SOUNDGARDEN members Ben Shepherd (bass) and Matt Cameron (drums) spoke to Radio.com about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2012's "King Animal" album. Shepherd said: "If it's going to be a SOUNDGARDEN song, it better be interesting. But I'm surrounded by some of the best musicians in the world in that band, I think. Some of the most creative minds, guys that actually do pay attention to their legacy, and the quality of what we put out. It's not just a job." Asked how far into the album they are, Shepherd said, somewhat cryptically: "We're nowhere and everywhere all at once. We've already had two writing sessions. The next session is in August, and more decisions will be made then."

Cameron added: "I think we've got six solid tunes right now. We're gonna get together in August for about a week, do more writing, and hopefully got five or six more going at that point. We're off to a very good start."

SOUNDGARDEN started work on its new record last year, but took a break while singer Chris Cornell toured through the fall in support of his latest solo effort, "Higher Truth".

The vocalist told The Pulse Of Radio that working on different projects is what keeps an artist fresh. "At no time am I immersed in something that I've been doing too much of, and I think that's kind of what kills the creative spirit," he explained. "That's sort of what burnout comes from, I think. It's not from doing too much, it's from doing the same thing too much."

SOUNDGARDEN reunited in 2010 after a 13-year layoff, touring and then eventually writing new material that became the basis for "King Animal", its first new studio album in 16 years.

In addition to "King Animal", SOUNDGARDEN has issued a live CD, a greatest hits compilation and a two-disc collection of B-sides, outtakes and rarities.

A year after after being diagnosed with cancer of the tongue, POISON drummer Rikki Rockett says that he is now cancer free thanks to an experimental immunotherapy drug.

Rockett broke the news via his Instagram account where he posted a photo of himself with Dr. Ezra Cohen, associate director and professor of medicine at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego. The drummer wrote in the accompanying caption: "Because of this man, I am cancer free!!!"

The 54-year-old musician initially received radiation and chemotherapy, like many cancer patients, but became concerned when the cancer appeared to be returning.

"I just didn't feel right," Rockett told The San Diego Union-Tribune. "This should be getting better, not worse. I should be eating better, I should be swallowing better — what the hell's going on?"

Several months ago, Rockett went to UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and underwent experimental cancer immune therapy which has now eradicated the tumor.

"For any of us that's ever gone through cancer, we know how scary it can be, and when you're going through a new type of treatment, that's even scarier," Rikki says in a recent video message, which can be seen on The San Diego Union-Tribune web site.

"Immunotherapy is largely unknown to the public. We're hearing about it now more and more over time — articles in newspapers and magazines — but there wasn't a lot of information when I made the decision to actually do it, and I was very nervous.

"I've been one of the very lucky people that have responded very well to immunotherapy.

"My goal is to help people make the decision to try immunotherapy, because the side effects are so much less, and you feel so much better doing it, and you can get rid of your cancer without doing super-invasive stuff, in a lot of cases. So I'm a big proponent."

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell is another high-profile rock musician currently undergoing immunotherapy after first announcing that he was suffering from Hodgkin's Lymphoma in June 2013.

Immunotherapy is a relatively new form of treatment that focuses on tricking the body's immune system into attacking cancer cells.

Rockett revealed last fall that his tongue cancer diagnosis was caused by HPV, the human papilloma virus. He said: "It is the number one leading cause of oral cancer these days. There's less and less of the truck drivers that chew tobacco for thirty years getting it, because people are more aware that that kind of stuff isn't good. So we are getting marathon runners and all these elite athletes with this. I have a friend that's a therapist, and five years ago, it was five percent of the people she treated, and now it's close to ninety percent."

He continued: "It can be spread sexually, but now they're saying that it can spread [through] deep-kissing and actually hand to mouth. I mean, if you see the Olympic swimmers, they swim and they smack their hand on the side of the pool for each lap, and their hands are full of warts and stuff from HPV. Now the wart kind of HPV is not the same as the strain that causes cancer, but it is spread almost identically. For men, you can't tell if you have it. For women, you can get a papsmear. But the doctor estimated probably it was fifteen [or] twenty years ago [when I contracted it], and my body probably got rid of it, but it mutated itself and my body would probably see that again and get rid of it. But there's no way to tell who got it. I mean, I know a couple that's been married for fifteen years and they've never cheated on each other, and they're pointing their finger at each other [after one of them was diagnosed with oral cancer], and it turned into a thing until the doctor sat 'em down and went, 'Look, you can get this so many ways.'"

Rockett has a 3-year-old daughter, Lucy, and a 7-year-old son, Jude, with singer/songwriter Melanie Martel, from whom he filed for divorce last July after nearly seven years of marriage.

POISON appeared at the 2013 Indy 500 Miller Lite Carb Day, but has otherwise been mostly playing private shows, including one in January 2015. The band's last major dates were with LITA FORD and DEF LEPPARD as part of the 2012 "Rock Of Ages" tour.

Chilliwack, BC's heavy metallers Medevil will release their debut album, Conductor Of Storms, on August 26th after placing as a national finalist (top 6) during the 2015 Wacken Metal Battle Canada. With influences from legends such as Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Accept and Metal Church, Medevil have taken their self-described "power thrash" full of blistering fast riffs, strong choruses and vocalist Liam Colingwood's impressive vocals (you would swear it's Udo Dirkschneider from a distance) to present a debut of eight anthem chanting tracks.

The band's first single "Machination Factory" can be enjoyed now.

Tracklisting:

"Nightwalk"
"Machination Factory"
"An Empty Glass"
"In The Distance"
"The Angel Of Rain"
"A Sacrifice"
"Escape"
"The Fabled Uxoricide"

Catch Medevil live on tour:

For more information, visit Medevil on Facebook.

MEGADETH canceled its scheduled appearance earlier tonight (Friday, July 15) at the Rockmaraton festival in Dunaújváros, Hungary after the band's bassist, David Ellefson, fractured his foot.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine broke the news via Periscope, telling fans that Ellefson "was walking across the ground [backstage before the show] and fell."

The Rockmaraton organizers immediately called an ambulance and Ellefson was transported to the Saint Pantaleon hospital in Dunaújváros, where his foot was placed in a cast. According to the organizers, Ellefson was in a good mood despite his injury and was taking selfies with the paramedics on his way back to the venue, still apparently believing that he would be able to play the show. Mustaine also seemed sure that the gig would happen, but apparently changed his mind shortly before MEGADETH was due to kick off the concert. The MEGADETH leader eventually went up on stage and announced the band's cancelation to disappointed fans.

Ellefson's injury is not expected to affect any of the remaining dates on MEGADETH's European tour, which resumes tomorrow (Saturday, July 16) at the Harley Days festival in Slovakia.

The MEGADETH bassist told Bandsintown earlier this year that he goes to the gym regularly and leads a "healthy lifestyle" while on tour.

In addition to Mustaine and Ellefson, MEGADETH's current lineup includes Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA, and former SOILWORK drummer Dirk Verbeuren.

MEGADETH is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Dystopia", which came out in January.

.@DaveMustaine on #Periscope: David Ellefson breaks his foot at concert https://t.co/v5kCqbgwF5

— Mandatory Metal (@MandatoryMetal1) July 15, 2016

82-year-old John Hetlinger, who became a viral video sensation last month when he belted out the DROWNING POOL classic "Bodies" on the NBC series "America's Got Talent", joined the band on stage earlier today (Friday, July 15) to perform the song at the Chicago Open Air festival. Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

The Navy veteran and aerospace manager told KUSA that he was surprised by the reaction to his "America's Got Talent" performance.

"I didn't know two and a half thousand in the audience would react the same way that 30 drunks in the bar do, but they did!" he said.

"Everybody seems to think it's great that an old man is screaming 'let the bodies hit the floor!'" John added.

Hetlinger, who was a Navy pilot, later a minister and then an aerospace engineer for Ball Aerospace in Boulder where he worked on a team that made repairs to the Hubble telescope, said that he was not bothered by any of the criticism of his performance.

"There are reviews in all the heavy metal magazines and all over the world, but they include statements like, 'Well, admittedly he doesn't sing very well,'" John said with a laugh.

John, who also has ROB ZOMBIE's "Dragula" in his repertoire, got hooked on karaoke after singing during talent shows on cruise ships in the '90s.

"He likes attention," John's wife, Marcy, said. "He's the youngest of five kids."

DROWNING POOL guitarist CJ Pierce said he first heard about Hetlinger's performance when family and friends starting texting him about it, explaining: "I picked up my phone and I got a handful of texts from a number of people because I guess it got out yesterday ahead of the airing… I watched it, and man, I am so entertained by it. It's awesome to just see an 82-year-old man get out there and just belt out some metal — whether it was our song or any song, it was just killer to see him do that."

Pierce adding jokingly about DROWNING POOL's history of changing singers, "You know, we've had a revolving door, but Jasen Moreno is our man right now. But if he doesn't work out, we always know we've got John on the backburner."

"Bodies" was DROWNING POOL's first big hit back in 2001, when it appeared on the band's debut album "Sinner". The band's original singer, Dave Williams, died that August of heart disease.

Despite being a huge rock radio smash, it was removed from radio playlists for a while later that year in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

DROWNING POOL's sixth studio album, "Hellelujah", came out earlier this year and features the singles "By The Blood" and "Hell To Pay".

2016 marks the Ten Year Anniversary of Buckcherry's platinum selling album 15. This record was a very special moment in time for this band and there were so many obstacles that got in the way to get this record. They didn’t have a record deal, they didn’t have any money, they only had each other and the songs. And that’s exactly what they captured.

To celebrate, Buckcherry will embark upon the 15 Anniversary Tour with special guests Candlebox and Sons Of Texas this Fall; dates and venue info tba.

"We’re also very excited to announce that we will be releasing our platinum-selling album 15 on vinyl for the first time in October," says the band. "In addition, we’re working on a deluxe CD re-issue of 15 that will include bonus material. Both the vinyl album and deluxe re-issue will be released in October, but pre-order now on PledgeMusic and get exclusive updates and content over the next three months.

 

 

 

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.

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)

A video clip of the members of THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE talking about the song "Whiskey In My Coffee" can be seen below.

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."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry has been discharged from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York after collapsing on stage Sunday night during a HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES show in Brooklyn, New York. He is said to be resting at home in suburban Boston.

Meanwhile, the VAMPIRES have continued with their U.S. tour, which had them in Cadott, Wisconsin last night. Joining the group on stage at the concert was Marilyn Manson on Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen". The band also went back to doing the three songs that AEROSMITH normally performs — "Sweet Emotion", "Come Together" and "Train Kept-a-Rollin'".

AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler, who just released his debut solo album, said that he was extremely worried about Perry, claiming that he has been kept in the dark on his banmate's status — with some reports claiming Joe actually suffered a cardiac arrest. "I've had calls in for two days and I'm really concerned," Tyler said. "I don't know what's going on with him and his management people. I just don't know and it's starting to scare me a little bit. I know they're putting out nothing but, 'He's recovering, he's really good, he fainted, exhaustion.' But I know my brother. And he's just about the only other guy that's just as passionate about his art as I am. He's always askin' me to do three, four shows in a row. I know how to maintain my career, my health. I don't think he knows how to."

Tyler told The Pulse Of Radio it's very likely that the VAMPIRES' itinerary is simply too strenuous to allow Perry the time needed to recharge between gigs. "I think he's out there and someone's over-booking him," he said. "Even though one could say the band booked themselves; well, that's righteous of 'em, but they'e doing like eight or nine shows in a row — or five in a row. And I think they're all a little burnt. I think they need to look at that, Y'know, not young anymore, right?"

A teaser for "World Gone Mad", the new album from Venice, California crossover thrash/hardcore punk legends SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, is available below. Due on September 30, the follow-up to 2013's "13" disc will be the band's first to feature former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo and guitarist Jeff Pogan, who replaced Nico Santora in May.

Lombardo recently told Metal Wani about ST's forthcoming CD: "I think it's very typical and very traditional SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. It's that style. It's [SUICIDAL TENDENCIES frontman] Mike Muir and he was a very special style in which he writes his music and his lyrics and his structures. And I love it; I love it. It takes me back to how it all started, which was that punk attitude. I'm very happy to be a part of his organization. I feel very welcomed. I feel very much appreciated, and there's a lot of respect amongst the musicians, and camaraderie. We have a really good time together. We hang out as a band, which is important; I feel it's very important."

In an interview with Jump Metal, Muir stated about Lombardo's musical contribution to the upcoming SUICIDAL TENDENCIES album: "It's interesting, because a lot of people, obviously, associate [Dave] with the SLAYER sound. On some of the SUICIDAL songs, it's different musically, and you can see how really a tremendously diverse drummer that he is. I think some of the songs, obviously, people that love his drumming, they're gonna hear it and they're gonna really, really, I think, enjoy it. He's really excited about it. He's getting to play some different kind of things, and it just brings a whole different intensity and rhythmic feel to the band. And he's definitely got the Cuban thing going on, that Latin flavor, where he gets to do a little bit more in SUICIDAL than he did in SLAYER. I think you hear it and you definitely know it's Dave, but it definitely takes us to another level."

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' last album, "13", came out in March 2013. The band's first studio CD in 13 years sold around 3,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 187 on The Billboard 200 chart.

An 18-minute documentary on KORN's summer 2016 European tour — directed by Sébastien Paquet — can be seen below.

As previously reported, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor will guest on KORN's upcoming twelfth album. KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer told Metal Hammer magazine: "We have Corey singing on one track and it's going to be a fan favorite because he really lets loose." The as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2013's "The Paradigm Shift" is tentatively due later this year and marks the second KORN album since the return of guitarist Brian "Head" Welch.

Shaffer added: "On a heaviness scale of one to 10, with 10 being the 1994 self-titled, this album is a definite nine. When Head came back to us on the last record, it was our way of getting the wheels greased. Now everything is well-oiled and the machine works really well."

Welch recently spoke in detail about the sound of the new album. "I want a record like every song is just like, live, live, moshpit, jumping up and down, and so this is a record to me that the intensity of KORN is back, and the live energy," he told The Pulse Of Radio. "Raw energy is there. And Jonathan [Davis, singer] is just grabbing his soul and tearing it open for people to see, and I think the fans are really gonna feel it."

KORN is co-headlining with ROB ZOMBIE on the "Return Of The Dreads" tour this summer, beginning on July 19 in Englewood, Colorado. That trek winds down on September 3 in Bristow, Virginia.

KORN will also hit the road this fall with co-headliners BREAKING BENJAMIN for the "Nocturnal Underground Tour", which will kick off on September 24 in Fargo, North Dakota and run through late October.

Swedish heavy metal heroes Sabaton will release their new album The Last Stand on August 19th via Nuclear Blast. Today, the band have revealed the second single called "Blood Of Bannockburn".

The album can be pre-ordered in various formats here, or digitally here.

CD+DVD tracklisting:

CD
“Sparta”
“Last Dying Breath”
“Blood Of Bannockburn”
“Diary Of An Unknown Soldier”
“The Lost Battalion”
“Rorke’s Drift”
“The Last Stand”
“Hill 3234”
“Shiroyama”
“Winged Hussars”
“The Last Battle”

Bonus:
“Camouflage”
“All Guns Blazing”

DVD - Live @ Stereolux, Nantes (France)
“Intro (The March To War)”
“Ghost Division”
“Far From The Fame”
“Uprising”
“Midway”
“Gott Mit Uns”
“Resist And Bite”
“Wolfpack”
“Dominium Maris Baltici”
“Carolus Rex”
“Swedish Pagans”
“Soldier Of 3 Armies”
“Attero Dominatus”
“The Art Of War”
“Wind Of Change”
“To Hell And Back”
“Night Witches”
“Primo Victoria”
“Metal Crüe”

CD tracklisting:

“Sparta”
“Last Dying Breath”
“Blood Of Bannockburn”
“Diary Of An Unknown Soldier”
“The Lost Battalion”
“Rorke’s Drift”
“The Last Stand”
“Hill 3234”
“Shiroyama”
“Winged Hussars”
“The Last Battle”

Earbook tracklisting:

CD
“Sparta”
“Last Dying Breath”
“Blood Of Bannockburn”
“Diary Of An Unknown Soldier”
“The Lost Battalion”
“Rorke’s Drift”
“The Last Stand”
“Hill 3234”
“Shiroyama”
“Winged Hussars”
“The Last Battle”

Bonus:
“Camouflage”
“All Guns Blazing”
“Afraid To Shoot Strangers”

DVD - Live @ Stereolux, Nantes (France)
“Intro (The March To War)”
“Ghost Division”
“Far From The Fame”
“Uprising”
“Midway”
“Gott Mit Uns”
“Resist And Bite”
“Wolfpack”
“Dominium Maris Baltici”
“Carolus Rex”
“Swedish Pagans”
“Soldier Of 3 Armies”
“Attero Dominatus”
“The Art Of War”
“Wind Of Change”
“To Hell And Back”
“Night Witches”
“Primo Victoria”
“Metal Crüe”

Live CD - Live @ Stereolux, Nantes (France)
“Intro (The March To War)”
“Ghost Division”
“Far From The Fame”
“Uprising”
“Midway”
“Gott Mit Uns”
“Resist And Bite”
“Wolfpack”
“Dominium Maris Baltici”
“Carolus Rex”
“Swedish Pagans”
“Soldier Of 3 Armies”
“Attero Dominatus”
“The Art Of War”
“Wind Of Change”
“To Hell And Back”
“Night Witches”
“Primo Victoria”
“Metal Crüe”

2LP - 45 RPM tracklisting

Side A
“Sparta”
“Last Dying Breath”
“Blood Of Bannockburn”
“Diary Of An Unknown Soldier”
“The Lost Battalion”

Side B
“Rorke’s Drift”
“The Last Stand”
“Hill 3234”
“Shiroyama”

Side C
“Winged Hussars”
“The Last Battle”

Side D (Bonus)
“Camouflage”
“All Guns Blazing”

“The Lost Battalion” lyric video:

The Last Tour is the biggest tour of Sabaton yet and is scheduled to kick off January 7th at König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. Very special guests are none other than heavy metal legends Accept. Find Sabaton’s complete tour itinerary at this location.

Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon's new single, "Never Slowin' Down", is available now on iTunes and Amazon. The video for "Never Slowin' Down", which can be seen below, was filmed on June 12, 2016 in San Francisco, California during the 39th Annual Haight Ashbury Street Fair. An historic 75,000+ gathering of people in a spirit of peace, love and music featuring members of Jefferson Starship, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The David Neslon Band and a special celebration of the life of Paul Kantner.

"Never Slowin' Down" was written by and features vocals, guitars, and piano played by Frank Hannon, along with bass by Aaron Leigh and drums by Blake DeMoss.

It’s been said that lightning never strikes the same place twice. However, it does in the case of Tesla. The band has announced the release of a live recording of their classic album, Mechanical Resonance, Live!, celebrating the original multi-Platinum record’s 30th birthday in style.

With a few surprises up their sleeve, including the single “Save That Goodness” written and produced by Phil Collen of Def Leppard, the album will be released in Europe on August 26th. The record is being released in conjunction with Tesla’s US summer tour opening up for Def Leppard, where they will perform in front of over half a million fans.

Said Frank Hannon, “30 years later and the songs on our first album still rock! Making this new live album of Mechanical Resonance was a reminder of the innocence and creative beginnings of Tesla.”

Added Brian Wheat, "It was a lot of fun to re-visit some of the songs we hadn't played in decades and had a great time recording it. "

Over the course of their thirty-year career, which started in 1986, the iconic Sacramento melodic hard rock quintet - Frank Hannon [guitar], Brian Wheat [bass], Jeff Keith [lead vocals], Troy Luccketta [drums], and Dave Rude [guitar] - has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide and played to sold out crowds across the globe, their three albums that followed Mechanical Resonance all went multi-Platinum in the US. To say Tesla live is absolutely bombastic is an understatement, they are a hard rock band to beat all hard rock bands.

The 21st century has become something of a renaissance for Tesla. Most recently, 2014’s Simplicity bowed at #14 on the Billboard Top 200. The group ignited ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! in addition to scorching stages at festivals such as Rocklahoma, Graspop Metal Meeting, and Sweden Rock Festival as well as the cruise Monsters of Rock. As they prepare to cut their ninth full-length album with Phil Collen in the producer’s chair, Tesla takes another monumental leap forward as they glance back on Mechanical Resonance, Live!

Mechanical Resonance, Live! tracklisting:

“Rock Me To The Top”
“Ez Come Ez Go”
“Gettin’ Better”
“Comin’ Atcha Live”
“Changes”
“Before My Eyes”
“2 Late 4 Love”
“We’re No Good Together”
“Love Me”
“Cover Queen”
“Lil Suzie”
“Modern Day Cowboy”
“Save That Goodness” (Studio Track)

Tour dates:

July
15 - Detroit, MI - DTE Music Theatre
16 - Toronto, ON - Molson Canadian Amphitheater

August
6 - Madison, WI - Alliant Energy Center
8 - Evansille, IN - Ford Center
10 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Center
12 - Atlanta, GA - Aaron's Amphitheater
13 - Raleigh, NC - Walnut Creek Amphitheater
15 - Tampa, FL - MidFlorida Credit Amphitheater
17 - Birmingham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheater
19 - Austin, TX - Austin 360
20 - New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center
22 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Pavilion
24 - Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion
26 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
27 - ST. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
29 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
31 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake PAC

September
14 - Billings, MT - Metra Park
16 - Salk Lake City, UT - USANA Ampitheater
17 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion
22 - Irvine, CA - Irvine Meadows Amphitheater
24 - Sacramento, CA - Toyota Amphitheater (no Tesla)
25 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheater
28 - Boise, ID - Taco Bell Arena
30 - Eugene, OR - Matthew Knight Arena

October
1 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
4 - Omaha,NE - CenturyLink Center
5 - Minneapolis, MN - Xcel Center
7 - La Crosse, WI - La Crosse Center Arena
8 - Toledo, OH - Huntington Center
10 - Cedar Rapids, IA - U.S. Cellular Center

Fan-filmed video footage of WHITESNAKE's July 14 performance in Villafranca di Verona, Italy can be seen below.

WHITESNAKE is continuing to tour in support of its twelfth studio album, "The Purple Album", which was released in May 2015 via Frontiers Music Srl. The effort is billed as "a re-imagination of classic songs from David Coverdale's time as the lead singer for DEEP PURPLE's Mark III and Mark IV studio albums." Coverdale was DEEP PURPLE's frontman from late 1973 to early 1976 and sang on the albums "Burn", "Stormbringer" and "Come Taste The Band".

Speaking to Macedonia's Metropolis Radio, Coverdale stated about what it has been like to perform classic PURPLE material after so many years: "The songs don't feel old when we perform them. I was listening to some of the live recordings from the U.S. tour, and they're fucking amazing. This band is great. They play WHITESNAKE music, of course, fantastic, but they play DEEP PURPLE music fantastic. It's definitely even more so than on the record. It's very powerful and you can tell the musicians are enjoying themselves and you can see it and you can hear it. And hopefully you can feel it too."

David went on to explain that "The Purple Album" was originally going to mark the end of his recording career but has since turned out to be the catalyst for the new WHITESNAKE band to work on new material. He said: "Well, it's interesting, because when I was mixing 'The Purple Album' with my co-producer Michael McIntyre and Reb [Beach, WHITESNAKE guitarist], it felt to me…You know, I was 63 years old, and I'm going, 'Man, how long do I have to do this? This would be a perfect closure for me — to finish as I started.' But it's just kind of… In essence, it's re-energized me. I still write new music. But it's just revitalized me… re-renergized. That's all I can say. So any ideas that I had of retiring… I was totally honest, when I was making interviews, that I thought, you know, 'This is probably it.' But I had an incredibly good time on this U.S. tour with my musicians. It was incredible."

He continued: "It was very important to us not just to… An amazing discovery for me, when I rediscovered this music, was how fucking incredible DEEP PURPLE was. 'Cause I'm not a nostalgic guy. I don't listen to this music all the time; not at all. I had to reintroduce myself to these songs. And it wasn't a situation of just recreating them; it was a situation of reinventing some of them. There was not one moment that I said to any of my musicians, 'I want you to play this like Ian Paice.' 'I want you to play this like Tommy Bolin or Glenn Hughes.' The musicians, starting with Tommy Aldridge on drums, came in and made their individual statement on these songs. Everybody contributed to this project in the most positive way, and even now that we've been performing these songs, it's even better than when we were recording them. And it just makes it more inspiring to look at the future for new stuff, with these guys. They are fabulous musicians, great people. I have no desire to hang up my rock and roll sneakers just yet."

WHITESNAKE's current touring lineup — David Coverdale (vocals), Joel Hoekstra (guitar), Reb Beach (guitar), Michael Devin (bass), Tommy Aldridge (drums) and Michele Luppi (keyboards) — made its live debut on May 28, 2015 at Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights, Washington.

PURPLE classics revamped for "The Purple Album" include "Stormbringer", "Lady Double Dealer", "Soldier Of Fortune" and "Sail Away". The deluxe edition of "The Purple Album" features two bonus tracks, four music videos and a "Behind The Scenes" featurette on the recording of the album.

AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler's new song "Hold On (Won't Let Go)" has been named the new anthem for the Colorado-based bull riding organization Professional Bull Riders' CBS television broadcasts and live events. The track is featured on Tyler's debut solo album, "We're All Somebody From Somewhere", which is being released today (Friday, July 15) via Dot Records, underneath the Big Machine Label Group umbrella.

"Hold On (Won't Let Go)" will open PBR broadcasts on CBS Sports and CBS Sports Networks. It will also play at live events and be part of PBR's advertising/marketing campaigns, including a new social media effort starting Friday.

"It's a stand-out moment for our sport and we couldn't be more honored," said Professional Bull Riders CEO Sean Gleason in a statement. "'Hold On (Won't Let Go)' is the quintessential PBR anthem."

"Steven Tyler," Gleason added, "captures the essence of PBR like no other artist or song could."

"Hold On (Won't Let Go)" was written by Tyler along with five-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter Poo Bear and Jared Gutstadt, who has collaborated with Brad Paisley, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Dierks Bentley and others, and produced by nine-time Grammy Award winner T Bone Burnett.

"Give Me the Reins", the debut video from CLOCKWORK REVOLUTION, the new band featuring former members of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE, CRIMSON GLORY and KAMELOT, can be seen below.

Formed at the end of 2015, CLOCKWORK REVOLUTION is mastering its debut album, due later in the year. The disc contains ten original tracks that were recorded in August and November of 2015.

CLOCKWORK REVOLUTION cosnsists of drummer Patrick Johannson (W.A.S.P., YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, G3, GUS G., LYNCH MOB), singer Wade Black (LEATHERWOLF, CRIMSON GLORY, SEVEN WITCHES, LEASH LAW, WAR OF THRONES), bassist Dirk Van Tilborg (ALIAS, ATTAKK, CRIMSON GLORY, KAMELOT) and guitarist Dewayne Hart (KINLIN). According to a press release, they deliver "a powerful sound that draws from both modern and classic metal."

Talking about the album, Black said: "I've been in the music business a long time. All I can say about CLOCKWORK REVOLUTION is great musicians plus chemistry equals an album I'm really proud of."

For additional information, visit www.clockrev.com.

MEGADETH has announced the addition of Dirk Verbeuren as the band's new drummer. Verbeuren, formerly of Swedish metal band SOILWORK, has been performing with the band for months, his first show was Rock On The Range festival in May, to a crowd of 40,000 concertgoers. Most recently, LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler had performed all the drums on the band's latest album, "Dystopia", and had toured with MEGADETH when not otherwise busy with his band. Said MEGADETH bandleader Dave Mustaine: "Chris Adler's contributions are sure to be felt for years to come. MEGADETH has been revitalized by Chris's playing, as well as his excellent suggestion of Dirk Verbeuren to drum with us. Tremendous thanks to Chris, and a big welcome to Dirk." Verbeuren, the 40-year-old Belgian-born-and-now-Los-Angeles-based drummer who had been playing with SOILWORK for more than a decade, had this to say: "Dave, David [Ellefson, bass] and Kiko [Loureiro, guitar], I'm thankful for your warm welcome and thrilled at the opportunity to perform and create badass music with you guys.

"Chris Adler, thank you for introducing me to MEGADETH — and for your encouragement and support." Said Adler: "It has been an honor and a pleasure to join my favorite band of all time, and to be a part of their return to the top. I had an amazing time with everyone involved, from the writing, arranging and recording, to the touring and friendships built along the way.

"There was no argument or drama, no hidden story. MEGADETH needs and deserves a full-time drummer, and as much as I'd like to be, I can't be in two places at once.

"For my part, I am very lucky to be a part of LAMB OF GOD, and to also have gotten a chance to dance with my heroes at the ball. I still can't believe it sometimes when I think of myself as a kid, opening up my MEGADETH albums...and now I'm an alumni! I'm very proud of that — and I will continue to be their biggest fan."

Adler, who called Verbeuren "probably [one of the] top three drummers in the world," recommended Dirk for the MEGADETH job this past spring after conflicting schedules prevented Chris from playing with the band at several U.S. festivals. Chris told Banger TV's "Lock Horns" how the connection came about. "We tried as much as we could with all the promoters and all the festivals to have us coincide and play on the same day. I've done double duty with LAMB and MEGADETH across the U.K. and done five shows with them along [another] tour, because we were able to collide and make those things happen. I love playing with those guys and I would love to be there, but obviously I cannot be in two places at once."

He continued: "Dave asked me… He said, 'As we're doing this, and if you're not able to be there… I understand you wanna fulfill your commitment with LAMB OF GOD. Help me find… Who would you want to drum for us?' He asked, 'If there was someone out there that you would personally recommend, personality-wise and playing-wise?'"

While Verbeuren was playing with MEGADETH, his seat in SOILWORK was occupied by Bastian Thusgaard of THE ARCANE ORDER. It is not clear if Thusgaard will now join SOILWORK on a more permanent basis.

Twin dual harpists Camille And Kennerly are back with a cover of the Iron Maiden track “The Trooper”. Check out the new video below:

Check out some of Camille And Kennerly’s previous videos below:

“Ice Queen” (Within Temptation):

“Carry On Wayward Son” (Kansas):

"Silent Lucidity" (Queensrÿche):

“One” (Metallica):

“Nemo” (Nightwish):

Black Crown Initiate are debuting another single today from their forthcoming LP. "Vicious Lives" is streaming below. A music video teaser for their title track "Selves We Cannot Forgive" is also available.

Black Crown Initiate recently announced the departure of longtime guitar player Rik Stelzpflug. Wes Hauch, formerly of The Faceless joins the band as his replacement.

"It's a really rare and awesome thing if you're able to find a group of dudes that you can genuinely get along with," says Hauch. "It's even more rare if your musical tastes and goals are congruent. I can definitely say that's the case right now in Black Crown Initiate and I'm very grateful. Things are great and I'm looking forward to the the future."

Black Crown Initiate will release their new album, Selves We Cannot Forgive, on July 22nd via Entertainment One Music (eOne).

Recorded and mixed by Carson Slovak & Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Texas In July, From Ashes To New) at Atrium Audio Recording Studio’s in Lancaster PA, Selves We Cannot Forgive will be the follow up to the buzzworthy debut LP The Wreckage of Stars released at the end of 2014. The Wreckage of Stars also propelled the band into the international touring act it is today. BCI quickly found themselves on the road with the likes of Behemoth, Deicide, Napalm Death and Voivod.  

Selves We Can Not Forgive, the band’s sophomore album with Entertainment One, is a lean and focused collection that jettisons the extraneous fat found too often within ambitious metal bands, striking a balance between fearless adventurousness and methodical might. It follows The Wreckage of Stars, which together with their self-financed Song of the Crippled Bull EP introduced Black Crown Initiate’s unapologetic exploration of everything from Friedrich Nietzsche and Greek Sophist Gorgias to Hinduism, Buddhism, and indigenous mysticism, with a pragmatic skepticism.

Tracklisting:

“For Red Cloud”
“Sorrowpsalm”
“Again”
“Belie The Machine”
“Selves We Cannot Forgive”
“Transmit To Disconnect”
“Matriarch”
“Vicious Lives”

“Selves We Cannot Forgive” video teaser:

"Vicious Lives”:

“Selves We Cannot Forgive”:

"For Red Cloud”:

Black Crown initiate have hit the road supporting Australian import Ne Obliviscaris. "We are incredibly excited!" says guitarist Andy Thomas. "We are long-time fans and even opened for them on their first ever US show. We spoke about this possibility then, and the fact that it is happening makes us all very happy. We are sure that fans of progressive metal will get their fill! See you all there!"  

Tour dates:

July
14 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
16 - Portland,. OR - Hawthorne Theater
17 - Bellingham, WA - The Shakedown
18 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
19 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater
21 - Edmonton, AB - Starlight Room
22 - Calgary, AB - Dickens
24 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
25 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's
26 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
27 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club
28 - Montreal, QC - Petit Campus
29 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
31 - Boston, MA - ONCE Ballroom

August
1 - Philadelphia, PA - Voltage Lounge
2 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
3 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
5 - Austin, TX - Dirty Dog Bar
6 - San Antonio. TX - The Rock Box
7 - Ft. Worth, TX - Rail Club
8 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
10 - Denver, CO - Bluebird
11 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
12 - Phoenix, AZ - Joe's Grotto

Black Crown Initiate will join Born Of Osiris, Veil Of Maya and Volumes on the Sumerian Alliance European Tour in fall 2016. The run marks Black Crown Initiate's first visit to Europe.

Tour dates:

September
9 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Stadtmitte  
10 - Brussels, Belgium - VK  
11 - Leeds, UK - Key Club  
12 - Glasgow, UK - Classic Grand  
13 - Manchester, UK - Sound Control  
14 - Cardiff, UK - The Globe  
15 - London, UK - O2 Islington Academy  
16 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013  
17 - Paris, France - Fleche d'Or  
18 - Toulouse, France - Metronum  
20 - Madrid, Spain - Changó   
21 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra 2  
22 - Montpellier, France - Secret Place  
23 - Milano, Italy - Legend Club  
24 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Cerbervs Fest  
25 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage  
26 - München, Germany - Backstage  
27 - Wien, Austria - Arena  
28 - Budapest, Hungary - Durer Kurt  
29 - Katowice, Poland - Mega Club  
30 - Leipzig, Germany - Täubchenthal  

October
1 - Köln, Germany - Euroblast   
2 - Köln, Germany - Euroblast   
3 - Berlin, Germany - Musik & Frieden
5 - Stockholm, Sweden - En Arena  
6 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee  
7 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Fangelset   
8 - Aarhus, Denmark - Atlas

Tickets at this location.

(Photo - Trevor Sweeney)

Steven Tyler says that he is "really concerned and worried" that he hasn't gotten any news from his AEROSMITH bandmate Joe Perry, who collapsed onstage and was hospitalized Sunday during a show with HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES.

The AEROSMITH singer tells Billboard.com that he's placed calls to check on the guitarist without any reply. "It's starting to scare me a little bit," Tyler says. "I know they're putting out nothing, but he's recovering, he's really good, he fainted, exhaustion. But I know my brother. He's just about the only other guy that's as passionate about his art as I am. He's always asking me to do three, four [AEROSMITH] shows in a row, and I can't. I'll blow my voice out. I know how to maintain my career, my health, and Joe's passionate. I don't think he knows how to. I think he's out there and someone's overbooking him. They're doing like eight or nine shows in a row, or five in a row. I think they're all a little burnt. I think they may need to look at that. Not young anymore, y'know?" 


Tyler adds that his primary concern is for the well-being of his longtime friend and not for the future of AEROSMITH, which is scheduled to kick off a South American tour on September 29.

"I don't give a shit about the band. I want Joe to live," Tyler says. "I'm really concerned and worried right now that I'm not getting any news. I'm a little bummed out, and that scares me. I don't know whether it's heat prostration or whether he's been working himself too hard or getting off on wrong things passionately. I don't know what it is, but I know that nobody's talking to me. I can only tell you that Joe's my brother and I love him so much."


The exact nature of Perry's illness has not been revealed, although unconfirmed reports suggest the 65-year-old rocker suffered a heart attack.

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES canceled Monday night's scheduled performance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert", but played Tuesday (July 12) in Kettering, Ohio. Wile Perry didn't make the show at the Fraze Pavilion, his bandmates — including Alice Cooper, actor Johnny Depp, ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist Robert DeLeo — set up his amps and other musical equipment to occupy the spot where he usually stood onstage. In addition, they donned buttons with Perry's initials.

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."

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

Belgium thrashers, Evil Invaders, are ready to unleash the beast on their upcoming 4-track EP, entitled In For The Kill. Two brand new tracks as well as two live versions of songs from of their debut album Pulses Of Pleasure make for audible madness.

In For The Kill EP tracklisting:

“As Life Slowly Fades”
“Raising Hell”
“Pulses Of Pleasure” (live version)
“Victim Of Sacrifice” (live version)

Pre-orders will launch shortly.

In For The Kill will be released on September 30th via Napalm Records and will be exclusively available via Napalm Records online store. Prepare for high velocity, skull crushing riffs and solos that will melt your face off. This one is going to be brutal!

BREAKING BENJAMIN's video for the song "Ashes Of Eden" can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "Dark Before Dawn", which sold 141,000 copies in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 1. The sales number was the best single-week sales mark of the band's career, with 135,000 of those made for physical CDs.

BREAKING BENJAMIN frontman Ben Burnley told Billboard.com that the clip is "sort of a modern sci-fi take on Adam and Eve," in which two members of a space crew are separated from their ship and "plummet to a water planet where their ashes turn to the building blocks for life as we know it on earth. Billions of years go by and the earth becomes the earth as we know it, and they've sort of re-evolved into humans and have found each other again."

"Dark Before Dawn" features Burnley leading an all-new lineup of the group, which has been expanded from a quartet to a five-piece.

Burnley fired two earlier members in 2010 over a legal battle, while a third member departed in 2013.

Burnley also struggled with a mysterious illness during the band's six-year hiatus, which he told The Pulse Of Radio might be the result of the excessive drinking he used to do. "I used to drink a lot, and I think it must have something to do with that because back in 2007, I stayed up drinking for three days straight — this is after already months and months of drinking heavily — and I woke up and I just felt really sick, like alcohol poisoned, and I was like, I should've probably gone to the hospital but I didn't, and I went onstage and when I went onstage I almost collapsed from being just so sick. And basically that was 2007 and it hasn't gone away."

Burnley unveiled BREAKING BENJAMIN 2.0 in 2014, with the lineup consisting of drummer Shaun Foist, bassist Aaron Bruch, former RED guitarist Jasen Rauch and ex-ADELITAS WAY guitarist Keith Wallen.

A statute of Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister will be unveiled in front of the late MOTÖRHEAD frontman's favorite haunt, the legendary Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California, on August 24 at 7 p.m. This event is open to the public.

Los Angeles-based artist Travis Moore was selected to create a realistic depiction of Lemmy for the life-size cast bronze statue, which stands at just over six feet tall and will be permanently housed in a special shrine that is currently being constructed in the patio bar area at the Rainbow.

According to California Rock News, Travis initially sculpted the likeness as an 18-inch maquette that was then be transferred to a life-size sculpture, which was molded in wax and ultimately poured and cast in bronze.

A timelapse video of Travis building the 18-inch maquette can be seen below.

A native of Texas, Travis did his part for free, but there were considerable costs associated with the actual process that ultimately made the statute a reality. A funding campaign was launched by Katon De Pena from classic underground thrash-metal band HIRAX, who raised about $23,000 to support the building of the statue.

Katon said in January: "Lemmy was dedicated to us. Now is our chance to say 'thank you.' Travis will create the best Lemmy sculpture on the planet."

Lemmy passed away at his home in Los Angeles on December 28, only four days after his 70th birthday. A memorial in his honor was held on January 9 at the Rainbow Bar & Grill, and it extended across much of the Sunset Strip.

Kaaos TV conducted an interview with guitarist Eric Peterson of San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT prior to the band's July 1 performance at the Tuska festival in Helsinki, Finland. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the progress of the recording sessions for TESTAMENT's new album, "The Brotherhood Of The Snake", which will be released on October 28 via Nuclear Blast:

Eric: "It's done. It's 99.9 percent done. I still have two solos to do when I get home, which is gonna happen tomorrow. [Laughs] But it's being mixed right now. So, like I said, it's 99.9 [percent] done as far as recording. Right now we're in the stage of mixing it, so we're trying to find the right sound. We're working with [British producer] Andy Sneap again. Andy always gets a great sound right away. The only difference on this one is we're trying to be a little bit more organic, and getting away from Andy's perfection sound, and get more of a looser… you know, still keeping the slickness of it, but trying to get a little bit more raw. So it's kind of a hard way to describe it. But we don't want it too perfect. And I didn't record four guitars; I did two this time. So there's a lot more air going on with the rhythms and stuff like that."

On why TESTAMENT has chosen to approach the recording process slightly differently this time around:

Eric: "Just so when we play live, it isn't, like, the record sounds like a record and the way we play live, it's. like, 'That didn't sound like that.' We wanna sound like we do live."

"When you write a song, especially the way this one was written, you don't really know the songs. You make them up, you play them a couple of times. Vocally, Chuck [Billy] writes the lyrics, sings them maybe three or four times, and then that's it. And then the rest of our lives, when we play it, he sings it a hundred times, and it's gonna sound different. So that's the only challenge. And that's for any band, I think.

"I think for Chuck, vocally, he's finding the right spots where to put the 'death' growls and where to sing. And just the music in general, everything's kind of got a good place, I think."

On whether the musical direction of TESTAMENT's new material is a throwback to the band's early albums or if it's more similar to the recent TESTAMENT records:

Eric: "More like the modern [TESTAMENT sound], but, you know, like I was saying earlier, having that more raw feeling. Of course, our influences have changed a lot. For me, I always get accused of listening to older stuff [and I am told that] I need to listen to more new stuff. But I always like to go back and listen to records from the '70s and the '80s. And I won't name the bands I listen to, but I listen to a lot of different stuff that has nothing to do with metal, because I hear things differently. I don't hear it, like… You know, like if I listen to [American blues rock guitarist] Joe Bonamassa or something, I'm not, like, 'Wow, I wanna sound like that.' I just kind of get ideas of key changes and the way he hits certain notes or whatever and apply it to what we're doing. And that's the same thing with anything."

TESTAMENT will promote "The Brotherhood Of The Snake" by teaming up with AMON AMARTH for a European tour this fall.

AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler appears in "Happy Birthday", a new horror thriller written and directed by the singer's longtime collaborator Casey Tebo.

Tyler plays a wild, cowboy-type character named Kasape Suka in the horror flick about a wild road trip that culminates with a run-in with the Mexican drug cartel. The movie also stars Matt Bush, Britne Oldford and Matt Willig.

"When Brady Baxter finds out his girlfriend is cheating on him, his best friend Tommy Quinn decides the only way to get his mind off of it is to take a drug-fueled, death defying journey into the sweaty black heart of darkness that is Mexicali," reads the movie synopsis. "This is not Tijuana, this is not your father's Mexico. Things turn beyond twisted when they meet a back alley tour guide named 'The Mexican Cowboy,' who takes them down the rabbit hole, that is the seediest parts of Mexicali.

"Cock fights, Shamans, and a make-shift strip club called 'Chocho Fuego,' it looks to be the most insane birthday celebration in recent memory. When they meet two American girls and head to a desolate hotel, the night is about to end with a bang. Soon, it's clear the girls have other ideas. Sex games, drugs, torture, eventually held for ransom by the Mexican drug cartel. How did Brady's birthday dream turn into his worst nightmare?"

Steven previously told Billboard that he initially brought Tebo into the AEROSMITH camp about around 2009 during a particularly turbulent period in the group's history. "There was a lot of shit going on at one point with the band," Tyler explained, "and I got really pissed off and I thought, 'I need to start filming a day in the life of myself on tour.' So I brought [Tebo] out, and he did such a great job he started doing the [video] screens and he started being our videographer on tour."

Casey later used a collection of touring footage to create "Rock For The Rising Sun", a full-length live performance feature that documents AEROSMITH's 2011 tour through earthquake-and-tsunami-ravaged Japan.

Tyler has 22 acting credits under his belt, including voice roles on "Hot In Cleveland" and "Wonder Pets". He also appeared as himself on the Charlie Sheen sitcom "Two And A Half Men" and guest starred on the ABC drama "Nashville".

The self-titled debut EP from SCOUR, the new extreme metal "supergroup" featuring Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT) alongside members of CATTLE DECAPITATION and PIG DESTROYER, can be streamed in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. Due on July 15 via Anselmo's Housecore label, the six-track effort was mixed by Dave Otero (CEPHALIC CARNAGE, CATTLE DECAPITATION, COBALT, KHEMMIS) and will be made available on CD and vinyl formats.

"Scour" track listing:

01. Dispatched02. Clot03. Crooked04. Codes05. Tactics06. Tear Gas

Engemann stated about the "Tear Gas" track: "[That] was the final song written for the debut EP. It was completed backstage on the CANNIBAL CORPSE/CATTLE DECAPITATION tour last year. Every day Jarvis and myself would 'scour' for an isolated, quiet spot to set up my portable recording studio. I remember specifically Rob Barrett walking in during the tracking of this song, and gave his nod of approval. [Laughs] This song has a chorus section at the end that is unique to this album. Once it was finished, I sent it to Philip to write the lyrics. Of course, The Kid completely just nailed the chorus. 'Let the war be waged...'"

Anselmo previously stated about his involvement with from SCOUR: "Doing the SCOUR project was a blast. The track 'Dispatched' was the first one I attacked, as it was the first one sent to me. Lyrically, I leave it to the listener to evaluate, as usual. The way I saw it, the songs were short, and extremely straight-forward, so I didn't want to clutter 'em up with too much. Therefore, I had to pick particular lyrics that seemed provocatively absurd enough, and to perform them as raw as deemed fit. Hope all true extreme music lovers enjoy the stuff as much as I did performing it. A huge cheers to all the awesome collaborators on this project… Much love to all."

SCOUR is:

* Phillip H. Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT) - Vocals* Derek Engemann (CATTLE DECAPITATION) - Guitar* Chase Fraser (ANIMOSITY) - Guitar* John Jarvis (PIG DESTROYER) - Bass* Jesse Schobel (STRONG INTENTION) - Drums

In a 2015 interview with Hellbound.ca, Anselmo stated about SCOUR: "[There's] one of the fellows from CATTLE DECAPITATION, but it's predominantly, in my ear, modern-ish black metal-sounding, thrashy black metal-type stuff. I'm going to put my own spin on it. I don't have to sound like your boy from GORGOROTH [laughs] to get the point across, man. There's other ways of singing over that style of music, and I shall employ many styles."

Back in 2012, Anselmo told Terrorizer magazine about his varied musical taste: "I am a lover of all sorts of music but really my heart is ... really I love extreme music, underground music, whether it be grindcore, death metal, thrash, black metal, [or whatever other] subgenre, and I find beauty in a lot of this stuff."

An official SCOUR Facebook page has been launched at this location.

Alpha Omega Management announce the signing of The Noctambulant to its roster.

Melodic black metal ensemble The Noctambulant - hailing from Jacksonville, FL - is a musical collective heavily steeped in the darkest realms of metal. The band released their first two EPs - Dreams Of Rotten Silence and The Fear Leader - in 2013. After touring throughout Florida in 2014, The Noctambulant played several festivals in 2015, and shared the stage with heavy hitters such as Moonspell, Skeletonwitch, Turisas, and Thy Antichrist, and released another crushing EP, Hubris/Nemesis.

Building on the blackened strength of three successful EP’s, the band is hard at work on their first full length, Advocatus Diaboli, set to be released on Domestic Genocide Records in August. The first video single "Goddess" will come out still before the album release. Check out the "Goddess" video teaser here.

Comments the band: "The Noctambulant are excited to now be a part of the Alpha Omega family. We are looking forward to a prosperous future and continuing to build this partnership."

Alpha Omega Management adds: "We are truly glad to welcome these "night walkers" in The Noctambulant to our family! After their three successful EPs, their acclaimed debut full-length Advocatus Diaboli will surely bring the band to the next level. Be warned, The Noctambulant never sleeps and will be stalking the night soon somewhere near you, so stay tuned!"

Germany’s Athorn will release their new melodic death metal concept album, Necropolis, on September 16th via Dr. Music Records.

The longplayer with 11 songs immediately conveys to the listener a detailed illustration of what would happen if a meteorite suddenly hit our planet and turned humankind into a nation of zombies. The end of human civilization causes a complete chaos on the planet and puts it into an apocalyptic state. In order to portray this exact wasteland scenario more precisely, the members of Athorn have thrown pretty much every style between melodic death and power metal into their seething songwriting pot and created the post-apocalyptic ruined city “Necropolis“ as a fantastic result.

The atmospheric artwork, created by multi-talent and vocalist Carsten Frank, shows a sea of skulls in front of a desolate ghost town in the distance and provides the concept of the album with a remarkably intense expression. You can practically watch the goosebumps rise on your skin while viewing the cover for the first time. But see for yourselves!

Tracklisting:

“11111011000”
“Another Day In Hell”
“The Dark Breed”
“Cabin On The Hill”
“Forgotten Souls”
“Ghost Brigade”
“Path Of Sorrow”
“Final Destination”
“End Of Days”
“Born In Flames”
“Of Pawns And Dragons”

Teaser:

Necropolis was produced completely autonomously in vocalist Carsten Frank’s Waveland Productions Studio and will be available as digipak with a 12-page booklet in stores, through notable streaming services and download stores. In addition to that, a strongly limited special edition metal box including rare goodies will only be available at live shows or on the band website. Pre-orders will be possible soon.

Following their wildly successful debut EP, Breaking Out, UK trio Raveneye are set to release their full length debut album, NOVA, worldwide on September 23rd.

Since forming in 2014, UK-based rock band Raveneye has toured globally, supporting bands such as The Darkness, Slash, Deep Purple, Halestorm and Blues Pills. The band has headlined their own tours through Europe and America and have performed at major international rock festivals such as Download Festival​ (UK), Hellfest Open Air Festival​ (France), Azkena Rock Festival ARF​ (Spain), Rock For People (Czech Republic), Louder Than Life​ (US), and Aftershock Festival​ (US), and will also perform at this year’s Maximus Festival​ in Brazil and Argentina this September. Their incendiary live shows have captivated crowds and put them on the map as a ‘must see live’ band.  

Warren Riker (Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson, Down, Anders Osborne), who engineered the debut EP, took over as producer to capture the band’s true sonic identity on NOVA. Together, Oli Brown, Aussie bassist Aaron Spiers and renowned drummer Gunnar Olsen worked at Water Music in Hoboken, New Jersey for 25 days and created an eleven-track album that pushed the band beyond its boundaries and into new ground. From the hard hitting riffs of “Inside”, “Madeline” and “Hero” to the raw sounds of “Wanna Feel You” and “Oh My Love’ to the stark reality of life and death in “Eternity”, NOVA takes you on a journey of defiance, pain, hate, death and, yes, love.

With songs filled with deep, bluesy grooves and infectious hooks that invoke giants such as Led Zeppelin and Soundgarden, Raveneye (who formed just two years ago) continue to win fans over around the world with their huge sound and killer live shows. The extensive touring in 2015 laid the ground work for a hungry fan-base and, this past April, one year after the release of their debut EP, Breaking Out, the band debuted on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart.

NOVA tracklisting:

“Wanna Feel You”
“Come With Me”
“Inside”
“Hero”
“Supernova”
“Walls”
“Oh My Love”
“Madeline”
“Hate”
“Out Of The Rain”
“Eternity”