Gritty southern metal four-piece Texas Hippie Coalition are back with their fourth full-length Carved Records album, Dark Side Of Black, to be released on April 22nd. The new song “Come Get It” can be found below.

Embracing southern roots while exploring a heavier sound than ever before, Dark Side Of Black achieves a murky, groovier feel while not straying too far from THC's tried and true brand of rugged outlaw rock. Pre-orders for Dark Side Of Black are available here.

Dark Side Of Black was recorded at Boot Hill Studio in Corinth, TX and Valve Studios in Dallas, TX with producer Sterling Winfield (Pantera, Hellyeah, Damageplan).

"Dark Side Of Black is our heaviest album to date for sure," states THC vocalist Big Dad Ritch. "We've learned a lot having made four full-length albums prior. We're trying to use that knowledge we learned to make an album that can maintain what Ride On and Peacemaker bring to the table, yet we wanted it to lend itself more to the power that is the RED DIRT METAL of Rollin and Pride of Texas. So it feels like Pride meets Peacemaker. Top shelf THC meets bottom shelf liquor..."

Although Texas Hippie Coalition are experts at their trade, recording Dark Side Of Black wasn't easy at times. THC drummer Timmy Braun comments on his physical struggle while recording the album, having just recovered from a serious infection shortly beforehand. He feels, perhaps, that this struggle influenced his recording style overall.

"About Dark Side Of Black, I have never had such a difficult time completing an album in my life," begins Braun. "I say that because my first session I had just got out of the hospital. It was difficult for me to walk let alone play a drum kit. After being in bed for literally two weeks I felt a bit out of shape. Then for the second session my hand was swollen to almost twice its size because of an injury! I couldn't make a fist let alone play a drum kit. However, I'm hoping the vibe I was able to create will have a special flavor that I wouldn't have been able to offer had my life been in order, per say. In other words, tough times make for better art!"

Guitarist Cord Pool adds, "Between tweaking our writing style and being influenced by personal things, Dark Side Of Black leads the listener a step closer to the darker and heavier side of what we have to offer."

Dark Side Of Black tracklisting:

“Angel Fall”
“Come Get It”
“Dark Side”
“Gods Are Angry”
“Hit It”
“Into The Wall”
“Knee Deep”
“Rise”
“Shakin'”
“Villain”

“Come Get It”:

"Rise”:

In celebration of the album's release, Texas Hippie Coalition will venture out on a US headline tour with support from fellow Texas namesakes and natives Sons Of Texas. The Dark Side Of Black tour will begin its first leg on April 29th in Shreveport, LA and visit a total of 26 cities before ending at River City Rockfest on May 29th. The tour will include five spring festival stops (these will not include Sons Of Texas). Before the tour, the band will perform two headline dates, one of which will act as their official album release party.

Find the band’s complete tour itinerary at this location.

Clutch, the influential heavy rock band from Maryland, is celebrating Record Store Day on Saturday, April 16th, by releasing a special limited edition 12” vinyl. The record contains two previously unreleased tracks from the latest Psychic Warfare album sessions: “Mad Sidewinder” and “Outland Special Clearance”.

These two tracks, specifically mastered for this vinyl configuration by Paul Logus, will be on side A. The reverse side will have a large scale etching taken from the Psychic Warfare CD booklet design created by Dan Winters. The jacket is hand-numbered thick clear plastic showing the full art design, thus making this piece for Record Store Day 2016 a unique collectors item for all Clutch fans.

For more information and to find your local participating store, click here.

 

"Tooth, Beak & Claw", a brand new song from Swedish metallers AVATAR, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new concept album, "Feathers & Flesh", which will be released on Friday, May 13 via Another Century in Europe and Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and Canada.

"'Tooth, Beak & Claw' is epic, massive death metal designed to make you want to dance," says AVATAR frontman Johannes Eckerström. "It's the BEACH BOYS reporting in from Valhalla. It's a gang of zombie surfers riding the waves of Hades."

The aim is set higher, further and deeper than ever before for AVATAR. Not only is this concept album their most extensive work to date, showing the widest range of any of their albums, it also contains a story too extensive for any booklet, so they made a book. A fully illustrated 60-page, 109-verse poem hardcover book. The physical album pre order, book, and exclusive merchandise is available now. AVATAR's music video for the new song "For The Swarm" can be seen below. Directed by longtime collaborator Johan Carlén, the clip pegs itself firmly into the upper echelon of stunning visual masterpieces the band has grown accustomed to producing. "For The Swarm" is also available as an iTunes instant gratification track, meaning fans who pre order the album will get the track as an instant download. "Feathers & Flesh" was recorded in Germany, Finland and Sweden in December 2015 with producer extraordinaire Sylvia Massy (SYSTEM OF A DOWN, TOOL, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS).

"AVATAR is an amazing band," said Massy, adding, "The singer has the wild energy and charisma I love, and the players are relentless. The album we're making is an epic. Each song powerfully stands on its own, but is only a piece of a larger story. This album is the project I've been dreaming about for years!" The music is as always, rooted in the extreme, with plenty of melodic sensibility and a lust for experimentation. There is a love for intense double bass drumming, riffing and shredding of timeless dimensions alongside rough edges, slow grooves and epic storytelling for the ages. The idea is that as the band digs deeper, the fists will be held up higher. The end result is a modern metal album with all the ruthlessness and power one could ask for handled with a loving songwriter’s hand, inspired by THE BEATLES and QUEEN. "Feathers & Flesh" track listing:

01. Regret02. House Of Eternal Hunt03. The Eagle Has Landed04. New Land05. Tooth, Beak & Claw06. For The Swarm07. Fiddler's Farewell08. One More Hill09. Black Waters10. Night Never Ending11. Pray The Sun Away12. When The Snow Lies Red13. Raven Wine14. Sky Burial

Finnish modern metallers, Volymian, release their debut album, Maze Of Madness, worldwide today (April 15th) via Canadian label Maple Metal Records. The album’s opening track “Breathe”, is streaming below.

Volymian was founded in 2008, and the band went through various member changes before settling down with the sextet that recorded Maze Of Madness. Most recently, vocalist Markku Kuikka (Status Minor, The Ragged Saints, Kenziner) joined the band in 2015 for the new album. Previously the band had recorded three EPs with a different vocalist. Maze Of Madness was recorded at Artlab Studio, Helsinki, and produced by Volymian. The album was mastered by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Primal Fear, Epica, Amaranthe) in Denmark.

Jacob Hansen shares his comments on the album: "Volymian is great! I’m very impressed with the performances and song writing. Excellent stuff they’ve got going."

The album cover artwork was designed by Satu Velasco.

Tracklisting:

“Breathe”
“Line Of Fire”
“Inside Out”
“Under A Million Stars”
“Maze Of Madness”
“Empty Room”
“Damnation Of Love”
“Ring”
“Indifferent”
“Wasted Years”

“Breathe”:

“Line Of Fire” video:

Teaser:

 
Volymian is:

Markku Kuikka - vocals
Timo Mikkonen - guitar
Juha Raisanen - guitar
Ville Velasco - drums
Petri Hampinen - bass
Robert Leksis - keyboards

The sophomore album from First Signal, entitled One Step Over The Line, will be released on June 3rd. A lyric video for the album cut “Love Gets Through” can be found below.

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

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

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

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

One Step Over The Line tracklisting:

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

“Love Gets Through” lyric video:

Southern California’s Nails will release You Will Never Be One Of Us on June 17th via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Today, on the eve of their Choosing Death Fest appearance, the band  reveal album details and the music video for the title track. The new video, directed by Jimmy Hubbard, can be found below.

Comments vocalist/guitarist Todd Jones: "“You Will Never Be One Of Us” is the title track and also the opening track from our new album. I can't deal with trying to write some clever, witty, or whatever type of descriptive garbage filled with barbs about how our band is awesome and other bands suck (which is absolute peasant bullshit), so I'll cut to the chase. This is to date, our favourite song. It's a song which represents almost every side of Nails. When it comes time to announce a record, it's really difficult for us to pick the first song to let the world hear because any Nails record to date is more about the LP as a whole and not 1 song really represents the full LP,  but I can say with no hesitation, this song represents this LP and we're confident that we should be releasing this song first. “You Will Never Be One Of Us” is about about the pain and the pride that goes into being involved in hardcore/punk/metal unconditionally...being a lifer. It's a knife to the throat of the people who come and liter their bullshit and impose on everyone for their own selfish agenda. It's for everyone who dedicates themselves to their craft...their music...their passion...whatever the fuck it is, and seeing someone come along and attach themselves to what you do/love and abuse it, with no regard or respect for it. This song is not for Nails, but for all of US. 

"As far as the video goes, we needed something that represented us and wasn't fake. The world really doesn't need another 'band playing in a warehouse' music video, but again, without being condescending with some passively aggressive description and putting other videos down, we believe this video not only stands out as far as quality and expression, but represents us in the best possible way that a music video could. It conveys the emotions that you might experience from us if you come to one of our shows. This video shows what we are, doing what we do in this band. No pretense, no overblown image, no bullshit, no gimmicks, no artificial/cheap attention grab. This video IS Nails. Fucking period.

"We hope you guys dig this shit. We worked really hard on everything with the LP. Wrest did the artwork which is undoubtedly the best representation Nails has had so far for an album cover, the video you're seeing/hearing...everything. This record represents Nails more so than any of our other records. You Will Never Be One Of Us is the epitome of Nails to date. It is our apex (up to this point). We know if you're already a fan of the band that you'll love this record. If you've never heard of us before, we appreciate you checking this shit out. 'OUR PAIN IS NOT YOUR PAIN, OUR PRIDE IS NOT YOUR PRIDE - YOU WILL NEVER BE ONE OF US'. Much love and respect."

You Will Never Be One Of Us was recorded, mixed and produced by Kurt Ballou (Converge, High On Fire). Artwork was created by WHTHD. Pre-order the album in CD or vinyl format, with or without several bonus items, from the Nuclear Blast web shop. Pre-order the album digitally right now through iTunes or Amazon and receive the title track instantly.

You Will Never Be One Of Us tracklisting:

“You Will Never Be One Of Us”
“Friend To All”
“Made To Make You Fall”
“Life Is A Death Sentence”
“Violence Is Forever”
“Savage Intolerance”
“In Pain”
“Parasite”
“Into Quietus”
“They Come Crawling Back”

“You Will Never Be One Of Us” video:

Nails will perform at the the Choosing Death Fest tomorrow at Philadelphia, PA’s Union Transfer. Tickets are available for $22 in advance at www.utphilly.com and $25 day of show at the door.

(Photo - Jimmy Hubbard)

"Prayers For The Damned", the title track of the upcoming double album from SIXX:A.M., the band featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx alongside guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael, can be streamed below.

Due on April 29 via Eleven Seven Music, the first volume of "Prayers For The Damned" is available to pre-order via iTunes and all digital retailers.

With two U.S. Billboard Top 20 albums and a string of hit singles already under their belt, "Prayers For The Damned" represents the band's most ambitious, complete and adrenaline-soaked effort to date. James Michael once again plays triple duty on "Prayers For The Damned" as vocalist, the album's producer and mixer, thereby solidifying the unique musicianship of this beloved hard-rock outfit. The introspective cover art for "Prayers For The Damned" is an original design created by guitarist DJ Ashba, further proving that all aspects of this album are a collaboration of true passion for the band. "SIXX:A.M. is in the most creative place of our careers," said Sixx. "For James, DJ and myself, we think it's the perfect time to release so much quality music to our fans who've been supporting us over the last three albums.” Michael agreed: "The double albums will leave no stone unturned in our quest to create important music and push the boundaries of rock." Ashba concludes: "We are on a mission to give our fans even more than they could have hoped for, both musically and visually."

"Prayers For The Damned Vol. 1" track listing:

01. Rise02. You Have Come To The Right Place03. I'm Sick04. Prayers For The Damned05. Better Man06. Can't Stop07. When We Were Gods08. Belly Of The Beast09. Everything Went To Hell10. The Last Time (My Heart Will Hit The Ground)11. Rise Of The Melancholy Empire

Asked about the addition of Canadian drummer Dustin Steinke (BLEEKER RIDGE) to SIXX:A.M.'s recording and touring lineup, Sixx said: "He's a fantastic drummer, first of all, and being a bass player, I appreciate that more than just about anybody. We play very well together. He's a great guy, so he brings that really positive energy that's part of our family. And we have two background vocalists that are just phenomenal, and they're also great people."

He continued: "SIXX:A.M. is DJ, James and myself, but our extended family in our touring band, there's six of us. That's a lot of people. And we have to be sure everybody's a good person. There's really no time for any B.S. We have a mission, and we have a standard that we wanna keep the band to, and everybody in the band has the same mission in sight, same mission in mind."

Photo credit: Dustin Jack

German metal band, Rage, will release their new album, The Devil Strikes Again, on June 10th via Nuclear Blast Records. The first in a series of studio trailers can be seen below:

The Devil Strikes Again will be released in various formats: CD / Digibook (2CD)/ Deluxe Digibook (3CD) / 2LP.

Tracklisting:

CD/LP:
“The Devil Strikes Again”
“My Way”
“Back On Track”
“The Final Curtain”
“War”
“Ocean Full Of Tears”
“Deaf, Dumb And Blind”
“Spirits Of The Night”
“Times Of Darkness”
“The Dark Side Of The Sun”

Bonus (Digibook/ Deluxe / LP)
“Bring Me Down”
“Requiem”
“Into The Fire”
“Bravado” (Rush Cover)
“Slave To The Grind” (Skid Row Cover)
“Open Fire” (Y&T Cover)

CD Live 2016 (Deluxe only)
“Black In Mind” (live)
“Sent By The Devil” (live)
“End Of All Days” (live)
“Back In Time” (live)
“Down” (live)
“My Way” (live)
“Until I Die” (live)
“Don't Fear The Winter” (live)
“Higher Than The Sky” (live)

“My Way” video:

Pre-order the new album at this location.

 

"Louder Than Love - The Grande Ballroom Story", produced and directed by Tony D'Annunzio, is coming to home video on June 10 via MVD. The film has been to over 35 festivals from Detroit to L.A. to London and Australia.

"Louder Than Love" debuted to standing ovations at the world premiere April 5, 2012 at the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts, followed by 35 different film festivals across the globe including sold out screenings at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville Film Festival, CBGB / NYC Music & Film festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest and Australia DocWeek. It screened at the Traverse City Film Festival and was personally handpicked by Michael Moore, who described it as "an amazing look back at the talent and creative culture produced in this state."

It has won numerous awards including Best Doc at Las Vegas International Film Festival and D'Annunzio was nominated for Best New Film Director at the LA New Directors Film Festival. Most recently, the film was broadcast on PBS and became one of their best received pledge drives.

The Grande Ballroom era is potentially the greatest untold story in rock and roll history," says D'Annunzio, a Detroit native. "With everything Detroit has been through in the last several decades, I wanted to let folks know that aside from the automobile industry, the city has some amazing musical history which helped shape American pop culture."

While the West Coast was grooving to the sounds of the "Summer Of Love" in 1967, Detroit was pumping out a hard-driving, gritty, raw sound. At the epicenter of this seminal music scene stood the Grande Ballroom, Detroit's original rock and roll palace. That sound was Louder Than Love. "Louder Than Love - The Grande Ballroom Story" relates the story of the hallowed halls that started it all, as told by the artists and fans who helped fuel the Grande phenomenon.

In the late 1960s, the Grande helped to break some of America's most iconic rock bands including MC5, Iggy and THE STOOGES and Ted Nugent and the AMBOY DUKES, who influenced local musicians and inspired bands all over the U.S. and Great Britain. Legendary acts such as LED ZEPPELIN, CREAM, B.B. King, Janis Joplin, PINK FLOYD and THE WHO played the Grande main stage on a regular basis. D'Annunzio amassed more than 75-plus hours of interviews with artists and other insiders from The Grande's heyday including musical icons B.B. King, Alice Cooper, Roger Daltrey, Scott Morgan, Mark Farner, Tom Morello, Wayne Kramer, Lemmy, Ted Nugent, Henry Rollins, Don Was, Slash, Dick Wagner and James Williamson. He also collected over 500 never-before-seen archival photos-taken by professional photographers and fans-of performers such as THE WHO, Howlin' Wolf, Albert King, CREAM, PINK FLOYD, JEFF BECK GROUP, MC5, TRAFFIC, and IRON BUTTERFLY.

"We have incredible 8mm film of THE WHO performing 'Tommy' for the first time, including an audio recording by Pete Townsend explaining 'Tommy' to The Grande audience. Both have never been seen or heard in any documentary," D'Annunzio notes.

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on "Uprise", the fourth album from the the Dutch female-fronted band NEMESEA, can be streamed below. The CD will be released on April 29 via Napalm Records.

According to a press release, "Uprise" "offers intense and soulful alternative rock complete with a subtle breath of goth and loudly demands the attention the band undoubtedly deserves. 'Uprise' is a gem that reveals its many-splendored colors more and more each time you press play!

"The guitars and Manda Ophuis's outstanding vocals continue to be the driving force behind NEMESEA. "The alternative rock trio has several surefire hits up its sleeve, and it's impossible to not be enthralled by the all-encompassing balance between driving rock and soothing ballads."

"Uprise" track listing: 01. Hear Me02. Twilight03. Forever04. Let It Burn05. Time To Make It06. Can't Believe It07. Light Up The Sky08. Get Out09. Bones10. Hold On11. The Way I Feel (bonus track)12. Broken (bonus track)13. If You Could (bonus track)14. No More (bonus track)

According to Billboard.com, BMG will relaunch the seminal metal label Noise Records.

Noise was a German record label founded by well-known industry figure Karl Ulrich Walterbach. Walterbach had originally started Modern Music Records in Berlin, with a two-pronged approach of promoting German-speaking punk bands (SLIME, DAILY TERROR and TOXOPLASMA) and licensing American bands such as BLACK FLAG, MISFITS and THE ANGRY SAMOANS. From this base, he developed the Noise label in 1983, specializing in thrash metal bands such as KREATOR, TANKARD, CORONER and SABBAT but also successfully diverting into other genres such as power metal (HELLOWEEN), heavy metal (RUNNING WILD) and the extreme metal of CELTIC FROST. The label quickly became the leading European player in its field, with Hamburg-based HELLOWEEN topping charts around the world with their "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" album, while "Part 2" sold in excess of a million albums in the late eighties. During the early nineties, after signing directly to previous distributor EMI, the band became embroiled in a legal dispute with Noise, which was eventually and unequivocally settled in favor of the label. Noise also administrated a number of other imprints — Machinery was best known for its industrial and experimental acts, such as OOMPH! and CARBONATE, while T&T brought more melodic rock bands to the Noise roster and released albums by the likes of VIRGIN STEELE, STRATOVARIUS and ELEGY.

Noise was eventually acquired as part of the Modern Music Group by Sanctuary in 2001, before being purchased by BMG in 2013.

The Noise relaunch will begin with a reissue campaign starting in May. Planned releases include a series of best-of compilations and reissues from CELTIC FROST, HELLOWEEN and VOIVOD.

"The Noise label made an invaluable contribution to metal music as home to a long list of artists who helped define the genre as we know it today," said Peter Stack, BMG executive vice president global catalogue recordings, announcing the label's return. "I'm really excited about giving Noise's rich heritage a new lease of life in 2016 and beyond."

"Rock Fossils On Tour", the exhibition about ancient fossils that are named in honor of rock stars, continues its tour around the natural history museums of the world when it opens at NaturBornholm on the Danish island of Bornholm on April 15.

This travelling exhibition was the brainchild of metal-loving palaeontologist Jesper Milàn from Geomuseum Faxe in Denmark, modelmaker Esben Horn from 10Tons Aps, Rune Fjord Studio, professor Mats Eriksson from Lund University and Achim Reisdorf from University of Basel. The exhibition opened for the first time in 2013 at Geomuseum Faxe (Denmark) where King Diamond turned up and revealed the model of the 400-million-year-old worm named in his honor, Kingnites Diamondi. After Faxe, the exhibition travelled to the Natural History Museum in Oslo (Norway), the Natural History Museum in Bern (Switzerland), Fossilienmuseum Dotternhausen (Germany), and now fossil and metal fans of Bornholm get a chance to see it.

The exhibition features lifelike reconstructions of ancient animals named in honor of such celebrities as Lemmy, King Diamond, Sid Vicious and many more as well as portrays of the fossils, the rockstars and the funny anecdotes from the scientists that named the animals.

NaturBornholm is a geological visitor center that, via an impressive exhibition, tells the 1.7 billion years of geological history present on the island. Director of NaturBornholm Peter Haase says: "With more than 60,000 annual visitors to NaturBornholm, from all over the world, we hope to be able to expose the exhibition to a wide international audience."

After spending the summer on NaturBornholm, the exhibition will move on to the Natural History Museum in Chemnitz, Germany, where it will open in November.

Jesper Milàn from Geomuseum Faxe says: "It's great to see the continuing interest in the exhibition from museums around the world. That such a dull field as Zoological Nomenclature (the science of naming organisms) can be the focus of an international success is just great. On a scale from 1 to 10, this one goes to 11."

Guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE spoke to Australia's Faster Louder about the band's return to a more aggressive sound on its latest album, 2015's "Venom". He said: It just felt like something we wanted to do. With 'Fever' and 'Temper Temper', we kind of showcased the band with its biggest sound, and they had kind of touches of metal in those records, but this time around, we just wanted to make it the most aggressive record we've done, and thankfully, we've felt like we achieved that goal. We wrote a lot of stuff that didn't make it, because we didn't think it hit that criteria, and that's why it took a lot longer to write than anything we've ever done. We just had such a clear vision of what we wanted it do be — dark, super intense, ugly lyrics, heavy — and we never took our eyes off that prize, and thankfully, the time spent writing it was worth it. It's been a massive success; it's been brilliant."

Tuck was also asked about whether BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE has ever felt pressure to change the band's sound at all, especially with groups like BRING ME THE HORIZON taking a huge step in another direction with their latest effort, "That's The Spirit". He responded: "I think of the era we grew up and the bands we listened to growing up, I think we will always be us. I don't think we're going to do like HORIZON; it's a very bold move and that comes with risks. For them, thankfully, it's worked out alright. I think when you start to put yourself in that position of evolving like they have over the last two records, what you do next time is a dangerous game to play. Thankfully, it's worked out for them well, and long may continue. But, for us, I think we're very proud of what we've achieved and what we've done, so if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it. We're going to evolve and things are going to change naturally, and that's great and that's what we encourage; we love that. But I think as far as dropping guitars for synths, that's not for us, man. We're going to do what we do."

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

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

Christopher Derek Foley (a.k.a. KiddChris) of the WEBN radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio recently conducted an interview with HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale. You can now listen to the chat using the widget below.

Asked which candidate she supports in the U.S. presidential race, Lzzy said: "If I had to choose right now, today, I think it would be Bernie [Sanders], but then I'm looking at him, and I'm, like, 'I think he's gonna, like, die the first year in office,' 'cause he's just this old guy."

She continued: "There's really no fantastic choice. Last time, it was kind of, like, 'Okay, well, that's kind of a no-brainer,' but it's really tough this time; it really is. It's definitely not [Donald] Trump. Hillary [Clinton]… The only thing about Hillary… And I'm sorry for all those ladies out there that are just doing it because she's female, but I just don't buy it; I don't get what she stands for. She keeps changing her mind. When the time comes, I think I'm just gonna close my eyes and pick one, I think."

Pressed on why she wouldn't vote for Trump, Lzzy said: "I've just never been a fan. And for kind of the same reason with Hillary, he's just extremely inconsistent, and that's just a weird scenario."

HALESTORM's first two albums, 2009's "Halestorm" and 2012's "The Strange Case Of…" were both officially certified gold in March by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of more than 500,000 copies. The certifications came after RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in gold and platinum album award.

The band's third effort, "Into The Wild Life", debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 56,000 copies in its first week of release — more than double the first-week haul of their second CD — but has not reached gold yet.

In a brand new interview with Meltdown of the WRIF radio station in Detroit, Michigan, FILTER mainman Richard Patrick was asked what it was like when his band opened for GUNS N' ROSES during the Axl Rose-fronted group's Las Vegas residency in 2012. "It was awesome," Patrick said. "You know, I was given a list of places I wasn't allowed to go on stage. We were told to play, like, ten extra songs. You know, it was wild. I was, like, 'Okay, so you want me playing for an hour and a half? Okay! Hour-and-a-half show. Okay, buddy. Strap your boots on.' But it was… It's kind of weird. 'Don't touch the pole. You're not allowed to touch the pole.' I go, 'Oh, okay.'"

Patrick, who says he's known Axl Rose for twenty years, called the GUNS N' ROSES singer "a pretty cool guy," but said that he wasn't surprised to see Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan reunite last year. "Yeah, money talks," he explained. "You start running out of the cash, all of a sudden you're, like, 'I like Slash.' You just turn into that guy: 'I miss Duffy.'"

He continued: "If someone offered you seventy-two million dollars to go around the country and play songs that were written thirty years ago, you'd do it, right?

"I don't know… I think people had to kind of come back down to reality and kind of deal with… I mean, when you take twenty years to mix one record [referring to GN'R's 2008 effort, 'Chinese Democracy'], something's wrong. In the amount of time that it took to mix that record, Miley Cyrus was conceived, born, put through school and went platinum, all within seventeen years, and it took twenty years to make. Think about it: people lived their entire lives in the amount of time that it took to turn a bass up or down. You know what I mean? C'mon!"

GUNS N' ROSES will play two gigs in Mexico City and two Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival dates this month, before launching a stadium trek this summer.

GUNS N' ROSES is getting a reported $8 million for its two appearances at Coachella.

FILTER's seventh album, "Crazy Eyes", was released on April 8 via Wind-Up Records. The follow-up to 2013's "The Sun Comes Out Tonight" was produced by Patrick.

Interview (audio):

Rock icon Lita Ford recently spoke with Robert Cavuoto for My Global Mind. She discusses her new memoir, Living Like a Runaway, and her new album, Time Capsule. An excerpt from the interview is available below.

Robert: Did writing the book give you a cathartic feeling in sharing all the difficulties you experienced in your career?

Lita Ford: "I wasn’t sure how it was going to be received or if people were going to be angry at me. Turns out a lot of people were angry about me sharing my Tony Iommi stories. Nobody was more upset about it than me. Nobody was more hurt or felt screwed over more than me. They think they're mad? I was engaged to my idol, a man that I looked up to and worshiped like a god. Turns out he’s abusive, I never encountered abuse.  My family was very calm, relaxed, happy people; there were never any harsh words between my parents. I never witnessed my father hitting my mother or even raising his voice. I never thought it would happen to me, I was so naive. It’s one of those things that you say 'It will never happen to me' then I end up getting married to a guy who is verbally abuse! The guy I married made Iommi look like a pussy cat and Iommi almost killed me. I was let down and hurt. I went out and got my first tattoo after I broke up with Iommi. It was rebellious and destructive thing to do. When I get hurt or upset I feel like I want to hurt myself like I want to be drunk or OD on drugs. Instead I went out and got a tattoo, it was the dragon with the guitar on my shoulder. I was so devastated. Did I really want a tattoo? I don’t know?"

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Lita Ford is set to release 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):
13 - Wichita, KS - Cotillion Ballroom
15 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Civic Center
16 - Sioux City, IA - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
17 - Dubuque, IA - Diamond Jo Casino / Mississippi Moon Bar*
19 - Huntsville, AL - Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
20 - Spartanburg, SC - Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium
21 - Johnson City, TN - Freedom Hall Civic Center
23 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater*
24 - Ladson, SC - 98 Rock Fest**
25 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
27 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
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

SPIRALARMS, the San Francisco Bay Area-based heavy rock band featuring Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN, MANMADEGOD) on guitar, Tim Narducci (SYSTEMATIC) on vocals, Chris "Cornbread" Lombardo on bass, Brad Barth on keyboards, Anthony Traslavina on rhythm guitar and Andy Galeon (DEATH ANGEL) on drums, has called it quits.

Explains Locicero in a statement: "Tim and I started an idea in 2004. This idea was spawned from two major label acts that hastily broke up and were on the rebound. Three parts MANMADE GOD and and one part SYSTEMATIC. We had no set path or direction when we started jamming together; we just wanted to make great hard rock music. The kind of music we wanted to hear. No niche. No one set genre. Just cool music. As a consequence, it was difficult for some listeners to know exactly how to classify us.

"As time forged on, we had a few other very talented musicians with us at various stages. In 2014, we eventually set the lineup with Andy Galeon on drums. This was our strongest lineup yet and we went on to record our third full length with Eric Kretz [STONE TEMPLE PILOTS] producing and recording. It's the most complete and focused offering we've ever done as a unit. Unfortunately, we won't be operating as a band when it's released. Such is life. Sweet and salty.

"There were few other projects that Tim and I had spinning to keep us occupied in those twelve years. But to both of us, SPIRALARMS was always number one. Even with the reformation of FORBIDDEN from 2008-12, I wanted SPIRAL to be the band to ride into our later years. Sometimes life doesn't work out the way we expect it to. Most of the time, really.

"The last year has been a bumpy road of great shows, hard knocks and disappointments. I've come to realize that it's too difficult to jam a square peg into a round hole with this band. We've grown apart. Tim and I both leaders and he wants to blaze his own path. Ironically, that is the very best thing for both of us. It allows me re-explore my journey without feeling guilty for taking time away from SPIRALARMS.

"So thank you to our fans, our families and our friends who've stuck by and believed in SPIRALARMS all these years. You've witnessed a band that maybe should have been much bigger in notoriety, but we've all become better people. I must also thank Tim, Brad, Chris and Andy. We did some great things together.

"Sorry we have to call it a day. But as I've learned to after all of these years, never say never. One door closes, another one opens..."

Locicero also commented on the possibility of a FORBIDDEN reunion, saying that putting the band back together is "easier said than done. As things stand, FORBIDDEN still has a contract with Nuclear Blast. But the schematics are very confusing here. When we ended, there was two members from out of state (one out of the country) plus Matt [Camacho, bass] and Russ [Anderson, vocals] retired from music until further notice. All of this presents a large hurdle if we just 'wanna get together to jam.' So you must understand that it is simply not likely. But as I stated, never say never."

SPIRALARMS' second album, "Freedom", was released on October 22, 2013 via Steamhammer/SPV.

The clip below features between-song highlights of former Immortal frontman Abbath on stage in New York City recently, who clearly had one drink too many... or just enough to make his show more entertaining than usual.

Abbath have released an official video for “Winterbane”, a track from the band’s self-titled debut album, released back on January 22nd via Season Of Mist. The new clip can be found below.

Abbath album tracklisting:

“To War!”
“Winterbane”
“Ashes Of The Damned”
“Ocean Of Wounds”
“Count The Dead”
“Fenrir Hunts”
“Root Of The Mountain”
“Endless”
“Nebular Ravens Winter” (bonus track)

“Winterbane” video:

Album stream:

"Nebular Ravens Winter" video:

Order the new album at this location.

“Fenrir Hunts” live:

In support of the upcoming reissues of Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning, Metallica have posted this rare video of the band performing “Ride The Lightning” on August 31st, 1985 at Day On The Green, held at Oakland Stadium in Oakland, CA.

Metallica will reissue their first two albums, 1983's Kill 'Em All and 1984's Ride The Lightning, on April 15th. Both albums have been remastered for the most advanced sound quality and will be available in three formats - CD, vinyl, and deluxe box set. Both deluxe box sets include original source material from the band's personal collection with many never before heard or seen recordings, along with a book including rare photos and essays from those who were there.

Fans can pre-order both Deluxe Box sets at the Met Store.

In celebration of this year’s Record Store Day, on April 16th Metallica will be releasing a special exclusive CD titled Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, Metallica! The artwork for the upcoming release can be seen below.

The nine-song set was recorded live at Le Bataclan in Paris, France on June 11th, 2003 and Metallica are donating all profits to victims of the attacks in Paris in 2015.

Tracklisting:

"The Four Horsemen”
"Leper Messiah”
"No Remorse”
"Fade To Black”
"Frantic”
"Ride The Lightning”
“Blackened"
"Seek & Destroy"
"Damage, Inc.”

“Fade To Black”:

Metallica will perform live at Berkeley, CA's legendary record store Rasputin Music on Saturday, April 16th in celebration of Record Store Day 2016. As this year's Record Store Day Ambassadors, the band invites fans to join them on this special day to experience the passion for music that lives on in local record stores around the world.

"Getting loud, noisy and sweaty at Rasputin's on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley transports Metallica right back to the core of its Bay Area beginnings," said Metallica's Lars Ulrich. "We can't wait to celebrate Record Store Day while shaking up the East Bay old-school style."

Rasputin Music customers and Met Club members are invited to be in the audience by entering to win tickets to this very intimate performance.

Two Ways To Win:

1. Visit Rasputin Music in Berkeley between now and April 10th to fill out a ballot for your chance to win ONE ticket to the special performance.

2. Met Club members can click here to win ONE ticket to the performance.

For all guidelines and additional fine print details, click here.

High-end fashion brand Gucci appears to have incorporated AC/DC's iconic logo into at least one new women's ensemble, judging from the cover design put together for the next issue of T, The New York Times fashion magazine. The image in question (see below), which was taken by fine-art photographer Jackie Nickerson, features a model facing away from the camera, showing off the glittery backside of a dress emblazoned with the band's legendary symbol.

AC/DC's collaboration with Gucci was mentioned in a February New York Times article as part of the newspaper's coverage of Milan Fashion Week. Alessandro Michele, the creative director of Gucci, described the brand's fall fashion line as "rock 'n' roll Renaissance, 1980s Renaissance, street-style Renaissance, bourgeois Renaissance, chinoiserie Renaissance," with The New York Times writer Vanessa Friedman adding that couture enthusiasts can expect to see "long, ostrich-trimmed gowns and short studded leather suits; big shoulders and puffed shoulders; fur trim and fur cuffs; putti prints and giant shaggy furs; hostess dresses with fluted sleeves and one with AC/DC sequined on the back."

AC/DC has famously been reluctant to aggressively pursue brand extensions and licensing, although the band appears to have softened its attitude toward the practice. In 2011, AC/DC allowed the opening riff to its "Back In Black" song to be used in a commercial for Walmart, three years after making its "Black Ice" album available for sale in the U.S. exclusively at Walmart stores.

"They have a purist approach," Steve Barnett, the chairman of Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, told The New York Times. (He also managed the band from 1982 to 1994.) "Their instinct was always to do the right thing for fans, think long term and not be influenced by financial rewards."

In the new video streaming below, Louder Noise sits down with Metal Allegiance members Mark Menghi and Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal to talk about their east coast tour and what's next for the band.

Metal Allegiance recently completed their Destination (Almost) East Coast tour. The 7-day trek kicked off March 31st in Providence, Rhode Island and was followed by stops in Poughkeepsie, New Haven, and Lancaster before the final show on April 7th at the Gramercy in New York NY.

Drummer Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs) checked in with the following update: "Last night's Metal Allegiance and Next To None show in NYC was absolutely one of my favs! Especially sharing the kit at the end of the night with Max... that is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life! Thank you to all my MA brothers, our ass-busting crew and the N2N boys for an unforgettable week! Here's a little taste of the fun..."

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Electric Eye" (Judas Priest)
"The Ides Of March" (Iron Maiden)
"Wrathchild" (Iron Maiden)
"Can't Kill The Devil"
"Fast As A Shark" (Accept)
"Balls To The Wall" (Accept)
"Heaven And Hell" (Black Sabbath)
"Creeping Death" (Metallica)
"Territory" (Sepultura)
"Dying Song"
"The Prisoner" (Iron Maiden)
"I Don't Know" (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Pledge Of Allegiance"
"Into The Void" (Black Sabbath)
"Iron Fist" (Motörhead)
"Runnin' With the Devil" (Van Halen)
"Eruption" (Van Halen)
"Whole Lotta Rosie" (AC/DC)

Encore:

"Seek & Destroy" (Metallica)

British melodic rockers, Vega, will release their new album, Who We Are, on May 13th. The album track “We Got It All” is now streaming below.

Vega is really one of the few bands who successfully manage to mix in their music the heritage of the great melodic rock bands of the 80’s and 90’s with a very contemporary approach to songwriting and production. Vega is indeed one of the few bands that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and give you that butterflies in your stomach excitement as you listen to the songs on an album for the first time. And with their fourth studio album, Who We Are, Vega manage again to create a magic formula with 11 concise and riveting songs that rock from start to finish and will leave you wanting more.

“We always try to push the envelope with each record that we do and this one is no different. We have put in all of our different musical influences into every song and what has come out of it is undoubtedly Vega but a Vega that is bigger than ever!” says singer Nick Workman.

Brothers Tom and James Martin say: “We're thrilled with how this record came out. We were in a fortunate position where we could fly Harry Hess over from Canada to produce the record. We spent the best part of 3 weeks with Harry at Monnow Valley Studios in Wales perfecting this record. There was laughter, blood, sweat and tears along the way and even a hospital visit, but what a great time we had! And to be recording where the likes of Queen, Led Zeppelin Official, Oasis and Black Sabbath have recorded was incredibly inspiring.”

“The ballad “Nothing Lasts Forever” is a stand out for me,” adds keyboard player James Martin. ”It's a huge piano ballad with Queen and The Beatles influences and Harry really went to town on the production of this song.”

Tom Martin says: "This is probably our most diverse record and that's what we tried for when choosing the songs. Each song has its own identity and we probably have the heaviest and softest songs we have ever recorded and everything in between. That gives you an idea of how strong the material is on this record."

Vega will embark on a tour upon the new album’s release with UK rock veterans Magnum. Who We Are truly sees the band taking their song writing and performance to the next level. Be sure to catch the guys on tour.

Who We Are tracklisting

“Explode”
“We Got It All”
“Every Little Monster”
“Nothing Is Forever”
“White Flag”
“For Our Sins”
“Generation Now”
“Ignite”
“Savin' Grace”
“If Not You”
“Hurts So Bad”

“We Got It All”:

“Every Little Monster” lyric video:

Vega lineup:

Nick Workman - Vocals
Tom Martin - Guitars
Dan Chantrey - Drums
James Martin - Keyboards
Marcus Thurston – Guitars