Conflux (aka The Conflux Collective) has released a teaser/studio video for their upcoming EP, The Inception which is due out on May 3rd. The teaser shows behind the scenes studio footage from the recording session of The Inception and features the song “The Keepers Of Light” with Akurion/ex-Cryptopsy singer Mike DiSalvo providing vocals.

“From the start we wanted to include contributions from other members. Then we got the idea of making it a sort of club where all the members can contribute their original ideas, voices and tone, and individual expression,” commented Tommy Mckinnonon the synergetic nature of the project. “Associations like this in Metal are somewhat rare, but they're even rarer in death metal.”

Chase Fraser adds, "The Conflux collective is definitely an ambitious experiment and we couldn't be happier with the results so far. We're looking forward to sharing what we've been working on and can't wait to record the full length later this year."

The Conflux collective is:
Chase Fraser (Continuum, ex-Animosity, Decrepit Birth)
Tommy Mckinnon (Akurion/Neuraxis)
Mike DiSalvo (Akurion/ex-Cryptopsy)
Derek Engmann (Cattle Decapitation)
Elliot Desgagnes (Beneath The Massacre)
Eran Segal (ex-Aborted)
Matt Mcgachy (Cryptopsy)
Hugo Doyon Karout (Beyond Creation)

Teaser:

"Lucid Hallucinations":

The Inception was mixed and mastered by Chris Bradley (Beneath The Massacre) and Stefano Morabito.

Wisconsin blackened doom metallists' Bereft have announced plans to enter the studio in early May to begin recording material for their debut full-length release, expected out later this fall via Prosthetic Records. 

Consisting of Zach Johnson and Alex Linden on guitars/vocals and bassist Cade Gentry, will make the trek to Backroom Studios in Dover, NJ to begin tracking with producer Kevin Atlassian (Dillinger Escape Plan) on May 17th. The trio have also enlisted drummer Michael Kadnar (Downfall of Gaia, Black Table) to lend a hand in the studio while they continue their search for a full-time drummer. 

Gentry commented, "We're beyond excited to be working with Michael and Kevin and to finally get these songs recorded. This record will be heavier, louder, and bigger and we can't wait for everyone to hear these songs."

Bereft's previous EP, Lost Ages was released by War Crime/Silent Pendulum Recordings. The band has since then been seen across the US playing with acts including Agalloch, Gloom, Downfall Of Gaia, So Hideous and North.

Australia's Sticks For Stones recently conducted an interview with METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On which band was formed first — METALLICA or METAL CHURCH: Kurdt: "[It's] hard to say. METALLICA didn't exist when I was trying to put METAL CHURCH together. And Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] stopped in San Francisco to visit friends, and that's where I met him, I've known Lars longer than he's known James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman]. So... I don't know. It's hard to say. I mean, we were all on the same page. We were all trying to do the same thing, and we were all kind of going in the same direction. He had to move to L.A to go live with his dad, so we never played together or anything, but that's where we became friends."

On whether METAL CHURCH or METALLICA started using the fast, "thrash"-style riffing first:

Kurdt: "I absolutely think we were just on the same page mentally. I mean, there's a lot of people that were. We were all kind of the same age, so we had the same likes in music that we grew up with — the early '70s rock and all that kind of stuff. And then the punk influence started, so we all kind of… We didn't discuss it. It was just kind of a weird, natural progression for all of us. Nobody did it first or last or second, or we weren't competing with each other. This [was] just kind of the pervasive mentality [at that time]."

On whether METAL CHURCH was influenced by the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) bands of the late '70s and early '80s:

Kurdt: "Oh, absolutely. That totally did [influence us]. That had just about everything to do with it. It's, like, we wanted to do that, and that's just where it all started. It's, like, combining the energy and the attitude of punk, but more musical skill. And [I was, like], 'Oh, boy! I'm into that.' 'Cause I was doing the punk rock thing, and that was a lot of fun, and I still liked that, but it didn't have the musicality that I was aspiring to. So [IRON] MAIDEN comes along, and SAXON comes along, and I'm like, 'Oh, boy! Here we go.'… It was a whole new thing, and we felt like we were part of a whole new movement. And it was really exciting; it was really exciting to be part of that."

METAL CHURCH's new album, "XI", debuted at No. 57 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 11,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 31.

"XI", was released on March 25 via Rat Pak Records. Produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and co-produced by Chris "The Wizard" Collier, the band's eleventh studio release also marks the return of legendary vocalist and frontman Mike Howe.

Guitar legend Steve Vai has checked in with the following update:

"When in Vancouver, Devin Townsend picked me up and we were able to spend some hours together. This shot was taken at this extraordinary little bird sanctuary he took me to. It's always so good to connect with him. And wait until you hear the work that he did on my new record, Modern Primitive, that comes out this summer. The song is called 'The Lost Chord' and his work on it is truly brilliant. It's way out there and I'm very excited for you to hear it."

In 1993, Vai conscripted then unknown singer Devin Townsend for his Sex & Religion album and subsequent tour. Townsend went on to launch Strapping Young Lad in 1994 and carve out his own legendary career in the years that followed.

Vai recently spoke with Metallus.it about the 25th anniversary of his classic Passion And Warfare album. To commemorate the release, Vai and Sony Records will issue a 25th-anniversary edition of Passion And Warfare that includes an entire bonus album, which Vai calls "the missing link between Flex-Able and Passion and Warfare."

The full statement from Vai courtesy of Metallus.it and picked up by Guitar World:

"What I’m working right now as we speak, is the 25th anniversary release of Passion And Warfare and in this release I’m putting an extra CD with material that’s never been released. But it’s music the I’ve either recorded or written in between Flex-Able and Passion And Warfare because, if you’re familiar with Flex-Able, it’s a very strange record: I’ve recorded it when I was 20 years old; and if you listen to Passion And Warfare it seems a completely different guy. So what happened in between? Where’s the missing link?

This record that I’m calling Modern Primitive will be in this Passion And Warfare release. It’s really amazing, ‘cause I’ve so much material. Seven or eight songs are already tracked and they just need a couple of finishing touches, then I’m gonna have the old band get together that I had back then just to lay down some other tracks we used to perform in that period. So it’s new music and frankly it’s turning out to be one of my favorite records."

The term “supergroup” gets thrown around on a regular basis these days, however, a new tour featuring some of the greatest guitarists of all time is about to truly give the term a whole new meaning. Introducing: Generation Axe, featuring Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi.

On April 27th, Lita Ford, Halestorm and support artist Dorothy Martin played to a sold out Webster Hall in New York City. Fan-filmed video of Lita, Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale, and Dorthy performing The Runaways' classic "Cherry Bomb" is available below. In addition, footage of Lita and Lzzy performing "Close My Eyes Forever" on the night can also be viewed.

Lita Ford released her latest album Time Capsule via SPV/Steamhammer on April 15th. Check out the album track “Killing Kind”, streaming below.

