The remaining members of LEAVES' EYES and their former singer, Liv Kristine, have offered different accounts of the circumstances behind their split, with LEAVES' EYES claiming the decision to part ways was amicably made in January and Liv saying she was dismissed from the group less than two weeks ago.

LEAVES' EYES announced this past weekend that it had parted ways with Kristine and replaced her with Elina Siirala, a Finnish vocalist who lives in London, England. Siirala made her live debut with the band on Sunday, April 17 at the Hammersonic festival in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Earlier today, LEAVES' EYES released the following statement via the band's Facebook page:

"We are just back from a great weekend in Indonesia. Our first show with Elina went awesome! Despite a heavy tropical storm before the gig, 21,000 people showed up in front of the stage!

"We understand that many fans and friends are surprised and shocked about the change in our band. We all know Liv had an important role for the band in the past, and we understand people are sad as it was not an easy decision for every one involved. But since a lot of hateful and disrespectful comments are in the social media, we would like to take the opportunity to make some points very clear: LEAVES' EYES has always been a band, and not a project, nor a Liv Kristine solo project at all. We always worked as a team in LEAVES' EYES. In the last decade Tosso [guitarist Thorsten Bauer] and Alex [Krull, LEAVES' EYES' co-vocalist and Liv's husband] wrote the music for LEAVES' EYES and Liv took care of the lyrics.

"Liv's solo project is called 'Liv Kristine.' We supported Liv also in her solo career, writing music, recording and producing albums and doing management in the past.

"The decision to part ways with Liv was taken by all LEAVES' EYES members, including Liv. A mediator — a friend of Liv and Alex — was at the band meeting who can witness that the decision of parting ways was agreed by all members. Liv was happy to have the opportunity to plan changes in her future life and she does not have to go on tour so much anymore. The idea to go separated ways came up already in January. Elina was not part of this decision or process. It was also agreed to help Liv for her solo project 'Liv Kristine' and record her new demo songs and her further projects at the studio just like in the past.

"Please respect the privacy of Liv and Alex! Disrespectful postings and bashing is harming their family situation and their son Leon. Liv and Alex don't want to split fans — don't give false rumors, haters and bashers a chance!

"At the moment, we can't tell you more details as legal actions are in process.

"To our worldwide fans who are there for the music and not the gossip: LET THE MUSIC TALK!

"We are looking forward to present new material with Elina soon!

"Stay tuned for news of our upcoming video clip, music and tour updates."

Shortly after the LEAVES' EYES statement was posted, Liv took to her personal Facebook page to thank the fans and to clarify several points. She said: "Dear fans and friends, without you I wouldn't have the strength to continue with music. What you all have done for me with all your endless support and passion keeps me going on in these difficult times.

"Thank you for warning me concerning new postings by someone in LEAVES' EYES, done to harm me and make my situation even worse.

"I have nothing to hide, nothing to fear.

"I was told a bit longer than a week ago that I am not preferred as the band's singer for further tours and recordings anymore. I asked for the situation concerning Indonesia and the soon-to-happen up-coming shows. The answer was 'no.' I asked if there's a replacement and I got no clear answer.

"I can't believe this process happened behind my back, parallel to a huge disappointment in my private life.

"A few days later, there certainly was a replacement. I must say — that was 'quick'!

"I still see LEAVES' EYES as 'my baby' and I will miss playing these gigs, feeling the good vibes, sensing the real Norwegian Viking power with the audiences. Inside my heart I will always treasure LEAVES' EYES for all the good music, tunes, themes, concept and true Viking power. The melodies I used to sing will always stay alive in my ears.

"I can't wait to unveil good news for you soon. There will be good news coming from Norway!"

An earbook tour edition of LEAVES' EYES' latest album, "King Of Kings", will be released in June, including a new version and video for the song "Edge Of Steel", featuring Elina. There will also be a U.S. edition of "King Of Kings" with the new version of "Edge Of Steel" as a bonus track.


LEAVES' EYES performing with Elina Siirala for first time:


Photo of new LEAVES' EYES lineup:

Northern Germany's infernal extreme metal duo, Mantar, have released a video for “Cross The Cross”, a song featured on their new album, Ode To The Flame, out now via Nuclear Blast. Check it out below.

Tracklisting:

“Carnal Rising”
“Praise The Plague”
“Era Borealis”
“The Hint”
“Born Reversed”
“Oz”
“I, Omen”
“Cross The Cross”
“Schwanenstein”
“Sundowning”

“Cross The Cross” video:

“Praise The Plague”:

“Schwanenstein”:

Ever since their inception in 2013 and the release of their first album in 2014 the band has been recognized as one of the hardest working in the German extreme metal underground. Melding the most sinister elements of styles like black metal, doom and punk, representing unfiltered pure primal rage, Mantar have proven to be one of a kind. Their extremely intense live shows have been seen all over the world and have blown away unaware audiences with their unconditionally tight and brutal performances. Mantar is a pure evil elemental force captured by only two uber passionate artists that strife for ultimate raw sonic power.

Mantar is:

Hanno - vocals, guitars
Erinc - drums, vocals

Get ready for one of the biggest metal reissues of the year - a super deluxe edition of the legendary, underground classic, the 1977 debut album Keep The Dogs Away from metal icon Thor.

This landmark release has become revered among music aficionados of every generation as one of the most explosive debut albums of any era with such ultra catchy rock anthems as “Keep The Dogs Away”, “Sleeping Giant”, “Thunder” and more. The CD version comes in a deluxe 6-panel digipak CD with alternate cover art, liner notes from longtime fan Brian Kehew (co-author of Recording The Beatles), 22 rare and unreleased bonus cuts on a separate disc plus a vintage 1980 concert DVD. The vinyl version meticulously recreates the original pressing with a foldout poster and printed inner sleeve. Both formats will officially hit the streets on May 13th, courtesy of Deadline Music.

Tracklisting:

“Keep The Dogs Away”
“Sleeping Giant”
“Catch A Tiger”
“I'm So Proud”
“Tell Me Lies”
“Military Matters”
“Superhero”
“Wasted”
“Rosie”
“Thunder”

Bonus Tracks (CD only)
“Asgardia”
“All Nite”
“Atomic Vibrations”
“Do The Muscle” (1975 Version)
“Away From You”
“Touch Me”
“You Tried My World (No Time)”
“Do The Musicle”
“We Got The Power” (Brian Kehew Mix)
“Hey Tonight” (Brian Kehew Mix)
“Everybody Needs A Hero”
“We Are Body Rock / Start The Show”
“You Have Too Much”
“Just For You”
“Give Me The Green Light”
“She Sings The Body Rocker”
“Tears In My Soup”
“Who's Better? (You Haven't Got A Chance)”
“Best Built Man Alive” (Live)
“Land Lover”
“Open Sky”
“Keep The Dogs Away” (Demo)

Thor returns to New York City on Saturday, May 14th for an epic event at the Highline Ballroom called Thor: A Rock Odyssey.

In what promises to be his biggest show ever, fans will have the opportunity for complete immersion into the Thor universe with memorabilia, film, displays of unbelievable physical power and, of course, rock and roll. This four-hour event will begin when the doors open and the public will be able to view Thor's personal trophy museum for a rare glimpse at many items from his long and storied career including memorabilia from his days as a champion bodybuilder.

Following this will be a screening of the critically acclaimed documentary, I Am Thor, and then Thor will take the stage for the first of three epic sets. First he will celebrate the deluxe re-release of his groundbreaking 1977 debut LP, Keep The Dogs Away, by performing that album in its entirety with members of his original band. Next will be the theatrical "Battle For New York," where Thor will do battle with world record holder Titano Strongman and debut two new songs featuring guest vocalists. Finally, the evening will be capped off with the "Power Set”, featuring classics and fan favorites from Thor's entire catalog.

With new costumes and over 12 musicians and actors from all over the country, props, video project, feats of strength and sword swallowing (courtesy of Titano), this will be the ultimate Thor show of shows.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was recently interviewed on "Elliot In The Morning", the morning radio talk show hosted by DJ Elliot Segal. You can listen to the chat in two parts below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On connecting musically with new MEGADETH drummer Chris Adler (also of LAMB OF GOD) in the early stage of the songwriting process for the band's new album, "Dystopia":

Dave: "It felt really natural to me. I didn't think anything of it. There's a certain rhythm that you have when you're really good at something that you do. It's kind of like, imagine when we were kids and we were playing catch for the first time. I mean, there's some of your friends that still, to this day, throw a ball like a dork, and there's other people that just… they just got it, and it looks totally fluid watching a person go back and forth. And that's kind of how it was with us; it was just absolutely fluid and natural. I think probably the most amazing thing was watching Chris's ideas when he first started sending stuff back to me, because I was working on stuff here and he had taken some of the stuff that I had that he didn't hear that I had worked on and put his ideas on it, and we kind of listened to both ideas at the same time, and it was the same kind of drum ideas. So it was great right from the start."

On whether he got the sense that Chris Adler was being a bit cautious with his opinions at first:

Dave: "I'm sure he was. You know, let's not kid ourselves. Unfortunately, there's a terrible lie out there about me and my reputation, how difficult I am to work with, and Chris will attest now, after working together, that it's B.S. But going into it, his whole outlook towards it was to just perform and do the absolute best job he could, and he didn't really want to write anything. He said he would help with the arranging and stuff, but that he wanted to just kind of let me do my thing and he wanted to hear 'his MEGADETH' again. So now, at this point, I think he's probably much more excited about contributing to the next record."

On whether he is bothered by his reputation as someone who is difficult to deal with:

Dave: "No, I don't care about it. I think it's kind of a bummer, though, sometimes when people, for the first time, come up to you. It's such a pregnant pause when people will go… they'll meet you and go, 'God, you know, I heard you were such an a-hole,' and you just kind of look at them, like, 'Uh-huh.' Again, it's like… This reminds me of when I was a kid and my first dance. I went up to a girl and I asked her to dance, and she said 'no,' and I walked away and I thought, 'Screw you! You don't know what you're missing.' And I figured I would commence to destroy her reputation in school. I'm kidding, of course, but that's kind of what we do when we get any kind of rejection; we make the other person out to be really horrible. Evidence of that was when I parted ways with METALLICA. Neither one of us really wanted to tell the absolute truth about what happened; we wanted to make the other party the bad guys. And I think that's what took so long for us to come to the truth that, 'Hey, we still really love each other a lot. And it was never meant to be, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends.'"

On how the relationship with other MEGADETH members was at times strained with some of the previous lineups:

Dave: "Like the part right before we parted ways with [drummer] Nick Menza. He would sleep on the bus until thirty minutes before the show. And he would say, 'Wake me up thirty minutes before the show and we'll go on.' And we were kind of going, 'How did it come to this?' And you don't really know. It's like that old saying, 'It's the dust that accumulates that makes mountains.' We didn't know how it happened; we just know that it happened. And everybody kind of went their own spiritual and emotional way, because everybody had their own ideas about what MEGADETH was. And I knew what it was not, and what it was not was what everybody else thought it was. It was what my idea was since the beginning."

On how the more positive feeling behind the scenes translates to a stronger live performance:

Dave: "I am feeling much better about what we're doing on stage and playing and stuff. It's really hard when you're playing with people… And I'm not trying to do any kind of sideways nonsense about anybody from the past, because if anybody has been difficult to play with, it's been me. But, you know, when you have some kind of a disagreement with somebody and you've gotta go out on stage and play with them, it's really hard to not let that come through. I mean, the perfect example: who would have ever thought that the guys from AEROSMITH would be knocking each other off stage? [Laughs] C'mon, dude! If it gets to that point where people are knocking me off stage, I quit. [Laughs]"

Sources close to AC/DC told The Sydney Morning Herald say the choice of Rose was "financially motivated."

Jesse Fink, the AC/DC biographer who wrote "The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC", called the Rose recruitment "the worst decision AC/DC has ever made. Fans are pretty disgusted," Fink said.

"AC/DC is an institution, a way of life for a lot of people," he continued. "And a huge proportion of the AC/DC fan base loves Brian. They feel the band owed him a lot more than to go out the way he has and they want the truth, not an emotionless press release that makes it sound like he was made redundant from a motor plant.

"Would Malcolm [Young, now-retired AC/DC guitarist] have agreed to this? It leaves the question of who is making the decisions for AC/DC. Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist]? George [Young, the older brother of Angus and Malcolm]? [Accountant] Alvin Handwerker? Sony?

"There seems to be a power vacuum since Mal retired from the band and whoever is making the decisions is, frankly, making pretty poor ones. This is the worst decision AC/DC has ever made."

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry reveals that his upcoming solo album will feature guest vocals from rock legends Iggy Pop and David Johansen (New York Dolls).

The sessions for the upcoming release began as an instrumental solo record, but that changed course when a colleague of Perry’s suggested bringing in some vocalist friends. These tracks are the only songs he knows for sure will be on his solo album.

"One night, Iggy Pop stopped by the studio after he'd done a show here and listened to a couple of tunes," Perry says. "Within a couple hours, he had finished [recording] everything and that was really the turning point for the record. It was really, really good to go that way. And then Terry Reid sang on at least four songs, and David Johansen came in."

Working with the New York Dolls singer proved to be something special for Perry. "I hadn't had a chance to work with him since the Seventies, since we were spending a lot of time together," he says. "We've been friends for such a long time, but we've never really had a chance to get in the studio and get in a solid situation. We got three or four tunes."

Read the full story at RollingStone.com.

Following their wildly successful concerts at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, in front of 100,000 screaming fans at the Rock In Rio festival, and their spectacular worldwide television debut on the 2016 Grammy Awards reaching a global audience of almost 25 million people, fans worldwide demanded more. Hollywood Vampires - Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp – always deliver and arranged their schedules to give their fans what they want.

Hollywood Vampires have announced a full summer tour across the US and Europe kicking off May 24th in Verona, New York.

Joining the Hollywood Vampires on tour will be their rock star musician friends and modern day Vampires Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses/The Cult) on drums, Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots) on bass, Tommy Henriksen (Alice Cooper) on guitar, and Bruce Witkin (The Kids) on piano, percussion and guitar. For tickets, visit this location.

"Here is a gang of friends who came together really by chance and over the last year we were finally able to wrangle our schedules and the energy just fell into place. Playing with this line up is like a dream come true. After seeing the reaction at Rock in Rio in front of 100,000 fans, I know this band is going to tear the house down. Hell, I would want to be in the audience to see us rip it up." – Joe Perry

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

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

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

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

Tour dates:

May
24 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino
27 - Lisbon, Portugal - Rock in Rio
29 - Herborn, Germany - Hessentag Festival
30 - Stockholm, Sweden - Grona Lund

June
1 - Horsens, Denmark - The Prison
6 - Bucharest, Romania - Romexpo Parc C

July
1 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
2 - Mashantucket, CT - The Grand Theater at Foxwoods Casino
3 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Resort Spas and Casino Event Center
5 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest BMO Harris Pavilion
7 - Aurora, IL - River Edge Park
8 - Orillia, ON - Casino Rama Entertainment Center
9 - Niagara Falls, ON - Stage at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
10 - Brooklyn, NY - Coney Island Amphitheater
12 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion
13 - Mt. Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
14 - Cadott, WI - Rock Fest
16 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
18 - Fargo, ND - Scheels Arena
22 - Rohnert Park, CA - Weill Hall
23 - Jacksonville, OR - Britt Pavilion
24 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
25 - Paso Robles, CA - Mid State Fair

Roots And Roads, the third album from former Orphaned Land co-founder Yossi Sassi’s Yossi Sassi Band will be released on May 25th. The album’s genre can be described as Oriental prog metal, combining Yossi's various musical roots - east and west, acoustic and electric, oriental and metal.

The final sound of the album is the reflection of an intricate combination of rock, classical and worldwide oriental instruments: Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Bozuouki, Oud, Saz, Charango, Chumbush, Ney, Kanun and much more. Alongside well-renowned local (Israeli) guest musicians, the album includes vocals by Zaher Zorgati (Myrath) and guitar parts by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses).

The album was recorded in the Jaffa Sound Arts studio in the ancient city port of Jaffa, Israel, during April 2016. The new video below from the studio offers snippets of what’s to come:

Candlebox, the influential, multi-platinum rock band from the powerful '90s Seattle music movement, will release its sixth studio album Disappearing in Airports on April 22nd via Pavement Entertainment. A video for the album track “Vexatious” can be found below.

Disappearing In Airports will be available on all digital platforms (iTunes, Amazon, YouTube Red, Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music) and distributed by MRI/Sony RED. iTunes preorders are live now at this location with Instant Gratification downloads of "Vexatious" and "Supernova”.

Disappearing In Airports showcases the group's introspective and poetically candid songwriting with its signature musical immediacy. Candlebox worked with producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Everclear, Rivers of Nihil), cutting the record at Think Loud Studios in York, Penn. With Kevin Martin, Dave Krusen on drums, Adam Kury on bass and the addition of guitarists Mike Leslie and Brian Quinn, the recommitment to creating music that is 'pissed and urgent' as well as bringing a new energy to the live show is at this record's core.

"I want to take Candlebox into a new world, and this record is very different, very diverse for us," said Kevin Martin. "It's about growth and pushing the band in the direction for a new audience."

Tracklisting:

“Only Because Of You”
“Vexatious”
“Supernova”
“Alive At Last”
“I've Got A Gun”
“I Want It Back”
“The Bridge”
“Spotlights”
“Crazy”
“God's Gift”
“Keep On Waiting” *

* digital only bonus track

“Vexatious” video:

“I’ve Got A Gun”:

 

Disappearing In Airports Tour 2016 dates:

April
19 - Butte, MT - Butte Depot
20 - Billings, MT - Pub Station
22 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
23 - Pueblo, CO - Pueblo Memorial Hall
26 - Little Rock, AR - Metroplex
27 - Monroe, LA - Live Oaks
28 - Baton Rouge, LA - Varsity Theatre
30 - Jacksonville, FL - Welcome to Rockville

May
3 - Annapolis, MD - Rams Head Tavern
5 - Nashville, TN - 12th and Porter
6 - Charlotte, NC - Carolina Rebellion
7 - Marietta, OH - The Adelphia Music Hall

Candlebox is:

Kevin Martin - vocals
Dave Krusen - drums
Mike Leslie - lead/rhythm guitar
Brian Quinn - lead/rhythm guitar
Adam Kury - bass

New York City-based hard rock act Tournament have released a music video (see below) for “Sean’s Place”, a track from their upcoming Teenage Creature album, set for release March 25th. This is Tournament's first release with The End Records.

Tracklisting:

“Teenage Creatures”
“Too Far Gone”
“Scattered”
“Eye On You”
“Detroit”
“Biff’s Future”
“Whip”
“Sean’s Place”
“Accident Boys (Trouble)”
“No Control”
“Life Is Over”
“Problems”

“Sean’s Place” video:

“Teenage Creature”:

Teenage Creature touches on themes such as urban squalor, disillusionment with your peers, fading youth, dystopian futures and out-partying the devil, among other things. "I think our lyrical approach on this record in general was to try not to over think it, just have fun and laugh in the face of everything that crosses our path," drummer Jordan Lovelace notes. Vocalist/guitarist Montana Masback adds that the revolving cast of characters in New York City and the group's daily interaction with their surroundings also played a big part in the writing of the album. "We wanted to avoid being too cryptic or obtuse and by doing so we felt like we could make the lyrics more relatable for everyone," he continues. In that spirit, songs like "No Control," "Problems" and "Life Is Over" address the universal human condition in a way that's far more celebratory than it is melancholy.

(Photo - Louisa Parkinson Lovelace)

Prior to their upcoming tour (dates listed below), Jackyl has released a brand new single, "Blast Off", via iTunes and Amazon.

Catch Jackyl live at the following shows:

April
29 - Fort Smith, AR - The Steel Horse Rally 
30 - Panama City Beach, FL - Club LaVela  

May
12 - Champaign, IL - The City Center 
13 - Peoria, IL - Limelight 
14 - Kansas City, MO - Rockfest at Liberty Memorial Park  
21 - Myrtle Beach, SC - Throttlefest at House Of Blues  

June
2 - Sandusky, OH - Bike Week at The Downtown Block Party  
4 - Akron, NY - Braun's Concert Cove  
5 - Syracuse, NY - The Westcott Theater
10 - Rothbury, MI - Sandy Corley Memorial Run at Double JJ Resort  
11 - Fond Du Lac, WI - Walleye Weekend at Lakeside Park  
25 - Johnstown, PA - Thunder In The Valley at Peoples Natural Gas Park  

July 
13 - Erie, PA - Roar On The Shore  
15 - Mineral Wells, WV - Interstate Fair   
16 - Marion, IN - Brandt's I-69 Harley Davidson  
22 - Pompano Beach, FL - Pompano Beach Ampitheatre  
29 - Van Wert, OH - Wetzelland 30th Anniversary Motorcycle Rally  

August
19 - Milford, IA - Boji Bay Fun Pavillion  

September
9 - Hinckley, MN - Grand Casino Hinckley Amphitheatre  

November
25 - Indianapolis, IN - 8 Second Saloon

 

 

 

 

Last night, April 17th, L.A. Guns headlined the 44th anniversary bash of the legendary Rainbow Bar and Grill, located at 9015 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, California; fan-filmed video of their entire set can be seen below.

Now Phil Lewis, Steve Riley, Michael Grant, and Kenny Kweens are set to embark on a world tour; confirmed dates are as listed.

April
22 - Fish Head Cantina - Halethorpe, MD     
23 - Revolution Bar & Music Hall - Amityville, NY    
26 - Tralf Music Hall - Buffalo, NY    
29 - Crossroads - Garwood, NJ     
30 - Appomattax Boat Harbor - Prince George, VA     

May
5 - Liquid Joe's - Salt Lake City, UT         
6 - The Coach House - San Juan Capistrano, CA    
7 - The Canyon Club - Agoura Hills, CA   
11 - The Rock Box - San Antonio, TX     
12 - The Pub Fountains - Stafford, TX   
13 - The Rail Club - Fort Worth, TX    
14 - Tucson Convention Center - Tucson, AZ       
18 - Grindhouse - Padua, Italy      
19 - Centrale Rock - Erba, Italy      
20 - Officine Sonore - Vercelli, Italy      
21 - Concerto per Matteo - Osoppo, Italy       
22 - Public Square - Avezzano, Italy       
24 - The Underworld - London, United Kingdom    
27 - Yardbirds Club - Grimsby, United Kingdom    
28 - Birdwell - Barnsley, United Kingdom       
29 - Robin 2 - Bilston, United Kingdom   
31 - Tavastia - Helsinki, Finland       

June
2 - Rantasipi Aulanko - Hameenlinna, Finland       
3 - Mosso - Lahti, Finland       
9 - Sweden Rock Fest - Sölvesborg, Sweden    
16 - LaconiaFest Music Grounds - Laconia, NH    

July
15 - Rock The Mountain Festival - Mt Pocono, PA   
16 - Williamsport Bike Night - Williamsport, MD      
21 - First On First - Dickinson, ND     
29 - Whisky A Go Go - Hollywood, CA    
30 - Halfway Jam - Royalton, MN     

August
4 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN   

November
19 - MIXX360 - Malden, MA

 

 

 

 

Swedish bashers Soilwork are currently on the road supporting Fear Factory. Fan-filmed video from the band's April 8th show at Reverb in Reading, PA can be viewed below.

Remaining dates on the tour are as follows:

April
19 - Chicago, IL - Concord
20 - Ringle, WI - Q and Z Expo Center
21 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
24 - Denver, CO - Summit
26 - Salt lake City, UT - In The Venue
27 - Idaho Falls, ID - Hitt Event Center
29 - Garden City, ID - Revolution Concert House and Event Center
30 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon

May 
1 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
3 - San Francisco, CA - Slims
4 - Las Vegas, NV - LVCS
5 -  San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
6 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
7 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre

METALLICA's co-manager Peter Mensch is one of a number of music industry players who have commented on the growing fight between record labels and YouTube, calling on the Google-owned video site to hand over more revenue to rights holders.

"YouTube, they're the devil," he told a BBC Radio 4 documentary on the music business. "We don't get paid at all."

Despite the fact that YouTube has an estimated 900 million users, it generates roughly $680 million (€600 million) a year for the music industry, according to Andrus Ansip, Vice President for the Digital Single Market on the EU Commission. This is significantly less than the $1.8 billion (€1.6 billion) Spotify contributes a year from about 30 million paying subscribers.

"If someone doesn't do something about YouTube, we're screwed," Mensch, a co-owner of Q Prime, a talent management company that has also handled the careers of such artists as RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, AC/DC and LED ZEPPELIN's Jimmy Page, said. "It's over. Someone turn off the lights."

Responding to Mensch's comments, YouTube CEO Robert Kynci argued that artists were not seeing higher YouTube payouts because of the agreements they had with their record labels.

"It really depends on what is the flow of the money from us to you," he said.

"The artists who are signed up directly with YouTube are seeing great returns," he said. "Not everybody — but if you're generating a lot of viewership, you're making a lot of money.

"There are middle-men — whether it's collection societies, publishers or labels — and what they do is they give advances and they want those recouped. So it's really hard when there's no transparency for the artist.

"The people who don't have visibility are generally the ones who tend to be less happy. If you don't have full visibility, you're somehow more susceptible to negative thinking."

YouTube said in a statement that the site "has paid out over $3 billion to the music industry — and that number is growing significantly year on year."

The statement continued: "Only about 20% of people are historically willing to pay for music. YouTube is helping artists and labels monetize the remaining 80% that weren't previously monetized. The global advertising market is worth $200 billion. This is a tremendous opportunity."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said last year that streaming services were the future of the music industry — although he also admitted that they are more effective for established acts than new ones. Speaking with the BBC, Ulrich said: "I believe streaming is good for music. People sit there and go, 'I'm not getting paid very much' — but streaming is a choice on all fronts."

He added: "Streaming probably does benefit artists with higher profiles. A lot of playlists that are being made available for people seem to feature higher-profile artists… There's less and less and less and less money being put into younger artists. And there's a danger of younger artists coming close to extinction."

But Ulrich also argued that streaming or any other music delivery service won't accomplish anything if the music itself isn't up to par, explaining: "I connect less because there's less great new music to connect with. A lot of the stuff is just regurgitated — this year's flavor. It's not leading-edge like THE BEATLES, Miles Davis or Jimi Hendrix.”

Ulrich did not indicate what steps METALLICA will take when it comes to delivering its new album.

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper has told RollingStone.com that he is excited by the news that Axl Rose will be fronting AC/DC on the next leg of the latter band's upcoming world tour. "I just think that's such a unique combination," Alice said. "Whoever has tickets to that show has got the golden ticket, because who doesn't want to see that?"

Cooper said that he heard about the pairing a while ago, but didn't believe it at first. "At first I thought it was an April Fool's thing," he said. "I went, 'Oh, come on.' Then I started thinking about it and said, 'You know, his voice is absolutely perfect for that band. That might just work.'"

AC/DC postponed the last ten dates of its recent North American tour after doctors told singer Brian Johnson he faced "total hearing loss." Those dates will be rescheduled, with Rose on vocals. In the meantime, the Axl-fronted AC/DC will embark on a European stadium tour, starting on May 7 in Lisbon, Portugal and running 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.

Sources close to AC/DC told The Sydney Morning Herald say the choice of Rose was "financially motivated."

Jesse Fink, the AC/DC biographer who wrote "The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC", called the Rose recruitment "the worst decision AC/DC has ever made. Fans are pretty disgusted," Fink said.

"AC/DC is an institution, a way of life for a lot of people," he continued. "And a huge proportion of the AC/DC fan base loves Brian. They feel the band owed him a lot more than to go out the way he has and they want the truth, not an emotionless press release that makes it sound like he was made redundant from a motor plant.

"Would Malcolm [Young, now-retired AC/DC guitarist] have agreed to this? It leaves the question of who is making the decisions for AC/DC. Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist]? George [Young, the older brother of Angus and Malcolm]? [Accountant] Alvin Handwerker? Sony?

"There seems to be a power vacuum since Mal retired from the band and whoever is making the decisions is, frankly, making pretty poor ones. This is the worst decision AC/DC has ever made."

A woman who was at the Las Vegas hotel where Vince Neil allegedly assaulted an autograph seeker earlier in the month has posted video footage of her encounter with the MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman.

A YouTube user who goes by the name "TYESUN" has uploaded two short clips that she says were filmed as Neil was exiting Aria hotel on April 7 with his friend, actor Nicolas Cage. The first video shows Cage on his way out of the hotel with a woman following him closely behind taking pictures. The woman then appears to be jerked back by someone before Neil can be heard and seen yelling for the woman to stop filming. Neil then points back at "TYESUN" before Cage turns around and lefts his hands up in apparent attempt to keep from being filmed.

The second clip, which shows Cage restraining Neil with a light chokehold outside the hotel, appears to have been shot right before the widely circulated TMZ video that captured the actor playing peacemaker after Neil was allegedly trying to fight another individual. The TMZ clip was reportedly filmed after Vince was held for an hour by security and police had already ticketed the singer for battery.

A Las Vegas police spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that Neil was under investigation after the alleged victim told police that the singer came up from behind and grabbed her by the hair.

Neil claimed he only "pushed past" the female autograph seeker, but officers concluded after reviewing a surveillance video that Vince did in fact pull the woman by her hair, according to TMZ.

Cameras also captured the woman taking pics with Carrot Top before she saw Nicolas Cage. She claims she said, "Nicolas, I love you" and followed Cage before being pulled down by Neil, who was having lunch with the comedian and the actor.

Neil was released at the scene, police said, and is scheduled to appear in court on June 17 for the alleged assault on the woman.

If convicted, Neil faces six months in prison stemming from the battery charges.

The singer's attorney, David Chesnoff, told the Daily News he is still investigating the incident.

"All I've seen is that there was an allegation of a simple misdemeanor battery," he said. "People shouldn't pre-judge things until all the facts are in."

Cage and Neil are longtime friends who were previously photographed together at the rocker's strip club back in 2012.

New photos of JUDAS PRIEST members Rob Halford (vocals), Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Richie Faulkner (guitar) in the studio working on material for the follow-up to the band's 2014 album "Redeemer Of Souls" can be seen below. The pictures, which were posted on PRIEST's Facebook page, were accompanied by the caption: "Making metal on ‪#‎metalmonday‬!! @robhalfordlegacy @falconfaulkner ‪#‎glenntipton‬ ‪#‎judaspriest‬ ‪#‎priestfamily‬"

Halford recently told Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show about PRIEST's upcoming record: "We finished [the 'Redeemer Of Souls'] tour, this big world tour, just before the holidays in December, and we're about to start writing sessions pretty much now. And that's great. Oh, man, I can't wait to get into the writing zone again. That, to me, [is] one of the most thrilling moments for me personally in PRIEST. You go into a room with some amps, and turn the amps on, start riffing and boom, you could have another amazing PRIEST song by the end of the day. I love that part of being in PRIEST. So that's the next step — writing sessions, get some really good, solid PRIEST material ready, and then, you know, Scott [Travis, drums] and Ian [Hill, bass] come in and we jam and we start putting the songs together. Like always, it'll be ready when it's ready, but there was already an extraordinary amount of ideas collected throughout that tour. So I'm optimistic that we should have something ready by… probably not by the end of this year, but definitely by the early part of next year."

"Redeemer Of Souls" was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

JUDAS PRIEST's new CD, DVD and Blu-ray, "Battle Cry", was released on March 25 via Epic Records. Recorded live on August 1, 2015 at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in front of an audience of 85,000, the set is available on a 15-track CD, with the entire show on Blu-ray and DVD (running over 94 minutes), as well as digital audio and video formats. The DVD and Blu-ray also contain three bonus tracks shot in Poland on December 10, 2015 at The Ergo Arena, Gdansk, Poland.

Norwegian-American electronic hard rock/heavy metal group COMBICHRIST returns with its eighth studio album, "This Is Where Death Begins", on June 3 via Out of Line Music. An apocalyptic behemoth of guitars, electronica, infernal drums and dark elemental force, the CD was produced by Oumi Kapila (FILTER) plus COMBICHRIST's own Andy LaPlegua and mastered by Vlado Meller (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SLIPKNOT). The 15-track album also features guest vocals from Chris Motionless (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE) and Ariel Levitan (MXMS).

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

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

"This Is Where Death Begins" track listing:

01. We Are the Plague02. My Life My Rules03. Glitchteeth04. Exit Eternity (feat. Ariel Levitan)05. Skullcrusher06. Time Again07. Destroy Everything08. Tired of Hating You09. Don't Care How You Feel About It10. Blackened Heart 11. Pay to Play (feat. Chris Motionless)12. Slakt13. Black Tar Dove Pt. 114. Black Tar Dove Pt. 215. Homeward (feat. Ariel Levitan)

COMBICHRIST plans to tour the world this year in support of "This Is Where Death Begins", including already announced European and South American tours.

Since releasing the first COMBICHRIST album, "The Joy Of Gunz", LaPlegua and COMBICHRIST have unleashed six subsequent full-lengths, including 2014's "We Love You", and numerous EPs while also cracking Billboard's Top 10 Dance Singles chart. Following the release of 2011's "Making Monsters", they promoted it loudly by accompanying German friends RAMMSTEIN on an international stadium tour, expanding their audience even further. COMBICHRIST is: Andy LaPlegua - vocals Joe Letz - drumsEric 13 - guitar Brent Ashley - bassNick Rossi - drums

New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL played a special anniversary show this past Saturday night (April 16) at Turbinenhalle 2 in Oberhausen, Germany. The evening saw the band perform their classic records "Horrorscope" (which is celebrating its 25th anniversary) and "Feel The Fire" (30th anniversary) in their entirety. And if that wasn't enough, the show was professionally filmed and recorded for an upcoming DVD and CD.

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

OVERKILL is utilizing a stand-in drummer — their soundman Eddy Garcia, who is also a member of the El Paso, Texas band PISSING RAZORS — for their current European tour because the band's regular drummer, Ron Lipnicki, was forced to stay home due to undisclosed family issues.

Garcia previously played with OVERKILL for their appearance on the 2012 edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise.

OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth told Metaleater about the Oberhausen concert: "We're gonna come out, we're gonna do 'Horrorscope', and then we're gonna take fifteen minutes to realize how old we are and talk about whether we can actually do the second half of the show. [Laughs] We're gonna start downing Red Bulls and vodka, and then shoot back out to the stage after a ten- or fifteen-minute interlude where we're gonna have some videos playing of the band while they recorded the 'Horrorscope' record, and then go out and do 'Feel The Fire' in its entirety. So it's quite a unique night. And we're not doing it the entire tour; we're doing it at one show. So we thought it was kind of unique to do that."

Regarding how the idea to perform the two albums in their entirety came about, Ellsworth said: "It was something that we came up as an idea with the record company, Nuclear [Blast], and they were all over it. They said, 'Wow, what a great idea! It's not an entire tour. It's one night. It makes it special. Let's film it.' And we were, like, 'That's exactly what we wanted to hear from you guys.' So that's where we are with this."

OVERKILL has demoed at least eleven new songs for the band's upcoming follow-up to 2014's "White Devil Armory", tentatively due in October via Nuclear Blast. Blitz said that the fact that OVERKILL is touring while finalizing the songs for its upcoming album is beneficial when it comes to capturing the explosive nature of the band's performances in the studio environment. He said: "For me, it's kind of cool to go out and be doing live shows as the record is taking form, because it translates into the writing. You know, when you're doing shows and then you're finishing shows off — my end of the songs, which are the melodies and the lyrics — I can kind of infuse that natural energy into it, if I was just most recently on stage. It's not feigned then; it's my last memory of the band, and I really try to live in the present and the near past."

London-based progressive, psychedelic rockers Messenger will release their second album, Threnodies, on April 22nd via InsideOutMusic. The band have released a video for the album’s opening track, “Calyx”. Check out the video below.

Tracklisting:

“Calyx”    
“Oracles of War”    
“Balearic Blue”    
“Celestial Spheres”
“Nocturne”
“Pareidolia”    
“Crown of Ashes”
“Song Slowly Song” (Tim Buckley Cover)

“Calyx” video:

"Balearic Blue”:

Messenger lineup:

Khaled Lowe: Guitars/Vocals
Jaime Gomez Arellano: Drums/Percussion
Barnaby Maddick: Guitars/Vocals
Dan Knight: Guitars/Keyboards
James Leach: Bass

Sweden’s Astrakhan will return to the scene with their brand new album, Adrenaline Kiss, on June 3rd. The CD is scheduled for release via Dead End Exit Records/Sound Pollution.

Astrakhan is now ready to launch the follow-up to their debut from 2013. With experienced musicians seen in bands like Pain Of Salvation, Royal Hunt, Evergrey and other Scandinavian quality bands, Astrakhan is now set to reach broader audience.

Adrenaline Kiss has a personal and unique sound that is easy to embrace for every fan of classic/prog rock in general and good music in particular. The album is filled with dark riffs, atmosphere and focus on melody and finesse rather than technical excess. This combination, fairly represented in the world of progressive makes Astrakhan stand out and forge a strong band identity. Add the world class vocals of Alexander Lycke, well known musical artist having done the leading roles in Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, American Idiot, Les Miserables all over Europe for that last ten years and you have a band that makes you stand up and take notice.

Tracklisting:

“Hear Me Now”
“Wisdom of Massdestruction”
“Silver Dreams”
“Alive”
“Adrenaline Kiss”
“One More Day”
“Ballade De Rhodes”
“Gravity     Astrakhan”
“Stockholm”

“Alive” video:

The official lyric video for "Until The End Of Days", a brand new song from Finnish melodic metallers STRATOVARIUS, can be seen below. The track is taken from STRATOVARIUS's "Best Of" collection, which will be released on May 6 via earMUSIC.

"Until The End Of Days" features the current STRATOVARIUS lineup consisting of Timo Kotipelto, Jens Johansson, Mattias Kupainen, Lauri Porra and Rolf Pilve.

STRATOVARIUS is one of the most influential, successful and enduring power metal bands in the world; one of the top names thanks to their distinguished mix of fast progressive metal and a melodic approach to melodies.

What started in 1985 under the name BLACK WATER and left a trail of 16 studio albums and ten Top 5 chart positions in their native country Finland (and more than 40 top chart positions all around the globe), found — after a few bumpy steps and stones in the band's lineup — its peak in STRATOVARIUS's recent studio works "Elysium", "Nemesis" and "Eternal" — all milestones in sound, creativity and songwriting.

It happens rarely nowadays, especially in metal, that a band creates one magic song after the other. STRATOVARIUS is one of the few exceptions. 29 of those exceptions (and there could have been more!) can be found on "Best Of".

The "Best Of" is going to be released as 2CD standard edition, digital and as 3CD limited edition in a high-quality packaging, including the exclusive 60-minute bonus CD "Live At Wacken 2015". Both editions include liner notes written by exceptional keyboardist Jens Johansson as well as rare picture material from the band's private archive.

All hand-picked by the band and adding up to two and a half hours of pure STRATOVARIUS bliss, the songs give metal fans and those to be a great selection on the band's impressive work, including classics such as "Black Diamond", "Hunting High And Low" and "Speed Of Light" as well as more recent material such as the most streamed song in the band's history "Unbreakable" and "Shine In The Dark" from their recent studio album "Eternal".

All songs have been remastered by the band's longtime companion Mika Jussila of Finnvox Studios.

Jens Johansson explains: "It's been twenty years since the 'Episode' album, we're all getting older but this stuff sounds as fresh as ever. Could it be that STRATOVARIUS has discovered the fountain of Eternal Youth!? You may feel younger, but we can't actually (legally) promise you'll be younger after listening to this best-of album, but we can guarantee one thing: when you put it through your speakers, it will play 'Until the End of Days'!! To me, it's a testament to the fact that paying attention to songwriting and production was expensive, but so worth it. The songs, the sound and the performances really have stood the test of time." Timo Kotipelto adds: "Wow! 20 years in STRATOVARIUS have passed at the speed of light! I still remember when I joined the band and was happy to do some power metal. And I am very happy to still be able to do it after all these years! This collection of songs is an excellent selections and a cool way to remember the history of the band from the past to the present! I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did while selecting the songs. Rock the metal!"

The whole STRATOVARIUS catalogue will be re-released throughout 2016 and 2017, including extensive booklets and a lot of bonus material. "Best Of" track listing:

CD1

01. Until The End Of Days (brand new song)02. My Eternal Dream03. Eagleheart04. Speed Of Light05. S.O.S.06. Forever Free07. Wings Of Tomorrow08. No Turning Back09. Break The Ice10. Distant Skies11. Will The Sun Rise? 12. A Million Light Years Away13. Under Flaming Skies14. Darkest Hours15. Winter Skies16. I Walk To My Own Song17. Maniac Dance CD2

01. Halcyon Days02. Will My Soul Ever Rest In Peace?03. Destiny04. Paradise05. Deep Unknown06. Elysium07. Black Diamond08. If The Story Is Over09. Unbreakable10. Forever11. Shine In The Dark12. Hunting High And Low CD3 - Live At Wacken 2015 (only available on limited edition)

01. Intro02. Black Diamond03. Eagleheart04. Against The Wind05. Dragons06. Legions Of The Twilight07. Paradise08. Shine In The Dark09. Speed Of Light10. Unbreakable11. Hunting High And Low

Neon Sunsets has uploaded professionally filmed video footage of DIRKSCHNEIDER, the band fronted by former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. singer Udo Dirkschneider performing the ACCEPT classic "Midnight Mover" on March 13 at Rockfabrik in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Check it out below.

Asked about his decision to perform classic songs from ACCEPT for the last time in 2016 under the DIRKSCHNEIDER banner, Udo told rock journalist Mitch Lafon: "A lot of people ask me, 'Why do you do this?' And I said… Always people are asking, 'Oh, can you play this ACCEPT song and this ACCEPT song and this ACCEPT song?' I mean, I have fifteen U.D.O. albums out, and, for me now, U.D.O. is U.D.O. Of course, I know that the people like to hear ACCEPT songs with my voice, but I wanna close something — I wanna close, like a book, and say, 'Okay, that's it. I read it.' Sometimes you have to come to an end with something. I wanna close up everything with ACCEPT. And this will be the last time. And I said, okay, I'll do one more tour. It will be a world tour. Hopefully we can do this also for America, around maybe a couple of shows. And yeah, that will be the last time that you… When we are on tour with U.D.O., we'll never play any ACCEPT songs again."

He continued: "I also wanna stop to be compared with… Now ACCEPT is still on tour, and they have a new singer, and they are doing also 'Balls To The Wall' and they are doing also 'Metal Heart', they do 'Princess Of The Dawn'. And I don't wanna be always compared and have to say, 'What do you think about this and this and this?' This is also another reason. I wanna close the ACCEPT chapter. I mean, it was a great… I mean, in a way, I was creating this band, you know. Sometimes you have to say, 'Okay, that's it.' I have enough U.D.O. songs, so I can play more U.D.O. songs and be U.D.O. I can say without being arrogant, U.D.O. has its own fan base now. Sometimes you have to say, 'Okay, that's it.'"

To those fans that still want to experience the classic ACCEPT songs performed live, Udo has this message: "There is a band called ACCEPT. And please, if you wanna hear these songs, please go then to [see] ACCEPT. [Laughs] So that's the only thing I can say. Now you'll have the chance [this] year to hear it with the original voice, but Mark [Tornillo, current ACCEPT singer] is doing a — I would say — really good job on it, so please go there and listen then to ACCEPT and U.D.O. is then U.D.O."

Regarding what makes the classic ACCEPT songs so special, Udo said: "I don't know what is special. You never can tell it, really. Like [DEEP PURPLE's] 'Smoke On The Water', in a way, something like this. Sometimes there's a song that, in a way, that stays forever."

The April 2 DIRKSCHNEIDER concert at Kaminwerk in Memmingen, Germany was professionally filmed and recorded for a DVD and CD release later this year.

DIRKSCHNEIDER is:

Udo Dirkschneider - lead vocalsFitty Wienhold - bassAndrey Smirnov - guitarKasperi Heikkinen - guitarSven Dirkschneider - drums

San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL will release their new album, "The Evil Divide", on May 27. The CD was once again recorded at AudioHammer studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, DEICIDE), who previously worked on 2010's "Relentless Retribution" and 2013's "The Dream Calls For Blood". Mastering duties were handled by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York City. The cover artwork was created by tattoo artist Bob Tyrrell and can be seen below.

The third trailer for "The Evil Divide", featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the CD, can be seen below.

DEATH ANGEL guitarist Rob Cavestany said: "Both Mark [Osegueda, vocals] and I had been tattooed by Bob, and when the subject of album artwork came up, we approached him to create the design. We wanted an image that would represent the idea of 'The Evil Divide'; something beautiful, yet simultaneously wicked, hence the death moth. Bob realized our vision with mere pencil and paper, and now we proudly present to you the cover art for our eighth studio album, 'The Evil Divide'."

Osegueda told SFWeekly.com about working with Suecof again: "It's the third time we've used him, and we couldn't really be happier."

He continued: "This time, all the music was written and lyrics were written with the exception of one song, which I purposely saved to write on the spot.

"Sometimes you can get a great vibe from a studio and draw inspiration from that. That song came out great."

Mark added: "It's got the aggressiveness of the last two records, but our songwriting has improved dramatically. Really, it sounds like DEATH ANGEL should."

Regarding DEATH ANGEL's mindset going into the songwriting process for the new CD, Osegueda told Rock Hard magazine: "When we started working with Jason Suecof for the last two records, 'Relentless Retribution' and 'The Dream Calls For Blood', we thought we were gonna do two records intense like that and kind of go back [to the more] melodic [direction of 1990's] 'Act III', but the last two records, we've been loving so much writing that style, and the crowds have been enjoying them so much.

"In our minds, even if we think we're being more brutal than we've ever been, it's inevitable that we are obsessed with melody, so there's always gonna be melody that separates us from, say, different thrash bands or extreme bands, because we always veer to a melody and catchy hooks. No matter how brutal we think we're being, we like to throw in hooks, so we're just gonna carry on how we're doing now and try to pick as many of the young punters there and keep our stronghold on the old punters."

"The Evil Divide" track listing:

01. The Moth02. Cause For Alarm03. Lost04. Father Of Lies05. Hell To Pay06. It Can’t Be This07. Hatred United, United Hate08. Breakaway09. The Electric Cell10. Let The Pieces Fall

Bonus:

11. Wasteland

+ "Making Of" DVD

DEATH ANGEL released "A Thrashumentary" in July 2015 via Nuclear Blast. The DVD was directed, shot and edited by Tommy Jones (KATAKLYSM, SOILWORK, LAMB OF GOD, CARCASS, TESTAMENT) of Videohammer Studios. The release also includes a full live album titled "The Bay Calls For Blood".

BLACK VEIL BRIDES vocalist Andy Biersack of and his girlfriend, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Juliet Simms, who is best known as a contestant on the 2012 season of the NBC reality TV talent competition "The Voice", got married this past Saturday, April 16 after dating for five years.

Biersack and Simms shared photos of their wedding day on their Instagram accounts. The BLACK VEIL BRIDES frontman wrote: "We had a beautiful intimate ceremony with our friends and family and I married my best friend in the world. I am the happiest man alive! Thank you to everyone who came to support us, it was such a magical night filled with love and laughs. Thank you to every one of you guys who have supported Juliet Simms and I in our love and have been so kind to both of us. I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter in my life with my soul mate. The list of people who contributed to this wedding and made it happen is too long to list but needless to say this wouldn't have happened without our dedicated and amazing friends. Thank you!"

Simms added: "I got to marry my best friend, love of my life and soulmate. Words cannot express how I feel right now. Andy Biersack I will love you forever, my everything, my always."

Biersack's new solo project, ANDY BLACK, will release its debut album, "The Shadow Side"Lava/Republic. The CD was produced by John Feldmann and is expected to include collaborations with FALL OUT BOY's Patrick Stump, Gerard Way, 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER's Ashton Irwin and ALL TIME LOW's Rian Dawson.

The official music video for the song "Divided" from DAN REED NETWORK can be seen below. The track istaken from the band's new album, "Fight Another Day", which will be released on June 3 via Frontiers Music Srl. "Fight Another Day" marks the return of one of the most infectious and gifted bands to come out in the melodic rock world in the second part of the '80s. The new album was recorded primarily in the hometown of members of DAN REED NETWORK, Portland, Oregon, while most of the writing process took place in Dan Reed's private studio in Prague in the Czech Republic, where Reed currently resides with his family. Demos were sent back and forth between Derek Shulman (A&R for Frontiers), Brion James, Melvin Brannon Jr. and Rob Daiker, making notes and refining the songs over great distances via the Internet. This process was not unlike the way DAN REED NETWORK composed songs back in the late '80s and early '90s as Dan Reed used to demo out songs on his Akai 12-track machine and bring the songs into rehearsals where the band members would then arrange and flesh out the band's classic "funk rock" sound. After the tracking was completed, keyboardist Rob Daiker went to work editing and mixing each track alongside Shulman and Reed, sending mixes back and forth, making notes and shaping and moulding the album to best represent what DAN REED NETWORK sounds like currently, while paying respect to what brought the band to the world's attention back in the late '80s. "I thought it would be a great experiment and interesting challenge to revisit what endeared the band to so many back in the day and deliver a rock record with funk and soul elements, strong melodies, but this time around incorporate even edgier lyrics while not losing sight that this release needed to be uplifting, infectious, and most of all, powerful when performed live," says Dan Reed.

"The title 'Fight Another Day' represents the fact that after 25 years we were able to gravitate back to the passion we discovered playing together all those years ago, and battle once more!" The band looks forward to the world's response to this new labor of love, and this testament to the bonds of friendship and musical chemistry. Worlwide touring over the next twelve months will support the album release. An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for the album is available below.

"Fight Another Day" track listing:

01. Divided02. The Brave03. Infected04. Champion05. Ignition06. Give It Love07. B There With U08. Save The World09. Eye Of The Storm10. Reunite11. Heaven12. Sharp Turn13. Stand Tall DAN REED NETWORK is:

* Dan Reed - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitars, Piano, Synth Programming, Moog Bass* Brion James - Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Synth Guitars, Synth Programming, Drum Programming* Dan Pred - Drums, Percussion, Videographer* Melvin Brannon II - Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Bass, Electric Contra Bass, Synth Bass* Rob Daiker - Vocals, Keyboards, Synth Programming, Drum Programming