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."

In a brand new interview with the "Totally Driven Radio" podcast, legendary drummer Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL) was asked what Wendy Dio's reaction has been to LAST IN LINE, the band he formed in 2012 with fellow original DIO members Vivian Campbell (drums) and Jimmy Bain (bass) alongside singer Andrew Freeman. He responded: "Well, she's not involved in this in any way, shape or form. I don't know… I haven't really talked to her and asked what she thought. So she's not involved in this. I don't really know what she thinks about it. She probably hates it. I don't know. But you know? We're out there pushing everything — pushing the old songs, then keeping everything alive too. So you can't knock that."

When LAST IN LINE formed, the intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

LAST IN LINE released its debut album, "Heavy Crown", on February 19 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Campbell recently told Billboard magazine that Wendy — who managed Ronnie James Dio for much of his career — has nothing to do with, and no love for, LAST IN LINE. "Vinny still has occasional contact with her," Campbell said, "and when we first started doing this project, she said something along the lines of, 'Ronnie would be spinning in his grave.' So there you go."

In a 2011 interview with Brazil's Roadie Crew magazine, Wendy stated about the controversy surrounding Ronnie's relationship with Campbell (in a 2003 interview Vivian called Ronnie "an awful businessman and, way more importantly, one of the vilest people in the industry."), "[Vivian] always said that he hated all the albums that he played on with Ronnie, and that was very hurtful to Ronnie. Very hurtful. Would you like someone who said something like that about your albums? He said a lot of things in the press that I don't wanna get into, because it really wasn't Ronnie's feud at all. Ronnie didn't fire him. I fired [Vivian]. He wanted as much money as Ronnie wanted. He thought he was as important as Ronnie was, and that was just wrong. But I don't wanna get into that. It's water under the bridge. It doesn't matter."

Vivian later told KNAC.com that he and Ronnie James Dio never got to mend fences prior to the singer's 2010 death. He said: "We only talked to each other through the press, which is never, ever, ever a good idea. We were both guilty of saying really stupid and hurtful things. I'd like to think that we would have made up. I think if Ronnie and I had bumped into each other on the street, I think after a couple of minutes, we might have agreed to go to the pub for a pint and we could have probably worked things out."

Campbell went on to claim that "Wendy Dio never wanted DIO to be a band. She always wanted it to be about Ronnie, the solo artist. In her mind, it didn't matter who was in the band with Ronnie, who was standing behind him — bass player, guitar players, drummers, whatever; we were all interchangeable. I strongly disagree with that. I think every musician is unique, like our own fingerprint. The way you play, the way you don't play. The gaps you leave, the timing, the tonality you have, everything is unique to an individual, and when you find three or four people that work together and create a great sound, that's the chemistry of a band. That's unique. When you start pulling people out of that equation, it's never going to be the same. It's always going to be a facsimile."

"Advent Of The Human God", the new album from Canadian extreme metal veterans NECRONOMICON, can be streamed in its entirety in the YouTube playlist below. The CD will be released on March 25 via Season Of Mist.

"Advent Of The Human God" track listing:

01. The Descent02. Advent Of The Human God03. The Golden Gods 04. Okkultis Trinity05. Unification Of The Pillars06. Crown Of Thorns 07. The Fjord08. Gaia 09. I (Bringer Of Light)10. Innocence And Wrath (CELTIC FROST cover)11. Alchemy Of The Avatar

With "Advent Of The Human God", NECRONOMICON present themselves at a new height in their long lasting career, which began as early as 1988 with the founding of the band by guitarist and singer Rob "The Witch" in the deep northern part of Canadian province Quebec, called the "Fjord of Saguenay".

The Canadian veterans keep their tracks as gloriously epic as furiously massive and harsh. Songs like "The Golden Gods", "Unification Of The Pillars", "Crown of Thorns" and "I (Bringer Of Light)" tell of experienced songwriting and an eclectic wide range of influences that flow into the sound of NECRONOMICON. Nodding to DIMMU BORGIR and BEHEMOTH to DEICIDE and SUFFOCATION, these extreme metal addicts carve their own sound out of the much cherished ingredients of brutal dark music.

