Swedish heavy/power metallers Manimal have set November 20th as release date for their sophomore studio album, titled Trapped In The Shadows, which follows 2009’s debut The Darkest Room. The new album will feature a guest appearance by legendary vocalist Udo Dirkschneider (U.D.O., ex-Accept) on the song “The Journey".

More details will be revealed soon.

Trapped In The Shadows tracklisting:

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

At a press conference in the VIP tent of Wacken Open Air this summer, Dirkschneider dropped some bombshell news: The 62-year old cult musician announced his definitive farewell to the Accept song library.

On a special tour beginning in 2016, he will perform songs by Accept one last time before he retires them for good. During this Accept farewell tour, he will only showcase songs from the Udo-era of the band.

In the early 80s, the Solingen-raised singer skyrocketed to worldwide acclaim with the band Accept and with his unmistakeable voice he had several hits such as "Balls To The Wall", “Metal Heart“ and "Princess Of The Dawn".  

"I still love singing these songs live“, Dirkschneider says. "The songs are still an important part of my catalogue and still suit my voice very well. But at some point in your life, it's just time to close the chapter.  There has been so much talk and speculation about Accept, so I just want to give my last definitive musical statement about it and give my fans a chance to see me perform a complete concert of these songs one last time on stage.“

After this tour, Udo will only play songs from his extensive library of U.D.O. material. After being kicked out of Accept in the late 80s, he garnered many classic hits with his new band in a long and successful career, such as "Animal House", "Timebomb", and "Man And Machine".  

“There is enough high quality material to fill a two hour set with no problem,“ says Dirkschneider. “U.D.O. has been the band where I belong for 18 years and I want to pay tribute to them from now on.”

The musician will not perform this farewell tour under the name U.D.O. but simply as Dirkschneider.

The first string of dates have been announced. The schedule is currently as follows:

February
19 - Stavanger, Norway - Folken
20 - Haugesund, Norway - Byscenen
21 - Bergen, Norway - Rick's
25 - Malmö, Swden - KB 
26 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Trädgårn 
27 - Sundsvall, Sweden - Folkets Hus 
28 - Stockholm. Sweden - Fryshuset Klubben

March
25 - Ostrava, Czech Republic - Garage 
26 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Masters of Rock Cafe 
27 - Prague, Czech Republic - Meet Factory

Swedish doomsters Mammoth Storm have released a lyric video for “Fornjot”, the title track of their upcoming studio album, set to be released worldwide via Napalm Records on November 6th.

Following up on the band's self-released debut EP, Rite Of Ascension (2014), Fornjot, the band’s full length debut, draws its name from the ancient Norse mythology: Fornjotr, a giant and ruler of Finland, Kvenland and Gotland. This sublime elemental force is acoustically transcribed on Fornjot, with its energetic, almost elegiac pieces, and the visualization of Arvidsson, standing high on cliffs, with solid rocks bursting and commanding the wind and seas as well.

Fornjot tracklisting:

“Augurs Echo”
“Vultures Prey”
“Sumerian Cry”
“Fornjot”
“Horns Of Jura”
“Hekla”
“Ancient Apocalypse” (Bonus Track)

“Fornjot” lyric video:

FEAR FACTORY frontman Burton C. Bell says that streaming music services like Spotify and Pandora are "getting away with murder" by not paying songwriters a fair royalty rate because of the consent decrees that govern how the vast majority of American songwriters are compensated for their work.

Under a "consent decree" issued by the Justice Department in 1941, the moment someone requests a license from ASCAP and the other main publishing royalty organization, BMI, which together control about 90% of all commercially available recorded music, ASCAP or BMI must say yes — before they can negotiate price. When a fee can't be agreed, a rate-setting court decides the percentage amount of royalties these license holders pay in exchange.

ASCAP and BMI, as well as individual songwriters and publishing companies, have long lobbied for changes to the consent decrees, arguing that the current system fails to take into account innovations that have significantly changed the field, such as digital music played on streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora, and claiming that the system under-compensates their members for these rights.

Asked by Rodney Holder of Australia's Music Business Facts for his opinion on the way streaming services like Spotify and Pandora are changing the landscape of the music industry, Bell said (hear audio below): "I'm part of ASCAP, which is a royalty collection company, like BMI. ASCAP collects my royalty [for songs] that are played live [and on] radio [and used] in movies, commercials… whatever.

"Streaming is a very debated issue right now, because companies like Pandora and Spotify are getting away with murder, basically, because they are going with a contract… they are going with a trademark agreement written in the 1940s to pay the artists the least amount of royalty possible, because in the 1940s, there was no such things as the Internet, and they never expected it. So, because of that, they're using this copyright/trademark law that was written to get away with paying the artist literally nothing. For instance, an artist like Adele — multi-platinum artist. One of her songs, 'Someone Like You' or whatever, had over 11 million listens on Pandora. The person who wrote that song, because of the royalty rate, only got paid 11 thousands dollars. For over 11 million million hits [or] listens on Pandora! That's fucking ridiculous! And that's what they're getting away with, and Pandora is fighting to keep it that way."

He continued: "ASCAP invited me to a conference. I live on the East Coast, in Pennsylvania, and it just so happens that the area that I live in, my state representative, named Tom Marino, he is on the board to rewrite these trademark laws, to change them. And so ASCAP had a bunch of local artists — I happen to be one of them — who are signed up to ASCAP, who, basically… it's important for them to get a proper royalty rate to survive. So we met with this representative and we all sat and discussed, like… 'This is our living. This is what we do.'"

Bell went on to say: "Pirating is bad enough. People think it's okay to steal downloads and music for free — they think it's okay — but would they enjoy it if I walked into their house after they created a meal for their family, I'd just pick it up and take it? It's, like, 'Oh, it's free.' It's the same thing. You just made this for your family to survive.

"I do records, one, because it's my passion, and two, so me and my family can survive, and you're just gonna take it? For free, without paying for it? That's the analogy we give.

"We are actively fighting this to make sure that all recording are properly… We're not asking for the world, we're not asking for a million, we are asking for a decent royalty rate. Because with a decent royalty rate, it makes sense to continue writing, it makes sense to continue being in a band."

Bell added: "Taylor Swift… She's a fine example. I'm not much of a fan of her music, but I respect the woman immensely, because she is one of the fiercest fighters for artists about this… over this situation. So I highly respect Taylor Swift, 'cause she fiercely fights for us, and it's amazing."

According to Bell, the solution to the complex issue of illegal music downloading is simple. "I just think that people need to be educated," he said. "Especially the younger generation that feel that they're entitled to everything for free — free Internet. Which is not the case. People work hard to make this. And there needs to be stipulations and things put into place so people start paying for things again. 'Cause it needs to happen."

He continued: "Napster, as genius of a technological revolution it was, it fucked a lot of people — it really did. And it created a mentality of, 'Oh, shit! It's free. Everything's free. Wooo!' It really created a negative impact. And it's really sad. But at least there is one aspect of the metal community… The metal community is one of the communities of music that do continue to buy albums — CDs and vinyl — which is pretty strange. The metal community is very passionate about the music. And every day on stage, I'm announcing that we have a new record coming out and I'm also saying, 'If you love the music, you need to support your favorite artists. Because if you do not support your favorite artists, there's no way that your favorite artists will be able to come out here and play for you.' And I put it that way. 'Cause if you put it in that context, it's, like, 'Well, if I don't support them, they won't be here for me? What?' Yeah. It's true."

FEAR FACTORY's new album, "Genexus", was released on August 7 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Interview (audio):

Joel Hoekstra’s 13 is streaming the new track “Say Goodbye To The Sun”, featuring Russell Allen. The track is from their new studio album, Dying To Live, which will be released October 16th.

Dying To Live features an all-star cast of rockers including: Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Russell Allen (vocals), Tony Franklin (bass),Vinny Appice (drums), and Derek Sherinian (keyboards). Joel Hoekstra is a guitarist in the legendary Whitesnake and is also well known for his work with Trans Siberian Orchestra, Night Ranger and the hit show Rock Of Ages.

“Years ago, I released three solo albums that were mainly instrumental guitar music.  I wanted to put something out that showcased my production, writing and playing in the genre that I'm known for, which is melodic, hard rock, explains Hoekstra. That’s when I decided to start what I consider to be my rock side project, Joel Hoekstra's 13.”

Dying To Live focuses on struggles, potential pitfalls and the art of overcoming obstacles in life to finally arrive where we are meant to be. Dying To Live was conceived before Hoekstra joined Whitesnake. David Coverdale gave the album his full blessing.

“David wants his players to spread their wings and fly and of course be ready to rock when Whitesnake needs them, which obviously won't be an issue.”
 
Excited how the new album turned out, Hoekstra is looking forward to the overall reaction from fans and media. “I hope everyone will give it a listen. I feel it showcases my production, writing and playing in essentially the same genre - The line-up of musicians is stellar!  I want to thank everyone for any support in advance.  Life is good!”

Dying To Live tracklisting:

“Say Goodbye To The Sun”
“Anymore”
“Until I Left You”
“Long For The Days”
“Scream”
“Never Say Never”
“Changes”
“The Only Way To Go”
“Dying To Live”
“Start Again”
“What We Believe”
“Kill or Be Killed” (bonus track digital download)

“Long For The Days”:

“Scream” video:

“Until I Left You" featuring Jeff Scott Soto:

“Anymore” lyric video:

Album sampler:

EPK:

 

 

Relapse has announced that Morbid Florist, the 1993 7" by Massachusetts noise/grind giants Anal Cunt, will be reissued this coming November as a part of Relapse's ongoing 25th anniversary deluxe reissue series. Morbid Florist, which has not been pressed on vinyl in more than twenty years, will see a deluxe reissue on single-sided black and Relapse 25th anniversary silver LPs. All records will feature a special etching, and both colours will be available in very limited quantities (250 - Silver; 750 - Black).

The reissue is due out November 27th worldwide via Relapse. Pre-orders via Relapse Mailorder can be found here. Morbid Florist is available for streaming below.
 
Trailer:

Album stream:

Morbid Florist by Anal Cunt

Swedish metal band Steelwing have unveiled the tracklisting for their upcoming album, Reset, Reboot, Redeem. Reset, Reboot, Redeem is due for release on November 20th. It was recorded, mixed and co-produced by Swedish death metal legend Fred Estby (Necronaut, The Dagger, ex-Dismember) at Gutterview Recorders, with additional parts recorded by Nicko DiMarino in Deep Blue Studios where the band's early sound was once formed.

The artwork was created by Swedish artist Sandra Österberg Brolin.

Tracklisting:

“Carbon Waste Lifeforms”
“Reset, Reboot, Redeem”
“Ozymandias”
“Och världen gav vika”
“Architects Of Destruction”
“Network”
“Like Shadows, Like Ghosts”
“Hardwired”
“We Are All Left Here To Die”

"Reset, Reboot, Redeem”:

"We envisioned a gritty attitude and more organic drum sound for these songs, so naturally we turned to Fred who is known for delivering just that. Since we have grown up listening to Dismember, it was truly an honor to work with him. I knew the new material would be very demanding to sing, so we decided to record the vocals with Nicko, an old friend of the band who has been with us from day one. We know we can always trust his ears and skill when the going gets tough."

Conceptually Steelwing continue to develop on the post-apocalyptic themes of the previous two albums. Where Lord Of The Wasteland focused on Mad Max-esque highway marauders and Zone Of Alienation described mutant-infested havens in outer space, Reset, Reboot, Redeem takes on a more serious misanthropic note: the current flawed state of mankind must be sacrificed to pave way for a trans-humanistic new breed - or all life on Earth will face extinction. One of many firsts for this album is a song in the band’s native tongue: “Och världen gav vika” (translation: “And the World Collapsed”).

Hells Headbangers report the passing of longtime NunSlaughter drummer Jim Konya at age 44. Jim had suffered a debilitating stroke on September 7th, right after brightening the spirits of many attendees of Hells Headbangers' Hells Headbash - Part 2 that weekend. On September 27th, he suffered another, more severe stroke. Although hope lingered, his condition continued to worsen. On October 7th, the decision was made to remove Jim from life support, and he left this mortal coil at 7:10 PM, EST.

Beloved by thousands around the world, Jim touched the lives of everyone he met. Whether it was through selfless encouragement or his characteristically mischievous sense of humor, his impact on the worldwide metal and punk scenes was nothing but positive. "Jim Sadist" was most renown for "devil metal" legends NunSlaughter, for whom he drummed for 20 years and across nearly a hundred releases, but for nearly as long, he drummed for Schnauzer and fronted (and occasionally drummed for) The Spawn Of Satan, who released the very first record on Hells Headbangers. Recently, the label offered a special The Spawn Of Satan download collection for donation to a medical expense fund, and will continue to offer it for Jim's final expenses here.
 
Hells Headbangers label head Chase Horval had the following to say about Jim's passing: "Jim was a massive inspiration during the formative years of Hells Headbangers. Not only did he take us under his metal wing and teach us how to get an LP made, he introduced us to many great bands over the years, and his death/thrash band The Spawn of Satan was the very first to sign to Hells Headbangers long before we made any footprint on the metal map. Without him, we may of never released a single NunSlaughter record, or have even become a record label, for that matter."

With an equally heavy heart, founding NunSlaughter vocalist Don of the Dead states, "It is difficult to express the overwhelming sense of loss of Jim. Perhaps in time, I will be able to tell everyone more about him, but for now, I only want to say, 'Goodbye Jim, I love you’.”

A GoFundMe page was set up to defray the initial costs of Jim's treatment when the first stroke befell him, but will continue to stay up for his family's final expenses here. Fans wishing to impart their stories, anecdotes, and general good remembrances of Jim can leave them here, at the "Vote the Goat" Facebook page.

