PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, the band led by former PANTERA and current DOWN and SUPERJOINT frontman Philip Anselmo, has parted ways with guitarist Marzi Montazeri and has replaced him with Mike DeLeon.

Anselmo told MetalUnderground.com, about THE ILLEGALS' split with Montazeri: "What I wanted to do with Marzi anyway was jumpstart his career, which I did. He's the type of guy that needs to be the focal point of pretty much anything he does. So he's got that now and I'm happy for him. More power to him."

Regarding how the addition of DeLeon came about, Anselmo said:"Mostly from his association with my drummer, Blue [José Manuel Gonzalez], and my other guitar player/bass player from SUPERJOINT, Steve [Stephen Taylor]. Steve Taylor was constantly saying, 'DeLeon is the guy. DeLeon is the guy. He wants it the most! He wants it the most!' I trust them. I trust their judgment. I trust their intuition. So far, every time DeLeon has come to jam, it has been serious grinding. He takes a good beating, man. He's great. He's a pleasure to work with."

In an interview with Powerline, Anselmo stated about Montazeri's contributions to PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS' debut album, "Walk Through Exits Only": "Marzi has his strengths that I knew he had coming in. He has always been a great guitar player and I gave him absolute free rein on leads. Some of the soundscape stuff that he does is very unique and he always had that as part of his repertoire since I've known him and we always wanted to utilize it."

He continued: "Marzi's the type of guy to where he wants to be a perfectionist, even live. So this is something that has worked in his favor for a long time. It's something he can pull off.

"Marzi is a special talent. For the life of me, he's the type of guy that's been in Houston, Texas and he's well-known around Houston as a blues player. He's the type of guy that can play just about anything in the world.

"I'm somewhat of a task master where I can say to Marzi, 'Look, here is the path we are going down,' and he can adapt which is an incredible thing, and a luxury, really. You now, once he's on assignment and he gets what's in front of him, then he takes off in this insane direction. Which I did not want to suppress at all. I wanted to enhance, for sure."

"Walk Through Exits Only" sold around 8,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was produced by Anselmo and Michael Thompson, and recorded over a couple of years at Philip's New Orleans studio, Nodferatu's Lair.

Dark Star Records artist Conquest are releasing a new Metal Gods Tribute Album, called Under The Influence, on October 9th. The new full length will feature all new versions of some of the greatest classic metal songs of all time like "For Whom The Bell Tolls" by Metallica, which can be heard via the SoundCloud audio player below.

The complete Undeer The Influence tracklisting is as follows:

Metallica - "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
Iron Maiden - "Wrath Child"
Judas Priest - "The Ripper", "Metal Gods"
Mötley Crüe - "Red Hot"
Bon Jovi - "Wanted Dead Or Alive"
Motörhead - "Ace Of Spades"
UFO - "Lights Out"
Anthrax - "Anti-Social"
Black Sabbath - "Children Of The Grave"
Pantera - "Cowboys From Hell"

Check out the new promo video for Under The Influence:

 

 

 

 

Century Media Records recently started a collaboration with Anders Fridén (In Flames) and his label Razzia Notes Records. After Black Temple’s It All Ends and the upcoming album from Dead Soul, The Sheltering Sky, the Neon EP by Port Noir will be the next Razzia release being licensed to Century Media Records for all territories outside of Nordic and North America.

It's been two years since Port Noir released their debut album, Puls, and the anticipation has been growing stronger ever since the announcement of a second album, which will be released in early 2016. Eager to release new material, Port Noir decided to write and record four completely new songs to shorten the time until the album release. These four songs with influences spreading from Kraftwerk to Johnny Cash, Cult Of Luna to Muse, Rage Against The Machine to 80s pop shows you what their music truly is about. Three fuzzy pieces of art and a dark electro-disco sensation together create the EP named Neon.

The Neon EP will be released on October 16th, and will be available as digital download. A video trailer for the EP can be seen below:

(Photo: Björn Glasare)

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, the collaboration between longtime SAVATAGE singer/songwriter Jon Oliva and producer Paul O'Neill, has become one of the most successful stories in rock 'n' roll history. Defying the odds with each project, they continue to search for new and original ideas to bring to reality no matter how difficult the challenge.

The TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA saga continues this year with a new album, "Letters From The Labyrinth" — yet another endeavor in creating something different. TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA founder Paul O'Neill's inspiration for this album came out of his love for history. As collector of antiquities and historical artifacts, he explains, "Over the years I have been able to read and hold in my hands letters from people that have inspired me and left a mark on civilization. People like Mark Twain, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Orville Wright — when I actually held a letter in my hand that President Lincoln wrote, it brought me into his world in a way I could never have imagined."

Due on Nocember 13 via Universal Music, "Letters From The Labyrinth" finds a conceptually provocative song cycle pushing the proverbial envelope yet again — this time with what O'Neill calls TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA's "first hybrid album." The overall concept is based on TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA's "Night Castle" (2009) and a dialogue between the wisdom of the past and the hopes for the future, via a correspondence between a child and an old friend of the child's grandfather.

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

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

"Letters From The Labyrinth" track listing:

01. Time And Distance (The Dash) (O'Neill, Oliva)02. Madness Of Men (Beethoven/O'Neill/Oliva)03. Prometheus (Beethoven/O'Neill/Oliva)04. Mountain Labyrinth (Borodin/O'Neill)05. King Rurik (O'Neill/Kuprij)06. Prince Igor (Rimsky Korsakov/Borodin/Glazunov/O'Neill/Oliva )07. The Night Conceives (O'Neill/Oliva)08. Forget About The Blame (J Green)09. Not Dead Yet (O'Neill/Oliva)10. Past Tomorrow (O'Neill/Oliva)11. Stay (O'Neill)12. Not The Same (O'Neill/O'Neill)13. Who I Am (O'Neill)14. Lullaby Night (Bach/O'Neill)

Bonus track:

15. Forget About The Blame (featuring Lzzy Hale) (J Green)

Former CALIFORNIA BREED guitarist Andrew Watt has just released his solo debut EP, "Ghost In My Head", via John Varvatos Records/Republic Records. The digital EP includes the first single from Watt, the title track, "Ghost In My Head". "Ghost In My Head" paves the way for Watt's blues-infused, guitar-driven rock prowess. Converging between a robust wall of distortion and a distinct vocal howl, the song and the EP in its entirety proves potent, powerful, and passionate with a surprise around every corner. The 24-year-old Watt is no stranger to the rock scene, having received critical acclaim from rock icons including Jason Bonham and Chad Smith of the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, who lent his skills to the percussion heard on the EP. At a recent performance, Watt was joined onstage not only by Chad Smith but rock and roll photographer and director Danny Clinch (who performed on harmonica). Watt will bring his sound to the masses on the road this fall as the support act for THE STRUTS on their upcoming North American run. Born in New York and now based in Los Angeles, Watt conjured up a striking and soulful sound after touring and writing with numerous artists across genres since the age of 16. 2013 saw him co-found CALIFORNIA BREED with Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) and Jason Bonham (FOREIGNER, LED ZEPPELIN), release the group's incendiary full-length debut, and tour with Slash and many others. Watt is also a producer, songwriter and musical director, working with artists across multiple genres, including Justin Bieber and Skrillex, Kygo, DJ Snake, Cody Simpson, SNBRN and more. A devout CALIFORNIA BREED fan, John Varvatos asked to hear Andrew's solo music and offered him a deal in 2015.

"Ghost In My Head" is produced by Alain Johannes (ELEVEN, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, THEM CROOKED VULTURES) and features Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) and Joey Castillo (ex-QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, DANZIG) on the drum throne. "Ghost In My Head" track listing:

01. High02. Ghost In My Head03. Seeing Red04. Runaway

Video footage of Pennsylvania-based singer/songwriter Sarah Kane (Facebook page) performing a piano-based cover version of PANTERA's song "Cowboys From Hell" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Brad Podray (web site).

Kane first made headlines in 2013 when a clip was released of her performing a piano-based cover version of CANNIBAL CORPSE's death metal song "Carnivorous Swarm". She followed it up in 2014 with a rendition of MESHUGGAH's "Bleed".

Sarah is a full-time musician in the city of Philadelphia where she sings for EBE entertainment agency and is a regular entertainer and piano player at Jolly's piano bar in center city Philadelphia. She is also a professional makeup artist and fine artist, specializing in portraiture. Sarah's greatest musical influences spring from the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Madonna, Billy Joel, STEELY DAN, Sheryl Crow, James Brown, Carol King and Bonnie Raitt.

Kane's first album, "Evoke", was recorded with producer Tony Moore of TMmuzix.


MESHUGGAH's "Bleed":


CANNIBAL CORPSE's "Carnivorous Swarm":

WHIPLASH guitarist/vocalist Tony Portaro has rejoined forces with the band's original drummer, Tony Scaglione, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of WHIPLASH's classic debut album, "Power And Pain". Along with bassist Dank DeLong, they will unleash their powerful brand of thrash to fans all around the world, beginning in 2016.

WHIPLASH was originally a three-piece power trio, hailing from New Jersey. Formed by Portaro and Scaglione in 1984, the band recruited Tony Bono (R.I.P. 2002) on bass, and was affectionately referred to as the "three Tonys."

Scaglione, who had a brief stint as SLAYER's touring drummer following the departure of Dave Lombardo in 1986, says: "The stars have finally aligned! It's with great pleasure that I can officially announce my return to WHIPLASH, where it all started for Tony Portaro and I.

"It is truly an honor to realize that people to this day still appreciate the music we created after all of these years.

"I can't wait to get back on stage, and in the studio with Tony and Dank, and deliver some power-thrashing death!"

WHIPLASH will headline True Thrash Fest 2016 in Osaka, Japan for two shows on February 13 and February 14, with more bands to be announced.

WHIPLASH's revamped lineup will play its first gig on January 23 at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, New York, and will be at Blackthorn 51 in Queens, New York on February 5.

WHIPLASH recently spent time in the studio working on a new EP titled "Old School American Way" which has yet to see light of day.

States Portaro: "We have always been extremely grateful to all our followers, and the hairs on my arms are standing up just thinking about performing with Scaglione again!

"Taking the true core to Japan for the first time will be a momentous occasion, and we are planning to give Japan something special. Now, with Tony back, we will hold off on the EP, which has been getting label interest, and will instead expand it to a full-length, full-force thrash explosion."

WHIPLASH 2016 is:

Tony Portaro - guitar/vocalsTony Scaglione - drumsDank DeLong - bass

Ripple Music announce the release of Oblivion Cycle, the new album from Oakland, California’s Blackwülf this December.
 
The band – featuring vocalist Alex Cunningham, guitarist Pete Holmes, drummer Dave Pankenier and bassist Scott Peterson – prowl the musical feeding grounds of stoner rock, doom-cloaked soundscapes and vintage heavy metal. Dark sonic forests provide coverage for their unholy mix of parapsychological anger and aggression, and bluesy head-banging riffs.
 
With a résumé that includes member stints with bands like San Francisco’s Acid King, The Nads, Tucson’s Naked Prey and Mountain Pig, Blackwülf is already a seasoned predator. Formed in 2012, it wasn’t until January of last year that the band unleashed their debut album Mind Traveller on Wicker Man Recordings, pressed on clear red vinyl and featuring jacket illustrations from acclaimed San Franciscan artist Alan Forbes (Queens Of The Stone Age, The Misfits). The record, much like Blackwülf themselves is unabashed in its typical, “What you see is what you get” aesthetic, melding heavy stoner riffs to sincere, pure rock indulgence.
 
Offering up a pounding dose of melody and raw power with a nod to the golden old schools of heavy 70s and 80s pre-thrash metal, Blackwülf’s Oblivion Cycle will be released on December 11th through Ripple Music. In the meantime, you download the new song, “The Locust” for free here.

“The Locust”:

Order on CD / LP.

(Photo: Raymond Ahner)

The British Live Performance Series - an eclectic collection of artists, all recorded live in the UK - announce an October 30th release from Uriah Heep.

Heavy rockers Uriah Heep broke onto the world stage in 1972 with the Demons & Wizards LP and never looked back. They stand with Deep Purple as foundation-stones of the British rock tradition, having influenced generations of bands including Queen.

Founded in the late Sixties as Spice, they rock on today with irrepressible guitarist/founder Mick Box still at the helm. This show was filmed in November 1989 for the UK TV show Bedrock, and captures their second classic lineup at the peak of its collective powers. In the immortal phrase founder Mick Box is so fond of, ''Appy Days...”

Uriah Heep tracklisting:

“Bird Of Prey”
“Bad Bad Man”
“Stealin'”
“Blood Red Roses”
“Mr. Majestic”
“The Wizard”
“July Morning”
“Rich Kid”
“Gypsy”
“Easy Livin'”
“Lady In Black”
“Land Of Hope And Glory (Pomp And Circumstance)”

PRONG mainman and DANZIG guitarist Tommy Victor has tweeted a photo (see below) of several metal legends hanging out together in New Orleans earlier this week, including Glenn Danzig, Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT), Sean Yseult (WHITE ZOMBIE) and what appears to be GHOST frontman Papa Emeritus III — believed to be Swedish musician Tobias Forge of MAGNA CARTA CARTEL, REPUGNANT and SUBVISION — without his trademark makeup.

GHOST performs under complete anonymity, with only Papa Emeritus III having a distinct identity.

Speaking to Jägermeister at the Sonisphere festival in the U.K., one of the Nameless Ghouls from GHOST said about previous Papa Emeritus photo leaks: "We don't really know what to say about that except for we keep our identities as secret as we possibly can, of course, but at some point it's bound to happen, some things that are not really optimal for us, of course. But the identity part is always gonna be, for as long as can take it, it's gonna be a hassle in many ways, and I think we have managed to keep it below the radar, for the most part, at least."

A Nameless Ghoul admitted to RollingStone.com: "You know, we thought we were going to be completely outed and everything was going to be over basically one week after the first record came out. We're as baffled as anyone that it hasn't happened yet. I have no idea how we've done it."

Regarding GHOST's decision to keep their identities under wraps, the Nameless Ghoul said: "The reason for us doing this band the way we chose to do it was so that there would not be any focus on us as individuals. But as we have grown, we understand that there is, anyway."

GHOST's third album, "Meliora", entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 8 with first-week sales of just over 29,000 units — nearly all from pure album sales. The set follows the No. 28-peaking "Infestissumam", which was released in 2013 and has sold almost 70,000 copes in the U.S. to date.

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

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

Fan-filmed video footage of METAL ALLEGIANCE performing the METALLICA classic "Seek & Destroy" on October 10 at the Loud Park festival at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan can be seen below.

METAL ALLEGIANCE is an all-star metal band consisting of a rotating cast of musicians, including members of MEGADETH and TESTAMENT.

METAL ALLEGIANCE's lineup for the "Seek & Destroy" performance consisted of the following musicians:

* Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX)* Scott Ian (ANTHRAX)* Frank Bello (ANTHRAX)* Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT)* Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT)* Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL)* Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER)* David Ellefson (MEGADETH)

METAL ALLEGIANCE' self-titled debut album was released on September 18 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Brought together by METAL ALLEGIANCE principal partner Mark Menghi, the project's original material came together from the creative minds of David Ellefson of MEGADETH, Mike Portnoy of THE WINERY DOGS, and Alex Skolnick from TESTAMENT, alongside Menghi. The four writers then reached out through their metal rolodexes to a diverse lineup of performers, each adding their own personal musical stamp to the collection of nine original songs.

The standard edition CD of "Metal Allegiance" features nine original songs. A digipak edition is available that features an all-star tribute to Ronnie James Dio with a cover of his classic song "We Rock" as well as a 45-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the album. A double vinyl version is also available that features all 10 songs.

Stemming from an initial idea in 2011, METAL ALLEGIANCE was born as a way to unite a collection of hard rock and heavy metal's most notable musicians in a setting born under one ideal, a love of music and performing. In 2015, that ideal still holds true and has become the foundation for everything METAL ALLEGIANCE; furthered with the release of the debut album. While the lineup may change, the passion, the energy and the emotion all remain the same. METAL ALLEGIANCE is more than just a record or a concert — it's an experience and a lifestyle.

"Love And Scars", the long-awaited sophomore album from legendary KING'S X drummer Jerry Gaskill, will be released on Friday, October 30 via Rat Pak Records.

The song "Sandy" from "Love And Scars" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

Commented Gaskill: "Here is 'Sandy' the second single from my forthcoming CD, 'Love And Scars', CD and here is a little backstory for you. "Superstorm Sandy was, and is still, a devastating occurrence in American history. The town where I lived at that time and the surrounding towns were hit very hard. We lost practically everything we had, as did many, many others along the upper East Coast.

"I had one song that I hadn't shown to Dan. I had music ideas but no lyrics. As always, Dan ran with it and added some great musical ideas of his own.

"I decided to write about Sandy. I don't normally write about a specific situation like this, but it seemed appropriate and the words just came.

"I feel like the chorus comes from a different angle when talking about Sandy.

"Sandy was so unbelievably powerful that I felt I should give her due respect. Thus the chorus goes something like… run away, go away, take from us your worthy pay, just let us have our peace when you’ve moved on.

"As my wife puts it, 2012 was a banner year for us. First I died, then we got married and then we became homeless.

"For all the tragedy that has happened, I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything turned into a better situation that could not have been had it not been for those very tragedies." Featuring Billy Sheehan, Phil Keaggy, Earl Slick, DA Karkos, Andee Blacksugar and a host of other notable musicians, "Love And Scars" marks the completion of a long musical journey that started almost a decade ago. Enduring a series of personal tragedies along the way, including two heart attacks, and losing all his possessions in Hurricane Sandy, Jerry remained steadfast and true in his belief that music heals all. "It's been a long time coming and I've had some heavy obstacles to deal with, but the record is finally ready and I couldn't be more proud of what we've accomplished!" says Jerry. "Love And Scars" also spotlights Jerry's vocal and songwriting talents as he passionately pours his heart out into each and every song, putting to music all of his triumphs and tragedies of the last decade. "The lyrical content of this album is simply about everyday life the way I see it and I hope that people will be able to relate to it on some kind of personal level," says Jerry. It quickly becomes evident within the first few seconds of this album that Jerry is highly influenced by his own band KING'S X, as well as some of his earlier influences like THE BEATLES, LED ZEPPELIN, Bob Dylan and GRAND FUNK RAILROAD. "Drummers don't always get the opportunity to showcase their full songwriting capabilities, but Jerry raises the bar and delivers a very solid offering with 'Love And Scars'," says Rat Pak Records owner Joe O'Brien.

"Love And Scars" track listing:

01. Far Away02. This Picture03. No More Yesterday04. Hypothetical05. Waking Up06. Never Ever Know07. Sandy08. Patty's Song09. Paradise10. Sad11. Girl In The Warehouse12. Goodbye Song "Love And Scars" was produced and mixed by DA Karkos. It was mastered by Kurdt Vanderhoof of METAL CHURCH.

Following the impressive main-stage performance of Zak Stevens with SAVATAGE and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA in front of 80,000 people at Wacken Open Air festival 2015, Zak and his band CIRCLE II CIRCLE will release their new album, "Reign Of Darkness", on October 16 via earMUSIC.

The official lyric video for the song "Ghost Of The Devil" from "Reign Of Darkness" can be seen below.

earMUSIC/Edel and Zak Stevens have enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success together over the years with SAVATAGE albums like "Edge Of Thorns", "The Wake Of Magellan" and "Dead Winter Dead" (true milestones of hard rock and metal and some of the biggest charts metal successes of the '90s) and CIRCLE II CIRCLE albums such as "Seasons Will Fall" alike.

CIRCLE II CIRCLE is a band that has been reinventing itself through the years, but maintaining that signature sound that fans around the world love. "Reign Of Darkness" is no exception to that attitude, bringing out the very best CIRCLE II CIRCLE has to offer. Needless to say, "Reign Of Darkness" overshadows what has been done before.

Says Stevens: "You might say that 'Reign Of Darkness' represents a musical reinvention for us, but the minute you hear each song you know right away that it's CIRCLE II CIRCLE. We wanted to pay homage to the past, but we also wanted to create a musical renaissance within our genre that is fresh and energetic. This is an album that will positively pave the way for our future."

"Reign Of Darkness" features the powerful metal sound, strong hard rock riffs, both emphasizing Zak Stevens's passionate melodic rock vocals. Again, the band has created something new, something fresh and vigorous. And the artwork definitely sets new standards.

"Reign Of Darkness" track listing:

01. Over-Underture02. Victim Of The Night03. Untold Dreams04. It's All Over05. One More Day06. Ghost Of The Devil07. Somewhere08. Deep Within09. Taken Away10. Sinister Love11. Solitary Rain

CIRCLE II CIRCLE is:

Zak Stevens (SAVATAGE) - VocalsMitch Stewart - Bass/VocalsBill Hudson (POWER QUEST, CELLADOR) - Guitars/VocalsChristian Wentz - Guitars/VocalsHenning Wanner (WHITE LION, JADED HEART) - Keyboards/VocalsMarcelo Moreira (ALMAH, SYMBOLICA, MARMOR) - Drums

All roads have led to this. Forty-one years in the making, RUSH's "R40 Live" tour took a very real journey back through time. Beginning with the grand design: a state-of-the-art stage set that pivots, rolls and dives, and brings "Clockwork Angels" in to bombastic, colorful life before marching stridently back in time (through theatre stages, a panoply of band and fan shots, the accrued memories of a life spent playing live) to a mocked-up school gym and the band playing there; a solitary bass amp set on the chair behind Geddy Lee, a mirror ball spiraling crazily above, casting thin rods of light like a light rain across the crowd, "Working Man" coming to a shuddering halt as the band's beginning becomes their end.

RUSH recorded and filmed "R40 Live" over two sold-out shows in the band's hometown of Toronto at the Air Canada Centre on June 17 and June 19, 2015 in the middle of their "R40 Live" 35-date North American tour.

"R40 Live" had the trio of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart, performing a career-spanning live retrospective, celebrating their 40-plus years together. The epic live shows by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers were captured with 14 cameras to present the band feature-film style.

The center-point of this tour was the remarkable setlist, coupled with their idea of a "de-evolution" set design. When the band opened the show with cuts "Headlong Flight" and "The Anarchist" from their most recent studio recording, 2012's "Clockwork Angels", they did so with all the bells and whistles from that extensive tour. They worked backwards through their catalogue as the show progressed, the innovative set design making for constant visual eye-candy, as stagehands exchanged the gear and props on stage to resemble the era-correct tour staging in accordance with the songs being played.

The first set featured the infamous dryers on stage while they played "Roll The Bones", "Subdivisions", and for the first time ever live, "Losing It" featuring violinist Ben Mink, who appeared on the original studio recording from 1982's "Signals".

The second set opened with classics "Tom Sawyer", followed by crowd favorite "The Spirit Of Radio", but also included "Jacob's Ladder", which hasn't been performed live since 1980 on their "Permanent Waves" tour. The last few songs of the "R40" were set against the persimmon curtained theatre-looking stage, with the crowd raising their lighters and camera phones to "Closer To The Heart", and then Alex and Geddy appeared with their signature doubleneck guitars as they played "Xanadu", into the epic "2112" and encored with "Lakeside Park/Anthem" and "What You're Doing/Working Man".

The concert film also includes the the band's renowned tour videos, highlighted by "Roll The Bones (R40 Live)", that features an array of special guests in the rap part of the song: Jay Baruchel (SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE), Les Claypool (PRIMUS), Peter Dinklage ("Game Of Thrones"), Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, AUDIOSLAVE), Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), "The Trailer Park Boys", and Jason Segel and Paul Rudd ("I Love You, Man"). It is the first time the band put the song back in the setlist since the "R30" tour, a full decade ago. During the "R40 Live" tour, "Roll The Bones" gained new life and became a fan-favorite with an arena sing-along to the chorus "Why are we here? Because we're here — Roll The Bones."

Singer/bassist Geddy Lee explained how the large group of cameo appearances came about: "We had this older video of an animated skeleton doing the 'rap' part of 'Roll The Bones', and felt it was time to update the concept for this tour. So after a lot of joking around with our show design team, we thought it would fun if we called upon some of our well-known pals and see if they wanted to have some fun with the lyrics. There were so many good and funny moments that it was hard to choose, some really hilarious and outrageous stuff! I'm so glad it worked out as it brought a big smile to the faces in the audience (and to us) every single night!"

"R40 Live" audio was produced by RUSH and David Botrill, and mixed by David Botrill (TOOL, MUSE); the film was directed by Dale Heslip, and produced by Allan Weinrib. The live photograph on the cover of "R40" was shot by baseball Hall Of Famer Randy Johnson, who captured the band in a rare moment when both Geddy Lee and Alex LIfeson were on Neil Peart's drum kit riser.

"As a friend and fan of RUSH, and the passion I have for photography to capture moments, it's great that both can blend together in a lasting impression, here for the world to see," commented the self-described 6' 10" ninja in the photo pit," who was on a portion of the tour in his new role as photographer.

"R40 Live" will be released on November 20, 2015, and will be available in the following configurations:

* 3-CD/1 Blu-ray set* 3-CD/1 DVD set* 3-CD set (audio only)* Single-disc Blu-ray* Single-disc DVD

Pre-orders from the band's site will feature each configuration bundled with a special "R40" All Over t-shirt.

"Believe In Yourself", the new video from Rikard Zander, the keyboard player of the Swedish metal band EVERGREY, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in New York City on a day off during EVERGREY's latest North American tour.

Said Rikard: "Shooting a video in New York City has always been on my bucket list, so I guess my work on this planet is done now.

"The video was filmed on several locations all over Manhattan and directed by EVERGREY drummer Jonas Ekdahl, who also plays the drums on 'Believe In Yourself'.

"The video turned out great and we also managed to squeeze in some bar hopping in between takes. Now that's what I call a really good day."

"Believe In Yourself" also features Marcus Jidell (AVATARIUM) on guitar and Johan Niemann (EVERGREY) on bass. The song is taken from RIKARD Z's upcoming solo album, which is a far cry, musically, from the metal Rikard usually plays. "It's obviously more keys and less guitars, but I guess people who are familiar with my work will recognize it," Rikard said.

According to Rikard, his solo project will not interfere with EVERGREY, whose latest album, "Hymns For The Broken", has been praised by fans and critics worldwide.

"EVERGREY is my home, but sometimes you have to take a chance and do something different, and this was too good to keep for myself," Rikard explained.

Rikard Zander's first solo single, "The World Makes Sure You'll Die", was released on May 27 via Spinnup.

Former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler says that he doesn't know anything about a reunion of the band's classic lineup, adding that he will be the last person to hear about it because ex-GUNS guitarist Slash can't trust him to keep the information secret. Asked if he had heard anything about a reunion, Adler told Red Beard of LA Rocks TV (see video below): "I have no idea about nothing. I will be the last person to know. Because I've known for Slash thirty-what… thirty-nine years, and he knows that I would climb to the [highest] mountain and I would do, as Paul Stanley would say, 'shout it out loud.' And I don't know nothing." Adler went on to say that he hoped a reunion would materialize, adding that "we owe it to the fans to do it."

Slash recently revealed that he and GUNS lead singer Axl Rose had repaired their estranged relationship after nearly 20 years, immediately leading to a storm of speculation about a possible reunion of the classic GUNS lineup.

Adler told VH1 Classic's Eddie Trunk about the possibility of a GN'R reunion: "I love those guys, and I always will, but Duff [McKagan, former GUNS N' ROSES bassist], he doesn't think I'm cool. And Slash, he doesn't believe that I have 21 months and 21 days sober. He doesn't believe it. I don't know why, but they forget that at one time in their life, they were doing drugs and drinking and they were fucking up. They forget that they were like that too. Duff has got 20 years sober or more, Slash has got, like, 11 or 12 years sober, and I've got a year, nine months and 21 days. So everybody gets it at a different time. I'm just thankful I got it."

Adler was fired from GUNS N' ROSES in 1990 for his rampant drug use and replaced by Matt Sorum. Fans have wondered whether both drummers would be brought back for a reunion tour.

Sorum told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that if the band reunites, he and Adler should both be there. "If it's me on drums or Steven or whatever, if it happened, it'd be great, you know," he said. "I would actually say to them, 'Hey, bring both of us back,' you know. Let me play the other stuff. We'll have two drum kits. I don't care. If 'Appetite For Destruction' [the band's debut] sounds better with Steven playing it, have both guys up there. They can afford it."

Adler says he remains in contact with Slash, and has also communicated with Axl Rose in the past few years.

He expressed frustration that the original GUNS has not reunited, saying, "I don't get it. We just play music. We're living our dream. When we're together, we play it really great. Let's just do it. What's the problem?"

Adler is currently playing with his own self-named band.

Fan-filmed video footage of ZAKK SABBATH, the BLACK SABBATH cover band featuring guitarist/vocalist Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE), bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (OZZY OSBOURNE, ROB ZOMBIE) and drummer Joey Castillo (DANZIG, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE), performing on October 8 at The Slidebar in Fullerton, California can be seen below.

ZAKK SABBATH, with John Tempesta (THE CULT, EXODUS, TESTAMENT) sitting behind the kit instead of Castillo, opened for ROYAL MACHINES on December 20, 2014 at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's 2011 release, "The Song Remains Not the Same", featured acoustic reworkings of songs from the band's "Order Of The Black" album as well as covers of tunes by CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG, TRAFFIC and BLACK SABBATH.

Wylde spoke to Music Radar about the decision to cover SABBATH's "Junior's Eyes".

"With me and covers, you know, I'm always going to go for the classic stuff," he said. "Of course, we all love SABBATH — I mean, who doesn't? — so I was just jammin' on the piano, and before you knew it, I was singing and playing 'Junior's Eyes'. I got a piano vamp thing going, and I started singing Ozzy's melody."

Asked if he had played his version for his former boss, Wylde said: "Yeah, I sent it to him [on] Father's Day. He was like [imitates Osbourne], 'Oh, Zakk, it sounds killer, man. It reminds me of a gospel tune.' No, Ozzy totally loved the SABBATH cover."

In a 2014 interview with Songfacts, Wylde said that he didn't think the Ronnie James Dio-fronted version of BLACK SABBATH stayed true to the band's classic sound. He said: "You listen to BLACK SABBATH with Ronnie James Dio in it, and it's not BLACK SABBATH. They should have just called it HEAVEN & HELL right from the beginning. Because you listen to that 'Heaven And Hell' album, that doesn't sound anything close to BLACK SABBATH. I mean, that sounds about as much like BLACK SABBATH as 'Blizzard Of Ozz' sounds like BLACK SABBATH. If you were to play BLACK SABBATH for me — and I'm a huge SABBATH freako — and then with Father Dio over there, I'd be going, 'Oh, cool, what band is this? This is good stuff.' I mean, the songs don't even sound BLACK SABBATH-y. I mean, 'Neon Knights', could you picture Ozzy singing over that song? I can't either. It's weird. It's a whole different band."

"Staring Down The Dust", the debut single from TEN COMMANDOS, the new project featuring SOUNDGARDEN and PEARL JAM drummer Matt Cameron, SOUNDGARDEN bassist Ben Shepherd, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE guitarist Alain Johannes and SCREAMING TREES singer Mark Lanegan, can be streamed using the Spotify player below.

TEN COMMANDOS's first album is expected to arrive in November.

The project has been in the works since at least early 2014, when TEN COMMANDOS members shared several photos of themselves working together on new music.

SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell, who also records and tours as a solo artist, told The Pulse Of Radio that working on different projects is what keeps an artist fresh. "At no time am I immersed in something that I've been doing too much of, and I think that's kind of what kills the creative spirit," he said. "That's sort of what burnout comes from, I think. It's not from doing too much, it's from doing the same thing too much."

Cameron and Shepherd previously played together in the side projects HATER and WELLWATER CONSPIRACY, which both formed in 1993 and released a handful of albums each.

SOUNDGARDEN is currently writing music for its seventh studio album, while Cornell is also on a solo acoustic tour. PEARL JAM is on hiatus but will likely work on a new studio set in 2016.

California metallers Saviours will drop the molten fruits of their new full-length this October 30th via a new partnership with France's Listenable Records. Titled Palace Of Vision, their first full-length in four years was captured at Type Foundry in Portland, Oregon with the inimitable Billy Anderson (Neurosis, Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth, Eyehategod, Taurus, Ommadon etc.) and boasts nine tracks of Saviours' signature brand of towering riffs, colossal rhythms, infectious guitar harmonies and an obsession with the end of times, the occult, psychedelics and the arcane.

Listen to the new track, “Hell’s Floor”, streaming below:

As an added bonus, the record comes sheathed in the fittingly dark, intricately transfixing cover renderings of Derrick Snodgrass (Obliterations, Lecherous Gaze).

Palace Of Vision tracklisting:

“The Mountain”
“Flesh Of Fire”
“Devil's Crown”
“Palace Of Vision”
“Burning Shrine”
“Hell's Floor”
“The Beast Remains”
“Cursed Night”
“The Seeker”

“Flesh Of Fire”:

“Burning Shrine”:

 
Saviours will embark upon a North American fall tour supporting Corrosion Of Conformity and Brant Bjork And The Low Desert Punk Band. The trek will commence on November 16th and run through December 10th with additional support provided by Mothership. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 18th at all local ticket outlets.

Saviours tour dates:

November
1 - Day Of The Shred Festival @ The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA

November (with Corrosion Of Conformity, Brant Bjork And The Low Desert Punk Band, Mothership)
16 - Pub Rock - Scottsdale, AZ
17 - Teragram Ballroom - Los Angeles, CA
18 - Slim's - San Francisco, CA
20 - Venue Nightclub - Vancouver, BC
21 - Neumo's - Seattle, WA
23 - The Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
24 - The Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
25 - Mill City Nights - Minneapolis, MN
28 - The Odeon - Cleveland, OH
29 - Underground Arts - Philadelphia, PA

December
1 - Opera House - Toronto, ON
3 - Altar Bar - Pittsburgh, PA
7 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
9 - Shaka's Live - Virginia Beach, VA
10 - Lincoln Theatre - Raleigh, NC
 
Saviours:

Austin Barber - guitar, vocals
Sonny Reinhardt - guitar, vocals
Scott Batiste - drums
Andy Anderson - bass

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.

The song "Living With The Dead" from "With The Dead" can be streamed 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

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.

More fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

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.

Congratulations Tony Laureano for your first show with @Megadeth!! pic.twitter.com/8BkiDeBmli

— MegadethizeD (@Megadethizer) October 6, 2015

San Francisco Bay Area thrashers TESTAMENT have tapped drummer Alex Bent (BATTLECROSS, DECREPIT BIRTH) to sit behind the kit for the band performances in Japan (October 10 at the Loud Park festival) and Hawaii (October 11 in Honolulu).

Bent previously played with TESTAMENT on August 8 at the Heavy Montreal festival at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was filling in for longtime TESTAMENT drummer Gene Hoglan, who was forced to miss the gig due to his touring commitments in Europe with DEATH TO ALL (DTA).

Check out video fan-filmed footage of the Heavy Montreal show below.

A new TESTAMENT studio album is currently being written for a tentative early 2016 release.

TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson recently told Lithium Magazine about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2012's "Dark Roots Of Earth" album: "We're still working on it. I would say, probably, realistically, we're about halfway done. It depends on how it could just come to us and be done when I get home, or if you hit certain obstacles and different shows come up and tours. But I think the juices are starting to flow now… 'cause it's been so long, and we've been busting our balls and trying to get this record done, and I think we're getting it back into the whole vibe of what we really wanna do. 'Cause, I mean, we're on our eleventh record, and we're into this, like, 25, 30 years now. It's kind of, like, there's so many bands doing what we do, our style of music, and, I think, a band like us, when you've been around this long, you don't wanna just put out the same thing; you don't wanna do the cookie-cutter kind of thing, where you're just, like, 'Let's just copy what we did before.' For me, it's gotta come from the heart. So that's why it's taking so long. I think everybody will be stoked when it comes out."

Regarding the musical direction of the new TESTAMENT material, Eric said: "When you're beginning [as a band], you're just evolving — you're not thinking about it — but once you get to a certain plateau, you start going, 'Okay, do we wanna sound like our older stuff, or are we gonna do something like the new bands are doing now?' Like, 'You guys have gotta sound like this,' or, 'You're gonna do this. You're gonna do that.' So, I think where we're at, we're kind of choosing what record we wanna sound like, and then when I go to write songs, they don't sound like that. 'Cause it's just, like, you can't do that. Who knows what I was doing or what I was thinking when I wrote that? So, I mean, it's gonna come out. You do your best of what you're into at the time, and I really like what I'm creating right now. The stuff that I've written so far is a lot more thrashy. And Chuck is on the edge of whether he wants to do 'death' vocals or clean vocals. I prefer when he's more of a singing style and using the 'death' stuff to throw it over the fence."

French female-fronted industrial metal act Dust In Mind released their debut album, Never Look Back, on September 18th via Dark Tunes Music Group as a limited digipak and digital download.

A press release states: “With their debut album Never Look Back, the female-lead five piece band from Strasbourg promises not only to fulfill the highest of expectations, but to surpass them. Catching melodies coupled with the most dissonant of riffs, that might be reminiscent of Hypocrisy are refined to a mixture of hardness and beauty by the angelic and vigorous voice of the female lead singer Jen. While Dam, her male counterpart at the microphone, brings those metal fans to bang their head with his dynamic growls.”

Never Look Back tracklisting:

“Intro”
“How Can You”
“I Love As I Hate”
“Never Look Back”
“The Slave Of Man”
“Give Up”
“Frozen Smiles”
“Real Nightmare”
“Farewell”
“Toxic”
“My Departure”

Video “Never Look Back”:

In August, Dust In Mind released a video for “Frozen Smiles”:

(Photo by: Vladimir Tankovitch)

 

 

Arch Enemy recently checked in with the following surprise announcement:

"We're very excited about returning to Japan next month for a performance at the 10th anniversary of the Loud Park festival! We will be bringing two very special guests...original Arch Enemy members Johan Liiva and Christopher Amott!"

BraveWords scribe Carl Begai spoke with Liiva, currently fronting Nonexist, shortly after the announcement was made. Following is an excerpt from the interview:

One has to remember that reunions of any kind aren’t simply a matter of band members burying whatever hatchets had been previously sharpened. There’s management and contracts to deal with, and Arch Enemy is no different. It’s a unique situation, however, in that former Arch Enemy vocalist Angela Gossow is now the band’s manager, meaning Liiva has had to work with his vocal successor putting the Loud Park details together.

“It’s totally comfortable, not strange at all,” Liiva reveals. “I’ve been in contact with Angela since the spring about the arrangements for Loud Park, the visa, and she helped me through it, sent me the forms I needed, and guided me. She spent 14 years in the band I have total respect for that. I told her at one point, because I felt that I had to bring it up, that I never had any problems with her replacing me. Of course, in the beginning I felt really awkward and shocked, but I never really had any problem with it. That’s how I am. I don’t hold old grudges. Angela is a good person and a total professional.”

Go to this location for the complete story.

The new Nonexist album, Throne Of Scars, will be released October 23rd through Mighty Music. Stay tuned for an exclusive BraveWords interview with Liiva, coming soon.

Nonexist consists of and Johan Liiva (Arch Enemy, Carnage, Furbowl) and Johan Reinholdz (Andromeda, Skyfire).

Throne of Scars features nine tracks and is produced and mixed by Johan Reinholdz at Multipass Studios with the assistance of Markus Nilsson at Sunnanå Studio in Malmö. The style of the songs retains the atmosphere from the previous album, From My Cold Dead Hands; dark, intense, varied and heavy while also adding some new influences in the mix.

The release party for Throne Of Scars will be held at the rock bar Zeppelin in Copenhagen, Denmark and the band will be there and present the new album and DJ together with the Mighty Music crew. For more details visit Facebook.

"Fish On", the new NSFW video from LINDEMANN, the project featuring vocalist Till Lindemann of German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN and Swedish producer and multi-instrumentalist Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN), can be seen below. The song has just been released as a single, also featuring the previously unreleased track "G-Spot Michael" as well as the Drago Baotic Smooth Version of "Praise Abort".

Tägtgren recently told Kaaos TV about the response to LINDEMANN's debut album, "Skills In Pills": "It's been really good. I mean, some people are, 'Ah, the lyrics are so immature.' [But] I think it's funny lyrics. me and Till are immature people. So, you know, we're just having fun with… He's discovering the English words; he's always been writing in German [with RAMMSTEIN]. And now, his crazy ideas and all the English stuff, it's like plucking the tree, he always tells me, from fruit, because the German tree is already empty for him, he said. So it's really refreshing for him to do all these things in English. I mean, so far it really went very well — Number One in a lot of countries, including Finland. So it was surprising. Some [reviews] are more, like, 'Yeah, immature guys going crazy.' But, hey, it's a party album. It's like, you know, Billy Idol in 2015 on… I don't know… speed. It's a party album. We want people to get a good feeling when we do it. It's great party music, I think. It's an album that you can get in a mood before you go to a festival, or before you go out to the bar or something, to get a good feeling."

Regarding LINDEMANN's plans to perform live, Peter said: "Mainly, it is that we have to see if the promoters are interested in it, and how should we do it? Should we do it huge, or should we do it very small club punk rock? We don't know anything yet. So we're still collecting info from our promoter. He's throwing out some lines here and there to see who is interested and what can we expect, and where will we be on the bill? Will we play in the bar, or in the tent or on the main stage? We need to know these things before we start planning: 'Okay, are we gonna go crazy with the stage, or should we go very small?' It's still a little bit too early to know."

He continued: "I think if it's gonna happen, it's gonna be festivals. That's what I think right now. Everything changes constantly between me and [Till]. So you never know. Maybe tomorrow we're gonna play on the moon. So, we never know. We'll find out… It's better not to say too much until we know for sure. But I hope that we're gonna go out and play."

"Skills In Pills" was released on June 23 via Warner Bros..

The album was made available in the following formats:

* Standard Edition (2-panel digipack, 28-page booklet)* Special Edition (Blu-ray-packaging, 28-page booklet, bonus track "That's My Heart")* Super Deluxe Edition (large-size book, hardcover, 80 pages, telescope-carton, CD+bonus track "That's My Heart")* Vinyl (gatefold sleeve, 28-page booklet, bonus track, includes album-download code)* Digital

Photo courtesy of Warner Music / Tomaso Baldesarini

Swedish melodic metallers AMARANTHE will release a digital-only compilation of B-sides on October 30. "Breaking Point - B-Sides 2011-2015" will feature eight tracks. "As some of you know, AMARANTHE has recorded quite a few b-sides and bonus tracks throughout the years," AMARANTHE guitarist Olof Mörck said. "We've always tried to keep the quality high, as something extra for our fans, but until now a lot of these tracks have been hard-to-find rarities, and quite spread out.

"We are now very excited to release a collection of some of the best b-sides and bonuses: 'Breaking Point: B-sides 2011-2015'. It focuses on some of the best acoustic renditions of fan favorites as well as a couple of originals from the early days! Enjoy this rare and different side of AMARANTHE!" "Breaking Point - B-Sides 2011-2015" track listing: 01. Hunger (acoustic)02. Afterlife (acoustic)03. Amaranthine (acoustic)04. Burn With Me (acoustic)05. Trinity (acoustic)06. True (acoustic)07. Breaking Point08. Splinter In My Soul In other news, AMARANTHE will soon release a new video for the song "True", taken from the 2014 album "Massive Addictive" and which is acoustically rendered on the B-sides release. "With the high-octane energy of singles/videos 'Digital World' and 'Drop Dead Cynical',, we wanted a slightly more mellow third single," Olof explained. "The choice fell upon 'True', which provides a great contrast with its hopeful yet melancholy lyrics and style. To match this with the perfect video, we once again turned to mastermind Patric Ullaeus, and the result is an inspiring and engaging take on how your dreams and visions don't always turn out the way you planned. But instead, there might be something greater than you hoped for down the line, as long as your heart stays true." AMARANTHE will return to the U.S. fall on an epic headline tour with BUTCHER BABIES in tow.

Heavy Metal Greg has uploaded video footage of SCORPIONS' October 3 performance at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Check it out below.

As previously reported, SCORPIONS continue to celebrate their 50th year with a special one-night national screening event of their first theatrical release, the documentary film "Forever And A Day", on Wednesday, October 14.

Presented by SpectiCast and Tempest Films, "Forever And A Day" captures the history of one of the most influential bands in music history — following them for 18 months with an insightful look into the dynamic that has kept them at the top of the metal community. Filmmaker Katja von Garnier accompanied the SCORPIONS on their "Final Sting" dates — originally the band’s farewell tour around the globe, from Bangkok via Los Angeles to Moscow. The resulting documentary, "Forever And A Day", is a moving portrait of their unique history, packed with candid moments and SCORPIONS' memories, culminating with the decision to scrap their retirement plans. Singer Klaus Meine says: "I think it'll be a really special film for our fans." The title "Forever And A Day" outlines the philosophy SCORPIONS have internalized since their early days. In the '80s of the past century, they wrapped it up in the slogan "Don‘t Stop At The Top" (allegorical: Never rest on your laurels). They simply are travelers, who always seek new challenges, overcoming all obstacles along the way.

For more information on locations and tickets, go to this location.

SCORPIONS' "Return To Forever 50th Anniversary Tour", featuring longtime members Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs, alongside James Kottak (drums) and Paweł Mąciwoda (bass), kicked off in May 2015 with dates on four continents. For these milestone shows, SCORPIONS have built a career-spanning setlist of their hits, anthems, ballads and vintage classics.

LOCK UP — the international grindcore "supergroup" featuring Kevin Sharp (BRUTAL TRUTH, PRIMATE, VENOMOUS CONCEPT), Anton Reisenegger (PENTAGRAM, CRIMINAL), Shane Embury (NAPALM DEATH, BRUJERIA, VENOMOUS CONCEPT) and Nick Barker (CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR) — will enter Parlour Recording Studios in Kettering, U.K. on November 1 to begin recording its as-yet-untitled new album with longtime friend and acclaimed producer Russ Russell (THE EXPLOITED, NAPALM DEATH, EVILE, THE BERZERKER, DIMMU BORGIR).

Russ comments: "I'm absolutely chuffed sick to be back in the studio with my old mates LOCK UP in a few weeks time.

"It's been 13 years since we last dipped our toes in the lake of fire. This time we're diving in head first screaming for Satan."

With a late spring/early summer 2016 release date penned, the new album promises to be LOCK UP's most sonically punishing and vicious release to date.

The CD will be the first to feature new "vokillist" Kevin Sharp, who replaced Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES) in 2014.

Kevin made his live debut with LOCK UP at Manizales Grita Rock festival in Colombia in October 2014.

Said Sharp: "Barker is an absolute pleasure to follow — hits like an asshole on fire. Anton's tones and riffage are simply metallic and classic. And Shane and myself — well, we've done VENOMOUS CONCEPT for over 10 years now — I know how the man is wired.

"I'm super stoked to see the variables put together… This is gonna be ridiculously heavy."