Metal Blade Records announce the signing of extreme metal outfit, Abnormality. Based in Massachusetts (US), Abnormality formed in 2005 and now features seasoned members Mallika Sundaramurthy (vocals), Jay Blaisdell (drums), Josh Staples (bass), Sam Kirsch (guitars), and Jeremy Henry (guitars), all hailing from various underground acts such as Goratory, Sexcrement, Parasitic Extirpation, Forced Asphyxiation, and Iranach.

Known for their "vicious high speed technicality" (BraveWords.com) and "ruthless brutality" (MetalStorm.net), the quintet is already hard at work on their second album, due out 2016.

Abnormality comments: "We are extremely excited to announce that we have signed with Metal Blade Records and will be releasing our second full-length album through the label in 2016. We couldn't be happier to start this new evolution of the band with a label that has served as the benchmark of underground metal for thirty plus years. We are currently in the studio and nearly completed tracking instruments and vocals with Pete Rutcho. The album is sounding killer so far, we can't wait to unleash it! We want to take a minute to thank all of you that have believed and supported us through the ups and downs over the years, none of this is possible without you. Cheers!"

For a preview of what's to come, fans can check out the official video for "Monarch Omega", taken from Abnormality's full-length debut, Contaminating The Hive Mind (2012):

Abnormality will play a few shows this fall/winter in their hometown of Massachusetts. See below for all confirmed dates, and stay tuned for more news coming soon.

Abnormality tour dates:

November
20 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

January
10 - Holyoke, MA - The Waterfront Tavern (Hothfest)

Abnormality lineup:

Mallika Sundaramurthy - vocals
Jay Blaisdell - drums
Josh Staples - bass
Sam Kirsch - guitars
Jeremy Henry - guitars

 

Swedish progressive rock innovators, Pain Of Salvation, have kept busy working on various new recording projects ever since their latest release, the semi-acoustic album Falling Home from January 2015. Having just returned from some successful shows in Russia, Pain of Salvation have now also announced a next string of shows in The Netherlands and Italy:

October
29 - Enschede, Netherlands - Atak
30 - Apeldoorn, Netherlands - Gigant
31 - Amstelveen, Netherlands - P60

December
12 - Rome, Italy - Crossroads Live Club
13 - Milano, Italy - Circolo Magnolia    

More dates to be announced.

Additionally, following up on their latest Road Salt releases, Pain Of Salvation have now started to work on material for their next studio album effort, a concept album that goes back to the band's harder and heavier roots of the early 2000's.

Daniel Gildenlöw has checked in with a brief status report on the band's current activities:

"We have a few gigs on the horizon, but in all honesty, our true focus is on the next studio album right now. Ragnar and I truly enjoy writing music together, and have that sort of completing-each-other's-sentences dynamics to our writing that I have only found in very few people over the years. We have very creative writing sessions, and we can't wait for the fans to hear the new material! You'll see a hungry and strong Pain of Salvation, confidently returning to a harder and heavier form, musically. Still, as always, without losing the intimacy and originality that has been the trademark of the band ever since the first album. Anyone who has witnessed on stage what today's Pain of Salvation are capable of, will understand how much I am looking forward to show them what we can do in a studio."

At the same time as new material is being elaborated, Pain Of Salvation are also wrapping up work on some special live and DVD recordings, which will see the light of day in 2016. Look forward to a busy year for Pain of Salvation and more info about the upcoming release/s will be communicated soon.

Houston, Texas-based reactivated melodic hard rock band, Azrael's Bane, have announced their signing to HighVolMusic for the 2016 re-release of their two highly sought after albums, Wings Of Innocence (2004) and Modern Day Babylon (2009).

Vocalist Trey Gadler checks in with the following update: "The band and I are all very excited to announce our signing with HighVolMusic! HVM are great people who share our vision and game plan making them the perfect partner for us in getting our music out to the world. Stay tuned because this is going to be awesome!"

HighVolMusic label boss Bill Chavis states: “We are super stoked to announce that Azrael's Bane has signed with HighVolMusic! An amazing metal band, Azrael's Bane is comprised of top notch musicians with their own signature sound loaded with crushing rhythms, blazing guitars, 5-part vocal harmonies and the man up front Trey Gadler. Welcome home boys..."

The band is currently writing music for their third album, to be released in 2017.

Azrael's Bane recently announced their reunion show, to be held on October 17th at The Office live venue in their hometown of Houston. Special guests will be local melodic hard rock partners in crime Love N War.

Azrael's Bane 2015 lineup:

Trey Gadler (Vocals)
Jeff Clifton (Guitars)
Chuck McFadden (Guitars)
Brent Marches (Bass)
Van Turner (Drums) - Formerly of Z-LOT-Z.

Hot on the heels of signing a brand new record deal with Nuclear Blast, Corrosion Of Conformity has unleased a nearly forgotten cover version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "On The Hunt", recorded 11 years ago in 2004.

Nuclear Blast Entertainment has announced the worldwide signing of metal legends, Corrosion Of Conformity. The band will enter the studio late this winter/early spring with longtime producer John Custer. Custer has recorded such prior C.O.C. classics as Deliverance, Wiseblood, America's Volume Dealer and In The Arms Of God. The as-of-yet-untitled-album will mark the band's studio reunion with vocalist/guitarist Pepper Keenan and their first full-length record since 2005.

Says Keenan about the new partnership: "To all the C.O.C. fans worldwide, Mike, Reed, Woody and I are proud to announce that we are starting our next sonic adventure with Nuclear Blast Entertainment! We are honoured and psyched to be a part of the Blasted Family, both professionally and artistically. After all these years, its truly inspiring to reawaken the chemistry that the four of us have. We are seriously fucking with our pants off now! We do not take this journey lightly and cannot wait to return to the studio to drop Ze' Hammer! All of this would not be possible without the global support of all you free thinkers and beer drinkers. Much love and respect and look forward to to seeing you soon."

President of Nuclear Blast Entertainment, Monte Conner adds: "I love all the incarnations of C.O.C. over the years but the Pepper-fronted version has always been the definitive lineup of the band for me. Ever since hearing Pepper take charge on 1991's Vote With A Bullet I was dying to hear him sing more with the band. This lineup's 1994 debut Deliverance, with its signature tracks “Clean My Wounds" and “Albatross”, was an instant classic and is still one of my all-time favourite albums.

"It has been a long 10 years since their fourth album - the highly underrated In The Arms Of God - and as a fan, I am dying to hear what these guys come up with next. I know it will be a monster. The fact that it is coming out on Nuclear Blast is very fulfilling for me and many others on the Nuclear Blast team as we finally get to work with one of our favorite bands."

