In March and May 2016, Billy Idol will take the stage of the intimate House Of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for his first-ever multi-date residency, Billy Idol: Forever!

Featuring material from throughout Idol’s career, from his days fronting the seminal British punk band Generation X to his hits the world has come to know and love, Billy Idol: Forever will transport fans on a wild ride of punk, rock and pop, capturing the Idol spirit three decades in the making.

Billy Idol: Forever will feature longtime guitarist Steve Stevens and the rest of Idol’s band at the top of their game, performing songs from throughout Idol’s extensive catalog.

Tickets go onsale Friday, November 13th with presales beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, November 10th. Says Billy Idol: "Watch out Vegas! We are planning a beast of a show that will rock and surprise my fans. Particularly those who adhere to the 'what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' mantra!"

Confirmed Billy Idol: Forever dates are as listed, with all shows taking place at House Of Blues - Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV.

March
16 (Wed)
18 (Fri)
19 (Sat)
23 (Wed)
25 (Fri)
26 (Sat)

May
4 (Wed)
6 (Fri)
7 (Sat)
11 (Wed)
13 (Fri)
14 (Sat)

 

 

 

 



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Brace yourself for a journey into the bleakest depths of humanity as N.V. - the aurally destructive collaboration from Dragged Into Sunlight and Gnaw Their Tongues - is debuted in full prior to its worldwide release this Friday (November 13th) via Prosthetic Records.

N.V. consists of 30 claustrophobic minutes of blackened noise five years in the making from the mysterious masterminds behind the extreme metal outfits. Both entities rigorously designed a distinct collective sound heavily inspired by Godflesh's Streetcleaner while reaching toward dark industrial spaces that both bands’ previous material had only briefly touched upon. To complete the circle of influence, Godflesh's Justin Broadrick was on board to produce the record along with Tom Dring (whom previously has worked on several DIS releases, including 2012's Widowmaker).

Pre-order bundles are currently available on CD or limited vinyl pressings including black (600 total), piss yellow (200 total) and transparent milk with black splatter (200 total) variants via the Prosthetic webshop here.

Trailer:

Dragged Into Sunlight first encountered Mories from Gnaw Their Tongues (also of De Magia Veterum, Cloak of Altering and others) back in April 2010 when Dragged Into Sunlight were about to begin a tour of Europe with Weedeater, Black Cobra and Saviours. Discussions of a collaboration began later that year, with both parties eager to see if it would be possible to make a record equally weighted in contributions despite their geographical distance. During the following years, ideas were bounced across the Channel repeatedly and rigorously until they formed a cohesive formula, one that took heavy inspiration from the intact legacy of Godflesh’s "Streetcleaner," pushing the collective sound in to a dark industrial space that both bands’ previous material had only touched upon. Progress was made incrementally, with long periods of contemplation interspersed with rapid bursts of productivity, and eventually amassing a wealth of embryonic material totalling over three hours.

Whittled down to a claustrophobic 30 minutes, N.V. was reaching its final stages, and to complete the circle of influence, Godflesh’s Justin Broadrick was invited to produce the record along with Tom Dring (who has worked on many crucial underground UK releases, including Corrupt Moral Altar and the previous works of the band). Their combined work allowed a bleak vision to be realized, and an attempt at independently producing an alternative take cemented their belief in the relentless and considered Broadrick/Dring result. Seldon Hunt was the natural choice when it came to choosing an artist to adorn N.V., his cold, ruthless style of illustration paralleling the horror of the record, as his previous work for bands like Khanate had also done. Truly then, this is a record made up of the work of a great number of talented and respected individuals, who have come together to magnify their efforts in to a blinding singularity.

Having gained notoriety for their exclusive, vicious and ritualistic live performances, Dragged Into Sunlight has established a presence throughout Europe, Japan and the US touring with heavy hitters such as Eyehategod, Weedeater, Black Cobra, Rwake, Today Is The Day, Mayhem and Soilent Green. Their cult following has set the benchmark for an ultimately unique and extreme sound, with the out-of-press Terminal Aggressor (2008), chaotic Hatred For Mankind (2009) and monolithic Widowmaker (2012) gaining them widespread critical acclaim.

Drawing the life out of everything since 2005, Gnaw Their Tongues’ mix of black metal, horror and industrial music spans 40+ releases. The group has performed at prestigious festivals in the US, Italy, Belgium and The Netherlands in addition to many shows all over the world.

 



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Canada’s Cancer Bats just wrapped up a killer East Coast run which included sold-out shows in Halifax, Charlottetown, Fredericton and Quebec City. While out east, the band had the opportunity to record a cover of Joel Plaskett’s 2009 single “Through & Through & Through” with none other than Joel Plaskett himself in the producer chair at his New Scotland Yard studio. The idea behind the cover originated from The Strombo Show on CBC Radio 2 who pitched the cool collaboration after lead vocalist Liam Cormier requested Thrush Hermit during an interview back in March.
 
“We’re all huge Joel Plaskett fans from Thrush Hermit to his Emergency jams and solo stuff. Easily one of the best songwriters in Canada,” mentions Liam. “We chose “Through & Through & Through” because it’s such a catchy banger of a tune and we figured we could make a rad gnarly version. The best part was working with Joel and how pumped he was on the cover and how much fun he was to record with. Best dude! Hopefully we can head out to New Scotland Yard again!”
 
Cancer Bats debuted the cover yesterday via The Strombo Show. Stream the track here. To check out the latest episode of The Strombo Show featuring the Joel Plaskett cover and a chat with Liam, visit this location.

The Good Ol Canadian Rip tour will kick off in Vancouver on December 2nd and will wrap up with two shows in Toronto at Hard Luck on December 18th and 19th. Joining Cancer Bats on tour will be Portland sludge merchants Lord Dying.

Dates include:

December
2 - Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound
4 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite
5 - Calgary, AB - The Gateway at SAIT
6 - Red Deer, AB - Bo’s Bar & Grill
8 - Regina, SK - Exchange
9 - Saskatoon, SK - Capitol Music Club
11 - Winnipeg, MB - The Goodwill
12 - Thunder Bay, ON - Crocks
13 - Timmins, ON - The Working Class
18 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck
19 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck

Cancer Bats’ video for "Beelzebub”, from their Searching For Zero full-length, can be seen below:

(Photo: Viktor Radics)

 



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Zombieland, the latest studio album by Germany’s Megaherz, is still haunting our auditory canals, and the five piece has already been busy working on fresh shenanigans: “Look forward to the new Megaherz shredfest!”

The band announced their new EP Erdwärts, set to be released on December 4th via Napalm Records. There are four new and very varied songs on this EP: two of them feature pure riff-laden heaviness, mid-tempo classic one and a slow and broody track that will be the talk of the town. On top of that and just like with Götterdämmerung and Zombieland, two Megaherz classics were re-recorded – fans can now enjoy new versions of faves including “Teufel” and “Jordan”.

Tracklisting:

“Wer hat Angst vorm Schwarzen Mann?”
“Ist das verrückt?”
“Glorreiche Zeiten”
“Einsam”
“Teufel”
“Jordan”

Lyric wise, fear is at the heart of it all: fear of the unknown and fear of a world that seems chaotic and out of control. It`s time to stop hiding and face those fears! “Glorreiche Zeiten” (“Glorious Times”) on the other hand wishes strength to dreamers aiming to fulfill their biggest dreams. “Einsam” (“Lonely”) tells the story of the demise of a relationship with a twist: the one who leaves seems rather gleeful!  

Get your copy here.

This is a wondrous mix and a mighty appetizer for the Megaherz German tour in January 2016 – and something to shorten the wait for the band’s next album.

Tour dates:

January
20 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
21 - Augsburg, Germany - Spectrum
22 - München, Germany - Backstage
23 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
24 - Magdeburg, Germany - Factory
25 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Club
26 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
27 - Pratteln, Germany - Z7
29 - Osnabrück, Germany - Rosenhof
30 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
31 - Köln, Germany - Essigfabrik



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Scandinavian black metallers Nordjevel have revealed the tracklisting and artwork for their upcoming debut full-length album, to be released via Osmose Productions on the 29th January.

Titled Nordjevel, the nine-track album will be released in digipack and digital editions which will be followed by a vinyl version on a date as yet to be announced. Aside from a bonus track which it shares with the digipack version, the vinyl version will, unusually, be completely remastered, giving it a totally different sound from the digipack and digital editions.

Re-amped, mixed and mastered by Patric Darkhyrys G at the WSL Studios in France, Nordjevel features guest appearances by Troll’s Nagash and 1349's Archaon. Paintings and design layout for the album is by Khaos Diktator Design.

Nordjevel tracklisting:

“The Shadows Of Morbid Hunger” (featuring Nagash on guest vocals)
“Sing For Devastation”
“Djevelen I Nord”
“The Funeral Smell”
“Denne Tidløse Krigsdom”
“Blood Horns”
“Det Ror Og Ror”
“Når Noen Andre Dør...”
“Norges Sorte Himmel” (featuring guitar solo by Archaon and guest vocals by Nagash)
“Raining Blood” (Slayer Cover) - Bonus Track for Digipack and Vinyl editions

Nordjevel, which translated means "Northern Devil", was founded by frontman Doedsadmiral and guitarist Nord earlier this year. The Norwegian duo was quickly joined by Sweden's Fredrik Widigs on drums. The band's arrival on the scene immediately elicited a large amount of interest not just from fans, but also from labels who were keen to add a band with such a formidable lineup to their rosters.

 
Not only is it a lineup that has a great deal of experience behind it, it is also one whose members jelled immediately, both in terms of their views on black metal and in their ability to harness their respective musical talents to produce the distinctive Nordjevel sound. Whilst Widigs' commitment to his other projects pretty much preclude him. from committing to appearing live with the band on anything other than the odd occasion, he is, nevertheless a full-time and committed studio member.

As a taste of what to expect Nordjevel recently debuted the track "Denne Tidløse Krigsdom”. The official video can be seen below:



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New Jersey metallers Attacker are currently hard at work completing material for their next studio album. Some of the new song titles include “Garuda”, “Choice of Weapon”, “We Rise”, “World Destroyer”, “Carcosa” and “Sins Of Man”. 

Drummer Mike Sabatini had this to add: "Judging by the reaction to the Giants Of Canaan album, we have our work cut out for us. When you have a very well received previous album, the pressure is on to deliver something better or at least as good and we feel we have surpassed the Canaan album, but ultimately that's for fan's of the band to determine.”

This will be the first release to feature new bassist, Brian "Smitty" Smith. The band is hoping to hit the studio in late winter/early spring with a mid-2016 release date.



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LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe was assaulted by a gang of five men before the band's concert in Dublin Monday night (November 9).

Explained Blythe in an Instagram post: "Last night around midnight I walked one block away from my hotel to take some long exposures. Right after I shot this very frame, I looked up and saw 5 or 6 teenage dudes (16- to 18-year-olds?) in hoodies and track pants spreading out around me. 'Well, crap, I guess it's on,' I thought. I started stepping quickly into the street away from the little cul-de-sac where I was (it was a bad spot to be trapped), trying to keep my eye on all of them at the same time. One kid drew up to my left getting close and BLAM — someone else hit me in the head from behind with something (I think they had a stick or whatever). I saw stars for a second, then I heard car horns and a cabbie was driving at these kids and I was standing in the street trying to shake it off, because that little fucker had rang my bell pretty good."

He continued: "Like all cowards and weaklings all over the world, they came at me in numbers and struck from behind. I never even had a chance to smash one of the little shits because the cabbie (thank you, whoever you are) scattered them while I was regaining my wits. So now my glasses are gone (but I have contacts), my new Surf City hat withthe BLACK FLAG bars is gone (but I brought another hat), my new e-cig is gone (but I have others), and I have a split open elbow and a bit of a headache (but it could have been much, much worse— I could have caught a knife)."

"I remain grateful. I'M FINE.

"I've been in some of the sketchiest neighborhoods on earth and escaped unharmed, but last night I got distracted and forgot my street smarts for a couple of minutes. That was very, VERY stupid of me, and I paid the price. So lesson learned here is STAY ALERT, y'all. And Dublin — I still love you, I'm NOT afraid to come here, it's a lovely city, BUT... please neuter and spay your feral children, because next time they might club someone whose head isn't as hard as mine and kill them. They didn't even try to rob me, they just wanted to hurt someone, anyone . It was nothing personal for them. This makes me very SAD for these children. So Dublin, sorry if tonight's show was a little rough- I did my best for y'all..."

During LAMB OF GOD's show in Dublin, Blythe dedicated the song "512" to his alleged attackers. He said: "This is for the five kids who jumped me. I hope you get your fucking heads kicked in."

The "512" title is a reference to Blythe's cell number in Prague, Czech Republic's Pankrác Prison, where he spent over a month in 2012 after being accused of shoving a local fan off the stage during LAMB OF GOD's May 2010 concert in the city. The man, who is said to have stormed the stage three times during the show, reportedly suffered a brain hemorrhage that resulted in his death nearly a month later. Blythe was eventually acquitted of all charges after a panel of Czech judges ruled that concert promoters — and not Blythe — were largely to blame for the fan's death.

The vocalist wrote the track about how his experience behind bars changed him. He told RollingStone.com: "You cannot have the same mentality as the normal guy living on the streets in prison. You undergo a radical mental and emotional shift when you go into prison."

He continued: "There are aspects of your personality that you could cultivate in prison that are beneficial to your survival that would be seen as psychosis or extreme paranoia. You have to be ready for violence at any time. Anyone who is 100 percent honest in prison will get taken advantage of, maybe by other prisoners, maybe by guards. For me, being in prison was a lot of figuring out what I could get away with, how I could work outside any set of rules in order to remain as comfortable as I could. You're cultivating your psyche in your deceit. In prison, everyone is listening all the time, and if they hear you say something that they can take, they might internalize it and be, like, 'This guy is talking to someone,' and he'll wind up dead."

According to the vocalist, he spent much of his time in a dark, basement dungeon so that the guards could monitor him for depression. "I couldn't even see the sun to tell what part of day it was," he said. "It was just steadily lessening levels of gloom."

Former FLYLEAF singer Lacey Sturm returns to music with her debut single as a solo artist, "Impossible", screaming into the top five of the iTunes Rock Top Songs chart. The single reached as high as No. 2 on the chart while continuing to gain momentum as news about Lacey's return went viral and following SiriusXM Octane's premiere of the song November 1. In rotation now at Octane and going for radio adds everywhere Monday, November 9, "Impossible" marks the first single from Lacey's highly anticipated solo debut, "Life Screams", set to release independently in early 2016 on Followspot Records with The Fuel Music distribution. The vocalist and songwriter who delivered rock anthems like "Again", "All Around Me", "I'm So Sick" and "Fully Alive" to the top of the retail and radio charts, Lacey shares the impetus behind "Impossible" on her Instagram: "I still have a fire in me to be a voice of love to people who feel unloved… For me, today is the beginning of new ways to live the impossible, and I have so much faith, hope and love in my soul." After news of Lacey's return was released last Friday, widespread social media exposure followed Lacey's Instagram scavenger hunt for eight hidden square pieces of the "Life Screams" cover artwork. It took less than an hour for not just one, but hundreds of Lacey's Instagram followers to discover and assemble the pieces revealing the full cover artwork. The images were found "hidden" on Brian "Head" Welch (KORN), Sonny Sandoval (P.O.D.), Korey Cooper and Jen Ledger (SKILLET), and others' Instagram sites. Three years after amicably parting ways with FLYLEAF, Lacey exclaimed, "I was listening to the radio one day and I said to myself, 'If I hear one more song telling people to kill themselves and go to hell, I'm going to have to put a record out!'" Approaching her latest creative phase with newfound perspective and appreciation, "Life Screams" organically grew out of a community of artists in Lacey's hometown of Pittsburgh. Through this community, Lacey's live band formed and have already performed for crowds in the tens of thousands with major rock festivals booked in 2016. "We have written songs with our friends in their houses and in our living room and basement, and we have been learning a lot about love and not taking life for granted," says Lacey. "We've learned that if we have the miracle of breath in our lungs and a voice in our heart, then we should use it for love." Sturm last year opened up about some of the reasons why she quit FLYLEAF in the fall of 2012, shortly before the release of the band's third album, "New Horizons". Speaking in a video to promote her memoir, Sturm said that several events, including getting married, having a baby and enduring the death of the band's sound engineer Rich Caldwell changed her priorities. Sturm explained: "The one that hit the hardest was the death of our sound engineer. We did one last show with FLYLEAF as a benefit for his wife Katy and their son Kirby. And it was really hard to do a show without him, and it was really hard to think it could be our last show. So I remember looking at my son after Rich had passed and just wondering to myself, if this was the last year I had with my son, how would I spend it?"

Sturm added: "It was really amazing to recognize this season changing in my life and the freedom that I was gonna be able to focus on my family. And I'm so thankful for that time. And although it was really hard, I'm thankful. And that's the reason I stepped down from FLYLEAF."

FLYLEAF recruited singer Kristen May as Sturm's replacement and released its fourth album, "Between The Stars", in September 2014.

The official lyric video for the song "He Is" from Swedish occult rockers GHOST can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's third album, "Meliora", which entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 8 with first-week sales of just over 29,000 units — nearly all from pure album sales. The set follows the No. 28-peaking "Infestissumam", which was released in 2013 and has sold almost 70,000 copes in the U.S. to date.

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

"Meliora" was released on August 21 via Loma Vista Recordings. The CD was helmed by Klas Åhlund, a prolific songwriter, producer and guitarist who is also a member of the Swedish rock band TEDDYBEARS, and was mixed by Andy Wallace (SLAYER, NIRVANA, SEPULTURA, LINKIN PARK, GUNS N' ROSES).

Asked if there was a particular direction GHOST was looking to go in on "Meliora", one of the Nameless Ghouls told Guitar World magazine: "Yes. There were a few guidelines we were working off of. The main one was that we felt on 'Infestissumam', there was definitely a shortage of… I don't know what the word is… let's say riffage. Whereas that was not the case on the first one ['Opus Eponymous']. So we wanted to make a record that had more riffs on it, because the guitar took a bit of a backseat on 'Infestissumam'. And the main reason for that was the production. The guitars were just put in the back. If we were to take all the tapes from that album and go into a different studio and remix the whole thing, I'm sure it would sound very different. So this time we wanted to focus on the guitar aspect from the start. Secondly, from a thematic standpoint, we wanted the whole record to have something of a futuristic feel. So there are organs and things like that, but there are also other things that we excluded, because this is not, you know, our medieval record. This is our futuristic, urban-dystopia-metropolis record. So we knew it had to possess a certain sort of flair. Because if you want to make a futuristic record that is sort of '80s-sounding, you would do that by using a lot of chorus everywhere. But that's not what we were trying to do. Or you could make a JUDAS PRIEST or IRON MAIDEN–style record that sounds very futuristic. But that's not what we were trying to do either. Sometimes you have to know what to leave out."

Regarding GHOST's sound, a Nameless Ghoul told Rolling Stone magazine: "We sort of came up with this mixture where we could combine basically all our favorite childhood and adolescent music styles. And we grew up listening to a lot of different music. A lot of Swedish music, and also a lot of '60s and '70s bands — AOR things like KANSAS and YES and CHICAGO and BOSTON. JOURNEY. TOTO. Professional-sounding music. And with all of that we found a way, for us at least, to make sense of having an extreme-metal riff and then throwing a pop melody over it. So that was the initial thing. After that it was, 'Oh, shit! Maybe we could turn it into a horror-rock band, and we could throw in this very childish sort of fascination of horror films! And also ALICE COOPER! And KISS!"

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has uploaded backstage footage from the band's concert in Dublin, Ireland. The clip, which was filmed earlier today (Monday, November 9) and posted on Periscope, a live video streaming platform owned by Twitter, can be seen below.

MEGADETH will embark on a U.S. trek in February 2016. The four-band package will mark MEGADETH's first U.S. run of dates in support of its new album, "Dystopia", which is scheduled for release in January.

Mustaine spoke about MEGADETH's musical direction on "Dystopia", the band's first release to feature LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA. He said: "I think we were going back to our thrash roots, and in the process, Chris came into things. If you remember, after we did 'Risk', I told Marty [Friedman, then-MEGADETH guitarist], 'We need to get back to our roots,' and he quit. So I've wanted to play like this record for a long time. It's just kind of like driving a… well, not driving… piloting an aircraft carrier. You turn the wheel all the way to the left, [and] you know you're turning, but it doesn't look like it, and it takes a long time to get turned around. But we're turned around, I believe."

MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD are currently touring the U.K. and Ireland together, and Adler spoke about how he was preparing for pulling double duty every night. "I'm carb-loading before the show," he said. "I have been working really, really hard over the past probably 10 years to keep myself in shape. What I try to do is about a 10-mile run every day, and then I play the LAMB OF GOD show. So I figure those two things together are probably gonna equal what I do with these guys."

Due to his LAMB OF GOD schedule, Adler was unable to play with MEGADETH in China and Japan last month and was temporarily replaced by Tony Laureano (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, ANGELCORPSE), a veteran extreme-metal skinsman who has worked as MEGADETH's drum tech since 2011.

Adler made his live debut with MEGADETH in July at the Festival D'été De Québec (also known as by its acronym FEQ, or Quebec City Summer Festival in English), in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

The follow-up to 2013's "Super Collider", "Dystopia" was recorded earlier in the year in Nashville, Tennessee and was mixed by Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with LAMB OF GOD, ALL THAT REMAINS and GOJIRA.

Fan-filmed video footage of JANE'S ADDICTION's November 6 performance at Gas Monkey Live! in Dallas, Texas can be seen below.

JANE'S ADDICTION was honored with the Elmer Valentine Award at last year's Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF), on the famed Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. The Elmer Valentine Award celebrates the music and icons that have made an impact on the legacy of The Strip.

Since launching its career with its first live performance at The Roxy in 1985, JANE'S ADDICTION has continued to influence the sound and artistic spirit of rock and roll on the Sunset Strip and beyond. Last year the group celebrated the 25th anniversary of its groundbreaking album "Nothing's Shocking", and original members Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins continue to pave the way for alternative rock bands worldwide.

JANE'S ADDICTION, which has broken up and reunited several times since forming in 1985, released its fourth studio album, "The Great Escape Artist", in 2011 and a concert album/DVD called "Live In NYC" in 2013.

It has been five years since the release of OBSCURA's universally acclaimed "Omnivium" album. Now the progressive metal masters return with their strongest and most dynamic release to date. The aptly named "Akróasis" (Greek for "hearing" or "listening") draws on all the various elements of OBSCURA's signature sound and combines those qualities into a cohesive and mind-blowing whole.

A trailer featuring samples of new music from "Akróasis" is available below. "Akróasis" will be released February 5, 2016 via Relapse Records. The album will be available in CD, 2xLP and as a digital download. Physical pre-orders for "Akróasis" are available here and digital pre-orders can be found here. "With 'Akróasis', we produced our grand opus featuring eight songs of fluent arrangements, odd time signatures never heard before in metal, and the most high-end production in the history of the band," says OBSCURA founder and frontman Steffen Kummerer. "Without question, 'Akróasis' is the heaviest, most complex record we have made to date. We cannot wait to perform live again and bring this excellent music to stages around the globe." Produced by the band and V. Santura (TRIPTYKON, PESTILENCE), "Akróasis" is eight songs diverse enough to serve as a near-comprehensive introduction to all of extreme metal. Packed to the gills with virtuosic musicianship, compelling themes, and airtight songwriting, "Akróasis" will undoubtedly breathe new life into death metal, progressive metal and beyond. Founded in 2002 by Kummerer, OBSCURA caused a stir when it toured as support for the legendary SUFFOCATION on the band's European tour in 2006 and independently released its debut album, "Retribution", that same year. From its very beginnings, the band (named after GORGUTS' inimitable 1993 full-length) demonstrated an uncanny ability for blending different forms of technical, cerebral metal into a coherent synthesis of death, thrash and black metal merged with progressive elements. "Akróasis" track listing:

01. Sermon Of The Seven Suns 02. The Monist 03. Akróasis 04. Ten Sepiroth 05. Ode To The Sun 06. Fractal Dimension 07. Perpetual Infinity 08. Weltseele 09. Melos (deluxe vinyl bonus track)10. The Origin Of Primal Expression (CD bonus track)

OBSCURA is:

Steffen Kummerer - Vocals, GuitarRafael Trujillo - GuitarLinus Klausenitzer - BassSebastian Lanser - Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of KISS frontman Paul Stanley's solo acoustic performance on November 2 aboard The Kiss Kruise V can be seen below.

During a 2014 interview with NashvilleScene.com, Stanley was asked if there is a possibility of him releasing another solo album following 2006's "Live To Win". "Sure, absolutely," he replied. "I'm not done, so sure. The next one I guarantee will be much more guitar-driven. 'Live To Win' was really me wanting to push the envelope of what people wouldn't expect from me. But my next one would hearken back way more to the first [1978's 'Paul Stanley'], I'm sure."

Stanley was also asked why his memoir, "Face The Music: A Life Exposed", contains no mention of "Live To Win" and the period in his life when he made a second solo album. "Well, because if I wrote about everything, then the book would have been 10 times as long," he said. "It wasn't pivotal, although it was a great experience. You have to draw the line somewhere, because writing an autobiography is very much like turning a book into a movie. You have to paint the picture without telling every page."

Released in October 2006 via New Door Records/Universal Musical Enterprises, "Live to Win" was produced by Stanley, who provided lead vocals, guitar and percussion alongside a studio core of guitarist Corky James (AVRIL LAVIGNE, THE MATRIX), drummer Victor Indrizzo (BECK, MACY GRAY) and keyboardist Harry Sommerdahl (CARRIE UNDERWOOD, LINDSAY LOHAN). Also performing on the album were former KISS bandmate Bruce Kulick and guitarist John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, ex-MARILYN MANSON).

While the heartfelt "Loving You Without You Now" was written without any outside collaboration, the remainder of the album reunited Stanley with former KISS songwriting partners Desmond Child (AEROSMITH, LEANN RIMES) and Holly Knight (TINA TURNER, PAT BENATAR), and introduced new collaborators, including Andreas Carlsson (BON JOVI, BRITNEY SPEARS), John 5 and Marti Frederiksen (AEROSMITH, FAITH HILL). Seven of the ten tracks were co-written with Child and/or Carlsson, with Stanley and Child joined by John 5 on "Where Angels Dare" and Frederiksen on "Lift", and Knight teaming with the frontman on "It's Not Me".

STONE SOUR's next covers EP, "Straight Outta Burbank", will be released this month as part of Record Store Day's annual Black Friday bonanza. The effort will include cover versions of songs by BAD BRAINS, THE ROLLING STONES, SLAYER, MÖTLEY CRÜE and IRON MAIDEN. Making a guest appearance on STONE SOUR's rendition of THE ROLLING STONES classic "Gimme Shelter" is HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale.

STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand told Rolling Stone: "To stay true to the original recordings of these songs, we tried to recreate the sounds and tones that the original artist used. This was both fun and challenging, but the end result was worth all the hard work everyone put into achieving it."

Added STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor: "I love 'Straight Outta Burbank', because it's a little bit further out there than 'Meanwhile in Burbank…' This one hits a few different corners: [it's] got BAD BRAINS on one end and the STONES on the other … and the crazy thing is it all works. I think that's a reflection of us as a band. We do what we want, style-wise, and it works. I hope people enjoy the spirit, music and fun that went into this."

"Straight Outta Burbank" track listing:

01. Sailin' On (BAD BRAINS cover)02. Running Free (IRON MAIDEN cover)03. Gimme Shelter (THE ROLLING STONES cover) (feat. Lzzy Hale)04. Too Fast For Love (MÖTLEY CRÜE cover)05. Seasons In The Abyss (SLAYER cover)

The "Gimme Shelter" cover, featuring a guest appearance by Lzzy Hale, can be streamed below.

Now in its eighth year, Record Store Day is an annual day-long celebration of record store culture taking place on the third Saturday in April, with an annual Black Friday event occurring the day after Thanksgiving. This year, RSD has named Dave Grohl as Record Store Day Ambassador 2015.

Look for 5,000 copies of "Straight Outta Burbank" arriving on vinyl on November 27.

For more information, visit www.recordstoreday.com.

During a September 15 appearance on the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor stated about "Straight Outta Burbank": "It's done, it's mixed. We've got the album artwork all together. And it's awesome. It's really, really, really good."

He continued: "We're actually more into this one than we are [STONE SOUR's first covers EP, 'Meanwhile In Burbank…']. And that's nothing against the first one; the first one's super solid. This one, man, is so diverse, but it all feels really, really good. We're really stoked about it. We're doing everything from THE STONES to SLAYER. Like, it is on. It is so on, it's not even funny."

In a recent interview, Taylor said that the band's third covers EP — titled "No Sleep 'Till Burbank" — will also feature five songs, and will include new versions of tracks from the following artists: VAN HALEN, VIOLENT FEMMES, BUZZCOCKS, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AC/DC.

Released this past April as a Record Store Day exclusive , "Meanwhile In Burbank…" contained songs originally done by BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, METALLICA, KISS and ALICE IN CHAINS.

Asked why STONE SOUR decided to release three separate EPs of covers, Taylor said: "This is something we've been talking about for years. And we decided, instead of putting it all on one, and trying to make that work, we were, like, 'Let's have fun with it.' It was kind of the same spirit of why we wanted to do 'em in the first place — is 'cause we wanted to have fun, just to kind of take the edge off, take the pressure off and just go in and have fun and kind of show the world what got us into making music in the first place. So we broke it up into three. That way, we could kind of play with the artwork, make it fun for the fans, and just have a good time with it. 'Cause we're making our nut on covers. But at the same time, when you do something like that, you wanna represent to the best of your ability. And by spacing it out and letting the fans get into five at a time, nothing gets lost in the shuffle. It just felt like by doing it that way, people would have time to digest each five before the next one comes on."

Regarding the "Burbank" tie-in in the titles of the three EPs, Taylor explained: "[Burbank, California is] where [STONE SOUR drummer] Roy [Mayorga] lives, and we did all the music in his home studio. So I was just, like, 'Dude, the title's gotta be, 'Meanwhile In Burbank…' And then it just became, like, 'How can we play on that?' 'No Sleep 'Till Burbank'… 'Straight Outta Burbank'… It was just hilarious. At one point, I wanted us to dress like a black metal band in his front yard and play volleyball. Because there's this giant palm tree in the front, and there's always sun and people walking their kids, or whatever, and we're dressed like MAYHEM. And we didn't have time, 'cause [STONE SOUR bassist Johny] Chow is out with CAVALERA [CONSPIRACY], and Roy's been doing some stuff. So we just didn't have that time where we were all in the same state. But I was, like, 'We've gotta remember that one, 'cause that could be rad.'"

On its last North American tour, STONE SOUR played a different cover every night, including songs that made the EP such as METALLICA's "Creeping Death", KISS's "Love Gun" and JUDAS PRIEST's "Heading Out To The Highway".

Taylor is currently on tour with his other band, SLIPKNOT.

Guitarist Christian Martucci joined STONE SOUR in late 2013 as the replacement for Jim Root, who was fired from the group after deciding he wanted to sit out the band's last tour in order to start work on the next album from SLIPKNOT, of which he is also a member.

1965 marks the starting point of one of the most successful rock bands of our time. Hailing from Hannover, Germany, the SCORPIONS embarked on a journey that would lead them around the globe and would establish them as one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

With the November 6 release of the 50th-anniversary deluxe editions, the SCORPIONS celebrate their impressive achievements and open their vaults to unleash hitherto unreleased songs, alternate versions of big hits, rough mixes and rare live concert footage.

In addition to dozens of previously unheard studio tracks and live recordings, all CD releases are contain extended booklets featuring rare photos and, single covers, backstage passes and additional liner notes by Edgar Klüsener, a former editor in chief of Metal Hammer who has followed the band's career closely over several decades. Five of the eight albums are accompanied bya DVD that contains live concert footage from the respective period, together with TV performances and in-depth interviews with the band. In these interviews, they talk about the background history and the creative process of each of these albums: "Lovedrive", "Blackout", "Love At first Sting", "World Wide Live" and "Savage Amusement".

The remastered LP formats are released on 180-gram vinyl in a sleeve replicating the first pressing. They also come with an audio CD, featuring the original track listing and the same bonus audio as the CD formats. A limited and numbered deluxe box set will contain all remasted vinyl discs.

SCORPIONS said: "It's hard to summarize 50 years in words, but listening back to all those songs — many of them them previously unreleased — recorded in one of our most creative periods, really took us back in time. This was a very heartfelt project for all of us. It brought back great memories whilst we rediscovered our musical DNA by listening to the archives, selecting dozens of unreleased songs and early versions of well-known SCORPIONS anthems. We really worked on the material to improve the sound quality, but always taking great care to preserve its original feel."

"Savage Amusement" reissue track listing:

Disc 1:

01. Don't Stop At The Top02. Rhythm Of Love03. Passion Rules The Game04. Media Overkill05. Walking On The Edge06. We Let It Rock…You Let It Roll07. Every Minute Every Day08. Love On The Run09. Believe In Love10. Taste Of Love (previously unreleased demo song)11. Edge Of Time (previously unreleased demo song)12. Don't Wait Too Long (previously unreleased demo song)13. Fast And Furious (previously unreleased demo)14. Dancing In The Moonlight (previously unreleased demo)15. Living For Tomorrow (previously unreleased demo song)16. I Can't Explain

Disc 2:

01. Rhythm Of Love (video clip)02. Passion Rules The Game (video clip)03. Believe In Love (video clip)04. I Can't Explain (video clip)

* Documentary with clips and live material "To Russia With Love"* Interview special with R. Schenker, K. Meine, M. Jabs, H. Rarebell

Audio samples of the "Savage Amusement" reissue are available below.

ARMORED SAINT's video for the song "An Exercise In Debauchery" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Brian Cox, who has previously worked with PRONG and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, among others.

ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush said: "I'm so happy with the way this video turned out.

"The song has a heavy subject matter and the video complements it perfectly. There's also a feeling of campiness, which makes the viewer fade in and out of being uncomfortable and having a chuckle.

"The actors did a great job and personal props to my neighbor Sharon, who let it all out as the police officer. Oh, yeah, the band looks badass as well. Debauchery indeed.”

Added Cox: "This was by far the most challenging music video I have ever produced — everything from the direction of the video down to the post-production editing techniques. It pushed my boundaries in every way possible, which is why this one has has landed a spot as my personal favorite video to date!"

"An Exercise In Debauchery" is taken from ARMORED SAINT's seventh studio album, "Win Hands Down", which was released on June 2 in North America via Metal Blade.

Regarding the songwriting process for "Win Hands Down", ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera told Metal Forces magazine: "[John and I] always have these discussions — him and I — about what we’re gonna do, and the state of the music. We look at our past a little bit, and we look at what our intentions are gonna be. We usually have the same conversation, and it goes something like this. For one thing, we never wanna repeat ourselves. We don't want to just make part two of another record that we made and at the same time; we want to experiment more. We want to push ourselves as far as the soundscapes go, and as far as instrumentation or arrangements go. We never wanna go out and just make a record that is obligatory, you know what I mean? We never wanna feel like we're obliged to please a group of fans, let's say, where all they wanna hear is 'Symbol Of Salvation' over and over and over. We never wanna do that. We always have to make music that's basically pleasing to ourselves first. Now, that's not to say that we are willing to just completely abandon everybody. We are well aware of where we come from and what the lineage is of our group. Once we decided on that, then that's the conversation we continued to remind ourselves of along the way, like, 'How can we make this bigger, better and more interesting? Let's be challenging to ourselves a little bit.' That's usually the conversation we have."

ELIMINATE, the new band featuring former DARK ANGEL singer Don Doty, made its live debut this past Saturday, November 7 at Grindcore 2015 at Ukranian Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

ELIMINATE recently parted ways with drummer Sasha Horn and replaced him with Joe Cangelosi (WHIPLASH, KREATOR).

Said ELIMINATE in a statement: "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the departure of our brother Sasha Horn.

"Unfortunately, Sasha has other commitments to attend to and will not be able to join the band in the upcoming show and other ventures. We would like to thank our brother for all the hard work and dedication and wish him nothing but the best in his future ventures he will be sorely missed.

"With that, we would like to divulge the upside to this tragedy. Although we knew it would be difficult to replace Sasha, we think we have found a fantastic replacement.

"Ladies and gentlemen — drum roll, please — ELIMINATE would like to introduce our new skinbasher Mr. Joe Cangelosi. We are proud to welcome our new brother into the realm of the insane.

"In case you don't know him, Joe is no stranger to the thrash world. This East Coast veteran has played in such acts as WHIPLASH, KREATOR and Florida's MASSACRE, so everyone say hello and give him a warm thrashing welcome.

"This is the beginning of a new chapter and we are excited to embrace it."

ELIMINATE's lineup is as follows:

Don Doty (ex-DARK ANGEL) - VocalsJoe Cangelosi (WHIPLASH, KREATOR) - DrumsScott Owen (ex-HIRAX) - GuitarsHenry Elizondo (DEVASTATION) - GuitarJohn Signorelli (SUBVERSION) - Bass

Doty is not involved in DARK ANGEL's current reunion, which includes Gene Hoglan (drums), Eric Meyer (guitar), Jim Durkin (guitar), Ron Rinehart (vocals) and Michael Gonzalez (bass).

DARK ANGEL released two albums with Doty on vocals — 1984's "We Have Arrived" and 1986's "Darkness Descends" — before he exited the group and was replaced by Ron Rinehart (after a brief stint with Jim Drabos in 1987).

For more information on ELIMINATE, visit the band's Facebook page.

Identical twins Camille and Kennerly Kitt have released a video for their cover version of the QUEENSRŸCHE classic "Silent Lucidity". The clip was filmed at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Hodgenville, Kentucky.

Camille and Kennerly's version of "Silent Lucidity" is available for purchase via iTunes.

Camille and Kennerly's latest album, "Harp Attack 2", features 14 harp duet covers of rock and metal songs from the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and 2000s, plus a 15th bonus track featuring special guest musicians.

Known as the "harp twins," Camille and Kennerly perform internationally as a dynamic acoustic and electric rock harp duo.

As the world's only known identical twin professional harpists, Camille and Kennerly have a passion and flair for arranging and performing contemporary music for harp duet.

Camille and Kennerly are known for their remarkable duet harp arrangements of songs by artists such as GUNS N' ROSES, LED ZEPPELIN, METALLICA, AEROSMITH, AC/DC, DEEP PURPLE and many more. The twins also arrange and perform a jukebox of Broadway, video game, TV and movie soundtrack hits. In addition to being prolific arrangers, Camille and Kennerly compose and perform their own original pieces for harp duet.

In December of 2013, Camille and Kennerly released their first covers albums, "Harp Attack", featuring 14 of their most popular rock and metal arrangements, and "Harp Fantasy", featuring 14 of their most popular TV and movie soundtrack, anime, and video game arrangements.

Camille and Kennerly began posting harp duet music videos of their rock, metal and contemporary cover arrangements on YouTube several years ago. The twins have since acquired millions of views on their 100 percent independently produced videos in addition to amassing legions of fans worldwide — including over 200,000 Facebook fans. Camille and Kennerly are known for their personal interaction with their fans — responding to more fan messages and comments than any other artist of their echelon.

METALLICA bassist and "Jaco" film producer Robert Trujillo presented a Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award to MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy Kilmister at the Bass Player Live! concert as part of the eighth annual premier live bass guitar event — Bass Player Live! 2015 — held Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8 in Los Angeles. Following the presentation, an all-star set honoring Kilmister featured performances from Robert Trujillo, Rex Brown (KILL DEVIL HILL, PANTERA), Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (OZZY OSBOURNE), and Doug Pinnick (KING'S X) on bass, drummer/musical director Tommy Rickard (Scott Weiland, Linda Perry), vocalists Whitfield Crane (UGLY KID JOE) and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT), and guitarist Lita Ford.

Video footage of Lemmy accepting the Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award from Trjillo can be seen below. MOTÖRHEAD's 22nd studio album, "Bad Magic", was released on August 28. The CD was recorded at NRG Studios with longtime producer Cameron Webb.

Asked if there an album or tour cycle that was the most rewarding or enjoyable for him in MOTÖRHEAD's four-decade history, Lemmy told Loudwire: "I don't know, I can't remember all of them. Being in the studio for 40 years, it seems to me the most fun one was probably the first one, because you're new at it, discovering all these things that you're doing in the studio."

Lemmy told A.V. Club about MOTÖRHEAD's non-experimental musical approach: "Oh, it's paid off in dividends for us and for quite a few other bands like STATUS QUO. There's been a lot of bands who've stuck to their original idea and it usually helps them out. It's when bands like to switch to what they aren't or what they think they are that's bullshit. It really turns out to be bullshit in the end. People changing because they think they should is not a good idea, because I just don't think they should, really. [Laughs] It's something I thought was a good idea in the beginning. Why change it? [Laughs] People seem to keep liking it, though we've done a few departures. We've made bad albums in the past, and people have bought them. I don't know. I don't care. I'm just grateful for it."

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS have officially parted ways with singer Chester Bennington.

Chester said in a statement: "The last few years have been an amazing experience. I got to create and perform with one of the greatest rock bands of our generation, that had so much influence on me growing up. With the amount of time STP deserves, in addition to being in LINKIN PARK, and with the needs of my family, one of them always seems to fall short.

"Going in to this, the four of us... Robert [DeLeo, bass], Eric [Kretz, drums], Dean [DeLeo, guitar] and myself knew what we were up against. We decided in due fairness to friends, fans and the legacy of STP that it needs more than time was allowing me. And in all fairness to my bandmates in LINKIN PARK, as well as to myself and to my family, I'm going to focus solely on LINKIN PARK so I can contribute 100%.

"It's been an amazing experience and a dream come true, and I look forward to the future of both STP and LINKIN PARK."

Added the remaning members of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS: "What an amazing and beautiful few years we've all had together. It was our honor to play and see all of you recently on tour.

"We have thoroughly enjoyed our time together with Chester not only professionally, but even more so on a personal level. Sadly, it was evident that scheduling and time was working against us. Within this, there is a new beginning. There is an abundance of new music written, some of which is already recorded.

"We have had the fortune of playing with some very talented singers over the last few months and will continue to do so until each of us feels and knows when the right person arrives."

The speculation of STP's split with Bennington started when the band's original singer, Scott Weiland, told Alternative Nation that Chester was no longer with the band.

Said Weiland: "He's not in the band anymore. Chester's got a band, LINKIN PARK, where he gets paid $700,000 a night with, and with STP, the brand is kind of falling apart, which is a shame."

Bennington joined STP in 2013, shortly after they fired Weiland. On Monday, November 9, the band is set to perform with soul singer Joss Stone as JOSS STONE TEMPLE PILOTS on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Bennington last performed with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS on October 25 at the Aftershock festival.

So who is up for replacing Bennington? Not Johnny Stevens, the frontman for HIGHLY SUSPECT. He claimed in a tweet that STP guitarist Dean DeLeo called him in August offering him Bennington's slot. Stevens said he wasn't interested.

A publicist for RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer has issued a press release stating that a court ruling was made on November 5 denying RATT guitarist Warren DeMartini's request for an injunction to prevent Blotzer from using and touring under the RATT trademark.

DeMartini filed a lawsuit in September against Blotzer, claiming that the drummer is falsely advertising his "tribute band" as the real thing.

Blotzer announced on September 23 that he was taking control of the RATT name and was planning to hit the road with a new version of the group, which played shows earlier in the year under the name BOBBY BLOTZER'S RATT EXPERIENCE.

WBS, Inc., the company which manages the business and operations related to RATT, was originally formed by Blotzer, DeMartini and singer Stephen Pearcy. Pearcy lost his share of the name in court after splitting with the group in 2000. He returned to the band in 2006 but exited again last year. Blotzer has since expressed his desire to keep RATT alive with a new singer, but explained that DeMartini did not want to tour as RATT without Pearcy.

In his October 19 declaration in reply to opposition to motion for preliminary injunction, DeMartini wrote: "After years of being mistreated by Blotzer, our lead singer, Stephen Pearcy, decided that he would rather go on his own than be subjected to more abuse from Blotzer.

"I NEVER said I would not tour. In fact, I would love to tour with RATT's full line-up, including Pearcy. What I will not do is tour solely with Blotzer and replacement musicians. We have done this before and it resulted in a poor product that I am not willing to participate in. For RATT to have value, it is my position that we need to be together as the real band RATT. What makes this difficult is that Stephen Pearcy got tired of Blotzer threatening to sue him and quit.

"Mr. Blotzer himself admits that my only objection was touring without the actual line-up without replacements. Blotzer stated [in] his declaration: '[DeMartini] told me he refused to tour with any musicians other than the original band members.' There is nothing in any of our agreements that allows Blotzer to find a replacement lead singer and then force me go out on tour and try to sell this as RATT. Our lead singer is Stephen Pearcy. I am not willing to be dragged out on tour with a drummer and a set of replacements."

According to DeMartini's lawsuit, Blotzer held an annual WBS shareholder meeting on September 3 at Jerry's Famous Deli in Studio City, California in which he elected himself chairman of the board and president in place of DeMartini while DeMartini was elected "vice president of guitars."

In his October 20 declaration in support of his special motion to strike DeMartini's complaint pursuant to California's anti-SLAPP statute, Blotzer wrote: "[DeMartini] cut off communication with me and would not respond to any requests I made for meetings, phone calls, and to play as RATT again. [DeMartini] also blocked me from his email and would not respond to texts.

"Income from touring as RATT is necessary for the support of myself, my family, my business, and my artistic endeavors.

"I felt that [DeMartini's] unresponsiveness to me, his fellow shareholder, director, and officer of WBS, his refusal to enforce the intellectual property rights of the Marks, his refusal to keep bringing the fans of RATT great music, his actions to effectively abandon the Marks, his creation of to mounting debt for WBS while not allowing revenues to be earned by WBS, and his refusal to hold regular shareholders and directors meetings as required by the WBS ByLaws was damaging the Marks, the RATT brand, our goodwill, and was reducing our visibility and the demand for our music; all things that was damaging the earning potential of WBS and the individual shareholders, including [DeMartini]. Plus WBS has close to $50,000 in debt and only a couple hundred in the bank.

"I reviewed the WBS corporate documents, the Band Agreements, and California case law to determine if I had any rights to help the corporation I was a 50% owner of since [DeMartini] created gridlock for WBS where no business could be done.

"Based on the WBS corporate documents, the Band Agreements, and California case law, I had a good faith belief that I could call the annual shareholders' meeting required by the ByLaws that [DeMartini] ignored.

"I noticed a meeting for September 3, 2015 to attempt to get the business moving in a positive direction again.

"At the time of creating the notice I had no ideas or intentions of any nominations for directors of the board of WBS; I expected [DeMartini] at the meeting.

"On September 3, 2015, I was duly elected as President and Chairman of the Board of WBS, Inc. and I began moving WBS towards earning revenues again out of a feeling of duty and loyalty to WBS, RATT fans, and even [DeMartini]."

In his October 20 notice of special motion to strike and special motion to strike DeMartini's complaint pursuant to california's anti-SLAPP statute, Blotzer's attorney wrote: "While [DeMartini] has slowed down over the years, some say he has suffered hearing loss which does not allow him to play the guitar as he once did, and, as an heir to the Mars candy fortune, is comfortable and amenable to simply enjoying life at his home in the hills, Blotzer is not an heir to a family fortune that can keep funding a bank account through a trust fund. Also, Blotzer has a innate desire as an artist to continue to perform the music of RATT for the throngs of people that desperately want to see the music performed live; he is not comfortable just going gently into that goodnight. He wants to continue to rage against the dying of the light. However, for Blotzer this was a blessing in disguise as [DeMartini] had refused to put the WBS shareholders' needs ahead of his own for the entire duration of his steward of WBS. By not allowing WBS to transact business (RATT not touring), while allowing debt of the corporation to accrue without concern, not following corporate formalities when needed, not causing the WBS-owned RATT websites and social media to be updated and properly managed, not enforcing WBS' intellectual property rights. and letting the Marks fall nearly into abandonment (until recently, the Marks have not been used in commerce since January 2014) all had a detrimental effect on the corporation and the shareholders.

"Blotzer's trade is being the drummer for RATT. Therefore. RATT going out on tour is necessary, not just desired. for the benefit of WBS, not just Blotzer, yet, selfishly, [DeMartini] will not allow Blotzer to earn on his trade and for WBS to pay off its debts. In sum, WBS' decline and its precarious financial position is so for one reason: [DeMartini] selfish inaction and unreasonable demands. And now when Blotzer seeks to tum things around through his protected freedoms of speech and petition, [DeMartini] files suit just because Blotzer is exercising his freedoms.

"Blotzer and [DeMartini] have been the only consistent band members that executed the Band Agreements. But, Blotzer is the only band member that has wanted to consistently tour and bring great music to the fans. Since, at least 2011, [DeMartini] has refused to tour and record multiple times when the other then current members of the Band were requesting [DeMartini] to do so, and there were opportunities available for the Band. Most recently, this last April [DeMartini] emphatically refused to go out on tour even though requested to do so by Blotzer when opportunities presented themselves to Blotzer and [DeMartini]. Thus, since, at least, April 2015, [DeMartini] has been a Non-Touring Member without shareholder voting rights in WBS. Hence, as mentioned above, so long as [DeMartini] was paid his fee and his replacement was not paid above a certain amount, RATT touring with Blotzer as the only original member was given [DeMartini's] tacit blessing when [DeMartini] signed the Band Agreement and refused to tour.

"[DeMartini] seems to argue in his Complaint that he has never refused to tour, but simply wanted to tour with the original members of RATT. This argument fails for two reasons. First, [DeMartini] previously toured with a band, using the RATT moniker, which consisted of three non-original band members. Hence, [DeMartini] has already demonstrated his willingness to play with non-original members under RATT making his whole argument a fraud. Second, the only current members of the Band, at least as of April 2015, were the [DeMartini] and Mr. Blotzer, as Juan Croucier had left the band in 1997 and Stephen Pearcy has publicly stated since 2011 that he would not play or tour with RATT any further. And yet [DeMartini] still stated to Mr. Blotzer, when the opportunity to tour presented itself, that he would only play with the original members. Therefore, [DeMartini's] refusal to tour with Mr. Blotzer, regardless of the validity of the conditions or the reasons for the refusal, meant that [DeMartini] was refusing to tour, record, and/or make personal appearances with the Band's only other 'Current Member.'

"Despite [DeMartini's] assertions to the contrary, the demand for RATT is seeing levels that is hasn't seen in over ten years. The reports from music professionals, RATT fans, and those in entertainment news are that the current line-up of RATT is a great show for fans, has performers that are excellent musicians, are creating a new 'buzz' for RATT, and, as some say, are better than the original line-up of RATT. Already, RATT is booking performances through the 4th quarter of 2016 based on promoters' knowledge and experience with this new line-up. Nothing is damaging the Marks, the brand, or the mystique of RATT. Moreover. every show that RATT plays. [DeMartini] earns a fee while just sitting at his house in Los Angeles. Yet, [DeMartini] still seeks to limit speech and Blotzer's right to judicial remedies."

Blotzer's revamped RATT is rounded out by Josh Alan (SIN CITY SINNERS), Scotty Griffin (ex-L.A. GUNS), Doc Ellis (Jizzy Pearl's LOVE/HATE) and 22-year-old guitar hero Blaze.

Warren DeMartini photo credit: Nadine Joy

Pictured below: Bobby Blotzer's new "RATT"

BraveWords ran into Iced Earth mainman Jon Schaffer at the Blind Guardian show in Cleveland last night (November 7th). The guitarist drove over from Indiana, to hang with his longtime friends, including fellow Demons And Wizards bandmate/singer Hansi Kürsch. Schaffer revealed that he's in good health, losing weight via a regiment of martial arts training. Plans call for some studio time in January, with eyes on a late 2016 release. In early February, the band will be part of 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise.

As previously reported, Iced Earth are currently in the process of setting up a new headquarters for all things concerning the band, including a new studio for future recordings. Guitarist/founder Jon Schaffer has decided to sell some guitars from his massive collection to help finance the new project. He has issued the following statement:

“I’m selling a few guitars that have been on various recordings as well as some that were bought for my personal collection. We need to raise a large amount of money to complete the vision of our new headquarters, and begin this new chapter in the bands march to independence, to thrive in the ever-changing music business. There are some pretty killer guitars in the collection, so I urge die-hard fans, and guitar collectors alike, to go to Carter Vintage Guitars and see what’s there.”

Go to CarterVintage.com to check out the guitars up for sale from Schaffer's collection.

Century Media reissued the first four studio albums on vinyl from Iced Earth back in July. All four albums come in gatefold sleeves featuring the original LP artwork. Layouts have been kept close to the layouts of the original vinyl versions as well. Each LP includes a 60x60 artwork poster and 180 g vinyl. The LP sound has been kept in its original form, with a special vinyl mastering of Patrick Engel, known from his careful mastering works for bands as Jag Panzer, Exodus, Trouble, Tokyo Blade or Candlemass, delivering you the best vinyl listening experience of these US power metal classics.

While The Dark Saga has already seen one vinyl re-issue in 2010 (which is a rare edition by now), the first three Iced Earth albums have never seen an LP re-issue since their initial release. As prices have reached ridiculous heights lately, it’s time to offer you these outstanding and influential albums for a regular price. The albums Days Of Purgatory, Something Wicked This Way Comes and Horror Show will follow in the first quarter of 2016.

Here is the info on the vinyl color splits:

Iced Earth LP:

Clear vinyl – 100 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro Europe)
Turquoise vinyl – 200 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro US)
Green vinyl – 400 copies (available at various mailorder stores)
Black vinyl – unlimited

Night Of The Stormrider LP:

Clear vinyl – 100 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro Europe)
Silver vinyl – 200 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro US)
Blue vinyl – 400 copies (available at various mailorder stores)
Black vinyl – unlimited

Burnt Offerings 2LP:

Clear vinyl – 100 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro Europe)
Orange vinyl – 200 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro US)
Red vinyl – 400 copies (available at various mailorder stores)
Black vinyl – unlimited

The Dark Saga LP:

Clear vinyl – 100 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro Europe)
Lilac vinyl – 200 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro US)
Yellow vinyl – 400 copies (available at various mailorder stores)
Black vinyl – unlimited

Order your copy at CM Distro here.



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