METALLICA's Lars Ulrich says that he was unaware of his bandmates' plan to fire him three decades ago, explaining that "it was just not something that was ever on my radar."

The long-running rumor first gained traction in 2009 when ex-METALLICA guitarist Dave Mustaine revealed it to Rolling Stone, and surfaced again when ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian discussed it while doing press for his 2014 memoir, "I'm The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax". It was confirmed last November when METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett said an interview with an Albany, New York radio station that the band at one point considered getting rid of Ulrich back in 1986.

Now Lars admits that had no idea of the clandestine plan to oust him from the band he had co-founded with frontman James Hetfield in 1981. "It's certainly not something that I was ever aware of," he tells Metal Forces. "But I can tell you that there's been other times as we've cruised along where there's been some friction with this band member or that band member, and where things were a little awkward with this particular guy, or whatever.

"When you have a collective entity like METALLICA, that's been together for 35 years, there are different times on that journey where the idea of what to do next in a particular sticky dynamic has brought upon different options of different potential resolutions," he continues. "There were times when Kirk was kinda floating out there, and there were a couple of times when Hetfield was kinda floating out there, and there were different times when I was kinda floating out there, so it was very possible. I'm sure Scott Ian knows something that I don't, and I'm fine with that. It was just not something that was ever on my radar."

Lars added that he has not spoken to Kirk Hammett about those recent comments. "No, I make a point of not to read any of Kirk's interviews," he says. "I really don't read interviews. I don't know, the whole thing of 20 years ago sitting there and following what Mustaine is saying this week in Kerrang! and what Bruce Dickinson is thinking about this, and all that kinda stuff — I just don't follow one paragraph of it anymore. I mean, I can't open some of my web pages or check the news headlines or whatever without being aware of the fact Kirk Hammett said this or somebody else says that. Obviously, it's hard to exist in 2016 without some of this stuff showing up on your radar, but I don't read it and I don't follow it."

The dismissal was supposed to happen at the end of METALLICA's 1986 European trek, but the death of bassist Cliff Burton in a tour bus crash sidelined those plans.

Asked about the rumor by Albany station PYX 106, Hammett revealed, "That was just an old thing, you know. I think at one point or another, we were pissed off at Lars, around maybe 1985 or something. We were unhappy and we might have grumbled something to someone. And then that person might have picked up on it and made it something a lot bigger than it actually was. To be completely honest, [Lars] has a lot of drive, and that's a part of the reason why I love the man. His drive and his motivation is just so intense, you know.”

Scott Ian told a Colorado radio station in 2014: "I honestly think it wouldn't have happened. 'Cause, believe me, I've thought about it quite a bit over the years. I honestly think that the tour would have finished and I think cooler heads would have prevailed, maybe, and I don't think the change would have taken place. That's what I believe."

METALLICA recently completed recording its new album at its headquarters in San Rafael, California and has now begun mixing the new disc, which is expected out before the end of the year.

Ulrich told Citizens Of Humanity magazine about the musical direction of METALLICA's long-awaited tenth album: "It definitely sounds like METALLICA. It's probably a little less frenetic than the last record. It's probably a bit more of a diverse record than the last one."

German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN will perform their 1995 album "Imaginations From The Other Side" in its entirety on their upcoming North American tour with GRAVE DIGGER.

BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch explained in a statement: "I, being asked at least a thousand times by journalists and fans if we were not in general interested in a conceptual album performance, have been surprised by my bandmates, who came up with the exact same idea during last week's journey to Denmark and Poland. I cannot exactly remember where or when. Needless to say, the idea appeared mind-blowing and completely new to them… Guess what? André [Olbrich, guitar] and Marcus [Siepen, guitar] suggested to make this September‘s Northern American tour an 'Imaginations From the Other Side' conceptual tour!!! No surprise, Frederik [Ehmke, drums] was immediately up for that!

"Guess what (II), this idea, coming out of the mouths of my long-term companions somehow started to sound appealing to me as well. It might be the two beers I drank that evening, but I, for whatever reason, spontaneously agreed on doing so, and now they are bound and determined to hold me to my word.

"Instead of revealing more secrets, I better go back to my rehearsal room and practice these songs. This will be a busy summer for us and certainly an enjoyable upcoming experience for our North American friends."

After making a stop at the ProgPower USA festival on Thursday, September 9, BLIND GUARDIAN will kick off the second leg of its "Beyond The Red Mirror" tour at The Orpheum in Tampa, Florida. The trek will include one Canadian date as well as stops in Worcester, Milwaukee, and conclude on October 5 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.

BLIND GUARDIAN's tenth studio album, "Beyond The Red Mirror", was released in North America in February 2015 via Nuclear Blast.

Swedish adventure metallers, Twilight Force, are set to release their new studio album Heroes Of Mighty Magic on August 26th through Nuclear Blast. The band has 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)

Century Media Records and Prowling Death Records have announced the joint release of HELLHAMMER's previously unreleased "Blood Insanity" 7" vinyl single. Originally conceived by the band in 1984, this piece of metal history will finally see a worldwide release on August 19, with pre-sale being launched via CM Distro on July 22.

HELLHAMMER mainman Tom Gabriel Warrior comments: "In early 1984, after HELLHAMMER's third demo, 'Satanic Rites', HELLHAMMER bassist/singer Steve Warrior, HELLHAMMER roadie Marco Dinosaur Suremann, and I contemplated properly releasing some of the music HELLHAMMER had recorded the year before. We planned a NWOBHM-style 7" vinyl single, containing two songs taken from the 'Triumph Of Death' demo recording sessions of June 1983. The single was to feature 'Blood Insanity' as a title track, and 'Maniac' as its b-side. The cover of the single was to be a photo taken by HELLHAMMER photographer Martin Kyburz in early 1983. We drafted a brief typewriter memo, recording the outline for this single proposal.

"At the time, it was difficult and prohibitively expensive for a band to directly contract a manufacturing plant to produce a vinyl record without the involvement of a record company, so the single eventually remained a mere idea, while HELLHAMMER ultimately signed with Noise Records in West Berlin. The 'Blood Insanity' single project thus languished in an unrealized state until the eventual dissolution of HELLHAMMER rendered any plans for further HELLHAMMER releases redundant.

"Nonetheless, the unrealized single never really faded from my memory throughout all the commotion associated with HELLHAMMER's past existence during the many years since the band's termination. Moreover, Prowling Death Records, founded in my bedroom in 1983 to release the HELLHAMMER demos, had in the meantime become a proper record company. When I presented the idea to Century Media Records, the long-standing licensing partner of Prowling Death Records, they immediately pledged their support.

"The original single was to be issued in a simple card sleeve; but the gatefold format now chosen allows us the luxury to expand the visual presentation: the outside representing the single exactly as it was to be in 1984, the inside adding information about the project's history.

"The result is this single, produced in full coordination with the HELLHAMMER members who played on these songs and designed as faithfully as possible in accordance with the original concept we devised 32 years ago. It features the Prowling Death Records number we originally assigned to it: PDR 007."

The "Blood Insanity" 7" release is limited to a one-time only pressing of 3,000 copies and will be available in the following vinyl editions:

* Picture 7" / 500 copies * Silver 7" / 300 copies (Century Media exclusive) * White 7" / 300 copies (Nuclear Blast exclusive) * Clear 7" / 300 copies (High Roller exclusive) * Transparent Red 7" / 600 copies * Black 7" / 1000 copies

All 7" vinyl single copies will be housed within a gatefold sleeve, then shrink-wrapped in plastic and marked with a different colored sticker (golden color for the picture 7") to indicate its respective edition. In related news, Tom Gabriel Warrior's current band TRIPTYKON has just announced two special warm-up concerts in Germany before their appearance at the 2016 edition of the legendary Wacken Open Air festival. The two intimate warm-up concerts will take place in the week before the festival, on August 3 (Freiburg) and August 4 (Essen).

LIFE OF AGONY has been forced to postpone the band's previously announced European shows scheduled for July 8-16 after the group's drummer, Sal Abruscato, broke a collarbone, on Monday, July 4.

LIFE OF AGONY states: "The band are very disappointed that they will not be able to play for their fans and are working to reschedule the headline shows for December. New dates to be announced shortly.

"LIFE OF AGONY would like to express their gratitude to their fans for their undying support and ask that everyone keep Sal in their thoughts for a speedy recovery."

LIFE OF AGONY in January signed a worldwide deal with Napalm Records. The band's fifth studio album, and their first in over a decade, titled "A Place Where There's No More Pain", will be released later in the year.

"A Place Where There's No More Pain" will mark LIFE OF AGONY's first collection of new material since the band's singer, Mina Caputo (formerly known as Keith Caputo), came out as transgender in 2011,

LIFE OF AGONY bassist Alan Robert commented: "I think our fans know that our music comes from a very real place of suffering, from all of us in the band.

"Many of our fans have told us over the years that sharing our personal struggles has been cathartic for them in healing the pain in their own lives. That uplifting energy we share at the shows gives us hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel. And for us and hopefully our fans, that short time when we're all together is a place where there's no more pain."

In a December 2015 interview with The Aquarian Weekly, Alan stated about LIFE OF AGONY's future plans: "I think ever since the summer of 2014 when we kicked this back up again, it's been so much fun and the energy has been so good between us and the people everywhere we go that we want to keep it going; we absolutely do. We're having a great time. And I think now that Mina has come out, she is free as a bird, and there is no holding back. It's just so great to see, not just as a bandmember, but as a longtime friend, to see her really comfortable in her own skin. I'm just really proud of her for her bravery, and everyone's been so accepting and so positive that it's really encouraging to see."

Crystal Ball's new album Déjà-Voodoo will be released on September 2nd via Massacre Records. It's the ninth studio album by the Swiss melodic metal gods. The expectations are high since their latest album LifeRider is widely considered as the band's best album so far.

"It was quite a challenge to deliver a high-class album within a year, but we're sure that Déjà-Voodoo will step it up a notch, both regarding the songwriting as well as the sound,” comments the band.
 
The band has now revealed the cover artwork, designed by Thomas Ewerhard:

"The artwork is the perfect symbiosis between the terms déjà-vu and voodoo: Déjà-Voodoo! Our main character, a voodoo doll names Louis, is standing in the water, which mirrors him. The water is symbolic for the sub-consciousness here. Louis also wears the Crystal Ball LifeRider amulet around his neck, as a personal item. Why LOUIS? Well, keep your guesses coming!"
 
Don't miss Crystal Ball on tour through Germany and Switzerland with Shakra this fall.

Raleigh, NC’s progressive metal titans, Valleys, have released a new music video for “Desperate Me”. The video acts as a tribute to their fallen brother, Michael Clement, who was tragically killed in a car accident on February 5th, 2016; exactly one week prior to the release of Valleys debut album, Experiment One: Asylum.

"Desperate Me" was filmed, produced and edited by good friend Jaiden Frost of Jaiden Frost Presents. The band would like to extend a huge thank you to Jaiden for all his hard work in video capturing for Valleys of the years, especially with "Desperate Me". 

The song comes off of Valleys debut full length, Experiment One: Asylum, which was released on February 12th, 2016.

Young British tech-metallers Fraktions have announced their upcoming EP, Anguish, out August 12th. To celebrate the news, the band have released a new video for “Freedom Of The Conscious Mind”.

Anguish is a highly compelling new release from a band equally influenced by classical music, the jazz noodling’s of Tigran Hamasyan and the progressive metal of TesseracT and The Contortionist; Fraktions are an exciting addition to the burgeoning second wave British tech-metal scene.
 
Having played alongside Drewsif Stalin, No Consequence (whose frontman features on the EP), Kadinja, and Bleed from Within, Anguish is an irresistible new take on technical metal. Inspired by songwriter and pianist Joel Pinder’s classical leanings, the EP presents an impressively mature approach from such a young band. 

 
A concept EP, Anguish is about the final chapter of a schizophrenic woman’s life. The protagonist suffers from aural hallucinations as a result, a condition translated musically into the EP’s frantic and unpredictable style, veering between piano-led dissonance and guitar-led technical off-kilter riffing. The multiple sound-worlds of the EP mark Fraktions out as a band to take notice of – a young group with a promising future ahead of them.

The EP was recorded and mixed by Daniel Reid of No Consequence and mastered by Acle Kahney of TesseracT.

Catch the band's album launch show at Surya, London, on August 14th.

Blackened heavy metallers Faethom, from Fort Lauderdale, FL have released their second full-length concept album, Fury Of The Scorned Witch. The album is available at Faetheom’s official website and CDBaby.

Fury Of The Scorned Witch is a horror concept album about a fictional Bolivian mining town where the miners toil and suffer relentlessly under the watchful eye of "El Tio" (the demonic entity that guards the mines). With an infernal cast of characters - a scorned, vengeful cholita, a violent, murderous miner, a powerful, diabolical witch, a pious, holier-than-thou gossip, and a sinful, cowardly priest - the album is a hellish metal tale of terror that will satisfy the old-school horror-worshiping metalhead. 

With this album, Faethom delivers a powerful blend of old-school heavy metal mixed with extreme metal and elements of ‘70s prog rock, interludes and intros heavily influenced by ‘80s horror movie soundtracks, and an overall ambiance inspired by Bolivian folk music. 

The album artwork is by California-based artist, Fernando Saavedra, who is also responsible for the artwork of the band's 2011 LP (In The Name Of The Father, The Son And The Unholy) and 2013 EP (Mark Of The Devil). He is also featured as a guest guitarist on the instrumental track "Soul-Eating Mountain."

The album features two songs entirely in Spanish, "Héroes de las Minas" and "Hija del Mal." A bit of Quechua (the native tongue of Bolivia) is also included in some of the tracks.

The band is set to embark on their first U.S. tour during the month of July along with Solstice (Miami), Warsenal (Canada). and War Curse (Ohio).

Tracklisting:

“A Ghastly Funeral Curse”
“Slaves To The Dawn”
“Heroes De Las Minas”
“Lair Of Lucrecia”
“Soul-Eating Mountain”
“School Day Terror”
“The Fanatical Swarm”
“Mark Of The Devil”
“Of The Flesh”
“Unhallowed Desire”
“Hija Del Mal”
“Night Of Sorrow”
“Blood Will Be Shed”
“A Death By Fire”
“Lila’s Return”
“Become Alive”
“Fury Of The Scorned Witch”
“Sunqo Nanaj”

Album trailer:

Paganizer, the Swedish death metal war machine, emerge with their latest epic. On the Outskirts Of Hades is a testament to the glory of the classic death metal style and its virility. A new track, “Adjacent To Purgatory” is streaming below.

A press release states: “Rogga Johansson and his main band are in best form. This is the most crushing output to come out Sweden in years. It showcases not just the exemplary songwriting skills of this great and experienced band but also its sheer muscle - it eats the newer ones raw and shits them out whole. Paganizer have never sounded better; each song is adrenaline-fused, laden with massive Viking axe-hooks, earth-pounding percussion, and topped off with roars echoing down from Valhalla. Along with Affliction Gate's EP, this one will go down as one of the mightiest death metal EPs to be released this year.”

Tracklisting:

“Angry All The Time”
“Adjacent To Purgatory”
“The Netherworld Carnivale”
“On The Outskirts Of Hades”

“Adjacent To Purgatory”:

 Ice-T and Body Count took to Periscope for the first time, and in the video below they cover the Slayer classic, “Raining Blood”. Check it out:

The highly controversial and iconic Body Count (featuring Ice-T on vocals) recently inked a worldwide deal with Century Media Records and began tracking their new, full-length offering with Will Putney (Miss May I, Upon A Burning Body). The new album, titled Bloodlust, will be released in 2017.

Will Putney also tracked the group’s last effort, Manslaughter, which caught the entire genre’s immediate attention with its sheer abrasiveness and unabashed brutality.

Ice- T recently stated: "It’s cool to be a member of The Century Label Group alongside such a lot of well-established metal artists. With our last album Manslaughter, we tested the waters and got a great response from the fans and critics. Now it’s time to go kill it and make a more aggressive album and keep the Body Count style intact.

“Producer, Will Putney (Miss May I, Upon A Burning Body), is like a member of the band and has an excellent ear. He’s a great producer because he captures the true essence of our band’s sound. Once we are done writing the song it’s his job to step in and make it sound better. He helps move the record in the right direction, were anticipating working with him again. Once the records done, were going to shoot a lot of music videos and perform spot-dates on certain tests, etc.”

This is the group that dropped hip-hop attitude into heavy metal and hard rock music before Rage Against The Machine, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Hollywood Undead made records, despite nary an ounce of rapping over their mosh-pit inducing songs. Body Count is a full on metal band, fronted by a legendary rapper who drops knowledge, violent stories and verbal middle fingers, with a bellowing growl descended from some of punk rock’s most pissed off screamers.

Ice-T and cofounder/lead guitarist Ernie C have perfected their mix of thrash, punk and bottom heavy doom across five albums, hitting a zenith with the unstoppable Manslaughter, backed by bassist/songwriter Vincent Price (with Body Count now for nearly 15 years), drummer Ill Will (joined in 2009) and new guitarist Juan Garcia of Evildead. They embody the monumental Southern California tradition of street born punk bands like Suicidal Tendencies combined with the aggressive aural napalm of Slayer. From the punk bite of their gold debut through the metallic triumph of Born Dead (1994), Violent Demise: The Last Days (1997) and Murder 4 Hire (2006), to the all encompassing Body Count vibe of Manslaughter, which merges the strengths of the band’s entire catalog.

Driven by the same iconoclastic, antiauthoritarian and pimp-turned-poet mentality that made Ice-T a gangster rap pioneer, a platinum artist from the streets and a household name in film and television before “rapper/actor” was a commonly used term, Body Count flipped the script with the same tenacity when they bumrushed heavy metal. The first rumblings of Body Count were heard in the eponymous song unleashed on Ice-T’s gigantic O.G.: Original Gangster album in 1991, which hit stores just two months after Ice’s first major movie role in the modern crime classic, “New Jack City.” The fierce thrash of the “Body Count” anthem put people on notice that the Megadeth cap Ice-T wore on MTV wasn’t for show: aggressive heavy metal and hardcore is in his blood.

Swiss melodic death metal band Xaon will release its debut EP Face Of Balaam on October 16th. The official video for first single "Discrowned", featuring vocals by Soilwork's Björn "Speed" Strid is streaming below.

Brilliant melodies combine with the aggression of death metal throughout Face Of Balaam, yet that description doesn't quite do justice to the range of styles influencing the sound of Xaon. Consider the contributions of legendary acts like Anathema, Type O Negative, My Dying Bride, Soilwork, Demonical, Ulver, and even Finnish act Disgrace's early-to-mid ‘90s output, and you'll get the picture.

Face Of Balaam was produced and arranged by band members Vinc and Flo, recorded between June and August 2015, mixed and mastered by Julian at Parallel Focus Studios. Vocals engineered by Rob Carson at Carsonian Sound Solutions. All vocals, except "Discrowned", by were performed by Franco-American singer Rob Carson. Samples on "How We Become Ephemeral Birds" and "Discrowned" by J.-P. Lana. The album artwork was created by Californian artist and painter Erik Burton Kirchner.

Tracklisting:

“How We Become Ephemeral Birds”
“Discrowned”
“When The Everlasting Gardens Die Away”
“The Soundcleaner”
“Veins Like Burned Trees (The Awe That Walketh In Obscurity, Part I)”

“Discrowned”:

Relapse Records has announced the signing of hardcore legends Integrity. Originally formed in 1988, Integrity are known for being one of the most incendiary and influential bands in American hardcore and modern metal history and have released 11 full-length albums and a litany of splits / EPs including a recent split with Power Trip. Integrity are set to record their new full-length album later this year which will be released by Relapse in 2017.

Frontman Dwid Hellion commented on the new material and signing: "It is a great honor to be a part of the Relapse family. I have been a longtime admirer of the label and excited to have our new album released under the Relapse banner. Integrity has always been a creature of destruction and introspection. The ever beginning End. A lesson in lechery and weaponized love. Forever culling forth the demons of deep within to enchant our congregation with serrated scripture. We have been writing the new Integrity album throughout the past year. Whittling away at forbidden deities and forgotten curses until we arrive with chapter and verse."

The band will be headlining this year's This Is Hardcore Fest on August 5th in Philadelphia, PA (with support from Relapse labelmates Ringworm).

Dayshell, featuring Shayley "Dayshell" Bourget, formerly of Of Mice & Men, have signed to Spinefarm Records and will release their second album, Nexus, on October 7th. Bourget shocked fans everywhere when he left Of Mice & Men in 2012 after three years and two albums and quickly formed Dayshell.

The band has dropped the brand new song "Car Sick”. Listen below:

"We would like to take a moment and proudly announce that Dayshell have officially signed with Spinefarm Records," said Shayley Bourget. "Words can't express how happy we are to continue making music and doing what we love. We are so happy to be apart of the Spinefarm family and can't wait to see them work their magic and help have our music heard.

"On a side note, for those of you that didn't know, Zack Baker is now our new official drummer. He killed it on the new album and we are stoked to have him with the Trio. so please show your support and welcome him to Dayshell with open arms!"

The band is also touring this September and October with I The Mighty, Artifex Pereo, and Picturesque.

Gary Hoey will release his Provogue / Mascot Label Group debut, Dust & Bones, on July 29th. The album track “Boxcar Blues” is streaming below.

Looking towards his 20th album release Hoey shares, "This is where I belong - playing this ferocious blend of blues and rock music. My last album, Deja Blues, proved to myself that I could play authentic blues, and now that I feel more at home there, I felt it was time to mix my favorite guitar styles into something seamless, organic, and powerful.”

Released through Mascot Label Group, Dust & Bones showcases Hoey’s Fender Stratocaster-driven fury alongside open-D-tuned resonator guitars plugged into half-stacks. The massive sonic attack was essential for paying sincere and appropriate homage to some of Hoey’s influences, such as Johnny Winter (“Steamroller”), Robin Trower (“This Time Tomorrow”), and Brian Setzer (“Who’s Your Daddy”), as well as a thrill-a-minute mash up of Robert Johnson meets Led Zeppelin (“Boxcar Blues”). There’s also a classic power ballad (“Coming Home”) where Lita Ford sings a duet with Hoey.

“This is the biggest-sounding album I’ve done in years,” says Hoey. “From the guitars to the vocals to the rhythm section—everything was designed to produce a huge impact. I’m just so proud of this record.”

For the Dust & Bones tracks, Hoey went with a power-trio configuration, rocking hard with drummer Matt Scurfield and bassist AJ Pappas. The other selections on the 11-song CD are the first single, “Dust & Bones,” as well as “Born to Love You,” “Ghost Of Yesterday,” “Back Against the Wall,” “Blind Faith,” and “Soul Surfer.” Guitar Player Magazine's Editor in Chief Michael Molenda offers, "Gary Hoey’s awesome command of styles, tones, and techniques drives so many different moods on Dust & Bones that you’ll feel as if he transports you across the musical universe and beyond. Buckle up!"

Tracklisting:

“Boxcar Blues”
“Who's Your Daddy”
“Born To Love You”
“Dust & Bones”
“Steamroller” (tribute to Johnny Winter)
“Coming Home” (feat. Lita Ford)
“Ghost Of Yesterday”
“This Time Tomorrow”
“Back Up Against The Wall”
“Blind Faith”
“Soul Surfer”

“Boxcar Blues”:

Trailer:

“Dust & Bones”:

 

 

Tour dates:

July
22 - Auburn Hills, MI - Callahan’s Music Hall
23 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theater
24 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall

August
4 - Los Angeles, CA - Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp
19 - New Hope, PA - Havana
20 - Teaneck, NJ - Mexicali Live
21 - Westford, MA - Blues N Brews Festival

Kampfar have released a video for “Tornekratt”, a track from their award-winning album, Profan. Watch below:

After over 20 years of digging in the bile and muck of the underground, Kampfar received the acclaim they deserve. At the Spellemann 2015 (Norwegian Grammy) they were pitted against greats such as Enslaved and Tsjuder, but managed to run away with the award for "Best Metal Album In 2015" for their most recent effort, Profan.

Kampfar released Profan on November 13th via Indie Recordings. Listen to the album at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Gloria Ablaze”
“Profanum”
“Icons”
“Skavank”
“Daimon”
“Pole In The Ground”
“Tornekratt”

The album is available on CD jewelcase, limited CD digipak with patch, black LP gatefold, limited orange LP gatefold with black and yellow speckles. Exclusive T-Shirt bundles are also available in the Indie Recordings webshop only. Order at this location.

Norway-based symphonic gothic metal veterans SIRENIA have parted ways with their Spanish singer Ailyn Giménez García for "personal reasons." The band says in a statement: "We part ways on good terms and we wish Ailyn the best of luck for her future endeavours. Thanks a lot for the great years we shared in the band and thanks for all your efforts in this period; we are forever grateful. It has been a true delight and privilege working with you. May all your dreams be fulfilled and may your future shine.

"SIRENIA will spend the next two months finishing the recordings of our upcoming album.

"The band is in the process of engaging a new singer to take over the lead singer role in the group.

"All tours and shows from September 2016 and forward will go as planned."

SIRENIA was forced to cancel a recent concert in the Czech Republic after Ailyn's mother died, "a tragic event that had an impact on Ailyn's health as well," the band explained. Another show in Kherson, Ukraine went ahead with the help of a session singer, Emmanuelle Zoldan, who had contributed guest vocals to every SIRENIA album since 2004.

Ailyn has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET regarding her exit from SIRENIA:

"Dear friends, I'm very sorry for the bad news. I have to confirm the statement posted on the SIRENIA page earlier. SIRENIA and I are going our separate ways. This decission was not mine, I didn't take part of it.　"I want to thank SIRENIA for eight and a half wonderful years touring around the world. I am grateful for the chances I had to meet a lot of you and make new friends.

"I wish SIRENIA all the best for the future and hopefully our paths will cross again. The good memories will always be in my heart. "For now, I don't know what the future holds, but I am super excited about finding out. I will for sure keep working with music, and hopefully it will give me the oportunity to be back on the road so we can meet again soon. But first I will enjoy some days of Norwegian summer and as soon as I am on to something, you'll be the first to know."

Ailyn (born: Pilar Giménez García) joined SIRENIA in 2008 as the replacement for Monika Pedersen, who left the group a year earlier after only one album due to "musical differences."

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

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

The new video below features Thomas Zwijsen with Anne Bakker and Anton Zwijsen, performing an acoustic version of “Doctor Doctor”, composed by UFO and also played by Iron Maiden. The track is featured on the Nylon Maiden II album.

The clip below features Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson's "Tears Of The Dragon" performed on acoustic guitar, violin an vocals during the release concert of Thomas Zwijsen's new Nylon Maiden album, Preserved In Time. The video features Zwijsen on acoustic guitar, Ingrid Pontes on vocals and Anne Bakker on violin.

A video for “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner” from Nylon Maiden’s upcoming double CD, Preserved In Time, can be seen below. Nylon Maiden is headed up by Dutch classical guitarist Thomas Zwijsen - known for his acoustic renditions of some of metal’s greatest songs and arrangements of Iron Maiden tracks.

Nylon Maiden’s Preserved In Time was released in June. Thomas has gained almost 10 million views on YouTube with his arrangements of Iron Maiden songs for classical guitar, making this his most anticipated album to date.

Preserved In Time promises to be 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 track listing 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!”

“When The Wild Wind Blows” video:

“Powerslave” video:

“Tears Of The Dragon”:

Sick Drummer Magazine has posted this new video of Black Crown Initiate performing “Great Mistake” at the Summit Music Hall in Denver, CO, on May 17th. The clip focuses on drummer Jesse Beahler.

Black Crown Initiate have officially 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."

The band is also debuting the title track off their forthcoming LP, Selves We Cannot Forgive.. This is the second track the band has released, the first being "For Red Cloud”. Hear both songs below.

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”:

"For Red Cloud”:

After completing a successful run on the 2016 Metal Alliance tour, Black Crown initiate have announced new plans to hit the road this summer supporting Australian import Ne Obliviscaris. Dates will kick off on July 12th in San Diego with a full coast to coast run before finishing up back out west in Phoenix one month later on August 12th.

"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
12 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
13 - Los Angeles, CA - Whisky A Go Go
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)

Swedish metallers SABATON will release their eighth studio album, "The Last Stand", on August 19 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Heroes" was once again produced by Peter Tägtgren (PAIN, LINDEMANN, HYPOCRISY) and it "marks a brand new chapter in SABATON history," according to a press release.

The second trailer for "The Last Stand" is available below.

SABATON bassist Pär Sundström previously stated about "The Last Stand": "We once again worked with Peter Tägtgren in his newly upgraded and top-class Abyss studio in Sweden to record, produce and mix the album. The mastering [was] done by Jonas Kjellgren who also works in the same building in nice Pärlby on the countryside of Sweden. Both 'Carolus Rex' and 'Heroes' were done in the same way and we [felt] very comfortable to return to the same place and people again. Fans will recognize the sound of the album as SABATON, but we really feel we took it a step forward this time."

The artwork for "The Last Stand" was created by Peter Sallaí, who has worked with SABATON since "Carolus Rex". Sundström explained: "We had the idea to make an image reflecting soldiers of different times representing the different historical battles we sing about on the new album. This only reveals a small part of the album topics though."

Stated SABATON vocalist Joakim Brodén: "The concept of a last stand has always fascinated me, and both me and Pär were 'all in excited' about the subject so it was an easy choice to make."

Added Sundström: "We have always several ideas for albums to work with. Since there are countless different views and angles of war, we will, unfortunately, never run out of ideas. We kinda felt that the last stand was something perfect for SABATON. Something we really wanted to do. 'Heroes' was a perfect theme and 'The Last Stand' is right down our alley too. It was exciting to do the research."

"The Last Stand" will be available in the following editions:

- CD+DVD-Digi (including a concert DVD)- CD- Box (including earbook, 2LP Pic, 12" photo card, 12" poster, three plectra)- 2LP (black, clear, gold, yellow/blue)- Special edition (SABATON tank + box)- Digital

"The Last Stand" track listing:

CD+DVD-Digi

CD

01. Sparta02. Last Dying Breath03. Blood Of Bannockburn04. Diary Of An Unknown Soldier05. The Lost Battalion06. Rorke's Drift07. The Last Stand08. Hill 323409. Shiroyama10. Winged Hussars11. The Last Battle

Bonus:

12. Camouflage13. All Guns Blazing

DVD - Live @ Stereolux, Nantes (France)

01. Intro (The March To War)02. Ghost Division03. Far From The Fame04. Uprising05. Midway06. Gott Mit Uns07. Resist And Bite08. Wolfpack09. Dominium Maris Baltici10. Carolus Rex11. Swedish Pagans12. Soldier Of 3 Armies13. Attero Dominatus14. The Art Of War15. Wind Of Change16. To Hell And Back17. Night Witches18. Primo Victoria19. Metal Crüe

CD

01. Sparta02. Last Dying Breath03. Blood Of Bannockburn04. Diary Of An Unknown Soldier05. The Lost Battalion06. Rorke's Drift07. The Last Stand08. Hill 323409. Shiroyama10. Winged Hussars11. The Last Battle

Earbook

CD:

01. Sparta02. Last Dying Breath03. Blood Of Bannockburn04. Diary Of An Unknown Soldier05. The Lost Battalion06. Rorke's Drift07. The Last Stand08. Hill 323409. Shiroyama10. Winged Hussars11. The Last Battle

Bonus:

12. Camouflage13. All Guns Blazing14. Afraid To Shoot Strangers

DVD - Live @ Stereolux, Nantes (France):

01. Intro (The March To War)02. Ghost Division03. Far From The Fame04. Uprising05. Midway06. Gott Mit Uns07. Resist And Bite08. Wolfpack09. Dominium Maris Baltici10. Carolus Rex11. Swedish Pagans12. Soldier Of 3 Armies13. Attero Dominatus14. The Art Of War15. Wind Of Change16. To Hell And Back17. Night Witches18. Primo Victoria19. Metal Crüe

Live CD - Live @ Stereolux, Nantes (France)

01. Intro (The March To War)02. Ghost Division03. Far From The Fame04. Uprising05. Midway06. Gott Mit Uns07. Resist And Bite08. Wolfpack09. Dominium Maris Baltici10. Carolus Rex11. Swedish Pagans12. Soldier Of 3 Armies13. Attero Dominatus14. The Art Of War15. Wind Of Change16. To Hell And Back17. Night Witches18. Primo Victoria19. Metal Crüe

2LP - 45 RPM

Side A:

01. Sparta02. Last Dying Breath03. Blood Of Bannockburn04. Diary Of An Unknown Soldier05. The Lost Battalion

Side B:

01. Rorke's Drift02. The Last Stand03. Hill 323404. Shiroyama

Side C:

01. Winged Hussars02. The Last Battle

Side D (Bonus):

01. Camouflage02. All Guns Blazing

Fan-filmed video footage of IRON MAIDEN's July 3 performance at Stadion Wroclaw in Wroclaw, Poland can be seen below.

IRON MAIDEN's world tour, in support of the band's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", kicked off on February 24 in Sunrise, Florida (a suburb of Fort Lauderdale).

IRON MAIDEN guitarist Dave Murray told Music Radar about the songwriting process for "The Book Of Souls": "On previous albums we've usually gone into a rehearsal room for maybe a couple of weeks and maybe have four or five songs under our belts. Then we'd go into the studio and start recording, and the rest of the material would be written while we were there. But this time we went in there with a blank page and a bunch of ideas.

"It was a really fun experience because it keeps you on your toes," he added. "You have to be really sharp. We're scribbling guitar chords down, melodies and harmonies, changes… basically we were flying by the seat of our pants because we never knew what was coming next. But it was wonderful how things kept flowing."

IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he and singer Bruce Dickinson played an active part in songwriting proceedings.

"This time I did a couple of things with Bruce too," Smith explained to Total Guitar. "I thought I'd try writing shorter songs, like 'Two Minutes To Midnight' and 'Can I Play With Madness', with just Bruce and I. We haven't done that since I've been back in the band [Smith rejoined MAIDEN with Dickinson in 1999]. Maybe with 'Wickerman' we did it [from 2000's 'Brave New World']. So that was different. He came over before we started recording and we wrote 'Speed Of Light' and 'Death Or Glory'."

KISS kicked off its "Freedom To Rock" tour last night (Monday, July 4) with a 16-song set in Tucson, Arizona

"Tonight's the first night of the tour, and it couldn't be any place hotter or any place cooler," KISS frontman Paul Stanley told the crowd at the AVA Amphitheater as they braved 102-degree heat.

As part of the set, KISS honored the military by having a veteran, Lt. Col. Mellorya Crawford, an 18-year Army veteran stationed the last six years at Fort Huachuca, join the band's road crew for the night.

"It's not the politicians that make the country great, it's the military,” Stanley stated. "Politicians make promises. The military delivers."

Prior to the show, Crawford released a written statement in which she said: "I'm excited to represent other female veterans across the world. I'm looking forward to working with KISS during their first stop [of the 'Freedom To Rock' tour]. It will be amazing to actually meet them. I can remember listening to their music growing up and seeing their characters on 'Scooby Doo'."

KISS's setlist for the Tucson concert:

01. Detroit Rock City02. Deuce03. Shout It Out Loud04. Creatures of the Night05. War Machine06. Psycho Circus07. Calling Dr. Love08. Shock Me09. Cold Gin10. Lick It Up11. I Love It Loud12. 100,000 Years13. Love Gun14. Black Diamond

Encore:

15. Beth16. Rock and Roll All Nite

The "Freedom To Rock" tour will hit 40 cities through the summer — many of them places that the band has either never played or hasn't played in years.

"The way I look at it, you've got to take stock sometimes and look back to where you started," KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons said in a recent interview. "I mean, I still visit my mom's house. You need to go back to the beginning sometimes.

"When we first started, we went to places like Mankato (Minnesota), Ypsilanti (Michigan), Fort Wayne (Indiana) and Huntington. Guess what? Cool people live in all kinds of places. And when we first started, we took our cause to the people. We were out there on the road in all of these places before we could get to them on MTV and on the internet before of all that. So, we asked ourselves why don't we go out and play some of the cities we don't normally play."

Prog metal kings Dream Theater have posted the following endorsement:

"This is very well done! 'Octavarium' full band and orchestra cover. Recorded, filmed and mixed at the Institute Of Sound Recording, University Of Surrey, as part of the Tonmeister Course."

According to a footnote, "This video was completed by all involved without any funding, purely with the end goal of creating a cover of a song we all enjoy, to the highest quality we can."

Former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs, The Neal Morse Band, Flying Colors) recently checked in with the following update:

"When I came up with the idea of writing a multi-part suite that was to span five albums (which ended up taking eight years to complete), it was always part of my masterplan to eventually perform it in it's entirely live on stage. It saddens me that I was not able to do so with Dream Theater after completing the final piece of my conceptual puzzle, but I've decided that I owe it to the fans to finally bring my '12 Step Suite' to life on stage as I always envisioned.

There's no better time and place than at my 50th Birthday Concert aboard Cruise To The Edge!

Joining me for this very special performance will be some great friends and amazing musicians that I know will kick ass in helping me with my unfinished business of bringing this piece of music to life on stage!"

This is the Full 12 Step Suite by Dream Theater. Each song runs into the next over a series of 5 Albums. The songs are about Mike Portnoy's battle of overcoming his addiction to drinking

Each song is as follows:

"The Glass Prison" - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence

I. Reflection
II. Restoration
III. Revelation

"This Dying Soul" - Train Of Thought
IV. Reflections of Reality (Revisited)
V. Release

"The Root Of All Evil" - Octavarium
VI. Ready
VII. Remove

"Repentance" - Systematic Chaos
VIII. Regret
IX. Restitution

"The Shattered Fortress" - Black Clouds And Silver Linings
X. Restraint
XI. Receive
XII. Responsible

Mike Portnoy's 50th Birthday Bash will be an All-Star career retrospective concert spanning 30 years of music. This will be the ultimate Mike Portnoy concert event, a celebration of life and music. Mark your calendars now and book your trip ASAP before this event sells out.

The cruise will run from February 7th to 11th, 2017, leaving from Tampa, FL. Watch CruiseToTheEdge.com for updates and information.

Bands confirmed so far for Cruise To The Edge 2017 include Yes as headliners, Kansas, Steve Hackett, John Wetton and more. Stay tuned for more bands to be announced soon.

Former PANTERA and current DOWN/SUPERJOINT frontman Philip Anselmo took part in a special 60-minute interview and 30-minute question-and-answer session on June 26 at the Diamond Pub Concert Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The event, which was open to the public, included a meet-and-greet with photo ops.

Decibel Geek TV has uploaded a short clip from the interview in which Anselmo recalled touring with some of the biggest names in heavy metal and hard rock, including the Ronnie James Dio-fronted version of BLACK SABBATH. He said: "This is why I say I fucking hate rock stars, because when I see some asshole rock star walking around, strutting around like they wrote a song or something… It's, like, 'Asshole, motherfuckers write songs in their bedroom. What makes you different? You cannot walk ten feet in someone else's goddamn fucking shoes. Come back down to earth, you fuckhead."

He continued: "I've met and I've hung out with Lemmy Kilmister. I've known Lemmy, I've known Dio, I've known Ozzy [Osbourne], I've known Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler… You keep fucking going. I've known 'em. I've spent time with 'em. And you know what? They're the nicest, the most down-to-earth people I've ever fucking met.

"So ladies and gentlemen, let's have a unanimous bird finger to rock stars.

"If any motherfucker in a band ever struts past you [with an attitude], give 'em the old fucking bird finger from The Kid. Fuck those assholes, man. Fuck 'em! You've gotta be real. And it's so much easier to be a dick, [and] it takes effort to be nice to everybody, but you know what? It pays fucking off to sit, listen, talk with people, be real as fuck with people, because in today's world, the motherfuckers hide behind fake names in comments sections and fuckin… et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. You're pussies. Face the fucking face. It's always a whole different fucking story. And to tell you the truth, most people I meet — and I mean, like, ninety-nine-point-motherfucking-nine percent — are down to earth, cool and fucking awesome, and I love 'em."

Anselmo in February told his DOWN bandmates to "move on" without him following an incident at this year's Dimebash where Anselmo said "white power" and made the Nazi salute on stage. He later claimed he was referring to drinking white wine as part of an "inside joke" but has since released a video message, saying that he "deserves completely" the "heat" that he has been getting over his actions and claiming to be "a thousand percent apologetic to anyone that took offense to what [he] said."

In honor of Master Of Puppets being added to the National Recording Registry, the Library Of Congress conducted an interview with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich on May 27th. An excerpt is available below.

LOC: As you geared up to make the album Master of Puppets, did you have something specific that you wanted to do with this album that was different from, say, your previous release Ride the Lightning (1984)?

Ulrich: "I think, looking back at those records and years, they were all very instinctual. And we continued that--going on instinct. We were fortunate to have started out very young. We made our first record when I was 19; our second when I was 20. So I was just 21 when we made Master of Puppets. We were very impulsive. I don’t think we thought about it too much or tried to intellectualize it.

I think the biggest difference between our first album, Kill ‘Em All, and where we were when we made Master of Puppets is that we had added two additional writers and players to the band and they were very gifted. They brought to us a different kind of educational background and perspective. It greatly broadened us. We were allowed to cast our net wider, so to speak, creatively. We could look at everything a little differently and experiment more. We had, earlier, found a dynamic and balance, with the earlier record, that we continued with on Master of Puppets. I think, on Master of Puppets, we felt comfortable enough to work in different melodies, try acoustic, even try ballads. I think we embraced a far more dynamic range. That is what that album afforded us." 

Click here for the complete interview.

Metallica have just released a ton of hilarious behind-the-scenes footage detailing their new collaboration with Italian luxury menswear house Brioni and their new creative director Justin O’Shea.

Says the band: “We are beyond thrilled to have been invited to be the face of Italian luxury menswear powerhouse Brioni as they kick off their first creative campaign under the direction of newly appointed creative director, über cool style star Justin O’Shea. The black and white Queen ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ inspired photos were shot last month in San Francisco by photographer Zackery Michael. We’re sporting Bespoke Brioni suits and tuxedos as well as sunglasses from their new eyewear collection.”

According to BOF, the campaign will be distributed on social media channels and is set appear on billboards and kiosks in Paris and in The New York Times, reflecting a more focused initial print advertising buy. Wider print distribution and billboards in New York, Los Angeles and Moscow will follow in the autumn.

Check out more photos here.

With two successful releases to their name, Iceland's Momentum are hard at work on their next full-length album, which will once again appear on Dark Essence Records, at a date as yet to be specified. Whilst work is continuing apace, the band have revealed "Dire Host", a title track from the album, via a video which was filmed in the studio. The clip can be seen below:

Dire Host was recorded in June in Hveragerði, a small town about a half hour drive from Reykjavík, and the new album marks the first time that Momentum will be working in the studio with Friðrik Helgason. As to what fans should expect from the album, Dire Host gives a pretty good idea according to the band who had this to say: “The songwriting process for a new album is going very well and we are really enjoying the direction in which we are heading. It has been, and continues to be, a new learning curve for the band to keep the music to just the three of us, but it would seem that we thrive on challenging ourselves with something different every time.

"We wanted to go and record a proper example of what the band is doing today and we feel that Dire Host captures that quite well. If you happen to be at Eistnaflug festival next week you will be able to see this live as well as a lot more of the new material, including a special treat that we've been working very hard on this past month.”

Momentum, whose lineup comprises Kristján on drums, Holaf on vocals and bass, and Ingvar on guitar and vocals, is set appear not once, but twice at the Eistnaflug Festival in Iceland in July. Their first appearance will be on the Boli stage on Wednesday the 6th at 5:50 PM, whilst on Friday the 8th they hit the Brennivin stage at 10:20 PM for what will be a special show.

 

Fan-filmed video footage of WHITESNAKE's July 1 performance at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey as part of the band's "The Greatest Hits Tour 2016" 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. Yesterday, 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. We'll be recording some new music next year. But it's just revitalized me… re-renergized. That's all I can say. So any ideas that I had six months ago 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.

Testament made the crowd in front of the True Metal stage at the 20th edition of W:O:A go crazy and created one circle pit after the other. Check out this rare video from WackenTV:

Testament will release their eleventh studio album, The Brotherhood Of The Snake, on October 28th via Nuclear Blast. Guitarist Eric Peterson spoke to Metal Maniac about the new record at Hellfest 2016 (video streaming below).

"It's finished, recorded, done. It’s now on its way to (producer) Andy Sneap to get mixed. Yeah, it’s actually done!” says Peterson. Asked what fans can expect from the new album, he says, “Fucking really good metal. Yeah, it’s gonna be a good record.”

Late in the interview he talks more about the upcoming album: ”It came out really, really good, I'm really happy with it”, he says. “It's very diverse, but it's very epic. There's nothing on there that breeds commercial. And I think for 30 years of recording music and trying different formulas and stuff, I think we've found a formula that is very metal.”

Amon Amarth have confirmed their return to UK and Irish shores this fall. Joining them as special guests, will be Testament. Also a part of Amon Amarth’s crusade are fellow Swedish marauders Grand Magus.

Get set to hold your drinking horns aloft at the following shows:

October
31st Oct - Manchester, England - Academy

November
1 - Glasgow, Scotland - O2 ABC
2 - Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street
4 - London, England - Roundhouse
5 - Birmingham, England - O2 Academy

Tickets on sale here.

Amon Amarth exclaim: “UK, after three years away we are returning to your lands and are bringing with us our biggest headline show ever. Sharpen your weapons, fortify your embankments and hide your loved ones!  We are bringing our berserker party to a town near you and we hope to see you there so you can “Raise Your Horns” together with us to glory!”

Testament’s Eric Peterson follows up: “With a heart of steel and rippling distant thunder, we are honoured to board the AA Viking ship and get ready to feast and plunder with them across Europe! Thor's hammering strikes shall lead the way! Skol!”

JB from Grand Magus declares, "Warriors of the north Atlantic! We are proud and excited to be part of this tour. Earth-shattering metal is coming your way. Amon Amarth, Testament, and Grand Magus on the same night! There will be headbanging, thrashing, and all around heaviness to fill all needs. Join us! Rejoice!"

The clip below features Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson's "Tears Of The Dragon" performed on acoustic guitar, violin an vocals during the release concert of Thomas Zwijsen's new Nylon Maiden album, Preserved In Time. The video features Zwijsen on acoustic guitar, Ingrid Pontes on vocals and Anne Bakker on violin.

A video for “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner” from Nylon Maiden’s upcoming double CD, Preserved In Time, can be seen below. Nylon Maiden is headed up by Dutch classical guitarist Thomas Zwijsen - known for his acoustic renditions of some of metal’s greatest songs and arrangements of Iron Maiden tracks.

Nylon Maiden’s Preserved In Time was released in June. Thomas has gained almost 10 million views on YouTube with his arrangements of Iron Maiden songs for classical guitar, making this his most anticipated album to date.

Preserved In Time promises to be 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 track listing 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!”

“When The Wild Wind Blows” video:

“Powerslave” video:

“Tears Of The Dragon”: