Snowy Shaw has released a new video written, produced, recorded, and sung by the man himself. The video for “Alcoholocaust” was mixed and mastered at Sound Industry, Gothenburg by Arnold Lindberg.

As a matter of fact, this also marks a new chapter or whatever as this is his first new original music Snowy puts out as a solo artist actually. Whereas over the past couple of years he has released the exclusive live DVD/CD box Snowy Shaw: 25 years of madness in the name of metal (2014) and a couple of albums and singles, all recorded live from his conceptual super show.

The 2016 edition of his super show can next be seen live at Wacken O.A in August and Metallsvenskan June 3rd, which is also the only show on home turf Sweden as Snowy has opted to focus primarily on working on new material being recorded and filmed, with tentative release of a full length studio by February next year.

Although his super show have consisted mainly of material from his past and often featured special guest stars from the aforementioned bands, no less than 65% of the material performed was inked by Snowy Shaw himself. But as previously stated above, “Alcoholocaust” is the first new original material under his own name.

Music lesson website PlayThisRiff.com has uploaded a new guitar lesson video of Overkill’s “Bring Me The Night” (First Two Riffs).

In this lesson, Overkill guitarist Dave Linsk shows players the intro and verse to “Bring Me The Night” off their album Ironbound. Check out the lesson at this location.

Overkill have announced dates for a European headlining tour in November, with support from Crowbar, Shredded and Desecrator. The dates are listed below.

November
2 - Zürich, Switzeland - Dynamo
3 - Brescia, Italy - Circolo Colony
4 - Pinarella, Italy - Rockplanet Club
5 - Graz, Austria - Explosiv
6 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
7 - München, Germany - Backstage
8 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
9 - Köln, Germany - Essigfabrik
10 - Erfurt, Germany - HSD Erfurt
11 - Osnabrück, Germany - Hyde Park
12 - Weissenhäuser Strand/Ostsee, Germany - Metal Hammer Paradise
13 - Berlin, Germany - SO36
15 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
16 - Krakow, Poland - Kwadrat
17 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra Club
18 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
19 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Winter Masters Of Rock

BraveWords was on the scene in Oberhausen, Germany, where Overkill recorded a live Blu-Ray/DVD, commemorating 30 years since the debut and the 25th anniversary of Horrorscope. However, Pissing Razors drummer Eddy Garcia was drafted into the live tour, and will appear on said recording. On the previous Friday, the band ran through almost 10 hours of rehearsals. Check out the full report and photo gallery here.

Other Overkill tour dates include:

June
17 - Rue du Champ Louet - Clisson, France

July
14 - Bang Your Head Open Air - Balingen, Germany
15 - Gefle Metal Festival - Gavle, Sweden

Greek thrash metal tank, Suicidal Angels, will release their new album, Division Of Blood, on May 27th via NoiseArt Records. The limited digipak edition of Division Of Blood includes the bonus DVD Conquering Europe with an entire live show from 2015 and a tour documentary with interviews and backstage footage (see “Divide & Conquer” live below). Today the band has unleashed the official lyric video for the new song “Capital Of War”:

Recorded in Sound Lodge in Germany, Nick Melissourgos and producer Jörg Uken arranged a sound that gives Suicidal Angels’ energetic art the fitting, powerful clothing it deserves. Division of Blood will not only make your stereo raise the roof, but it will also bring several Open Airs and clubs to a boil.

The cover artwork was created by acclaimed artist Ed Repka (Megadeth, Death, Municipal Waste).

Tracklisting:

“Capital Of War”
“Division Of Blood”
“Eternally To Suffer”
“Image Of The Serpent”
“Set The Cities On Fire”
“Frontgate”
“Bullet In A Chamber”
“Cold Blood Murder”
“Of Thy Shall Bring The Light”

"Divide & Conquer" live video:

“Image Of The Serpent” lyric video:

The band states: "Against the odds of the times (that we live), against gods, masters and slaves, the Division Of Blood marches on and kills! Another incredible piece of art from Mr. Repka, follows our official 6th studio album. The banners of the Moshing Crew raise high and the legions are ready to unleash all the passion and the flame. Join the forces to clear the path, one is the way, no side loss just wrath!"

Bloody Hammers will release their new album, Lovely Sort Of Death, on August 5th via Napalm Records.

According to the band, "our distributor in the UK doesn't like our album cover so we had to tape up the horribly offensive bits." Both the censored, and uncensored covers can be seen below.

"This album is certainly the darkest album I've ever recorded," states Bloody Hammers mastermind Anders Manga, who stays on the dark path to the nether world and opens the seven gates with Lovely Sort Of Death.

Lovely Sort Of Death tracklisting:

“Bloodletting On The Kiss”
“Lights Come Alive”
“The Reaper Comes”
“Messalina”
“Infinite Gaze To The Sun”
“Stoke The Fire”
“Ether”
“Shadow Out Of Time”
“Astral Traveler”
“Catastrophe”
 
Deluxe Edition Bonus CD:
“Altar Of Fear”
“The Shrine”
“Halloween”
“At Dawn They Sleep”

A new Bloody Hammers music video for “The Reaper Comes” will debut this Wednesday, May 25th; the same day pre-orders will start to be accepted.

 

Capsize‘s new album has been christened “A Reintroduction: The Essence Of All That Surrounds Me” and will be released on July 22nd through Equal Vision. A music video for the album’s opening track, “XX (Sew My Eyes)“, has been revealed below. Pre-orders for the new album have been launched at capsizemerch.com. Band frontman Daniel Wand said of the newly released track:

“The song is about the idea of wanting to move on from a moment, person or cycle in life, but feeling like your actions that leave you unexplainably content in discomfort make up who you are, and battling that in your head. It isn’t about one certain thing, just the fear that you can’t change fast enough in your own eyes.”
He further went on to state of the album as a whole:

“For this album, I wanted to write lyrics that I felt like I needed to hear, or would have liked to have heard at certain times in my life that I have only just recently worked through enough to put into words. The title represents what the album does for the band, and me personally. It’s a reintroduction of who we are as a band, in reference to the things that have led to this point in my life.

This record does more for me and my self worth than anything I’ve ever touched before. Everything from the lyrics to the songs themselves are a musical embodiment of my interests and personality and I love that I get to put that out there for people to listen to and be involved with.

Right before going into the studio, I told one of my best friends that the most important thing about this record was that it needed to be something that if I heard when I was at my most impressionable point, it would’ve made me desperate to make a band. I think I did that. And I think if I had this record when I was growing up it would’ve led me to exactly where I am today.”
The band will be out on this year’s ‘Vans Warped Tour‘, playing from July 17th through to August 13th.

New extreme metal juggernaut, Oracles, featuring members of Aborted, Abigail Williams, Systems Divide and Dimlight have signed to French label Deadlight Entertainment for the release of their debut album. Check out the new track "S(k)in" below.

Entitled Miserycorde, the album was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (Epica, Volbeat) while it’s artwork has been done by Colin Marks from Rain Song Design (Nevermore, Exodus). The album will be released on July 1st. Preorders are available at this location.

Tracklisting:

“An Adagio For The Callous”
“The Tribulation Of Man”
“Catabolic (I Am)”
“Quandaries Obsolete”
“Scorn”
“Body Of Ineptitude”
“Remnants Echo”
“Canvas Of Me”
“S(k)in”
“The Beautiful People”
“We, The Indifferent”

"S(k)in":

“Quandaries Obsolete”:

“Scorn”:

Oracles is:

Sven De Caluwé (Aborted) - vocals
Sanna Salou (ex-Dimlight) - vocals
Mendel Bij de Leij (Aborted) - guitar
Steve Miller (ex-System Divide, Loculus) - guitar
Andrei Aframov (ex-System Divide) - bass
Ken Bedene (Aborted, ex-Abigail William) - drums

Malevolent Creation's seventh full length album, Envenomed, has been remastered, complete with new artwork and amazing sound. Repulsive Echo Records lists the limited ediiton release - 500 copies on vinyl and 500 on CD - as "coming soon."

Envenomed was origianlly issued in 2000 via Arctic Music with the following tracklisting:

"Homicidal Rant"  
"Night of the Long Knives"  
"Kill Zone"  
"Halved"  
"Serial Dementia"   
"Bloodline Severed"  
"Pursuit Revised"  
"Conflict"   
"Viral Release"  
"The Deviant's March"  
"Envenomed"

The original artwork can be seen below.

The Malevolent Creation lineup which appeared on Envenomed was comprised of:

Brett Hoffmann - vocals
Rob Barrett - lead guitar
Phil Fasciana - rhythm guitar
Gordon Simms - bass
Dave Culross - drums

 

 

Unique Leader Records welcomes British death metal unit, Ingested, to their expanding realm of sonic brutality. 

Forged in 2006 in Manchester, England from previous incarnation, Age Of Suffering, Ingested has released three studio albums and two EPs. They signed with UK-based Siege Of Amida Records in 2008, then with Century Media in 2015. Their third full-length, The Architect Of Extinction, was released in January of 2015. The band will level stages throughout the US as part of this year's Summer Slaughter Tour featuring Cannibal Corpse, Nile and Suffocation among so many others. The trek comes in advance of the band's forthcoming new full-length, slated for release via Unique Leader later this year.

Catch Ingested live on Summer Slaughter:

July
23 - The Plaza Live - Orlando, FL
24 - The Ritz Ybor - Tampa, FL
26 - The International - Knoxville, TN
27 - Rams Head Live! - Baltimore, MD
28 - Webster Hall - New York, NY
29 - The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY
30 - The Palladium - Worchester, MA
31 - Agora Theatre - Cleveland, OH

August
2 - The Cabooze - Minneapolis, MN
3 - Concord Music Hall - Chicago, IL
5 - The Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
6 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
8 - Showbox Sodo - Seattle, WA
10 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
11 - The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
12 - The Novo - Los Angeles, CA
13 - The Marquee - Tempe, AZ
15 - Gas Monkey Live - Dallas, TX
16 - Empire Control Room - Austin, TX
17 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX
19 - The National - Richmond, VA
20 - Ziggy's By The Sea - Wilmington, NC
21 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA

 

Rock icon Ozzy Osbourne is to get star billing in his native Birmingham by having a Midland Metro tram named after him. The city's own Prince of Darkness will be in town to meet the tram bearing his name this Thursday, May 26th.

The Aston-born frontman of legendary Birmingham band Black Sabbath will be at the new Corporation Street stop at 11am.

Ozzy said: "It's a great honour to have a new tram named after me, I'm proud to be a Brummie and this means so much."

On-street driver training between Bull Street and the Stephenson Street stop outside New Street station began today (May 23) following successful work over the weekend to correct minor alignment problems on some sections of the track.

Training is scheduled to take seven days and passenger services will begin once this is successfully completed.

The tram-naming ceremony has been organised by Centro, the delivery arm of the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority (ITA).

Trams returned to the streets of Birmingham city centre for the first time in more than 60 years last December when the Metro started running to the new stop in Bull Street.

The extension is expected to boost the West Midlands economy by more than £50 million a year and create 1,300 new jobs.

AC/DC’s Rock Or Bust tour, with guest vocalist Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses, hit Prague, Czech Republic on May 22nd. Check out the story behind the road crew loading the cannons below:

In Prague, AC/DC dusted off "Touch Too Much" for the show, playing it live for the first time ever. They performed the song on BBC's Top Of The Pops back in 1980 only several days before singer Bon Scott died, but that was lip-synched. Check out the Prague footage below.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Rock Or Bust"
"Shoot To Thrill"
"Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be"
"Back In Black"
"Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder"
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
"Rock 'N' Roll Damnation"
"Thunderstruck"
"High Voltage"
"Rock 'N' Roll Train"
"Hells Bells"
"Givin' The Dog A Bone"
"Dog Eat Dog"
"If You Want Blood (You've Got It)"
"Sin City"
"You Shook Me All Night Long" 
"Shot Down In Flames"
"Have A Drink On Me"
"T.N.T."
"Whole Lotta Rosie"
"Let There Be Rock"

Encore:
"Highway To Hell"
"Touch Too Much"
"For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)"

AC/DC European Tour Dates (with Axl Rose):

May
26 - Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadion
29 - Berne, Switzerland - Stade De Suisse

June
1 - Leipzig, Germany - Red Bull Arena
4 - London, England - The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
9 - Manchester, England - Etihad Stadium
12 - Aarhus, Denmark - Ceres Park

VanHalenStore.com has uploaded rare audio of Van Halen on their first UK tour opening up for Black Sabbath in 1978. Check out the 40-minute set from Manchester below.

Van Halen played:
“On Fire"
“I’m the One"
Bass Solo
“Runnin' With the Devil"
“Atomic Punk"
Drum Solo
“Little Dreamer"
“Feel Your Love Tonight"
“Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love"
Guitar Solo (Including "Eruption")
“You Really Got Me”
Encore:
“D.O.A.”

 

The sophomore album from First Signal, entitled One Step Over The Line, will be released on June 3rd. The album track “Minute Of Your Time” is available for streaming below.

In 2010, a marriage made in melodic rock heaven between Canadian singer Harry Hess and producer Dennis Ward launched the First Signal project. The concept developed when Frontiers' President Serafino Perugino presented Hess some melodic rock songs that harkened back to the magic of the early Harem Scarem sound, who at the time were on an artistic hiatus. The project was met with excellent reviews and interest from the melodic rock crowd and even when Harem Scarem re-launched with their album Thirteen (one of their strongest to date), Harry was still wanting to go back and sing some excellent melodic rock songs that he had from various songwriters under a different moniker.

So, the idea of another First Signal album started to float around and with the help of Swedish producer Daniel Flores (Find Me, The Murder of My Sweet, etc.), the new record started to take shape. Once again, the inspiration behind the songs are the first two Harem Scarem albums, two absolute classic melodic rock releases. But once again, we have some new twists and interpretations, with songs covering everything from AOR to arena hard rock.

Harry says, “I am very excited to be a part of the new First Signal release. I was pleasantly surprised with the positive reaction surrounding the first CD, so it was an easy decision to be a part of the new recording. Between Serafino, Daniel and myself we gathered some great songs that I'm sure the AOR fans will love. Daniel Flores did a fabulous job and put in a ton of effort to make this happen. We met many years ago on a writing trip to Sweden where I immediately noticed his work ethic and dedication to making music. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's reaction to the new album on June 3rd!”

Musicians on the album include the outstanding new talent Michael Palace on guitars and bass, Daniel Flores on drums and keyboards, and background vocals from Hess' Harem Scarem bandmate (and Red Dragon Cartel singer) Darren Smith, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Nigel Bailey, Daniel Flores, Rolf Pilotti and Angelica Rylin.

One Step Over The Line tracklisting:

“Love Run Free”
“Love Gets Through”
“Still Pretending”
“Broken”
“Karma”
“Minute Of Your Time”
“She Is Getting Away”
“December Rain”
“Weigh Me In”
“Pedestal”
“One Step Over The Line”

“Minute Of Your Time”:

“Karma”:

“Love Run Free”:

“Love Gets Through” lyric video:

Tigman of the Q103 radio station conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine at the inaugural Rock'N Derby festival, which was held May 20-22 at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds in Schaghticoke, New York. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about the passing of MEGADETH's former drummer Nick Menza, Dave said: "Contrary to popular belief, Nick and I were very, very close. I think when you're that close with somebody, the temperatures run a lot hotter than in most relationships, so the love is that much more deeper and the anger is so much more hot and the sadness is so much more profound. So I think that's when you know that you're really in a relationship with somebody that matters to you."

He continued: "Nick was a very talented musician, and he came from a talented family. His dad played the saxophone on the 'Pink Panther' song. Yeah, his dad was the original saxophone player for Henry Mancini in 'The Pink Panther'.

"So Nick and I were really, really close. And people think that we had this failed reunion attempt. There were several times that we tried to reconcile stuff, and it just didn't happen for whatever reason — I don't know why, but it didn't."

Mustaine added: "I think now, it's the time for everyone to remember Nick and his legacy of just great performances. And tonight we are hoping to do a moment of silence, and the band's already agreed, we're gonna do a benefit in California to… I mean, we're working out the details; you're the first person to hear this. So we're working on a benefit there. And we're hoping to leave an open stage for all of the alumni from MEGADETH to come there and play with us, so that we can help leave behind something for Nick's children, which, I think, had been kind of left in a bad way. We wanted to get all that stuff set up and right now, that's what… the wheels are all turning in our camp.

"So, to anybody that thinks that I don't love Nick [raises middle finger]… You can imagine what I just said."

During MEGADETH's performance at the Rock'N Derby Sunday night, Mustaine asked for a moment of silence in tribute to Menza and closed the band's show by paying an onstage tribute to the fallen drummer. He told the crowd (see video below): "I usually say 'You've been great. We've been MEGADETH.' But Nick, you've been great," Mustaine said while pointing to the sky. "I love you, buddy."

Menza passed away Saturday night (May 21) while performing with the band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California. He was 51 years old.

Nick collapsed during the third song of OHM:'s set. Early reports indicate he suffered a massive heart attack and was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital. No other details are being released at this time.

HELLYEAH's forthcoming fifth album, "Unden!able", will feature a cover version of the song "I Don't Care Anymore", which was written, performed, and produced by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins, having originally appeared on his second solo LP, "Hello, I Must Be Going!" (1982).

According to HELLYEAH guitarist Tom Maxwell, his band's version of the track will feature a special guest. He told the 97.7 WQLZ radio station at this year's Rock On The Range festival: "Dime [late PANTERA guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott] and Vinnie [Paul Abbott, former PANTERA and current HELLYEAH drummer] recorded that track years ago and we went in and dug up his tracks and put it on the record, man. So we've got a little Dime… Dime's on our album."

"Unden!able" will be released on June 3 via Eleven Seven Music. The effort marks the first time HELLYEAH's current lineup — vocalist Chad Gray, guitarists Tom Maxwell and Christian Brady, drummer Vinnie Paul and bassist Kyle Sanders — has recorded together as a unit.

"It's just an honest record, man," Tom stated about "Unden!able". "We just went in there and didn't know what we were gonna do. I was pretty bitter after eighteen months on the road and then having to go directly in the studio. I think we just matured, man. We're writing some of the most savage music, we're digging deep and reinventing ourselves on some things. And it's just exciting, man. We've just got some great songs."

"Unden!able" was produced in Las Vegas at The Hideout Recording Studio by Kevin Churko (PAPA ROACH, ROB ZOMBIE), who previously worked with HELLYEAH on 2014's "Blood For Blood".

"A producer is a very loosely thrown around word," Tom said. "There's a lot of people out there that say they're producers but what they are is just glorified engineers. Kevin is a musician, a songwriter, an engineer… all that stuff. He's a great singer. And working with somebody like that… I mean, yeah, he's known to be the hit guy and he's got all these records, but with us, he treats us very differently, 'cause he knows we're just all about razor blades and fistfights. So he comes in and does his thing with Chad [Gray, HELLYEAH singer], and he lets Chad be Chad. And… I don't know… I mean, for us, he's just like another member of the band."

He continued: "When I worked with him, it was the first time working with a producer that actually is a songwriter, that I could bring one little riff or idea to, and two days later we have this incredible song built. And that's what, to me, is so special about him. And I'll never record with any other producer. I'm done. That's it."

Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE have released an official performance video for the song "You Want A Battle? (Here's A War)". Check it out below.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck revealed to Billboard that "You Want A Battle? (Here's A War)" is about being bullied — something that he experienced a lot while at school because he "was not a really cool kid. I was into heavy metal music and had long hair."

Tuck wrote the track to reassure fans that bullying "happens to everybody, and it's not a nice place to be when that happens. It took me a long time to actually pluck up the courage mentally and physically to stand up for myself, so it was kind of momentous moment for me. I had lost all these battles in my young life, and all of a sudden I was growing into a young man. I was able to stand up for myself and defend myself, and the band actually became something big and special and just like the biggest 'fuck you' to everyone. That's what that song's about, really. It's about going through hard times and coming through the other side."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE recently signed a worldwide deal with Search And Destroy/Spinefarm Records. The band's latest album, "Venom", was released in August 2015 via RCA. The CD marked BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE 's first release since the departure of longtime bassist Jason James and addition of Jamie Mathias (formerly of REVOKER).

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas took a temporary leave of absence from the band earlier this year to spend time with his wife, as they awaited the birth of his first child. Filling in for him was Jason Bowld (PITCHSHIFTER, AXEWOUND).

Tigman of the Q103 radio station conducted an interview with vocalist Phil Labonte of Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS at the inaugural Rock'N Derby festival, which is being held May 20-22 at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds in Schaghticoke, New York. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about ALL THAT REMAINS's planned follow-up to 2015's "The Order Of Things" album, Phil said: "We're working on out eighth record right now. We haven't started recording yet. We're working on the writing process. We start recording in June, and then June and July we'll be in the studio."

He continued: "['The Order Of Things'] came out just about over a year ago; it was in February of last year. So we try and get 'em out every two years or so, so we're looking at probably February or so for the next one."

Labonte also talked about what it's like to be considered one of the forerunners of the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal movement, alongside such acts as LAMB OF GOD and SHADOWS FALL. He said: "It's cool. I mean, the thing is the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal started so long ago… You're talking about something that now it's… arguably it started fifteen years ago or so, or at least that's when a lot of the bands like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, SHADOWS FALL, ALL THAT REMAINS, LAMB OF GOD, GOD FORBID, BLEEDING THROUGH, AS I LAY DYING… all these bands were kind of starting at the same time. So there's been a lot of changes for some of the bands. Some of the bands aren't around anymore. Some of the bands have kind of moved on to do different stuff."

He continued: "Anytime you come up with a trend, which is what it was, you either have to branch out and break the mold of the trend, or else you stand a good chance of going down when the trend kind of goes down, which is why a lot of those bands, they're not around anymore. There's only a few of us left; there's LAMB OF GOD, KILLSWITCH, us, and most of the other bands… UNEARTH still plays, but most of the other bands that kind of came up at the same time are either broken up or they'll do a couple of shows a year, one or two weeks a year or whatever, but it's not their full-time gig. So being able to break the mold and branch out from starting in a scene and starting with a trend, and being able to make a career out of it is probably the coolest thing about coming up with the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal."

ALL THAT REMAINS last year parted ways with bassist Jeanne Sagan and replaced her with Aaron Patrick (BURY YOUR DEAD, DEVILDRIVER).

Tigman of the Q103 radio station conducted an interview with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook and drummer Jeremy Spencer at the inaugural Rock'N Derby festival, which is being held May 20-22 at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds in Schaghticoke, New York. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if he thinks YouTube has played a role in the decline in music sales over the past decade, Hook said: "I think that YouTube represents a place where people can go, 'Oh, remember that song' — whatever it is — and then they just type it into… Where do they go… What is the fastest delivery source? So, yes, in that respect, YouTube has created an immediate delivery for people to hear stuff."

He continued: "Instead of getting all bummed out about it, I think we're just taking it for what it is. And if that's the state of the industry right now, so be it. We're still gonna plow forward and do what we do."

It was revealed last month that FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's label, Prospect Park, filed a lawsuit against the band, accusing it of allegedly trying to violate its recording contract by rushing to make a new album despite the addiction problems of singer Ivan Moody.

The group fired back, calling the suit "the latest in a long line of exploitative and abusive bullying tactics used by our former manager and current label CEO Jeff Kwatinetz to extract money from and wield power against the band."

Amidst all this, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced a new co-headlining arena tour with SHINEDOWN that will kick off on October 18 in Little Rock, Arkansas and run into December. SIXX A.M. and AS LIONS will be along as support.

In a German language interview with Metal.de, Noise Records founder Karl-Ulrich Walterbach retraces his steps in the business (teasing for an eventual history of Noise book). In addition to the missteps surround Celtic Frost's Cold Lake, the other major fiasco of his otherwise storied tenure, was the financial wranglings with the Iron Maiden camp, surrounding upstarts Helloween, once the Keeper Of The Seven Keys albums became a success. Ultimate, the result was Kai Hansen's departure (to start Gamma Ray).

"All went mad and (they) were pop star crazy. Kai Hansen alone maintained contact with the ground." In the aftermath, Walterbach lost much of his enthusiasm for the industry. "I lost all illusions about the music industry and barely had time to take care of creative interests and my bands. Actually, I spent most of the day looking after lawyers, court dates and financiers. Those two years of litigation cost me a lot of energy." Hansen's new outfit also ended up on Noise. "I found his exit understandable and correct. He simply could not cope with (Weenie founder/guitarist Michael) Weikath, who wanted to make pop-metal and be a superstar. He had simply become a megalomaniac. The endless quarrels about whose song should go on a Helloween record pretty much destroyed their relationship."

 

Former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland has commented on the passing of his OHM: bandmate Nick Menza. He said: "There are no words... just to describe what a great guy he was, let alone his creative ability and amazing talent. Not enough words to describe. Just devastated right now."

He continued: "My wife showed me a photo he just Photoshopped from when he was up north, where he looks like atlas holding up that ring. I mean, that's the kinda stuff he did just off the top of his head. I honestly think God ran out of ideas and had to have Nick, like, help him out. Because... why else?

"When I was recently in the hospital, he was on the phone with my wife the whole time, just begging her to make her dinner, asking, 'Can I go get you guys anything? Do you want me to go shopping?' Who does that? You know, there's not enough words to describe."

Added OHM: bassist Robby "Pag" Pagliari: "Stunned. Just stunned. Such a kind generous human being and great dad. Probably the happiest he's been in a long time. He got a chance to see his kids for a couple weeks.

"In a year, we've lost so many talented people — we just lost another one... Great guy, great player, most importantly great guy.

"We're devastated with what happened."

Menza officially joined OHM: last year following the passing of the band's previous drummer, David Eagle, who suffered a heart attack and had open-heart surgery in May 2015.

Below is a professionally shot video of the most recent OHM: lineup performing the song "System of A Clown" from OHM:'s "Circus Of Sound" CD, released in 2008 by Mike Varney's Tone Center Records.

Menza passed away Saturday night (May 21) while performing with OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California. He was 51 years old.

Nick collapsed during the third song of OHM:'s set. Early reports indicate he suffered a massive heart attack and was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital. No other details are being released at this time.

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.

Former SEPULTURA and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera has weighed in on the strange situation regarding AC/DC and singer Brian Johnson. The legendary Australian rock band postponed the last ten dates of its recent North American tour after doctors told Johnson he faced "total hearing loss." AC/DC has since announced that it will use GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose as a "guest vocalist" for all remaining shows this year, with Johnson apparently not returning to the band at all.

Asked by Metal Wani's William Richards for his opinion about the Axl-AC/DC pairing, Max said: "I don't know… It sucks, I think. I like AC/DC, man. They always were outlaws back in Australia. We used to watch 'Let There Be Rock', the movie, as kids in Brazil, and I remember [seeing an] AC/DC album [where they] had jail tattoos and shit. Bon Scott was badass, Brian Johnson was badass. But I don't think Axl really fits AC/DC. AC/DC is more, like, yeah, outlaws, and I don't think Axl is too much of an outlaw to fit in. But I don't know… It's not my band. I don't call the shots."

According to a Billboard.com source, Rose initially met with AC/DC members in Miami and Atlanta back in March. It was then that the decision was made to have Rose join AC/DC on tour. There was also talk of having other singers alternate with Rose, including ex-SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach and Nic Cester of the Australian band JET.

Rose made his live debut with AC/DC on May 7 in Lisbon, Portugal, and by all accounts delivered a triumphant vocal performance as fill-in for Johnson even if he was still confined to a chair onstage due to the broken foot he suffered during a GUNS show last month.