Drowned In Sound recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Drowned In Sound: The band's music has changed a lot over the years – particularly on the most recent two albums, of course. Do you feel the band's fanbase has now come to terms with the move away from metal on the last two releases?

Mikael: Perhaps. But the so-called "new" sound is not here to stay, really. I don't know. We might do something completely different. I'm happy if we end up having a diverse discography, and it doesn't matter if we're considered to be an inconsistent band. As long as we're not considered samey, I'm fine… or as long as we don't consider us samey at least. Fans have their favorite records or eras regardless of what I think.

Drowned In Sound: What would you say to continued critics of the band's new style? It always seems churlish to me to criticise bands for choosing to make the music they want to make…

Mikael: It's taste, I guess. Some people don't think "Taxi Driver" is a good film and prefer Adam Sandler. We are more De Niro than Adam Sandler, but public opinion is not how I think. And De Niro did both Travis Bickle and Rupert Pupkin, you know. Adam Sandler has become known for playing a slightly retarded character in virtually all his films. It's what he does. He's happy with it and his fans are happy with it too. So don't fix it. Just that we're not happy with being that, or "Taxi Driver" all the time either for that matter.

Drowned In Sound: Does the change reflect a decline in your own interest in extreme metal music at all? I know you've stopped doing BLOODBATH as well now…

Mikael: I don't consume that music anymore unless I'm in a party vibe. I love some of the older bands like CELTIC FROST, MORBID ANGEL, BATHORY and AUTOPSY, but new metal is too polished for me. It's a paradox since we're so polished in comparison but "my" death metal has to be gritty and dirty. Not polished, quantized and "perfect." And I never considered OPETH to be a pure death metal band anyways. It's in our DNA but there's a lot more to OPETH than death metal. It's virtually only been the vocals, the screams, that had us rubbing shoulders with our extreme metal peers. You take the screams out and we're some type of metal, but not very extreme like that.

Read the entire interview at Drowned In Sound.

On Saturday, January 9, the world will come together and celebrate the life of iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister.

Family and close friends will observe a service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood, commencing at 3 p.m. PST and ending at 4:30 p.m. With such limited space available on site, MOTÖRHEAD is respectfully asking that fans don't attend the service at the cemetery, but the band wants everyone to be a part of this, so they are setting up a live feed of the service via the Internet on MOTÖRHEAD's official YouTube channel.

Says MOTÖRHEAD: "Wherever you are, PLEASE get together and watch the service with fellow Motörheadbangers and friends. GO to your favorite bar, or your favorite club, make sure they have access to an Internet connection and toast along with us. Or simply invite your pals around and celebrate Lemm's life at home. Whatever your venue, and however you can, let's be sure to gather globally on Saturday, January 9 and celebrate the life of our dear friend and irreplaceable icon."

For anyone wishing to send flowers, please contact Karen Brando at Flowers By Michael: (310) 276-1003.

If you would like to make a charitable donation under Lemmy's name, please go to Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund.

Lemmy, who just celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24), learned two days later, on December 26, that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28 at his home in Los Angeles.

MOTÖRHEAD was revered by both metal and punk fans, and Lemmy was considered an icon for his musical talent and his embodiment of the rock n’ roll lifestyle.

Lemmy had been dealing with serious health issues for the past two years, including getting a pacemaker in 2013 and suffering from a hematoma in 2014. But despite 40 years of hard living and drinking, he continued to tour and record at a feverish pace.

The band was forced to cancel or postpone a number of shows last year due to Lemmy's poor health, which also forced him to cut back on his drinking and give up smoking.

While MOTÖRHEAD itself was revered by metal and punk fans, Lemmy himself became a rock and roll icon and elder statesman, the embodiment of a musician who lived the rock lifestyle to the fullest and never stopped.

To the surprise of no one, MOTÖRHEAD will not continue without Lemmy. Drummer Mikkey Dee confirmed the decision in an interview with the Swedish paper Expressen, saying, "MOTÖRHEAD is over, of course. Lemmy was MOTÖRHEAD. But the band will live on in the memories of many."

Dee, who'd been in the band since 1992, said that the band's last tour was very difficult for Lemmy. Dee said, "He was terribly gaunt. He spent all his energy on stage and afterwards he was very, very tired. It's incredible that he could even play, that he could finish the Europe tour. It was only 20 days ago. Unbelievable."

With their raw, uncompromising sound, MOTÖRHEAD never became a major commercial success, but Lemmy and his cohorts remained a popular live attraction for the next several decades while winning a Grammy in 2005 and recording a total of 22 studio albums. The most edition of the band, featuring guitarist Phil Campbell and Dee, spent 22 years together, releasing its now-final album, "Bad Magic", this year.

GUNS N' ROSES has issued a press release confirming that guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan will rejoin singer Axl Rose for the band's upcoming performances at this year's Coachella Music And Arts Festival. GUNS N' ROSES will play on April 16 and April 23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. There is no word on whether original guitarist Izzy Stradlin or drummer Steven Adler will appear. Consequence Of Sound says that Adler's original replacement, Matt Sorum, is also on board, while other reports have suggested that current drummer Frank Ferrer and guitarist Richard Fortus will round out the lineup.

Tickets for Coachella Music And Arts Festival go on sale Wednesday, January 6 at 11:00 a.m. via Coachella.com.

Speculation about a reunion tour has been steady ever since Slash revealed last summer that he and Axl had repaired their friendship after being estranged for nearly 20 years.

The last show Axl and Slash played together was on July 17, 1993 at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. The latest incarnation of GUNS N' ROSES, which only included Axl from the original lineup, played a residency in Las Vegas in 2014 but has remained silent since.

According to Billboard, the GUNS reunion — which sources say has been in the works for two years — is also seeking to mount a 25-city stadium tour, with the band reportedly asking for anywhere from $3 million to $5 million a show.

Official press release announcing GUNS N' ROSES reunion:

Upholding a three-decade tradition of breaking ground, creating trends, and forever changing the face of rock 'n' roll, GUNS N' ROSES announce the most significant and anxiously awaited musical event of this century. Founder Axl Rose and former members Slash and Duff McKagan will regroup to headline the Coachella Music And Arts Festival (April 15-17 & April 22-24) — as announced last night!

For months, critics and audiences alike have generated immense excitement and speculation over the possible regrouping of the iconic lineup. The April performances will mark the first time since 1993 the Gunners will share the stage for what is certain to be an explosive event.

Following the group’s 1985 formation, GUNS N' ROSES injected unbridled, unrivaled, and unstoppable attitude into the burgeoning Los Angeles rock scene. The spirit went on to captivate the entire world with the release of their 1987 debut "Appetite For Destruction" — the best-selling U.S. debut ever, moving 30 million copies globally. In 1991, the seven-time platinum "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" occupied the top two spots of The Billboard 200 upon release.

Over the course of the past decade, GUNS N' ROSES have performed sold out shows and headlined festivals worldwide following the critically acclaimed release of 2008's RIAA platinum-certified "Chinese Democracy".

Six studio albums later, GUNS N' ROSES are one of the most important and influential acts in music history and continue to set the benchmark for live performances, connecting with millions of fans across the globe.

Singer Elize Ryd and guitarist Olof Mörck of Swedish metallers AMARANTHE recently spoke to We Love Metal about the band's plans to record the follow-up to 2014's "Massive Addictive" album. Elize said: "We haven't started [the actual songwriting process] yet. We are just recording on our iPhones, the ideas that we get. And, of course, we're thinking about the theme — like, how do we wanna develop from the last album? And I think that we kind of already know how we want it to sound. So the goal is to, after this tour, go straight back home and do the actual songwriting, like start to make it for real. And [in 2016], we're gonna record the album. So we're in the process [of thinking about it], all the time — day and night, unconscious and conscious. [Laughs]"

Added Olof: "I can also say that the sketches that we have — I haven't really checked out Elize's stuff so far, but I know that it will be amazing — but I can also just say that the sketches that we have been working on is gonna be our by far best material. We already know that. It's something to look forward to."

Ryd also confirmed AMARANTHE's plans to make a concert DVD but cautioned that it may take some time for the set to arrive. She said: "Our goal is to definitely record a live DVD, but we have so huge ideas, so we are not able to make it a reality yet. I don't know if it's gonna take another one or two or three or four years, but that's one of the things I'm personally looking most forward to."

AMARANTHE released a digital-only compilation of B-sides on October 30, 2015. "Breaking Point - B-Sides 2011-2015" features eight tracks. AMARANTHE recently returned to the U.S. on a headline tour with BUTCHER BABIES in tow.

Time is reporting that scientists recently discovered four new elements, and all will be added to the periodic table. The official names of each element have yet to be decided, but one man has opted for a new heavy metal to be named “Lemmium.”

Change.org is the home of a petition started by Jon Wright from York, UK hoping the International Union Of Pure And Applied Chemistry will name the new element after Lemmy Kilmister.

The organization has rules about naming elements, saying that it must be named after “a mythological concept, a mineral, a place or country, a property or a scientist", but Wright contends Kilmister meets the criteria since a star was named after him.

Lemmy Kilmister vowed to come back as a ghost in his last ever interview, reports Mirror.co.uk. The Motörhead frontman, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer just two days before his death on December 28th, spoke about how he felt lucky to have lived as long as he had.

Asked if he was going to continue performing, he told German TV: "What, after death? No! I'll have to stop then - I think. But you never know, I could haunt somewhere."

Read more at Mirror.co.uk.

Check out the BraveWords scribes tributes to Lemmy at this location.

Lemmy’s Motörhead bandmates, drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell have posted messages about their fallen comrade.

From Dee:  “Lemmy! My bandmate. My friend. My brother. There are no words to describe the emotions running through my mind at this point but I could write thousands and thousands of words of all we created and experienced together.

“It has been a true honor and a privilege to play with you and share all this time brother. I celebrate every moment we shared…you bastard. I know I’ll see you sometime in the future and maybe I’ll join your band again…but this time, let’s go a bit slower buddy.

“There is a big black hole here now that no one can ever fill. No one... Later Lem, Mikkey

“P.S I am deeply moved by all the care and love that has come in from fans, friends and fellow band mates from all over the world. I appreciate each and every one of you. Now, let’s make Lemmy proud and carry on his legacy.”

From Campbell: “Unfortunately by now everyone reading this post will have found out that Motörhead is no longer. I'm still trying to come to terms with everything but I've been totally overwhelmed with the well wishes and stories about how Lemmy & Motörhead affected people's lives.

“I genuinely would like to thank everyone who's supported Motörhead over the last 40 years. Please turn it up to 11 and celebrate Lemmy's life to the full."

Motörhead manager Todd Singerman revealed to Sky News that Lemmy went to the hospital two days after his birthday bash at LA’s Whisky A Go Go on December 13th because he wasn’t feeling well. Tests were done, and doctors discovered he had terminal cancer which had spread to his brain.

Singerman told Sky News, "Nobody had any idea, we just learned Saturday, two days ago, that he even had cancer and the doctor told him he had between two to six months to live. He goes today as I was making calls to Phil and Mikkey telling them to come on out so they could have a last goodbye while he was still upbeat and everything. He was feeling mighty low... He wasn't expected to die like that.

"He gets home (from tour), we have a big birthday party for him at the Whisky A Go Go. His friends came down and played. Two days later I could tell he wasn't feeling good so we took him to the hospital, they release him, then after the brain scan they found the cancer in his brain and his neck... The doctor comes with the result a couple of days later and says... it's terminal."

Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee told Sweden’s Expressen: ”Motörhead is over, of course. Lemmy was Motörhead. But the band will live on in the memories of many. We won’t be doing any more tours or anything. And there won’t be any more records. But the brand survives, and Lemmy lives on in the hearts of everyone.”

Read more at Expressen.

Motörhead’s 22nd and final studio album, Bad Magic, was released on August 28th, 2015. The album is featured on BraveWords’ BravePicks 2015, ranking at #18.

Bad Magic tracklisting:

"Victory or Die"
"Thunder & Lightning"
"Fire Storm Hotel"
"Shoot Out All Of Your Lights"
"The Devil"
"Electricity"
"Evil Eye"
"Teach Them How To Bleed"
"Till The End"
"Tell Me Who To Kill"
"Choking On Your Screams"
"When The Sky Comes Looking For You"
"Sympathy For The Devil" (Rolling Stones cover)

 



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Melbourne based blackened heavy metal band Rebel Wizard has announced the release of their latest EP Invocation Of The Miserable Ones. The EP is four tracks combining the sound of traditional heavy metal with atmospheric black metal, and is best described as a mix of Usurper, Aura Noir, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

This solo project of Australian musician Nekrasov originally started in 2013 with a self-titled demo but in 2015 saw a rush of activity with a total of five EPs being released on either cassette or digital format. 

The EP can be downloaded and streamed on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Too Late”
“A Place To Rest The Dead Inside Is Never To Be Found”
“On The Unknown Self They Ride”
“Invocation Of The Miserable Ones”

Rebel Wizard is a project of Australian musician Nekrasov (Who also releases black metal music under his own name). The music which he describes as "New wave of Negative Metal" or "Negative Wizard Metal" is fairly unique in an era where metal in the underground tends to be more conservative. The music combines a range of styles but is best described as "blackened traditional heavy metal". The project takes the old-school, hooky sounds of bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden and combines it with the blistering speed and darkness of Aura Noir and Usurper.

 



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Horror metallers Deathless Legacy have revealed the tracklist and cover artwork for their new album The Gathering, which will be available starting from February 26 on Scarlet Records. The have also released a new song “Wolfgirl”, which is streaming below.

After having signed a new deal with Scarlet Records, Deathless Legacy are now ready to release the second chapter in their fast-rising career, The Gathering, another horror-infused album which creates creepy musical landscapes and atmospheres while exploring occult and esoteric themes. The Gathering was recorded at Eden Studio in Pisa, Italy and mixed & mastered at Domination Studio in San Marino by acclaimed producer Simone Mularoni (DGM). And if the band's influences are unmistakable, it is also true that their music stands out as something unique, as it’s particularly evident during the very theatrical live shows they are known for.

Tracklisting:

“The Gathering (Intro)”
“Circus Of The Freaks”
“Phantom Manor”
“Baal”
“Wolfgirl”
“Tiamat”
“The Tomb”
“The Graveyard”
“The Dove Has Died”
“Smash Your Idols”
“Skeleton Swing”

“Wolfgirl”:



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Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are set to release the new album from old school death metal masters Percussor entitled Disturbing Reality February 5 on CD and digital formats. Below is the official description:

“Percussor return to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions with the punishing new album Disturbing Reality. Following up on the mayhem unleashed on Proclamation Of Hate, Percussor dig deeper into the darker realms of anger, hate and depression... revealing total disdain for the human race! This is old school death metal at its purest form, a journey of raw emotions via musical aggression.”

Tracklisting:

“Disturbing Reality”
“The Misogynist”
“Inflicted Insanity”
“Leading The Sycophants”
“Stagnant Form Of Life”
“Your Existence Sickens Me”
“Agoraphobic Dementia”
“Arrogant Waste Of Flesh”
“Murdered” (bonus track)

“Disturbing Reality”:

CD preorders are available at Horror Pain Gore Death while digital preorders can be found on Bandcamp>.



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New York thrash/death metal band Sicada have announced that they have signed with Tridroid Records to do a digital re-release of their recent EP Requisition. The EP is set to be re-released on February 12. In addition they have teamed up with Ohio's Gomorrah and New Jersey's Eye Of The Destroyer for a week long February tour of the US East Coast.

The dates will cover a whirlwind six dates in seven days and will be in support of their latest EP Requisition. All dates will be sponsored by The Cobra Agency management, Dewar PR and Metalrecusants.com.

In celebration of the tour the band have also released a video for their track "Sledge":

Tour dates:

February
12 – Brooklyn, NY – Lucky 13 Saloon
13 – New Port, RI – Jimmies Newport
14 – Boston, MA – O’Briens Pub
15 – Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place
16 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
19 – New Brunswick, NJ – Court Tavern



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According to Billboard.com, MOTÖRHEAD's most recognizable tune, 1980's "Ace Of Spades", has landed on multiple Billboard charts for the first time — less than two weeks after the death of the band's iconic frontman, Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister.

"Ace Of Spades" entered the Hot Rock Songs chart at No. 12, with the bulk of its chart points from streams. The track also debuted on the Rock Streaming Songs chart at No. 24 after accruing 1.8 million U.S. streams in the week ending December 31, up 1,096 percent from 149,000, according to Nielsen Music. "Ace Of Spades" also came in at No. 8 on the Hard Rock Digital Songs chart, with 8,000 downloads sold, a 2,151 percent increase.

MOTÖRHEAD 's final album, "Bad Magic", re-entered the Hard Rock Albums chart at No. 11 with with 2,000 copies sold — a 265 percent gain. The effort opened at No. 2 on the September 19 chart with 10,000 copies sold in its first week of release.

In other news, "Ace Of Spades" is reportedly set to crack the British Top 10 chart for the first time ever.

MOTÖRHEAD fans had mounted a campaign following Lemmy's death to launch "Ace Of Spaces" to the top of the British singles chart starting at midnight on January 1, according to a Facebook fan community.

Lemmy, who just celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24), learned two days later that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28, in Los Angeles.

According to People.com, Mary Forsberg, the ex-wife of late STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and VELVET REVOLVER singer Scott Weiland, filed court documents on December 30 asking to be named the executor of Weiland's will. She also filed a copy of the will, written in April 2007, with his signature as proof.

Weiland's estate is reportedly worth $2 million. There is also said to be a trust with undisclosed assets.

Mary Forsberg is Weiland's second wife and mother to his children, 15-year-old Noah and 13-year-old Lucy.

On December 7, Mary posted an emotional and at times brutally frank letter about her ex-husband at RollingStone.com. Forsberg started the letter by writing, "December 3rd, 2015 is not the day Scott Weiland died. It is the official day the public will use to mourn him, and it was the last day he could be propped up in front of a microphone for the financial benefit or enjoyment of others. The outpouring of condolences and prayers offered to our children, Noah and Lucy, has been overwhelming, appreciated and even comforting. But the truth is, like so many other kids, they lost their father years ago. What they truly lost on December 3rd was hope."

Forsberg continued: "We don't want to downplay Scott's amazing talent, presence or his ability to light up any stage with brilliant electricity. So many people have been gracious enough to praise his gift. The music is here to stay. But at some point, someone needs to step up and point out that yes, this will happen again — because as a society we almost encourage it."

She added: "Many of these artists have children. Children with tears in their eyes, experiencing panic because their cries go unheard. You might ask, 'How were we to know? We read that he loved spending time with his children and that he'd been drug-free for years!' In reality, what you didn't want to acknowledge was a paranoid man who couldn't remember his own lyrics and who was only photographed with his children a handful of times in 15 years of fatherhood."

Forsberg continued: "Even after Scott and I split up, I spent countless hours trying to calm his paranoid fits, pushing him into the shower and filling him with coffee, just so that I could drop him into the audience at Noah's talent show, or Lucy's musical. Those short encounters were my attempts at giving the kids a feeling of normalcy with their dad. But anything longer would often turn into something scary and uncomfortable for them."

She also admitted that "spending so many years immersed in Scott's multiple illnesses led to my own depression" and that she was afraid that the same would happen to the children.

Forsberg also revealed that Scott did not invite his children to his third wedding, to Jamie Wachtel, and that after he remarried, "child support checks often never arrived" and the children could not "remember the last time they saw him on a Father's Day."

Saying that her children "never sought perfection from their dad," but "kept hoping for a little effort," Forsberg concluded with, "Our hope for Scott has died, but there is still hope for others. Let's choose to make this the first time we don't glorify this tragedy with talk of rock and roll and the demons that, by the way, don't have to come with it. Skip the depressing T-shirt with 1967-2015 on it — use the money to take a kid to a ballgame or out for ice cream."

Scott Weiland was found dead on his tour bus on December 3 in Minnesota. He was 48 years old. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office in Minnesota said a mix of cocaine, ethanol (alcohol), and MDA (a relative of ecstasy) led to the rocker's death. Also mentioned was Weiland's history of cardiovascular disease, asthma, and multi-substance dependence as "significant conditions."

Renegade black/thrash maniacs DESTRÖYER 666 return with their long-awaited new manifesto, "Wildfire", due on February 26 via Season Of Mist. With "Wildfire", the band delivers one of 2016's most forceful heavy metal albums. Anthemic tracks such as "Traitor", "Live and Burn", "Hounds At Ya Back" and the title track are feral, full-on ragers that hunt you down, give no quarter, and leave nothing but ash in their wake.

"Wildfire" track listing:

01. Traitor02. Live And Burn03. Artiglio Del Diavolo04. Hounds At Ya Back05. Hymn To Dionysus06. Wildfire07. White Line Fever08. Die You Fucking Pig09. Tamam Shud

The song "Live And Burn" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

The original ink drawing for "Wildfire" was created by Zbigniew M. Bielak. The Polish artist and architect has won applause and recognition in the metal scene through his works for bands such as GHOST, MAYHEM and WATAIN.

Regarding his drawing for "Wildfire", Bielak comments: "Contrary to the usual route, part of my family fled communism to Australia. Thus my isolated cousins used to send me tapes with weird Oz bands like ARMOURED ANGEL, MARTIRE or HOBBS instead of American thrash. There has to be something about the shackled bloodline or maybe the Mad Max thing... or just what frontman KK likes to call 'our innate ability to do everything better than the others,' but damn me if all of those Australian bands were not just fiercer than everyone else. My love for metal from Down Under endured and finally, after countless merchandise designs and three reissue collaborations, 'Wildfire' is DESTRÖYER 666's first brand new album that I have worked on. What survived from the usual brainstorming ordeal is a nod to classic metal imagery in a biker-friendly, DANZIG-meets BLASPHEMY vein — a refreshing and welcome exercise in simplicity. Having outlasted retro trends, stripped of all gimmickry right to their very rock 'n' roll bone, DESTRÖYER 666 stand tall, hailing both SLAUGHTER LORD and Angry Anderson, with what is in my opinion their most unforced and classy album to date."

"Wildfire" is available for pre-order at this location.

DESTRÖYER 666 lineup:

KK - Guitar, VocalsVox Perra - DrumsFelipe - BassVox Ro - Guitar, Vocals

Photo credit: Ester Segarra

Former LEATHERWOLF members Carey Howe and Geoff Gayer have teamed up with solo recording artist Wreck Ignition to form HAUNT OF JACKALS.

HAUNT OF JACKALS began to take shape in 2015 after Howe and Gayer decided to launch a modern metal band which clearly showcased some of their newer hardcore metal influences. The duo teamed up with recording artist Wreck to deliver the vocal melodies and grinding verses, and added power drummer Dan Bruette and longtime colleague Pat Guyton (LEATHERWOLF) on bass.

According to a press release, HAUNT OF JACKALS "combines a unique blend of new hard and heavy power riffs on guitar with great vocal melodies and chanting big chorus sections. [It is] raw, powerful, new and fresh."

HAUNT OF JACKALS is wrapping up pre-production for an eleven-song album, which will be produced by Cameron Webb (MOTÖRHEAD, MEGADETH) in Orange County, California.

SIX FEET UNDER bassist Jeff Hughell will release his third full-length solo album, "Trinidad Scorpion Hallucinations", on January 8 via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and JeffHughell.com. Just like the scorching pepper the album is named after, these songs are not for the faint of heart. The record takes the listener on a roller coaster of extreme highs and lows which parallel the emotions one would experience after having the misfortune of inhaling one of the world's hottest chilies.

The first track, "Burn The Soul", scorches ear holes with blistering bass and drums as capsaicin burns the throat. An ice-cold glass of water in the form of track number two, titled "Relief", quenches a sweltering pallet, but only momentarily. The smolder continues as delusions ensue on the title track, "Trinidad Scorpion Hallucinations". "Brief Lapse of Clarity" provides a false sense of comfort in the form of a mellow harmony. Realization that nothing can halt the heat happens in the next song "The Crown Won't Cool It Down". As science demonstrates, what goes in must come out: "The Other Side" provides a climatic close to a wild ride.

"Burn The Soul" features contributions from Dominic Lapointe performing a fretless bass solo, Marc Gilson performing keys, and drummer Hannes Grossmann, who also performs on "Trinidad Scorpion Hallucinations" and "The Crown Won't Cool it Down". "Relief" includes performances from Matt Kourie on vocals and guitar, Kevin "Brandino" Brandon on arc bass, and Mike Blanchard, who also appears in "The Other Side" on drums and percussion. Guitar solos are performed by Allan Marcus on "Trinidad Scorpion Hallucinations" and Per Nilsson on "The Other Side". "The Other Side" also features a bass solo from Mark Michell and a fretless bass solo from Jaron Evil. The epic artwork for "Trinidad Scorpion Hallucinations" is designed by Tony Koehl.

Hughell is a renowned seven-string bass player who is well established in the technical metal scene. Bands he has played with include SIX FEET UNDER, RECIPROCAL, FEARED, BRAIN DRILL, VILE, OSMIUM, SEVERED SAVIOR, ASYLUM, RINGS OF SATURN and CRYPTOREUM. He is endorsed by Warwick, Gallien Krueger, Seymour Duncan and Dean Markley.

Spain's EMP Live TV conducted an interview with vocalist Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven of Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON when the band performed at the Leyendas Del Rock festival last August. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about his personal regrets, Satyr said: "My regrests are wasting the time and effort and energy of my band with playing small bars and clubs in the Midwest in the early 2000s where there was no apparent interest in Norwegian black metal. I remember SATYRICON, IMMORTAL, KRISIUN and ANGEL CORPSE touring together, and we were all inexperienced when it came to touring the States. In a way, I'm just very thankful for the people who actually came out and supported us."

He continued: "I'm not one of those guys that want to, sort of, build a crowd. What I would like to do is to play in front of people who actually like the type of music that I like as opposed to trying to persuade them to like it."

Satyr recently revealed that he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The musician broke the news via his Instagram account, where he wrote: "I got extremely sick eight days ago and was rushed to hospital. Scans have shown that there is a blind passenger in my head. Most likely it is benign. I can live with it as long as it does not grow bigger. Removing it is extremely complicated and should only be done if it grows into a size where it is a matter of life and death."

He continued: "We all get our set of cards and this happened to be one of mine. There are so many people who have to deal with much worse things than I do, so I do not feel sorry for myself. I have a great family, lots of friends, SATYRICON, Wongraven Wines and many people who support my endeavours all over the world.

SATYRICON self-titled studio album was released in September 2013 in Norway via Indie Recordings, and in the rest of Europe through Roadrunner Records. The CD, which was made available in North America via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, was produced by Satyr and was recorded in Norway, and mixed by Adam Kasper. The effort features a guest appearance by Sivert Høyem, the Norwegian singer best known as the vocalist of the rock band MADRUGADA.

SATYRICON's "Live At The Opera" DVD was released last year via Napalm Records.

Florida based band Meatspace featuring, former Neurotica members Shawn Bowen (guitar, vocals) and GJ Gosman (drums), with Arnas Gineitas on bass and Brian Desiderio on guitar, have released a second music video for the song “Phony Halo”.

The song and video are inspired by religious hate groups from Westboro Baptist to ISIS to Nazis. 

“If the shit going on down here on this planet is going according to your ‘god’s plan’, your god deserves to be put on trial, not worshipped.” - Shawn Bowen

Meatspace will be making its live debut on Saturday, January 16th at The Local 662 in St. Petersburg, FL.



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Having risen from the festering swamp of their debut Descent Into Putridity, Newcastle-based death metallers Horrified have shifted course and progressed into new territory with their new album Of Despair.

 
Frontman and mastermind Dan Alderson has instead sought inspiration from the frozen plains further north; the works of Dissection, Sacramentum and Unanimated joined his continued love of the Floridian scene, melding together into an intense hybrid that displays spectacular riffs and throat-ruining growls.
 
The band have uploaded a track, entitled “Infernal Lands”, to showcase this transition.

Details of the album will be available soon.



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Trondheim, Norway-based avantgarde metallers, INI, have released a new single, “Dodecahedron”, available via most streaming services.

The new single is streaming below. For more on the band, check out their Facebook page at this location.



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When a hard rock band like Scorpions or Bon Jovi release a power ballad it doesn’t surprise any one any more. But how about a band in the same style releasing a waltz, with a catchy melody, accompanied by a magically realistic video clip?

Beyond The Labyrinth’s theatrical “Ghost Melody” was released some weeks ago through iTunes, Spotify, etc., and now you can enjoy the accompanying video clip.



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North Carolina’s Abhorrent Deformity have posted the DIY music video for "Boundless Suffering”. The song comes off the band's debut album, Entity Of Malevolence.

Entity Of Malevolence stands out as a convergence of brutality, complete with the boundless onslaught of crushing riffs, unmerciful drumming and bloodthirsty vocals. This unforgiving vortex of obliteration is poised to rise from the deepest depths of Hell. Artwork for Entity Of Malevolence done by the creative Italian mastermind Marco Hasmann.

Tracklisting:

“Crown Of Worms”
“Manifested Filth”
“Skeleton Carver”
“Buried Beneath Human Remains”
“Stench Of The Decomposed”
“Boundless Suffering”
“Entity Of Malevolence”
“Enshrined In Putrid Decay”
“Baptized In Embalming Fluid”
“Casket Maker”

“Entity Of Malevolence”:

“Baptized In Embalming Fluid” lyric video:

 



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UK masters of everything dark, Eye Of Solitude, have released the lyric video for the nearly 12 minute funeral opus "Obseqvies".

The song first appeared as Eye Of Solitude’s contribution to the September 2015 collector split EP with Faal. 

Created, directed and edited by Razvan Alexandru, mastermind of Romanian Doom band Abigail, "Obseqvies" is a poetic journey into darkness, despair and solitude.

Additionally, the band have re-released the "Lugubrious Valedictory" single as a free / name-your-price download.

Launched in early November as a charity single to raise funds for the victims of Bucharest's Colectiv Club fire tragedy (victims of which included close friends of the band), "Lugubrious Valedictory" received overwhelming support from fans and raised several hundred Euros that went directly to the victims and their families.

"Lugubrious Valedictory" is now available at this location.



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FOO FIGHTERS notched the sixth million-selling album of the band's career this week when its 2009 "Greatest Hits" collection passed the one million mark to re-enter The Billboard 200 album chart at No. 159. Selling 3,000 copies two weeks ago and jumping to 6,000 copies last week, its total sales now stand at 1,009,000 copies in the U.S.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, the FOO FIGHTERS' previous million sellers include 1997's "The Colour And The Shape" with 1.9 million, 2005's "In Your Honor" with 1.5 million, 2002's "One By One" with 1.4 million, 1999's "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" with 1.3 million and their self-titled 1995 debut with 1.3 million.

FOO FIGHTERS have been one of the most consistently selling rock acts of the last 20 years.

Drummer Taylor Hawkins told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he still savors each new achievement by the FOO FIGHTERS. "Every little milestone is awesome and you just kind of… A lot of things like that, you know, I just kind of put back in the back of the recesses of my mind, and someday I'll sit around with my grandkids, you know, when I'm 65 and 67 or whatever, and pull out all the DVDs and the Grammys and those kind of things and go, 'Lookit, look at what gramps used to do, wow,'" he said.

To commemorate the end of the touring cycle for 2014's "Sonic Highways" album, FOO FIGHTERS released a five-song digital EP called "St. Cecilia".

The band dedicated the set, which was named after the Austin hotel in which it was recorded, to the victims of the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, an event which also caused the FOO FIGHTERS to cut their European tour short.

In a letter accompanying the EP, frontman Dave Grohl alluded to the band taking a long hiatus, saying, "We could use a nice wander through the woods right about now… I can't help but wonder when we will see each other again. Who knows? But, with everything FOO FIGHTERS-related, it will only be when it feels right."

It took over 20 years of digging in the bile and muck of the underground for Kampfar to carve its name onto every black metallers tongues. With the release of their latest epic, Profan, the dark battalion have been nominated for a Norwegian Grammy in the Metal category.

Says Indie Recordings: “We raise our glasses and hail the veterans for rising out of the underground with brute force!”

Kampfar released Profan on November 13th via Indie Recordings.

Tracklisting:

“Gloria Ablaze”
“Profanum”
“Icons”
“Skavank”
“Daimon”
“Pole In The Ground”
“Tornekratt”

The album is available on CD jewelcase, limited CD digipak with patch, black LP gatefold, limited orange LP gatefold with black and yellow speckles. Exclusive T-Shirt bundles are also available in the Indie Recordings webshop only. Order at this location.

 



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One man UK extreme metal wrecking machine Tom Reynolds has been making quite a name for himself of late with his incessant live appearances up and down the UK and knack for marrying a plethora of extreme metal sounds into one. Now having completed his next Foul Body Autopsy record, an EP entitled Perpetuated By Greed, like all its predecessors Tom has a message to deliver, and again, just like its predecessors, the message is as subtle as a JCB driving up a village main street. In his own words, "The concept behind the new Foul Body Autopsy record is... Everything Is Completely Fucked!"

Tom elaborates, "It's a refection of how messed up the world is at the moment, and thanks to the right wing turn in politics and in the media a mood of fear and paranoia has taken hold. There are families drowning in the sea, running from the crossfire of blood thirsty extremist death cult and a desperate amoral military dictatorship, and instead of trying to help there are governments doing everything in their power to stop refugees getting to safety. As well as that, we have national newspapers here giving people, and someone in particular, space in their rag to call these affected people cockroaches! We have a Prime Minister who says that anyone that opposes war is a "terrorist sympathizer” and if we look across the pond things are not that much better... a man that looks like a biological car crash is running for president and most of the things he says are completely false but because most of his followers don't trust the media he can create his own insane reality and have thousands of people blindly agree with him. The future isn't looking too great."

Last year saw the release of So Close To Dehumanization, an EP which resonated with his vegan beliefs and explored the often ignored process of how modern societies demand for meat is actually fulfilled. Some countries may have certain laws in place to ease animal suffering, which is an inevitable result of our desire for meat produce, but the fact remains, animals are being bred and killed for consumption in industrial scale operations and do not live a natural life. A video was released for 'So Close To Complete Dehumanization', a video which received some backlash due to its disturbing content, albeit very real.

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

Tracklisting:

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

Trailer:

Perpetuated By Greed is out February 26th in Europe via Grindscene Records and in North America via Comatose Music. Pre-order here.

 



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When Silvertung released their last single, “Never Too Late”, it spawned their first Billboard Top 40 Mainstream Rock Chart hit. Coming off this success, the band continued to tour in support of the track including performing on the main stage at several festivals such as the Carolina Craft Beer & Music Fest (NC), Shiley Acres (WV) the Shindig Festival 2015 (MD).

"Face The Music” is the first single from the band’s forthcoming release, entitled, Out Of The Box. Lead vocalist Speed said, “The title came from something our manager kept telling us – ‘to think out of the box.’ We’ve been experimenting with new ideas during our writing process. For the first time we walked away from the studio after recording the first two tracks, feeling like we really gave it all we have.”

Check out the video here.

Out Of The Box was produced by Steven Wright (who has worked with everyone from Slipknot to Avril Lavigne). “Steven pushed us. He came to our rehearsal space to work with us on the material,” said guitarist Codey. “Steven watched, listened and pushed us. He knew how to bring out the best in the material we’ve been writing.”

"We always look to raise the bar with everything we do as a band." Said bass player Skoot. “We always try to one up ourselves. Out Of The Box is a big accomplishment for ourselves.”

Drummer Danno commented, “I love the aggressive presentation of the new tracks and yet they retain some melodic elements. I feel our overall performance went to another level too. The first track, “Face The Music” sticks to the point, in your face without meandering."

Hailing from Maryland, Silvertung is comprised of Speed, lead guitarist Codey, bassist Skoot, and drummer Danno, and have created a tremendous local buzz on the strength of their live show, which has seen the quartet share the stage with countless national acts, including Godsmack, Disturbed, Shinedown, Slipknot, Staind, Papa Roach, Buckcherry, Filter, Drowning Pool, and P.O.D., among countless others.

The video for “Face The Music” was directed by Wade Spencer. According to Speed, “We choose to shoot the video at the studio where we recorded the latest tracks to give fans a view of what it’s like for us at the studio and in rehearsal.”

Director Wade Spencer commented, “I love shooting these guys. They have so much energy. It was fun to edit, I really enjoy working with these guys. For once I’m actually not sick of a song after the edit.”

 



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Legendary rock icons MÖTLEY CRÜE completed their thirty-five-year touring career as a band, on New Year's Eve, with a spectacular, sold-out show at Staples Center in their hometown of Los Angeles, where the started out in 1981. The show also marked the end of their two-year "The Final Tour", which saw them perform across five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia) for a total of more than 164 shows in 72 markets grossing $100 million.

Known for their over-the-top production, MÖTLEY CRÜE did not disappoint on New Year's Eve: from massive, cutting edge pyro, including Nikki Sixx's bass guitar spitting fire over 30ft in the air, and Tommy Lee's "Crüecifly" drum roller coaster, amongst many other spectacular elements. While the "Crüecifly" experienced a technical hiccup halfway through his drum solo, perhaps signifying the coaster too had also run its course, it didn't derail the band from giving it their all to their devoted fans cheering them on all night through. Lead singer Vince Neil delivered an emotional, teary-eyed "thank you" speech to the audience, while the band supplied next-level, high-octane fueled energy, ringing in the New Year on stage with thousands of balloons raining down on the crowd. The band's grand finale of the show included a blow-out performance of their hit single "Kickstart My Heart" with Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil floating above the audience in far reaching "cherry-pickers." Leaving fans in tears, the band finished up the show with an emotional encore rendition of "Home Sweet Home" from the second stage riser in the center of the audience.

The live performances may be over, but their legacy will live on for generations to come. To celebrate their mark in rock music's history and in honor of their devoted fans, the band has confirmed the release of a full length concert film of the Final performance, which will also include exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of the last week of the tour, to be released later in 2016. Produced and distributed by Live Alliance, Christian Lamb directed the concert portion of the film, while Jeff Tremaine, creator of the "Jackass" series, directed the documentary segment. The film will premiere in theaters worldwide, one night only, followed by pay-per-view in all cable/satellite/digital formats, with a DVD set to be released later on.

Fans can check out an exclusive sneak peek of the film below. In addition to the live-concert film, MÖTLEY CRÜE are planning to release a major box-set of music down the line, as well as "The Dirt" feature film based on the band's best-selling 2001 autobiography, also to be directed by Tremaine, in the near future.

MÖTLEY CRÜE first announced plans for their two-year "Final Tour" by signing a Cessation Of Touring Agreement at a press conference in Los Angeles in January 2014, solidifying the end of their touring career.

METAL ALLEGIANCE, the all-star metal band consisting of a rotating cast of musicians, including members of MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, will pay tribute to iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister during METAL ALLEGIANCE's January 9 concert at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

With the recent release of their critically acclaimed self-titled album, the musicians of METAL ALLEGIANCE are bringing their legendary live experience back to where it began. The West Coast run starts in San Diego on January 7, hits Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and wraps up in San Francisco on January 10. Don't miss your chance to watch David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL), Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD), Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, THE WINERY DOGS), Troy Sanders (MASTODON), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT) and Mark Menghi do what they do best — play some heavy metal music!

"The entire ALLEGIANCE concept started on the West Coast back in 2011 and I'm stoked to bring it back there," comments Mark Menghi. "The last time we played out there, no one knew we were secretly writing and recording an album. Well, a year later, we're back! Can't wait to see all of our West Coast friends." Says Skolnick: "Beyond excited to kick off 2016 playing METAL ALLEGIANCE originals and specially chosen covers — the first time with this unique lineup. Since unleashing the album a short while back, we've brought our live festivities to the East Coast, Mexico and Japan. West Coast: You're next!"

States Ellefson: "This has been an incredible ride with some amazingly talented friends. Glad to see the ALLEGIANCE now thrashing back on the West Coast in the New Year."

Confirmed METAL ALLEGIANCE West Coast shows:

Jan. 07 - Ramona Mainstage - Ramona, CAJan. 08 - Count's Vamp'd - Las Vegas, NVJan. 09 - Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CAJan. 10 - The Regency - San Francisco, CA

METAL ALLEGIANCE's self-titled debut album was released on September 18, 2015 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Brought together by METAL ALLEGIANCE principal partner Mark Menghi, the project's original material came together from the creative minds of David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, and Alex Skolnick, alongside Menghi. The four writers then reached out through their metal rolodexes to a diverse lineup of performers, each adding their own personal musical stamp to the collection of nine original songs.

In a recent interview with I Probably Hate Your Band, Menghi stated about the songwriting process for "Metal Allegiance": "We wrote the majority of the lyrics for the record. In particular, Dave Ellefson and I co-wrote a lot of the lyrics to the record. We based it off our personal experiences in life, some of the fucking crap we went through. For example, with 'Can’t Kill The Devil', he had two lines for that song: 'Can't kill the Devil, the Devil never dies.' And when he said that to me, I was, like, 'Just stop right there,' and an hour later, I came back with all the lyrics for the song. And I basically told a tale, I told a story about the Devil. We all have a Devil in our life. I told a story about my Devil and combined it with his."

The standard edition CD of "Metal Allegiance" features nine original songs. A digipak edition was made available that features an all-star tribute to Ronnie James Dio with a cover of his classic song "We Rock" as well as a 45-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the album. A double vinyl version was also made available that features all 10 songs as well.

Hard rock titans METAL CHURCH return with their new album, "XI", slated for release on March 25 via Rat Pak Records. Produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and co-produced by Chris "The Wizard" Collier, the band's eleventh studio release also marks the return of legendary vocalist and frontman Mike Howe.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with Kurdt Vanderhoof on a side project he was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late '80s: "The Human Factor", "Blessing In Disguise" and "Hanging In The Balance". Out of those sessions, "XI" was born and captures the sound that made the band fan-favorites in the '80's and mixes it with a new, invigorated sound for 2016. "Sometimes I still can't believe it myself," says Vanderhoof. "No one would have ever thought Mike would return after his departure almost two decades ago."

Adds Howe: "At first, I struggled with the decision to come back, but after hearing the riffs that Kurdt was writing, I just couldn't resist. The music called to me and I wanted to be part of it!" METAL CHURCH has also released an official music video for the debut single from "XI", a song called "No Tomorrow". The clip was filmed in the Satsop Nuclear Facility, an abandoned nuclear power plant in Elma, Washington, with Seattle filmmaker and documentarian Jamie Burton Chamberlin (of Black Dahlia Films), who previously worked with DUFF MACKAGAN'S LOADED on "The Taking" series.

Rat Pak Records has entered into a licensing agreement with Nuclear Blast for distribution of "XI" in all territories outside of North America, South America and Japan.

"We here at Rat Pak Records were very excited to receive a licensing request from Markus Staiger and his amazing team at Nuclear Blast Europe to release this new METAL CHURCH [album] into their international territories, ultimately ensuring that this album will reach every corner of the globe," states Rat Pak Records president Joe O'Brien.

Staiger adds: "We are happy and proud to welcome METAL CHURCH, an absolute metal legend, to the Nuclear Blast Europe family! When the self-titled debut album was released in 1984, it was a revelation to me — that this was how heavy metal had to sound like — with killer riffs and plenty of speed!

"We will do our utmost to help re-establish METAL CHURCH here in Europe and get them back where they belong — in the 'Champions League' once again!"

King Records will oversee the new METAL CHURCH release throughout Japan.

"We are very excited to be releasing the new album by METAL CHURCH," adds "Ryo" Saito of King Records.

METAL CHURCH 2016 is:

Mike Howe (vocals)Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitar)Jeff Plate (drums)Steve Unger (bass)Rick VanZandt (guitar)

The latest FEAR FACTORY tour webisode, featuring footage from the band's concerts in Strasbourg, France and Ghent, Belgium during their recent European headlining tour, can be seen below.

FEAR FACTORY was involved in a bus crash on November 25 while en route to the show in Munich. FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares stated shortly after the accident: "Everyone is okay, just a little shaken up. It doesn't help when it's 4:30 a.m. and snowing outside!"

FEAR FACTORY's European trek saw the band playing the "Demanufacture" album in its entirety. They also showcased songs from their new CD, "Genexus", which came out on August 7, 2015 via Nuclear Blast.

In a 2012 interview with Lithium Magazine, FEAR FACTORY singer Burton C. Bell stated about the hardships of touring: "Some people are just not cut out for that kind of lifestyle, and some are. It really comes down to the individual and the real drive that they have to pursue their dream of music. If you're going to pursue music, you've got to go all the way, you can't do it half-assed. You have to give it your all, and touring is a big part of that — live shows in front of people all over the world. That's what we do and if it's not in you, you're not going to last."

Australian rock band WOLFMOTHER will release its new album, "Victorious", on February 19 via Universal Music Enterprises.

A new track from the CD, "Gypsy Caravan", can be streamed below. WOLFMOTHER recently teamed with popular enhanced coloring book app Recolor to give fans the opportunity to create their own colorized version of the "Victorious" album art. Recolor was created by premium photo app developer Sumoing. The follow-up to 2009's "Cosmic Egg" and 2014's "New Crown", the much-anticipated "Victorious" is an electrifying testament to the range and depth of songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Andrew Stockdale's artistry. Recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles with two-time Grammy-winning producer Brendan O'Brien (PEARL JAM, AC/DC, CHRIS CORNELL, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN), the songs are edgy, inventive and uncompromising and rank among the band's best ever. Stockdale began working on the record in January 2015 at his Byron Bay studio in New South Wales, writing on every instrument and embracing the same creative approach he used on the band's debut album a decade ago. "Back in the early days, I'd play guitar, bass, and drums and then present the ideas to the band and we'd work on the arrangement together," he says. "I thought it would be cool to get back to demoing ideas by myself and playing everything. It's a good way to do things because it can make the style more cohesive." In addition to vocals, Stockdale played guitar and bass and brought in Josh Freese (NINE INCH NAILS, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, A PERFECT CIRCLE) and Joey Waronker (AIR, BECK, REM) to split drum duties.

"We wanted to get back to that big sound," says Stockdale. "The album is a balance of garage-y energy and big production. It's wild, energetic and," he muses, "perfect for a festival main stage."

WOLFMOTHER will support "Victorious" with a headline tour of North America set to kick off February 24 at First Avenue in Minneapolis.