Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen will release a new heavy rock album, "The Shadow Self", on August 5 via earMUSIC.

Over the last couple of weeks, the Finnish solo artist has been teasing her fans on various occasions, revealing bits and pieces of the new disc. "I am very excited to finally be able to share the first details of my new heavy rock album with all of you," said Tarja. "'The Shadow Self' is full of songs that are very dear to me.

"I cannot wait for you to hear the record that I believe is one of my heaviest albums to date.

"Keep your eyes open as there will be many surprises along the way to the album release on August 5. I really mean it. Surprises will follow very soon."

"The Shadow Self" is now available for pre-order in various formats, including standard CD and special edition CD+DVD. Tarja will perform songs from her upcoming album for the first time on festival dates this summer.

In a recent interview with Romania's "Transilvania Culturala", Tarja said: "For me, it was a huge challenge — still it is a huge challenge to sing rock, because I never thought of becoming one of the most followed female singers in rock genre; I never, never, never thought about that. But I took the challenge, because I love the music, and it's all about that. For me, there are no borders in music in general. When I'm doing something, I do it with my heart. And so if I feel good about something, I'm going for it; one hundred percent I'm on it. And so that's been my passion in that sense, in music — to feel free. But the transition took time. It took years to really feel comfortable with the voice during the rock performances and running on the stage. I wanted to do my best. I really worked very hard, but I had no teacher to teach me to sing rock. I kept on taking lyrical singing lessons, and that's what really made me stronger also in rock singing."

Turunen was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band's 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time. In the letter, the other members of NIGHTWISH wrote: "To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with emotions have become much more important."

Dutch singer Floor Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH in October 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon.

Turunen followed her most recent rock album, "Colours In The Dark", with the exclusive tour CD "Left In The Dark", which was previously only available bundled with a ticket for the "Colours In The Road Tour 2014". "Left In The Dark" was released in July 2014 via earMUSIC.

"Colours In The Dark" charted in 12 countries, with four Top 10 entries, and was praised by the media and, more importantly, by the fans.

Comedian Jim Breuer, a friend of AC/DC singer Brian Johnson, claims the vocalist has been "kicked to the curb" by the band's guitarist Angus Young after fronting AC/DC for 36 years.

During an episode of his "The Metal In Me" podcast, which you can stream below, Breuer — in comments that were first reported by the Canton Repository — spoke about spending time with Johnson following the comedian's March 11 show at Sarasota Florida's McCurdy's Comedy Theatre.

According to Breuer, Johnson's doctor informed the singer that he had lost some of his hearing during the first leg of AC/DC's "Rock Or Bust" tour, which consisted of outdoor performances, and advised the 67-year-old against continuing with the trek. "[The doctor said], 'Now you're gonna go out and do indoor [shows]? I do not put my name on this. You're a grown man. You make a decision, but I would not mess around with this at all.'"

Breuer went on to say that Johnson spoke to AC/DC management and Young to explain the situation. "[Brian] said that he called and let [AC/DC and Young] know, 'Hey, this is what the doctor said, but let's try to figure this out. I don't think it's as bad as he said it is,'" Breuer said. "Literally the next day in the press, it was 'Brian Johnson, tour canceled, he's losing his hearing.'

"He said he just called and gave that information," Breuer said. "He didn't say he wanted to quit. He didn't say he was done. He called with that information, and two days later, he read in the papers and heard on Twitter and everywhere else, 'Brian Johnson going deaf canceling tour.' A day later, and it was, 'Oh, we're gonna have guest singers.'"

According to Breuer, Johnson suspects that he has already been replaced in AC/DC. "There's been no answer [from the band]," Breuer said. "He feels like he heard from someone that they already hired somebody, it just hasn't been announced yet."

Breuer added that despite Johnson being in the band for 36 years, he still felt like a hired gun. Johnson also believes that Young, who is seven years his junior, wants to keep AC/DC going for another decade. "[Brian] explained how Angus is the youngest guy in the band," Breuer said. "He's convinced Angus wants to continue the next ten years whether it's him or not. [Angus] wants to write another album and do one more tour. Who's filling those shoes? How do you do that after forty years? It's just really weird."

Johnson has been the band's singer since 1980, when he replaced Bon Scott. He made his recording debut with the group on the classic "Back In Black".

AC/DC has been on the road since last year in support of its 16th studio album, "Rock Or Bust", but this album cycle has been plagued with bad luck.

Founding guitarist Malcolm Young retired after he was diagnosed with dementia, while drummer Phil Rudd was arrested in late November 2014 on charges of drug possession and threatening to kill. The pair were replaced by Stevie Young and Chris Slade, respectively.

Noticias 4 Visión has uploaded a four-minute video report on IRON MAIDEN's March 6 concert at the Estadio Jorge Magico Gonzalez in San Salvador, El Salvador's capital. You can now watch it below.

IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain and guitarist Janick Gers were photographed in El Salvador last week visiting the tomb of martyred Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, who was struck down during a mass in 1980 at the start of the Salvadoran Civil war. They can be seen in the picture with an unidentified woman at the grave in a basement below the city's cathedral.

During IRON MAIDEN's concert in San Salvador, a crowd of 9,000 people (as per La Página) cheered when McBrain put on a t-shirt featuring an image of the murdered priest and the slogan, "Saint Romero of the Americas."

On the night of March 24, 1980, Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero was shot was shot dead while celebrating Mass at the small chapel of the cancer hospital where he lived. It is believed that those who organized his assassination were members of Salvadoran death squads, including two graduates of the School of the Americas. He was killed because he was giving voice to the needs of the oppressed.

IRON MAIDEN's web site put the number of people who attended the San Salvador concert at 25,000 and said it was the largest entertainment event in El Salvador's history.

"As a band, we have always insisted on getting to new places to see our fans and we have to thank these amazing fans from here and across Central America for making us so welcome and the concert such a historical event," MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson said in a statement.

A brand new GUNS N' ROSES autographed drumhead has been donated by the band to be auctioned off at a benefit concert for the people of Flint, Michigan who were affected by the water contamination crisis.

A photo of the drumhead — which apparently features the signatures of singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, drummer Frank Ferrer and guitarist Richard Fortus — can be seen below. The picture was tweeted by Canadian rock journalist Mitch Lafon after it was originally posted by Sureshan Pather, who is apparently involved in the auction.

The concert, which will be held on Tuesday, March 15 at Beast Of Bourbon in Brooklyn, New York, will be headlined by MULE KICK, which features Ferrer alongside Rob Bailey, Rob Clores and Brett Bass.

GUNS N' ROSES has six shows scheduled so far, all in April: two at the Coachella Music And Arts Festival, two in Las Vegas and two in Mexico City. The exact band lineup has yet to be confirmed.

A new Twitter account purportedly belonging to former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Izzy Stradlin appeared late last month on the social media site. In one of his tweets, Izzy said that he has "no involvement in the upcoming April 2016 GNR shows."

