After celebrating over 40 years together with the same trio line-up, UMe continues the celebration of the RUSH catalog with the release of three 40th-anniversary expanded editions of the band's classic 1976 album "2112".

On December 16, 2016, "2112 - 40th" will be released in three distinct variations. The 2CD/DVD edition will include a newly remastered CD of the original "2112" album by Abbey Road Studios, and an additional CD of rare, live and previously unreleased material, including newly recorded tracks from "2112" featuring Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins of FOO FIGHTERS along with Nick Raskulinecz, BILLY TALENT, Steven Wilson from PORCUPINE TREE, Jacob Moon and ALICE IN CHAINS. The set's third disc is a DVD featuring a newly restored vintage 1976 RUSH concert recorded at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey, plus bonus videos of the Grohl/Hawkins/Raskulinecz track and BILLY TALENT track, and a new 25-plus-minute interview featuring RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson and longtime producer and engineer Terry Brown. The new "2112" remaster originally appeared on the much-acclaimed 2015 hologram vinyl edition of the album; this marks the Abbey Road Studios master first time on CD.

UMe is also releasing a three-LP 200-gram vinyl edition incorporating all of the aforementioned audio material, plus a special laser-etched LP side, the 2015 hologram on "2112"'s side B and a unique turntable mat featuring the band's iconic Starman character. Fans will also have the option of purchasing a Super Deluxe edition of "2112", incorporating both CDs, the DVD, all three LPs plus its bonus items, and several exclusive collectable items including two 12-inch x 12-inch lithos, one featuring Hugh Syme's original Starman pencil sketching, the second showcasing a 1976 Massey Hall ticket stub; a reprint of the 1976 Massey Hall handbill and three buttons featuring each band member, all housed in a box lined with velvet flocking. For the first 1,000 Super Deluxe pre-order purchases at Rush.com, us.udiscovermusic.com and udiscovermusic.com, the purchaser will receive a limited-edition seven-inch pressing of the album's first single, "The Twilight Zone" (b/w "Lessons") and a custom red star 45 large hole adapter ring, both newly designed by Hugh Syme.

All three versions of "2112 - 40th" feature extensive liner notes by renowned rock historian Rob Bowman, and newly designed artwork by longtime RUSH art director Hugh Syme. The set's rare recordings include "Solar Federation", spotlighting the isolated Neil Peart vocals that close the song "2112" in "Grand Finale", two outtakes from the 1976 Massey Hall concerts, including "Something For Nothing" and a nearly complete 15-plus-minute performance of "2112", as well as a recently rediscovered live version of the album track "The Twilight Zone", which has only been performed twice in the band's long history.

An unboxing video of the Super Deluxe edition of "2112 - 40th" can be seen below.

The epic "2112" album which guitarist Alex Lifeson described as "the first record where we sounded like RUSH," is widely regarded as a crucial landmark in RUSH's body of work. Although it was the band's fourth album, it's generally considered to be the one on which the band's epic sound and ambitious conceptual approach blossomed. Resisting record-company pressure to focus on shorter, more radio-friendly songs, the band stuck to its guns and constructed the album's seminal seven-part, 20-minute title piece, a conceptual suite set in a dystopian future.

In addition to its status as a creative landmark, "2112" was also RUSH's commercial breakthrough, becoming the band's first album to reach the Billboard LP chart and the first RUSH album to achieve gold sales status in the U.S. (it was subsequently certified platinum). "2112" was also RUSH's first platinum album in Canada, spawning a now-legendary Canadian tour that culminated in a three-night stand at Massey Hall in Toronto, which was recorded for RUSH's first live album, "All The World's A Stage".

"2112" is one of two RUSH albums listed in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", and it ranked second on Rolling Stone's 2012 readers' poll of “Your Favorite Prog Rock Albums of All Time.” In 2006, the non-profit Audio-Visual Preservation Trust Of Canada chose "2112" as a culturally significant example of Canada's audio-visual heritage.

For more information, including the complete track listing for "2112 - 40th", visit Rush.com.

Despite a report from Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday that claimed STONE TEMPLE PILOTS have selected one-time "The X Factor" contestant Jeff Gutt as their new vocalist, a band representative says no final decision has been made.

"The band has been rehearsing with several singers over the past few weeks," the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS rep tells Entertainment Weekly in a statement. "They haven't made a decision yet."

Entertainment Tonight reported that Gutt, who was a runner-up in season three and now goes by his full name of Jeffrey Adam Gutt, has been writing and recording new material in Redondo Beach, California with bandmembers Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz for the past few months.

A source told the site that Gutt and the bandmembers have officially begun rehearsals in Hollywood this week, and are expected to tour next year.

Gutt appeared on "The X Factor" in 2013, where he was mentored by Kelly Rowland and impressed the other judges with his covers of songs like "Creep", "Dream On" and "Hallelujah".

Dean DeLeo told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that the band would know quickly when it found the right singer. "You know that feeling you get when someone opens their mouth to sing, you know," he said. "They could sing three words and you know. You're either in or you're out, and I think we'll know that."

For several months, it's been rumored that STP had recruited Filipino musician John Borja to follow in the footsteps of the late Scott Weiland and LINKIN PARK's Chester Bennington as their third lead vocalist.

Borja himself had hinted on Facebook that he had spent time in Los Angeles with the members of STP, although he stopped short of saying he had the job.

STP began looking for a new frontman with open auditions last February. The band started its quest following the death last year of Weiland, who had been estranged from the group since 2013, and the end of a short-lived collaboration with Bennington.

The official video for "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application", the new album from former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo's SUPERJOINT RITUAL project — now known simply as SUPERJOINT for legal reasons — can be seen below. The clip was captured at various locations in Louisiana, including the historic district of Old Kenner, the Blue Nile in New Orleans, and the Housecore compound. The clip was directed by Kate Richardson courtesy of Housecore Records, and shot and edited by Mike Holderbeast with production by Carolyn Babauta.

Says Anselmo cryptically: "The video is supposed to be as ridiculously abstract as the song itself. But regardless, it makes its ridiculous point(s) dreadfully well."

"Caught Up In The Gears Of Application" was released on November 11 via Anselmo's Housecore record label. The disc was recorded at Philip's New Orleans-area studio, Nodferatu's Lair and was produced by Anselmo and Stephen Berrigan. The effort was mastered by Scott Hull (AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, PIG DESTROYER) at Visceral Sounds.

SUPERJOINT's current lineup includes guitarists Kevin Bond (CHRIST INVERSION, ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER) and Jimmy Bower (DOWN, EYEHATEGOD), drummer José Manuel Gonzalez (WARBEAST, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) and bassist Stephen Taylor (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, WOVEN HAND, 16 HORSE POWER).

"The minute we started writing, I knew this record would be brutal," reflects Bower.

"Sticking to our true hardcore roots and signature SUPERJOINT sound, we accomplished a record that needed to happen in today's underground. It's pissed off!

"After being on hiatus for eleven-plus years, the chance at a new SUPERJOINT record wasn't something we took lightly.

