BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler says that the band's original drummer, Bill Ward, was offered an opportunity to join the group at the final concert of its farewell tour, but that Ward declined, because "he wants to do the whole tour or nothing."

Ward has insisted in recent interviews that he was quite capable of playing a full concert with SABBATH, despite the bandmembers themselves saying the opposite. Ward stepped away from the SABBATH reunion in early 2012, while the group hinted that he was not in good enough physical shape to either record or tour.

Asked if there is a possibility that Ward could join them for a few songs at their final U.S. concert on September 16 in Phoenix, Butler told Radio.com: "It's been mentioned to him. But he doesn't want to do it. He wants to do the whole tour or nothing. We'd love him to come on at the very last gig and be part of the whole thing, but he didn't want to do that. And I understand: I wouldn't want to be asked to come out just for the last gig. It's a shame, but that's the way it is."

Added SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne: "If he's there, he's welcome [to play]. But I don't really want to talk too much about Bill Ward. Because every time I do, he starts getting pissed off at me! Things are quiet between us right now, you know?"

Continued Butler: "It's a shame that Bill won't be a part of it, but whatever happened, happened. It's great that at least the three of us can end it on a high note and be friends together."

He went on to say: "I still get on with Bill, I saw him last year at some award show. We got on great, we had a laugh together. It's not personal, as Bill would say, it's business."

Butler told Classic Rock Revisited earlier in the month about why SABBATH was unable to come to terms with Ward in order for the drummer to participate in the group's farewell tour: "It's beyond the money thing. It is not really anything to do with that. It is whether he's capable of touring or not. On the '13' tour, he was not on that tour. About a week after we started, he had to go into the hospital for major surgery. We would have had to cancel the tour if Bill was still with us. He hasn't been well for a long time. He's had a couple of heart attacks."

Butler continued: "You have to face facts, when you get to our age and you're not in great, great health, whether you can go out on the road for two years, or whatever. It is a hard life to do. The easy part is when you're on stage playing. It is all of the traveling and everything else that comes with it that is the hard part."

Ward has insisted that his health is good and that he has been capable of performing, but was not offered a "signable" contract by SABBATH.

Osbourne's solo drummer, Tommy Clufetos, is again handling the drums on the farewell tour, which kicked off on January 20 in Omaha, Nebraska. Clufetos also played on the "13" tour, although Brad Wilk was behind the kit for the CD.

The band is making an EP featuring four songs left over from the "13" sessions available at the shows.

Although SABBATH will not tour again after this run, Butler, Ozzy and guitarist Tony Iommi have not ruled out recording together again.

Former DIO and BLACK SABBATH drummer Vinny Appice has voiced his displeasure over the fact that his LAST IN LINE bandmate Jimmy Bain's death was "confirmed" via social media before the group had a chance to break the news to Bain's family.

Bain died over the weekend at the age of 68. He passed away while the DIO offshoot band LAST IN LINE was taking part in DEF LEPPARD's "Hysteria On The High Seas" cruise. No cause of death has been revealed, although it has been reported that he was ill for some time.

Bain's passing was first reported Saturday night (January 23) on Facebook and Instagram by ex-DIO drummer Simon Wright and Diana Deville, a longtime employee of Wendy Dio's Niji Management.

Writing on his Facebook page, Vinny said: "Yes, it's true our brother Jimmy Bain has passed and we are very sad about the news and in shock. We, the band, are also saddened that the news leaked out before we were able to contact Jimmy's family. Within an hour and a half, it was all over the Internet and confirmed by people that have no business confirming anything about this and not knowing the facts of the situation. We apologize to Jimmy's family and Jimmy's memory about this nonsense that seems to prevail on the Internet to be the first one to post something and attach themselves to a tragedy like the loss of our brother Jimmy."

Bain, along with Appice and guitarist Vivian Campbell, was part of the original DIO lineup, which reunited in 2012 alongside singer Andrew Freeman to form LAST IN LINE.

Bain had battled addiction issues throughout his life and has been to rehab on several occasions. In 2012 he was arrested for driving while drunk. He was also cited for possession of Vicodin pills without a valid prescription.

LAST IN LINE will release its debut album, "Heavy Crown", on February 19 via Frontiers Music Srl. The CD was recorded at a Southern California studio with producer Jeff Pilson, a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others.

"Break Into Your Heart", a brand new song from the opus conceived by Iggy Pop and Joshua Homme, can be streamed below.

March 18 will see the release of "Post Pop Depression" (Rekords Rekords / Loma Vista / Caroline), the seventeenth Iggy Pop album, and a worthy addition to the 22-album legacy spawned with the immortal trilogy of "The Stooges", "Fun House" and "Raw Power", spanning massively influential solo outings including 1977's opening one-two combo of "The Idiot" and "Lust For Life", and 1990's gold-certified "Brick By Brick".

The first Iggy Pop album co-created with producer/guitarist/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/bandleader Homme, "Post Pop Depression" began with a succinctly worded text from Iggy to Joshua, and was realized in seclusion with Homme's enlisted aid of his QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE bandmate and DEAD WEATHER-man Dean Fertita and ARCTIC MONKEYS drummer Matt Helders. Both became instantly integral in creating and shaping the Detroit meets Palm Desert by way of old Berlin vibe of "Post Pop Depression": Interweaving with and augmenting even more superhuman than expected Iggy vocal performances and Homme's tapestry of guitar, bass, piano and backing vox, Fertita's talent for wringing the most out of only the most essential notes worked in seamless tandem with Helders' pushing himself and his new bandmates to unforeseeable heights and depths.

The result would be a timeless work, one that sounds as if it's always been there, has existed before any of the musicians were even born-yet imbued with the ramshackle energy of a garage band that threw itself together yesterday.

"Post Pop Depression" is now available for pre-order via iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and the Iggy Pop webstore, with all pre-orders immediately receiving "Gardenia", debuted by Iggy, Joshua and crew on the "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert". "Gardenia" is also available on all streaming platforms.

"I wanted to be free," recalls Iggy of the earliest germ of the partnership with Homme that culminated in "Post Pop Depression". "To be free, I needed to forget. To forget, I needed music. Josh had that in him, so I set out to provoke an encounter — first with a carefully worded text, followed by a deluge of writings all about me. No composer wants to write about nothing. He got revved up and we had a great big rumble in the desert USA."

"This was to go where neither of us had gone before," adds Homme. "That was the agreement. And to go all the way."

"Post Pop Depression" is equal parts a dream come true for co-creator Homme as it is a record that defiantly takes its place in Iggy's storied discography alongside the twin towers of "The Idiot" and "Lust For Life" — two records and the mythic Berlin era of their creation canonized as much lyrically ("German Days") as sonically ("Sunday") on this new record. The album will be supported by a tour realizing Homme's ambition to assemble a live outfit worthy of both bringing the new album and doing justice to the gems and wreckage of the Ig's sprawling solo catalogue: The core band that recorded the album will be expanded by QOTSA's Troy Van Leeuwen and journeyman guitarist Matt Sweeney.

"Post Pop Depression" is a singular work that stands proudly alongside the best works of either of its principles, from THE STOOGES to QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, bearing its creators' undeniable sonic DNA while sounding like nothing they've done before. It's a record that wouldn't exist without either Pop or Homme — and one that probably shouldn't in theory if you really think about it-but it does, and we and rock 'n' roll are all the better for it.

"Post Pop Depression" track listing:

01. Break Into Your Heart02. Gardenia03. American Valhalla04. In The Lobby05. Sunday06. Vulture07. German Days08. Chocolate Drops09. Paraguay

Ronnie James Dio's wife and manager Wendy Dio has paid tribute to late DIO and RAINBOW bassist Jimmy Bain, calling him "one of the greatest musicians" and "a kind, happy, sweet man."

Bain died over the weekend at the age of 68. He passed away while the DIO offshoot band LAST IN LINE was taking part in DEF LEPPARD's "Hysteria On The High Seas" cruise. No cause of death has been revealed, although it has been reported that he was ill for some time.

Said Wendy in a statement: "I am in complete shock. We have just put Lemmy [MOTÖRHEAD] to rest and now days later we have lost another legend.

"Jimmy was not only one of the greatest musicians, but a kind, happy, sweet man.

"There will never be another Jimmy and I have lost a very dear friend. I would like to believe that he is jamming in Heaven with his friends Lemmy and Ronnie."

Bain, along with drummer Vinny Appice and guitarist Vivian Campbell, was part of the original DIO lineup, which reunited in 2012 alongside singer Andrew Freeman to form LAST IN LINE.

Bain had battled addiction issues throughout his life and has been to rehab on several occasions. In 2012 he was arrested for driving while drunk. He was also cited for possession of Vicodin pills without a valid prescription.

In a 2012 interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Bain said about Campbell's exit from the original DIO lineup: "Viv did nothing that warranted his removal from the band in what is still considered to be a cowardly way. For me, firing Viv was the biggest mistake of Ronnie's career. The problem could've easily been resolved if there had a been a will to do so from Ronnie and Wendy."

Bain also felt that DIO was in decline by the time the band released "Sacred Heart".

"DIO should have gotten better with each album, but what happened was the opposite," Jimmy told Metal Hammer. "The production was watered down with all the keyboards, [and] the songs were not as good because it became harder to satisfy Ronnie's need to complicate arrangement and structure."

On March 25, Swedish metal kings AMON AMARTH will unleash their tenth studio album, "Jomsviking", via Metal Blade in North America and Sony Music internationally.

"Jomsviking" — the first concept record in AMON AMARTH's storied career — tells a tragic tale of love and revenge, backed by the Swedes' trademark melodic, anthemic metal, which was produced and mixed once again by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT) and also features special guest session drummer Tobias Gustafsson (VOMITORY). The epic original story is set in the world of the Jomsvikings, the legendary order of mercenary Vikings.

AMON AMARTH frontman Johan Hegg explains: "The Jomsvikings were a shadowy and legendary sect of Viking mercenaries, as shrouded in myth now as they were when they fought across Europe and the Middle East. Ruthless and deadly warriors who fought for the highest bidder, their code was simple: Show no fear. Never retreat. Defend your brothers, and when called upon, avenge their deaths."

He continues: "I felt we were finally ready to use their story as the jumping off point for an AMON AMARTH album. The Jomsvikings and their world is the background for the story of a young man that is in love with a girl but unfortunately she's being married off. He accidentally kills a man when this happens and he has to flee — but he swears to have revenge and win her back. He can't let go of the past. He feels that he's been wronged and his life has been destroyed. The way the story evolves is not a happy story."

By far AMON AMARTH's most ambitious project to date, "Jomsviking" is available for pre-order in various formats now at AmonAmarth.com, where fans can also view the video for the album's first single, "First Kill". Produced by Grupa 13 and directed by Darek Szermanowicz (BEHEMOTH), "First Kill" was filmed in Gohrweide (Germany) and Warsaw (Poland) and features a cinematic depiction of the violent, brutal lyrics, along with powerful live footage of the band performing with their full dragon head and pyro stage set.

"Jomsviking" track listing:

01. First Kill02. Wanderer03. On A Sea Of Blood04. One Against All05. Raise Your Horns06. The Way Of Vikings07. At Dawn's First Light08. One Thousand Burning Arrows09. Vengeance Is My Name (bonus track - for digibook, digital, LP, and viking ship editions)10. A Dream That Cannot Be (feat. Doro Pesch)11. Back On Northern Shores

Adds Hegg: "'Deceiver Of The Gods' was very successful for us and we had a good run with that and did some really great tours. Even before we changed drummers for this record we had the idea to make a concept album. It was something we'd never done before and it gave us a challenge. I started writing the story, went into it wholeheartedly and once you start going down that path there's really no turning back."

Johan Hegg will be spinning "First Kill" and his own playlist at two public appearances in New York City and Los Angeles: the New York City event will be held at St. Vitus Bar on February 2 at 9 p.m., while the Los Angeles event will be held at Grill 'Em All on February 9.

Following "Jomsviking"'s release, AMON AMARTH will tour North America with fellow Swedes ENTOMBED A.D. and young USA metal upstarts EXMORTUS. For the first time, AMON AMARTH will be offering special VIP packages for the trek, which can be found here.

AMON AMARTH tour dates with ENTOMBED A.D., EXMORTUS:

Apr. 07 - San Diego, CA - House of BluesApr. 08 - Phoenix, AZ - The PressroomApr. 09 - El Paso, TX - Tricky FallsApr. 10 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater Apr. 12 - Dallas, TX - House of BluesApr. 13 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec TheaterApr. 15 - Houston, TX - House of BluesApr. 16 - New Orleans, LA - House of BluesApr. 17 - Atlanta, GA - TabernacleApr. 18 - Tampa, FL - The RitzApr. 20 - Charlotte, NC - The FillmoreApr. 21 - Silver Spring, MD - The FillmoreApr. 22 - New York, NY - Best Buy TheatreApr. 23 - Boston, MA - House of BluesApr. 25 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music HallApr. 26 - Burlington, VT - Higher GroundApr. 28 - Quebec City, QC - ImperialApr. 29 - Montreal, QC - MetropolisApr. 30 - Toronto, ON - The DanforthMay 01 - Cleveland, OH - House of BluesMay 02 - Detroit, MI - St. AndrewsMay 04 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant May 05 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera TheatreMay 06 - Lawrence, KS - The Granada TheaterMay 07 - Denver, CO - The Ogden TheaterMay 09 - Omaha, NE - Sokol AuditoriumMay 10 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity TheaterMay 12 - Winnipeg, MB - The GarrickMay 13 - Saskatoon, SK - O'Brian's Event CentreMay 14 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan BallroomMay 16 - Vancouver, BC - The CommodoreMay 17 - Seattle, WA - Showbox MarketMay 18 - Portland, OR - Roseland TheaterMay 20 - San Francisco, CA - The WarfieldMay 21 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern Theater

A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale will take place on Wednesday, January 27 from 10:00 p.m. until Thursday, January 28 at 10:00 p.m. local time. When prompted, type in the presale code "BLABBERMOUTH" to access tickets before the general public. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, January 29 at AmonAmarth.com.

The BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale is available **FOR THESE DATES ONLY**:

Apr. 07 - San Diego, CA - House of BluesApr. 12 - Dallas, TX - House of BluesApr. 13 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec TheaterApr. 15 - Houston, TX - House of BluesApr. 16 - New Orleans, LA - House of BluesApr. 17 - Atlanta, GA - TabernacleApr. 18 - Tampa, FL - The RitzApr. 20 - Charlotte, NC - The FillmoreApr. 21 - Silver Spring, MD - The FillmoreApr. 23 - Boston, MA - House of BluesMay 01 - Cleveland, OH - House of BluesMay 02 - Detroit, MI - St. AndrewsMay 04 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant May 10 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity TheaterMay 16 - Vancouver, BC - The CommodoreMay 21 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern Theater

Northern Irish rock musician and guitarist Eric Bell, best known as a founding member and the original guitarist of the rock group THIN LIZZY, will release his new studio album, "Exile", on February 26 via On The Edge/Cargo.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Deep In Your Heart02. Don't Love Me No More03. Gotta Say Bye Bye04. Vote For Me05. Exile06. Little Boy Running07. Rip It Up08. Concrete Jungle09. Thank God10. Song For Gary

When you've co-founded one of the most successful bands in Irish history, written one of the best-loved guitar riffs of all time and had the British Prime Minister claim he listens to your songs when he "needs a lift" (which, let's face it, must be quite often), it would be easy to put your feet up, sit back and bask in the glory of a successful career in music.

Or you could just keep on working like Bell, who has just finished recording his first studio album in more than six years.

"Exile", the first collection of new material since 2009's "Lonely Nights In London", was recorded at Edge Recording Studios, a converted barn in Cheshire. Basic, homely and unpretentious, what the studio lacks in corporate frills, it more than makes up for in pedigree. Owned by renowned sound engineer John Delf, who works with some of the globe's biggest bands, including FIVE SECONDS OF SUMMER, PLAN B and THE SCRIPT, and run by Mark Winterburn, one of the U.K.'s top studio engineers, it offered the back-to-basics, artist-led approach that Eric needed to tempt him back into the studio.

Lyrically, the new album covers a lot of ground; some songs reflect the difficult times in Eric's life, others explore universal themes of love, fatherhood and loss. Some were penned many years ago, lying dormant as if waiting to be brought to life, some were written very recently. There's even a cover of a rock 'n' roll standard.

Although Eric didn't start out as a songwriter, working alongside Phil Lynott in THIN LIZZY, Van Morrison in THEM and Dave Clark in the NOEL REDDING BAND allowed him to see the songwriting process up close and gave him the confidence to find his own writing style.

Bell says: "This album reflects the music I like to play and listen to, so that's what I'd say, I'm trying to cover the whole spectrum of music."

LAST IN LINE — the band featuring DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell alongside fellow founding DIO members Vinny Appice and Jimmy Bain, plus singer Andrew Freeman, who has previously fronted HURRICANE and LYNCH MOB — has released two videos today, a lyric video for "Blame It On Me" and a music video for "Starmaker", as a tribute to Bain, who passed away this weekend at the age of 68.

As Campbell stated yesterday in a statement on his social media: "It's with the heaviest of hearts that I must confirm the news of the passing of our dear friend and LAST IN LINE bandmate Jimmy Bain. It was Jimmy who gave me my first big break in the music industry and for that I am forever indebted. Jimmy was immensely proud of our new album and his input to it was immeasurable. We will continue to celebrate his life through his music. On behalf of Vinny and Andrew, our thoughts and condolences are with his family at this most difficult of times. Rest in peace, dear friend."

LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", will be released on February 19, 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl. The CD was recorded at a Southern California studio with producer Jeff Pilson, a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others.

The "Starmaker" video was filmed with director Jamie Brown of Smoking Gun, Inc. and co-producer Thomas McNeely.

What started as a casual and fun reunion jam in a Los Angeles rehearsal room in 2011 has, in the ensuing years, grown into a fully-fledged recording project that has taken on a life of its own. LAST IN LINE, the band, takes its name from the second DIO album released in 1984. Appice, Bain and Campbell were Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "The Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — the records that defined the classic early DIO sound and have gone on to become part of rock history.

During that first jam, it was immediately apparent that the chemistry of the original band was very much intact — even after a 27-year hiatus. The excitement generated by that rediscovery led to a second session, this time they called in vocalist Andrew Freeman (a friend of Vinny's), whose credits include singing in the "Raiding The Rock Vault" production in Las Vegas and background vocals for THE OFFSPRING.

Hearing Andrew's interpretations of the songs was a revelation for Vivian, who immediately suggested that they book some local shows for fun. In Vivian's mind, the fact that Andrew could put a different spin on the songs made it an interesting prospect, and one that would justify taking things to the next stage, outside of the rehearsal room.

Over the ensuing years, a handful of local L.A. shows led to a handful of overseas shows in the U.K. and Japan, and eventually to an offer from Frontiers to record a new album of original material.

During the course of 2014, the band wrote and recorded 12 new songs under the guidance of longtime friend and producer Jeff Pilson. It proved to be a symbiotic relationship with Jeff that captured the organic crunch of the band and brought out the very best in Andrew's voice and delivery.

Said Campbell: "When we started this project a few years ago, the initial idea was to reunite the original DIO band to play the songs we wrote and recorded with Ronnie in the early 1980s. Joined by Andrew Freeman on vocals, we played a handful of shows in southern California, the U.K. and Japan. It was a limited ambition, but it brought us great joy in reconnecting to this great music, to each other, and to our collective history.”"

He continued: "When we first got together as the LAST IN LINE lineup, our ambition at that time didn't extend to writing and recording any new music, but when we were offered the opportunity to do so by Frontiers, we decided to enter the studio to write this new album in the very same spirit as we did the 'Holy Diver' album. Back in 1982, Ronnie, Vinny, Jimmy and I went into Sound City studios to kick around ideas and riffs, and about six weeks later we started laying down the tracks for what was to become the 'Holy Diver' album." "Heavy Crown" CD track listing:

01. Devil In Me02. Martyr03. Starmaker04. Burn This House Down05. I Am Revolution06. Blame It On Me07. In Flames (bonus track; deluxe edition)08. Already Dead09. Curse The Day10. Orange Glow11. Heavy Crown12. The Sickness DVD track listing:

01. Devil In Me (video clip)02. Starmaker (video clip)03. Making of "Heavy Crown"

Swedish heavy rockers, MarysCreek, recently signed a two album deal with Escape Music. The band’s sophomore album, Inifinity, was released yesterday (January 22nd). A new lyric video for the track "The Ghost Inside" is streaming below.

MarysCreek’s new album was recorded in June/July 2015 at Green Hell Studios/Mike Cameron Force Studios and produced by the band. The 12 tracks are mixed by Stefan Glaumann (Rammstein, Within Temptation, Europe, Paradise Lost) and mastered by Svante Forsbäck (Rammstein, Volbeat, Lindemann, Tarja Turunen). The first solo part on the song “Forever Lost” is played by David Andersson (Soilwork, Night Flight Orchestra).

Tracklisting:

“Hypnotized”
“Buried Deep Within”
“Into Infinity”
“So Afraid (To Live)”
“The First Day”
“My Confession”
“On The Other Side”
“The Ghost Inside”
“Blinded By Darkness”
“Forever Lost”
“My Own Enemy”
“Tomorrow”

"The Ghost Inside" lyric video:

MarysCreek courageously blends modern heavy metal with the classic melodies of Scandinavian pop tradition to form a fresh and unique sound. The ambition is to take the best of the two worlds: a heavy rock foundation consisting of fat, distorted guitars and huge drums with a delicious topping of pop-flavoured song melodies arranged with multi layered vocals.

The debut album Some Kind Of Hate was mixed by demon producer Fredrik “Fredman” Nordström (In Flames, Soilwork, The Haunted, Opeth and Dream Evil) and released 2007 by MTM Music. The album received great responses and the band toured to support the album. MarysCreek have shared stage with many artists. Among them: Takida, Evergrey, Crucified Barbara, Dead by April, Uriah Heep, The Poodles, Fatal Smile, etc.

MarysCreek EP Incubic Tin was recorded, this time with the help of the two producers Henrik Edenhed (Robyn, Straight Frank, Cesars Palace, Dead By April) and Sebastian Forslund (Staireo, Night Flight Orchestra) and was released 2014 via MarysCreek Records.

MarysCreek are:

Mats Nilsson - Vocals
Stefan Halldin - Drums
Peter Bergkvist - Guitar
Roger Blomberg - Bass
Jonas Hallberg - Guitar



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Electra Mustaine, the daughter of Megadeth frontman/founder Dave Mustaine, has released a country cover of the Megadeth song "I Thought I Knew It All" which originally appeared on the 2994 album, Youthanasia. The song is now available via iTunes and Spotify, and the official video premiered via Rolling Stone here.

The original version of the song is available below. Electra comments, saying her interpretation is for both country fans and disciples of the thrash titans:

"We thought it'd be a great tribute to Megadeth fans for all the years of support. I wanted to say thank you, because honestly if it weren't for Megadeth fans, I wouldn't be able to try to fulfill my dreams now. I thought, let's show everyone this is where I come from, and yes, I am Dave Mustaine's daughter, but look what I can do with it. We tried to make it organic, raw and vocally driven."

She also commented on a reality-show pilot that they're seeking to premiere and turn into a series. It follows the Mustaines as they relocate from Los Angeles to Nashville.

"Everyone knows the story of Megadeth and who my dad is. That story has already been told. But the one that hasn't been told is what he's like with his family, what it's like for him to move to Nashville. And what it's like to have him walk into a tractor store and try to fit in. He is funny as heck."



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Finland's Battlelore are returning from the Grey Havens. The band has confirmed their first show since 2011, when they announced on stage at Metal Female Voices Fest they were taking an indefinite break. Battlelore will now return to Metal Female Voices Fest and to the stage at the Oktoberhallen in Wieze, Belgium on Saturday, October 22nd, 2016.

For festival information and updates go to this location.

Battlelore went on hiatus in late 2011. They issued the following statement at the time:

"Battlelore played their – for the time being – last show abroad in Belgium, at Metal Female Voices Festival IX, on Friday October 21st 2011. After that the band is going on an indefinite break from touring and making music. This is not the end, however, just a time-out to focus on other aspects of life and build up more creative energy for the future. The plan is to play one more show in Finland before the break to thank the Finnish fans for their support over the years. The details of the last show are not confirmed yet but will be announced as soon as the information comes.

There’s no drama behind the decision to go on break, just a need to take a step back and have a breather. We want to thank all of our associates and supporters for the help and work over the past nearly 12 years, we’ve been lucky to have met and worked with such wonderful people! The biggest thanks definitely go to our amazing fans, without whom none of this would’ve been possible. We are honoured to have met you all and are humbled by your generosity and support! You all have a place in our hearts and we will always cherish the amazing moments we’ve shared with you on and off stage.

Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo. (A star shines on the hour of our meeting.)"



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Finnish old-school death metal band Wrathrone have released their debut album Born Beneath. To celebrate the album’s release, they have put out a new music video for “Carnal Lust”. Born Beneath can be streamed on Spotify.

Tracklisting:

“Born Beneath”
“Age Of Decadence”
“Eternal Salvation”
“Failing Flesh, Enduring Spirit”
“Blunt Blade Birth”
“Dead End”
“Sea Of Sickness”
“Carnal Lust”

“Carnal Lust” video:



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In April 2015, it was announced that Abbath, the ex-Immortal frontman, had recruited members to the band, specifically King Ov Hell from God Seed and drummer Creature to participate in the band. He also recruited Vredehammer guitarist and vocalist Per Valla to tour with the band as lead guitarist. However, last December it was announced that the Norwegian session member Per Valla had left the band for personal reasons. 

Sitting on many songs and riffs of his own Per Valla decided to launch his new project, simply titled Valla. With this new project Per Valla reveals his talent in mixing Scandinavian black metal filled with poise, imagination, and craft with haunting atmospheric passages throughout. If you’re looking for a monumental, atmospheric, appealing and unique black metal act, you should certainly keep your attention directed at this great project. Valla will be releasing tracks and songs periodically throughout the coming days. To keep up to date on new tracks and updates on Valla make sure to visit his Facebook page.

What Valla says about the future of the band:

“The plan is to do this project a little against the current. The music business is just so messed up today and because of that I will record at home and release this on YouTube. If anyone wants to buy the music, they can download it directly from me for 1 euro per song. This way I don`t have to give 99% of everything to Spotify or other services. It`s just not fair!”

“Oceans”:

“Under Ravnens Vinger”:



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Seputus is a long-running extreme metal collaboration between instrumentalist Steve Schwegler and vocalist Doug Moore, both currently of New York experimental metal act Pyrrhon. 

Founded in 2005, Seputus produced a number of "lost" / unreleased recordings before slipping into inactivity circa 2009. Inspired by his experiences in the US military, Schwegler revived Seputus in 2013, composing and recording the bulk of a new album himself before leaving the service in 2015. The band added bassist Erik Malave (also of Pyrrhon) that same year, and Seputus completed the resultant official debut LP, Man Does Not Give, shortly thereafter.

Man Does Not Give is a harrowing journey through the oozing depths of dissonant '90s-era American death metal, tempered by black metal melancholia and braced by elements of grind, thrash, and industrial noise. Lyrically, Man Does Not Give reflects on the violence, uncertainty, and abjection that drive the machinery of modern life. It will see a 2016 release via PRC Music on CD, Limited LP and Digital.



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Montreal progressive death/black metal act Hands Of Despair has released a music video for the track “Veil”, off their upcoming album Bereft. The album is set for release on February 9 through Deathbound Records. Preorder are available on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Reborn”
“Bereft”
“Sleeper”
“Veil”
“Remnants”
“Étoc”
“Veil”

“Veil” video:



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Montreal progressive black ‘n' rollers Frostbite are set to release their debut full-length album, entitled Etching Obscurity, on February 5th, 2016 via Tmina Records. BraveWords is honored to introduce to the world the epically bleak and beautiful track “Malleus” from said album.

Active since 2012, Montreal's Frostbite are a collective of diverse musicians who've coalesced their respective and wholly unique influences in an epic and honest pursuit at harnessing the sound of the harsh, frigid, bleak Canadian winter. 
 
Following the recording of their 2013 Through The Grave EP, the band traversed many treacherous passes and darkened chasms - obstacles that spelled the end for several weary travelers. Carrying on, the lone remaining member - founder and multi-instrumentalist, Max Allard - recruited several experienced expeditioners along the way. Together, they stood side-by-side, staring up at the daunting peak of creative progression.
 
With experience and fortitude as their guide, 2016 sees this band of five at their creative apex - ready to stake the banner of progressive black ‘n’ roll atop its magnificent summit.

Tracklisting:

"Ascending The Void"
"Sigil Seal"
"The Pest"
"Malleus"
"Through The Grave"
"Delayed Perception"
"Etching Obscurity"
"Shining"
"Soul Devourer"
"Forgotten Path"
"Erased From Existence"

Pre-orders of the digital version of "Etching Obscurity" are now available on the band's official Bandcamp page. Those who pre-order the digital version of the album can also get the physical version by attending the band's CD release party on February 5th at Petit Campus in Montreal.