It's been speculated that Stradlin would have some limited involvement — such as a guest appearance — at some of the upcoming GUNS N' ROSES reunion concerts, which currently feature Slash, Rose and McKagan.

The rest of the band's lineup for the shows — and a potential tour later in the year — remains unclear, although Reed, Fortus and Ferrer are all believed to be involved.

Fan speculation around the involvement of original drummer Steven Adler has been heavy, with the bandmembers not sure whether Adler, who has a longer history of drug problems than any of the other members, can hold it together on the road.

Fan-filmed video footage of former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach, legendary guitarist Steve Vai and LOUDNESS axeman Akira Takasaki performing a cover version of the David Lee Roth classic "Yankee Rose" during this year's Monsters Of Rock cruise — the four-day, four-night voyage which set sail from Miami, Florida on February 22 and returned on February 26 — can be seen below.

Said Bach in a note accompanying the video: "What a complete honor to play with one of my all time heroes, Mr. Steve Vai.

"I got the invitation from Steve to play two David Lee Roth songs with him on the Monsters Of Rock cruise and it was a dream come true.

"We did not have anywhere to rehearse, so I practiced on my own about one million times, and I'm very happy to say we did the songs justice! Steve told me this is the first time he has been on stage with a 'lead singer' in as long as he can remember.

"The fact that I got to do two of my favorite David Lee Roth songs with Steve Vai himself is something I will never forget! Also, check out the legendary Akira Takasaki from LOUDNESS on guitar here and I even threw in a bar from rock'n roll crazy nights, see if you can catch it! If that's not enough, check out the incomparable Uli John Roth giving me a high-five from the side of the stage! Thanks to the Monsters Of Rock cruise for making it happen!"

Ex-BLUE MURDER keyboardist Nik Green died last night after a battle with cancer. His passing was confirmed in a tweet from former BLUE MURDER bassist Tony Franklin, who called the keyboardist "a gentle soul and huge talent." He added in a separate tweet: "[Nik's] contribution to BLUE MURDER was huge."

BLUE MURDER was the brainchild of guitar virtuoso John Sykes. Upon Sykes' firing from the most successful version of WHITESNAKE, the former TYGERS OF PAN TANG and THIN LIZZY axeman set out to create a similar sounding bluesy hard rock band. They released two studio albums and one live album before breaking up in 1994. The late Ray Gillen, most famous for singing for BLACK SABBATH and BADLANDS, sang for an early version of BLUE MURDER, and the band reportedly recorded demos with him, but he didn't appear on any of the group's albums.

BLUE MURDER's self-titled debut album (1989) featured Green, Sykes and Franklin alongside Carmine Appice (drums).

Green was born in Somerset, England, and spent his childhood on the Welsh border. At age four, his mother caught him picking out the melodies of popular tunes on the radio, and promptly sent him to piano lessons. Nik later said: "I was taught piano in the uptight, rigid English tradition — I hated it and completely rejected formal training." His relationship with music was rescued by his great aunt who encouraged Nik to imrpovise as well as teaching him old Broadway tunes, ragtime and syncopation, "and all things frowned upon". Nik quit piano at 17, and soon after was "fired up" by the sounds of the synthesizer. "I re-taught myself pretty much from scratch," he said. "Most of my family, appalled by my failure to become an obedient military/corporate citizen, promptly disowned me — resulting in an incredible feeling of freedom to follow my muse."

In 1980, Nik formed an all electronic trio with John Connell and Will Douglas, known as THE REALLY SCHMALTZY CABARET BOYS, playing electronic dance/ambient music. "Everyone thought we were totally crazy because we had no bass, guitar or standard drum set when everybody else around us was playing punk and metal," said Nik. John went on to join the English National Opera, singing Wagner and Verdi, but Nik joined English folk artist Roy Harper, whose band featured guitarist Jimmy Page and Franklin. In the late '80s, when electronic dance music was really catching on, Nik was recruited by Sykes and BLUE MURDER.

Nik has also been involved in various collaborations with Barry Palmer (singer with TRIUMVIRAT and Mike Oldfield). Nik also worked with INNER CITY UNIT as engineer/co-producer with Nik Turner on the EP "Blood And Bone". Nik also did time in various studios as sound engineer, programmer, and designing digital audio gear for Dawnhope and AMS.

Sadly Blue Murder's keyboard player Nik Green left us last night, after a brave battle w/ cancer. A gentle soul & huge talent. RIP my friend

— Tony Franklin (@FretlessMonster) March 14, 2016

Nik Green back in 2013. Still can't believe he's gone. His contribution to Blue Murder was huge. Rest In Peace Nik. pic.twitter.com/TELoVshguB

— Tony Franklin (@FretlessMonster) March 14, 2016

Nik Green (Blue Murder's keyboard player) & I. Japan, 1989. We shared so many laughs, silly faces & great music. RIP pic.twitter.com/1loFuIcfrO

— Tony Franklin (@FretlessMonster) March 14, 2016


(Thanks: NJthrasher)

With the release of Solipsist, the debut full-length from Los Angeles death metal faction, The Zenith Passage, just a little over one month away, the band delivers their new official interactive, 360-degree lyric video accompaniment to debilitating fourth cut, "Deus Deceptor".

Slated for release on April 15th via Unique Leader Records with various preorder bundles available here, the forty-minute Solipsist examines the idea of solipsism, a philosophical theory that the self is all that can be known to exist, anything else outside of one's own mind is uncertain. The Zenith Passage, which features within its ranks current and former members of The Faceless, Fallujah and All Shall Perish, builds upon this foundation, expanding into themes of nonexistence and a computer-generated fictional reality experienced by all of humanity. Solipsist demands that listeners join the band on their voyage to explore the unsettlingly complex and improbable world they've uncovered in this bold experiment, this gut-wrenching visceral transmission of disturbing intellectual revelation.

Solipsist was engineered, mixed and mastered by Zack Ohren (Animosity, Suffocation, All Shall Perish) at Castle Ultimate Productions with additional engineering by McKinney and Michael Keene (The Faceless) at Keene Machine Studios. Solipsist includes a guest vocal appearance by Fallujah's Alex Hofmann, a guitar solo by Wes Hauch (ex-The Faceless) who also co-wrote a portion of seventh cut, "Hypnagogia," a synth solo by Vikram Shankar and cover art by Ken Sarafin (Skinless, The Kennedy Veil, Archspire).

Tracklisting:

“Holographic Principle I: Emergence”
“Holographic Principle II: Convergence”
“Simulated Reality”
“Deus Deceptor”
“The Dissension Consensus”
“Dreamsphere”
“Hypnagogia”
“Metaphysical Solipsism”
“The Tenebrous Veil”
“Luminary Singularity”

"Holographic Principle II: Convergence" lyric video:



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Detroit's progressive rock royals, Tiles, have released another new trailer preceding the April release of their sixth studio full-length, the massive 2xCD Pretending 2 Run album, the band's first album with prog powerhouse, Laser's Edge. Here the band takes fans inside the album, showcasing through interviews, studio footage, behind-the-scenes info on the album and more how this simple idea grew into the incredibly complex double-album undertaking it became.

Produced by Terry Brown (Rush, Fates Warning) and bearing artwork by Hugh Syme (Iron Maiden, Rush, Dream Theater), Pretending 2 Run is unquestionably Tiles' most ambitious project to date. Containing just short of one hundred minutes of music, the epic sees the band pushing their musical boundaries into new dimensions, and features a remarkable collection of guest musicians, including the first recorded father-and-son collaboration with Mike Portnoy (Winery Dogs, Dream Theater) and his son Max Portnoy (Next To None), the recording of which is documented in the trailer. As well as footage of Mike Stern (Miles Davis) recording his parts, other guests are also highlighted, including Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Adam Holzman (Steven Wilson Band), Kim Mitchell (Max Webster), Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), Kevin Chown (Tarja Turunen, Chad Smith), Matthew Parmenter (Discipline), Mark Mikel (Pillbugs), and Joe Deninzon (Stratospheerius).

See Tiles' behind-the-scenes trailer for Pretending 2 Run:

An official video for the album's first single "Shelter In Place" can be seen below:

Additional audio and video samples from the album will be released in the weeks ahead. Laser's Edge will release Pretending 2 Run globally on April 15th; pre-order packages are available here.

Just a month following the release of Pretending 2 Run, Tiles will take to the road in support of the record, having booked a Northeastern US run of dates with labelmates District 97 in May, with additional shows currently being booked.

Tour dates:

May
13 - Reggies - Chicago, IL
15 - Token Lounge - Detroit, MI
16 - Orion - Baltimore, MD
17 - Roxy and Duke's - Dunellen, NJ
18 - The Grape Room - Philadelphia, PA
19 - Drom - New York, NY at NYC Prog Rock Night
20 - Musica - Akron, OH

(Photo - Paul D’Angelo)



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Hard rockers Crossing Rubicon, featuring Jeanne Sagan – formerly of All That Remains – on bass, have finally unleashed their brand new music video for the song “Unhinged,” that may be found on the No Less Than Everything album. The twelve track affair, which can be described as a throwback to metal of the '80s and early '90s mixed with modern rock, is in stores nationwide.

"In a time where kids are being raised by television, smart phones, and social networking, we want to show that people - kids especially - can still find passion and empathy through music and a music scene. The world may treat you like you don't exist, but music will always be there to speak to you and vent your frustrations, and there is always a scene of people who believe in this, and who will be there for you as well." – Scotty Anarchy (vocals)

Tracklisting:

“Tomorrow Never Comes”
“Unhinged”
“Never Again”
“The Fallen”
“Bittersweet Day”
“Cut Deep”
“Who’s Gonna Save You”
“Violet Carson”
“Reason To Beg”
“Do We Not Bleed”
“I’m Here”
“Return To Atlantis”

“Unhinged” lyric video:

 

 



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Todd Kerns, the bassist for Slash's backing band, MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, was interviewed for a recent edition of "Eddie Trunk Podcast". You can now listen to the chat at PodcastOne.com. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):

On how he was first told that Slash was reuniting with GUNS N' ROSES:

"One thing I'll say for Slash is he's never been really kind of… I don't think he's really keen on the whole, 'Let's sit down and have a meeting,' that kind of very formal kind of thing. It's more like a… I always use the term 'bros,' and it tend to sound a little douchey, but I mean it like as in like we're friends. Friends as much as friends can be in this crazy, wacky business. But I think that Slash… he had to tell us what was going on. And I can't say how much I appreciate the idea that he actually sort of said, 'Look, this is what's going on, and I just want you guys to know.'"

On whether it was a surprise to find out about the GUNS N' ROSES reunion:

"This was obviously a thing that… It's been an elephant in the room for… I don't know… since '94 [laughs]… whenever Slash left the band. His whole life he's had to answer the question, 'So when is this gonna happen?' And I just think that a number of things kind of led to this, and it's kind of like, 'Fuck it! I'm gonna do this.' You know what I mean?"

On how the GUNS N' ROSES reunion will affect SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' plans to record a new studio album:

"We already knew we were kind of off for 2016, other than kind of maybe chipping away at… you know, bass and drums here. Even the way we had done 'World On Fire' was very piecemeal. We had done bass and drums and then Slash went off to do guitars on his own. This time, if everything goes according to plan, we will do exactly the same thing; it'll just probably be a little bit more broken up by Slash's schedule, essentially. You know, like anything else, I'm always aware that anything can change, anything can happen.

"We've always had a springtime plan to get into bass and drums recording. And we've already got an album-plus worth of music together.

"I think he's gonna go off and have this great experience and then we're gonna make this record. There's no reason to not make it or whatever other than scheduling getting really crazy, which, let's be honest, could happen, and I'm perfectly okay with that. I'm perfectly okay with just sort of playing it out and see what happens."

On how he personally feels about Slash going back to GUNS N' ROSES:

"I think that this thing, as I had mentioned before, is bigger than all of us. This whole thing is history of rock occurring right under our noses, which is interesting for a guy from my perspective.

"This is something that is important for him to do. GUNS N' ROSES, obviously, it's important for multiple reasons. I think it's an important part of his life that he has to kind of embrace a little bit. I think it's a really great thing for the entire planet, but for the individuals involved, guys like Duff [McKagan, GUNS N' ROSES bassist], who I know and love to death too, I think this is an important part of a return for them."

On the mystery and cloud of uncertainty that is constantly hanging over GUNS N' ROSES:

"Isn't that part of the awesomeness of this situation — the kind of, like, 'Who knows?' The GUNS N' ROSES thing is… When we talk about it, there's, like, five bands in the history of rock that have that kind of a reputation of just completely, who knows what could happen? And I think that that's the beauty of this."

METAL CHURCH founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof was interviewed on a recent edition of the "Talk Toomey" podcast. You can now listen to the chat using the widget below.

Speaking about METAL CHURCH's relationship with the bands from the early Seattle "grunge" scene like NIRVANA, Kurdt said: "I know Krist [Novoselic, NIRVANA bassist]; he was kind of a friend of mine. They kind of came out to our rehearsals and stuff when we'd have party rehearsals where we started. But, for the most part, we were a big joke to them. They were the cool guys and we were the old metal guys. Even on [NIRVANA's] 'Bleach' [album], [Kurt] Cobain spelled his name like mine — Kurdt. I could never quite figure that out, but I kind of put two and two together, and they were poking fun. Like the MELVINS think I'm just obnoxious and all this stuff, 'cause they're too cool. And we're a bunch of rock stars, and they're too cool. So, you know, fuck 'em."

Kurdt added that he "never had any trouble" with NIRVANA and said that he "always liked" their music. "I thought it was great," he said. "And I liked the MELVINS, and I thought we were friends, especially Buzz [Osborne] and I. And then I come to find out later that we were a big joke, and I was a big joke to all these guys."

He continued: "I never did anything to them. I always liked them. I thought they were great. I thought we were friends. But the whole NIRVANA thing, I kind of figured out later through talking with people that when they were doing their thing, 'cause they were all punky and cool, that we were the metal guys and we're stupid and we're posers and rock stars. So it was really cool not to like us — especially me, being from Aberdeen, and those guys being from Aberdeen, they were, like, 'Fuck those guys!' Oh, well."

According to Vanderhoof, not all the bands from the Seattle grunge scene were disrespectful to METAL CHURCH. "[The ALICE IN CHAINS] guys are great," he said. "Yeah, I like all those guys. Those guys have been really cool, and still cool to us and everything too. But the Grays Harbor bands — you know, the NIRVANAs and the MELVINS and all that kind of stuff — they, again, especially had something against me, apparently. So I thought we were friends, but apparently not. So… fuck those guys."

Mike Howe, who previously fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, is featured on the band's new album, "XI", which will be released on March 25 via Rat Pak Records. The CD was produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and co-produced by Chris "The Wizard" Collier.

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA and SAVATAGE guitarist Chris Caffery will fill in for METAL CHURCH's Rick Van Zandt on the latter band's upcoming U.S. tour, which commences March 24 in Portland, Maine. Rick had to go in for emergency eye surgery to repair a detached retina and will be unable to join the group on the road for several weeks.

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL frontman Jesse Hughes has apologized to the staff and security of the Bataclan for implying in a recent interview that they may have known about, or even been involved in, the terrorist attack which killed 89 people at the Paris, France venue.

Hughes gave an interview to Fox Business earlier in the month in which he claimed that six security guards did not show to work the night of the attacks up and others acted strangely. "Out of respect for the police still investigating, I won't make a definite statement, but I'll say it seems rather obvious that they had a reason not to show up," Hughes said.

In response, a Bataclan representative stated: "Jesse Hughes spread some very grave and defamatory accusations against the Bataclan teams. A judicial investigation is undergoing. We wish to let justice proceed serenely. All the testimonies gathered to this day demonstrate the professionalism and courage of the security agents who were on the ground on November 13. Hundreds of people were saved thanks to (these agents') intervention."

Earlier tonight, Hughes released the following statement regarding the matter:

"I humbly beg forgiveness from the people of France, the staff and security of the Bataclan, my fans, family, friends and anyone else hurt or offended by the absurd accusations I made in my Fox Business channel interview. My suggestions that anyone affiliated with the Bataclan played a role in the events of November 13 are unfounded and baseless — and I take full responsibility for them. They do not reflect opinions of my bandmates or anyone associated with EAGLES OF DEATH METAL. The shame is 100% mine. I've been dealing with non-stop nightmares and struggling through therapy to make sense of this tragedy and insanity. I haven't been myself since November 13. I realize there's no excuse for my words, but for what it's worth: I am sincerely sorry for having hurt, disrespected or accused anyone."

Like the rest of the world, the rock community was stunned by the horrifying events that took place in Paris, France on November 13, 2015, when at least six coordinated terrorist attacks claimed the lives of 129 people, including the concertgoers attending the show by EAGLES OF DEATH METAL at the Bataclan. About 350 more at the show were injured.

In the wake of the attacks, FOO FIGHTERS and DEFTONES canceled the rest of their European tours, while U2 postponed a special broadcast from Paris and COLDPLAY postponed a live streamed concert in Los Angeles. Other bands like FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH carried on with their tours, although a rumored threat against a show by the latter band in Milan, Italy, forced them to cancel that and several other gigs.

Although none of the musicians in EAGLES OF DEATH METAL were harmed, several tour personnel and record company staffers who worked with that band and many others did not survive the nightclub attack.

Kirk Hammett has confirmed to Alternative Press that METALLICA has "pretty much" tapped Greg Fidelman to produce the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic" album. "As far as what the final outcome will be, I don't know," the METALLICA guitarist said. "We have not brought in any [other] producer and it looks extremely [unlikely] we'd bring one in this late into the project."

As for Greg's exact role during the recording process, Hammett said: "The title 'producer' itself is a bit ambiguous. It differs from person to person. You can call Rick Rubin a producer, but he's not the [same] type of producer as Bob Rock, who is there for every note. At the same time, Rick Rubin gets stuff done. Greg Fidelman is a different type of producer in that he's with the engineer always looking to try and move the project forward. And that's different from, say, Dr. Dre, who is the type of producer who is actually making backing tracks, producing music, writing music. In the hip-hop world, Dre is a producer. It's so ambiguous. If you go by the traditional term, we're doing it with Greg, pretty much."

Kirk added: "Greg is a real pleasure to work with. Even though he can be a bit of a taskmaster, he listens to you. He's super-flexible. He knows how to crack the whip without fucking pissing people off."

Hammett also admitted that "the hardest part" about recording METALLICA is coordinating the bandmembers' schedules so that the production process can move forward at a comfortable pace. "Hey, for us, life has its demands," he said. "We're trying to make an album and go on tour, trying to be a band, but we all recognize that if someone has a family situation, that takes priority over everything. That's another reason why [the new album] is taking so long. That's another obstacle for Greg Fidelman. He's always joking about it, but it really takes a lot of, like, you know, tap dancing and juggling."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told U.K.'s Rhythm magazine in a 2008 interview that the band chose Greg Fidelman to engineer "Death Magnetic" because of his previous work on SLIPKNOT's third album.

"['Death Magnetic' producer] Rick [Rubin] sat down with us and said: 'Who do you wanna work with? And we said, 'We want to work with the guy that did the SLIPKNOT record [2004's 'Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)'].' And that guy was Greg Fidelman. So [Greg] did most of the day-to-day work and most of the drum sounds. Rick doesn't like things to be too ambient. He doesn't like things to be too 'verbed out."

"Death Magnetic" caused controversy with some METALLICA fans, who have complained about excessive clipping on the CD mix. Even mastering engineer Ted Jensen blamed "brick-walling" at the mixing stage for making his job difficult: "Believe me, I'm not proud to be associated with this one", Jensen wrote in an e-mail quoted by a METALLICA fan forum.

CJAM-FM's melodic metal radio show "The Signals Of Intuition" recently conducted an interview with former QUEENSRŸCHE and current OPERATION: MINDCRIME singer Geoff Tate. You can now listen to the chat below.

Asked what other artists he is listening to nowadays and who his "muse" is at the moment, Tate replied: "I wouldn't say I have a muse at the moment. I'm pretty involved with my own stuff at the moment, which is typical for me. When I'm working on an album, I don't listen to anything else. I really honestly find it to be a distraction, because a lot of writing is mental — you've got a song in your head, or you've got a melody in your head, or you've got a rhythm in your head, and anything else coming in becomes kind of distracting to what it is you're trying to work on. But I like a lot of music. I think I probably own ten thousand albums in my collection. I've got everything — from classic stuff and R&B and jazz and pop music and metal to, you name it… show tunes. [Laughs] All kinds of stuff."

Joining Tate in OPERATION: MINDCRIME's current touring lineup are guitarists Kelly Gray (QUEENSRŸCHE) and Scott Moughton, drummer Scott Mercado (CANDLEBOX), bassist Tim Fernley (THE VOODOOS) and keyboardist Randy Gane (MYTH).

"The Key", the first album of an ambitious trilogy from OPERATION: MINDCRIME, sold around 2,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was made available last September via Frontiers Music Srl.

OPERATION: MINDCRIME's next album, which has already been completed, will arrive in September.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS have completed their online open audition submissions for a new singer. Many of the musicians who posted audition tapes also paid tribute to late lead singer Scott Weiland, who was dismissed in 2013 and who died on his tour bus this past December while on a solo tour. The surviving band members posted on the official STP web site that they've been listening to "thousands" of submissions with more to go.

Guitarist Dean DeLeo spoke about the response to the open call. "We've received an outlandish amount of people sending stuff in," he said. "You know, thousands upon thousands. We just want one! [Laughs] So Robert [DeLeo, bass] and Eric [Kretz, drums] and I are definitely up for the task and we'll see what we come up with. You know, I promise you one thing: we're not gonna settle. This person has to be really, really great. You know, we had the fortune of being in a band with one of the greats — twice! You know, Chester included. So we're not gonna settle."

STP began a search for a new vocalist following the departure late last year of Chester Bennington, who joined the band in early 2013 following Weiland's exit.

Bennington ended his time with STP in order to concentrate on his main act, LINKIN PARK, as well as spend more time with his family.

Bennington recorded one EP with the band, "High Rise", and did a handful of tours during his tenure.

In announcing the auditions, the members of STP wrote, "No one will ever 'replace' Scott; that was never the intent. The intent is for STONE TEMPLE PILOTS to continue on, to evolve, and to do what we do… make music!"

The results of the search are expected to be revealed later in the year.

Swedish progressive rock band OPETH has set a release date for its 25th-anniversary commemorative book. "Book Of Opeth" will arrive on April 15 via U.K.'s Rocket 88 publishers and is only available for preorder at OpethBook.com. The book contains never-before-seen photos of the band's early days with full commentary from guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt, OPETH's original guitar player Peter Lindgren as well as former and current bandmembers. The book spans the gamut of the band's colorful, rich twenty-five-year career, paying close attention to detail from page one.

"There are photos in here I've never seen before," says Mikael. This sumptuously illustrated oral history presents the story of OPETH, from their earliest days until the present, in glorious dark colour. The book is told in the first-person by Mikael, the band, their friends, former members and collaborators and is illustrated throughout with hundreds of previously unseen, rare artworks and memorabilia. It includes early personal, candid, studio and live photographs, and an extensive illustrated discography.

Every copy of the first 4,000 books come with a vinyl pressing with acoustic versions of "Atonement" and "Demon Of The Fall", which will only be available in the "Book Of Opeth". The strictly limited edition, all numbered and signed by Mikael also includes three fine art prints by OPETH sleeve designer Travis Smith.

The "Book Of Opeth" is the first official book to tell the true story of the band, by the band themselves. Mikael, Peter, both Martins, Fredrik, Joakim and former members have searched their memories and photo archives to contribute to this unique piece of work. Illustrated with photographs taken from their earliest days through to the recording of "Pale Communion" and beyond, this is OPETH as they have never been seen before. Band members cite their influences, recall their first days with the band and offer anecdotes and stories about each other that reveal the dynamics that have made up the band.

The book is sumptuously and lovingly packaged, and comes with otherwise unavailable recordings and images, is a true precious and rare item. Frank, funny, revealing and totally original, the "Book Of Opeth" tells the story of one of rock's most important, influential and original bands.

Young Australian heavy metal fan Callum McPhie performed the song "Through The Fire And Flames" by DRAGONFORCE at the grand final of the reality television talent show "Australia's Got Talent".

According to The Canberra Times, the 10-year-old Canberra schoolboy played guitar and sang on a stage emblazoned by real flames.

"They say it's the hardest song to play on Guitar Hero and that you should just actually learn guitar instead," his dad Doug said.

"It takes two of the top fastest metal players in the world and a singer to perform what Callum tackled himself."

Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne, who is one of the judges on the program, was full of praise for Callum's performance.

"Callum, you are such a rare breed of human being....You are born a rock star and I'm just so proud of you," she said.

Despite the accolades, Callum failed to attract enough votes to make it through to the top five and stay in the running to take home the $250,000 first prize on Monday's "decider."

Earlier in the competition, McPhie performed Ozzy Osbourne's hit song "Crazy Train" in front of Kelly. She later confirmed that she got her father to check out Callum's vesion. She said: "I showed my dad and he was in shock and he couldn't believe it."

McPhie's reaction was predictably enthusiastic. "I can't believe that, when I first learnt this song, one of the first songs I ever learnt, I never expected that Ozzy Osbourne might hear it. Wow."

The fast-tracked high school student recently told Fairfax Media he wanted to be an astrophysicist as well as a musician.

The Age Of Metal recently conducted an interview with Marco Aro of Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for THE HAUNTED's follow-up to 2014's "Exit Wounds" album, Marco said: "We are, at the moment, writing. We've been writing for, on and off, about a year now. But this is when we start taking the writing serious. So we're actually being serious about the writing now. So afer this [U.S.] tour, we're going home and we're gonna do some festivals and stuff and write in between and start scheduling for a recording date."

THE HAUNTED is continuing work on music for the follow-up to 2014's "Exit Wounds" album, to be recorded later in 2016 for release through Century Media.

THE HAUNTED recently completed a short run of North American dates as the support act for AT THE GATES.

"Exit Wounds" was recorded with the group's longtime producer Tue Madsen at Denmark's Antfarm Studio (DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, SICK OF IT ALL) and features THE HAUNTED's revamped lineup: founding members Jonas Björler (bass) and Patrik Jensen (guitar) along with with returning members Adrian Erlandsson (drums) and Marco Aro (vocals), and the band's latest addition, guitarist Ola Englund.

"Exit Wounds" features two special guests appearing on the song "Trend Killer": Jed Simon (SCAR THE MARTYR, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) on lead guitar and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT) on vocals.

High-energy Miami noise rock quartet, Wrong, have released an official music video (see below) for “Turn In”, a track from their self-titled debut full-length, out on April 29th via Relapse Records. This album delivers eleven riff-driven, powerhouse songs replete with battering grooves, dissonant melodies and cathartic vocals.

After steamrolling onto the scene in 2014 with their promising debut EP and unrelenting live show (and featuring former members of Torche and Kylesa amongst their ranks), Wrong play Helmet / Unsane inspired heavy noise rock for a new millennium. The band signed with Relapse Records in the summer of 2015, after they made waves on their first North American tour with now-labelmates Torche and Nothing.

After spending the rest of 2015 on tour with Black Tusk and House of Lightning, Wrong put the finishing touches on their debut full-length at PineCrust studios in Gainesville, FL. Pre-order the album at this location.

Tracklisting:

“More Like”
“Turn In”
“Read”
“Entourage”
“Hum Drum”
“Stasis”
“Mucilage”
“Fake Brain”
“Boil”
“Wrong”
“High Chair”

“Turn In” video:

Wrong is:

Eric Hernandez - Guitars, Vocals
Brian Hernandez - Drums
Andres Ascanio - Bass
Ryan Haft - Guitars



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Painted Wives are a perfect enigma of a band. Their Century Media debut, Obsessed With The End is at once dark, inscrutable and simultaneously spirit elevating. These Huntington Beach, CA based doomsayers cast aural allusions from a grotto where Mastodon, Cave In and Alice In Chains cavort and coalesce while orchestrating nightmares in sound as provocative as they come. This album is a re-release of the band’s self-financed debut offering, which has been remixed and remastered by the world renowned producer, Machine (Lamb Of God, Clutch).

A brand new lyric video for the track “Hollow Bones” can be viewed below.

Helmed by guitarist Justin Suitor (with their line-up rounded out by drummer Derek Eglit, bassist Justin Morales and guitarist Jeff Lyman with collaborator, conspirator and outside lyricist Ryan Williams taking an unconventional, but official role in the band), Painted Wives rose from the ashes of celebrated Orange County ensemble, Railroad To Alaska, to fill a void in the local heavy music scene.

Justin and Ryan state: "We are beyond excited to be a part of the Century Media family! We have a great respect for their history and their influence on the heavy music scene. To be associated with all of these great artists is truly humbling and an honor. We immediately felt a connection with the label and the staff. There is no better feeling than to be able to work with people that want to be creative and work hard to make things the best they can be. We are constantly trying to refine our ideas, and Century Media encourages that.

“We also couldn't be happier with Machine's work on Obsessed with the End. He opened up a whole new realm of sonic possibilities for us. He
definitely made this album come alive. We had lived with these songs in various states for awhile and the dreaded 'demo-itus' had already set in. Hearing his new mixes erased that immediately. Machine truly emboldened the songs and allowed them to communicate the deeper meaning we had attempted to instill in them.

"Machine’s mixes have also brought a new level of confidence to the writing sessions for the next album. Hearing new mixes for the first time is kind of like hearing yourself through someone else's ears. It gives you perspective and a brief abstract of how you might sound to the listener. When the scope of possibility opens up like that, we as a band now have a more lucid understanding of how to speak more directly to our listeners. That influence goes a long way in writing sessions. We try and use that energy to forecast the way future songs can sound.

"All of the new material that has been generated for the next offering is some of the best writing we have done to date. While still encompassing our identity and sound these new songs are expanding our range and testing our focus and ingenuity. Our goal has always been to reconcile the space between sincerity and guttural fanaticism. This stable of songs has potential to do just that.

"Painted Wives is a heavy blue thrash of sound, with a lyrical conscience of bright doom. We spend most of our time attempting to throw a saddle on our ideas and pull them back down to earth in order to share them with people. We are constantly working that way. Instinct, and the untamed nature of things inspires us, but we are also slaves to the calculation. We attempt to ‘couple’ these things with our music. The balance of this, is how we want to be and what we hope to create. Painted Wives refers to this creative mentality."

Having won the title of “Best Live Band” at the 2012 Orange County Music Awards, it was their re-christening as Painted Wives and the light shed upon the original self-released version of the tracks "Hollow Bones" and "Stay with Me" by fans and outlets like Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal that led to the band’s signing to Century Media. Now, armed with a stunning new mix of the record, Painted Wives are now poised to enfold sonic paintings from the deepest reaches of the human psyche with an originality and confidence few can possibly match.

Pre-order the album at this location.

“Hollow Bones” lyric video:



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Italy’s Overunit Machine have released their new album, Aldaraja, mixed and mastered by former Machine Head/Soulfly guitarist Logan Mader, and produced by Eddy Cavazza and Giuseppe "Dualized" Bassi at Dysfunction Production.

The band previously released the "Unholy Messiah" video, directed and produced by Andrea Guarascio and the 4Frame crew, starring world class artist Saturno Buttò. The clip can be seen below.

Tracklisting:

“Torn Apart”
“Aldaraja”
“Wargod”
“Evolve And Rise”
“Fade Away”
“Shining Scars”
“Unholy Messiah”
“Second Chance”
“Inhale”
“Hyperception”

“Unholy Messiah” video:

Overunit Machine are:

Demian V.D. - Vocals
Zimon - Bass
Alessandro "Jepha" - Guitar
Slippy - Drums



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The latest works of UK-based one man extreme metal outfit Foul Body Autopsy, an EP entitled Perpetuated By Greed, is out a mere two weeks and today the grind/thrash/death/black metal mash-up unveils a new video for the title track. Esteemed artist Costin Chioreanu is the man responsible for the video, an artist famed for his work with Arch Enemy, At The Gates and more.

Tom Reynolds comments, "People may be pleased to know that this video is a little more tame in comparison to the “So Close To Complete Dehumanization” video I released with the last record. It turned quite a few heads, so it served its purpose I guess. For this release I wanted to think of something different. As it's only me in the band, you have to think of new ways to release video and hold interest. I could have done a performance style video, but like I said, it's just me in the band, and there's only so much you can do with that type of video. I've always liked Costin's work so I got in touch to see if he would like to work with me on creating an animated video. There's a story in the lyrics so he had plenty to work with and so I left it to his imagination to flesh it out. He came back a few weeks later and showed me what he'd done and I have to say I'm really happy with the final cut."

Recorded at The Parlour Recording Studio (Napalm Death, Dimmu Borgir, Evile) with producer Neil Haynes and featuring cover art from Coki Greenway, Perpetuated By Greed delves into environmental issues, and subjects on a broader scale in comparison to So Close To Dehumanization. The record features six tracks of blistering blackened death grind extreme metal, fast drumming, growls and pinpoint guitar work.

Tracklisting:

“Perpetuated By Greed”
“Enslaved The Rest Of Creation”
“Chewed Up By The Machine”
“Destabilized Perception”
“Devoid Of Humanity”
“Complete Environmental Collapse”

"Destabilized Perception":

Trailer:



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Frost*, the brainchild of keyboard player and songwriter Jem Godfrey, have announced the release of their new album, Falling Satellites, on May 27th. Joined by guitarist and vocalist John Mitchell (Lonely Robot, It Bites), drummer Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson) and bassist Nathan King (Level 42), Falling Satellites is the band's first album in 8 years and the follow-up to Experiments In Mass Appeal.

Comprising 11 songs, the final six forming a 32-minute long suite, this album also sees a guest appearance from Grammy-nominated guitar legend Joe Satriani, who Godfrey played with on the G3 tour in 2012.

Jem had this to say about the album: "It's been a long time coming, but we got there in the end. I think this is our strongest album to date and moves the sound forwards whilst still referencing what's gone before. It's also great to have finally co-written some songs with John in a Frost* context. The end results were better than either of us could have imagined, we just can't wait to get out and play it all live now."

The album will arrive on limited edition CD digipak (incl. 2 bonus tracks), gatefold 2LP + CD & digital download.

Tracklisting:

“First Day
“Numbers
“Towerblock
“Signs
“Lights Out
“Heartstrings
“Closer To The Sun
“The Raging Against The Dying Of The Light Blues
“Nice Day For It...
“Hypoventilate
“Last Day
“Lantern (bonus track)
“British Wintertime (bonus track)

The band will also head out on tour in the UK in support of the new record, including an appearance at Ramblin Man Fair in July.

Confirmed dates:

June
17 - Voodoo Rooms - Edinburgh, UK
18 - Montgomery Hall - Wath-Upon-Dearne, UK
19 - The Robin 2 - Bilson, UK

July
23 - Ramblin' Man Fair - Maidstone, UK
29 - Thekla - Bristol, UK
30 - 02 Islington Academy - London, UK
31 - The Portland Arms - Cambridge, UK

Frost* is (above left - right):

Jem Godfrey - Vocals, Keys, Railboard, Guitar
Craig Blundell - Drums
John Mitchell - Guitars, Vocals
Nathan King - Bass



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Seven Heads Ten Horns, the fourth full-length by Italian masters of melancholy The Foreshadowing, will be released on April 22nd through Cyclone Empire.

The brand new album was recorded at Outer Sound Studios (Rome) and mixed and mastered in Białystok (Poland) by Wieslawski Bros at Hertz Studio. The cover artwork was created by Seth Siro Anton (Septic Flesh), who has worked for bands like Paradise Lost, Nile, Soilwork, Heaven Shall Burn, Vader and Moonspell.

The new opus contains the typical The Foreshadowing mood as well as some new epic and eerie elements that will guide you through an abyssal journey from the past to the future of mankind. Check out the first new track, "Two Horizons”, streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“Ishtar”
“Fall Of Heroes”
“Two Horizons”
“New Babylon”
“Lost Soldiers”
“17”
“Until We Fail”
“Martyrdom”
“Nimrod (I - The Eerie Tower, II - Omelia, III - Collapse, V - Inno al Dolore)”

“Two Horizons”:

Line-up:

Marco I. Benevento - Vocals
Alessandro Pace - Guitars
Andrea Chiodetti - Guitars
Francesco Sosto - Keyboards & Backing Vocals
Francesco Giulianelli - Bass
Giuseppe Orlando - Drums



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Otep's seventh studio record and Napalm Records debut, Generation Doom, is set for an April 15th release. Additionally, as a killer surprise for Record Store Day, the bi-annual celebration of vinyl, Otep and Napalm Records will release an Exclusive Limited Edition Record Store Day Picture Disc version of Generation Doom. Only 2,000 copies will be available globally and once they sell out, there will be no more made available. Make sure to head out to your local record store and pick up a copy before they run out.

"This year on Record Store Day we celebrate with a limited edition PICTURE DISC! These are so rare and so wonderful. This is one of the most exciting moments of my entire life and I appreciate all of our fans and supporters for sharing this journey with me. Generation Doom is one of my proudest achievements", says Otep.

Otep previously commented on the new album: "Revolution is the opiate of the artist. In pain. We remain. But healed in the sweet addiction to art. We are. For this album, I unleashed my soul and allowed it to soar freely. I communed with the moon in the chrome of its light. I kissed the sun at its fiery height. I waged war with the Nightmare Kings, I sinned with the opalescent women in the roaring seas of poetry. On a cycloptic mare, hooves made of iron and air, I charged into the inky heart of art and roared at the old gods in the ashes of their ruin, "You can't look away, WE ARE YOUR MISTAKE. WE... ARE... GENERATION DOOM!"

Initial album pre-orders are available here. Check out the new track “Zero”, streaming below.

Transcending from the darkness, like wolves into the light, Otep is an explosion of inspiration and motivation, empowered by their dedication to the arts, being a voice for the voiceless and fighting injustice. Rising from the labyrinth of Los Angeles, California, Otep is unleashing a roaring anthem titled Generation Doom.

With Otep Shamaya's multifaceted vocal approach, from gut wrenching roars to soft seductive poetry to singing with a surprisingly magically beautiful voice, to her evolution as a writer and story teller, Generation Doom erupts with thunderous, punishing grooves that harmoniously detonate into dark industrial fury with magma flows of hard rock melodies that seamlessly shape shift into a mysterious musical beast we've just discovered, those who've heard Generation Doom say it's best described as "genius, heart stopping and one of a kind." Where will Otep`s courageous odyssey take them? Nothing seems impossible.

Tracklisting:

“Zero”
“Feeding Frenzy”
“Lords Of War”
“Royals” (Lorde Cover)
“In Cold Blood”
“Down”
“God Is A Gun”
“Equal Rights, Equal Lefts”
“No Color”
“Lie”
“Generation Doom”
“On The Shore”

“Zero”:

“Lords Of War”:

In support of their new album, Otep has announced the Generation Doom tour. The tour features support from Lacey Sturm (ex-Flyleaf), September Mourning, Through Fire and Doll Skin. The tour kicks off April in 8th in Las Vegas, NV and runs through May 28th in Los Angeles, CA.  A complete list of dates can be found below.

Otep on the upcoming tour: "This will be spiritually lawless celebration of art & freedom."

Tour dates:

April
8 - Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock**
10 - Petaluma, CA - Phoenix Theater**
11 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
12 - Orangevale, CA - Boardwalk**
14 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater**
15 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
16 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater
17 - Spokane, WA - The Pin
18 - Walla Walla, WA - Main Street Studios**
19 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
20 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater**
21 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Underground
22 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
23 - Ringle, WI - Q&Z Expo Center
24 - Arlington Heights, IL - HOME Bar**
26 - Crest Hill, IL - Bada Brew**
27 - Rock Falls, IL - Longshots**
28 - Indianapolis, IN - 5th Quarter**
29 - Detroit, MI - Harpos
30 - Battle Creek, MI - The Music Factory

May
1 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
3 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar**
4 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall
5 - Clifton Park, NY - Upstate Concert Hall
6 - Reading, PA - Reverb
7 - Worcester, MA - Palladium
9 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
10 - Hartford, CT - Webster Underground
11 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
12 - Knoxville, TN - The International
13 - Fayetteville, NC - Rock Shop
14 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater
15 - Jacksonville, FL - Harmonious Monks
17 - Clarksville, TN - Warehouse
18 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
19 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Music Hall
20 - Austin, TX - Dirty Dog
21 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
23 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
24 - Antonio, TX - Rock Box
27 - Phoenix, AZ - Joe's Grotto
28 -  Los Angeles, CA - Whisky A Go Go
 
Lacey Sturm on select dates only**



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BraveWords is streaming a new song called "Phat Ass Girls" from Los Angeles metal band Brute Forcz - featuring ex-professional wrestlers Slammer and Jammer - at this location.

Brute Forcz is back with a new four-song EP afrer recently inking a new deal with Sliptrick Records. The self-titled EP features Rowan Robertson (Dio) on guitar and was engineered and produced by legendary producer Bill Metoyer (Metal Blade A&R, Slayer) and Skull Seven Productions.

Brute Forcz began performing in Los Angeles in the summer of 2010. They immediately gained attention and a growing fan base opening for bands such as W.A.S.P., L.A. Guns, Loudness, Michael Schenker Group, Joey Belladonna (Anthrax), Y&T, Steel Panther, George Lynch and many more.



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Frontiers Music Srl will release PHANTOM 5's self-titled debut album on May 13.

PHANTOM 5 is the new band featuring former BONFIRE singer Claus Lessmann and producer and guitar player Michael Voss (CASANOVA, BONFIRE, MAD MAX, MICHAEL SCHENKER). They have enlisted a sort of "who's who" of German classic and melodic hard rock, with a lineup completed by Robby Boebel (FRONTLINE), Axel Kruse (JADED HEART) and Francis Buchholz (SCORPIONS).

Born as SUPREMACY, this new German melodic rock alliance, with five real aces on the pitch, could not disappoint. So, after the name change to PHANTOM 5, the new album started to take shape. Voss states: "For me, it sounds like we did a follow-up to the famous BONFIRE 'Fireworks' album with a touch of FRONTLINE meets JADED HEART groove… It is a driving monster, with huge walls of guitars, powerful soaking drums and fine catchy melodies… We took a trip back into the world of the eighties!"

Lessmann adds: "I am very proud of being part of a very fine piece of melodic rock and I hope that many people will like and love it the same way we do. Everything came together very naturally and I had the feeling that our flow of creativity never seemed to run dry, just like it should be. After the more than painful situation with BONFIRE, it was exactly the right thing, at the right time to do for me and it just felt and feels so damn right!"

Lessmann and Voss will appear at the Frontiers Rock Festival in the Acoustic Night reserved for VIP tickets purchasers on April 22.

"Phantom 5" track listing:

01. All The Way02. Blue Dog03. Someday04. Don't Touch The Night05. Renegade06. Flying High07. Since You're Gone08. They Won't Come Back09. Frontline10. We Both Had Our Time11. Why12. Sing Along (bonus track; digital version)

The song "All The Way" can be streamed below.

PHANTOM 5 is:

Claus Lessmann - lead vocalsMichael Voss - guitars, vocalsRobby Boebel - guitarFrancis Buchholz - bassAxel Kruse - drums

"Here I Am", a brand new song from ASKING ALEXANDRIA, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "The Black", which will be released on March 25 via Sumerian Records.

Life is all about how quickly you get back up. In January 2015, everything changed for ASKING ALEXANDRIA. The chart- topping, gold-selling U.K. hard rock outfit parted ways with singer and founding member Danny Worsnop. On the outside, the future might've seemed uncertain — even grim — to some, but Ben Bruce (lead guitar, vocals), James Cassells (drums), Cameron Liddell (rhythm guitar) and Sam Bettley (bass) dusted themselves off, lifted their chins, and got right back up. "We hadn't reached our destination yet, and Danny had," admits Bruce. "I think it was necessary. When it happened, I was devastated. I lost my best friend. We even started referring to this part of our career as 'the black period.' It was the darkest time, but we weren't going to give up. If he hadn't left, I don't think we would've been as inspired as we were. I also don’t think ASKING ALEXANDRIA would still be around. Instead, we're more excited than ever about this band." In order to properly do that, the band actually turned to a fan. Ukrainian singer Denis Shaforostov gained notoriety posting ASKING ALEXANDRIA covers on YouTube and consequentially inked a deal with Sumerian in his band DOWN AND DIRTY. Bruce shot him an e-mail one night. The next day, a new ASKING ALEXANDRIA song had vocals and a new era in the band's history took form.

"The Black" track listing:

01. Let It Sleep02. The Black03. I Won't Give In04. Sometimes It Ends05. The Lost Souls06. Just A Slave To Rock N Roll07. Send Me Home08. We'll Be Okay09. Here I Am10. Gone11. Undivided12. Circled By The Wolves

KATATONIA, the Swedish purveyors of dark progressive rock/metal, will release their tenth studio album, "The Fall Of Hearts", on May 20 via Peaceville. The follow-up to 2012's "Dead End Kings" was recorded at Stockholm's Studio Gröndahl & Tri-lamb studio, and was produced by Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse. Mixing and mastering duties were carried out by Jens Bogren (OPETH, IHSAHN, DEVIN TOWNSEND) at Fascination Street Studios, with Karl Daniel Lidén (SWITCHBLADE, THE OCEAN, GREENLEAF) brought in as engineer. The dramatic-yet-desolate artwork was created by longtime KATATONIA designer and illustrator Travis Smith.

"The Fall Of Hearts" track listing:

01. Takeover [07:09]02. Serein [04:46]03. Old Heart Falls [04:22]04. Decima [04:46]05. Sanction [05:07]06. Residual [06:54]07. Serac [07:25]08. Last Song Before The Fade [05:01]09. Shifts [04:54]10. The Night Subscriber [06:10]11. Pale Flag [04:23]12. Passer [06:25]

Bonus tracks:

* Vakaren [04:54] (CD/DVD & Deluxe Edition)* Sistere [04:11] (LP & Deluxe Edition)* Wide Awake In Quietus [04:59] (Digital & Deluxe Edition)

The official trailer for "The Fall Of Hearts" is available below.

KATATONIA spent the past four years since the release of "Dead End Kings" touring the world, as well as expanding its fanbase through two special albums on Kscope, the sister label of Peaceville. 2013 saw the release of "Dethroned & Uncrowned", which exploded the core of the songs on "Dead End Kings", creating new moods and textures. In 2015, they released the live acoustic album and concert film "Sanctitude". Both releases illustrate the band's journey toward this, their current more progressive sound.

"The Fall Of Hearts" is the first record to feature new drummer Daniel "Mojjo" Moilanen and with the addition of their recently recruited guitarist Roger Öjersson (TIAMAT), who came in just in time to sprinkle some blistering solos on the album, KATATONIA will continue to push their musical boundaries beyond their roots in the metal scene while drawing in new fans from across the musical spectrum like peers such as OPETH and ANATHEMA have also done, cementing KATATONIA's place as one of the most revered and cherished of all bands in the world of modern heavy music.

KATATONIA comments on "The Fall Of Hearts": "This album is probably everything we unknowingly ever dreamed of to release. It's a bleak but adventurous journey through our elements, we haven't held back, we have pushed to get forward and backward in the ever spiralling night of our musical legacy."