The very special and unusual recording turns back the clock to a time when honest, down-to-earth rock music was still handmade and recorded without digital tricks and contraptions. Time Capsule is a "throwback" record that boasts identifiable voices and brilliant players jamming without any planning or pressure. Some of the album`s highlights: Billy Sheehan (bass), Rodger Carter (drums), Dave Navarro (mandolin), Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander (backing vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass). The first single, "Rotten To The Core" is streaming below and features KISS' Gene Simmons on bass, former KISS axeman Bruce Kulick on guitar and Rodger Carter on drums.

Time Capsule contains ten songs plus an intro and will be available as a digipak as well as an LP version and download. It's Ford's gift to fans who love the ´80s, when thrilling vocal performances, raunchy riffs, and loud, growling guitars were as essential as oxygen. Time Capsule is available for pre-order via the Amazon widget below.

Time Capsule tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Where Will I Find My Heart Tonight”
“Killing Kind”
“War Of The Angels”
“Black Leather Heart”
“Rotten to the Core”
“Little Wing”
“On The Fast Track”
“King Of The Wild Wind”
“Mr. Corruption”
“Anything For The Thrill”

“Killing Kind”:

In support of Time Capsule, Lita Ford is on tour with Halestorm providing direct support on their North American tour. Select headline dates and festival appearances have also been added. A complete list of dates can be found below.

April (with Halestorm):
29 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theater
30 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room

May
27 - Madison, WI - BratFest**

June
18 - Springfield, MA - MassMutual Center (w/ Bret Michaels, Ratt, Warrant, Trixter)**

* Headline Show
** Festival Appearance

Bloomberg is reporting that lawyers suing members of rock supergroup Led Zeppelin say their client is willing to settle a lawsuit over the band's most famous song - a claim potentially worth millions of dollars - for just $1. The catch is that band members Robert Plant and Jimmy Page would have to give dead rocker Randy California a writing credit on the iconic 1971 rock ballad “Stairway To Heaven”.

Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have said that they would not attend the upcoming lawsuit that is due to take place on May 10th in Los Angeles.

A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that a jury must decide whether Led Zeppelin borrowed the opening licks of “Taurus”, which was recorded by a band named Spirit. The lawsuit was brought in 2014, 43 years after "Stairway To Heaven" was released, on behalf of the late Randy California, Spirit’s guitarist and the composer of “Taurus”. A trust created by his mother and administered by a former rock journalist alleged in the complaint that Page lifted the opening acoustics “Stairway” from an instrumental that California had written in 1966 for his girlfriend. According to trustee Michael Skidmore, Page had asked California to teach him the chords to Taurus in 1969, when the two groups would sometimes tour together.

"Raped By Darkness," the new single from Gruesome's forthcoming EP Dimensions Of Horror is streaming below. 
 
Issues guitarist/vocalist Matt Harvey of the latest track on deck, "'Raped By Darkness' is another tune that has its origins in the Horror section of the video rental places that dotted the landscape of the mid-1980s like zits on a teenage metalhead's face. When I was nine or ten-years-old, it was a never-ending ordeal to convince someone's parent or guardian to rent R-rated, or even better, unrated, horror movies for me and my friends to watch. Sometimes I would just browse the aisles and be captivated by the cover art for movies like Street Trash, Future Kill, and Basket Case, which I never actually got to see until much later. Despite, or maybe because of, their limited availability, I lived for gory flicks like The Toxic Avenger, Re-Animator, Hellraiser, and Evil Dead, which is what this song is based around. In the tradition of great death metal cuts like 'Dead By Dawn,' and the oh-so-subtle 'Evil Dead,' this is an ode to Sam Raimi's horror masterpiece, but ours is lyrically centered around one particular scene - the infamous 'tree rape' bit. 

“The music is, of course, directly modeled after our raison d'etre, Death, particularly the Scream Bloody Gore era that this EP is centered around. When I first discovered death metal, back in 1989 (you know, when dinosaurs and mullets roamed the earth), it resonated with me immediately and very specifically as the audio equivalent of all those VHS movies about the occult, deranged killers, and inter-dimensional fiends. If we've done our job as a band correctly, this EP should transport the listener to those days of low-budget gross-out movies and death metal demos dubbed onto blank tapes and disseminated via the postal service. To fully appreciate the song and immerse yourself in the vibe we're trying to create, we recommend cranking this tune on cassette via a $20 Radio Shack boom box with a Dark Angel sticker on it, while chugging cheap American beer (preferably stolen from someone's parents) in an empty drainage ditch covered in graffiti while passing a joint of skunk weed around with your friends. Join us in some unabashed nostalgia."

Self-produced by the band and recorded with Jarrett Pritchard at New Constellation Studios in Orlando, FL, Dimensions Of Horror is a gruesome salute to Death’s iconic Scream Bloody Gore. and once again features cover art by the legendary Ed Repka (Death, Atheist, Massacre). A six-song slab of grisly, bone-breaking death metal jams, Dimensions Of Horror continues the development of Gruesome’s homage to the founding fathers of the genre and proves that no matter the decade, old-school death metal is always relevant, always savage, and always irresistible.

Dimensions Of Horror is due out May 20th on CD, LP, cassette and digitally worldwide. Preorders are available at Relapse Records.

Tracklisting:

“Forces Of Death”
“Raped By Darkness”
“Amputation”
“Hellbound”
“Seven Doors”
“Dimensions Of Horror”

"Raped By Darkness":

"Forces Of Death":

Trailer:

Shortly before playing at the sold out Halle 02 in Heidelberg/Germany, rock legend Udo Dirkschneider was presented a Sold Out-Award by his manager/booker Frank Süpfle of ITM Agency for the extremely successful Dirkschneider tour, where 31 out of 48 Europe shows were sold out.

“It’s unbelievable, I never expected this tour to be so overly successful,” Udo comments. “It’s beautiful to see how many people walk with me on my personal way of saying goodbye to the Accept chapter.”

The singer with the charismatic voice had his musical breakthrough with Accept in the early ‘80s.

“It’s still so much fun to sing these songs live, they are a part of my biography, but nevertheless it’s about time to turn that page. There was so much talking and speculations about me and Accept, so this is kind of a musical statement from my end – which seems to be very interesting for the fans who came to these shows“.

Due to extremely high demand from fans and promoters, Dirkschneider will continue touring until the end of 2016. After the triumph all over Europe in spring 2016, Dirkschneider will tour in Israel and Japan, doing a lot of summer festivals and then touring US, Russia and Europe in fall and winter 2016.

First dates announced:

November
1 – Oslo, November – Vulcan Arena
3 – Umea, Sweden – Idun
4 – Borlaenge, Sweden – Liljan
5 – Orebro, Sweden - Frimis
6 – Linkoeping, Sweden – Garden
18 – Stockholm, Sweden – Rock At Sea
26 – Moscow, Russia – Stadium Live Club – Aria Fest

December
3 – Vacha, Germany – Vachwerk
8 – Dornbirn, Austria – Conrad Sohm
9 – Brno, Czech Republic – Hala Vodova
11 – Oberhausen, Germany – Turbinenhalle
15 – Nurnberg, Germany – Loewensaal
16 – Memmingen, Germany – Kaminwerk
17 – Karlsruhe, Germany – Schwarzwaldhalle – Knock Out Festival
18 – Solingen, Germany - Cobra

MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx 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" when it resumes its tour next month, with Johnson apparently not returning to the band at all.

