Black Crown Initiate will release their new album, Selves We Cannot Forgive, on July 22nd via Entertainment One Music (eOne). The new track, "For Red Cloud”, is streaming below. It is the first bit of new music we've heard from the band since the release of their previous LP in 2014.

Guitarist Andy Thomas calls the song, "a statement of the psychological enslavement of the modern world, and a tribute to those who resisted being enslaved. We will never become the storm of change that our world needs. Our children will never know what true freedom feels like, and we surely don't, either."

"We've been through a great deal as a band since our last release," says Andy Thomas. "We've grown a great deal as writers, players, and people and put everything we had into this one."

Recorded and mixed by Carson Slovak & Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Texas In July, From Ashes To New) at Atrium Audio Recording Studio’s in Lancaster PA, Selves We Cannot Forgive will be the follow up to the buzzworthy debut LP The Wreckage of Stars released at the end of 2014. The Wreckage of Stars also propelled the band into the international touring act it is today. BCI quickly found themselves on the road with the likes of Behemoth, Deicide, Napalm Death and Voivod.  

Selves We Can Not Forgive, the band’s sophomore album with Entertainment One, is a lean and focused collection that jettisons the extraneous fat found too often within ambitious metal bands, striking a balance between fearless adventurousness and methodical might. It follows The Wreckage of Stars, which together with their self-financed Song of the Crippled Bull EP introduced Black Crown Initiate’s unapologetic exploration of everything from Friedrich Nietzsche and Greek Sophist Gorgias to Hinduism, Buddhism, and indigenous mysticism, with a pragmatic skepticism.

Thomas continues on their new release, “We feel it is a more than fitting next chapter for the band; one that we are truly proud and excited to enter. We hope you all enjoy it too. See you on the road!"

Black Crown Initiate have worked their way into the heavy music community’s collective consciousness with steady determination. Likeminded supporters who made the thrilling discovery of songs like “A Great Mistake,” “The Fractured One,” and “Withering Waves” are rewarded in kind by the continued evolution on Selves We Can Not Forgive. As Black Crown Initiate continuously proves, heavy metal and heavy intelligence don’t have to be mutually exclusive. These men are conjuring an awe inspiring body of work that is as unstoppable as it was inevitable, like existence itself. This is high-minded art delivered with a guttural growl.

Tracklisting:

“For Red Cloud”
“Sorrowpsalm”
“Again”
“Belie The Machine”
“Selves We Cannot Forgive”
“Transmit To Disconnect”
“Matriarch”
“Vicious Lives”

Tour dates:

May
5 -  Winnipeg, MB - Park Theater
6 -  Saskatoon, SK - Obriens          
8 -  Edmonton, AB - Shredmonton Festival
10 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
11 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
12 - Petaluma, CA - Pheonix Theater
13 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
14 - Hollywood, CA - Whisky
15 - Phoenix, AZ - Joe's Grotto
17 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
18 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
20 - Ft Worth, TX - Rail Club
21 - Austin, TX - Dirty Dog        
23 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Hall
25 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum
26 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
27 - Knoxville, TN - The International
28 - Dayton, OH - Oddbody’s
29 - Greensboro, NC - Arizona Pete's

(Photo - Black Crown Initiate Facebook)

Akron, Ohio's If These Trees Could Talk will release their third full-length, The Bones Of A Dying World, on June 3rd worldwide via Metal Blade Records. Featuring 9 instrumental tracks of the quintet's signature post-rock, The Bones Of A Dying World can be pre-ordered in various formats at this location. The new track “Earth Crawler” is streaming below.

Formed in 2005, If These Trees Could Talk has grown tremendously since their humble origins in drummer Zack Kelly's basement as an instrumental project in college. After self-releasing their If These Trees Could Talk EP (2006) and two full-lengths, Above The Earth, Below The Sky (2009) and Red Forest (2012), the group garnered buzz from the global music community, and consequently sold out a three-week European tour in 2012. Music from the band's catalog has also been heard in Sony PS3 titles, and on NBC, MTV, VH1, the NFL, in videos for Vans, and for projects on the Sundance Film Festival. Cumulatively, If These Trees Could Talk has sold over 20,000 copies for their efforts, with 3,000 on vinyl alone across all of their albums. Their upcoming third full-length, The Bones Of A Dying World, promises to be another landmark achievement in the band's career.

"We feel this album 'steps up the sound' in a way that could only come after Red Forest and not before," Mike Socrates (guitar) comments. "The songs were constructed in a much more deliberate and cautious approach. A lot of time was spent on small parts and transitions in order to maximize the full effect of the song as a whole. In a way, we feel like this is the perfect continuation from Red Forest."

Recorded over the past year at NE Meadow Studios in Akron, OH, The Bones Of A Dying World was once again produced and engineered by the band's own Zack Kelly (drums). Mixing duties were handled by Zack Kelly and Freddie DeMarco while the final master was completed by Alan Douches at West West Side Music. For the album artwork, If These Trees Could Talk called upon long-time designer Charlie Wagers, who worked with the band on their past two releases. After four years of fine-tuning these audio and visual components, the quintet is now ready to unleash their Metal Blade Records debut this summer.

The Bones Of A Dying World tracklisting:

“Solstice”
“Swallowing Teeth”
“Earth Crawler”
“After the Smoke Clears”
“The Here and Hereafter”
“Iron Glacier”
“The Giving Tree”
“Berlin”
“One Sky Above Us”

“Earth Crawler”:

“Solstice”:

After The Bones Of A Dying World's release, If These Trees Could Talk will play two special album release shows in their home-state of Ohio (see below for details), with a full US tour planned for September. Stay tuned for more news and dates coming soon.

If These Trees Could Talk album release shows:

July
8 - Rumba Cafe - Columbus, OH
9 - Musica - Akron, OH

If These Trees Could Talk lineup:

Zack Kelly - Drums
Tom Fihe - Bass
Jeff Kalal - Guitar
Cody Kelly - Guitar
Michael Socrates - Guitar

 

Highly complex progressive sci-fi themed metallers, Vektor, will release their new album, Terminal Redux, tomorrow, May 6th worldwide. Terminal Redux is Vektor's third full-length release and the band's first ever concept album, further exploring the themes that first appeared in the lyrics of the title track from their previous album, 2011's Outer Isolation. The album is streaming in full below.

Like the most outlandish and classic concept records of the past - such as Rush’s 2112, Queensrÿche's Operation: Mindcrime and Mastodon’s Leviathan - Terminal Redux mixes fantasy and reality, imagination and fact, and cataclysmic warnings from the future to keep the listener on edge throughout.

Vektor vocalist/guitarist David DiSanto discusses the album's concept: "The story begins with a lone astronaut regaining his memories after being sentenced to an isolation testing program. Near the point of death in his damaged spacecraft, he finds a life-rejuvenating molecule within a stellar nebula that will change the course of his fate and many others. He brings a large haul of his newly discovered prize to the Cygnus regime, a vast galactic empire, in hopes of regaining his status as a high-ranking general. Years of isolation have turned him into a power-hungry tyrant that will stop at nothing to usurp the people who banished him. Through terror tactics and brute force, he incites a coup within Cygnus and gains control. Using the life-rejuvenating molecules from the stellar nebula, he grants the people under his rule extended life. His goal is to achieve perfect, cosmic harmony within his domain and bring balance to the war torn planets: something that no intelligent life-form has ever been able to accomplish."

As well as letting their imaginations flow free lyrically, Vektor have also embraced some unusual audio elements during the recording of Terminal Redux, going as far as to enlist the vocal assistance of a group of Philadelphia soul singers to contribute additional texture to the riff-heavy thrash opus.

Terminal Redux is available to pre-order now on CD and vinyl, including a number of limited signed editions. Reserve your copy now in Europe at this location or in North America here. The album is also available to pre-order now on iTunes.

Terminal Redux was recorded between the band's home studio and Panther Pro-Audio in Philadelphia, with additional mixing courtesy of Byron Filson at Villain Studios in Arizona.

The album artwork was created by Adam Burke. David DiSanto comments: "The cover artwork depicts a scene from the second half of the album. In the distant future, a ravaged space terminal makes a journey to an exploded star known as 'Relic Alshain'."

Tracklisting:

“Charging The Void”
“Cygnus Terminal”
“LCD (Liquid Crystal Disease)”
“Mountains Above The Sun”
“Ultimate Artificer”
“Pteropticon”
“Psychotropia”
“Pillars Of Sand”
“Collapse”
“Recharging The Void”

Album stream:

Trailer:

(Photo - Katy A.D. Photography)

Spinefarm Records are aware that free and wild cult leaders, Electric Wizard, are working on their ninth studio album, with delivery expected in time for a Halloween 2016 release. This is all the information available. The whereabouts of the band and the recording / mixing details are not currently known, but more news should follow in due course.

This new offering will be the follow-up to 2014's Time To Die, and will be the second release on the band's Witchfinder Records imprint, the result of a worldwide deal with Spinefarm Records. Time To Die effectively closed the lid on a particular part of the band's career, and this new album will represent a fresh turn of the turf...

Until that time, get your fix of pure evil when the band perform on August 26th at Psycho Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV.

Relapse Records announce the next chapter in the ongoing series of vinyl reissues for heavy music visionaries Neurosis. In coincidence with the band's 30th anniversary celebrations, Neurosis's seventh and eighth albums A Sun That Never Sets (2001) and The Eye Of Every Storm (2004) will each see a super-deluxe reissue pressed on 180 gram double vinyl and housed in heavy duty 'tip-on' jackets this coming summer. Both titles feature brand-new cover art and will include a digital download of the full record(s). The reissues are set for a June 17th release and are available for pre-order now via Relapse.com here. A trailer showcasing the reissues can be seen below.

A Sun That Never Sets has been out-of-print for over six years on vinyl. The album blends unprecedented beauty and radiance with Neurosis' classic use of dynamics and power. Highly regarded as one of the most important and influential albums of the 21st century, A Sun That Never Sets is the ultimate juxtaposition of life's plain realities - a strong will in a world that inspires weakness. The album can be streamed in full via Bandcamp here.

The Eye Of Every Storm has been out-of-print on vinyl since its original release in 2004 and saw Neurosis further expand their gargantuan sound to new heights with massive textures, gorgeous atmospherics and unprecedented songwriting. An absolute classic in the band's incredible catalog. Stream the album via Spotify here.

A Sun That Never Sets tracklisting:

“Erode”
“The Tide”
“From The Hill”
“A Sun That Never Sets”
“Falling Unknown”
“From Where Its Roots Run”
“Crawl Back In”
“Watchfire”
“Resound”
“Stones From The Sky”

The Eye Of Every Storm tracklisting:

“Burn”
“No River To Take Me Home”
“The Eye Of Every Storm”
“Left To Wander”
“Shelter”
“A Season In The Sky”
“Bridges”
“I Can See You”

Trailer:

Following select career-spanning anniversary performances in San Francisco and Tilburg, NL, Neurosis have been confirmed for a number of appearances at European festivals this summer, including at Brutal Assault Fest in the Czech Republic and Amplifest in Portugal. A full list of upcoming dates is listed below.

August
10 - Brutal Assault Festival - Jaromer, Czech Republic
11 - Festa Radio Onda D'Urto - Brescia Bs, Italy
12 - Rock Altitude Festival - Le Locle, Switzerland
13 - Oya Festival - Oslo, Norway
14 - Arena - Wien, Austria
15 - UT Connewitz - Leipzig, Germany
17 - Patronaat - Haarlem, Netherlands
18 - Pukkelpop Festival - Hasselt, Belgium
20 - Motocultor Festival - Saint Nolff, France
21 - Amplifest - Porto, Portugal

(Photo - Neurosis Facebook)

Tucson, Arizona sludge outfit, North, have spent their entire career, spanning from their formation in 2005 as an instrumental project across various line-up and genre modifications, utilizing compelling visual affects to emphasize their music. The band are eager to reveal a new music video for the single "Primal Bloom”, from their Prosthetic Records debut Light The Way.

Being the first video to feature live performance and staged footage, the trio jested, "We've never been a band that featured ourselves or our image up front, so now the world gets to see how strange we look! "

They continued to reveal the story behind choosing "Primal Bloom" as the video's track stating, "The song itself is one that we singled out, pretty much immediately after it's conception, that was something different for us... something more raw and powerful. From the first time practicing it, we already had visions of a music video behind it. It's something that will pull in someone who has never listened to us before and when they hear it, they will want to hear more."  

Directed by Mac Lawton (YungMac Films), watch the new music video for "Primal Bloom" below:

North have carved out a name for themselves in the underground scene by devoting their spare time rigorously touring across the US and Canada with acts including Deafheaven, Pelican, Neurosis, Caspian, This Will Destroy You, Red Fang, Adai, He Whose Ox Is Gored, Alcest, Primitive Man and most recently alongside Intronaut and Scale the Summit.

The trio have announced that they will make their debut appearance overseas on a thirty date trek across Europe with Rosetta in late June. Full tour dates can be found listed below.

"We're ecstatic to go to Europe with our long time friends Rosetta! We first toured with Rosetta back in 2008 on the East Coast and they were very welcoming, awesome guys to tour with", proclaimed North. "It's always been one of our biggest goals to tour the European continent,now that we're finally achieving that goal it's a huge milestone for the band and gives us something tangible to build on. The way is lit."

Tour dates:
 
June
21 - Brussels, Belgium - Magasin 4
22 - Essen, Germany - Panic Room
23 - Berlin, Germany - Tiefgrund
24 - Gdansk, Poland - B90
25 - Warsaw, Poland - Hydrozagadka
26 - Wroclaw, Poland - Firlej
27 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
28 - Budapest, Hungary - Durer Kert
29 - Cluj Napoca, Romania - Shelter Club
30 - Bucharest, Romania - Control Club

July
1 - Istanbul, Turkey - Peyote Club
2 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Mixtape 5
3 - Skopje, Macedonia - Havana
4 - Belgrade, Serbia - KC Grad
5 - Zagreb, Croatia - Mocvara
6 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Fuga
7 - Innsbruck, Austria - Pmk
8 - Feldkirch, Austria - Graf Hugo
9 - Lucerne, Switzerland - Sedel
10 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Porno Diesel
11 - Marseille, France - Le Molotov
12 - Toulouse, France -Le Saint Des Seins
13 - Bordeaux, France -  Void
14 - Nantes, France - Le Ferrailleur
15 - Paris, France - Espace B
16 - London,  UK - The Underworld
17 - Rouen, France - Hipster Cafe
18 - Bocholt, Belgium - JC De Kouter
19 - Utrecht, Netherlands - dB’s  
20 - Koblenz, Germany - The Jam Club
21 - Leipzig, Germany - Werk 2
22 - Rokycany, Czech Republic - Fluff Fest  
23 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Das Fest
24 - Egna, Italy - Neumarkt @ Point Club
25 - Tolmin, Slovenia - Metaldays Fest
26 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof

The new album from progressive rockers Circa, entitled Valley Of The Windmill, will be released on July 8th. The album is available for pre-order from both Amazon (widget below) and iTunes.

Circa: is a progressive rock band formed by veteran musicians Tony Kaye (original YES keyboard and organ player) and Billy Sherwood (who took Chris Squire's place in YES after his untimely passing in 2015 and who also previously served time in the progressive rock legends) and also features Ricky Tierney on bass and Scott Connor on drums.

Circa: was originally formed in 2007 by Tony Kaye and Billy Sherwood. The band's self-titled debut features YES drummer Alan White and Jimmy Haun on guitar. The follow-up, Circa: Live a special DVD set, archived the band's first ever live performance.

In 2009, Circa: HQ was released with Jay Schellen on drums, followed by the release of Circa: Overflow a collection of bonus material from the first and second recording sessions, available only as a digital download.

Valley Of The Windmill, the new album, includes several extended length songs, and can be described as "super proggy," with influences ranging from classic YES and Gentle Giant, to Porcupine Tree and latter-day Marillion. An absolute must for all prog rock fans.

"It's very exciting to know there's a new Circa: record coming out... We've been working long and hard on it and now we look forward to share it with everyone else," says Billy Sherwood of Valley Of The Windmill.

Valley Of The Windmill tracklisting:

“Silent Resolve”
“Empire Over”
“Valley Of The Windmill”
“Our Place Under The Sun”

Circa: lineup:

Billy Sherwood: Vocals and Guitars
Tony Kaye: Keyboards and Hammond
Scott Connor: Drums and Percussion
Rick Tierney: Bass

 

 

Swiss folk metallers ELUVEITIE announced the departure of drummer Merlin Sutter, vocalist Anna Murphy and guitarist Ivo Henzi.

The band explains in a statement: "We all developed a lot over the last ten years — not only as a band, but also as individuals. And we partly developed in different directions; different goals, wishes and ideas emerged. Over the last years, we all had to deal with interpersonal challenges within the band. Instead of pulling together, our days have rather been shaped by wearing friction and constant clash of interests. And thus we felt that we have become something we shouldn't have; that we've diverged from what ELUVEITIE was always meant to be — a band, a family, a passionate and deep-rooted group of musicians, where heart's blood can flow freely! ELUVEITIE was always meant to be about 'rock'n'roll,' passion and also about 'carrying the torch' of the Celtic spirit. Yet over the years we have partly diverged from our roots, which is not good.

"Each and every single one of us is definitely a passionate musician! But in this group constellation, we seemed to rather cumber, than to inspire each other. The band has suffered from this for a longer time now.

"So we ended up in this painful situation where the mentioned facts have made it impossible to us to continue like this and we came to the point eventually, where we believe, it's best to go separate ways.

"It was a terribly hard decision to make and it hasn't been done carelessly, but with tears and a heavy heart.

"We know that this is tough to handle — for everybody. And we know it sucks badly that things developed this way. Above the fact that this is hard to handle for us personally and emotionally, we are painfully aware of how much it also must disappoint you, our fans... which makes it even harder.

"We do not part from each others in hatred though.

"From our hearts we wish Merlin, Anna and Ivo only the very best for their future ways and also all the best of luck and success for all their further musical projects. For we're sure their musical journey will go on and it will be great. And maybe our ways will even cross again in future, in a different way.

"For us in ELUVEITIE, this now also means a lot to deal with. We do not want to look at it as yet another lineup change! For us, it means to seclude ourselves for a while, to take the inward turn and to recollect. We will go back to our roots and become again what we once have been.

"We will still play the next couple of shows together with Merlin, Anna and Ivo. Their last performance with ELUVEITIE will be the FortaRock festival in Nijmegen (Netherlands) on the 5th of June. So you should grab your chance and come to one of these shows! After that, we will not leave you, our fans, hanging. We promise you to play every single show we have confirmed so far! We will perform with temporary stand-in musicians until our new lineup is ready and we promise to do everything to find the best possible session musicians we can! There won't be 'replacements' — Merlin, Anna and Ivo are unique and not 'replaceable.' Yet we will come on stage with a very strong live lineup — this is a promise."

Merlin, Anna and Ivo have issued a separate joint statement, which reads as follows: "For more than 10 years, 6 studio albums, and nearly a thousand shows in 46 countries on 6 continents, ELUVEITIE has been at the very centre of our lives. We've had the immense privilege to bring joy to fans from around the world, exploring a diverse range of places and cultures few ever get to experience in their lifetime.

"We have now been faced with an impossible situation, and left with no choice but to announce our departure. Personal differences and decisions taken by the remaining members have made it impossible for any of us to continue. None of us wanted to leave ELUVEITIE, and it is important to us that you, the fans, know that disappointing you is the most difficult part in this decision. We can only hope for your understanding. Without your support we would have achieved nothing, and we are eternally grateful for it.

"Chrigel Glanzmann will continue on his path just as we will on ours. Therefore, the music you love will evolve and branch out, and we encourage you to look forward to it. In the meantime, we will give it everything on stage one more time, hopefully with you, while completing the current world tour as well as our last European shows in May and early June. Our last show in Switzerland takes place in Basel on June 3rd, and our final show with ELUVEITIE will follow the same weekend at FortaRock festival in Holland.

"We would like to clarify that Shir-Ran Yinon, ELUVEITIE's amazingly talented current (non-voting) session violin player and our good friend, has not been involved directly in these unfortunate events. She will continue to perform (and kick ass!) with ELUVEITIE for the summer festivals and will then continue on to new adventures as well.

"As for the three of us: our musical journey together is far from over, and we are incredibly excited to share new music with you in the future."

Murphy added more insight on her Facebook page, stating: "It is important for me to share with you my personal thoughts on my departure from ELUVEITIE. I am doing so with great regret, and, to some extent, I myself still struggle to grasp the situation. Yet I must try to express myself honestly and impartially.

"For 10 years, ELUVEITIE has been at the very centre of my life. I did not want to leave, but was left with no other choice.

"The particulars of what happened should remain internal, and I ask you to understand and respect this wish. I can say, however, that grave personal conflict lies at the heart of it. In my view, these conflicts could have only been resolved by taking a break altogether. My corresponding proposal was declined. What's more, essential decisions have been taken without consulting me or giving me the opportunity to take part in the discussion.

"I've thought this through thoroughly and have come to the conclusion that there can be no future for me with the current lineup of ELUVEITIE. This has been an incredibly difficult decision, and one that makes me very sad."

ELUVEITIE's latest album, "Origins", was released in August 2014 via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was once again recorded at New Sound Studio in Pfäffikon, a municipality in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland, with producer Tommy Vetterli (a.k.a. Tommy T. Baron; CORONER/ex-KREATOR guitarist).

SIXX:A.M. members Nikki Sixx and James Michael spoke to BBC News about the band's new single, "Rise", which implores listeners to open their eyes, go against the grain, and stand up against adversity.

"People are saying 'we hate [controversial Republican presidential candidate] Donald Trump,'" said Sixx, but there is "so much negativity coming into the system that people are running away from it.

"Our answer to that is there's never a better time to use your voice than now."

Michael added: "When you look at what's going on in the United States right now, it's one of the loudest, most volatile election years I can remember.

"There's a reason for that. There's a reason people like Donald Trump are getting so much traction. Because he's just saying things very loudly, very boldly. He's not being politically correct. And the reason people are reacting to that type of a voice is they're angry. They're scared on a global level and a personal level. It affects them right down to the dinner table."

Continued Sixx: "You have a lot of people rallying behind that campaign, who are clearly fed up, and clearly engaged and activated. But when you really look at the policies being offered to those people, they don't sync up.

"A lot of people who say 'I like Donald Trump because he speaks his mind,' are following someone who's not really going to act in their best interests.

"That's what we're reacting to."

Asked if they hope other artists will follow suit by recording and releasing protest songs, Sixx said: "How could people not? Because we are under siege. Politics has become reality television. It is ridiculous.

"We have presidential candidates not being presidential at all, saying the most ludicrous stuff and the media regurgitates it, over and over. It is nothing to be proud about. So how can people not stand up and say, 'This is BS'?"

"Rise" is taken from "Prayers For The Damned", the new double album from SIXX:A.M., which was released on April 29 via Eleven Seven Music.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, eight previously unreleased songs from late ALICE IN CHAINS lead singer Layne Staley are currently being restored and properly mixed by Seattle-based audio designer Jesse Holt. The tunes all have vocal tracks from Staley on them and Holt has asked Staley's MAD SEASON bandmate, PEARL JAM guitarist Mike McCready, for help in completing them.

Reportedly among the songs is "Things You Do", which has surfaced online in various forms in the years since Staley died of a drug overdose in April 2002.

ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that there was more to his friend than the way in which he died. "It's unfortunate that that seems to be the only headline that gets equated with him, because there was so much more to him than that," he said. "Not taking away the fact of the reality of what that is, and how it ended, everybody knows that too. But there's a whole lot more to the story."

Before his death, Staley had planned to work on a solo album and also intended to record vocals for a song by metal outfit TAPROOT. The demo of the song was in Staley's CD player when he was found dead.

There are also rumors that Staley was going to audition for the band that eventually became AUDIOSLAVE. He had reportedly gotten a call from the instrumental members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE about singing with them, but never made it. SOUNDGARDEN's Chris Cornell took the job instead, recording three studio albums with that act.

The source for the eight songs was not made immediately clear by Holt, and it is also not clear if there is any chance of them being released.

ALICE IN CHAINS was inactive for several years before and after Staley's death, but regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall on guitars and vocals. The band has since cut two studio albums and is working on a new one.

NWOBHM heroes Savage have released the official video for "Lock N Load”, a track from their 2015 album, 7. Check it out below:

      

Savage released 7 via Minus 2 Zebra in late 2015. Included with the double-album is a live performance disc titled Live N Lethal. The album can be purchased at this location.

Savage has also announced several upcoming live appearances:

May
21 - Real Time Live - Chesterfield, UK

September
24 - Heavy Metal Maniacs Festival - P60, Amstelveen, Holland

October
15 - British Steel Saturday Night Festival #5 - Fismes, France   

December
3 - O2 Academy - Sheffield, UK

The official video for the song "Cry No More" from melodic progressive metal masters LORDS OF BLACK can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's second album, "II", which was released on March 18 via Frontiers Music Srl.

LORDS OF BLACK is the band formed by world-class singer Ronnie Romero, renowned guitarist Tony Hernando and monster drummer Andy C. Their vision was to form a metal band with a modern approach blended with catchy, melodic and progressive elements.

After months of intense and hard work on the songs, LORDS OF BLACK independently released its acclaimed self-titled debut which was co-produced by Roland Grapow (MASTERPLAN, ex-HELLOWEEN). Metal Hammer Spain deemed it "the best metal album released in Spain this year."

LORDS OF BLACK supported the release with a series of very successful live shows, some of them as "very special guest" for high-profile international acts. Then the news of Ronnie Romero joining the new incarnation of RAINBOW broke out. This brought the band to the attention of the international media, with RAINBOW legend Ritchie Blackmore describing Romero's voice as "a cross between Ronnie James Dio and Freddie Mercury."

However, now LORDS OF BLACK are ready to conquer the world with "II", an album which will blow the minds of fans of modern melodic metal. Once again co-produced, mixed and mastered by Roland Grapow, the disc is not only the follow-up to LORDS OF BLACK's outstanding and acclaimed debut album, but is an album with superbly crafted songs that will instantly become absolute metal classics.

"The new album, being the follow-up to a first record that was so greatly received, had to get to a higher place," says Tony Hernando. "After an intense year of writing and producing, along with the live performances, we came up with songs that are still deep and complicated in some arrangements, but have been written with the live performance in mind… The quest was to come up with something that artistically was meaningful for us as musicians and at the same time could catch the attention of the listeners. We really hope you enjoy this new album and come with us for a great ride!"

Tracks like "Merciless", "Everything You're Not", "Insane", "New World's Coming" and "Shadows Of War" showcase the heavy and complex yet very melodic style of the band. The song "The Art of Illusions Part III: The Wasteland" is the conclusion to the trilogy that commenced on the debut album, while the song "Cry No More" is inspired and dedicated to the late, great, Phil Lynott.

"II" track listing:

01. Malevolently Beautiful (Intro)02. Merciless03. Only One Life Away04. Everything You're Not05. New World's Comin'06. Cry No More07. Tears I Will Be08. Insane09. Live By The Lie10. Die By The Truth11. Ghost Of You12. The Art Of Illusions Part III: The Wasteland13. Shadows Of War14. Lady Of The Lake (RAINBOW cover, bonus track CD edition)15. Innuendo (QUEEN cover, bonus track digital edition)

Regarding how he landed the RAINBOW gig, the Chilean-born Romero told Rafabasa.com: "I don't know from how long they had me on their list, but they contacted me some months ago, at the beginning of summer, to tell me about a chance to an audition . I deeply remember that 'day one' and that first 'hi,' been doing your daily activities and receive an email from Ritchie Blackmore himself is quite hard to assimilate, after a few days days, even weeks."

Romero also talked about Ritchie's recent description of his vocal style as "a cross between Ronnie James Dio and Freddie Mercury." He said: "I just think about how lucky I feel, not just to get the gig, but how the hell they found me. Having so many good singers worldwide. From the first contact, I just tried to give my best to get it. I always believed in myself, and with the support of my family and close friends, even more. About his words, I just can be thankful, he put the bar quite high with his description. [Laughs] But I'm also glad with his confidence on me to this huge task."

"Don't Walk Away From A Goodbye", a brand new song from legendary hard rock vocalist Joe Lynn Turner's (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) SUNSTORM project can be streamed below. The track is taken from SUNSTORM's fourth album, which will be released on May 13 via Frontiers Music Srl.

SUNSTORM is Joe Lynn Turner's successful AOR/melodic rock project, something that came about for the first time in 2006 when Frontiers president Serafino Perugino wanted to dig up some unreleased gems that Turner wrote during the late '80s and early '90s.

The very good reviews and acclaim which surrounded the debut self-titled release was the fuel that ignited three more records, until the project was momentarily shelved when Joe started working on the RATED X supergroup with Tony Franklin and Carmine Appice.

After the release of the RATED X album, Joe wanted to go back to the more melodic material of SUNSTORM, but also wanted to retain some of the harder edge which the RATED X album had. So he asked producer and songwriter Alessandro Del Vecchio (HARDLINE, EDGE OF FOREVER) to come up with some new songs in that vein. Del Vecchio joined forces with Simone Mularoni, guitar player of Italian prog metallers DGM. Together they developed songs which were exactly what Joe wanted, so it was a natural process to move forward and record another SUNSTORM album. As usual, other songwriters, such as Soren Kronqvist and Daniel Palmqvist completed the array of individuals involved.

Joe Lynn Turner said: "This new SUNSTORM album is the best of the series! We went harder... stronger... and heavier than ever before without losing the integrity of what the project is about... I call it melodic metal! The songs are very well crafted, the messages are profound, the performances amazing.. and the sound is incredible! All involved can be very proud of such a great music. I urge anyone who loves great music to check out 'Edge Of Tomorrow'; you won't be disappointed!"

"Edge Of Tomorrow" track listing:

01. Don't Walk Away From A Goodbye02. Edge Of Tomorrow03. Nothing Left To Say04. Heart Of The Storm05. The Sound Of Goodbye06. The Darkness Of This Dawn07. You Hold Me Down08. Angel Eyes09. Everything You've Got10. Tangled In Blue11. Burning Fire

Joe Lynn Turner recently traveled to Vikos Gorge in northern Greece to film a video for the song "Edge Of Tomorrow" with director Menelaos Sykovelis.

Regarding why he chose Vikos Gorge as the location for his new video, Joe told Epirus Gate (see clip below): "'Edge Of Tomorrow' is basically a lyric about the apocalypse that's happening right now and the geopolitical situation in our world. So I came to Greece, and I came to Vikos canyon, the deepest and longest canyon in the world, the canyon of the Gods. This is where all of civilization started. With the golden eagle that Zeus would use and have on his hand, he flies with us. He represents the freedom that people should have instead of the enslavement which the world has become from the geopolitical powers."

He continued: "When I spoke to the producer and director, Menelaos, who, actually, his name comes from the king of Sparta… He's a visionary and an incredible artist, and he knew that this particular location was where we should do this, where we should show the world what is happening in symbology, in symbolic form.

"So watch this video, set yourself free and know that Vikos canyon, the canyon of the Gods, is here for you. See the spectacular, most amazing place on Earth."

SUNSTORM is:

Joe Lynn Turner: Lead VocalsAlessandro Del Vecchio: Hammond Organ, Keyboards, Backing Vocals Simone Mularoni: GuitarNik Mazzucconi: Bass Francesco Jovino: Drums

Long-running German metallers GRAVE DIGGER will enter the studio in June to begin recording their new album for an early 2017 release.

The band will support fellow Germans BLIND GUARDIAN on a North American tour this fall.

GRAVE DIGGER's last CD was "Exhumation - The Early Years", a 35th-anniversary album containing re-recorded versions of the band's "absolute classics with a dynamic and powerful sound of 2015," according to a press release.

In a 2014 interview with Metal Blast, GRAVE DIGGER frontman Chris Boltendahl stated about the band's longeviety: "This is the kind of music that I wanted to do when I was 12. When I was 18, I wanted to be a metal star. I worked hard for that, and I've always believed in the music I make. We've always gone our own way through the metal scene, and that's what has allowed us to be here. We are here, stronger than ever!"

Boltendahl also credited GRAVE DIGGER's strong work ethic for giving the band the inspiration to keep going, even in the hardest of times.

"We are Germans; we are very hard-working guys," he said. "We have a very straight kind of thinking, so if we start with something, we really want to carry on with it until the end. That's the magic of GRAVE DIGGER; we're always working hard. Our career goes up and down, we have good times and bad times, but we never think about stopping. We always want to give people the best we can do."

GRAVE DIGGER's last collection of all-new material, "Return Of The Reaper", was released in July 2014 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded at Principal Studios (KREATOR, IN EXTREMO, GRAVE DIGGER) in Senden, Germany.

Sebastian Bach has traded verbal jabs with a writer over a negative review of the former SKID ROW singer's recent concert in Georgia, calling the critic a "complete loser" and telling him to "stay the fuck away from me if you know what's good for you."

Bach kicked off his "An Evening With…" U.S. tour on April 27 in Jacksonville, Florida. The trek sees the singer changing up the set he has performed for years by going for a more "stripped down" approach.

Don De Leaumont attended the second show of Bach's tour — which took place on April 28 show at 37 Main in Johns Creek — and posted a review of the gig on The Great Southern Brainfart web site. In the article, which can be read in its entirety at this location, he described Bach's vocals as "so off key that I was waiting for Randy Jackson to come out saying, 'Yo dawg, that was a little pitchy.'" The writer went on to say: "It was really painful to see how this guy who at one time was one of my favorite metal singers in one of my favorite metal bands reduced down to such a circus side show. Even his band for the most part all had this look of disdain on their faces like they were barely happy to be even picking up a pay check from this gig."

After De Leaumont posted a link to his review on the The Great Southern Brainfart Facebook page, Bach personally responded in the comments section, calling the author of the article an "asshole" and adding, "Stay the fuck away from me if you know what's good for you." The singer went on to say: "I will tell every band I know to keep you off the fucking list of every show that you ever want to get into." De Leaumont and Bach then exchanged a number of insults in the comments below the writer's original post, with De Leaumont telling Sebastian: "I'm sorry dude but I was a fan. A HUGE fan. I've always gone to bat for 'Slave To The Grind' and defended that era of SKID ROW but man, let's face it. You don't have it anymore. You rely on vocal effects (very obvious) and your a pretentious douchebag. The truth hurts obviously." Using what appears to be his personal Facebook account — under his real name, Sebastian Bierk — Bach responded to De Leaumont, saying: "Yeah that was the reaction from the video clip of 'My Michelle' that I did on stage with Axl Rose last week. That I've lost my voice. Go fuck yourself. I will post video from this exact show you were at and you will look like the complete loser that you are."

Sebatian's "An Evening With…" tour is scheduled to end on June 3 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bach will follow the trek with the release of his long-awaited memoir, "18 And Life On Skid Row", due out June 28 on Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Axl Rose has made his first on-camera appearance with AC/DC in a new video promoting the band's upcoming show in Lisbon, Portugal.

The short clip features Axl, Angus Young and bassist Cliff Williams sitting in their rehearsal studio and inviting Portugese fans to the first rescheduled date of their "Rock Or Bust" world tour.

"Lisbon, here we come," says Young in the video. "We're really excited to be here in Portugal. We're here to give you a great rock show, so we we hope to all see you all there."

"Absolutely," adds Rose. "We are very excited to be there."

"And we'll see you on Saturday," says Williams.

Rose told NME about the prospect of joining AC/DC and what it means to him: "It's a challenge, and I wanna do right by the band and the fans."

As previously reported, approximately 7,000 AC/DC fans who bought tickets to see the band on May 16 at Werchter Festivalpark in Werchter, Belgium have asked for their money back because they don't want to watch Rose on lead vocals.

Promoter Live Nation said that the disappointed fans had until Monday night (May 2) to claim a refund.

The newly released seats were then first made available to those people who were previously on the waiting list for the event, with the remaining 6,000 tickets once again going on sale to the general public.

The park can hold up to 88,000 people although it is not known how many tickets were sold for this show.

The show is one of twelve European dates AC/DC will perform with the GUNS N' ROSES frontman on lead vocals after singer Brian Johnson was ordered to stop touring or risk going deaf.

A similar refund offer has been made available on some of the other dates on AC/DC's European tour, which kicks off on Saturday (May 7) in Lisbon and runs through June 12 in Aarhus, Denmark.

Following that, Rose will head out on his previously announced summer reunion tour with GUNS N' ROSES. AC/DC's ten postponed U.S. dates will take place later in the year, also with Rose as frontman, and the refund policy on those shows has not been revealed.

Former SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison has launched a new band called VIMIC. He is joined in the group by singer Kalen Chase Musmecci, who has toured with KORN as a backing vocalist and percussionist, and Joey's former SCAR THE MARTYR bandmates Jed Simon (guitar), Kyle Konkiel (bass) and Matthew Tarach (keyboards).

VIMIC recently completed work on its debut album, "Open Your Omen", with producer Kato Khandwala, who has previously worked with THE PRETTY RECKLESS and WE ARE THE HARLOT. The CD will be released later this year via Roadrunner Records.

A VIMIC song called "Simple Skeletons" was premiered on SiriusXM Liquid Metal earlier today and can be streamed at this location.

VIMIC, Jordison explained, was born from the blueprint of his previous band SCAR THE MARTYR, which he worked on during his off time from SLIPKNOT. After his exit from SLIPKNOT, he took some time to think about what he wanted to do with his music career going forward.

"Basically, [after] my departure from SLIPKNOT, [I was] readjusting what I wanted to do musically with the rest of my career, and just kind of reforming my thoughts on what I wanted to do, I decided that I really wanted to start fresh, man," he told SiriusXM's Jose Mangin. "I did not want to keep rehashing some old ideas and stuff like that. I'm, like, if I'm gonna keep going, I really wanna just break loose and I just wanna wipe the slate clean and start fresh. So I renamed the band and I got a new singer and I got a new keyboard player. There's three other members that still exist from the SCAR THE MARTYR lineup."

He continued: "We just went into the studio. Like, no stress — we went down to the basement and we just started demoing material, and everything really started clicking. And demoed probably about forty songs. So as soon as we got done with probably about a good twenty of 'em, of course, we shopped it to the label and all that stuff, and kind of got on page with them with what they liked, what we thought we could improve on, and kind of went back to the drawing board, as most bands do, and kind of kept going at it. So we went into the studio with Kato Khandwala and we just started hashing it out, man. [It was] kind of old school; we didn't have too much pressure from the label. We just went in, like, 'Let's just go back to just getting in the studio, jamming as a band, getting together with our instruments, and not having anything too formulated and just creating from the ground up."

Joey added: "One of the coolest things about creating this record was it was really old-school style, and that's one of the biggest results out of the final product, and we're totally proud of it, man. We're excited about it."

There is no set release date yet for VIMIC's debut album, according to Jordison, who is the only member of the band based in Des Moines, Iowa. "Right now we're juggling a couple of different release dates," he said. "We just wanna make sure, in this day and age, that everything lines up with other releases and also… We just got done with all the videos and everything, and all the production is pretty much finished. So we just wanna make sure that everything is lined up correctly, so the timeline absolutely strikes at the perfect time and everything lines up correctly. So it's a little bit of a strategy and it's a little bit of a puzzle, but it always works out, and I think we're just about there."

Asked if there are plans for VIMIC to hit the road in support of "Open Your Omen", Joey said: "Absolutely. You can rush stuff and just get out there to get out there, but I'd rather take the time and make sure everything is just perfectly lined up. We just wanna make sure that we're doing the right thing at the right time. And everything looks to be going good. So we're gonna be on tour here pretty soon. Everything is looking positive, man."

VIMIC is:

Joey Jordison - drums, percussionJed Simon - guitar, backing vocalsKyle Konkiel - bass, backing vocalsMatthew Tarach - keyboardsKalen Chase Musmecci - lead vocals

SLIPKNOT announced in December 2013 that it had parted ways with Jordison, one of the band's founding members and key songwriters. SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor told Metal Hammer that firing Jordison after 18 years was "one of the hardest decisions" the group ever made, adding that Jordison is "in a place in his life" which is "not where we are." Taylor said he could not get into specifics for legal reasons, but admitted, "It's when a relationship hits that T-section and one person's going one way and you're going the other. And try as you might to either get them to go your way or try and go their way, at some point you've got to go in the direction that works for you. This is me speaking in the broadest terms, with respect to Joey. I guess to sum it up, it was one of the hardest decisions we ever made."

Taylor said that the band is "happy right now and we hope that he is . . . he's just in a place in his life, right now, that's not where we are."

The singer would not answer whether drug use played a role in Jordison's dismissal, and confessed that he had not been in touch with his former bandmate. Taylor said, "I haven't talked to Joey in a while, to be honest. That's how different we are. It's not because I don't love him and I don't miss him. And it is painful; we talk about him all the time, but at the same time, do we miss him or do we miss the old him? That's what it really comes down to."

SLIPKNOT's new drummer is Jay Weinberg, son of longtime Bruce Springsteen drummer Max Weinberg.

HELLYEAH's official music video for "Human", the first new track from the band's forthcoming fifth album, "Unden!able", can be seen below. The clip was directed by Robert Sexton, who has worked with SOULFLY, DEATH ANGEL, THE DWARVES and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, among others. Sexton previously collaborated with HELLYEAH on the "Hush", "Sangre Por Sangre (Blood For Blood)" and "Moth" videos.

"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, promising a very special return to their true metal roots.

"Unden!able" was produced in Las Vegas at The Hideout Recording Studio by Kevin Churko (PAPA ROACH, ROB ZOMBIE), and showcases everything that the band’s fans have come to know and love in a more focused, concise, and powerful sound, with Churko co-writing all songs.

The album art by William Felch and Chad Gray features a predatory, gleaming eye with an exclamation point pupil — the ultimate signifier of what’s inside: anger, pain and a hyper-focused, high octane, heavy metal collection for the ages.

Maxwell offered: "There's a lot of new stuff coming out that we've never tried before, and a lot of heavy shit… It's gonna be moody, it's gonna be dark, it's gonna be crushing, it's gonna be heartbreaking, it's gonna be everything. So it's going to be a proper take-off from our last record, but with a lot of new surprises, musically and lyrically. We are moving forward with the path that we've taken with 'Blood For Blood'. It's a really, really savage album, and we’re really excited for fans to hear it."

"Unden!able" will be available just in time for HELLYEAH's upcoming "Hell Pop Tour" with IN THIS MOMENT, which starts on June 18 in Des Moines, Iowa. This run will follow HELLYEAH's "We're All In This Together" headlining tour which also features ESCAPE THE FATE, NEW YEARS DAY and FROM ASHES TO NEW.

Fans who purchase tickets from participating venues for the "We're All In This Together" tour receive a free tour eight-track sampler — comprised of two songs from each band, including "Human".

"Unden!able" track listing:

01. !02. X03. Scratch A Lie04. Be Unden!able05. Human06. Leap of Faith07. Blood Plague08. I Don't Care Anymore09. Live Or Die10. Love Falls11. 10-3412. STARTARIOT13. Grave

"Loser", a brand new song from Columbus, Ohio's BEARTOOTH, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Aggressive", which will be released on June 3 via Red Bull Records.

In the two short years since their debut album was cooked up in frontman Caleb Shomo's basement, BEARTOOTH has catapulted into heavy music's stratosphere. They have collected over ten million views on YouTube, trekked around the globe sharing the stage with SLIPKNOT, PIERCE THE VEIL, BRING ME THE HORIZON and SLEEPING WITH SIRENS and playing festivals like Reading and Leeds, Download and the Vans Warped Tour.

For "Aggressive", Shomo again retreated to his home studio to write, perform and produce the album's twelve tracks, re-teaming with John Feldmann (THE USED, BLINK-182) for a bit of songwriting contribution and enlisting David Bendeth (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, PARAMORE) to mix the release. The resulting songs have as much in common with stomping metalcore as old-school punk, vintage screamo and harder-edged pop punk, combining circle pit-inducing bangers with soaring choruses and bridging raw authentic intensity with accessibility.

"Aggressive" track listing:

01. Aggressive02. Hated03. Loser04. Fair Weather Friend05. Burnout06. Sick Of Me07. Censored08. Always Dead09. However You Want It Said10. Find A Way11. Rock Is Dead12. King Of Anything

The video for the "Aggressive" title track can be seen below.

Grammy Award-winning Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS return with a new single, "Dark Necessities", which is released around the world today via all digital retailers. The track is the first song to be released from the Los Angeles-based band's upcoming 11th studio album, "The Getaway", due on June 17 via Warner Bros. Records. Fans who pre-order the album at will receive an instant download of "Dark Necessities". The album was produced by Danger Mouse and mixed by Nigel Godrich. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' previous album, "I'm With You", was released in 2011 and topped the charts in 18 countries. "The Getaway" track listing:

01. The Getaway02. Dark Necessities03. We Turn Red04. The Longest Wave05. Goodbye Angels06. Sick Love07. Go Robot08. Feasting On The Flowers09. Detroit10. This Ticonderoga11. Encore12. The Hunter13. Dreams Of A Samurai

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS will perform at a variety of music festivals around the world this summer, including headlining Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 30.

Rising metal band DEATH DIVISION has released a new single and video for "The Truth" ahead of upcoming tour dates throughout the Midwest and Southeast U.S. The single is off to a fast start at Active Rock radio, with 24 adds in the first two weeks.

"The Truth" is taken from DEATH DIVISION's new EP, "Angels Of The Black Dawn, Part One", which will be released on June 24. The effort was recorded at the EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California and was produced by DEATH DIVISION bassist Jerry Montano (THE DEADLIGHTS, NOTHINGFACE, DANZIG, HELLYEAH). Mixing and mastering duties were handled by Gus Cryns (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, STITCHED UP HEART, ESCAPE THE FATE, FOXY SHAZAM).

Montano says: "The new EP was written at a time when I was at a serious crossroads in my life. I had just ended a 20-plus-year relationship with alcohol and drugs. I was awakened by the realization of where I was in life as an addict who had fallen and lost it all, including my will to carry on. I had a choice to make, one that many have never come back from. You would be surprised when faced with life or substance abuse and certain death what some would choose."

He adds: "['The Truth'], to me, is about facing my demons, accountability for the past and for hope of a better way forward. In my heart, this song is about redemption."

DEATH DIVISION was formed in 2012 by Montano and lead vocalist/guitarist Sean De La Tour. Drummer Alex Rivas joined the band in 2015.

In 2013, DEATH DIVISION released its debut independent EP, "We Are The Fallen", and caught the attention of MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine and his son Justis, who were impressed and offered the band the opening slot on Gigantour alongside MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DEVICE, NEWSTED and HELLYEAH. The following two years have been productive ones for the band, as they have been touring extensively to grow and establish their fanbase. The touring has paid off: they captured the attention of METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, who invited the band to take part in his Fear FestEvil show and convention.

"Everything I have learned has led up to this moment, every victory and defeat…is born of the perfect storm," says Montano. "Every life lesson, every tear and drop of blood is in this one."

DEATH DIVISION tour dates:

May 13 - The Looney Bin - Bradley IL.May 14 - The Tree - Joliet, ILMay 15 - Whiskeys - Rockford, ILMay 17 - Opinion Brewery - Minneapolis, MNMay 18 - Rick's Bar - Fargo, NDMay 19 - Rock Point - Mandan, NDMay 20 - Z Bar - Spearfish, SDMay 21 - Shamrocks - Omaha, NebraskaMay 22 - Afterlife - Algona, IAMay 25 - [to be announced] - St. Louis, MOMay 26 - Shots - Rolla, MOMay 27 - The Empourium - Jackson, TNMay 28 - Twisted Spoke - Pekin, ILJun. 01 - Madison Live - Covington, KYJun. 02 - The Dog House - Hagerstown, MDJun. 03 - [to be announced] - Kent, OHJun. 04 - Dillinger's - Bucyrus, OHJun. 09 - Muncheez - Bekley, WVJun. 10 - Drunk Horse - Fayetteville, NCJun. 11 - The Wizard - Hickory, NCJun. 16 - Harmonious Monk's - Jacksonville, FLJun. 17 - Atmosphere - Tallahassee, FLJun. 18 - The Corner Pub - Slidell, LAJun. 22 - [to be announced] - Dallas, TXJun. 23 - [to be announced] - Lubbock, TX

AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler took part in an intimate concert performance, "Steven Tyler...Out On A Limb", on May 2 at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall in New York City. The award-winning director Brett Ratner and the legendary frontman collaborated on a unique experience to benefit Janie's Fund, Tyler's charitable initiative to help girls overcome the trauma of abuse and neglect.

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

Named after his hit song "Janie's Got A Gun", Janie's Fund is a collaboration between Tyler and leading non-profit organization Youth Villages established to help girls overcome the trauma of abuse and neglect. Launched in November 2015, Janie's Fund offered a historic 54 days of impact coinciding with the 26th anniversary of the release of the song.

"Steven Tyler...Out On A Limb" showcased in-depth stories and insights on stage from recounts of his piano upbringing to trials and tribulations of life with his band. Backed by his Nashville-based band LOVING MARY, Tyler led the crowd on a time-traveling journey from his musical ancestors in Calabria, Italy all the way to Route 440 and Nashville's country music.

Prior to the concert, Tyler said: "I'm digging deep and finding some real buried treasure for this one. I've never performed quite like this before. I'm telling it like it is and getting to perform with some extremely talented musicians and dear friends from Nashville. For this show, we're taking it up close and personal and truly going... out on a limb."

One of music's most recognizable and dynamic performers, Tyler has been cited by Rolling Stone as "one of the greatest singers of all time." Tyler and AEROSMITH have sold more than 150 million records worldwide and he has won four Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards and an Emmy Award. In addition to having nine number one hits, AEROSMITH has received 25 gold, 18 platinum and 12 multi-platinum album certifications. Tyler's highly-anticipated upcoming solo album is scheduled for release later this summer on Big Machine Label Group's Dot Records. His current single, "Red, White, & You", is available now.

Accomplished comedian Jim Breuer understands that comedy and heavy music have long made for great bedfellows. On his first musical full-length, "Songs From The Garage", Breuer delivers both in his inimitable style with longtime backing band THE LOUD & ROWDY. Due on May 27 via Metal Blade, the CD was produced by VOLBEAT/ex-ANTHRAX guitarist Rob Caggiano and features Brian Johnson (AC/DC) on two tracks.

The official video for the song "Thrash", taken from "Songs From The Garage", can be seen below.

Breuer says: "Going into the record, the music had to be killer and have great hooks — that was most important — and I wanted to balance that with something that's funny. I wanted to bring the smile back to hard rock that has a nice punch to it." From crunchy opening romp "Thrash" through the swaggering "Who's Better Than Us?!" to the gloriously deranged excitement suffusing "Sugar Rush", his exuberance is infectious, and he challenges you to keep your ass from shaking and the corners of your mouth twitching while it thunders from the speakers.

Backing Breuer up is THE LOUD & ROWDY with Mike Tichy on drums, Joe Vigliotti on bass, and Metal Mike on guitar. Initially known as the JIM BREUER BAND, without even having a record under their belt, it did not take long to turn a lot of heads. After finding themselves on massive festival stages, the band headed into three different studios to record — Metrosonic Studios Brooklyn, Clear Track Studios and Sonic Debris Recording Studio. With Caggiano on production and guitar duties, the album was filled with eleven musically badass tracks featuring lyrics that are not only funny but also relatable, reflecting Breuer's position in life: "A dad with three kids who loves family life yet is still a metalhead at heart."

The inspiration for all of this comes from Breuer's adolescent immersion in the world of heavy music, falling in love with JUDAS PRIEST and AC/DC, alongside the likes of SCORPIONS, OZZY OSBOURNE, METALLICA and VAN HALEN. The fire to start a band was soon lit under him, though he wouldn't begin his musical career until he was older. Having finally made the album that has been burning to get out of him since his teens, Breuer couldn't be happier with the result. Though he has fulfilled one rock and roll dream with its completion, it certainly does not mean he's about to kick back and leave it at that.

"I plan on making great, funny videos for every song and have videos up during the concerts," he says. "I want pure entertainment when you come see this live, and now my rock and roll dream is to play this not only here in America, but anywhere else in the world that will accept it! I'm taking it one day at a time, living the dream."

"Songs From The Garage" track listing:

01. Thrash02. Raising Teenage Girls03. Old School04. Be a D**k 2nite05. My Rock n Roll Dream *06. Mr. Rock n Roll *07. Who's Better Than Us?! 08. Family Warrior09. Sugar Rush10. Wannabe11. The Unexplained

* Vocals by Brian Johnson (AC/DC)

MEGADETH played a special USO (United Service Organizations) show earlier tonight (Wednesday, May 4) at Slade Cutter Athletic Park in Norfolk, Virginia. The band also made its first USO visit aboard the carrier George Washington. Check out video footage and photos below.

Drummer Chris Adler was unable to join MEGADETH at the event due to his commitments with LAMB OF GOD and was temporarily replaced by Tony Laureano (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, ANGELCORPSE), the veteran extreme-metal skinsman who has worked as MEGADETH's drum tech since 2011.

MEGADETH's current touring lineup is rounded out by Dave Mustaine (guitar, vocals) and David Ellefson (bass) alongside Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

MEGADETH filmed a video for the song "Post American World" late last month. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Dystopia", which came out in January.

"Dystopia" shifted 49,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release. In terms of pure album sales, "Dystopia" opened with 48,000 copies, marking MEGADETH's highest-charting album since 1992's "Countdown To Extinction" debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the chart dated August 1 of that year. "Dystopia" also logged the group's best sales week since 2007, when "United Abominations" landed at No. 8 with first-week sales of 54,000.

Sweden's lauded melodic death/doom metallers and Agonia Records recent signess, In Mourning, will release their new album, Afterglow, on May 20th. A new song, "The Call To Orion", is streaming below. 

The new album’s cover artwork has been prepared by Kristian Wåhlin (Bathory, Tiamat, Amorphis, Dark Tranquillity).

In Mourning commented: "The new album is called Afterglow and its story takes off from where The Weight Of Oceans ends. It’s a bit more complex than our previous albums and it has got a bit of a different sound than the older ones, a bit more alive like a band and maybe not always as studio corrected as our earlier material. However, the foundation of the music is still what we’ve always done and the key elements are pretty much the same but with some new additions and a few new twists and turns of course.”

This will be the first album featuring new drummer, Daniel Liljekvist (ex-Katatonia).

Hailed by many as the heir to Opeth's melodeath throne, In Mourning was formed in the Swedish woods in the year 2000. Since then the band has evolved over the years striving to refine its sound to what it is today. April 2012 marked the release of the bands third and latest album The Weight Of Oceans, a mythology inspired conceptual story that journeys to the sea. Musically, the group blends a broad spectrum of influences into a foundation of melodic death metal. Thrusting from doomy metal-riffs, blasting drumbeats and deep growling vocals to calm breezes of clean flowing melodies and harmonies.

Afterglow was recorded between November 2015 and March 2016 in Nordin Music Studios (drums) and Libra Studios (guitar, bass and vocals). Mixing and mastering duties have been handled by Jonas Martinsson in Necrosavant Studio.

Afterglow will be available in the following formats:
-Digipack CD (with 12 page booklet)
-Jewelcase CD (with 12 page booklet)
-Regular Double Black LP
-Double Orange Crush Transparent LP (hand-numbered to 135 copies)
-Black t-shirt in two different versions
-Digital formats

Find pre-orders at Agonia Records.

Tracklisting:

“Fire And Ocean”
“The Grinning Mist”
“Ashen Crown”
“Below Rise To The Above”
“The Lighthouse Keeper”
“The Call To Orion”
“Afterglow”

"The Call To Orion":

“Fire And Ocean”:

 

“Below Rise To The Above” lyric video:

Lineup:

Tobias Netzell - guitars and vocals
Pierre Stam - bass
Björn Pettersson - guitars
Tim Nedergård - guitars
Daniel Liljekvist - drums

Swedish bassist Magnus Rosén, currently a member of Brazilian metal band Shadowside, made an appearance SVT2, one of the most traditional TV channels in Sweden. He was invited by the program Edit: Parisa Amiri to perform an interpretation of the theme from the famous and enigmatic Game of Thrones TV series.

Magnus's performance was energetic, just like what it used to be like for him on stage during the time when he was a member of HammerFall.

Check out the video performance at the link below:

With Shadowside, Magnus is getting ready to begin recordings of the band's new album in June 2016, which will feature the collaboration of Andy La Rocque (King Diamond) on two songs for the album and the production of Fredrik Nordström (Arch Enemy, Evergrey, Bring me the Horizon, Hammerfall), who produced the band's previous album, Inner Monster Out.. 

For more information visit MagnusRosen.com and Shadowside.ws.

Rosén recently toured Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In the new video below, shot by Abir Hossain, Rosén performs for 800 school students in Bangladesh.

Later this Magnus Rosén will release his new solo album, The World Changes. Rosén enlisted guests like George Keczan, Tony Martin from Black Sabbath, Anders Johansson from Hammerfall and few other famous musicians. Magnus describes the album as having a Nordic flavor.

More details to follow

The Hypothesis, a Finnish band playing modern melodic metal, has released their Origin album. Origin is now available in Spotify, iTunes and other download and streaming services. The Origin –album has already gathered excellent reviews globally and radios around the Europe and US have added The Hypothesis on their playlists. Origin is available on CD and digital.

Tracklisting:

“Shades To Escape”
“Leak”
“End Of Your Days”
“Scarface”
“Exit”
“Atonement”
“Eye For An Eye”
“Weak Story”
“Second Chance”

“Eye For An Eye” video:

(Photo by: Valtteri Hirvonen)

Fractal Cypher exists to captivate audiences with progressive instrumentals that cut through the mesmerizing vocals yet somehow evolving; each listen provides a new perspective. Straight out of the heart of Canada’s metal scene, these Montreal metallers constantly shift their compositions with seamless transitions and theatrical interludes to keep audiences on their toes. Since 2014, ex-Far From Reality members Simon Lavoie (vocals), Ludovick Daoust (keyboard), and Vincent Bruneau (guitar) have dedicated themselves to Fractal Cypher. 

The powerful quintet is just as versatile in their music as they are in their musical interests, darting between djent, death metal, and classic rock. Each song acts of their own volition almost taking control of the members and shaping a personality and energy not unlike a living entity. Ludovick is at the helm of songwriting, calculating and unlocking each melody and becoming the voice for each piece. Their debut album set for release later this year is produced by Chris Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Beyond Creation, Neuraxis) will be comprised of nine songs, each handpicked and strategically chosen to best represent the living, breathing entity that is Fractal Cypher.

Fractal Cypher are giving fans a taste of what’s to come with the premier of their debut track “Prison Plante”, streaming below.

"'Prison Planet' is the first song we wrote when we started the band. Definitely the most straight forward song of the album, with catchy melodies and a conventional structure. I’d say ‘Prison Planet’ is a good blend of what people can expect from the rest of the album. Catchy choruses, heavy riffs, good solos and great melodies. We tried to reach both the progressive and mainstream audience with this song, which offer just enough of technicity and complexity. You just can’t help to bang your head on this one!" comments guitarist Vincent Bruneau.

Tracklisting:

“Lost”
“Endless Circle”
“Shining A While”
“Prison Planet”
“Imminent Extinction”
“Final Abode”
“Awakening”
“Idle Words”
“The Ghost Of Myself”

“Prison Planet” lyric video:

Carl Palmer, among the most renowned drummers in rock history and a founding member of both ELP and Asia, will be presenting a special official tribute show as a special performance during his 2016 Remembering Keith And The Music Of Emerson Lake & Palmer Tour. Originally designed to be a celebration of Palmer’s 50th year in music, the focus and name of the tour was changed in light of the tragic death of Keith Emerson on March 11th.

Legendary Genesis guitarist and solo artists Steve Hackett and Vanilla Fudge keyboardist and vocalist Mark Stein will both join Carl and his band for the tribute show in Miami. 

“I am honored and grateful that these two iconic musicians have agreed to appear at this special tribute to Keith,” says Palmer. “I have been working as an instrumental act since 2001, so this will be different and exciting to have Mark Stein on keyboards and vocals and Steve Hackett on guitar for some of songs.” Also added will be The IDA Program Children’s Choir (led by Liz Quin) who will contribute on the ELP hymn classic, “Jerusalem”.   Acclaimed producer and musician David Frangioni, will also be a special guest during the show.

To honor his late friend and former bandmate, Palmer, in association with Audio One, will present a special show: “Pictures At An Exhibition- A Tribute To Keith Emerson” which will feature music by Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy band with special guests, cinematic images, and performances by The Center For Contemporary Dance, who will interpret the music of Emerson Lake & Palmer in contemporary dance segments combined with backing from Palmer and his band. The tribute show will be staged one night only, Friday, June 24th, at Miami, Florida’s historic and intimate Olympia Theater.

Tickets are available at the Olympia Theater.

Adds Palmer: “I hope this is something all fans of ELP and Keith Emerson will all want to come along and see to help celebrate his music. I had wanted to marry the music of ELP with a contemporary dance interpretation for quite a while. Originally, this event had been scheduled to be a celebration of my 50th year in music and I had invited Keith to come and participate in this and other special events that had been planned in 2016. He told us he was interested, but sadly, fate intercepted these plans. I felt it was imperative that we turn this event into a tribute to him and the music we made together.”          

The Remembering Keith tour features his popular ELP Legacy band and will also highlight his collection of fine art, recently done in conjunction with California’s Scene Four Art Studios.

Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy returns after a successful run of shows this past June, November and December. Palmer will present bold, new arrangements of the best-loved instrumental music of ELP, and other composers. A multi-media experience combining music and video projection, the show promises to be among the most musically compelling tours of the year. Carl Palmer ELP Legacy is a red-hot power trio that features Palmer on drums and percussion; guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and bassist Simon Fitzpatrick.

The tour will also include special art events designed to benefit regional charities which will exhibit and sell canvases from Palmer’s two acclaimed collections: The Rhythm of Light (2014) and A Twist Of The Wrist (2013). The images in these collections are the result of collaboration between Palmer and the acclaimed Los Angeles Art Team, Scene Four and feature a series of signed and numbered prints of stunning visual images constructed by capturing rhythm. The images combine motion, color, and lighting into some of the most compelling fine art visuals ever created. These very limited Palmer art collections are available at Carl Palmer Art.

Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy will play nearly two hours and drum enthusiasts can expect an evening of compelling percussive skills, from the man who brought the drum set to the forefront of rock ‘n’ roll music.

Tour dates:

June
2 – New York, NY – BB King Blues Club
3 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre 1894
5 – Londonderry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall
6 – Wilmington, DE – World Café
7 – Arlington, MA – Regent Theatre
8 – Hamilton, ON – Studio 
9 – Jim Thorpe, PA – Penns Peak
10 – Bay Shore, NY – YMCA Boulton Performing Arts Center
11 – Syracuse, NY – Benefit for Crouse Health Foundation – Palace Theater
12 – Ferndale, MN – The Magic Bag
15 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse
16 – Peekskill, NY – Paramount Hudson Valley Theater
17 – Lexington, MI – Lexington Village Theater
24 – Miami, FL – Olympia Theater (A tribute to Keith Emerson)

July
8 – Agoura Hills, CA – Canyon Club
9 – Indio, CA – The Rock Yard Casion
12 – Dallas, TX – Poor David’s