Slovakia's Wastage are a brutal blend of thrash, hardcore and metalcore with no-nonsense lyrics about the dystopian society we live in. Featuring former members of Xibalba, Stone Cold Bitch, Eternity and The Weed, Wastage released their debut album worldwide last October via Sliptrick Records. Now the band have released a music video for the album cut “No Way Out”. Check it out below.

Slave To The System tracklisting:

“Away From Darkness”
“Slave To The System”
“Game”
“No Way Out”
“Ham-Let”
“You Can’t Stop”
“Right Now”
“I Walk Alone”
“Nobody”
“Let Me Go”
“Confidence”

“No Way Out” video:

More on Wastage here.

 



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The debut album from the Finnish folk metal band Vetten Äpärät, entitled Syntyi Talven Kyynelistä (translated: Born Of Winter’s Tears) will be released through Inverse Records digitally and in Finland on April 1st. International release date for the physical version will be May 13th. Two songs from the album can be heard below.

The tracklist is as follows:

"Ancient's Call"
"Exile"
"Brothers Of Hate"
"Winterheart's Silence"
"Winter Darkness"
"Grief Of Woods"
"Sydäntalven Viha"
"Herätys"
"Sword's Dance"
"Wind Of Exhaustion"
"Ice Made New Kingdom"
"I Heard Them"
"Vala"

The band will be holding an album release party in Helsinki, Finland at On The Rocks on April 7th. Go to this location for event details.

 



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For the last two decades, Church Of Misery have sawed off only the finest in uncompromising doom. The revered Japanese masters are lifelong practitioners of the genre, honouring and extrapolating upon the Sabbathian legacy from which all detuned life springs forth.

Church Of Misery's sixth and latest album, And Then There Were None, is another blood-soaked trip through homicidal hell, with songs inspired by killers both infamous and obscure. But while the murderous inspiration for the tunes remains the same, the cast of characters is almost completely new.

And Then There Were None is set for a March 4th release via Rise Above Records. A full album stream can be found below.

In 2014, Church Of Misery bassist and mastermind Tatsu Mikami was forced to assemble a new lineup for the band's follow-up to 2013's Thy Kingdom Scum. His chosen few reside on American soil: Blood Farmers guitarist Dave "Depraved" Szulkin, Earthride drummer Eric Little (ex-Internal Void) and Repulsion frontman (and former Cathedral bassist) Scott Carlson on vocals.

"All the musicians involved in this album are undoubtedly the best in this scene," Tatsu enthuses. "So you will enjoy listening to all play tastefully."
 
And Then There Were None marks Tatsu's first Church Of Misery endeavor with foreign musicians. He, Szulkin and Little met in Maryland to rehearse the bassist's riff-ready material.

"It was a challenge because there was not much time to make this record-only two weeks," he explains. "One week for rehearsals and then one week to record all materials. Before I arrived in Maryland, I was a little bit nervous. But after the first rehearsal, I knew it was gonna be a good album."
 
Carlson wrote all the lyrics for And Then There Were None, which also marks the first time he's done vocals for a full-length album since Repulsion's genre-inventing classic Horrified.

"I was afraid to listen to it for a while because I haven't recorded a full album of vocals in almost 30 years," he says. "Once Tatsu had mixed everything I listened back and was able to enjoy it. The riffs are so strong on this record that even my 50 year-old vocal chords couldn't bring it down! I'm very pleased to be a part of this and I can't wait for Church Of Misery fans to hear it!"

And Then There Were None tracklisting:

“The Hell Benders”
“Make Them Die Slowly”
“Doctor Death”
“River Demon”
“Confessions Of An Embittered Soul”
“Suicide Journey”
“Murderfreak Blues”



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Swiss death metal horde, Omophagia, have released a video for the track “Down We Fall”, featured on their upcoming album, In The Name Of Chaos. Watch below:

Omophagia is the latest addition to Unique Leader Records' expanding roster of extreme metal.

Comments the band in a collective statement, "We couldn't be happier about the fact that we just signed a label contract with Unique Leader Records for the next few Omophagia album. It's an absolute dream come true and we feel honoured to be part of that specific label which brought out so many bands we love. It's been our absolute first choice and we are very glad that Unique Leader is putting enough trust in us to sign us. We are looking forward to a great cooperation over the next few years."

Omophagia, a name relating to the consumption of raw flesh, will unleash their eleven-track, sophomore release In The Name Of Chaos on April 15th. The record was tracked at the band's own studio in Switzerland, mixed and mastered at Hertz Studio in Poland (Decapitated, Vader, Behemoth, Hate etc.) and promises to be their fastest, heaviest and most brutal output to date.

Tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Willing Whore”
“Man Machine”
“Until The Sky Turns Red”
“The Leader”
“Despair”
“The Dominant”
“Love Song”
“Down We Fall”
“Wheel In The Engine”
“Instramentalized”

Pre-order the new album here.

In conjunction with its release, Omophagia will bring their sonic savagery to the stage on a near-two-week run of European live abrasions supporting Morgoth, Incantation and DarkRise.



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Classic Rock magazine has uploaded video footage of DREAM THEATER members John Petrucci (guitar), Jordan Rudess (keyboards) and James LaBrie (vocals) performing an acoustic cover version of the PINK FLOYD classic "Wish You Were Here" in Oslo, Norway. Check it out below.

Said Petrucci: "'Wish You Were Here' is one of my favorite FLOYD songs of all time. I have many memories of playing that back in high school even at parties. It was just the one song that everybody kind of seemed to know and loved to sing along.

"PINK FLOYD is a huge influence not only on me, but on the rest of the guys.

"Of course, [DREAM THEATER's] 'The Astonishing' is a concept album written around a story. PINK FLOYD's 'The Wall' was definitely an inspiration, and they've been a huge influence, as I said. I love the fact that they have so many great songs that you can actually just pick up the acoustic guitar, strum and have people sing along and know it, and there's a real art to that."

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

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

Denver-based thrash metal stalwarts, Havok, have released a live video for the track "Claiming Certainty”, which will appear on their forthcoming Century Media debut album (release information to come soon).

Says the band: ““Claiming Certainty” is a pounding new song from our upcoming 4th record. This cut of the song was filmed/recorded live in in our hometown at the Denver Black Sky Festival inside the Gothic Theatre. We decided to play this high energy tune live because it gets the adrenaline pumping and never lets up. Our new album is full of bangers like this with even more attitude, dynamics, and musical intricacy. Fans of Havok and fans of metal will not be disappointed in our newest record. Every member of the band is positive that the 4th Havok album will be the best one yet!"

Havok has worked nonstop since their formation in 2004, releasing three albums and touring the world in support of them. Now with their recent signing to Century Media Records, the band will continue taking their music and career to the next level with the release of their brand new album, which has yet to be given a title.

For an early preview of what promises to be the band's most intense, neck-wrecking effort to date, catch Havok on current tour dates across North America supporting the mighty Megadeth along with Suicidal Tendencies, and Children Of Bodom. Havok plays every night at 7 PM so get there early to get in on the action! All dates below.

March
3 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
5 - Penticton, BC - South Okanagan Events Centre
6 - Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Resort
8 - Dawson Creek, BC - Encana Events Centre
9 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
10 - Moose Jaw, SK - Mosaic Place
13 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
14 - Dayton, OH - Rockstar Pro Arena
15 - Niagara Falls, NY - The Rapids Theatre
16 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
17 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
19 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
20 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
21 - Boston, MA - House Of Blues
23 - Bangor, ME - Cross Insurance Center
24 - Quebec, QC - Centre Videotron
25 - Montreal, Canada - Corona Theatre
26 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
27 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry
28 - Louisville, KY - Highlands Taproom

Havok is:

David Sanchez - Lead vocals / Guitars
Pete Webber - Lead drums
Reece Scruggs - Lead guitar / Vocals
Nick Schendzielos - Lead bass / Vocals



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Prog metal outfit Third Ion, featuring former members of The Devin Townsend Band and Into Eternity, recently announced that the band's new vocalist is none other than Dave Padden (ex-Annihilator). Padden replaces departed vocalist Tyler Gilbert. The new band has announced the launch of a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo in order to complete the production of their second album, entitled Biolith. Check out the clip below.

Third Ion are currently recording the follow-up to 2015 Glasstone Records debut album 13/8bit.  The sophomore effort will also be released on Glasstone. An audio clip of the band recording with Padden can be heard below:

Third Ion is:

Justin Bender - Guitar
Aaron Edgar - Drums
Mike Young - Bass
Dave Padden - Vocals


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Atlanta based death metal band Withered have revealed details of their forthcoming album, Grief Relic. It will be released by Season Of Mist worldwide on May 27th; pre-orders are currently available here.

Guitarist / vocalist Mike Thompson commented: "Having been five years since our last release, we felt the need to do something very intentional with Grief Relic.You know that sense of timelessness you get when you go back and listen to some 20 year old metal record and it’s just as relevant now as it ever was? It’s not really about nostalgia and definitely not about rehashing anything. Just the need to continue carving out a sonic identity like the great bands of the late '80s and early '90s. We focused on song arrangements and an album structure that would offer a real emotional experience and, of course, we loaded every song with a lot of typical Withered twists and turns. It’s progress for the sake of progress without abandoning our identity."

The artwork, painted by Paul Romano (Mastodon, Baroness), and tracklisting for Grief Relic can be found below.

"Leathery Rind"
"A Realm Of Suffering"
"Withdraw"
"Feeble Gasp"
"Husk"
"Downward"
"Distort, Engulf"
"To Glimpse Godliness"

 

 

 



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About two years after the release of their debut EP, Feel Alright, French alternative nu-metal outfit Blunderbuss premieres its brand new single "Last Day Before Resurrection", announcing an EP called Resurrection coming out in CD and digital formats on April 19th.

 

 



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Moravia, NY death metallers NilExistence have unleashed a new song "Pitch Black Perception" from their debut album Existence In Revelation. Stream it via the SoundCloud audio player below.

NilExistence will release Existence In Revelation on March 25th. The album includes a 12-page booklet with artwork by Seth Siro Anton (Septicflesh), and was mixed / mastered at Hertz Studio (Behemoth, Decapitated, Vader)  by the Wiesławski brothers in Poland. 

A lyric video for "Primordial Transgression" can be enjoyed below.

Drummer / vocalist Kyle Kratzer (ex-Disfigured Dead) had this to say about the album title and lyrical content:

"Existence In Revelation is based on the life experiences that have affected Dave Gruver (guitar / vocals) and myself during the writing period.  The idea behind the title comes from how I personally felt when in the midst of a darker period.  When one finds himself in a 'revelation' type state, they have a few choices in which to handle the new information or realization they discovered;  they may take the newly acquired knowledge and expand upon their problem/life, take nothing from the experience and brush it off, or stay stuck in the revelation itself (which is the route explored on the album.)  As if in a bubble, one neither acts nor fails to act upon the new knowlegde, but instead remains within the revelation (bubble).  The lyrics are based upon what I saw and learned within this revelation."

Tracklisting:

“The Quietus”
“This Throne's Carved From Greed”
“Primordial Transgression”
“If Snakes Could Talk, My Words Would Slither”
“Pitch Black Perception”
“To Give Is To Serve”
“Tyranny Is Blind, And The Tyrant”
“Screams Form Silence”



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Hailing from Edmonton Canada, Mortillery are on a mission to deliver true thrash metal. They stand out with their smashing riffage, raw energy and dynamic female vocals. The band has announced the details of their upcoming metal beast including, the album title, tracklisting, artwork, and release date.

Tracklisting:

“Radiation Sickness”
“Age Of Stone”
“Bullet”
“Mantis”
“Black Friday”
“Wendigo”
“At The Gates”
“Torture”
“Shapeshifter”
“Patient Zero” (bonus track)
“Neckbreaker” (bonus track)
“Shine” (cover) (bonus track)

This heavyweight release is the perfect blend between melody and aggression. Mortillery’s third album Shapeshifter is a ferocious beast drunk on speed, venomous guitar solos and the rabid vocals of Cara McCutchen. Shapeshifter is set to be released on May 27th via Napalm Records. Preorders will be available soon.



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In a brand new interview with INDY Week, SLAYER and EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt was asked how he has been received by SLAYER fans as the replacement for the late Jeff Hanneman. He responded: "I've been here long enough — five years-plus — to where I'm pretty much well accepted now. In five-plus years, I think I've had a grand total of four hecklers in countless shows. The odds have been in my favor as far as acceptance, originally in the absence of Jeff and then after the tragic loss of Jeff. I think the acceptance stems from the fact that I am one of the insiders, I guess you would say. I've been friends with this band, Jeff included, for decades, since the infancy of thrash metal. I'm one of the originators of it, so I've got old-school street cred. It's difficult being in two bands — I can't always be in the same place at the same time. But I've been made to feel like family here since day on. As far as the band members, we are family, going back to the early eighties."

Holt spoke in more detail about the exchange he had with the hecklers. He said : "With most of them, it was fun; we were bantering back and forth. With one, on the first Mayhem tour, at the end of the set, this kid goes, 'I just miss Jeff, man,' and I said, 'I miss Jeff, too.' I had one on my first European tour — this guy with this awful skullet, flipping me off the whole time. Little did he know that all I had to do was say something to have him beaten senseless by the SLAYER road crew of thugs, but I didn't. He did see our production manager looking at him on the radio, and he vanished. He kept flipping me off and tapping on his SLAYER shirt. I mean, you knew Jeff wasn't here, and you bought a ticket, anyway. That kind of shit just never made sense to me."

He continued: "I had a guy in Milan of all places — which is a very good home to EXODUS as well — who was kind of a dick. But I got in his face the whole time. I'm not gonna back down to anyone because they're out trying to ruin my show. By ruining my show, they're by extension trying to ruin SLAYER's set, because they're trying to take down one-fourth of the band. I went right up and stood on the subwoofers and grabbed him by his hand. I got right in his face to see how much he had to say when I was within striking distance. He had nothing to say. He didn't expect that, that I would step off the stage, hop a few feet over on to the subwoofer, to where I was directly in his face. The last thing I wanna do is break my hand on some dude's head. I'm a thick-skinned guy, and that shit doesn't mean anything to me. But I am going to give as well as I take, that's for sure."

According to Holt, the age of the Internet has given power to the cowards who hide behind their keyboards and blast away — something that didn't exist when he was growing up. "I look back at when I was a kid, long before the Internet, the late, great, legendary Bon Scott died, and I guarantee not one soul in the crowd was flipping off Brian Johnson," he said. "I was there waiting in line to buy 'Back In Black' the day it came out, because I'm old enough to remember record stores. I went both nights, and I was completely stoked. There was not a negative vibe in the audience, but the Internet just breeds that. You get keyboard warriors. Then you'll see one guy post something like, 'All right, my metal brothers and sisters, we gotta stick together.' Now, that doesn't happen. It's so segregated. When I was a kid, I liked all kinds of metal. The Internet breeds all kinds of idiots, but it is great for spreading the word of new bands. You got an instant worldwide outlet for spreading music."

Holt, who is still a member of San Francisco Bay Area thrash icons EXODUS, has been the touring guitarist for SLAYER since January 2011 when Jeff Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

Holt did not contribute to the songwriting process on SLAYER's latest album, "Repentless", although he did lay down guitar solos on most of the album's twelve tracks.

Hanneman eventually died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

Hanneman's last appearance with SLAYER was in April 2011, when he played an encore with the band at the "Big Four" concert in Indio, California.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson spoke to The New Yorker magazine about his involvement in unveiling the world's largest aircraft. The Hybrid Air Vehicle (HAV), which has been named Airlander, can stay airborne for up to three weeks and will be vital in delivering several tons of humanitarian aid.

Airlanders are low noise, low pollution, and are environmentally friendly. They have ultra-long endurance, and a point-to-point cargo-carrying capacity. They can take off and land vertically and operate from a range of remote environments including water, desert, ice and fields.

The 302-foot-long Airlander 10 is set to make its maiden flight later this month from its home at Cardington, England — 40 miles from London.

Dickinson, who has reportedly invested around £250,000 ($360,000) in the Airlander, told The New Yorker: "You want to put a hospital into Africa? You put the whole hospital in the inside of this —whoosh. Start the generator. 'Here's your hospital, buddy!' Job done. You know? You can just plunk the vehicle straight down on the farm, load it with fifty tons of green beans or whatever, and twenty-four hours later you land right next door to the processing plant. It's a global conveyor belt. And water! With these vehicles, you could drop off a twenty-ton slab of water that is clean, drinkable, to an African village. It's astonishing what you can do that you just can’t do with anything else. Shit, you can do that with it? Wow, you can do that with it? Seriously fantastic!"

