Sanford Police Department Chief Cecil E. Smith says that former Sanford, Florida, police officer Andrew Ricks had violated other policies in addition to singing "Let the killing begin" at a death metal concert last week.

Ricks had already submitted a letter of resignation on October 30, but was relieved of his duties this past Wednesday morning (November 18), two days before the pending separation date.

Smith told The Daily Beast that Ricks's decision to join the death metal band VITAL REMAINS on stage on November 13 and sing the song "Dechristianize" in full uniform was unacceptable. However, Smith added that he has nothing against heavy metal.

"There is absolutely no concern with us with anyone listening to heavy metal," Smith told The Daily Beast. "That's your prerogative and your choice of music that you want to listen to."

After a video of Ricks's appearance with VITAL REMAINS was sent to Smith on Tuesday, Smith notified the Professional Standard Section and removed Ricks's authority to perform his law enforcement duties. Early Wednesday morning, he and his command staff arrived at the decision to essentially move the date of Ricks's resignation up by two days.

"For folks to believe that he was terminated because of the circumstances isn't true," Smith told The Daily Beast. "What would have probably happened if Officer Ricks had remained on the job is that we would have completed the internal investigation, for which he would have most likely received some form of discipline."

According to Smith, Ricks had violated other policies as well. Ricks had disobeyed the requirement to have his body camera turned on while doing community contacts, Smith said. He had also placed a training officer in a situation that the latter was not equipped to handle, Smith claimed.

"Dechristianize", which includes the statement "Let the killing begin," was reportedly written about the crucifixion of Christ and is the opening track on VITAL REMAINS' 2003 album of the same name. The LP was the band's first to feature DEICIDE vocalist Glen Benton, and is generally considered to be VITAL REMAINS' breakthrough album.

"'Let the killing begin' is not an appropriate response to anything, considering the tensions between law enforcement and the communities, and considering the circumstances of things that have taken place in Paris and around our country," Smith told The Daily Beast.

"The last thing I want to do is have anyone be in fear of one of our police officers."

Ricks worked for Apopka Police Department for six months before resigning in 2009 and getting hired by the Sanford Police Department in January 2010.

Relapse Records will release the first-ever fully authorized DEATH tab book, featuring 21 classic songs tabbed out for guitar from the band's entire discography. The book, which includes traditional notation as well as tablature, also comes with a digital download of all tracks. It will be emade available this Christmas. Pre-orders are available here. Featured tracks: 01. Zombie Ritual (from the album "Scream Bloody Gore")02. Denial Of Life (from the album "Scream Bloody Gore") 03. Mutilation (from the album "Scream Bloody Gore") 04. Pull The Plug (from the album "Leprosy") 05. Leprosy (from the album "Leprosy") 06. Left To Die (from the album "Leprosy") 07. Spiritual Healing (from the album "Spiritual Healing") 08. Living Monstrosity (from the album "Spiritual Healing") 09. Within The Mind (from the album "Human") 10. Lack Of Comprehension (from the album "Human") 11. Suicide Machine (from the album "Human") 12. Together As One (from the album "Human") 13. The Philosopher (from the album "Individual Thought Patterns") 14. Overactive Imagination (from the album "Individual Thought Patterns")15. In Human Form (from the album "Individual Thought Patterns") 16. Perennial Quest (from the album "Symbolic")17. Zero Tolerance (from the album "Symbolic") 18. Crystal Mountain (from the album "Symbolic") 19. Spirit Crusher (from the album "The Sound of Perseverance") 20. Scavenger Of Human Sorrow (from the album "The Sound of Perseverance") 21. Story To Tell (from the album "The Sound of Perseverance") It was 1993 when DEATH cemented its reputation as one of the most creative and innovative progressive metal bands of our time by releasing its fifth studio album, "Individual Thought Patterns". The album was their most technical and progressive material to date while displaying the full talents of DEATH mastermind Chuck Schuldiner. In 2016, this legendary album will be brought back to life in the live setting. With its upcoming 2016 tour, "European Thought Patterns", DEATH DTA will pay tribute to the masterpiece along with classic cuts from all of the DEATH albums. The DEATH DTA lineup will consist of Steve DiGiorgio (DEATH, TESTAMENT, SADUS), Gene Hoglan (DEATH, TESTAMENT, DARK ANGEL), Bobby Koelble (DEATH) and Max Phelps (EXIST), who have joined forces to resurrect those iconic songs, along with many more milestones from DEATH's legendary history. The "European Thought Patterns" tour is the latest endeavor in a series of tours that have seen DEATH DTA performing at dozens of festivals and countries across the globe, alongside such renowned artists as OBITUARY, CARCASS, KREATOR, and many more. DEATH's storied catalog has undergone a meticulous reissue campaign via Relapse Records.

Chuck died on December 13, 2001 after a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor.

Fan-filmed video footage of EXODUS's November 13 performance at the Aztec Theater in San Antonio, Texas as part of this year's Housecore Horror Film Festival can be seen below.

EXODUS is currently touring North America as the support act for KING DIAMOND.

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt is unable to take part in the trek due to his commitments with SLAYER. Filling in for him once again is HEATHEN guitarist Kragen Lum.

EXODUS's latest album, "Blood In Blood Out", sold around 8,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released in North America on October 14, 2014 via Nuclear Blast, the CD art was illustrated by Swedish artist Pär Olofsson, known worldwide for his incredible renderings that have graced the covers of countless heavy metal albums, including EXODUS' "Let There Be Blood".

"Blood In Blood Out" is EXODUS' first album since the departure of the band's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

This weekend's edition of legendary BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward's radio show "Rock 50" included his tribute to the Paris attack survivors and a few words about late MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, who died on November 11 at the age of 61.

Speaking about terrorist attacks in France that left 130 people dead, Ward read the following statement during his radio show: "This is from 'Rock 50' and my family. We send our deepest condolences to the families of those whose lives, on Friday, November the 13th, were horribly cut short. Our respect and sincere wishes go to all those who are surviving and recovering from their physical injuries. Our hearts are sad and we are moved by the courage of the survivors of the Paris attacks. Their outlook and resilience is a stark contrast to the world's shock, fear and outrage. Leading with a healing response, the survivors have shown an extraordinary example of love and tolerance. We can learn from them. They are to be admired and commended for such selfless enlightenment in the face and shadow of a self-defeating tyrannical sickness."

He continued: "I am thankful that my eldest son, musicians I admire and a longtime old friend were not in the concert hall at that life-betraying moment when the shots were fired.

"In all that is honesty and life, music and love will prevail — it will prevail above all wretched consequences. It is light and comfort and solace for millions.

"Have hope in the spirit of music.

"May peace reside in the hearts of the suffering forever."

After reading the statement, Ward went on to say: "I hate reading statements like that, but at the same time, I feel that statements like that have to be made. And I'm not a politician, I'm a rock musician, but I've been saying things for a number of years now about stuff when it sticks out, and it was time to make a statement as well. And my hat is definitely off to the survivors. I was so moved by watching them on TV and the reports. I'm just glad that they're alive to tell their story. They are angels on the earth, that's for sure."

The original lineup of SABBATH reunited in late 2011 for a new album called "13" and a world tour. Although Ward was on board at first, he dropped out over what he called contractual issues. Ward will apparently not be part of the band's 2016 farewell tour either.

MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy was interviewed this past week by "ZDF Aspekte" (Aspects), a popular German cultural show for the younger generation. You can now watch the chat at ZDF.de. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the Paris terrorist attacks of November 13:

Lemmy: "We were looking at the TV as it happened and they were filming it. You could still hear gunshots. It's so dumb. Those people are so dumb. What for? Do you think it's gonna be a heroic thing to kill innocent people? Assholes. Cowards."

On whether the thought crossed his mind that this could have happened at a MOTÖRHEAD show:

Lemmy: "Yeah, sure, of course. I mean, we played the Bataclan many times — about ten times. It was a regular show for us in Paris. But, thankfully, [nothing happened to us] that night."

On whether it was clear to him that MOTÖRHEAD wouldn't be able to play in France immediately after the Paris terrorist attacks, like the band was scheduled to:

Lemmy: "Well, I didn't think they'd let us play. I mean, it was the day after."

On whether the terrorist attack at the EAGLES OF DEATH METAL concert changed anything for him in terms of the way he approaches performing:

Lemmy: "No. I would have gone on the day after. If they [the terrorists] stop you, then they win. And they're not gonna beat me. I mean, I do what I'm supposed to do. If the police cancel [the show for us], I can't do [anything] about that. But we didn't cancel it."

On whether he thinks people are more vulnerable now because of what happened in Paris:

Lemmy: "We've always been vulnerable. Every day you go out the house, you're vulnerable. You're inches from diving under a bus or somebody hitting you over the head for your money. Nothing is safe. Everybody seems to be obsessed with safety. Well, nothing is safe, okay? Nothing! Make the most of it while you're safe now. You won't be tomorrow, maybe."

On how the Paris attacks caused the French president to declare his nation at war with Islamic State extremists:

Lemmy: "Well, you've gotta see his point. I mean, he just had Pearl Harbor in his capital city. I mean, they declared war on him, not him on them."

On whether he would characterize the current situation as "war":

Lemmy: "Well, it's difficult to think of another description. A bunch of guys running around in the capital city with automatic weapons. They killed 137 people. What do you call it?"

On the recent passing of former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, who died on November 11 at the age of 61:

Lemmy: "Yeah, he's the second [ex-MOTÖRHEAD member to die]. First Würzel [ex-MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Michael Burston] and now Phil. I've known Phil, it feels like, all my life. He was a real character, he was a real nutcase, and I do admire that in a person. But I think he lost his will to live, 'cause he was doing a lot of the wrong drugs and living with the wrong people, and it finally caught up."

On whether he would say he (Lemmy) always used the "right" drugs:

Lemmy: "No. But it was too much for his constitution. So far I've survived it."

On whether he is sometimes surprised that he is still able to perform considering the amount of drugs and alcohol he consumed in his life:

Lemmy: "No, I'm just lucky. I don't really recommend the lifestyle, 'cause most people die of it. I mean, a lot of my friends are dead who shouldn't be, who had a lot more music in them. But that's the way life is: the luck of the draw. You can't plan your life; it doesn't work. If you're confronted by a situation that you didn't plan for, and then you're lost… baffled. So you might as well be ready for everything. And to do that, you have to take all the drugs you possibly can."

While touring together in the US earlier this year, VAMPS and Apocalyptica discussed the idea of doing more together. In addition to the six UK shows later this month, the musicians have joined forces for a fresh piece of music: the single "Sin In Justice".

For VAMPS, this is the first time they've collaborated with classically trained player and it's an experience they found inspiring.
 
"The creative process was pretty hectic," reflects Hyde of VAMPS. "I worked on the song during our South American tour, writing the lyrics and running through the vocal lines, and the Apocalyptica camp spent time with the music between their various other commitments. Actually, it all started pretty organically, out of a growing friendship; we listened to each other's demos, exchanged ideas, and things just grew from there. I think what we've ended up with is very fresh and certainly new for us. If our respective schedules allow, I'd love to work with Apocalyptica again..."
 
"Yes, we had a great time being on the road together," continues Apocalyptica's Eicca Toppinen. "We loved the idea and the experience of working together in this way. We're really proud of the song, and we hope fans of both bands will enjoy it."

Apocalyptica/Vamps UK tour dates include:

November
24 - Wulfrun Hall - Wolverhampton, England
25 - Rock City - Nottingham, England
26 - ABC - Glasgow, Scotland
27 - Shepherd’s Bush Empire - London, England
28 - Academy 2 - Manchester, England
29 - Academy - Bristol, England



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Trailblazing Finnish melodic death metal unit Wolfheart have shared their new video for "Zero Gravity". The track lives on the band's new album Shadow World, out now via Spinefarm.

The video was shot in four different locations on what Wolfheart's Tuomas Saukkonen calls "a four-day adventure trip" in the midst of the great Norwegian North. 

Like all the previous Wolfheart videos, "Zero Gravity" was produced by Saukkonen's own OneManArmy company, and filmed by his trusted right-hand man Valtteri Hirvonen.

Saukkonen stated, "I have visited Norway a few times before and absolutely love the nature and surroundings. To me, it was the perfect scenery for Wolfheart music. It was overall a very smooth project and a pretty awesome 'road trip' with the guys. The reason we went there by car through Lapland to Norway was because it was impossible for us to fly with the amount of video gear, instruments, and whatever else we had with us."

The band's signature Winter Metal sound is perfectly embodied in "Zero Gravity" the song — raging double bass drum attacks, the frail balance between savage riffs and the arresting melodies of twin guitar leads, iced with  Saukkonen's ferocious growls and dashes of sheer brutality, resulting to a blizzard of majestic yet unmistakably Finnish melodic death metal sound.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Canadian metal legends ANVIL will release their new album, "Anvil Is Anvil", on February 26, 2016 worldwide (excluding Japan) via SPV/Steamhammer. The album will be available on digipak CD (incuding one bonus track and a poster), 2LP gatefold clear version and as a digital download.

"Anvil Is Anvil" was recorded in October at Redhead 4 Studios in Pulheim, near Cologne, Germany, with producer Martin "Mattes" Pfeiffer. According to a press release, the CD is "an unambiguous, uncompromising recording, typical of this band. At the same time it's fresh, occasionally surprising and generally exciting through and through. A stalwart metal manifesto by a band who stand for authenticity and credibility like few others in this fast-lived business."

Comments ANVIL guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow: "We're sometimes criticised for never changing. But why should we change something we're renowned for? Isn't it much more important to stay faithful to yourself? To do what you do best?

"The idea behind our latest album is: we are what we are, and that's how it's going to stay!"

He continues: "Time will tell whether this album is the absolute pinnacle of our career. But I would already refer to it as 'gaining the momentum.'

"The year 2013 was a perfect new start for ANVIL. We were touring, went on to write the new material, toured again and returned to compose some more. During that time, the new lineup gelled into a real unit."

ANVIL last year parted ways with bassist Sal Italiano and replaced him with Chris Robertson. Lips says: "The arrival of Chris was just as significant for us as the film back in 2008. He helped me enormously with my vocal lines, which is why my voice sounds better than ever on stage and also in the studio." The same could be said of the new material. "Anvil Is Anvil" sounds all of one piece and presents the band's amazing diversity, combined with their conscious loyalty to the compositional DNA of their own classics. "Die For A Lie", for example, sounds like a contemporary version of "Jackhammer" and the stomping "Runaway Train" features the same directives as "Smoking Green", only based on Kudlow's present-day maturity.

"I practically graduated from the Bob Marlette university," the ANVIL frontman praises the American producer with whom the band recorded the 2011 release "Juggernaut Of Justice" and 2013's "Hope In Hell". "Bob showed me how to write songs which really mean something. So when I started to compose this time around, I was perfectly groomed." For Lips, whose family is Jewish, as is drummer Robb Reiner's, it was a special moment to work with a German producer in a German studio.

"There's a song on 'Anvil Is Anvil' that's called 'Forgive Don't Forget', which says everything about our attitude," Lips says. "Nobody is guilty of anything that happened before their time, especially since Germany has critically examined and come to terms with its own past.

"ANVIL have always been welcome in Germany, even during difficult phases. When we think of Germany, we think of friends, not war criminals."

Lips calls himself an idealist who takes a clear political stance with songs such as "Gun Control" and "Die For A Lie" and also denounces the ambiguous role of the church. He says: "Religion is frequently used to involve people in military conflict. Hate in the name of God — that's just wrong!" Yet "Anvil Is Anvil" not only touches on sensitive issues but also documents the band's lust for life, their dynamic musical style and their absolute down-to-earthiness. When Lips delivers the line "Ace of Spades and the joker is wild" on "It's Your Move" with a surprisingly realistic MOTÖRHEAD timbre, it proves his sense of humor and is an homage at the same time ("[I've been] close friends with Lemmy since 1981. He is definitely part of the family"). And when ANVIL invite their fans to the studio to join the choir on "Daggers And Rum", it only shows the closeness between the musicians and their fans.

Lips says: "We've never recorded a pirate metal shanty such as 'Daggers & Rum' before. I'm sure this number will go down well on the upcoming tour."

Regarding the cover, Robb Reiner adds: "This time around, it was suggested I paint the cover art for the release by brother Lips, after I had come up with the concept and showing him study sketches drawn out. The simple, straight-to-the-point composition was much fun to render on canvas in oil. I spent about six weeks to complete it." "Anvil Is Anvil" track listing:

01. Daggers And Rum (5:26)02. Up, Down, Sideways (3:19)03. Gun Control (4:22)04. Die For A Lie (3:17)05. Runaway Train (3:40)06. Zombie Apocalypse (4:22)07. It's Your Move (3:30)08. Ambushed (3:22)09. Fire On The Highway (4:35)10. Run Like Hell (3:07)11. Forgive Don't Forget (2:40)12. Never Going To Stop (4:12) (bonus track digipak)

ANVIL will embark on a massive European tour with DIRKSCHNEIDER (the band led by former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider) in February-April 2016, followed by a U.S. tour from May 12 until June 18.

ANVIL as special guest of DIRKSCHNEIDER:

Feb. 19 - NO-Stavanger - Folken Feb. 20 - NO-Haugesund - Byscenen Feb. 21 - NO-Bergen - Rick`s Feb. 24 - DK-Aarhus - Train Feb. 25 - SE-Malmö - KBFeb. 26 - SE-Gothenburg - TrädgarnFeb. 27 - SE-Sundsvall - Folket Hus Feb. 28 - SE-Stockholm - Fryshuset Klubben Mar. 01 - FIN-Helsinki - Tavastia Mar. 04 - FIN-Jyväskylä - Lutakko Mar. 05 - FIN-Vaasa - Rantasipi Mar. 11 - D-Leipzig - Hellraiser Mar. 12 - D-Markneukirchen - Music Hall Mar. 13 - D-Ludwigsburg - Rockfabrik Mar. 22 - D-Cologne - EssigfabrikMar. 23 - D-Bochum - ZecheMar. 25 - CZ-Ostrava - GarageMar. 26 - CZ-Zlin - Masters Of Rock Cafe Mar. 27 - CZ-Prague - Meet Factory Mar. 31 - D-Munich - Backstage Apr. 01 - D-Burglengenfeld - VAZ Apr. 02 - D-Memmingen - Kaminwerk Apr. 03 - CH-Pratteln - Z7 Apr. 05 - E-Madrid - La Riviera Apr. 06 - E-Pamplona - Sala Totem Apr. 07 - E-Barcelona - Razzmatazz 2 Apr. 21 - D-Hamburg - Markthalle Apr. 23 - D-Geiselwind - MusicHall Apr. 24 - D-Berlin - Postbahnhof

Norwegian epic black metal pioneers BORKNAGAR will release their tenth studio album, "Winter Thrice", on January 22, 2016 via Century Media.

"Winter Thrice", which — just like 2012's "Urd" — was mixed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios (OPETH, KREATOR, AMON AMARTH) and packaged in artwork by Marcelo Vasco of P2RDesign (SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY), is unique to the BORKNAGAR catalogue also because it features four vocalist parts, including the return of original singer and ULVER mastermind Kristoffer Rygg, a.k.a. Garm, who guests on two songs.

The album encompasses everything that BORKNAGAR has put to tape over the past two decades, from their most brutal assaults to their most experimental compositions, with a larger progressive vibe than ever before, making it an absolute highlight in the band's already stellar career so far.

The track listing for the CD is as follows: 01. The Rhymes Of The Mountain02. Winter Thrice03. Cold Runs The River04. Panorama05. When Chaos Calls06. Erodent07. Noctilucent08. Terminus The album's limited-edition digipak CD version and the gatefold 2-LP also come with the bonustrack "Dominant Winds" and additionally, the digipak will include a BORKNAGAR logo patch. As a first teaser for "Winter Thrice", BORKNAGAR has released a lyric video for the album's opening track, "The Rhymes Of The Mountain". Check it out below.

BORKNAGAR founder and guitarist Øystein G. Brun says: "This was in fact the very first song I wrote for the new album and in many ways a very personal song. The song is, quite frankly, a full throttle hymn to the mountains.

"Growing up between the mountains here at the west coast of Norway, the inborn attraction towards the mountains is very real — and has been real for generations. Maybe it is just some sort of evolutionary misfiring deriving from my ancestors where I feel the urge to get up high to watch for dangers or enemies approaching from the coast, or to find new places to settle down. Maybe, maybe not. But throughout history, mountains have had a special place in many cultures and that's certainly no coincidence. This is my way of portraying the grandeur feeling of being on a mountain top with thin air, deadly winds and bloody taste in my mouth. That feeling." He added the following about the album's artwork: "Once again we have been delighted to work with the genius Brazilian designer Marcelo Vasco to achieve a visual expression that projects the quintessence of our new album, 'Winter Thrice'.

"As usual, there is no obvious concept we uphold, but rather a piece of design with subtle ideas pointing in various directions. First and foremost, the cover holds the general feeling or the flavor that we wanted to express through the music and lyrics. The grandeur depth, the fierce reality and the cosmic mystery of life. As an example, the upper part of the cover has a cosmic feel to it and likewise the bottom part has a more earthly vibe. The wood-carved tree somehow represents the link between the two essential scopes in life — inwards and outwards, whilst the fire burns. And for those looking very closely on details you'll also find some references to our previous work. Apart from that, I prefer to leave it for everyone else to find their own meaning in the cover." BORKNAGAR has already been confirmed to appear at next year's edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival, taking place on August 4-6, 2016. More tourdates to promote the release of "Winter Thrice" will be announced in the coming weeks.

BORKNAGAR lineup:

Øystein G. Brun - Clean and Electric GuitarsVintersorg - Grim Vocals, Clean Vocals and ChoirsJens F. Ryland - Lead GuitarsICS Vortex - Bass, Clean Vocals and ChoirsLars A. Nedland - Keys, Clean Vocals and ChoirsBaard Kolstad - Drums

According to a report issued via the International Business Times, the hacktivist group Anonymous released information suggesting today (November 22nd) would see several terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic State (ISIS), including one at the scheduled Five Finger Death Punch show in Milan, Italy

Anonymous published the list of potential targets alongside a statement: 

"The goal is to make sure the whole world, or at least the people going to these events, know that there have been threats and that there is possibility of an attack to happen. Another goal is to make sure Daesh (the Arabic name for ISIS) knows that the world knows and cancels the attacks, which will disorientate them for a while."

The news comes as Anonymous escalates its online assault on IS after the Paris attacks by taking down one of the most important forums for their communication. IS has responded to hacking group's threats by publishing a series of basic guidelines to prevent their followers' Twitter accounts from being hacked.

Five Finger Death Punch have since issued the following statement:

"As some of you may be aware, there were many rumors today that the Milan, Italy show on Sunday, November 22nd will be targeted in a next wave of terror attacks like we saw in Paris last week. We did our best in a very short amount of time to work with the local promoter and authorities to ensure that security would be adequate. Unfortunately, we did not receive confirmation in time to satisfy our requirements and to ensure that our fans would be safe at the event. Therefore, we were forced to postpone the show to a later date. Please stay tuned for more info."

Watch the official Five Finger Death Punch Facebook page here for updates.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Germany's Finsterforst have announced that accordion player Hannes is leaving the band. The band will remain as a six-piece and are soon hitting the road again for the Raunächte Tour 2015. These shows will be the last chance for you to see Hannes live on stage.

Hannes on leaving the band: “10 years ago, I joined Finsterforst playing accordion and singing. Since then there were a lot of great gigs, special encounters with wonderful people and always a lot of widenings of my own horizon. Due to new challenges in my profession and changes in my private life I'll stop all live-activities in Finsterforst with the beginning of 2016. This has not been an easy decision, because everything that is connected with Finsterforst is of a prime importance for me. I want to thank all the great people, which I had the chance to get to know during the years and I hope, that you'll still remain loyal to the Schwarzwald-guys.”

Raunächte Tour 2015 (with Dread Sovereign, Bifröst, Anomalie)

December
26 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
27 - Arnhem, Netherlands - Willemen
28 - Frankfurt, Germany - Das Bett
29 - Wien, Austria - Viper Room
30 - Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse
31 - Bern, Switzerland - Graffiti

January
1 - Zella-Mehlis, Germany - Einsiedel
2 - Berlin, Germany - K17

 



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

On November 19, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke was once again asked for his thoughts on a GN'R reunion, following reports that long-estranged singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash had recently repaired their relationship. Clarke, who was not an original member of the group, told Alex Kluft of California Rock News (see video below): "Well, you know what? I hope it happens. I honestly have no information, but I hope it happens. I think it's great for music, it's great for rock music. It was a great band. Everybody's alive, healthy. It should happen."

Clarke recently told podcast host Eddie Trunk that he has not heard anything about a reunion from anyone in the band and said that he didn't think a reunion would actually happen. "No, I really don't," he said. As for whether he might be asked to participate, Clarke said: "I think if it happened, obviously, it would be great, but I've got to be realistic. The fans want the original five guys, and I do too. It was a great band, [and] it would be great to see that. If it did happen, I would definitely be available to do it."

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

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

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

Slash's revelation in August that he and Axl had repaired their relationship after nearly 20 years immediately led to speculation about the classic GUNS lineup reuniting, although Slash has refused to speak about the matter.

Texas heavy rockers DROWNING POOL will release their new album, "Hellelujuah", on February 5 via eOne Music. The follow-up to 2013's "Resilience" was recorded with renowned producer Jason Suecof (AUGUST BURNS RED, DEICIDE, DEATH ANGEL).

The first single from "Hellelujuah", a song called "By The Blood", is available for streaming using the SoundCloud widget below.

"We're excited as hell to get our brand new single out to everyone!" says guitarist CJ Pierce. "Back to the core sound you know from DROWNING POOL! Crank it up!"

The single made its radio debut yesterday on SiriusXM's Octane. "By The Blood" will also be featured during World Series Of Fighting 25 taking place tonight. This is an eight-man, one-night tournament for the top contender spot for the World Lightweight Title taking place at 11 p.m. Eastern / 8 p.m. Pacific on NBC Sports at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.

The cover art for "Hellelujuah" was designed by world-renowned artist Brian Mercer, who has previously worked with Chris Cornell, LAMB OF GOD and HIGH ON FIRE.

"Hellelujuah" track listing:

01. Push02. By The Blood03. Drop04. Hell To Pay05. We Are The Devil06. Snake Charmer07. My Own Way08. Goddamn Vultures09. Another Name10. Sympathy Depleted11. Stomping Ground12. Meet The Bullet13. All Saints Day

DROWNING POOL earlier in the year embarked on the second leg of its "Sinner Unlucky 13th Anniversary Tour", on which the band played its 2001 debut album, "Sinner", from start to finish.

The "Sinner" album arrived in June 2001 and featured the monster single "Bodies", plus follow-up rock radio hits "Sinner" and "Tear Away".

Original DROWNING POOL frontman Dave Williams, who sang on "Sinner", passed away from heart disease on the band's tour bus in August 2002, while the group was out promoting the record.

In January 2004, the band announced the addition of singer Jason "Gong" Jones. Their sophomore effort, "Desensitized", followed several months later. In 2006, Ryan McCombs assumed the vocal duties, and a year later they released "Full Circle", followed by a self-titled album in 2010. McCombs, the only singer to ever record more than one album with the group, departed the following year, and was replaced by SUICIDE HOOK vocalist Jasen Moreno, who made his official debut on "Resilience".

The clip below features members of Arch Enemy, Megadeth, Sabaton and Obituary sending congratulations to Japanese metal legends Loudness for the 30th Anniversary of their classic album, Thunder In The East. The clip was shot at this year's Loud Park festival in Japan by the WOWOW network.

Loudness recently posted a short documentary on their breakthrough album, Thunder In The East, celebrating the platter's 30th anniversary. The clip is in Japanese and can be viewed below.

Loudness will release a 30th anniversary edition of their Thunder In The East album in Japan on November 25th, according to Roppongi Rocks. The special edition of the album will be released in several different versions featuring bonus DVDs with live footage from their 1985 US tour and more.

More details at this location.

Trailer:



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Sweden power/heavy metallers released their second album Trapped In The Shadows on November 20th via AFM Records. A new lyric video for “Screaming Out” can be seen below.

The cover art was created by Mattias Norén, who has previously worked with Kamelot, Sabaton, and Evergrey.

Tracklisting:

“Irresistible”
“March Of Madness”
“The Dark”
“Trapped In The Shadows”
“Invincible”
“Man-Made Devil”
“Silent Messiah”
“The Journey”
“Screaming Out”
“Psychopomp”

“Screaming Out” lyric video:

“March Of Madness”:



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

The clip below features Death Angel frontman Mark Osegueda and Slayer / Exodus guitarist Gary Holt - both members of Metal Allegiance - sending congratulations to Japanese metal legends Loudness for the 30th Anniversary of their classic album, Thunder In The East. The clip was shot at this year's Loud Park festival in Japan by the WOWOW network.

Loudness recently posted a short documentary on their breakthrough album, Thunder In The East, celebrating the platter's 30th anniversary. The clip is in Japanese and can be viewed below.

Loudness will release a 30th anniversary edition of their Thunder In The East album in Japan on November 25th, according to Roppongi Rocks. The special edition of the album will be released in several different versions featuring bonus DVDs with live footage from their 1985 US tour and more.

More details at this location.

Trailer:



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe has posted a lengthy message on his official blog, Randonesia, explaining the band's decision to cancel the remaining dates on its European headlining tour due to what has been described as "security concerns."

89 people were killed at the November 13 EAGLES OF DEATH METAL show at Paris venue Bataclan, where when gunmen fired inside the venue and took concertgoers hostage. All of the bandmembers were confirmed safe after the attacks, but members of their crew were not so lucky. Merchandising manager Nick Alexander lost his life, as did Bataclan stage and lighting manager Nathalie Jardin.

On November 14, the French Government declared a state of emergency, closing the nation's borders and shutting down Paris' concert halls, movie theatres, museums and public spaces until further notice.

After LAMB OF GOD announced on November 19 that it was canceling the remainder of its European tour, support acts CHILDREN OF BODOM and SYLOSIS said that they would continue the trek, starting on November 22 at Z7 Konzertfabrik in Pratteln, Switzerland.

Blythe's message, which was posted on Saturday, November 21, reads as follows:

"At the request of management, I have agreed to write a post concerning our recently cancelled tour of Europe. I wouldn't have bothered to do this on my own, since a rather self-explanatory general statement has already been made explaining our reasons for leaving and that seems more than sufficient to me. The basic gist of the post was that something specific occurred that made some of us in the band feel that it was unwise to continue on with the tour, potentially putting ourselves, our crew, and large numbers of defenseless people in harm's way. Simple enough. And I won't elaborate on the details of that occurrence here, since I have no wish to add to the atmosphere of speculation and fear that currently surrounds terrorist activities in Europe. There are way too many ill-informed running mouths across the globe making an already tense, highly complex, and extremely fluid situation on that continent even worse. I feel pretty ridiculous even writing this (who knew deciding to cancel a tour after venues you have played start getting blown up would require any sort of explanation to anyone?), but since I have been asked nicely to do so by the people I employ to manage my band, I will. And as one of the band members who said, 'I am done here,' I will speak solely for myself, not my band as a whole. I have no problem with this because, well, because, frankly, I don't give a rat's ass what most people think of me in general. Historically, other people's opinions of what I should or shouldn't do or say hasn't made much of an impact on my decision-making process, and it's not about to start now. Besides, I'm already more than used to being the bad guy, so I won't lose any sleep over the inevitable pissy Internet comments. That kind of stuff just isn't significant enough to keep me up at night, and I don't pay much attention to it anyway. I'll leave that to the hand-wringers and gossipmongers who have nothing better to do.

"So here is what I have to say, and it's all I'm going to say on this matter, PERIOD. Those with just half of a functional brain in their heads will easily understand, the rest… well, who really gives a fuck what you (don't) think anyway? Certainly not me.

"Obviously, no working band wants to cancel a tour, especially once it is underway — fans get disappointed, a lot of money gets lost by several different groups of people, a massive amount of time is wasted by all parties involved, it's generally an all-around bad business move, and (trust me) it's just a huge pain in the ass.

"My band is not in the habit of cancelling tours, so unless there is a family emergency, we carry on regardless of almost anything. And lots of 'interesting' things have occurred in our 21 years of existence as a band. We have taken the stage five minutes after martial law has been declared (Bangkok, Thailand), we have been stuck in airports for multiple days unable to enter a country because the armed forces and the police force of that country have decided to go to war with each other (Ecuador), we have narrowly missed, driven through, or managed to maneuver around deadly natural catastrophes (earthquakes in China, floods in Poland, hurricanes here in America, and more). Personally, I've gone onstage with a broken arm, broken ribs, various broken toes, a broken nose, staples in my forehead due to a stagedive gone wrong. Hell, I've even been to prison in a foreign country, gotten out after a month, and played massive gigs a little over a week later. In fact, before the first night of this very tour had even gotten underway, I met a group of particularly unpleasant young people on a dark street and consequently played the first few shows with a banging headache.

"My band and I aren't even strangers to touring in an environment of terror. Just over a month after September 11, 2001, we played in Times Square, downtown Manhattan, New York City (a lot of bands, especially European bands, cancelled tours of the States around that time, and I didn't blame them — it was a seriously heavy time to be in America). But such is the life of a touring musician, so something really, really serious has to occur to make us cancel. And something really, really serious (and utterly heartbreaking) did occur in Paris, prompting several bands to go home early or cancel upcoming tours. I couldn't blame them. But my band didn't leave — we paid attention to what was going on, evaluated the situation the best we could, and decided to continue on with the tour. Despite some obvious concerns, it felt like the right thing to do.

"Sitting in a hotel room in London, as I followed along in real time during the tragic massacre in Paris at Bataclan I could see the layout of the club in my mind, and I thought, 'That is a terrible spot to be trapped in like that (which, of course, is exactly why the gunmen chose it). God help those people inside.' It was sickening to me that people were dying just because they wanted to see a rock show, and what made it worse was that I could clearly envision it happening as it went down; I'd played that club several times before.

"89 people died in Bataclan that night, including one individual known to several crew members of our tour. The next day, the mood was serious before the gig, but all the bands got up and played their hearts out. It felt like the right thing to do, to try and raise people's spirits. From the stage, I told the audience to try not to be consumed by hatred or to live in fear. After all, we were still onstage, people had come out, and no one wants to sit around and be overwhelmed by anger, anxiety, and sadness over something they have no control over. It was an emotional show for everyone involved. The next day, the tour played another smaller U.K. gig in Birmingham. I was forced to stop the show so an injured member of the crowd could be carried out to an ambulance, but overall it still felt good, like we were doing the right thing.

"Then the band and crew flew to Stuttgart, Germany. We had originally planned to ride the ferry from Dover, England to Calais, France and from there make our way to Germany, but after the bombings and shootings in Paris, the French government shut the borders, and we figured either the ferry wouldn't be available or it would just be a complete security nightmare, so we spent money on flights. Imagine my surprise when I talked to our bus driver the day of our gig in Stuttgart, asking him how crowded and hectic the ferry ride was. 'Oh, no, it was almost empty,' he said. 'And when we got to France, we were just waved in — there were no cops there at the border or anywhere in sight.' Umm… okay. That seemed just a little loose to me, given that just three days previously men who had traveled from a nearby different country had blown themselves up in Paris after massacring over 100 human beings, but I'm no security expert, so what do I know, right?

"Right before I walked onstage in Stuttgart, I saw on the news that they evacuated a soccer stadium north of us in Hannover, Germany due to threat of explosives. I didn't exactly feel relaxed going onstage that night, but it turned out to be a great gig, despite once again me having to stop the show so another injured crowd member could get wheeled out to an ambulance (two gigs in a row of people getting badly hurt was a real bummer for sure, though — it really throws things off when you know an audience member is injured). And so we continued on through mainland Europe to Tilburg, Netherlands. Once again, it felt like the right thing to do.

"I woke up in a great mood around 1 or 2 p.m. on the day of the Tilburg show (I like Holland, and always enjoy my time there), went into the venue, ate lunch and began looking online to see if there was a camera store nearby. Sometime later that afternoon, soon before the band was scheduled to soundcheck, our tour manager called us together, closed the dressing room door, and said, 'I've got some news, and it's not good.' He then informed us of a specific occurrence that made me immediately say, 'Fuck this, I'm not going on that stage tonight.' At that moment, it no longer felt like the right thing to do anymore, not at all. It did not feel like the right thing to still stand on stage and tell people, 'Don't worry about it. Come on in and enjoy yourselves. There's no need for concern.' It did not feel like the right thing — not for myself, not for the people I employ, and not for our fans. Things had quickly changed — it felt foolish, it felt irresponsible, and it felt potentially very, very dangerous.

"As I mentioned earlier, I do not wish to add more rumors or speculation to an already tense and constantly shifting situation in Europe, so I won't go into details. Suffice it to say, this new specific piece of information (not some nebulous news story about the generally pensive atmosphere pervading Europe at the time) gave me enough to pause to think, 'I am not going to chance endangering the lives of myself, my crew, and the 1,800 or so fans expected to show up this evening by going on with this show. I can't tell these people they are safe in here. It does not feel right, screw this, I'm out of here.' Furthermore, what I had just been told made me think, 'Even if it's nothing tonight, I'm not going to go through this every day. Our job is done here for now. It's time to go home. It doesn't feel safe enough to cram ourselves and hundreds of people into venues anymore.' And I wasn't the only one who thought or spoke that way, but since I'm writing this, I'll own it here. That was my judgment call. I stand by it. I was at the time (and I remain to this very second) completely and utterly 100% unapologetic about it to anyone anywhere, and if placed in the same situation right this instant, the only thing I would do differently would be somehow get the words, 'Fuck this, I'm done,' out of my mouth quicker (which would probably be difficult, but I would damn sure try).

"Shortly after our tour manager told the club manager we had decided not to play, the venue put a press release saying the gig was cancelled, and our crew began to pack up everything onstage. The doors never opened to the general public, and I feel very, very good about being part of the decision that caused that. Why? Because, aside from some grumpy fans's feelings, no one got hurt that night. To my knowledge, everyone made it home okay. Sure, if we had done the show, maybe nothing would have happened anyway. Maybe it would have been a great gig, as all our gigs at that club have been before. Maybe cancelling the gig was all for nothing. But maybe not. And if things had gone badly, afterwards while I sat talking to the cops (because in all probability, once guns started going off, I would have made it out the nearby back exit while the fans and maybe some of my crew got stuck inside and gunned downed or blown to bits like those poor people in Paris), I would have said to myself, 'You got some specific information. You knew there was something potentially sketchy. You didn't feel right about this. Why didn't you just cancel the show, you stupid, selfish, idiot?'

"When I said I was done, did I know that some fans would be bummed out about our cancelling the tour? Yes. Did I realize that this was going to cost us a lot of money? Yes. Did I know that some people would be incapable of understanding why we were going home and complain about it? Yes. Did I care? Hell no. And I still don't. In fact, looking at news about the current situation in Europe, I feel better and better about leaving before something else happened, either at our show or anywhere else over there. I don't feel like constantly wondering what the security climate in the next country we are scheduled to play in is, playing terror alert hopscotch through Europe right now just to play a few fucking heavy metal concerts. I'm glad I'm home. I feel like I made the right decision, and that's all that matters to me. I don't care what anyone else thinks.

"Once a few years ago in Europe, I made a poor decision to let a show go on, despite the fact that that show was obviously dangerous and out of control. While the particular circumstances were very different than what was happening in Tilburg, the general problem was the same: there was a possibility that band members and/or fans could get hurt. I ignored that possibility, and as it turned out, a fan did get hurt that night. In fact, he died a month later as a result of his injuries. I went to prison in Europe for a bit over it, got out on bail, then returned to Europe to stand trial and face up to any responsibility I may have had in the matter. That story is pretty well known, so I won't bother explaining it further. What I will say is that I already have one dead person in Europe forever attached to my name. I won't add any more if I can prevent it, no matter who it pisses off or disappoints. I'm not going to play around with my life or the lives of others if I feel there is a dangerous situation I could potentially stop from occurring by simply saying, 'The show is over.' It's not worth it to me, and if someone can't understand or won't accept my reasoning, then I have nothing for them but a firmly raised middle finger. I will not be castigated or chastized for making a decision I felt was in the best interest of the safety of a) first and foremost, myself, and b) hundreds of other people. Like it or lump it, that's the way it fucking is.

"I hope that the situation in Europe and everywhere else calms down, posthaste (and yes, I know that an attack could occur in America — obviously, I'd feel better about being at home to help deal with it the best I could, or at the very least die on my native soil). I hope no one else dies anywhere on the planet (and this is a global problem) because some misguided maniacs with suicide vests and Kalashnikovs decide to martyr themselves over their twisted interpretation of divine will. But yesterday at least 21 people died in Mali during a hostage situation at the hands of terrorists, and as I write this, Milan, Italy (where we were booked in three days) is on high alert. And the city of Brussels (where we were scheduled to play next week) has been placed on the highest possible alert, with governmental officials telling people to avoid high concentration areas like sporting events, train depots, airports, and… concerts. Downtown is basically shut down, and I'm more than happy we won't be filling a concert venue there (or any other place at the moment) for something to potentially go terribly, terribly wrong. The way I feel, to do so at this particular time seems not only risky to myself, but irresponsible to our crew and fans — enormously, cosmically irresponsible. And as of this second, the venue we were supposed to play in Brussels is closed anyway. I guess they don't feel safe remaining open at this time, what with their government basically telling everyone to expect something really bad to happen at any moment. Not the best environment for a rock show.

"While we were still on tour, when other bands canceled their tours immediately after the attacks in Paris, one typical and very widespread online reaction I saw (and was completely baffled by) was, 'ISIS wins! By not playing, they are letting ISIS win!'

"'By not playing, they are letting ISIS win'? People, do you have any idea of how colossally stupid this sounds? Please crawl out of the hive mind echo chamber for a second and try to use your own head for a change. These are ROCK BANDS trying to play a gig without being gunned down onstage, not Navy SEALS assaulting a mountain stronghold in the Hindu Kush. You aren't going to stop a bullet with a ripping guitar solo — Jimi fucking Hendrix couldn't do that, even if he resurrected and came back to rock Europe one more time. This isn't a game of Mortal Kombat or a goddamn G.I Joe cartoon or just some news story. Almost 100 people died horrific deaths just over a week ago, screaming with terror as they were gunned down like fish in a barrel simply because they were crammed into a club trying to have a good time at a rock show. These were real human beings, not blips in a Twitter feed. Tragically, more people might die before it's over. I hope not, but overall the situation in Europe doesn't look good at this second.

"I encourage those of you who don't agree with my assessment of the situation to immediately book a ticket to Belgium, walk around with picket signs in front of Ancienne Belgique (the club we were booked to play in Brussels) and yell at them about how they aren't properly fighting terrorism by closing their doors. I'm sure your presence there will do the people of Brussels a ton of good. Hell, the Belgian authorities will probably immediately give you a job as a high-ranking officer in their anti-terrorism task force (since you obviously know how to end the current crisis).

"Right now, several of my friends remain in Europe on tour. I hope they have good gigs, I hope they stay safe over there, and I hope (most importantly) that they return home safely to their loved ones. It is their decision to stay, and I respect that.

"When you join a touring band, you aren't issued some sort of rock and roll handbook that reads, 'Section C: In case the country you are touring in falls under threat of attack by homicidal jihadists, viable options are: A) play only secret basement shows until the threat passes, B) appeal to the local armed forces for a loan of assault rifles, C) issue body armor to all band, crew, and concert attendees D) roll the dice and hope for the best or E) catch the next thing smoking home.' There is no textbook answer for a situation like this, so I can't even pretend to say what other people should or shouldn't do. I can only do what I think is the right thing to do for me and mine, and so I did. I stayed on tour in Europe until something concrete, not a general sense of dread, made me decide to go home. And I don't regret going home in the slightest — not one tiny shred.

"None of this makes me happy — not cancelling a tour, not losing money, not bumming out fans, not people having to worry about being blown up, and especially not people dying. It sucks on a very, very deep level. And I hope nothing else happens.

"I honestly hope we cancelled a tour for absolutely nothing, so that people can point their fat little fingers at this later and laugh their heads off at my unwarranted concerns. I would rather be ridiculed by the entire online virtual peanut gallery of pinheads than take chances on myself or anyone else getting hurt or killed (and yes, I include even the dummies who are mad and still can't understand why we cancelled) because I ignored what I felt was the smartest move given our circumstances.

"I can deal with people disagreeing with me and my actions, no problem. I could not deal with a news story that reads, 'Hundreds die at LAMB OF GOD concert; authorities say potential warning signs were ignored by band.' Then people would have something of actual consequence to bitch about, not a few cancelled heavy metal concerts. 'How could those fucking American morons play a show when they thought something might happen? Why didn't they cancel? Now there are dead people everywhere. What a bunch of ASSHOLES.' No thanks. Better safe than on CNN.

"Y'all stay safe, and let's hope this mess gets sorted out soon.

"That is all I have to say."

German thrash/crust bastards Raw has announced their third album Battalion Of Demons will be released on January 15th, 2016 by MDD Records.

The album will contain 12 tracks of thrash/crust/grind and was mixed and mastered in Stage One Studio by Andy Classen (Dew Scented, Legion Of The Damned, Krisiun). The artwork was once again designed by Mottla Art. 

On Saturday, January 16th the band plays the record release show in Ludwigshafen with Reactory and Toxik Shokk.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

According to the BBC, a documentary about the EAGLES OF DEATH METAL — who were thrust into the headlines on November 13 when a mass shooting at the band's Paris concert left nearly 100 people dead — has been pulled from the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam.

Screenings have been cancelled of "The Redemption Of The Devil", which follows EAGLES OF DEATH METAL frontman Jesse Hughes in the build-up to the release of their new album.

The BBC reports that the film was pulled because the timing felt inappropriate.

Produced by VICE, "The Redemption Of The Devil" follows Jesse as he becomes ordained as a Catholic minister, his relationship with former adult film star Tuesday Cross becomes progressively intense, and his passion for conservative politics leads him to seriously consider re-entering the political arena. At times, Jesse's life seems endlessly explosive as he preaches to the right-wing with a gun in hand, while the ongoing battle for custody of his only child plays out in the wings.

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL yesterday announced that all of their future shows are on hold and issued their first official statement following the events of last Friday night in Paris, France, when more than 129 people were killed in seven coordinated terrorist attacks.

The greatest number of deaths took place at the Bataclan, a French music venue where EAGLES OF DEATH METAL were performing when terrorists began a siege that ended with 89 people in the club either shot to death or killed in explosions.

The attacks in Paris led to a military response by France against the radical Islamic organization ISIS, as French jets bombed a series of targets in Syria.

The attacks have stepped up worldwide concern over ISIS, as well as a debate in the U.S. over whether to accept Syrian refugees.

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL was founded in 1998 by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE mainman Josh Homme and his longtime friend Jesse Hughes. Homme appears on all the band's albums but only plays live with them occasionally. He was not in Paris at the time of the attacks.

The band's most recent album, "Zipper Down", was released in October and entered at No. 59 on The Billboard 200 album chart. The first single is called "Complexity".

Behind-the-scenes footage from FEAR FACTORY's November 16 performance in Madrid, Spain during the "Demanufacture" 20th-anniversary tour can be seen below.

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

Asked by Mick Stingley of Rreverb.com if there are any plans for FEAR FACTORY to come back around to the North America after the New Year, the band's lead singer, Burton C. Bell, said: "We'd like to. We're going to figure something out. We'd still like to do a 'Demanufacture' tour of the United States, but it's up in the air. The promoters aren't interested… It costs money. But hopefully we'll see that change in the next couple of months."

FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares recently told Metal Forces magazine about the band's plans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Demanufacture": "Can you believe that that record's already 20 years old? It just went by fast. We feel that because that record has fan favorites, it would be good to do a tour around that just for a whole new generation of people who never got to see us during that time and that tour. To just play it in its entirety, man. To show respect to what was a record that opened a door to metal. It basically gave a facelift to metal. Burt's vocal style is definitely something that is very, very common these days among other bands. We just wanna show people where it came from, where it started, so hopefully a new generation will get into FEAR FACTORY."

Bell told Spotlight Report in a 2013 interview that he felt "Demanufacture" was ahead of its time. He said: "[At the time of its release] it was a hit, but it was an underground hit; it never made the mainstream. It's one of those records that was scratching the surface, but never really crossed over. At the time, it was still too aggressive, still too out there. Ever since then, that album just inspired and influenced so many other bands that if people that never heard 'Demanufacture' would listen to it today, they'd think it's a contemporary album."

Fan-filmed video footage of SUPERJOINT's November 13 performance at the Aztec Theater in San Antonio, Texas as part of this year's Housecore Horror Film Festival can be seen below.

Fronted by former PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo, SUPERJOINT was formed as SUPERJOINT RITUAL but is now known simply as SUPERJOINT for legal reasons.

In a recent interview with the Phoenix New Times, Anselmo was asked why he feels that SUPERJOINT's current live shows are so much better than those that he played with the band more than a decade ago when the group was known as SUPERJOINT RITUAL. He responded: "So-briety! [Laughs] Simply put. Sobriety."

He continued: "You know, originally we were plugging along with SUPERJOINT, truth is, and I'm not a bit embarrassed or ashamed to admit it at all, I really don't remember much about SUPERJOINT from back then except for little pieces. I was fucked up out of my fucking mind on heavy drugs … and the overindulgence of booze. These days, don't get me wrong, I like my suds and I like a bit of the white grape…. But I think every damn one of us has a much clearer mind. A much more stable support system within that realm. And we're all veterans now, man. We've been through the lowest of times together, and this group of people — specifically, [guitarist] Jimmy Bower and [bassist] Kevin Bond — when it was time to say 'fuck this road to destruction,' we all kind of did that together. We all came off of heavy drugs at the same time. So I think there's this strength with knowledge there about what not to do. So really it just happened from our clear minds and fresh blood there. It's a positive thing. It feels like it's fun again, and isn't that the point? If you're going to make music and you're having fun while you're doing it, nothing in this world cane deter from that."

Anselmo also talked in more detail about SUPERJOINT's stage show. He said: "I would just say, as far as energy goes, we know from being in the scene for 20, 30 years that we don't have to get up there and jump around and dance around for the kids anymore. All we need to do is throw our amps and drums up on stage… And play the music as tight as possible with no bullshit, man. Just lay it on them. And during this [fall], we're also going to be doing a multitude of shows with the mighty Glenn Danzig, who I've been friends with, for, geez, 25 years. He's always been a complete gentleman and supporter of myself and what I do. You look at a set like that … our game plan is to rip it song after song after song, with nary a break. And we will always have interaction with the audience because I love that part as well. But it comes down to leading people with a positive impression and playing as many songs as possible."

SUPERJOINT's new lineup includes guitarists Kevin Bond (CHRIST INVERSION, ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER) and Jimmy Bower (DOWN, EYEHATEGOD), drummer José Manuel Gonzalez (WARBEAST, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) and bassist Stephen Taylor (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, WOVEN HAND, 16 HORSE POWER).

According to Anselmo, the direction of SUPERJOINT's new material will be very similar to that one the band's first two albums, 2002's "Use Once And Destroy" and 2003's "A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred". "It won't sound any different, because myself, Jimmy and Kevin have always been the main writers in SUPERJOINT anyway, so, really — for the most part, really, me and Jimmy. So it shouldn't sound much different at all," he told Full Metal Jackie back in July.

Schmier of German thrashers DESTRUCTION has taken to his Facebook page to slam an unspecified "overrated American band" for canceling its European tour due to "security concerns." He added in the same post: "A nice way the let fear win over freedom."

After someone suggested below Schmier's post that the unspecified American band's label could have been involved in the decision to cancel the tour, Schmier wrote: "I don t think so. Labels have NOTHING to do with concerts!"

On Thursday (November 19), Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD announced that they were canceling the remaining dates on their European tour due to "security concerns." Support acts CHILDREN OF BODOM and SYLOSIS will continue the trek, starting on November 22 at Z7 Konzertfabrik in Pratteln, Switzerland.

Said LAMB OF GOD in a statement: "Due to concerns brought to our attention by the venue security team yesterday in Tilburg — and continued general concerns across Europe — we have decided against putting our fans, our crew and ourselves in this position night after night and will be canceling the remainder of our performances in Europe. This is a decision we are making on behalf of the fans, our crew, and our band, as well as the well-being of everyone's family, friends and loved ones at home. Stay safe, and we will see you very soon."

FOO FIGHTERS and MOTÖRHEAD were among the other bands who canceled their French concerts in the wake of last weekend's terror attacks which have left more than 120 dead.

CARCASS's November 23 concert at La Cigale in Paris, France will go ahead as scheduled. The British extreme metal band wrote in an online post: "We play. End of discussion." Also slated to appear on the bill are NAPALM DEATH, OBITUARY and VOIVOD.

On Saturday, the French Government declared a state of emergency, closing the nation's borders and shutting down Paris' concert halls, movie theatres, museums and public spaces until further notice.

89 people were killed at the EAGLES OF DEATH METAL show at Paris venue Bataclan, where when gunmen fired inside the venue and took concertgoers hostage. All of the bandmembers were confirmed safe after the attacks, but members of their crew were not so lucky. Merchandising manager Nick Alexander lost his life, as did Bataclan stage and lighting manager Nathalie Jardin.

Germany's soccer match against the Netherlands was called off Tuesday (November 17) after a bomb threat at Hanover's main football stadium. The area was evacuated and spectators were moved to safe areas.

Bay Area post rock collective Amber Asylum will release its new album, Sin Eater, on December 4th via Prophecy Productions. Listen to the new track, “Executioner”, streaming below:

The band's seventh studio album was recorded at Ear Hammer Studios (OM, Pallbearer, Vhol) in Oakland, CA and produced, mixed and mastered by frontwoman, multi-instrumentalist and soprano vocalist Kris T. Force. The subject matter that helped inspire the album is the cleansing ritual of "sin eating". Sin Eater combines the ominous energies of Amber Asylum's drum and bass-heavy albums, Garden Of Love (2005) and Still Point (2007), with the lushest string arrangements in the band's history.

"Sin Eating still exists as a death ritual where the Sin Eater consumes a meal or 'corpse cake' that is passed over the body of the deceased or laid on the chest," Force explains. "The meal represents the sins of the deceased and once consumed by the Sin Eater the sins are released thereby allowing the soul to rest in peace. The album speaks of this process of taking on the pain of others to set them free."

Celebrating 20 years of creative music making, Amber Asylum possesses the rare gift of turning deep feelings into gorgeous music and gifts the listener with the opportunity to delve deep within and imagine or release the grip of obscure emotion. With classical strings, grounding rhythms and female voice as the nucleus of its sound, Amber Asylum occupies the singular territory of chamber doom. Overflowing with palatial textures counterpoised by electronic disturbance, achingly beautiful melodies and lyrical prowess, Amber Asylum consistently eludes predicable categorization yet remains distinctively female. During its two decade-long existence, Amber Asylum has found favour with classical music fans and metalheads alike, releasing albums on respected labels such as Relapse Records and Profound Lore and collaborating with acts such as Neurosis and Swans.

In honour of Amber Asylum turning 20, Prophecy Productions will release a limited box set entitled Anthology, simultaneously with the release of Sin Eater. Anthology will include twelve CDs, containing the band's entire catalog of work, as well as rare and unreleased bonus songs, topped off by an accompanying 80-page leather-bound lyric book.

Tracklisting:

“Perfect Calm”
“Beast Star”
“TOT”
“Harvester”
“Paean”
“Executioner”
“Sin Eater”

Sin Eater pre-orders are available at Prophecy Productions

(Photo by: Pony Gold)

 



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Chicago's progressive metal masterminds, Dissona, meld a dynamic range of musical styles, developing an incredibly moving, diverse sound. Dissona consistently captivates their fans with their mesmerizing songs, powerful live performances and poignant lyrical themes, including sentience, emotion, sexuality, and much more.

Their most ambitious release yet, Paleopneumatic epitomizes Dissona's endeavors to date and brings the listener on an existential, cohesive journey with gripping melodies, expertly-crafted arrangements, and impassioned vocals.

Paleopneumatic will be released January 15th and is now available for pre-order here. Today the artwork and track listing have been revealed. A preview featuring snippets from the album can be heard below.

The band commented on their new album: "We are incredibly proud of Paleopneumatic. It is the culmination of years of agonizing, hard work and consequently our most fully realized production to date. We hope Paleopneumatic can mean as much to you as it does to us."

 
Paleopneumatic tracklisting:

“Another Sky”
“Fire-Bellied”
“Outside The Skin”
“Breach”
“Totality”
“Odium”
“Anastomosis”
“Lysis”
“The Last Resistance”
“Sunderance”

Preview:

Dissona formed from the ashes of a previous band involving Matt Motto, David Dubenic, and Craig Hamburger. David and Craig come from a mostly classical and extreme metal background while Drew and Matt bring in additional elements of jazz experience and other more eclectic music. Since Dissona's inception, they have approached writing music to always be experienced as an album, a package of disparate influences and moods meant to achieve a unified whole. This melting pot of influences has gradually coalesced since the writing of their earliest material, through the defining Dissona album, and now into its most complete form with Paleopneumatic. Seven years in and a multitude of mostly memorable gigs later Dissona have found what they initially set out to achieve.
 
Dissona lineup:

David Dubenic - Vocals
Matt Motto - Guitars
Craig Hamburger - Bass
Drew Goddard - Drums/Percussion



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Former SLAYER and current PHILM drummer Dave Lombardo has joined forces with members of THE LOCUST and RETOX in a new "punk" outfit called DEAD CROSS.

DEAD CROSS's lineup is as follows:

Dave Lombardo (PHILM, ex-SLAYER) - DrumsJustin Pearson (THE LOCUST, RETOX) - BassMike Crain (RETOX) - GuitarGabe Serbian (THE LOCUST, RETOX, ex-CATTLE DECAPITATION) - Vocals

DEAD CROSS has yet to record any music, but Lombardo described the band's sound to Noisey: "It's just straightforward brutal punk— metal-esque, but it's definitely not metal. I think it definitely leans more towards the punk style, because I feel that the way things are in the world, a punk attitude is definitely necessary to help you along with the shit that's going on. There's no time to sing, 'We Are the World', or all this bullshit, we're all pissed right now, and there's no better way to release anger than to be in a punk band and write punk music."

Regarding DEAD CROSS's recording plans, Lombardo said: "I don't know exactly when we'll be able to release anything, but I'd love to get something out by the end of the year, two singles just to release something, and then do a full-length next year. The level of musicianship we have is very high, so I dont think it'll be too much of a problem to create music and put something out. These guys are driven like I am. I've learned a lot from being in this industry, and sometimes it's a lot better when you grab the bull by the horns yourself and don't wait around for other people."

DEAD CROSS will make its live debut in early December. The following shows have been confirmed so far:

Dec. 02 - West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy TheatreDec. 03 - Pomona, CA - The Glass House

Australian rock band WOLFMOTHER will release its new album, "Victorious", on February 19 via Universal Music Enterprises. Fans around the world got a sneak preview of the album yesterday when WOLFMOTHER premiered two tracks — "Victorious" and "City Lights" — via Spotify. Fans can get "Victorious" and "City Lights" as instant downloads by pre-ordering "Victorious" on iTunes. The CD is also available for pre-order through Amazon. WOLFMOTHER will support "Victorious" with a headline tour of North America set to kick off February 24 at First Avenue in Minneapolis. On November 30 at 10 a.m., fans that have signed up for WOLFMOTHER e-mail updates (at Wolfmother.com) will receive a special code to purchase tickets before they are available to the general public. On December 4, tickets go on sale to the general public. 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 this past January 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."

Fan-filmed video footage of KING DIAMOND's November 13 performance at the Aztec Theater in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below.

As previously reported, Philadelphia (November 25 at The Fillmore) and Detroit (November 28 at The Fillmore) have been selected as the cities on the "Abigail In Concert 2015" tour at which KING DIAMOND will film the live shows for the band's forthcoming DVD. The massive, multi-camera shoot will be directed by Denise Korycki (CANNIBAL CORPSE, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), and will also include additional footage from multiple shows throughout the trek.

KING DIAMOND is performing its classic second album, 1987's concept effort "Abigail", in its entirety on the band's current U.S. tour. Support on the trek, which began on October 29 and will run through December 5, is coming from legendary San Francisco Bay Area thrash metallers EXODUS.

KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque told Artisan News about the making of the "Abigail" album: "I've actually got some great memories [from the recording sessions for the LP]. I remember the whole studio thing pretty well, actually. Back in… I think we started back in December 1986 to record it, after we got back from some touring and stuff, and some writing too, and rehearsing, of course. [It was a] very cold winter back in Copenhagen, you know. We spent about two months, I think, with the recording and the mixing. And the whole recording process, I thought, was very, very creative, and I think we just captured an amazing atmosphere on the whole album, which still, when you listen to it today, is, like, 'Wow!' You get back to the feel you had for it while you recorded it. So it's still a very cool and special album to me."

KING DIAMOND in 2002 released an album called "Abigail II: The Revenge", which was said to feature a storyline that was the sequel to the original "Abigail" LP.

La Rocque in July said that KING DIAMOND hasn't officially started working on material for the follow-up to the band's 2007 album "Give Me Your Soul...Please", but he talked about a possible direction for the next CD. He said: "Hopefully the sound of the album is gonna be better. I don't really know about the story or… I've got some riffs and such that I wrote a few years back, actually, but I have to go back and check that to see if that still can be used. I don't know about that, because we get new ideas all the time. So we'll see about that. But I'm sure we're gonna have some fresh, good ideas for the next album, that's for sure. And when that's gonna happen, we don't really know."