"With newcomers Steven and Joey, we were psyched and eager to get in the Lair and start writing and after two tours with the new lineup, we were able to hit the writing hard! Didn't take long to accomplish, and we stood and smirked at the playback of what would be the new SUPERJOINT record.

"With songs like 'Receiving No Answer To The Knock' and 'Sociopathic Herd Delusion', we had everything to smirk about!

"This record brings our viscous style of hardcore back to life.

"Pissed off with everything to prove, SUPERJOINT is back!"

Adds Anselmo: "The overall theme [of the album] means many things, or no things, but there is an underlying message regardless, about how modern technology — computers and all that comes with them, mainly — has affected our lives. As a musician, it has affected my life both negatively (music being stolen) and positively (being in touch with fellow musicians around the world and staying visible). But when looking at the broader spectrum, computer-land has given everyday people a platform in which to bellow like carnival barkers about anything and everything, humdrum or political, whether qualified or not, some with good intentions, some with disingenuous intentions, and some with ideas that lay somewhere in the middle, creating a mishmash of results."

"Caught Up In The Gears Of Application" track listing:

01. Today And Tomorrow02. Burning The Blanket03. Ruin You04. Caught Up In The Gears Of The Application05. Sociopathic Herd Delusion06. Circling The Drain07. Clickbait08. Asshole09. Mutts Bite Too10. Rigging The Fight11. Receiving No Answer To The Knock

Anselmo told Decibel magazine that SUPERJOINT was forced to drop the "RITUAL" from its name was "because there's a bloodsucking leech out there who took advantage of a situation. But we're all at fault as well for signing a document that basically has a zero sunset clause, meaning that this person is privy to a cut of any money a 'SUPERJOINT RITUAL' would make. Hence getting rid of the 'RITUAL,' coming back as SUPERJOINT, and cutting out that cancer."

A clip from the first episode of "Holmes Sweet Holmes", the new reality-show project featuring former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes and his wife/manager Cathy-Sarah Holmes, can be seen below. Twenty episodes have reportedly been filmed, with the first episode to be released in the coming weeks.

Show description: "Chris Holmes, former guitarist of W.A.S.P. and currently in Europe with his new band MEAN MAN, invite the public to follow him, his wife Catherine Holmes and those around them all around Europe during their life. The idea is not a simple reality show, as they are very private persons and that is not enough reason to accept to share this privacy with others. But from an angle of really sharing hope, Chris and Catherine welcome the public into their lives. Their work started four years ago after a silence of Chris Holmes for fifteen years.

"They started together four years ago rebuilding a dream, which is not really easy with no money and no support. But they show how to believe in their dream with whatever the problems are on the road and most importantly: 'no matter what, never ever give up! Only faith in what they do and the support of the fans and a few friends make every day a new day closer to their dream.

"Following them on the road is truthful and real. Chris is having the reputation of a rock star who is very down-to-earth with a funny character. This leads often to great moments showing the complicity between the couple, the chemistry between the rock star and his musicians and his fans and every person they meet on their path…

"The only goal of this reality show is to bring hope to all and the power of love without any mask, whatever the meaning some will give to this word. And at the end of the day, hear from those who follow 'Holmes Sweet Holmes': 'If they can do it, we can do it.' "Knowing that they can make a difference is priceless. Some parts of the episodes shared in the media and the positive interest of his fans show exactly the special chemistry that Chris Holmes created between himself and his fans. "'Holmes Sweet Holmes' is just what we call life, love and laughs. 'Holmes Sweet Holmes' is not only following their lives but is also inviting the public to participate with their lives as a part of the reality show. Holmes's latest album, "Shitting Bricks", was released last year via M & O Music.

In an interview with Noisey, Holmes talked about his decision to move to France back in 2014. He said: "My wife is from France. But since I left W.A.S.P. I dangled around in L.A., trying to find musicians to play with, but it just didn't work out. The change of culture in the last ten years… My kind of music isn't played that much — not like it was in the '80s."

He continued: "[A few] years ago, I pulled into a 7-11, and this kid got out of his car. He wasn't listening to rock. When I was his age, that's all I listened to. That made me realize the kind of music I do here anymore… [He was listening to] hip-hop. And I just don't play that kind of music."

Holmes added: "I was talking to one of my friend's kids — he's in high school — and I asked him, 'Why don't you listen to rock, like DEEP PURPLE or something?' And he said, 'Man, that's pussy music.' This is a white kid. So I thought, if people don't listen to this kind of music anymore, why should I even be here? I'm in my 50s, but I want to still keep on going, kind of. So I talked to my wife and we decided to move. They listen to rock more over here. There's lots more concerts and stuff."

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, Holmes rejoined W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Holmes has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

Holmes in 2013 released a solo album called "Nothing To Lose". Chris composed, performed, and produced the music and vocals, and teamed up with former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor to perform on and engineer the effort.

PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS (formerly PHIL CAMPBELL'S ALL STARR BAND), the band featuring MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell alongside his sons Todd, Dane and Tyla, plus vocalist Neil Starr, will release its self-titled debut five-track EP on November 18 via Motörhead Music.

The official video for the song "Spiders", taken from the EP, can be seen below.

Produced by Todd Campbell at the band's own Stompbox Studios in Wales, U.K., and mixed by MOTÖRHEAD producer Cameron Webb, "Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons" loudly shoves you head-first into its raw, gritty, classic and instantly accessible rock 'n' roll charms. Whether it's the speedy biker-charged refrain of "No Turning Back", the crunchy catchy jump of "Big Mouth" or the beautiful-yet-bombastic balladry of "Life In Space", "Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons" brings uniquely organic life and verve to every last riff and stomp, with Starr's sensational vocals ensuring this EP will be the surprise of the 2016 rock 'n' roll release calendar.

Neil Starr recently told Kaaos TV about PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS' debut EP: "The reason it's an EP is we can get that done quicker. We wanted to give people some music to hear that was our own music, some music of our own that we can play live as well. So the idea was to get something done as quick as possible. It keeps the fans interested in the band, because there's new songs to keep it fresh. And it's great for us, 'cause we get to write more songs all the time. Todd, who's in the band, has his own recording studio, so it's really easy for us to just go in and do what we wanna do whenever we want, which is great."

Regarding the musical direction of PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS' original material, Neil said: "You know what you're gonna get, because Phil Campbell is the riff god. So you hear these MOTÖRHEAD riffs; Phil wrote a lot of those songs. So there's elements of that gonna be coming through in the music. Obviously, personally, I wouldn't ever want to try and be like Lemmy and his style that he does, because that's one person who does that, and that's him. You don't try and do that. I bring my own style to the band, but, obviously, yeah, there's lots of really great riffs in the songs, like you would expect from a band that's got Phil Campbell in it. It's just rock and roll music, I guess."

"Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons" EP track listing:

01. Big Mouth02. Spiders03. Take Aim04. No Turning Back05. Life In Space

ARMORED SAINT has teamed up with PledgeMusic to give fans a new live album: "Carpe Noctum".

Having toured with METALLICA, WHITESNAKE, ALICE COOPER, SCORPIONS and many other artists since their inception in the early '80s, ARMORED SAINT has always been a highly regarded live act — not only in their hometown of Los Angeles, but also around the world. The only official release to capture this, however, is 1989's live album "Saints Will Conquer" — until now.

After reforming with their original lineup in 1999 (John Bush - vocals, Joey Vera - bass, Phil Sandoval - guitar, Jeff Duncan - guitar, Gonzo Sandoval - drums), and releasing subsequent albums, "La Raza" (2010) and "Win Hands Down" (2015), to critical acclaim, ARMORED SAINT has been delivering their heavy metal mastery around the globe, joining the likes of SAXON, METAL CHURCH — and even QUEENSRŸCHE in November/December 2016 — on the road. Of all of these performances, the band recorded their 2015 Wacken Open Air festival set as well as their headlining show in Aschaffenburg, Germany, with the intention of giving fans another live release that holds up to "Saints Will Conquer".

"Carpe Noctum" can be pre-ordered at PledgeMusic in various formats and bundles, with every "pledge"/purchase receiving a digital download of the tracks, plus behind-the-scenes content (including footage from Wacken 2015, plus 2016's Ozzfest and QUEENSRŸCHE appearances, and more).

For a first preview of "Carpe Noctum", a live version of "Aftermath" can now be seen below.

"Carpe Noctum" track listing:

01. Win Hands Down02. March Of The Saint03. Stricken By Fate04. Last Train Home05. Mess06. Aftermath07. Left Hook From Right Field08. Reign Of Fire

In regards to the PledgeMusic campaign, ARMORED SAINT comments: "Why PledgeMusic? Our fans have been extremely supportive over the years. We want to share the process of realizing this project with you by giving you the chance to be a part of it, from start to finish. How does it work? You place your orders here and when the album is released, you will get your items in the mail. But throughout the process, you will have access to the regular updates that we will post on [the PledgeMusic] page."

ARMORED SAINT has just joined QUEENSRŸCHE and MIDNIGHT ETERNAL for a U.S. tour in support of "Carpe Noctum".

Greek melodic power metal masters FIREWIND, the group led by guitar wizard and OZZY OSBOURNE band member Gus G., will release their eighth studio album, "Immortals", on January 20, 2017 via the band's longtime label partner Century Media Records in Europe.

Gus G. checked in to comment about "Immortals" and its artwork (which can be seen below): "Today we're very happy to reveal the cover artwork for our eighth studio album. It's titled 'Immortals' and it's the first concept album FIREWIND has ever made.

"Since we're from Greece, we thought it would be a cool idea to make a concept of Greek history and heritage. So on this album we focused on the legendary battles of Thermopylae and Salamis during the second Persian invasion of Greece in 480 B.C.

"The artwork was once again created by our longtime collaborator, Gustavo Sazes, and we feel it reflects the vibe we tried to capture on this album — epic, powerful, glorious, everlasting."

"Immortals" marks the first time FIREWIND used an outside co-producer, having worked with Dennis Ward (UNISONIC, PINK CREAM 69), who not only engineered, mixed and mastered the album, but also co-wrote it together with Gus G.

"Immortals" track listing:

01. Hands Of Time02. We Defy03. Ode To Leonidas04. Back On The Throne05. Live And Die By The Sword06. Wars Of Ages07. Lady Of 1000 Sorrows08. Immortals09. Warriors And Saints10. Rise From The Ashes

In addition to the standard jewel case CD and digital download formats, "Immortals" will be released as LP on 180-gram vinyl with a poster as well as the entire album on CD as bonus. Additionally, there will also be a limited edition mediabook CD with expanded booklet, a bonus track and three stickers. Look out for more details and pre-order details soon.

A first album's online single is set to debut on November 25, but in the meantime you can already check out a few sample riffs in a play-through clip that Gus G. recorded in co-operation with Toontrack's EZmix 2 and the Metal Guitar Gods 4 EZmix Pack expansion.

In order to support the release of "Immortals", FIREWIND is set to hit the road across Europe.

"Immortals" marks FIREWIND's first release with singer Henning Basse (METALIUM, SONS OF SEASONS), who previously toured with the band on various continents in 2007 and was most recently the singer in Gus's solo touring group.

Said FIREWIND in a statement: "Since [2014], [Henning] started playing some shows with Gus G.'s solo band and he delivered amazing performances, stunning the crowds all over Europe! Henning is an amazing frontman and a personality that totally fits with what FIREWIND is all about."

FIREWIND celebrated its 10th anniversary by releasing a live album in June 2013 via Century Media Records in Europe. Titled "Apotheosis - Live 2012", the CD contained 17 songs recorded at special anniversary shows in Greece as well as all over Europe during the band's "Few Against Many" tour in 2012. It marked FIREWIND's final release with singer Apollo Papathanasio, who decided to leave the group at the end of 2012.

FIREWIND toured in 2013 in support of "Apotheosis - Live 2012", with Kelly Sundown Carpenter (ADAGIO, BEYOND TWILIGHT) handling lead vocals on the trek.

Witches Mark have uploaded their new track "The Butcher's Bill Comes Due" to Bandcamp.

 

Taken from the band's forthcoming third album, "The Butcher's Bill Comes Due" arrives hot on the heels of the band's previous single "Road Razor" released this past June, the first new studio material Witches Mark have released since their last full length "Witching Metal Ritual" released in 2013 via Heaven And Hell Records.

Guitarist and founding member Robert Williams elaborates "After we finished playing out in support of the last record we got a little busy playing in some other bands. I joined Ignitor on guitar in January of 2015 and Robb Bockman (Guitar/Vocals) recently joined the black metal band Uada on bass and has been touring with them. Both bands have been doing really well for themselves and we've stayed consistently busy but wherever we'd go people kept asking us about Witches Mark and we've always known that band was something really special so we got together over the holidays and wrote all of the material for the next album. We hope to have this new record completed by the first quarter of next year."

Nuclear Blast will release BLACK STAR RIDERS' third studio album, "Heavy Fire", in February 2017. The band will support the album with a full U.K. and Ireland tour in March 2017. BLACK STAR RIDERS' previous album, "The Killer Instinct", was released in 2015 to widespread critical acclaim and went on to score multiple radio playlists. A solid year of worldwide touring culminated in December 2015 in an U.K. arena tour alongside DEF LEPPARD and WHITESNAKE. 2016 saw BLACK STAR RIDERS — Ricky Warwick, Scott Gorham, Damon Johnson, Robert Crane and Jimmy DeGrasso — return to the studio with "The Killer Instinct" producer Nick Raskulinecz (RUSH, FOO FIGHTERS, KORN), at his studio just outside Nashville. The resultant album is BLACK STAR RIDERS' most accomplished work to date. From the immediate riffs of album opener "Heavy Fire" to the instant hooks of first single "When The Night Comes In" (see lyric video below), from the dirty bass groove of "Thinking About You Could Get Me Killed" to the familiar and trademark dual guitars of Gorham and Johnson on "Testify Or Say Goodbye", this is an album that will further cement BLACK STAR RIDERS' reputation as one of the world premiere rock acts. "Angst, passion, power, glory, love, truth, lies, loyalty, questions that begged to be answered. There's a guitar army coming…and it's bringing the 'Heavy Fire'!" says Warwick. "Not many new bands get to record three albums these days," adds Gorham. "Without doubt, this is BSR's best album so far. We had a great time recording it and can't wait to play the new songs live on tour in March." Following on from their critically acclaimed albums "All Hell Breaks Loose" and "The Killer Instinct", which have paved the way for BLACK STAR RIDERS to be recognized as a power force in the modern day of rock and roll, "Heavy Fire" will be once again released by Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The band have also brought in PledgeMusic, one of the most innovative and successful platforms of the modern music world, to give fans extra special product and experiences to go along with the album's release. CD

01. Heavy Fire02. When The Night Comes In03. Dancing With The Wrong Girl04. Who Rides The Tiger05. Cold War Love06. Testify Or Say Goodbye07. Thinking About You Could Get Me Killed08. True Blue Kid09. Ticket To Rise10. Letting Go Of Me The limited-edition digibook CD will have above track listing plus the bonus track "Fade" Limited-edition gatefold vinyl and limited-edition picture disc

Side One

01. Heavy Fire02. When The Night Comes In03. Dancing With The Wrong Girl04. Who Rides The Tiger05. Cold War Love

Side Two

01. Testify Or Say Goodbye02. Thinking About You Could Get Me Killed03. True Blue Kid04. Ticket To Rise05. Letting Go Of Me After a full year off the road, BLACK STAR RIDERS are back with a 16-date U.K. and Ireland run, joined on the first five dates by Scottish rockers GUN and THE AMORETTES and then Sweden's own BACKYARD BABIES with GUN on the remaining 11 shows.

Photo credit: Robert John

San Jose thrashers Kill Ritual have announced they are working on a new album and King Diamond’s Matt Thompson will lay down the drums for the new release.

The band states:

“Hey gang it’s been awhile since we laid down an official update! Good news no one died, became a Jehovah Witness or joined a Satanic Cult (yet)! We’ve actually been recording the follow up to our last CD Karma Machine and are about 80-90% there.  Luckily we were able to enlist the talents of none other than Matt Thompson from King Diamond to lay down the drums tracks for the CD and as expected it’s pretty goddamn awesome. Of course he’s not joining the band as he has bigger fish to fry, but it was nice to have some talent of his caliber involved.  

“11 tunes’ in the bag and again we’ll hit up Andy LaRocque and Sonic Train for the mix and mastering. The CD went down as a trio this time with Matt on drums as mentioned, David Reed Watson on vocals and Steven D. Rice on all guitars, bass, etc. as well as engineering/producing the recordings. Song titles and all the usual press/promo BS at a later date as we get it done. Expect an early 2017 release with the usual tour dates etc. to follow up is in the works. Rock!”  

A second trailer for SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan's debut as a feature film director, "Officer Downe", has been released. The gory clip can be seen below.

"Officer Downe" was recently picked up for distribution in the U.S. by Magnet Releasing. 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.

Crahan told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that the experience of making his first feature film was grueling but satisfying. "I did six weeks, three weeks of pre-pro and 21 days of straight filming, and it was the hardest I've ever worked in my life," he said. "But it was everything and anything I could have ever dreamt of. Some things were a struggle, but it was a trip."

"Officer Downe" will debut in theaters and on-demand platforms on November 18. The film is produced by "Crank" co-director Mark Neveldine and SLIPKNOT manager Cory Brennan, among others.

The movie premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival last summer, where We Got This Covered said it was "sadistically stylized and punishingly powerful."

Crahan, who would like to direct more films in the future, has previously directed a number of music videos, concert DVDs and behind-the-scenes featurettes for SLIPKNOT.

He and SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor founded a production company called Living Breathing Films in 2012, although it has yet to release anything.

METALLICA performed its classic song "Enter Sandman" using children's musical instruments during an appearance on last night's edition of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". They were joined by the house band THE ROOTS and host Fallon.

Instrument list below:

* James Hetfield - Vocals, Toy Clarinet* Jimmy Fallon - Vocals, Bass Drum, Casio Keyboard, Kazoo* Lars Ulrich - Fisher Price Drum, Toy Cymbals* Kirk Hammett - Melodica* Robert Trujillo - Baby Electric Axe* Questlove - Hand Clappers, Kazoo* Kamal Gray - Xylophone* James Poyser - Melodica* Captain Kirk - Ukulele* Tuba Gooding Jr. - Kazoo, Banana Shaker, Apple Shaker* Mark Kelley - Kazoo* Frank Knuckles - Bongos* Black Thought - Tambourine, Brown Hat

As you read this, METALLICA is in the midst of releasing music videos for every song on its new album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct". Half the clips emerged every two hours on Wednesday (November 16), starting with "Dream No More" at noon ET, while the rest are expected to arrive at the same rate on Thursday (November 17).

The clips will finish premiering just as the clock hits midnight Friday (November 18) in New Zealand, when the new album will be officially available worldwide. Drummer Lars Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio that METALLICA didn't have a plan in mind when they began to write the album. "There wasn't really any sort of sitdown powwows or talks or battle cries — I mean, it wasn't like here's the big kind of blueprint," he said. "We just started making music and writing songs. There was no big band meetings about 'what's the direction of the record' or any of that kind of stuff. It just sort of happened organically, really."

The videos were all filmed around the globe with various directors, with each one debuting through a different website or media outlet.

The clips that premiered on Wednesday were "Dream No More", "Confusion", "ManUNkind", "Now That We're Dead", "Here Comes Revenge" and "Am I Savage". Videos debuting on Thursday include "Halo On Fire", "Murder One", "Spit Out The Bone" and the bonus track "Lords Of Summer".

The new clips follow the previously released videos for "Hardwired", "Moth Into Flame" and "Atlas, Rise!"

"Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" arrives on Friday as a double album featuring 12 songs and 80 minutes of music.

In the wake of one of the most controversial presidential elections in American history, crossover punks Iron Reagan have premiered their incredibly topical album opener “A Dying World” today. Musically, the song features the band’s trademark frantic punk/metal fury while lyrically, it touches on the worldwide demise of mankind as we know it.

“A Dying World” appears on Iron Regan’s forthcoming record Crossover Ministry which is due out February 3rd from Relapse Records.  The album, the band’s third, was recorded by Iron Regan guitarist Phil “Landphil” Hall and mixed by Kurt Ballou.  In its 18 tracks, Crossover Ministry features 30 minutes of relentlessly catchy riffs, mosh-ready grooves and astutely relevant lyrics.

Preorder the new album at this location.

Tracklisting:

“A Dying World”
“You Never Learn”
“Grim Business”
“Dead With My Friends”
“No Sell”
“Condition Evolution”
“Fuck The Neighbors”
“Power Of The Skull”
“Crossover Ministry”
“More War”
“Blatant Violence”
“Parents Of Tomorrow”
“Bleed The Fifth”
“Megachurch”
“Shame Spiral”
“Dogsnotgods”
“Eat Or Be Eaten”
“Twist Your Fate”

"A Dying World":

Infomercial:

Audio samples:

Crossover Ministry by Iron Reagan

Volbeat was joined by Jungle Rot frontman Dave Matrise at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago, IL on September 13th for the performance of the track “Evelyn”. “Evelyn” is taken from Volbeat’s fourth album Beyond Hell/Above Heaven.

 

Volbeat recently released an official video for "Seal The Deal", taken from their latest album, Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie, released in June 2016. Check it out below.

KaaosTV interviewed Volbeat mainman Michael Poulsen before the band’s sold-out headline show at Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland on October 24th. You can now watch the video interview below:

Volbeat released their new album, Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie, on June 3rd via Republic Records. The album landed at #4 on The Billboard 200, selling over 50,000 units in the week ending on June 9th.

Produced by long time collaborator Jacob Hansen and co-produced by Michael Poulsen and lead guitarist Rob Caggiano, Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie includes a total of 13 new tracks, reflecting Volbeat's signature hybrid of rock prowess, metal power, blues soul, and rockabilly swing.

In an unprecedented move for METALLICA, the band is releasing music videos for each song from their forthcoming album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", on Metallica.com and simultaneously with editorial partners around the world for every two hours. New songs and their videos will premiere right up to when the clock turns over at midnight in New Zealand, where the first official copy of the new album will be available worldwide. The videos — shot around the globe — will give fans the opportunity to hear the long-awaited METALLICA album two days ahead of its official November 18 release via Blackened Recordings. Directors for the videos include: Jonas Åkerlund, who originally worked with the band on "Turn The Page" and "Whiskey In The Jar", album package photographers Herring and Herring, Colin Hakes ("Hardwired"), Clark Eddy ("Atlas Rise", and countless "Making of . . ." clips), Tom Kirk ("Moth Into Flame"), Claire Marie Vogel, Jessica Cope, Rob Valley, Phil Mucci, and METALLICA's very own videographer Brett Murray. The forthcoming clips follow the previously released videos for "Hardwired", "Moth Into Flame", and "Atlas, Rise".

METALLICA's "Spit Out The Bone" video can be seen below. The clip was directed by Phil Mucci, who has previously worked with DISTURBED, STONE SOUR and HIGH ON FIRE, among others.

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 will now feature 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 will also feature 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.

The video below is an acoustic / classical / flamenco / fingerstyle guitar arrangement of Wasted Years by Iron Maiden, performed by Thomas Zwijsen and Ben Woods at Edgetip Studios in Arnhem (NL) during the Master Guitar Tour in Europe, 2016. The footage in this video comes from all the 19 concerts on this tour.

 

Check out a video below of Zwijsen and Woods covering Bruce Dickinson's "Tears Of The Dragon":

(Photo - Robert Hucko)

No rest for the wicked! And that's why Metal Blade Records has just announced the next batch of classic albums in their Metal Blade Originals-series!

Coming January 13th, the Immolation albums Close To A World Below, Failures For Gods and Here In After will be available again on vinyl in the best versions as of yet.

Close To A World Below will be released in Europe on 180 g black vinyl as well as on orange-red vinyl (ltd. 300) and "fire"-splattered vinyl (ltd. 200). Failures For Gods will be released on 180 g black vinyl as well as on clear/purple marled vinyl (ltd. 300) and purple/red splattered vinyl (ltd. 200). Here In After will be released on 180 g black vinyl as well as on dark slate blue marbled vinyl (ltd. 300) and white/purple splattered vinyl (ltd. 200).

All three albums have liner notes and got a special vinyl mastering. All three albums will be released with 400g heavy cardboard spine sleeves (inside out print), 60x60cm two-sided artwork posters and 250g inserts.

Immolation's Ross Dolan comments: "We are really excited that Metal Blade will be re-issuing our three records with them on vinyl. We are especially excited that Here In After will finally be available on vinyl to the American fans since it was our only Metal Blade release that was never released in a vinyl format back in 1996. These three releases were a crucial part of Immolation's musical journey, and they really helped solidify our sound and musical direction for years to come. Each one of these releases was extremely unique for the time and our fans still really seem to love what we have created with each of these three albums. Whether it was the dense and heavy Here In After, the chaotic and more intricate Failures For Gods or the dark and epic Close To A World Below, each one of these albums holds a special place in this band's 28-year history, and we are still to this day very proud of what these albums represent to us and our fans. We also wanted to give everyone a sense of where we were at the time of each release and what we remembered most from each one of these recording sessions, so for each of the three albums, Bob and I put together some liner notes to make these re-issues special for the die-hard fans. We hope everyone enjoys them and gets to re-visit these releases on vinyl once again. Enjoy and we will see everyone on the road in 2017!"

Euro versions:

Close To A World Below Originals-Series LP reissue (EU)
- 180 g black vinyl
- Orange-red vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- "Fire"-splattered vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

Failures For Gods Originals-Series LP reissue (EU)
- 180 g black vinyl
- Clear-purple marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- Purple-red-splattered vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

Here In After Originals-Series LP reissue (EU)
- 180 g black vinyl
- Dark slate blue marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- White-purple-splattered vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

US versions:

Close To A World Below Originals-Series LP reissue (USA)
- Transparent-orange vinyl edition (limited to 300 copies; Metal Blade USA exclusive)
- Clear vinyl edition (limited to 100 copies; Hells Headbangers exclusive)
- Transparent-green vinyl edition (limited to 100 copies; Nuclear Blast USA exclusive)
- Transparent-red vinyl edition (limited to 500 copies; retail exclusive)

Failures For Gods Originals-Series LP reissue (USA)
- Purple vinyl edition (limited to 300 copies; Metal Blade USA exclusive)
- Clear vinyl edition (limited to 100 copies; Hells Headbangers exclusive)
- Transparent-green vinyl edition (limited to 100 copies; Nuclear Blast USA exclusive)
- Transparent-red vinyl edition (limited to 500 copies; retail exclusive)

Here In After Originals-Series LP reissue (USA)
- Transparent-yellow vinyl edition (limited to 300 copies; Metal Blade USA exclusive)
- Clear vinyl edition (limited to 100 copies; Hells Headbangers exclusive)
- Transparent-green vinyl edition (limited to 100 copies; Nuclear Blast USA exclusive)
- Transparent-red vinyl edition (limited to 500 copies; retail exclusive)

METALLICA's video for the song "Murder One" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Robert Valley, who has built his reputation as a much-wanted hired-gun on other people's projects, from the GORILLAZ music videos to the "Tron: Uprising" series.