Dickinson said that he hoped to one day take the Airlander to the North Pole and the South Pole, with the entire journey being live-streamed via the Internet. "You just drop right down onto the ice cap," he said. "Or drop right down on the Atacama Desert, and you go up through the rain forest or whatever, just for shits and giggles. You know?"

Dickinson decided to put his cash into the project after meeting the "genius behind it," the late inventor Roger Munk. The singer told The Guardian: "I told my wife: 'I'm about to put £100k into a big bag of helium. It may go up in smoke.' She said: 'People have to dream, and unless you can dream something, it's never going to happen.'"

He added: "I'm not expecting to get my money back anytime soon, I just want to be part of it. Being a rock person, I could put it up my nose, or buy a million Rolls Royces and drive them into swimming pools, or I could do something useful. There are very few times in your life when you're going to be part of something big."

Unlike traditional airships, the Airlander has no internal structure but it becomes rigid through being filled with helium, at just above atmospheric pressure. The super-strong hull material has been specially designed for Hybrid Air Vehicles by Warwick Mills and assembled by ILC Dover, the company who make NASA spacesuits. Its innovative composition includes a woven fabric for strength on the inside, and a Tedlar layer for protection on the outside, sandwiching a mylar film to retain the helium.

For more information, visit www.hybridairvehicles.com.

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian says that he would "make all of the Internet go away" if he could because it would be "much better for the music business."

In a new interview clip released by ANTHRAX's European record label Nuclear Blast, Ian talks about the amazing commercial success of Adele's "25" album, which broke records many people long since ruled out as logistically impossible, most notably smashing N SYNC's 15-year-old record for most album sales in a week in just four days.

Ian said (see video below): "The Adele phenomena isn't, like, some great wake-up call for the record [labels]… Well, it is a wake-up call, in a sense, to show the companies that they shouldn't be so short-sighted and they're going for the quick kind of cash-in, I think, on this record. But there are people out there who will buy something quality."

He continued: "In a very, very small way, metal bands like us, IRON MAIDEN, SLAYER — bands that have been doing it for so long — AC/DC… and have built and maintained an audience, you can say, in a lot of ways, on a much smaller level, we have the same thing; we have our fans who will go out and buy our records. Granted, we don't have twenty million of 'em. But our fans are very loyal and very strong, and they want that physical product, and I think that's great. And that's why I would say, I wish, if there was that option to have the Internet go away, I just think the experience for everybody, when it comes to music, would be that much better, because the Internet has devalued music to where people think you can just have it for free, and it shouldn't be that way."

Ian added: "If I had the option to make all of the Internet go away — like, let's say if I could go like that [snaps fingers], and it's like it never existed and we never knew we had it — I would choose that, because it'd be much better for the music business."

In the past, Ian has been critical of music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora as a source of revenue for artists like ANTHRAX, telling From Hero To Zero in a 2015 interview: "Music doesn't have the same value in people's minds on this planet as it did ten years ago, twenty years ago… The commodity of music is worth less these days. Albums couldn't be cheaper. You could buy a brand new album, let's say on iTunes, you could buy a brand new CD for ten dollars. I mean, it wasn't that long ago where you had to go to, let's say, Virgin Megastore, which used to be everywhere. Albums back then in the States, a brand new CD would cost you at least seventeen dollars. That's not even including the gas to get there in your car, paying for parking sometimes. Now you could just sit at home and pay ten dollars. It's never been cheaper, and people still have a problem with that, apparently, because they'd rather steal it or stream it."

He went on to say: "Now, look, I get streaming — it's a modern convenience, it's the next step of where things are going, as far as how to get your music, and I don't have a problem with that. Look, I was one of the first people to get an iPod. I love iTunes, I love having all my shit right here in my phone; I love the convenience of that. I even like streaming, because it will turn me on to music that maybe I wouldn't have heard before and then I'll go and buy the record. But I just feel like, once again, bands are getting ripped off by these streaming services. If Spotify would pay more money to the bands for the art they're creating, I think just in general people would have a better view of music and think it was worth more. Music should be worth something. It is worth something. We're creating art, and these businesses have completely devalued what we do, and obviously I think that's bullshit."

According to music industry web site Hits Daily Double, ANTHRAX's new album, "For All Kings", is likely to sell between 20,000 and 23,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The SPS figure is expected to be between 21,000 and 24,000.

SPS, a practice used by Billboard magazine, stands for "sales plus streaming," which includes album sales and converted track sales plus converted streaming data.

For those interested: 10 tracks sold equal one album sale (since $1.29, the cost for an individual track, multiplied by ten gives you $12.99, a common price for an album, and 1,500 streams is equivalent to one album sale.

ANTHRAX's previous album, 2011's "Worship Music", sold 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart. The disc followed up 2003's "We've Come For You All", which opened with just under 10,000 units to debut at No. 122

"For All Kings" was released on February 26 via Nuclear Blast in Europe and Megaforce in the U.S.

Tremonti, the band led by guitarist Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge), will release their new album, Dust, on April 29th via Fret 12. A sample of the new song, “The Cage”, can be found below.

The album, which was recorded during same sessions as Cauterize, features Mark Tremonti on vocals/guitars, Eric Friedman on guitars, Wolfgang Van Halen on bass, and Garrett Whitlock on drums. Long-time friend and collaborator, Michael “Elvis” Baskette, produced Dust.

To coincide with the announcement of Dust, several exclusive fan bundle pre-orders are now available at this location. These bundles include autographed CD’s, t-shirts, hoodies, and other exciting experiences for the Tremonti fan.

From the first riffs of album opener “My Last Mistake” to the final notes of closer “Unable To See”, it is clear that Dust is not a collection of B-sides or leftovers. These ten new tracks continue to showcase Mark’s hard rock/heavy metal influences alongside the material from Cauterize. Songs like “Once Dead”, “Betray Me”, and “Rising Storm” authentically hold their own in Tremonti’s musical arsenal.

Dust tracklisting:                                                      

“My Last Mistake”
“The Cage”
“Once Dead”
“Dust”
“Betray Me”
“Tore My Heart Out”
“Catching Fire”
“Never Wrong”
“Rising Storm”
“Unable To See”

“The Cage” sample:

“Catching Fire” sample:

Tremonti have announced a short European tour in May/June. Dates are listed on the poster below:  



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AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler has commented on longtime bandmate Joe Perry's lukewarm response to the singer's decision to record a country album.

In May 2015, Tyler released his first country single, "Love Is Your Name", which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Streaming Songs chart. He followed it up with "Red White & You", which came out in January.

Perry seemed dismissive of Tyler's country debut, telling USA Today in an interview last month: "Hey, if I didn't know him when I heard the song I'd go, 'It's okay, next.' I'm not going to say anything else about that."

He added: "Steven is in Nashville doing whatever he's doing. He's got a [bleeping] rhinestone cowboy hat going 'Yippee ki yay.' I don't know what else to say about that."

Now Tyler has responded to Perry's comments, telling a TMZ cameraman at the Los Angeles airport about his AEROSMITH bandmates: "[That's] how they are. That's why I'm doing a country record. It's all right. You know what? Jealousy runs deep in this family."

Steven did stress, however, that everything was still fine between him and Perry, explaining: "Oh, yeah. He's doing what he's doing and I do what I do."

Tyler's full-length country debut is tentatively due later in the year. The effort will be released via Dot Records, the legendary label that Scott Borchetta and his Big Machine Label Group revived in 2014.

The AEROSMITH singer's country album will feature songs that he has written and recorded in Nashville with writers like Paslay, Hillary Lindsey, Cary Barlowe and THE CADILLAC THREE's Jaren Johnston.

"My earliest influences put me somewhere between THE EVERLY BROTHERS and the CARTER FAMILY, and this project is all about me paying homage to my country roots," Tyler told Rolling Stone. "I've been working with some fucking epic Nashville songwriters, getting my feet wet with the style and groove."

AEROSMITH guitarist Brad Whitford said last year that he was less than thrilled with Tyler's plans to devote most of 2016 to his country-tinged debut solo album. He said: "I guess he seems to think his solo career is going to go great guns and he doesn't seem to realize — in my opinion — that his fans around the globe want to see him in the context of AEROSMITH and don't really care for whatever he thinks he's going to do. I don't know if he gets that, but, hey — that's what he wants to do. I can't put a gun to his head."

Sweden's lauded melodic death/doom metallers and Agonia Records recent signess, In Mourning, have revealed details surrounding their new album. Entitled Afterglow, the opus will be released on May 20th. The cover artwork has been prepared by Kristian Wåhlin (Bathory, Tiamat, Amorphis, Dark Tranquillity).

In Mourning commented: "The new album is called Afterglow and its story takes off from where The Weight Of Oceans ends. It’s a bit more complex than our previous albums and it has got a bit of a different sound than the older ones, a bit more alive like a band and maybe not always as studio corrected as our earlier material. However, the foundation of the music is still what we’ve always done and the key elements are pretty much the same but with some new additions and a few new twists and turns of course.”

This will be the first album featuring new drummer, Daniel Liljekvist (ex-Katatonia).

Hailed by many as the heir to Opeth's melodeath throne, In Mourning was formed in the Swedish woods in the year 2000. Since then the band has evolved over the years striving to refine its sound to what it is today. April 2012 marked the release of the bands third and latest album The Weight Of Oceans, a mythology inspired conceptual story that journeys to the sea. Musically, the group blends a broad spectrum of influences into a foundation of melodic death metal. Thrusting from doomy metal-riffs, blasting drumbeats and deep growling vocals to calm breezes of clean flowing melodies and harmonies.

Afterglow was recorded between November 2015 and March 2016 in Nordin Music Studios (drums) and Libra Studios (guitar, bass and vocals). Mixing and mastering duties have been handled by Jonas Martinsson in Necrosavant Studio.

Afterglow will be available in the following formats:
-Digipack CD (with 12 page booklet)
-Jewelcase CD (with 12 page booklet)
-Regular Double Black LP
-Double Orange Crush Transparent LP (hand-numbered to 135 copies)
-Black t-shirt in two different versions
-Digital formats

Find preorders at Agonia Records.

Tracklisting:

“Fire And Ocean”
“The Grinning Mist”
“Ashen Crown”
“Below Rise To The Above”
“The Lighthouse Keeper”
“The Call To Orion”
“Afterglow”

Line-up:
Tobias Netzell - guitars and vocals
Pierre Stam - bass
Björn Pettersson - guitars
Tim Nedergård - guitars
Daniel Liljekvist - drums



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In a career that spans nearly 30 years and includes over 60 album credits, Joe Lynn Turner remains one of rock and roll's most distinctive, soulful and expressive vocalists. Best known for his work with hard rock band RAINBOW, during his career, Turner fronted pop rock band FANDANGO, and had stints with Yngwie Malmsteen and DEEP PURPLE. From the mid-1990s, he worked with various musical groups (MOTHER'S ARMY, HUGHES TURNER PROJECT, SUNSTORM, etc.), while pursuing a solo career.

Now, much to the excitement of Joe Lynn Turner fans worldwide, Cleopatra Records is issuing a vintage unreleased live album from the vaults of legendary hard rock vocalist of the mighty RAINBOW titled "Street Of Dreams - Boston 1985". Recorded during the tour of Turner's then-newly released debut solo album "Rescue You", the set includes a couple of nods to RAINBOW with brilliant renditions of "Stone Cold" (RAINBOW's first ever Top 40 U.S. single) as well as "Street Of Dreams".

Says Joe about the concert recording: "That night at the Boston Paradise, it was outstanding. I can remember seeing the audience and I remember there was an awkward pillar — I guess it was a support column in front — not directly in front, but enough to block some of the view. But the stage was an actual concert stage. AEROSMITH and all those guys used to always play there, the Paradise. So I can remember actually going on and playing the set, how it felt because it was absolutely exhilarating, and the audience was just crazy."

A year out from departing Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, whom he led through three classic albums earlier in the decade, Turner had just released his first solo album, "Rescue You", produced by Roy Thomas Baker. This live show was, for obvious reason, weighted towards "Rescue You".

Joe recalls: "This was our first tour out, and I’m not sure if we were opening for someone at the Paradise, but if we were, then they had a pretty difficult time because the crowd was absolutely bananas for us, and we were hot. We were really on top of our game, the whole band and it sounds it, you can hear it, everyone is playing with incredible energy and enthusiasm and very precise."

Accompanying Turner was the band that recorded the album, a tight unit of Bobby Messano (guitar, background vocals), Alan Greenwood (keyboards), Chuck Burgi (drums) plus one newcomer, Barry Dunaway (bass).

"Street Of Dreams - Boston 1985" track listing:

01. I Found Love02. Losing You03. Soul Searcher04. Young Hearts05. Endlessly06. Rescue You07. Stone Cold08. Street Of Dreams09. Feel The Fire10. Guitar Solo / Good Girls Gone Bad11. Get Tough12. On The Run13. Them Changes

"Street Of Dreams - Boston 1985" will be released on March 4.

Montreal’s Demise Of The Crown are streaming their upcoming self-titled debut album ahead of it’s release. Produced by Kevin Jardine (Uplift Studios, guitarist of Slaves On Dope) and mastered by Joao Carvalho (Protest The Hero, Alexisonfire, Rush), the album is due out on March 4th (pre-order here) and features this Canadian power metal band's strong melodic death metal and hard rock influences fused with epic choruses, classic high ranged vocals plus explosive guitar solos that are reminiscent of Eddie Van Halen with undertones of Yngwie Malmsteen sure to leave fans humming.

Tracklisting:

“We Are Invincible”
“Human Denial”
“Save Me”
“Sides Of The Wave”
“Don’t Worry”
“Cold Dead Eyes”
“Eons”

Album stream:



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Chicago extreme metal band Lord Mantis will release a new EP titled, NTW, on April 29th via New Density. Recorded at Bricktop Recording with engineer Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos, Like Rats) and mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room (Windhand, YOB, Voivod), the release features searing new songs that build on the music of the group's 2014 LP, Death Mask (Profound Lore).

NTW marks the recording debut of the new Lord Mantis lineup, which now features vocalist Dylan O'Toole and bassist Will Lindsay - each formerly of Indian - and guitarist Scott Shellhamer (also of American Heritage) joining the core of guitarist Andrew Markuszewski and drummer Bill Bumgardner. The EP delivers incendiary music that strikes with savage force and hammers the listener with razor-sharp intensity, wielding sustained tension like a scythe. Ominous imagery from artist Manuel Tinnemans (Comaworx) perfectly complements the dark aura of the record.

"The music delves to and draws from the same place Lord Mantis has always drawn from; taking the most vicious aspects of the beast and shoving that in everyone's face," comments Markuszewski. "The songs can move anywhere. You have moments on this recording that go from fervent aggression to areas more nauseous and grimey. Every time we write new music we're more confident than before with what we're doing. The sound and technique of Lord Mantis is second nature to us, but we're also never afraid to explore new territory with it."

Tracklisting:

"SIG Safer"
"NTW"
"Semblances"
"Final Division"

Lord Mantis will hold a hometown album release party, performing at Chicago's Empty Bottle on April 28th. Stay tuned to the band's website and Facebook page for updated news and information.
 



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Affiance will release their seven-song, crowd-funded EP Gaia on March 11th. The band is streaming the entire EP. Listen via the YouTube playlist below:

To celebrate the release and as a special token of their enormous sense of gratitude towards their core local fanbase, Affiance will play their first-ever, free hometown show at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio on the EP release date.

Gaia EP tracklisting: 

"Reboot"
"Gaia"
"Hollow Empire"
"Knowing"
"Crusader"
"PRSVR"
"Exist"

Catch Affiance Live On Tour:

March
11 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora Ballroom
12 - Columbus, OH - The Summit
13 - Warren, MI - The Ritz
14 - Connellsville, PA - The Cinema
15 - Rochester, NY - Waterstreet Music Hall
16 - Providence, RI - Firehouse 13
17 - Amityville, NY - Amityville Music Hall
18 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Loft
19 - Trenton, NJ - Championship Bar & Grill
21 - Greensboro, NC - Arizona Pete’s
22 - Pensacola, FL - The Handlebar
23 - Houston, TX - Scouts Bar
24 - Austin, TX - Dirty Dog
25 - Ft. Worth, TX - The Rail Club
26 - San Antonio, TX - Korova
28 - Merriam, KS - Aftershock Live Music Venue
30 - Burnsville, MN - The Garage

 

 

 

 



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EMP Label Group, the label owned by Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, has signed Brazilian gothic metal act Semblant, and will re-release their hugely successful independent digital release Lunar Manifesto in July through eOne in North America and SPV in Europe.

Hailing from humble beginnings in Curtibia, Brazil, Semblant has found a huge audience throughout North and South America, Europe and beyond with their brand of dark, progressive, gothic metal, highlighted by the dual vocals of Mizuho Lin and Sergio Mazul.

Being compared to acts ranging from Nightwish to Lacuna Coil to Evanescence, Semblant - vocalists Mizuho Lin and Sergio Mazul, guitarists Juliano Ribeiro and Sol Perez, keyboardist J. Augusto, and drummer Welyntom "Thor" Sikora - has found huge success with their independent release Lunar Manifesto, with the video for “What Lies Ahead” reaching over 2 million views on YouTube this week, as well as follow up “Dark Of The Day” nearing 500,000 (both streaming below).

Says EMP A&R and Operations Director Thom Hazaert, who discovered and signed the band to EMP, “When I first stumbled onto Semblant, like most of the World, on YouTube, I was instantly struck by (female vocalist) Mizuho (Lin), and how interesting the band was. Numbers don’t lie, and I watched the video shoot from a million views to almost 2 million inside of a month. So, I did a little more homework and found out some more about them. Literally a week later, through a random introduction from one of my A&R assistants, I met the band, and the owner of their previous label who was looking for a new home for them.”

He adds, “At that point, the universe worked its magic, and before you know it, we were in serious talks to bring the band over to EMP.”

Says Ellefson, “I can’t say how excited we are that we were able to find such an incredible band, who has already found huge success on their own, and to be able to get involved and take it to the next level. Discovering and nurturing bands like this is the reason why I started this label, and why myself and Thom have developed it the way we have. It is already becoming a great cannon for promising artists, and Semblant absolutely fit the bill.”

Ellefson adds, “And the way we found them, with the band being from Brazil, just makes it that much cooler. There has always been a strong metal culture in Brazil, which is really emerging now internationally with bands like Angra, Semblant, Machinage, etc., and we were so blessed to be able to pick up one of their most promising exports.”

The band will tour the US in June, with a planned 7/8 release date for Lunar Manifesto, which will be released in CD and limited edition LP formats.



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Melbourne, Australia's Inverloch, featuring half of the legendary Disembowelment, will release their first-ever full-length release, Distance | Collapsed,  through Relapse on CD/LP/digitally on March 4th. Digital preorders are available via Bandcamp while physical preorders can be found at Relapse Mailorder. A full album stream can be found below.

In 2012, Inverloch unleashed their debut EP Dusk | Subside, an epic offering featuring slow atmospherics mixed with bursts of pounding blast beats that erupt out of tranquil soundscapes, following the sound that Disembowelment first trademarked in the early ‘90s.
 
Now Inverloch is set to return with their Distance | Collapsed full-length debut. With the five-track Distance | Collapsed, the band has crafted another masterpiece boasting forty minutes of absolutely crushing death/doom. Buzzsaw death metal riffs and bowel splitting vocals mix alongside earth shaking dirges and blasting percussion, all wrapped together in a haunting yet beautifully dreadful atmosphere. With Distance | Collapsed, Inverloch proves they are one of the finest bands making extreme music today.

Tracklisting:

“Distance Collapsed (In Rubble)”
“From The Eventide Pool”
“Lucid Delirium”
“The Empyrean Torment”
“Cataclysm Of Lacuna”

Album stream:

(Photo by: Doug Donaldson)



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Hardline, featuring Johnny Gioeli, Josh Ramos, Alessandro Del Vecchio and Anna Portalupi, will play a string of dates around Europe in late May-early June. The first two dates are confirmed and are listed below.

May
28 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Caracol (first ever Hardline show in Spain)
29 - Milano, Italy - Legend Club

Hardline are busy writing and recording the follow-up to their Danger Zone album, released in 2012. The new album will be out in late 2016.

 



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70000 Tons Of Metal, The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise, set sail on February 4th aboard the Royal Caribbean Independence Of The Seas from Port Everglades in FortLauderdale near Miami, FL, and returned to the real world on February 8th.

Organizers have uploaded a recap video for the third day of the cruise. Check out recaps for Day 1 - 3 below:

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Check out BraveWords coverage of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise via the following links:

Cruise overview

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4



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Brooklyn, NY black metal quintet, Tombs, have announced their first studio release with their new lineup, entitled All Empires Fall. Clocking in at 24 minutes long, the five track EP was recorded at Applehead Studios in New York and brought to life by renowned producer Sanford Parker (Minsk, Twilight, YOB).

The band have released a video for the track “V”. Says frontman Mike Hill: “'V' celebrates the infinite nature of man as the decline and ultimate destruction of the universe approaches."

All Empires Fall is a commanding, crushingly heavy release, one that invokes the kind of grandeur and magnitude its title suggests, and affirms Tombs as one of the leading lights of American - and international - black metal. The song "Deceiver" is streaming below.

All Empires Fall is set for an April 1st release on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records, and can be pre-ordered via Relapse.com here, and digitally via Bandcamp here.

All Empires Fall tracklisting:

“The World Is Made Of Fire”
“Obsidian”
“Last Days Of Sunlight”
“Deceiver”
“V”

“Deceiver”:

Tombs are:

Mike Hill - Guitar and Vocals
Benjamin Brand - Bass
Charlie Schmid - Drums
Evan Schaefer - Guitar
Fade Kainer - Synthesizer, Electronics and Vocals



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Anglo-chilean thrashers, Criminal, have released a lyric video for “Animals To Gods”, a track from their new full-length, Fear Itself, due out March 11th worldwide via Metal Blade Records.

Comments Anton Reisenegger: "This song has been one of our favourites since we wrote it. It's got many different sections, yet it flows like a stream of lava. The lyrics are about the human species reaching the pinnacle of evolution and what a one-way street that means in terms of the environment and other species. It's based on the book Sapiens: A Brief History Of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari, and I do realize it is unusual to base a song on a scientific book, but it was a real eye-opener for me when I read it, and I can only recommend it to anyone remotely concerned about the future of life on our planet. Despite the heavy subject matter, I don't think the lyrics are too heady or pretentious, but rather menacing and apocalyptic.

“Costin (Chioreanu), the artist also responsible for the album cover] did an absolutely fantastic job in translating the words and vibe of the song into images. He did it in record time as well, and we didn't ask him to change anything when we first saw it, as we thought it was absolutely perfect."

Pre-order bundles for the new album are available at Metal Blade.

Regarding the new album, Criminal recently commented: "Everyone who's heard the new album agrees that it is our most pissed-off sounding record to date. We didn't try to make it more brutal, but that's the way it came out. We just let the metal flow. I think having Sergio in the band has something to do with it, because, as a longtime fan of the band, he told us when certain things seemed unnecessary. In fact, all but one of the songs are under four minutes long. Straight to the point, quick and painful. In terms of style, we didn't really plan anything, we just wrote the riffs that came to our minds. So there's a bit of thrash, hardcore and death metal, but also some classic heavy metal. All the stuff that we love put through a blender. And the end result sounds like Criminal. It's hard to define, but I think a long time ago we created our own sound, and every new album ends up sounding like that."

Recorded at Criminal bassist Danny Biggin's HVR Studios in Suffolk, UK, with a "no bullshit" approach to recording, the band purposely avoided the vices of modern metal production such as samples, quantizing and amp simulators. The striking artwork by renowned Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu (At The Gates, Arch Enemy, Mayhem) perfectly represents the bleak, dystopian atmosphere of the lyrics, which denounce warmongering, misinformation, exploitation and other ills of modern society. A metal band with a hardcore attitude, Criminal's longevity is a testament to their honesty and passion; they're in it for all the right reasons.

Tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Down Driven”
“False Flag Attack”
“Shock Doctrine”
“The Needle And Knife”
“Scream Of Consciousness”
“Summoning The Apocalypse”
“The One Who Speaks At Night”
“Animals To Gods”
“Deep In The Rot”
“Wasted Youth”
“Carne Molida”

“Shock Doctrine”:

“Down Driven”:

Making of video:

Lineup:

Anton Reisenegger - vocals/guitars
Sergio Klein - guitars
Dan Biggin - bass
Zac O' Neil - drums



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Inner Wound Recordings has announced the signing of the US symphonic metal band Midnight Eternal to the label. Their self-titled debut album will be released on April 29th in Europe and North America.

What characterizes the sound of Midnight Eternal is the sense of melody - a synthesis of melody and power, crushing guitars, double bass and beautiful multi-layered vocals. Led by the beautiful and emotional vocals of Raine Hilai, the future of Midnight Eternal looks very bright.

The album was engineered by Eric Rachel (Skid Row, Symphony X) and the mixing and mastering was handled by Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Pretty Maids, Jorn). The impressive artwork was created by Jan Yrlund (Apocalyptica, Korpiklaani, Delain).

Midnight Eternal tracklisting:

“’Till the Bitter End”
“Repentance”
“Signs Of Fire”
“Shadow Falls”
“The Lantern”
“Believe In Forever”
“Midnight Eternal”
“When Love And Faith Collide”
“Like An Eternity”
“Silence”
“Pilgrim And The Last Voyage”
“First Time Thrill”



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California deathcore masters SUICIDE SILENCE have tapped Ross Robinson (KORN, SLIPKNOT, LIMP BIZKIT, SEPULTURA) to produce their new album, due later in the year via Nuclear Blast.

SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Mark Heylmun told The Age Of Metal last fall that seeing KORN perform its self-titled, Ross Robinson-produced debut album in its entirety on tour had an impact on the songwriting process for SUICIDE SILENCE's next CD. He said: "Watching [them] play that first record, it's been super inspiring, and we're really ready to get home for the holidays after this, do Thanksgiving and Christmas, and really just start hitting it, as far as writing goes."

"You Can't Stop Me", SUICIDE SILENCE's first album to feature vocalist Hernan "Eddie" Hermida and their first since the tragic loss of singer Mitch Lucker, was released in July 2014 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

"You Can't Stop Me" was produced and mixed by Steve Evetts (SEPULTURA, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), who worked with the band not only on "The Black Crown", but also on some instrumental demos for the new CD just prior to Lucker's death in the fall of 2012.

Mitch Lucker died November 1, 2012 after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle crash in Huntington Beach that Halloween night.

Swedish metallers AVATAR will release a brand new concept album titled "Feathers & Flesh" on Friday, May 13 via Another Century in Europe and Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and Canada.

The new release will be the band's highly anticipated follow-up to 2014's "Hail The Apocalypse". The aim is set higher, further and deeper than ever before for AVATAR. Not only is this concept album their most extensive work to date, showing the widest range of any of their albums, it also contains a story too extensive for any booklet, so they made a book — a fully illustrated 60-page, 109-verse poem hardcover book. The physical album pre order, book, and exclusive merchandise will be available directly from the band starting on March 17 at AvatarMetal.com.

AVATAR's music video for the new song "For The Swarm" can be seen below. Directed by longtime collaborator Johan Carlén, the clip pegs itself firmly into the upper echelon of stunning visual masterpieces the band has grown accustomed to producing. "For The Swarm" is also available as an iTunes instant gratification track, meaning fans who pre order the album today will get the track as an instant download. "Feathers & Flesh" was recorded in Germany, Finland and Sweden in December 2015 with producer extraordinaire Sylvia Massy (SYSTEM OF A DOWN, TOOL, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS).

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

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