Lineup:

Krystal Koffin - vocals
Max Allard - guitars
Tony Collin - guitars
Stef Deschênes - bass
Alexief Delbes - drums



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Australian hard rockers, Massive, will release their new album, Destination Somewhere, on April 22nd via Earache. A new album teaser, as well as the video for the track “One For The Road”, are streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“One For The Road”
“Blood Money Blues”
“Sinking Ship”
“The Fall”
“Made Of Stone”
“Destination Somewhere”
“Up In Smoke”
“Circus”
“The Way It's Always Been”
“Beaten Dog”

“One For The Road” video:

Teaser:



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Brooklyn’s Magrudergrind has teamed up with Relapse Records for the release of their new album, II, on February 12th. Again the album was recorded with engineer Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studios and mastered by Brad Boatright (Obituary, Nails). The track “Regressive Agenda” is streaming below:

II is a savage manifesto of scathing political and personal revolution and unquestionably Magrudergrind's most crushing and accomplished material to date. II is can be pre-ordered in digital formats here and physical formats here.

Tracklisting:

“Imperium In Imperio”
“Divine Dictation”
“The Opportunist”
“Relentless Hatred”
“Sacrificial Hire”
“War For Resources”
“Black Banner”
“Hara-Kiri”
“Stale Affairs”
“Regressive Agenda”
“Incarceration State”
“Unit 731”
“Icaro”
“Husayni / Handschar”
“Pharmacide”

“Sacrificial Hire” video:

 
Magrudergrind will head out on a European tour with Primitive Man beginning February 26th in Tillburg, NL and running through March 27th in Antwerpen, BE. A complete list of dates can be found below. North American dates will be announced soon.

February
26 - Tilburg, Netherlands - Netherlands Deathfest
27 - Winterthur, Switzerland - Gasweck
28 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Le Romanadie
29 - Nevers, France - Cafe Charbon

March
1 - Toulouse, France - Pavillion Sauvages
2 - Barcelona, Spain - Rocksound
3 - Madrid, Spain - Baracudas
4 - Donsoti, Spain - Mogamos
5 - Montpellier, France - Secret Place
6 - Milano, Italy - Lo Fi
7 - Bologna, Italy - Freakout Club
8 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Gromka
12 - Budapest, Hungary - Durer Kert
14 - Munchen, Germany - Feierwerk
15 - Wurzburg, Germany - Cairo
17 - Aalborg, Denmark - 1000 Fryd
18 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Truckstop Alaska
19 - Stockholm, Sweden - Bergsunds Strand 43
20 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
21 - Hamburg, Germany - Hafenklang
22 - Leipzig, Germany - Westwerk
23 - Prague, Czech Republic - Modra Vopice
24 - Berlin, Germany - Casiopeia
25 - Utrecht, Netherlands - DB's
26 - Saarbrucken, Germany - Garage
27 - Antwerpen, Belgium - Het Bos



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British hard rock band, The Treatment, are set to release their studio album, Generation Me, worldwide on March 18th. The band’s third album will be the first to feature new lead singer Mitchel Emms and new guitarist Tao Grey. The video for “Let It Begin” can be seen below:

Formed in Cambridge in 2008, early reports of the Treatment’s Generation Me album points to a triumphant return-to-form, celebrating a raft of spectacular big sounding rock songs bursting with hi-octane rock energy.

Tracklisting:

“Let It Begin
“The Devil
“Tell Us The Truth
“Generation Me
“Backseat Heartbeat
“Cry Tough
“We Are Beautiful
“I Know She Knows
“Bloodsucker
“Better Think Again
“Light The Sun

Produced by Laurie Mansworth, mixed by Tony Newton and mastered by Ade Emsley, Generation Me is the follow up to 2014’s Running With The Dogs album. It’s a hands-down, mind-blowing rock extravaganza that will leave rock fans wanting more than what they bargained for.

Ever since The Treatment first arrived in 2011 with their debut album, This Might Hurt, they’ve played numerous festivals including Sonisphere, Download and most recently, Steelhouse, and toured extensively with Alice Cooper, Steel Panther, KISS, Motley Crue, Slash, and W.A.S.P.

A 14-date nationwide UK Tour will launch on Wednesday, April 27th, when the band kick things off at Norwich Waterfront, with their final UK show at London’s O2 Academy Islington on Friday, May 13th. Tickets for all 14 shows go on sale at 10 AM on Monday, January 25th. Special guest on all UK concerts is The Amorettes.

Lineup:

Mitchel Emms (vocals)
Tagore Grey (guitar)
Tao Grey (guitar)
Dhani Mansworth (drums)
Rick 'Swoggle' Newman (bass)

 



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Seven years have passed since the birth of Vredehammer, and this is celebrated by the release of their second full-length album, Violator, definitely their heaviest and most powerful release yet. The new track, ”Cyclone”, is streaming below.

With their debut album Vinteroffer, Vredehammer instantly made themselves known as a force to be reckoned with in the Norwegian metal scene. One album in and the band was already nominated for “Metal Album Of The Year” through the Norwegian Grammys. They also toured Europe as direct support for the mighty Satyricon, as well as together with Keep Of Kalessin and Vreid.

The references may not be obvious in Vredehammer’s latest release but there is certainly an underlying vibe.

Per Valla specifies: ”With Violator I wanted to take a step back and focus on the feeling I used to get from listening to bands like Metallica, Pantera and Megadeth. This resulted in an album that isn't really focused on speed and aggression, but rather groove and power. It will be interesting to see how such an album will be received these days, when a lot of the focus seems to be on speed for many of the extreme metal bands out there today.”

Tracklisting:

“Light The Fucking Sky”
“Spawn Tyrant”
“Violator”
“Deadfall”
“Ursus”
“Cyclone”
“Blodhevn”

“Cyclone”:

 
”Vinteroffer was a good release, but our new album Violator takes our music to a whole new level when it comes to writing really powerful and well-composed songs. I feel confident that this album will be one to remember.” - Per Valla

 



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Metal Shock Finland's Alison Booth recently had a chat with Avantasia mastermind Tobias Sammet about the forthcoming album, Ghostlights. Some excerpts are available below, the full audio interview can be found here.

Talking about the guests on the album, Tobi discussed some of his choices and the process he went through:

“When I write a song like the title track for the new album, I know Michael Kiske (Unisonic, ex-Helloween) would be the singer for that song. I have it in the back of my mind, then I’d do it right from the start. But sometimes you have a song, for example ‘The Haunting’ with Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) – the music had been written and I was standing in my basement (which is the music part of the house) and I was in there listening to the material and then I tried to imagine who could be the proper singer for that song. ‘The Haunting’ was in need of a vocalist who would be both theatrical actor, but at the same time dramatic vocalist and the song was very, very eerie. And I imagined somebody who should sound like a crossing between something very flamboyant and the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (laughs).

And of course I was going through my record collection and thought ‘Dee Snider’s got to be in it!’ It was not obvious I would ask Dee Snider for such a track, because it’s not exactly ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ or ‘I Wanna Rock’, but if you listen to the final result, it sounds like no one else could have done that and in the end it fits. It’s not a choice that comes across as reasonable  before you finally do it, but after you’ve done it, it sounds like nothing else could have been better and that’s something I’m really proud of.”

Regarding the forthcoming Ghostlights World Tour: “I don’t believe we’re gonna do another tour within the next three, four, five years, there are so many people involved with individual schedules. So it should not be taken for granted that everybody is available, and why we want to seize the chance that we are all available for this tour. We’ll play for three hours minimum, I think it’s gonna be a little longer and we’re gonna do 24 or 25 tracks. It’s gonna be a journey through the history of Avantasia and it’s going to be very visual, we’re going to bring the whole stage production, it’s gonna be an amazing scene and something quite unique. I can highly recommend it to anyone that’s into Avantasia, it’s gonna be the last time in a very long time that you will have a chance to do so.”

