Faithsedge recently returned with Restoration, their third and most melodic release to date. The album was released on Scarlet Records in Europe and North America on June 24th and on Spiritual Beast in Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan on June 15th. A new video for the track “Faith And Chris” can be found below.

Fronted by mastermind singer/songwriter Giancarlo Floridia, the band returns with a stellar lineup featuring Stryper bass player Tim Gaines, Ace Frehley / Mr. Big drummer Matt Starr and former Dokken guitarist Alex De Rosso. Both keys and production were handled by Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline, Revolution Saints).

The approach is very melodic with an old school feel: 80's style hooks, big drums, slamming bass, epic keys and big production. At the same time the album keeps a current up to date feel with lyric content of today’s world mixed with a competitive metal feel. Giancarlo's songwriting approach mixed with each members experience and skills takes the album to new heights.

Tracklisting:

“Never A Day”
“Jennifer”
“You Cannot Give Up”
“Faith And Chris”
“Her Way Back”
“Regret At All”
“This War”
“Taking Our Lives”
“Let You Breathe”
“This Is Everything”

“Faith And Chris” video:

“Never A Day” lyric video:

With different supergroups that come and go, Faithsedge is more than just that, the band members worked together as a tight team and the result and chemistry show in the end result.

 

The German folk/power metal heroes Winterstorm are set to release their fourth studio album, Cube Of Infinity, on August 19th via NoiseArt Records. A lyric video for the album track “Through The Storm” can be found below.

The album artwork was created by guitar player Michael Liewald. The band states: "Just like in the album itself the cover artwork centres the Cube Of Infinity. It combines myth and darkness to an epic structure of metal. Hard riffs and hard edges. We, Winterstorm, tried to upgrade our style with new elements. In our opinion the result is the best and hardest Winterstormalbum so far. Old and new fans can be looking Forward to (will be pleased about) the upcoming storm!"

Tracklisting:

“Infectious”
“Pacts Of Blood And Might”
“In Clarity”
“Secrets And Lies”
“Effects Of Being”
“Through The Storm”
“Cube Of Infinity”
“Frozen Awakening”
“Timeshift”
“Hymn Of Solitude”

“Through The Storm” lyric video:

Cube Of Infinity shows that Winterstorm by far haven't reached the end of their journey. Once more, their highly diversified songs lure the listeners into a Fantasy World that becomes a thrilling adventure thanks to the high quality of the musical background. Catchy rhythms, enthralling melodies, and elating refrains make Cube Of Infinity a model of how power metal should sound in the year of 2016 they will fascinate not only fans of bands such as Blind Guardian, Rhapsody, and Orden Ogan.

Winterstorm again skillfully succeed in uniting folk elements and power metal to form a unique and kitsch-free mixture of their own. Cube Of Infinity is in schedule to offer a cooling summer storm in the heat of August, drying the sweat of fans with a huge portion of passion and fresh wind.

Former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum has laid down the drum tracks on a new song from ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Izzy Stradlin. The track, titled "F.P. Money", will be released next month. It was recorded and mixed by J.T. Longoria at Brotheryn Studios and it features Sorum on drums, Damon Fox on keyboards, Tony Babylon on bass, Rick Richards on lead guitar and Stradlin on guitar and vocals.

Said Stradlin: "Matt Sorum and I crossed paths earlier this year and both agreed it might be fun to one day throw down a new track and see what we get."

Sorum added: "Izzy Stradlin and I have collaborated on a new song he wrote called 'F.P. Money', out in July everywhere. It was great to reconnect again and make some rock 'n' roll with this great singer, songwriter guitarist and all-around cool dude. Music for music's sake, it was really organic and fun. Hope you take a listen. And turn it up!"

Stradlin co-founded GUNS N' ROSES with childhood friend Axl Rose in 1985. He was major contributor to the band's classic 1987 debut LP "Appetite For Destruction" and the two "Use Your Illusion" albums in 1991, but quit the group that same year. The guitarist has maintained a low profile over the years, resurfacing periodically to make several surprise appearances at GUNS N' ROSES shows, including during the band's residency in Las Vegas in 2012.

Stradlin's last solo album, 2010's "Wave Of Heat", featured a guest appearance by GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan.

Sorum, who replaced Steven Adler in GUNS N' ROSES, recorded "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).

Only Rose, Slash and McKagan from GN'R's "Appetite For Destruction"-era lineup took part in the first nine GUNS N' ROSES comeback shows in April and late June. They were joined by drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and guitarist Richard Fortus. Also appearing with them was second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

ALICE IN CHAINS singer/guitarist William DuVall was interviewed earlier this week by the Flint, Michigan radio station Banana 101.5. You can now listen to the chat in two parts below.

Speaking about ALICE IN CHAINS' current tour, which includes several dates as the support act for GUNS N' ROSES, William said: "This kind of strikes me as more of like an interim, rev-up-the-engine tour. We do those every so often where it's not necessarily part of an album cycle, but we just like to get out there on the road and play. And especially when unique opportunities like this one with GN'R arrive, you've gotta do that. But in this case, this time we were gonna do our own tour anyhow, so we'll be going straight from the GUNS N' ROSES tour right into our own headlining tour. And that tour will actually be divided into two parts — one being the summer leg and another one being more of an autumn leg. And then after that, I suppose we'll talk about what it's time to do next. Maybe that might entail new music or some sort of pre-production or something. That's historically kind of how it's gone over the last ten years. So we'll just have to see."

DuVall told the WRIF radio station a few days ago that it's "too early" to talk about ALICE IN CHAINS' new music, despite the fact that it's been more than three years since the release of their last studio album.

"The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" came out in 2013 was the band's second disc with DuVall, who joined in 2006 following the 2002 death of original vocalist Layne Staley.

William also talked about ALICE IN CHAINS' songwriting process and how it has evolved over the years. He said: "We make a habit of kind of starting pretty much with a clean slate every time we've gone in. And that challenges you, so we'll have to see how it manifests this time. But we're not there yet."

ALICE IN CHAINS recently announced the second leg of their North American headlining tour, adding Austin, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Antonio and more to a run that begins with five arena shows with GUNS N' ROSES. The tour includes a second New York City date on July 26 following the immediate sell-out of their July 25 show at the Beacon Theatre.

"The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" sold 62,000 copies in its first week of release.

DuVall is also part of a new band called GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA alongside members of MASTODON and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN.

GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA's debut album, "Broken Lines", will be released on September 23 via Party Smasher Inc./ Cooking Vinyl.

Interview (audio):

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor says that he is "okay" after taking a hard fall during the band's concert in Georgia.

SLIPKNOT played the second show of its tour with MARILYN MANSON Wednesday night (June 29) at Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta. The concert once again saw Taylor performing with a neck brace after undergoing surgery earlier in the month.

One fan who attended the Atlanta show reported that Corey "took a hard fall" at the end of the set and "couldn't walk when they picked him up." Another concertgoer said that Taylor "had to be supported out" at the conclusion of the gig. A third fan told BLABBERMOUTH.NET in an e-mail: "I was front row and after the final song, after the usual thanking and waving to the crowd, Corey Taylor collapsed on stage and had to be carried off by the stage crew. As I was leaving, EMTs were rushing backstage. Throughout the show he was clearly in pain from his neck but still clearly gave it all he could. The neck pain/previous injury plus the 95º Atlanta heat and his fully-covering outfit=a downed frontman. He was shaking and looked to not be in a good way as they pulled him off."

A short time later, the SLIPKNOT singer took to Twitter to reassure fans that he was not seriously injured and that the band's tour will continue as scheduled. He tweeted: "ATL: haha don't worry, I'm okay! I THINK that fall was one for the ages haha! DAMN it hurt- but DAMN what a crowd! See you again soon! #CMFT"

Taylor was ordered by doctors to refrain from headbanging and jumping when the band kicked off its summer tour Tuesday night (June 28) in Nashville, Tennessee. The group was forced to postpone its North American trek with MARILYN MANSON by three weeks after Taylor underwent what he described as "an unplanned spinal surgery."

SLIPKNOT played a 17-song set at the Bridgestone Arena, with Taylor telling the crowd: "Let's address the elephant in the room: I fucking broke my neck. But there was no way I wasn't coming to Nashville to do this show."

He later added: "It sure is weird playing with this pillow on my neck."

Before the show, Taylor tweeted: "First day back. Haven't smoked in two months. Broken neck, weird scar. Not enough coffee."

Taylor previously revealed on Twitter that his follow-up appointment with the doctor went "great," but added that "for now," there will be "no headbanging" or "jumping" for him for the foreseeable future. He also offered that he expects to be "back to 90 percent" within the next four to six months, and "100 percent" in a year.

The summer trek is likely to be SLIPKNOT's last U.S. tour in support of its latest album, ".5: The Gray Chapter", which was released in October 2014.

Following the tour, SLIPKNOT and BLACK SABBATH will co-headline the combined Ozzfest Meets Knotfest, a two-day festival scheduled for September 24-25 in San Bernardino, California.

DAY OF ERRORS, the new three-piece band led by estranged BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward, played a three-song set at this past Tuesday night's (June 28) "Ultimate Jam Night", the long-running weekly free music show held at the famed Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Video footage of the performance can be seen below. DAY OF ERRORS made its live debut last Saturday night (June 25) at Gaslamp in Long Beach, California.

The group, which was formed by Ward "in the desire to have my drumming spirit continue to live," also features Joe Amodea on guitar/vocals and Nick Diltz on bass/lead vocals.

Ward says: "We play loud, hard, with overtures of gut-kicking heavy, heavy parts."

DAY OF ERRORS lineup is:

Joe Amodea - Guitar/VocalsNick Diltz - Bass/Lead VocalsBill Ward - Drums/Vocals

Guest musicians:

Walter Earl - PercussionAron Ward - Keyboards

Ward was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced in November 2011, but backed out soon after. He later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

SABBATH has used singer Ozzy Osbourne's regular touring drummer Tommy Clufetos since then for live work. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk laid down the drum tracks on the band's comeback album, "13", which came out in June 2013.

It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, which he allegedly balked at.

Asked in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine if he would be in shape right now to rejoin BLACK SABBATH, Ward responded: "Absolutely, yeah. I have no doubt in my mind. I know that they've suggested that I played half the gig, and I don't want to play half the gig. I'm quite capable of playing a complete fucking BLACK SABBATH set. So this health thing has been bandied around, and it's true that I have heart disease, and it's true that I did get sick a couple of years after the fact. But when the health card is being thrown around, the bottom line is that I really tried to take care of myself. Every day, I always look at the day and say, 'Could I have played a gig today no matter what's going on with me?' And the answer is always, 'Yes.' I'm much harder on me than those guys could ever be."

Ward in 2015 released his first solo album in 18 years. Titled "Accountable Beasts", the record can be purchased on iTunes.

Venice, California crossover thrash/hardcore punk legends SUICIDAL TENDENCIES have set "The World Gone Mad" as the title of their new album, due on September 30. The follow-up to 2013's "13" disc will be the band's first to feature former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo and guitarist Jeff Pogan, who replaced Nico Santora last month.

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

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

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

IN THIS MOMENT has recruited drummer Kent Diimmel (3 BY DESIGN) to sit behind the kit for the band's current tour following the recent departure of Tom Hane.

Growing up in the Northwest corner of Washington state in the small town of Clallam Bay, Diimmel developed a passion for drums at a young age and instantly gravitated towards rock, singer-songwriter and country music. After shedding through the local music scene, it was soon clear that Kent needed to expand his horizon beyond the limits of his hometown. Now rocking hard out of Hollywood, California, Diimmel is crashing his Sabian cymbals with his original project 3 BY DESIGN and playing percussion in the acoustic supergroup BLACKFALL.

Hane announced his departure from IN THIS MOMENT in March, explaining in a statement that he had "struggled to be truly happy creatively."

IN THIS MOMENT will be the special guest on this summer's ROB ZOMBIE and KORN co-headlining amphitheater tour, dubbed "Return Of The Dreads". The trek will kick off in July and will visit 25 North American cities, including Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Seattle, Las Vegas and more.

METALLICA is featured in the new advertising campaign for the Italian luxury menswear house Brioni.

According to Business Of Fashion, the campaign — which was shot in black-and-white — features two portraits of METALLICA members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo as a group — one in black tuxedoes, one in white tuxedoes — overlaid with the word "Brioni" in a large, gothic font, a new interpretation of the house's first official logo, which it used from 1955 until the 1980s.

Said METALLICA in a statement: "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."

The campaign will be distributed on social media channels and will 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.

Legendary bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) took part in a press conference at this year's edition of Hellfest, which was held June 17-19 in Clisson, France. You can now watch the question-and-answer session below.

Asked for his opinion on the 1986 BLACK SABBATH album "Seventh Star", to which he contributed lead vocals, Hughes said: "I don't remember the '80s. If you've read my book, I don't recall the '80s. Somebody told me that I did a couple of records in the '80s. I'm not being funny. I don't remember so much unless you tell me. But I know that when I listen to 'Seventh Star'… Tony's one of my best friends. I've done three albums with Tony. I have great moments with Tony. I'm proud of 'Seventh Star'. I don't sound like Ozzy [Osbourne] and I don't sound like Ronnie [James Dio], who I love very much. I'm a fan of other singers. But I'm proud of the work with Tony. I'm just a different person now than I used to be."

Regarding whether there is a chance that he could make another album with Iommi once BLACK SABBATH has completed its farewell tour, Hughes said: "Tony and I speak, or get together, every year, and we sort of look at each other and go, 'Shall we do another one?' And it's kind of like a little joke, but you never know, because we really are close friends and we really do work together really, really well. But more importantly, what I want for Tony is for his health to be great. Tony is doing fantastic. He's really happy. He has a great family. The most important thing about Tony Iommi is that I just want him to be here on this planet alive, and I would be honored to do another record with Tony. But in the real world, we have to wait and see."

Iommi's 2005 album "Fused" featured Hughes, who also worked with the guitarist on 2004's "The 1996 DEP Sessions". Joining them was drummer Kenny Aronoff, whose resume includes the "Iommi" album in 2000 and a long run with John Mellencamp.

Hughes is currently recording a new solo album in Copenhagen, Denmark for a November release.

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 their video for “Feel Invincible”. The single is already #22 at Active Rock and moving up the charts. Check out the clip 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”

“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

 

 

Norwegian black metallers Ancient have set the release date for their seventh album, Back To The Land Of The Dead, the follow-up to 2004’s Night Visit. The album will be released September 16th in North America via Megadeth bassist David Ellefson’s EMP Underground / EMP Label Group, and in the rest of the world by Soulseller Records. A new track “Land Of The Dead” is streaming below.

The album is currently available for preorder (in North America only) from EMP Label Group at EMP Merch in various CD, LP, and bundle configurations, with a European preorder to follow.

Tracklisting:

“Land Of The Dead”      
“Beyond The Blood Moon”           
“The Sempiternal Haze”                 
“The Empyrean Sword”                                           
“The Ancient Disarray”                             
“Occlude The Gates”                                   

The Excruciating Journey:
“Part I - Defiance And Rage” 
“Part II - The Prodigal Years” 
“Part III - The Awakening”   
“Death Will Die”   
“The Spiral”                                   
“Petrified By Their End” 

Bonus track:
“13 Candles” (Bathory cover)

"Land Of The Dead":

Land Of The Dead by Ancient

Ancient is:
Zel (aka Aphazel) - vocals/guitars/keyboards
Dhilorz - guitars/bass
Nick Barker - drums
Ghiulz Borroni - session lead guitars

Evil Masquerade recently released their seventh studio album The Outcast Hall Of Fame. One of the heavier tracks is “Darkness (I Need You)”. The song is has been released as a lyric video and features Candlemass singer Mats Levén.

Evil Masquerade recently confirmed Nicklas Sonne as a full time member. You can hear him singing on the brand new Evil Masquerade album The Outcast Hall Of Fame together with Levén, Rick Altzi and Apollo Papathanasio.

"Nicklas did his first show with the band in the UK a couple of weeks ago where they headlined the Breaking Bands Festival. Everything worked out really well and now it's official; Nicklas Sonne is a permanent part of the band."

Evil Masquerade recently released a video for the track “Lost Inside A World Of Fear”, featured on their new album, The Outcast Hall Of Fame, out now via Dark Minstrel Music.

The new album was produced by Henrik Flyman, and was mixed and mastered by Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Pretty Maids, Jorn). Featured vocalists include Mats Levén (Candlemass), Rick Altzi (Masterplan, At Vance), Apollo Papathanasio (Spiritual Beggars), and Nicklas Sonne (Defecto, Malrun). Backing vocals by Yenz Leonhardt (Stormwarrior, Lacrimosa).

The album’s front cover was once again painted by David Troest, who also did the artwork for the albums The Digital Crucifix and 10 Years In The Dark.

Tracklisting:

“The Outcast Hall Of Fame”
“Death Of God”
“Darkness (I Need You)”
“One Thousand Roses And A Lot Of Pain”
“Lost Inside A World Of Fear”
“The Spineless”
“Märk Hur Vår Skugga”
“On No Way To Broadway”

Trailer:

SiriusXM has uploaded two new videos of Black Label Society frontman Zakk Wylde covering Black Sabbath’s “N.I.B.” and “Sleeping Dogs” on Octane. Octane is pure, high-powered hard rock that's loud, uncensored and in your face.

Premier Guitar’s John Bohlinger hung with Zakk Wylde before soundcheck during the Nashville stop of the Generation Axe tour.

“Wylde, an intimidating muscle-bound shred monster turned out to be perhaps the nicest guy on the planet, is a renaissance man, and a titian of industry. Zakk humbly took us through his rig full of newly-launched Wylde Audio wares.

“The guitars Wylde tours with are the same off-the-shelf models that are available through Wylde Audio. Typically, the Black Label Society frontman hangs on to one axe through an entire set and on this particular night this Warhammer model got the call. It features a mahogany body, maple neck, ebony fretboard, Floyd Rose tremolo, and a set of Wylde’s signature EMG pickups.

“Wylde also plays this Wylde Audio Viking V. It has nearly identical specs as the Warhammer, but with a pinstripe finish.”

Zakk Wylde has released a new custom emoji set available via Emoji Fame, the go-to company specializing in making emoji sets for musicians. Thus far, the artist emoji space has been dominated by hip-hop and EDM acts, Zakk Wylde's set is one of the first on the rock/metal side of things, and the first for a guitar god.

"Many members of the Emoji Fame team are secretly guitar nerds, so when Zakk Wylde agreed to do an emoji set with us we were beyond excited," says Gavin Rhodes, co-founder of Emoji Fame. "Zakk is arguably one of the top-ten most influential guitar players of all time and we're immensely proud of the set that we put together with him. His emojis are hilarious with a double dose of SHRED thrown in for good measure.”  

The emoji set is available at this location.

Wylde recently announced new US and Canadian tour dates in continued support of his new LP, Book Of Shadows II. Wylde will hit over 40 cities spread out across the US and Canada this summer including a performance at Heavy MTL Festival in Montreal on August 7th, a first for him as a solo artist. Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown and Jared James Nichols will serve as support. A new tour trailer video can be found below.

Wylde, as always, has been on the road nonstop. He wrapped up a buzzworthy stint on Steve Vai's Generation Axe tour just yesterday in Red Bank, NJ and prior to that served as a marquee artist on The Hendrix Experience Tour with the likes of Billy Cox and Buddy Guy. This is the first time Zakk has toured as a headliner in the US and Canada since last year's Unblackened tour.

Dates include:

July
8 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live
9 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
10 - Austin, TX - Emo’s
12 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
13 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
15 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live
16 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
18 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
19 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
20 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
22 - Charlotte, NC - Amos’ Southend
23 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom
24 - Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
26 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre
28 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theatre
29 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora Theatre
30 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of Living Arts
31 - Boston, MA - Royale

August
2 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
4 - Uncasville, CT - Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Casino *no support
7 - Montreal, QC - HEAVY MTL
8 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
10 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
11 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre
13 - Sturgis, SD - Full Throttle Saloon *no support
15 - Denver, CO - The Summit Music Hall
16 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
18 - Missoula, MT - The Wilma
19 - Calgary, AB - Flames Central
20 - Saskatoon, SK - O’Brian’s Event Centre
21 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick Centre
23 - Edmonton, AB - The Ranch Roadhouse
25 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
26 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SODO
27 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Concert House
28 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
30 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom

September
1 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
2 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
3 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre

French bashers, Gojira, released their new album, Magma, on June 17th via Roadrunner Records. The album takes the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums chart. Magma marks the highest chart debuts of Gojira’s career landing them at #4 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart, #6 on Billboard’s Tastemaker Albums chart and Top 25 on the Billboard 200.

Furthermore, Gojira have earned career high chart positions around the globe including Top 10’s in France, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, and Norway with Top 15 debuts in Australia and Germany.

Gojira commented on the momentous occasion stating, “We want to thank the Gojira fans across the globe who helped us achieve many firsts with the release of Magma. We couldn't be more proud and grateful."

Canadian documentary filmmaker Sam Dunn at Banger Films posted his take on Magma for an instalment of Overkill Reviews. Check it out below:

The cover art and tracklisting for Magma are available below:

Tracklist:

"The Shooting Star"
"Silvera"
"The Cell"
"Stranded"
"Yellow Stone"
"Magma"
"Pray"
"Only Pain"
"Low Lands"
"Liberation"

Album stream:

“Silvera” video:

Magma, The Visual Companion:

Gojira have announced details of a massive North American headline tour which will get underway this fall. The nationwide trek will see Gojira joined by Tesseract and is set to kick-off September 21st at Silver Spring, Maryland’s The Fillmore. From there Gojira will traverse North America through October where the tour will eventually wrap up on October 23rd at New York City’s Terminal 5 (tour itinerary below).

Gojira tour dates:

July
2 - Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde
3 - Helsinki, Finland - Tuska Open Air
8 - Viveiro, Spain - Resurrection
10 - Biarittz, France - Atabal
16 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Open Air
17 - Quebec, QC - Festival D’Ete De Quebec
22 - Tromso, Norway - Bukta Open Air Festival
23 - Malakoff, Norway - Malakoff Rock

August
11 - Jaromer, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault Festival
13 - Walton, England - Bloodstock

September (with Tesseract)
21 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore Silver Spring
22 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
24 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
25 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
26 - Orlando, FL - Plaza Live
27 - Tampa, FL - Ritz Ybor
29 - Austin, TX - Emo’s
30 - Houston, TX - House of Blues

October
1 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live!
3 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
4 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theatre
6 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
7 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
9 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
10 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
11 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
13 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
14 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
16 - Minneapolis, MN - Myth Live
17 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Ballroom
19 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit
20 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
21 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
22 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
23 - New York, NY - Terminal 5

Reverence’s founding guitarist Bryan Holland has issued the following statement:

“As most people are aware the music business is known for its revolving doors of musicians within bands, and it seems that Reverence is not immune to this situation. The band has been in a forced stand still for a while now, Pete, Michael, Doc and I had several talks about the future of the band, we figured there were only two paths to follow, end the band completely or press on with a new vocalist. Knowing our loyal fans would not want us to give up and knowing time was not on our side, after much thought, we decided to take an offer that singer Todd Hall suggested to us many months ago, which was for us to part ways and find a new singer for Reverence.

“We are sad to see this version of Reverence end. Todd has been nothing but a good friend, a great writer and a kick ass singer and it has been a delight to work with him. We all wish him nothing but the best of luck with his endeavours.

That being said, Reverence is proud to introduce their new vocalist Scott Oliva who hails from New York. Scott has recorded with Wind Wraith, Inner Strength and Oceans Of Night and will also be featured as a guest vocalist on the next album from Norwegian band Tomorrows Outlook due later this year. Scott is also the singer of the popular Iron Maiden tribute band Live After Death.

Bryan continues: “We chose to go in a bit different direction when we were looking for a new vocalist. We knew that we wanted to go even heavier on our third album, more classic era Dio, Judas Priest, Queensrcyhe and Savatage with a bit of Maiden thrown in for good measure. Once we heard Scott, we knew immediately he was the guy we wanted to front Reverence into the future. Scott’s vocal style has a bit more grit with similarities to Dio and Dickinson plus the versatility to easily hit all the soaring highs that Reverence is known for, we are confident you will not be disappointed.

“Many thanks to all of YOU our loyal fans, for all the never ending support over the past six years. A new day is dawning, the future is now!”

Below you will find a clip of Scott Oliva singing the title track off the band’s latest release, Gods Of War”

German progressive metal masters Obscura have released a drum-playthrough video of “Ten Sepiroth”. Watch Sebastian Lanser smash the skins in the video below. The track comes off their latest album Akroasis, out now via Relapse Records on CD/2LP/Digital.

Obscura recently released a music video for "Ten Sepiroth”. Watch below:

In addition to their series of festival appearances this coming summer (including Brutal Assault, Tuska Open Air, and more), Obscura have also announced a new headlining European tour this October. They'll be laying waste to Western and Eastern Europe alongside a stellar lineup of Revocation, Beyond Creation, and Rivers Of Nihil. View a full itinerary of dates below.

July
7 - Helsinki, Finland - Tuska Open Air
24 - Tel Aviv, Israel - Gagarin / Progstage Festival
24-30 - Tolmin, Slovenia - MetalDays Festival

August
11 - Jaromer, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault
17-20 - Dinkelsbuhl, Germany - Summer Breeze Festival
21 - Brittany, France - Motocultor Festival

October (with Revocation, Beyond Creation, Rivers Of Nihil)
20 - München, Germany - Feierwerk
21 - Weinheim, Germany - Café Central
22 - Haarlem, Netherlands - Patronaat
23 - London, UK - The Dome
24 - Sheffield, UK - Corporation
25 - Aarschot, Belgium - de Klinker
26 - Paris, France - Divan du Monde
27 - Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff
28 - Les Pennes-Mirabeau, France - Jas'Rod
29 - Calenzano/Florence, Italy - Cycle Club
30 - Brescia, Italy - Circolo Colony
31 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Orto Bar

November (with Revocation, Beyond Creation, Rivers Of Nihil)
1 - Wien, Austria - Viper Room
2 - Kosice, Slovakia - Colosseum
3 - Dresden, Germany - Scheune
4 - Prague, Czech Republic - Nova Chmelnice
6 - Oberhausen, Germany - Kulttempel
7 - Berlin, Germany - Lido
8 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
9 - Stockholm, Sweden - En Arena
10 - Oslo, Norway - Parkteatret
11 - Aalborg, Denmark - Aalborg Metal Festival

Witches Mark have uploaded their new song “Road Razor”. Stream the track below and purchase the single on Bandcamp.

 Taken from the band's forthcoming third album, Road Razor marks the first new studio material from Witches Mark since 2013's Witching Metal Ritual full-length.

Guitarist and founding member Robert Williams elaborates "After we finished playing out in support of the last record we got a little busy playing in some other bands. I joined Ignitor on guitar in January of 2015 and Robb Bockman (Guitar/Vocals) recently joined the black metal band Uada on bass and has been touring with them. Both bands have been doing really well for themselves and we've stayed consistently busy but wherever we'd go people kept asking us about Witches Mark and we've always known that band was something really special so we got together over the holidays and wrote all of the material for the next album. We're gonna try and have it released by the end of the year."

Wrapping up their US and Canadian tour last week, power new wave metallers Striker returned home just in time to receive their award win at this year's Edmonton Music Awards for Metal Recording of The Year for their track “Too Late” from their latest album Stand In The Fire released this past February. 

"Huge thanks to Edmonton Music community, as well as everyone that has helped us out over the years including the AFA, Edmonton Arts Council, FACTOR, and many others! We hope this award can bring some awareness to all the other great bands coming out of Edmonton these days as well," comments guitarist Tim Brown.

Striker were nominated alongside the following Edmonton bands listed below for Metal Recording of The Year.

Face First – “Killing Me”
Monarch Sky – “Hell's A Little Closer”
Striker – “Too Late”
The Order Of Chaos – “Apocalypse Moon”
Vanity Red – “Kingdom Come”

In additional news, Striker are nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award for Metal/Hard Rock Artist of The Year alongside KEN mode (MB), Shooting Guns (SK), Third Ion (SK), Van Halst (AB). The awards will be held in Regina, SK on October 13th.

Currently on a Canadian tour in support of their new EP Mouichido, Vancouver, BC's Without Mercy have updated their tour blog with their most recent adventures across the country to share with fans.

"So it’s proven more difficult that I expected to keep up with all the blog posts after this many shows in a row. So here it goes at a recap!"

Read more here.

Remaining tour dates:

June
29 - Regina, SK - TBA
30 - Medicine Hat, AB - TBA

In additional news, the band has released a guitar playthrough for their track “In Waves”, which features vocals from Mark Hunter of Chimaira.

"Crazy things happen when your buddy runs a butcher shop and has an open mind. We shot this video as a playthrough, but with a different spin on the concept. There was so much blood and flesh, I almost went vegan. Almost." comments guitarist DJ Temple.

(Photo by: Shimon Karmel)

With the albums huge orchestral movements, crushing guitar riffs and guttural vocals, Stormtide's debut, Wrath Of An Empire, succeeds where many have failed in joining epic metal with epic story.

Taking influence from European and Asian styles of music, Stormtide has expertly crafted an album that appeals to traditionalists and fans of modern metal genres alike. Effortlessly transitioning between blast beat to soul wrenching quiet passages. This is an album without filler songs, without cliches and without mercy.

Stormtide is a high-fantasy inspired symphonic death metal band formed in Melbourne, Australia in late 2013. Since that time Stormtide has toured extensively to the major hubs in Australia including Sydney, Adelaide and Dubbo - playing alongside elite international artists such as Eluveitie, Finntroll and Gloryhammer as part of various tour support endeavours.

Described as "Fantasy Metal” by most, Stormtide combines heavily orchestrated movements with uniquely heavy guitar and drum work. Paired with deeply guttural vocals, an intense live show involving swords, sorcery and stylish full plate armor and an intricately woven story centering on the adventures of the Warrior, the Prince and the Magician.

Having released the critically acclaimed EP A Skald's Tale and the highly lauded “As Two Worlds Collide” single, Stormtide has spent the better part of three years perfecting their debut album. Which makes it's appearance on US label Metal Hell Records on August 1st on CD, CD and T-shirt bundle and on all the digital networks.

Tracklisting:

“Wrath Of An Empire”
“As Two Worlds Collide”
“Dawnsinger”
“Conquer The Straits”
“Sage Of Stars”
“A Heroes Legacy”
“Ride To Ruin”
“Ascension”
“The Green Duck”

Pre-order the album here.

Lineup:

Reuben Stone - Keyboards/Orchestrations/Vocals
Taylor Stirrat - Vocals
Tyson Richens - Guitars/Vocals
Jake Pickering - Drums
Simon Fragiotta - Bass
Nic Woodhouse - Guitars

Southern California's veteran sludge-rock trailblazers -(16)- return with their seventh full-length album, Lifespan Of A Moth, the band's heaviest, darkest, and most complex material to date.

Self-produced by the band and recorded with Jeff Forrest (Cattle Decapitation, The Locust) at Doubletime Recording Studio in San Diego, CA, Lifespan Of A Moth sees the band sounding uglier, rawer and more visceral than ever. Down-tuned feedback-driven riffs and bludgeoning rhythms violently clash with vocalist Chris Jerue's distorted, tortured howls across eight tracks of -(16)-'s signature blend of hardcore punk, thrash and sludge. Lifespan Of A Moth is the sound of a band that has spent 25 years wallowing in addiction and anguish, and will leave you feeling crushed and confronted by the negativity of existence.

Listen to the album’s lead track, “Landloper”, streaming below.

Lifespan Of A Moth is set for release this July 15th via Relapse on CD/LP/Digital. Physical pre-orders via Relapse.com can be found at this location; digital pre-orders are available through the band's Bandcamp page, here.

Lifespan Of A Moth tracklisting:

“Landloper”
“Peaches, Cream And The Placenta”
“The Morphinist”
“The Absolute Center Of A Pitch Black Heart”
“Gallows Humor”
“Secrets Of The Curmudgeon”
“Pastor In A Coma”
“George”

“Landloper”:

“The Absolute Center Of A Pitch Black Heart”:

(Photo - Shauna Montrucchio)

Official video footage of PROPHETS OF RAGE, the supergroup featuring members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D and CYPRESS HILL's B-Real, performing the RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE classic "Killing In The Name" on June 3 at the Palladium in Hollywood, California can be seen below.

PROPHETS OF RAGE recently entered the studio to record a brand new song called "The Party's Over", which the band premiered at its recent live shows. Helming the sessions is veteran producer Brendan O'Brien, who has previously worked with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PEARL JAM, AC/DC and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, among others.

Guitarist Tom Morello told Billboard.com that the members of PROPHETS OF RAGE have set a very high bar for the material that they want to release. "The goal is a simple one: The music has to be devastating," he explained. "In all these interviews, we talk a lot about the politics, but the cornerstone is that the music has to be devastating and we have to not just be competitive with our legacies, but in 2016, it has to be something that goes beyond that and is very authentic, unapologetic and contemporary."

The guitarist added that PROPHETS OF RAGE is still finding its direction.

"When we got in the room, it was like, 'Well, hold on, we're getting ahead of ourselves. We have to figure out what this band's chemistry is to be great. How do we win with this team on the field?'" he said. "And that took awhile to figure out. I would say that it really came together a couple days before the Whisky show [May 31], where it was like, 'Oh, shit, that's what PROPHETS OF RAGE is going to sound like!' And it's still a process. I always look at it like it's never done and will continue to be refined as we go along."

PROPHETS OF RAGE made their live debut late last month in Los Angeles, playing numbers from all three acts.

The band will embark on a North American tour in August.

OF MICE & MEN performed "Pain", the blistering first track and video from the band's much-anticipated new album, "Cold World", live for the first time last night (Tuesday, June 28) at the opening show of the group's tour with SLIPKNOT and MARILYN MANSON in Nashville, Tennessee. Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

"Cold World" is set for a September 9 release on Rise Records.

Fans can get "Pain" as an instant download by pre-ordering the album.

The "Pain" video was directed by Mark Lediard at J6 Films and can be seen below.

The full track listing for "Cold World" is:

01. Game Of War02. The Lie03. Real04. Like A Ghost05. Contagious06. -07. Pain08. The Hunger09. Relentless10. Down The Road11. +12. Away13. Transfigured OF MICE & MEN (vocalist Austin Carlile, guitarist Alan Ashby, drummer Valentino Arteaga, vocalist/bassist Aaron Pauley and guitarist Phil Manansala) recorded "Cold World" with producer David Bendeth, who they worked with on 2014's "Restoring Force", which hit No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart and No. 1 on both the Billboard Top Independent and Top Rock Albums charts. The SLIPKNOT tour runs through August 27 and will be followed by OF MICE & MEN's headlining U.K. tour, which begins September 30 in Birmingham. Over the course of the past few years, OF MICE & MEN has shared stages with artists such as METALLICA, LINKIN PARK and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, blanketed rock radio airwaves, garnered critical acclaim, amassed over 153 million Spotify streams, 20 million YouTube views and close to 5 million social media followers on the strength of an blistering sound and live show.

Freddy Lim, frontman of the Taiwanese metal band CHTHONIC, was interviewed by Red Carpet News TV at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, which took place June 13 at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London, England. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about CHTHONIC's future plans, Lim — who was elected in January as a legislator in Taipei's 5th District — said: "Hopefully next year we will come out with a new EP and also a movie."

Regarding the upcoming CHTHONIC movie, Lim said: "It's a political comedy. And not just CHTHONIC members will play some roles there. And also the LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe will play a role. Hopefully, I think metalheads will like it. And [there will be] some martial arts in the movie as well."

Famous for his long hair and tattoos, Lim was the first rock star in Eastern Asia to run for office and is a lawmaker for Taiwan's pro-independence New Power Party (NPP), which was founded in January 2015.

Formed in 1995, with the existing lineup having been together since 2005, CHTHONIC blends metal with traditional Taiwanese instrumentation, mythology, Taoist folklore and the country's labyrinthine history, each album bearing a deep, conceptual story.

CHTHONIC is notorious for their elaborate costumes, stage makeup and highly visual stage shows as well as their outspoken political views on human rights and Taiwanese independence.

CHTHONIC has graced the stages of some of Europe's biggest rock and metal festivals, including Wacken Open Air, Download festival and Bloodstock. Their music relates to many histories in Eastern Asia, which are not being taught by the government.

BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T, has set "Bloodlust" as the title of its next album, due in 2017 via Century Media Records. The group is recording the CD with producer Will Putney (MISS MAY I, UPON A BURNING BODY), who also helmed BODY COUNT's last effort, "Manslaughter".

Ice-T said: "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.

"Will Putney 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. We're anticipating working with him again.

"Once the record's done, we're going to shoot a lot of music videos and perform spot-dates on certain tests, etc."

BODY COUNT's 2014 comeback album "Manslaughter", saw Ice-T modernizing some of the lyrics, adding references to Xbox, email passwords and vegans.

"Manslaughter" sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 102 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 10, 2014 via Sumerian.

In an interview with Esquire, Ice-T stated about his decision to bring back BODY COUNT: "The band wanted to get back together. The band lives in L.A., and I live [in New Jersey], so Ernie [guitar] was calling me, saying, 'Ice, let's rock and roll!' I said that I didn't want to do a mixtape. I don't want to do another album unless I write the music, because on the previous album, in 2006, I kinda mailed it in. They wrote the music in L.A. and sent me the tracks, I wrote the lyrics, and I just kinda walked away. I didn't mix it, I didn't do anything to it, and the record suffered. And I didn't want to do another one unless we had a real shot at making a good record together."

BODY COUNT's current lineup includes guitarist Juan Garcia (a.k.a. Juan Of The Dead; AGENT STEEL, EVILDEAD), who made his live debut with the group in November 2013 at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas.

San Francisco Bay Area thrashers HATRIOT have released a new demo song called "Carnival Of Execution". The band's first track to be recorded without EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza, it features Zetro's song Cody Souza on vocals.

"Carnival Of Execution" was written by guitarist Kosta Varvatakis, with lyrics by Cody and drummer Nick Souza.

In the next month or so, HATRIOT plans to release a lyric video for another new song called "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed".

The band will return to Trident Studios with producer Juan Urteaga later this year to begin recording its third album. Zetro will produce the effort and will help out lyrically.

In a 2015 interview with DC Heavy Metal, Zetro stated about HATRIOT: "[Cody] does a really, really good job at [the vocals for the band]. So him and I are writing songs together 'cause he's not a lyricist yet, but he's learning and he's gonna be great. I'm watching over them. I'm making sure they get going."

Zetro sang on HATRIOT's first two albums, 2013's "Heroes Of Origin" and 2014's "Dawn Of The New Centurion".

HATRIOT 2016 is:

Cody Souza - Vocals/BassJustin Sakogawa - Lead GuitarKosta Varvatakis - Lead GuitarNick Souza - Drums

According to The Pulse Of Radio, LINKIN PARK vocalist Mike Shinoda made public a note he sent to his fellow band members about the progress of their seventh studio album, in which he stated: "I want this album to be our best."

Shinoda wrote: "I had an epiphany today about the album. Right now, in the studio, the foundations of the songs are there… I think it's time to shift into the next gear. Let's discover the voice of this album. I want to get into experimentation mode, get weirder, and record more live instruments.

"I said at the beginning, I want this album to be our best.

"Let's do this! Feel free to give me a call to discuss, or we can talk on Monday. I'm AMPED."

Shinoda also recently appeared in a video giving a 360-degree tour of the band's studio. He also offered a few more insights on the next album, saying: "We've got basically like vocals and chords, like words and melodies and chords on a lot of our favorites and we’ve narrowed it down recently to like under 20 hopefully."

One other thing that Shinoda notes in the video is that he's not sure if the new album will be finished in time to come out in 2016, saying: "We're doing our best."

The new disc will follow up 2014's "The Hunting Party", which featured the No. 1 singles "Guilty All The Same" and "Until It's Gone".

LINKIN PARK has been mostly out of the public eye since an early 2015 tour in support of "The Hunting Party" was scrapped when singer Chester Bennington injured his foot. Bennington also ended his two-year run as STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman in late 2015 so he could refocus on LINKIN PARK.

Long Island, NY-based rockers, Taking Back Sunday, have released a video for “Tidal Wave”, the title track of their new album, out on September 16th via Hopeless Records. The new clip can be found below.

"Tidal Wave" will be included as an instant grat track with the pre-order here. Physical and vinyl pre-orders can be purchased here. The song can also be heard on Spotify.

"Throughout each song on the record, there are a lot of references to water," vocalist Adam Lazzara tells Entertainment Weekly who broke the news about their seventh studio album.

"I'm very excited for people to hear it," guitarist John Nolan told hometown newspaper New York Newsday. "I think it’s going to be a surprise to some people. We're all extremely excited about what we've done. It's the culmination of things we've tried over the past two records. I think it's the strongest record we've done since getting back together. We’ve freed ourselves up to go in new directions."

The classic punk aesthetic of the title track thrusts Taking Back Sunday into a different world of songwriters. Lazzara told Entertainment Weekly, "With our first records, we were writing from the perspective of 17, 18-year-old kids and now it's like, as you grow old, the blinders get pulled back and you have a different way of looking at the world. There’s more of an Americana feel. But we realize anything we do is going to sound like Taking Back Sunday."

Their first new album since Happiness Is in 2014, Tidal Wave is a forceful and fluidly cohesive tsunami of a record. Kicking off with "Death Wolf" whose one-minute atmospheric intro explodes at breakneck speed fueled by Mark O'Connell's muscular drumming, the album pushes the band’s musical boundaries, challenging them into experimenting with different textures and sounds while remaining very true to their trademark sound.

From the anthemic "You Can't Look Back" to the balladic "I Felt It Too" to the mid-tempo closer "I'll Find A Way to Make It What You Want," Tidal Wave is a genuine evolution for the platinum-selling band. "I couldn’t put any more of myself into these new songs and we’ve grown as musicians," Lazzara says about how they've continued to innovate and expand with each progressive record.

Tidal Wave was produced by Mike Sapone (O'Brother, Mansions) in Charlotte, NC and mixed by Claudius Mittendorpher (Weezer, Drowners, Ra Ra Riot).

Tidal Wave tracklisting:

“Death Wolf”
“Tidal Wave”
“You Can't Look Back”
“Fences”
“All Excess”
“I Felt It Too”
“Call Come Running”
“Holy Water”
“In The Middle Of It All”
“We Don't Go In There”
“Homecoming”
“I'll Find A Way To Make It What You Want”

“Tidal Wave” video:

Taking Back Sunday is:

Adam Lazzara (Vocals)
John Nolan (Guitars, Vocals)
Eddie Reyes (Guitars)
Shaun Cooper (Bass)
Mark O’Connell (Drums)

(Photo - Greg Hunter)

Japanese avant-garde metallers Dir En Grey will release a new single on July 27th. The band have released this video trailer for the upcoming release:

Dir En Grey’s new live Blu-Ray/DVD, entitled Arche At Nippon Budokan, is out today, June 29th. Video footage for the track “Obscure” can be found below.

The release contains live footage from the band’s two-day performance at the Nippon Budokan on February 5th and 6th. Limited edition bonus content includes a third disc, in the DVD’s case, and second disc, in the Blu-ray’s case, featuring live performances from Japan and overseas, backstage footage, interviews with the members of the band and multi-angle as well as solo-angle recordings. It also includes a bonus CD with seven songs from their China Tour held in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, and eight songs from their national tour held on January 2016.

“Obscure”:

“Chain Repulsion”:

Trailer:

Orders for various packages can be placed at this location.