Johnnie Walker of the WGRD radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan recently conducted an interview with BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd. You can listen to the chat below.

Speaking about the title of the new BUCKCHERRY album, "Rock 'N' Roll", Todd said: "Well, you know, our first record was [released] in 1999, and this is our seventh record, and from the moment we started, everybody was telling us that rock and roll was dead. Keith [Nelson, guitar] and I, we threw around the idea of calling a record 'Rock 'N' Roll' awhile back, and it was just time."

He continued: "We just wanted to make a really fun BUCKCHERRY record, and kind of make a ten-song record that you could put on and leave on, and that was the whole idea behind it."

Todd also commented on the recent discussion in the music world about how "rock is dead." He said: "Well, you know, I understand what [people] mean by it. I think they mean the glory days and all that kind of stuff, and that's truth — I mean, it's never going to be the same. It's just a different way of playing rock music. But it's been alive and kicking for all these years."

He continued: "We've had a really great career, and we've had a lot of longevity in this business. So that was kind of the reason why we wanted to [call our new CD 'Rock 'N' Roll']. And, you know, there's not a lot of bands that are making traditional rock and roll records like we're making, so it just seemed like the right time to call it what it is."

Regarding BUCKCHERRY's decision to launch its own record label, F-Bomb, Todd said: "[2014's 'Fuck'] EP was the guinea pig. We had really great success, and we made all of our parners happy. And so, you know, then it came time for the LP."

He continued: "We always wanted to make ten-song records, and now we get to do it. I don't feel like our record needs to be more than that. I think it's too much.

"Nobody listens to twelve- and fifteen-song records — nobody listens to them all the way through — and our favorite records were, you know, nine- and ten-song records. So we get to do what we want."

Todd added: "It's the best time to be in BUCKCHERRY, and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves already, so it's fantastic."

"Rock 'N' Roll" was released on August 21 via F-Bomb Records/Caroline.

Dutch doom/death metal veterans ASPHYX will enter the studio at the end of November to begin recording their new album for an early 2016 release. The band's vocalist, Martin Van Drunen, says: "Lots of tracks are composed and arranged already and we have tons of shredding riffs on the shelves to complete the rest of the album. It will all be in the good old-fashioned ASPHYX death/doom style, so be sure no one will be disappointed. Do we need to say we want to bring out that coming epic old-school beast as soon as possible? Whatever happens, 2016 will be a good metal year already, that's an ASPHYX guarantee!"

ASPHYX's latest album, "Deathhammer", entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 67. The CD was released in February 2012 via Century Media Records.

The "Deathhammer" video can be seen below. The clip was filmed by Maurice Swinkels of Younique Film, who had previously worked with the band on the bonus DVD for the "Death...The Brutal Way" album as well as on clips for such other groups as EXODUS, MASTERPLAN and KATAKLYSM.

Recorded at The Mörser Studio as well as at Harrow Studio with ASPHYX's longtime engineer Harry Wijering, "Deathhammer" was mixed and mastered in Sweden by Dan Swanö, who previously worked with the band on "Death…The Brutal Way" and "Live Death Doom" releases.

The new CHASTAIN album "We Bleed Metal" will be released worldwide on November 6. It is the follow-up to the band's 2013 reunion CD "Surrender To No One". That release marked the return of original vocalist Leather Leone. She has long been considered one of the originators of the female power metal vocal style. Leather was the vocalist on the classic CHASTAIN albums: "Mystery Of Illusion", "Ruler Of The Wasteland", "The 7th Of Never", "The Voice Of The Cult" and "For Those Who Dare". Also returning to the band is original bassist Mike Skimmerhorn. The drums are now being handled by Stian Kristoffersen (PAGAN'S MIND, FIREWIND).

Guitarist David T. Chastain states: "This new album is a continuation of the sound we created on 'Surrender To No One'.

"We still have a foot in the past but we are also embracing the future.

"I have my style of writing metal and it isn't ever going to change to any major degree.

"I tried to write on some subjects that are important to me: The financial systems inevitable downfall, religious insanity, mankind's self-destructive nature, our own self-preservation and few other esoteric topics.

"Leather proves on the new CD she hasn't lost anything from her glory days.

"Stian's kicks the band to the next level, as he is the youngest member with the most modern influences.

"I think this is my most 'shredtastic' CHASTAIN guitar work since 'The 7th Of Never' era.

"I think all in all this is one of the best CHASTAIN releases in the catalog. Of course, it is hard for me to be objective about a CD until about ten years after it comes out."

Leather adds: "After our absence through the years, the response has been fantastic! I find much of it to be classic CHASTAIN. There are undeniably some modern concepts involved!! But I guarantee it will not disappoint. It is 100% a CHASTAIN CD!"

She continues: "The title track, 'We Bleed Metal', should be a battle cry for all who live and love metal! The song is about the camaraderie between metal lovers and overcoming the struggle, barriers and stigmas society places on the music. 'We will sacrifice and we will pay the price 'cause we bleed metal!'"

"We Bleed Metal" track listing:

01. We Bleed Metal02. All Hail The King03. Against All The Gods04. Search Time For You05. Don't Trust Tomorrow06. I Am A Warrior07. Evolution Of Terror08. The Last Ones Alive09. Secrets

The Leather-fronted version of CHASTAIN recorded five CDs in the mid-to-late 1980s: 1985's "Mystery Of Illusion", 1986's "Ruler Of The Wasteland", 1987's "The 7th Of Never", 1988's "The Voice Of The Cult" and 1990's "For Those Who Dare". After the "For Those Who Dare" tour, David and Leather amicably went their separate ways but kept in touch over the years before reuniting in 2013.

Leather in 2012 released the debut album from her SLEDGE LEATHER project, "Imagine Me Alive". The CD was inspired in 2010 when Leather called Sandy Sledge to collaborate on the Ronnie James Dio track "Egypt" for a demo tribute recording. Due to the overwhelming response for more material, SLEDGE LEATHER was born and performed at Germany's Keep It True festival in April 2011.

A new GODSMACK song, "Inside Yourself", has been made available for free download via the band's official web site.

Says GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna: "To all radio stations, programming directors and, most importantly, our fans! Here's something fun we recently recorded just for you!

"Year after year, you have shown us nothing but love and loyalty by purchasing our music, playing our songs, and attending our live shows. You have all been a critical part of this band's success for the last 18 years, and it doesn't go unnoticed. So to show our appreciation, we would like to gift you our new song 'Inside Yourself' and say thank you for always having our back!"

He continues: "This is a song about equality for all! Understanding that no one is worthless or any lesser than the next person. We are all equally important as human beings and should be treated that way. And for those of you who feel the need to cut others down to make yourself look superior, you seriously need to take a good look 'inside yourself.' This one is on us! Enjoy!"