 

Avantasia's seventh album, Ghostlights, will be released worldwide on January 29th via Nuclear Blast. Check out the new lyric video for the album’s title track:

The opus features guest appearances of Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Geoff Tate (Queensryche, Operation: Mindcrime), Marco Hietala (Nightwish), Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation), Michael Kiske (Unisonic, Helloween), Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), Bob Catley (Magnum), Jorn Lande, Bruce Kulick (KISS), Robert Mason (Warrant), Herbie Langhans, Oliver Hartmann and Sascha Paeth.

The record contains twelve songs and was produced by Tobias and Sascha Paeth in Gatestudio Wolfsburg, Germany. Paeth is responsible for engineering and mixing Ghostlights, too. Mastering was done by Michael Rodenberg.

The instrumentalists on Ghostlights are the following:

Sascha Paeth - rhythm guitars, lead guitars, bass, additional keys
Michael Rodenberg - orchestration, keys
Tobias Sammet - additional keys and bass
Bruce Kulick - lead guitars
Oliver Hartmann - lead guitars
Felix Bohnke – drums

Tracklistings:

CD
“Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose”
“Let The Storm Descend Upon You”
“The Haunting”
“Seduction Of Decay”
“Ghostlights”
“Draconian Love”
“Master Of The Pendulum”
“Isle Of Evermore”
“Babylon Vampyres”
“Lucifer”
“Unchain The Light”
“A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies”

2CD Digibook:
“Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose”
“Let The Storm Descend Upon You”
“The Haunting”
“Seduction Of Decay”
“Ghostlights”
“Draconian Love”
“Master Of The Pendulum”
“Isle Of Evermore”
“Babylon Vampyres”
“Lucifer”
“Unchain The Light”
“A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies”
“Wake Up To The Moon” (bonus track)

CD2 (Avantasia live)
“Spectres”
“Invoke The Machine”
“The Story Ain’t Over”
“Prelude”
“Reach Out For The Light”
“Avantasia”
“What’s Left Of Me”
“Dying For An Angel”
“Twisted Mind”
“The Watchmaker’s Dream”
“Another Angel Down”

3CD Deluxe Edition Book (includes 68 page photo book plus karaoke version of CD1 with bonus track):

“Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose”
“Let The Storm Descend Upon You”
“The Haunting”
“Seduction Of Decay”
“Ghostlights”
“Draconian Love”
“Master Of The Pendulum”
“Isle Of Evermore”
“Babylon Vampyres”
“Lucifer”
“Unchain The Light”
“A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies”

"Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose":

Teaser:

Avantasia recently announced two live North American dates – one in Toronto and one in New York. A third date has been scheduled for Anaheim, CA at the House Of Blues (Disneyland) on April 11th.

Mastermind Tobias Sammett talks about the Anaheim date: “Great news I had this morning, Avantasia have been confirmed for New York and Toronto. Now another North American date is set: Anaheim, California. I think we recorded our LIVE IN LOS ANGELES album with Edguy there. Found a nice picture from back then, our 3rd US tour. Anyway, even though it's gonna be a rather short visit of just three shows - I can't wait to bring AVANTASIA to the US and Canada. 3hrs of Epic Rock and Bombastic Metal - live at Disneyland - isn't that a great fit? Will keep you posted regarding ticket sale…

“My American fellow weirdos: Which songs do You wanna hear? I can't wait to come over and ROCK AMERICA AGAIN! Cheers, T”

Avantasia will be performing for the first time in New York City and Toronto this April, as part of the Ghostlights World Tour.

Tobias Sammet and his ensemble of world-renowned musicians will be bringing a 3-hour long show to Queen Elizabeth Theater in Toronto, ON on April 13th, and to the Playstation Theater in New York City, NY on April 15th. Tickets for both shows are on sale: (Toronto, New York).

The lineup for these show will be comprised of:

Tobias Sammet - Vocals
Michael Kiske - Vocals
Eric Martin - Vocals
Ronnie Atkins - Vocals
Jorn Lande - Vocals
Amanda Somerville - Backing vocal/vocals
Herbie Langhans - Backing vocal/vocals
Sascha Paeth - Guitars
Oliver Hartmann - Guitars
Miro Rodenberg - Keyboards
Andre Neigenfind - Bass
Felix Bohnke - Drums

Avantasia has promised to take the fans to a magical world all its own, with a setlist that embraces its entire history, from The Metal Opera to Ghostlights and everything in between.

Says Tobias Sammet: “Great news - my North American friends: WE'RE COMING BACK! You know, the few memories I have of our last Avantasia show in Canada are a bit blurry. Back then I went from hospital right to the stage as I had some real mean flu. I was so high on whatever medication the doctor gave me to make the show, all I remember are the green little creatures in my dressing room that were calling me names but always disappeared under the sofa whenever I tried to catch them to confront them with their silly behaviour… Now, looking at the video I sounded quite a bit awful, ha! But I've been told I was funny and a very happy person that night.

“AND I AM HAPPY TO SAY WE'LL BE BACK - IN GREAT SHAPE: Toronto and New York confirmed, West Coast show in the works. Unfortunately Bob won't be able to join us for the dates outside Europe as he will be off on a Magnum tour, but we'll bring Michi Kiske, Jorn Lande, Eric Martin, Ronnie Atkins, Amanda Somerville, Herbie Langhans, Sascha Paeth, Olli Hartmann and ME of course… And Miro. And Andre on bass… And as if that wasn't enough on drums there will be no other than... THE DRUMMER!!! Can't wait to hit the stage!”



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QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton has paid tribute to David Bowie, who died on January 10, two days after his 69th birthday. He told Journal Star: "Oh, man, [Bowie] was a huge, huge influence on me. I had a wide palate of music that I grew up listening to, and he was part of my sonic landscape. And to tell you the truth, [the news of his death] still hasn't hit me yet and I don't know when it's going to hit me. His music got me through torment and problems in youth and days gone by. It's such a sad loss. A guy that most everyone lived up to. He was the man."

According to reports from insiders in the David Bowie camp, the British singer, songwriter, actor and fashion icon died from liver cancer, after suffering from a handful heart attacks in recent years.

Bowie died following a private 18-month battle against the disease. Stage director Ivo van Hove, who had been working with Bowie on his musical "Lazurus" revealed to The Independent that he knew Bowie was ill for "about a year."

Bowie biographer Wendy Leigh went on to tell the BBC that musician's recent health woes were actually quite extensive. "He didn't just battle cancer," she said. "He had six heart attacks in recent years. I got this from somebody very close to him."

QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, "Condition Hüman", debuted at No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 14,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8.

The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

"Condition Hüman" was released on October 2, 2015 via Century Media.

METALLICA's Kirk Hammett has paid tribute to David Bowie, who died on January 10, two days after his 69th birthday. During an appearance on a recent edition of the "One On One With Mitch Lafon" podcast (Facebook page), the guitarist said: "[Bowie's] influence on me was huge. 'Changesonebowie' was one of the… part of a handful of albums that I bought when I was a young kid. I had decided to make a point of going out to the record store and buying albums from artists that I heard on the radio. It was Elton John, it was David Bowie, it was KISS, it was THIN LIZZY and it was LED ZEPPELIN. And that was my first batch of albums that I bought. And the Bowie album was 'Changesonebowie', and I bought it because I loved the song 'Fame' and I loved the song 'Golden Years'. And they were just so completely different from anything else that was playing on the radio back then. And I really got into it."

He continued: "David Bowie has been a pretty huge influence on me and on other people in [METALLICA] as well. I know that… [Late METALLICA bassist] Cliff Burton and I, we used to listen to the 'Ziggy Stardust' album a lot on the 'Ride The Lightning' tour. The title [of the METALLICA song] 'Leper Messiah' is actually in the song 'Ziggy Stardust'. And if you wanna dig any further into how much of an influence he was, all you have to do is listen to the [Bowie] song 'Andy Warhol', and you'll know what I'm talking about. That song was a heavy influence on Cliff Burton and that album, 'Hunky Dory', was a big influence on Cliff Burton as well. If you listen to 'Andy Warhol', you'll hear something in that song that totally… You'll hear something in that song that will make you say, 'Ah! Okay. Bowie's music was an influence on METALLICA.' I'm not gonna say where or what or how or whatever; I'm just gonna leave it up to you [to figure it out]."

According to reports from insiders in the David Bowie camp, the British singer, songwriter, actor and fashion icon died from liver cancer, after suffering from a handful heart attacks in recent years.

Bowie died following a private 18-month battle against the disease. Stage director Ivo van Hove, who had been working with Bowie on his musical "Lazurus" revealed to The Independent that he knew Bowie was ill for "about a year."

Bowie biographer Wendy Leigh went on to tell the BBC that musician's recent health woes were actually quite extensive. "He didn't just battle cancer," she said. "He had six heart attacks in recent years. I got this from somebody very close to him."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Nick Maybury, guitarist in the late Scott Weiland's band THE WILDABOUTS, has opened up in a new interview about the night last month that Weiland died on the band's tour bus at the age of 48. Maybury himself only joined the band earlier in 2015 after guitarist Jeremy Brown passed away on the eve of the release of their latest and now final album, "Blaster".

Maybury told Guitar Player that on the night of Weiland's death, the singer stayed on the tour bus while the band members and crew went to Minnesota's Mall of America. Maybury took a cab back and saw police cars surrounding the bus as he arrived. He explained that after learning Weiland had died, "I was just blank. Numbness, shock, trauma, tears, emotions, the whole thing. Having to talk to the cops, being in an emotional state, was just rough."

Weiland died of a deadly mix of drugs and alcohol, but Maybury said, "I never saw Scott do any drugs. It's obvious now, we all know that he was. He obviously wasn't doing it in front of everyone… I'd see him drinking a lot, we all knew he was drinking, and on the prescription stuff too. We knew that was a terrible mix to start with already."

Maybury, who is sober, said he had a tough time fitting into the group at first. He explained, "It was rough for them having to adjust to a new guy, the new dynamic, and missing the co-writer who wrote the stuff, their buddy, and I wasn’t drinking, or doing anything like that."

At one point, Maybury shared his concerns for Weiland with the singer, saying: "I was that concerned about him, and we were on that level… He would listen. He might not say anything, but I knew he would take things [and listen]. He was the kind of guy, he would want you to feel better, he wanted you to feel comfortable. He made me feel like I was his family in the end."

The guitarist concluded: "He just wasn't well, man. He should have been recovering and getting healthy."

DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE guitarist Vivian Campbell has released the following statement:

"It's with the heaviest of hearts that I must confirm the news of the passing of our dear friend and LAST IN LINE bandmate Jimmy Bain. It was Jimmy who gave me my first big break in the music industry and for that I am forever indebted.

"Jimmy's struggles with his demons were well documented through the years, but over the last 18 months, he had finally won that battle and he was bright and lucid and motivated throughout the writing and recording of the new record. He leaves behind him a rich legacy of work from RAINBOW, through WILD HORSES, DIO, and finally, LAST IN LINE.

"Jimmy was immensely proud of our new album and his input to it was immeasurable. He was a very kind and gentle and generous soul and our lives were greatly enriched for having known him. We will continue to celebrate his life through his music.

"On behalf of Vinny and Andrew, our thoughts and condolences are with his family at this most difficult of times.

"Rest in peace, dear friend."

Back in 2012, Bain made headlines when he was arrested in Burbank, California on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.

Since 2013, Bain has been a member of LAST IN LINE, also featuring his Campbell and fellow ex-DIO bandmate Vinny Appice, along with singer Andrew Freeman.

LAST IN LINE performed in Miami, Florida on January 20 and is currently taking part in DEF LEPPARD's inaugural "Hysteria On The High Seas" cruise.

The surviving members of LAST IN LINE paid tribute to their fallen bandmate during the cruise. Check out photos below.

Born in Scotland on December 19, 1947, Bain joined RAINBOW in time to appear on the band's second album, 1976's "Rising". He was fired a year later and went on to guest with THIN LIZZY and work in THIN LIZZY frontman Phil Lynott's solo band, before forming WILD HORSES with ex-THIN LIZZY guitarist Brian Robertson. He appeared on Gary Moore's 1983 album "Dirty Fingers" before joining DIO and playing on seven DIO albums with vocalist Ronnie James Dio, from 1983 debut "Holy Diver" to 2002's "Killing The Dragon".

Former STATIC-X bassist Tony Campos says that he never got a chance to repair his friendship with Wayne Static before the STATIC-X frontman's death, explaining that Wayne "was just stuck in his world, and nobody could reach him."

Static died in November 2014 after mixing a cocktail of Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol.

Asked if he ever had an opportunity to sit down with Wayne and work out their differences during the five years between STATIC-X's original split and Static's death, Campos told the "Talk Toomey" podcast (hear audio below): "No, unfortunately, that never happened. Had [Wayne] gotten clean, or at least said, 'Hey, man, I need help getting clean,' or something, I would have definitely been there for that. But he was just stuck in his world, and nobody could reach him."

Campos also talked about the difficulties of touring with someone like Static who was allegedly abusing drugs even during the period while Tony was still in STATIC-X. He said: "Towards the end of the band, in '09, his habits weren't as bad as he [eventually] got. So I don't know how bad it was being on tour with him after 2009, 'cause I wasn't there, but I can only imagine."

Tony told Horns Up Rocks! last year that he wasn't friends with Static the last five years of Wayne's life because the STATIC-X frontman "went down a path that none of the other guys in the band wanted to go down. You can't help somebody that doesn't wanna be helped. And he didn't wanna hear it from anybody, least of all me. When somebody doesn't want the help, there's nothing you can do; you've just gotta let them do what they're gonna do. Unfortunately, the path he went on ended up costing him his life."

The 48-year-old Static, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014.

Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with the band's 1999 debut, "Wisconsin Death Trip", which included the rock radio hit "Push It".

The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.

"Talk Toomey" podcast (audio):

Former MORBID ANGEL vocalist and bassist David Vincent joined Danny B. Harvey (HEADCAT, THE 69 CATS) on stage this past Friday, January 22 at the NAMMJAM 2016 at the City National Grove Of Anaheim in Anaheim, California to perform a cover version of "Big River" by Johnny Cash. You can now watch video footage of his appearance below.

Vincent previously teamed up with Harvey on January 9 at the White Horse Saloon in Austin, Texas to sing a country song David wrote, "Buyer Beware".

Vincent issued a statement last June confirming that he was no longer working with MORBID ANGEL guitarist Trey Azagthoth. He said: "Trey and I have accomplished amazing things together over the past 30 years and I wish him the best with his future projects. Out of respect for the legacy of these accomplishments, I encourage MORBID ANGEL fans to not take sides, because I am not." He added: "I look forward to sharing my new endeavors with all of you in the near future. Until then, stay Morbid!"

Azagthoth announced on June 15, 2015 that MORBID ANGEL had reunited with Steve Tucker and that they were working on material for the band's next record. Later that same day, Vincent, who rejoined MORBID ANGEL in 2004 after first parting ways with the band in 1996, issued a statement of his own claiming that he had not left the group and had not been asked to do so. Also on June 15, drummer Tim Yeung confirmed his exit from MORBID ANGEL, explaining in a statement: "There have been some lineup changes with MORBID ANGEL. Unfortunately, due to financial differences, I will not be continuing with [the band]… I wish Trey and MORBID ANGEL all the best. As for myself, I'm always up for the next opportunity life throws my way."

On June 18, 2015, Norwegian guitarist Destructhor (a.k.a. Thor Anders Myhren) announced that he had officially left MORBID ANGEL "due to issues of them wanting to work with someone more local." He added that this was "actually pretty good news to me, since I personally decided to leave MORBID ANGEL after the last tour we did in Europe in November/December 2014. It is definitely time for me to move on with the Norwegian extreme act MYRKSKOG. This is where I truly belong and exciting things are happening!"

MORBID ANGEL's controversial 2011 album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which incorporated industrial and electronic elements into the band's traditional death metal sound, marked the group's first CD to feature Vincent since 1995's "Domination".

Fan-filmed video footage of SLIPKNOT performing the song "Skeptic" live on January 23 at Siemens Arena in Vilnius, Lithuania can be seen below.

"Skeptic" is taken from SLIPKNOT's latest, ".5: The Gray Chapter", which sold 132,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart. SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor told Kerrang! magazine about the song: "This is definitely about [late SLIPKNOT bassist] Paul [Gray], absolutely. And it's a song about the kind of person that Paul was, just his love for not only music in general, but for this band, and just how amazing a personality he was. And the name 'Skeptic' refers to the fact that when everything was down and out, when everyone would be in the dumps and negative, or just feeling like nothing could get done, he would be the guy who was completely sceptical of all the odds against us. He'd just be like, 'Screw that! We're gonna do this, and we're gonna do it amazingly.' He was the beating heart of it, and this song is a celebration of who he was."

SLIPKNOT has selected "Goodbye" as the next single from ".5: The Gray Chapter".

SLIPKNOT is nominated in both "Best Rock Album" (".5: The Gray Chapter") and "Best Metal Performance" ("Custer") categories at the 58th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on February 15 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

Fan-filmed video footage of MANOWAR's January 23 performance at Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt, Germany can be seen below.

MANOWAR's "Gods And Kings" world tour celebrates "Kings Of Metal MMXIV", which many fans haven't had a chance to experience live yet, as well as the upcoming anniversary of "Gods Of War", which was unleashed on the world in 2007. The setlist is packed with fan favorites from both albums, plus many other classics and special surprises.

In a recent interview, MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio stated about the "Gods And Kings" world tour: "We've added tons of new equipment and power amps, for even more power than ever before. Most of our equipment is custom-made, so it is a really intense and time-consuming process getting everything done in time, and meeting our specifications. Those who saw our 2015 tour know that we worked with videos on our gigantic LED screens. We have flown in our video designer from Europe to work with us on new video elements that will be played during the songs and, of course, the LED screens will be bigger and of higher quality than ever — over 150 m² and 6k resolution to be precise. Nothing but the latest and best technology for our fans will do!"

Speaking about the tour concept, Joey DeMaio said: "The previous tour celebrated 'Kings Of Metal MMXIV'. It was a terrific experience for fans, band and crew. The production was big and featured elements that we had not done before. It was more of a multi-media experience, with videos linking the songs and their conception, telling the story of our fans and our lives, capturing the energy on stage and off… When we started planning the new tour, we soon agreed that we wanted to keep the best of this previous tour, but of course add on to it, make it different and even bigger. And, believe it or not, the 10-year anniversary of 'Gods Of War' is upon us: The album was released in 2007 but we started working on it in 2006. But more importantly the question was: Who should join our Kings in battle? The answer was: the Gods Of War! So this is how the 'Gods And Kings' concept was conceived. Naturally, the 'Gods And Kings World Tour 2016' [is] more massive than the 'Kings Of Metal MMXIV Word Tour'! The 2015 tour was big. But nothing compared to what you'll experience on the 2016 tour!"

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper joined BEASTO BLANCO, the band led by the bassist in Cooper's solo group, Chuck Garric, on stage this past Friday, January 22 at the NAMMJAM 2016 at the City National Grove Of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Produced and presented by Delve Texas, the seventh annual NAMMJAM 2016 again had a charitable element with proceeds benefiting the House Of Blues Music Forward Foundation. A "live," silent auction was held during the evening and will feature an array of items such as music memorabilia, VIP experiences, unique collectibles, autographed guitars, music instruments, original art pieces and much more, all donated by music industry notables. Your support of NAMMJAM 2016 and the silent auction contributed much-needed funds to continue and expand the works of House Of Blues Music Forward Foundation, a charitable foundation.

Asked how BEASTO BLANCO came to be, Garric told Legendary Rock Interviews in 2013: "I've always been a songwriter and I’ve always sang and have wanted to do my own project for a long time now. I came across Tommy Henriksen, who worked with us on Alice's 'Welcome 2 My Nightmare' record and we started talking about doing some new material. As soon as he and I started talking about it was about the time it started taking on a life for me. I got really excited about the concept of getting into the studio and making these songs come to life. We really didn't know what the identity of the band would be like going into it or what to expect, but we had a blast and it just turned out absolutely killer. The Alice fans, the hard rock fans, everyone is really digging it and excited to hear more."

Regarding the origins of the BEASTO BLANCO band name, Chuck said: "I wanted to channel something or become something when I'm up there, and BEASTO BLANCO, the name, came from my dog. She's just this huge white monster, so we call her Beasto Blanco. It just kind of came about one day sitting in a room thinking about how we've gotta come up with a name, and I look over at my dog who's chasing another dog and comes back and she's all excited to see me and I just love her excitement and her wild energy. The name was sort of born after her, but also out of the fact that I needed to give the band some sort of identity and have it be something that just stuck in your mind."

LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton has uploaded a new solo song titled "SnowBound". The track, which features a guest appearance by Jean-Paul Gaster of CLUTCH, can be streamed below.

Morton stated about the offering: "Here is sample of some of the new music I've been working on. It's definitely a little different than what you're used to hearing me do with LAMB. There are some great players involved in this project (including J.P. from CLUTCH on the drums!). I'm having a blast working on this stuff, and that's what this is all about for me… FUN! I hope you enjoy it!"

Morton previously collaborated with DEVILDRIVER vocalist Dez Fafara on a project called BORN OF THE STORM. The project released four tracks — "Secrets", "The New Rain Blues", "Nowhere Fast" and "Dust" — which featured Kevin Talley (SIX FEET UNDER, DAATH, MISERY INDEX, CHIMAIRA) on the drums.

LAMB OF GOD's latest album, "VII: Sturm Und Drang", which was released in July 2015 via Epic in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Entertainment in all territories outside of North America. The CD was once again produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur with engineering by Wilbur, Nick Rowe and Kyle McAulay, and was recorded at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California and Suburban Soul Studios in Torrance, California.

LAMB OF GOD's U.S. tour with ANTHRAX will come to a close in Los Angeles, California on February 12.