IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris slipped on stage and fell during the band's March 24 performance at Arena Castelão in Fortaleza, Brazil. He quickly picked himself up and resumed the concert, apparently without sustaining any injuries.

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

Harris recently told Argentina's Vorterix radio about whether singer Bruce Dickinson's cancer battle made him think about a possible end to IRON MAIDEN: "Yeah, I mean, I think at this stage of our career, I really don't think we would have looked to another singer, that's for sure. We didn't even consider it. I mean, there's no point. We can't really replace Bruce anyway, so we wouldn't try at this stage in our career, I don't think so. But, thank God, we didn't need to, and he's fine. The main thing is that he's okay, and he is okay. But the second thing is, obviously, now we can tour and we can make albums, and I'm sure he's gonna be fine in the future. So, you know, he seems really well, and he's singing well, so… Thank God that we are still together."

Asked whether he has ever imagined his life without IRON MAIDEN, Steve said: "Well, you know, you have to… I think you have to kind of get your head used to the fact that some day it's gonna happen. I mean, it took me a long while to realize that I wasn't gonna play football on a regular basis anymore. I still play once in a while, but that took me a long while to adjust. And I think, obviously, with the band, it's gonna be even worse, so I'm not looking forward to that. But, you know, you just have and try and focus and do other things, so you have your mind on something else."

Regaridng what the key is to keeping the band together seventeen years after Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith rejoined IRON MAIDEN, Steve said: "I think everybody's grown up. I think everyone's matured and we don't argue about stupid things anymore. Not that we used to argue that much anyway — we didn't really argue that much — but I think when you're younger, sometimes trivial things, you know, they just get to you. And I think, as you get older, you get more experience and [become] hopefully a bit wiser, and you don't really make a big deal out of silly things."

IRON MAIDEN's world tour, in support of the band's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", kicked off on February 24 in Sunrise, Florida (a suburb of Fort Lauderdale).

Former MORBID ANGEL frontman David Vincent has contributed guest vocals to "Manufacturing Evil", the sophomore album from Des Moines thrash merchants GREEN DEATH. Vincent appears on the track "Gates Of Hell", which can be streamed below.

"Manufacturing Evil" will be released on April 1 through MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson's EMP imprint through the legendary label Megaforce.

GREEN DEATH was brought to EMP's attention via SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor after performing at the 2015 edition of SLIPKNOT's Knotfest. Initially released independently, the reissued version of the critically acclaimed "Manufacturing Evil" will feature some new mixes, mastering, and surprises, including guest vocals by Vincent.

With the core of the band playing together for well over a decade, GREEN DEATH — consisting of vocalist Sol Bales, drummer Ryan Berrier, guitarists Erich Tran and Mark Reinking and bassist Parker Willis — has become a staple in the Midwest metal scene, earning their stripes playing alongside artists like SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, SEVENDUST, TRIVIUM, SLIPKNOT, DYING FETUS and more, and releasing two critically acclaimed LPs.

Says Ellefson: "From the minute I heard GREEN DEATH, I knew these guys were doing something different; one foot firmly planted in the roots of classic thrash, the other pushing the boundaries of metal forward. These guys definitely have something special. An amazing, progressive band, with an amazing work ethic. And the connection with Corey, who I love, and the introduction coming from him via Thom [Hazaert, EMP A&R director]. It was just a no-brainer."

DISTURBED performed its cover version of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence" on last night's (Monday, March 28) episode of Conan O'Brien's nighttime talk show, "Conan". You can now watch the performance below.

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman told Philadelphia radio station 93.3 WMMR that the band has been "blown away" by the response to its version of "The Sound Of Silence". Draiman explained: "We're pretty blown away — and surprised, to be honest — by the amount of positivity that has surrounded the cover. Because it was definitely a left turn, and it was something that, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have intended to go to, stylistically, on my own."

Draiman said that performing the song live should be an interesting experience. "From a vocal standpoint, it's not as challenging as you might imagine, but from a production standpoint, that will be challenging," he said. "We've talked about bringing out either a string quartet or maybe trying to get local orchestras to maybe be a part of it or whatever the case may be. We've talked all kinds of things and it's a very significant production nightmare, but I think it's definitely one we're heading down the road for."

Draiman said that it took him three hours to record the vocals for the song — the longest vocal session of his career — and recalled hearing it three days later. He explained, "[I] was kind of tearing up listening to it, because it had been so long since I have allowed myself to go to that place vocally, and hearing it, and hearing it come out as well as I thought it did was not just gratifying, but like having a weight lifted off me."

"The Sound Of Silence" is taken from DISTURBED's sixth studio album, "Immortalized", which was released in August.

The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, making it DISTURBED's fifth effort in a row to enter the chart at Number One, a feat shared only with METALLICA and DAVE MATTHEWS BAND.

DISTURBED kicked off a North American tour — its first in more than four years — on February 10 in Fargo.

Metallica are streaming "Creeping Death" from the remastered edition of Ride the Lightning, available on April 15th. Remastered by Howie Weinberg At Howie Weinberg Mastering in Los Angeles, CA.

Check out complete details of the Kill 'Em All - Deluxe Remastered Box Set here. All details of the Ride The Lightning - Deluxe Remastered Box set can be found here.

Metallica's recently announced headlining concert at Minneapolis' brand new US Bank Stadium on August 20th has completely SOLD OUT. Presale fan club tickets were made available earlier this week, followed by this morning's public on-sale, which sold out in less than 10 minutes.

Metallica's show in Minneapolis will be the first rock concert at US Bank Stadium, the new home of the Minnesota Vikings, as part of the opening weekend festivities.

Avenged Sevenfold will provide direct support, marking one of only a few shows the hard rock band will play in the country this year. Volbeat will open the show with their unique blend of rock, metal, and rockabilly.

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”:



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Dutch vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering) recently teamed up with Iceland's Árstíðir for a collaborative album, Verloren Verleden. Check out live footage of the group performing "Russian Lullaby" from the album on the Dutch program Live uit Lloyd below:

Verloren Verleden is now available via Anneke's online shop here. The album features a broad selection of momentous classical and traditional works, reconceived and reimagined within the Árstíðir/Anneke sound-universe.

The tracklist is as follows:

"Bist Du bei Mir" – Gottfried Stölzel
"Solveig’s Song" (from Peer Gynt) – Edvard Grieg
"Het Dorp" – Jean Ferrat / Friso Wiegersma
"Russian Lullaby" – Irving Berlin
"Þér ég unni" – Árstíðir
"Londonderry Air" (Danny Boy) – Traditional / Frederic Weatherly
"A Simple Song" (from MASS) – Leonard Bernstein / Stephen Schwartz
"When I Am Laid In Earth" (from Dido & Aeneas) – Henry Purcell
"Heyr Himna Smiður" – Kolbeinn Tumason / Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson
"Pavane" – Gabriel Fauré

For information on Árstíðir go to this location.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Heavy doom metallers Exorcism, featuring Raven Lord and Metal Machine’s Csaba Zvekan (vocals) have recruited ex-Jorn guitarist Tore Moren to their ranks. Exorcism is also adding Mark Cross on drums to the lineup. Cross has performed in bands like the Scorpions, Helloween, Kingdom Come and Tainted Nation.

The band is currently at Total Master Sound Studios, in Basel, Switzerland to record their fourth release with an undisclosed title. It’s scheduled to be release later this year.

Singer and bandleader Csaba Zvekan comments: “It’s going to be an exciting year 2016. With Nic Angileri, Mark Crossand Joe Stump we are working  already in Tower Of Babel and a couple of other bands. Me and Mark Cross have already discussed the possibility to join Exorcism last year. Now it has became reality. I am very proud to have this world-class drummer in the band. Exorcism is picking up more and more live dates in Europe. So things might get much easier with an all European lineup. We have chosen Tore Moren, who already played together with Nic Angileri on his solo projects as well as both played with Jorn Lande.”

Mark Cross stated: “Working with Exorcism is a new challenge and very inspiring. We started working with Zvekan in Tower Of Babel, which was big fun and the album turned out to be absolutely fantastic. Now I also set course onto Exorcism recordings and playing shows. The Sabbath moods in this band are very interesting and the lineup strong and superb. There's nothing wrong with making new projects and playing in many bands, nowadays you gotta keep busy and play as much as you fuckin'can, you know what I mean? See you on the road in May, looking forward to play some heavy drums for ya people!”

Guitarist Tore Moren comments: “I’m very proud to be invited to join these hard rocking guys. They are great musicians, and we hit it off instantly. This is going to be a new era for both me and Exorcism - and I once again have the pleasure of working with my long-time brother Nic (Angileri). We're ready to kick ass!"

Exorcism are confirmed to play three shows in Belgium and the Netherlands.

May
27 - Oud Belgie - Zwalm, Belgium
28 - Moonlight - Diest, Belgium
29 - De Meister - Geleen, Netherlands

More dates to be announced soon.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Hardcore punk and metal crossover artist and controversial New York City mainstay Harley Flanagan — founder of one of the most influential, cult-followed bands in hard music, CRO-MAGS — recently released his brand new solo album, appropriately titled "Cro-Mags", and the critics are raving. "You don't get art like this without there being some sort of mortal clash. Honestly, as this LP shows, it may very well be worth the price," states PunkNews.org. PureGrainAudio.com adds, "Flanagan hasn't lost any of the bite and venomous rage that turned him into one of the innovators of the New York hardcore scene." "Cro-Mags" features twelve all-new tracks, boasting brutality in the vein of the CRO-MAGS' "Age Of Quarrel" and "Revenge", exploding with heavy intensity and pure anger.

To order "Cro-Mags", visit the MVD Entertainment store here. Audio samples are available at Flanagan's

Guitar icon Zakk Wylde has debuted the official video for his new single titled "Sleeping Dogs" from his forthcoming solo LP. "Sleeping Dogs" will also be available as an iTunes instant gratification track, meaning fans who pre-order the album on iTunes will get the single immediately. An additional pre-order bundle is also available offering a "Book Of Shadows II" CD signed by Zakk plus a 17"x11" poster. Limited to 1,000 bundles.

Zakk Wylde will release "Book Of Shadows II" on April 8 via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music). Zakk's first solo release in 20 years is the highly anticipated follow-up to 1996's "Book Of Shadows", a classic album Wylde released between his work with Ozzy Osbourne that has since become a fan favorite. "Book Of Shadows II" was recently named as one of the "Most Anticipated Metal Releases of 2016" via RollingStone.com.

Wylde has been feverishly working on new material since he wrapped up BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Unblackened" spring tour last year. All songs on "Book Of Shadows II" were recorded and produced at Wylde's home studio, The Black Vatican, where several of Wylde's recent releases were made. The artwork was created by Wylde and longtime collaborator John Irwin.

As fierce and diverse as his work in BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and as large as his accomplishments as lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne have been, "Book Of Shadows II" offers an even richer look into the spirit and psyche of one of the most beloved pillars of the hard rock community. Brand new tracks like "Sleeping Dogs", "Tears Of December", "Darkest Hour", "Harbors Of Pity" and "The King" are bold proclamations of intense feeling and powerful catharsis.

Zakk Wylde's powerful pipes, mayhem-inducing charisma, mischievous humor, and instantly recognizable pinch-harmonic driven blues based histrionic guitar shredding have made him the world's most beloved American guitar hero.

Keeping up with his road dog reputation Wylde has accumulated over the decades, he is treating 2016 no differently. Having just wrapped up a successful stint on the 2016 Axes & Anchors cruise, Wylde wasted no time in announcing his participation in the 2016 "Generation Axe" tour featuring Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi.

"Book Of Shadows II" track listing:

01. Autumn Changes02. Tears Of December03. Lay Me Down04. Lost Prayer05. Darkest Hour06. The Levee07. Eyes Of Burden08. Forgotten Memory09. Yesterday's Tears10. Harbors Of Pity11. Sorrowed Regret12. Useless Apologies13. Sleeping Dogs14. The King

Speaking to the Phoenix New Times, Zakk said: "For the 'Book Of Shadows II' record, we ended up having about 40 basic tracks we put down. It's an immersive-type style for BLACK LABEL. You know, acoustic, piano, but electric guitar in there as well."

Released in 1996, and reissued by Spitfire in 1999 with the bonus disc containing "Evil Ways" (the Japanese bonus track from the album's original release), "The Color Green" and "Peddlers of Death" (an acoustic version of a track that appeared on BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Sonic Brew"), "Book Of Shadows" showed a different side of Zakk's songwriting output, with Wikipedia describing it as "an introspective and mostly acoustic [effort] recalling many of the lighter moments from his previous project, PRIDE & GLORY, as well as classic folk rock artists such as Neil Young."

Zakk Wylde is no stranger to showing the lighter, introspective side of his music, having previously released two BLACK LABEL SOCIETY albums of stripped down material. "The Song Remains Not The Same" came out in 2011 and included acoustic versions of songs originally released on "Order Of The Black" and 2013's "Unblackened", a live acoustic album that was recorded live at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

Laser's Edge division, Sensory Records, announces the label's signing of Swedish progressive metal kingpins, Wolverine, for the summer release of the band's fifth studio full-length release, Machina Viva.

A natural progression from Communication Lost, released in 2011 via Candlelight Records, Machina Viva invites the listener into the harmonious yet portentous and sullen musical dimensions of Wolverine with perhaps their most dynamic album to date. From the fourteen-minute epic and powerful "The Bedlam Overture" and the dark electronic landscapes of "Machina", to the naked and organic nature of "Pile Of Ash" and "Sheds," Machina Viva is the next step in Wolverine's explorations in the progressive field.

Recorded and produced by Wolverine in various locations throughout Sweden during the autumn and winter months of late 2015 and early 2016, Machina Viva was mixed at Spacelab Studio in Germany by Christian "Moschus" Moos (Everon, Haken, Delain, Cloverseeds), and mastered by Grammy Award winning audio engineer Bob Katz.

Laser's Edge/Sensory owner Ken Golden states of the signing, "Wolverine has been on my radar since their first release, The Window Purpose, back in 2001. I've followed their progression through the years and I'm honoured to have them on the Sensory roster."

Issues Wolverine on signing with Sensory Records, "We are very happy to work with someone like Ken and Sensory that has a genuine passion for and interest in the kind of music that we play."

Machina Viva is being finalized for early summer worldwide release; stand by for a confirmed release date and more on the album in the days ahead.

Wolverine was formed in 1995 by vocalist Stefan Zell and drummer Marcus Losbjer. Initially the band was all about death metal, but they soon allowed a more melodic approach to influence their sound. Since their inception, the band has pushed out of boundaries of heavy metal and evolved through inventiveness and explorative ambition, now incorporating a wider spectrum of musical elements into their own progressive sound.

Following the release of their Fervent Dream debut EP (1999, Zizania Entertainment Group), Wolverine has released four well-received albums through a variety of notable labels including The Window Purpose (2001, DVS), Cold Light Of Monday (2003, Earache), Still (2006, Candlelight, and Communication Lost (2011, Candlelight). The band was the first band on the bill of the first European edition of the ProgPower Festival in 1999. Since then the band has performed at that festival several times with great acclaim. In 2006 Wolverine did a short UK tour supporting Anathema, and their first US appearance was at the ProgPower USA festival in 2013. Besides playing a regular heavy set on the main stage of the festival, a special stripped down set was also performed to an overwhelming response.

Band lineup:

Per Henriksson - keyboards
Marcus Losbjer - drums
Thomas Jansson - bass
Jonas Jonsson - guitars
Stefan Zell - vocals

(Photo - Mattias Wigforss)



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Los Angeles-based rock band, Cage9, has released their new video, “Everything You Love Will Someday Die”, the first single from their upcoming album Illuminator, out June 10th via EMP Label Group, the label founded by Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, distributed by eOne in North America, and SPV in Europe. The video can be seen below.

Cage9 main man Evan Rodaniche had this to say about the track. “This song is dedicated to my father, who passed away about a month ago after a two year battle with cancer. But even when I first wrote these lyrics at the onset of his terminal diagnosis as a sort of comforting mantra, in the back of my mind I believed my dad was indestructible. I never thought I’d be adding an “in loving memory” dedication at the end of this video. But then he was gone. And that’s what this is all about. We spend our modern lives wrapped up in our first world problems, completely disconnected with the natural cycles of the planet around us."

He continues, "We shot the video DIY with a couple Canon DSLR cameras, a black sheet in our rehearsal room and about forty non-actor friends, fans and family who showed up one sunny Los Angeles afternoon in 2015 to mouth the lyrics to a song they’d never heard. We aimed to bring home the message that no matter who you are, we’re all in this together. “Everything You Love” is also the track that caught David Ellefson’s attention and ultimately inspired him to sign us to EMP. After a few conversations with our A&R guy Thom Hazaert, he brought it to David, and he got it. The rest is history."

Says Ellefson, "Cage9 is definitely the real deal. When I first heard “Everything You Love Will Someday Die”, it instantly struck me as the closest I've heard to a song with a true Metallica/Megadeth core, with the radio accessibility to really connect with a modern rock audience. And with the band's history, and everything they've accomplished, they were a perfect fit for what we are doing at EMP."

Rodaniche continues, "As for the song, itself, it's a little bit of old school thrash mixed with something more melodic and a little piano and acoustic guitar wankery to push it over the 6 minute epic-metal-song mark. (Yes, there’s a radio edit.) I was the 14 year old kid running around with a worn out cassette of Peace Sells in his Walkman, so having the dude that brought us pretty much THE most recognizable bass riff of my, (and half the planet over 30’s) youth, dig our band is a HUGE honour.”

“Cage9 originated in Panama where I grew up playing in a band yet having pretty much never experienced famous bands performing live to learn from, not to mention any of our idols like Megadeth or Metallica. This definitely makes getting this chance to work with David in a mentor/label situation that much more amazing. Very excited to be releasing our new album Illuminator with EMP this summer."

Eventually the band moved to Los Angeles, and with no outside help, has released almost 100 songs over six albums (including one in Spanish), sold 25,000 plus physical copies worldwide, toured the US (over 50 dates last year alone), Japan and Central America, as direct openers for Ozzy Osbourne, Bad Religion, Seether, In This Moment, and have also shared bills with Sevendust, Hellyeah, Karnivool and many more.

Band mastermind Evan Rodaniche (who writes and produces all Cage9 material) also spent a few years on guitar with sci-fi metal purveyors Powerman 5000 and helped co-write, record, mix and produce their last few albums along with ex-Flyleaf singer Lacey Sturm’s new solo album, Boy Hits Car and more. The quartet now includes San Diego native Brian Sumwalt on drums, Michigan transplant Matt Borowski on guitar, and Leslie Wyatt on bass and backing vocals.

The new album is currently available for pre-order from empmerch.com, and iTunes, with the single.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Southern California’s breakthrough rock band, Silver Snakes, has announced they will be joining Bring Me The Horizon and ‘68 on a spring tour.

Silver Snakes recently wrapped up a tour with Coheed And Cambria, Glassjaw and I The Mighty in support of their newly released album, Saboteur, which is out now on Evil Ink Records. The band also recently released a new video for their single “Glass”, which can be viewed below.

Silver Snakes tour dates:

May
4 - Nashville, TN - War Memorial Auditorium (with Bring Me The Horizon, ‘68)
6 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle (with Bring Me The Horizon, ‘68)
7 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva (with Bring Me The Horizon, ‘68)
9 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore (with Bring Me The Horizon, ‘68)
11 - Kansas City, MO - Arvest Bank Theatre (with Bring Me The Horizon, ‘68)
12 - Clive, IA - 7 Flags Event Center (with Bring Me The Horizon, ‘68)
16 - Fargo, ND - Civic Center (with Bring Me The Horizon, ‘68)
18 - Indianapolis, IN - Old National Centre (with Bring Me The Horizon, ‘68)
19 - Grand Rapids, MI - Orbit Room (with Bring Me The Horizon, ‘68)
20 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave (with Bring Me The Horizon, ‘68)

June
22 - Columbus, OH - Rock On The Range

July
16 - Bridgeview, IL - Chicago Open Air



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Seattle, Washington-based black metal act, Inquisition, have launched a teaser video for their upcoming new album.

Full details for the new release will be unveiled in the coming weeks, in the meantime check out this teaser:

(Photo - Inquisition Facebook)



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Divebomb Records has announced the official reissue of both albums by Apocalypse on May 13th. Each release is limited to 1,000 units worldwide. Pre-ordering has begun and orders can be place here.

Swiss thrashers Apocalypse formed in 1984 and unleashed a five-song demo the following year, but the group didn’t really pick up steam until the release of their self-titled debut album in 1988. As with most bands of that era, Apocalypse drew influence from the Bay Area thrash scene, and most notably Metallica - going so far as to enlist the talents of long-running Metallica producer, Flemming Rasmussen, to handle the engineering of their debut.

A perfectly executed album, Apocalypse is chock full of intense riffs laid over a foundation of intricate and melodically-charged arrangements. The strength of the material comes as no surprise, given that the band spent several years fine-tuning many of the album’s nine tracks. Originally released in 1988 by Out of Tune Records - a label owned and operated by female darkwave group, The Vyllies - Apocalypse seemed very much out of place on the roster, and without the support of a label completely devoted to the album’s success, Apocalypse slowly dwindled towards obscurity.

Five years would pass before Apocalypse would resurface with their sophomore album, Faithless, in 1993. Attempting not only to overcome their lengthy absence from a scene that had already found itself hanging by a thread, they also faced the challenges of introducing new frontman, Nic Maeder (now vocalist for Gotthard), to the fans. Never willing to sacrifice quality, Apocalypse enlisted famed producer, Harris Johns, to help capture their focused vision for a return to glory.

Against all odds, Apocalypse delivered a much more mature brand of thrash—overflowing with melody while never sacrificing the speed or technicality of their debut. It was the perfect blend of influences, but unfortunately it simply arrived too late to make an impact. Death metal had stormed the scene with an undeniable fury, and groups like Apocalypse were too easily pushed aside.

Divebomb Records is now excited to present both Apocalypse albums in a deluxe edition format: freshly remastered by Jamie King and featuring numerous bonus tracks, a retrospective interview, plus unseen photos from the band’s archives. For the fans, by the fans.

Apocalypse tracklisting:

“Digital Life”
“A Tale Of A Nightmare”
“Crash!”
“F**k Off And Die”
“The Night Before”
“Apocalypse”
“Back To The Fire”
“Dark Sword”
“Cemetary”
“Back To The Fire” (Demo)
“I Don't Tell You Lies” (Demo)
“Demon's Eyes” (Demo)
“F**k Off And Die” (Demo)
“Dark Sword” (Demo)
“The Knight” (Demo)

Apocalypse (Deluxe Edition) by APOCALYPSE

Faithless tracklisting:

“House Of Confusion”
“Slay For Play”
“Division”
“Unwanted”
“Extreme Sensation”
“Faithless”
“Reason To Live”
“Shoot You Down”
“Bad Breath”
“Wall” (Bonus Track)

Faithless (Deluxe Edition) by APOCALYPSE



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Reject The Sickness have released a music video for “My Agony”, featured on their new album, Chains Of Solitude, released last November via Mighty Music.

Guy, frontman of Reject The Sickness, comments on the video: "The video of “My Agony” was made by Malika Maria AtwOrk (Malika does visuals on bigger live shows). The lyrics of the song describes the inner fight of a trauma after molestation. The video shows the mind-struggle of the victim. Pain, suffering, hope, redemption, revenge..."

Reject The Sickness is a five-piece band from Belgium that has been shredding metal since 2010. Their songs are a mixture of punching death-melodic guitar riffs, progressive characteristics and a slice of core. The music is perfectly balanced between melody and brutality. The lyrics are about confused and abused teenagers and all the anger and emotions that go hand in hand with that horror. Guy, the vocalist, works as a social worker and his job inspires him to write fictional stories about outcast youth and how they get back at society and at their molesters.

The band chose to record Chains Of Solitude themselves, in their own studio. This way they had the luxury of trial and error and could take time for the recordings. The mixing and mastering was done by Jochem Jacobs at Split Second Sound in Holland. "We really liked his work and sound for Textures, Crimson Falls, Scarred, … The fact that we could communicate in the same language was a huge advantage. He did a great job and we would like to thank him for that."

Tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Chains Of Solitude”
“My Agony”
“Only Darkness Is Real”
“Depravity”
“Psychopath”
“Alone”
“Heaven Turns Black”
“Hopeless”
“Seedless”
“The Fire's Burning”

“Only Darkness Is Real” lyric video:

“Hopeless” video:

Line-up:

Jannick Govaert - Drums
Pepijn Desmet - Lead Guitar
Guy Vercruysse - Vocals
Floris Desmet - Bass
Ruben Van der Beken - Guitar



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Madison, WI death metallers Casket Robbery - the up and coming death metal band created by the minds of Cory Scheider (Luna Mortis, Epicurean, Echoterra) and Dustin Foesch - have released two play-through videos for Evolution Of Evil tracks "Pray For Death" and "Asylum”. The new clips can be seen below.

The band’s full-length debut album, Evolution Of Evil, was released on March 4th via Mortal Music. Metal evokes deep emotions from elation to introspection to revulsion On the follow-up to the band's 2011 self-titled EP Casket Robbery runs the gamut, all the while burrowing its titanic sound deep into one's psyche. The songs are at once pulverizing and memorable. Evolution Of Evil is nothing short of pulse-pounding, unrelenting, and brutally catchy death metal. Indeed, the undeniable grooves and hooks coupled with conceptual lyrics make Casket Robbery the death metal band to watch in 2016.  

Tracklisting:

“Annibelle’s Hell”
“Blood Bathory”
“Malevolent Milwaukee Massacre”
“Final Chapter”
“Undead Living Hell”
“Pray For Death”
“Curse Of The Night Stalker”
“Encroaching Darkness”
“Cyanide Skies”
“The Asylum”

"Pray For Death" play-through:

"Asylum” play-through:

“Pray For Death”:

“Annibelle’s Hell” video:

Casket Robbery has also announced dates for the Midwest Massacre Tour, listed below.

April
2 - Ziggy's - Fon Du Lac, WI
15 - BBC - Milwaukee, WI
26 - Red Zone - Madison, WI (with Reaping Asmodeia)
29 - The Venue - Dubuque, IA

May
7 - Every Buddys Bar - Chippewa Falls, WI
21 - Red Zone - Madison, WI

June
18 - Club Underground - Minneapolis, MN (CerberusFest 3)

July
2 - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI
14 - Hijynx - Ft Atkinson, WI (with Summers End, They Live)
29 - Whiskeys - Rockford, IL

September
2 - The Venue - Dubuque, IA
23 - Fubar - St Louis, Missouri

October
7 - Whiskeys - Rockford, IL



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

From the northwest Greek mountains, old-school blacksters Lord Impaler (pictured above), along with the obscure black metal horde Hell Poemer, join forces with the Athenian Ancient-cult band Dizziness. The result is Carved By The Winds Eternal, a 3-way split of pure Hellenic black metal, featuring six atmospheric, mesmerizing songs that burn with fiery intensity for a total running time of 36 minutes.

Tracklisting:

Dizziness – “Goddess Of The Moon”
Dizziness – “Άρπυιες”
Lord Impaler – “A Fire That Burns”
Lord Impaler – “Call From The Grave”
Hell Poemer – “The Sacral Knot Of Hierophant”
Hell Poemer – “My Dreams Will Stay Frozen On The Mountains”

Tragon, vocalist of Lord Impaler, stated recently in an interview: “In no case is this a ‘marriage of interest’ since we are bands with matching style and switching from one band to the other does not surprise the listener.”

The split is planned to be released in digital format on April 3rd, and then in physical formats (both CD and cassette) in the following weeks. A full stream can be found below:

Carved By The Winds Eternal by Dizziness / Lord Impaler / Hell Poemer



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Soto, featuring vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, will release their second studio album, Divak, on April 1st via earMUSIC. A snippet of the new song, “Misfired”, is streaming below:

Divak (pronounced "dee-vock") comes shortly after the band's debut release, Inside The Vertigo. It's a mere 15 months later, partly due to singer Jeff Scott Soto's insistence on continuing to create and build a true brand for his new venture.

Once again, the album is produced by Jeff Scott Soto and drummer Edu Cominato. It was mixed by long time JSS engineer/associate John Ellis, as well. The band features Soto on vocals, Cominato on drums, lead guitarist Jorge Salan, bassist David Z, and keyboardist/guitarist BJ. They are heavily featured on Divak, with their writing contributions together.
 
The first single "FreakShow" was co-produced/written by Tony Dickinson, who also co-wrote "The Fall”, which was the first single from Inside The Vertigo. The track is an extension of the Soto sound created especially for this new band.
 
Soto will debut live this month with a string of East Coast US dates, leading into the annual Monsters of Rock Cruise (East), alongside Steve Vai, Extreme, Queensryche, and countless headliners.
 
Soto, formed in 2014, are the dream band created when Jeff Scott Soto realized how much he missed the "heavier side" of his career after fronting artists like Yngwie Malmsteen, Talisman, and Journey, and even his own solo albums. The band hopes to continue its role as a driving force in today's current hard rock and metal scene.

Tracklisting:
 
“Divak” (Intro)
“Weight Of The World”
“FreakShow”
“Paranoia”
“Unblame ”
“Cyber Masquerade”
“In My Darkest Hour”
“Forgotten”
“SuckerPunch”
“Time”
“Misfired”
“The Fall From Grace”
“Awakened”
 
Bonus Tracks (All Digital Retailers):
“Final Say” (live)
“The Fall” (live)
“Break” (live)
“When I'm Older” (live)
“Stand Up” (live)

Additional Bonus Tracks (iTunes/Apple Music):
“My Life”
“Cracking the Stone”

“Unblame” snippet:

“Paranoia” snippet:

“Weight Of The World” video:

“FreakShow” lyric video:

(Photo - Natalia Britt)



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Australian female fronted symphonic/cinematic metal band, Darkyra, have cancelled their April tour in the Netherlands and Germany. Singer / songwriter Darkyra Black, also known as Gina Bafile, has been confirmed to have Stage 3 Breast Cancer and will commence chemo therapy treatments late next week. The band will reschedule their tour in a years time.

The band comments: "To those that were looking forward to seeing Darkyra live in Europe, we are sorry that we are unable to attend this tour but we feel that cancelling this trip was the best decision to make at this time and we offer all our love and support to Gina during this tough time.”

A previously issued tour trailer can be seen below. Stay tuned for updates from Darkyra.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Session conducted an interview with DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci prior to the band's March 15 concert in Frankfurt, Germany. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On DREAM THEATER's current European tour in support of the band's concept album "The Astonishing":

Petrucci: "Well, here's an interesting thing. The way that this album came about, and the way the tour is, it's a two-act, two-CD concept album. It's a long show, and this tour is called 'Dream Theater Presents The Astonishing Live', which means we're basically just playing this whole show as it was meant to be. When we wrote it, we envisioned playing it as a standalone show — kind of like when PINK FLOYD toured for 'The Wall' and they just went out and they played 'The Wall'. So there's no other DREAM THEATER songs, there's no encore — it's just this show. So we thought it would be better for the audience to kind of be seated and take in the whole thing, because there's a lot of visuals and everything else. In America, when we play, a lot of the venues are already theaters — like, let's say New York, the Beacon Theater, Radio City Music Hall… These are all big seated venues that normal concerts go on. But here in Europe, what's interesting is that the fans aren't used to us playing in seated venues. They say, 'Oh, it's weird not standing.' So it's like we're a rock and roll band, but we're playing in places where they normally have opera, ballet, musicals… stuff like that. And so the European audience is sitting and they're a little bit… at first, they're not sure what to do, and it might feel a little uncomfortable. But you know what? I was speaking to some people who saw us in Nürnberg last night, and they said that it was great, 'cause they were able to sit back and take in the experience of the show, which is what we wanted in the first place. So they're getting used to it."

On the biggest differences in the music industry since DREAM THEATER started three decades ago:

Petrucci: "A lot of it, actually, it's kind of… To tie it in with 'The Astonishing' and the story, it kind of is an underlying theme that's in the story, which is that… There's a line and it says, 'People just don't have the time for music anymore.' And what I was referring to is now, the way that we listen to music and consume music is a lot more passive and it's a lot more on the go. So you're able to stream things quickly. You might not even listen to it in the best circumstance; you might just be using some earbuds and your phone or something. You download a song, not a full album. It used to be you had to go to a venue to go see music in order to be able to hear it. So in my story, in this concept album, it takes place three hundred or so years into the future, and music is no longer made by people; it's made by artificial intelligence, by machines. It's kind of a commentary on what would happen if music becomes so unimportant. So the biggest change, I think, between when DREAM THEATER first started — to answer your question — and now is just the way that we consume music, listen to music. Again, people can access music a lot easier, but there's kind of a negative side to that where people don't really sit down, take the time and take it in. I can remember listening to albums by RUSH and PINK FLOYD and stuff like that, and just putting on the entire thing, shutting off the lights and getting into it just the same way you would watch a movie."

"The Astonishing" was released on January 29 via Roadrunner. The CD was made available in a wide range of distinctive versions, including standard 2-CD set, 4-LP vinyl box set and a limited-edition deluxe box set.

Recorded at Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, New York, with John Petrucci producing, studio luminary Richard Chycki (AEROSMITH, RUSH) engineering/mixing and legendary arranger, composer and conductor David Campbell orchestrating, "The Astonishing" paints a tale of a retro-futurist post-apocalyptic dystopia ruled by medieval style feudalism. It's a place aching for a Chosen One to rise above the noise and defeat an Empire defined by the endless drone of noise machines and the illusion of safety in bland conformity.

Australian Rock & Metal Institute recently conducted an interview with legendary BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Australian Rock & Metal Institute: BLACK SABBATH recently wrapped up the first leg of the massive 2016 "The End" world tour and by all accounts it was a riveting success. Has it met your expectations?

Geezer: It has more than met my expectations. The response from our audience has been incredible. The gigs have been fun to do. I think people are extra responsive because this is the last time they will see us live; it is almost like a party feel to the shows.

Australian Rock & Metal Institute: How does it fell to be hanging up the boots after nearly five decades?

Geezer: We all feel that it's the right time to finish SABBATH. None of us ever thought we would still be around after all these years, and we owe it to our fans to go out at the top rather than grind ourselves into the ground. I feel we are playing better than ever, but it is better to end while we are still good at what we do rather than let age diminish our capabilities.

Australian Rock & Metal Institute: What do you think is the main difference between the music industry today and when you first started?

Geezer: The music industry today is unrecognizable from when we first started. I think it is harder than ever to break through the success barrier, especially for rock and metal bands. It is very hard to make a good living out of music for new bands, especially with the access to Internet these days, having so many people posting their videos online. Downloading songs from the Internet has made it almost impossible to make money from recordings and live shows. The Internet has taken the surprise out of gigs. When we first started, if you wanted to see us, you had to go the gig, and if you wanted to hear our music, you had to buy the vinyl record or cassette tape, plus if you were successful you could get backing from your record label. These days, what record labels are left are reluctant to gamble on new bands, especially non-pop related acts.

Read the entire interview at Australian Rock & Metal Institute.

STONE SOUR has returned to Room 237, the Burbank, California recording studio owned and operated by the band's drummer, Roy Mayorga, to work on material for the follow-up to its last collection of original music, "House Of Gold And Bones", a double concept album which was released in two parts in 2012 and 2013.

Several photos and video clips from the latest studio sessions can be found below.

STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor recently said that the band has fourteen new songs written and recorded in demo form. He told Eddie Trunk that the group's new CD will go "in a different reaction than the older stuff — like a little more rock and roll, a little more expanding the range again."

STONE SOUR, has released two EPs of cover songs — "Meanwhile In Burbank…" and "Straight Out Of Burbank" — and was slated to issue a third, titled "No Sleep 'Till Burbank", but those plans now appear to have been scrapped. Taylor told the "Someone Who Isn't Me" podcast: "Originally we were going to do three [covers EPs], and now it sounds like we're just going to do the two and just keep the other stuff we recorded as extra content for when we make the next album."

Taylor's touring schedule with SLIPKNOT means that STONE SOUR won't return to the road until sometime next year.

STONE SOUR last year named guitarist Christian Martucci as the permanent replacement for Jim Root, who was dismissed from the band in late 2013 after he decided to sit out the group's last tour in order to begin working on the new SLIPKNOT album. Martucci was recruited to play on that tour and was confirmed as a permanent member in March 2015 in a Facebook post.

Root did not speak kindly of STONE SOUR in interviews after he was fired, saying, "Some of the guys in STONE SOUR, I think they just want to be a radio band and write strictly for radio and try to be more of a poppy rock band. And that's not really what I'm into. There's at least one guy in the band that's only concerned about money. I really have no desire to associate with people like that anymore."

Root played on all five STONE SOUR studio records to date, including 2010's "Audio Secrecy" and "House Of Gold & Bones".

#comingsoon #underconstruction #coreyseesawoodchuck @inwalksthechow @Martucci77 @StonesourRoy #joshinspirit pic.twitter.com/FwxRqYKQ7k

— MEGA-GEEK MELTDOWN!! (@CoreyTaylorRock) March 28, 2016

#thingsgettinginteresting pic.twitter.com/5U48rW3uOI

— MEGA-GEEK MELTDOWN!! (@CoreyTaylorRock) March 28, 2016

pic.twitter.com/WvL2oD8mou

— MEGA-GEEK MELTDOWN!! (@CoreyTaylorRock) March 28, 2016

TMZ.com has posted photos of GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose and members of AC/DC leaving a rehearsal studio in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday — apparently after rehearsing AC/DC classics for the band's upcoming shows. Check out the pictures at this location.

A rumor started last this week suggesting Axl will perform as a guest vocalist with AC/DC gained traction after Atlanta Rock 100.5 host Jason Bailey claimed that a "very, very good source" confirmed to him that the collaboration was happening.

The rumor began after AC/DC postponed the last ten shows of its recent North American tour because singer Brian Johnson was in danger of suffering "total hearing loss." The band promised to make up the gigs, possibly with "guest vocalists." Rose has been spotted and photographed in Atlanta, where AC/DC is reportedly meeting with potential singers.

Bailey reported: "This is what I'm being told: Axl was meeting with the AC/DC group, because it's all but a done deal that Axl will front AC/DC for the 10 remaining shows."

Bailey added that Johnson was "supposed to retire after the last tour," adding, "They're in town, they were auditioning people for the job, and then they flew Axl in. Again, this is from my source."

A press representative for AC/DC responded to the reports that Rose is set to fill in for Johnson as the band's frontman for the rest of the hard rock outfit's tour, telling NME: "Nothing official to announce. Will update you if that changes."

Rose was apparently not in Atlanta on any GUNS N' ROSES business. That band will make its comeback with original members Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan at six shows next month in California, Las Vegas and Mexico.

There is no word on whether AC/DC intends to permanently replace Johnson, who has been the band's frontman for 36 years.

Axl Rose is back! After announcing he'd be filling in as frontman for AC/DC, he was spotted at a rehearsal studio. https://t.co/EdkE2apT22

— TMZ Live (@TMZLive) March 28, 2016

Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM were rejoined by former singers Sven Erik "Maniac" Kristensen and Eirik "Messiah" Nordheim during their March 26 performance at the Inferno festival in Oslo, Norway. Also appearing with the band — alongside current vocalist Attila Csihar — for several songs was co-founding MAYHEM drummer Kjetil "Manheim" Haraldsson.

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

As previously reported, MAYHEM will be rejoined by Maniac for its appearance at this year's Sweden Rock Festival, set to take place June 8-11 in Sölvesborg, Sweden.

According to Wikipedia, Kristiansen joined MAYHEM in 1986 after the departure of the band's original vocalist, Messiah. He was in the band until 1988, when he was replaced by Kittil. When drummer Hellhammer decided to revive MAYHEM in 1995 after the deaths of both Euronymous and Dead and the imprisonment of Count Grishnakh, he invited Maniac to return as the band's vocalist.

Maniac was known for giving extremely intense live performances. He would often cut himself onstage, frequently landing him in intensive care units. However, he later said, "When we realized that the cutting had become a phenomenon people came to watch, I quit doing it."

Maniac was in MAYHEM until 2004 when he was forced to leave. MAYHEM bassist Necrobutcher (real name: Jørn Stubberud) later told Decibel magazine: "To be honest, Maniac fucked it all up in the end with too much alcohol and too little rehearsing."

In 2004, Maniac was replaced in MAYHEM by Attila Csihar (TORMENTOR, ABORYM), who previously fronted the band on their 1993 album, "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas".

Maniac photo credit: Finn Håkon Rødland

In a brand new interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Kerry King was asked to recount one of the most memorable nights he had being in SLAYER. He said: "Something that was really cool for me — and I didn't think it was going to be as cool as it was — was when we did the 'Big Four' shows [with METALLICA, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX]. I think that was important. I think it mattered. When I went in, I thought it was going to be cool for the fans, but in the end, it was cool for me, too."

He added: "The funniest thing in the history of Kerry King and SLAYER is us and METALLICA, we don’t really run in the same circles. As similar we are, you know, we've never been on tour with those guys. To actually play with them on the 'Big Four' was really cool for me. I'd go back behind where Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] goes when he gets done with a song — we called that Larsland — we'd go watch the show from there. It was really cool. It was just cool hanging. Kirk [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] would come and hang out, and we'd go do stuff with Lars. It was fun."

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine recently told the"Talk Is Jericho" podcast about the possibility of more "Big Four" shows in the future: "I think that the 'Big Four' thing that we did, it was really important. It was necessary for a lot of different reasons. You know, if it happens again, that would be great. If it doesn't, the people who got to see it got to see something really remarkable."

He added: "Am I supposed to doing it? You know, it would have to be the right thing. I think that, you know, MEGADETH is at a place right now where we're successful to a degree where we would be happy continuing to do what we do on our own. So if we're gonna do another 'Big Four' thing, I would want it to be something where we walk away as content as METALLICA does from something like that. It's not METALLICA and three other dudes."

METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX played together for the first time in history on June 16, 2010 in front of 81,000 fans at the Sonisphere festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland. The night before the concert, METALLICA organized a dinner with members of all four bands, a get-together that MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson called "very relaxed and comfortable" and "a class way" to ease into the tour.

The "Big Four" played its last concert on September 14, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Since then, METALLICA, SLAYER and ANTHRAX have played a number of shows together, including the 2013 Soundwave festival in Australia. They also performed at the 2014 Heavy MTL festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine recently shared his thoughts with Fox News on his harsh critics, his supporters in the South, and his new album "Dystopia". Check out the clip below.

Asked if he thinks the music industry has gotten too tame, Mustaine responded: "Probably yes and no. I think that there's a lot of people out there that are probably overtly harsh in their cricticism and it's because they don't want people to know that they don't really know what they're talking about. It's like the old saying: dogs with no teeth bark the loudest. You find that the meanest critics are people with no real musical education and they're just bitter."

On April 8, Universal Music / Tradecraft / T-Boy Records will issue MEGADETH's latest album, "Dystopia", as a limited-edition vinyl picture disc featuring the album's vivid dark and chilling artwork which takes the bands long-time mascot Vic Rattlehead to a whole new level and drops him into a bleak, futuristic dystopian universe. The "Dystopia" picture disc can be ordered individually at all participating retail and online outlets or at UMv as part of a specially priced pack with other picture disc titles including "Peace Sells…But Who's Buying?", "So Far, So Good…So What!", "Rust In Peace", "Countdown To Extinction" and "Youthanasia". Featuring eleven tracks, "Dystopia" was released on January 22 on CD, LP, and digitally, as well as a special Deluxe Virtual Reality CD package. "Dystopia" debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart, No. 1 album on the Hard Music and Top Rock charts. and No. 2 on the Top Album Sales chart. Globally, "Dystopia" also achieved Top 10 debuts in Canada (No. 2), Japan (No. 2 international chart), Finland (No. 3), Mexico (No. 4), Czech Republic (No. 5), Australia (No. 6), New Zealand (No. 6), Switzerland (No. 7), Poland (No. 8) and Germany (No. 10), which along with Belgium, Ireland and Spain contributed to achieve MEGADETH's highest ever chart positions in their thirty-year history in a total of ten countries around the world. Other countries with significant sales or chart debuts included U.K., Norway, Sweden, Italy, Netherlands, and France.

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

In terms of pure album sales, "Dystopia" opened with 48,000 copies, marking MEGADETH's highest-charting album since 1992's "Countdown To Extinction" debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the chart dated August 1 of that year. "Dystopia" also logged the group's best sales week since 2007, when "United Abominations" landed at No. 8 with first-week sales of 54,000. In addition to Mustaine, MEGADETH's current lineup includes longtime bassist David Ellefson, LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

Australia's The Rockpit recently conducted an interview with ASKING ALEXANDRIA guitarist Ben Bruce. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Rockpit: Tell me a little about the new [ASKING ALEXANDRIA] album "The Black". This is the first time that Danny Worsnop (former ASKING ALEXANDRIA vocalist) is not part of an album. So how was that whole process with the new singer?

Ben: It was actually awesome; we had a really good time. For the last few years of Danny being in the band, things actually got really difficult; even getting him into the studio to record vocals was a huge nightmare. So this time around, everyone was excited to be there, everyone was stoked to be in the studio and work together as a team. Denis [Stoff, new ASKING ALEXANDRIA vocalist] was just so excited to be recording his first album with us. He put so much effort in and it was just a lot more fun than we've had in the studio for years now, and I definitely think that shows as well when you listen to the album. Just the effort we put into it, you can tell just by listening to it.

The Rockpit: It's an interesting story how Denis became part of the band. Where did you find him and how did he initially join the band?

Ben: We actually heard of Denis a few years ago. People send us links, like, "Check out this killer YouTube video covering your band's songs. He's really good,' and that's cool. We used to joke around with Danny, like, "Oh, you better watch out. Someone will take your place!" Fast forward four years later and here he is.

The Rockpit: Most fans dream of becoming part of their favorite band and this guy actually did it. What was it about him that you really liked that you wanted him to be part of the band?

Ben: He just had an incredible voice, incredible range, incredible dynamics and stuff. We met him a few times as well because he was in previous bands before. He opened up for us with his band when we played in Russia for the first time and we met him at a few festivals in the States with his old band so we already knew he was a pretty cool and down-to-earth guy, and, obviously, the fact that he's an incredible vocalist. It was weird; it was like intuition, just a gut feeling that this was the guy that we had to go with. I can't really explain why or how we knew, but it just was something there telling us, 'Yeah, this is the kid."

The Rockpit: And what was it like performing with him live on stage?

Ben: It's amazing, actually! We hadn't really rehearsed or hung out that much before we even hit the stage together, but I think the first show we did together, we headlined a festival in Austria, I believe, and there was thirty thousand people there. Before we went on stage, it was, like, "Fuck, what's going to happen? Are they going to bottle us off the stage because they miss our old vocalist? Is he going to be booed off stage? What the hell is going to happen?" But everyone was just excited; everyone welcomed him with open arms. It was good for us, as we spent the last few years touring with a vocalist that didn't give a shit anymore, so we lost all drive and all passion for touring, because it was a nightmare being up on stage with someone like that who didn't give a shit. When Denis came along, here's this young kid who is stoked to be up there and he's smiling. You look over to him and he's got a huge smile on his face and he's energetic, he's giving it a hundred percent, and that gave all of us a kick in the arse and it was like I remember why we loved doing this so much. So it really just gave us a lot more energy and just made us feel a lot more youthful and really enjoy what we're doing again.

Read the entire interview at The Rockpit.

In a brand new interview with Metal Wani's William Richards, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick was asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2012's "Dark Roots Of Earth" album. He said (hear audio below): "[TESTAMENT guitarist and main songwriter Eric Peterson and I] don't get together that often, but when we do, we come up with some really strong material. And that's what happened last time around. We've had some sessions together, and some of that material, I think, will wind up on this record. But I also know that Eric, he works on a lot of material on his own too. And I'm happy to just sit back and let him do that."

Skolnick also commented on recent reports that TESTAMENT's next studio album will feature a musical direction that is at least partly a throwback to the more aggressive, thrashier direction of 1999's "The Gathering" LP. He said: "'The Gathering' was a period of time I wasn't in the band, and I'm respectful of that. And if [Eric is writing] stuff that's more in that direction, I'm not as involved in, as far as the composition. So I think there will be a lot of that stuff, but that's also good music, and that's a period of the band I respect. Hopefully this record will be a blend of that without abandoning the other parts of the band."

TESTAMENT has set "The Brotherhood Of The Snake" as the tentative title of its eleventh studio album, due later in the year via Nuclear Blast. The CD's projected title track, which has already been recorded, is expected to be made available in the coming weeks.

TESTAMENT's U.S. tour with SLAYER and CARCASS came to a close last night (Saturday, March 26) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was interviewed on "The Boris & Robyn Show" on WPDH 101.5 FM in Poughkeepsie, New York. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Asked why KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons ended up not appearing on Frehley's upcoming "Origins Vol. 1" collection of covers, Ace said: "Well, I tried calling Gene a couple of times and I got his answering machine. So I shot him a few different texts. I even went as far as to get ahold of Doc McGhee [KISS's manager] and tell Doc to let Gene know I wanted to get ahold of him. And I guess either he didn't get the message or he was just too busy. So I said, 'Well, let me reach to Paul [Stanley, KISS frontman].' I had Paul's cell phone [number] in my phone. I gave him a buzz, and he picked up immediately. And from the outset, he thought it was a great idea and would be a lot of fun. It took a while to choose which song we wanted to do. We were originally thinking about DEREK AND THE DOMINOS' [version of Jimi Hendrix's] 'Little Wing', then we were kicking around maybe 'My Generation' [by THE WHO]. But towards the end of the elimination process, I came up with the idea for [FREE's] 'Fire And Water', and he loved it."

"Origins Vol. 1" will be released on April 15. Other guests are none other than Slash trading leads on THIN LIZZY's classic "Emerald", Lita Ford singing and playing lead on THE TROGGS staple "Wild Thing", ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 playing guitar alongside Ace as he sings his classic KISS composition "Parasite" for the very first time, as well as Jimi Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic", and PEARL JAM's Mike McCready also plays guitar with Ace as he finally sings his KISS "Alive!" mainstay "Cold Gin". "White Room" is also an iTunes instant gratification track, meaning fans who pre order the LP on iTunes will receive the CREAM cover song instantly.