NECRONOMICON have a well-earned reputation for quality by releasing material only when ready and satisfied with the outcome ever since their demo titled "Morbid Ritual" (1992) firmly established their name within the underground. "The Silver Key" EP (1996) led to mainstream recognition on a national level, but their debut album "Pharaoh Of Gods" (1999) and the sophomore "The Sacred Medicines" (2003) did even more to establish the band as a household name in Canada. "Return Of The Witch" (2010) marked the international breakthrough for NECRONOMICON, and saw them performing at prestigious festivals such as Inferno (Norway), Ragnarok (Germany), and the Barge To Hell metal cruise among others, while sharing stages with acts such as CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR, BEHEMOTH, and MORBID ANGEL, to name but a few. Their steady advance around the globe grew considerably in impact by their next full-length, "Rise Of The Elder Ones" (2013).

NECRONOMICON is:

Rob "The Witch": vocals, guitarMars: bassRick: drums

Fan-filmed video footage of DISTURBED's March 11 performance at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada can be seen below.

DISTURBED singer David Draiman told KBAD, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota radio station, that the band wrote its new album, "Immortalized", together in the same place and will never write separately again. Draiman explained, "We hadn't written together in the same room since the 'Believe' record cycle, so we're talking 2001, 2002. So it was quite a long time. And we became very dependent on technology and sending soundwave files back and forth to one another."

Draiman, who lives in Texas, said he reached out to guitarist Dan Donegan and told him he wanted to come and work with the band in Chicago instead of developing melodies and lyrics alone. Draiman added, "That's the way every single writing session went for the duration of the writing of 'Immortalized'. And we're never going back."

Donegan has said he enjoyed going back to writing together as a group. "It was nice to really get back to that, the old-school way of forgetting about the luxury of the technology and let's be what a band is supposed to be," he told The Pulse Of Radio. "Let's get the idea out there, but let's get together in person and let's really vibe out these parts and bounce the creativity off each other in the moment."

"Immortalized", DISTURBED's sixth studio album, was released last August and debuted at the top of The Billboard 200 chart. That made it DISTURBED's fifth effort in a row to enter the chart at No. 1, a feat shared only with METALLICA and DAVE MATTHEWS BAND.

Asked by the radio station how long DISTURBED can keep going, Draiman replied, "Until we physically are no longer able to function. I look at THE ROLLING STONES and I still see them bring it every time they go out and play. Look, when you're firing at all cylinders and the crowd's with you, there is absolutely no substitute for that feeling. None."

In a brand new interview with Yahoo! Music, TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider addressed the fact that some fans in the 1980s were discouraged by the fact that he was a rock star that liked to rock but didn't party, so they turned their attention to bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE.

"[MÖTLEY CRÜE] singer Vince Neil could go and literally kill someone in a car accident," Snider said. "There were two other women who were in a van who were permanently crippled from that famous car accident that killed Razzle from HANOI ROCKS. And people are cool with that. They're like, 'Yeah, all right! Rock 'n' roll!!' And the guy didn't do any serious jail time. I'm, like, 'Really? Really? He's a murderer.' I don't get that at all."

Neil's drunk-driving death car crash happened back in December 1984 when he smashed his car into another vehicle in Redondo Beach, California, killing HANOI ROCKS drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley and seriously injuring two other occupants.

Neil was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. His blood alcohol level was 0.17, which was over the legal limit.

Neil served half of a 30 day jail sentence, received five years probation and had to pay $2.6 million in restitution, as well as perform 200 hours of community service.

In a 2006 interview with Metal Express, HANOI ROCKS guitarist Andy McCoy stated about the accident: "I was there. What happened was Razzle disappeared, so did Vince. So me and T-Bone, Tommy Lee, took his car and went looking for them. We drove past this accident, and I was, like, 'What color was the car they were driving?' Because we just passed a fucking accident with a bright red sports car. Then I saw Razzle's hat on the street."

In 2011, HANOI ROCKS singer Michael Monroe gave Sleaze Roxx his take on what happened that night: "There was an accident, and unfortunately our drummer was killed. As far as Vince Neil, I have nothing to say. It was an accident. What happened happened, and it can't be changed. Everybody suffered from the whole thing."

In July 2015, KISS co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley announced plans to open a Rock & Brews restaurant in North Texas in early 2016. The new location is the sleepy Dallas suburb The Colony, just one of nearly a dozen Rock & Brews located across the US.

According to a feature published by Guide Live's Sarah Blaskovich, it's the first free-standing Rock & Brews in Texas and debuts Monday, March 14th:

You'll find it nestled near the behemoth Nebraska Furniture Mart, down the street from the under-construction Toyota headquarters, and only a few thousand feet from the nearest McMansion. The Colony doesn't exactly scream glam rock like its famous KISS counterparts do. But the restaurant is hip.

Now I know what you're thinking: There's already a music-inspired restaurant with wings and burgers; it's called Hard Rock Cafe. Tell that to Simmons -- well, I politely did -- and he shrugs off the idea. 

"Respectfully, the best thing you can do when you're running a race," he says, is to "not see who else is running behind you." And while Hard Rock Cafes have launched hundreds of restaurants in places like Austria, Norway, Egypt, Fiji and Indonesia, Rock and Brews is only in North America and touches a mere seven states so far. Its partners -- a host of real estate and chain restaurant guys, beyond Simmons and Stanley -- seem content to multiply without exploding like a ball of fire at a KISS concert.

For those hoping to stumble upon Simmons and Stanley hanging out at their Texas Rock and Brews, it's unlikely. However, both rock stars will appear at a ticketed event May 10 where proceeds to go an as-yet-chosen veterans group. 

The best place to find Simmons and Stanley is still on stage. "We've been coming to Dallas for a long time," Simmons says. Then a promise: "and we're not about to stop."

Go to this location for the complete article and to view a photo gallery of the Dallas Rock & Brews location.



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Earlier this week in Las Vegas, SEETHER front man Shaun Morgan received the respected "Artistic Expression" award at the Awards Of Excellence from the National Council For Behavioral Health for his outstanding work as a suicide prevention advocate. The National Council For Behavioral Health is the unifying voice of America's mental health and addictions treatment organizations, serving ten million adults, children and families living with mental illnesses and addictions. Morgan is the creator of the Rise Above Fest, which has become the number one suicide awareness music fundraiser in the world. The singer has worked diligently over the past five years to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention, mental health support and to help remove the stigma around depression and mental health issues.

The Awards Of Excellence honor exceptional people and organizations that improve the lives of people living with mental illnesses and addictions, increase understanding of behavioral health in their communities, advocate for public policy reforms, advance professional development and devote their lives to helping others. Morgan was nominated among over thousand other advocates and is incredibly honored to have been acknowledged for a cause that means so much to him.

Morgan lost his younger brother, Eugene, to a suicide in 2007, which lead him to create the Rise Above Fest as a way to honor him. The festival's name is taken from the song "Rise Above This", which Morgan wrote as a message to his brother. His brother took his own life before he ever got a chance to hear it and Shaun had the opportunity to open this week's award ceremony in Las Vegas with an emotional acoustic version of the song. He was then presented with the award and gave an incredibly touching speech. Along with the awards, Morgan received a $10,000 grant which will go to Rise Above Fest partner SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), one of the leading national not-for profit organizations dedicated to raising awareness and educating the public about mental health and suicide prevention. Rise Above Fest 2016 will be held on August 6 at Darling's Waterfront in Bangor, Maine. The 2016 lineup includes DISTURBED, VOLBEAT, SEETHER, ALTER BRIDGE, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, HATEBREED, MEMPHIS MAY FIRE, WE CAME AS ROMANS, BEARTOOTH, I PREVAIL and more.

Photo by: Mike B Photography

"Misunderstood", the new video from the German gothic metal act CREMATORY, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's thirteenth studio album, "Monument", which will be released on April 15 via Steamhammer/SPV.

"Monument" track listing:

01. Misunderstood02. Haus Mit Garten03. Die So Soon04. Ravens Calling05. Eiskalt06. Nothing07. Before I Die08. Falsche Tränen09. Everything10. My Love Within11. Die Letzte Schlacht12. Save Me

CREMATORY recently parted ways with longtime bassist Harald Heine and replaced him with Jason Matthias. Heine, who was in CREMATORY for over 20 years, decided on short notice to give up music for personal and health reasons, to spend more time with his family and children.

Infinitely more strongly than on its predecessor, "Antiserum" (2014), the twelve tracks on "Monument" are based on brute guitar riffs and hard-as-nails drum grooves, replete with sinister keyboard hooks and that mix of growls and clear vocals — some in English, some in German — that is so typical of this band. The group's fans will be thoroughly delighted with "Monument" and its dynamic sound. When work on "Monument" commenced in spring 2015, a personnel issue had to be settled in the CREMATORY camp: Matthias Hechler, guitarist, clear voice and a style-defining member for 17 years, had left the band for private reasons. That his departure went off without animosity or internal quarrels was confirmed by Matthias in an interview on the "Live At Wacken 2014" DVD. Following his decision, CREMATORY made a virtue out of necessity, enlisting two successors: Tosse Basler (SCAPEGOAT, AVALANCHE) joined the fold as rhythm guitarist and clear vocalist, and Rolf Munkes is CREMATORY's new lead guitarist.

"Tosse and Rolf have brought a breath of fresh air to the band. They've really inspired us with their powerful style and phat guitar sounds," rejoices drummer Markus Jüllich, who composed the songs again with producer Kristian "Kohle" Bonifer before going on to produce them together at the Kohlekeller Studio. The result is a gothic metal opus that positively bursts with energy, featuring twelve diverse numbers with different degrees of toughness, including double guitar parts and guitar solos. The opener, "Misunderstood", which is supported by the first video release, is probably the most metallic number of CREMATORY's career. Markus refers to the track as an "ideal introduction, not only to our new album but also to our upcoming shows." The ballad "Save Me", which Jüllich/Bonifer wrote some time ago and have now approved for release in view of the new lineup, presents a stark contrast.

"As far as I'm concerned, this number has an orchestral flair," Jüllich reckons. "It suits Tosse and his timbre perfectly." Talking of which: because of their new team, CREMATORY have honed the homogenous blend of frontman Felix Stass's raw growls and the clear voice of their new band member Tosse Basler even more finely than ever before. The album carries its symbolic title with justification and the twelve impressive songs are undoubtedly a real monument to this group's amazing creative powers. In line with this, the cover artwork is both classy and sublime: for the third time in succession, CREMATORY, worked with Hungarian artist Peter Sallai. As in the productional collaboration between Markus Jüllich and Kristian Bonifer, the band has relied on tried and tested collaborators without repeating or indeed copying themselves.

The official music video for the song "Remember" from Norwegian progressive metallers CIRCUS MAXIMUS can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Havoc", which will be released on March 18 via Frontiers Music Srl. "Havoc" is CIRCUS MAXIMUS's highly anticipated fourth studio album and one that will certainly make a huge impact on the progressive metal scene. The band's musical formula is not easy to pull off. Take jaw-dropping musicianship, singer Michael Eriksen with a voice from the heavens and put it together with hooks, anthemic melodies, and enough groove and heavy riffing to satisfy any prog metal fan, and you've got the CIRCUS MAXIMUS sound. "The theme on this new album is about moments and experiences in life that lead to love and hate," says guitarist and producer Mats Haugen. "Metaphorically, it's about succumbing to fire and striving to cope with the aftermath of decisions when overshadowed by the love we have for others and ourselves." Musically, the band offers the usual mixture of very heavy moments intertwined with extremely accessible melodies. Songs like "Pages", the opener "The Weight", "After The Fire" and "Remember" show the full range of the CIRCUS MAXIMUS sound. Still, the album has very heavy songs ("Havoc") and slow and melodic moments ("Loved Ones") too. The band is set to tour heavily in support of this new release with shows in Europe, U.S. (they are already confirmed for the ProgPower USA festival) and more territories to come. The redefining sound, the songwriting and the clever production, highlights the band as one of the leading, original progressive metal bands around.

"Havoc" track listing:

01. The Weight02. Highest Bitter03. Havoc04. Pages05. Flames06. Loved Ones07. After The Fire08. Remember09. Chivalry CIRCUS MAXIMUS is:

Michael Eriksen - VocalsMats Haugen - Guitar, backing vocals and programmingTruls Haugen - Drums, backing vocals and percussionLasse Finbråten - Keyboards, samples, programmingGlen Møllen - Bass

Welsh glam metal veterans TIGERTAILZ will release a new album, "Blast", on April 25. The CD will include the song "Pipped It Popped It", which was written specifically for this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

"Pipped It Popped It" was submitted to the judging panel, who choose a shortlist for a public vote, with the winner going on to represent the U.K. on May 14 in Sweden. The track, however, was almost immediately rejected.

Guitarist Jay Pepper blasted the U.K. Eurovision panel, saying in a statement: "Was our song even listened to? Who knows, but clearly the BBC and U.K. Eurovision fan club didn't think a song and image that celebrated David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust', MOTT THE HOOPLE, THE SWEET and T.REX was worthy of showing the British public and letting them decide. They obviously know better. Well, their track record over the last five years proves this, doesn't it?"

The first full TIGERTAILZ studio album in nearly ten years, "Blast" will include a full-color 12-page booklet to go in an already jam-packed ten-panel CD inlay.

"Blast" track listing:

01. Just For One Night02. All The Girls In The World03. Pipped It Popped It04. Bop Bop You05. In The Arms Of Mary06. Bloodsuckers07. Dynamite08. Bring It On09. Crime Against Rock And Roll10. God's Country11. Cheap Talk (bonus track; CD only)12. FnA (bonus track, CD only)

TIGERTAILZ launch their U.K. tour in Sutton In Ashfield on April 8.

TIGERTAILZ last year tapped its bassist, Rob Wylde, to sing for the group following the departure of Jules Millis. Wylde was previously the frontman in TEENAGE CASKET COMPANY and the U.K. POISON tribute act POIZON.

Millis left TIGERTAILZ in March 2015 "due to personal reasons." He joined the band in 2012 folllowing the acrimonious exit of TIGERTAILZ's longtime singer Kim Hooker.

TIGERTAILZ's was originally fronted by Steevi Jaimz, who left the group in 1988. Jaimz later attempted to register the TIGERTAILZ name as a trademark with the U.K. Patent Office and launch his own version of TIGERTAILZ with drummer Ace Finchum.

Pepper is the sole remaining member of TIGERTAILZ's classic lineup.

Multi-instrumentalist / singer / songwriter Kristoffer Gildenlöw is gearing up for the release of his second solo album, The Rain. The album will be released via Melodic Revolution Records on April 7th,2016. Check out a new audio preview for The Rain below.

Gildenlöw will perform live on March 25th at Cultuurpodium Boerderij in Zoetermeer, Netherlands in support of the release. Tickets for the show can be purchased here.

The live band line-up on the night will include:

Kristoffer Gildenlöw 
Paul Coenradie (Aniday, Valentine)
Dec Burke (Frost, Audioplastik)
Dirk Bruinenberg (Patrick Rondat, Elegy)
David Gutierrez Rojas (Kingfisher Sky)
Anne Bakker (Blaze Bayley)
Daniël Huijben (The 11th Hour)
Rick Snel (Déva Dyne)

Gildenlöw’s eleven year career as bass player in the progressive rock band Pain of Salvation set the wheels in motion for his solo career, which took flight with release of his debut album, Rust (2013), paving way for The Rain. In addition to vocals, Gildenlöw performs a wide range of instruments and uses carefully selected guest musicians - adding strings, accordion and church organ - to make this album come to life.

The Rain is a concept album that examines the life of a man in later stages of dementia who struggles with his own reality, perceived through the metaphor of rain and clouds.

The gentleness of the piano passages oppose the angst and turmoil which lie beneath. The gentle pace at which the album progresses is reflective of the destructive force of the disease upon the man, and you find yourself at the tipping point with the track, ‘Breath In, Breath Out’. It is through this lyrically beautiful song that the realization of the end becomes apparent; leaving the listener grasping for the beauty captured in the mind’s eye.

The tracklist for The Rain is as follows:

"After The Rain pt. II"
"Holding On pt. I"
"Seeking The Sun pt. I"
"Seeking The Sun pt. II"
"Worthy"
"Holding On pt. II"
"See it All"
"Peripheral Memory"
"Breathe In, Breathe Out"
"In the Evening"
"It Was Me"
"Drizzle"
"She"
"All For You"
"The Funeral pt. I"
"The Funeral pt. II"

For information and updates go to Gildenlöw's official website here.



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Finland's Kaaos TV conducted an interview with former SEPULTURA and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera on March 9 at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his plans to stage a 20th-anniversary tour for SEPULTURA's "Roots" abum with his brother — and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY/ex-SEPULTURA bandmate — Igor:

Max: "Yeah, it's right now in the stages of organizing that, and we're gonna see what we can do to make it special. We found some stuff, like the original 'Roots' backdrop, so we get to use that. And there's two faces that were on the stage during the last 'Roots' tour — they are Brazilian faces — so we're gonna use that. Igor is very excited, I'm very excited. I think it's cool [to celebrate] twenty years. It's an opportunity to play the whole record. So I think it's gonna be really good."

On whether there is any talk of bringing the "Roots" 20th-anniversary to Europe:

Max: "I think if it works out and people like it and accept it, then we can come to Europe with it, which I think will happen. I would love to bring it to here too. It would be awesome. It's a good idea, and I think it would be worth it to come here and do it here as well."

On SEPULTURA's early years:

Max: "It was hard, but there was also the other side of the coin; it was exotic, so people were interested in us. So it created a kind of curiosity about [us]: 'Who are these Brazilian guys?' And I think what we did was cool, because we found our own way. We created albums that… We started like a copy of European bands like KREATOR and CELTIC FROST, and then became our own thing with stuff like 'Beneath The Remains', 'Arise', 'Chaos A.D.' and 'Roots'. We found our own identity, you know, and I think that's really important that the band did that. It was, for me, very… Especially the 'Roots' album was very special, because I got to go visit a tribe in Brazil. Growing up in Brazil, we'd never seen a tribe — only what we heard and saw a bit on TV and sometimes on a National Geographic special. But to be there physically with them was super special."

"Roots", along with 1993's "Chaos A.D.", is considered SEPULTURA's most commercially successful release, having been certified gold in 2005 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for U.S. shipments in excess of 500,000 copies.

In 1996, Max exited SEPULTURA after the rest of the band fired Max's wife Gloria as their manager.

Igor left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." His departure from the band came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from SEPULTURA's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their new son (who was born in January 2006).

CINDERELLA bassist Eric Brittingham was interviewed on a recent edition of the "Talk Toomey" podcast. You can now listen to the chat using the widget below.

Speaking about the current status of CINDERELLA, Eric said: "That is the big question. It's, like, what are we doing? It's been four years now that Tom's [Keifer, CINDERELLA frontman] been on his own. I don't think he's coming back. So that's probably the big question. I guess that's the big question that I have: what are we doing? 'Cause we're not making any new music [and] he is, so I guess that's probably the answer right there."

He continued: "It went from just doing, like, whatever just to fill the time. [I thought] '[Tom's] solo record's coming out, so I guess we're not touring this year. I guess we'll do it next year.' And here's four years later, and it's, like, okay, I'm still kind of playing… I'm playing in four different freakin' projects at the moment — I've got a residency, I've got a southern rock thing, I've got an original thing, a power-trio thing I'm doing… It's, like, I'm just making my ends meet."

Eric added: "If [Tom] wants to do a tour [with CINDERELLA], I'm in. I'm glad that I didn't hold my breath. I'd be blue now. [Laughs] Like I said, Tom's having fun doing what he's doing, so I guess, all in all, I'm looking to do something more permanent, I guess, too. I don't know what that would be, but… We'll see. If any bands are out there that are looking for a permanent bass player, apparently I am free. [Laughs]"

CINDERELLA hasn't released an album since 1994, when "Still Climbing" came out.

In a 2011 interview SCTimes.com, Eric explained why there was little incentive for CINDERELLA to make a new studio record. He said: "In the musical climate these days and the way we like to do things, it's not really worth doing it anymore. Our last record cost $1.2 million to make and the cheapest record we've ever made was $400,000. You can't do that these days because no one even sells $400,000 worth of records, CDs or downloads. Everything's changed. Everyone makes records in their bedrooms basically for next to nothing and in my opinion, most of them sound like it. That's not what we're about."

Keifer's solo debut, "The Way Life Goes", was released on in April 2013 via Merovee Records (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group).

Keith Emerson's girlfriend has told U.K.'s Daily Mail that the EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER keyboardist killed himself because he was concerned about the nerve damage to his right hand which had affected his playing.

Mari Kawaguchi found the 71-year-old musician's dead body around 1:30 a.m. Friday after returning to the apartment they shared in Santa Monica, California. He had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police said.

"His right hand and arm had given him problems for years," the 52-year-old Kawaguchi said. "He had an operation a few years ago to take out a bad muscle but the pain and nerve issues in his right hand were getting worse.

"He had concerts coming up in Japan and even though they hired a back-up keyboard player to support him, Keith was worried.

"He read all the criticism online and was a sensitive soul. Last year he played concerts and people posted mean comments such as, 'I wish he would stop playing.'

"He was tormented with worry that he wouldn't be good enough. He was planning to retire after Japan.

"He didn't want to let down his fans. He was a perfectionist and the thought he wouldn't play perfectly made him depressed, nervous and anxious."

Kawaguchi told the Associated Press that Emerson was constantly thinking about music. "He was just natural," she said. "The music was always in his head, always. Even when he was sleeping, you know, I could tell he was always thinking about music. Sometimes he would wake up and compose music. And it was all so, so beautiful."

In addition to Emerson, EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER included vocalist/bassist Greg Lake and drummer Carl Palmer.

Palmer said in a statement that he was "deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and brother-in-music."

EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER reunited for one last tour together in 2010. Their final gig took place in July 2010 at London's High Voltage festival.

During a brand new interview with "The Rock Show" on Star Radio with Neil Jones, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke was once again asked for his thoughts on a GN'R reunion, following the recent announcement that long-estranged singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash had repaired their relationship and were staging a handful of comeback shows in April. Clarke, who was not an original member of the group, said: "You know, I'm probably just as curious as everybody else is. It's gonna be interesting to see Slash and Axl back together after all these years. I mean, I have certainly seen Slash many times; I've seen his solo band, I've seen VELVET REVOLVER. So it's gonna be interesting to see, after that big hiatus, what comes together from this. I'm just like a fan; I'm curious too."

Asked how the members of GUNS N' ROSES dealt with Axl's stage tardiness while Clarke was in the band, the guitarist said: "Well, you know, back then, we drank a lot, and we got drunk a lot. I mean, that's the thing — we didn't know whether it was gonna be five minutes late or three hours late. It's just one of those things that… it came with the territory. We've all got our pluses and minuses with our jobs. The waiting was a minus."

Clarke replaced founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin in the GUNS lineup in 1991, during the "Use Your Illusion" tour, and stayed with the band for three years.

He has continued as a producer and solo artist since then, while also playing in ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, HEART and other acts.

Clarke reunited with GUNS members Slash, Steven Adler, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan at the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in April 14, 2012, although he himself was not inducted as part of the band.

Gilby is currently recording a new solo album that will feature guest appearances by drummers Stephen Perkins (JANE'S ADDICTION) and Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY) along with members of Clarke's solo band, EJ Curse (bass/vocals) and Troy Patrick Farrell (drums/vocals). Gilby told "The Rock Show" about the upcoming effort: "It's been a long time, and I've kind of been working on this record for, like, about four or five years, which would sound like, 'Oh my God! It's an epic.' It's not. I just… I can't put a record out unless I think it's good. And I've been writing tunes and I've been recording a lot, but I just honestly didn't think it was good. And up until this year, I've really got a good batch of songs. And after these next few weeks, the shows for us, we're taking a few months off because I wanna finish this record. I wanna get it out by the end of the year."

Regarding the musical direction of his upcoming CD, Gilby said: "I still like… I guess it's now called classic rock. I like rock and roll, man. I like THE BEATLES. I like THE [ROLLING] STONES. I like METALLICA. I like the RAMONES. To me, it's all just rock and roll. As long as it's an electric guitar and the Marshall's on 10, I'm a pretty happy guy."

Photo credit: Alex Kluft of California Rock News

Mark Strigl of the "Talking Metal" podcast recently conducted an interview with legendary DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes. You can now listen to the chat in the widget below. (Note: The interview starts around the 11-minute, 30-second mark.)

Speaking about DEEP PURPLE's upcoming induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and why certain members of the band are not being included, Hughes said: "You've gotta put yourself in my shoes here. The Hall… There's some situation every year where some bandmember of some band goes through the same thing that I'm going through with this thing. Or, 'How come [late DEEP PURPLE guitarist] Tommy Bolin wasn't inducted?' and stuff like that. It's just the way they operate. How come the lead singer, Rod Evans, the guy that sang 'Hush', can be nominated, but his bass player, Nick Simper, is not nominated. It's weird, isn't it? It's almost like… It's splitting me and David [Coverdale, ex-DEEP PURPLE singer] up. It's weird. It's like me and David getting inducted because… If 'Burn' would have come out in the '70s and it would have bombed, we wouldn't have been inducted. Yeah, we were in DEEP PURPLE, and we were great, and we played the California Jam, and it was all fantastic, and we sang wonderfully, and blah blah blah. But 'Burn' was a Top 5 album across the globe. I mean, 'Burn' is the second-biggest album PURPLE ever made, after 'Machine Head', so if it wasn't a success, we would not have been nominated."

Hughes spent key years of his career as the beloved bassist and vocalist of DEEP PURPLE, appearing on the classic albums "Burn", "Stormbringer" and "Come Taste the Band".

Hughes has rescheduled his recently announced U.S. headline tour. The trek, which was originally set to begin on March 2 in San Jose, California, will now launch on August 9 in Annapolis, Maryland.

The 64-year old icon underwent dual knee-replacement in January and delays in the recovery from those operations are the reason for the rescheduling of the tour. The "Voice of Rock" will perform a selection of music from his extensive career, including songs from TRAPEZE, DEEP PURPLE, HUGHES/THRALL and BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION as well as his solo material. Backing Hughes on this tour will be guitarist Søren Andersen and drummer Pontus Engborg. The tour will make stops in cities such as New York City; Detroit, Michigan; and Chicago, Illinois before wrapping up at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on September 3. British blues songstress Joanne Shaw Taylor has been tapped to open the shows.