Erna told Gibson.com in a new interview that the plan for GODSMACK's next album is to take its music even further away from the signature sound of older hits like "Whatever", "I Stand Alone" and "Straight Out Of Line". Erna explained: "We feel that on this new record we're going to write next year, we may just completely take a drastic turn in what kind of style we want to pull out."

He continued: "I think we want to get away from being lumped into the metal crowd. I think we're coming a lot more back to our roots now, so on the new record, I think we're going to try to mix things up and get to a place where we're not going to hurt the integrity of the band but maybe go in a more rock 'n' roll direction."

Erna told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he's always been proud that GODSMACK doesn't fit neatly into one musical genre. "You know, it is nice to know that we're creating stuff that's just kind of living on and that does really well in the active rock stations and the hard rock world and that kind of stuff," he said. "So we're in that middle ground. We're not quite as poppy as like AEROSMITH, but yet we're not as dark and metal as, you know, the SLIPKNOTs or the METALLICAs or whatever. So we're kind of like that in-between band."

On a timetable for its seventh studio album, Erna told Gibson.com: "The band is writing, and I think we'll probably start really getting together to arrange everything and start recording by early next year — maybe spring."

Erna, who also plans to do some solo touring next year, said that the band hopes to have the new album "recorded and ready by the end of the year. If not, definitely by the very top of 2017."

The quartet's 2014 studio effort, "1000hp", was GODSMACK's first new album in four years and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart.

The band is currently on a North American tour that will wrap up on November 14 in Las Vegas.

Fan-filmed video footage of U.S. progressive metal pioneers FATES WARNING performing on October 13 at St. Vitus in Brooklyn, New York can be seen below.

FATES WARNING has started work on its twelfth studio album, to be released next year via InsideOut Music.

FATES WARNING guitarist and main composer Jim Matheos comments: "I'm happy to announce that all the music for FW12 is now written. Still some work to do on lyrics and final arrangements, but the plan is for us to start tracking in December with a release date planned for the first half of 2016."

FATES WARNING's current U.S. tour in support of the band's most recent album, "Darkness In A Different Light", will run through November 2.

FATES WARNING's eleventh studio album, "Darkness In A Different Light", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was issued in North America on October 1, 2013 via InsideOut Music.

Featuring founding guitarist Jim Matheos alongside classic-lineup members Ray Alder (vocals) and Frank Aresti (guitar), longtime bassist Joey Vera and drummer Bobby Jarzombek, "Darkness In A Different Light" was produced by Matheos and mixed by longtime FATES WARNING engineer Phil Magnotti. The effort was mastered by Maor Appelbaum (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, SEPULTURA, ANVIL) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in California. The cover artwork was designed by Conte di San Pietro.

Speaking to Stormbringer webzine, Alder stated about how his vocal approach has changed over the years: "Yeah, [when I first joined FATES WARNING] I was young and everybody was doing the screaming and I thought that was cool. As I got older and progressed as a singer and realized what I wanted to do, I found it really silly. And then, even [singing] live in the old days, I tried not to do it as much. It just seemed silly to me. It doesn't make any sense. But as I grew as a singer, I knew what I wanted to do, and I realized that, I think, soul is more important than range. And it seems as though my voice just said, 'Yeah, I agree with you. Fuck it!' And it just kind of changed on its own. But, I mean, I like my voice where it is now. I have no problem… Again, I like where I am. Some people wanna hear the high screams, but… sorry! [Laughs]"

Asked if FATES WARNING has had to change the instrumental parts of some of the band's older songs in order to better suit his new vocal style, Alder said: "You've gotta work around different things where the high parts are, and a lot of the times I think it sounds much better the way it is, lowering certain things and [hitting] different notes. In hindsight, I wish I'd done what I'm doing now back then. [But] it was a thing at the time. Geoff [Tate] isn't really doing those anymore either… That's what we get for smoking and singing too much."

Regarding how he keeps his voice in shape when he is on tour, Alder said: "My main thing is I try not to smoke as much and definitely try not to drink as… It's not like the old days anymore. Of course when we were younger, we would party every night, and then I would really lose my voice. But now it's casual; [I have] a couple of glasses of wine and relax with everybody."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY leader and former OZZY OSBOURNE axeman Zakk Wylde has confirmed that he is working on "Book Of Shadows Volume II" for an early 2016 release. The effort, which will be made available on the 20th anniversary of the arrival of the original "Book Of Shadows" album, will be followed by a world tour to support that side of Zakk's music.

Speaking to Louder Noise, Zakk said (see video below): "Obviously, the 'Book Of Shadows' thing is more of an acoustic thing and more mellow — the mellow stuff as opposed to the heavy stuff. But yeah, that's what we're working on right now. I can't believe the album is twenty years old. But we're always writing mellow stuff. I mean, once I get done doing the heavy thing for a while and writing riffs, once you get worn out on that, I'll just either pick up… sit behind a piano or pick up an acoustic [guitar], and then it just puts you in a different state of mind when you're writing. So that's all it is to me."

Released in 1996, and reissued by Spitfire in 1999 with the bonus disc containing "Evil Ways" (the Japanese bonus track from the album's original release), "The Color Green" and "Peddlers of Death" (an acoustic version of a track that appeared on BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Sonic Brew"), "Book Of Shadows" showed a different side of Zakk's songwriting output, with Wikipedia describing it as "an introspective and mostly acoustic [effort] recalling many of the lighter moments from his previous project, PRIDE & GLORY, as well as classic folk rock artists such as Neil Young."

In an interview with Rough Edge, Zakk stated about the creation of the original "Book Of Shadows" album: "The thing is that I had all these tunes from [OZZY OSBOURNE's] 'Ozmosis' record, you know. Aside from writing all the fuckin' heavy shit because at the time we were doing 'My Jekyll Doesn't Hide' and the 'Perry Mason' stuff. And then 'Thunder Underground', just like fuckin' pure riff fuckin' music. So, aside from doing that, I always had acoustic around because it's just great for your chops. You know, you sit down and jam on an acoustic when you pick up an fuckin' electric guitar it's like fuckin' lightning."

He continued: "So I'd be jammin' on an acoustic all the time and I'd have all these ... I'd just be dickin' around writing songs all the time. So whether I'm writing riffs all the time or I'm writing regular flat-out songs, I just had all these tunes and I was like, man, it's like fuckin' beer-drinking music at the end of the night, you know? I had all these tunes lying around and that's when Geffen… they asked me to do another album. I tried to get out of it, because I owed them, like, three records when I signed with them, so we did the PRIDE & GLORY thing and then [A&R guru John] Kalodner left and went to Sony and it was just like fuckin'… I didn't know what the fuck was going on. Let's put it this way: They wanted me there about as much the Pope wanted to have lunch with fuckin' Anton LaVey, man. Which was basically not gonna ever fuckin' happen. The whole thing was, like, 'We gotta get outta here, man.' So we did the 'Book Of Shadows' thing."

Zakk added: "I tried to get off the label but it was more cost effective for them to have me go in an do another fuckin' record, so we ended up doing the record and after that, Ozzy called and said, 'Dude, you wanna do this 'Ozmosis' record?' so I was jammin' with... Actually, I got it backwards here. Fuckin' 'Book Of Shadows' was after the 'Ozmosis' record. In between jammin', we'd go back to trackin' the stuff and I'd go back to this bar that was right next to the hotel and I'd be in there until, like, six in the morning drinking with everybody. They'd be, like, 'Dude, go get your fiddle and play us a fuckin' tune.' So I'd be jammin' for 'em — I'd be playing all this new shit for 'em. You know, that's pretty much how that record came about."

AVATARIUM, the Swedish metal project whose recording lineup includes Leif Edling, founding bassist and main songwriter of Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS, will release its new album, "The Girl With The Raven Mask", on October 23 via Nuclear Blast. The CD will be released in North America on October 30 as part of a joint licensing venture between Nuclear Blast and Metalville.

The official lyric video for the song "Hypnotized" from "The Girl With The Raven Mask" can be seen below.

Edling states about the CD: "I think we have created something unique this time with AVATARIUM. The songs are more written to be just songs and there are some really nice moments on the record that I personally love... the straightforward title track, the beautiful 'January Sea', the riff in 'Ghostlight' and the groove in 'Run Killer Run'. The organ and the Rhodes piano are ridiculously loud in the mix at times; even Dr. Carl agrees [laughs], but i think it gives even more edge to the songs! I hope people will dig 'The Girl With The Raven Mask' as much as I do myself, and if they don't, it's their problem. A band can't deliver more than we have done here, so it is an album close to perfection! When an album is perfect... shoot me!"

Jidell adds: "AVATARIUM have been taking another big step with this album and I can't wait for people to hear the songs and to play them live on our tour in November!

"It has been a lot of work but also a great pleasure to be the producer of this album, I'm very happy with the result and I feel very proud to be a member of this powerful and talented band!"

"The Girl With The Raven Mask" track listing:

Digipack:

01. Girl With The Raven Mask02. The January Sea03. Pearls And Coffins04. Hypnotized05. Ghostlight06. Run Killer Run07. Iron Mule08. The Master Thief

Bonus DVD (live at Hammer Of Doom festival in 2014):

01. Moonhorse02. Bird Of Prey03. All I Want04. Tides Of Telepathy05. Deep Well06. Pandora's Egg07. Avatarium

CD

01. Girl With The Raven Mask02. The January Sea03. Pearls And Coffins04. Hypnotized05. Ghostlight06. Run Killer Run07. Iron Mule08. The Master Thief

2LP

Side A:

01. Girl With The Raven Mask02. The January Sea

Side B:

01. Pearls And Coffins02. Hypnotized

Side C:

01. Ghostlight02. Run Killer Run

Side D:

01. Iron Mule02. The Master Thief

In a recent interview with Markus' Heavy Music Blog, Jidell stated about AVATARIUM's musical direction: "We all have a few bands in common that we like. But we also want to bring in our personalities into the music. The songs need to be 'us.' But it's also the way Leif writes the songs. He's thinking about my way of playing guitar and also about Jennie-Ann's [Smith] vocals. He is thinking about how I could continue working on the songs and how Jennie-Ann could. Leif is a very clever songwriter. Another thing is the fact that Jennie-Ann puts so much effort and energy into the vocals. She wants those to become her own. She tries to put all the feelings and emotions into the songs."

Asked if he is feeling any pressure trying to follow up AVATARIUM's 2013 self-titled debut, Jidell said: "I don't think like that. Of course there is a certain pressure if you get such a great response, but we try to focus in what we want to do. We try to be as good as we can while staying honest to ourselves and our music."

AVATARIUM released a vinyl/digital-only EP, "All I Want", on November 14, 2014 via Nuclear Blast.

Due to his health condition, Edling was unable to perform with AVATARIUM at the band's recent gigs. Filling in for him was Anders Iwers from TIAMAT.

AVATARIUM's self-titled debut album was released in Europe on November 1, 2013 via Nuclear Blast.

WITH THE DEAD, the new U.K.-based band featuring members of CATHEDRAL and ELECTRIC WIZARD, will release its six-track, self-titled debut on October 16 via Rise Above Records. Lee Dorrian came up with the clip's concept and Marc Norris at Nucleus Films directed the video.

The official video for the song "Crown Of Burning Stars" from "With The Dead" can be seen below.

WITH THE DEAD was formed by the founding rhythm section of occultist doom overloads ELECTRIC WIZARD: guitarist/bassist Tim Bagshaw and drummer Mark Greening, a pair once notorious for the sheer brute heaviness of their bowel-shaking sound and early extra-curricular activities that involved excess, injury and low-level criminality (arrests for the theft of a crucifix from a church roof and drunkenly robbing an off-licence to name but two). Both have also played together in RAMESSES. Completing the triangle is frontman Lee Dorrian, co-founder of doom pioneers CATHEDRAL, former frontman with grindcore legends NAPALM DEATH and owner of Rise Above Records, the U.K.'s finest independent purveyors of all sounds heavy and underground, whose stable of bands include GHOST, UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS, LUCIFER, BLOOD CEREMONY and WITCHCRAFT. Having been in business since 1988, Rise Above is also one of the most enduring. Existing doom-heads will already know that the longstanding relationship between Rise Above and ELECTRIC WIZARD is one that was fractious and fraught. Much mud has been slung between band, label and former members in recent years, but the WITH THE DEAD trio are of the opinion that big words meant little — it's the action that truly counts. And as the fire that is ELECTRIC WIZARD peters out, WITH THE DEAD burn with eyebrow-singeing intensity. WITH THE DEAD are heavy. No — scratch that. WITH THE DEAD are heavy.H.E.A.V.Y!!! They are a band with teeth and talons. Like the product of some sort of alchemical alignment or a diabolical modern demon summoned by a whispered incantatory spell, WITH THE DEAD formed on All Hallow's Eve 2014. They worked quickly and the result is a six-track, self-titled debut broadside that draws on the members' rich musical legacy but without ever taking a backward step. Rising like a fecund creature from the fetid bogs of old England, WITH THE DEAD is a malevolent beast that lurches and staggers, flattening everything in its path. Guitars moil and curdle, bubbling up through the loam like black tar, while existing fans will surely welcome the return of Dorrian's distinctly hateful vocals. The album was recorded at Orgone Studios in High Barnet, London with producer/engineer Jaime Gomez Arellano in late March/early April 2015. "With The Dead"'s vocals were then added in two very short evening sessions in April and May 2015. "With The Dead" track listing:

01. Crown Of Burning Stars02. The Cross03. Nephthys04. Living With The Dead05. I Am The Virus06. Screams From My Own Grave WITH THE DEAD lineup:

Lee Dorrian - vocalsTim Bagshaw - guitar / bassMark Greening - drums

Video footage of THE WINERY DOGS performing an acoustic version of their song "Fire" at the studios of WDHA-FM 105.5 FM, the rock music station licensed to Dover and Morristown, New Jersey, can be seen below.