A fall 2016 release is expected. Find Corrosion Of Conformity’s live itinerary at this location.

 

 

Swedish cult hard rockers Electric Boys have announced that the deluxe edition of their 2014 album, Starflight United, is now available worldwide.

Says the band: “We're really happy to finally have the album available worldwide! These 5 bonus tracks were recorded at the same time as the rest of our latest album (Starflight United) and kept for a future release. So here's the Starflight United Deluxe Edition! Hope you dig it!"

Tracklisting:

“Spaced Out”
“Desire”
“If Only She Was Lonely”
“Life Is So Electric”
“Tramp”
“Ain't No Gettin' Over You”
“Junk In The Trunk”
“Gangin' Up”
“Lucy Fur”
“Basf”
“Starflight United”
“59 High Mountain St.”
“It's Good To Be Back” (new song)
“One Of The Groovies” (new song)
“Nightrider” (new song)
“Hangin' On The Edge” (new song)
“Dancing On My Own” (previously only available as single)

Earlier this month, Electric Boys checked in with the following band news:

“And then there were 5! People, let's face it; jammin' is kinda difficult across the Atlantic. As you probably already know, Niclas lives in LA since many years. The budget can't handle flying him in for a gig here and there, which is how Jolle Atlagic came in to the picture.

On the tours with Hanoi Rocks, Jolle and Andy Christell really locked in, so it was a natural step to have Jolle play (who had the Electric Boys albums and knew the songs already). On the upcoming tours, Jolle Atlagic will do the Dan Reed Network tour in the UK, and Niclas will do the Swedish dates and the rest of the European tour with FM.

In case you haven't already, please welcome Jolle as a full-time member! He's saved our asses so many times we've lost count. Looking forward to seeing you guys on tour!”

Video of drummers Niclas Sigevall and new member Jolle Atlagic can be seen below:

 

A few days after the official release of their debut full-length effort Boogie Woogie Violence, French fast rock'n'roll power trio Iron Bastards just unveiled a new music video for the single "Pancho Villa". 

Old school rock with a modern view, Iron Bastards play fast and dirty rock'n'roll. Energetic, aggressive, and motivated; intended for fans of Motörhead, Nashville Pussy, and Danko Jones - Boogie Woogie Violence can be streamed in full via the audio player below.

Boogie woogie violence by Iron Bastards

 

 

Veteran California thrashers SLAYER have released an officially licensed beer, Slayer 666 Red Ale. The 6.5% ABV beverage is brewed by the Nils Oscar Company in Nyköping, Sweden, which has offered the following description: "A unique craft beer based on five different malts for a strong base, where El Dorado and Mosaic hops add an unmistakable character and identity, giving Slayer 666 Red Ale a perfect balance. Red ale is characterized by a deep copper color, often with a deep reddish hue and a malty sweetness. Most are in balance between malt and hops but Red ales in the American style can have a medium to high bitterness and a big hop aroma."

SLAYER frontman Tom Araya was asked by Sweden Rock Magazine if a beer can taste like SLAYER, and he replied: "It can taste authentic. So, yes, a beer can taste like SLAYER."

For more information, go to this location.

A number of other bands have previously expanded their brands to include a signature beer. Among the most recent ones is MASTODON, who teamed up with Signature Brew in the U.K. to create Mastodon's Black Tongue, a brew that is an 8.3% double black IPA and was called Signature Brew's "biggest and most powerful creation to date."

IRON MAIDEN famously released its Trooper ale, with its malt flavor and citric notes with a subtle hint of lemon. AC/DC's beer was a German premium lager called Australian Hardrock, which promised to "fire up your tongue like TNT."

MOTÖRHEAD came out with Bastards lager, which was described as "a fruity beer with a wonderful character of light malt."

PEARL JAM's Faithfull Ale, whose release coincided with the 20th anniversary of the band, was a Belgian golden-style brew that came with 10 incremental additions of black currents.

SEPULTURA's signature Weizen beer contained "the aroma and flavors of banana and clove," while MUNICIPAL WASTE's Toxic Revolution was a signature oatmeal stout.

AMON AMARTH offered the honey and smoked malt Ragnarok Porter, while CORROSION OF CONFORMITY came out with Corrosion Of Conformity Imperial Porter, which is aged in a rum barrel while boasting a raisin base.

According to the Portuguese music magazine Blitz, a reunited GUNS N' ROSES lineup is being courted to headline one of that country's festivals in the summer of 2016.

Rumors of a reunion of GUNS N' ROSES' classic lineup have been flaring up since Slash revealed in August that he and singer Axl Rose had reconciled after 19 years.

Australian tour promoter AJ Maddah recently shot down reports that a reunited GUNS N' ROSES lineup was in talks to headline that country's Soundwave festival next year.

The rumor got started when the owner of Cherry Bar in Melbourne appeared on Triple M radio Down Under and said sources had told him that the original lineup would play the Soundwave festival next year.

The fest's promoter, AJ Maddah, told Music Feeds, "It's been nice for me personally to share this fantasy for a few days along with the fans, but it is not happening."

Maddah added, "If a reunion does happen, it is going to take longer than six months for the band to be ready to tour. I think it'll take a hundred lawyers six months just to get the five of them into a rehearsal room together."

Rose is the only original member of GUNS N' ROSES still in the current lineup, which has toured intermittently since 2006 and played its second Las Vegas residency last year.

The closest anyone came to a GUNS reunion in recent memory was when the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012. Three original members of the band, including Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler, showed up, but Axl and guitarist Izzy Stradlin were no-shows.

At the time Slash said in several interviews that the Hall Of Fame ceremony gave him a sense of "closure."

GUNS N' ROSES recently parted ways with guitarists DJ Ashba and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.

Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci has posted the photo below on his official Facebook page with the caption "...and so it begins," suggesting the band is now working on material for their next studio album. Watch the band's official Facebook page here for updates.

Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini has issued the following update:

"Hey everyone! Locations for my European masterclasses are coming along nicely. It looks like I'll be hitting Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, France and probably more!

Now, please be sure to put a 'like' on Facebook here if you want to stay up to date on where the exact locations will be. Through this page, we'll send you info as soon as soon as possible! Keep in mind these will be very exclusive and interactive seminars on any type of rhythm, practicing and improvising open to all instrumentalists - but seats are very limited! So please send a mail to my Europe Events Staff at mikemanginithegrid@gmail.com if you want to sign up. See you there!"

Dream Theater performed at the 2015 installment of the legendary Wacken Open Air. Pro-shot footage of the band's complete show can be viewed below.

The setlist was as follows:

"False Awakening Suite"
"Afterlife"
"Metropolis Pt 1"
"Burning My Soul"
"The Spirit Carries On"
"As I Am"
"Panic Attack"
"Constant Motion"
"Bridges in the Sky"
"Behind The Veil"

In the clip below, Dream Theater's John Petrucci and James LaBrie talk about their new album and how they like to spend their spare time in this new video interview shot at Wacken Open Air 2015.

Find the band’s live itinerary at this location.

Fan-filmed video footage of MEGADETH's October 16 performance in Perth, Australia can be seen below. The concert marked MEGADETH's second show with its new lineup, featuring LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler, and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hangar 1802. Kingmaker 03. Wake Up Dead 04. In My Darkest Hour 05. Sweating Bullets 06. She-Wolf07. Public Enemy No. 1 08. Dawn Patrol 09. Poison Was The Cure 10. Tornado Of Souls 11. Trust 12. A Tout Le Monde 13. Skin O' My Teeth 14. Cold Sweat (THIN LIZZY cover)15. Symphony Of Destruction 16. Peace Sells 17. Fatal Illusion (live premiere)18. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

In an interview with Music Feeds conducted right before the Perth show, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine stated about the band's new lineup: "If you were going into a pub and someone said, 'Hey, I'm gonna go see this band that's only played together twice,' you'd say, 'Fuck that!' right? So the excitement on our side is really high because we've got something to prove. But then at the same time we don't have anything to prove. [Laughs]"

He continued: "The irony of us being able to have it both ways, you know, to have that feeling of exuberance and want to go out there and just nail it, but then also knowing that — you know — all those years of hard luck and having a really loving, intimate relationship with your fanbase has made it so that you can do these things."

Mustaine added: "We've got a really loyal fanbase, as I'm sure you know, and they've been with us through thick and thin seeing a lot of bad shit — stuff that happened to me, stuff that happened because of me, you know? And we've survived for some reason. It's like my big sister says, I can fall upwards."

Due to his LAMB OF GOD schedule, Adler was unable to play with MEGADETH in China and Japan last week 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.

In a recent interview, Adler stated about his status with MEGADETH: "Their drum tech, Tony, is a fantastic drummer. He played in DIMMU [BORGIR] for a while. [He's] a super-talented guy. So I think they are pretty flexible and able to, kind of, work around me a little bit, and Dave's [Mustaine, MEGADETH mainman] willing to. That's what Dave told me from the beginning. I said, 'I'm gonna be busy as shit for the next twelve to eighteen months with LAMB OF GOD, and I will do everything I can to play as many shows with you as I possibly can, but there may be a point where I have to ask you to wait.' And he said, 'I'll wait for you.' So I think he enjoyed working with me, and we'll just kind of see where it goes."

MEGADETH's current touring lineup is rounded out by founding bassist David Ellefson.

MEGADETH's fifteenth studio album, "Dystopia", will be released on January 22, 2016. The follow-up to 2013's "Super Collider" 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.

EUROPE's place as a legendary hard rock band was platinum-stamped early in their career. Having enjoyed an explosive period of worldwide success in the '80s (under-pinned by their hit album and single "The Final Countdown"), 2015's "War Of Kings" has seen them take full advantage of the global groundwork EUROPE have keenly re-established over the last few years.

Recently, it was decided that EUROPE's momentous live appearance at Wacken Open Air festival should not only be filmed and recorded, but released as a DVD and Blu-ray. EUROPE's "War Of Kings Special Edition" will include the original "War Of Kings" CD plus the Wacken 2015 DVD and Blu-ray, and will hit stores in North America on December 4 via Hell & Back Recordings/UDR Music. The set will come in three formats (2-disc ecolbook CD+DVD, 2-disc ecolbook CD+ Blu-ray, limited-edition deluxe package with "War Of Kings" CD + DVD + Blu-ray and photobook), and an audio-only edition of the Wacken performance will also be available via digital format. Pre-orders will available beginning next Wednesday, October 21.

CD track listing:

01. War Of Kings02. Hole In My Pocket03. The Second Day04. Praise You05. Nothin' To Ya06. California 40507. Days Of Rock 'N' Roll08. Children Of The Mind09. Rainbow Bridge10. Angels (With Broken Hearts)11. Light It Up12. Vasastan (instrumental)

DVD and Blu-ray track listing:

01. War Of Kings02. Hole In My Pocket03. Superstitious04. Scream Of Anger05. Last Look At Eden06. Second Day07. Firebox08. Sign Of The Times09. Praise You10. The Beast11. Ready Or Not12. Girl From Lebanon13. Nothin' To Ya14. Let The Good Times Rock15. Rock The Night16. Days Of Rock 'N' Roll17. The Final Countdown

In celebration of this release, EUROPE will embark on the "War Of Kings" U.S. tour in January. The trek begins in San Jose, California on January 19 and hits 16 cities before coming to a close in Atlanta, Georgia on February 6. General on-sale begins next Friday, October 23 at 9 a.m., PT/12 p.m. ET via all major ticketing sites or EuropeTheBand.com.

EUROPE vocalist Joey Tempest states: "[We're] very excited to have the 'War Of Kings Special Edition' coming out with our Wacken festival performance as bonus disc and so great to soon be back in the USA after our very successful East Coast shows earlier this year — covering a lot more states this time.. The 'War Of Kings' tour continues!"

Tour dates:

Jan. 19 - San Jose, CA - Rockbar TheaterJan. 20 - Anaheim, CA - The GroveJan. 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Saban TheaterJan. 23 - Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock LiveJan. 24 - San Diego, CA - Music Box TheaterJan. 25 - Chandler, AZ - Wild Horse Pass CasinoJan. 27 - Lawrence, KS - The Granada TheaterJan. 28 - Sioux Falls, SD - Badlands PawnJan. 29 - Shawnee, OK - The Grand Events CtrJan. 30 - Dallas, TX - House of BluesJan. 31 - Houston, TX - House of BluesFeb. 02 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - RevolutionFeb. 03 - St. Petersburg, FL - The Concert Courtyard - Ferg'sFeb. 04 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of BluesFeb. 05 - Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock CasinoFeb. 06 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade

MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee was forced to sit out the band's concert Friday night (October 16) at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut — two nights after missing the band's show in Buffalo.

Said Tommy in a statement released earlier today: "As some of you may have heard, I sustained an injury of severe inflammation to my left wrist and was unable to play the show the other night in Buffalo. I'm so sorry to say that the injury has not improved and it is unlikely I will be able to perform again tonight in Bridgeport. Regardless, the show must go on and Alice Cooper's amazing drummer, Glen Sobel, will be filling in for me on drums. I will, however, come on stage to see everyone and also to play the piano with my good hand for the finale on 'Home Sweet Home'."

He continued: "I am told this injury is temporary and that I will be back on stage very shortly. I'm doing everything in my power to speed up the healing process. I hate not being able to play for you guys!!"

Lee added in a tweet: "This kills me!! I'm terrible watching any concert from the sidelines! Especially mine!!"

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Final Tour" kicked off last year and will end New Year's Eve at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after one last round of North American gigs.

While announcing the first details of "The Final Tour" at a Los Angeles press conference in January 2014, the four members of MÖTLEY CRÜE revealed that they took the unusual step of having their lawyer draw up a formal "cessation of touring" agreement that goes into effect at the end of 2015 and prohibits the members of the group from going on the road again under the MÖTLEY CRÜE banner. The 2014 leg of "The Final Tour" was one of last year's top-grossing tours, selling close to a million tickets across 72 cities and grossing more than $45 million.

A brand new DEF LEPPARD song called "Dangerous" can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new, self-titled album, which will arrive on October 30 via earMUSIC. The CD was written and recorded in three separate sessions over the course of the past year and a half.

"Def Leppard" track listing:

01. Let's Go (5:01)02. Dangerous (3:26)03. Man Enough (3:54)04. We Belong (5:06)05. Invincible (3:46)06. Sea Of Love (4:04)07. Energized (3:23)08. All Time High (4:19)09. Battle Of My Own (2:42)10. Broke 'N' Brokenhearted (3:17)11. Forever Young (2:21)12. Last Dance (3:09)13. Wings Of An Angel (4:23)14. Blind Faith (5:33)

Total running time: 54:24

Regarding "Let's Go", DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott told RollingStone.com: "It's a call to arms, you know? Rick Savage [bass] wrote 80 percent of the song. I wrote the verses, he wrote all the music and the choruses. He came in with it, and we knew it was a classic DEF LEPPARD song. It's that three-minute pop-rock stuff with big chunky guitars and a big chorus. And it has that swaggering, mid-tempo rhythm, like 'Sugar', and 'Rock Of Ages'. The idea was, we wanted something familiar. I mean, when AC/DC comes back after years away, you're not going to get 'Bohemian Rhapsody' from 'em, you know? And you don't want it, either — you want 'Back In Black', or something like it. For us, this is what we do. And it's something we enjoy doing."

The cover artwork can be seen below.

Elliott told North Dakota's Grand Forks Herald that the band's new album is a self-titled affair "because that's what it sounds like. It doesn't sound like any one specific era of DEF LEPPARD. It's got everything. You'll listen and you go, 'Oh, that sounds like DEF LEPPARD,' or you'll go, 'That is LEPPARD, but it sounds a bit like LED ZEPPELIN or QUEEN but you can hear the AC/DC or the CROSBY, STILLS & NASH coming through.' We have not shied away from anything that's influenced us in our growing up periods of our life. Just because we've made the kind of music we've made doesn't mean to say we don't like all of this other stuff."

The album is the band's first studio effort since "Songs From the Sparkle Lounge" in 2008.

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen recently told Mike Hsu of the Worcester/Boston, Massachusetts radio station WAAF about the band's upcoming CD: "It's probably the most diverse thing we've done. And I think it's the best thing we've done since 'Hysteria'; I really do. I've said that, and I've heard that come back as a quote, and I sincerely believe it. It's the loudest rock guitars we've ever had on some tracks. Some of the stuff we've done as a band in the studio — we all played along live and then added to it — and then other tracks were pure studio stuff.'

Asked about the word "experimental" being used in connection with the new DEF LEPPARD album, Collen said: "I don't think that's the right word. I think 'Hysteria' was experimental, because we were using all this new technology. This is more just expressive, is the right word. Instead of pandering to anyone — whether it be fans, a record company or whatever — we actually have just done our own thing. There was a purity to it that we haven't had before. There wasn't one time when someone said, 'Oh, I don't think it's gonna work.' Everyone tried it. And I don't know whether that's experience or what. It's certainly not age, 'cause most people, they get a little more uptight as they get older, but this is… It's the opposite; there's a more relaxed feel, and, because of that, it kind of flows. So I don't think 'experimental' is the right word. I think it's more liberating and expressive, is the way I would go with it."

"Pride", the new video from STRYPER, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Fallen", which is being released on October 16 via Frontiers. The CD was tracked at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts and includes a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "After Forever".

In a recent interview with Audio Ink Radio, STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet stated about the musical direction of "Fallen": "It's similar to the last album but a little different. We tuned the guitars down on a few more songs than on the last album. It's a heavier vibe. I did a co-write with Clint Lowery of SEVENDUST on 'Yahweh', and that song turned out really different in a great way. We're never going to be as heavy as METALLICA, but STRYPER's roots are tied to heavy metal. We grew up on IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST and VAN HALEN and the SCORPIONS. Over the years, we ventured a short distance from that background with pop songs and ballads, which we love doing, but we like to be heavy."

Asked if he feels STRYPER has influenced other Christian hard rock and metal bands to stay true to their faith and musical vision, Sweet said: "I hope so. We've always been a band that's gone out of our way to wave the flag that God is cool, and not only cool, but the Creator of all things. Aside from that, people say it's an oxymoron to mix metal with Christian lyrics, and we're trying to break that apart and destroy that mentality because it's just not true. I feel God created all things, and therefore, He created music. So, it makes perfect sense to me to mix the two. It should be done more than the devil and metal being mixed, in my opinion, but for some reason, people have this thing that metal is all about the devil. It's ridiculous."

"Fallen" track listing:

01. Yahweh02. Fallen03. Pride04. Big Screen Lies05. Heaven06. Love You Like I Do07. All Over Again08. After Forever (BLACK SABBATH cover)09. Till I Get What I Need10. Let There Be Light11. The Calling12. King Of Kings

The cover artwork for "Fallen", which can be seen below, was designed by Stanis Decker, who worked with STRYPER on 2013's "No More Hell To Pay".

"Digital Gerrymandering", a brand new song from the post-metal progressive powerhouse INTRONAUT, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's fifth studio album, "The Direction Of Last Things", which will be available November 13 via Century Media in the following formats; CD digipak, digital download, and limited-edition first-run LP. The disc was mixed by Devin Townsend.

INTRONAUT guitarist/vocalist Sacha Dunable comments: "I love every song on the new record equally, so this is my favorite song on the new record. This was probably the most daunting song for us to write, but also the most rewarding to see finished."

The initial LP run of "The Direction Of Last Things" will be limited to 2000 copies worldwide and presented in an awe-inspiring package. This double LP piece will be housed in a matte-finished gatefold with a spot UV print over highlighted art elements. Collectors will also be treated to a rarely utilized packaging element, a printed inner-gatefold tube, which not only houses the LP's, but also a 12"x24" poster, showcasing the full cover art in all it's glory. Just when you thought it was over, LP's will be pressed on mint green-and-black splatter, red-and-black marble, solid dark green or standard black wax with an etching, which surrounds the music grooves, on side D. Actual color-run numbers to be announced at a future date.

"I don't care how cliché it is to say; this is our best record yet!" states Dunable. "This is INTRONAUT at our most technical, brutal, catchy, and straight up fearless. I haven't been this proud of an album since we recorded our first demo 10 years ago. We took a somewhat unusual approach and tracked most of it live over the course of four days, then handed it off to Devin Townsend to mix. The result is pure magic. Prepare your earholes for fornication."

On the heels of the new album release, INTRONAUT will hit the road on "The Coma Ecliptic Tour III", alongside BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, ENSLAVED and NATIVE CONSTRUCT.

"It's been over a year since our last North American tour. What better way to dust it off than with these three amazing bands. These shows are going to be insane, and we can't wait to play some new songs for you guys!" adds Sacha.

Finnish melancholy death-doom metal masters SWALLOW THE SUN will release a triple album titled "Songs From The North I, II & III" on November 13 via Century Media.

Incorporating dark menace and gradations of death, black and funeral doom, each of the three albums of "Songs From The North I, II & III" embodies the band's unofficial band motto: "Gloom, Beauty & Despair."

"Songs From The North I" continues in the vein of the albums before it — first-rate death-doom in the typical style of SWALLOW THE SUN.

"Songs From The North I" track listing:

01. With You Came The Whole Of The World's Tears02. 10 Silver Bullets03. Rooms And Shadows04. Heartstrings Shattering05. Silhouettes06. The Memory Of Light07. Lost & Catatonic08. From Happiness To Dust

"Songs From The North II" is a beautiful, acoustic foray representing the group’s ability to unplug and revel in the darkness.

"Songs From The North II" track listing:

01. The Womb Of Winter02. The Heart Of A Cold White Land03. Away04. Pray For The Winds To Come05. Songs From The North06. 66°50 'N, 28°40 'E07. Autumn Fire08. Before The Summer Dies

The official lyric video for "Pray For The Winds To Come" can be seen below.

"Songs From The North III" is the most extreme album, a complete ride into SWALLOW THE SUN's most horrific abyss of finely-crafted, conscience-crushing funeral doom.

"Songs From The North III" track listing:

01. The Gathering Of Black Moths02. 7 Hours Late03. Empires Of Loneliness04. Abandoned By The Light05. The Clouds Prepare For Battle

"Songs From The North I, II & III" will be available as special edition 3CD box containing three digipaks and a booklet, limited deluxe edition 5LP+3CD Box with each album in a gatefold sleeve and as digital album.

SWALLOW THE SUN's main songwriter and guitarist Juha Raivio comments on the triple-album concept: "Making a triple album in this godforsaken digital and modern day and age... Many will say it's madness. I say it is to bring worth, heart and respect back into the music and to the album format where it belongs. This should never turn into a shallow fast food industry where music is only downloaded one song at a time.

"These albums hold life, death, gloom, beauty and despair in their deepest levels and forms. The three chapters are different but connected, one long journey through these songs written up here in the North.

"Music is holy, albums are holy. See you on the other side friends."

SWALLOW THE SUN is:

Juha Raivio - guitarMarkus Jämsen - guitarMikko Kotamäki - vocalsMatti Honkonen -bassAleksi Munter - keysJuuso Raatikainen – drums

"Ämmänhauta" (The Witches Tomb), the new video from Finnish folk metallers KORPIKLAANI, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "Noita", which was released on May 5 in North America via Nuclear Blast. Recorded at Petrax Studio with Aksu Hanttu producing, recording and mixing again, it is the band's first CD to feature new accordion player Sami Perttula, who played a very active role in the folk arrangements along with fiddler Tuomas Rounakari.

Comments KORPIKLAANI vocalist Jonne Järvelä on the new video: "When I was young, I lived quite near of the witches tomb and I used to play there in the forest, where I always threw branch on the tomb like every other when I passed it. It was just a 'normal' thing to do, so the legend lives well still there. The reason for that is because it was her last wish that she wanted to be buried secretly to the church graveyard, which wasn't okay for witches at the 11th century. She also made a wish if she dies before the cemetery on the way, they must bury her at the place and everyone who pass the tomb need to throw branch on her or will face the power of her curse."

He continues: "I remember when I was seven or eight years old and we skied with my school class next the place and the whole area was clean of the branches. We couldn't find any, so we needed to ski further to the forest to find some and ski back to throw them, including our teacher.

"In this video, I play the part of the man that was one of those that made this treaty with the witch, for her to buried as she wished. As I sit there remembering, the crow flies past and I dream of the old memory, but then the witch sees me sitting there watching the old memory as the sun rises. As the old memory goes away, I go and put the branch on the tomb and then the witch walks away."

The video clip was produced by Anniina Sinisalo (Time Films) under the direction of Joona Sarisalmi and Tapani Hiedanniemi, who also produced the video of "Metsään On Läksi Mieli" from JONNE, the solo album of the KORPIKLAANI singer Jonne Järvelä.

The cover artwork for "Noita" was created by Jan Yrlund from Darkgrove Design, who has created all the KORPIKLAANI covers in recent years.

Power Prog announce the signing of a true South American hope in matters of folk/power metal, the Argentines of Triddana. The first common goal is the worldwide release of their second album, The Power & The Will, on December 11th as Audio-CD, download card, digital download and as a stream.

Triddana, founded in early 2011, have derived their name from the Irish word "troideanna" (which means "fights") and they come with a mixture of the beauty and magic of Scotish and Irish folk music and energetic, powerful played heavy metal. Their first album Ripe For Rebellion from 2013 was more than just a moderate success and able to obtain many excellent reviews, ratings and the attention of the whole scene. Over the following months and years, they got an excellent reputation as an outstanding live act. In the current lineup with Juan José Fornés (vocals, guitars), Pablo Allen (bagpipe, whistle), Diego Rodríguez (bass) and Ranz (drums), they entered the studio in late 2014 to create a worthy successor to their debut album.

With The Power & The Will, Triddana can totally convincing and put under renewed evidence that they know their craft and that they are aware of their abilities. Album No. 2 is characterized by impressive songwriting with strong, expressive hymns and constant sing-along factor. With every sound you hear that it is not just about making music, for Triddana it is a true vocation and a real lifestyle is mediated. They do everything with class and passion and this release is another step in the right direction on their way to the international folk metal throne. Not only die-hard fans around the globe will be delighted ... This South American star shines bright and clear on music heaven.

The Power & The Will tracklisting:

“Shouting Aloud”
“When The Enemy's Close”
“Death Blow”
“Echo Through The Day”
“Everything Returns”
“The Snake & The Pit”
“The Might In My Blood”
“Galloping Shadows”
“Becoming”
“Everlasting Lie”
“Awakening”
“The Power & The Will”

“When The Enemy’s Close”:

 
Album details:

• All songs written and arranged by Triddana
• Recorded at La Nave De Osenberg, Vip Rock & Incus studios
• Recording & Edition: Juan José Fornés
• Drum Doctor: Javier Rubio
• Produced & mixed: Juan José Fornés
• Mastered by Sebastián Manta
• Cover art & graphic design: Christian E. Treffny
• Clothing & photos: Supercharger

Pre-order the album as CD or as high quality digital download in MP3, FLAC, ALAC and more at this location.

Norway-based rockers, The Carburetors, will release their new studio album, Laughing In The Face Of Death, worldwide on November 20th via Steamhammer / SPV.

This is the band’s first album in five years, and it was worth waiting for. Laughing In The Face Of Death has turned into an awesome manifesto of handmade rock music with definite anthem potential. A recording which leaves no questions unanswered and nothing to be desired. In other words: real rock’n’roll.

A message from the band:

The new album will be available in two physical formats (US, Canada will see a digital-only release)
- CD digipack
- Limited Edition vinyl version, 500 only on clear white 180gr. vinyl, incl. a double sided poster and the entire album on CD

CD / LP tracklisting:

“Hellfire”
“Lords Of Thunder”
“Don’t Touch The Flame”
“Water Into Wine”
“Blood For Blood”
“The Undertaker”
“The Wolves Are Gonna Howl Tonight”
“Bullet”
“Days Of Metal”
“Shot Full Of Noise”
“(Tonight We’re Gonna) Die Like Heroes”

More on the band, including their live itinerary, at this location.

 

The release of the second chapter of Vanden Plas' rock opera, Chronicles Of The Immortals – Netherworld II, is scheduled for November 6th. Listen to the new song “The Last Fight”, streaming below:

Approximately one year after the release of the first chapter, Vanden Plas return with their elaborate arrangements, superb piano melodies, and epic instrumental passages, paired with the signature heavy Vanden Plas sound and distinctive vocals of Andy Kuntz.

In guitarist Stephan Lill’s words: “This is our 8th studio album, so now we know what works for Vanden Plas and what doesn't. With every new CD we try to continue to break new ground, while still remaining faithful to our original style. As the songs of Chronicles Of The Immortals - Netherworld Part I & II are written for a Rock Opera, this time the arrangements of the music are more epic and orchestral than on the previous albums. The engagements for several rock operas in theaters and the work together with big orchestras helped us a lot to improve the way of writing songs or to arrange song parts in a way that makes it special. A band needs this kind of a light progression. And maybe the next cd will sound a bit more reduced again, we will see.”

Fans of the saga of the immortal Andrej Delãny will now be able to enjoy the eagerly awaited continuation with Chronicle Of The Immortals - Netherworld II. As Chronicles Of The Immortals - Netherworld, Path I ended, the perfidious plans of the dark Godmaker threatened to emerge. All seemed lost, yet from within the pervading darkness shone a soft light. Deliverance comes in the second half of the story, where the creative duo of Vanden Plas and Wolfgang Hohlbein has merged again in top form.  And of course it will be up to the listener to find out how the story will end!

“Wolfgang Hohlbein was, together with his manager Dieter Winkler and our singer Andy, responsible for the story which was the base for both Chronicles Of The Immortals - Netherworld CDs. For the theater piece we did here in Germany, he wrote a book especially for this event what was fantastic,” tells Stephan.

Vanden Plas has always been open to remarkable and unusual ideas, and the collaboration with the writer Wolfgang Hohlbein found fertile ground there from the beginning. The author who has sold more than 40 million books worldwide was a big fan of the band. Blutnacht (Bloodnight), a stage production performed at the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern, was based on his series The Chronicle Of The Immortals. Hohlbein, his manager Dieter Winkler, and Vanden Plas frontman Andy Kuntz developed the story and Vanden Plas provided the musical realization. The reward was 25 sold-out performances during the 2012 and 2013 seasons and unanimously thrilled audiences.

“We will start the shows in support of the new album during the winter of 2015. For the previous CD, we played 3 to 4 shows in seven countries in Europe. That's what we plan also for the beginning of 2016. We just have to coordinate the dates of our Vanden Plas concerts with the dates of our theatre shows to take care that there won't be a crossing over,” concludes Stephan.

For more than 20 years, Vanden Plas has stood for intelligent progressive metal. With Netherworld II, the conclusion of Chronicles Of The Immortals, the band now opens a new and exciting chapter in its career.

Tracklisting:  

Vision 11even - "In My Universe”
Vision 12elve - "Godmaker’s Temptation”
Vision 13teen - "Stone Roses Edge”
Vision 14teen - "Blood Of Eden” (“All Love Must Die”) (“The Rite”) (“This Is The Night”)
Vision 15teen - "Monster”
Vision 16teen - "Diabolica Comedia”
Vision 17teen - "Where Have The Children Gone”
Vision 18teen - "The Last Fight”
Vision 19teen - "Circle Of The Devil”

“Stone Roses Edge” video:

Trailer:

Friends of the dark season, here is the new Hanging Garden video for “Borrowed Eyes” (featuring Ville Sorvali from Moonsorrow) off the band's new album, Blackout Whiteout.

“Borrowed Eyes” is the second video from Blackout Whiteout that keyboardist Nino Hynninen and vocalist Toni Toivonen have collaborated on: “In the creative process, we decided to use simplicity and minimalism to underline a feel of unnerving mundane unease,” says Hynninen. “The starting idea for the video concept was to create a sense of passing time somehow. Keeping this in mind, we explored the surroundings with a camera and found points of interest and different ways to portray them. The song title itself comes from Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and the quote ‘Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it’ is one of the inspirations for the song.”

Odium has been operating out of Hanover, Ontario producing dark, yet melodic metal layered with fast-paced gruff bellows, resonating vocals, and pounding instrumentals for nearly a decade. After releasing an EP, two full-length records plus lineup change, the band is gearing up for their third album, Terraform, due out on October 23rd.

The album track “Dead” can be heard below:

Dead by Odium

The band are offering fans a free download of their single “Return To Form” at this location. The track is streaming below.

Terraform tracklisting:

“Odyssey”
“Feral Inversion”
“Centipedes”
“Return To Form”
“Delusion”
“Dead”
“Failure II”
“Obsolete”
“The Cell”
“Redemption”
“Displacement Of Hope”

“Displacement Of Hope” teaser:

“Return To Form”:

Return to Form by Odium

On October 16th, Eagle Rock Entertainment will issue the simultaneous release of Nazareth’s No Means Of Escape on DVD and Blu-ray. Check out “Razamanaz” from the release, streaming below:

No Means Of Escape combines two films: a live set and a documentary. Live At Metropolis was filmed before a select audience at London’s famous Metropolis Studios. The documentary Made In Scotland tells the full story of Nazareth’s remarkable career from their formation in 1968, to their breakthrough in the 1970s and their ongoing career in the present day. Celebrating the band’s history, the cover art on No Means Of Escape features a new version of the classic character created for Nazareth’s 1979 album No Mean City by fantasy artist Rodney Matthews. Digitally, this material will be made available as two separate elements: Live At Metropolis and Made In Scotland
 
The concert itself features hit tracks and album favorites including “Love Hurts,” “Hair Of The Dog,” “Razamanaz,” “May The Sun Shine,” “Bad Bad Boy,” “This Flight Tonight,” “Expect No Mercy,” and many more. The documentary contains classic footage and new interviews with past and present members of the band including now retired lead singer Dan McCafferty.

In addition to the concert film and documentary, No Means Of Escape includes an acoustic session track “This Flight Tonight,” and additional interviews with Dan McCafferty and Pete Agnew as bonus features.
 
Between the incredible live set and the story of the band presented by the men themselves, No Means Of Escape is a double-dose of Nazareth that fans won’t want to miss.

Tracklisting:
 
“Silver Dollar Forger”
“Sleeptalker”
“Rock ‘N’ Roll Telephone”
“Razamanaz”
“May The Sun Shine”
“See You See Me”
“Turn On Your Receiver”
“Bad Bad Boy”
“One Set Of Bones”
“This Flight Tonight”
“Hair Of The Dog”
“Love Hurts”
“Expect No Mercy”

"Hair Of The Dog" video:

Band lineup:

Linton Osborne - lead vocals
Pete Agnew - bass
Jimmy Murrison - guitar
Lee Agnew - drums

Def Leppard will release their new self-titled album on October 30th. The Japanese edition of the album will include the bonus track “Last Dance” (Demo), while the Classic Rock Fanpack edition will include the bonus tracks “We Belong” (Alternative Vocal Take) and “Let’s Go” (UK radio edit).  

Def Leppard's new album is to be released as a Classic Rock Fanpack on October 30th. The Fanpack will include the CD (including the exclusive bonus tracks), a 116-page magazine featuring all-new interviews with all five band members, all-new photos and a track-by-track guide to the album, a series of collectable art cards, and a metal Def Leppard keyring. The album will also be available as a double-vinyl edition.

The Fanpack is available to pre-order now.

Def Leppard tracklisting:

"Let's Go"
"Dangerous"
"Man Enough"
"We Belong"
"Invincible"
"Sea Of Love"
"Energized"
"All Time High"
"Battle Of My Own"
"Broke 'N' Brokenhearted"
"Forever Young"
"Last Dance"
"Wings Of An Angel"
"Blind Faith"

Bonus tracks:

“Last Dance” (Demo) (Japan)
“We Belong” (Alternative Vocal Take) (Classic Rock Fanpack)
“Let’s Go” (UK radio edit) (Classic Rock Fanpack)

“Let’s Go” lyric video:

Joe Elliott shared the running order of the band's new album via a handwritten note on Instagram:

 

 

Fabulist Icons is a book written by Mike Rogers, Def Leppard’s technician from the Pyromania tour until the Monsters Of Rock tour 1986. It's written from his perspective and features numerous previously unseen photos of the band during those early years of writing and recording Hysteria, including many from Una Williams Photography.

Mike was more than the band's technician though. When Rick came out of hospital after losing his arm, Mike was there. He was also confidante to the Terror Twins in their heyday, and looked after their model girlfriends Lorelei Shellist and Valerie Mazzonelli's poodle whilst in Paris. He also ferried Def Leppard master tapes to and from Mutt Lange at Battery Studios in North London.

The book is 152 pages full colour, 10" square. It will be going to print by end of October.Price is €35/$40/£26 and does not include postage and packaging (P+P).

This price is based on the purchase of one book being sent by standard post in a "pizza box' style, cardboard casing when combined with the weight of the book will weight approx 1kg (2.2 pounds) from the country of origin, Ireland. There is a price option (€35) for the book alone (DOES NOT include postage and packaging (P+P)) if you wish to make you own postal arrangements.

If you wish to order more than one, have it sent by express or registered post or have the booked signed by the author, Mike Rogers and/or photographer Una Williams please let them know so that they can personalize your price. Please contact howard@fabulisticons.com.

Please allow 5-7 working days for US, Canada and Australia and 2-3 working days for delivery to Ireland, EU and UK.

More information at this location.

Nuclear Blast Entertainment has announced the signing of the four-piece version of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY — featuring Pepper Keenan on guitar and vocals — to a worldwide deal. The band will enter the studio late this winter/early spring with longtime producer John Custer. Custer has recorded such C.O.C. classics as "Deliverance", "Wiseblood", "America's Volume Dealer" and "In The Arms Of God". The as-yet-untitled-album will mark CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's studio reunion with Keenan and the Pepper-fronted version of C.O.C.'s first full-length record since 2005. A fall 2016 release is expected.

Says Keenan about the new partnership: "To all the C.O.C. fans worldwide, Mike [Dean, bass], Reed [Mullin, drums], Woody [Weatherman, guitar] and I are proud to announce that we are starting our next sonic adventure with Nuclear Blast Entertainment! We are honored and psyched to be a part of the Blasted Family, both professionally and artistically.

"After all these years, it's truly inspiring to reawaken the chemistry that the four of us have. We are seriously fucking with our pants off now! We do not take this journey lightly and cannot wait to return to the studio to drop Ze' Hammer!

"All of this would not be possible without the global support of all you freethinkers and beerdrinkers. Much love and respect and look forward to to seeing you soon."

Monte Conner, president of Nuclear Blast Entertainment, adds: "I love all the incarnations of C.O.C. over the years but the Pepper-fronted version has always been the definitive lineup of the band for me. Ever since hearing Pepper take charge on 1991's 'Vote With A Bullet', I was dying to hear him sing more with the band. This lineup's 1994 debut 'Deliverance', with its signature tracks 'Clean My Wounds' and 'Albatross', was an instant classic and is still one of my all-time favorite albums.

"It has been a long 10 years since their fourth album — the highly underrated 'In The Arms Of God' — and as a fan, I can't wait to hear what these guys come up with next. I know it will be a monster. The fact that it is coming out on Nuclear Blast is very fulfilling for me and many others on the Nuclear Blast team as we finally get to work with one of our favorite bands."

Weatherman told West Michigan's Revue about C.O.C.'s forthcoming album: "With our last record [with Pepper Keenan], [2005's] 'In The Arms Of God' — we want to pick up where that left off. We were on to something there, and then [Hurricane] Katrina happened [in New Orleans, where Keenan is based]. Then the band went on hiatus and we never picked it back up until 2010 when we started doing the three-piece stuff."

Weatherman believes "In The Arms Of God", which featured GALACTIC's Stanton Moore on drums, wasn't promoted properly. "We put a lot of effort into that and it took some doing to get it done," Weatherman said. "But I think it didn't get a fair shake. We got cut off from supporting it."

Keenan played his first full show with CORROSION OF CONFORMITY since 2006 on March 7 at Manchester Academy 2 in Manchester, England.

Speaking about the differences between writing music for CORROSION OF CONFORMITY and DOWN, Keenan told "Maximum Threshold": "The biggest difference with the C.O.C. stuff is that I'm singing, so my brain acts differently towards that writing songs for Phil [Anselmo, DOWN frontman] to sing. It's two different entities. I don't know how I split it in half, but I do it. I just go off the catalyst of what the last C.O.C. record was, which I thought was an extremely strong record. So we're just gonna shoot for that angle. And those guys have got a bunch of great riffs, and it's a different machine."

Keenan joined CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1990, but he did not become the band's lead singer until the recording of "Deliverance", which came out in 1994.

On September 11, legendary hard rock singer Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) performed at Perama, one of Greece's largest and most impressive caves. Turner, accompanied by George Gakis and his musicians, played an acoustic set during Ioannina Rock City Festival, an event whose primary purpose was to promote Ioannina's cultural landscape, since Ioannina is nominated for Europe's Cultural Capital in 2021.

Video footage of the entire performance can be seen below. Check out photos at According to Rock Overdose.

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

During Turner's time with RAINBOW, the band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

1990 saw reunited Turner with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore in a reformed DEEP PURPLE for the "Slaves And Masters" album.

Formed in 1989 in Marietta, Georgia by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson while still in high school, and originally named MR. CROWE'S GARDEN after a children's book, THE BLACK CROWES recorded a total of eight studio albums, starting with 1990's "Shake Your Money Maker", which was released by Rick Rubin's Def American label. That debut, named after a classic Elmore James blues song, peaked at #4 on The Billboard 200, selling more than 5 million copies worldwide (and 3 million in the U.S.), with two singles, "Hard To Handle" and the acoustic ballad "She Talks To Angels", going Top 30 on the Billboard 100 and #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, with three more, "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard" and "Seeing Things", also charting. The group went on to sell 30 million albums internationally, being named "Best New American Band" by Rolling Stone readers in 1990. "Shake Your Money Maker" will now be released by American Recordings/Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) December 4 as a one-album set, along with the band's following three releases as double-LP sets — 1992's "The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion", 1994's "Amorica" and 1996's "Three Snakes And One Charm" — all on high-grade 180-gram vinyl, with lacquers cut directly from the master tapes. The first two originally came out on Def American, the latter two after Rubin changed the name of the label to American Recordings. "Shake Your Money Maker": The band's debut album featured two Top 30 Billboard singles in their cover of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle" and the acoustic ballad "She Talks to Angels". Recorded in the summer of 1989 in Atlanta and Los Angeles with producer George Drakoulias, the album featured ALLMAN BROTHERS keyboardist Chuck Leavell. Several of the songs, including "Could I've Been So Blind" and "She Talks To Angels", whose riffs were originally penned by Rich Robinson when he was 17, come from the band's incarnation as MR. CROWE'S GARDEN. Critics compared them to THE ROLLING STONES, AEROSMITH and THE FACES. "The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion": THE BLACK CROWES' sophomore album, which went to #1 on the Billboard 200 upon its release in May, 1992, eventually going double-platinum, will be released for the first time as a two-disc 180 gram vinyl set. It was previously released as a single LP in 2004 only in certain countries and only appeared in the U.S. in 2009 by way of an inferior quality third-party pressing. Now remastered for vinyl, the album was the first to feature Marc Ford on lead guitar, replacing Jeff Cease. The title comes from the full name of an influential hymnal compiled by William Walker in 1835. The four released singles each topped the Billboard Album Rock Tracks charts, including "Remedy" (11 weeks), "Thorn in My Pride" (four weeks), "Sting Me" (two weeks) and "Hotel Illness" (six weeks), breaking a record previously held by Tom Petty. The disc also includes the band's cover of Bob Marley's "Time Will Tell". Guitar World named it to the magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitar albums of all time. "Amorica": The first BLACK CROWES album to come out on Rubin's newly renamed American Recordings label, the two-disc 180-gram vinyl reissue has been out of print in LP form since its initial 1994 release as a single album. The band, now a six-piece, had previously ditched the unreleased "Tall", and its subsequent release caused plenty of controversy in the marketplace, with several retailers refusing to carry the album, whose original cover (later airbrushed) depicted female pubic hair visible under an American flag bikini. The original release eventually earned RIAA-certified gold for selling more than 500,000, peaking at #11 on The Billboard 200, spurred by three more Top 10 Mainstream Rock Tracks in "A Conspiracy" (#5, #23 Modern Rock Tracks ), "High Head Blues" (#8) and "Wiser Time" (#7). "Three Snakes And One Charm": THE BLACK CROWES' fourth album, also on American Recordings, was previously available on vinyl only as a boxed set of 7" singles, but now comes out for the first time as a two-LP set on 180-gram vinyl since its initial CD release in July, 1996. The original album peaked at #15 on The Billboard 200, with its two singles, "Blackberry" and "Good Friday", reaching #6 and #3, respectively, on the magazine's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Produced by the band with Jack Joseph Puig — who also manned the boards for "Amorica" — the album was recorded in a rented home, which helped soothe the frayed relationship between the brothers Robinson, then finished at Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles. The new production touches included the DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND on tracks like "(Only Halfway) to Everywhere" and "Let Me Share The Ride". Two bonus tracks, originally included in the boxed set, "Just Say You're Sorry" and a cover of Bob Marley's "Pimper's Paradise", are included on the fourth and final side of the double-vinyl set.