We have lost a true legend, a true brother, a true warrior - a true friend. Rest in peace, Jim Konya.

Swedish Metal veterans Destiny announce the addition of guitarist Veith Offenbächer to the band’s lineup.

Offenbächer, formerly of Dawn Of Destiny, is an experienced German guitarist born in 1976. In 2006 he joined the German band Dawn Of Destiny with whom he released five albums as well as guesting on their sixth. Early 2015, after a final tour, Veith left Dawn Of Destiny and Germany and moved with his family to Sweden.

Veith had been a fan of Destiny since the early nineties and a couple of years ago he met Stefan Björnshög which in turn last year led to a guest appearance on the coming Destiny album, Climate Change. After that it was only natural that after his relocation to Sweden that he would eventually end up in Destiny, who already had plans to add an extra guitarist as a compliment to Michael Åberg.

Veith will make his live debut with Destiny in the first half of 2016 promoting the new anniversary album, Climate Change.

​The anniversary album was originally going to be called The Incompatibility Of Philosophical Terminologym but for several reasons that title was scraped in favour of Climate Change. The album will be released in the first half of 2016 and will contain five newly recorded old songs that have never before been released, as well as nine newly re-recorded old album songs.

The album will also feature special guest Adde Larsson on drums on most of the tracks, as well as guest performances from some former Destiny members. The album will be recorded at Destiny Recording Studio (DRS) by Henrik Pettersson of Tarmpolin Recordings

Album artwork by Mattias Norén.

(Photos: Viktoria Larsson)

 

Fan-filmed video footage of MEGADETH performing the song "Tornado Of Souls" on October 11 at the Loud Park festival at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan can be seen below.

Drummer Tony Laureano (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, ANGELCORPSE) made his live debut with MEGADETH this past Tuesday, October 6 at the MasterCard Center in Beijing, China.

The veteran extreme-metal skinsman, who has worked as MEGADETH's drum tech since 2011, is filling in for LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler, who is featured on MEGADETH's upcoming fifteenth studio album, "Dystopia", and will play as many shows with MEGADETH as his schedule will allow.

In a recent interview, Adler stated about his status with MEGADETH: "Their drum tech, Tony [Laureano], 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 members Mustaine (guitar, vocals) and David Ellefson (bass) alongside Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

"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.

Multi-camera video footage of reactivated U.K. thrashers ACID REIGN performing on October 3 in Manchester can be seen below.

ACID REIGN's first new song in 25 years, "Plan Of The Damned", was released in July. The single features the image "Delusion Dwellers" by acclaimed artist Laurie Lipton.

ACID REIGN vocalist Howard "H" Smith had this to say about "Plan Of The Damned" and the honor of having Laurie Lipton cover art: "I have been a fan of Laurie's for years and I thought I'd fire off an email to her manager to see if there was any way she would even consider letting us use one of her pieces. Half an hour and three emails later from Laurie herself and she had given us permission! To say that we are happy with this would be a huge understatement; it captures the spirit of the song perfectly and is a stunning piece of art, as all of her works are.

"I know it sounds corny, but, for me, this really is one of those, 'wow, this is actually happening' moments.

"We couldn't be happier with the way 'Plan Of The Damned' has turned out. We recorded it in Wales at Not In Pill Studios with the awesome team of Martyn 'Ginge' Ford and Matt Bond (SLIPKNOT, TRIVIUM, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, AXEWOUND). The studio is under a boxing gym and the smell of sweat, aggression and metal is in the walls! We had a blast, it was a great experience."

A band considered ahead of its time by many, ACID REIGN was one of the leading lights of the U.K. thrash attack and spent time on the road with the likes of EXODUS, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, DARK ANGEL, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DEATH ANGEL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and CANDLEMASS. Signed to Music For Nations subsidiary Under One Flag, the band would release two albums (including the seminal "The Fear"), two EPs and "The Worst Of" compilation before calling time on the band in 1991, their final appearance being at the world-famous Marquee club in London.

ACID REIGN first started to show signs of life once again in 2011, when Lost & Found Records released remastered versions of their albums and EPs. The reaction to the reissues — which were remastered by legendary producer Bill Metoyer (SLAYER, D.R.I., FLOTSAM AND JETSAM) — was so good that the band started to receive a stream of requests about when ACID REIGN might take the stage again.

Despite the interest, though, all remained quiet on the ACID REIGN front until the Candlelight release of the extensive box set "The Apple Core Archives". The set was a three-CD-only collection of every song ACID REIGN had ever put out, with new sleeve notes, unseen pics, demos and housed in an Apple Core-themed box.

Since this release, Smith has been actively working on the all-new ACID REIGN reboot and looking forward to bringing the band back where they belong — on stage!

ACID REIGN 2015 is:

* Howard "H" Smith (vocals)* Cooky (guitar)* Marc Jackson (drums)* Pete Dee (bass)* Paul Chanter (guitar)

Kaaos TV conducted an interview with KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai on October 2 at Rytmikorjaamo in Seinäjoki, Finland. You can now watch the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On Spotify:

"Spotify is not good. It's just that… I mean, you heard probably about how many thousand times a song has to be played until we get, like, ten cents or something; it's ridiculous how low it is.

"I always say I try to embrace new technologies, because digital streaming has its advantages. But this is so ridiculously bad. We just recovered from that whole illegal-download blow, which was really bad for the music industry and for the bands in the end, because we are, in a funny way— or not-so-funny way — the weakest part in the whole link, because we don't know the money business so well. And there was just that light on the horizon, and then came Spotify. And it's, like, again another blow, which is really bad. I hate that stuff. I hate the fact that they don't distribute the money well. And we're really not rich rock stars. People think us to be. There's a few bands which make really a lot of money, but even a band at our size, we have an income by that [Spotify], but none of us can live on that income. So if it makes it even harder, if it's getting down, I think so many bands will just cease to exist."

On how KAMELOT has been directly affected by the fact that digital music sales are continuing to fall as the music business inches closer to an access-over-ownership model:

"Well, big time, in many ways. The production budgets, the contracts from the labels, for example are… Usually you get a contract for one record. In the past, it was three or four, so you could develop a vision over years. Let's say a young band, a new band, could depend on a certain money coming from the labels to develop their musicality, to develop the idea behind the band, and this is all now not possible anymore. And, in my opinion, it lowers the quality of the music. But it's hard to compare, because everything is getting weaker in a way, you know what I mean? In the metal realm, luckily, we're still selling albums, because people wanna have the whole product. That's also why we put a lot of effort into graphics and presenting cool earbooks and LPs and stuff. But I really hope it's not getting any more difficult, because then, I think, it would really be hard to continue."

On whether it's harder for younger bands to survive in the music business today:

"It is super, super hard, I think. And if I see the support bands we had over the years, so many I never, ever heard from [again]. Okay, that's not always the reason — because of the business — it can also be bad songwriting, or just the whole concept is not good. Or sometimes people go out on tour and they see, 'Wow, this is not our lifestyle.' It appears so cool from the outside, but there are so many downsides to touring and to the whole life on the road. But, financially, it's super hard for those bands. Some of them are, after a couple of years, so much in debt, so much in the minus. I wish it could be a bit easier to develop your band personality and history in the business."

On how diminishing recording budgets have affected bands like KAMELOT:

"Well, I can't really speak for KAMELOT. For us, it got better over the years, over those almost two decades. But I produce a lot of other bands, and there I can see that the money was cut, actually. I mean, there are some developments in the digital realm — like the big studios, many of them died. And I can do, as a producer, mixer and orchestrator, I do a lot of at home what would have been impossible in the past. There are those libraries, so you can do so much on the computer for less money, so that's catching it a little bit at least. But, again, like I said, it couldn't go any worse… And to do these things just for a hobby… That's, again, it's lowering the overall quality. You have to spend so much time in a production. Songwriting, all this stuff takes so long. A good mix takes weeks. That all costs money, like everything else."

KAMELOT's latest album, "Haven", sold around 7,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

The CD was made available on May 5 in North America and May 8 in the rest of the world (excluding Asia) via Napalm Records as part of an exclusive licensing deal through the band's Kamelot Music LLC.

Produced by Sascha Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen, "Haven" features guest appearances by Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY, ex-THE AGONIST), Troy Donockley (NIGHTWISH) and Charlotte Wessels (DELAIN). The g cover and artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann and additional art/layout was done by Gustavo Sazes.

KAMELOT is currently on a massive world tour, with a number of shows scheduled for October as part of the band's biggest European headlining tour to date. KAMELOT will then return to the road for the second leg of its North American tour in November and December.

On October 3, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor was interviewed by Argentina's Vorterix radio station prior to the band's concert in Buenos Aires. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether he thinks SLIPKNOT has a chance to follow in the footsteps of bands like DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH and become a truly "historic" act:

Corey: "Maybe. You know, as long as the fans are with us… It's out of our hands. The fans are the ones that put us where we are. And that's kind of the beautiful thing about it. We just do what we do, and the fans kind of lift us up and they put us in that area. We just headlined Rock In Rio [in Brazil] for the first time, and it was fantastic. It was so beautiful, it was so emotional, and it was just everything that we wanted it to be. And it was probably one of the best shows we've ever played. And everybody was talking about it for days afterwards. So, for us, it's obviously something that we aspire to be. I mean, we pay respect to the bands that came before us, and we try to show respect to the bands that are coming up after us. So if we can be that band that kind of sets that tone as well again, then why not? Why not us?"

On how playing with new SLIPKNOT members, bassist Alessandro "Vman" Venturella and drummer Jay Weinberg, is different to the way it was when Paul Gray and Joey Jordison were still in the band:

Corey: "I try not to think about it, to be honest, 'cause then it's trying to compare something that is very different. For me, it was just about finding our groove instead of trying to copy the vibe that we had before. It was about adapting to a new backbeat, a new backbone, a new rhythm section, and just kind of letting that happen and us kind of falling in with it. It was a compromise. When you're in a band, there's a lot of compromise, and you have to find that pocket and that beautiful spot where everyone is really kind of doing their own thing and feeling really good about it. So I just kind of look at it as the new phase, basically, and [I'm] just trying to enjoy it for what it is. I try not to compare it too much."

SLIPKNOT's latest album, ".5: The Gray Chapter", sold 132,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart.

In a brand new interview with Soundclash, legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) spoke about his current attitude and lifestyle, and touched upon the "pinnacle" moments in his life and career.

"I think that I have an incredible home family life, surrounded by loving and nurturing people," he said. "If I'm in a situation somewhere and I hear screaming, shouting or negativity, it's like I'm being burned by a flame. I can't be around negative energy. I like to be calm. Calmness is the complete opposite to someone that is young and wants to live an aggressive lifestyle. I've done all that, died ten times and I'm still here."

He continued: "I really think it was putting down the drugs and the drink and turning my back to the things that were killing me, and being able to tell people that it was actually making me crazy. The heart attack, and having done things that were inappropriate. What a dark period of time for me. Having a book and telling the truth in that book, and working my way back and being as honest as I can be."

Hughes went on to say: "The worst and most embarrassing moments for me in my career was when I was with Tony Iommi [BLACK SABBATH] on those five shows where I had a very bad fight with someone and I had some bones broken in my nose and it consequently stopped me from singing. That was embarrassing for me. The best period for me... I would have to say now. The amount of people coming to see me as a solo artist is astounding because I had no idea that it would happen after my last two bands. I thought maybe I should still form bands but it's looking good these days to continue my solo career. He added: "I'm not frightened to dream. I've worked with the greatest, and I'll probably work with some more. I just think that I don't try to think too much about what's coming down the pipeline for me. All I know is that tonight I'm going to have some dinner with my friends. Tomorrow is not here yet. I'm really being serious with that. I don't know what the hell is going to happen. I just need to get some sleep and the rest is history."

Hughes's current backing band features drummer Pontus Engborg and ex-WHITESNAKE/DIO guitarist Doug Aldrich. The group's U.K. leg of the European tour starts on October 17 at the Southampton Engine Rooms and ends at London's Electric Ballroom on November 1. Special guest on the tour is Jared James Nichols, who recently released his critically acclaimed debut album, "Old Glory & The Wild Revival". The concerts will showcase highlights from Glenn's career, including TRAPEZE, DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, CALIFORNIA BREED, along with his solo material.

Vancouver, BC's Saints Of Death (a name inspired by the Mexican folklore of Santa Muerte - Spanish for Holy Death) have posted a new lyric video for their track "Angels & Demons", which is one of five annihilating thrashing death tracks on their recently released debut self-titled EP.

Saints Of Death is a four piece that originally began as a Motorhead tribute band, that has now taken the reins to write original material with a double bassist attack and set themselves apart from the pack with their unique heavy sound of thrash, doom and hardcore metal.

Taking their experiences from past bands (Snaggletooth, Scissortooth, Dead End Ascension), these veterans of the Vancouver scene debuted their self-titled EP this September, introducing metal fans to a new sound coming from the Canadian West coast.

Fronted by vocalist and eight string bassist Twan Holliday, a giant standing nearly 7’ foot tall who can also be recognized for his acting credits in some well-known Hollywood movies and pro wrestling, is joined by four string bassist Darren Morris, guitarist Phil Henri and Christopher James on drums to complete a ferocious lineup.

Track by track of Saints Of Death EP explained by the band:

"Army Of The Dead" - "This song is written from the perspective of a Viking in battle. Its underlying message is about the battle of life. 'Everyone’s born, everyone dies', we fight hard and strong, live, laugh, love and when it’s our time to die, we die!

"Doom 5.1" - "This song is about organized religion and greed."

"Blood Vendetta" - "This song is written about blood vendettas around the world. It’s about people being born into war, and fighting wars started by generations before them in order of gaining redemption for their lost family."

"Revolution" - "This song is about unity and standing up for what is right! It’s a call to people everywhere to join together and fight for their rights and what’s right through Revolution."

"Angels And Demons" - "This song is written about an old man on his deathbed. Not happy with his life he struggles though a battle between the right and wrong he has done and who will take possession of his soul; angels or demons."

 

 

Boston grindcore/crust progenitors Disrupt have announced the reissue of their seminal 1994 full-length Unrest. The record is being reissued as part of the next chapter of Relapse's 25th anniversary celebrations, and will be pressed on two colors of vinyl in very limited quantities (Black - 750; Relapse 25th Anniversary Silver - 250).

Unrest, which was Disrupt's only proper full-length release, has been hailed as a cult classic following the band's dissolution, and has not been pressed on vinyl in over eight years. Unrest is set for reissue via Relapse Records this November 27th. Pre-orders via Relapse Mailorder are available at this location.
 
The reissue of Disrupt's Unrest is a part of Relapse's ongoing 25th anniversary reissue series, which is featuring numerous classic and long-out-of-print releases, many of which are being repressed on vinyl for the first time in a decade or more.

 

Magic Bullet Records has locked down November 20th as the official release date for One Foot In The Flesh Grave, the debut LP from Durham, North Carolina-based Wailin Storms.
 
Wailin Storms creatively merges doom punk and swampy rock, led by ominous, blues-driven vocals reminiscent of Danzig and Samhain, while musically carved from the Southern American East Coast with emotive nods to Destruction Unit, Clockleaner, Unsane and Pussy Galore. The band's output is incessantly passionate and harrowing in its entirety; think the Murder City Devils... but if they actually murdered people under possession by the god-damned devil. Following 2011's Bone Colored Moon and 2014's Shiver EPs, the band now prepares to unveil their sprawling full-length recording.
 
Wailin Storms' One Foot In The Flesh Grave serves as a warning shot to all things safe, prescribed, and banal; the band's deep, dark, swampy and catchy-as-all-hell new material bears seven hymns for the ongoing funeral procession of everyday life. Crossing its path bestows the karmic powers of a black cat in reverse. Recorded and mixed at Warrior Sound, by Al Jacob and mastered by Carl Saff, the bold production of these seven tales pushes the bending, wayward guitars and thick rumbling of the percussive end out heavily alongside the nonstop dynamic lead and supplementary vocal performances. Completed with artwork by Bruno Guerreiro, One Foot In The Flesh Grave will help make Wailin Storms a household name to all as the album makes its grim rising this harvest season.
 
Magic Bullet Records will issue One Foot In The Flesh Grave on all digital platforms as well as both red and clear vinyl pressings on November 20th. Audio previews, an official video and more on the album will be unveiled in the days ahead. Vinyl pre-orders are also still pending, but digital pre-orders are available here.

One Foot In The Flesh Grave tracklisting:

“Don't Forget The Sun”
“Ribcage Fireplace”
“Mystery Girl”
“Walk”
“Lost”
“Light As A Feather, Stiff As A Board”
“German Fur Tails”
 
Having spent a sizeable portion of September on the road touring the East Coast in advance of their new works, Wailin Storms continues to book new live performances, with a hometown record release show in Durham alongside Fleshwounds upcoming on October 23rd, a set at The Fest 14 in Gainesville, joining Andrew W.K., Cult Leader, Government Issue, Iron Reagan, Lagwagon, Modern Life Is War, Title Fight, Young Widows and dozens more, and other shows currently solidified.
 
Wailin Storms tour dates:

October
23 - Pinhook - Durham, NC (record release show with Fleshwounds)
29 - Caledonia - Athens, GA (with Vincas)
30 - The Fest - Gainesville, FL
31 - Morningwood LA - Savannah, GA (with Anxiety Junkies, No Sun, Generation Pill)

November
1 - Reggie's - Wilmington, NC

Wailin Storms lineup:

Mark Oates - drums
Todd Warner - lead guitar, backup vocals
Justin Storms - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Steve Stanczyk - bass, backup vocals

(Photo - Mark Maya)

Where fresh blood is pumping through the veins and youthful passion is setting hearts ablaze, vision and tradition unite to bring new life into the world. That‘s how in 2010 Dvalin were born in the Southern German town of Würzburg – an auspicious alliance of various influences, named after one of the legendary dwarves in Norse mythology but rather resembling a slumbering giant whose imminent awakening is going to make the metal scene shake in the most massive tremor it has felt in years.

"Dvalin are not just 'another folk / pagan metal act', they stand head and shoulders above the pack with their unique sound, which is both refreshing and original! The guys combine melodic, playful and sometimes experimental death metal with classical medieval sounds, blending instruments like the bagpipes akin to medieval rock bands such as In Extremo. A delight for the ear is also the fact that each member knows his craft and Dvalin move playfully at a higher level than one that might expect from a band so young." - Eluveitie’s Chrigel Glanzmann

NoiseArt Records are stoked to announce the signing of Dvalin.

Dvalin are equally enthralled: “We are more than happy to announce that we’ve been signed to NoiseArt and we’re looking forward a lot to cooperating with the label. Our debut album will surely leave a lasting impression!”

The debut album will be released in early 2016. Stay tuned for details.

 

In a brand new interview with RollingStone.com, DEPECHE MODE frontman Dave Gahan has revealed that he is a fan of groups like TOOL and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. "I've always liked TOOL," he said. "Even when I was living in Los Angeles, when they were just coming up. In fact, the guitar player [Adam Jones] used to come over to my house a lot. His girlfriend was a roommate of this girl that was living with us, so he used to hang out with us when they were just coming up. I got to see them in a lot of little clubs, but you knew immediately they had something really special."

Gahan called RAGE a great band and said he was always impressed with RAGE guitarist Tom Morello. "It's just great innovative guitar playing, using the guitar in an unconventional way," he said. "It's in the same way that years and years ago, people like Jimmy Page were playing the blues, but much louder. I have a great respect for heavy rock stuff."

Gahan also acknowledged that there is a musical correlation between some metal bands and DEPECHE MODE. "METALLICA are a heavy-sounding band, but they write pop songs," he said. "They've got their dark moments, just like DEPECHE MOD have, but deep in there is a tune with a catchy chorus or a pop arrangement. Certainly bands like METALLICA, MARILYN MANSON, SMASHING PUMPKINS, though I wouldn't necessarily call those metal bands, but METALLICA really do their own thing and always have."

Rolling Stone published an article earlier this year exploring DEPECHE MODE's influence on heavy metal.

AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler does not want Donald Trump to use the band's music in the billionaire developer's presidential campaign. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tyler's representatives sent Donald Trump For President Inc. a cease-and-desist order to stop using the AEROSMITH classic "Dream On" at campaign events. This is the second time Trump has been told not to use the song, having previously received a similar warning after an August 21 event in Mobile, Alabama.

"Trump For President does not have our client’s permission to use 'Dream On' or any of our client’s other music in connection with the Campaign because it gives the false impression that he is connected with or endorses Mr. Trump's presidential bid," states Tyler's cease-and-desist letter.

Last year, Trump tweeted that "[it] doesn't get any better than that" after attending an AEROSMITH concert.

In recent years, left-leaning musicians have fought publicly against the GOP's co-opting of their songs and their respective messages.

Following Trump's appearance at his Manhattan Trump Tower in June to announce his fifth bid as the GOP's presidential candidate, he met the press with Neil Young's 1989 classic "Rockin’ In The Free Word" blaring from the speakers — a song which slammed then-President George H.S. Bush's administration and Young's perception of how Bush treated the poorer citizens of the United States. Young called Trump's choice of his song "a surprise," adding that "Donald Trump is Donald Trump, and I don't dislike Donald, [but] I don't agree with his policies… Donald just never asked me."

In 2012, TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider complained when Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan used "We're Not Gonna Take It" as his intro music at a rally in Pennsylvania. But he recently said that he was okay with Donald Trump using the song at the end of every campaign rally he holds.

Snider told TMZ: "Donald Trump is a good friend and a great guy, and I support him turning the political system on its head. The song 'We're Not Gonna Take It' is a song about rebellion, and there's nothing more rebellious than what Donald Trump is doing right now... I don't necessarily agree with every single thing he says, but I do support his spirit, his attitude, and people are just… They've had all they can stand and they're not gonna take it anymore, so 'We're Not Gonna Take It' is the perfect song."

Glenn Danzig recently spoke to Weld For Birmingham about his upcoming covers record, "Skeletons", which will be released in November via Evilive Music. The CD, which was recorded with PRONG guitarist/vocalist Tommy Victor and former TYPE O NEGATIVE drummer Johnny Kelly, will include the former MISFITS frontman's take on songs by BLACK SABBATH ("N.I.B."), ZZ TOP ("Rough Boy"), THE TROGGS ("A Girl Like You"), THE EVERLY BROTHERS ("Crying In The Rain") and others. There is also a heavy cover of a track called "Devil's Angel", the theme song to a biker movie of the same name from the late '60s.

"I've been wanting to do a covers record since 1979," Danzig said. "And actually, the arrangement for 'Devil's Angels' that we did, which was one of the biker songs, is the arrangement that I wrote back in 1979 for it. So it's something that I've been wanting to do for a long time. You get busy, you start doing other things. It was always in the back of my head and finally, I'm doing it. I just started recording."

Danzig also talked about other artists covering his songs, a list that includes Ryan Adams performing a version of "Mother" and METALLICA's medley of the MISFITS' "Last Caress" and "Green Hell".

"It's always an honor when people like your stuff so much that they want to cover it," he said. "Sometimes, I wish they didn't, because it came out really terrible. But other times, people do really good jobs, you know? I like when people take different directions and do something that I might not think. That's cool."

He continued: "The early METALLICA cover of 'Last Caress/Green Hell' — that would stand out. We've done it onstage when we were on the road with them a couple of times. I went up and to a [30th] anniversary show with them and did it."

According to Glenn, the full skull makeup which he wore for the first time since his MISFITS days nearly 40 years ago for the "Skeletons" photo shoot was inspired by legendary singer-songwriter David Bowie.

Video footage of SAINT ASONIA members Adam Gontier (formerly of THREE DAYS GRACE) and Mike Mushok (also of STAIND) performing acoustically at the studio of the Nashville rock station 102.9 The Buzz can be seen below.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Gontier and Mushok penned a Top 10 rock radio hit together in "Better Place", the first single off the self-titled debut album from their new band. Between them, Gontier and Mushok have composed or co-written 27 previous Top 10 singles, with 17 of them hitting No. 1. This marks the first time the two musicians have done it as part of the same group.

SAINT ASONIA was announced earlier this year, with Mushok and Gontier joined in the band by ex-FINGER ELEVEN drummer Rich Beddoe and STUCK MOJO and DARK NEW DAY bassist Corey Lowery.

Although Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE in late 2012 under less than amicable circumstances, he told The Pulse Of Radio that he's since reconnected with his former bandmates. "Over the last few months, the guys in THREE DAYS and myself have reconnected and started talking again, so I mean myself and Barry [Stock, guitarist] and Brad [Walst, bassist] are pretty tight now, so it's a good thing. You know, I'm proud of what they're doing and I think they're just as proud of what I'm doing."

Asked if he sees SAINT ASONIA as a long-term band, Mushok told Rock.About.com: "That's the plan, to keep this thing going. It was a lot of fun making this record. There were songs that we finished that are not on the record. There were songs that we didn't finish because we didn't really need them. There's plenty of music there. Plenty of things that we haven't even looked at as far as songs that Adam has and I have. And now Corey is in the band and he writes and is super talented. So I don't think coming up with music will be too difficult. But it's just taking it somewhere new and having it be fresh and exciting, not only for us but for the fans as well."

Andrew Epstein of Zombietrol Productions conducted an interview with bassist/vocalist John Gallagher of the British/American heavy metal trio RAVEN prior to the band's September 2 performance in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On growing vocals in death metal:

"I don't call them vocals; it's just noises. But, you know, that's my opinion. Everyone's got their own opinion, and all the opinions stink.It's like the old joke: everyone's got an asshole, blah blah blah. But, just personally, I wanna hear a melody in my music, and when I hear music without melody, it's usually rap. And I don't like rap. So when I hear death metal… I mean, there's some bands that have got guttural vocals that are wonderful bands and they have good music, but I can't get past the vocal thing; it's just not my cup of tea, you know."

On the physical demands of doing death metal growls:

"I'm sure it's not easy. I mean, you can say, yeah, anyone can do that, but to do it consistently and do it night after night, you'll [end up] with a sorer throat than I've got right now. So I don't envy that. But, to me, it's just not pleasing to the ears. It's like having everything ugly: ugly guitar tone, ugly drums, ugly bass, ugly singing.

"Hey, knock yourself out. I just… You know, we're playing music, and there should be songs. They wouldn't know a good tune if it hit them on the head, some of these bands."

On RAVEN'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."

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.

Char Tupper of MetalTitans.com recently conducted an interview with vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth of New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about the progress of the songwriting sessions for OVERKILL's follow-up to 2014's "White Devil Armory" album, Ellsworth said: "Well, we just started the stove. You know, we just filled the pot with water and… But we're kind of always writing, so it's really easy to spill that information. I mean, if you do this for as long as we do, there's no, like, vacations on desert islands and supermodels and cocaine problems. We're hard-working New Jersey guys, so we're happy to be working. So, again, we're always writing. But I think one of the more interesting things that I've noticed about the later years for us is that there's less communication about what we're gonna do. It's more about unspoken communication, so that I surprise Dave [Linsk, guitar], who surprises D.D. [Verni, bass], and D.D. surprises both of us. And that's kind of like, 'Wow, that's really cool. I never thought of that.' As opposed to trying to ratchet it down with words, because words and music are not necessarily… It's not the best way to write music, especially this. We have no identity crisis; we know who we are. I can tell you this: I'ts gonna be an OVERKILL record , for sure, and I think that that's the honest answer."

OVERKILL's first worldwide release on Nuclear Blast is a special box set comprised of the band's entire back catalog, made available on September 18. Titled "Historikill: 1995 - 2007", it contains 11 OVERKILL albums on 13 CDs and a bonus CD (containing demos, remixes and an unreleased cover song) in digi sleeves.

OVERKILL and SYMPHONY X have joined forces for a North American tour in September/October. The 24-date co-headlining trek launched at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts on September 18, and will wrap up with a very special night at Terminal 5 in New York City on October 17 — the first time in the bands' combined histories that they'll play a show together in their own backyard.

"White Devil Armory" sold around 8,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 31 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on July 22, 2014 in North America via eOne Music and on July 18, 2014 in Europe through Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was tracked at Gear Recording and was mixed by Greg Reely, who also worked on 2012's "The Electric Age".

Multi-camera video footage of NERVOSA — the all-female thrash metal act from São Paulo, Brazil — performing on July 27 at Le Klub in Paris, France can be seen below.

NERVOSA's debut album, "Victim Of Yourself", was released in March 2014 in North America via Napalm Records. The production, recording, mixing and mastering were taken care of by Heros Trench and Pompeu, both of the veteran Brazilian metal band KORZUS. The recordings took place at the studio Mr. Som, where NERVOSA recorded its first EP, entitled "Time Of Death", in 2012.

According to a press release, "the all-female thrash metal combo pushes the pedal to the metal and offers the listener high-speed riffs, furious drumming and raging leads. The songs have a brutal and raw energy and are crowned by murderous hooks and the aggressive vocals by bassist Fernanda Lira."

Asked by Planet Mosh what the reason is for NERVOSA's "fast success," Fernanda said: "I wouldn't say that's success, but I really agree with you that it was fast. It takes years for some bands to get where we are and we are really thankful for that."

She continued: "I have a theory, that metal is always renewing itself; there is always something new. Like, for example, folk metal — when there was the whole boom of folk metal [with] flutes, violins and stuff. So I think everything that's new in metal, in a certain way, catches some attention — positive and negative, of course. But I would say more positive because everything that's new makes people curious about it. And what is quite new in our band is that we are three girls playing thrash metal — you don't see much of that around. I would like to see more; I really like girl power supporters, especially metalheads."

Fernanda added: "I think it's a process. In some years, it's gonna be more natural, because I see more and more girls getting involved, but it's still something new. I think this helped a little. It's not only because we're girls, but it helps getting attention. Of course, the metal scene, metalheads can be very demanding sometimes, so they won't listen to your music just because of the label, for example, 'all-female thrash metal.' It helps to catch attention, but that's not everything. In the end, what matters is the music."

Asked what she would say to those people who say that metal is not for girls, Fernanda responded: "First of all, we don't actually care about it, because we know that it comes from the very few people."

She continued: "You know, having all-female thrash metal band in Brazil, which is a very sexist country, it can be really hard. In the beginning, we had a really hard time, because, of course, there were more positive comments than bad comments, but the bad comments were really bad. People were saying a lots of shit like, 'They're only getting shows because they fuck promoters,' and these kind of things. From there to worse, for example, 'Oh, I've heard that to get shows they send pictures of them naked to the promoters. Can you believe that? [Laughs] You can laugh; it's really stupid."

Fernanda went on to say: "In the beginning, it was it was really hard. I'm very emotional girl and in the beginning I even cried: 'Why the fuck they are saying all this stuff about us? They don't even know me!' But then I noticed that it's just prejudice, you know. We have prejudice, unfortunately — nowadays we still have it everywhere against everything — and it wouldn't be different with us, because it is something new, guys are so machos who think that girls should be in the kitchen and this kind of stuff. The only 'kitchen' I love is bass and drums. [Laughs] But in the beginning, it was hard and I didn't exactly know how to deal with it, but nowadays we just don't give a fuck at all. Sometimes we even laugh, because people can be really creative when they want to say bad things about someone. The best way to deal with that is just don't care. We know that these are just shallow comments, that people are spitting out their rage."

NERVOSA is:

Fernanda Lira - Vocals, BassPrika Amaral - Guitar, Backing VocalsPitchu Ferraz - Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) performing on October 10 performance at the second edition of the Music From The Beast festival at Burgwiesenhalle in Oberursel, Germany can be seen below.

The 52-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left in 1994 to join MAIDEN, with whom he recorded two studio albums — 1995's "The X Factor" 1998's and "Virtual XI" — before Bruce Dickinson returned to the group.

Bayley stated in a recent interview about his time with IRON MAIDEN: "They were great years for me. I loved being a part of IRON MAIDEN, and I had a lot of support and encouragement from the fans as the new man in IRON MAIDEN; I had a lot of support. So I say a huge thank you to all the fans for making me feel so welcome when I was in IRON MAIDEN."

He continued: "They were great days for me, and, really, I found my true voice and my identity when I was working in IRON MAIDEN with Steve Harris and the other musicians. And then after IRON MAIDEN, my solo work, it really reflects the lessons that I learned when I was in IRON MAIDEN. So they were great days for me, and I look back very fondly, and I'm very, very proud of the work that we did together and the songs that we did."

As previously reported, Bayley has started to create his eighth, and he hopes, his greatest ever studio album. For the first time he wants to offer his fans an insight into the creative part of this process.

Writing this project started in March 2015. It is an album based on a science fiction story that Blaze is writing. He is still in the early stages of putting together the huge concept for this studio effort, so he felt it would be a right time to give his fans the opportunity to get involved.

More details on the pre-order packages can be found at www.blazebayley.net.

Bayley released a career-spanning double-disc collection, "Soundtracks Of My Life", on October 31, 2013.

The singer's latest studio album, "The King Of Metal", was released in March 2012.

On September 25, Jason Saulnier of Music Legends conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Speaking about JUDAS PRIEST's latest album, 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls", Hill said: "It's funny, because when people ask anybody what's their favorite album, they always say the new one. [Laughs] And it's the same [with us]. But this time, I can say it with real conviction, because I truly believe it is the best album we've ever done. It's got just about everything that a metalhead would want. I mean, we set out to try and portray all the various aspects of JUDAS PRIEST heavy metal over the years — not just the fast and the heavy, but also the lighter, the slow and a bit more commercial. And we've done it with this album. I think it's gonna stand the test of time. It's probably the best album we've done."

JUDAS PRIEST has announced a dozen or so North American dates that are scheduled to begin October 16 in Paso Pobles, California and wrap on November 12 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Support on most of the shows will come from Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON.

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford recently told the "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx" radio show that JUDAS PRIEST "can't afford to wait three years, or five years now, to make" the follow-up to "Redeemer Of Souls". He explained: "The clock is ticking, you know. And especially while the band is buzzing and the energy's there creatively. We had so much stuff happening in the studio, we had to put the blocks on because we were on a time schedule with the label. So we do have some stuff kind of left over from 'Redeemer Of Souls'. We'll be heading out for the rest of this tour 'till Christmas time, take a break, and then more than likely in the studio early of 2016 and see how quickly we can turn this around. It won't be a rush job, because we treasure everything that we do. But I think that the mindset is there to make this record efficiently and hopefully have it out there for our PRIEST family as soon as we can."

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

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

Veteran rockers Styx have checked in with the following update:

"If you've been at a show this year, you've probably witnessed a Go-Pro camera onstage at certain times. We've curated many cities of content via a new YouTube playlist. Note - this is unedited content."

Click here for more.

North American syndicated rock radio show and website InTheStudio: The Stories Behind History’s Greatest Rock Bands celebrates the release of eight classic Styx albums in a new vinyl box set.

Originally a Midwestern phenomenon far from the musical meccas of New York and LA, Styx were outsiders of sorts to the music industry, but dearly beloved by their loyal fan base to this day. Styx songwriters Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young, and co-founder Dennis DeYoung wrote about the life in America they experienced, all the while battling for respect from certain music critics hell bent on tagging them “corporate rock” for the band’s hard-earned success.

InTheStudio host Redbeard gets first-hand accounts from all three principles about this period in Styx history, as the band’s current and former members  share stories behind eight of their classic albums: Equinox, Crystal Ball, The Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight, Cornerstone, Paradise Theater, Kilroy Was Here and the live double album Caught In the Act.

“Styx was a really hard thing to get people to believe in. Most bands have one sound. They have one guy you focus on and one style of songwriting... We were so different from each other that we were trying as hard as we could to have a unified sound.” - Tommy Shaw

“The Grand Illusion, in part, was my way of saying, ‘Don’t be fooled by all the things you see, because that’s not reality.” - Dennis DeYoung

Listen to the interview in two parts:

Part 1

Part 2

Mike Hranica, vocalist/lyricist for the metalcore band THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, will see his third book released today. Titled "Three Dots & The Guilt Machine", the book is, according to Hranica, "a five-year compilation of poetry, prose, and general nonsense... a collection of writing that rarely finishes its breath. A hundred fifty-something pages of what one might consider eclectic truth fiction."

Priced at $15, "Three Dots & The Guilt Machine" can be purchased at Amazon.com, at MikeHranica.com, and via THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's online merchandise store. It will also be available on the band's upcoming "Apollo X" fall North American tour.

Hranica's first book, "One & A Half Hearts", published in 2013, takes a subjective look at the story behind the lyrics from "Dead Throne", PRADA's 2011 album. Three editions of that book completely sold out and is no longer available. 2013's "Home for Grave", the writer's second book, is a fictional story inspired by THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's song of the same name from the band's "8:18" album.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA will co-headline the "Apollo X" tour this fall with MOTIONLESS IN WHITE. Support will come from UPON A BURNING BODY, THE WORD ALIVE and THE COLOR MORALE.

According to Billboard.com, LIMP BIZKIT frontman Fred Durst is planning to move to Crimea, Ukraine's region annexed by Russia, to produce film and TV content.

The news of Durst's plans comes less than a month after the prime minister of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, stated his desire to welcome Western celebrities to obtain residence in Crimea and create a "new Beverly Hills" on the peninsula. Aksyonov promised "assistance" to celebrities who wished to find suitable property.

Durst recently stated his intent in obtaining a Russian passport. He told Russia's state-run news agency Sputnik International: "I wouldn't mind getting a Russian passport. If you have communication with the relevant authorities, which could assist with obtaining it… share." He also reportedly sent a letter to Crimean authorities, in which he said that he was interested in spending half of the year in the region, producing films and TV series that would take Russia to a new level in the industry, also working for a "great future of Crimea and Russia."

Durst's wife, Kseniya Beryazina, is originally from Crimea and has been teaching him Russian.

The UK's Russian Embassy recently tweeted of the news: "@FredDurst of @LimpBizkit says he wants to live in Crimea – welcome!"

Durst responded to the Billboard.com story by tweeting: "@billboard there are great people everywhere. I have met many Russians, in Russia, that are excited to learn more about America."

Durst directed 2007's "The Education of Charlie Banks" film, starring Jesse Eisenberg, and 2008's "The Longshots", starring Ice Cube (40 percent fresh). He has also made a handful of acting appearances, including "Zoolander" and "House M.D."

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has confirmed that the band couldn't play one of its most popular songs in China because the group had to respect the country's laws about religion and politics.

According to The Beijinger, MEGADETH's October 6 concert at the MasterCard Center in Beijing ended after only an hour, possibly due to the band being censored by officials.

An unusual number of instrumentals and extended guitar solos filled out MEGADETH's abbreviated performance, with "Skin Of My Teeth" being played instrumentally and several other of the band's best-known songs — including "Holy Wars… The Punishment Due" and "Angry Again" — omitted entirely.

After an Australian fan on Twitter pointed out the absence of "Holy Wars… The Punishment Due" from the Beijing setlist and asked if the song will make a reappearance in MEGADETH's set when the band plays in Melbourne later this month, Mustaine responded: "The police let us playing there, but I had to respect their laws about religion & politics. We'll play it in Tokyo."

According to The Wall Street Journal, "authorities [in China] require entertainment companies to jump through hoops, submitting minute details of their show, including setlists. The process reflects the control held by China's censors, who try to prevent incidents like one in 2008, in which Icelandic singer Bjork sang at a Shanghai concert about the ever-politically sensitive issue of Tibetan freedom."

The members of METALLICA revealed in 2013 that they were asked to send the lyrics to their entire discography to the Chinese government for approval before they were given permission to play in the country. "We had to give them a whole set of songs and they went through all the lyrics and okayed which ones we could play, which ones we couldn't play," METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett said. "They see a lyric like 'Master Of Puppets' being so subversive that they're not allowing us to play it. It's kind of scary." Added METALLICA frontman James Hetfield: "And that just brings more attention to it, of course. That doesn't work."

According to METALLICA, they never considered canceling their Chinese shows after being told which songs they couldn't perform in the country.

"There were 40,000 kids over those two nights that were, I mean, they were really responding to what we were doing," said METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich. "It was insane."

"Whatever rules they set down, the fans were there to have fun," stated Hetfield. "We got our foot in the door. We were able to go and play in China. That was the key."

"What I did is, I had an open guitar solo thing where I just sit there and riff," said Hammett. "I played the riff for 'Master Of Puppets' and a couple of other songs that weren't allowed to be played. I played just the music, so I kind of snuck it in there."

Ulrich also explained that METALLICA's Chinese fans were fully aware of the restrictions that were placed upon the band during their appearance in the country. "What we're talking about here is not a secret. They published it on government web sites — what songs we could play and what we couldn't. I mean, it's fine."

MEGADETH's current touring lineup features founding members Mustaine (guitar, vocals) and David Ellefson (bass) alongside LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

Replacing Adler at the Beijing concert was veteran drummer Tony Laureano (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, ANGELCORPSE), who also works as MEGADETH's drum tech.

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.