Drummer Steven Adler performed with GUNS N' ROSES for the second time in 26 years on Saturday night (July 9) in Nashville, Tennessee, where he once again joined the group onstage to play drums on "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle". He previously performed the same two songs with GN'R at Wednesday's (July 6) concert in Cincinnati, Ohio.

These two shows marked Adler's first two appearances with GUNS N' ROSES since 1990, although he performed with members of the band at their 2012 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Speculation about Adler having some sort of involvement in the GUNS N' ROSES reunion has been rampant ever since the band made it official with a surprise April 1 show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.

Adler was reportedly going to appear at that gig until he was sidelined by a back injury.

The regular GUNS N' ROSES drummer for several years has been Frank Ferrer, who is also part of the current lineup that boasts classic lineup members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan.

Adler was thrown out of GUNS N' ROSES in 1990 due to his heavy drug use, a problem he struggled with for years after his dismissal.

Izzy Stradlin, the rhythm guitarist who was also part of GN'R's classic lineup — as defined by the era of the rock band's debut album, 1987's "Appetite For Destruction" — has yet to appear with the reunited band onstage.

Earlier in the month, Slash spoke of how things were going on the road. "We were all pretty positive that that would never happen so it's still sort of blowing our minds," Slash said during a radio interview. "It seems so surreal to me, but everybody's really getting along great and I think everybody's come a long way and it's all cool."

Adler said last October that he would be the last person to hear about his involvement in a GUNS N' ROSES reunion because Slash couldn't trust him to keep the information secret. "I've known for Slash thirty-what… thirty-nine years, and he knows that I would climb to the [highest] mountain and I would do, as Paul Stanley would say, 'shout it out loud,'" he said.

Adler told VH1 Classic's Eddie Trunk in a separate interview about the possibility of his involvement in a GN'R reunion: "I love those guys, and I always will, but Duff, he doesn't think I'm cool. And Slash, he doesn't believe that I have [two years] sober. He doesn't believe it. I don't know why, but they forget that at one time in their life, they were doing drugs and drinking and they were fucking up. They forget that they were like that too. Duff has got 20 years sober or more, Slash has got, like, 11 or 12 years sober, and I've got [two years]. So everybody gets it at a different time. I'm just thankful I got it."

He expressed frustration that the original GUNS had not reunited, saying, "I don't get it. We just play music. We're living our dream. When we're together, we play it really great. Let's just do it. What's the problem?"

The GUNS N' ROSES "Not In This Lifetime" tour continues on Tuesday (July 12) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

According to The Wall Street Journal, of the 25 shows the reunited GUNS N' ROSES is playing this summer as part of its "Not In This Lifetime" North American tour, twelve have sold out or are close to it, and concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment says it expects to sell out five more. The average ticket price so far is $130.

While a sold-out crowd of 41,000 saw the tour's opening show in Detroit, only 27,000 came to watch GUNS N' ROSES perform at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Similarly, GUNS N’ ROSES' first of two shows at Soldier Field in Chicago was sold out, but the second show — which took place this past Sunday — was not as well-attended, with the stadium's upper deck vacant on one side.

Asked by Fortune for a comment, Live Nation responded with the following statement: "GUNS N' ROSES' 'Not In This Lifetime' tour is an unqualified success. Not only is it the #1 rock tour of the summer, it will be one of the top-grossing tours of 2016 and one of the most successful reunion tours of all time. At six shows into the tour, it has already grossed more than $100,000,000 in ticket sales. Live Nation expects to surpass 1 million tickets sold and we congratulate the band on this monumental achievement."

Roux told The Wall Street Journal that Live Nation expects to sell one million tickets, or roughly ninety percent of tickets available, for the "Not In This Lifetime" tour. He added that some of the less well-attended shows were the result of the band playing cities it wanted to play, rather than sticking to the highest population centers that would better guarantee sellouts.

The "Not In This Lifetime" trek features classic lineup members Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and Axl Rose backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and new second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Drummer Steven Adler performed with the band for the first time in 26 years on Wednesday night (July 6) in Cincinnati, where he joined the group onstage to play drums on "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle".

This marked Adler's first appearance with GUNS N' ROSES since 1990, although he performed with members of the band at their 2012 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Speculation about Adler having some sort of involvement in the GUNS N' ROSES reunion has been rampant ever since the band made it official with a surprise April 1 show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.

Adler was reportedly going to appear at that gig until he was sidelined by a back injury.

Adler was thrown out of GUNS N' ROSES in 1990 due to his heavy drug use, a problem he struggled with for years after his dismissal.

The "Not In This Lifetime" tour continues on Saturday (July 9) in Nashville.

Check out Iron Maiden’s classic hit The Trooper performed by ex-Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley and Dutch classical guitarist Thomas Zwijsen (Nylon Maiden) below:

Nylon Maiden’s Preserved In Time is Zwijsen’s ultimate Iron Maiden tribute album. It makes the classical guitar world a bit more metal by adding 16 Iron Maiden songs (and two Bruce Dickinson songs) to its repertoire.

Zwijsen’s long-time collaborator Blaze Bayley is one of the returning guest musicians on this album, performing two tracks from his Iron Maiden days, as well as a unique version of “Blood Brothers” off the Brave New World album! This is the first time Blaze performs an Iron Maiden song from the post-Blaze era. It gives Iron Maiden fans an idea of what it would have sounded like if Blaze had stayed with the band.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1
“If Eternity Should Fail”
“Stranger In A Strange Land”
“Judgement Of Heaven” (with Blaze Bayley & Anne Bakker)
“Ghost Of The Navigator”
“Powerslave” (Thomas & band)
“Burning Ambition”
“Tears Of The Dragon” (Bruce Dickinson song)
“Blood Brothers” (with Blaze Bayley)
“When The Wild Wind Blows” (Thomas & band)

Disc 2
“Afraid To Shoot Strangers”
“Como Estais Amigos” (with Blaze Bayley & Anne Bakker)
“Wrathchild”
“Tears Of A Clown”
“Jerusalem” (Bruce Dickinson song)
“For The Greater Good Of God”
“Reach Out”
“Fear Of The Dark”
“Rime Of The Ancient Mariner” (Thomas & band)

Zwijsen comments: “In our attempt to choose the best tracklisting for the most fulfilling, surprising and complete Iron Maiden tribute album, we simply couldn't fit all the songs on a single CD, so we decided to make it a double CD this time. Many of the songs were requests from people on YouTube. If this were to be the setlist at an Iron Maiden concert, I’d be very happy!”

