The sixth studio full-length from French dark extreme metallers Otargos, titled Xeno Kaos, will be released on November 13th via Kaotoxin Records, with pre-orders starting on October 12th at Kaotoxin.

A fifth and final trailer video is now available. Watch all five clips below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

The band has also made the album's first single, "Dominatrix”, available for streaming and free download. One of 21 tracks featured on the Weapons Of Self-Destruction: Volume 2 Kaotoxin Records sampler, "Dominatrix" is available for free download here.

Weapons of Self-Destruction, volume 2 [FREE] by VARIOUS

A press release states: “Completing their stylistic shift towards a unique kind of dark extreme metal started with their previous full-length, Apex Terror, Otargos are back stronger than ever with a brand new approach, as dark as before but more intense, heavier, still as fast and catchy, but with more diversity thrown in through background industrial noise and samples, a wider spectrum of extreme arts which includes black metal, death metal, dark metal and more... a very personal approach of darkness somewhere between Behemoth, Septicflesh and The Amenta.”

Tracklisting:

“Dominatrix”
“The Ruinous Powers”
“Chariots Of The Godz”
“Dark Mechanicus”
“Phase Shifters”
“Xeno Kaos”
“Realm Of The Dead”
“Human Terminate”
“Infernal Legions Strike A.E.” (Bonus track exclusive to digisleeve)

Recorded at various locations including Gorod's Mathieu Pascal's Bud Studio (Ad Patres) and mixed and mastered at The Order Of Apollyon's Herr Krauss' Vamacara Studio (Azziard, Antropofago), Xeno Kaos will be released as a 1000 copies limited edition deluxe digisleeve CD, including 100 copies as a collector, hand-numbered and autographed, boxset version featuring the digisleeve CD, alternative artwork, exclusive sticker, exclusive picture, exclusive patch and exclusive guitar pick and, of course, Digital, along with a new line of merchandising including t-shirts, tank tops and sweat shirts. Alongside CD and Digital preorders, a crowdfunding campaign will be launched for 12" LP and cassette tape versions.

Otargos will also be touring Europe with label-mates The Negation and Sidious from October 26th to 31st. The Xeno Kaos Tour will be split in two parts. The first leg will see Otargos invade the UK with The Negation and Sidious. The second will take the band across Europe with The Negation. Otargos will also co-headline the second KaotoxinFest alongside CinC (ex-Carnival In Coal) on December 5th - 6th in Lille, France.

British rockers, The Jokers, have released a video for “Run 4 Cover”, the lead track from their new album, Hurricane, out now via Steamhammer/SPV as CD, LP and Download.

As diverse as international rock’n’roll music presents itself today, as many twists and turns as it may have taken in the past 50 years: whenever this brand of music comes from the UK, it automatically appears to have an unmistakable British flair. This may well be due to the fact that Britain is considered to be the birthplace of rock music and can look back on a centuries-old tradition of that genre. Because really: what would the world be like today without Led Zeppelin, without Free, The Who and the Stones?

A question which The Jokers from Liverpool like to answer to in their very own way. Hurricane, the third album by the four-piece surrounding vocalist Wane Parry and guitarist Paul Hurst leaves no doubt where their roots are and where their direction is taking them. “The style we play is ‘big rock’, that sound and feel runs through all our albums,” Hurst explains, adding: “Groove, riff-based songs with a strong top-line vocal melody and hooks. With Hurricane, we have still maintained this sound but tried to capture more of the raw live energy of the band in the recordings.” An energy which oozes through all 12 tracks (plus bonus material) on the album.

Even after their 2013 release Rock’n’Roll Is Alive, The Jokers used every opportunity to present their haunting rock songs to the public. Countless club gigs all over the UK, a three-week tour of Spain, appearances at renowned festivals, such as Planet Rockstock, Hard Rock Hell and Guildfest – The Jokers know that they usually find the most important inspirations for their music in the streets. In addition, the musicians started directly after the release of Rock’n’Roll Is Alive – along with their live activities – to integrate those influences into new material. As often as possible, Parry, Hurst and the two new additions Dan Evans (drums) and Phil Hartley (bass) met at their rehearsal room to work on the material for Hurricane. Talking of new additions: Parry and Hurst have obviously struck home when it comes to their two new band members: “Dan has been with the band for the last two years. His style is a cross between John Bonham and Stuart Copeland. Phil on bass has the look of a Viking but plays like Andy Fraser.”

CD tracklisting:

“Run 4 Cover”
“Hurricane”
“Her Word Is Love”
“She's On Fire”
“Summer Time”
“Angel”
“Lockdown”
“Dream”
“Salvation”
“Silver City”
“Everywhere I Go”
“Rockerman”

LP tracklisting:

Side 1
“Run 4 Cover”
“Hurricane”
“Her Word Is Love”
“She's On Fire”
“Summer Time”

Side 2
“Angel”
“Lockdown”
“Dream”
“Silver City”
“Salvation”

The band’s live itinerary can be found at this location.

The Jokers band lineup:

Paul Hurst (guitar)
Phil Hartley (bass)
Wane Parry (vocals)
Dan Evans (drums)

 

Danish metallers HATESPHERE will release their new album, "New Hell", on November 20 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded in August at producer Tue Madsen's Antfarm Studios in Aarhus, Denmark.

A teaser for "New Hell" is available below.

Prior to entering the studio to begin the new album recordings, HATESPHERE vocalist Esben "Esse" Hansen stated about the band's new CD: "You can look forward to 40 minutes of HATESPHERE as you know it, however, seasoned with a few surprising delights! Who, for example, would expect to hear blast beats on a HATESPHERE record?"

Produced, mixed and mastered by Madsen, "New Hell" will also be made available as a limited-edition digipak with two exclusive bonus tracks. The CD's stunning artwork was created by Niclas Mortensen (AMON AMARTH, AS I LAY DYING, PROTEST THE HERO, BRING ME THE HORIZON, WHITECHAPEL).

Fan-filmed video footage of the final show of VAN HALEN's U.S. tour, which took place on October 4 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, can be seen below.

The trek was VAN HALEN's first since an aborted North American run three years ago in support of its then-new studio album, "A Different Kind Of Truth".

Out now is "Tokyo Dome In Concert", VAN HALEN's first-ever live collection featuring singer David Lee Roth, despite numerous pro-shot concerts from the band's original heyday being heavily booted for years — including film and videotaped-sourced shows from 1981 in Oakland, California; 1982 in Largo, Maryland; 1983 in San Paulo, Brazil and the US Festival in San Bernadino, California; and 1984 in Leicestershire, England — among others.

VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen told The Pulse Of Radio that his dad Eddie handed down some key tricks of the trade when playing live. "He definitely has some quirky lines he gives me that definitely help me out, like, in terms of playing music, 'If you ever make a mistake, do it twice so the audience thinks you meant to do it,'" he said.

Eddie has been saying in recent interviews that the band is likely to record a new studio album after completing the trek, but he told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he's never been one to to just churn out songs. "I'm not like a jingle writer who can just crank out the hits, so to speak," he said. "I need to sit down and really almost get to a state of mind where things just come. That's what kinda makes it exciting — it's like, 'Wow, I wonder what lurks in the plumbing today?' [Laughs]"

"Get With It", the new video from former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes's MEAN MAN project, can be seen below. The track appears on Holmes's new album, "Shitting Bricks", which was released earlier in the year via M & O Music.

Holmes's MEAN MAN project recently announced the addition of drummer David Amore to the group's ranks.

MEAN MAN is:

Chris Holmes: Lead Guitar, VocalsThomas Cesario: GuitarPascal Bei: BassDavid Amore: Drums

MEAN MAN celebrated the release of "Shitting Bricks" with a special show on May 2 at at Le Ferrailleur in Nantes, France.

In a recent interview with Noisey, Holmes talked about his decision to move to France last year. He said: "My wife is from France. But since I left W.A.S.P. I dangled around in L.A., trying to find musicians to play with, but it just didn't work out. The change of culture in the last ten years… My kind of music isn't played that much — not like it was in the '80s."

He continued: "About two years ago, I pulled into a 7-11, and this kid got out of his car. He wasn't listening to rock. When I was his age, that's all I listened to. That made me realize the kind of music I do here anymore… [He was listening to] hip-hop. And I just don't play that kind of music."

Holmes added: "I was talking to one of my friend's kids — he's in high school — and I asked him, 'Why don't you listen to rock, like DEEP PURPLE or something?' And he said, 'Man, that's pussy music.' This is a white kid. So I thought, if people don't listen to this kind of music anymore, why should I even be here? I'm in my 50s, but I want to still keep on going, kind of. So I talked to my wife and we decided to move. They listen to rock more over here. There's lots more concerts and stuff."

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, Holmes rejoined W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Holmes has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

Holmes in 2013 released a solo album called "Nothing To Lose". Chris composed, performed, and produced the music and vocals, and teamed up with former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor to perform on and engineer the effort.

Fan-filmed video footage of W.A.S.P. performing three new songs — "Last Runaway", "Miss You" and "Golgotha" — on September 24 at Effenaar in Eindhoven, The Netherlands can be seen below.

W.A.S.P.'s new album, "Golgotha", was released on October 2 via Austria's Napalm Records.

W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless told Ultimate Classic Rock about the six-year gap between the release of 2009's "Babylon" and the arrival of "Golgotha": "That gap, we originally started in spring of 2011 and we went and did the 30th-anniversary tour in 2012 and then, the following May, I broke my leg pretty badly and we lost the rest of that year, so if you put it all together, it's about two years of work spread out. Those gaps in time, be them planned or unplanned, ended up being a good thing because it gave us the luxury of time I've never had before. We were talking about it a couple of months ago when we mixed the record. Had those gaps not happened, this record wouldn't have turned out the way it did. It gave us the ability to sit back and really question it and said, 'Is this what we want to do? Is this what we want to sound like?'"

Regarding the new song "Last Runaway", Lawless said: "Forty years ago I came to Hollywood as a teenager. Terrified and scared out of my mind, I had no idea what waited there for me. The song 'Last Runaway' is an intensely personal account of what happened to me, not only then but over the years and the success that followed after. Be it a kid looking for success in the music business or any life-challenging endeavor that someone would 'run away' from in life, I'm certain that everyone can relate to this story one way or another. It's another kid 'chasing the dream' and trying to survive it in the process. We've all been there."

Drummer Mike Dupke recently left W.A.S.P. after a nine-year stint with the band. He has since been replaced on the road by YNGWIE MALMSTEEN drummer Patrick Johansson and, more recently, by Randy Black (PRIMAL FEAR).

Udo Dirkschneider of U.D.O. recently guested on One On One With Mitch Lafon. He discusses the band's latest album Navy Metal Night as well as this year's earlier release, Decadent, why release new music, his relationship with German metal queen Doro, having his son in the band, his 2016 goodbye to the Accept songs on tour as Dirkschneider, and much more. 

Dirkschneider: "I know that people like to hear Accept songs with my voice, but I want to close like a book. Sometimes you have to come to an end. I want to close up everything with Accept. I want to stop to be compared. Accept is still on tour. They are existing. They have a new singer. They are doing 'Balls...', 'Metal Heart'. I want to close the Accept chapter. In a way I was creating this band (Accept), but sometimes you have to say that's it. I have enough U.D.O. songs. I can play more U.D.O. songs and be U.D.O."

U.D.O. have confirmed a string of tour dates for South America this November. The schedule can be viewed below:

November 
13 - Sorocaba, Brazil - Pirilampus
14 - Limeira, Brazil - Bar da Montanha
15 - São Paulo, Brazil - Via Marquês
21 - Santiago, Chile - Kmasu Premiere
22 - La Paz, Bolivia - Discoteca Boliviana

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.”

Udo 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

Spanish thrash metal commando, Angelus Apatrida, have announced the release of their next split 7" EP, together with touring mates Dew-Scented on October 16th.

The strictly limited vinyl release (black 200 / orange 200 / dark magenta marbled 100) is entitled Serpents On Parade and features the Angelus Apatrida songs "Serpents On Parade" (live) and "Johnny B. Goode" (Chuck Berry cover).

Get the 7" on the road or via mailorder here.

Additionally, the band are about to kick off a massive touring campaign throughout Europe later this month in continued support of their new and fifth album, Hidden Evolution.
 
Next to their participation on the Thrash Mercenaries Tour 2015 alongside German/Dutch outfit Dew-Scented and French thrashers No Return in October, Angelus Apatrida will also tour Europe with Canadian thrashers Vektor, as well as Dutch support act Distillator in November/December.

All upcoming dates can be found at this location.

 

Celebrated Providence, Rhode Island underground rock band Whore Paint will release its new album, Ultra Sound, on November 27 via Translation Loss Records. Boasting a powerful sound the trio describes as "a riff rock / no wave / crooner shred hybrid", Whore Paint creates unapologetically wild primal dark rock that lunges and jerks with a fiery post-punk spirit. Recorded at RI's Machines With Magnets studios (Battles, Empty Flowers, Six Finger Satellite), Ultra Sound is the follow-up to the band's 2013 LP, Swallow My Bones, a recording that was hailed as "mind melting" by The Big Takeover.

Whore Paint -- Hilary Jones (guitar), Meredith Stern (drums) and Rebecca Mitchell(vocals) -- formed in 2010 when Mitchell and Stern were working at as220, a Providence non-profit community arts center. Jones, who holds a PhD in Behavioral Science Psychology with a focus in Gender and Multiculturalism is the Executive Director of "Girls Rock! RI", where Mitchell also teaches and serves on the board. Working with young girls and music, and previously as a sexual violence prevention educator, Jones found a need for alternative examples for young women. "By portraying power in our music and performance, we are hoping to provide an alternative example to the current script that girls are experiencing in the rest of culture,” says Jones.

Citing shared influences including the likes of Nick Cave, Lydia Lunch, Danzig, the Golden Girls, Girls Rock! students and Dolly Parton (“Anybody that thinks they have to swear and act like a dick on stage to get noticed needs to just meditate on Dolly for a few hours,” Mitchell notes), the band released its first EP, Menarchy, in 2011 to rousing response. But it was the group's 2013 full-length, Swallow My Bones that fully galvanized the trio.

“We find ourselves aligned in many ways: ideologically, aesthetically, politically, and musically," states Mitchell. "Being women is one of many things we have in common. It basically rules.” Now, with the impending release of Ultra Sound, Whore Paint is set to deliver its strongest statement of intent to date. The record is a furious recording that delivers the same effects as the band's searing live sets: domination and devastation of its audience, leaving mouths agape, eardrums split and ideologies flexed.

Tracklisting:

“Maiden”
“Locked In Water”
“Dogs”
“This Quiet”
“Run”
“Breathe With The Light On”
“Waste”
“Held”

Preorders are available at this location.

Doom/sludge quartet Graves At Sea has completed recording its first-full length ever. The new material, which was tracked at Audible Alchemy in Portland, OR and mixed at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, CA, will see an early 2016 release via Relapse. The album was engineered by Greg Wilkinson (Atriach, Lycus, etc) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Obituary, Sleep, Yob, etc), and will also feature artwork by Orion Landau. Album title and pre-order information will be made available soon.
 
Though they have gained a near-cultish following in the underground in relatively little time, Graves At Sea's success is even more noteworthy when one considers the fact that the band has managed to do so without ever releasing a proper full-length album. Formed in 2002, the band soon self-released the demo Documents of Grief (2003), which quickly became one of the most talked about underground demos of the decade. After recording their debut 7" and a split with Asunder in 2004 and 2005 respectively, the band went on hiatus, before reuniting in 2012 and signing to Relapse Records in 2015.

Now thirteen years since their formation, Graves At Sea have become stronger than ever, focusing their efforts on touring and recording new material. 2014 saw the group release their first new material in over nine years, including a split with Sourvein and a separate two song EP. Graves At Sea are poised to fully come into their own with the release of their first-ever full-length, which seems certain to bestow the level of success the band has achieved underground to more mainstream audiences. You can stream the band's 2014 split with Sourvein via Soundcloud here.
 
In celebration of the finished recording, Graves At Sea have also announced a week of tour dates beginning the second week of October. The tour will see the band performing shows throughout the West Coast, and will also include a performance at Southwest Terror Fest in Tucson, AZ alongside Relapse brethren Call Of The Void. You can find a full list of dates below.

October
11 - Seattle, WA - The Highline
13 - Oakland, CA - The Golden Bull
14 - Glendale, CA - Complex
15 - Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar
16 - Tucson, AZ - South West Terror Fest - Club Congress
19 - Sacramento, CA - Starlite Lounge

 

After taking a four-year hiatus, Florida-based hard rock collective Soulidium are feeling re-charged and will release their sophomore album, the appropriately entitled Awaken, on October 30th via Soulidium Records.

“Every song on Awaken represents a page that is ripped out from the pages of my life. The truth is that we all cry the same tears and rage against the same demons. All we can do is rage together,” Soulidium’s frontman and founder Michael McKnight said. “In a world that is perpetually offended at everything, I knew it was time to remind people that being an original is a privilege and not a sin. To hell with conformity or trying to change our sound to match trends. What's on this album represents the true contents of my heart.”

Soulidium has launched the pre-order for Awaken via iTunes.

Awaken, which serves as the follow-up to the band’s debut album, 2007’s Children Of Chaos, is a hard-hitting 12-track collection that is loaded with bangers such as “Fly 2 The Sun” featuring Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon, an intense cover of Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell”, and the politically-charged single “Betrayed”.

While much of Awaken is centred on universal topics, including perseverance and conquering demons, McKnight also shares his views on politics and the emerging PC Movement.

“I think that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are at the core of who we. The tattoos on my hands read 'Live Free' because I can't imagine life otherwise,” McKnight said. “With the rise of social media and global news, the powers that be know how to keep your mind distracted from what's really going on. Their propaganda feeds your brain conformity using fear as its power. It tells you how to think and what behavior is politically correct. It discourages free thinking, keeping your mind asleep. Then, hopefully, Awaken will help a sleeping world to wake up."

Additionally, Soulidium has debuted their brand new website, which contains music videos of their previous singles, new wallpapers and 90-second snippets of all the songs of the upcoming album.

Tracklisting:

“Betrayed”
“Calling”
“The Devil’s On His Way”
“The End”
“Fields Of Fire”
“Fly 2 The Sun” featuring Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust
“Reluctant Goodbye”
“Run Like Hell”
“Sacrificing You”
“Shattered Man”
“Son Of Anarchy”
“Taking Over”

Listen to audio samples at soulidium.com.

Trailer:

 

According to Ultimate Classic Rock, the surviving members of the ALICE COOPER group reunited in Texas earlier this week for the first time since their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2011. Bassist Dennis Dunaway was at Good Records in Dallas for an October 6 book signing event celebrating his new memoir, "Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs!: My Adventures In The Alice Cooper Group". Guitarist Michael Bruce and drummer Neal Smith were already scheduled to join him, and then Alice Cooper himself arrived in town a day before he was set to play a gig with MÖTLEY CRÜE. A rare 8-song set followed. Ryan Roxie, who's worked with Cooper's solo band, sat in for the late ALICE COOPER group guitarist Glen Buxton.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Caught In A Dream (Michael Bruce on vocals)02. Be My Lover03. I'm Eighteen04. Is It My Body05. No More Mr. Nice Guy06. Under My Wheels07. School's Out08. Elected

Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

On October 2nd, Swedish pop metallers Amaranthe performed at Vulkan Arena in Oslo, Norway. Filling in for vocalist Jake E., who has taken some time off to be with his family, was Smash Into Pieces singer Chris Adam Hedman Sörbye. Check out the fan-filmed video below.

Note that Jake E.'s absence is only temporary. 

Amaranthe will make their return to North America this fall for a headline tour. This marks the second time the band has toured through the US and Canada in 2015, when they headlined alongside their labelmates in Santa Cruz. On this run, fans will enjoy the full Amaranthe experience, as it is their headline run. The tour starts October 29th in Atlanta and runs through November 29th in San Jose. Butcher Babies will provide direct support. Lullwater will open the show. Tickets are on sale now.

Tour dates:

October
29 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
30 - Jacksonville, NC - Hooligans

November
1 - Charlotte, NC - Amos Southend
4 - New York, - Webster Hall (Marlin Room)
5 - Stafford Springs, CT - Palace Theater
6 - Manchester, NH - Jewel Nightclub
7 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount
8 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar
11 - Cleveland, OH - The Odeon
13 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
14 - Green Bay, WI - The Sandlot Entertainment Complex
15 - Arlington Heights, IL - HOME Bar
17 - Sauget, IL - Pop's
18 - Little Rock, AR - Juanita's
19 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
20 - McAllen, TX - Cine El Rey
21 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill
24 - Santa Ana, CA - The Yost Theater
27 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
28 - Reno, NV - Knitting Factory
29 - San Jose, CA - Rockbar Theater

Voodoo Circle, the classic hard rock band led by Primal Fear guitarist Alex Beyrodt, will release its fourth studio album Whisky Fingers on November 27th. The group just recently filmed a video clip for their new song "Trapped In Paradise" and the album artwork and tracklisting has been revealed.

Whiskey Fingers will be available as CD, digipak, colored vinyl, and box set (including digipak and whisky glass).

Tracklisting:

“Trapped In Paradise”
“Heartbreaking Woman”
“Watch And Wait (I Got My Eye On You)”
“Medicine Man”
“The Day The Walls Came Down”
“Heart Of Stone”
“Straight Shooter”
“The Rhythm Of My Heart”
“Devil Takes Me Down”
“5 O’Clock”
“Been Said And Done”

Digipak bonus tracks:
“Coming Home To You”
“Trapped In Paradise” (video clip)

Voodoo Circle is:

Alex Beyrodt - guitars
David Readman - lead vocals
Francesco Jovino - drums
Alessandro del Vecchio - keyboards, vocals
Mat Sinner - bass, vocals

DEEP PURPLE, CHEAP TRICK and YES are among the 15 artists newly nominated for possible induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The top vote-getters will will be announced in December and inducted next April at a ceremony in New York.

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. The 2016 nominees had to release their first recording no later than 1990.

The other nominees are THE CARS, Steve Miller, CHICAGO, LOS LOBOS, NINE INCH NAILS, Janet Jackson, N.W.A., THE SMITHS, Chaka Khan, CHIC, THE J.B.'S and THE SPINNERS.

For the fourth consecutive year, the public will have the opportunity to vote alongside the more than 800 artists, historians and music industry insiders of the Rock Hall voting body. From now until December 9, fans can vote on RollingStone.com for the nominees they'd like to see inducted. The top five acts will comprise a "fan's ballot" that will count as one of the ballots that determine the class of 2016.

Last year's Hall Of Fame class included GREEN DAY, Lou Reed, PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND, JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, Stevie Ray Vaughan and DOUBLE TROUBLE and Ringo Starr.

Singer Ian Gillan of legendary British hard rockers DEEP PURPLE — who have been eligible for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for two decades now — said last year that he didn't care if his band ever got the nod, explaining that the people who run the Hall Of Fame organization don't "quite understand what we are."

Speaking to Chile's Radio Futuro, Gillan said: "Whatever I say about that is gonna sound wrong. But who the hell wants to be in an institution? The Hall Of Fame thing, it's an American thing. We don't have that in England or Germany or Australia or Russia or anywhere in the world apart from America. And it's an institution. What's that got to do with rock and roll? Also, it's run by these old guys who thought that THE MONKEES were America's answer to THE BEATLES. And they called DEEP PURPLE [Laughs]… I don't think they quite understand what we are… They called us one-hit wonders. So I don't know what they were talking about… whether it was 'Hush' or 'Black Night' or 'Strange Kind Of Woman', 'Smoke On The Water', 'Child In Time', 'Knocking At Your Back Door' or one of those one-hit wonders that we were… 'Highway Star'… I just don't know. And I guess the fans don't really understand it except in America. It's no big deal."

DEEP PURPLE was denied entry to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013 — losing out to such artists as American pop singer-songwriter Randy Newman and R&B singer Donna Summer.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told RollingStone.com that he hoped DEEP PURPLE will eventually get recognized by the Hall. "I'm not gonna get into the politics or all that stuff, but I got two words to say: 'DEEP PURPLE,'" he said. "That's all I have to say: DEEP PURPLE. Seriously, people, 'DEEP PURPLE,' two simple words in the English language. But definitely, NIRVANA is a no-brainer for the first year and I'm glad that KISS is getting the long-overdue recognition that they deserved for everything that they pioneered, and then I got two words, 'DEEP PURPLE!' Did I say that already?"

At their own induction in 2009, METALLICA's James Hetfield included PURPLE on a list of acts they wanted to see in the Hall. "We're somewhat of a heavy band and we have a small list that we'd like to also put some nods out and maybe plant a little seed, it's a band called DEEP PURPLE, THIN LIZZY, TED NUGENT, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, MOTÖRHEAD... who we would love to invite through the door now."

Queensrÿche's Todd La Torre, Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren recently guested on Las Vegas' KTNV TV. Check out the interview and acoustic performance footage below.

On October 5th, Queensrÿche surprised their fans with a very last minute acoustic appearance at the legendary Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. While in the middle of touring with the Scorpions, they thought it would be fun and unique to stop in and blast out a few hits. In total, they performed six songs including "Queen Of The Reich" on which they invited rising rocker and friend Gabbie Rae to join them. Check out a very unrehearsed, live and raw rendition of the Queensrÿche classic below.

The band performed the following six songs:

"Arrow Of Time" 
"Eyes Of A Stranger" 
"Queen Of The Reich" (w/ Gabbie Rae) 
"The Lady Wore Black" 
"Take Hold Of The Flame" 
"Silent Lucidity"

Following is an excerpt from a review by Metal Assault:

"Stools and microphones were set up in the corner of the ‘live music’ room adjoining the upstairs bar, and at 9:30, Queensrÿche took their positions, as singer Todd La Torre and a bass-less Eddie Jackson gave a short introduction of the new album. Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren on acoustic guitars and Scott Rockenfield rocking a tambourine instead of drums, Queensrÿche played a six-song set that started with the new single ‘Arrow Of Time’ and straightaway moved onto some of the most loved fan favorites. The audience flocked as close to the ‘stage’ as they possibly could, and were in good voice as they sung along the words to these classics. According to La Torre, the band had not rehearsed this set and it was their first time performing in this setting, at least with this line-up, but they did a splendid job as all the songs seamlessly fit the acoustic arrangements.

This was advertised as a 2-song set, but the audience rightfully kept demanding Queensrÿche for more songs and the band obliged to a large extent. After seeing them sell out club venues on their own and command giant stages as support act in arenas, it was a real treat to witness them in this intimate setting in front of such a small crowd. Through this set, they never stopped smiling and kept cracking jokes between songs. These five musicians are clearly having a great time playing together as a group, and it reflects in their performances."

Go to this location for the complete review.

Saskatoon thrash/death metallers Untimely Demise are currently working on a new album. They have checked in with the following update:

"Into Eternity's Tim Roth ripped a wicked solo today for the new album (Thanks Tim). Vocals are now finished and a few remaining leads will be completed tomorrow - then we begin the mixing and mastering phase."

Check out Tim Roth on "Calling Me Back From The Light" below:

 

 

Untimely Demise has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds necessary to complete the mix, master and release of the brand new full length album. Check out the campaign here. It includes lots of studio footage previewing the new tracks "as well as some funny stuff mixed in there."

Further cementing their status as one of the forerunners of heavy metal's up-and-coming regime, the neoclassical-influenced extreme shred quartet Exmortus recently finished an epic month-long trek across North America with legendary guitarist Marty Friedman. The band will continue to showcase their style on their sophomore release for Prosthetic Records, Ride Forth.

Scheduled for release in early 2016, Ride Forth was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, CA with Zack Ohren (Suffocation, Immolation), who also helmed the band's 2014 label debut, Slave To The Sword.
 
Continuing with their relentless touring agenda, Exmortus have announced a series of appearances throughout October before they join Enforcer, Warbringer and Cauldron for an extensive winter tour across the US and Canada early next year. The first of their fall appearances will take place at the Metal Before Dishonor Festival in Long Beach this weekend alongside Ohm, Philm, Warbringer and many more. The following week, the group will serve as the house band for the Night Time Show with Stephen Kramer Glickman (Comedy Central, Nickelodeon) comedy show at The Lyric Theater in Los Angeles. Finally, the band will head to Catalyst in Santa Cruz later this month to co-headline A Band of Orcs' annual Orctoberfest.

Full dates and information can be found here.

Exmortus recently premiered a new song, "For The Horde”.

The song is now available for download on Bandcamp, Amazon and iTunes. You can also stream it on Spotify or via the lyric video below:

"For The Horde" is also released as a limited-edition 7”, which features an exclusive cover of Yngwie Malmsteen's "As Above, So Below" as its B-side. Order it now. The artwork, shown above, was contributed by Cyril van der Haegen, who also designed the cover art for the group's sold-out 2013 7”, "Immortality Made Flesh”.

(Photo: Stephanie Cabral)

 

Melodic Revolution Records has announced that they have just struck a multi-project deal with solo artist and session musician, Kristoffer Gildenlöw.

Gildenlöw is a veteran musician who started off his professional music career in 1995 with Swedish progressive rock/metal band Pain Of Salvation, and was an active recording and touring member until his departure in 2006. After leaving POS, Gildenlöw became a highly sought after recording and touring  session musician, working with international bands and artists such as; Neal Morse, The Shadow Theory, Mr. Fastfinger, Lana Lane, Dark Suns, Kingfisher Sky, Renaissance Of Fools, Amadeus Awad, For All We Know, Rocket Scientists, Damian Wilson, Ian Parry’s Consortium Project among others.

In 2011 Gildenlöw felt it was time to spread his wings and begin work on his first solo album Rust, which would be released on vinyl in 2012 followed by the CD in 2013. Rust was a concept album that dealt with the life cycle from the wonder of birth to the sadness of loneliness, aging and dying. The album flew slightly under the radar but was highly regarded by both fans and critics alike. Not one to sit still Gildenlöw continues his session work while working on his second solo album which again will be a concept album to be released in 2016.

Gildenlöw has launched a crowd funding project to help fund the production of his upcoming album. He will also be performing live November 21st at Parktheater Alphen aan den Rijn, he will be performing music from his debut release Rust as well as songs from his upcoming new album which will be recorded and released on DVD.  

In a statement from Kristoffer Gildenlöw: ”It's an honor for me to become a member of the ever growing MRR family. There are many great and respectable musicians and bands in this family already and they're all very enthusiastic about MRR and their work. Let the journey begin!"

October is National Bullying Awareness Prevention month and to help raise awareness for this epidemic, Le Projet, the band featuring members of Candlebox, Sevendust and The Infinite Staircase, has launched a multi-tiered anti-bullying initiative to support the Brandon Bitner Memorial Scholarship.

Brandon Bitner committed suicide at the age of 14 after being bullied for four years and was an avid music lover.

As part of the campaign, Le Projet and Candlebox lead singer Kevin Martin has filmed a personal PSA about his own experience with bullying and explains why he wrote Le Projet’s ultimate anti- bullying song “Little Sh#ts”.

The band has also partnered with Event Hustler to develop t-shirts with the hash tag #WHATYOUSAY?, which is the chorus to “Little Sh#ts” reminding everyone that what they say has an impact on others, to support the scholarship fund. Portions of every sale will be donated directly to the Brandon Bitner Memorial Scholarship.

According to Martin, he felt compelled to write “Little Sh#ts” after learning of another tragic suicide like Bitner’s.

“I was inspired by a story I had read about a young girl who committed suicide because she had been emotionally bullied via social networking sites and her cell phone by several kids in her school. I remember feeling such sadness not only for her family but for every kid that I began to read about that was dealing with the same thing,” said Martin. “My first thought was ‘how can people be so cruel to one another?’ My second thought was ‘You have to write a song about this!’ I tried to put a face to these bullies but all I could give them was a name. ‘Little Sh#ts!’I think it fits.”

To order a t-shirt visit Eventhustler.com.

For more information about the Brandon Bitner Memorial Scholarship visit Brandonbitner.org.

“Little Sh#ts” is available for digital download on all major online retailers, including iTunes. Additionally, a special limited edition 7 Inch Split Single Vinyl is now available through the band's Facebook Page here.

 In addition to Martin, Le Projet comprises Adam Kury and Brian Quinn from Candlebox, Morgan Rose from Sevendust and Lenny Cerzosie from The Infinite Staircase. 

Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH says that "it's not likely" he will ever write music again that will call for the type of harsh vocals that characterized the band's early efforts.

OPETH took a sharp musical turn with 2011's "Heritage" album and its follow-up release, 2014's "Pale Communion", their complete lack of death growls and relative dearth of heavy distorted riffs seemingly flying in the face of the notion that the band was at the top of the progressive metal heap.

During a question-and-answer session with asQme, Åkerfeldt was asked if he will use any of his "screaming" vocals on OPETH's next album, which is expected to be written and recorded next year for a tentative 2017 release. "I don't know," he responded. "It depends. If the songs that we write, if they need the screams, they will be on there. [But] I have a feeling that I won't write those kind of songs."

He continued: "I've been screamin for twenty years or something like that — more than twenty years. I'm not as good as I was, and I don't have the… I mean, I'm a pretty chilled out person, so I don't really have that in me anymore. I can do it — I can do it when we're playing some of those old songs — but for me to write new music that's as aggressive as the music I wrote ten, fifteen years ago, it's not likely. But you never know. It's not like I don't want to. I just wanna write good songs, and if they need that type of vocals, yes, we will have them."

OPETH's eleventh studio album, "Pale Communion", sold around 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Pale Communion" was released on August 26, 2014 via Roadrunner Records. The cover artwork was once again created by Travis Smith — with art direction by guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt. The CD was produced by Åkerfeldt and mixed by longtime collaborator and PORCUPINE TREE frontman/guitarist Steven Wilson.

According to Radio New Zealand, AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has paid out less than half of his required $120,000 in reparations following his recent sentencing to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.

Rudd has been meeting with a specialist psychiatrist but authorities remain concerned about his behavior. He has also reconciled with his would-be victim.

Rudd's lawyer, Craig Tuck, argued the drummer should have been discharged without conviction and appealed against his sentence on the basis that it was "manifestly excessive."

But High Court Justice Raynor Asher said on Tuesday (October 6) that the consequences of Rudd's sentence were not out of proportion to the offense, explaining, "Even with the convictions, Mr. Rudd may practice as a musician in session work and in concerts in New Zealand and in other countries."

Tuck said Rudd had so far paid $50,000 of the fine and the rest of it was "being sorted".

"As I understand it, [the fine] is being resolved and worked through, presently, so there were a number of matters that were raised on appeal — that was one of them," the lawyer said.

"It was to be paid by the 20th of September, and, of course, the appeal was on the basis that it would be paid."

Rudd is seeing a court-appointed psychiatrist named Rupert Bird, who specializes in methamphetamine psychosis and who the drummer said is "helping me through my imbalances and personal issues."

Rudd is also in a rehab program and is not allowed to have alcohol in his house, although he was arrested for a second time recently when a female guest brought alcohol to his place — a charge he'll face in court in November.

The charge of threatening to kill was the result of him reportedly trying to hire someone to "take out" his personal assistant after Rudd was angered by the poor launch of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job".

Rudd called the charge a "complete crock of shit," although he admitted, "I wasn't handling it very well."

Rudd's status with AC/DC seems to be non-existent at the moment. Although he says he's "never been fitter," he was replaced in AC/DC back in February by Chris Slade. The band has shown no inclination for Rudd to return.

According to the Los Angeles Times, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine has put his estate in Fallbrook, California on the market for $5.375 million.

The 9.5-acre country English-style home in the northern San Diego community was built in 1990 and includes vineyards, pastureland and a pond.

The 5,345 square feet of living space includes a paneled media room/den, a bar, an office, a gym, five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two powder rooms. There is also a state-of-the-art sound and recording studio, a control room, a reception room and a producer’s boarding room.

Check out photos of the property at Los Angeles Times.

Mustaine and his family moved to Nashville in October 2014 after living in Fallbrook for many years.

In a May 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Mustaine stated about his decision to move to Tennessee: "This is the fourth time we've lived here. We still have our San Diego house but we're planning on selling soon and making this permanent."

He continued: "You know the saying, 'Happy wife, happy life'? My wife and daughter are very, very, very happy here."

Mustaine went on to say: "It's been great. The people are wonderful [in Nashville]. There's certain things I miss about California… and certain people I don't. But it's funny. I was driving to the studio the other day and I was kind of speeding and I see this sheriff. And I'm like, 'Oh god, I'm busted.' So I do a quick pull-in to the place where I'm going to eat breakfast, I sit down at a table and I start looking out the window. I see the sheriff make a U-turn and pass the restaurant real slow, and then he pulls into the parking lot. He walks in, comes right up to me and I'm thinking, OK, I'm nailed. I start to reach for my wallet. But then he goes, 'I just want to tell you I'm a big fan. We all knew you were moving here and we're so excited to have you here. Welcome.' I was like, 'Get the fuck out!'"

According to KSNV, guitarist Joe Frankulin of black/doom metallers GOATLORD killed a woman and her 7-year-old son before turning the gun on himself last Friday, October 2.

The mother and her young son were identified as Jennifer Bagley Donoso and her oldest son, Lex.

The 47-year-old Frankulin reportedly spray-painted "I LOVE YOU BABY" on a garage door, a message that was apparently meant for Lexus.

The police said there appeared to have been previous disputes between the man and the woman, but they offered no details. Frankulin had no criminal record in Clark County, court records show.

One of Frankulin's neighbors said that Frankulin sold most of his possessions in the past few weeks and "barricaded" his house.

"The last six months he kind of gave me a really eerie feeling," the neighbor said. "Like the way he acted. His demeanor. He would always be around children."

According to GOATLORD's Facebook page, the band was active for at least 10 years beginning in 1987.

A Facebook post created under Frankulin's name said he had failed to reunite the band for a festival in Germany last year.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Frankulin was described as heavy-set with long hair and is said to have often worn visibly dirty clothes.

REDEMPTION, the U.S. progressive metal band featuring in its ranks guitarist/songwriter Nick Van Dyk and legendary FATES WARNING vocalist Ray Alder, will release its sixth album, "The Art of Loss", in early 2016 via Metal Blade Records. Featuring guest performances from a number of legendary musicians, the CD's nine tracks contain over 70 minutes of REDEMPTION's unique blend of passion, melody, aggression and complexity.

REDEMPTION's current lineup is rounded out by bassist Sean Andrews, drummer Chris Quirarte and guitarist Bernie Versailles, who is presently on an indefinite medical leave of absence from the band.

REDEMPTION recruited several of the finest guitarists in metal to complement Van Dyk's playing. "We're fortunate to have worked with a number of amazing musicians," begins Van Dyk. "To start with, I'm extremely proud to announce that Chris Poland [MEGADETH] has lent his immense talent as a special guest on this record, contributing his unique playing on the majority of the songs and elevating our music into extremely interesting territory while calling to mind his work in his previous bands, who need not be named. Additionally, we are fortunate enough to have mind-blowing guest performances from Marty Friedman [MEGADETH], Chris Broderick [MEGADETH] and Simone Mularoni, all of whom are amazing guitarists who add so much to this record."

In a remarkable and compelling first, the high-octane track "Thirty Silver" features Poland, Friedman and Broderick in the same song — something that will be a special treat for fans of these world-class players.

In addition, REDEMPTION's cover of THE WHO's classic "Love Reign O'er Me" features a vocal duet between Alder and guest vocalist John Bush. "The combination of Ray's rich melodic voice and John's go-for-broke passion on this track really makes it special," explains Van Dyk. "Daltrey's performance on the original is one of the most iconic vocal performances in the history of rock music and John does it great justice."

In addition to the nine tracks featured on the U.S. release, bonus editions will be released in Europe and Japan, each featuring alternate versions of selected songs that highlight the guitar performances of Poland, Friedman, Broderick and Mularoni. In addition, the European release will include an additional cover song (A GREAT BIG WORLD's "Say Something") which features a vocal duet between Alder and Van Dyk's daughter Parker, who makes her recording debut after having been the subject of several of REDEMPTION's songs over the years.

The CD was mixed at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark by veteran producer Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, PAGAN'S MIND, PRETTY MAIDS) who also worked with REDEMPTION on 2009's "Snowfall On Judgment Day". The artwork — the band's most extensive to-date — was again created by longtime REDEMPTION collaborator Travis Smith.

"The Art Of Loss"track listing:

01. The Art Of Loss02. Slouching Towards Bethlehem03. Damaged04. Hope Dies Last05. That Golden Light06. Thirty Silver07. The Center Of The Fire08. Love Reign O'er Me09. At Day's End

REDEMPTION's fifth studio album, "This Mortal Coil", sold around 1,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 32 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.