THE WINERY DOGS is the power trio featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB), legendary bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, TALAS, DAVID LEE ROTH) and guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen (MR. BIG, POISON).

The band's sophomore album, "Hot Streak", debuted at No. 30 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 13,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8.

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

"Hot Streak" was released on October 2 in North America on Loud & Proud Records via RED (a division of Sony Music Entertainment) and in the rest of the world via earMUSIC. It was preceded by the first single, "Oblivion", which was made available on August 25 at radio. A double vinyl edition of the new album is also in the works and is due out in early November.

"Hot Streak" shows the powerfully pedigreed trio's initial burst of collective chemistry was no accident, from the strum and headbang of "Captain Love" to the propulsive uplifting vibe of "The Bridge" to the introspective acoustic harmonic convergence of "Fire". If these three DOGS thought they captured lightning in a supper dish the first time around, "Hot Streak" barks ups the aural ante into exciting new territory. "I feel we've taken the band to another level," explains Kotzen. "The compositions are stronger on this album. I feel more connected lyrically and musically to what I did on this record than on the last one. We've widened the musical scope of the band on this record and moved it forward." Portnoy adds: "Everything on this album was more of a collaboration than on the first album. There's just a natural chemistry. The three of us really mesh very, very well, both musically and personally. The mission of this band is to write catchy songs, and not have the musicianship overpower that." "I'm glad we're not playing it safe and just doing songs that automatically fit in the category of what we did on the first record," Sheehan concludes. "Some of them are a little different, and we definitely took chances. And you have to do that — otherwise, you don't grow."

Evil Masquerade report that all songs for their upcoming seventh studio album are now written and they are about to enter the studio. The new material serenades the first decade of Evil Masquerade while embracing a brand new chapter of the band. Guitarist and band leader Henrik Flyman says the songs are rock solid and really good. With roots in the glory days of heavy metal and an Evil Masquerade trademark sound. The tracklist is told to include a 12½ minutes monumental epos and a 200 years old Swedish song... in Swedish.

The band has also launched a blog section on their official website. It is regularly updated by the band (and occasional guest bloggers). Studio reports will be exclusively posted in this blog.

While waiting for more to come, here is a stream of their latest video, previously removed from YouTube:

Texas metal powerhouse Ignitor were recently confirmed as the latest main-stage addition to next year's Ragnarökkr Metal Apocalypse festival which will be held at Reggie's Rock Club May 6 and 7 in Chicago, IL.

Ignitor features in its ranks veterans of the US metal scene, including founding guitarist Stuart Laurence (Batlord) from Agony Column and legendary frontman Jason McMaster of Dangerous Toys and Watchtower alongside co-founding drummer Pat Doyle best known for his work with The Offenders.

The recently revamped line-up of Ignitor now includes bassist Billy Dansfiell, (Agony Column) and rhythm guitarist Robert Williams (Witches Mark)

Ignitor is currently recording the follow up to 2012's Year Of The Metal Tiger full-length at Emphatic Audio Recording Studio in Austin, Texas for a tentative early spring release.

 

On October 16th, Welsh bashers Bullet For My Valentine will release a four track digital EP, Live From Kingston, via Google Play. The tracklist is as follows: 

"Your Betrayal" 
"Army of Noise" 
"The Last Fight" 
"Tears Don't Fall"

Go to this location to pre-order.

Bullet For My Valentine debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart and #8 on the Top 200 Chart with Venom. Venom also debuted at #1 in Australia, #2 in Germany, #3 in the United Kingdom, and #4 in Canada on the album charts, besting or matching their previous album chart debuts spots internationally. Venom is their third #1 Hard Rock Chart debut in the US and their fifth studio album.

Produced by Carl Bown and Colin Richardson (Slipknot, Machine Head, Trivium) at Metropolis Studio in London, Venom is an unrelenting, fierce step forward for Bullet For My Valentine. Their heaviest record to date sinks its teeth into listeners with a powerful delivery by vocalist/guitarist Matt Tuck, ferocious riffs by guitarist Michael “Padge” Paget and rapid-fire rhythm courtesy of drummer Michael “Moose” Thomas. On Venom the trio maintains their signature balance of heavy, coupled with surging melody, and pushes themselves to the next level.

“It's pretty hard to sum up an entire record after spending so much time writing and recording it and all the blood, sweat and tears that have come with this one especially,” says frontman Matt Tuck. “It wasn't easy revisiting some very dark places to come up with lyrical content for this one, but once I knew where it was heading and I was comfortable with letting certain things out - all hell broke loose. It's easily the most aggressive record we've ever done and lyrically it will no doubt touch a nerve with a lot of people that listen to it. I cannot express enough how proud I am of it, and can't wait for everyone out there to hear it too. We've reinvented who we are and are ready to take on the world once more.”

Venom tracklisting:

“V”
“No Way Out”
”Army of Noise”
“Worthless”
“You Want A Battle? (Here’s A War)”
“Broken”
“Venom”
“Harder the Heart”
“Skin”
“Hell or High Water”
“Pariah”

Deluxe edition also includes:

“Playing God”
“Run For Your Life”
“In Loving Memory”
“Raising Hell”

“Worthless”:

“Playing God”:

“Army Of Noise” video:

“You Want A Battle? (Here's A War)” video:

"No Way Out":

Fan-filmed video footage of OPETH's October 13 performance at Stadthalle in Wuppertal, Germany during the band's "25th Anniversary Tour" can be seen below.

Asked for his opinion about some fans' position that OPETH guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt should have started a side project under a new name instead of taking the band completely away from the death metal-tinged sounds of OPETH's early albums, Åkerfeldt told Lady Obscure: "Well, I mean… It doesn't really work like that, does it? First and foremost, people can have their opinions. It doesn't mean we'll follow it. We love our fans, [and] we respect them, but we're a band first and foremost. I never felt that… Whatever we do with this band, whatever ends up being OPETH is OPETH, because it's us. And that argument kind of fails in that sense… How does that work with Joni Mitchell [or] David Bowie? For solo artists who have a sound. Should they change their name? It's just a random and, I think, a bit ignorant and stupid comment, to be honest. I think it's easier if [the fans] just stop listening to it. I think the best solution is that they stop listening to it if they don't like it."

During an interview with Australia's The Rockpit, Mikael spoke about the sharp musical turn OPETH took with 2011's "Heritage" album and its follow-up release, 2014's "Pale Communion". He said: "I do understand and appreciate that 'Heritage' was a little bit of a shock to fans who are more into the heavy, death metal type of sound, and maybe it's a bit much to expect them to take it all in so we got a bit of shit for that record. I love that album with a passion, because, for me, it was natural, but I have seen that with the coming of the 'Pale Communion' record that people come up to me and say, 'I did not like 'Heritage' when it came out, but when you put out 'Pale Communion', I finally understood 'Heritage' and now I'm starting to like it.' So I'm hoping it's going to escalate into a love for that record."

He continued: "People have been more gentle with us with 'Pale Communion' coming out, but there is still... Like, I don't have social media, I don't correspond with the fans in that sense, so I don't really get a lot of the confrontations about what the hell we are doing. My overall response to that question would be that people might be getting used to and maybe understand a little bit better about what we are trying to do. And, for me, that is good, of course. I never had a problem. For me, it was never a big step. For everybody in the band, it was not a massive thing for us to do 'Heritage', but I do accept that it might have been too curvy of a curveball for people who are not in the band, but now it's starting to calm down a little bit."

Slovenian metal webzine Paranoid has uploaded video footage of RAVEN's first-ever performance in Slovenia, which took place on October 11 at Orto Bar in Ljubljana. Check out the clips below.

RAVEN's new album, "ExtermiNation", was released in April via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort was made available as a digipak version (including one bonus track), 2LP gatefold green vinyl version and as a digital download.

RAVEN raised more than $27,000 in a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign to finance the recording of its new studio album. The band recorded a full-length covers CD titled "Party Killers" that was given away as an exclusive Kickstarter reward for backers. The group also offered exclusive t-shirts, patches, and a seven-inch vinyl single via the campaign.

In a recent interview with Zombietrol Productions RAVEN bassist/vocalist John Gallagher stated about the band's musical evolution: "We've never stood still. You can instantly tell it's the band, but we don't sound… From album to album, it always sounds a little different; it really does. We do try to push the envelope and bring different elements into what we're doing. But it's a balancing act. You don't wanna completely — which, I mean, we've done it before in the past — you don't wanna completely alienate your audience or your mission statement, as it were. You know, the band's sound is built on melody, structure and chaos… When you put [the chaos] in, then that's when the magic happens. You've gotta have that little bit of uncontrolled lunacy going on there, and that's a big part of what we do. And it's a big thing that's missing in a lot of music today. I mean, we're listening to DEEP PURPLE right now. I mean, c'mon, man! That's the bible. You listen to 'Made In Japan', that's five guys interacting with ESP [extrasensory perception], not knowing what's gonna happen next. When I hear something that's just pat, the guy obviously worked his guitar solo out for six months before he went into the studio and it's all arpeggios and tapping. And that's all great, but is there any soul or fire or passion? That's what I wanna hear, you know."

KORN launched a North American tour earlier in the month on which the band is performing its self-titled 1994 debut album in its entirety at every stop to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its release. The trek kicked off on October 1 in Chicago, winding down a month later on October 30 in Oakland.

KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer told NorthJersey.com about the band's pioneering first effort: "We set out to create something that was super raw and emotional with no filter. We didn't care about being on the radio. None of that mattered. We just wanted to create an album that was pure."

He continued: "We're extremely proud of what we created. As the recording process progressed, we realized it wasn't like anything we had heard.

"That album really was a gateway for many people who didn't necessarily like heavy bands to explore heavy music. We pulled our inspiration from a variety of bands like SEPULTURA, FAITH NO MORE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS."

A previously unexplored mixture of bass heavy musicianship sprinkled with electronic effects and hip-hop influences, KORN's debut is credited with launching the nu-metal movement of the 1990s, in the process influencing a host of other bands like COAL CHAMBER, SEPULTURA, MACHINE HEAD and LIMP BIZKIT. Shaffer admitted to NorthJersey.com: "At first we didn't like that all these bands were coming out with a similar sound. It was a sound we had worked on and held very close. It took about three or four years to start thinking, 'This is kind of cool that other bands are doing it. It's flattering.'"

Singer Jonathan Davis told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago how he thinks KORN has changed in the more than two decades since they recorded their debut. "When we did the first KORN record, the self-titled, we were kids, man. We were just crazy-ass kids, getting drunk every day, just making music, living a dream and it was just insanity. And which I loved — I don't regret it one bit. But now I think where we're at 20 years later, I think it's more about making music and impacting people's lives and helping people."

KORN's self-titled debut went on to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide and featured the band's first classic, "Blind".

Mick Stingley of Uproxx recently conducted an interview with MOTÖRHEAD mainman Lemmy Kilmister. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Uproxx: MOTÖRHEAD has some unusual merchandise for sale. Beside your whiskey, there are also now MOTÖRHEAD sex toys, even rolling papers. How involved in the selection of the band's merchandise are you?

Lemmy: [Laughs] Well, see, what they do is, they do a deal with our manager. And then he comes around and tells us and it's too late to change it. So it's always a bit of a surprise, you know? The sex toy thing was a surprise, but it seems to be working out.

Uproxx: Does MOTÖRHEAD still record all of its shows, and will there be any new live albums released soon?

Lemmy: No. We used to, but we stopped doing that. We tape the occasional one just to see that we're keeping up, you know what I mean? But we might possibly release another live album down the line. We've got a European tour in the fall, you know, so we might do something in London for the 40th anniversary. Forty years this year.

Uproxx: You're turning 70 this year! What are your plans for your birthday?

Lemmy: Same as the last five years, I'm going to Vegas! That's what I do on my birthday. I don't really care about Christmas, you know? When you're born on Christmas Eve, it's a big hole in the ground. So I go to Vegas!

Read the entire interview at Uproxx.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce that we have parted ways with our vocalist and brother Ezra Haynes," says Colorado-based death metal band Allegaeon. 

"Lineup changes suck for the fans, and even more so for the band. He is still a very dear friend to us and we wish him the best with his future projects. That being said we're very excited to embark on this tour with Act Of Defiance.

Our good friend Riley McShane (Son Of Aurelius, Inanimate Existence, Continuum) will be filling in on tour. As always come rage with us!"

A statement from Ez reads: "There is no easy way to say this, I am no longer a member of Allegaeon. At the moment there are some things that require my full undivided attention. With that being said, I wish Stancey pants, Greggoroth, B-Park the marksman (you guys better start calling him that) and Coco Malone the best of luck and great success, they deserve it more than anyone I know! The most important thing to me is that the fans understand truly how much I love and adore them. I’ve met literally thousands of amazing human beings over the last 7 years. You guys and gals are incredible and thank you for your ongoing support!

Will I continue music in the future? Most definitely, I am looking for projects, so feel free to contact me. Please be sure to catch Allegaeon on their upcoming tour with Act Of Defiance, I can tell you from first hand experience that this will be one of the best live shows of 2015."

 

Guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho of Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM was interviewed on the October 2-4 edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. You can now listen to the chat using the Podbean widget below. A couple of excerpts follow.

Full Metal Jackie: We're here to talk about the brand new CHILDREN OF BODOM record, "I Worship Chaos". You've said the new album is CHILDREN OF BODOM reborn. Why did the band need a rebirth?

Alexi: "Well, I think all of us, really… well, all four of us, we felt like that we needed to sort of like reinvent ourselves and push things harder and work harder and even just put more effort on everything. It just sort of… It felt like that the whole band was just getting tired on every possible level. So, we did a lot of changes, and got a new management and the whole nine [yards], basically, and everybody… All of a sudden, everyone was on the same level as far as brand new work ethics and stuff like that. Except for one member, which I am sure you were going to ask about next. And basically, that's why Roope [Latvala], the other guitar player, well, the ex-guitar player, he's not in the band anymore. But, anyway… So there's that. And I think, well, at least in my opinion, you can hear that in the music, too, that it is more energetic than it has been in a couple of years, I would say, anyway."

Full Metal Jackie: Roope Latvala left the band right before you started recording the new album, so you recorded all the guitars yourself. How did that change the songs, not having the counterpart of another guitar player's style?

Alexi: "Well, it didn't really change that much, when you think about it, 'cause, I mean, I did write all of the riffs. So, obviously, I was working double shifts in the studio, and if anything, I think the guitars turned out a lot tighter, 'cause, you know, I was just one guy playing them. And, you know, so at least something good came out of a bad thing. Plus, the fact is that I am just the type of a guy who likes to come up with a lot of ideas on the spot when I am recording, so I could do that and actually record that on both tracks without having to explain that to anybody or teach the new ideas to anybody, so it was a timesaver too. So, honestly, you know, maybe I'm trying to put a good spin on a bad thing, but a lot of good came out of it, too."

Full Metal Jackie: You were commissioned to write music for the Helsinki Festival and you recently performed it with 100 other guitarists. What was the biggest challenge in coordinating that many guitarists?

Alexi: "Yeah, that was definitely not the easiest project ever, I'll tell you that. It was probably the most challenging thing ever to sort of put that together. 'Cause it was such a crazy idea that I… Obviously, it was so insane that I couldn't say no. I mean, when they told me about it, I was, like, 'Huh? That's insane! So yes, I'll do it.' So, it was a lot of planning, obviously. It was a lot of hard work too, and a lot of sleepless nights again. And the fact that I was still in the middle of writing the 'I Worship Chaos' album. So both those two things, they were kind of, like… Yeah, they were keeping me up. I honestly didn't sleep much at all. But, you know, when I get challenged enough, I get super obsessive and just kind of let it go. I mean, I have to get stuff [to] happen. So, for example, with that guitar thing, I was talking about the planning part. That was new to me, for sure, and another challenge was just the actual song, 'cause, I mean, they did commission a fifteen-minute guitar piece for a hundred people. So, first of all, that was supposed to be instrumental. That's something new for me. And for a hundred guitar players, it's, like, 'Okay then.' So, yeah, it was pretty insane. But I did have a group of amazing people around me to kind of like help me out, so we pulled it off. But, like I said, it took a lot of time and a lot of hard work. But, you know, once we got on stage to perform the whole thing, it was just mind-blowing and one of those once-in-a-lifetime-experience sort of things."

Lancaster, PA's August Burns Red are has premiered the music video for "Ghosts", featuring guest vocals from A Day To Remember's Jeremy McKinnon. The track is featured on August Burns Red's new album Found In Far Away Places, which debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top Albums Chart, #9 on the Billboard Top 200, available now on iTunes. 

 Guitarist Brent Rambler explains, "A lot of homeless people led normal lives just like everyone else before they landed on the streets, and they deserve help and respect to get back on their feet. Not judgmental looks and whispers." 

In an effort to aid those in need, the band will be hosting a canned food drive to benefit local food banks in each market alongside their headline tour this November/December. Fans are encouraged to bring two or more canned foods to the event and receive an exclusive August Burns Red poster. All canned goods can be dropped off inside the venue the night of the show.

August Burns Red will kick off their North American headline tour on November 27 in Philadelphia, PA. The tour includes support from Every Time I Die, Stick To Your Guns, Polyphia, and label mates Wage War. The band are currently in Europe on tour with Asking Alexandria and In Hearts Wake.

October
13 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresia
14 - Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof
16 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
17 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinehalle
18 - London, United Kingdom - Vans Warped Tour UK
20 - Leicester, United Kingdom - O2 Academy
21 - Newcastle, United Kingdom - O2 Academy
22 - Lincoln, United Kingdom - Engine Shed
23 - Glasgow, United Kingdom - O2 ABC
24 - Dundee, United Kingdom - Fat Sams
25 - Aberdeen, United Kingdom - Garage
27 - Sheffield, United Kingdom - O2 Academy
28 - Manchester, United Kingdom - The Ritz

Australian tour with Northlane, Like Moths To Flame, Buried In Verona, Ocean Grove:

November
4 - Fremantle, Australia - Metropolis 
5 - Adelaide, Australia - HQ 
6 - Melbourne, Australia - Russell 
7 - Melbourne, Australia - Russell 
12 - Sydney, Australia - Roundhouse 
14 - Brisabane, Australia - The Triffid 
15 - Brisbane, Australia - The Triffid 

Headline tour with Every Time I Die, Stick To Your Guns, Polyphia, Wage War:

November 
27 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
28 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium 
29 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis 

December
1 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth Music Hall 
2 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues 
3 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's 
4 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
5 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre
7 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater 
8 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
9 - San Antonio, TX - Backstage Live 
10 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues 
11 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live 
12 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues 
14 - Nashville, TN - Rocketown 
15 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage 
16 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend 
18 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
19 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage 
20 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon**

**Every Time I Die & Stick To Your Guns are not performing

Brazilian dark metal band Spleenful has released live footage of the track "Noir", recorded on September 27 at Sociedade Orpheu, São Leopoldo. On this concert, the band performed as the support act for Moonspell, right after the Portuguese gothic act played Rock In Rio. "Noir" is a track from the upcoming full-length Spleenful is recording at the moment. The footage was done by Ex Inferis Productions and soon will be released more excerpts from the concert. 

Singer Tiago Alano said: "The opportunity of sharing the stage with such a renowned band as Moonspell was an amazing experience, definitively a landmark in our careers. We've got a great reception from the audience and this recording will show to everyone how it's the experience of watching the band on stage. 'Noir' is tiny sample of what is yet to come, the new songs are more complex and heavy than what we done on Bittersweet (2013 EP), but still maintaining our core features."

Galician melodic death metallers Bloodhunter have released a new video for “Dying Sun”, featured on the group's self-titled album released via Suspiria Records in physical and digital formats.

Bloodhunter's self-titled album was produced by Daniel Cardoso and Pedro Mendes at Ultrasound Studios in Braga (Portugal).

Bloodhunter is:

Diva Satanica - vocals
Fenris - lead and rhythm Guitars
Éadrom - bass and backing vocals
Phoghett - drums

Phoenix, Arizona-based death metal quintet, Vehemence, have released a lyric video for “Murdered By The Earth, a track from their first new album in over a decade, Forward Without Motion, confirmed for release through Battleground Records on October 23rd.

The outfit's first new album since Metal Blade Records' 2004-released Helping The World To See, Vehemence comes storming back to the death metal circuit with a crushing new album which will surely see the band regaining their traction within the scene after their time off the grid. Forward Without Motion is the culmination of years of hard work and the collective desire to write the best songs and capture the best performances.

Working on the songs off and on for several years between 2007 and 2011, Vehemence began a methodical, painstaking tracking process for the new record between 2012 and 2014, the album's guitars, bass, and vocals being recorded at the home studios of guitarists Bjorn Dannov and Kyle Moeller, with the drums being recorded at Villain Studios in Phoenix. When listening to Forward Without Motion, one will discover the refreshing sounds of a band creatively reborn and seasoned by experience. The album flows with a relentless, throat grabbing energy that never flags and begs for repeated spins. This cohesive power is nowhere more apparent than in the strength of the instrumental and vocal performances, which slash and hammer their way out of the speakers with a passion rarely found in the cold, mostly lifeless corpses that are most modern death metal recordings.

With the underground death metal scene now extremely primed for the re-arrival of Vehemence, Forward Without Motion will be released through Battleground Records on October 23rd. The record will be issued on 180-gram black vinyl 2xLP in a gatefold package with a free download, limited to 300 copies, as well as a digipak CD version and all digital platforms. The band and label have proudly issued Forward Without Motion's tracklisting and cover art by Hal Rotter/Rotting Graphics (Atriarch, Inherit Disease, Barghest).

An official video for the LP's opening track, "I Don't Want To Look Inside”, can be seen below. CD, LP and digital pre-orders can be placed now.

Forward Without Motion tracklisting:

“I Don't Want To Look Inside”
“Imagining The Loss”
“Murdered By The Earth”
“Jim The Prophet”
“In The Shadows We Dwell”
“A Dark Figure In The Distance”
“It's All My Fault”
“She Fucks Like She's Alive”
“There Are So Many Reasons To Give Up On Religion”

“It’s All My Fault”:

“I Don't Want To Look Inside” video:

Vehemence has announced a home-area record release show for Forward Without Motion, set to take place Saturday, October 24th, one day after the record's official release. The free gig will see the band headlining Yucca Tap Room in Tempe, Arizona, with support from labelmates Lago, as well as Sorrower and Through The Earth. Additional regional and widespread tour actions from the band will continue to be announced through the coming months.

“Bass Guy” is the new single song by Italian composer and bassist Alberto Rigoni (Vivaldi Metal Project, Kim Bingham, The Italians). 

After the release of four solo albums, the artist has just released a new original song with funky, electro, rock and experimental influences. The track, co-produced by Federico Solazzo, will feature on Rigoni’s upcoming album Bassorama, which will be released in the middle of 2016 and will also feature special guests such as Doug Wimbish (Living Colour) and Divinity Roxx (Beyoncé).

The song is available digitally on Bandcamp and other digital outlets.

Fans can support the Bassorama album fundraising campaign at AlbertoRigoni.net.

 

“Just Galileo And Me”, a new song from Billy Sherwood’s upcoming Citizen album, is streaming below. The track features a guest appearance from XTC’s Colin Moulding.

"Just Galileo And Me" is about Galileo’s friend and confidante trying to convince the scientist to keep his theory that “the earth is not flat”, which is also the song’s hook, to himself for fear he’ll be labeled a heretic.The friend does acknowledge the scientist’s conviction, and the lyrics show how he knew that  “eventually they would see.”

Sherwood recently unveiled the first single and music video, “No Man’s Land,” from Citizen. The video and the song, which features Deep Purple/Dixie Dregs/Kansas guitarist Steve Morse are about a World War I runner, someone who runs from trench to trench where his fellow soldiers are fighting, to pass messages from their leaders—the generals who are giving orders from behind friendly lines.

In “No Man’s Land,” the Runner sees his buddies die, and, as the video progresses, seems to be walking more and more in a daze. Billy says, “You get the idea that he’s the only guy who walked away from the battle.”

Billy used three distinct sources for footage in “No Man’s Land”: 1) archival footage from World War I, 2) a cameraman taping him up-close and facing front in a brightly-lit room, 3) modern day footage of a tall and powerful looking young man being the runner. “That is David Hussey,” explains Billy. “He’s in the prog band XNA which I produced/recorded. We shot the footage in the desert behind my house.”

The video is directed by Devin DeHaven, and it reflects on war—the losses, pain, and darkness.  

November 6th is the confirmed release date for Billy Sherwood's latest, a concept album called Citizen. Sherwood created this concept album based on a lost soul that is reincarnated into various periods of history.

"I was inspired by the notion that General Patton believed he was reincarnated on various battlefields through time; I wanted to take that concept even further." As the songwriter/producer, Billy placed the citizen character into significant moments of history.

The lead off track is called “The Citizen" which sets the stage for what's to come on the recording. “The Citizen” features Billy's longtime friends and members of the legendary progressive rock band YES: bassist Chris Squire and former YES keyboardist Tony Kaye.

Each song places the Citizen into a unique set of circumstances where decisions are made that have serious personal and global consequences. In the song “No Man's Land" (featuring Deep Purple/Dixie Dregs/Kansas guitarist Steve Morse) the Citizen appears as a World War I trench runner who passes the message along to the troops that it's time to attack; the Citizen remains behind and is, ultimately, the only survivor. “Empire" (with lead vocals by Alan Parsons and violin from Jerry Goodman of the Flock, Dixie Dregs, Mahavishnu Orchestra) finds the Citizen as a conscript legionnaire in the final days of the Roman Empire. “Just Galileo And Me" (sung by Colin Moulding singer/bassist of XTC) shows the Citizen as a protective friend to Galileo, trying to tell the astronomer that he should not tell people that the earth is not flat or he will be labeled as a heretic.

Known as a multi-instrumentalist, Billy performs drums, bass, guitar, keys and sings several of the songs, including “A Theory Of Its Own” in which the Citizen appears as companion to Charles Darwin on the evolutionist’s maiden voyage. He sings of Native Americans affected by the Indian Removal Act of 1830 in the song, “Trail Of Tears,” which features Patrick Moraz on keyboards. Former Genesis guitar player Steve Hackett adds his chops to “Man And The Machine,” which is about an assembly line worker and activist in the late 1890s. "Age Of The Atom” is about the creation of the Atomic Bomb and the questions of morality as a result of it; this features Geoff Downes on keyboards. Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess appears on “Escape Velocity,” a song that speaks to the political implications of the space race in the 1960s.

In “The Great Depression,” Billy's songwriter’s pen draws pain from the heart of a distraught Wall Street investor, who has lost everything in the stock market, and steps out to make a final step off the ledge. Rick Wakeman plays grand piano and other keyboards on this one. Finally, in Citizen’s 11th song, “Written In The Centuries,” performed by current YES singer Jon Davison, Nostradamus is the Citizen busily composing his many predictions.

Billy Sherwood was recently handpicked by Chris Squire to fill in for him on bass and vocals in YES, before he left for cancer treatment and ultimately, his untimely death. Billy started his career in the band Lodgic and then as a member of World Trade, who have two critically-acclaimed albums. He has produced and engineered for many artists including John Wetton, Motorhead, Queensryche, Paul Rodgers, and YES.

He joined YES first as touring member on the Talk tour in 1994, and was a full time member from 1997 to 1999. He recorded two albums with Chris Squire as the Conspiracy project and released six albums with Circa, the band he formed with Tony Kaye.  

Citizen is Billy’s eighth album of new material, though he sees this as a group effort, "While I've created a lot of this record myself I couldn't have done it without the amazing talents brought to bear by all the great artists who participated. So I feel it's much more of a collective effort than a solo album. It's my desire to take this production onto the stage and some of these amazing artists can help bring this concept to life.”

Citizen tracklisting:

“The Citizen”
“Man And The Machine”
“Just Galileo And Me”
“No Man’s Land”
“The Great Depression”
“Empire”
“Age Of The Atom”
“Trail Of Tears”
“Escape Velocity”
“A Theory All It's Own”
“Written In The Centuries”

EPK:

Finnish progressive metal band Standing Ovation will release their new album Gravity Beats Nuclear on November 27 via Inverse Records.

A press release states: “The album title refers to the creation of all life - Gravity. Without this, no stars would have ever been born, and hence no life either. Although the album deals with powerful themes of life, the familiar trademark of twisted humor is once again included with a pinch of science fiction.

“The musical extremes are widened further and once more, it’s a roller-coaster ride which you hop on blindfolded not knowing what surprises there will be around corner. And last but not least has the coating been decorated by much richer melody frosting.”

Tracklisting:

“23+23”
“Permafrost”
“Killer, Iron”
“Hellbillies”
“Fool’s Parade”
“Lifeline”
“The Great Attractor”
“Run Little Mouse Run”
“I Am”

Old school Swedish/Icelandic death metallers, Under The Church, will release Rabid Armageddon, their full-length debut, on October 30th via Pulverised Records. Check out the album’s title track, streaming below.

Rabid Armageddon tracklisting:

“Sodomy And Blasphemy”
“Rabid Armageddon”
“Triad ov Inquisitors”
“Magus”
“Suspended In Gore”
“Walpurgis Night”
“Mangled To A Bloody Mess”
“Penance”
“The Trail Of Cthulu”

“Rabid Armageddon”:

“Walpurgis Night”:

CD pre-orders here. Digital pre-orders here.

The debut album of the German pagan/folk metal outfit Dvalin Aus Dem Schatten  (English: Out Of The Shadow) will be released January 8, 2016 via NoiseArt Records.

The artwork was done by Verónica Ibáñez.

Dvalin states:

"After an endless march through dark caverns and chambers Dvalin, military leader of the dwarfs, is finally able to catch a glimpse of the flashy daylight. The Edda tells the story of him leading his people to freedom once again, after having to suffer from years of suppression. That is the mystical moment we tried to capture on our album cover, connecting it with the album title Aus Dem Schatten, which symbolizes the liberation from the core of the earth. While some of the songs are referring to this tale very directly, others are linked with this subject in a more abstract way, dealing with rise and decay, faith and despair, those contrasts also being processed musically."

More information coming soon.

Line-Up:
Nico – Vocals
Thomas – Guitar
Josef – Guitar
Moe – Bass
Sebi – Drums
Matze – Bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy
Marcus – Bagpipe, shawm and keyboards

Damian Wilson has launched a Kickstarter campaign for his first solo album in 10 years. Over the years Damian has been touring and recording with bands such as Threshold, Headspace and Star One, but it has been more than 10 years since his last solo album, Let’s Start A Commune.

Damian had this to say about the album: “I’ve never stopped writing songs so I have accumulated a lot since my last solo album. In June we have started recording in Dublin with some amazing musicians from all over Europe. We’re happy to say that we’ve come a long way these last couple of months and the album is taking shape. I believe we’re creating something worthy of your expectations. The songs reflect on how our personal relationships are relevant to the bigger picture, even on a world level.”

Funds raised will go into further recordings and completion of the album and a full band European tour. The album is scheduled to be released in April 2016.

Damian also announced an acoustic album with fellow Headspace band mate (and Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath keyboard player) Adam Wakeman. This album will be released three months earlier in January.

Two shows in the UK have been announced around the release of the album:

January
8 - Trading Boundaries - Sheffield Green, UK
9 - The Stables - Milton Keynes, UK

Campaign backers will receive backers-only limited editions of both albums, different from the standard versions.

Damian is currently on a European tour with Maiden uniteD and will play some select solo shows in the Netherlands. A European tour with Threshold has been announced for January.

 

Norway's Flight will release their self-titled debut on October 16th on CD, LP and digital download via England's Bad Omen Records, distributed throughout North America via Prosthetic Records. The CD can be pre-ordered here. Stream the track “Don’t Lose It” below.

Tracklisting:

“Flight”
“As Silence Falls”
“Lion's Den”
“Don't Lose It”
“Nightrider”
“Memories Sharp”
“Escape”
“Devil Woman”

“Don’t Lose It”: