EX DEO, the reactivated Ancient Roman-themed arsenal fronted by KATAKLYSM singer Maurizio Iacono, will release its third album, "The Immortal Wars", on February 24, 2017 via Napalm Records.

The CD's main concept deals with Punic Wars, a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 B.C. to 146 B.C. The epic legendary wars come to life and bring the showdown between two of the greatest generals that ever walked the earth, Hannibal and Scipio Africanus, both of whom rewrote the rules of war and strategies. The album also features other unexplored subjects on Ancient Rome surely to raise the epic level to the maximum. "The Immortal Wars" track listing:

01. The Rise of Hannibal02. Hispania (The Siege Of Saguntum)03. Crossing Of The Alps 04. Suavetaurilia (Intermezzo)05. Cato Major: Carthago Delenda Est! 06. Ad Victoriam (The Battle Of Zama) 07. The Spoils Of War 08. The Roman KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-François Dagenais once again took care of production duties, while Jens Bogren fine-tuned the whole affair at his mixing desk in Sweden.

Says EX DEO: "The new EX DEO album, 'The Immortal Wars', is complete, it's a massive wall of sound and it will make our rivals in 'Roman-hating' bands sound like schoolgirls. The artwork is complete and the word 'epic' and 'dramatic' cannot be expressed more. The music will bring your urge to got to war on behalf of Rome to a level 10. People of the eternal city, feel the might, the album you have waiting for so long is here .. ready, strong and WILL destroy everything in it's path. Ave Roma!"

A teaser for the album is available below.

EX DEO's sophomore album, "Caligvla", was released in August 2012 via Napalm.

"Dim Days Of Dolor", the new Owe Lingvall-directed video from Norwegian symphonic metallers SIRENIA, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's new album, which is being released today (Friday, November 11) via Napalm Records. The "Dim Days Of Dolor" artwork was once again created by Gyula Havancsák from Hjules Illustration And Design. The CD was mixed at Hansen Studios in Denmark.

SIRENIA recently parted ways with their Spanish singer Ailyn Giménez García for "personal reasons." She has since been replaced by Emmanuelle Zoldan.

Commented the band: "Our cooperation [with Emmanuelle] goes back 13 years to the recordings of our second album 'An Elixir For Existence'. She has been a part of the choir on all our albums since then. She also did some lead vocals for the band on our EP 'Sirenian Shores', on our cover version of Leonard Cohen's song 'First We Take Manhattan'. And from now on she will also take the role as full time lead singer for SIRENIA.

"Emmanuelle is musically educated at Aix en Provence and Marseille Conservatories (4 years) and specialized at C.N.I.P.A.L Professional school of opera (2 years) She also made a career singing at various operas in France for many years and have collaborated with several bands and projects.

"Emmanuelle can handle lots of different musical styles and various techniques in addition to classical and opera, and this has had a big influence on our new album."

"Dim Days Of Dolor" track listing: 01. Goddess Of The Sea02. Dim Days Of Dolor03. The 12th Hour04. Treasure n' Treason05. Cloud Nine06. Veil Of Winter07. Ashes To Ashes08. Elusive Sun09. Playing With Fire10. Fifth Column11. Aeon's Embrace12. [bonus track]

SIRENIA mastermind and guitarist Morten Veland previously stated about "Dim Days Of Dolor": "We are very excited about this album. It feels like we really have been able to achieve what we set out to achieve with this one. The production and sound have never been better, and the vocals are in a different league.

"We feel that every song on the album has its own unique expression and personality. So you really haven't heard 'Dim Days Of Dolor' until you checked out every song on the album. But 'The 12th Hour', for sure, will give an impression of SIRENIA's new sound. The album is also full of nice details that you will discover one by one the more you listen to it.

"Personally, I love listening to this album with a high-quality headset, it gives a great listening experience. Also works great to play on a huge stereo and crank up the volume, just to really feel the great power of the mix.

"My favorite SIRENIA album without doubt. Might sound like a cliché saying that, but this is the first time I ever say it, and I have some albums under my belt at this point."

Ailyn released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which she said that her exit from SIRENIA was not her decision.　Ailyn (born: Pilar Giménez García) joined SIRENIA in 2008 as the replacement for Monika Pedersen, who left the group a year earlier after only one album due to "musical differences."

Ailyn was best known as a former contestant on the Spanish version of "The X Factor", the biggest television talent competition in Europe.

She appeared on four studio albums with SIRENIA: 2009's "The 13th Floor", 2011's "The Enigma Of Life", 2013's "Perils Of The Deep Blue" and 2015's "The Seventh Life Path".

ETERNAL IDOL's track "A Song In The Wind" can be streamed below. The tune is taken from the band's debut album, "The Unrevealed Secret", which will be released on December 2 via Frontiers Music Srl.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Unrevealed Secret" track listing:

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

ETERNAL IDOL is:

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

Former ACCEPT guitarist Herman Frank will release a new solo album, "The Devil Rides Out", on November 18 via AFM. It will be made available as a CD, limited digipak (including a bonus track), limited silver vinyl and limited box set. The CD was produced by Frank and mixed by Charlie Bauerfeind (BLIND GUARDIAN, HAMMERFALL, HELLOWEEN). It combines Frank's masterful guitar work with the raspy vocals of Swedish powerhouse Rick Altzi (MASTERPLAN, AT VANCE), the powerful drumming of Andre Hilgers (ex-RAGE) and the talent of Michael Müller (JADED HEART) on bass.

The official lyric video for the song Running Back, taken from "The Devil Rides Out", can be seen below.

"The Devil Rides Out" track listing:

01. Running Back02. Shout03. Can't Take It04. No Tears In Heaven05. Ballhog Zone06. Run Boy Run07. Thunder Of Madness08. License To Kill09. Stone Cold10. Dead Or Alive11. Run For Cover12. I Want It All13. You Don't Know (bonus track)

Herman joined ACCEPT in 1982 shortly before the release of the band's "Restless And Wild" album and exited the group for the first time after the arrival of 1983's "Balls To The Wall" LP.

When ACCEPT reunited for festival appearances in 2005, Herman handled second-guitar duties alongside founding axeman Wolf Hoffmann, with Stefan Schwarzmann sitting behind the kit.

Frank and Schwarzmann were involved in ACCEPT's comeback with new singer Mark Tornillo and appeared on their last three studio albums: 2010's "Blood of the Nations", 2012's "Stalingrad" and 2014's "Blind Rage".

Shortly before his exit from ACCEPT was made official in December 2014, Herman gave an interview to Metalholic in which he spoke about his frustrations at being unable to contribute to the band with his songwriting. He said: "[I've been writing] songs [for] 30 years, since I began my music career [in] a school band. And it's a shame that I can't show my talent [by] writing a couple of ACCEPT songs. I really would like to write some songs [for ACCEPT], but Peter [Baltes, ACCEPT bassist] and Wolf [Hoffmann, ACCEPT guitarist] decided, 'We are ACCEPT and we wanna do it [on] our own.' So why should I stop, 'cause I'm playing in ACCEPT, to write songs? I wrote songs for VICTORY, for HAZZARD, for MOON'DOC, for my two solo albums… for so many bands, you know. It's normal that I don't stop [writing songs]. PANZER and all these other bands give me a chance to just put out my music, which is in my head, you know?!"

According to Billboard, three songs from METALLICA's upcoming tenth studio album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", have landed on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart dated November 19: "Atlas, Rise!" (No. 22), "Moth Into Flame" (No. 6) and "Hardwired" (No. 23). This feat marks the first time that an artist has charted at least three songs on Mainstream Rock Songs simultaneously since September 2008 when METALLICA's "The Day That Never Comes", "Cyanide" and "My Apocalypse" made the list. It also marks the first time that an act has tripled up in the top 25 since GREEN DAY in August 2005.

"Atlas" debuted at No. 35 on the Rock Airplay chart with 1.8 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen Music. "Moth" ranks at No. 18 (3.6 million) and "Hardwired" at No. 46 (1.4 million).

METALLICA's "Death Magnetic" album sold close to a half million copies in just a three-day sales window and topped The Billboard 200 chart back in September 2008.

The band's first studio album since 2003 moved 490,000 copies in its abbreviated frame, scheduled off-cycle on a Friday to accommodate a worldwide release date.

METALLICA's previous CD, "St. Anger", also had an unusual release date after Elektra Records decided to move up its release to Thursday, June 5, 2003 from Tuesday, June 10, 2003 "to ensure that counterfeit copies of the band's first studio album in six years do not proliferate in the marketplace," the label said at the time.

"St. Anger" sold 418,000 copies in its first, shortened week on the streets to land at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart.

METALLICA's "Re-Load" album sold 435,000 units during its first week in 1997, while 1996's "Load" opened at 680,000. 1991's self-titled "black album" debuted with 598,000 and has since gone on to sell more than 16 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

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

Frontiers Music Srl has set a January 27, 2017 release date for Stephen Pearcy's fourth solo album, "Smash".

Pearcy, best known as the original vocalist and founding member of the platinum rock band RATT, has been working hard to complete his highly anticipated new album, while at the same time keeping busy performing shows across the U.S.

The first audio offering from "Smash", as track called "I Can't Take It", can be heard below. Stephen will be supporting "Smash" with live dates in the U.S. and internationally. "It took long enough to finish the new record 'Smash' and it is well worth the patience taken, giving every song as much attention as the next," says Pearcy. "Erik Ferentinos (lead guitarist and co-writer), Greg D'Angelo (drummer) and Matt Thorne (bassist, keyboardist) and myself didn't settle on any first, second or third takes. We let some songs grow if needed, then go back and complete it. We're very happy with the outcome, that we were able to experiment and grow with the new songs."

Regarding "I Can't Take It", Pearcy said: "It has the RATT signature sound because [early RATT producer] Beau Hill got back into the mix. We've always been in contact, and I told him, 'Look, I'm recording so much music.' And it's very diverse, very straightforward, very experimental stuff. And he was interested. And at the end of day, he mixed, mastered, and it's, like, alright, we're ready to go. Let's see where this takes us. But if it wasn't for him, it wouldn't sound like it sounded." "Smash" track listing:

01. I Know I'm Crazy02. Ten Miles Wide03. Lollipop04. Dead Roses05. Shut Down Baby06. Hit Me With A Bullet07. Want Too Much08. What Do Ya Think09. Jamie10. Rain11. Can't Take It (album version)12. Summer's End13. Passion Infinity Credits:

Stephen E. Pearcy - Lead Vocals, Back-up Vocals

Musicians:

Erik Ferentinos - Rhythm & Lead Guitars, Back-up VocalsGreg D'Angelo - Drums, PercussionMatt Thorne - Bass GuitarChris Hager - Guitars, Lead Guitars on track #3

Three members of RATT's classic lineup — Pearcy, bassist Juan Croucier and guitarist Warren DeMartini — performed as the "surprise band" on October 1 on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise West, also known as Monsterwood. Joining them on stage at the event were former QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on RATT's last studio album, 2010's "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

The as-yet-unnamed band notably doesn't feature drummer Bobby Blotzer has been touring the U.S. for the last year with his own version of RATT, featuring a rotating cast of musicians, including vocalist Josh Alan (ex-SIN CITY SINNERS).

DeMartini filed a lawsuit against Blotzer last year, claiming that the drummer was falsely advertising his "tribute band" as the real thing. That dispute is still pending in California state court.

Blotzer and DeMartini are the only remaining shareholders in WBS, Inc., the company which manages the business and operations related to RATT.

HAZEXPERIENCE will release its new album, "Hang A Crooked Number", on November 18. This raw blast of rock 'n' roll features the final studio recordings of legendary original Y&T drummer Leonard Haze, who passed away on September 11. The album, which will be available on CD and via digital download, can be pre-ordered today on iTunes. All pre-orders receive an instant download of the new song "Cut It Loose". Haze had completed drum tracks for five songs before his passing. Those five songs appear on the 11-track album, along with five bonus live, demo, and rehearsal tracks. Also included on the album is a song written for Haze the day after he died by lead singer Jeffrey Winslow. The song, titled "For Leonard", is the only track that doesn't feature Haze's iconic drum work. Of the five bonus tracks, two are Y&T classics, and another two are Willie Dixon-penned blues songs made famous by Muddy Waters, CACTUS, Jeff Beck and LED ZEPPELIN. "Our goal was to do justice to his life and legacy, and follow through with his desire to release this album," explained Winslow. At the time of Haze's death, HAZEXPERIENCE had been announced as the opening act for two Y&T shows at the Mystic Theatre in Petaluma, November 18-19. Subsequently, Y&T singer/guitarist Dave Meniketti told the band he would still like them to do the shows. HAZEXPERIENCE will be playing those sold-out shows in tribute to the memory of Haze. "Hang A Crooked Number" track listing:

01. #1 Song Of The Summer02. Cut It Loose03. Hole In My Soul04. Bleed For You05. Steal Your Love06. For Leonard07. Dirty Girl (demo) [bonus track]08. Go For The Throat (rehearsal - December 4, 2014) [bonus track]09. Evil (Live in the Studio) [Bonus Track]10. You Shook Me (Live at the Stork Club - October 25, 2014) [bonus track]11. Cut It Loose (demo) [bonus track]

"Without You", a new song from SIXX:A.M. — the band featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx alongside guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael — can be streamed below. The track is taken from SIXX:A.M.'s new album, "Vol. 2, Prayers For The Blessed", which will be released on November 18 via Eleven Seven Music. Written and recorded at the same time as "Vol. 1, Prayers For The Damned", released earlier this year, the album acts as a companion piece to the first chapter while simultaneously elevating the band's sound in every area.

From "We Will Not Go Quietly" to the operatic show stopper "Maybe It's Time" and groove-driven, radio-ready rocker "That's Gonna Leave A Scar", "Prayers For The Blessed" displays the many sides of SIXX:A.M.'s sound, something that the band was able to develop by ramping up the amount of time they spent out on the road.

"We really found ourselves onstage and it's influencing the way we write," says Sixx. "We started focusing on our music not only as songwriters and lyricists but also stayed conscious of what would transfer over live to the audience."

Regarding the decision to split the "Prayers" project into two separate albums, James told The Aquarian Weekly: "When we set out to make two records, it was very intentional. We didn't want this to fall into that category that a lot of albums do, where it actually sounds like you went into the studio to one record, you have a few extra songs, you figured you'd polish them up and then you have a double album. We've all fallen victims to those albums before. This was a very different beast. It was very intentional. We thought of this as one big record, but then in a lot ways, we knew that we were going to be releasing them separately, so we did treat them separately, so they would stand alone. But we put so much effort and thought and care into every single note of both records and we wrote them both at the same time, and then figured out where each song made sense, so I think 'Vol. 2' is absolutely as strong, if not stronger than 'Vol. 1'. There are some songs on there that are really career songs. So, in a way, while we're so excited about 'Vol. 1' and the response that we're getting, we're also chomping at the bit for people to sink their teeth into 'Vol. 2' as well."

In a separate interview with Lehigh Valley Music, James stated about the decision to release "Vol. 2" so soon after "Vol. 1": "We didn't want to wait too long in between because they’re definitely connected. Both volumes certainly stand alone and are very satisfying bodies of work, but when they are experienced together, another layer of SIXX:A.M. and another of the messaging will be revealed. So it was important that we didn’t release them too far apart because they are connected, but we didn't want to release them at the same time 'cause that's an awful lot of music to absorb. And as you know, SIXX:A.M. music is — it's pretty heavy and it's pretty complex and deals with very, sometimes, difficult subject matter. So we wanted people to have time to absorb the messaging and absorb the songs before we then dropped a whole other album on them. But the reason we decided to do two records is we wanted to provide a lot of new music for people. We also kind of felt like we were playing catch-up in a way. 'Cause for the last ten years, we haven't been able to tour very much at all, and so we felt like, in a way, we were making up for lost time." "Vol. 2, Prayers For The Blessed" track listing:

01. Barbarians (Prayers For The Blessed)02. We Will Not Go Quietly03. Wolf At Your Door04. Maybe It's Time05. The Devil's Coming06. Catacombs07. That's Gonna Leave a Scar08. Without You09. Suffocate10. Riot In My Head11. Helicopters

KORN guitarists/co-founders James "Munky" Shaffer and Brian "Head" Welch spoke to Premier Guitar about the making of the band's latest album, "The Serenity Of Suffering", which came out at the end of October.

Munky said: "Head and I got into a small room and started to write riffs with Ray [Luzier, drums], who had an electronic kit, and it was a little bit different because it wasn't all of us at once. We wanted to just get the ball rolling and stockpile a bunch of riffs and ideas.

Added Head: "We started first in early June [2015] in Hollywood, just ripping out half-song ideas. When we started writing, we used eight-string guitars. We were, like, 'I want to try something different.' It was so fun and sparked a different way to write just because it sounded different, and then we brought the idea to the studio and let Jonathan [Davis, vocals] hear it, and he was like, 'This doesn't sound like KORN.' And then we went back to the basics. He said it wasn't in his vocal range and was, like, 'You guys sound like MESHUGGAH now.' We took a couple of those songs and made them into seven-string, just the regular tuning, and only a couple of them worked. The other ones we had to throw away because it didn't sound good on seven-string."

Continued Munky: "It was a combination of the vocal range and the fact that it was too outside of what KORN should sound like, I think."

Asked how producer Nick Raskulinecz got involved with the making of "The Serenity Of Suffering", Munky said: "We started talking about producers once we had 20 or 25 ideas, you know, like a verse and chorus, recorded. Not complete songs, because we wanted someone to help us through the writing process and tell us, 'Maybe this is good, maybe this isn't, where do we take these ideas?' And probably a month or two into the writing process we went up to Bakersfield to get everyone in our studio over there with live drums, and have Fieldy [bass] and Jonathan be part of the writing process on the music end, and to help with the direction. That's when we started thinking about producers and making phone calls, and Nick's name came up a few times. We're big fans of his work and we love what he did with the DEFTONES records, and the two ALICE IN CHAINS records that he did."

Added Head: "Actually we wanted to talk to him on 'The Paradigm Shift', the previous record, but he was busy. So his name came up again, and we talked to a bunch of other producers, but you know, he just had an energy about him. He's just a guy that you grow to like instantly and we became friends instantly. He's got that personality and is just a fan of music. He told us he used to flip burgers and listen to KORN while he was working. He was, like, 'As a fan, I know what you guys need right now. I know you guys have ventured off and done stuff, but I want to take your whole career — your last 20 years — and put together what I would like to hear, as a fan.' Once we got him, he started going over songs with us, throwing stuff away, keeping other stuff, and making stuff better. That was the beginning of the process."

Continued Munky: "He went out on a limb and was just honest with us, and we had to kind of step back and were, like, 'We want to go down that road again. We want to experiment with guitar sounds and just let songs develop into whatever they might be,' and we hired him pretty much on the spot. It was actually difficult because we were doing a lot of these one-off festival shows, and flying back and forth from Europe, but maybe it led us to have good energy on the record because we were playing in front of a lot of audiences. I remember Head saying during the writing process, 'We gotta make sure these songs are fun to play live.' Because a lot of songs that we write in the studio, we get them out and play them live, and it just doesn't translate to the audience."

"The Serenity Of Suffering" was released on October 21. The follow-up to 2013's "The Paradigm Shift" marks the band's return to Roadrunner, which previously released 2010's "Korn III - Remember Who You Are" and 2011's "The Path Of Totality".

Renowned not only for their powerful rock songs but also for countless moving ballads, British rock icons MAGNUM are set to surprise their fans with a very special release at the very beginning of the coming year. Due on January 6, 2017 (U.S. and Canada on January 20, 2017), "The Valley Of Tears - The Ballads" is an album featuring ten of the band's most accomplished ballads, all of them remastered and in parts even newly re-recorded and remixed.

Guitarist, composer and producer Tony Clarkin states: "The release of this album was originally inspired by my daughter. A few months ago she asked me, 'MAGNUM have so many beautiful quiet numbers. Why don't you put together a compilation highlighting some of the most powerful tracks?' Olly Hahn of Steamhammer/SPV was immediately taken by the concept, so I set down to work on it."

"The Valley Of Tears - The Ballads" contains material from the band's different creative phases. Along with remastered versions of more recent ballads from albums such as "Into The Valley Of The Moonkings", "The Visitation" and the current studio recording "Sacred Blood - Divine Lies", there will also be a newly re-recorded acoustic version of their classic "Lonely Night" and a new haunting live version of their hit "When The World Comes Down" from their 1986 cult recording "Vigilante".

The release will be supported by selected shows in the U.K. and Ireland during the run-up to Christmas and a German/Swiss tour where Tony Clarkin and Bob Catley join the "Rock Meets Classic" tour from March 30, 2017. Some more festivals for summer 2017 will be announced shortly.

"The Valley Of Tears - The Ballads" will be released as a digipak version, download and stream through SPV/Steamhammer.

"The Valley Of Tears - The Ballads" track listing:

01. Dream About You (remastered)02. Back In Your Arms Again (newly re-recorded)03. The Valley Of Tears (remixed, remastered)04. Broken Wheel (newly re-recorded)05. A Face In The Crowd (remixed, remastered)06. Your Dreams Won't Die (remastered)07. Lonely Night (acoustic version, newly re-recorded)08. The Last Frontier (remixed, remastered)09. Putting Things In Place (remixed, remastered)10. When The World Comes Down (new live version)

Japanese pop-metal sensation BABYMETAL will release a new 13-track live album, "Live At Wembley", on December 9 via earMUSIC/Edel. A digital version will be made available on December 30. With a carefully selected track listing, the CD captures the spectacular performance recorded at BABYMETAL's first-ever U.K. arena show, "Babymetal World Tour 2016 Kicks Off At The SSE Arena, Wembley", which took place in London on April 2. The show saw BABYMETAL become the first Japanese artist in history to perform a headline show at The SSE Arena, Wembley. This concert garnered an attendance of 12,000 people, where BABYMETAL also broke the merchandise sales record of the venue, creating history once again.

"Live At Wembley" track listing:

01. Babymetal Death02. Awadama Fever03. Yava!04. GJ!05. Doki Doki * Morning06. Meta Taro07. Amore08. Megitsune09. KARATE10. Ijime, Dame, Zettai11. Gimme Chocolate!!12. The One (English version) 13. Road Of Resistance

Total running time: 1:17:26

The release coincides with BABYMETAL's U.K. tour as special guests to RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.

The breakout all-girl-fronted Japanese heavy metal/teen-pop hybrid group features 18-year-old Su-Metal and 17-year-olds Yuimetal and Moametal, backed by a four-piece band, BABYMETAL's new album "Metal Resistance", released simultaneously worldwide on April 1, ranked No.15 on the U.K. official chart, the highest rank in the history of Japanese artists, as well as charting in the Top 40 on the U.S. Billboard chart, being the first Japanese artist in 53 years to have made the charts since Kyu Sakamoto. The 12-track second full-length CD, featuring tracks "Road Of Resistance", "Karate" and "The One", is available as a standalone CD, vinyl and limited-edition bundle package.

Following the release of the official video for the new album's lead single "Karate", BABYMETAL unveiled the second video for the new album, for the song "The One". The seven-minute live video features singer/dancers Su-Metal, Moametal and Yuimetal performing within a triangular enclosure that's suspended above an arena-size crowd at Yokohama Arena in Japan on the final date of the 2015 world tour. BABYMETAL made its U.S. late-night TV debut on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" in April, performing "Gimme Chocolate" off their debut album.

Outspoken conservative rocker Ted Nugent has responded with enthusiasm to Donald Trump's surprising victory in last night's presidential election and has vowed to be even less restrained in the future.

He said in a Facebook Live session: "Are you kidding me? America still has a soul. Not everybody, but enough of us. We went to the Concord bridge and we stopped the enemy.

"I'm actually a little teary-eyed this morning," he continued. "We declared our independence, and we told Hillary Clinton we don't accept liars, scammers, thieves and rotten freedom-hating, constitution hating, conniving criminals to be president. Thank you, America, good going. Good work!"

Nugent also implored his followers to "reach out" to the Hillary Clinton-supporting "zombies." He said: "Take a deep breath, and try to educate them that there's no such thing as free. There's no free phones, we bought those for you. There's no free education, you'd have to take our money to pay for it. There's no free fuel subsidies, we paid for that … the redistribution must stop. We will help the needy, not the greedy."

The rocker added that he will not tone down his rhetoric after Trump's win, saying: "God bless America, I'm feeling mighty good. And you know the only thing more dangerous than a sow grizzly bear cornered with cubs? Ted Nugent with more confidence! Oh, we're in deep shit now. You thought I was hard-hitting before? 'Here I come again now baby, like a dog in heat. You can tell it's me by the clamor now, baby, I like to tear up the street. Now I've been smoking for so long baby, you know I'm here to stay. I've got you in a stranglehold motherfuckers, get the fuck out of my way.'"

Nugent made headlines earlier in the week when he appeared at a rally at Freedom Hill Amphitheater in Sterling Heights, Michigan and grabbed his crotch while shouting: "I got your blue state right here, baby!" at a Trump rally as he sought to boost the Republican's vote in the traditionally Democratic state.



Posted by Ted Nugent on Wednesday, November 9, 2016

During STEEL PANTHER's November 9 concert at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California, Satchel addressed the previous night's election results that mean billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump will be the next American president. "There's some people here that are sad," the guitarist said (see video below). "Let me tell you something, people: the sun will come out tomorrow. Okay?

"We've been playing Roxy since 1981. We played here back when people thought that Reagan was a shitty president. Okay? It's gonna get better.

"Listen, we're gonna make all the women here feel a little bit better. We're gonna have a 'Fuck Trump' party after the fucking show. I'll put on a Donald Trump mask and you can fuck us all you want."

Members of SLIPKNOT, MÖTLEY CRÜE, TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, BEARTOOTH and others are among the rockers who have reacted on social media to Trump winning the presidential election in the early hours of Wednesday morning (November 9).

SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor was among the most vocal critics of the president-elect, writing on Twitter: "I didn't think my country could be this fucking stupid or hateful. I'm disgusted. I won't tell you 'I told you so' when he tries to fuck you." He later added, "Do yourself a favor: find some friends in the black/latino/LGBT+ communities tonight. They're going to need your help — possibly protection."

LIMP BIZKIT guitarist Wes Borland wrote, "Ashamed to be an American."

Kid Rock congratulated Trump with a video of the reality TV star's rallies set to his song "American Bad Ass".

ALL THAT REMAINS singer Philip Labonte, who leans conservative, wrote, "It's literally idiocracy."

Ex-JANE'S ADDICTION bassist Eric Avery wrote, "America...you have demonstrated all your ignorance, gullibility and stupidity."

SIXX:A.M. guitarist DJ Ashba tweeted, "Congratulations to our 45th president... make America great again!"

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.

While many rock artists had been against Trump, artists like STAIND's Aaron Lewis, Kid Rock and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's Zoltan Bathory had thrown their support behind the real estate magnate, who has no previous governing experience.

Vivian Campbell has once again dismissed comparisons between LAST IN LINE and DIO DISCIPLES, saying that "no one" in the latter band was part of the original DIO lineup.

The current DEF LEPPARD guitarist, along with drummer Vinny Appice and bassist Jimmy Bain, was part of DIO's first incarnation, which reunited in 2012 alongside singer Andrew Freeman to form LAST IN LINE.

When LAST IN LINE formed, the intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

Asked in a new interview with Andrew Catania of AllThatShreds.com if DIO DISCIPLES — which is made up of former members of DIO, along with a rotating lineup of singers, including former JUDAS PRIEST frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens — is a more "official" tribute project than LAST IN LINE because it is fully supported by Ronnie's widow/manager, Wendy, Vivian said: " Well, I know that it's more official if Wendy Dio manages that band or the original DIO band put a real band together.

"When we started doing the LAST IN LINE project, I had to go to extremes sometimes to sort of explain to people the difference between us and the DIO DISCIPLES. DIO DISCIPLES are a tribute band. No one in that band was part of the original DIO band — no one! Not one person. Where on LAST IN LINE, you had 75 percent of the original DIO band.

"People were referring to us as a tribute band. You cannot be a tribute band if you are the original band, obviously. Andrew Freeman is not Ronnie. So it's not the original DIO band, which is why we didn't call it DIO, obviously."

He continued: "It's technically incorrect to refer to LAST IN LINE as a tribute band. We cannot be a tribute band because we are the original DIO members. The band superseded all that. Once we started writing and recording music, it became something very, very different."

LAST IN LINE takes its name from the second DIO album released in 1984. Appice, Bain and Campbell were Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "The Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — the records that defined the classic early DIO sound and have gone on to become part of rock history.

In addition to Owens, Oni Logan (LYNCH MOB) and Joe Retta (SWEET, HEAVEN & EARTH) on vocals, DIO DISCIPLES features former DIO members Simon Wright on drums, Craig Goldy on guitar and Scott Warren on keyboards. They are joined by Bjorn Englen (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) on bass.

Goldy recently fired back at Campbell for saying that DIO DISCIPLES has "zero credibility" as a Ronnie James Dio tribute project, telling Sleaze Roxx: "It's just unfortunate that Vivian has continued to say vile things about Ronnie and us. I mean, I was in DIO with Vinny and I'm in another band with him [RESURRECTION KINGS]. Just like with any family, there's always one that holds onto a grudge forever. He's [Vivian] nice to my face. I don't know if he says bad things behind my back. I don't recall him saying anything vile about me."

He added: "I wish he'd just say 'I'm sorry.' Maybe something happened behind closed doors that Vivian finds unforgivable. I just find that just so hard to believe. I don't know what happened between the two of them [Ronnie and Vivian], but maybe [Vivian] stepped over some boundaries and felt the heat. He got called on it and was let go."

Vivian told BigMusicGeek.com that he didn't know about DIO DISCIPLES' existence until 2012, almost two years after the band first started playing shows as a tribute to Ronnie. "It was around the time that [LAST IN LINE] got together to jam that I had first heard of the DIO DISCIPLES," the guitarist said. "I wasn't even aware of them. It was actually Vinny who told me. I couldn't believe that these guys were going out and playing songs that we actually wrote with Ronnie. I thought, 'Well, if they're doing it, then why shouldn't we do it?' With us, there is a legitimacy to what were doing, ya know? I doubt that there is a real legitimacy in the DIO DISCIPLES."

DIO DISCIPLES is billed as a "celebration of the music and legacy of the greatest singer in the world, Ronnie James Dio." The band also notes that "we could NEVER replace Ronnie and that is NOT our intention. There will only ever be one Ronnie James Dio!"

During an April 2011 appearance on the "All Hail Hair" show on Fightin' Words Radio, Vinny Appice was asked what he thought of DIO DISCIPLES going out on the road and paying tribute to Ronnie James Dio. "I think it's disgusting," he said. "I mean, why are they even doing it? Plus, [Ronnie has] not even been passed away for a year. And, you know… It's kind of… I don't know. It's kind of weird, man. It's weird."

Vinny later had a change of heart and ended up playing a number of shows with DIO DISCIPLES, including in March of this year in Glendale, California.

In an interview with BackstageAxxess.com, Vinny stated about his involvement with DIO DISCIPLES: "Just because I said it was disgusting at one point, now it's all over Blabbermouth. 'To Vinny Appice, it's not disgusting anymore.' The problem was they did it a couple of months after Ronnie passed, and then I thought it was awful; it wasn't the right time. Now they can do whatever they want; it's cool. It was just that, at the moment, it didn't seem like the best time to do it."

Asked by "Totally Driven Radio" what Wendy Dio's reaction has been to LAST IN LINE, Vinny responded: "Well, she's not involved in this in any way, shape or form. I don't know… I haven't really talked to her and asked what she thought. So she's not involved in this. I don't really know what she thinks about it. She probably hates it. I don't know. But you know? We're out there pushing everything — pushing the old songs, then keeping everything alive too. So you can't knock that."

Campbell told Billboard that Wendy has nothing to do with, and no love for, LAST IN LINE. "Vinny still has occasional contact with her," Campbell said, "and when we first started doing this project, she said something along the lines of, 'Ronnie would be spinning in his grave.' So there you go."

DIO DISCIPLES performing DIO's "Holy Diver":


LAST IN LINE performing DIO's "Holy Diver":


DIO DISCIPLES:



LAST IN LINE:

BraveWords scribe Carl Begai recently spoke with Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen about the band's forthcoming live DVD, Vehicle Of Spirit, and during their conversation she discussed working with Evergrey on the their new album, The Storm Within. Following is an excerpt from the story.

“Hannes (Van Dahl / fiancé, Sabatn drummer) played in Evergrey (2010 – 2013) and I got to know Tom and the guys and Tom’s wife, and we became friends. In that sense, doing ‘In Orbit’ was a case of friends working together because I have this history of liking the band so much. That brought something really special in because I could sing with a band that I’ve always listened to. Hannes also told me that I’m the first guest singer on an Evergrey album that’s not a member of the Englund family (laughs). It’s always been Tom’s wife that has sung on the Evergrey albums, and now his daughter as well, so that’s pretty damn cool. It’s an honour to be able to do that.”

Go to this location for the complete story. Watch for the BraveWords Nightwish feature to surface soon.

After touring for a year and a half throughout almost every corner of the world and leaving fans of all nationalities breathless, the time has come for Nightwish to immortalize their Endless Forms Most Beautiful tour on DVD. Therefore, the symphonic metal visionaries are set to release their new live milestone Vehicle Of Spirit on December 9th, featuring not only two full concerts, but also plenty of bonus material. Pre-order various formats here.

“Alpenglow” from the upcoming release can be seen below:

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

Sold out arenas and spectacular shows with never before seen pyro effects, wind machines, video screens and of course Nightwish's incomparable melodies are the elements that made their latest tour so unique. Special highlights for the band have been two particular shows though:

The one in London, where they not only played their hymns such as 'Élan' and the majestic 'The Greatest Show On Earth' to more than 12,000 fans, but also welcomed the world famous scientist Richard Dawkins live on stage with them. Richard Dawkins´ works had a massive impact on the thematical orientation of their latest studio album Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Finland's Tampere show however was a home run for the band and never before Nightwish had such an immense stage production with them:

"I would say the main part of the DVD are those two shows, both Wembley and Tampere. Wembley is mentioned first due to its recognizability and legendary status. I remember the show being very special, both a goal achieved, and a starting point. The crowd was heartwarming. The presence of Richard Dawkins on stage was just mind-blowing. The overall experience was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill ride! The show in Ratina Stadion, Tampere, was a home crowd specialty (for 4/6th of the band) with the biggest stage production we've ever had. A lovely atmosphere throughout the concert, with many same faces in the front row as there were 15 years ago. Heartfelt."

When it comes to the fine artwork of the DVD, Nightwish decided to walk different paths this time and come up with a little alternative idea, as Tuomas explains:

"We didn't want to include a traditional band shot for the cover, as on the previous DVD release Showtime, Storytime. So we started brainstorming on different options and the idea of a classic silent movie era Hollywood visuals quickly came up. With those classic slogans the cover has a little tongue-in-cheek-touch to it, but it's still classy and eye catching in its simplicity and originality."

Watch “Shudder Before The Beautiful” from the upcoming release:

In a new interview with KaaosTV, vocalist Floor Jansen discusses the upcoming release:

METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo was recently interviewed by Mistress Carrie of the Worcester/Boston, Massachusetts radio station WAAF. You can now listen to the chat below.

Speaking about the response to songs that have already been released from METALLICA's upcoming album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", Robert said: "I think whenever you're releasing something new and testing it out in the universe, in the world, you would hope that people embrace what you've done creatively. So we always feel good when people like what we do, and if they don't, we get over it; we have to. But it seems like already, with the three songs that have been released, there's been really, really good, positive feedback and they're digging the vibe, so it makes us happy."

In other news, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield was asked in a new interview with TeamRock what he thinks late bassist Cliff Burton might have thought about the drastic changes in its look and sound that METALLICA made through the 1990s and early 2000s with albums like "Load", "Reload" and "St. Anger". Hetfield replied: "Well, I certainly would have thought there would have been some resistance, for sure. I think the 'Black Album' was a great album and I appreciate the fact that we did have the balls to do that… I would certainly think that the 'Load' and 'Reload' [era], I would have had an ally that was very against it all — the reinvention or the U2 version of METALLICA."

Asked if Hetfield was personally comfortable with the more "alternative" image and music METALLICA made on those albums, the singer/guitarist replied: "No, no, not at all. There’s some great, great songs on there but my opinion is that all of the imagery and stuff like that was not necessary. And the amount of songs that were written was… it diluted the potency of the poison of METALLICA. And I think Cliff would have agreed with that."

Following the "Load"/"Reload" albums and tour, METALLICA went into a tailspin that resulted in the exit of bassist Jason Newsted, Hetfield spending the better part of a year in rehab and the band nearly splitting up.

About the album that emerged from that period, 2003's "St. Anger", Hetfield said, "It's more of a statement than an album… Sonically, it sounds fragmented, which is exactly where we were at the point. But in that fragmentation, it brought us together. So it was a very necessary piece of the puzzle to get us where we are today."

Hetfield told The Pulse Of Radio a while back about one aspect of "St. Anger" that always bothered him. "Well, my hindsight is somewhat similar to what it was in the studio, which is I feel the songs were a little too long, and I wish they weren't that long," he said. "But, you know, live, when we play them, we can always shorten them."

METALLICA returned to a heavier style more reminiscent of its early albums on 2008's "Death Magnetic", while its new disc, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", arrives next week.

Finnish theatrical metal newcomers Lost In Grey, have shied away from the public eye thus far. Founded back in 2013, the sextet - led by frontman Harri Koskela - entrenched themselves over the course of the last few years to create their debut album, The Grey Realms, due March 3rd, 2017, via NoiseArt. Now a pair of preview trailers have been released:

Lost In Grey states: "Greetings all thee! Previously we presented the cast. Before proceeding, let us take a look at the past. This is a glance behind the curtains, to rarities behind the scenes. Turn up the volume, and hear more than mere whispers from The Grey Realms."
 

Southern Lord is preparing to unleash a torrent of tumultuous filth, having signed Ohio-based Crypt Rot - formed by several current / former members of Homewrecker -- for the release of their Embryonic Devils debut in early 2017. The album's "Chapters Of Torment" has been issued for early streaming, and can be heard at this location.

Having written and recorded five original songs within a months' time, Crypt Rot captured these terrorizing, filth-laden death anthems on their Embryonic Devils debut, with each track led by a death-aura segue. For the recording sessions, the band enlisted Bill Korecky at the Mars Compound (Integrity, Ringworm, Homewrecker); the collaboration with Korecky lead to a well-polished, high-gain sound that grasps elements of many genres and crushes its listeners with its ferocity. Upon completion, the album was passed along, ultimately leading to the signing with Southern Lord.

Embryonic Devils is finalized for February / March release; a final street date, pressing details, preorders, and more will be made available shortly.

Catch Crypt Rot live:

November
18 - 1830 W. 8th St. - Ashtabula, OH
25 - The Foundry - Cleveland, OH
26 - Gooski's - Pittsburgh, PA

December
17 - Regent Theater - Los Angeles, CA

 

Malta-based brutal death metal horde Beheaded will release their fifth full-length next year via Unique Leader Records. Entitled Beast Incarnate, the infernal, eight-track production draws upon the brutal and melodic approach to 2012's Never To Dawn offering.

Welcoming drummer Davide Billia and guitarist Simone Brigo to the fold, the album seethes with the band's self-proclaimed Mediterranean brand of brutality belting out caustic vocals, punishing riff and crushing drum sequences. Recorded at MKII Recording Studio in Italy and mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström (Teadeat, Bone Gnawer, Aeon) at Enhanced Audio Productions in Sweden, Beast Incarnate comes shrouded in the cover art of Gabriel Alegria Sabogal, and stretches the boundaries of Beheaded's signature sound to meet new extremes.

Comments the band: "The driving force behind Beast Incarnate was to create a milestone for Mediterranean death metal by cementing and defining the essence of Beheaded's signature sound drawing inspiration from the different facets of the band's twenty-five years of existence and pushing boundaries to take it to new extremes. Beast Incarnate can be considered the pinnacle of the band's history, echoing the eerie old school melodies and blasphemous poetry of the 1998 album Perpetual Mockery infused with technical elements of the 2005 Ominous Bloodline making this album an indisputable successor to Never To Dawn. The Horror breathes and The Beast is among us." 

Beheaded's Beast Incarnate will be released on January 27th, 2017 via Unique Leader Records with preorder options to be announced in the weeks to come. In the meantime check out second cut, "The Horror Breathes" via the audio player below.

The Horror Breathes by Beheaded

Beast Incarnate tracklisting:

"Beast Incarnate"
"The Horror Breathes"
"Crossing The House Of Knives"
"Reign Of The Headless King"
"The Black Death"
"Cursed Mediterranean"
"Fid-dlam ta' dejjem"
"Punishment Of The Grave"

 

 

Hanging Garden’s new EP, Hereafter, is now available on CD digipak and digital via Lifeforce Records. A music video for the title track can be found below.

The fourth album of the Finns - Blackout/Whiteout – was released a year ago. Since then, the band engaged in reflecting its own musical progression in order to find new approaches for further development. In doing so, Hanging Garden are well-supported by prominent vocalists such as Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow The Sun), Alexander Högbom (October Tide, Centinex, Volturyon), and Victor Wegeborn (The Moth Gatherer).

With changing the context and adding guest singers, the atmospheric sound of the Finns further gains in importance and emotional impression. Dark and light moments – it is both in there. Hereafter runs through Hanging Garden's career, but also gives an idea of what the future of this open-minded and adventurous band will sound like.

Tracklisting:

“Penumbra” feat. Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow The Sun)
“Sirkle Of Onan” feat. Victor Wegeborn (The Moth Gatherer)
“Hereafter”
“Where The Tides Collide” feat. Alexander Högbom (October Tide, Centinex)
“Towards The Sun” feat. Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow The Sun)

“Hereafter” video:

“Sirkle Of Onan” lyric video:

“Penumbra” lyric video:

Teaser:

Following a massive wave of momentum after the release of their single back in March, metalcore outfit Curses has announced their signing with Imminence Records.

In partnership with the announcement the band has also released their new single, entitled “The Abandoned”, that will be featured on the new album, Chapter I: Introspect, to be released January 27th. Watch a lyric video below:

The band hits the road on Sunday for their new tour that takes them throughout the Midwest and west the rest of this month.

"We're excited to see what the future holds for our relationship with Imminence Records and we couldn't be happier to be on board. We'd also like to thank our fans, close friends, our management team at Defiled, and anyone else who has supported us thus far. 2017 promises to be a banger!" - Guitarist Davey Nicewander

Amaranthe is currently on a European tour in support of their new album, Maximalism, with Smash Into Pieces vocalist Chris Adams stepping in during Jake E.’s absence. Footage of the band performing “Dynamite” last night (November 9th) in Barcelona, Spain at Razzmatazz can be seen below:

Amaranthe vocalist Jake E. recently checked in to announce that he's taking a break from the band. Following is his message to the fans:

"It’s been seven long, extremely pleasant, instructive and exciting years. During this time we have reached an almost unimaginable success with the band. I now feel that the time is right to take a break from touring and pursuit things I wanted to do for a long time. For how long I'll be gone is hard to say at this point. I wanna send the biggest gratitude to all the fans out there that has been supporting us through all the years, and I will see you soon again!"

Watch Jake's new official website here for updates.

Amaranthe kicked off their European tour on October 25th in Hamburg, Germany and fan-filmed video from the show is available below. The tour finishes on November 20th in Vienna, Austria. Sonic Syndicate and Smash Into Pieces guest on all shows. US and UK tour dates will be revealed shortly.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Maximize"
"Boomerang"
"Call Out My Name"
"That Song"
"Fury"
"Hunger"
- drum solo -
"On the Rocks"
"Trinity"
"True"
"Automatic"
"Amaranthine"
"Invincible"
"The Nexus"
"Endlessly"
"Dynamite"
"Digital World"
"Drop Dead Cynical"

Tour dates:

November
10 - Madrid, Spain - Arena
12 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
13 - Graz, Austria - Explosiv
14 - Prague, Czech Republic - Meet Factory
15 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
16 - München, Germany - Backstage
17 - Milano, Italy - Milan Live Club
19 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Majestic Music Club
20 - Vienna, Austria - Simm City

My Kingdom Music has announced the signing of one of the most eclectic realities of the European avantgarde metal scene: they are Lethe, the project behind which the visionary Tor-Helge Skei (Manes, Manii) and the hugely talented Anna Murphy (Cellar Darling, ex-Eluveitie) paint melancholic, introspective and ethereal musical landscapes.

Their new album, titled The First Corpse On The Moon, will show us a band destined to leave a sign in the scene. It will be out via My Kingdom Music on February 24th, and it will be a musical journey that the same Tor-Helge defines a "snapshot in time".

Updates to follow.

Progressive metal band Oni recently released their heavy-hitting single, "Barn Burner", and today you can watch superhuman Xylosynth player Johnny D shred through the track - with two mallets in each hand!

Johnny D explains the design and sound of his unique instrument: "Everyone is always asking me at our shows, "what the hell is a Xylosynth", so I'm glad that our fans can finally see the instrument demonstrated clearly. It's definitely built and played like a xylophone, but it's essentially a traditional synthesizer which allows me to play with a wide range of sound options. Everything from solo/lead parts to more textured stuff, like when I'm riffing with the guitars. This "Barn Burner" video is a really good example of what I bring to the table in Oni.”

“Barn Burner” is the lead track from Oni’s new album, Ironshore, out on Black Friday, November 25th, via Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records. Pre-orders here.

Blacklight Media is a new label launched this past February by Chris Santos, executive chef and managing partner of the New York City restaurants Vandal, The Stanton Social and Beauty & Essex, in partnership with Metal Blade Records CEO/founder Brian Slagel. Santos states, "One of the things that I think will make Blacklight Media a label to watch for years to come is the diversity of our roster. Oni is our first crushingly heavy signing that matches their heaviness with incredible progressive precision and classically brutal breakdowns. I'm very excited to have them as part of the Blacklight Media family!"

Vocalist Jake Oni adds, "We are excited to announce our signing with Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records. It is an honor to be on the same roster as so many amazing bands. With the support of this legendary label at our side, the world is ours!"

Featuring the already-buzzing single "Eternal Recurrence", an uncompromising anthem that upon release gave metal fans an early look at Oni's undeniable technical talent, Ironshore takes listeners on an absorbing ride that provides ample opportunity for head-banging, singing along and deep introspection. Watch the official music video for the track below.

Tracklisting:

“Barn Burner”
“Eternal Recurrence”
“The Only Cure”
“The Science”
“Spawn And Feed”
“Chasing Ecstasy”
“Kanvas”
“Thrive”
“Coast To Coast”

“Barn Burner” lyric video:

“Eternal Recurrence” video:

Formed in 2014, the initial vision for Oni was, "to be the band I never got to see", explains Jake Oni. With their influences rooted in progressive metal, Oni's sound can be compared to the genre's heavy hitters - The Human Abstract, Protest The Hero and Between The Buried And Me - yet they remain truly unique. With Jake Oni handling vocal duties, Martin Andres and Brandon White on guitar, Chase Bryant on bass and Joe Greulich on drums, they are also perhaps the first metal band to feature a Xylo-synth player, in the form of Johnny D, which adds an intriguing dynamic to the nine tracks found on Ironshore.

Oni will join the I Worship Chaos Tour lineup, beginning November 23rd and featuring headliners Children of Bodom and fellow special guests Abbath and Exmortus (the latter of which they will perform five off dates with prior).

Oni tour dates can be found here.

Hard rock all-stars, Klee Project, have released a video for the acoustic version of their song “If You Want”. The song is featured on the band’s debut album, The Long Way, out now via Memorial Records.

Klee Project is an "all-star band" that was created from an idea of Roberto Sterpetti (a known Italian vocalist) and backing vocalist/lyricist Enrico "Erk" Scutti (ex-Cheope, ex-Figure Of Six). Other names include Marco Sfogli (Pfm, James La Brie) on guitars, Lorenzo Poli (Vasco Rossi, Nek) on bass, and Antonio Aronne (Pavic, Figure Of Six). All accompanied by a symphony orchestra conducted by Francesco Santucci, with the collaboration of Tina Guo (Foo Fighters, Cirque Du Soleil, John Legend) on the cello.

Recorded at the Memphis Recording studio in Rome by Gabriele Ravaglia (Fear Studio) arranged by Francesco Altare and mastered by Riccardo Parenti, The Long Way was released on October 28th. The tracks are a combination of southern rock and contemporary alternative metal, moving from 80's electro pop to symphonic music, always maintaining a strong live vibe and a mixture of energy and melody that transports you from the first to the final note.

The album encloses a mixture of emotions that each individual has experienced once in life. In this symmetry between music and emotions,we can be transported on the journey of the Klee project. Watch the video for "Everybody Knows" below.

The Long Way tracklisting:

“Everybody Knows”
“Southern Boy”
“The Long Way”
“If You Want”
“The Prisoner”
“Hereafter”
“Time Is Over”
“Your Sacrifice”
“Close To Me”
“You Should Be Mine”
“This Game”
“Lucrezia's Night”
“Lucrezia's Night” (Reprise)

“Everybody Knows” video:

Arkadius Antonik (SuidAkra, Fall Of Carthage) and artwork artist Kris Verwimp (Marduk, Manegarm, Thyrfing, Arkona) will release their second album, Second Age, via MDD Records in December.

The album includes 18 tracks with a running time of 44 minutes and tell the story of the second age of Odoric. Due to the study and completion of Arkadius at the Audiocaution Academy, the compositions are much more mature than ever before. For the first time in the history of the project, the recordings were realized with the participation of many guest musicians from all over the world.

Today on you can view and listen to the opener, "Odoric Overture“, played by the Brandenburg State Orchestra:

Pre-orders for this incredible package will be available until December 24th. In addition to the CD Audio, this contains an 80-page book in A4 with great illustrations by Kris Verwimp. Also in the package: a 28x28cm aluminium plate with high quality print of the cover design, 8 beer coasters with a two-sided design, a notepad with score design and a exclusive online access to additional material such as download content of videos, a making off and more.

An overview of the origin of the recordings, various graphic designs, work sketches and more can be seen on the Facebook page of the project.

Hevidence will release their debut album, Nobody’s Fault, on December 2nd. The album track “I Want More” is streaming below.

Hevidence is the brainchild of Italian guitar player Diego Reali, founding member of prog metal masters DGM. After he left the band in 2006, he started dabbling in some different musical styles, but his heart called for him to get back to metal. Thus Hevidence were born and Diego joined up with DGM bass player Andrea Arcangeli, singer Corrado Quoiani and drummer Emiliano Bonini.

"This band is highly inspired by the classic hard and heavy sounds from the '70s and '80s, that's why we worked hard to make this album sound the most vintage that was possible,” says Diego. “We are convinced that a huge dose of improvisation during the recording sessions is needed for the success of an original product. Everyone of us has many different musical influences and they came out in a very spontaneous way within the song writing process, we just believe in the word "ROCK"!”

Hevidence offer a mature and personal vision of hard rock and metal with a style reminiscent of the classic Official Yngwie Malmsteen albums mixed with power metal and melodic hard rock influences (think early Europe). An EPK where you can learn more about the band and hear song samples is streaming below.

The band will be launching the album with a special Release Party show in Roma at the Jailbreak LiveClub on December 1st. More info here.

Nobody’s Fault tracklisting:

“Dig In The Night”
“Nobody' Fault”
“Miracle”
“So Unkind”
“Ave Maria”
“Overdrive”
“I Want More”
“Out Of This Time”
“Pack Your Bags”
“All I Ever Needed”
“Note”

“I Want More”:

“Miracle”:

“Dig In The Night” video:

EPK:

Hevidence is:

Corrado Quoiani - Vocals
Diego Reali - Guitars
Andrea Arcangeli - Bass
Emiliano Bonini - Drums

Dario Mollo’s Crossbones will release their new album, Rock The Cradle, on December 2nd. The album track, “Take Me High”, is available for streaming below.

Best known for his partnerships in the The Cage with Tony Martin (ex-Black Sabbath) and Voodoo Hill with Glenn Hughes (Black Country Communion, Deep Purple, California Breed), Italian guitarist Dario Mollo began his career in 1981 with the band Crossbones. With them, he released his first studio album in 1989, which was produced by Kit Woolven (Thin Lizzy Official, Magnum and UFO, among others) before getting involved in the production side of things himself.

For this new Crossbones album, the Italian axeman brought back original drummer, Ezio Secomandi with the lineup completed by his regular collaborator Dario Patti on bass and keyboards. The choice for the singer was Carl Sentance (Nazareth, Don Airey Band, Persian Risk, Krokus), who came at the suggestion of Don Airey of Deep Purple, during a recent visit to Dario’s home.

“I think this record has a strong identity and character,” says Dario. “It is a mature production and the songs range on many styles of hard rock and classic heavy metal, but every song has a catchy chorus. I also think this album shows how much I liked working with Carl. He is easily one of the best singers I have ever worked with. I am certain our cooperation will not end with this CD!”

Rock The Cradle tracklisting:

“Red”
“Take Me High”
“Navigation”
“Rock The Cradle”
“Gates Of Time”
“I Got This Feeling”
“In My Blood”
“Running From The Shadow”
“Speed”
“Fright”

“Take Me High”:

“Red”:

"Rock The Cradle" video: