Dead" can be seen below.

Commenting on the video, founder and frontman Ingar Amlien had this to say: "We wanted to make a video that offers a glimpse into the dark world of Crest Of Darkness. Perhaps we are just story tellers recounting a fairytale,  and the video can certainly be viewed and enjoyed at that level, but we are also  touching on aspects of life itself and those eternal questions that people ask themselves about life and death and the meaning of it all.

"We might not have all the answers, and in all honesty we don't even want to pretend that we do, but what we do want is to make people think for themselves, and find their own answers. Let's face it, we are all Gods. Each of us builds their own universe, and it just happens that the world of Crest Of Darkness is my universe.”

The new album will be available in both CD and digital formats, as well as a double LP format which will feature a special bonus track.

Recorded at the at MLP Studio by Nils H. Mæhlum, and mastered at the Kvålsonic Lab by Tom Kvålsvoll, the nine-track album promises to be the heaviest, darkest and most introspective album in the band's 20+ year history.

The artwork for Welcome The Dead features the extraordinary Zombie Foetus sculptures created by the Italian artist Andrea Falaschi.

Tracklisting:

“Welcome The Dead”
“Chosen By The Devil”
“Scourged And Crucified”
“My Black Bride”
“Borrowed Life”
“The Almighty”
“Memento Mori”
“The Noble Art”
“Katharsis”

Welcome The Dead includes a guest appearance by Norwegian actor Espen Reboli Bjerke, well known for his extensive work in films, theatre, radio and Television. Bjerke, who also won a Spelleman Award, the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammies, performs the spoken part on "Katharsis", the closing track on the album.

Amlien, whose illustrious musical history started with the legendary Concption, and includes Roquefire and Amlien's Inferno, confirms that Welcome The Dead has a particular significance for him: "I've put a hell of a lot of myself and my emotions into this album, even more so than usual. I've always felt that when we are on stage, we create a sort of magic, and this time we have been able to transfer that magic to the recordings. You could say this is my personal Black Mass".

Crest Of Darkness’ lineup of Amlien on bass and vocals, Rebo on guitars, Bernhard (ex-Pale Forest) on drums, and Kristian Wentzel on keyboards, will celebrate the release of Welcome The Dead with a show special Friday the 13th show at Retro in Raufoss, Norway, in January.

Bay Area rock outfit, Black Map, are streaming the new song, “Run Rabbit Run”, from their new album, coming out next year.

“The song is one of my favorites on the record and definitely one of the most intense,” says frontman and bass player Ben Flannagan. “It also really encompasses a lot of what the whole album is about: the damage that’s caused by just blindly following and veering from our individuality; from the elements that make each of us unique.”

The new track is available on all major streaming services and will be offered as an iTunes instant gratification track. Fans who pre-order the album today will get "Run Rabbit Run" immediately as a download.

Black Map will release In Droves on March 10th via Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and SPV overseas. The band only wrapped up production on the effort last month with Aaron Hellam at Oakland’s Hellam Sound (The Trophy Fire) and created an ambitious but no less intense sophomore set, a boundary smashing, down-tuned heavy rock slab.

Tracklisting:

“Transit I”
“Run Rabbit Run”
“Foxglove”
“Ruin”
“Heavy Waves”
“Dead Ringer”
“Octavia”
“Transit II”
“No Color”
“Indoor Kid”
“White Fence”
“Just My Luck”
“Cash For The Fears”
“Transit III”
“Coma Phase”

“Run Rabbit Run”:

After a successful run with Chevelle this year, the band will be heading back out on the road at the top of 2017 for another round. A full list of dates hitting much of the western half of the US can be seen here.

Black Map creates music driven by the pulse of their early genesis as a trio who packed itself into a rehearsal room with pure intentions, a 12-pack and a boundary-smashing lack of prohibitions or rules. Their commitment is to each other, to what feels right; to meditation on big riffs that lurch and churn, dripping with atmosphere, powering bold and evocative statements.

The band is the union of three established Northern California rock musicians, driven by a shared dedication to big riffs, big drums and powerful, straight-ahead, all enveloping rock n’ roll. Black Map consists of the versatile voice and walloping bass groove of Ben Flanagan (Trophy Fire), the wall-of-sound big riff histrionics of guitarist Mark Engles (dredg) and the unstoppable driving force and tasteful skill of drummer Chris Robyn (Far).

A few songs became a few shows and an EP which begat a debut album, …And We Explode (2014), which featured the buzzy single, “I’m Just The Driver”. The metaphorical “black map” of the band’s steadily building catalog and dedicated following led them to secure live performance spots alongside the mighty Chevelle, multi platinum rockers Bush, Circa Survive, and Highly Suspect in addition to multiple club shows as a headlining act.

Songs like “Run Rabbit Run”, “Foxglove”, “No Color” and “White Fence” are united in a lyrical exhortation toward staunch individuality in the face of soul-crushing conformity. These are songs that challenge listeners to focus on what makes them unique as people, to shake off the gloomy dystopian results of mass groupthink, to actualize and harness one’s own humanity.

As they continue forward, ever united in that original pureness of intentionality, Black Map covers bigger ground. Bursts of ambience and mellow contemplation compliment the broadly shaped melodic noise. Unafraid experimentation gives way to a strong dichotomy, to new elements, all within that original structure of Black Map’s monster riffing.

Sonic treasure hunters who study Black Map will find themselves transported to the spirit of the early 90s rock resurgence, when bands jettisoned the superficial fluff of the previous decade without wandering too far into dense pretension and delivered authentic and heavy music. Black Map combine flourishes of beauty alongside the bombast and a modern sensibility that nevertheless will not sacrifice its raw realness.

(Photo - Jen Cash/Calibree Photography)