“Rime Of The Ancient Mariner”:

“When The Wild Wind Blows”:

“Powerslave”:

“If Eternity Should Fail”:

"Afraid To Shoot Strangers”:

“Tears Of The Dragon”:

“Ghost Of The Navigator”:

 

Already issued as a lyric video in January, "Angels Of Violence" is getting a new lift visually as this time rereleased as a real video clip, shot and directed by Mathieu Breffin from Switzerland. BraveWords brings you the exclusive premier of the new video:

Those who read the lyrics in the other video will be even more at ease with the meaning behind the images of war and the featuring of the young actor playing a soldier boy.

The song is about the fact that in many places all over the world, war and violence become the only education and way out. What will happen to the world if all that these kids know and learn is hate?

This song was also (at the time) the first one to be released by the new lineup and this time the guys are not only coming from France. Founding member Gérard Fois (lead vocals, keys, production), known in the ‘90s for his work with Dream Child (second album was released on Metal Blade), teamed with Thibaud Ducros (rythm guitars) also coming from France (also known for doing vocals for death metal band Darkrise who did a Euro tour with Morgoth and Incantation this spring) but also with Swiss guys Jérome Fischer (lead guitars) and Arnaud Neri (bass). On the drums, none other than US drummer extraordinaire John Macaluso (Malmsteen, Ark, TNT) came to help the band to ignite fire to the song as a very special guest.
Soon a permanent member's name will be revealed.

As the 4th album is in pre-production phase, the band released three new songs in the first part of 2016 to keep the buzz going. Besides "Angels...", "Pandora's Box" was also released as a lyric video and soon it will be the turn of the more complex "Labyrinth.” More details about Labyrinth will be revealed soon.

“Pandora’s Box” lyric video:

Earlier this year, Araya told The Charlotte Observer about some people's tendency to stop listening to metal when they get older: "I don't like hearing that people outgrow music. I come across a lot of fans. When they find out who I am, because people will recognize me, they'll say, 'I used to listen to you,' and they will name off earlier records. I'll just look at them and say, 'What do you mean used to?' They say, 'I'm older. I got kids.'

"You're never too old to listen to any kind of music. I frown. 'You're making yourself older than you really are.'"

He continued: "[My] kids growing up had to listen to whatever music we listened to. They've grown up liking the music we play, '60s bands, heavy stuff, country. Now that they're older [19 and 16], they have a preference, but they can enjoy other [styles of] music. People create these generation gaps [when they] don't let the kids listen to what they listen to."

Asked what his kids listen to, Araya said: "My son gravitated toward heavier-edged music. My daughter gravitated toward not-so-heavy music. She likes all the TWENTY ONE PILOTS, FALL OUT BOY, PANIC AT THE DISCO. My son likes VAN HALEN, all the heavier stuff."

D.C.-based prog innovators Periphery return this summer with a new album, Periphery III: Select Difficulty, out on July 22nd via Sumerian Records, and a US tour, dubbed the Sonic Unrest tour, which launches on August 4th.

Periphery debut the first video from the 11-song album, with an animated clip for “Marigold”.

““Marigold” was written pretty early in the album writing sessions,” guitar player Mark Holcomb explains. “It had been a song that anchored the songwriting direction for P3. The technicality, sense of melody, orchestration and big choruses lend itself to what I feel most of this record is about.”

Wes Richardson directed the video. He had previously worked with the band on the video for “Alpha”, from the band’s 2015 Juggernaut releases.

“Working with Wes has become second nature for the band,” continues Holcomb. “This is his fourth video for us. Not only is he uniquely gifted but he also understands the visual aesthetic of Periphery, as well as having a sense of humor that runs parallel to ours.”

Periphery III: Select Difficulty album details follow…

Periphery III: Select Difficulty tracklisting:

“The Price Is Wrong”
“Motormouth”
“Marigold”
“The Way The News Goes…”
“Remain Indoors”
“Habitual Line-Stepper”
“Flatline”
“Absolomb”
“Catch Fire”
“Prayer Position”
“Lune”

“Flatline”:

“The Price Is Wrong”:

“Periphery III: Select Difficulty is finally complete and we’re extremely excited to show everyone,” said guitar player Jake Bowen. “For the past couple of years we’ve been refining our collaborative process as a band and we feel that it’s only getting better with the completion of this album. We spent two months writing songs that are not only representative of the Periphery sound but also reflect where all of us are as musicians, working together has helped us tread new ground musically and creatively. In support of Periphery III you’ll see us hit the road in the States this summer with SikTh, Chon, and Toothgrinder on the Sonic Unrest tour, it’s going to be a blast! See you on the road!”

Periphery’s own Adam “Nolly” Getgood oversaw production for the album as he did with the Juggernaut releases. Nolly will no longer be a touring member of Periphery, as he will be expanding his production work in his native UK. He remains an integral part, and a member, of Periphery. At this time no decision has been made about a touring bassist.

“Touring with Periphery has shown me some of the most incredible experiences I could ever have imagined, to meet amazing people all over the world and to create friendships for life; it has truly been an honour to perform in front of every audience who has watched us play over the years. However the touring life isn’t something that everyone can continue doing indefinitely, and for me, the time has come where I want to settle into a more normal existence, be able to make plans further into the future than the touring life enables, and to be able to focus more on the studio side of my music career,” explained Nolly. “I will, however, be remaining as a band member and contributing in any way that I can while the band is off the road; I love all of my fellow bandmates like brothers and I’m so grateful for the incredible support they’ve shown as I make this huge life change. I know they are going to be taking the music and performances to the next level when they hit the road later this year.”

The Sonic Unrest tour, a month-long outing, sponsored by D’Addario and Guitar Center, includes openers SikTh, Chon and Toothgrinder and kicks off on August 4th in Raleigh, NC. Tickets are on-sale this Friday at 10 AM, local time. VIP packages, which feature a private meet and greet with the band as well as a limited edition, exclusive poster are available simultaneously via periphery.net.

Sonic Unrest Tour dates include:
 
August
4 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
5 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
6 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater
7 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
8 - San Antonio, TX - Alamo City Music Hall
9 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
11 - Phoenix, AZ - The Press Room
12 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent
14 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
16 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
17 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox
19 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
20 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
22 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
24 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
25 - Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
26 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrew’s Hall
27 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small’s Theatre
28 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
30 - Boston, MA - Paradise
31 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza

September
1 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Sound Stage

Periphery will host a four-day, immersive summer camp dubbed the Periphery Summer Jam on July 25th to 29th at the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York. Registration and further information can be found here.

Cineplex Events, Live Alliance, Eagle Rock Entertainment and Tenth Street Entertainment will give music lovers a chance to see the final concert from legendary rock artists, Mötley Crüe, in a one-night only event on July 11th, when they premiere Mötley Crüe: The End in key theatres across Canada. Check out “Girls, Girls, Girls” from the film below:

On December 31, 2015, legendary rock icons Mötley Crüe completed their 35-year touring career as a band with a spectacular final concert at Staples Center in their hometown of Los Angeles, CA, just 10 miles from the Sunset Strip where the band’s infamous and decadent career first launched. The band thrilled the sold-out arena with performances of such mega-hits as “Kickstart My Heart,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Home Sweet Home” and “Dr. Feelgood.” While not everyone was able to see their Final Show live, Crüe fans can now catch all the action on the big screen. In addition to the epic concert footage, cinema audiences will be treated to behind-the-scenes footage of the band’s last show ever.

In January, 2014, Mötley Crüe held a press conference announcing their Final Tour, complete with a “cessation of touring” agreement signed by all members prohibiting any and all future live engagements under the Mötley Crüe name. Mötley Crüe’s two-year concert trek, saw the band - Vince Neil (vocals), Mick Mars (guitars), Nikki Sixx (bass) and Tommy Lee (drums) - perform across five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia) for a total of more than 164 shows in 72 markets grossing over $100 million. Known for their over-the-top production, Mötley Crüe did not disappoint for their last show ever on New Year’s Eve: from massive, cutting-edge pyro, including Nikki Sixx’s bass guitar spitting fire over 30 ft. into the air, and Tommy Lee’s “Crüecifly” drum roller coaster, amongst many other spectacular elements.

Lead singer, Vince Neil, delivered an emotional, “thank you” speech to the audience, while the band supplied next-level, high-octane fueled energy, ringing in the New Year on stage with thousands of balloons raining down on the crowd. The grand finale of the show included a blow-out performance of their hit single, “Kickstart My Heart” with Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil floating above the audience in far-reaching “cherry-pickers.” Leaving fans in tears, the show concluded with an emotional encore rendition of “Home Sweet Home” from the second stage riser in the center of the audience.

Buy your ticket at Cineplex.com/Events.

The film will screen in select markets at the following Cineplex theatres for one night only on July 11th:

Toronto - Yonge & Dundas

Montreal - The Forum

Ste. Foy - Ste. Foy Cinemas

Vancouver - Park Cinema

Kelowna - Landmark 10

Calgary - Eau Claire Cinemas

Edmonton - South Edmonton Cinemas

Winnipeg - SilverCity Polo Park

Regina - Galaxy Cinemas

Saskatoon - Scotiabank Theatre

Halifax - Parklane Cinemas

Ottawa - Cineplex Cinemas

Kanata - Landmark Cinemas

Whitby - Landmark Cinemas

Trailer:

Interview footage from the film can be seen in the video below, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. Be sure to check out BraveWords scribe Aaron Small's exclusive interview with The End director Christian Lamb at this location.

Swedish adventure metallers, Twilight Force, are set to release their new studio album Heroes Of Mighty Magic on August 26th through Nuclear Blast. Watch a lyric video for the album’s lead track, “Battle Of Arcane Might”, streaming below:

The band recently announced the guest bards on their forthcoming record. Fabio Lione from Rhapsody Of Fire joins them on “There And Back Again” and Joakim Brodén from Sabaton on the title track, “Heroes Of Mighty Magic”.

Joakim commented: "When one of the best bands to come out of Sweden in a long time turns out to be your friends and people you have played with many times over the years, it's quite easy to feel proud about being invited to sing on the title-track on their new album, fantastic!"

Twilight Force comments: “It is an honour to have two of the most powerful, esteemed and renowned voices of the genre appear on Heroes Of Mighty Magic. Joakim Brodén and Fabio Lione are two very different sonic entities. They each bring something very unique and captivating to our tonal landscape. Our old and revered friend Joakim appears on the title track of the album, and provides an excellent contrast to Chrileon's voice, at just the right moment in the song. Nothing in the world even comes close to Joakim's unbelievably mighty voice! Fabio did an amazing performance on 'There And Back Again'. He entered the Twilight Forge with a brave and proud mind, emerged victoriously and left us in complete awe. His familiar voice provided the track with an absolutely magical contribution. We feel really humbled and grateful to have been given the opportunity to create something alongside these two titans of the genre!”

Heroes Of Mighty Magic tracklisting:

“Battle Of Arcane Might”
“Powerwind”
“Guardian Of The Seas”
“Flight Of The Sapphire Dragon”
“There And Back Again”
“Riders Of The Dawn”
“Keepers Of Fate”
“Rise Of A Hero”
“To The Stars”
“Heroes Of Mighty Magic”
“Epilogue”
“Knights Of Twilight's Might”

Trailer:

"This next opus of Twilight Force will be a journey unlike any you have ever experienced. While we are still staying true to the essence of power metal, the songs, sounds and magic adventures have all evolved from the once drake hatchling into a colossal arcane arch-dragon. The time, effort and primordial wisdom that we have invested into this album is truly immeasurable, and we profoundly hope that this will shine through upon our venerated audience."

(Photo - Twilight Force Facebook)

Multinational melodic metal act, Eden's Curse, have released “Sell Your Soul”, the lead video single from their forthcoming fifth studio album, Cardinal. Find the clip below.

Written by Logue, Koehne and former drummer Pete Newdeck (Tainted Nation), “Sell Your Soul” is an upbeat, uplifting, melodic catchy tune featuring some superb guitar and synth interplay between German guitarist Thorsten Koehne and the band's new keyboard player Chrism, the thunderous Scottish rhythm section of bassist Paul Logue and drummer John Clelland and their pièce de résistance, the deliciously melodic vocals of Serbian vocalist Nikola Mijic.

"It's about how we as humans can enviously look at the other side of life. Sometimes it's better the devil you know than the devil you don’t,” says Logue.

Cardinal will be released via German metal label AFM Records on October 14th.

Tracklisting:

“Prophets Of Doom”
“Sell Your Soul”
“The Great Pretender”
“Messiah Complex”
“Find My Way”
“Kingdom Of Solitude”
“Utopian Dreams”
“This Is Our Moment”
“Rome's On Fire”
“Unconditional” (Feat. Liv Kristine)
“Saints And Sinners”
“Jericho”

Bonus video:
“Sell Your Soul”

“Sell Your Soul” video:

You can now pre-order a Cardinal digipak CD or CD+T-shirt bundle (links below):

CD
CD+T-shirt bundle

Eden's Curse will kick off their World Tour in support of Cardinal in the UK during November.

November
21 - The Cathouse - Glasgow, UK
22 - Academy 3 - Manchester, UK
23 - Corporation - Sheffield, UK
24 - The Asylum - Birmingham, UK
25 - The Scene - Swansea, UK
26 - Waterfront Studio - Norwich, UK
27 - The Underworld - London, UK

Tickets are on sale now at edenscurse.com. Special guests on the tour are Sheffield's C.O.P. UK and Swiss prog metal band Evolve.

Italian vampiric metallers, Theatres Des Vampires, have announced the release of their brand new album, Candyland, on October 14th via Scarlet Records. The album was produced and recorded by Christian Ice at Temple Of Noise Studio.

States the band: "The new album has been inspired by a room of the infamous Pennhurst asylum in Pennsylvania, a room which was different from all the others, with coloured walls and bars on the windows, described as hell on earth by the patients of the facility, where adults and children with severe mental problems have been hidden from the public eye for decades. Candyland was the name of that room.

“Obsession and madness characterizes Theatres Des Vampires’ latest work, their sound is forceful and sensual at the same time, pervaded with those wistful and melancholic bursts which the band is renowned for."

More news will be revealed soon.

(Photo - Luca Cavallari)

Pop Evil have posted their 3D / 360 degree music video for their single "Take it All". The video was shot at Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, CA last year, one of the band's highlighted performances of 2015.

Pop Evil have announced a new batch of select US dates supporting 3 Doors Down with friends in Red Sun Rising opening the night. The trek kicks off on August 26th in Charleston, WV at the Municipal Auditorium and goes through the first week of October ending in Durham, NC at the Durham Performing Arts Center. The dates will be the precursor to Pop Evil supporting 3 Doors in Europe in October and November.

Complete tour schedule at this location.

Virginia’s Inter Arma release their new album, Paradise Gallows, today, July 8th, via Relapse. A new video for the album track “The Summer Drones” is streaming below.

Paradise Gallows tracklisting:

“Nomini”
“An Archer In The Emptiness”
“Transfiguration”
“Primordial Wound”
“The Summer Drones”
“Potomac”
“The Paradise Gallows”
“Violent Constellations”
“Where The Earth Meets The Sky”

“The Summer Drones” video:

“Transfiguration”:

Meshiaak will release their debut album, Alliance Of Thieves, on August 19th via Mascot. The band are streaming the album’s lead track, “Chronicles Of The Dead”, which can be found below.

In a world where thrash has blended with metalcore, black metal, and NWOBHM, it’s hard justice a band of brothers has come together to champion songwriting, performance, and production this straightforward. Meshiaak bestows upon the scene an egregiously confident, “old soul” record that evokes the magic of Ride The Lightning, Rust In Peace, South Of Heaven and Burn My Eyes.

Formed in Melbourne, Australia by 4ARM’s Danny Camilleri and Teramaze’s Dean Wells, the band is rounded out by bassist Nick Walker and major rhythmic weapon Jon Dette (Iced Earth, Slayer, Testament).

Throughout the sonic and emotional peaks and valleys of this expertly paced and sequenced record, it becomes obvious that all four of these guys have spent a lifetime soaking in the best of metal music and woodshedding it outward onto tape. The listener comes away with rock-solid confidence in the band as stadium-level songwriters capable and worthy of anchoring... let’s call it the “next next four” somewhere down the line generationally speaking past the original eight to ten thrash bands that wrote and then executed this well.

Says the band: “This style of music gets you pumped up, and so we just want people to feel what we felt during the time that we wrote it. It’s exciting music and I think metalheads are really going to dig it. It’s the perfect soundtrack for punch-ups with your mates.”

Alliance Of Thieves tracklisting:

“Chronicles Of The Dead”
“It Burns At Both Ends”
“I Am Among You”
“Drowning, Fading, Falling”
“At The Edge Of The World”
“Last Breath Taken”
“Maniacal”
“Alliance Of Thieves”
“Death Of An Anthem”

“Chronicles Of The Dead”:

“Drowning, Fading, Falling” video:

Brooklyn’s Family has been wowing audiences since 2011 with its unique and earnest blend of classic rock meets modern heaviness, alongside a healthy dose of behind-the-beat New Orleans groove and progressive rhythmic patterns. The band has embraced an amorphous collective approach, enduring lineup shifts that have continuously evolved its sound. Throughout the process, previous members have maintained involvement, contributing to live performances and forming offshoot bands together.

Prosthetic Records will release Family’s sophomore album, Future History, on July 15th. Pre-order the album at this location. The album tracks “The Dark Inside” and “Floodgates” are streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“The Dark Inside”
“Evacuation”
“Day Vision”
“The Trial”
“Prison Hymn”
“Floodgates”
“Transmission”
“Funtime For Bigboy”
“Night Vision”
“Precedent”
“Last Looks”
“Bone On Bone”

“The Dark Inside”:

“Floodgates”:

Trailer #1:

Teaser video:

Family will hit the road this summer on a full US tour (including an appearance at the Psycho Las Vegas festival). The band has previously appeared with acts including Intronaut, Scale the Summit, The Ocean, The Atlas Moth, Weedeater, Full of Hell, Jucifer, Lazer/Wulf, Meek is Murder, Primitive Weapons, and many more.

Tour dates:

July
20 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fire
21 - Allentown, PA - Alternative Gallery
23 - Frederick, MD - Guido’s
25 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
26 - Raleigh, NC - Slim’s
27 - Atlanta, GA - 529
28 - Charlotte, NC - The Milestone
29 - Asheville, NC - The Odditorium
30 - Birmingham, AL - The Nick

August
1 - Austin, TX - Dirty Dog Bar
3 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia
4 - Dallas, TX - Tomcats
5 - Little Rock, AR - Vino’s
6 - Nashville, TN - The East Room
7 - Indianapolis, IN - 5th Quarter Lounge
8 - Cincinnati, OH - Northside Yacht Club
9 - Louisville, KY - Highlands Tap Room
18 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
19 - St. Louis, MO - The Firebird
20 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
21 - Denver, CO - 3 Kings
22 - Albuquerque, NM - Burt’s Tiki Lounge
24 - Phoenix, AZ - Yucca Tap Room
27 - Las Vegas, NV - PSYCHO Las Vegas @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

September
2 - Portland, OR - High Water Mark
3 - Vancouver, BC - The Astoria Lounge
4 - Seattle, WA - The Highline
6 - Boise, ID - Wastelander Studios
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge

Danish progressive metal quartet The Vision Ablaze have premiered a new video single for the song “Absent,” which opens their most recent album Youtopia.

 

The album was released in September last year via Mighty Music, and was produced by Jacob Hansen (Aborted, Mercenary, Volbeat, Pretty Maids).

About the story behind the track and how it complements the rest of the material on Youtopia, the band commented: “‘Absent’ is the first song on our album and it embodies many of the themes on the album; seeking truth, shattering illusions, questioning authorities and waking up. ‘Absent’ is the story of someone who must transcend the human illusion and save himself and humanity from the restraint of lies and deceit.”

For the rest of the year The Vision Ablaze has planned tours in Demark, Sweden and Germany. Talking more about their plans, they said: “We've recently switched to wireless in-ears and it's the first step in making a smother live show. It enables us to control many important variables in our setup. We're also planning a video for 'Monster' too - which will be the 6th video for the album.”

Youtopia won “Best Production” at the High Voltage Rock Awards 2016 in Copenhagen. It's the most prestigious award show for rock and metal in Denmark. The award cited producer Jacob Hansen's outstanding work — making a dynamic album that's both really crushing and very soft and clean at the same time. The award was given by renowned producer Flemming Rasmussen and he praised the album for the pristine production.

The band was nominated in two other categories: “Best Danish Metal Release,” and “Best Radio Rock Track” (nominated by MyRock, Denmark's premiere rock radio). However, Myrkur and Danish rock legends Dizzy Mizz Lizzy went home with those awards.

The Vision Ablaze also had the honor of playing at the show that featured Denner/Sherman as the headliner.

Metal siren Nina Osegueda has been recruited for Lyraka Volume 2, the follow up to Lyraka's well received first album. Nina, already an established (and classically trained) vocalist as member of the widely revered band, A Sound Of Thunder, will be assuming the role of Lilliput in what been termed a "Wagnerian Opera Metal" project.

The opera's composer, Andy DiGelsomina, states: "The role of Lilliput has been fumbled by many singers due to the need for singing in odd time, as well as applying a small amount of acting and creativity into the performance. Both Jasmine and I are confident that Nine is more than capable of not only acing this role, but owning it."

In respect to the release of Lyraka Volume 2: "I'm sorry, but I don't have a definite release date as of yet. The performances of certain participants were very disappointing and had to be rectified through firing, which has made completing this album more and more like a Moby Dick saga than an album production. We are also refusing to release the album without having metal guru Chris Tsangarides putting the last, finishing touch on the production and engineering. The music has developed into something way bigger, more involved, and rocking than it was ever originally intended to be, and we would be totally cheating our fans by not holding out for Chris, who is ready whenever we are. To all of our amazingly loyal fans, I send my greatest gratitude and metal hails, you people are absolutely the most awesome in existence. This will be finished, and it will be everything you wanted and more.

I would also like to send a shout out to Tiina Teal (former Détente vocalist) fans: “Yes, Tiina will be involved in an upcoming recording project for Lyraka, she's not going anywhere if we can help it!"

Canadian progressive power metal band Scythia recently unleashed their fourth independent full-length album, Lineage. Orders for Lineage are available now via the band's Bandcamp page.

Check out a play-through video for the album's title track, "Lineage”, below:

"With Lineage,we feel that we've put our best foot forward and succeeded in delivering a follow-up to that progresses upon what we started with ...Of Conquest," states guitarist and vocalist Dave Khan. "This new one is faster, heavier and SLIGHTLY more serious-toned but also more dynamic and original than its predecessor. This story will take the listener on a sonic voyage through peaks and valleys in true power metal style!"

Although the band self-produced the album, Lineage features engineering from Nino Laurenne (Firewind, Finntroll, Wintersun, Ensiferum) and Lasse Lammert (Alestorm, Gloryhammer, Powerwolf), and mastering from Svante Forsback (Rammstein, Volbeat, Firewind, Apocalyptica). Nino Laurenne is also responsible for mixing duties on the album. Lineage was recorded at LSD Studios in Lubeck, Germany and Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland.

Lineage tracklisting:

“Eternal Oath”
“Laugh Of The Tsar”
“Barbarian”
“Soldier's Lament”
“Loremaster Pt. I”
“Loremaster Pt. II”
“The Sacrifice”
“Lineage”

“Laugh Of The Tsar”:

“Soldier's Lament” lyric video:

Upcoming Scythia dates include:

August
19 - Edmonton, AB - DV8
25-28 - Valemount, BC - Metalocalypstick Festival

Scythia is:

Dave Khan - Guitars, Vocals
Terry Savage - Bass Guitar, Growls
AJ Bergin - Guitars, Growls/Vocals
Celine Derval - Drums, Vocals

Grammy-nominated rockers, Skillet, will release Unleashed, their new studio album and follow-up to their 2013 release Rise, on August 5th via Atlantic. The 12-track album, a year in the making, is currently available for pre-order via all digital retailers including iTunes and Amazon (widget below). Pre-orders will include an instant download of the debut single “Feel Invincible”, and the follow-up track “Stars”. Skillet have released audio for "Back From The Dead”, streaming below.

From the bombastic opening riff of “Feel Invincible” to the memorable closing of the album finale “The Resistance,” it is clear the band has created an album that lets their music speak loudest, while still delivering some of their most personal and heartfelt collections of songs to date.

“I wanted to make an album that could make people feel the music,” said Skillet’s John Cooper. “I always aim to write songs to which people can relate, but this time I wanted to see not only how the songs would connect lyrically, but also how they’d connect musically.”

Songs like “Back From The Dead”, “Stars” and “Out Of Hell” showcase the musicianship and songwriting that has garnered the band a rabid worldwide fan base, a platinum selling album and multiple Grammy nominations. Comprised of husband and wife John (lead vocals, bass) and Korey Cooper (rhythm guitar, keyboards, programming, backing vocals), Seth Morrison (lead guitar) and Jen Ledger (drums, vocals), the band wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album. Once again they collaborated with Brian Howes, (Daughtry, Halestorm, Nickelback), as well as, Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch), Neal Avron (Twenty One Pilots, Walk The Moon, Fall Out Boy, Linkin Park) and Seth Mosley (Newsboys, TobyMac) to create Unleashed.

Unleashed tracklisting:

“Feel Invincible”
“Back From The Dead”
“Stars”
“I Want To Live”
“Undefeated”
“Famous”
“Lions”
“Out Of Hell”
“Burn It Down”
“Watching For Comets”
“Saviors Of The World”
“The Resistance”

"Back From The Dead":

"Feel Invincible" music video:

“Feel Invincible” lyric video:

Skillet will embark on a headline tour of the United States this September. The tour will kick off on September 22nd in Clive, IA and through October with more dates to be added and announced in the near future.

The tour will feature Thousand Foot Krutch on the first half of the US run and Sick Puppies will finish the second half of the tour. Devour The Day will be playing the entire tour.

The headline tour will make stops in cities such as Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; and Sayreville, NJ to name a few. More tour dates will be announced in the near future. An exclusive pre-sale for The Panheads (The Official Skillet Fan Club) goes live today, Wednesday, June 22nd. Tickets and VIP Packages will be available and fans can sign up for the fan club at this location.

Tour dates:

September
22 - Clive, IA - 7 Flags Event Center *
23 - Turtle Lake, WI - St. Croix Casino *
24 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium *
25 - Wichita, KS - Cotillion *
29 - Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall *
30 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre *

October
1 - Peoria, IL - Limelight *
6 - Fort Wayne, IN - Piere’s ^
7 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews #
8 - Cleveland, OH - Agora #
9 - Knoxville, TN - The International #
12 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom #
13 - Washington, DC - The Fillmore Silver Spring #
14 - Stroudsburg, PA - Sherman Theater #
15 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva #
16 - Richmond, VA - The National #
20 - Mobile, AL - Saenger Theatre #
23 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom #

* Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, Devour The Day
^ Skillet, Sick Puppies
# Skillet, Sick Puppies, Devour The Day

 

 

A piece of black metal history has been lying dormant for over two decades, deep in the shadowy abyss of dust-ridden, musty vaults. The authors of this forbidden rite decided the world was not quite ready for its offering in 1995, and thus locked it away from the light. But the years passed, and gradually it's power grew too strong.

Freed from its vault by genre-defining creators Cradle Of Filth and the recently resurrected extreme music label Cacophonous, the two have joined forces to finally unshackle the unreleased sophomore album Dusk… And Her Embrace: The Original Sin as a CD and digital album today, July 8th. A vinyl LP version will be available later this year. Watch a new lyric video for “Dusk And Her Embrace” below:

“The wait is over. The original Dusk… And Her Embrace is dragged kicking and screaming into the world, and people can finally hear for themselves what a true masterpiece it is.” – Neil Harding, Cacophonous Label Head.

Tracklisting:

“Macabre, This Banquet”
“Nocturnal Supremacy”
“Heaven Torn Asunder”
“Dusk And Her Embrace”
“A Gothic Romance”
“The Graveyard By Moonlight”
“Funeral In Carpathia”
“Beauty Slept In Sodom”
“The Haunted Shores Of Avalon”
“Carmilla’s Masque”
“A Gothic Romance” (Bonus Demo Track)
“Nocturnal Supremacy” (Bonus Demo Track)

Cradle Of Filth signed to Cacophonous in 1994, releasing their debut album, The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh on an unsuspecting world, consequently landmarking themselves at the forefront of the extreme music movement. With their writing becoming more fluid, more confident, Dusk… And Her Embrace: The Original Sin is the precursor to the band’s sound as it is today, and a must-have for any extreme music fans.

Blues Pills will release their second album, Lady In Gold, on August 5th. A fourth video trailer can now be seen below. Lady In Gold will contain 10 brand new tracks (see full tracklisting below).

Bassist, founding member and main songwriter Zach Anderson comments on the album art: "The design comes from the dutch artist Marijke Koger-Dunham who already worked with us for the first album cover. We are super proud to have the opportunity to work with such a legendary artist who has even worked with The Beatles, Cream and many more. The original design was made by her 50 years ago. We worked together to adapt the colors to fit the mood of the album. Hopefully our fans will like it as much as we do."

Commented singer Elin Larsson on the choice of the album's title: "Lady Gold is a character who symbolizes death. We wanted a twist on the typical stereotype of death being the grim reaper. So instead we made her a lady in gold."

Tracklisting:

“Lady In Gold”
“Little Boy Preacher”
“Burned Out”
“I Felt A Change”
“Gone So Long”
“Bad Talkers”
“You Gotta Try”
“Won’t Go Back”
“Rejection”
“Elements And Things”

“Lady In Gold” video:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #3:

Trailer #4:

Just as its successful predecessor Lady In Gold was once again produced by Don Alsterberg (Graveyard, Division Of Laura Lee, José González, Jerry Williams). More info to be revealed soon.

(Photo by: John McMurtie)

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

"One Sided War" showcases a full plate of hard rock and classic metal riffs that Michael Sweet has come to be known for throughout his illustrious musical career.

The album, which was recorded at Spirithouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts, is available for pre-order at this location.

"Musically, it's my heaviest solo album," Sweet said. "It's not thrash metal but there are definitely some songs on there that will pop out at you. There are some songs that have a bit of the IRON MAIDEN / DIO feel to them, as well as some songs that have a little bit of a VAN HALEN influence to them. It's a very guitar-oriented, hard rock/metal album with lots of melodies and hooks." The fast and furious opener "Bizarre" ignites the album's pace with its lightning fast riffage, soaring vocals and blazing guitar solos. Tracks like "Can't Take This Life", "One Sided War", "Golden Age", "I Am" and "Comfort Zone" keep the metal fires ablaze, while songs like "Radio", "One Way" and "You Make Me Wanna" bring the hard rock vibe to the forefront.

"One Sided War" features only one ballad, "Who Am I?", a heartfelt, passionate song that reminds us of the softer side of Michael's talents. Closing out the disc is a bonus track; it's a different version of the song "Can't Take This Life", a duet between Michael and 16-year-old up-and-coming female vocalist Moriah Formica.

An EPK that talks about the CD and contains samples of "Bizarre" and "Radio" is available below.

"One Sided War" track listing:

01. Bizarre02. One Sided War03. Can't Take This Life04. Radio05. Golden Age06. Only You07. I Am08. Who Am I09. You Make Me Wanna10. Comfort Zone11. One Way Up12. Can't Take This Life (bonus track; feat; Moriah Formica)

Sweet is best known as the singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer for Christian rock pioneers STRYPER, who have sold over ten million albums worldwide. In addition to STRYPER, Sweet has had a successful solo career, and he served as the guitarist and co-vocalist for the legendary classic rock band BOSTON from 2007 to2011. The future remains bright for a man who has endured heartbreaking tribulations throughout his life and career, including the 2009 passing of his wife of more than 22 years, Kyle. In 2010, Sweet remarried to Lisa Champagne-Sweet, a woman he describes as "a Godsend and the one who fits perfectly by my side." Sweet continues to record and tour with STRYPER, as well as touring and recording as a solo artist.

Earlier this month, Nathan J. Biggs (vocals), Robin Sjunnesson (guitar) and Michel Bärzén (bass) of Swedish/British modern metallers SONIC SYNDICATE answered a number of fan-submitted questions. You can now watch the question-and-answer session below.

SONIC SYNDICATE recently entered Ramtitam Studios in Stockholm to begin recording its sixth album, due later this year via Despotz Records & Music.

Asked how the new CD compares to SONIC SYNDICATE's previous releases, Nathan said: "I think we always make a conscious effort to not repeat ourselves, definitely."

Robin: "And we say it all the time, but that's how it is: we never repeat ourselves. Every album is like a new experiment for us. But this one is definitely a completely new sound."

Nathan: "This one's unique in the fact that we literally haven't decided anything or limited ourselves to anything. We have literally just gone from whatever the hell we wanna write, whatever feeling it is."

Robin: "We wrote almost a completely full album, and we were kind of pretending, 'Yeah, this is good. This is good.' But you could feel it: 'Nah, it's not there. It's not where we wanna take this.' So we basically just trashed it."

Nathan: "We got our own studio and we did pre-production, and we had at least ten finished songs. We liked some of them, and some of them were really heavy and really rocking, but we were just like, 'It's not quite there. It's not good enough. Is this what we wanna do?' And we scrapped the whole record. And then we literally just wrote from the heart, with no limitations on genre or anything."

Robin: "Exactly. We kind of agreed: 'Let's just write whatever comes now.' Like, 'What's on the fingertips? What do we wanna do right now?' And I guess that's also why the new album is… We all love it."

Nathan: "I've never enoyed recording an album this much before — just pure fun from our side."

Robin: "We're trying out new stuff that we haven't tried before, and that's fun."

SONIC SYNDICATE last year parted ways with longtime bassist Karin Axelsson and replaced her with Michel "Miche" Bärzén (DEGRADEAD).

SONIC SYNDICATE's self-titled fifth album was released on July 4, 2014 via Nuclear Blast.

SONIC SYNDICATE is:

Nathan J Biggs - VocalsRobin Sjunnesson - GuitarsMichel Bärzén BassJohn Bengtsson - Drums

San Francisco Bay Area metal veterans TESTAMENT will release their new album, "The Brotherhood Of The Snake", on October 28 via Nuclear Blast. The CD recorded under the watchful eyes of producer Juan Urteaga (EXODUS, HEATHEN, MACHINE HEAD), guitarist Eric Peterson and singer Chuck Billy and is currently being mixed and mastered by British metal producer Andy Sneap (ACCEPT, ARCH ENEMY, CRADLE OF FILTH, KREATOR, MACHINE HEAD, MEGADETH).

Peterson told Metal Maniac about the new disc: "It came out really, really good," he added. "I'm really happy with it. It's very diverse, but it's very epic. There's nothing on there that breeds commercial. And I think for thirty years of recording music and trying different formulas and stuff, I think we've found a formula that is very metal. I think for the metal fan that is looking for something for the nook and crannies… not just your normal, 'Oh, it's got a thrash beat and a riff.' There's a lot going on here. And just the title: 'The Brotherhood Of The Snake'. You're gonna expect something more in-depth. It's not, like, 'Satan's Death' or 'Kill 'Em All'. Well, no, 'Kill 'Em All' is killer. Sorry. But you know what I mean. I mean, it's more in-depth sounding."

Peterson previously told Metal Forces about the musical direction of "The Brotherhood Of The Snake": "It's different. This one is more thrash. I mean, this has got some of the fastest stuff that we have ever played. Usually, we have one or two thrash songs, and then we have some mid-tempo, and then we have a slow, heavy one, and then up-tempo kind of stuff. Half of the new record is thrash, which we've never done before. Even with our first record ['The Legacy', 1987] , there's 'Over The Wall' and 'First Strike Is Deadly', but then there's stuff that's back and forth from mid-tempo to thrash like 'Do Or Die' or 'Apocalyptic City'. Full-on thrash though, like six or seven songs, has never been done by us. It's kind of a trip to hear it."

He continued: "It's kind of like 'Demonic' and 'The Gathering', but a little bit wiser, I think. Chuck's not singing so death. I mean, he does some death stuff but he's singing more like he did on the last record and then with the craziness of 'The Gathering' or even heavy stuff like 'Demonic'."

Billy echoed Peterson's sentiments, saying "The Brotherhood Of The Snake" "is definitely gonna be geared up to a little more faster than 'Dark Roots Of Earth' record, definitely a little more aggressive musically, for sure, probably vocally as well. I think I'll probably attack with a little more heavier voice on this one. I'll kind of feel my way through the song, which voice to use. But there's definitely gonna be some 'Demonic' [-type] stuff, but again like 'The Gathering', 'cause I think I did a little bit of everything on that record, which that's what we'd like to accomplish."

Chuck also talked about the lyrical themes covered on "The Brotherhood Of The Snake". He explained: "[The title track is] basically about a lot of the early secret societies that started taking over power, trying to control the society and spawned off into illuminatis and stuff like that so it's kind of going back to a lot of that — a lot of human control and religions and the similarities between religions and alien beings and stuff like that. I've been fascinated a lot by a lot of programs that show a lot of different religions and all the writings or hieroglyphics on the walls always have the same type beings with all of these religions. And it makes you think, wow, so long ago, these people didn't know people on the other side of the ocean, but yet they have these common sightings within their religions that they talk about and reference. And it just really was interesting to me, opening my eyes a little more to religion. I was raised Catholic, but growing up and just seeing these connections just really makes me think about all the religions, you know? And the connection between the human race and aliens, it's just really fascinating to me. So we started spotting a lot of ideas for songs off of that."

TESTAMENT will promote "The Brotherhood Of The Snake" by teaming up with AMON AMARTH for a European tour this fall. A summer festival run will kick off next week.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Berlin, Germany’s Tanzwut release their tenth studio album, Schreib Es Mit Blut, today (July 8th) via AFM Records. The band have released a lyric video for the album track, “Reiter Ohne Kopf”, which can be found below.

Tracklisting:

“Schreib Es Mit Blut”
“Steig Ein”
“Bruder Leichtsinn”
“Chaos”
“Reiter Ohne Kopf”
“Geteert Und Gefedert”
“Stille Wasser”
“Reicher Als Ein König”
“Hahnenkampf”
“Wenn Ich Tot Bin”
“An Den Klippen”
“Bleib Bei Mir”
“Wer Wir Sind”
“Neue Ufer”

Bonus track:
“Stille Wasser” (featuring Liv Kristine)

“Reiter Ohne Kopf” lyric video:

“Stille Wasser” (featuring Liv Kristine) video:

“Schreib Es Mit Blut” video:

After celebrating the album release with a live show at this year's RockHarz Festival and playing two other festival gigs, Tanzwut will be on club tour in the fall.

Live dates are as follows:

July
7-9 - Ballenstedt - Rockharz Festival
29 - Langen Trechow - Open Air auf dem Nopperhof

August
13 - Aich - Schlosshof Festival

October
7 - Zwickau - Alter Gasometer
8 - Dresden - Tante Ju
14 - Munchen - Backstage Halle
15 - Kaiserslautern - Kammgarn
16 - Nurnberg - Hirsch
20 - Osnabruck - Rosenhof
21 - Rostock - M.A.U. Club
22 - Wilhelmshaven - Pumpwerk

November
3 - Koln - Underground
4 - Aschaffenburg - Colos-Saal
5 - Hannover - Musikzentrum
11 - Hamburg - Knust
12 - Berlin - Postbahnhof Club

December
23 - Polten - Mittelaterspektakel

The Alain Duplantier-directed video for "Low Lands", a brand new song from French progressive metallers GOJIRA, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Magma", which was released on June 17 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2012's "L'Enfant Sauvage" was recorded at GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier's Silver Cord Studio in Queens, New York.

Said Joseph Duplantier: "['Low Lands'] is an intimate and poetic piece directed by our dear cousin and friend Alain Duplantier.

"One of the 'characters' featured in this film is 'Gayeres,' the family house where Mario [Duplantier, GOJIRA drummer] and I grew up. We jammed to our first songs, started GOJIRA, and recorded most of our albums there. Our sister Gabrielle also contributed to the making of this video.

"We want to thank all the wonderful people who worked hard to make this happen and all our fans for supporting us with so much passion and respect. We hope you'll enjoy the trip as much as we do."

Joseph told RollingStone.com that the band worked on twelve songs for the album before ultimately deciding on ten. "We want a short album," he said. "Something less epic than what we usually do. People's attentions are shorter now. So a lot of the songs are four minutes."

Joseph and his brother, who make up the band's songwriting core, were forced to put the sessions for the new album on hold when their mother got sick and eventually died last summer.

"I felt physically, mentally exhausted," Joseph told RollingStone.com. "At the same time, though, the way it happened was beautiful. We were all around her. We had to cancel a few shows when she died, but it was very enriching at the same time. We learned a lot about death."

"When you read Joe's lyrics, for me, I cry right away," Mario said. "They're very deep and to the point. No bullshit. We recycle our sadness and depression in the music."

"Mario was recording drums, and I was playing guitar with him, just trying to help him know where he's at in the song, and both of us would start crying at the same time," Joseph added.

"The songs were half-written while she was sick," he said. "After she died, I still had to finish them. So one song was like, 'You're going to make it,' but the second verse is 'You didn't make it.'"

Asked what the title of GOJIRA's new album, "Magma", means to him, Joseph Duplantier told Kerrang!: "To me, 'magma' is the primal energy. It's the blood of the earth. It's hot. It's dangerous. It is the guts. It's this music. It's the music we play. It's fusion. It's fire. It's electricity. It's… everything that we're trying to express with this music. That's what it means to me, 'magma.'"

Joseph also talked about how he comes up with all those heavy GOJIRA riffs. He said: "I don't know if we have a formula or a secret to write some of our riffs. But I wanna say that we connect ourselves to a certain energy, we put ourselves in a certain state of mind naturally. The kind of music we wanna hear, the kind of riffs we wanna hear are intricate and heavy and spiritual and there's a part of mystery in it. So we put ourselves in this kind of state of mind. But, really, we have visions when we play. When I've got my guitar, I'm already in a certain mood, and then everything that comes out will be in that specific mood. Yeah, I guess we're really connected to all… everything that's nature… Ideas like infinity, outer space, black holes [are] very inspiring for heavy riffs."

SLAYER frontman Tom Araya decided to drop by Music Minds in Dublin, Ireland during the band's current European tour to see if he could find a new musical instrument to jam on. After much deliberation, he settled on a mandolin.

Music Minds' owner said: "I think you can agree [Tom] has found his true calling in music. Irish jigs will never sound the same to us again.

"Thanks so much for buying from my store and making my staff's day.

"The man's a legend."

Earlier this year, Araya told The Charlotte Observer about some people's tendency to stop listening to metal when they get older: "I don't like hearing that people outgrow music. I come across a lot of fans. When they find out who I am, because people will recognize me, they'll say, 'I used to listen to you,' and they will name off earlier records. I'll just look at them and say, 'What do you mean used to?' They say, 'I'm older. I got kids.'

"You're never too old to listen to any kind of music. I frown. 'You're making yourself older than you really are.'"

He continued: "[My] kids growing up had to listen to whatever music we listened to. They've grown up liking the music we play, '60s bands, heavy stuff, country. Now that they're older [19 and 16], they have a preference, but they can enjoy other [styles of] music. People create these generation gaps [when they] don't let the kids listen to what they listen to."

Asked what his kids listen to, Araya said: "My son gravitated toward heavier-edged music. My daughter gravitated toward not-so-heavy music. She likes all the TWENTY ONE PILOTS, FALL OUT BOY, PANIC AT THE DISCO. My son likes VAN HALEN, all the heavier stuff."

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash joined WHITFORD/ST. HOLMES, featuring the dynamic duo of AEROSMITH guitarist Brad Whitford and TED NUGENT vocalist/guitarist Derek St. Holmes, on stage last night (Thursday, July 7) at Exit/In in Nashville, Tennessee to perform the songs "Red House" (Jimi Hendrix) and "Stranglehold" (Ted Nugent). Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Joining Whitford and St. Holmes on the road are bassist Chopper Anderson and keyboardist Buck Johnson, who both played on the "Reunion" album. Filling in on drums for all dates is Brent Fitz (SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS) replacing Troy Luccketta, who is touring with TESLA.

"We are very excited to have Brent join us on this run," said Whitford. "Troy is so good, he is just not an easy guy to replace!" "We really needed a guy with the right feel," adds St. Holmes, "Brent brings that with him along with the power that kicks these songs out like they were meant to be."

Asked how he feels about his new gig, Brent was quick to answer. "I was already excited for the new WHITFORD/ST. HOLMES 'Reunion' record. So, it goes without saying how thrilled I was to get a call from Derek and Brad asking me to step in on drums for the tour. Playing brand new music with these two legends, and in such a great new band, couldn't be more exciting! I consider them both architects of my own musical makeup."

It was 1981 when Whitford, who had left AEROSMITH, first teamed up with St. Holmes to release their self-titled debut. Tracks like "Sharpshooter" and "Whisky Woman" carried on the stadium rock and roll style that made them famous. The album received critical acclaim and they did a successful round of tour dates before returning to their respective bands and shelving the duo. Until now!

Recently, the two friends found themselves living in the same town on the outskirts of Nashville. While working on some catch up time, they decided to revamp their collaboration. After writing a number of songs, the duo recruited Anderson, Johnson and Luccketta to record the album. Produced by Whitford and St. Holmes, the album was recorded at The Castle Studios in Franklin, Tennessee.

Brant Bjork will release his new album, "Tao Of The Devil", on September 30 via Napalm Records. The CD is said to be "more focused" than its predecessor, 2014's "Black Power Flower", and boasts a more song-oriented and groovy stoner sound, with a healthy dose of '70s-style greatness. As the founder of KYUSS, the singer, guitarist and drummer might be the ultimate icon the desert rock scene has to offer — but despite all this praise and worship, Brant's only concern rests in supplying the planet with unpretentious laid-back rock, adorned with hefty jam-outs. "Tao Of The Devil" track listing:

01. The Greeheen02. Humble Pie03. Stackt04. Luvin'05. Biker No. 206. Dave's War07. Tao Of The Devil08. Evening Jam (bonus track) "Tao Of The Devil" will be made available as:

* 4-page digipak* 1LP gatefold* Deluxe fan LP edition:- 1-LP gatefold- 1-LP slipcase (3 Bonus Tracks)- 4-page digipak- Slipmat- A2 Poster