"Murder One" is is a tribute to late MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy Kilmister and uses many of his songtitles in the lyrics. METALLICA frontman James Hetfield stated about the track: "'Murder One' was the name of [Lemmy's] amplifier, his favorite amp on stage. And I loved being murdered every night by that thing, man. He was just such an icon, such an inspiration to us as a band. There's certainly no way we'd be around if there was no MOTÖRHEAD. And, you know, to see your idol, your immortal one, actually be mortal, it hit us pretty hard. So I felt, lyrically, it makes sense to acknowledge him and how much he's meant in our lives."

During the September 26 Town Hall event at SiriusXM's New York studios, Hetfield stated about the inspiration for "Murder One": "MOTÖRHEAD had a lot to do with METALLICA sitting here right now. But just Lemmy as an entity, as kind of a father figure, he helped us a lot. He was unafraid. And he was a character. And he was himself. And we all respected that so much. He did his own thing to the last breath. No matter who you are, how could you not be inspired by that?"

"In the summer of 1981, I followed MOTÖRHEAD around on tour," METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich added . "That was what made me want to be in a band. When I came back to Southern California and called up James and said, 'Listen, we've got to give this a shot,' ... MOTÖRHEAD is the catalyst."

Shortly after Lemmy's passing, Ulrich penned a lengthy tribute to the MOTÖRHEAD mainman in which looked back on the influence Lemmy had not just on METALLICA but also on him personally.

"I was down at [Lemmy's] 70th party [on December 13, 2015 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood], and I got a chance to sit with him for about ten minutes, just him and me. I told him that his obligation to the rock and roll community was to live forever because his birthday party was like a hard-rock class reunion," he wrote in part. "Everybody was there because Lemmy's one of the few people we can all agree on who is just the coolest guy ever. We would all show up. I told him it was his obligation to live forever, because he was the reason we could all get together and celebrate hard rock and celebrate MOTÖRHEAD and see familiar faces because we're all so scattered now. Obviously I could tell that he was in deteriorating health but we had a close bond, one that didn't necessarily need to be reaffirmed or articulated. The less we said the more we knew the connection was there."

Lars added: "Whenever METALLICA played L.A., [Lemmy] would always come and watch us, and whenever MOTÖRHEAD was up here, we'd always go and see them play. We probably crossed paths 50 to 100 times in the last 20 years, and he came and played with us onstage multiple times. It was a bond that deep and it goes back to the crazy summer of 1981.

"I will always appreciate and forever cherish all the great times we had together, but especially those early days. We were so vulnerable, so moldable because a significant part of who we've become, both in the band and as people, is directly due to not just him but all the rest of the people who were inspired and drank from the same bottles and shared the same stories and same space. His spirit will always live in us."

"Murder One" is featured on METALLICA's new album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", which is due out November 18. The effort consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

MOTÖRHEAD won the "Best Metal Performance" Grammy in 2005 for its cover version of the METALLICA song "Whiplash".

At a 1995 gig at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, members of METALLICA celebrated Lemmy's 50th birthday by taking the stage as a wigged tribute band dubbed the LEMMYS.

In a 2011 interview with Metal Insider, Lemmy said: "You can't top METALLICA. They're really a fucking excellent band. I'm delighted that they said that I was one of their influences. Like, they have all of their influences, and you can't hear the influences in them, which is great. They've become their own people, and that's great. I like them a lot. I've spent a lot of time with those boys."

In June 2016, legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore made many long-held dreams come true for his fans as RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW played three concerts in Europe, two in Germany and one in England. The two German shows at Loreley and Bietigheim were caught on camera to produce "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", which will be released via Eagle Rock Entertainment on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, and digital formats on November 18. A deluxe version (DVD, Blu-ray and 2CD in a 48-page hardback photobook), along with a 3LP version (180-gram vinyl), will be available as an import on December 2.

This film captures the long-awaited return to rock music for Ritchie Blackmore. The setlist, combining classic tracks from both DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW, was exactly what the fans had wished for. Filmed in high definition, this jaw-dropping set includes "Catch The Rainbow", "Mistreated", "Since You Been Gone", "Black Night", "Spotlight Kid", "Smoke On The Water", "Stargazer", "Perfect Strangers", and more! As a bonus all formats (barring the 3LP) also boast a quartet of tracks recorded on an alternative night: "Spotlight Kid", "Man On The Silver Mountain", "Long Live Rock ‘N' Roll", and "Stargazer".

The band line-up for this incredible show featured Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Ronnie Romero (vocals); David Keith (drums); Bob Nouveau (bass); Jens Johansson (keyboards); Candice Night (backing vocals); Lady Lynn (backing vocals).

"Memories In Rock - Live In Germany" track listing:

CD Disc 1

01. Highway Star02. Spotlight Kid 03. Mistreated 04. 16th Century Greensleeves 05. Since You Been Gone 06. Man On The Silver Mountain 07. Catch The Rainbow 08. Difficult To Cure (Beethoven's Ninth) 09. Perfect Strangers 10. Stargazer

CD Disc 2

11. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll 12. Child In Time / Woman From Tokyo 13. Black Night 14. Smoke On The Water

A performance clip of "Perfect Strangers", taken from "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", can be seen below.

Blackmore spoke to the Dutch radio station Radio Veronica about what made him decide to play the recent RAINBOW comeback shows. He said: "Besides money, I heard the [new RAINBOW] singer, Ronnie [Romero, who is originally from Chile but now settled in Madrid, Spain], singing on YouTube. Candy [Ritchie's wife, Candice Night] had played it to me. She said, 'What to do you think of this guy?' And I don't go on the computer very much; I'm too old for that stuff. And Candy is often going on YouTube or whatever, and she said, 'He's singing some of your old songs, the RAINBOW songs.' And I heard them, and I went, 'Wow! This guy is really good. He's exciting.' And there had been some talk about reforming RAINBOW with David Coverdale and a few others — Glenn Hughes… Although they are friends of mine, I wasn't urgently involved in it. I was hesitating for probably a good part of a year before I kind of decided I wasn't gonna do it — until I heard this singer. As soon as I heard the singer, he had such a good voice, so much vitality, and that excited me. I thought, 'Wow! He's singing all the old songs, but he's doing it so well — old hard rock.' It was exciting to hear."

Asked if he enjoyed the three RAINBOW comeback shows so far, Ritchie said: "I enjoyed especially the last one in England. The first two were a little bit intense, because we hadn't played together… we hadn't done a lot of rehearsing, so the first two shows were a bit hectic and chaotic. But the last one in Birmingham was… obviously, we'd played two shows at that point, and that seemed to work, to me. And it was great to see all the old people… I mean, it was so weird how… I think it was twenty thousand people… It sold out in fifteen minutes. And I kind of wondered who they thought was playing, 'cause when I got to the auditorium, it was so vast that I thought, 'Maybe somebody else is playing this show tonight.'"

