Relapse Records will release Arizona's death metal newcomers Gatecreeper’s debut full-length, Sonoran Depravation, on October 7th on CD/LP/digital formats. The album was recorded at Homewrecker Studios in Tucson, Arizona by Ryan Bram and mixed by Kurt Ballou at Godcity Studios. Check out the album track “Craving Flesh”, streaming below.

Formed in mid-2013 based on their mutual love for bands like Dismember, Entombed, Bolt Thrower and Obituary, Gatecreeper play monstrous, low-end, old-school death metal for a new generation.

Gatecreeper commented on signing with Replase and their new album: "We are very excited to be working with Relapse, a label that we have all been following for many years. It is a dream come true to release our first full-length on such a legendary and trustworthy label."

Tracklisting:

“Craving Flesh”
“Sterilized”
“Desperation”
“Rotting As One”
“Stronghold”
“Patriarchal Grip”
“Lost Forever”
“Flamethrower”
“Grotesque Operations”

“Craving Flesh”:

Gatecreeper lineup:

Sean Mears - Bass
Metal Matt - Drums
Eric Wagner - Guitars
Chase H. Mason - Vocals

Kaaos TV conducted an interview with guitarist Fredrik Åkesson of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH prior to the band's July 30 performance at the Qstock festival in Oulu, Finland. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his role in the songwriting process for OPETH's new album, "Sorceress":

Fredrik: "My role… Mike [guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt] wrote most of the songs, as usual, but we collaborated on one song called 'Strange Brew'. So I was trying to get some ideas in there. I was sitting at my house, recording ideas. And we have a rehearsal room, where we rehearse — it's like a warehouse room with a studio — and Mikael was sitting there, recording lots of demos. And he asked me down on a few occasions to record some guitar solos and get some feedback. It was a pretty quick, focused writing session, I would say. But, once again, Mikael wrote most of it. But we sat down a couple of times and worked on some stuff. There was one we didn't finish as well that we worked on. So it was nice to be involved a little bit.

"I think everybody in the band contributes to the final product with their individual playing a lot. Everybody has a lot of freedom, going into the studio, to add on bass lines and drum fills and stuff like that. Martin Axenrot [drums] and Martín Méndez [bass], they have a lot of freedom to jam out and space out. Mikael makes really good demos, and we're, like, 'Oh, it sounds like an album,' when you listen to it, but then it's nice to hear that the final product takes it to another level."

On whether he sees each OPETH album as a natural progression from the record immediately before it:

Fredrik: "Yeah, I think we would like to… We wish it's like that. That's kind of the goal — to not repeat ourselves, especially for Mike, who writes the majority of the material. [The goal is to] always try to raise the [bar] and do something different from the one before. It's a bit what OPETH is about, I would say. Most of the albums, I think, are very different from each other. But maybe you can say this latest one relates a bit to the previous one, 'Pale Communion', and also 'Heritage'."

On how he would describe the musical direction of "Sorceress":

Fredrik: "I would say this one is a bit more heavy — a bit more progressive hard rock heavy. More direct, maybe, some songs. Some really catchy melodies, if you wanna put it that way. It's a bit more intense, I think, a bit darker and a bit heavier. Not going back to the death metal stuff, really, but still it's… some songs, I think, are the heaviest we've done, if you compare [the last] three albums.

"I think every song is very different from each other on the album. And I think there's a lot of songs, like the first single is gonna be [the] 'Sorceress' [title track]. I'm really looking forward to playing that live. It's a bit different for us; it's detuned and very heavy, chugging heavy. I think it's one of those albums — I've said this before, but I think, again, it's important — with the sequence of the album, you should listen from the top to the end. It's supposed to be like a little journey."

On whether OPETH had a clear direction in mind before beginning the songwriting process for "Sorceress":

Fredrik: "In a way, it turns out the way it turns out, but we talked a lot… In the beginning, Mikael was into doing something more doomy. I guess you can't really project what's gonna happen when you write, but we talked that we wanted it to be a bit heavier, some songs. And I think it is."

On how some OPETH fans still expect the band to incorporate some death metal growling into the new songs:

Fredrik: "We love that type of stuff, and we play it still — sixty percent of the show is from the older stuff, and it's a big part of the OPETH sound. It's not impossible that we'll do some kind of album like that again some day. It depends on Mike and what his vision is and what he feels like doing. So I can understand that. But once again, we're trying to do different albums. We've done nine albums with the growls. But I think still this music relates with the older stuff. There's a lot of similarities, stuff that is a bit similar. Just to put [the growling vocals] in there to satisfy that need would be kind of cheesy; it's not supposed to be there, and then it's gonna sound [forced]. I mean, Mikael screams a bit more on this one, but with the regular voice — it distorts a little bit more. But still, the element, like, more aggressive meets the more softer stuff, that yin and yang kind of thing, as it was before, with the growl and the clean vocals; that was kind of that thing, which is a very important part of the OPETH sound. But I think a lot of OPETH fans are open-minded and they enjoy both types of styles. I would like to think so."

"Sorceress" will be released on September 30 via OPETH's imprint label Moderbolaget Records through Nuclear Blast.

Niclas Müller-Hansen of RockSverige.se recently conducted an interview with SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

RockSverige.se: Where do you see SHINEDOWN ten years from now, with the music industry being what it is?

Zach: I feel like we've gone through a couple of the music changes. I feel like we've already kinda surfed through those waves. It's weird. That question is something I think a lot more about now that I have a child. You have these visions when you're in a band and when you're a father. One of those was always that I want to still be doing this when my kids are old enough to think it's cool. I hope in ten years we're, if not exactly where we are, we're even further. I don't wanna be anything less. I think, even with waves in music, if you like good songs, your fans are gonna stay with you and you'll gain more because maybe they'll teach their kids to like your band or whatever. It's definitely something I think about having a child now. I want my son to be able to come out on tour with me when he's seven or eight. He'll be out with me this summer, but he's only four months old. I definitely want to be still doing what we're doing, because I love what we do.

RockSverige.se: The world has lost Lemmy, David Bowie, Scott Weiland, Jimmy Bain, Prince. Was anyone of those guys a musical hero or someone that inspired you?

Zach: Almost all of them. It was weird that it kinda came in this wave of people. Bowie, that really hurt, as an entertainer. I kinda based a lot of, I think I do, as an entertainer, a lot of what Bowie did. Very much an innovator. Glen Frey hit me more than Bowie. I'm a big EAGLES fan, so that hit me. The Scott Weiland thing was a little bit too close to me. Frey and Bowie are up here. You can't touch those guys. Weiland was a peer. It was someone we played shows with many times. Someone I've met many times, so that's weird. The Prince thing crushed me. That was the biggest blow to everyone in our band. Our intro tonight is Prince. That was like the hardest one. That was kind of a Michael Jackson thing. He was such an innovator and things like that. He had such and influence on a whole generation. Bowie did too, in a different way, but Prince was like… youth… That was everything we do. That one still hurts, man. The Prince thing still hurts today. That's a brutal one, but I think it's just a realization of that we're getting older. When we were kids, we never thought any of these people were ever gonna be gone and now they're gone. It sucks. There are not a lot of people like that anymore and that's the biggest bummer to me. There's not another fucking Prince, man! No one's gonna come out in fucking assless chaps, you know what I mean? And be that badass. You're so badass that you can wear the fucking craziest outfit in the world. There's not a guy that's gonna say, 'Fuck these record labels, I'm gonna be on my own!' Those pioneers of, no pun intended, raging-against-the-machine kinda thing."

Read the entire interview at RockSverige.se.

In a new interview with music writer Joel Gausten, guitarist Izzy Johnson of the all-female metalcore band Conquer Divide discusses the impact the group is having in reversing the scene’s perception of women in bands:
 
“It’s nice when you have people who haven't necessarily heard of us come up to us afterwards and say, ‘I didn’t expect that. I thought you guys were setting up for someone else when you came on stage!’ It’s kind of a nice feeling to prove people wrong a little bit because there is a bit of a stigma still for girls playing Metal music. It’s nice to create a platform for other girls out there who want to play music, and show that’s it’s okay and we can play with the best of them. We’ve had girls come up to us after shows and say, ‘Hey, I want to start a band now! I want to pick up this instrument and play this!’ That’s really rewarding.”
 
Based in the United States and England, Conquer Divide have managed to capture the attention of an ever-growing fan base. Over the past three years, the band have toured with Alesana, Slaves, Iwrestledabearonce, Upon A Burning Body with multiple featured showcases at SXSW. Released in 2015, the group’s self-titled album saw them work with gold record producer/engineer Joey Sturgis (Asking Alexandria, Blessthefall, Of Mice & Men). The release ranked #13 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart.
 
The complete interview is available here.

Conquer Divide released a video for “What’s Left Inside” earlier this year, a track from their self-titled Artery Recordings debut, out now. The new video can be found below.

Tracklisting:

“Sink Your Teeth Into This”
“Self Destruct”
“Eyes Wide Shut”
“Nightmares”
“Lost”
“What’s Left Inside”
“At War”
“Despicable You”
“Heavy Lies The Crown”
“Broken”

“What’s Left Inside” video:

"Sink Your Teeth Into This" featuring Asking Alexandria's Denis Shaforostov:

Conquer Divide are:

Kiarely – vocals
Janel - vocals
Kristen - guitar
Izzy - guitar
Sarah - bass
Tamara - drums

Iconic rocker Glenn Danzig released his latest full-length album, "Skeletons", this past November. Fans are being treated to a special edition 12-inch picture disc that is limited to 1,000 pressings worldwide. Currently, the picture disc can be purchased via the Nuclear Blast webshop but will be available at select retail shops on August 26.

A labor of love that dates back to 1979, "Skeletons" sees Danzig pulling back the curtain behind his influences with a collection of ten covers spanning artists as diverse as Elvis Presley, ZZ TOP, and AEROSMITH to BLACK SABBATH, THE TROGGS, THE EVERLY BROTHERS, and more. Recording intermittently between 2012 and 2015 in Los Angeles, he reveals the bone structure for his own style.

"These are my skeletons," he affirms. "You may or may not know that I dig these songs. You could say that some of this music is the actual basis and skeleton of what I listened to growing up — ultimately informing the kind of music I like. It's the foundation. If you took Elvis and SABBATH out of my life, I probably wouldn't be the Glenn Danzig you know! I'm glad both sides are represented on this record."

Among the tracks, he takes Presley's "Let Yourself Go" from the film "Speedway" and transforms it with a swinging distorted stomp and bluesy vocal crescendo. "I thought it was a song I could do something really cool with," he says. "It's also something that I didn't think anyone would necessarily expect. When you tell them you're going to do an Elvis cover, they expect something they know. Not a lot of people know this one. It's actually on the ''68 Comeback Special', and it's worth going back to."

He also "Danzig-ized" SABBATH's "N.I.B.", beginning with just guitar, vocals, and half-beat drums bolstered by ominous church bells. Meanwhile, AEROSMITH's "Lord Of The Thighs" grows exponentially heavier in his hands with a swell of pinch harmonics and robust riffing.

"People might be surprised I like that second AEROSMITH record, 'Get Your Wings'. There are tracks on there, especially 'Lord Of Your Thighs', that stand out to me. However, if you hear theirs and then you hear ours, ours is much heavier," he grins.

A rousing cover of THE LITTER's "Action Woman" opens a window into his pre-punk and garage roots, while Danzig brings a blast of intensity to ZZ TOP's "Rough Boy", turning it into a metallic freight train. "I always thought it was such a great song," he continues. "I wanted to make it more linear and run all the way through."

THE TROGGS' "A Girl Like You" becomes a punkified juggernaut in his hands with its fuzzed-out guitars, pounding drums and the trademark Danzig sing-a-long choruses.

He captures the rebellious spirit of the sixties outlaw biker films with a punked-out take on "Devil's Angels" from the "Devil's Angels" soundtrack complete with his old school MISFITS Dallas Arbiter Jumbo-Fuzz Pedal. Then, Danzig adds a countrified spark to "Satan" from "Satan's Sadists", which, he assures, "You might be surprised, but I didn't change any of the lyrics. I didn't have to!"

Danzig's interpretation of "Crying In The Rain" from THE EVERLY BROTHERS instantly captivates. Accompanied only by piano, guitar, and tympani, he accomplishes the mission of making it more "ethereal, sparse, dark, and haunting."

Ultimately, "Skeletons" sparks the next phase for Danzig. Helping catalyze his next full-length offering, it's yet another revolution. "I hope people dig it," he leaves off. "I also hope it gives everybody a little bit of insight into the music I listen to and maybe an insight into how I did the songs. If you enjoy it, that's great."

"Skeletons" track listing:

01. Devil's Angels (DAVIE ALLAN & THE ARROWS cover)02. Satan (theme from "Satan's Sadists")03. Let Yourself Go (ELVIS PRESLEY cover)04. N.I.B. (BLACK SABBATH cover)05. Lord Of The Thighs (AEROSMITH cover)06. Action Woman (THE LITTER cover)07. Rough Boy (ZZ TOP cover)08. With A Girl Like You (THE TROGGS cover)09. Find Somebody (THE RASCALS cover)10. Crying In The Rain (THE EVERLY BROTHERS cover)

The "Skeletons" cover artwork, featuring Glenn and model Kayden Kross in "Skullface," can be seen below.

According to Glenn, the full skull makeup which he wore for the first time since his MISFITS days nearly 40 years ago for the "Skeletons" photo shoot was inspired by legendary singer-songwriter David Bowie.

"One of my favorite covers records is David Bowie's 'Pinups' and I wanted to do a take on that and the record is called 'Skeletons' so I decided I'd do the skull face," he told OC Weekly.

Photo credit: Paul Brown

JASON NEWSTED AND THE CHOPHOUSE BAND, the new mostly acoustic project led by former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted, has scheduled the following dates in September:

Sep. 02 - Crystal Bay, NV @ The Crystal Bay Club / Crown RoomSep. 07 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe's AlleySep. 08 - Mill Valley, CA @ Sweetwater Music HallSep. 10 - Napa, CA @ Silo'sSep. 17 - Sebastopol, CA @ Hopmonk Tavern

Fan-filmed video footage of JASON NEWSTED AND THE CHOPHOUSE BAND performing on July 15 at the Red House in Walnut Creek, California can be seen below.

Regarding his decision to embark on this brand new musical journey three decades after he joined METALLICA as the replacement for Cliff Burton, Newsted said during a recent Facebook webcast: "After thirty years of playing heavy music and travelling around the world — I've been around the globe about five and a half times, fifty-five countries — I've already climbed that mountain; there is no more of that mountain to be climbed. So within the accolades that I shared of the group's success — I was one member of that group, something bigger than all of us; and we got Grammy Awards and [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame and all those different things — that's as far as you can go in that kind of music, and it's someone else's turn to have fun in that music now."

He continued: "I can't play like SLIPKNOT now; those guys are heavier and faster than I could ever dream of playing now. So this is how I can play, and this is what I'll do for the rest of time.

"I always wanna play music; I have to have it in my every day, and if I don't, I'll go mad — literally. Anybody that knows me knows that. And so now as I play this, I find myself being able to expose myself to more people. I'd say age four to ninety-four can listen to this music and enjoy it. How can't you like Johnny Cash? How can't you like 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken?' You have to like those songs, American music like that."

Despite the more laid-back musical direction of his new project, Newsted was quick to point out that he still plays metal "all the time. But this project happens to be this style of music," he added. "This happens to be the thing right now that I wanna share with everybody. So it's no different attitude, approach or commitment to this music as it is in metal. It's the same — the commitment to whatever style of music is always the same; I go all the way in — and now it's to the point that I just wanna do it and share it. There's not a big deal about making a bunch of money at it or any of those things, or, 'Hey, look at me here. Check me out,' or competing with anybody else; that no longer exists for me. Whatever happens in our studio now is what we're trying to share with people and anybody that gives a crap. If they wanna come and share it, that's cool. And if they don't, and they only like metal and wanna listen to metal, then peace, and more power to you. I'm doing this, and that's what's good for me. And I hope everybody else decides what's good for them."

Newsted and undisclosed "friends" will play two acoustic benefit concerts for Little Kids Rock, which provides children in economically challenged school districts with instruments and music education. The shows will take place on August 5 and August 6 at Mighty Fine Guitars in Lafayette, California.

Jason in February 2014 canceled an appearance at Australia's Soundwave festival with his NEWSTED project, citing "private and personal circumstances." The cancelation followed more than a year of intense touring and promotional activity surrounding the release of NEWSTED's "Metal" EP and follow-up album, "Heavy Metal Music", both of which were positively received by the critics and fans alike.

In September 2014, Newsted announced that he was no longer on "Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or any other social networking web site" and added that he had "no affiliation with any such impostor sites using his name or likeness unlawfully."

After staying mostly out of the public eye for the past couple of years, Newsted rejoined Canadian metal innovators VOIVOD on stage during their June 8 concert at Slim's in San Francisco, California.

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001 but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009, along with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo.

The animated video for Marilyn Manson and Shooter Jennings's cover version of David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Valenberg and Blake Judd.

The Manson/Jennings version of "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" appears on Shooter's latest album, "Countach (For Giorgio)", which honors Bowie and electronic/disco legend Giorgio Moroder. Moroder produced the original Bowie song for the soundtrack to the 1982 film "Cat People", although Bowie later recut the song for 1983's "Let's Dance" album.

"I invited [Manson] out to a party at this bar, and I said, 'Hey, you know 'Cat People'? You want to do that song on this record, 'cause you'd sound awesome doing it,'" Jennings told Rolling Stone of how the unexpected partnership came about. "And he was, like, 'I sing that song every night before I go onstage. That's my song I warm up to.' So one night I went over to his house at three in the morning and brought all my recording gear."

He added: "What's awesome about Manson is all the people I've worked with who are singers always overanalyze their performance and want to recut shit or use a different take. He's none of that. His house is cavernous and looks like a bordello and it was his voice echoing through the house. It was pretty intense."

Manson recently penned a moving tribute to Bowie, saying: "Every song of his was a way for me to communicate to others. It was a sedative. An arousal. A love letter I could never have written. It has become and remains a soundtrack to a movie he painted with his voice and guitar."

Manson's latest album, "The Pale Emperor", was released in January 2015 via his own label — Hell, etc. — in a joint venture with Cooking Vinyl.

Doug Podell of Detroit's 94.7 WCSX radio station recently conducted an interview with outspoken rocker Ted Nugent. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

Asked if he has been following the presidential race for the last few weeks, Nugent said: "I really, really cherish the fact that I was born in America, but to be an American, you need to earn it, and by earning it, we have to perform our 'We The People' duty. So I'm on top of everything going on out there, the communist Bernie Sanders and the lying felon Hillary Clinton, and certainly the middle-finger boogie by Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. I happen to love those gentlemen. And nobody's perfect, but in a world where the Democrats actually put up a felon and a communist, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump almost look like Michael The Archangel."

A Michigan native who grew up in Palatine, Illinois, Nugent, 67, began his career in 1963 with the psychedelic rock band the AMBOY DUKES before embarking on a successful solo career spanning five decades. His current United States tour is called "Sonic Baptizm 2016".

Nugent is aso known for conservative politics and hunting and outdoor advocacy.

Interview (audio):

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash has recorded a version of Elton John's "Rocket Man" in honor of a Hollywood stuntman's attempt at Evel Knievel's jump across Idaho's Snake River Canyon.

Eddie Braun, who idolized Knievel growing up, will use a steam-powered rocket to launch over the Snake River a few miles down from Twin Falls, Idaho on September 17.

Braun reportedly spent $1.5 million of his own money on the Snake River project and his rocket, which he calls "Evel Spirt." He has also created a Kickstarter campaign to help pay for the effort "to bring this to the masses."

Slash received John's permission to record the new "Rocket Man" version for use as the theme music for the Kickstarter campaign.

Each person who donates to the campaign will receive a download of "Rocket Man" performed by Slash, Myles Kennedy and THE CONSPIRATORS at Sunset Sound Studio in Hollywood.

"I approached the rock icon Slash, who I knew to be an Evel Knievel fan, and asked if he would be interested in being involved with my rocket project," Braun writes on his Kickstarter page. "He gave us the most awesome gift we could ever dream: a theme song!

"Slash got permission from Sir Elton John to re-record his 1972 hit song 'Rocket Man' specifically for our project. Slash suggested we include the song with every reward so every single backer of our Kickstarter campaign gets it. So that's what we're doing!

"I'm so honored to have been given the most epic theme song, by the most epic guitarist of all time!"

Braun, who was a kid when he met Knievel in California after Evel had done a jump, told the Independent Record it took him three years to get through all the bureaucratic red tape, but he has all the necessary paperwork completed and permission from the federal government to make the jump.

"In 1974 Evel left one side of Snake River Canyon," he said. "I hope this time his spirit lands on the other side. How many people get to fulfill a dream of their hero?"

QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton says that controversial Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is his forced choice in the upcoming election.

Asked by SMNNews in a new interview whom he would choose between Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton if the presidential election were held today, Wilton said (see video below): "You know, I'm kind of disappointed in both of 'em, but if I had to choose the leader of the world, I think I'd probably want Trump."

QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre recently spoke to East Valley Tribune about the political themes covered in some of the songs on the band's latest album, 2015's "Condition Hüman". He said: "'Guardian' was a song where I envisioned a guy being hunted by his government. Also, I thought about the enormous amount of money spent on military defense. Honestly, do we really need more weapons? From there, I just kind of tied the two together in my imagination. In many ways, it isn't any more 'scathing' than a song like 'Speak' ['Operation: Mindcrime'] with the lyric, 'Educate the masses, we'll burn the White House down.'"

He continued: "I've read that some people see 'Guardian' as being [a critique] against law enforcement. It's about as 'real' as the fictional story of 'Operation: Mindcrime'. [The lyric] 'Arming police like the military, it's obscene' came to me after seeing news footage (of the unrest) in Ferguson, Missouri. Sure, I suppose I could have said 'extreme' to describe it. But you know what? No, it is obscene."

"Condition Hüman" debuted at No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 14,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

QUEENSRŸCHE will enter the studio in January 2017 to begin workon the follow-up to "Condition Hüman".

Swedish metallers IN FLAMES will release their new concert DVD, "Sounds From The Heart Of Gothenburg", on September 23 via Nuclear Blast.

Nostalgia or a return to their roots has never been an option for the progressive IN FLAMES, but the setlist of this bombastic DVD tears through the band's entire history. With 20 tracks, the show that was recorded on November 7, 2014 at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden reaches a length of one and a half hours, and achieves in capturing the band at their very best, celebrating current hits such as "Through Oblivion", "With Eyes Wide Open" and "Rusted Nail" to a packed arena. But, of course, old-school classics like "Trigger", "Cloud Connected" and the hypnotic closer "Take This Life" are not left out. Prepare for an intense and visually explosive performance in front of ten thousand fans, featuring pyros, circle pits, flying crowdsurfers and IN FLAMES' incomparable riffs. "This DVD is for everyone who was been following our career; we have songs from the early years, the middle years and the new era," states IN FLAMES guitarist Björn Gelotte. "It has to be fun for us to play but also fun for the audience to watch and we try to get a good flow with nice dynamics and different songs."

A performance clip of the song "Everything's Gone", taken from "Sounds From The Heart Of Gothenburg", can be seen below.

IN FLAMES recently signed with Nuclear Blast for all territories excluding North America and Scandinavia.

Formed in 1990, the band is considered one of the forefathers of melodic death metal and the purveyors of the "Gothenburg sound." With eleven studio albums released, countless successful tours around the globe, millions of records sold and a massive fanbase worldwide, IN FLAMES has proven to be an unstoppable force in heavy music. From their 1994 debut, "Lunar Strain", to the most recent CD, "Siren Charms" (2014), the band's intricate twin-guitar attack, melodic vocals and superb arrangements have given them a signature sound that has evolved throughout the years.

"In a way, IN FLAMES and Nuclear Blast share a similar story," said IN FLAMES vocalist Anders Fridén. "Both started in a garage in Europe, both love metal and both have grown a lot bigger over the years. For these reasons, it seemed a natural fit to come back to the place it all started."

"We're enormously happy that IN FLAMES decided to return and trust in us for the second time — Nuclear Blast is their home again from now on. I remember well how their debut album, 'Lunar Strain', inspired me back in the days. I was totally fascinated by their great and absolutely unique blend of death metal with delicate melodies," commented Nuclear Blast CEO Markus Staiger. "One year later, IN FLAMES signed with us and released eight splendid records over the years, including groundbreaking classics such as 'Whoracle', 'Clayman' and 'Reroute To Remain'. IN FLAMES developed all the time, reinvented themselves again and again and enthused fans of various genres with their always innovative sound. We're looking forward to the common future with Anders, Björn, Peter and Niclas."

IN FLAMES has been working on a new studio album, the details of which have not yet been announced.

IN FLAMES last year inked a new management deal with Tenth Street Entertainment, which also looks after MÖTLEY CRÜE and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, among others.

"Siren Charms" sold around 9,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 26 on The Billboard 200 chart.

IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced last fall that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life. He said in a statement: "It's hard to leave what have become my second family, but now it's time for me to take care and spend more time with the most important people in my life — my wife and my three daughters."

IN FLAMES has not yet named a replacement for Svensson.

IN FLAMES is:

Anders Fridén - VocalsBjörn Gelotte - GuitarPeter Iwers - BassNiclas Engelin - Guitar

"Meat Hook", the new video from former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, can be seen below. The song, which features a guest appearance by Jørgen Munkeby of the acclaimed "blackjazz" act SHINING, is taken from Friedman's latest solo album, "Inferno", which was released in May 2014 via Prosthetic Records (except in Japan, where the album was made available through Universal Music).

"Inferno" was recorded primarily in Los Angeles with engineer Chris Rakestraw (DANZIG, CHILDREN OF BODOM) and mixed by Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH) — features what Friedman recently told Guitar World is "the most intense writing and playing I can do." The album also includes notable guest appearances by several artists influenced by Friedman, including CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho, SKYHARBOR mastermind Keshav Dhar and David Davidson, as well as Friedman's first songwriting collaboration with Jason Becker since the pair played together in CACOPHONY, the pioneering duo of guitar mayhem.

In an interview with Metal Discovery, Friedman stated about "Inferno": "I wanted to do a really unique album and not just having guests on it, but guests that write songs. Not just guest solos because everybody does that; I wanted the guests to have real commitment. And I wanted the guests… it's kinda selfish, but I wanted guests that really have openly admitted that they like my music and been influenced by me and stuff.

"I remember Michael Schenker asked me to join him on a project once and I remember how I felt because I was his fan, of course… I wanted to give three thousand percent. So I wanted to get that reaction out of other people who are really good, and that was the concept."

Regarding the "Meat Hook" video, Friedman told Billboard.com: "'Meat Hook' was one of the few times that a guitar riff shot a vivid image into my mind as I was writing it. That's pretty rare, so I kept that concept of the image I had in mind when it came time to make a video. It was the image of all these massive slabs of meat on hooks, kind of like in the movie 'Rocky'… No idea why the image came to me. Maybe it's because the actual guitar riff is quite aggressive, and when you play it you really feel the stamina of your muscles going at full throttle. If a guitar riff could be physical or 'animalistic,' the main riff in 'Meat Hook' could be described that way."

"Musically, the tune is kinda gory, and there are a lot of tension-and-release moments in it," continued Friedman. "That's like the concept of meat, in the way that slaughtering anything is grotesque and reprehensible, but once the thing is killed, then it gets all dressed up and pampered and seasoned, so when you are eating it, it can be blissful. Kind of a strange turn of events, isn't it?"

"Time To Rise", the new video from WESTFIELD MASSACRE, the Los Angeles-based band featuring former DIVINE HERESY and SNOT singer Tommy Vext, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Stephen Steelman of Brigantine Films.

"Time To Rise" is taken from WESTFIELD MASSACRE's self-titled debut album, which was released on April 29 via Urban Yeti Records. The CD was recorded at Echelon Studios with producer Joseph McQueen.

Regarding WESTFIELD MASSACRE's musical direction, Vext said: "There's definitely a traditional American metal vibe, but we blend power metal, melodic death metal, metalcore all together to get an original flavor to our sound."

Commenting on his choice of joining forces with an independent label like Urban Yeti, Vext said: "Signing with Urban Yeti has been an exciting experience. I try to go by a few rules in life. One of which is to go where the love is. I shared my vision with them and they were excited about it."

He added: "Urban Yeti has really amazing ideas and approaches to getting our music out to an audience that will understand and support it. They are thinking outside the box. I want to be a part of that kind of thinking."

WESTFIELD MASSACRE in 2014 released a video for the song "Darkness Divides". At the time, the band's lineup included former DIVINE HERESY and MORBID ANGEL drummer Tim Yeung alongside guitarists Bill Hudson and Rick Di Marco.

Regarding how WESTFIELD MASSACRE came up with its name, Vext told Metal Injection: "The WESTFIELD MASSACRE is a name I had come up with for a graphic novel idea. Coincidentally it turned out to also be the name of an episode of 'American Horror Story'. In their episode, Westfield High is the stage for a school shooting."

The band will head back out on the road for a series dates starting August 4 in Pomona, California.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE's current lineup:

Stephen Brewer - GuitarIra Black - GuitarDio Britto - DrumsTommy Vext - VocalsErik Tisinger - Bass

Multi-national metallers DRAGONFORCE enlisted the help of Norwegian singer Per Fredrik Åsly, also known as PelleK, to front the band for their appearances this past weekend at the MetalDays (July 29 in Tolmin, Slovenia) and Benátská! (July 30 in Liberec, Czech Republic) festivals. Åsly was filling in for regular DRAGONFORCE vocalist Marc Hudson, who was forced to miss the dates due to "health problems/issues."

Norwegian actor, composer and singer PelleK is best known in the rock and metal scene for his phenomenal vocal range which spans four octaves. In his native Norway, he has one of the world's biggest rock/metal channels on YouTube, with an impressive 200 million views and 1.6 million subscribers. He has also sung on video game soundtracks for Square Enix ("Final Fantasy", "Kingdom Hearts"), Riot Games ("League Of Legends") and has written songs for games like "Path Of Exile" and "Jelly Realms".

Fan-filmed video footage of DRAGONFORCE performing with Per Fredrik Åsly at Benátská! can be seen below.

DRAGONFORCE recently began recording the follow-up to 2014's "Maximum Overload" album at Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with OPETH, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, AMON AMARTH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK and SYMPHONY X, to name a few.

DRAGONFORCE released a comprehensive career-spanning "best-of", "Killer Elite - The Hits, The Highs, The Vids", on July 23 through Spinefarm. The 22-track set contains two hours and 30 minutes of music, featuring both studio and live material, with promo clips added to the deluxe set. DRAGONFORCE will headline the ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta on Wednesday September 7 and a special "up close and personal" show at St. Vitus in Brooklyn on Saturday, September 10. At both shows, the band will play a "best-of" set to reflect the track listing of the "Killer Elite" album.

Thank you @MetalDays for watching us tear it up last night. God bless! @DragonForce #KillerElite #Jesus # pic.twitter.com/x0HUtZ3JTJ

— VADIM PRUZHANOV (@vadlife) July 29, 2016

Finnish melodic deathsters INSOMNIUM will release their new album, "Winter's Gate", on September 23 via Century Media. A concept album made up of one epic 40-minute song, the effort is built around a short story, "Winter's Gate" ("Talven Portti" in Finnish), written by vocalist and bassist Niilo Sevänen, recipient of numerous Finnish awards and nominations. The compelling short story is about a group of Vikings who set out to find a fabled island west of Ireland, despite the treacherous winter drawing near.

The first trailer for "Winter's Gate" is available below.

The cover artwork for the album was created by Teemu Tähkänen.

"Winter's Gate" was mixed by Dan Swanö at Unisound AB studio in Sweden.

The full story will be released together with the record as a book with translations in English, Finnish and German, and illustrated by the artist Teemu Tähkänen.

INSOMNIUM's last album, "Shadows Of The Dying Sun", was released in April 2014 in North America via Century Media.

German power metal band REFUGE, built around heavy metal icon Peter "Peavy" Wagner, has signed a deal with Frontiers Music Srl. The Herne, Germany-based REFUGE, which consists of Manni Schmidt (guitar), Christos Efthimiadis (drums) and Wagner, is the 1987-1994 lineup of the German metal institution RAGE. The former RAGE members got back together at the end of 2014 under the name REFUGE to play the old RAGE songs from their time in the band. What started out as a fun project with friends, has since evolved into a very special band. Schmidt says: "When we played at a number of festivals last summer, we instantly realized that the chemistry was back. The shows worked out great and very naturally, there were ideas for new songs that we wanted to hold, because we liked them so much. Somehow the guys from Frontiers have heard about this and they offered us a deal.

"Peavy, Efthi and I are very thrilled to say that there will be a record released full of brand new songs by our band REFUGE!" Wagner also points out that releasing a new album with REFUGE won't clash with his other band RAGE. "REFUGE and RAGE are two different bands now," he says. "With REFUGE, we are able to play songs of the old era that have never found their way to a setlist of a RAGE show. REFUGE also consists of different musicians — except me — who have different ideas and a different vibe. REFUGE is more like old school. The fans will find out latest when they will hold the new REFUGE album in their hands."

About the signing with Frontiers, Peavy says: "The members of REFUGE are looking very much forward to working with such a renowned label as Frontiers Music Srl. The company's roster is impressive, and for all I know, Mario, Serafino and their crew are behind the band to a hundred percent I can’t wait to start working with them." Mario de Riso, label manager of Frontiers Music Srl, adds: "We are very happy to welcome REFUGE to our label. Since we are all fans of the 'old' RAGE, we are particularly glad about the fact, that the band with the lineup from back then is a part of the Frontiers family now and we look forward to our future cooperation."

Devin Townsend Project recently announced the release of their new studio album Transcendence for September 2nd worldwide. Devin comments: “Transcendence, like every record I've done prior, is an extension of what’s been going on in my world, represented in a new batch of songs. I'm 44 years old now, and this is where I have been over the past two years since Z2.”

The tracklist is as follows. It features an updated version of the song "Truth", which originally appeared on Devin Townsend's Infinity album from 1998.

"Truth"
"Stormbending"
"Failure"
"Secret Sciences"
"Higher"
"Stars"
"Transcendence"
"Offer Your Light"
"From The Heart"
"Transdermal Celebration"

Transcendence is now available to pre-order via Omerch for release in Europe on September 9th.

Available in the following formats + t-shirt bundles:

- Limited Edition Picture Disc *Exclusive to Omerch*
- Limited Edition Gold 2LP Vinyl *Exclusive to Omerch*
- 2LP Black Vinyl
- Limited Edition Digipak 2CD w/ bonus disc
- Jewelcase CD

*Picture disc includes hand signed and numbered certificate

*Vinyl formats include the album on CD

North American, Nordic and Australian pre-orders to follow soon...

The follow-up to 2014’s Z2 double-album (half of which was made up of the DTP full-length Sky Blue), sees the award-winning Townsend exploring a relatively new way of working, collaborating with the entire DTP band during the writing stages of the record.  “The result of this process is a record that I truly think the intention of is special” he says of the album. “I 'found' gas to put into the tank and am glad I did. I think the intention, the theme, and the participation of everyone involved allows this album to act like a fulcrum between the past few years and what I intend to do next with the symphony. I am very proud of it and everyone involved.”

The artwork was once again created by Anthony Clarkson, who Devin has been working with for several years now. Townsend comments of the cover (above): “He presented me the main image of the girl as a painted version, and I was intrigued and asked him to redo it with a girl he knew with photos. I liked the idea that it seemed like a mash up of religious and spiritual imagery, in a sense, representing the idea (to me) that these types of connections to the infinite are often more like identities we can cling to rather than what lies behind. In a sense, the character on the front almost seems like the ideologies she's representing are more 'brand names' than anything else.”

Devin Townsend Project has also announced a North American tour to coincide with the album’s release, which will see them co-headline with progressive metallers Between The Buried & Me with main support offered on all dates by Fallujah. Tickets will be on sale on Friday, May 20th at 10 AM, local time online or through local venue ticket outlets.

September
9 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
10 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
11 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza
12 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
13 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore Silver Springs
15 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of Living Arts
16 - New York, NY - Playstation Theater
17 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium +Sabaton
21 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
22 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
23 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
24 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
25 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom
27 - New Orleans, LA - The Joy Theater
29 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live

October
5 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom
6 - Los Angeles, CA - The Novo
7 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
8 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl * no DTP
9 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
11 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory * no DTP
12 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
13 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
14 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven

Between the Buried and Me will be performing their most recent album, Coma Ecliptic, in its entirety on this tour. This will be the first time the album will be performed live in full.

Bassist Dan Briggs offers his thoughts and says: "The songs on Coma Ecliptic came together in 2014 (and some of them even earlier than that), so it feels amazing to finally present the album live in full, the way it was intended to be heard. It's our most theatrical album yet and we'll be looking to bring that element to the stage as best we can; not to mention how great it will be to share the stage with Devin + crew again."

Meanwhile, Devin Townsend Project have also announced a string of dates prior to the above mentioned tour, also with support from Fallujah.

September
2 - Hell Raiser Festival - Kelowna, BC
3 - The Gateway - Calgary, AB
4 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
6 - Pyramid Cabaret - Winnipeg, MA
7 - Mill City Nights - Minneapolis, MN

Goth rock group Lacrimas Profundere will release their first concept album Hope Is Here on August 12th via Oblivion/SPV; check out a video preview below.

The new album was produced by guitarist / founding member Oliver Nikolas Schmid and vocalist Roberto Vitacca, and mixed and mastered by Kristian 'Kohle' Kohlmannslehner at the Kohlekeller Studio (Powerwolf, Eskimo Callboy, Aborted). The cover artwork was designed by Brazilian artist Elton Fernandes, who also created the Antiadore sleeve. Schmid states: “Elton has captured the atmosphere of our songs perfectly, almost as if he’d been there when we were writing the material.”

Tracklisting:

“The Worship Of Counting Down”
“My Halo Ground”
“Hope Is Here”
“Aramis”
“A Million Miles”
“No Man's Land”
“Pageant”
“You, My North”
“Awake”
“The Path Of Broken Homes”
“Timbre”
“Black Moon”

“Join us into the deep forest – to a boy who lives there. Alienated at home for years. The dangers, the emotions, the sudden twists. Feel his freedom. Taste his dirt in the deep dark woods that our parents warned us from in all those good night stories...”

 

In the new video below, Apocalyptica perform “House Of Chains” - taken from the Shadowmaker album - at Sonisphere Festival 2016 in Switzerland.

Catch Apocalyptica live at the following shows:
 
August
6 - Rock Oz'Arènes -  Avenches, Switzerland
13 - Mera Luna Festival -  Hildesheim, Germany  

September
13 - Zepp -  Tokyo, Japan
14 - Zepp -  Tokyo, Japan  
16 - Zepp -  Tokyo, Japan   
17 - Zepp -  Tokyo, Japan  
21 - Capitol Perth - Perth, WA, Australia
23 - 170 Russell (formerly Billboard) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia 
24 - Metro Theatre - Sydney, NSW, Australia  
25 - Max Watt's - Brisbane, QLD, Australia   

November
5 - Le 106 - Rouen, France 
6 - L'Aéronef - Lille, France  
7 - Radiant Bellevue - Lyon, France 
9 - La Cooperative De Mai - Clermont-Ferrand, France  
10 - Substage - Karlsruhe, Germany 
11 - Metal Hammer Paradise - Weissenhäuser Strand, Germany

December
5 - Auditorio Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez - Queretaro, Mexico 
6 - Auditorio Banamex - Monterrey, Mexico  
7 - Auditorio Nacional - Mexico City, Mexico 
8 - Teatro Diana - Guadalajara, Mexico 

Turkish technical death metal assassins Carnophage will release their sophomore full-length via Unique Leader Records this Fall. Titled Monument, the nine track punisher was recorded by Unsal Ozata at Studio Deep (Burial Invocation, Cenotaph, Decaying Purity), mixed and mastered by Sasha Borovykh at TsunTsun Productions (Cerebral Effusion, Soils Of Fate, Epicardiectomy), and comes adorned in the tormented, Baroque-era influenced cover art of Cihan Engin. Boasting an inexorable assault of jackhammering blasts, churning riffs, and inhuman death grunts, Monument is a true exercise in controlled chaos and, following an eight-year dormancy, finds the band at the peak of their methodical and unapologetically diabolical ingenuity.

Monument will be released September 23rd, 2016 via Unique Leader Records. In the meantime check out "At The Backside Of Our Civilization" now.

Monument tracklisting:
 
"Incandescent"
"Second Genesis"
"Resistance Against Mind Clouding Heresy"
"Same Old Circle"
"Unbroken Fortitude"
"At The Backside Of Our Civilization"
"Ode To Corruption"
"Sparks Of The Experiment"
"Inertia And Failure"

Carnophage was formed in early 2006 and released their debut Deformed Future / Genetic Nightmare in 2008 through Unique Leader Records. The group played numerous shows in support of the record before going on unofficial hiatus. They reunited in 2014 with an updated lineup of bassist Bengi Öztürk, drummer Onur Özçelik (Black Omen), guitarists Mert Kaya and Serhat Kaya (Cenotaph), and vocalist Oral Akyol (Cidesphere) and are ready to rumble infrastructures globally with the subterranean sounds of Monument.

Brazilian metal band Armored Dawn announce the North American release of their debut album Power Of Warrior across all digital platforms, and physically through their exclusive Pledge Music campaign.

The album, released July 29, 2016, was recorded in the band's hometown of Sao Paulo, Brazil and was produced by Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Dragonforce). It made its debut at metal radio last week, with lead single "Viking Soul" being the third most-added song across metal programming. 
 
Armored Dawn is everything its name implies, a colossal force driven by heavy metal and born of frontman and principal songwriter Eduardo Parras' unwavering love for the music that drives so many of us. "What fascinates me about heavy metal is that it allows you to combine several musical formats, expose all kinds of feelings, and tell all of sorts of stories. You have the musical freedom to bring together many different themes and heavier sounds, blend them together, and break the barrier of imagination. To me, heavy metal is great freedom."

In an effort to give back a portion of what heavy metal has given him throughout his life, Parras - a successful doctor in Brazil - has set up a 'Power Of Warrior' Pledge Music campaign and is donating proceeds of the site's sales to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund. 100% of the page's "Contribute To The Cause" funds will be donated to the foundation, as will 25% of all other sales through the site. Click here for full details.

"Dio was, and always will be, an inspiration to those who appreciate life as art," says Parras of his decision to donate album proceeds to Stand Up And Shout. "Contributing to the Dio foundation is simply giving back a little compared to what we have all received from him." Dio's spirit definitely shines throughout Armored Dawn's debut.

Opening track "Viking Soul" is a juggernaut, its oars calmly slicing the water in the still of night as a searing line of guitars begins the assault on our senses before building into a celebration so epic, Iron Maiden would be proud and Eddie would be raising flasks of Trooper ale for all. It's a brave new world for Dr. Eduardo Parras, and with his fearless band by his side, they triumphantly conquer "Too Blind To See," scale the ragged, Dream Theater-inspired progressive cliffs and lesions of "Prison," raise their fists and sway with a melancholic fervor on "My Heart" - quite possibly the greatest metal ballad to ever be exported from under a Brazilian flag - and sharpen their swords, raise them for battle, and charge forward with "Power Of Warrior" and the Iron Maiden-paced revelry of "Someone" as their battle cries.

Armored Dawn Is vocalist Eduardo Parras, guitarists Timo Kaarkoski and Tiago De Moura, bassist Fernando Giovannetti, keyboardist Rafael Agostino and Drummer Rodrigo Oliveira.
 
Power Of Warrior is also available via Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify.

 

Boston-based metal band, Worshipper, will release its full-length debut, Shadow Hymns, on August 26th via Tee Pee Records. Recorded at Q Division, Mad Oak, and Converse Rubber Tracks Studios with producers Benny Grotto (Aerosmith, Orange Goblin) and David Minehan (The Replacements), the LP showcases the group's melodically thunderous sound. In advance of the LP's release, "Place Beyond The Light"  can be heard now via the SoundCloud audio player below.

Boasting a sound described as "darkly epic", Worshipper has earned consistent accolades since its formation, being named the "Metal Artist of the Year" at the 2015 Boston Music Awards. The group was also chosen over 23 other participating bands as champions of the 2016 "Rock and Roll Rumble", a competition hailed as "The World Series of Boston Rock" that has taken place annually since 1979. Through its unique mix of contemporary and classic influences, Worshipper prove that the horn-throwing soul of melodic heavy music's past still burns brightly.

"'Shadow Hymns' is a document of four guys melding four unique artistic and sonic imaginations into one vision," comments guitarist Alejandro Necochea. "The sound is loud and familiar. We favor classic guitars played through classic amps, with melodies and heroics; not unlike the records we grew up on. This is exactly the record we wanted to make and we are beyond thrilled that people will finally get to hear it."

Worshipper will perform live at the Shadow Hymns album release show on September 9th at Once Sommerville, in Summerville, MA. For full details, visit the Facebook event page.

Tracklisting:

"High Above The Clouds"
"Step Behind"
"Ghosts And Breath"
"Darkness"
"Place Beyond The Light"
"Another Yesterday"
"Wolf Song"
"Black Corridor"

Pre-order Shadow Hymns at this location.

In addition to Necochea, Worshipper features John Brookhouse (vocals / guitar), Dave Jarvis (drums) and Bob Maloney (vocals, bass).

AC/DC guitarist Angus Young says that he hasn't made a decision yet regarding the band's future after the "Rock Or Bust" tour ends.

AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams recently revealed that he will retire from recording and touring after finishing out the band's current world trek. Williams' decision follows a string of personnel changes for the group that started with co-founding guitarist Malcolm Young's departure in 2014 after he was diagnosed with dementia. Last year, drummer Phil Rudd was sentenced to house arrest after he was found guilty on a drug charge, while earlier this year singer Brian Johnson was forced to step down or face the loss of his hearing.

Asked by Rolling Stone in a new interview if he thinks Cliff's decision to retire is related to Brian leaving, Angus said: "Cliff made it known before we'd even started touring — this would be his last. Besides myself, Cliff has been there the longest, since 1977. Cliff and Brian are in the same age bracket. They like to go out, hit the pubs. They had the bond."

Regarding whether he has thought his own future after the tour ends, Angus said: "At this point, I don't know. We were committed to finishing the tour. Who knows what I'll feel after? When you sign on and say, 'I'm gonna do this and that,' it's always good to say at the end of it, 'I've done all I said I would do.'

"That was always the idea, especially when we were younger — me, Malcolm, Bon. You had to show up and be on time. You'd be playing in a pub in the afternoon. Then late at night, you'd be playing a club. You got into that habit: 'If we don't play, we don't eat.'"

Williams announced his decision to retire from AC/DC during a recent interview with Gulfshore Life. He said: "It's been what I've known for the past forty years, but after this tour I'm backing off of touring and recording. Losing Malcolm, the thing with Phil and now with Brian, it's a changed animal. I feel in my gut it's the right thing."

The 66-year-old Williams is the longest serving member of the group after co-founder and sole original member Angus Young. He joined the band in mid-1977 and made his debut on its fifth album, 1978's "Powerage", appearing on every record and tour since.

Williams said about his long stint with the group: "When you start out, you kind of hope for success. That's what you are working for. But you never really know. It's been surreal, really."

Assuming neither Rudd nor Johnson return, Williams' exit means that only Angus Young remains from the lineups that recorded classic albums like 1979's "Highway To Hell", 1980's "Back In Black" and 1981's "For Those About To Rock...We Salute You".

The rescheduled dates of AC/DC's North American tour — which will be the band's first concerts here with GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose on lead vocals — will kick off in Greensboro, North Carolina on August 27.

Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS are currently recording their eighth album at a Los Angeles-area studio with producer Howard Benson, who has previously worked with such acts as MOTÖRHEAD, PAPA ROACH, THREE DAYS GRACE, FLYLEAF, P.O.D. and HALESTORM.

ALL THAT REMAINS frontman Phil Labonte stated about the follow-up to 2015's "The Order Of Things": "The disc we are working on right now is going to blow people's minds. It's gonna challenge you. There are songs like nothing we've ever done before.

"It's still a while 'till it gets released, but it's going to blow people's minds. Can't fucking wait!"

Added ALL THAT REMAINS bassist Aaron Patrick: "I can't even wait to hear the final result. These songs are such a step up on all fronts. [Benson] is really bringing out the best in all of us as musicians and we are already so proud of of the progress towards new material."

Labonte told the Q103 radio station that ALL THAT REMAINS's next record will arrive in February 2017.

ALL THAT REMAINS last year parted ways with bassist Jeanne Sagan and replaced her with Patrick, who was previously in BURY YOUR DEAD and DEVILDRIVER.

"The Order Of Things" marked the first time that Labonte collaborated on his lyrics, in this case with producer Josh Wilbur.

Swedish experimental heavy-rock pioneers Opeth have unveiled the title track to their highly-anticipated album, Sorceress, due out September 30th via the band’s imprint label Moderbolaget Records with Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Leader Mikael Åkerfeldt remarks: “Here you go kids! Here’s the title track, ”Sorceress,” combined with the now obligatory lyric video. Why not eh? We’re happy with the tune. It’s heavy, a bit "meat and potato,” but what the hell…we love it! Hope you do too!”

Opeth’s new album, Sorceress, their first for Nuclear Blast via the band’s imprint label Moderbolaget Records, is proof chief architect Mikael Åkerfeldt has a near-endless well of greatness inside. From the album’s opener “Persephone” to “The Wilde Flowers” and “Strange Brew” to the album’s counterpart title tracks “Sorceress” and “Sorceress II”, Opeth’s twelfth full-length is an unparalleled adventure, where visions cleverly and secretly change, colors mute as if weathered by time, and sounds challenge profoundly.

”The new album Sorceress is our 12th studio album since our beginnings in 1990,” says Åkerfeldt. “I find it difficult to understand that we’ve been going on for 26 years, let alone that we’ve made 12 records now, all of which I am very proud of. Sorceress is no exception. I love this album, as does the whole band. I wrote the music during 5-6 months and we spent only 12 days recording it at Rockfield studios in Wales. I find that once again we’ve taken a step forward. Or sideways, Or backwards. Somewhere!? It’s different! It’s extremely diverse. And if I may say so myself, extremely good. I feel the right to say that since I like to think I know this band better than anyone on the planet. Also, I always manage to detach myself from the record and listen as a fan. It’s a fine little record. My favourite in our discography right now. Of course. That’s how it should be, right? It’s both fresh and old, both progressive and rehashed. Heavy and calm. Just the way we like it. Hopefully there’ll be others around the globe sharing this opinion. It was a joy to make it. A fucking joy to record it, and a sheer joy listening to it. So there you have it!”

For Sorceress, Opeth returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from Queen, Rush and Judas Priest, where the Swedes had tracked Pale Communion in 2014 with Tom Dalgety. The band spent 12 days recording at the countryside venue among its serene and inspiring surroundings. The result is nothing short of a powerful and intriguing record that will add yet another layer to the band’s celebrated career.

Sorceress trackisting:

“Persephone”
“Sorceress”
“The Wilde Flowers”
“Will O The Wisp”
“Chrysalis”
“Sorceress 2”
“The Seventh Sojourn”
“Strange Brew”
“A Fleeting Glance”
“Era”
“Persephone (Slight Return)”

Studio Teaser #1:

Studio Teaser #2:

In the video below, Mikael Akerfeldt takes you on a tour of Rockfield Studios during the recording process of Sorceress.

Sorceress is being released on limited edition pink vinyl with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Gilda’s Club NYC. Additional editions of the vinyl will be announced at a later date. Pre-order the special edition pink vinyl now at this location.

The mission of Gilda’s Club NYC is to support, educate and empower cancer patients and their families. A cancer diagnosis can be an extremely isolating experience which triggers many emotions including fear, anger, depression and an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Currently more than 4200 men, women, teens and children attend free support groups, educational lectures and workshops at the West Village townhouse or at hospital partners around NYC. More than 55 percent of their members have a cancer diagnosis, and the remaining are their loved ones - their children, partners, relatives or friends. At Gilda's Club NYC, they believe no one should face cancer alone.

Sorceress 2LP pink vinyl (180 gram) tracklisting:

Side A
“Persephone”                                                                                                
“Sorceress”                                                                                                      
“The Wilde Flowers”                                                                                     
“Will O The Wisp”                                                                                       

Side B
“Chrysalis”                                                                                                         
“Sorceress 2”                                                                                                  
“The Seventh Sojourn”                                                                               

Side C
“Strange Brew”                                                                                              
“A Fleeting Glance”                                                                                      
“Era”                                                                                                                  
“Persephone (Slight Return)”                                                                

Side D
“The Ward” (Bonus Track)                                                                                                    
“Spring MCMLXXIV” (Bonus Track)

Opeth have announced a North American headline tour, which will kick off with a performance at Ozzfest/Knotfest on September 24th in San Bernardino, CA. The tour will continue through the following month before wrapping up on October 26th in Vancouver, BC.

The tour announcement comes on the heels of Nuclear Blast Entertainment’s recent signing of the band and news of the band’s forthcoming, 12th studio album, Sorceress, that’s due out later this year on the band’s own imprint label Moderbolget Records.

Tour dates are listed below. To purchase VIP packages and tickets visit this location.

Tour dates:

September
24 - San Bernardino, CA - Ozzfest/Knotfest @ San Manual Amphitheater
29 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
30 - Silver Spring, MD - Fillmore

October
1 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
2 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
4 - Montreal, QC – Metropolis
5 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
7 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore
8 - Akron, OH - Good Year Theater at East End
9 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater
10 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
12 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
13 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
14 - Austin, TX - Emo’s
15 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live
18 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl
19 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theater
21 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
22 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield
24 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
25 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theater
26 - Vancouver, BC – Orpheum

(Photo Stuart Wood)

Italian prog metal masters DGM will release their new album, The Passage, on August 26th. A lyric video for the song "Ghost of Insanity" is available for viewing starting today. This epic song features special guest Tom Englund, vocalist of Evergrey on vocals.

The Passage is DGM’s eighth studio album and is the culmination of almost 20 years of hard work that started back in 1997 with the release of their self-produced mini-album, Random Access Zone. The band went through several incarnations and lineup changes during the years, but since singer Mark Basile joined the group in 2007, DGM evolved and developed their sound into what they have now become.

It was probably the release of Frame (2007) that pushed the band into the top of the league of international prog metal. It was also on the strength of this material that DGM managed to tour for almost four years around the world, taking part in some of the biggest metal festivals, supporting Symphony X on their European tour, and sharing the stage with Pagan's Mind too. In 2013, DGM came back with Momentum, an album which showed the full stylistic maturity of a band which felt fully confident with their abilities, both on the songwriting and the musicianship side. The last album was promoted with more shows and after several gigs in Europe, they performed for the second time at ProgPower USA and started their first Asian tour in November 2014 playing Beijing, Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka as headliners.

The new album, The Passage is another substantial step forward for DGM. Sounding like a hungry, urbanized version of Symphony X, with substantial hard rock influences, the new record is remarkable in several aspects. The compositions are phenomenal, with sweeping choruses, technical passages, lightning fast fretwork, big vocals and bombastic transitions. The playing is simply faultless and the melodies are perfectly woven into the killer guitars, epic keyboards, and pounding drums!

“This album can easily be seen as our most ambitious work to date,” says guitarist and producer Simone Mularoni.

“This time we tried to evolve to an even more personal sound. We took all the elements we developed through all these years and we tried to take them to the limit. Throughout the whole record you will hear a recurrent musical theme. Instead of doing a usual concept album with the lyrics, we decided to do a sort of musical concept with this melody that repeats in every song but every time with different time signatures and keys,” tells drummer Fabio Costantino.

“This album will offer to the listener a key for a positive dimension. A path made of sound vibrations: The Passage to our dreams and hopes,” concludes bassist Andrea Arcangeli.

Evergrey singer Tom Englund and Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo also appear as special guests tributing the value of this outstanding album. And let's not forget the great job that producer Simone Mularoni did in the studio. The future looks bright for these guys. Check them out live when they come to a town near you.

The Passage tracklisting:

“The Secret (Part 1)”
“The Secret (Part 2)”
“Animal”
“Ghosts Of Insanity”
“Fallen”
“The Passage”
“Disguise”
“Portrait”
“Daydreamer”
“Dogma”
“In Sorrow”

“Animal” video:

“The Secret (Part 1)” audio:

EPK:

Teaser:

DGM lineup:

Simone Mularoni – guitars, keyboards
Marco Basile – vocals
Andrea Arcangeli – bass
Fabio Costantino – drums
Emanuele Casali – keyboards

Special guests:
Tom Englund – vocals on “Ghosts Of Insanity”
Michael Romeo – lead guitar on “Dogma”

Bay Area hardcore thrashers X-Method will release their debut full-length Sex, Alcohol, Rebel Music August 12th on Pavement Music. The official video for “Suicide Gir/Cutter” is streaming below.

Hailing from the infamous and iracible thrash metal breeding grounds of California's Bay Area, X-Method was formed in 2012 by lead singer Abby. Their self-titled seven song EP gained the band national attention and landed them extensive touring in Peru and South America. X-MEthod is a family that loves to involve their fans in every aspect of the band. Referred to as the "Method Militia," these rabid and loyal fans stretch across the world and are ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Tracklisting:

“Denied What’s Ours”
“Brutal As Fuck”
“When Darkness Falls”
“Drink From The Horn”
“Woke”
“Waiting 4 The Rain”
“Addicted”
“Triangles And Sixes”
“Southern Comfort”
“Wasting My Tears”
“Born Into The Affliction”
“Silver On My Back”
“And I Know”
“Suicide Girl/Cutter”
“Fuck Sobriety”
“No Tey Yayas”

“Suicide Girl/Cutter” video: