Portland’s Red Fang have announced a run of headlining European and UK dates this coming fall. Direct support for the entire tour will come from label mates Torche, while God Damn will appear on the UK dates. An opener will be announced shortly for the European dates. A complete listing of dates is available below.

Red Fang recently completed recording their third full-length album with famed producer Ross Robinson (At The Drive In, The Cure, Sepultura) at Robinson’s Venice, California studio. The as-yet-untitled album is tentatively scheduled for a fall 2016 release, with more info to be announced shortly.

Additionally, Red Fang just released a new music video in collaboration with students from My Voice Music at MVM Studios in their hometown of Portland, Oregon. Watch the clip for "Crop Circles" below:

Red Fang tour dates (with Torche):

September
26 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2*
27 - London, UK - Koko*
28 - Bristol, UK - Bierkeller*
29 - Leeds, UK - Leeds Stylus*
30 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Academy 2*

October
2 - Birmingham, UK - Institute 2*
3 - Glasgow, UK - Garage*
4 - Newcastle, UK - Riverside*
5 - Southampton, UK - Engine Rooms*
7 - Athens, Greece - Desert Fest
9 - Paris, France - Trabendo
10 - Munich, Germany - Strom
11 - Vienna, Austria - Szene Wien
12 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
13 - Cologne, Germany - Essingfabrik
15 - Leipzig, Germany - Conne Island
16 - Hamburg, Germany - Markethalle
18 - Odense, Denmark - Posten
19 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee
20 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Medis
21 - Malmo, Sweden - KB
22 - Munster, Germany - Skater’s Place
23 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
24 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg (OZ)

* with God Damn and Torche

Trick Or Treat will release their new album, Rabbits’ Hill Pt. 2, on July 8th. The new track “Cloudrider” is streaming below.

Originally formed in 2002 as a Helloween tribute band, Trick Or Treat soon became a popular live attraction in their home country of Italy. After recording their first demo of original material, they were signed by an independent Italian label, Valery Records. In 2006 they released their first full-length album, entitled Evil Needs Candy Too, to critical acclaim. The band then spent the following two years on the road playing over 100 gigs in Europe and the USA. The band released their second album, Tin Soldiers in 2009.

Three years later, 2012 proved to be an important year for Trick Or Treat, firstly because singer Alessandro Conti was chosen by Luca Turilli's Rhapsody to be the lead singer on the album Ascending To Infinity and secondly, the band released their concept album Rabbits' Hill Pt.1, based on Richard Adams' novel Watership Down.

Four years on, the second chapter, Rabbit's Hill Pt. 2 is now finally finished and comes with the news of the band signing a worldwide, multi-album deal with Frontiers Music Srl. The recording sessions for the new album have been the longest the band has ever taken part in and the work with producer Simone Mularoni (DGM) captured all the intricate details of their take on power metal. For this album, the band added huge orchestrations and epic choirs mixed to their usual signature power metal sound, in order to sonically reflect all the epic adventures told through the lyrics. The musical vibes range from acoustic and melodic parts to darker, heavy metal anthems.

Once again on this new album, Trick Or Treat had the honour to work with great international guest musicians and friends like Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica, Sara Squadrani from Ancient Bards and, in the role of the evil general Woundwort, Tim "Ripper" Owen (ex-Judas Priest ex-Yngwie Malmsteen).

Frontman Alessandro Conti on the new album: "After a long time spent on the production of the new album, we can finally confirm the official release date and the last guest singer. In addition to our friends Sara Squadrani and Tim “Ripper” Owens, we're so happy and proud to have our friend Tony Kakko on Rabbit's Hill Pt. 2 is an incredible honor for us! These guests did an amazing job, helping us to capture the perfect atmosphere of the concept taken from Richard Adam's novel Watership Down.

“We are so happy about the final result of our new album and we are excited about the new partnership with Frontiers, one of the most important rock labels in the world! This is really a great moment for Trick Or Treat! So don't miss the new album!!"

Tracklisting:

“Inle' (The Black Rabbit Of Death)”
“Together Again”
“Cloudrider"
"Efrafa”
“Never Say Goodbye”
“The Great Escape”
“They Must Die”
“Beware The Train”
“United”
“The Showdown”
“Last Breath”

“Cloudrider”:

“United” lyric video:

Trick Or Treat is:

Alessandro Conti - Voice
Guido Benedetti - Guitars
Luca Venturelli - Guitars
Leone Villani Conti - Bass
Luca Setti - Drums

Swedish metallers Aktaion to release their new album The Parade Of Nature, featuring guests like Christopher Amott (Armageddon, ex-Arch Enemy) and Joey Concepcion (Dead By Wednesday, Armageddon) on July 29th. The album was mixed by Staffan Birkedal at Soul Noise Studios, mastered by mastered by Ry Wick at Violent Groove and the artwork was done by Sigma Collective. An album video teaser can be viewed below.

The Parade Of Nature is a collection of songs from a time where there is no hope and no bright future. The songs deal with the prospect of loosing what we depend upon the most, and the guilt,  angst, anger and sorrow that follows. For fans of Soilwork, Killswitch Engage, Gojira.

Tracklisting:

“As The Hope Collapses”
“Candid Flow Of The Shrapnel Dust”
“Seven”
“Walrus March”
“The Parade Of Nature” (feat. Christopher Amott)
“Stones Into Sand” (feat. Joey Concepcion)
“Death Coloured Gold” (feat. Christopher Amott)
“Gold Coloured Dreams”
“For All The Things”
“The Silent Song” (feat. Christopher Amott & John Anderberg)
“Silence”

Teaser:

Aktaion are:

Francis Larsson - Guitars
Jonas Snäckmark - Vocals
Axel Croné - Bass
Jonatan Ney - Guitar and vocals

Norwegian-American electronic hard rock/heavy metal group Combichrist returns with its eighth studio album, This is Where Death Begins, on June 3rd via Out Of Line Music. A lyric video for the new song “Skullcrusher” can be found below.

An apocalyptic behemoth of guitars, electronica, infernal drums and dark elemental force, This is Where Death Begins was produced by Oumi Kapila (Filter) plus Combichrist's own Andy LaPlegua and mastered by the legendary Vlado Meller (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slipknot). The 15-track album also features guest vocals from Chris Motionless (Motionless in White) and Ariel Levitan (MXMS).

Combichrist founder/vocalist Andy LaPlegua comments: "I finally feel like we came full circle with this album, considering we're all from the punk rock, hardcore and metal backgrounds. After 10 years of electronica in the studio and a full live band, I feel like I captured the live sound and energy. Every style of music that I have done through the last 25 years has some kind of presence on this album."

This is Where Death Begins will be released on CD, deluxe double-CD, double-vinyl and as a strictly limited fan box containing the double-CD plus an exclusive DVD of the Combichrist performance at the Summer Breeze Festival 2015 in Germany.

Tracklisting:

“We Are The Plague”
“My Life My Rules”
“Glitchteeth”
“Exit Eternity” (feat. Ariel Levitan)
“Skullcrusher”
“Time Again”
“Destroy Everything”
“Tired Of Hating You”
“Don't Care How You Feel About It”
“Blackened Heart ”
“Pay To Play” (feat. Chris Motionless)
“Slakt”
“Black Tar Dove Pt. 1”
“Black Tar Dove Pt. 2”
“Homeward” (feat. Ariel Levitan)

“Skullcrusher” lyric video:

Teaser:

Combichrist plans to tour the world this year in support of This is Where Death Begins, including already announced European and South American tours. Stay tuned for more information on Combichrist and This is Where Death Begins, out this June on Out Of Line Music.

PROPHETS OF RAGE, the new band featuring members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE alongside rappers Chuck D (PUBLIC ENEMY) and B-Real (CYPRESS HILL), will make its live debut tonight (Tuesday, May 31) at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Tickets go on sale this morning at 10 a.m. PT at the Whisky box office only and you must be present in order to obtain a wristband for the show. Tickets will cost $20 and proceeds from the show will benefit P.A.T.H. (People Assisting The Homeless).

"This is a Woodstock moment for us," Chuck D tells Radio.com. "This is our CROSBY STILLS AND NASH, Woodstock moment."

"Dangerous times do demand dangerous songs," adds Morello. "This historical moment is really unprecedented. Both the country and the world are on the brink of the abyss. And, we thought it was wholly irresponsible of us to be sitting on the sidelines when we have a catalog of material like we do between the three of us to go out and fight the power, to take the power back, to bring the noise, to rise up, to use four songs that we may or not be playing tonight."

"It's a historical necessity," continues Morello. The last time RAGE played in L.A. we outdrew Trump, Clinton and Bernie Sanders by about a margin of three times. This is not just music, this is a movement."

Regarding the absence of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE frontman Zach de la Rocha, Chuck D said. "It takes me and B-Real to do RAGE-ified Zach de la Rocha songs, so a marching salute out to him.

"This is not RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and this is not CYPRESS HILL or PUBLIC ENEMY, it's a supergroup; one of the greatest supergroups ever."

Morello, however, sees it differently. "We're not a supergroup," he tells Rolling Stone. "We're an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of election year bullshit, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing."

PROPHETS OF RAGE will play RAGE classics like "Bulls On Parade" and "Killing In The Name" along with tunes by PUBLIC ENEMY and CYPRESS HILL.

METAL ALLEGIANCE, the all-star metal band consisting of a rotating cast of musicians, including members of TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL, will perform at the U.K.'s Bloodstock Open Air festival on August 13 but before they leave the U.S., they will put on a very special warm-up concert. The night will include the band playing their Bloodstock setlist, which consists of specially selected covers along with METAL ALLEGIANCE original music. The band will later pay tribute to 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees DEEP PURPLE by performing their classic "Made In Japan" live album — now dubbed "Made In Brooklyn" — in its entirety. This makes the night at Saint Vitus extra noteworthy as DEEP PURPLE were inducted in Brooklyn.

For this special night, the band will consist of Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL), Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT) and Mark Menghi.

"It's always a great time playing St. Vitus, which in just a few years has achieved a cult status a bit like a modern version of CBGB's," comments Alex Skolnick. "Last time there, we honored vintage BLACK SABBATH (with a bit of their '78 support act, VAN HALEN, thrown in). This time around, in light of DEEP PURPLE's long-overdue induction in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, METAL ALLEGIANCE will cover PURPLE's classic 'Made In Japan', which inspired many albums to come (including IRON MAIDEN's 'Maiden Japan', which we may visit at some point) and featuring many of their greatest tunes, including 'Highway Star', 'Smoke On The Water' and 'Space Truckin'' etc..).

"Although METAL ALLEGIANCE has no keyboardist, Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal — with his unique double-neck — and I will collectively pay tribute to both Ritchie Blackmore and the great Jon Lord. It's the perfect challenge for this particular METAL ALLEGIANCE lineup and a one-time thing, so I call upon my fellow Brooklyn residents and others in the Tri-State area and beyond to come down and help us honor the great DEEP PURPLE!"

"Alex and I wanted to do something special as a warm-up before we cross the pond to the land that created metal," comments METAL ALLEGIANCE mastermind Mark Menghi. "After tossing around a few ideas, we decided to cover DEEP PURPLE's 'Made In Japan' in its entirety for a few reasons; 1) They were recently inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Brooklyn earlier this year, 2) They are co-founders of our beloved genre and 3) we are heading to their home turf right after this gig for our debut U.K. show."

Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal comments, "Looking forward to playing together in Brooklyn! We had such a blast on our recent 'Destination (Almost) East Coast' tour. [I] can't wait to do it again!!"

General admission tickets can be purchased on Ticketfly.com. VIP packages that include a ticket, a meet-and-greet with the band, early entry into the show, an exclusive tee, a poster, and VIP laminate are now available for sale at ticketspin.com/metal-allegiance.

METAL ALLEGIANCE's self-titled debut album was released on September 18, 2015 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Brought together by METAL ALLEGIANCE principal partner Mark Menghi, the project's original material came together from the creative minds of David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, and Alex Skolnick, alongside Menghi. The four writers then reached out through their metal rolodexes to a diverse lineup of performers, each adding their own personal musical stamp to the collection of nine original songs.

Legendary extreme metal drummer Gene Hoglan (TESTAMENT, DARK ANGEL, DEATH, FEAR FACTORY, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DETHKLOK) was interviewed for the "Metalheads United" podcast this past March in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. You can now listen to the chat using the Mixcloud widget below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On writing music on guitar:

Hoglan: "I play more guitar than drums these days. That's been true throughout history. As a drummer, I'm okay, but as a guitarist I'm badass! I'm not much of a lead player, but I can play rhythm like crazy. And I can play thrash like nobody's business. I'll take the Pepsi challenge with any thrash guitarist. I'll play riffs you cannot.

"That's the thing about being a drummer that writes riffs. A lot of times I'll write riffs and guitarists are just, like, 'What in the world is that? I can't figure that out?' [I would] be showing stuff to Devin [Townsend, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD] and Devin's, like, 'I've got no idea what you're playing and how do you do that.'"

On whether writing riffs helps him come up with more suitable drum parts:

Hoglan: "Absolutely! I see the entire song. When I start writing something, I will see the entire scope — samples and orchestrations and all that sort of stuff. I'm writing for ZIMMERS HOLE, I'm writing for the new DARK ANGEL stuff. I'm writing heavily on that. It keeps you busy. It keeps you focused. You can't sit around the bus and play drums all day, but I suppose you can sit there and think up riffs in your head all day. So that's what I do."

On DARK ANGEL's new material: Hoglan: "Right at the moment, we're writing the next record — Jim Durkin [guitar] and I — and we want the album out. We wanna write the record, get it released and then proper touring. Right now we're just kind of doing a little spot date here and there where we try to do what we can until that record is recorded. It's a new ballgame then."

On the DARK ANGEL songwriting process:

Hoglan: "With DARK ANGEL, I write the riffs, I write the vocals, I write the melody lines. Everybody has a lot of input. [I tell the other guys in the band], 'I wanna make it so it's fun for you guys to play.' I try to now tailor the riffs towards everybody's comfort level, so I try not to write the super-technical, weird strums, but I do have them. We have the options in the writing of… That machine-gun double-bass sort of thing that is really popular with everybody now? We created that. We did, on 'Leave Scars'. I created those kind of beats on my toilet. 'Cause I had a wood floor, so I would just tap my feet, and I would just [be like], 'Okay, well, you've got that little pattern on your feet. Write it on the guitar now.' Whoever wants to use this talent… Because I will definitely bring some stuff that you're not thinking of. I'm chock-full of riffs, and I'm chock-full of ideas, and if you wanna tap into it, awesome. And if you don't, that's okay; somebody else will."

"When it comes to writing [the new DARK ANGEL] record, that's challenge, because I'm just not home. The way we write — Jim and myself — we get together in a room [and] we throw riffs around. When I'm gone for seven months straight, it's a challenge. We've tried the Skype thing and trying to write riffs over Skype and FaceTime and all… We've tried that [and it didn't work]. [Being in a room together] is just how it works for us. And we've come up with great stuff. The DARK ANGEL album is gonna be fucking amazing, 'cause I'm writing the coolest shit I've ever written, and I'm here to blow everybody away."

On whether playing with so many bands has helped him sharpen his songwriting skills:

Hoglan: "Absolutely. That's one of the boons of writing and playing in all these bands, 'cause everybody you play with, you learn something from — everybody, whether it's Bobby Koelble from DEATH or [TESTAMENT's] Eric Peterson. Eric was the first guy that had me kind of rein in my craziness to suit the song. Back when we were doing [TESTAMENT's] 'Demonic' [album], Eric was a big influence on that, just saying, 'Hey, don't worry about being so busy and doing every single note.' 'Cause I had just come off [recording DEATH's] 'Symbolic' [album], and that was one where I was, like, I just played every single drum thing imaginable — every gap was filled; there was no breathing, there was no anything. And Eric taught me how to breathe, so that was very cool."

On DARK ANGEL's longevity:

Hoglan: "Well, we did go away for a long time, but I've kept the notion alive, I've kept the fact that, yes, there is DARK ANGEL; I kept that alive rather than letting that be one of those bands just disappeared — like a good thrash band that just went away and you don't hear [from again]."

German thrash icons Paradox are streaming the new song “Pangea”, the title track from their upcoming new studio album, to be released in Europe on June 3rd and in North America on June 24th via AFM Records as CD and gatefold 2LP. The new track can be found below.

Pangea was produced by Charly Steinhauer and mixed and mastered by Panagiotis Katsaounis. The cover art was created by Claudio Bergamin.

Tracklisting:

“Apophis”
“Raptor”
“The Raging Planet”
“Ballot Or Bullet”
“Manhunt”
“Cheat & Pretend”
“Pangea”
“Vale Of Tears”
“Alien Godz”
“El Muerte”

“Pangea”:

“Ballot Or Bullet” lyric video:

Frost*, the brainchild of keyboard player and songwriter Jem Godfrey, released their new album, Falling Satellites, on May 27th. A new video for the album track “Numbers” can be found below.

Joined by guitarist and vocalist John Mitchell (Lonely Robot, It Bites), drummer Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson) and bassist Nathan King (Level 42), Falling Satellites is the band's first album in 8 years and the follow-up to Experiments In Mass Appeal.

Comprising 11 songs, the final six forming a 32-minute long suite, this album also sees a guest appearance from Grammy-nominated guitar legend Joe Satriani, who Godfrey played with on the G3 tour in 2012.

Jem had this to say about the album: "It's been a long time coming, but we got there in the end. I think this is our strongest album to date and moves the sound forwards whilst still referencing what's gone before. It's also great to have finally co-written some songs with John in a Frost* context. The end results were better than either of us could have imagined, we just can't wait to get out and play it all live now."

The album is available on limited edition CD digipak (incl. 2 bonus tracks), gatefold 2LP + CD & digital download.

Tracklisting:

“First Day”
“Numbers”
“Towerblock”
“Signs”
“Lights Out”
“Heartstrings”
“Closer To The Sun”
“The Raging Against The Dying Of The Light Blues”
“Nice Day For It...”
“Hypoventilate”
“Last Day”
“Lantern” (bonus track)
“British Wintertim”e (bonus track)

“Numbers” video:

“Heartstrings” lyric video:

The band will also head out on tour in the UK in support of the new record, including an appearance at Ramblin Man Fair in July.

Confirmed dates:

June
17 - Voodoo Rooms - Edinburgh, UK
18 - Montgomery Hall - Wath-Upon-Dearne, UK
19 - The Robin 2 - Bilson, UK

July
23 - Ramblin' Man Fair - Maidstone, UK
29 - Thekla - Bristol, UK
30 - 02 Islington Academy - London, UK
31 - The Portland Arms - Cambridge, UK

Frost* is (above left - right):

Jem Godfrey - Vocals, Keys, Railboard, Guitar
Craig Blundell - Drums
John Mitchell - Guitars, Vocals
Nathan King - Bass

CKY have announced that they will enter Rancho De La Luna studio in July to begin recording their new album in Joshua Tree, CA. Music for the effort has already been written and it appears that guitarist Chad I Ginsburg will be taking on the vocal duty. The band announced that and a live show with the following update:

“OHIO:
The three remaining members of CKY (Jess Margera, Chad I Ginsburg, and Matt Deis) will be playing the Random Hero Festival at the Agora Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio on June 20th. They will be celebrating the life of Ryan Dunn with all of his friends on this 5 year anniversary of his passing, and playing the best old CKY songs as a 3-piece with Chad singing.

STUDIO:
In July, the three will be entering the legendary Rancho De La Luna studio (Queens Of The Stone Age, Iggy Pop, Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters, Eagles Of Death Metal) to begin recording brand new music for their upcoming new album. The songs are written. The demos are done. The album is due out later this year.”

Quality fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's performance at this year's Rockavaria festival, which was held May 27-29 in Munich, Germany, can be seen below.

As previously reported, SLAYER will join forces with special guests ANTHRAX and DEATH ANGEL this fall for a seven-week North American beat down. The dates start in Cleveland on September 9 and will hit both major and secondary markets across the continent.

Said SLAYER's Kerry King: "It's always super fun for us to tour with ANTHRAX. Frank [Bello] is one of my best friends in the biz!! Put that together with DEATH ANGEL, and fans will probably see the best package this year. See you there!"

Fans will hear their favorite SLAYER songs from the band's 30-plus-year discography, as well as a few of the newer songs from "Repentless", named "The Metal Album of the Year" by Guitar World. SLAYER and ANTHRAX stormed through Europe together last fall, amassing a string of sensational live reviews, so North American fans, this will be a night of metal music that should not be missed.

"Repentless" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 50,000 equivalent album units in the week ending September 17, 2015.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, DEFTONES have chosen "Phantom Bride" as the second single from the band's recently released eighth album, "Gore". The track features a cameo from ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell and will impact at rock radio on June 7. The song will follow up the band's first single off "Gore", "Prayers/Triangles", which made it into the Top 10 at rock radio.

DEFTONES drummer Abe Cunningham explained in an interview with North Carolina radio station WXQR how Cantrell came to contribute to the song, saying: "We had this song. It was pretty much done. It could have been left as is, but it sort of had this big kind of a gaping hole in the end, like a gap, that could have just been or we could have filled it up with something… We started brainstorming: 'Man, what if we got someone to play a badass solo on that?'"

Cunningham added: "[Jerry's] a good friend and we just kind of rang him up and he was with it. And he came and hung out with us. And we were barbecuing still, and he joined the barbecue and went in there and he kind of banged it out and it was a lot of fun."

The drummer continued: "[We had] tears of joy when he was laying it down… When he plays, you know immediately it's him, and that's a rarity."

"Gore" came out in April and debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 album chart. It is the band's highest-charting effort since their self-titled fourth album reached No. 2 in 2003.

The first single from the new disc, "Prayers/Triangles", is No. 8 on the rock radio chart.

DEFTONES will be touring Europe throughout June but will kick off a new round of North American dates on July 31 in Buffalo, New York.

Fan-filmed video footage of AC/DC's May 29 performance at Stade de Suisse in Bern, Switzerland can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Rock Or Bust02. Shoot To Thrill03. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be04. Back In Black05. Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder06. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap07. Rock 'N' Roll Damnation08. Thunderstruck09. High Voltage10. Rock 'N' Roll Train11. Hells Bells12. Given The Dog A Bone13. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)14. Sin City15. You Shook Me All Night Long16. Shot Down In Flames17. Have A Drink On Me18. T.N.T.19. Whole Lotta Rosie20. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

21. Highway To Hell22. Riff Raff23. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

According to The Pulse Of Radio, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young said in a new interview with NDR.de that he's not really sure what AC/DC will do after wrapping up its current touring commitments with Axl Rose on lead vocals. Young remarked: "We were committed to finishing this tour, so that's been our main goal, and Axl's helping us. I know he's very excited. He keeps saying, can he do more? But we don't really know at the end how we will [proceed]. But we wanna get [through] this tour, which we were committed to doing. We wanna finish it."

Rose took a break from the GUNS N' ROSES reunion to fill in for Brian Johnson after the longtime AC/DC singer was diagnosed with a potentially career-ending hearing problem. Although Rose started the tour seated on a specially made chair every night while he recovered from a broken foot, he's been gradually leaving the seat behind. Bassist Cliff Williams explained, "[Axl has] done a fabulous job, and he's almost out of his chair now. He's mobile, and he's enjoying himself. It's been really good."

The European tour ends back in Germany on June 15 and despite initial fan trepidation, Axl has gotten generally good reviews for his performances so far. Angus Young said: "I mean, under the situation that we had, it was very good that he volunteered and said, 'Hey, if I can help, let me try.' So he's been very good. And he had to learn a lot of songs very quickly, and he's done a great job."

Cliff Williams revealed that he has spoken with Brian Johnson about Axl taking over, with Williams saying that Johnson was "happy" with the choice.

Johnson met with an audio expert last week to see if some newly invented in-ear monitors could help combat his hearing loss.

After a period that has seen AC/DC lose founding guitarist Malcolm Young to dementia, drummer Phil Rudd to legal problems and now possibly Johnson, Angus was asked if he had thought about retiring the group. He replied: "Yes, sure, sometimes. Every thing that comes towards you is hard. But my brother Malcolm always said you have to go on. This he has always believed. It was his idea, his creation. He always said, you have to just go with it."

Fan-filmed video footage of HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, the supergroup featuring international film star and musician Johnny Depp alongside Alice Cooper and AEROSMITH's Joe Perry, performing earlier tonight (Monday, May 30) at Gröna Lund in Stockholm, Sweden can be seen below.

Joining Perry, Cooper and Depp in the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES are their rock-star musician friends Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES, THE CULT) on drums, Robert DeLeo (STONE TEMPLE PILOTS) on bass, Tommy Henriksen (ALICE COOPER) on guitar, and Bruce Witkin (THE KIDS) on piano, percussion and guitar.

A supergroup comprised of rock royalty and a Hollywood superstar, the VAMPIRES is offering fans a non-stop, energetic rock concert like no other, performing their new single "Bad As I Am" from their new deluxe album, as well as renditions of popular classics including "My Generation", "Whole Lotta Love" and a "School's Out"/"Another Brick In The Wall" medley.

The HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES released a new digital deluxe version of their self-titled album. This expanded version includes three additional songs, including one original and two rocking covers. The deluxe version includes the scorching new single "Bad As I Am", an original song penned by Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen and Bruce Witkin and featuring Matt Sorum, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, and Johnny Depp. Also included is "I'm A Boy", a WHO original, that was only available as a Japanese bonus track. "7 and 7 Is" is an unreleased track from the album sessions and is the classic song by the legendary Los Angeles band LOVE, a VAMPIRES special pick and one that Alice covered on his 1981 solo album, "Special Forces".

In 1969 on the Sunset Strip at a club called the Rainbow Bar & Grill, the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES were born in the upstairs bar. It was a gathering place for the rock stars living in or passing through L.A. "To join the club, one simply had to out drink all of the members," says Alice Cooper, a founding member of the original VAMPIRES.

Cooper and good friend Johnny Depp got together and decided the spirit of the Hollywood Vampires should live again (minus the drinking). Cooper and Depp were joined by Joe Perry, who is an old friend of both, and the recording began: a tribute to the original Hollywood Vampires. An environment was born for great artists to hang, laugh and play together.

Swedish bass player Magnus Rosén (Shadowside, ex-Hammerfall) has signed with Brazilian label Furia Music Records for the worldwide release of his new solo album, The World Changes, to be released in the second half of 2016.

The World Changes is mostly instrumental and shows the versatility of the Swedish musician in an atmosphere outside heavy metal, a genre that brought him worldwide success, a Swedish Grammy nomination and golden records. This new material brings the listeners to an erudite ambiance with the Nordic melancholy in a work filled with expression and sophistication. The songs are interpreted by a quartet of great names of Swedish music such as George Keczán (grand piano), Johan Stengård (saxophone), Carolina Sandgren (vocals) besides Magnus Rosén himself (bass). The CD also brings special appearances from other renowned musicians that will be announced soon.

Check out the The World Changes album cover and tracklisting below.

"Centuries Of Memories"
"The Bridge From The Past To The Future"
"Soul Essence"
"The World Changes"
"Celestial Port"
"Bach Badinerie"
"Ack Värmeland du Sköna"
"The World Wide Blues"
"E Lucevan Le Stelle"
"The Castle Of Imagination"

Soon more information about the album and its release date will be announced. 

Rosén, who has recently been on a promotional tour of his solo album in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, is currently recording the new Shadowside album. The album will feature the collaboration of Andy La Rocque (King Diamond) in the writing of two songs; and in charge of the production is Fredrik Nordström (Arch Enemy, Evergrey, Hammerfall), the same producer of their latest album Inner Monster Out.
 

Aberdeen, Washington-based melodic metalcore band, For The Likes Of You, has released their "Bewildered" lyric video, which was created by Scott Rudd. The track comes from the band's upcoming Withered EP, which comes out on June 3rd and is available for pre-order now at this location.

“Withered is an EP that takes a glimpse into the many emotions that occur within the process of self-healing. Instrumentally I’m very proud with how everything turned out and extremely glad we got to record this record with our good friend Jason Daggett. Overall though I think it’s obvious that when you dig into this record the lyricism shines the brightest.: - Jestin Peterson (Guitars)

Heavy Metal Greg has uploaded video footage of Bobby Blotzer's new RATT performing on May 28 at Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California. Check out the clips below.

Blotzer's RATT recently parted ways with bassist Scotty Griffin (ex-L.A. GUNS) and replaced him with Robbie Crane.

Crane previously played bass for RATT from 1996 to 2012 and appeared on the band's 1999 self-titled album and 2010's "Infestation".

Said Blotzer in a statement: "Adding Robbie Crane back is naturally just like slipping into an old missed pair of spandex."

Blotzer announced last September that he was taking control of the RATT name and hitting the road with a new version of the group, which played shows earlier that year under the name BOBBY BLOTZER'S RATT EXPERIENCE.

RATT guitarist Warren DeMartini later filed a lawsuit against Blotzer, claiming that the drummer was falsely advertising his "tribute band" as the real thing.

Blotzer's revamped RATT is rounded out by vocalist Josh Alan (ex-SIN CITY SINNERS) and guitarists Doc Ellis (Jizzy Pearl's LOVE/HATE) and Nicholas "Blaze" Baum.

WBS, Inc., the company which manages the business and operations related to RATT, was originally formed by Blotzer, DeMartini and singer Stephen Pearcy. Pearcy lost his share of the name in court after splitting with the group in 2000. He returned to the band in 2006 but exited again in 2014. Blotzer has since expressed his desire to keep RATT alive with a new singer, but explained that DeMartini did not want to tour as RATT without Pearcy.

Fan-filmed video footage of ACT OF DEFIANCE performing a cover version of the PANTERA classic "I'm Broken" on May 26 at Dickens pub on Calgary, Alberta, Canada can be seen below.

ACT OF DEFIANCE is the band featuring former MEGADETH members Shawn Drover (drums) and Chris Broderick (guitar), alongside ex-SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner, and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass).

Asked how they feel about the term "supergroup" being thrown around in connection with ACT OF DEFIANCE, Matt told Gear Gods: "We're not a supergroup. We're simply a new band with players that happened to be in other bands. That's all it is. When you say the word 'supergroup,' that usually implies that, you know, you get together, make one record and then it will never happen again. But that is not the case with this. So it's technically not a supergroup, 'cause it's not gonna be a one-off thing. It's a new project that we're going a hundred and ten percent with."

Shawn, who joined MEGADETH in 2004 and played on four of the band's albums, including 2013's "Super Collider", added: "This is a real band, man. This wasn't put together… 'Oh, let's get Matt from that great band.' It wasn't like that at all. Chris [Broderick, ACT OF DEFIANCE and ex-MEGADETH guitarist] and I tried to find the best musicians we could that were available, really. Matt had stopped touring with [SHADOWS FALL], and it was just a matter of coincidence. I found out that Matt wasn't touring as hardcore as he was for twenty years, so I'm, like, you know… Actually, Zeuss was one of the guys… Our producer, Chris Harris — we call him Zeuss — was one of the guys [who said], 'You should maybe talk to Matt.' I was, like, 'Wow! What a great idea. And I just hit him up. But this is a full-on band. We're touring for the record. This is not a one-off thing. With respect to what we've done in the past, we're not living in it. This is a new thing and this is something that we're going forward with. We're not dwelling on what we've done in the past at all."

ACT OF DEFIANCE's debut album, "Birth And The Burial", was released on August 21, 2015 via Metal Blade Records. The CD recording was split between three studios in three different states: Broderick handled vocal and guitar production at his own Ill-Fated Studio in Los Angeles, Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, REVOCATION, MUNICIPAL WASTE) worked with Drover tracking the drums in Dexter's Lab in Milford, Connecticut, while Bachand laid down his bass at ManShark, in Southampton, Massachusetts.

Former MORBID ANGEL drummer Tim Yeung and ex-GOD FORBID guitarist Doc Coyle paid tribute to late MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza with a performance of the MEGADETH classic "Symphony Of Destruction" during this past Tuesday's (May 24) "Ultimate Jam Night" at the world-famous Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. They were joined by Howie Simon (guitar, vocals) and Ben White (bass). Check out video footage below (courtesy of California Rock News and Alex Kluft Photography).

Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack after the third song of OHM:'s set on May 21 at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital. He was 51 years old.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of natural causes. The cause of Menza's death was listed as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Menza had reportedly dabbled with drugs in the earlier part of his career but had been completely sober for eight years.

Menza joined MEGADETH for the 1989 recording "Rust In Peace" and for the next nine years became associated with the band's "classic" and most profitable era.

"Ultimate Jam Night", which debuted its Whisky A Go Go residency on March 29, features a wide range of music genres, a circus atmosphere, every Tuesday night at the Whisky A Go Go.

Chuck Wright, longtime bassist of QUIET RIOT, started "Ultimate Jam Night" over a year ago at Lucky Strike and has now moved it to the Whisky A Go Go. It remains a no-cover show.

Vocalist Phil Lewis and guitarist Tracii Guns spear-headed the classic lineup of Hollywood sleaze rockers L.A. Guns. Together, they were forefront on the self-titled debut (1988), Cocked & Loaded (1989), Hollywood Vampires (1991), and Vicious Circle (1994).

After travelling seperate paths, Phil and Tracii reconvened to release Man In The Moon (2001) and Waking The Dead (2002), only to head down different highways once again. 

Now the pair have reunited - backed by bassist Johnny Martin and drummer Shane Fitzgibbon - for a handful of concerts; confirmed dates are as listed:

July
7 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - El Teatro Flores
8 - Rosario, Argentina - Teatro Vorterix
10 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Manifesto Rock Bar

September
17 - Irvine Meadows, CA - Hair Nation Rock Fest

October
27 - Joliet, IL - Rock N Skull Fest

 

A new song from Gloomy Grim’s forthcoming sixth album, The Age Of Aquarius, is now available for listening. Titled “A Lady In White”, this new track can be found below.

Set for release on June 6th via Satanath Records/MurdHer Records, The Age Of Aquarius sees the Finnish quintet incorporating elements from all previous releases, sounding heavier and more evil than ever. Expect the wicked atmosphere of horror metal mixed with the cold grimness of black metal and the destructive fury of thrash metal. Pre-orders are now available at this location.

The Age Of Aquarius tracklisting:

“The Rise Of The Great Beast”
“Germination”
“A Lady In White”
“Beyond The Hate”
“One Night I Heard A Scream”
“The Shameful Kiss”
“The Mist”
“Time”
“Light Of Lucifer Shine On Me”
“Trapped In Eternal Darkness”

“A Lady In White”:

“The Shameful Kiss”:

“Germination”:

“The Rise Of The Great Beast”:

SAT151: Gloomy Grim - The Age Of Aquarius (2016) by Satanath Records

(Photo - Sami Haavisto)

Reunited cult New York thrash metal act DEMOLITION HAMMER played its first comeback concert yesterday (Sunday, May 29) at the Maryland Deathfest at Edison Lot in Baltimore, Maryland.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

As previously reported, DEMOLITION HAMMER will also play at St. Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, New York on Friday, June 17. The band will also perform at the Netherlands Deathfest II in March 2017.

DEMOLITION HAMMER's 2016 lineup consists of original members Steve Reynolds (vocals, bass) and James Reilly (guitar) alongside longtime guitarist Derek Sykes and the group's latest addition, drummer Angel Cotte (EYES LIKE CYANIDE).

Sykes told BLABBERMOUTH.NET about DEMOLITION HAMMER's future plans: "We'll do some limited touring and festivals. We haven't discussed new music yet, but we'll see where all this goes."

DEMOLITION HAMMER was active between 1986 and 1994 and released three full-length albums — "Tortured Existence" (1990), "Epidemic Of Violence" (1992) and "Time Bomb" (1994) — all through Century Media.

A DEMOLITION HAMMER compilation, "Necrology: A Complete Anthology", was issued in 2008, also through Century Media. The set contained the band's entire three-album discography across two discs.

Shortly before the compilation's release, Sykes released a statement taking issue with "the allegations" included in the liner notes which suggested that the band "didn't have time to contribute" to the anthology. He explained: "In fact, DEMOLITION HAMMER was quite involved in the initial realization of the project. But ultimately, due to qualitative differences, we decided to let our past work with Century Media speak for itself."

In March 2015, Century Media reissued "Tortured Existence" and "Epidemic Of Violence" on vinyl.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of French progressive metallers GOJIRA performing a new song, "Stranded", at this year's Rockavaria festival, which was held May 27-29 in Munich, Germany, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's brand new studio album, "Magma", which will be released on June 17 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2012's "L'Enfant Sauvage" was recorded at GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier's Silver Cord Studio in Queens, New York.

"Magma" track listing:

01. The Shooting Star02. Silvera03. The Cell04. Stranded05. Yellow Stone06. Magma07. Pray08. Only Pain09. Low Lands10. Liberation

The cover artwork for "Magma" can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Stranded" performance:




"Stranded" official video:

Venom Inc. vocalist/bassist Tony “The Demolition Man” Dolan (pictured above) will be featured on The Mugshots' upcoming album, Something Weird, set to be released in September via Black Widow Records, celebrating The Mugshots' XV anniversary.

Comments The Mugshots' frontman Mickey Evil: "Back when I was 14, I first got my nickname “Evil" because of Venom's Prime Evil, an album that means the world to me. Thus, the Demolition Man's presence on The Mugshots' forthcoming album gives an incredible meaning to my musical activity!"

The comment video clip of Tony "The Demolition Man" Dolan can be seen below:

Something Weird will be available in the following formats: regular edition LP, limited edition LP, digipack CD, digital. The cover will include an original drawing by Enzo Rizzi, author of many sold-out comic books about the history of rock and heavy metal.

Canadian 80's thrashers Aggression have announced that they will be unleashing their new album, Fragmented Spirit Devils, in October to follow their 2015 release Fractured Psyche Demons (Galy Records). The album features nine raging thrash tracks along with a cover of Nazareth's “Razamanaz”, which includes a guest guitar solo by Nazareth's Manny Cahrelton.

The first single off the upcoming album, “Unleashing The Ghost”, can be heard below.

Fragmented Spirit Devils tracklisting:

“At Play In The Fields Of Satan”
“Chapel Of Horrors”
“Unleashing The Ghost”
“Insanity Without Indulgence”
“Halo Of Maggots”
“Furnace Creek”
“Dark Shadow Crossing”
“Strangulation Ejaculation”
“Evil Pox 2016 A.D.”
“Razamanaz” (Nazareth cover featuring Manny Charelton from Nazareth on guest guitar solo)

“Unleashing The Ghost”:

In additional news, Aggression will be hitting the road in June for their US Demons Of West Coast Tour plus performing Europe in November for their 30th Anniversary: Return of the Frozen Aggressors Tour with support from Germany thrashers Hateful Agony. Dates listed on the flyers below: