Rich "Bull" Gaenzler of the 103.3 The Edge WEDG-FM radio station recently conducted an interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

Speaking about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for METALLICA's follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic" album, Hammett said: "Well, you know, we're moving forward. We're hoping that the album will be released next year. It's pretty much more along the same lines as 'Death Magnetic' — kind of like that direction. And, you know, we'll see. We're into it. I don't wanna say that we're a third into it, or two-thirds into it, or an eighth into it, 'cause anything could happen that'll just change that number. But, eventually, you will see a new METALLICA album, and it will most likely be in 2016, and at the very worst, at the beginning of 2017."

Hammett was also asked about how long he thinks he and his bandmates can keep performing before it's time for them to finally retire from the live stage. He responded: "We're all getting up there, but we still have drive, we still have energy, we're still inspired, we still have things that we wanna do. You know, mentally, emotionally… I mean, I think that we're not done yet. And if people like Keith Richards and Mick Jagger [of THE ROLLING STONES] can do it into their seventies, why can't we? That's my attitude. And on a personal level, I'm a musician. I wanna continue to play and perform and do what I do, which is make music. I don't wanna stop doing this. I don't wanna stop making music. I will always be a musician. I will always be a working musician, until I can't be anymore."

METALLICA recently uploaded a new video greeting from drummer Lars Ulrich welcoming the band's fans to its newly redesigned official web site.

The four-minute video includes a short snippet of guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield in the studio at the band's headquarters in San Rafael, California, laying down guitars on what appears to be a new METALLICA song.

Hammett confirmed last week that the band was in the process of recording new material, saying, "At this point, we're still just doing basic backing tracks. James is doing his guitar stuff, and I am just kind of waiting patiently to go in there and do all of my guitar stuff."

Interview (audio):

LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton spoke to Ireland's Overdrive about his reaction when he first heard that LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler had been hired by MEGADETH to play on that band's new record and upcoming tour. He said: "I think, for me, I was just really happy for my friend Chris, because he is a huge MEGADETH fan. I wouldn't necessarily say that him playing with MEGADETH has had any bearing on us or what we do in terms of decision making or anything like that. Just knowing how important that band is to Chris and to have the opportunity to play some shows together and feature on the album makes me very happy for my friend."

Morton also talked about LAMB OF GOD's upcoming U.K. tour with MEGADETH, which will see Adler pulling double duty every night. He said: "Yeah, Chris will be playing with both LAMB OF GOD and MEGADETH for a few of these shows, with Dublin being the first of that run, so it will be pretty interesting to see how he hold up. [Laughs] It's such a physical role for a musician, but Chris is in top shape right now, as he does a lot of cardio exercise and is very athletic in that sense and really looks after himself. I don't think he will have a problem with things, but I'm pretty sure he's gearing up for things right now, because it's gonna take a lot of stamina to get through both sets."

LAMB OF GOD's seventh full-length album, "VII: Sturm Und Drang", was released on July 24 via Epic in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Entertainment in all territories outside of North America. The CD was once again produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur with engineering by Wilbur, Nick Rowe and Kyle McAulay, and was recorded at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California and Suburban Soul Studios in Torrance, California.

Canadian bashers Kobra And The Lotus have launched a Pledge Music campaign for their new, still untitled fourth album.

The band released the following statement:

“Hey Guys!

“We are stoked to share with you that we are returning to the studio to record our 4th album. This time we have teamed up with PledgeMusic to make sure you are part of the journey. Together we will collaborate to make sure this album is the most killer yet!

“We will be posting video and photo updates from the writing table, studio, and even from the road. These updates will give you a little view into our lives and how the music meshes together to form an album. You may even hear a sneak peak or two from the new record….

“T-shirts, CD’s, Vinyl Records, Posters, Hats…all types of new merchandise is now available to you. We’d really love to meet you guys, and so we are offering many VIP experiences and packages. Come hang out with us before a show or become part of the recording process!

“Thanks for being a loyal fan! Your love and support keeps us going.”

Kobra And The Lotus recently released a new single entitled "Zombie", co-written with guest guitarist Charlie Parra del Riego, via iTunes. It features the B-side "Remember Me". Go to this location to check it out and to purchase.

 



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Ozzy Osbourne returned to San Antonio, Texas on Thursday (November 5) to apologize for urinating on the Alamo Cenotaph in 1982. The BLACK SABBATH singer visited the historical monument with his son Jack as part of their new show for the History channel.

According to Kens5.com, Osbourne was greeted at 4 p.m. by more than a hundred fans and onlookers, some of whom reportedly waited more than seven hours to just catch a glimpse of the so-called "Prince of Darkness." The singer was accompanied by a group of more than a dozen, including a camera crew, production assistants and security.

Prior to the Alamo visit, Osbourne met with local councilman Roberto Treviño, who said: "Certainly, as a city, we feel very, very good about his efforts to come to our great city and apologize for the actions of a not-so-sober person."

Ozzy allegedly urinated at the monument the night before his 1982 concert in the Texas city. The singer, who was wearing a dress at the time of his arrest — because his wife Sharon had hidden his clothes to stop him from going outside — apparently thought he was relieving himself on a pile of rubble. He was arrested for public urination and intoxication and was reportedly released on a $40 bond.

Ozzy was subsequently banned from ever playing in San Antonio again, but the ban was lifted 10 years later after Osbourne donated $10,000 to the Daughters Of The Republic Of Texas, who maintain and manage the Alamo, the mission that was the site of a famous battle during the state's War Of Independence in 1836. The site is considered sacred ground and a symbol of Texas pride.

Ozzy admitted to The Pulse Of Radio that doing the History channel show will help him fill in some blanks in his own knowledge of history: "Anything past World War II, I'm clueless," he said. "I'm kind of up on World War II 'cause I was born a couple of years after. So I know quite a lot about World War II and Hitler and the Nazis and all that. But anything from before or after I don't know anything about. So we're going to Mount Rushmore, we're going to the abandoned silos where you guys, America used to have their Minutemen missiles and all that. It's quite educational for me, actually."

The Osbournes' new show finds the father-son duo visiting famous places and offering what Ozzy described as "history with an Osbourne twang."

On the music front, Ozzy is scheduled to appear at Ozzfest Japan in Chiba, Japan on November 22. He will head out after that on a farewell world tour with BLACK SABBATH beginning on January 20, 2016 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Guitar legends Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde and John 5, along with drum powerhouse Mike Portnoy, bass icon Billy Sheehan and keyboard phenomenon Derek Sherinian are joining forces to play a benefit concert for guitar and keyboard virtuoso Tony MacAlpine, who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. The benefit for Tony MacAlpine will take place at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on December 12 at 7:00 p.m., featuring performances from JOHN 5 & THE CREATURES, Zakk Wylde with Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Derek Sherinian; Steve Vai and band, and culminating in an all-star jam with house band Portnoy, Sheehan, Sherinian, and featuring special guests. Eddie Trunk will serve as master of ceremonies for the night. In addition to this extraordinary musical event, Steve Vai, John 5, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather, Steve Stevens, and Joe Satriani have all graciously donated personal guitars to be auctioned during the event. In addition, Rudy Sarzo has offered private lessons as an auction item, and Simon Phillips has donated a signature snare. Tony's gear manufacturers Ibanez, Hughes & Kettner, EMG, Ernie Ball, Source Audio and Voodoo Lab have also generously donated equipment to be raffled. Tony's cancer diagnosis comes on the heels of his wife's diagnosis with breast cancer in June, making the situation even more trying for Tony and his family. "Tony is a dear friend, an absolutely sweet human being and one of the most talented musicians I've ever worked with," says Mike Portnoy. "We are coming together to help raise money and awareness to help him fight his battle and come out on top!" Adds Steve Vai: "It's a great privilege to take to the stage with my friends Zakk, John, Mike and Billy in support of our dear friend Tony. Tony has always been blessed with an exceptional talent and more so, he's an exceptionally cool guy. It's a great cause and will be a magical evening of guitar extravaganza." "Tony has been such an inspiration to me," says John 5. "He is an incredible musician and an unbelievable talent. Please let's all come together and beat this!"

"Tony is our brother. We look forward to making a historical night, and raising a lot of money to help our friend in need," said Derek Sherinian. Tony MacAlpine is widely known as a guitar virtuoso who is just as skilled on the keys. "Edge Of Insanity", his classic debut album, was recently ranked by Guitar World magazine as one of the Top Ten Shred Guitar Albums of all time. Aside from his solo work, Tony has also been part of several rock supergroups including PLANET X with Derek Sherinian and Virgil Donati; PSMS (Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine, Sherinian); as well as the Grammy-nominated CAB with bassist Bunny Brunel and drummer Dennis Chambers. MacAlpine also spent seven years playing guitar and keys in Steve Vai's touring band THE BREED.

Tony's most recent album, "Concrete Gardens", was released in May. Tony toured the U.S. in June to promote the album, but was forced to cancel tours of Asia, Australia and Europe when his health deteriorated. Tickets are on sale Saturday, November 7 at 10 a.m. PT through LiveNation.com, with all proceeds going to help Tony and his family. A GoFundMe campaign will be set up for fans who can't make the show, but still want to contribute. Doors will be at 7 p.m. with the show set to begin at 8 p.m.

Former EXODUS singer Rob Dukes says that he was "unhappy" before he was fired from the group, due in part to the fact that his bandmates were writing music that was "regurgitated shit" with "no life to it."

EXODUS in June 2014 announced the departure of Dukes and the return of his predecessor, Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

During an appearance on today's (Thursday, November 5) edition of the "Opie And Jim Norton" talk show, Dukes was asked about his EXODUS stint. He said: "It ran its course. And then… You know, they ended it really shitty. I'd been touring with them for almost ten years. And they got new management, and I could slowly feel the edge slipping away."

He continued: "You know how you always look back at shit and you [go], 'Ahh… I should have just quit.' I was unhappy. I didn't like the new music they were writing. I thought it was shit. And I voiced my opinion. It turned everyone against me, and that was it."

Asked why he thought EXODUS's new music was "shit," Dukes responded: "There was just no passion in it. It was just regurgitated shit that we had just done and done over and over again. There was no life to it, so I just kind of started to separate myself. And then… I was under a lot of [pressure]. I was getting married, I was moving, I had a ton of shit going on. And they had fired me on my honeymoon — like, three days after my wedding, which really just sucked balls. And honestly, I've never heard from any of them. And it just kind of left me a little angry. But I'm over it now. I'm fucking doing way better than I ever have before."

Dukes also talked about the new disc that he is currently recording with his band GENERATION KILL as a collaboration with legendary hip hop icon Darryl "DMC" McDaniels.

GENERATION KILL crossed paths with DMC on the road and gave him the latest GENERATION KILL CD, "We're All Gonna Die". Darryl contacted the band immediately after listening to the album, and asked if they would collaborate on a song, which very quickly turned into recording a full-length effort.

Dukes said: "We have eight songs done, three more to go, and then we're gonna do some hidden-track shit."

He continued: "It's really cool, 'cause it's different than anything I've ever done before. It's challenging as fuck to not be a shit rap/metal band, to kind of bring those two together. 'Cause I'm not really a metalhead; I'm more like a rock and roll kind of [guy]."

Prior to his exit from EXODUS, Dukes laid down the lead vocals on the music that eventually became the band's "Blood In Blood Out" album (with Souza's vocal tracks), released in October 2014 to great critical acclaim.

Dukes previously told Australia's "Blood, Sweat And Metal" podcast that he had not talked to any of his former bandmates in EXODUS about his departure from the band. "I haven't spoken with anyone but [drummer] Tom [Hunting]," Rob explained. "Tom called me… He called me and said, 'We're gonna go on with a different singer. We're gonna be going with Zet.' And that was it. It was about a 20-second phone call. And that was really all I got. That's it."

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt last year defended the way the band fired Dukes, saying that "much time" was spent mulling the decision before the final move was made.

Holt — who has been pulling double duty with SLAYER for the past four and a half years — denied that EXODUS handled the dismissal of Dukes in an insensitive manner, saying "There were the calls to Rob preceding this, [so] how long should the final call be?

"20 seconds was not all this involved.

"[While I was] in Europe [with SLAYER, I] pretty much got the rundown on everything as we went through this."

He added: "Much time was spent on this."

Holt also shot down Internet speculation that the split with Dukes was motivated by financial reasons or that it was masterminded by EXODUS' new so-manager, TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy, who co-founded the management company Breaking Bands LLC. "It isn't for the money [and] Chuck did not orchestrate this," Holt said. "There were issues behind the scenes and we came to a conclusion." The guitarist, however, refused to go into the details of EXODUS' decision to part ways with Dukes, explaining: "All will remain internal. I see no need to air the laundry for anyone."

Holt, who previously said that the decision to fire Rob and re-hire Zetro "was the most difficult decision of our lives, one the entire band made," was once again full of praise for EXODUS' former frontman, saying: "I wish nothing but the best for Rob, [and I] have nothing but love for the man. He will be a force for a long time and I am proud of him and how he went from a dude with a pink mohawk to a vicious thrash vocalist. He is a killer singer and we have total respect for him and love the music we made together."

Dukes joined EXODUS in January 2005 and appeared on four of the band's studio albums — "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" (2005), "The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A" (2007), "Let There Be Blood" (2008, a re-recording of EXODUS' classic 1985 LP, "Bonded By Blood") and "Exhibit B: The Human Condition" (2010).

Dukes has released two studio albums with his GENERATION KILL project, 2011's "Red White And Blood" and 2013's "We're All Gonna Die".

Former IRON MAIDEN vocalist Paul Di'Anno spoke to CityShor Pune about his life, music, drugs and moshpits in India. You can now watch the chat below.

Di'Anno, who fought a long battle with drug addiction before finally becoming sober, was in Pune, India this past May to perform at a concert organized by Pune-based organization Fight Against Narcotics.

Speaking out against drug abuse, Di'Anno said: "You might have a good time when you're taking drugs at that time, but later on, it will catch up with you. Look at the state I'm in. You can end up in real bad trouble. You can lose everything — your families, your wife and kids, your business, your money… everything. I was never in that kind of condition, but you take it one day at a time. So make kids aware of this. It's not big, it's not clever taking drugs; it really isn't. And if I find out my children are doing it, I will kick their arses."

Di'Anno echoed those sentiments in a separate interview he gave to The Times Of India earlier in the year. He said: "As much as what harm drugs cause you, what they do to your family is worse. I have seen a lot of people lose everything they had money, a home and even their family because of drugs and feel it's not worth it. The reality is that you can never be completely cured of them. Even today, I am in recovery. There are moments I slip too, but then feel twice as guilty later. It is my children who have pushed me to stay off drugs and I will do it for them."

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN before being replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ, the new band featuring Di'Anno alongside members of Paul's longtime German touring backing group THE PHANTOMZ, released its debut album, "The League Of Shadows", in North America on July 24 via Metalville Records.

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi received the Gibson Les Paul Award at the 2015 Q Awards, which took place on October 19 in London, England.

Iommi, who has played a Gibson guitar for the duration of his career, was honored for his outstanding contribution to music, pop culture and as part of the 100th-anniversary celebrations of the birth of Les Paul guitars.

Asked by Q magazine what it has been like playing in SABBATH for so long, Iommi said (see video below): "I loved it. I've been with it since Day One, all these years… 48 years. And I've been the only member to stay there. People have come and gone, and now we're all back. So, yeah, I've believed in this, and I've lived and breathed this… I love the guys. We love to get out and play. It's great to play the stuff that we're known for."

Speaking about SABBATH's future plans, Iommi said: "Next we're gonna… We are gonna do a tour. We are touring. We start in January in America, which has been been great. I mean, we didn't even put the tickets on sale, and the last show of that first leg was Madison Square Garden [in New York], and it sold out before it even went on sale. So we've put another one in, and that sold out. So it's looking really good at the moment. But we are gonna do a world, and then that's it."

Iommi also talked about the possibility of another SABBATH studio album. He said: "I'd love to write. I wrote loads of stuff for another album, but we didn't do one. But we have got some stuff that we recorded when we'd done the last album. So we have got plenty of stuff there."

Iommi said in a recent interview that BLACK SABBATH's upcoming farewell tour, which will begin in January 2016, is truly its last because he is not physically capable of doing it any longer. Speaking with the Birmingham Mail, Iommi explained, "I can't actually do this anymore. My body won't take it much more."

Iommi, who was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2012 and was treated all through SABBATH's extensive 2013 world tour, admitted that he was worried the rigors of the road could bring the disease back. He revealed: "I don't want that creeping back again, and all the traveling involved in SABBATH tours increasingly takes its toll. That's why we're going out on one last tour, to say our farewells. And then it very definitely is the end. We won't be doing it again."

The legendary guitarist continued: "Don't get me wrong, I still love gigging. It's all the traveling and the exhaustion that goes with it that's the problem. That side of things has a big impact on me… I love being up there onstage, playing with SABBATH. What I don't love is all the other stuff necessary to enable that to happen."

Iommi was also hospitalized recently with back problems, and he still requires blood tests every six weeks to monitor his lymphoma.

The tour kicks off on January 20 in Omaha and will encompass about a year, including breaks.

Rock 'N' Load conducted an interview with bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker of British extreme metal veterans CARCASS on October 25 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. You can now watch the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether CARCASS is actively working on material for the follow-up to 2013's "Surgical Steel":

"Not really. We're too busy touring, so… What's the rush? The last album only came out in 2013. We're still touring on that. There's still interest to plug it. This is so boring. The odd interviews that I do where people are already talking about a new album. To me, the last album, I still consider that the new album. It's still fresh, and we're still playing it, and it's still ticking over sales-wise, so what's the rush, you know? It took us, what? Seventeen years between 'Surgical Steel' and [1996's] 'Swansong'. So if there's another album or not… I mean, there probably will be, but… I'm not gonna give you any timeframes, but if it happened, it wouldn't be out that year, because it takes… The whole writing, recording, setting up the release just takes so long."

On whether CARCASS's new members, Daniel Wilding (drums) and Ben Ash (guitar), will be involved in the writing process for the new album:

"No. I mean, the last album was written… Obviously, most of the music is Bill [Steer, guitar], with some tweaks from me and Dan, the drummer. So it'll probably be a continuation of that. Having said that, Dan and Bill have been… They have had some practices where they are working on new stuff, but I'm kind of keeping out of the way. They're purposely doing it down south in England where I can't actually get to it, it's so remote; I wouldn't wanna spend the day going down there. And I think I was pretty hands on with the writing on the last album, and I think it'd be nice to step back a bit and just let Bill and Dan get on with it. 'Cause some of the best CARCASS stuff was when Bill and Ken [Owen, former CARCASS drummer] were just writing, and then I'd come in and ruin it. The thing is, Bill's never really written a whole album with CARCASS. Don't get me wrong: without Bill playing it, it's not CARCASS. So maybe the next album will be one hundred percent Bill. Then when it flops, I can say, 'I told you so.'"

On CARCASS's songwriting approach:

"There's no specific style. I mean, the last album session… With the re-release of the ['Surgical Steel'] album and the ['Surgical Remission / Surplus Steel'] EP, I think there's fourteen songs on it, and there's different styles on there. It's not all blast beats or all SLAYER speed or all thrash; there's some groovy songs. And it's funny, [some] people hate those songs. People can gravitate to whatever they like about each song, but there's fourteen songs, and none of them sound like each other, and that's what's important."

On whether CARCASS has reached its sales potential:

"We're a cult, niche band. We know we're never gonna cross over into a more kind of… not even mainstream. I mean, I know how many albums we sell, and there's other bands that sell more than us, and we consider those bands pretty crap. But the reality is to have mass appeal or a wider appeal, you've gotta be playing pretty crappy music. In order to increase our sales, we'd really have to dumb our music down, and I don't think we're capable of that. Because what's popular in metal nowadays is pretty… We're not fans of that stuff. It's like anything that's popular… Anything that a lot of people can get into has to be the lowest common denominator, and hopefully what we're doing isn't. And we're happy to be a cult, niche band — quite a successful cult, niche band. We're happy with that a lot. We couldn't ask for anything more."

CARCASS released a special edition version of its latest album, "Surgical Steel", on CD and digitally on October 30, and on vinyl on November 20 via Nuclear Blast. The "Complete Edition" includes the whole album "Surgical Steel", along with the entire "Surgical Remission / Surplus Steel" EP. All the songs were recorded during the "Surgical Steel" sessions, which were helmed by producer Colin Richardson (NAPALM DEATH, BOLT THROWER, GOREFEST, CANNIBAL CORPSE, SINISTER, RODRIGO Y GABRIELA) and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, TESTAMENT).

"Surgical Steel" sold around 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart. 17, 2013 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records.

Jägermeister conducted an interview with vocalist Tomas Lindberg of Swedish metallers AT THE GATES on November 7 at the Damnation festival in Leeds, England. You can now watch the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether AT THE GATES feels any pressure having to live up to its "legendary" status:

"Playing shows now… We've done over a hundred shows on this record [2014's 'At War With Reality'], so right now we are in a very comfortable place. We feel we've already proven ourselves with the record. Putting the record out was a big step — that was a big step — but when we did that and managed it — you know, people embraced it, the press embraced it, the fans… everything — after that, it felt like we pretty much could do what we wanted, and we tried to do just that and have fun doing it. So, I mean, the pressure is not really on it like the 'legendary band' kind of thing anymore, it's just, like, we have to be good because you're only as good as your last show. It's a normal pressure for us."

On why AT THE GATES felt it was necessary to make a new studio album:

"Releasing the album really put us more in a contemporary, 'relevant today' status; that kind of washed away the 'legendary' bit. Which is kind of like… in one way, probably, record labels think that's a bad idea to lose that, but, for us, it was necessary to be able to contribute to the music scene today."

On whether AT THE GATES was confident it could do justice to its legacy with "At War With Reality":

"We were very confident that we liked it. Up until that point, where we were working on it, when you don't really know what it's gonna turn out like, you can be a bit nervous, but when you're finished, when you're starting to get the mixes back, the artwork is getting ready, and you feel like, 'Shit, I'm proud of this record,' then if it would have been slagged, it would have been worth it, because we liked it. It was definitely something we needed to do."

On how being in AT THE GATES is different today from how it was before the band's split:

"We're very much more democratic now, saying that everybody had to be happy with everything. Which means in one way… It sounds like a compromise, but it's really not. It's really the opposite. You have to work harder until everybody is happy. So we knew, going in, that I wouldn't be disappointed, 'cause that was like a goal: that everybody had to be one hundred percent happy. [There was] a lot more meticulous work and hard effort, but all the time fun, because we kind of like spurred on each other and inspired each other."

On AT THE GATES' plans for the future:

"I think we will be touring this [album] until at least the end of next summer, as it looks now. After that, we will see where we're going. It is a conscious decision as well to do that — to not plan too much ahead, to live in the moment, to not put pressure on ourselves writing while we're enjoying this. 'Cause that's what happened in the '90s with us, and that's why we imploded, so we don't wanna do the same mistake twice. But, I mean, I can say that we're not planning not to do a follow-up [album], if you know what I'm saying. So I have high hopes. We will see where it takes us."

AT THE GATES has announced a string of U.S. tour dates to follow after its appearance on the 2016 edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. Set to kick off on February 9, 2016 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the trek will also feature THE HAUNTED and DECAPITATED (direct support) and HARMS WAY.

"At War With Reality" was released on October 28, 2014 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media. The CD, which sold 7,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 53 on The Billboard 200 chart, was recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg and was mixed at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren (OPETH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK, PARADISE LOST, KREATOR).

KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch has told APTV that the band's next album will probably arrive in the fall of 2016. He said: "We've gotta take time off, go away for a little bit. We never go away for long. I mean, I [left the band in 2005]… That's why. You know what? KORN never went away; they're always, always there. And so I was, like, I quit. [Laughs] This train has got to stop, man. I'm tired. But we're gonna take some time off and then come out swinging next year."

Regarding the musical direction of the next KORN album, Welch said: "Me and Munky [guitarist James Shaffer] stopped playing together for eight years when I was gone. We did the last record [2013's 'The Paradigm Shift'], and we just clicked, and it was awesome. But, to me, we've gotten used to each other again, and it's gonna be a more guitar-focused record. It's gonna be a little bit more technical — for KORN, anyway. So I just think it's… We're exactly where we wanna be as guitar-duo brothers."

Munky said in a recent interview with Billboard that KORN is about a third of the way through the writing process for its next CD. He said: "We went in, we wrote about 20 songs and about 10 of those we've kept and made better. So I think we're gonna need to go back in and write another batch of songs and then fine-tune those into maybe four, five really great songs. There's no rush, which feels great."

A producer has already been selected for KORN's 12th studio effort, but Shaffer said that the band "is gonna wait a couple more weeks before we announce that."

Welch said in a recent interview with "Do You Know Jack?" that the band's new music is "heavier than anyone's heard KORN in a long time… just the beginning stages are proof of that to me."

Welch added that touring with SLIPKNOT last year inspired KORN to get back to a heavier sound, saying, "I think it sparked and reminded everybody in the band what KORN started out to be."

Trans-Siberian Orchestra will release their new album, Letters From The Labyrinth, on November 13th via Universal Music. Billboard recently caught up with Halestorm singer Lzzy Hale, who handles the lead vocals on the song “Forget About The Blame”:

Hale: "In all honesty it was a complete honor and surprise to me. It kind of came through the pipeline that they were looking for my contact, so of course I'm like, 'Hey, what's up?' 'Well, we have this great song and it's a love song' and, as Paul (O'Neill) put it, they wanted somebody who had 'the whiskey dust' in their voice. They ended up coming to me in Nashville during our last little stint of time off and cutting it, and it was awesome, just an amazing group to work with."

Go to this location for the complete article and to check out “Forget About The Blame”.

TSO has become one of the most successful stories in rock 'n' roll history. Defying the odds with each project, they continue to search for new and original ideas to bring to reality no matter how difficult the challenge. The TSO saga continues this year with a new album, Letters From The Labyrinth - yet another endeavor in creating something different. O'Neill's inspiration for this album came out of his love for history.

As collector of antiquities and historical artifacts, he explains, "Over the years I have been able to read and hold in my hands letters from people that have inspired me and left a mark on civilization. People like Mark Twain, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Orville Wright - when I actually held a letter in my hand that President Lincoln wrote, it brought me into his world in a way I could never have imagined."

Letters From The Labyrinth finds a conceptually provocative song cycle pushing the proverbial envelope yet again - this time with what O'Neill calls TSO's "first hybrid album”. The overall concept is based on TSO's Night Castle (2009) and a dialogue between the wisdom of the past and the hopes for the future, via a correspondence between a child and an old friend of the child's grandfather.

On Letters From The Labyrinth, TSO deals with subjects as broad as humanity's journey through the ages ("Time & Distance"), and as specific as bullying ("Not The Same"), the fall of the Berlin Wall ("Prometheus") and the world banking controversies ("Not Dead Yet").

"I love making music and I love making it relevant," O'Neill says. "I always believed the arts have a way of inspiring and uniting people. We try to maintain that tradition on the albums and all the other projects we do. I think that when everything else is falling apart, people look to the arts to help make sense of things and put the events they are experiencing into some kind of context."

Tracklisting:

“Time And Distance (The Dash)”
“Madness Of Men”
“Prometheus”
“Mountain Labyrinth”
“King Rurik”
“Prince Igor”
“The Night Conceives”
“Forget About The Blame”
“Not Dead Yet”
“Past Tomorrow”
“Stay”
“Not The Same”
“Who I Am”
“Lullaby Night”

 



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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."

Audio samples of the tracks that appear on the "Taken By Force" 50th-anniversary deluxe-edition reissue can be atreamed in the YouTube clip below.

"Taken By Force" reissue track listing:

01. Steamrock Fever02. We'll Burn The Sky03. I've Got To Be Free04. The Riot Of Your Time05. The Sails Of Charon06. Your Light07. He's A Woman - She's A Man08. Born To Touch Your Feelings09. Suspender Love (bonus track)10. Busy Guys (previously unreleased demo version) (bonus track)11. Believe In Love (previously unreleased demo version) (bonus track)12. Midnight Blues Jam (previously unreleased demo version) (bonus track)13. Blue Dream (unfinished instrumental version) (bonus track)14. Born To Touch Your Feelings (previously unreleased demo version) (bonus track)

As a member of the SCORPIONS from 1973 through 1978, Roth helped pioneer the neo-classical style that has influenced countless guitarists to this day. His extraordinary playing can be heard on four classic SCORPIONS records, "Fly To The Rainbow" (1974), "In Trance" (1975), "Virgin Killer" (1976) and "Taken By Force". This lineup also recorded what many still consider to be one of the greatest live albums ever recorded, "Tokyo Tapes".

"At first I didn't realize the impact it had on the rock music scene," Roth told JamMagazine.com about the live album. "When I left the band in 1978, I disconnected myself from the past and was only interested in my new band, ELECTRIC SUN. I didn't follow the success of 'Tokyo Tapes'. Over time, I began to realize that musicians and fans kept referring to that album like it was something extra special. Gradually I understood why. Now I actually see the recording in a different light than what I thought back then."

GOODBYE TO GRAVITY drummer Bogdan Lavinius died earlier today (Sunday, November 8) while he was being transported to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland by plane, increasing the death toll of the October 30 Bucharest nightclub fire to 45. GOODBYE TO GRAVITY guitarists Vlad Telea and Mihai Alexandru were among the 26 people who were killed the day of the fire, with while singer Andrei Galut and bass player Alex Pascu were hospitalized with burns and injuries from smoke inhalation. Galut has already been transferred to a treatment center in the Netherlands, while Pascu's family was trying to get him to a hospital abroad earlier today.

Lavinius suffered suffered a cardiac arrest during the flight to Switzerland, and the medical staff performed resuscitation manoeuvres on him for 70 minutes.

At the time of the drummer's death, the plane transporting him was on its way back to Romania because his condition had worsened.

"At the request of the Interior Ministry's Department for Emergency Situations, a Cessna Citation aircraft of the General Inspectorate of Aviation, with special medical equipment for the air transport of victims, left on Sunday, around [4:20 p.m.] to Zurich, Switzerland, on an humanitarian emergency mission, for the transfer of one patient injured in the fire at Colectiv club," the Interior Ministry said in a press release.

95 people injured in the fire are still being treated in various Bucharest-area hospitals, with 36 in critical and serious condition and 57 in stable condition.

The fire reportedly started after GOODBYE TO GRAVITY's pyrotechnical show went awry, causing the ceiling and a pillar to catch alight and producing heavy smoke.

Media reported that clubgoers initially thought the flames were part of the show and did not immediately react.

The concert was supposed to be a record-release party for GOODBYE TO GRAVITY's new album, "Mantras Of War".

The Station nightclub fire in that killed 100 people in West Warwick, Rhode Island, in 2003 during a GREAT WHITE concert was also blamed on pyrotechnics igniting foam used for soundproofing.

GOODBYE TO GRAVITY started as an unexpected mixture of former members from the heavy metal band THUNDERSTORM (which in their 10-plus years of activity opened for such heavyweights such as JUDAS PRIEST, MANOWAR, HELLOWEEN, RAGE and EVERGREY) and the winner of the 2008 national TV show "Megastar" (Romanian "American Idol" equivalent).

Fan-filmed video footage of JUDAS PRIEST's November 7 concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey can be seen below (courtesy of John Erigo).

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford recently told the Q104 radio station in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada about the band's plans to record the follow-up album to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls": "Well, you know, in rock and roll, you've gotta kind of strike while the iron is hot, and that iron has been burning hot for decades for PRIEST now. It doesn't show any sign of cooling off, I can tell you that. The cool thing about where we're at right now is, of course, having Richie [Faulkner, new PRIEST guitarist] with us and having gone through that first writing experience together [on 'Redeemer Of Souls']. We were so motivated to keep writing as we were going along, but our label had a time schedule for us to keep, so we had to put the brakes on and start recording the songs that we'd written. And with that in mind, we're raring to go again, and I'm sure there'll be another PRIEST record in the not-too-distant metal future."

Asked whether he feels that "the clock is ticking" on JUDAS PRIEST's recording and touring career, Rob said: "Yeah, the clock is ticking, [but] we’re trying to hold it back. [Laughs] But it's great, man. I've gotta tell you, this band is having the time of its life, and we're very excited to be back out on the road after a short break from our last show, in Wacken in Germany at the big heavy metal festival there in front of eighty thousand heavy metal maniacs. So we're still bringing the fire and the metal with us wherever we go."

"Redeemer Of Souls" was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Contrarian -- the otherworldly technical death metal subdivision fusing members of Nile, Sulaco, Mithras, Goemagot, Delirium Endeavor and others -- has divulged the next wave in their takeover with a mind-numbing premiere of the track "Need For Apathy".

Offers Contrarian guitarist Jim Tasikas, "'Need For Apathy' is the second track on Polemic. This track is unique in that the majority of the song consists of meandering melody-style riffs that are harmonized in fifths -- which is uncommon within a genre that tends to prefer guitar harmonies in thirds -- along with a reoccurring 'open' string motif to add atmosphere. The song features two blistering yet contrasting side-by-side solos by both Brian Mason and Leon Macey. The guitar melodies aren't the only meandering in this song; pay close attention to how bassist Ed Paulsen cleverly navigates alternate patterns and textures throughout. Also worth noting is how this might be the first time within this genre you will hear such aggressive guttural vocals over such intricate and refined melodies. Along with the music, the lyrics should give a pretty good idea of why and how this release is most definitely a contrarian's polemic of the avant-garde death metal kind."Polemic is the forthcoming debut from progressive/avant-garde death metal unit, Contrarian. Featuring within their ranks the musical prowess of drummer George Kollias (Nile), guitarists Brian Mason (Sulaco) and Leon Macey (Mithras) and vocalist Cody McConnell (Goemagot), alongside guitarist Jim Tasikas and bassist Ed Paulsen, both from the New York-based progressive metal fusion act Delirium Endeavor, the eight-track Polemic is a transnational recording captured at Watchmen Studios (US), Dreaming Studios (UK) and Soundtrap Studios (Greece) with all mixing and mastering done by Macey at Dreaming Studios.

A press release states: “A departure both musically and ideologically from most bands within the genre today, the record is essentially just that - a polemic. A smorgasbord of original and authentic death metal riffs, layered with blistering solos and mind-blowing percussion, Contrarian never sticks to any one thing for too long. Perpetually changing and evolving, the band's layered sound and technical wizardry is not to be misconstrued as senseless noodling. Instead, the songs on display delve into avant-garde, latter-day, Schuldinerian-style riffage, with atmospheric variations proving a wholly enticing listen to all those willing to take in its eccentricity.”

 
Tracklisting:

“Polemic”
“Need For Apathy”
“Retrieval”
“Foreknowledge”
“Predestined”
“Libertarian Manifesto”
“Diogenes At Delphi”
“Nothing Is Everything”

"Need For Apathy":

Death cover "Everything Is Nothing":

“Polemic” video:

Contrarian's Polemic will see release on CD and digitally via Willowtip Records on November 20.



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Cruz Del Sur Music welcomes to its roster Portuguese epic metal heroes Ravensire. The label will release the band's third album The Cycle Never Ends in early 2016.  In the meantime, check out new song "Temple At The End Of The World" (the final installment of The White Pillars trilogy) below:

Formed in 2010, Ravensire built a strong reputation in the European underground metal movement with their two previous albums Iron Will (2012) and We March Forward (2013). Given that Ravensire's sound is genuinely devoted to the likes of Omen, old Manowar, and Brocas Helm. 

The album will be available on CD, vinyl, and digital formats.



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Legendary prog group Spock's Beard are set to release their first Best Of collection, entitled The First Twenty Years. The spectacular 2CD/DVD compilation, available on November 20th on Radiant Records, contains some the band's best tracks from each of their 12 studio albums. Pre-order the collection here.

All the tracks have also been remastered by long-term collaborator Rich Mouser, and the DVD portion of the release will feature old, live and archival footage from the band's impressive 20+ year career.

Also featured in the collection is the brand new 20-minute epic track, "Falling For Forever," written by founding member Neal Morse and performed by all members both past and present. The track combines all the elements of a classic Spock's beard track and with vocals from Neal Morse, Nick D'Virgilio and Ted Leonard, this is sure to be a song that will please fans of every era of the band. Now you can check out an exclusive preview below.
 
Dave Meros had this to say about the new track: "We were adamant about not wanting to just release a bunch of our earlier material in a new package, especially to loyal fans who probably own most, if not all of our albums already. With that in mind, Neal came up with the new epic "Falling For Forever" which clocks in at almost 20 minutes and was written specifically to include all current and past members of the band. Luckily, everyone's schedule lined up to be able to record it and even better, Rich Mouser was available to record and mix it as well as remaster all of the earlier songs. Add to that a DVD with a lot of previously unseen video footage from the early days of the band and we think we have a package our fans will really get into."

The collection bookends a banner year for the band, which saw the release of their 12th studio album The Oblivion Particle. Released in August 2015 on InsideOutMusic, the album was a successful follow up to the band's 2013 release Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep, and charted all over the world.  



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Video footage of FEAR FACTORY's October 31 performance at Adrenaline Sports Bar And Grill in Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen below.

FEAR FACTORY will embark on a European trek this month which will see the band playing "Demanufacture" in its entirety. They will also showcase songs from their new album, "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."

Austin, Texas-based classic rockers, Scorpion Child, have released a brand new single on 7" vinyl/digital download via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

The single contains the new track, “She Sings, I Kill”, as well as another new song, “(Enter The) Twilight Coven”, which is a B-Side that is exclusive to this single. Both tracks mark the first impression of the band's upcoming second album which is tentatively scheduled for an early 2016 release.

Singer Aryn Jonathan Black comments: "The time has come and thirst for travel has become an overwhelming urge for quite some time. We will quench these desires in November with a UK/Europe adventure. It is there we will bear the fruits of our labor in song with a view from our forthcoming album. The psalms “She Sings, I Kill” and “(Enter The) Twilight Coven” will be born!"

Order the single on black or white vinyl from Nuclear Blast Mailorder. Check out a lyric video for the track below:

The band will be touring Europe in November/December 2015 with label mates Crobot as well as Buffalo Summer. Dates below.

November
6 - London, England - Underworld
7 - Wolverhampton, England - The Slade Rooms
8 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
10 - Milton Keynes, England - The Craufurd Arms
11 - Chester, England - The Live Rooms
12 - Glasgow, Scotland - Cathouse
13 - Gwynedd, Wales - Hard Rock Hell
14 - Manchester, England - Sound Control
15 - Bristol, England - Exchange
17 - Bochum, Germany - Rockpalast
18 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
19 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
20 - Mannheim, Germany - Alte Seilerei
21 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Speedfest @ Klokgebouw
22 - Cologne, Germany - Underground
23 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
25 - Barcelona, Spain - Razz 3*
26 - Madrid, Spain - Caracol*
27 - Gijon, Spain - Albeniz*
28 - Vigo, Spain - Masterclub*
29 - Bilbao, Spain - Kafe Antzokia*

December
1 - Paris, France - La Flèche D’Or*
2 - Kortrijk, Belgium - De Kruen*
3 - Southampton, England - Talking Heads
4 - Norwich, England - Waterfront Studio
5 - Sheffield, England - Winter Rocks Festival
6 - Trecco Bay, England - Planet Rockstock

* no Buffalo Summer



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According to The Associated Press, nine more people died with burn-related injuries on Saturday, just over a week after a fire broke out in a Bucharest nightclub, authorities said, bringing the death toll in the tragedy to 41.

Many in Romania have blamed lax government safety standards for the deadly blaze. Prime Minister Victor Ponta and his Cabinet resigned Wednesday after mass protests.

The district mayor where the nightclub is located was arrested, along with two town hall employees, for giving out a permit without it being authorized by firefighters, the anti-corruption prosecutors' office said Saturday. Mayor Cristian Popescu Piedone resigned on Wednesday, saying he was morally guilty for the fire.

Guitarists Vlad Telea and Mihai Alexandru (pictured) were among the 41 who died. The band's voclaist Andrei Galut is said to be in serious condition at Elias hospital with burns on 45 percent of his body and injuries from smoke inhalation. Bassist Alex Pascu is reportedly at Spitalul de Urgenţă Floreasca (Bucharest Emergency Hospital), where he underwent surgery.

Witnesses told Antena 3 TV that between 300 to 400 mostly young people had been at the club, housed in a former factory, when Goodbye To Gravity's pyrotechnical show went awry when a spark on stage ignited some polystyrene decor. Hundreds fled in a panic trying to get out of the Colectiv club's only exit door from a basement in downtown Bucharest.



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Austrian band Sergeant Steel will release their new album Riders Of The Worm on November 27. One of the famous guest musicians on that record is Mark Slaughter and he is featured on the new lyric video for “Young And Hungry”.

In February, Sergeant Steel met the legendary singer at the studio of top producer Michael Wagener (Ozzy Osbourne, Metallic). They took the chance to record music with their longtime idol. Slaughter and Sergeant Steel’s singer Phil Vanderkill share lead vocal-duties on “Young And Hungry”.

Mark made his career breakthrough in the early nineties. His band Slaughter sold more than 5 million records to date. In 2015 he released his solo record Reflections In A Rear View Mirror.



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Following their reformation at Download Festival in 2014, British progressive metal forefathers Sikth’s new mini-album, Opacities, is set for release on December 4th (vinyl on January 22nd) and sees the band linking up with Peaceville.

Recorded at Lincoln’s Chapel Studios and produced by  Dan Weller and Justin Hill (mixed by Forrester Savell - Karnivool, Animals As Leaders, Dead Letter Circus) vocalist Mikee Goodman hails Opacities as the best music the band have ever made, stating, “musically, vocally and lyrically it is our most complete work. We've pushed our sound to the next level."

SikTh have also launched the new video for “Philistine Philosophies”. Vocalist Mikee Goodman explains some of the ideas behind the video: “I thought the band should be presented as individuals. I felt a full band performance shot was not right for us. Was a really intense editing process.  I created full screens beforehand to play behind the band. The animation and puppet design was by a man called Gavin Sodo I worked with before. I think they look amazing. In order to create places that look out of this world, I thought this was the best way.“

Along with a new record, December will also see the band touring the UK following recent shows across the world in Germany, Japan, India and Nepal showing that while they were away their music and influence continued to spread.

UK dates with Hacktivist and Feed The Rhino supporting:

December
5 - The Classic Grand - Glasgow, Scotland
6 - Academy 2 - Manchester, England
10 - Motion - Bristol, England
11 - 02 Academy - Birmingham, England
12 - The Forum - London , England

 



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Sabaton have released a new live performance video for their track “To Hell And Back”, lifted from the band’s Heroes album. Watch the new clip below:

Video Q&A site asQme recently ran a fan interview with Sabaton. Bassist Pär Sundström gives most of the answers but the rest of the band make an appearance as well. They spoke about the following topics.

Their songwriting process:

The story behind Joakim Broden's lost bet and having to walk 350 miles:

What they would have to write about if there was world peace:

Babymetal:

Their thoughts on Yngwie Malmsteen:

Singing in Swedish:

Joakim's busted knees:

Their favourite historical period:

Par's biggest influences:

The album artwork for Heroes:

What they're looking forward to doing in Japan:



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In the video below from Guitar World, Joe Satriani teaches Jimi Hendrix-style R&B rhythm guitar playing techniques. For full tabs, go to this location.

Joe Satriani and United Nations Musical Director Robin DiMaggio recently teamed up to compose a new song, entitled “Music Without Words”, set for a digital release on November 4th. A portion of all proceeds raised from downloads and streams will be donated to support UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

The song was first unveiled at the June 30th Annual Presidential General Assembly of the UN 69th Session Gala in New York City after being co-written by the two exclusively for the special event. The Assembly and Gala featured world dignitaries as well as the Heads of States from nations across the globe.

Accompanying the song is a dramatic music video directed by Ramin Ouladi, Los Angeles-based director, cinematographer, and editor, who developed the video concept. “Joe and I had a concept of doing a song about healing, where the music spoke without words. That's why I think we called it ‘Music Without Words”,” DiMaggio explains. “When it came time to add some images, it was tough to create abundance through visual statements. Ramin was the perfect addition. He brought a palette of pastels needed to make the story sync with the music.”

The video can be viewed at music.yahoo.com. DiMaggio offers, “I am sure that when the audience, young and wisely aged, watches this, they will feel the message, whether they just listen to the audio or intensely watch the video.”

"Collaborating with Robin evolved naturally,” Satriani says. “Starting with him challenging me to create a melody that would touch the hearts of seven billion people, a call to humanity; a message of love. I’m thrilled with the song and this video fits the music perfectly.”

The song also features vocals from Ms. Monet, a Grammy-award winning vocalist, songwriter and performer who has sung with everyone from Boz Scaggs to Faith Hill, Toto and Queen Latifah. It was DiMaggio’s decision, as the producer, to blend the beauty of Ms. Monet’s vocals with Satriani’s guitar to create such an incredibly moving piece.

Joe Satriani will launch his special Surfing To Shockwave 2016 tour on February 25th in Seattle, WA. Additional tour dates were announced recently, including east coast, mid-west and Canadian dates, continuing the tour through April 24th in Vancouver, BC.

The 45-date tour celebrating 30 Years Of Mind-Bending Guitar Daredevilry, a phrase coined in a June 2014 career-defining retrospective feature in Rolling Stone, Satriani will spotlight music from his first solo album, Not Of This Earth, through his latest release, his 15th solo album, Shockwave Supernova.

This past August, the world renowned guitarist released his 15th studio album, hitting Satriani’s highest chart debut at #19 on Billboard’s Top 200 Current Albums Chart. In addition, the album also debuted at # 3 on the Billboard Rock Chart and ranks as the highest charting all-instrumental rock album on Billboard’s Top 200 in the SoundScan era.

For two decades, the guitar virtuoso has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star G3 guitar extravaganza. Satriani’s studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. His side project, Chickenfoot, featuring former Van Halen front man Sammy Hagar, former bassist Michael Anthony, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at #9.

Joe’s touring band remains Marco Minnemann on drums, Bryan Beller on bass and Mike Keneally on keys & guitar.

Tickets for the newly added dates will be on sale October 30th with exclusive Joe Satriani meet & greet and VIP packages available as well, for details visit satriani.com.

Surfing To Shockwave tour dates:

February
25 - Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA
26 - Historic Elsinore Theatre - Salem, OR
27 - Grand Sierra Theatre - Reno, NV
28 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA

March
1 - Balboa Theatre - San Diego, CA
3 - Fox Performing Arts Center - Riverside, CA
4 - Pearl Concert Theater @ Palms Casino - Las Vegas, NV
5 - Talking Stick Resort Ballroom - Scottsdale, AZ
7 - Historic Paramount Theatre - Denver, CO
8 - Abraham Chavez Theatre - El Paso, TX
9 - The Majestic Theatre - Dallas, TX
10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
11 - Laurie Auditorium - San Antonio, TX
12 - Orpheum Theater - New Orleans, LA
14 - Iron City - Birmingham, AL
15 - Saenger Theatre - Pensacola, FL
16 - Parker Playhouse - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
17 - Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, FL
18 - Hard Rock Live - Orlando, FL
19 - Florida Theatre - Jacksonville, FL
21 - Carolina Theatre - Durham, NC
22 - Knight Theater - Charlotte, NC
23 - Symphony Hall - Atlanta, GA
24 - The National - Richmond, VA
25 - Sandler Center - Virginia Beach, VA
26 - Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA
29 - College Street Music Hall - New Haven, CT
30 - Capitol Theatre - Port Chester, NY
31 - The Vets - Providence, RI

April
1 - Tilles Center - Brookville, LI
2 - Lincoln Theatre - Washington, DC
4 - Count Basie Theatre - Red Bank, NJ
6 - TBA - Philadelphia, PA
8 - Danforth Music Hall - Toronto, Ontario
9 - UAB Center for the Arts - Buffalo, NY
10 - Hard Rock - Cleveland
12 - Carnegie Music Hall - Pittsburgh, PA
13 - Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
14 - Pabst Theatre - Milwaukee, WI
15 - Chicago Theatre - Chicago, IL
16 - The Fitzgerald Theatre - St. Paul, MN
21 - Grey Eagle Event Centre - Calgary
22 - River Creek Casino - Enoch, AB
24 - TBA - Vancouver, BC

 



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January 22nd will see the release of a new Steven Wilson album, 4 ½, so titled because it forms an interim release between Steven's recently released fourth album Hand. Cannot. Erase. and the next studio album.

4 ½ comprises six tracks with a total running time of 37 minutes. Four of the songs originated during the sessions for Hand. Cannot. Erase., and one from the recording sessions for the previous album The Raven that Refused To Sing. The final track is a version of “Don't Hate Me”, a song originally recorded by Porcupine Tree in 1998, and is based on a live recording made on the recent tour of Europe with additional recording later done in the studio. The vocals on this new version are sung as a duet between Steven and Ninet Tayeb.

Also appearing on the album are members of Steven's band over the last few years; Adam Holzman, Nick Beggs, Guthrie Govan, Dave Kilminster, Craig Blundell, Marco Minnemann, Chad Wackerman, and Theo Travis.

4 ½ will be released by Kscope on CD, 180 gram vinyl, and blu-ray, with all formats housed in a beautiful die-cut sleeve photographed by Lasse Hoile and designed by Carl Glover. The blu-ray (audio only) edition includes high res stereo, a 5.1 mix of the album, and a bonus 5.1 mix of the new version of Lazarus (recently included on the Transience vinyl compilation). The vinyl edition will include a download code for the album in a choice of FLAC or mp3. Pre-order here. The album will also be available digitally on January 22nd from iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Apple Music.

4 ½ tracklisting:

“My Book Of Regrets”
“Year Of The Plague”
“Happiness 3”
“Sunday Rain Sets In”
“Vermillioncore”
“Don’t Hate Me”

With sold out shows around the world including his 2 recent performances at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall, Steven Wilson will continue to tour throughout 2016. Starting in Germany on January 12th, the 2016 European tour takes Steven to Belgium, Holland, UK, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Hungary, Italy and Greece. For full tour details head here.

 



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Streaming below is the official trailer for the upcoming Rigor Mortis documentary, Welcome To Your Funeral (The Story Of Rigor Mortis) Part 1. The documentary is also now available for pre-order on DVD at this location.

The documentary was directed by Bruce Corbitt and edited by Michael Huebner. It’s narrated by Philip H. Anselmo. The documentary was the winner of the "Best Documentary Award” at the 2014 Housecore Horror Film Fest.

This is the story of North Texas-based Rigor Mortis and the meteoric rise of one of the most original and influential speed metal bands of all time.
The stranger-than-fiction rollercoaster ride that has to be seen to be believed. This film takes you back to the earliest beginnings of the band, through their highly controversial signing to Capitol Records in 1987.

The official online release date is December 10th. Physical copies will be available at the 2015 Housecore Horror Film Fest from November 12th - 15th. An official screening of the film will be shown on December 9th at Kessler Theater in Dallas, Texas.

Cast (in order of appearance):

Mike Scaccia
Bruce Corbitt
Casey Orr
Harden Harrison
Jerry Warden
Jeff Dennis
Rick Perry
Philip H. Anselmo
Wayne Abney
Jeffrey Liles
Walter Trachsler
Scott Shelby
Sal Torneo
Turner Scott Van Blarcum
Rachel Matthews
John Perez
Stuart Taylor

 



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Night Demon have unleashed a brand new music video for the single "Heavy Metal Heat”. Check it out below.

Night Demon will continue touring nonstop in support of their debut album, Curse Of The Damned, released earlier this year. The band has announced a string of new tour dates alongside Holy Grail kicking things off in their hometown of Los Angeles on November 7th at The Echo with special guests Kyng. The complete list of dates can be found here.

The band commented on their upcoming tour dates and the release of the new video:

"What an amazing year it has been so far for Night Demon! Since the beginning of 2015, we have been on a mission to spread the gospel of metal. Starting as early as the first of the year, we traveled the states for the first month with Skull Fist, released our debut full length Curse of the Damned, came straight to Europe for ten straight weeks of concerts, some which included appearances at the Very Eavy fest and Metal Assault. Taking no break, and coming back to America for a seventy date headlining tour, then following it up with an extensive tour of Mexico.

“We now find ourselves finally having some breathing room at home, but not too much, as we are currently writing and demoing songs for what will become the next Night Demon album. We recently played the Frost and Fire fest and are scheduled to perform at the Southwest Terror Fest. But never count the Demon out of touring! We will be again hitting the road this December for the holiday season with our brothers in Holy Grail. We love you all and appreciate the endless support. Lets finish the year strong, and gear up for a new album and much more touring to come. Time to feel the Heavy Metal Heat!"

 



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California-based female fronted symphonic metallers, Graveshadow, recently signed a worldwide deal with legendary metal label, Mausoleum Records from Belgium. The band's debut album, Nocturnal Resurrection, will be released in Europe on November 13th, followed by a North American release on December 13th. Check out the music video for the album’s lead track, “Namesake”, below.

Emil “Nightmare” Nodtveidt from the Swedish industrial metal band Deathstars was brought in to mix and master the recordings that were produced by Matt “Hazmatt” Thomas (Fallrise). Adding to this, powerhouse vocalist, Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear, was brought in to sing guest vocals on the Doctor Who inspired song “Blink”.

The Graveshadow sound is defined by crushing guitars, soaring keyboard melodies, thundering bass, and earth shattering drums. Powerful operatic vocals shift into unearthly growls to create a rich and dynamic atmosphere that is ripe for storytelling. Whether it is a tale of personal struggle or of fantastical creatures, the listeners are sure to find themselves immersed in a world apart.

Tracklisting:

“Namesake”
“In The Roar Of Desire”
“Lycan Lust”
“Winter’s Come To Call”
“Blink”
“Fading”
“Exhumed”
“Blood And Fire”

“Namesake” video:

Graveshadow features lead vocalist Heather Michele, keyboardist Valerie Hudak, guitarists William Walker III and Matt Mitchell, bassist Benjamin Armstrong and drummer Roman Anderson (ex-Inebriator).

Graveshadow is a 2015 “Sammie” nominated (Sacramento News & Review) symphonic metal band from Sacramento, California. In the winter of 2014, the band signed with Jeff Keller (The Artery Foundation) for management representation after releasing their debut EP and opening for thrash legends, Flotsam and Jetsam. Shortly after this, the band began work on a full-length album.

Graveshadow are and ready to leave a lasting impact within the metal community. With an electrifying stage show and a sound as large as the Dragons of Westeros, they are as talented as they are unforgettable.

 



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