Regarding whether it was difficult for him to put together a setlist for the first three RAINBOW comeback shows, Ritchie said: "No. [It was] very easy, in a way. We had about fifteen songs that were very obvious songs to play, like 'Catch The Rainbow'. And we incorporated a few DEEP PURPLE songs — 'Black Night', 'Smoke [On The Water]', 'Highway Star' — of which some of the fans said, 'Why did you do those DEEP PURPLE songs?' And I would say, 'Why not?' And they said, 'Well, we thought it was just gonna be RAINBOW. We would prefer to hear [more] RAINBOW songs.' Which I thought was kind of ironic again. I'm thinking, 'Wow! We just threw three songs in by DEEP PURPLE when they wanted more [RAINBOW].' And I noticed when they clapped, they weren't clapping so hard for DEEP PURPLE [songs]. They said, 'We hear that every year,' 'cause [the current lineup of] PURPLE goes around [on tour]. So the next time, if we go out and we do anything, I would do probably ninety-five percent RAINBOW songs; that's what they seem to want to hear. And it didn't occur to me. I just naturally assumed they wanted to hear everything."

Danish old school death metallers Deus Otiosus are streaming a new song from their upcoming album Opposer. Listen to “Disturbing The Dead” below.

Deus Otiosus have signed a deal with aptly named French label, Great Dane Records. Opposer will be released spring 2017.

The recording of the album was finished in Fast Beat Records, Copenhagen, with producer Rasmus Toftlund. Talented Danish artist Claude Wit created the cover artwork.

Opposer is the follow up to 2014's Rise album released by Deepsend Records. In 2015 Deus Otiosus released the EP Sis Mortuus Mondo, with one new song, "Greater Horror", as a pre-view to the upcoming album.

Great Dane Records is a French death metal label distributed by Season Of Mist.

Tracklisting:

“Kneel”
“Disturbing The Dead”
“Stand Your Ground”
“Haunter”
“Towering Flames”
“The Opposer”
“To The Graves”
“Return To Slavery”
“Greater Horror”
“March Of The Unworthy”

“Disturbing The Dead”:

In an unprecedented move for METALLICA, the band is releasing music videos for each song from their forthcoming album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", on Metallica.com and simultaneously with editorial partners around the world for every two hours. New songs and their videos will premiere right up to when the clock turns over at midnight in New Zealand, where the first official copy of the new album will be available worldwide. The videos — shot around the globe — will give fans the opportunity to hear the long-awaited METALLICA album two days ahead of its official November 18 release via Blackened Recordings. Directors for the videos include: Jonas Åkerlund, who originally worked with the band on "Turn The Page" and "Whiskey In The Jar", album package photographers Herring and Herring, Colin Hakes ("Hardwired"), Clark Eddy ("Atlas Rise", and countless "Making of . . ." clips), Tom Kirk ("Moth Into Flame"), Claire Marie Vogel, Jessica Cope, Rob Valley, Phil Mucci, and METALLICA's very own videographer Brett Murray. The forthcoming clips follow the previously released videos for "Hardwired", "Moth Into Flame", and "Atlas, Rise".

METALLICA's "Halo On Fire" video can be seen below. The clip was directed by the Brooklyn-based high-art photography duo Herring and Herring.

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 will now feature 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 will also feature 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.

Video footage of TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy performing an acoustic cover version of SOUNDGARDEN's "Black Hole Sun" live in the SiriusXM studios can be seen below.

TRIVIUM and 5B Artist Management have partnered with Cooking Vinyl to re-release the band's 2003 debut album, "Ember To Inferno", 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 2. It's a true treasure trove of material that will delight the staunchest TRIVIUM fans and beyond.

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

TRIVIUM's latest album, "Silence In The Snow", was released in October 2015 via Roadrunner. The follow-up to 2013's "Vengeance Falls" was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette (SLASH, ALTER BRIDGE, THE AMITY AFFLICTION) and was mixed by Josh Wilbur (GOJIRA, LAMB OF GOD).

New TRIVIUM drummer Paul Wandtke made his live debut with the band on December 5, 2015 at Knotfest in Mexico.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist Dario Lorina will release his second instrumental album, "Death Grip Tribulations", on February 24, 2017 via Shrapnel Records, known for discovering and recording guitarists of extraordinary ability. Dario's new record is a powerful show of songwriting infused with shred guitar, vintage modern influence, and a richly musical band consisting of longtime musical partner Dan "D.C." Conway (drums), BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bandmates John "J.D." DeServio (bass) and Jeff Fabb (drums), along with former LIZZY BORDEN bandmate Marten Andersson (bass). It also features a song with MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell. Engineered and mixed by Fred Archambault, known for his work with ALICE COOPER and AVENGED SEVENFOLD, among others, this effort is a sheer embodiment of this high caliber guitarist's vast skill set.

Says Shrapnel's Mike Varney: "'Death Grip Tribulations' makes it clear that Dario Lorina has become a force to be reckoned with, as at twenty-seven years of age, he draws from experience far beyond his years, creating a collection of songs built on forceful rhythms, strong melodies and an arsenal of advanced guitar chops." Lorina began his professional career in 2006 at age 16 as the touring guitarist with the late Jani Lane (ex-WARRANT). At age 19, he joined veteran metal act LIZZY BORDEN, whom he toured with for four years.

Dario released his first instrumental record on Shrapnel in September 2013. In January 2014, he joined BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and has since been touring worldwide with Zakk Wylde, performing on both guitar and keys, most recently on Wylde's "Book Of Shadows II" tour.

Photography by Dustin Jack

In an unprecedented move for METALLICA, the band is releasing music videos for each song from their forthcoming album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", on Metallica.com and simultaneously with editorial partners around the world for every two hours. New songs and their videos will premiere right up to when the clock turns over at midnight in New Zealand, where the first official copy of the new album will be available worldwide. The videos — shot around the globe — will give fans the opportunity to hear the long-awaited METALLICA album two days ahead of its official November 18 release via Blackened Recordings. Directors for the videos include: Jonas Åkerlund, who originally worked with the band on "Turn The Page" and "Whiskey In The Jar", album package photographers Herring and Herring, Colin Hakes ("Hardwired"), Clark Eddy ("Atlas Rise", and countless "Making of . . ." clips), Tom Kirk ("Moth Into Flame"), Claire Marie Vogel, Jessica Cope, Rob Valley, Phil Mucci, and METALLICA's very own videographer Brett Murray. The forthcoming clips follow the previously released videos for "Hardwired", "Moth Into Flame", and "Atlas, Rise".

METALLICA's "Am I Savage?" video can be seen below. The clip was directed by the Brooklyn-based high-art photography duo Herring and Herring.

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 will now feature 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 will also feature 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.

Guitar legend Steve Vai has checked in with an update for his fans:

"I’m asked quite often what young new guitar player on the scene has got my interest and I usually respond, Daniele Gottardo. He really is quite gifted and also a real good guy. He’s one of the few players I see these days that is not only technically dazzling, but his note choices and harmonic atmospheres are rich and deep. This is a fun little video he made but check out some of his other stuff if you get a chance." 

Check out Gottardo's work via iTunes here or visit his official Facebook page.

Guitar legend Steve Vai is featured in an interview with The Aquarian discussing his current Passion And Warfare 25th Anniversary Tour and his latest album, Modern Primitive. An excerpt is available below:

Q: Can you describe the experience of touring with the new album, Modern Primitive, along with Passion and Warfare—mixing nostalgia with the new?

Vai: "Well, I’m having a nostalgic time (laughs). It’s really a nice project because my first solo record was Flex-Able. It was bizarre, somewhat of a quirky record where I was basically learning how to record and engineer and write music and get it out. I never really expected to release it, but when I did it I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it—having a record out. I just thought, ‘Hey, I’m just going to do this for the rest of my life!’ I started working on new music with this band I had called The Classified, and then I joined this band Alcatraz… I was offered a solo record deal with Capitol Records, and that’s kind of when I put everything else I was working on the shelf and started writing new music which became Passion and Warfare.

So, when the 25th anniversary for Passion and Warfare came around, I thought this was a good opportunity to go back and finish that music I started in between Flex-Able and Passion and Warfare and that became Modern Primitive. It’s sort of a missing link between the guy that made Flex-Able and the guy that made Passion and Warfare. It was very interesting to go back and listen to that music and complete it because whenever you create something it’s like a little snapshot of who you were at that time. It was kind of charming to peer into the psyche of a 24- or 25-year-old Steve Vai, you know?"

Q: Did you have moments of surprise when you went back to revisit the music where, for example, you didn’t even remember writing parts?

Vai: "Yeah, sure. I had that music in the back of my head all these years because there was something in it that kept beckoning me. That is a really wonderful age for finding your identity, finding your uniquely creative voice, there’s this angst in it, there’s the discovery of freedom and independence at that age. When I was writing and making that music I had no expectations for success, and that is very liberating. It just opens the possibility to just do whatever the heck you want without any fear. That’s kind of what I got when I went back to listen to it was how fearless it was, bold."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Eric Blair of "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" conducted an interview with Wendy Dio, wife and longtime manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, at the second annual Bowl 4 Ronnie bowling party, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, which was held on November 4 at the Pinz bowling center in Studio City, California. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if there are any "hidden gems" in the Ronnie archives, Wendy said: "Well, you know we just did 'A Decade Of Dio' [box set] that Rhino put out with the six albums that they own. I have four albums that I own after that, and we have some precious things in the archives, which we're gonna put out and add on there, and I think Rhino will put it out next year."

Pressed on whether there is any more unreleased video of Ronnie in the archives, and how old the footage is, Wendy replied: "Oh yeah. I'm talking all the way back. I've actually got stuff from RAINBOW [that] we're not allowed to put out, but we've got stuff… We videoed almost every show."

Released in July, "A Decade Of Dio: 1983-1993" brings together the DIO band's first six studio albums, each one featuring newly remastered sound. It includes: "Holy Diver" (1983), "The Last In Line" (1984), "Sacred Heart" (1985), "Dream Evil" (1987), "Lock Up The Wolves" (1990) and "Strange Highways" (1993).

Hosted by "That Metal Show" co-host Eddie Trunk and attended by 300 rockers, bowling enthusiasts and fund supporters, Bowl 4 Ronnie brought in $36,500 for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, now in its seventh year of raising awareness and much-needed funding for cancer research.

Although Ronnie James Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer in 2010, his towering voice and legacy live on. The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, co-founded by Wendy Dio, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable fund dedicated to supporting cancer-prevention research, raising awareness and educating the public about the vital importance of early detection and prevention when dealing with this deadly disease.

Dutch symphonic metal band, Epica, have released a lyric video for “Ascension - Dream State Armageddon”, a track from their new record, The Holographic Principle. Watch below:

On November 5th, Epica performed at Corona Theatre in Montreal, QC as part of The North American Principle Tour, alongside Fleshgod Apocalyse, Arkona, and The Agonist. Check out the newly issued aftermovie; shot and edited by Chris Kells.

Remaining tour dates are as listed:

November
16 - Studio 7 - Seattle, WA
18 - Social Hall - San Francisco, CA
19 - The Regent - Los Angeles, CA
20 - Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel - Las Vegas, NV
22 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
23 - Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS
25 - Gas Monkey Live - Dallas, TX
26 - Empire Control Room - Austin, TX
28 - State Theater - St Petersburg, FL
29 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA

December
1 - Soundstage Baltimore, MD
2 - Webster Hall - New York, NY
3 - Palladium - Worcester, MA

Metal Blade Records has announced the worldwide signing of the hardcore punk unit, Bloodclot.

Bloodclot is a project featuring true hardcore pioneers: John Joseph of the Cro-Mags, plus former members of Queens of the Stone Age (Joey Castillo, drums; Nick Oliveri, bass), and Danzig (Todd Youth, guitar). While being the leader of one of the most influential hardcore bands of all time - the Cro-Mags - John Joseph is also an author, an outspoken advocate of plant-based nutrition, and a competitive Ironman tri-athlete. Todd Youth - who played in Agnostic Front at the age of 12 - has played guitar with a myriad of artists, including Danzig, Glen Campbell, Motorhead, Ace Frehley, and many more. Additionally, Nick Oliveri has played bass in Queens of the Stone Age, alongside one of the most sought-after drummers in the scene, Joey Castillo - who has also sat behind the kit for Danzig and Eagles Of Death Metal.

These four renowned musicians came together when Cro-Mags guitarist AJ Novello was unable to play a show, and John Joseph called Todd Youth to fill-in for him. The two rekindled their friendship and enjoyed playing together so much that a decision was made to re-form Bloodclot (whose origins date back to a 1981 Bad Brains tour). Todd began the songwriting process, and soon after, Joey Castillo and Nick Oliveri were recruited to join the band. With the new line-up in place, and songs to record, Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel offered Bloodclot a worldwide deal.

In regards to the signing, Brian Slagel comments: "Super excited to be working with these legends! The material is fresh and what you would expect from such an amazing group! Thanks to Tal Ronnen of Crossroads Kitchen for his help on this too!"

Michael Alago - a former record label A&R executive and talent scout for over 24 years - also helped facilitate this new partnership, as Bloodclot's manager. Having earned the respect of the industry for his expertise in a wide variety of musical genres, Alago was responsible for signing Metallica, White Zombie, Alan Vega, Johnny Rotten (with his band Public Image, Ltd.), Cyndi Lauper, Nina Simone (for whom he also acted as Executive Producer on the acclaimed album, A Single Woman), among many other artists. Now, Bloodclot joins that repertoire, as his latest celebrated signing.

Bloodclot plans to release their upcoming album, Up In Arms, in spring 2017, with worldwide touring to follow. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

Bloodclot lineup:

John Joseph (Cro-Mags) - Vocals
Todd Youth (ex-Danzig) - Guitars
Nick Oliveri (ex-Queens of the Stone Age) - Bass
Joey Castillo (ex-Queens of the Stone Age, ex-Danzig) - Drums

(Photos - Wass Photography, Dustin Jack Photography, Lloyd Nickell, Tony Virgadamo)