Speaking to Post-Gazette.com, Sixx stated about the prospect of an Axl Rose-fronted AC/DC: "I think Axl's got the right voice for that. Brian's a friend. I'm a huge fan of AC/DC from back in the day. I was devastated when Bon Scott passed away and I didn't think they could survive that. Brian means so much to AC/DC. I don't know the inner workings, but if they have to go and do shows, I think Axl's got the right voice."

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.

Fan reaction to Rose replacing Johnson — even temporarily — has been largely negative. The fan site AC/DC Italia announced it was shutting down in protest, while AC/DC biographer Jesse Fink called it "the worst decision AC/DC has ever made. Fans are pretty disgusted... AC/DC is all about the money now."

AC/DC guitarist Angus Young made a guest appearance with GUNS N' ROSES at the Coachella festival in California earlier in the month, to tie in with the official confirmation of Rose's involvement.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has admitted that his band is struggling to prevent scalpers from getting their hands on KISS concert tickets and reselling them at exorbitant prices. He tells the BBC: "I don't like it, but capitalism is capitalism. If you buy a piece of furniture, you're allowed if you sell it for a profit. But we do try to limit that sort of shenanigans. You try to do the best you can but it is a free market system."

He continues: "The nature of money is that people tend to abuse it and when there the chance to make hideous sums on somebody who really wants something, people will take advantage of people."

In 2008, Simmons appeared to support the resale of the band's tickets, telling Ticketnews: "There is no secondary market — there's only the market. That's the reality, and everything else is political jumbling. If somebody wants a ticket, they'll buy it or they won't."

The office of the attorney general of New York released a report in January that that found abuses preventing consumers from buying tickets at affordable prices or sometimes not at all. The report was harshly critical of the practices of ticket brokers, which, it claimed, drive up the cost of live entertainment by controlling most of the tickets released to the public. These brokers have come under increasing scrutiny for snapping up many of the tickets through a variety of means, including the use of "bots," which are computer programs used to purchase concert and sporting event tickets online at rapid speed. Ticketmaster reportedly estimated 60% of the most desirable tickets for some shows on the secondary market are bought by bots.

KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer is one of the main creative forces behind Ernest Hummingbird, a children’s storybook app debuting this summer on iOS and Android reports Recode.net. The mobile app tells the story of a hummingbird who wants to sing rather than just hum.

“I’m not a techie and I don’t write code and I don’t really design apps either,” Thayer said. “The content and the music and the stories is really what I am into.”

The new KISS by Monster Mini Golf, located inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada will be soft opening on May 19th.

Official Grand Opening Extravaganza details and date to be released soon, but the 13,000 square-foot “KISS themed” attraction that showcases an indoor glow-in-the-dark custom-designed, rockin’ 18-hole miniature golf course filled with state-of-the-art video and animatronics, as well as never-seen-before KISS props, will be open for business as of May 19th at Noon.

“Being in a hip indoor casino environment is going to provide KISS by Monster Mini Golf an expanded space to not only provide the coolest indoor KISS-themed mini golf experience, but it will allow us the space and security to showcase an amazing collection of KISS Museum memorabilia,” said Christina Vitagliano, CEO/Founder of Monster Mini Golf. “We are excited to join the Rio with an affordable attraction that rocks.”

Monster Mini Golf will be located in the Masquerade Village with convenient self-parking in the Masquerade Parking Garage.

The environment will be filled with arcade games, a special event room, a colossal sized KISS and rock ‘n roll gift shop, and a rock ‘n roll wedding chapel with themed wedding packages. In addition, a live DJ will rock the house, throughout the days and many Crazy, Crazy Nights with continuous KISS music, trivia, contests and prizes creating a place embraced by locals, tourists, and rockers of all ages.

A highlight of this KISS themed attraction will be the museum-quality memorabilia located throughout the attraction. Hundreds of pieces will be on display including: Drummer, Eric Carr's Porsche that was gifted to him by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons upon signing on with KISS; original KISS drummer Peter Criss’ Spirit of '76 Tour stage used drum stool; every KISS album since inception signed by all band members; original '70s KISS Pinball Machine, new Stern KISS pinball machine, actual band member instruments and personal belongings and much more.

For more information visit MonsterMiniGolf.com.

IN THIS MOMENT has been forced to cancel its previously announced European tour due to an injury sustained by the band's guitarist Chris Howorth.

Howorth says in a statement: "I have injured my neck and am unable to move my head more than an inch or two in any direction — and I now have the burden of making some pretty weighty decisions for myself.

"In order to continue performing live, I am aggressively seeking treatment and must remain at home in Los Angeles.

"I am devastated that our European shows are affected by this but in order to keep moving forward with the band, it's imperative to work on getting better."

Adds IN THIS MOMENT frontwoman Maria Brink: "The last time we were in Europe, I felt such fire and magic at the shows — I have been absolutely dying to get back.

"It's probably easy for everyone to think, 'Why don't you just go without Chris,' but the truth is, he is my partner, brother and one of my closest friends. I can't bring myself to do this tour without him. It simply would not be IN THIS MOMENT."

IN THIS MOMENT's North American tour dates are not affected by the European tour cancelation.

IN THIS MOMENT's canceled 2016 European tour dates:

May 14 - Karlsruhe, Germany @ SubstageMay 15 - Hamburg, Germany @ GruenspanMay 15 - Berlin, Germany @ Columbia TheaterMay 18 - Munich, Germany @ TheatrefabrikMay 19 - Zurich, Switzerland @ Extra LimmothausMay 20 - Cologne, Germany @ Live Music HallMay 22 - Groningen, Netherlands @ De OosterportMay 23 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ MelkwegMay 25 - London, UK @ ForumMay 26 - Birmingham, UK @ O2 InstituteMay 27 - Manchester, UK @ O2 AcademyMay 28 - Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy

IN THIS MOMENT recently spent time at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, HELLYEAH, PAPA ROACH, DISTURBED) working on the follow-up to "Black Widow", tentatively due later in the year.

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

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

IN THIS MOMENT signed with Atlantic Records in 2013 after completing its contract with Century Media Records.

Finnish hard rockers Wishing Well opened up for the Graham Bonnet Band at On The Rocks Club in Helsinki on April 21st. It provided a good chance for Wishing Well band leader Anssi Korkiakoski to meet Graham Bonnet and discuss continuation for “Hippie Heart Gypsy Soul”, the song which they recorded last year and released earlier this year as a single and on Wishing Well’s Chasing Rainbows album.

“It was good to meet Graham and have a chat. He’s not only a very pleasant and easy-going gentleman but also in top shape when it comes to singing. His live performance was awesome and I really enjoyed seeing him live after a long time. We were all just astonished by what he can still deliver. The band was great too”, says Anssi. “We discussed the possibility of working together in the future and agreed it would be great to record a new track at some point down the road. I really hope we can do that when the time is ripe again since now we’re still busy with promoting our album and Graham is busier than ever with his new albums and autobiography to be released later this year. Time will tell if it’s going to happen but we both honestly wish we’ll get a chance to make it happen.”

