Swedish melodic metallers HAMMERFALL will release their tenth studio album, "Built To Last", on November 4 via Austria's Napalm Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Bring It!02. Hammer High03. The Sacred Vow04. Dethrone And Defy05. Twilight Princess06. Stormbreaker07. Built To Last08. The Star Of Home09. New Breed10. Second To None

Check out the cover artwork below.

In a December 2015 interview with Spark TV, HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak spoke about whether it's "easier" for the band to write new music after 2014's "(r)Evolution" album. He said: "No, it's not easier. '(r)Evolution' was quite easy, because it's been a while, so we had a lot of inspiration that was dying to come out, Whereas now, I find it hard… For me, I always want to be removed from the live situation when I write songs, and it's very difficult when you know that in three weeks you're gonna go out on tour again."

He continued: "I don't think I would be able to do it if I was like I was when I was younger, but now I plan ahead much more. I have to. It's what Joacim [Cans, vocals] has always done, but I've never really cared about it because I didn't have to. But now I have a family and everything I have to take care of, so I think about things like that."

"(r)Evolution" sold around 1,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

HAMMERFALL will embark on a European tour in early 2017. The trek, dubbed "Built To Tour", will kick off on January 12 in Bremen, Germany.

"It's been a hectic time juggling the remaining shows of the tour with songwriting and, ultimately, recording, so the name of this venture feels very fitting," said Dronjak. "The 'World Wide (r)Evolution' was a resounding success on every level with half of the shows sold out, and we can't wait to get back on stage again to have a gigantic heavy metal party every night with all our Templar friends!"

Canadian hard rockers KOBRA AND THE LOTUS have signed a worldwide deal with Napalm Records. The band's fourth album, "Prevail I + II", will be released as two separate volumes. The first part will be made available in February 2017, with the second part to follow in October 2017. But don't worry, you won't have to wait that long to hear new material from KOBRA AND THE LOTUS, as they will be releasing a new single very soon. "We are delighted to announce this signing today. KOBRA AND THE LOTUS are one of the most exciting new bands in this genre", says Napalm Records managing director Thomas Caser. KOBRA AND THE LOTUS added: "It is with great pleasure and humility that we can finally announce our signing to Napalm Records!! We've been working very hard on creating our upcoming albums, 'Prevail I' and 'Prevail II', and believe there couldn't have been a better partnership to help us bring this massive double record undertaking to the world. Get ready for lots of new music and the best sonic evolution of KOBRA AND THE LOTUS to date. We can't wait to see you all out there!!" Check out a special video message from frontwoman Kobra Paige below. KOBRA AND THE LOTUS will take to the road this fall in Europe alongside labelmates DELAIN. Fans can expect to hear a mix of KOBRA AND THE LOTUS classics and new songs from "Prevail I + II".

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS last year released an EP featuring cover songs by great Canadian artists like RUSH, TRIUMPH and APRIL WINE. "Words Of The Prophets" was produced by the Grammy-nominated Johnny K (MEGADETH, DISTURBED, THREE DOORS DOWN).

Frontiers Music Srl will release SEVENTH WONDER's first live album, "Welcome To Atlanta Live 2014", on September 23.

The official audio of the song "Welcome To Mercy Falls", taken from "Welcome To Atlanta Live 2014", can be streamed below. One of the major draws of the fifteenth edition of ProgPower USA, that was the opportunity to get to see Sweden's finest progressive metal band, SEVENTH WONDER perform their signature album "Mercy Falls" in its entirety. And judging by the crowd's reaction on that night, it was obvious that the fans had been waiting for this for a long time. Not content, the band played again the following day to a crowd of gold badge-holders and VIPs, including singer Tommy Karevik's mates from his other band KAMELOT, and performed a bunch of songs from other albums which were not played the night before. All in all it was a genuine and raw performance and this live album sums up very well all the best material included in SEVENTH WONDER's acclaimed first four albums and lets you know what to expect in terms of direction of new material to come. In fact, the band decided to round out this amazing release with two studio tracks. One is the awesome "Inner Enemy", already available on YouTube. The other song, "The Promise", is an epic track of almost ten minutes in length which highlights the multifaceted talents of this band. Bass player Andreas Blomqvist says: "It has been a dream of mine for many, many years to be able to record and release a solid live product.

"Fans of music such as ours usually enjoy watching live performances, as the musicianship is often very much in focus.

"'Mercy Falls' was the perfect album to bring to the live setting, but we just never had a chance to pull it off before. Finally the stars aligned, and we made it happen. As icing on the cake, Frontiers stepped in to release it for us, which we are delighted about. We are very happy with the way it turned out, and the mix is nothing short of amazing!

"I am thrilled to be able to bring you guys this release and thankful that Frontiers chooses to prioritize this release right away, so that the fans starved for SEVENTH WONDER releases at last gets something solid to sink their teeth into while waiting for the upcoming studio album!" This album aptly closes the first chapter of the band's history and works as a tasty appetizer for the new studio album planned for release in early 2017. "Welcome To Atlanta Live 2014" will be available in two physical configurations: a two-DVD set and a very special, limited-edition deluxe digibook containing two CDs and two DVDs.

Final track listing (CD version is only available in the deluxe edition 2CD/2DVD): DVD1 - "Mercy Falls Live"

01. A New Beginning02. There And Back (Overture)03. Welcome To Mercy Falls04. Unbreakable05. Tears For A Father06. A Day Away07. Tears For A Son08. Paradise09. Fall In Line10. Break The Silence11. Hide And Seek12. Destiny Calls13. One Last Goodbye14. Back In Time15. The Black Parade16. Encore: Inner Enemy DVD2 - Bonus Tracks

01. Taint The Sky02. Banish The Wicked03. Alley Cat04. Walking Tall05. The Edge Of My Blade06. King Of Whitewater07. Seventh Wonder Odyssey CD1 - "Mercy Falls Live" (deluxe edition only)

01. A New Beginning02. There And Back (Overture)03. Welcome To Mercy Falls04. Unbreakable05. Tears For A Father06. A Day Away07. Tears For A Son08. Paradise09. Fall In Line10. Break The Silence11. Hide And Seek12. Destiny Calls13. One Last Goodbye14. Back In Time15. The Black Parade CD2 - Bonus Tracks (deluxe edition only)

01. Taint The Sky02. Banish The Wicked03. Alley Cat04. Walking Tall05. The Edge Of My Blade06. King Of Whitewater07. Seventh Wonder Odyssey08. Inner Enemy (new studio track)09. The Promise (new studio track)

SEVENTH WONDER is:

Vocals: Tommy KarevikBass: Andreas BlomqvistGuitar: Johan LiefvendahlKeys: Andreas SöderinDrums: Stefan Norgren

Over 75,000 fans were rocked at the Wacken Open Air music festival in Germany this past weekend as the late Ronnie James Dio reunited with his bandmates via hologram. The surprise performance took place at the end of DIO DISCIPLES' set to close the world's largest annual live heavy metal event. DIO DISCIPLES features members of the DIO band, which last performed with Ronnie in 2008 before he passed away two years later, leaving a void in the rock community. Eyellusion, a hologram entertainment company focused on the live music market, created the hologram and produced the groundbreaking performance.

The official, high-quality video footage of the Ronnie James Dio hologram — which took place during a performance of the song "We Rock" — can be seen below. Almost one year in the making, Eyellusion's Ronnie James Dio production represents the world's first rock hologram performance and the first time a hologram has been accompanied by a live band in a traditional concert setting. The Wacken Open Air festival marked the debut of the Ronnie James Dio hologram, which features the singer's actual live vocals and will be toured globally in 2017, with further details to be announced. "When I first experienced the full production of Ronnie performing with his band as a hologram, I couldn't believe my eyes and ears," said Wendy Dio, who manages DIO DISCIPLES and is also a member of the Eyellusion team, supporting industry relations. "With Eyellusion, we have been able to get Ronnie back up on stage where he belongs, ensuring that his music and memory live on. I want Ronnie's fans around the world to share this experience." "We know how much the fans miss Ronnie and the special and unequaled element that he brought to his live performances," said Craig Goldy, lead guitarist for DIO DISCIPLES. "Being able to recreate that same kind of magic for his fans at Wacken was incredible. For so many years Ronnie always invested big in his live shows as his way to give back to the fans, and that is exactly what we aimed to do with this latest performance. We can't wait to bring this experience to even more of his fans and perhaps even a newer generation when we bring this incredible live experience on the road next year."

"At first I did not know what to think or to expect. But after I got over the initial surprise, it felt like Ronnie was still with us. It was wonderful, sad and emotional," stated David James of California, a fan present for the performance at Wacken Open Air.

"I have watched quite a few hologram clips online and nothing can compare to the performance here tonight at Wacken — this was the most realistic of all. Amazing! Ronnie James Dio and metal will live forever," added Anna Lorenz, a 25-year-old fan from Germany, also in attendance. "Eyellusion is creating the best hologram content and live music productions for a completely new concert experience," said Jeff Pezzuti, CEO of Eyellusion. "We're taking every step to capture the excitement and energy that comes from seeing your favorite band perform live. That means when the lights go down in the venue, the amps are loud, the band sounds great and the pyro is blinding. We are creating an entirely new way for fans to experience their favorite music." Touring remains a viable revenue stream for many artists as music industry business models continue to evolve. However, it is not always financially or physically feasible to get to every market where there is demand. Further, massive loyal fan bases still exist for artists that are no longer able to tour or that can only do a set number of dates within a year. Eyellusion is expanding touring opportunities for emerging and established acts alike. In addition to unique shows based around digital recreations of artists, Eyellusion can stream live holographic performances of one show to many locations, opening global possibilities to play new markets and venues. "The economics of making music are changing, with tours being more important than ever," said Wendy Dio. "For artists who have been blessed with legions of fans around the world, the question is how to continue meeting the demand for your music. At the same time, newer acts are thinking about how to build a following and reach more people. Today, all artists need to find new, modern ways to connect with fans and Eyellusion is supporting those efforts." Eyellusion's hologram and live production focus spans a range of genres, including rock, country, pop, EDM and more. Key team members include Wendy Dio, who supports industry relations, veteran rock manager Todd Singerman and Pat DiNizio of THE SMITHEREENS, who support artist relations, and Kenny Aronoff, world-renowned live and studio drummer, who supports business development and technical live production efforts. Chad Finnerty at Digital Frontier FX is Eyellusion's exclusive content creation partner, working directly with clients to help bring every project vision to the live stage. Legendary Hollywood digital effects executive Scott Ross advises Eyellusion on overall content production. "Holograms represent a major opportunity for live music and fan engagement, but they have to be done right," said Pezzuti. "We believe we've cracked the code on delivering the highest quality hologram-based events, creating the ultimate live music experience that keeps fans coming back. The Eyellusion team's unmatched production capabilities and deep music industry ties bring crucial industry knowledge to our collaboration with artists as we work toward a shared vision of creating unforgettable shows. We can't wait to see music fans everywhere on the road."

Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE will shortly commence work on their first new material since 2015's "Venom" album.

Bassist Jamie Mathias told ARTE Concert at last weekend's Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany (see video below): "I think the plan is, at the end of this month, we're gonna have a couple of days in the studio writing and recording."

Guitarist Michael "Padge" Paget explained that BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's quick return to the studio was part of a strategy "to keep the momentum of the band and to sort of bring a bit more focus back [on] our winter tour and just see what comes out. So hopefully it'll be happy days."

He added: "I think we're hoping [the session will result in] two [new tracks], but if not, it'll just be one song."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE recently signed a worldwide deal with Search And Destroy/Spinefarm Records.

"Venom" was released in August 2015 via RCA. The CD marked BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE 's first release since the departure of longtime bassist Jason James and addition of Mathias (formerly of REVOKER).

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas took a temporary leave of absence from the band earlier this year to spend time with his wife, as they awaited the birth of his first child. He has since been replaced on the road by Jason Bowld (PITCHSHIFTER, AXEWOUND).

Zakk Wylde and Dario Lorina recently stopped by the HardDrive Radio studios to perform the song "Yesterday's Tears" from Zakk's "Book Of Shadows II" album. Check out the footage below.

Wylde is currently touring in support of "Book Of Shadows II". Wylde is hitting over 40 cities spread out across the U.S. and Canada this summer including a performance at Heavy Montreal festival in Montreal this past Sunday, August 7, a first for him as a solo artist.

"Book Of Shadows II" was released on April 8 via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music). Zakk's first solo release in 20 years is the follow-up to 1996's "Book Of Shadows", a classic album Wylde released between his work with Ozzy Osbourne that has since become a fan favorite.

"When we're doing the heavy stuff, which we love doing during a normal BLACK LABEL mass [concert], we'll still do some mellow stuff in the middle of the show, whether we do 'In This River' and other things, but then it's back to the heavy stuff," he told Billboard. "Once you get your fill of that, then you're like, 'I want to do some mellow stuff,' and then vice versa. Because I'm sure after we tour this record, it's going to be like, 'Man, I can't wait to do the heavy stuff.' So I really dig doing it. As much as I love listening to ZEPPELIN doing 'Black Dog', I also love them doing 'Going To California'."

2016 marks the last time BLACK SABBATH will be on tour, and likely the last time the band will be fully active in its current incarnation. So there’s no better time for the legendary band's entire history to be fully documented with the new book "The Complete History Of Black Sabbath: What Evil Lurks" by music journalist and author Joel McIver (published October 15, 2016, Race Point Publishing).

Formed in Birmingham, U.K. in 1968, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and singer Ozzy Osbourne, author Joel McIver explores the complete history of SABBATH from the band's early years experimenting with new sounds and laying the groundwork for an entirely new music genre, to Ozzy's dismissal in 1979 after years battling alcohol and drug abuse. "The Complete History Of Black Sabbath" also covers in-depth the years with Ronnie James Dio, the myriad of line-up changes after Dio's departure, Ozzy's re-entry into the band in the '90s, through their last tour in 2016.

"The Complete History Of Black Sabbath: What Evil Lurks" also features a foreword by Robb Flynn of MACHINE HEAD, as well as a four-page gatefold family tree that documents each member’s path to BLACK SABBATH and their various side and solo projects and bands. There's nearly 200 images in all, including photos from this year’s tour as well as a complete discography,. The book is a must-have for both the life-long BLACK SABBATH and newcomers to the legendary band.

About the author: Joel McIver is the bestselling author of "Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica", which has been translated into nine languages. He has written for Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, and he is the occasional guest on BBC. He is currently the editor of Bass Guitar magazine. Classic Rock magazine has called him "by some distance Britain's most prolific hard rock/metal author." He wrote the official biography of the world's biggest death metal band, CANNIBAL CORPSE and co-wrote the bio of MEGADETH bass player David Ellefson.

Brazilian metallers ALMAH led by ex-Angra singer Edu Falaschi are proud to announce that the brand new album entitled E.V.O will be released on September 23th worldwide via Pride & Joy Music (EU), Test Your Metal (US/MX/CA) and King Records (Japan).

E.V.O is the 5th studio album of ALMAH, it was recorded in São Paulo, Brazil at IMF studios by Tito Falaschi and mixed and mastered by Damien Rainaud (Fear Factory, Dragonforce, Baby Metal, etc) at Mix Unlimited in Los Angeles, California/USA. It is a concept album and the main idea is based on evolution of people’s mind and soul during so-called AGE OF AQUARIUS - the new era that the world is about to live. The author of the concept, Edu Falaschi, touches different subjects connected to the main idea, creating very positive lyrics and the whole album’s atmosphere.

Musically E.V.O brings a fresh and powerful sound with typical modern and heavy Almah’s touch but this time one will be able to realize that it also has a direct connection with the ANGRA’s “Rebirth” (the first Angra’s album with Edu's voice). The compositions are pleasant travel between the modern power metal, contemporary rock and prog metal. The vocal lines on E.V.O are very powerful, classic and the voice has a higher pitch comparing to the previous Almah’s records. It’s very melodic, clean and into the bel canto style.

Track list
01. Age of Aquarius
02. Speranza
03. The Brotherhood
04. Innocence
05. Higher
06. Infatuated
07. Pleased to Meet You
08. Final Warning
09. Indigo
10. Corporate War
11. Capital Punishment

Almah is:
Edu Falaschi – vocals
Marcelo Barbosa – guitars
Raphael Dafras – bass
Diogo Mafra – guitars
Pedro Tinello - drums

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet was interviewed for the latest episode of the "Talking Metal" podcast. You can now listen to the chat using the Spreaker widget below.

Asked if he has been following the U.S. presidential race, Sweet said: "In the past few weeks, not as much, but prior to that, I was really staying up on everything, watching all the debates and everything going on.

"It's crazy. It's kind of sad that we really don't have, in both candidates, someone that we can trust or really get behind like we should. There's major flaws with both. And when you're running for president of the United States, you shouldn't have too many flaws. And it's just crazy to me. It's a little concerning to see where we're at as a country. I don't know that I've, in my lifetime, seen as much division in the country; there's just so much division right now."

STRYPER's "To Hell With The Devil" 30th-anniversary world tour, which will kick off this fall, will feature all four original members, complete with the original yellow-and-black costumes.

Sweet's seventh solo album, "One Sided War", will be released on August 26 via Rat Pak Records. Backing Michael on the record are WHITESNAKE guitarist Joel Hoekstra, EVANESCENCE drummer Will Hunt, bassist John O'Boyle and East Coast shred-master Ethan Brosh.

Classic power metal quartet Sacred Oath have announced that both their eponymous comeback Sacred Oath (2009) and their live album “Till Death Do Us Part” (2008) will be rereleased throughout Europe on August 19th through Caroline.

Sacred Oath will be available in both a standard and deluxe format.  The standard issue has ten songs packaged in a jewel case, and the deluxe contains four bonus tracks in a triple-gatefold with 16 page lyric booklet.  Both formats are only available in Europe.  The live album Till Death Do Us Part was recorded in 2007 at the Keep It True Festival in Germany during the band’s last European tour and was an iTunes Top 10 live metal album when it was originally released.

“It’s great to see real metal is alive and well and that we’re still a part of it,” says Sacred Oath drummer Kenny Evans, who has played with the band since 1986.  “Even a small thing like this is a big reward.  Those two albums were important for us.”

Sacred Oath (standard and deluxe) features original artwork from Ioannis and the photography of Mark Weiss.  “I always thought the self-titled was one of our better albums, and the whole package is a knock-out,” Evans continued.  The video single “Counting Zeros” premiered on Headbanger’s Ball when it was released and marked a high point of the band’s popularity.

Sacred Oath is currently recording their 8th studio album and follow-up to 2015’s Ravensong which was the band’s first worldwide release under the deal with Angel Thorne/ILS/Caroline/Universal.  A release date for that has not been announced yet.

German rockers Bonfire have checked in with an update on the band’s lineup. A band statement follows:

“Because of the sudden departure and separation from David Reece after two very successful charting CDs, Glorious (2015) and Pearls (2016), the place of the lead vocalist and frontman of Bonfire became vacant. Originally Bonfire found a new shouter in Michael Bormann, however, prior obligations kept him from starting his duties with Bonfire until mid-October, 2016.

“A so-called "transition singer”, Alexx Stahl (Master Of Disguise, Roxxcalibur) spontaneously offered his help so Bonfire were able to play the agreed 16 summer events. Alexx StahlL uses this time and concerts in order to sing himself into the hearts of the fans and the band members. That he is a great musician, Bonfire knew, but that it would also function as human friendly and makes so much fun to work with him to act and to travel, that was already a pleasant surprise. Alexx is a real gentleman!

“Therefore, the musicians around band founder Hans Ziller decided to undertake Alexx permanently as the new Bonfire singer.

“Our big thank you goes to Michael Bormann - who is certainly an absolutly exceptional singer, and this he has been proved for years in various projects - for his willingness to enter into Bonfire and also for his understanding to our final decision and wish him for his future musical path only the very best. And we all mean that honestly!!”

A new Bonfire CD is expected in March / April 2017. Stay tuned for updates.

Alpha Omega Management has announced the worldwide signing of the US hard rockers Stonebreed to its roster.

Comments the band:

"Stonebreed is extremely happy to join forces with Alpha Omega Management, we feel this is the right time and the right opportunity to sign with this company and look forward to working with them to get us to the next level. Time to get busy."

Alpha Omega Management adds:

"We're glad to welcome Stonebreed to our family! These guys know how to rock the stages, they are not afraid to face new challenges and are more than ready for new frontiers! Stay tuned!"

Stonebreed recently signed with Rock Avenue Records Usa and is set to record a new full-length CD with legendary producer Bill Metoyer (Metal Blade Records, Alpha Omega) in the winter of 2016. Just back from a successful tour of Texas hitting Dallas, San Angelo, Austin and Houston, the band is heading to the North West United states in September for a few shows in Boise with Autograph and an appearance at the Snake River Festival with Puddle Of Mudd in Burley Idaho as well as a stop in Pocattelo Idaho and Las Vegas. In October the band embarks on the road to Farm Rock tour with shows in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska ending up in Des Moines on October 22nd to perform at Farm Rock Iowa 2016 Festival.

North Carolina drone/experimental project, Horseback, will release the new album, Dead Ringers, on August 12th via Relapse on CD/2LP/Digital. Physical pre-order packages are available via Relapse.com here; digital pre-orders can be found via the band's Bandcamp page here. A full album stream can be found below.

Dead Ringers, Horseback's newest full-length album, is a lush, heady, and singular blend of organic and synthetic textures. The new LP sees the one-man Chapel Hill, North Carolina experimental project continuing to evolve while staying true to their distinctive sound. Written, produced, engineered, and mixed by Jenks Miller, Dead Ringers finds Horseback weaving a bright web of drone, Krautrock, shoegaze, metal, and psychedelic elements, driven by wispy guitars, synths, beats, and clean vocals, and bolstered by dense layers of hypnotic resonance. The music is heavy yet light, stretching across eight tracks (including one mammoth 17 minute epic). Taking influence from the doomiest grooves and the nuance of minimal electronics, Dead Ringers is the most cohesive representation of Horseback's musical vision to date.

Dead Ringers tracklisting:

“Modern Pull”
“Shape Of The One Thing”
“A Bolt From Blue”
“The Cord Itself”
“Lion Killer”
“In Another Time, In And Out Of Form”
“Larkspur”
“Descended From The Crown”

Album stream:

Pallbearer have released a 3-song EP, titled Fear And Fury, available now via digital download with a limited vinyl version to follow on October 21st from Profound Lore Records. The vinyl version will be presented in a beautifully packaged circular die-cut jacket with art and design by Johan G. Winther and inner-sleeve artwork by Michael Lierly.

The EP’s three songs include a remastered version of the band’s titular 2015 single “Fear And Fury” and cover versions of Black Sabbath’s “Over And Over” and Type O Negative’s “Love You To Death”. The vinyl itself will have the three tracks on Side A and an etching on Side B and is available for pre-order now in all of its limited colors, along with a digital release which is available now as well.

Pallbearer is an American colossus, rooted in doom metal but shaping their own musical paradigm unfettered by the confines of genre. Initially formed in Little Rock, AR by Joseph D Rowland (bass) and Brett Campbell (vocals / guitars) and later Joined by Devin Holt (guitar), the line up was solidified by the addition of Mark Lierly (drums) after the recording of their debut LP. That album, 2012’s Sorrow and Extinction, captured the primal heaviness of the band’s live show but expanded beyond a reliance on pure volume. It wavers beautifully between subdued introspection and towering aural force.

2014’s Foundations Of Burden built on the groundwork of their debut, evoking a complex melodic consciousness, each song imbued with a weight of devastating melancholy. Produced and mixed by Billy Anderson (Sleep, Agalloch, Red House Painters), the album saw Pallbearer forging it’s own brilliantly desolate path, seeking balance at the very threshold of an unforgiving void.

Pallbearer are currently working on their third full-length LP, and will be on tour in August and September alongside Baroness - see all tour dates below and look for more news from Pallbearer coming soon.

Tour dates:

August
11 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter**
12 - Washington, DC - The Howard Theater
13 - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street Ballroom
14 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
15 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie**
16 - Providence, RI - Fete Ballroom
17 - Buffalo, NY - Waiting Room
19 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues
20 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews
21 - Chicago, IL - The Metro
23 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
24 - Lawrence, KS - The Granada Theater
25 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge**
26 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
27 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Crescent
29 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill**
30 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory Northpark
31 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock

September
2 - Dallas, TZ - Granada Theater
3 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theatre
4 - Baton Rouge, LA - The Varsity Theater
6 - Orlando, FL - The Beachum Theater
7 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater
9 - Charleston, SC - The Music Farm
10 - Asheville, NC - The Mothlight**

** - Pallbearer Only

Melodic death metal outfit Allegaeon will be releasing their fourth full-length this fall; today, the band has revealed details for this album, entitled Proponent For Sentience. Produced by Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation), Proponent For Sentience is a musically complex, intelligent, and absorbing concept record that can rightfully sit alongside the true greats of the medium. With a lyrical arc rooted in science-fiction yet uncomfortably encroaching upon the reality of the present, it captures the Fort Collins, Colorado natives at their most ambitious and accomplished, pushing the boundaries even further than on their three previous critically acclaimed full-lengths.

Due out September 23rd via Metal Blade Records, Proponent For Sentience can be pre-ordered now at this location. A playthrough video for the new track, "Proponent For Sentience III - The Extermination", featuring guest appearances by Soilwork's Bjorn "Speed" Strid (vocals) and Scar Symmetry/ex-Bloodshot Dawn's Benjamin Ellis (guitar) can be found below.

Proponent For Sentience tracklisting:

“Proponent For Sentience I - The Conception”
“All Hail Science”
“From Nothing”
“Gray Matter Mechanics - Apassionata Ex Machinea”
“Of Mind And Matrix”
“Proponent For Sentience II - The Algorithm”
“Demons Of An Intricate Design”
“Terrathaw And The Quake”
“Cognitive Computations”
“The Arbiters”
“Proponent For Sentience III - The Extermination”
“Subdivisions”

“Proponent For Sentience III - The Extermination” playthrough video:

"Gray Matter Mechanics - Appassionata Ex Machinea” can be heard via the widget below:

Proponent for Sentience by Allegaeon

"Appassionata Ex Machinea" acoustic:

Format details:

- CD
- 180g Black 2LP
- Marbled Violet 2LP (limited)

* Exclusive t-shirts, plus a special collector's bundle (8-string Legator guitar + CD + 2LP + t-shirt + t-shirt) are also available now

In support of Proponent For Sentience, Allegaeon will join Max & Iggor Cavalera Return To Roots, The Black Dahlia Murder, Combichrist, All Hail The Yeti, and Oni for a North American tour this September/October.

Tour dates:

September
12 - Las Vegas, NV - LVCS
13 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
15 - Nashville, TN - Exit / In
16 - Louisville, KY - Diamond Concert Hall
17 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
19 - Knoxville, TN - The Concourse
20 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theater
22 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
24 - San Bernardino, CA - Ozzfest Meets Knotfest *

October
10 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks #
11 - Toronto, ON - Opera House #
12 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes #

* - Allegaeon only
# - Max & Iggor Cavalera Return To Roots, The Black Dahlia Murder, Allegaeon only

Allegaeon lineup:

Riley McShane - vocals
Greg Burgess - guitar
Michael Stancel - guitar
Corey Archuleta - bass
Brandon Park - drums

Finnish melodic deathsters, Insomnium, have released a second video trailer for their forthcoming new album, Winter’s Gate, which will be released on September 23rd via Century Media Records. See two trailers below.

The album is built around a short story, Winter’s Gate (Talven portti in Finnish) by vocalist and bassist Niilo Sevänen, which won awards and nominations in Finland back in 2007 and 2008. It’s a story about a group of Vikings who set out to find a fabled island west from Ireland, even though the winter is drawing near.

The full story is released together with the album as a book that has the tale in English, Finnish and German - illustrated by the artist Teemu Tähkänen.

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Insomnium have announced a European tour for early 2017 to support their forthcoming release, Winter’s Gate, a concept album that is made of one epic 40-minute song, which they are going to play in its entirety on this tour.

Frontman Niilo Sevänen comments: ”We are very excited to get back on the road again! Last autumn a serious illness in my family forced us to make some drastic decisions and for example cancel one tour altogether. Since then things have progressed very well and steadily so everything looks a lot better at the moment. We’ve only made festivals and short trips this year but in 2017 we’ll be back on making longer tours all over the world.

“The forthcoming Winter’s Gate album has been mixed by Dan Swanö and it sounds amazing. Playing this 40-minute monster song will be an interesting challenge in a live situation but we can’t wait to do this! This European tour in January will be a rare opportunity for our fans to hear the whole epic song live, so it will be a very special show every night.”

Dates for the Winter’s Gate European Tour 2017 are listed below.

January
11 - Matrix - Bochum, Germany
12 - Colos-Saal - Aschaffenburg, Germany
13 - Biebob - Vosselaar, Belgium
14 - O'Totem - Lyon, France
15 - Le Petit Bain - Paris, France
16 - Rainbow Warehouse - Birmingham, UK
17 - Sound Control - Manchester, UK
18 - O2 Academy Islington - London, UK
19 - Doornroosje - Nijmegen, Netherlands
20 - Gruenspan - Hamburg, Germany
21 - From Hell - Erfurt, Germany
22 - Lido - Berlin, Germany
25 - Im Wizemann - Stuttgart, Germany
26 - Szene - Vienna, Austria
27 - Technikum - Munich, Germany  
28 - Dynamo - Zurich, Switzerland

More tour dates:

August
13 - Brutal Assault - Josefov, Czech Rep
14 - Rockstadt Extreme Fest - Rasnov, Romania
19 - Kaltenbach Open Air - Spital, Austria
20 - Rockstad Falun - Falun, Sweden
27 - 100% Metal Fest - Istanbul, Turkey

September
10 - Metalitalia Festival @ Live Music Club - Trezzo sull'Adda (near Milan), Italy

(Photo - Jussi Ratilainen)

Brutal tech death behemoths Deeds Of Flesh welcome drummer Darren Cesca (Eschaton, Goratory, Pillory, etc.) to the fold. Cesca takes the place of longtime basher Mike Hamilton (Exhumed) who amicably parted ways with the band late last month.  

Offers Deeds Of Flesh in a collective statement: "This was a tough one but we - the band and Mike - all felt it was in the best interest for everyone for us to part ways. By no means are we not still great friends and always will be. It was a great ride and Mike was always there for anyone who needed any kind of help and a killer drummer. We wish him all the best on future projects.

“We are pleased and very excited to announce that Darren Cesca will be featured on the next release on percussion. He is well-known within the drummer community and highly looked up to for his talents. For those of you who do not know Darren, he is a beast behind the drum kit, has a lot to offer to the Deeds Of Flesh sound dynamically and fits perfect with what all our visions are. Darren has composed all the drum patterns from start to finish on all the tracks and is doing an amazing job. We will have more news in the weeks ahead in regards to the new album."

Adds Cesca of the union, "I am excited to announce that I will be working on the new Deeds Of Flesh record and am definitely pumped about the opportunity. I remember back in the day the first time I heard Path Of The Weakening and the sheer brutality and unrelenting style of death metal that came across. Deeds has evolved over the years and It's great where they're at musically in 2016. Their style is even more technical and dynamic now which I think fits perfectly with what I do.

“I’m excited at the chance to collaborate with the band and enhance the music with what I bring to the table. My goal as always is to help be a part of the best album that an artist can put out to date and create a memorable listener experience. I'm looking forward to the challenge and can't wait for everyone to hear what lies ahead!"

Experience Hendrix L.L.C. and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, are releasing Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69, fully documenting the debut performance of Jimi Hendrix’s short-lived but eternally influential Band Of Gypsys on September 30th. The group played four historic concerts at the Fillmore East in New York City – two on New Year’s Eve 1969, and two on New Year’s Day 1970. Never before has the first of these sets been available in its entirety. The vast majority of the performances have never seen the light of day in any configuration.

Listen to “Power Of Soul” from the upcoming release, streaming below.

Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69 was produced by Janie Hendrix, Eddie Kramer and John McDermott, the same team who have overseen all of Jimi Hendrix’s audio and audio visual releases by Experience Hendrix L.L.C. since 1995. Kramer served Jimi Hendrix as his primary recording engineer throughout his lifetime and the newly mixed Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69 from the original 1” 8 track master tapes. The album was mastered by Grammy Award winner Bernie Grundman and will be simultaneously released, on CD, 2 LP 180 gram vinyl, high resolution SACD and digitally.

Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69 marks the first ever Jimi Hendrix SACD and high resolution digital release. Additionally, Experience Hendrix is also releasing People, Hell & Angels on the same day. People, Hell & Angels, a collection of previously unreleased studio recordings, peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album chart in March 2013. The album features studio versions of many of the songs featured on Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69.

Over the course of four extraordinary years, Jimi Hendrix placed his indelible stamp upon popular music with breathtaking velocity.  Measured alongside his triumphs at Monterey Pop and Woodstock, Hendrix’s legendary Fillmore East concerts illustrated a critical turning point in a radiant career which boasted of indefinite possibilities.

The revolutionary impact Jimi Hendrix, Billy Cox, and Buddy Miles had upon the boundaries and definitions of rock, R&B, and funk can be traced to four concerts over the course of two evenings on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. These performances were first celebrated by Band Of Gypsys, which featured six songs from the two January 1, 1970 concerts including “Machine Gun,” the album’s dramatic centerpiece. Issued in April 1970, Band Of Gypsys challenged and surprised the guitarist’s wide following with its extended arrangements and vibrant mix of rock and soul. Nonetheless, the album proved to be a runaway commercial success and sadly, with his death in London in September 1970, would become the last album Jimi Hendrix personally authorized for release.

Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69 documents the first of the group’s four legendary Fillmore East concerts. This set presents an assortment of fresh, exciting new songs such as “Earth Blues,” “Ezy Ryder,” “Stepping Stone,” “Burning Desire,” and “Machine Gun”—none of which had ever before been issued on disc. Moreover, nearly all of the group’s material had never been performed before an audience. “We decided that we couldn’t do any songs that had already been released,” explains Billy Cox. “We wanted to give them something different. So we went at the project in a joyous, creative posture and ultimately developed the repertoire of the Band of Gypsys.”

While promoter Bill Graham had advertised the concerts as ‘Jimi Hendrix: A Band Of Gypsys’, few could have anticipated what Hendrix had in store. “We had two shows New Years Eve and two shows New Years Day,” remembered Cox. “We didn’t know what to expect from the audience and the audience didn’t know what to expect from us, but from the time we hit that first note, they were in awe. You had Jimi Hendrix, a drummer who had been with the Electric Flag and Wilson Pickett, and I was the new kid on the block.”

With the anticipation of the sold out Fillmore audience heightened to fever pitch, Hendrix led his trio through a scintillating, seventy-five minute opening performance. None of the eleven songs presented had yet to grace an Experience album. In the place of signature songs like “Purple Haze” and “All Along The Watchtower” were confident renditions of “Power Of Soul” and “Hear My Train A Comin.’”

Jimi generously extended center stage to Buddy Miles, providing a showcase for “Changes” and a charged rendition of the Howard Tate R&B hit “Stop”. “We had rehearsed “Changes” and a few others for Buddy,” explains Cox. “All of the songs we performed had been rehearsed. We didn’t look at it as Buddy’s part of the show. We were all there to give. We were all there to help and material went on whether it was written by Jimi or not.  Former Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke, who authored this collection’s liner notes, describes “Stop” as being something akin to “a psychedelic power-trio Temptations.” Hendrix’s scalding version of Elmore James’ “Bleeding Heart” is the set’s only other cover, underscoring the new band’s emphasis on the blues.

As the Fillmore audience roared with approval, the Band Of Gypsys left the stage confident that they had validated Jimi’s new music before his loyal followers. “After the gigs were finished, Jimi was quite relieved,” remembers Cox. “We felt the concerts went well. I might add that in previous gigs with the Experience he had used a fuzz face [tone control pedal] and a Wah-Wah pedal, then at Woodstock he used a fuzz face, Wah-Wah pedal and Uni-Vibe, but at the Fillmore East he used a fuzz face, Wah-Wah pedal, Uni-Vibe and Octavia and it was incredible. In fact you could hear all of it kicking in on ‘Machine Gun.’ It was incredible. There were people in the audience with their mouths open.”

“Machine Gun” stands as one of Hendrix’s finest and most influential compositions. Hendrix pushed Delta blues into places its pioneers could not have imagined, fusing his extraordinary instrumental skills within his passionate expression of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. “Machine Gun” endures as a classic amongst the already classic-drenched Jimi Hendrix canon. Fricke notes of this version, the first that Hendrix and company had ever played in concert, “..Here it is, after 46 years, another revelation – a stunning essay in pain, rage and determined survival, fully formed in its initial outing.”

Long sought after by the guitarist’s worldwide following, Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69 presents the complete performance in its original sequence.

Tracklisting:

“Power Of Soul”
“Lover Man”
“Hear My Train A Comin’”
“Changes”
“Izabella”
“Machine Gun”
“Stop”
“Ezy Ryder”
“Bleeding Heart”
“Earth Blues”
“Burning Desire”

“Power Of Soul”:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cry Of Dawn, a new melodic rock/AOR project featuring Göran Edman on all lead vocals, will release their self-titled debut album on September 23rd. A stream of the track “Chance” can be found below.

Over the years, Göran Edman’s unique vocal style has been showcased in numerous genres including neoclassic metal, progressive rock, and AOR, just to name a few. His vocal stylings can be found on records by John Norum, Yngwie Malmsteen, Brazen Abbot, and Glory, among others.

Cry Of Dawn is Goran Edman’s latest musical adventure: a straight ahead AOR / melodic rock album which highlights his amazing vocal abilities on superb songs written especially for him by the likes of Michael Palace (Palace, First Signal, Kryptonite), Steve Newman, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Sören Kronkvist, Daniel Palmqvist and Robert Säll among others.

“It’s been a privilege to work with all  these  good songwriters within the genre of classic  AOR,” tells Goran. “The conformity of the production has a good red line with a straight forward melodic flow as you would expect. Its been a true pleasure performing it. The recording of the album took place in Daniel Flores’ studio for the instrumental part while I did the vocals in my own studio. Personally I am grateful to be a part of this project and look forward to the fans listening to the album”.

The result is a true feast for the ears of all lovers of this music. Picture hints of the likes of Night Ranger, Journey, Bad English and Starship and you'll get a sense of what is in store for you! Hear for yourself with an album sampler, streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“Chance”
“Listen To Me”
“When Right Is Wrong”
“Tell It To My Heart”
“Light A Light”
“Can't Go On”
“Building Towers”
“Hands Around My Heart”
“Life After Love”
“Yearn”
“Tell Me”

“Chance”:

“Listen To Me” lyric video:

Album sampler:

Cry Of Dawn lineup:

Göran Edman - Lead and backing vocals
Michael Palace - Guitars and bass
Sören Kronqvist - Keyboards
Daniel Flores - Drums and keyboards

Swedish metallers Soilwork will release a special collection of rarities under the monicker Death Resonance, out on August 19th via Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-order the album at this location.

The band have released the fourth Inside Death Resonance video trailer, in which singer Björn "Speed" Strid talks about the upcoming collection. See all four trailers below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Soilwork recently released an official visualizer clip for "These Absent Eyes". The song was originally released on the Japan-only EP Beyond The Infinite which featured more songs from the recordings sessions for the band's globally praised double album The Living Infinite.

Commented Björn "Speed" Strid: "Beyond The Infinite consists of some special, quite experimental songs. They might have been cut out from the original album but have a unique charm to them. It wasn't easy to pick the final track list for »The Living Infinite«. It was never obvious which songs wouldn't make it. The writing and recording was highly experimental and playful in general, and it was through this album that we rediscovered ourselves as songwriters, with a new and improved line-up which brought - and will bring - so many interesting things to the table. Originally only released in Japan, it is with great pleasure that we finally share those special songs with you all. Enjoy!"

Watch the lyric video for "Helsinki", created by well known videographer Tommy Antonini, below.

Commented guitarist David Andersson: "Death. It's a word that might be used too often, but it can still be interpreted in a myriad different ways. It's not just the soma being deprived of its life-force; it's also the end of infinity, the birth of new possibilities and the acceptance of inevitable change. This song was written soon after the recording of our live album in Finland, making new friends and making sure that the old ones stay with us forever, despite the fact that everything is finite."

The album artwork was created by Mnemic guitarist Mircea Gabriel Eftemie.

Says Björn 'Speed' Strid: "The cover for Death Resonance is made by Mircea Eftemie and in many ways he has managed to capture what we went through while recording The Ride Majestic: the sorrow, the close encounter with death, the aftermath and also the existential cogitation that came with it. It links those albums together, even though Death Resonance contains unreleased material from 2005 onwards. The cover almost seems like a link between life and death and not only captures where the band is right now, but also where we've been and what lies ahead."

Death Resonance tracklisting:

“Helsinki” (new song)
“Death Resonance” (new song)
“The End Begins Below The Surface” (The Ride Majestic Japan bonus track)
“My Nerves, Your Everyday Tool” (Beyond The Inifite Japan-only EP)
“These Absent Eyes” (Beyond The Inifite Japan-only EP)
“Resisting The Current” (Beyond The Inifite Japan-only EP)
“When Sound Collides” (Beyond The Inifite Japan-only EP)
“Forever Lost In Vain” (Beyond The Inifite Japan-only EP)
“Sweet Demise” (The Panic Broadcast Japan bonus track)
“Sadistic Lullabye” (re-recorded, The Panic Broadcast Japan bonus track)
“Overclocked” (2016 mix, Sworn A Great Divide Japan bonus track)
“Martyr” (2016 mix, Sworn A Great Divide Japan bonus track)
“Sovereign” (2016 mix, Sworn A Great Divide Japan bonus track)
“Wherever Thorns May Grow” (2016 mix, Stabbing The Drama Japan bonus track)
“Killed By Ignition” (2016 mix, Stabbing The Drama Japan bonus track)

 

 

Soilwork will headline the upcoming Fury Tour, featuring support from a heavyweight lineup - Unearth, Wovenwar, Battlecross and Darkness Divided. The Fury Tour will kick-off on October 14th in Providence, RI and hit 26 cities, coming to a close in Toronto, ON on November 16th.

Tickets go on sale nationally starting August 12th and will be available via FuryTour.com, with VIP packages available now through Show Stubs.

Soilwork vocalist Bjorn "Speed" Strid states, "We are very excited to announce our first North American headline run in a while, together with old friends in Unearth and Wovenwar. We are also bringing Battlecross and Darkness Divided, two awesome bands that we are looking forward to get to know a bit better! We have already done two direct support tours in North America, for our latest album with Soulfly and Fear Factory, where we gained a lot of new fans. Now it's time to bring The Ride Majestic World Tour to North America via the Fury Tour in full force with a headline set, featuring songs from our 20 year long career. It's gonna be magical ladies n' gents, don't miss out!"

Unearth vocalist Trevor Phipps states, "The power of the riff is hitting North America by way of the Fury Tour this fall and we couldn't be happier to be part of it.  From the mighty Soilwork, to the thrashers in Battlecross, our brothers in Wovenwar and the young guns in Darkness Divided this tour is stacked top to bottom.  See you out there, North America."

Tour dates:

October
14 - Providence, RI - Fete Music Hall
15 - Stanhope, NJ - Stanhope House
16 - Virginia Beach, VA - Shakas
17 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
18 - Atlanta, GA - The Loft
20 - Ft. Worth, TX - The Rail Club
21 - San Leon, TX - 18th Street Pier Bar and Grill
22 - Austin, TX - Empire Control Room
24 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
26 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
27 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
29 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
30 - Spokane, WA - The Pin

November
1 - Jerome, ID - Diamondz Event Center
2 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Bar
3 - Denver, CO - The Summit Music Hall
5 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar
6 - Louisville, KY - Diamond Pub & Billiards
7 - Kent, OH - The Outpost
9 - Ringle, WI - Q and Z Expo Center
10 - Arlington Heights, IL - Home Bar
11 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Diesel
13 - New York City, NY - The Gramercy Theatre
15 - Ottawa, ON - The Brass Monkey
16 - Toronto, ON - Rockpile West

Soilwork recently confirmed the departure of their longtime drummer Dirk Verbeuren to Megadeth.

Björn "Speed" Strid states: "In regards to the statement Megadeth released confirming that Dirk will join them as their full-time drummer, I just want to take the time to wish Dirk good luck on this new venture and thank him for 12 great years together. Together we have created a beast of a band and have pushed the limits musically further than we ever could have imagined.

"In the recent years, Soilwork have found new ways of expressing ourselves, and as much as of a cliché it is, I strongly believe that this is very much of a new era for us and that we still have so much left to say, whether it being with or without Dirk. This band has grown to be quite a metal collective and an institution that paves the way creatively and we hope that you, the fans, can feel the presence and the heart in our music still to this day. Believe me, it's there.

"I can assure that you will forever get 100% Soilwork, as long as we release albums. We aim to surprise ourselves and the listeners by constantly developing our sound and songwriting, something I believe we have succeeded in doing and yet remained true to our roots. That is something to be proud of and we are. We appreciate all our loyal fans and are excited that so many of you share our musical vision."

While Verbeuren has been playing with Megadeth, The Arcane Order stickman Bastian Thusgaard has been behind the kit for Soilwork.

Strid says, “Meanwhile, I'm sure many of you have seen us at a festival in Europe this summer with our friend Bastian Thusgaard filling in on drums and I'm sure we can all agree on what a monster he is. Thank you, Bastian — you are absolutely killing it. Check out the remaining festival dates and come see us. We'll be there. Thank you."

Dirk Verbeuren has this to say, "They say the biggest decisions in life are the hardest to make. This decision falls under that category. As a drummer I've always enjoyed the evolution of my path. The past twelve years with Soilwork have been incredible, a portion of my life I honor with pride. When I was approached to join Megadeth- a childhood dream come true and something I never anticipated- I was beyond excited to even consider the realm of possibility. But truth be told, I couldn't have rightfully made this step without the support and blessing of my Soilwork family. For that I owe a huge thank you to Bjorn, Sven, David, Sylvain and Markus. You have allowed me to see what lies ahead, and you're my brothers in metal. Chris Adler, thank you for introducing me to Megadeth and for your encouragement and support. Dave, David and Kiko, I'm thankful for your warm welcome and thrilled to perform and create badass music with you guys. To the fans, this is a new chapter for us; I hope we can enjoy this ride together!"

Atmospheric doom metallers, Trees Of Eternity, have released a lyric video for their new track - their first since the tragic loss of lead-singer Aleah Stanbridge - entitled “Broken Mirror". Featuring Fredrik Norrman and Mattias Norrman (ex-Katatonia, October Tide) and Kai Hahto (Wintersun, Swallow The Sun), you can watch the lyric video below.

“Broken Mirror” is featured on their forthcoming album, Hour Of The Nightingale, which will be released November 11 via Svart Records. Album available to pre-order from August 29th.

Hour Of The Nightingale tracklisting:

“My Requiem”
“Eye Of Night”
“Condemned To Silence” (feat. Mick Moss of Antimatter)
“A Million Tears”
“Hour Of The Nightingale”
“The Passage”
“Broken Mirror”
“Black Ocean”
“Sinking Ships”
“Gallows Bird” (feat. Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost)

“Broken Mirror” lyric video:

Says Juha Raivio on behalf of the band: “Today is the day we can start to celebrate the music, lyrics and life of our beautiful Queen who so tragically and suddenly crossed the bridge of stars and left this world so young and so soon... So with tears in my eyes but my heart pounding with a proud, victorious beat I can finally tell you that our long awaited album "Hour Of The Nightingale" will be released worldwide on November 11th through Svart Records and pre-orders start August 29th.

“Here is the first single from the album, "Broken Mirror", with a beautiful and very touching lyric video Vesa Ranta made for the song.

“There really are no words to describe the ultimate weight of the darkness, or the rays of the brightest of light that this album holds within its songs and lyrics. In so many ways this album turned out to be the most important album I've done in my life, and we both loved it from the first note to the last as we wrote it.

“About Aleah... I have never met a person and a musician more connected to the very core of the absolute emotion and the soul of each note and every word she wrote or sang. She wanted her music and lyrics to be 110% honest and truthful, absolutely nothing less would do. Music was her religion and passion, a gateway to her soul and beyond. There will never be another songwriter or voice like hers that can turn the day into the darkest of night, or turn the darkness into blinding light with just one word or a whisper.

“We were very proud to record Hour Of The Nightingale together with our friends, band mates and amazing musicians, Kai Hahto, Mattias and Fredrik Norrman who all played their hearts out on this album. And working with another good friend Jens Bogren producing, recording, mixing and mastering the album were were ready to take this music to the world and play it to you all. Sadly that never happened... But this is the point where we can finally start this long journey and celebrate our Queen and singer Aleah Starbridge whose words and music will live forever on.

“My heart is truly black and broken after the tragic loss of Aleah, but every time hearing her voice in these songs something pierces through the darkness like an flaming arrow. I hope this album will do the same to you no matter what might be shadowing your own path and bring you some solace and peace.

“I want to thank you all for showing so much love towards Aleah after her sudden passing. My friends, this is where her legacy starts, through the voice of an angel at this Hour Of The Nightingale. Bless you all.”

"Mad Dog”, the debut single from Black Oak County, manages to sum up everything that the young Danish hard rockers are all about, in a mere 249 seconds. With plenty of power, aggression, a wall of distorted guitars, and a chorus that’ll stay in your head for days, “Mad Dog” is the perfect example of what’s to be expected of Black Oak County’s upcoming album.

In spite of the band only having been around since 2012, Black Oak County have already managed to make their mark on the local music scene of their hometown of Esbjerg, on the west coast of Denmark. With their energetic live performances, the band landed a supporting spot with the national Danish rock-legends of D-A-D (Disneyland After Dark), got their first endorsement with the world renown pedal manufacturers T-Rex Effects - and in the spring of 2016, Black Oak County signed a record deal with Target Records/Mighty Music. With the label backing the band, Black Oak County are ready to take the nation, and the world, by storm!

Check out the video for ”Mad Dog" below:

Black Oak County will be playing two shows this week: Firstly when opening the big local Made In Esbjerg show on Thursday, August 11th in their home town celebrating local heroes, and secondly the band will be visiting Zeppelin Rock Bar in Vesterbro, Copenhagen on Saturday, August 13th, hosting a release party for the new single and video and playing an acoustic show on the intimate stage.

Black Oak County’s self-titled debut album will be out in January 2017.

Black Oak County lineup:

Niels Beier - Guitar & Vocals
Jack Svendsen - Guitar
René Hjelm - Bass
Mike Svendsen - Drums

(Photo - RaPix.org)

The official video for "Call Me", a brand new song from PAIN, the Swedish metal band led by multi-instrumentalist and producer Peter Tägtgren, can be seen below. The song is taken from PAIN's new album, "Coming Home", which will be released on September 9 through Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2011's "You Only Live Twice" features cover artwork by Stefan Heilemann.

Since the beginning of his career in the early '90s, the Swedish allrounder has enjoyed diving into the extreme and has grown to be an untameable force. But this is exactly what makes him so fascinating. Taboos, creative stagnation, or genre boundaries have never existed in the world of the forty-six-year-old mastermind. And, of course, Peter Tägtgren wandered the same unexplored paths when the time came to forge "Coming Home", the eighth studio release of the industrial institution PAIN. However, the path was long and winding and therefore, the writing process for the follow-up of "You Only Live Twice" wasn't all fun and games, but Peter Tägtgren is well prepared for the fight:

"Sometimes you pull your hair out and lay sleepless all night long, because you can't figure out this one chorus or don't know how to finish a certain song," admits the singer and guitarist."That's just me: When I dive into it, there's no ending in sight. It's a self-destructive mechanism. But I want perfection — or I don't want it at all."

Therefore, it is no wonder, that PAIN delivers a revolutionary mix of styles on this new release — bizarre alternative metal meets electronic melodies — and, in addition, the band weave some spectacular orchestral arrangements into the tracks on "Coming Home", without risking any cheesy moments or overloading the songs. The result is ten highly addictive hymns with massive depth and experimentation. With the orchestrated portions, PAIN entered a new era and seeked assistance from CARACH ANGREN's Clemens "Ardek" Wijers, who added some magical final touches to Tägtgren's bombastic songwriting. But the album also has time to breathe with beautiful acoustic guitar intros appearing hand in hand with stormy moments, showing the band at the zenith of their creativity.

"Coming Home" includes drummer Sebastian Tägtgren, Peter's seventeen-year-old son who delivers an impressive guest appearance on the title track as well as SABATON's Joakim Brodén who joins the team for some typically raw warrior vocals on "Call Me".

But a PAIN release wouldn't be a typical masterpiece without some thought-provoking topics and tales: On the callboy-singalong "Call Me" and "Final Crusade", the band crawls through the deepest corners of society and the human mind, while "Absinthe-Phoenix Rising" is based upon an incident in Leipzig during PAIN's tour with NIGHTWISH, where the band was attacked and beat up after leaving an Absinthe bar. And of course, lovers of mystery and conspiracy theories also get their money's worth with "Black Knight Satellite". "Nikola Tesla, who invented the lightbulb, electricity, and other stuff, thought that he heard beeping sounds from space," Tägtgren elaborates of the track's inspiration, "It was around the year 1899 and it seemed like a message to him, a hidden code. He was the first one to discover it, but in the 1950s, when humans started to go into space, they heard the same noises and found out: There is some signal from a satellite out there… but it isn't ours. And as they started their research, they found out, that people had been talking about this phenomenon for around thirteen-thousand years. The story of this so-called 'Black Knight Satellite' is very fascinating to me. Whether it's true or not, I don't know. But it definitely inspired me to write these lyrics."

PAIN will hit the road for a full European headline tour this autumn. The band will join forces with the German gothic metal outfit THE VISION BLEAK.

Pandora, the go-to music source for fans and artists, announced today it will livestream METALLICA's headlining performance at Minneapolis' new U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday, August 20. The band's performance is the first rock concert at the new home of the Minnesota Vikings and tickets sold out in less than ten minutes. The livestream will begin at 10 p.m. EST on Saturday, Aug. 20. Pandora listeners can tune in the day of and catch it on replay at this location. Individual songs from the concert will also spin on Pandora. METALLICA, who has nearly 2 billion spins on Pandora, also curated an exclusive mixtape in celebration of the show and livestream. The mixtape features songs handpicked by all of the members of the band and features an eclectic mix of all-time favorites and recent discoveries from across the spectrum of music. "We love being invited to the opening party of new buildings, so when the opportunity to break in the new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis presented itself, we of course jumped at the chance," said METALLICA's Lars Ulrich. "Thanks to our friends at Pandora, if you can't make it to Minneapolis, you'll still be able to partake in the festivities." "METALLICA is one of the most successful and influential rock bands in the world. Partnering with them to expand the audience for their live show is a great honor," said Tim Westergren, founder and CEO of Pandora. "It's also another illustration of the power of our platform to connect artists and fans. This is a seminal moment for live music and as a Minneapolis native myself, it's exciting to be part of the opening of the city's beautiful new stadium." This is Pandora's third livestream of a major performance and advances Pandora's mission to help artists grow their careers. Jack White's sold-out show at Madison Square Garden was live streamed to great success and the livestream of MUMFORD AND SONS' sold-out concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion resulted in over a million station adds last year.

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE (formerly BLUE CROSS BAND), the new project from GODSMACK's Shannon Larkin and Tony Rombola, will release its self-titled debut album on August 26 via Provogue.

A song from the CD, "Devil Plays A Strat", can be streamed below.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Evil Is As Evil Does02. Junkie Hell03. Devil Plays A Strat04. I Think Not05. Whiskey In My Coffee06. The Tower07. Crossed Over08. Blues Are Fallin' From The Sky09. Work In Progress10. The Devil In Me11. Blue Cross12. When The Music's Over (bonus track)

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE, whose lineup is rounded out by frontman Ray Cerbone and bassist Brian Carpenter, honors blues traditions, while etching their stamp on the genre in blood. "As far as blues goes, APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE is a little heavier, a little darker, and has some punk rock attitude in the lyrics," affirms Shannon. "We wanted to make something deep that will provoke thought. It had to be evil, though. We're not trying to make it happy. It's called blues for a reason! It was also an opportunity to show the world what a phenomenal guitar player Tony is." Shannon witnessed Tony's knack for the style firsthand while writing together for GODSMACK's 2010 offering "The Oracle". Burnt out on metal and hard rock, the pair would loosely jam without boundaries. During one impromptu session in their Southwest Florida rehearsal spot, the drummer laid down a slow, simmering groove, and another side of the guitar player reared its head. "I couldn't believe it," smiles Shannon. "I didn't even know he was into blues or could play the way he does. My reaction was immediate. We had to officially start a blues band.” Provogue/Mascot Label Group's CEO Ed van Zijl was equally impressed when he heard the band for the first time: "This is a very cool band and they made a very cool record," he says." Melodic and groovin' blues rock with touches of Hendrix and THE DOORS. The whole album sounds very organic and natural, great songs and vibe as if they have been playing together for a long time. I love it!"

Talking about joining the label, Larkin adds: "We looked at Mascot's roster and track record, and made the decision on the spot. We didn't feel we needed to shop the band to any other labels; it just felt too perfect."

While work is underway for Canadian progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD's next studio album, expected for 2017, the band has announced its next split seven-inch EP release, following up the most recent ones with labelmates AT THE GATES and NAPALM DEATH.

In the light of the next European tour pairing, VOIVOD is this time teaming up with ENTOMBED A.D. for a limited-edition split seven-inch EP, featuring their track "Fall" off the "Post Society" EP, which is so far unreleased on vinyl. The release will happen with the start of the tour on October 28, so watch out for further details soon.

VOIVOD continues to tour in support of "Post Society" and has started a first of two comprehensive runs across Europe this week. Their current trip sees the band headlining clubs hows and appearing at selected festivals, while their return in October/November will have them paired up with ENTOMBED A.D. for even more shows.

2013's "Target Earth", VOIVOD's first album of new material written without Piggy's left-over riffs, was almost universally hailed it as a triumphant return to form, a return to the "classic" VOIVOD sound, and the best thing they'd done in years.

The official lyric video for the song "Generation Nevermore" from German thrashers DESTRUCTION can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Under Attack", which was released on May 13 via Nuclear Blast.

DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier states: "Did you ever ask yourself how is it possible that the global population just loves to make cash with killing our planet and our fellowmen and doesn't give a fuck? Where is the wake-up call of our political leaders in charge? Mankind does not really wanna have a look in the mirror 'till it's too late ... and this is an angry thrash song about that sad fact!"

DESTRUCTION started recording "Under Attack" after the summer festivals last year and tracked segments in various studios between September 2015 and January 2016. They completed the drum recordings with Martin Buchwalter at Gernhart Studios in Germany, and mixed and mastered with VO Pulver at Little Creek Studios in Switzerland.

Schmier stated about the making of "Under Attack": "We really took our time for this album. After the summer festivals, we went into the studio every couple of weeks to record brand new songs and ideas in between all the touring activities. We took several studio sessions instead of one long one, to keep the ideas fresh and have time later before the mix to change bits and pieces that we did not like. Maybe this was the most effective writing we did in the last years! Due the fact we had more time in between the albums, there was a lot of musical output and creativity, but also less pressure. From my point of view, you can definitely hear the crispiness in the songwriting and the kick-ass attitude we brought from the shows into the studio. The 'on tour into the studio on tour mode' was so effective that I wanna keep this method for the future!"

The track track listing for the effort is as follows:

Digipack

01. Under Attack02. Generation Nevermore03. Dethroned04. Getting Used To The Evil05. Pathogenic06. Elegant Pigs07. Second To None08. Stand Up For What You Deliver09. Conductor Of The Void10. Stigmatized

Bonus:

11. Black Metal (feat. Alex Camargo of KRISIUN)12. Thrash Attack

2LP

Side A

01. Under Attack02. Generation Nevermore03. Dethroned

Side B

04. Getting Used To The Evil05. Pathogenic06. Elegant Pigs

Side C

07. Second To None08. Stand Up For What You Deliver09. Conductor Of The Void

Side D

10. Stigmatized

Bonus:

11. Black Metal (feat. Alex Camargo of KRISIUN)12. Thrash Attack

Regarding the "Under Attack" artwork, Schmier said: "I had the vision of the exploding earth with the DESTRUCTION skull as continents before we even had the title.

"Never has the earth and every individual been so under attack: whether it’s environmental issues, wars or politics and media madness, we just destroy everything that we love!

"The cover brings together the classical concepts of the band’s history and fits in well with the discography… but, unfortunately, it also represents the current state of the world today!"

Bobby Blotzer's RATT has parted ways with bassist Robbie Crane. He is the second member to exit the band after guitarist Nicholas "Blaze" Baum's departure from the group was announced by Blotzer.

In a Facebook post, Crane says: "As of today, I have resigned my position as the bass player of Bobby Blotzer's band RATT.

"While the events of the past few weeks did play a small role in my decision, I feel like it's time for me move on and focus on the positive things in my life.

"I wish Bobby the best in the future, and thank Warren [DeMartini], Stephen [Pearcy], Robbin [Crosby] and Juan [Croucier] for writing the great songs that afforded me the opportunity to live the dream. Thank you for understanding and supporting me in my decision."

Blotzer earlier in the month hinted at trouble in the RATT camp, telling ClassX Radio: "We are a great band, that's all I can say. I'm so proud of us, you know. But I also wanna see people having their act together on every level. That includes me, too. Nobody's immune from the… from what we've gotta do out there.

"I'm doing all the work behind the scenes, and these cats, all they've gotta do is show up and do their part," he added.

"They'd better grow up real quick here, because there's a lot of sailors out there that would give their leg to go out on this ship."

Blotzer also defended his decision to go out on tour as RATT without any other original members of the band, explaining that fans just want to hear the music performed the way it was recorded on the group's albums.

"No matter what, this band plays so good and does such great integrity to the music of RATT," he told ClassX Radio. "That's why everybody's been hired. The singer just blows Stephen Pearcy out of the water at this day and age. And frankly, [he sounds better than Stephen did] even when we started out."

Blotzer's revamped RATT also includes vocalist Josh Alan (ex-SIN CITY SINNERS) and guitarist Doc Ellis (Jizzy Pearl's LOVE/HATE).