For the time being Wishing Well will continue with lead vocalist Pekka Montin, who replaced Peter James Good earlier this spring. The band is now booking more live shows and working hard to promote the Chasing Rainbows album.  

TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider delivered a surprise performance of "We're Not Gonna Take It" (TWISTED SISTER) and "Highway To Hell" (AC/DC) with his son and guest MC Jesse Snider during this past Tuesday's (April 26) "Ultimate Jam Night" at the world-famous Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Video footage of Dee's appearance can be seen below.

Other special guests included:

* Kenny Aronoff (CHICKENFOOT)* Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES)* James LoMenzo (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, MEGADETH, WHITE LION)* Jeff Scott Soto (JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN)* LITTLE CAESAR (the band)* Stu Hamm* Frankie Banali (QUIET RIOT)* Monte Pittman (MADONNA, PRONG)* Eric Dover (SLASH, JELLYFISH)* Sean McNabb (LYNCH MOB)

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

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

"Ultimate Jam Night" continues to feature its house band of Wright, drummer Matt Starr (MR. BIG), guitarist Mitch Perry (MSG), and Walter Ino (SURVIVOR).

Using a format of unrehearsed tunes integrating music’s best performers, performance art, comedy, and charity giving the show has attracted over 28,000 in-person guests, viewership in excess of two million and worldwide attention. In its first year, the weekly event boasted performances by members of KISS, MOTÖRHEAD, BON JOVI and others.

"We're proud that our show has created not only a following, but an extremely loyal family feel," said Wright. "We're excited that the Whisky allows us to continue our mission of rebuilding the rock music community — only this time on the Sunset Strip in an iconic and historical setting."

On June 24, Knoxville, Tennessee death metallers WHITECHAPEL will release their sixth full-length album, "Mark Of The Blade", via Metal Blade Records. According to a press release, the new record "remains true to the band's roots while venturing into previously unexplored territory, both sonically and lyrically."

The lyric video for the first single from "Mark Of The Blade" — the album's title track — can be seen below.

Reunited with producer Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CANNIBAL CORPSE), WHITECHAPEL has redefined who they are and what they are capable of with "Mark Of The Blade". Kicking off with "The Void" — which has a SLAYER-esque ferocity that is perfectly suited to the band's three-guitar attack — the songs that follow all leave a distinct impression, and by the time the rich, dark melodies on "Decennium" bring the record to a close, it's impossible to deny the emotional weight brought to bear. "It's the most dynamic record we've done, in the sense that one song can be very aggressive while the next one will be softer and sentimental," WHITECHAPEL guitarist Alex Wade asserts. "At this point in our career and as we grow older, we are taking a more open-minded approach to creating our music, allowing what we think sounds good to evolve naturally, rather than to just write what is expected of us."

"Mark Of The Blade" track listing:

01. The Void02. Mark of the Blade03. Elitist Ones04. Bring Me Home05. Tremors06. A Killing Industry07. Tormented08. Brotherhood09. Dwell in the Shadows10. Venomous11. Decennium

Prior to "Mark Of The Blade"'s release, WHITECHAPEL will headline a U.S. tour with FIT FOR A KING, THE PLOT IN YOU and ENTERPRISE EARTH as support — thus concluding the campaign for 2014's "Our Endless War" (which debuted at No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart). Following that trek, WHITECHAPEL will join ATREYU, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, EVERY TIME I DIE, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, and many more on this year's Vans Warped Tour.

A video recap of MEGADETH's March 16 and March 17 performances at Terminal 5 in New York City can be seen below.

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

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine recently told Noisey about "Post American World":"It talks about how you might not like the America that it is right now, and people are saying, 'Get the fuck out of my country, we don't want your military presence here, we don't want that,' but then there's a dichotomy at how quickly do people want to move here? There are so many things that have happened that have been good for places to have that Western mentality, but the same thing, you look at democratic countries, the U.K., Canada, stuff like that, that's pretty much considered the new frontier, the new West, so I'm not just saying a post-United States of America world."

Mustaine told the Houston Press that he considered "Post American World" to be a spiritual (and riff-wise) follow-up to MEGADETH's popular track "Symphony Of Destruction".

"There are all kinds of governmental backdoor meetings and agreements that [the U.S. government] has with people that you and I as Joe Q. Six-Pack have no fucking idea of the why, whens or how," Mustaine said. "People don't want America everywhere. And we can be like, 'Okay, screw it. We'll pull out.' And then they can see what happens."

"Dystopia" shifted 49,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending January 28.

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. In addition to Mustaine, MEGADETH's current lineup includes longtime bassist David Ellefson, LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

On April 8, Universal Music / Tradecraft / T-Boy Records issued "Dystopia" as a limited-edition vinyl picture disc featuring the album's vivid dark and chilling artwork which takes the bands long-time mascot Vic Rattlehead to a whole new level and drops him into a bleak, futuristic dystopian universe.

Quality front-row fan-filmed video footage of GHOST's April 26 performance at the House Of Blues in Houston, Texas can be seen below.

GHOST's current U.S. headlining tour kicked off on April 13 in Montclair, New Jersey and will wrap up on May 22 in Albany, New York.

GHOST won the Grammy for "Best Metal Performance" during the pre-telecast ceremony at the 58th annual Grammy Awards. GHOST was nominated for the song "Cirice" from its 2015 album "Meliora".

The other nominees in the "Best Metal Performance" category were AUGUST BURNS RED, LAMB OF GOD, SEVENDUST and SLIPKNOT.

A Nameless Ghoul from GHOST told Grammy.com about the nomination, "Being nominated for a Grammy is obviously a big honor for any band or artist — obviously, ourselves included. Especially for us, as a Swedish band, it feels extra honoring, I guess. Especially us maneuvering in the rock genre, where traditionally it's usually British or American bands."

"Cirice" recently reached the Top 10 at rock radio, the first song from the band to get significant airplay in the U.S.

Fan-filmed video footage of SKID ROW's April 23 performance at Cannery Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen below. Handing the vocal duties for the band once again was the South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I).

Theart's involvement with SKID ROW was exclusively reported by BLABBERMOUTH.NET on December 31, 2015.

SKID ROW has not yet officially named Theart as the permanent replacement for singer Tony Harnell (ex-TNT), who quit the band in December.

Theart's band I AM I was the support act for SKID ROW on their April 2013 tour of the United Kingdom. The trek ended in great style at a sold-out Islington Academy on April 13, 2013, with members of SKID ROW, I AM I and fellow support band BUFFALO SUMMER getting up on stage to sing the final SKID ROW song "Youth Gone Wild".

A founding member of DRAGONFORCE, Theart made four studio albums and a live record with the band and toured the world for a decade, eventually performing to audiences of up to 85,000 people. His time with the group also saw him nominated for a Grammy in 2009. After his departure from DRAGONFORCE in 2010, ZP worked tirelessly to put together his own group and, after catefully handpicking a set of expert musicians, the result was one of the most exciting new rock bands of 2012, I AM I. A promotional single entitled "Silent Genocide" in the summer was followed by the release of a debut album, "Event Horizon", in September 2012.

Harnell announced his departure from SKID ROW on December 29, 2015, writing on his Facebook page: "I'm sorry to inform everyone that I'm no longer the lead singer for SKID ROW. I thank the fans for their love and support!" He added in a separate post a couple of hours later: "I was not fired from SKID ROW. I quit. Being ignored and disrespected isn't my thing. I had a great time performing with the band and singing so many great songs. I don't regret a thing!"

SKID ROW later said in a statement that they "found out about [Tony's] decision the same way all of [the fans] did, via his post on social media. He had posted that he was no longer in the band before informing the band personally." They added: "That being said, we are all moving forward and wish Tony the best in his future endeavors.

Harnell made his live debut with SKID ROW on May 22, 2015 at Living Sky Casino in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada.

He officially joined SKID ROW in April 2015 as the replacement for Johnny Solinger, who was the band's frontman for fifteen years.

43 years after his contribution to one of the most successful records of all time and 40 years after the release of The Alan Parsons Project’s debut album in 1976, Alan Parsons returns with all his greatest hits in a superb symphonic show.

On the evening of August 31st, 2013, a large crowd gathered at Parque Pies Descalzos in Medellín, Colombia. When Alan Parsons appeared on stage, along with the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra and his band the audience went wild. This is an audio visual document of that incredible evening.

The Alan Parsons Symphonic Project - Live In Colombia is to be released on May 27th on earMUSIC as a DVD, Blu-ray, 2-CD digipak, 3xVinyl, and download.

Alan Parsons was 19 years old when he landed a job at the world famous Abbey Road Studios, an important first step on his journey to becoming a world class engineer, producer and artist. Following his beginnings with George Martin and The Beatles, his contribution to Pink Floyd’s classic The Dark Side Of The Moon earned him worldwide attention. As a producer he had many hits with Pilot, John Miles, Ambrosia and Al Stewart. Together with his manager and creative partner at the time, Eric Woolfson, he developed the Alan Parsons Project.

Following their debut album Tales Of Mystery And Imagination (1976), they released a series of hit albums; namely I Robot (1977), Pyramid (1978), The Turn Of A Friendly Card (1980), Eye In The Sky (1982), Ammonia Avenue (1984), Vulture Culture (1985), Stereotomy (1986) and Gaudi (1987).

Then Parsons and Woolfson called it a day, but Parsons had ambitions to perform the amazing music live. Now to the great delight of his fans, for the first time on a live video and audio recording, The Alan Parsons Symphonic Project combines the talents of his amazing band with the lush sound of a 70-piece symphony orchestra, creating a very special show with unmatched quality. Together, they revitalize hits such as “Eye In The Sky“, “Don’t Answer Me“ and “Sirius“.

The lineup consists of Alan Parsons on acoustic guitar, keys, and vocals, P.J. Olsson (lead vocals), Alastair Greene (guitar, vocals), Guy Erez (bass, vocals), Danny Thompson (drums, vocals), Tom Brooks (keyboards, vocals) und Todd Cooper (saxophone, guitar, percussion, vocals). Alejandro Posada conducts the Medellin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tracklisting:

“I Robot”
“Damned If I Do”
“Don’t Answer Me”
“Breakdown”
“The Raven”
“Time”
“I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You”
“La Sagrada Familia”
“The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part One)”
“Snake Eyes”
“The Ace Of Swords”
“Nothing Left To Lose”
“The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part Two)”
“What Goes Up”
“Luciferama”
“Silence And I”
“Prime Time”
“Sirius”
“Eye In The Sky”
“Old And Wise”
“Games People Play”

“Eye In The Sky”:

 

 

 

 

"Take Control", the new video from UNLOCKING THE TRUTH — the heavy metal band from Flatbush, Brooklyn made up of three African-American boys, guitarist/vocalist Malcolm Brickhouse, bassist Alec Atkins and drummer Jarad Dawkins — can be seen below.

Taken from UNLOCKING THE TRUTH's forthcoming debut full-length album, "Chaos", "Take Control" is a rally cry against bullying. The song is inspired by personal experience, as Jarad explains: "I remember when I used to be bullied in school for the music that I love to play, the jeans that I love to wear. I always told myself that everything is going to be alright. You are going to take control of the world one day."

"Take Control" will be available as an instant grat track with the pre-order purchase of "Chaos". "Chaos" will be released on June 17 via premier independent music distributor Tunecore. The set was produced by Johnny K (MEGADETH, POP EVIL, DISTURBED) and captures the young band's explosive live energy, resulting in a tight, powerfully heavy yet melodic full-length offering.

Of "Chaos", Brickhouse commented: "We can't wait for everyone to hear our album. We've worked very hard to give the fans something they'll love and never forget. We hope they are able to relate to the songs the way that we do and have the time of their lives listening to them. We know that this album will blow you guys away." In other news, UNLOCKING THE TRUTH will be the subject of the forthcoming documentary, "Breaking A Monster". An exclusive feature-film account of the band's experience with the major record industry, it will be released this summer. SeeThink Films, the collaborative behind the release effort, has launched a Kickstarter campaign this month in support of an even wider theatrical presence.

"Chaos" track listing: 01. Chaos02. Monster03. A Tide04. Help Me05. Other Side06. Numbing07. Made Of Stone08. Ravens09. Escape10. FAYWB11. Take Control

UNLOCKING THE TRUTH last year spoke to The Daily Beast about their decision to sever ties with Sony, less than a year after signing with the major label.

"It was pretty difficult at times with [our] meetings [with Sony] — especially with this one particular lady at the label, who had a meeting with us once where she was just talking at us for six hours," Alec said. "We were pretty young at the time so we were pretty restless and wanted to get up and do something else, but she just had us in this meeting for six hours."

As part of its guaranteed two-album deal with Sony, UNLOCKING THE TRUTH was reportedly due to receive $60,000 to record the first disc and possibly as much as $325,000 for the second CD. Sony reportedly had an option to release a total of five albums from UNLOCKING THE TRUTH that could have pushed the label's financial investment to around $1.8 million ($325,000 for the second album, $400,000 for the third, $450,000 for the fourth and $550,000 for the fifth). It should be noted, however, that the band was only supposed to see the real money after an initial $60,000 advance if their debut album sold more than 250,000 copies, a prospect that seemed highly unlikely in an age of diminishing record sales.

Luke Meyer, the director of "Breaking A Monster", told The Daily Beast: "The $1.8 million is what happens if you add up all their advances for five records, and it increases in amount with each successive album.

"That's what everyone says about the music industry — it's got all this glitter on it, but it's always less flashy than it looks."

The members of UNLOCKING THE TRUTH famously got permission from a New York judge in July 2014 to sign the Sony deal. The musicians needed the judge's approval because they were minors.

UNLOCKING THE TRUTH has already played the Coachella festival and has supported GUNS N' ROSES. In addition, the band has appeared in a national ad campaign for Verizon Wireless.

UNLOCKING THE TRUTH credits bands such as METALLICA, SLIPKNOT, DISTURBED, CHELSEA GRIN, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE and ESCAPE THE FATE as its influences.

Photo credit: Clay Patrick McBride

Rock band PIERCE THE VEIL has released "Circles", a brand new song from its next album, "Misadventures", due out May 13 on Fearless Records. Just yesterday, "Circles" was named the "Hottest Record In The World" on BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac show, and in less than 24 hours, the track has soared past 100,000 YouTube hits. In addition, it's trending worldwide on Facebook.

"Circles" goes to U.S. rock and alternative radio today, and you can check out the song below.

"Circles" was inspired by last fall's Paris terrorist attacks and is a hypothesized story about two friends at the the EAGLES OF DEATH METAL show and how they tried to save each other as the onslaught was taking place.

"Misadventures" is the follow up to the band's 2012 breakthrough release, "Collide With The Sky", that debuted at No. 12 on The Billboard 200 albums chart, held the No. 1 spot on the Rock, Hard Rock, and Modern Rock/Alternative Albums charts, has sold nearly 350,000 copies, and earned the band a gold single for the track "King For A Day".

For "Misadventures", the band — Vic Fuentes (vocals, guitar), Tony Perry (guitar), Jaime Preciado (bass) and Mike Fuentes (drums) — worked again with Dan Korneff who co-produced "Collide" and recorded at his Long Island studio Sonic Debris on and off between summer 2014 and summer 2015. "It was exciting to do another record with Dan," said Vic. "We had gotten to know him really well on 'Collide', so there wasn't that initial period where you're trying to get to know each other. We just dove in and started to make music right away."

Initial plans were for "Misadventures" to be released earlier, but touring commitments and the band's conscious decision to take their time to make the album the very best it could be, both musically and lyrically, set a different course. Explained Vic, "We went into this record wanting to top the last one, which we try to do with every record, and we kept setting the bar higher and higher."

Vic's search for inspiration took him to a number of places to write the lyrics — New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, the Southern California mountain resort of Big Bear, Santa Barbara and Seattle. "I wanted every song to have real meaning, and thought that in spending time in different places, I'd find new inspirations — that's exactly what happened," he said.

The eleven songs on "Misadventures" find the band dealing with a variety of topics including self-worth and an individual's ability to shine, the dream of leaving everything behind while you run away with the one you truly love, the challenge of outrunning betrayal to an undefined relationship.

The track listing for "Misadventures" is as follows:

01. Dive In02. Texas Is Forever03. The Divine Zero04. Floral & Fading05. Phantom Power And Ludicrous Speed06. Circles07. Today I Saw The Whole World08. Gold Medal Ribbon09. Bedless10. Sambuka11. Song For Isabelle

PIERCE THE VEIL will launch its "Misadventures" tour with a special sixteen-date trek played in intimate venues, a treat for both the band and its fans who last saw PTV headline amphitheatres on the 2015 Warped Tour. On this leg only, the band will play "Misadventures" in its entirety.

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

Roadrunner Records has announced the signing of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's CODE ORANGE. The progressive unit comprised of Jami Morgan (drums, vocals), Eric Balderose (guitar, vocals), Reba Meyers (guitar, vocals) and Joe Goldman (bass) has gripped listeners and press around the globe with its visionary compositions and aggressive power.

This spring CODE ORANGE will join DEFTONES on a U.S. trek which is set to get underway May 10 in Memphis, Tennessee and continue through the end of the month. CODE ORANGE is also set to perform at number of festivals later this year, including a highly anticipated set at This Is Hardcore Fest 2016.

CODE ORANGE first turned heads under the moniker CODE ORANGE KIDS with a series of tapes and seven-inch singles. At just 17-18 years of age, the band released its 2012 debut LP, "Love Is Love / Return To Dust", which NPR declared "an untamed, unpredictable beast of a hardcore record… a sign of where we're at in heavy music — fewer boundaries, more ways to crush eardrums." In September of 2014, with CODE ORANGE approaching their 20s, the band officially dropped "KIDS" from their name to release their landmark second LP, "I Am King", which Pitchfork asserted as "the most forward-thinking post-hardcore record of 2014." Crashing through the confines of genre limitations, CODE ORANGE proved that their power lies in their fearlessness and audacity which has placed them at the front of the pack.

Dave Rath, SVP of A&R at Roadrunner Records, commented on the signing: "Now is the time for the next generation of heavy bands to take the torch and run with it. CODE ORANGE is at the forefront of that generation, pushing the boundaries and changing perceptions of what heavy music will be for the future. As the premier lifestyle label in heavy music, Roadrunner Records is proud to announce CODE ORANGE as part of a roster rich with a history of game-changing bands. This band is sure to change the game for all who follow."

Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA will enter Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden in May to begin recording their new album for a tentative late 2016 release. Helming the sessions for the follow-up to 2013's "The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" will be Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with OPETH, KREATOR, PARADISE LOST, SOILWORK and AMON AMARTH, among others.

The first in a series of webisodes featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of SEPULTURA's new album can be seen below.

Said SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser: "We're very happy that we have a chance to work with [Jens]."

SEPULTURA released a limited-edition seven-inch single to mark its 30th anniversary. "Under My Skin" features artwork of fan tattoos on its cover, with a live version of "Kairos" on the b-side. The single was issued on black, yellow and green vinyl, with only 200 copies of each version pressed.

"The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" came out on October 29, 2013 via Nuclear Blast.

Kisser told Metal Wani about SEPULTURA's last CD: "I think we have two factors on this last album, which are very important. I mean, [producer] Ross [Robinson] is one of them, for sure. And the other one is our new drummer [Eloy Casagrande], [who's been] four years with us already. And he really brought some new possibilities for our music. He's an amazing musician; he can play basically anything. [His playing style is] very metal, very powerful, very much with that urge to break limits. So the consequence was 'Mediator' — songs that were really… that stretch our possibilities as musicians, which was great for me, Paulo [Xisto Pinto Jr., bass] and Derrick [Green, vocals], to have that kind of push and motivation to do something extra and something new, and really to take SEPULTURA to a different level. And Ross [who previously worked with SEPULTURA on 1996's 'Roots'] really enhanced everything, especially with Derrick's singing and the performance. It was great. I mean, of course, it was different times and different ideas than 'Roots' and stuff, but we have that kind of communication of friends. I mean, we know each other, and we respect each other so much. It was the perfect choice; we're very happy with everything."

Little Caesar will release their first ever double live album worldwide on May 6th with pre-orders available right now. Brutally Honest Live In Holland was recorded on June 20th, 2015 at Muziekcentrum De Bosuil in Weert, Holland.

Lead singer Ron Young states, "It’s called Brutally Honest because there are no overdubs, “clean ups” or fixes to alter what musically occurred that night. Live music is a unique interaction. It’s an energy exchange between the players and the listeners. This album captures that exchange. It captures a moment in time where our adoration for the power of music, with all its subtle imperfections, combined with a welcoming audience, create an experience that will never occur again. We hope you enjoy it and we hope to get to enjoy a similar exchange with you… in person… so that we can get to make great music with you all. Without you, your love of music and your support of Little Caesar, we would never get the gift of that cherished exchange.”

The band will be triumphantly returning to Germany, Spain, Belgium and France starting on May 6th for 17 dates to celebrate the release of Brutally Honest. Along with the recent addition of Pharoah Barret on bass (The Four Horsemen) they are proud to announce the joining of Alex Kane on guitar. Alex was a founding member of Warner Bros artist Life, Sex And Death, and has played Guitar with Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, Sass Jordan and Richie Ramone.

Brutally Honest contains 21 songs taken from the entire Little Caesar catalog; including favorites such as “Chain Of Fools”, “Rum And Coke”, “In Your Arms” and a brand new song never recorded or released before called “Crushed Velvet”.

Ron Young had this to say about the new song, "It's about so many women I know in Hollywood that have not grown old gracefully and are leaving claw marks while clinging to a self destructive life out of fear."

Brutally Honest will be available at all the shows in Europe as well Apple iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Google Play and Spotify. iTunes pre-orders will instantly be able to download the tracks “Rum And Coke” and “Chain Of Fools”.

As a special offer to Little Caesar fans in the UK, if you travel to one of the shows in Europe and show your ID at the merchandise stand to prove you live in the UK Little Caesar will give you a free concert t-shirt to say thank you for making the trip.

Tracklisting:

“Supersonic”
“Rock ’N’ Roll State Of Mind”
“Hard Times”
“Hard Rock Hell”
“Tastes Good to Me”
“Down ’N’ Dirty”
“I Wish It Would Rain”
“American Dream”
“Real Rock Drive”
“Redemption”
“Prisoner Of Love”
“Wrong Side Of The Tracks”
“Crushed Velvet”
“Rum And Coke”
“Chain Of Fools”
“Every Picture Tells A Story”/“Happy”
“Dirty Water”
“Sick And Tired”
“Drive It Home”
“In Your Arms”
“Down To The Wire”

European tour dates:

May
6 - Oostende, Belgium - Bada Bing
7 - Arras, France - Blue Devils
8 - Beerse, Belgium - Beatnik
9 - Hamburg, Germany - Hafenklang
11 - Bordesholm, Germany - Albatros
12 - Bremen, Germany - Meisenfrei
13 - München, Germany - Garage Deluxe
14 - Lichtenfels, Germany - Paunchy Cats
15 - Krefeld, Germany - Kulturrampe
16 - Frankfurt, Germany - Nachtleben
17 - Verviers, Belgium - Spirit Of 66
19 - Bilbao, Spain - Antzokia
20 - A Coruña, Spain - Mardi Gras
21 - Cangas, Spain - Salason
22 - Leon, Spain - Gran Café
24 - Madrid, Spain - La Boîte
25 - Valencia, Spain - Paberse Matao

Little Caesar is:

Ron Young - Vocals
Pharaoh Barrett - Bass, Vocals
Alex Kane - Guitar, Vocals
Loren Molinare - Guitar, Vocals
Tom Morris - Drums

During a brand new interview with the WGRD radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith was asked for his opinion on last week's announcement that Brian Johnson was retiring from AC/DC because he risks substantial hearing loss if he continues to perform in large arenas and stadiums.

Smith said: "I was a little confused by the whole situation until the other day, because Brian Johnson actually released a statement yesterday, where he had made a point about the fact that his hearing loss was something of really just… It's quite tragic on a lot of different levels. You know, he's been with AC/DC for 36 years. But in his statement… I think a lot of people, before Brian made his statement, people were just really angry at Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist], like, 'What are you doing?' And I understood that, because of the iconic voice that is Brian Johnson. But I didn't really know what was going on."

He continued: "I was saying this before, when it happened…. We don't really know what's going on; it's not like I have an open line of communication with the band AC/DC. And everybody was just making their own assumptions as to whether they thought this was B.S. or it was bogus, or what was going on. But from what I gathered from Brian Johnson's statement, he's okay with what they're doing by bringing Axl [Rose, GUNS N' ROSES singer] in to finish up the dates. And also, he thanked Cliff [Williams, AC/DC statement] and he thanked Angus in the statement. And it basically came down to the fact that the doctors are, like… The hearing loss…. He can't perform in stadiums anymore right now. He can't deal with just the amount of noise that larger arenas and stadiums impact on his hearing. It doesn't mean that he can't go into the studio and perform, is what he said in the statement. So I think he's gonna continue to do albums with AC/DC, and hopefully, God willing, he may be able to return to the stage. I mean, he's 68 yeas old. But it's kind of one of those things where only time will tell."

Smith went on to say: "But, in answer to your question, what do I think about it? After looking and reading his statement, and seeing what they're doing by bringing Axl in to finish up the shows, now that I know both sides, and it looked as if Brian Johnson had given his blessing for Axl to come in and do this, I mean, more power to 'em, I guess."

AC/DC's European stadium tour will kick off May 7 in Lisbon, Portugal, and run through June 12 in Aarhus, Denmark. Following the European run, Rose will head out on tour with his GUNS N' ROSES bandmates for the "Not In This Lifetime" summer stadium tour.

AC/DC postponed the last ten dates of its recent North American tour after doctors told Johnson he faced "total hearing loss." Those dates will be rescheduled, also with Rose on vocals. Details will be released soon, the band said in a statement.

SHINEDOWN's fifth studio album, "Threat To Survival", debuted at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 album chart, selling 65,000 copies in its first week of release.

"Threat To Survival" is the third SHINEDOWN album to enter the chart in the Top 10, following "Amaryllis" and 2008's "The Sound Of Madness", which debuted at No. 8.

Schmier of German thrashers DESTRUCTION 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" when it resumes its tour next month, with Johnson apparently not returning to the band at all.

Speaking to Metal Wani, Schmier stated about the prospect of an Axl Rose-fronted AC/DC (hear audio below): "Oh my God. I mean, it's a great promotional [tool]. But for real, I don't know why they're doing this, actually; it's weird. I mean, Axl Rose has a legacy of fucking up concerts and not being very reliable. I saw him on his worst, when he was so fat that he couldn't sing anymore. They played Rock In Rio three years ago. We [DESTRUCTION] were also on Rock In Rio — we played there — and I saw the Axl Rose performance on TV in Rio De Janeiro the day before we played, and it was so… Actually, it was after us, I think. It was on Sunday. We played on Saturday. It was fucking terrible, you know. And I think [since then] he [has] lost some weight and maybe he's stopped doing so many drugs, and he has a better voice now again; he's back to [being] a better singer. But singing AC/DC every night; this is a lot of energy for the vocals, you know. I don't think he's gonna be able to do that, actually. I mean, it would be a miracle if they don't have to cancel shows."

He continued: "Axl Rose definitely did some great albums with GUNS N' ROSES in the past, and he used to be a great singer. And maybe he's back. But I don't think he was a good choice. There would have been many, many other singers that would have fit much better, like the guy from ACCEPT [Mark Tornillo] or [Marc] Storace from KROKUS — guys that are also in the same age and in the same time that would fit much better. [Tornillo is] actually fantastic. He's also not the youngest anymore; he's, like, 60, I think. But he's still in great shape. And I think also Marc Storace from KROKUS. He's in amazing shape. I had a show with him two years ago, and he was warming up backstage, and he was soo good. And I asked him how old he is, and he said he was, like… And that was, like, two years ago… He was 60 or 62 or something already. I think he's also old, but still so good. I think Storace would have been the perfect guy for AC/DC. But, okay, Axl Rose definitely has the better promotion."

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.

Fan reaction to Rose replacing Johnson — even temporarily — has been largely negative. The fan site AC/DC Italia announced it was shutting down in protest, while AC/DC biographer Jesse Fink called it "the worst decision AC/DC has ever made. Fans are pretty disgusted... AC/DC is all about the money now."

AC/DC guitarist Angus Young made a guest appearance with GUNS N' ROSES at the Coachella festival in California earlier in the month, to tie in with the official confirmation of Rose's involvement.

Brian Tatler from Diamond Head was a guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show recently. The band have just released a new self-titled album following a record deal with Dissonance Productions that will also see them re-release the band's two previous albums. This is the first album with new vocalist Rasmus Born Andersen

An excerpt from the interview is available below:

On writing with new singer Rasmus Born Andersen

Tatler: "Occasionally he would say ‘This sounds very Diamond Head’ and maybe I had lost sight of that a little bit; but I understood what he meant and we tried writing together. I thought give it a go, with no great expectation and no pressure on ourselves. It went well and just progressed and progressed. We’d tape every rehearsal and Rasmus would take everything away and work on sections and lyrics. It came together really well in the end. We’re all really pleased with it.

He did say to me ‘I can sing on anything’. So I think wow, that’s great. I could fire difficult riffs at him and complicated parts, and he wouldn’t say ‘No, no I couldn’t sing on that.’ He’d just go away and do it and come back with something. That kind of freedom is great really, because I can bring these riffs out that I’ve probably had for a while, that I know are going to be tricky to sing on, but know that Ras can do it!"

Metallica have covered Diamond Head tracks. Which tracks would Diamond Head want to cover?

Tatler: "I’ve never been asked that question before. That’s interesting. I’ve got some favourite rock tracks that I like to play. For some reason whenever I pick up a guitar one of the first things I play is 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap'. That riff just sits comfortably under my fingers. If I was going to do a Metallica song I’d probably pick something not too obvious, but that would suit Diamond Head. I’d pick maybe 'Blackened' or maybe 'Cyanide' off the last album. I like 'Harvester of Sorrow' – that would be a good one. Other than that, I always really liked 'Sinner' by Judas Priest and I also like 'Island of Domination' and 'Victim of Changes'. One of them might be good. And Black Sabbath. I always wanted to do 'Lord of this World' off Masters of Reality. 'Symptom of the Universe' is mighty, but I don’t think we could improve on their original version. I’d have to give Black Sabbath some thought because there are so many amazing songs. 'Cornucopia' would be good – I’d have to detune a bit for that one! I’d probably do an AC/DC song – 'Problem Child' maybe!

On Axl Rose and AC/DC

Tatler: "Axl has the range and he’ll probably make it more of an event rather than picking some Joe Soap who may be from an AC/DC tribute band or just somebody who has a good high range that nobody has heard of. I think Axl, as long as he plays ball and plays nice, is a great front-man, there’s no question about that. It’s a lot better than cancelling the tour because of Brian Johnson’s hearing. I’m sure the fans won’t mind having a rock star substitution. And Angus is the star in AC/DC. Always has been. He is the only irreplaceable member in my opinion."

The full transcript of the interview is available on the Rock Radio NI website here.

Diamond Head released their new self-titled album April 22nd in Europe. The album will be released on June 3rd in North America. A full album stream can be found below. Recorded at Vigo Studios in Birmingham, the album is the first to feature new vocalist Rasmus Bom Andersen and ends an eight-year silence for the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) legends.

Prior to 2014, the thought of a new album was bleak. Guitarist and band founder Brian Tatler reveals, “I had no interest in doing another record but after working with Ras on the 2014 European tour that suddenly changed. I wanted to make a record with him. He’s a confident singer and he’s not trying to fill anyone’s shoes.”

Recording of the album commenced last July with the band and engineer Adam Beddow at the helm. Tatler notes, “I gave Rasmus some music to listen to last January. He selected songs or riffs that he wanted to work on and we began rehearsing. We whittled things down to fourteen songs by April.”

Eleven songs were selected in the end for the album; all mixed by Dave Nicholls and mastered by John Davis at London’s Metropolis.

The album’s lyrical focus details political and environmental themes. Its opening and closing songs specifically draw attention to the world’s self-destructive path. Tatler comments, “the body of the album explores other subtopics in more depth along with songs dealing with lighter subjects that are not so heavy on the heart.” Vocalist Rasmus Bom Andersen affirms, “we made the album with the band’s fans foremost in mind from start to finish. We wanted to write songs that would have ties to the best parts of all the early albums.”

Tracklisting:

“Bones”
“Shout At The Devil”
“Set My Soul On Fire”
“See You Rise”
“All The Reasons You Live”
“Wizards Sleeve”
“Our Time Is Now”
“Speed”
“Blood On My Hands”
“Diamonds”
“Silence”

Album stream:

Band lineup:

Brian Tatler - Lead, Rhythm Guitar
Rasmus Bom Andersen - Vocals
Karl Wilcox - Drums
Eddie Moohan - Bass
Andy Abberley - Rhythm, Lead Guitar

Metal Wani's William Richards recently conducted an interview with STEEL PANTHER frontman Michael Starr. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the progress of the songwriting sessions for STEEL PANTHER's follow-up to 2014's "All You Can Eat" album:

Starr: "It's going good, man. I think we've already picked the songs to record. So we're going into the studio right before we come out to Australia, actually, to record the basic tracks, which is the drums and the bass. And then, when we're done doing that, we're gonna go to Australia, do the tour, and then come back and we start doing guitars and then vocals, and we're hoping to have it out by October."

On the musical and lyrical direction of STEEL PANTER's new material:

Starr: "As far as the record is concerned, the music content, it's completely different. I mean, we're singing about completely different shit; we're singing about fucking bitches and partying now. We just wanna change it up. 'Cause we were talking partying and fucking bitches [before], but now we're talking about fucking bitches and partying — just in a different order."

On GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose singing for AC/DC:

Starr: "[it's] pretty fucking awesome, I think. I mean, who's gonna sound more like fucking Brian Johnson than Axl Rose? Think about it. They're, like, the same register, same key, same tone. And it's Axl. That's fucking pretty cool when you have two heavenly heavy metal bands joining forces. It's like two continents coming together for one big heavy metal baby. As long as he shows up. If he shows up, he goes on time, and he stops eating before the show, it should be great."

"Live From Lexxi's Mom's Garage", STEEL PANTHER's first full-length film featuring a live ten-song acoustic concert interspersed with comedic vignettes showcasing the band's unmatched shenanigans and debauchery, was released on February 26 on CD and CD/DVD by Open E Records via Kobalt Label Services.