Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of British rockers THE TREATMENT. Formed in Cambridge in 2008, THE TREATMENT has toured the world and played in support of such heavyweights as ALICE COOPER, THIN LIZZY, MÖTLEY CRÜE, KISS and, very recently, W.A.S.P.. The band has released two acclaimed studio albums, "This Might Hurt" (2011) and "Running With The Dogs" (2014). Their style has been compared to AC/DC, THE CULT, LED ZEPPELIN and AEROSMITH, though they certainly have a strong musical personality of their own that earned them a rabid fan base in the U.K. Drummer Dhani Mansworth says: "We are absolutely delighted to announce that the third TREATMENT album will be released by Frontiers in 2016. We are very much looking forward to working with a truly great rock label, and we honestly believe that our third album is going to be our best-sounding and hardest-rocking album to date!" THE TREATMENT is:

Mitchel Emms - VocalsTagore Grey - GuitarTao Grey - GuitarDhani Mansworth - DrumsRick "Swoggle" Newman - Bass

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY have inked a deal with the Mascot Label Group. The band will enter Barrick Recording in Glasgow, Kentucky today to record its fifth studio album. Taking a "back-to-the-roots" approach, the CD will be recorded in the same way and same place as BLACK STONE CHERRY's eponymous debut album, which broke the band out of the small southern backwater and onto the world stage.

In just eight years, BLACK STONE CHERRY has grown from playing 200-capacity bars to headlining 12,000-capacity U.K. arenas, with many other territories catching up in the wake of such a phenomenal success story.

Mascot is excited to have the opportunity to carry the band forward to even bigger achievements around the world.

"What can I say? The whole Mascot Label Group team is thrilled that a great band like BLACK STONE CHERRY is putting their faith and future in our hands," said Mascot owner Ed van Zijl. "The new songs I've heard are awesome and we can't wait to get started. Here we come, 2016!"

"I'm thrilled and honored to be reunited with BLACK STONE CHERRY, who I previously signed to Roadrunner Records," said Mascot's North American president Ron Burman. "They are an incredible and authentic rock band, born and bred in the south, who have built a formidable fan base around the world. We look forward to bringing BLACK STONE CHERRY to an even wider audience in the years to come."

"We are proud to announce we've partnered with the Mascot Label Group," said BLACK STONE CHERRY guitarist Ben Wells. "Their eclectic roster speaks for itself and we are excited to see how BLACK STONE CHERRY can fit into their mixture of great talent. From the employees to the owner of the label, we feel we're amongst a great team and can't wait to start a new cycle with everyone involved!

"We begin recording our fifth studio album on October 7th and are beyond ready to get new music to your ears! We're recording in our hometown with the same engineer we recorded our first album with, so needless to say, that mojo will be back in action and the riffs will tear you up!

"See you all on tour with a whole new BLACK STONE CHERRY very soon!"

BLACK STONE CHERRY will release their debut live DVD+CD, Blu+ray+CD, Digital Video and Digital Audio, "Thank You: Livin' Live" via Eagle Vision on October 30. The performance was shot on BLACK STONE CHERRY's "Magic Mountain" tour, exactly one year prior to the disc's scheduled release date, at the band's sold-out Birmingham LG Arena show on October 30, 2014.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke was asked last week by podcast host Eddie Trunk for his thoughts on a GN'R reunion, following reports that long-estranged singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash had recently repaired their relationship. Clarke, who was not an original member of the group, said: "It's strange. I mean, obviously, we've all heard [the rumors]. I actually did not know the news that Slash and Axl had talked, I didn't know, and I see him all the time. I don't know… I mean, obviously, it would be great for music if it did happen."

Clarke added that he has not heard anything about a reunion from anyone in the band and said that he didn't think a reunion would actually happen. "No, I really don't," he said. As for whether he might be asked to participate, Clarke said: "I think if it happened, obviously, it would be great, but I've got to be realistic. The fans want the original five guys, and I do too. It was a great band, [and] it would be great to see that. If it did happen, I would definitely be available to do it."

Clarke replaced founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin in the GUNS lineup in 1991, during the "Use Your Illusion" tour, and stayed with the band for three years.

He has continued as a producer and solo artist since then, while also playing in ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, HEART and other acts.

Clarke reunited with GUNS members Slash, Steven Adler, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan at the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in April 14, 2012, although he himself was not inducted as part of the band.

Slash's revelation in August that he and Axl had repaired their relationship after nearly 20 years immediately led to speculation about the classic GUNS lineup reuniting, although Slash has refused to speak about the matter.

Just in time for Halloween, SLIPKNOT is selling face masks worn by the band's nine members via the group's official webstore.

SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor was asked in an interview with a Canadian radio station whether he thought the band would ever perform without its signature headgear. Taylor replied: "I think in a way we could, but I don't think we'd want to. I mean, I always think back to when KISS took the makeup off back in the '80s, and I know why they did it, because they kind of hit a wall and it was time to evolve for them. But for us, the masks always evolve, for the most part, and our look always evolves, and I think because we're constantly changing, we don't feel that pressure to take them off, because we allow ourselves to roll with the times and to change with the albums."

Taylor added: "It's not just about the masks, it's not just about the outfits and coveralls, it's not just about the insanity; you have to have all of those parts included with the music and the art and everything, and that is what SLIPKNOT is about."

The band last year introduced new versions of its masks and Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio what inspired his. "I based the face off of the really great character actor, Richard Lynch," he said. "Basically I stole his face, so Richard, I'm sorry, I probably owe you a few bucks. But I thought it was cool. He's one of my favorite — 'cause he was in a lot of great horror movies and like sci-fi/fantasy movies and whatnot, and he just had a great, gnarly look."

Taylor said that when he first joined the band, he wasn't sure what the masks represented, but now he says: "The mask for me represents the person inside who may or may not have a voice, or you may or may not have the courage to give that person a voice, because it may be controversial, it may be a little too dark, it may be a little too harsh, but if you don't give that person a voice… it gets held back and then all of a sudden it overcompensates and takes over for the rest of you."

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

Former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum chose to "plead the fifth" when a question was directed at him about the possibility of a reunion of GUNS' classic lineup.

Sorum, who replaced Steven Adler in GUNS N' ROSES, recorded the highly successful albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).

Asked this week by Meltdown of Detroit, Michigan's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station for his thoughts on a GN'R reunion, following reports that long-estranged singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash had recently repaired their relationship, Sorum said: "I would have to plead the fifth on that, basically, because I just don't know. So I would say I plead the fifth. [Laughs]"

Adler recently spoke about how he would feel about a hypothetical reunion of the classic GN'R lineup which would include Matt Sorum on drums instead of him. "Matt wouldn't do it," Adler said . "I see Matt practically every Monday night, and we talked about it. He wouldn't do it unless I was a part of it. And I said, 'Well, dude, I would do it without you.' And he said, 'But you're the original guy. You're the sound of GN'R. I'm not. So it's different.' And I said, 'If I did it, if Axl wanted to play the '[Use Your] Illusion' songs, I would have you right next to me. You come up and I'll either take the throne or sit where I sit.'… Sort of like [the way we did it] at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame [induction in 2012]. They didn't show that part on TV, I don't think, but [Matt] played 'Brownstone', and then I came up and played 'Sweet Child' and 'Paradise City'."

Adler continued: "But, yeah, I have nothing against Matt. He didn't do nothing. I had resentments with him, but I talked with him and I worked everything out. Everything. I would love to share a tour bus with him."

Sorum told The Pulse of Radio in a 2009 interview that, if the classic GUNS N' ROSES band reunites, they should perform with both him and Adler. "If it's me on drums or Steven or whatever, if it happened, it'd be great, you know. 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."

Sorum also blasted Rose for using the name GUNS N' ROSES when the original band is no longer together. Sorum said, "I'm not saying I'm an original member, okay, but I understand the core of the band, which is Slash and Duff and probably Izzy. It's a shame, and you know what, this goes back to a Paul McCartney thing. Does he call himself THE BEATLES? Not saying we were as big as THE BEATLES, but does Sting call himself THE POLICE? No. Does Jimmy Page and Robert Plant go out there calling themselves LED ZEPPELIN? Nope."

GUNS N' ROSES was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2012. Adler, Sorum, Slash and bassist Duff McKagan attended the ceremony, while Rose and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin stayed home.

Slash's revelation in August that he and Axl had repaired their relationship after nearly 20 years immediately led to speculation about the classic GUNS lineup reuniting, although Slash has refused to speak about the matter.

On October 30, Knoxville, Tennessee death metallers WHITECHAPEL will unleash their new feature-length video release, "The Brotherhood Of The Blade". The set follows the sextet on tour and at home, and dives deep into the hearts and minds of one of metal's brightest acts. Featuring an exclusive documentary, it stands as a glimpse into the band's world, into each member's outlook, and the changes they've experienced over the past near-decade on the road. Shot and directed by Mathis Arnell for Naughty Mantis, with live show audio recording, mixing, and mastering by Audiohammer's Mark Lewis, this CD/DVD set is an audio/visual apex that fans won't want to miss. "The Brotherhood Of The Blade" also includes an entire live performance: a hometown gig filmed at The International.

Since forming in 2006, WHITECHAPEL has toured extensively around the globe, amassing a level of success of which most only dream. Most recently, their 2014 album, "Our Endless War", earned them the bragging rights as one of the heaviest groups to ever crack the Billboard Top 10, plus a #1 spot on the Billboard Hard Rock chart. With each new release, the band takes their career to new heights.

WHITECHAPEL's Alex Wade (guitar) comments: "We are happy to announce our Indiegogo-funded DVD titled 'The Brotherhood Of The Blade' is now shipping with all perk items to the contributors. We are also excited to announce the DVD will see an official release through Metal Blade Records on October 30th for those of you who did not get a copy in the campaign."

"The Brotherhood Of The Blade" track listing:

Disc 1

* DVD: "The Brotherhood Of The Blade" documentary* DVD: Live at The International - Knoxville, TN June 7, 2014 (video)

01. Rise (live)02. Our Endless War (live)03. Section 8 (live)04. Faces (live)05. I, Dementia (live)06. Possession (live)07. Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation (live)08. Vicer Exciser (live)09. Mono (live)10. Worship The Digital Age (live)11. The Saw Is the Law (live)12. Possibilities Of An Impossible Existence (live)

Disc 2

* CD: Live At The International - Knoxville, TN June 7, 2014 (audio)

01. Rise (live)02. Our Endless War (live)03. Section 8 (live)04. Faces (live)05. I, Dementia (live)06. Possession (live)07. Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation (live)08. Vicer Exciser (live)09. Mono (live)10. Worship The Digital Age (live)11. The Saw Is The Law (live)12. Possibilities Of An Impossible Existence (live)13. This Is Exile (live bonus track)

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has created an imprint called EMP Records through the legendary label Megaforce, also known as the launching pad for legendary thrash bands METALLICA and ANTHRAX. The imprint's first release will be "In Your Face", the debut six-song EP from the Arizona-based all-female rock quartet DOLL SKIN.

Ellefson says: "When I was first introduced to DOLL SKIN, I knew there was something really special there. Through working with them as a producer, it became even more apparent what these girls were capable of. I'm really excited to be working with them, and able to unleash them on the world, through Megaforce, no less."

DOLL SKIN vocalist Dolezal echoes David's sentiment. "Working with David has been one of the most amazing experiences you could imagine. He's such a cool guy, and a great producer, and has created such amazing opportunities for us. Every day it's kinda like, pinch me, ya know? We're so excited to finish this record and finally release it." Formed in Arizona in 2013, DOLL SKIN's members — vocalist Sydney Dolezal (15), guitarist Alex Snowden (16), bassist Nicole Rich (17), and drummer Meghan Herring (19) — met while attending the Scottsdale School of Rock. Meghan made the initial connection when bringing the girls together to compete in Rock Revelation Battle Of The Bands. After catching the attention of Ellefson, who was one of the competition's judges, the band began a sonic assault on the West Coast, playing shows with SOCIAL DISTORTION, GREEN JELLO, D.R.I., SLUNT, and many more, through Arizona, California, and the West Coast.

The band recently wrapped production on a video for "Family Of Strangers", which will be released later this fall. Due on October 30, "In Your Face" features the following tracks:

01. Family Of Strangers02. Wring Me Out03. Let's Be Honest04. Blind05. So Much Nothing06. Weatherman (live)

Check out the song "Family Of Strangers" at this location.

Next month, Corpse Flower Records will unveil Morbid Tales: A Tribute To Celtic Frost, a maniacal 12” compilation featuring the likes of Persekutor, Acid Witch, Temple Of Void, Municipal Waste, Hayward featuring Scott Kelly and Jason Roeder of Neurosis, Evoken and Coffin's Slave featuring Scott Carlson of Repulsion all paying tribute to one of extreme metal's most influential acts.

A new track has been released with a diseased rendition of “The Usurper” from Celtic Frost’s To Mega Therion as performed by art rock eccentrics Child Bite with Phil Anselmo (Down, Superjoint Ritual, Pantera) and it is streaming below.

Morbid Tales: A Tribute To Celtic Frost serves as the supplement to Morbid Tales! An Illustrated Tribute To Celtic Frost, a mammoth 155-page comic with illustrations and illustrated anecdotes from an eclectic assemblage of metal musicians and authors. Released last year via Corpse Flower Records, in cooperation with CV Comics, the tome was edited by renowned illustrator Mark Rudolph and is the second in a planned trilogy of metal-centric graphic novels following Rudolph's 2012-issued Satan Is Alive; A Tribute To Mercyful Fate.

Tracklisting:

Side A:
Child Bite with Philip H. Anselmo - "The Usurper"
Persekutor - "Procreation Of The Wicked"
Acid Witch - "Cherry Orchards"
Temple Of Void - "Os Abysmi Vel Daath"

Side B:
Municipal Waste - "Nocturnal Fear"
Hayward (featuring Scott Kelly and Jason Roeder of Neurosis) - "Jewel Throne"
Coffin's Slave (featuring Scott Carlson of Repulsion) - "Dance Sleazy
Evoken - "Dawn Of Megiddo"

MP3 Download Bonus:
Black Anvil - "Dethroned Emperor"

Flexi Bonus:
Coffins Slave - Hellhammer's "Reaper"

Child Bite with Phil Anselmo - "The Usurper":

Trailer:
 
The Morbid Tales: A Tribute To Celtic Frost LP will be limited to five-hundred copies in five colour variants with a bonus transparent red flexi and will be released via Corpse Flower Records on November 13th, with pre-orders currently available at this location. 

 

New Haven-based progressive ensemble, Earthside, will release their debut album, A Dream In Static, on October 23rd. A new track, "Crater”, featuring guest vocals from Björn Strid (Soilwork), can be streamed below courtesy of Yahoo! Music.

Drummer Ben Shanbrom commented: "There is a side to the pursuit of dreams we don't as a society like to think about - sacrifice. The people we let down, the friends we hurt, the many doors that close on us in the name of our own pursuits - naturally we can't have it all, and this pain has to be accepted and understood for us to move forward. “Crater” is the wistful realization of this life of sacrifice, and Björn nailed these feelings in such a profound way on this song. He is absolutely one of the most breathtaking rock/metal vocalists in the world scene, so we couldn't have been happier to have had him on board for this, especially on a song that features his talents in such an unusual way.

"Writing “Crater” with our guitarist, Jamie, was an incredibly meaningful experience to me and one of the most profound educational opportunities I've had in the musical realm. For years I had been frustrated piling up song ideas, but feeling, as a taught-by-ear drummer, as if I had no means to properly present them to others. By identifying what my favorite musical concepts were and directly applying them to a piece of music I was working on, Jamie helped me to form a much a stronger theory background than I had ever obtained in an academic setting. This is how he teaches his own theory students and it is an awesome model!"

An epic undertaking of cross-continental collaborations, A Dream In Static was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden under the watch of renowned producer and mix engineer, David Castillo (Opeth, Katatonia, Bloodbath), and additional mix and mastering engineer, Jens Bogren (Opeth, Soilwork, The Ocean, Devin Townsend). The instrumental collective recruited several acclaimed guest vocalists, including Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust), Daniel Tompkins (TesseracT, ex-Skyharbor), Björn Strid (Soilwork) and Eric Zirlinger (Face the King, ex-Seer), to provide their prowess across four of the eight cinematic tracks, as well as the Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra (MSSO) for live orchestral compositions.

"Earthside is excited and very proud to finally be releasing our debut album A Dream In Static," commented keyboardist Frank Sacramone. "This record has been incubating for several years now between initial writing and demoing all the way through nailing down a release date. Along the way we've worked with so many different artists across disciplines and across continents. Now the fruits of our global project finally get to see the light of day and hopefully move listeners in a similarly meaningful way as the music moved us and our collaborators. We can't wait for you all to hear these songs and to get out on the road and perform them for you guys."

A Dream In Static tracklisting:

“The Closest I've Come”
“Mob Mentality” (Featured Guest Vocalist: Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust), Featured Ensemble: The Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra (MSSO))
“A Dream In Static” (Featured Guest Vocalist: Daniel Tompkins (TesseracT, ex-Skyharbor))
 “Entering The Light” (Featured Guest Performer: Max ZT -- Hammered Dulcimer, Featured Ensemble: The Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra (MSSO))
“Skyline”
“Crater” (Featured Guest Vocalist: Björn Strid (Soilwork))
“The Ungrounding”
“Contemplation Of The Beautiful” (Featured Guest Vocalist: Eric Zirlinger (Face the King, ex-Seer))

Trailer:

"Mob Mentality” video:

"The Closest I've Come”:

Teaser video:

Through organic layers of living, breathing orchestra and an eclectic arsenal of world music-influenced instrumentation, Earthside fashions an ever-changing sound that is equally engrossing alongside a work of cinematic art as it is resonating throughout a densely packed concert venue.

A Dream In Static, the group's conceptual mission statement, is a story of purposeful sacrifice and existential yearning told across sweeping instrumental movements, interwoven with adventurous vocal compositions featuring premier voices from across the rock and metal worlds.

 

Mighty Music welcome one of Brazil’s best death metal newcomers Burn The Mankind to the family.

Guitarist Marcos Moura started the project after the split-up of Nephasth, one of the most prominent Brazilian death metal bands in the early 2000s, which he was a member of. Accompanied by Pedro Webster on vocals and bass, Raissan Chedid on guitar and Matheus Montenegro (former member of The Ordher) on drums, the band started playing some local shows and recorded an EP in 2010 in their hometown of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
 
During the recording of what would become the first full-length album, Montenegro left the band, at which point Chedid, previously the guitarist, took over the drums and a new guitarist, Rafael Barros (another former member of Nephasth), was invited to join the band.
 
The new material already having been entirely recorded by the original line-up, leaving only the recording of a few backing vocals by Barros and the final production and mixing, the band released the pre-edited material on their YouTube channel in June 2014, where their first contact with the Danish label Mighty Music occurred.

Produced by Burn The Mankind and Henrique López, the album titled To Beyond contains 11 tracks, including two bonus tracks from their 2010 EP, with death metal as a musical reference along with the influences of grindcore and thrash metal.

Webster says about the work: “It features an ethical-existential concept of a character dominated by the void in a diseased society, who, through a subjective strength, overcomes the dialectical notions of good and evil, setting in motion a plan to transcend our physical world and thus being reborn.”
 
To Beyond will be released worldwide on January 15th, 2016. Check out the official lyric video for the song "To Beyond”:

PRC Music announce the addition of Québec City-based doom metallers Wrath Of Echoes to the label’s roster. Featuring members from occult heavy metal band Doom’s Day, W.O.E is a progressive doom band mostly influenced by Finnish monster bands Amorphis and Swallow The Sun.

A one song teaser will be available in March and the first EP is scheduled for release in the fall of 2016.

Stay tuned for updates, and check out the band on Facebook.

Wrath Of Echoes lineup:

Patrick Gauvin - guitars
Dominique Verreault - drums
Ben Chapados - bass
Dominic St-Laurent - guitars
David Habon - vocals & keyboards

 

Finland-based death metal act, Desecresy, will release their fourth album, Stoic Death, on November 1st via Xtreem Music. The track “Abolition Of Mind” can be heard streaming below.

Having achieved a very personal and unique style within the heaviest realms of death metal with slight doomy hints, Desecresy offers a new dose in the form of an 8-song album that digs deeper into their own eerie world blending these cryptic melodies with their lo-fi rotting sound.

Stoic Death tracklisting:

“Remedies Of Wolf's Bane”
“The Work Of Anakites”
“Passage To Terminus”
“Abolition Of Mind”
“Sanguine Visions”
“Funeral Odyssey”
“Cantillate In Ages Agone”
“Unantropomorph”

“Abolition Of Mind”:

Speaking with Metal Shock Finland, Glenn Hughes discusses how he came to be doing his solo tour:

“I’ve got a lovely story to tell you – I’ve been coming from Black Country to California Breed and saying to myself earlier this year with my new management company, okay what do we do now? Do we form another band, do we make a record, do we film a documentary or do we go solo? My manager said ‘I think we should go solo’, then within a week we had so many offers coming in around the globe that we are now (which I haven’t really spoke to anyone about it yet), we’re now extending my tour through all of next year. I mean, I haven’t done a cycle of touring like this since Deep Purple. I think for me, if I had my choice right now to make a record or continue touring, I have to say that the appeal for me at this moment in time in my life, working with the people I’m working  with, behind the scenes and on stage, is the appropriate time for me to sing and play my music live.”

Listen to the interview at Metal Shock Finland.

With recent sold out live shows in South America and Europe, Glenn Hughes is extending his Solo Tour throughout 2016, beginning with new spring shows in the US.

Joining Hughes for his US shows, will be Doug Aldrich (Revolution Saints, ex-Whitesnake, Dio) on guitar, and powerhouse Swedish drummer and longtime solo band member, Pontus Engborg rounding out the trio. The set will showcase highlights from Glenn's colourful career: Trapeze, Deep Purple, Hughes/Thrall, Black Country Communion along with his solo material.

Dates include:

March
2 - San Jose, CA - Rockbar
4 - Los Angeles, CA - The Whisky
5 - Las Vegas, NV - Counts Vampd
8 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head On Stage
9 - New York City, NY - BB Kings
11 - Shirley, MA - Bull Run
12 - Portland, ME - Asylum
14 - Buffalo, NY - Ironworks
15 - Syracuse, NY - Revolutions
17 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater
18 - Jeanette, PA - Gators
20 - Detroit, MI - Token Lounge
21 - Battle Creek, MI - Music Factory
23 - Indianapolis, IN - Latitude 360
24 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
26 - Spring Lake Park, MN - POVs

Support for the tour are Joanne Shaw Taylor, plus Jared James Nichols.

On the announcement of his new shows in the US, Glenn comments: “I am thrilled to announce that I will be on tour in the USA. My first leg will start on March 2nd thru March 26th. On the agenda for the whole of 2016 is all about live shows, I have not done an extensive tour in quite some time and I feel now is the appropriate time, as my fan base is growing. We have completed a sold out South American tour, and now playing across Europe.

Happy to announce that Doug Aldrich, Ex Whitesnake and Dio guitarist will be by my side. On drums will be my drummer of 8 years, Pontus Engborg, a powerhouse. This is a rock show, my Power Trio, my career started in a trio, that band was Trapeze, who had success in the USA prior to my joining Deep Purple. Here we go... see you down the front.”

Hughes has the following UK dates lined up for October/November:

October
17 - Southampton, England - Engine Rooms
19 - Norwich, England - Waterfront   
20 - Newcastle, England - Tyne Theatre  
22 - Belfast, Northern Ireland - Limelight
23 - Glasgow, Scotland - The Garage    
25 - Holmfirth, England - Picturedrome  
26 - Bilston, England - Robin 2       
28 - York, England - Fibbers       
29 - Manchester, England - Club Academy

November
1 - London, England - Electric Ballroom

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.

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.

According to a new Instagram post from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael, the band will spend the next two days filming a new music video. The clip is expected to include footage of the group's October 8 performance at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's new album, "Got Your Six", entered the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 2, selling 119,000 copies in its first week of release. This was the band's third straight No. 2 debut, following both volumes of "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell" in 2013. "Got Your Six", however, did rack up the band's best single sales week ever, surpassing the 112,000 copies sold of "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 1", in its first week.

Guitarist Zoltan Bathory told The Pulse Of Radio that the band always puts pressure on itself to top its previous success. "The pressure is self-inflicted, you know," he said. "From the perspective of the audience, obviously, you can't do something that's not up to par. We have a lot of fans that are expecting a certain quality and expecting certain things from us. That's just what it is — it's the relationship between us and them. But the pressure is not necessarily coming from them, the pressure is coming from us, being super-critical and going over everything a million times and make sure that everybody's happy with it."

Each of FIVE FINGER's previous albums has been certified gold in the U.S. for sales of 500,000 copies or more.

"Got Your Six" is the band's sixth studio effort and features the top rock single "Jekyll And Hyde".

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is currently on a co-headlining fall tour with PAPA ROACH that pulls into Eugene, Oregon on Tuesday (September 15).

Shooting a video today! Come out to the show at #MoheganSun tomorrow to be a part of our next music… https://t.co/ew7DOCEHpt

— Chris Kael (@5FDPChrisKael) October 7, 2015

Pink Floyd legend David Gilmour has released a music video for “The Girl In The Yellow Dress”, a track from his new solo album, Rattle That Lock, released on September 18th. The video, as well as a short interview with Gilmour, can be seen below:

Rattle That Lock follows the 2006 #1 platinum album On An Island, and once again features novelist Polly Samson as primary lyricist, as well as Phil Manzanera, who co-produced the album with David. The striking cover was art directed by Dave Stansbie from The Creative Corporation under the creative directorship of Aubrey Powell from Hipgnosis.

Tracklisting:

“5 A.M.”
“Rattle That Lock”
“Faces Of Stone”
“A Boat Lies Waiting”
“Dancing Right In Front Of Me”
“In Any Tongue”
“Beauty”
“The Girl In The Yellow Dress”
“Today”
“And Then…”

Extended EPK:

"Rattle That Lock" video:

3D boxset unboxing:

"5 A.M." teaser:

The Rattle That Lock album is available in a CD edition with clothbound, foil-blocked cover, including a 22-page booklet, but also on heavyweight vinyl, digital download and a deluxe box edition, which includes 4 Barn Jam films, 4 non-album audio tracks, 4 documentaries, and 2 promo clips. Available in CD+DVD or CD+Blu-ray versions, the deluxe edition also includes 2 hardback books, a double-sided poster, a postcard in a dedicated envelope and a David Gilmour plectrum.

Gilmour has announced his first ever tour of South America, playing Brazil, Argentina and Chile in support of Rattle That Lock. Also announced was the touring band that will accompany the Pink Floyd guitarist and singer on his solo South American trek this December, as well as to Europe. Tickets are on sale now.

Tour dates:

December
12 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Allianz Palmeiras
14 - Curitiba, Brazil - Pedreira Paulo Leminski
16 - Porto Alegre, Brazil - Arena do Gremio
18 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Hipodromo de San Isidro
20 - Santiago, Chile - Estadio Nacional

David Gilmour’s touring band for South America and the forthcoming European and UK tour, starting in Pula, Croatia on September 12th includes:

Phil Manzanera - guitar
Guy Pratt - bass
Jon Carin - keyboards
Stevie DiStanislao - drums, percussion
Kevin McAlea - keyboards
Theo Travis - saxes, clarinet (Brighton and Europe only)
Joao Mello - saxes (Royal Albert Hall and South America only)
Bryan Chambers - backing vocals
Louise Marshall - backing vocals (Europe/UK only)

North American tour dates:

March
24 - Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles, CA
25 - Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles, CA
31 - Air Canada Centre - Toronto, ON

April
1 - Air Canada Centre - Toronto, ON
4 - United Center - Chicago, IL
8 - United Center - Chicago, IL
11 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
12 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone. See the Live Dates page for all details.

 

BraveWords is premiering Bonnyville, AB melodic metallers Silent Line’s new track “Black And White” off their upcoming concept album Shattered Shores, which is the follow up to their 2012 LP Born Of A Dying Star.

Vocalist/guitarist Michael Burton comments about the track:

"'Black And White' as part of the concept album is the track that represents the transition into winter after the inferno in the last song. Primarily dealing with the passage of time and fading memories, the lyrics describe a person longing to remember better times. Longing as well for a simpler time when things were seen as black or white: simple and clear choices that do not truly exist. Complex shades of grey have become reality. A lead guitar laden intro moves into a percussive verse featuring mainly drums and bass underneath the vocals. There isn’t a very complex structure to the song, but as with lots of the album it is the feeling that matters, not the amount of notes or changes in time signature."

Producing heavy and melodic music with an orchestral flair rooted in death metal Shattered Shores is the band's first concept album. The title track is split into two parts, and throughout the album several thematic riffs and lyrics are repeated, creating a motif for listeners. The title references being stranded and trapped forever as the shores become more eroded and the reality of isolation sets in. The lyrics revolve around the themes of overcoming hardships, anxiety, and “weathering the storm” in order to persevere. A single person is referred to throughout the album and everything is told from their point of view as they wander, stuck on the island -- unsure of how they got there, and unsure if they will ever leave.

Silent Line is composed of Mike Burton leading the charge on guitar and vocals, Randy Bergh writing pummeling guitar riffs, Andy Sidloski crafting driving bass lines, and Adam Kallstrom thundering on drums. The line up charges audiences with their energy and fills the entire room with its symphonic melodies. heir dedication to their craft is strengthened by their loyal fans, who have supported their development over the years with their two previous albums  Born Of A Dying Star (2012) and One Body Blade (2010).

Tracklisting:

“Frost Of The Night”
“Erosion”
“Black And White”
“Shattered Shores I Timeless Night”
“Summer Song”
“Starfall”
“Shattered Shores II A New Beginning”
“Into The Chasm”
“The Faceless Shadow”
“Embrace The End”

Swedish heavy metal defenders (of the faith) Ram are ready to unleash their latest batch of heavy metal anthems to the masses. Entitled Svbversvm, this fourth studio longplayer will be released on October 30th as a limited CD & DVD Digipak as well as on jewelcase-CD and on vinyl. The new track “The Usurper” can be heard below.

Comments Ram on Svbversvm: "This album is the rebirth of Ram, a natural step to take after Death. For this album we went back and rediscovered the mass of notes, lyrical ideas and sketches that were created at the very birth of Ram, from around 99-01. We saw that these ideas were more valid than ever and still very inspiring. We are very pleased with the album that is the product of 4 months of being locked up in the studio and offering our very last drop of sweat and blood for it to become the most massive Ram production ever. This is our latest assault upon the rotting world, may it be a dagger in the heart of the powers that may be! SVBVERSVM is at hand!"

Svbversvm tracklisting:

“Return Of The Iron Tyrant”
“Eyes Of The Night”
“The Usurper”
“Enslaver”
“Holy Death”
“Terminus”
“The Omega Device”
“Forbidden Zone”
“Temples Of Void”
“Svbversvm”

“The Usurper”:

“Eyes Of The Night”:

The limited first edition of Svbversvm will be released as a Digipak with a bonus-DVD. The bonus-DVD is entitled X Anniversary, A Decade Of Heavy Metal Tyranny Concert and was filmed on Friday, September 13th, 2013 at a hometown show in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Bonus DVD tracklisting:

“Sudden Impact”
“Judgement And Punishment”
“Blessed To Be Cursed”
“Under The Scythe”
“Defiant”
“Awakening The Chimaera”
“Machine Invaders”
“Ghost Pilot”
“Death”
“Forced Entry”
“Flame Of The Tyrants”
“Infuriator”

Pre-order at this location.

 

Canada's heavy-riffin' four-piece Chron Goblin recently announced their signing to the California-based label Ripple Music, along with details of their third, forthcoming album, Backwater. Now the band premier their new track, “Give Way”, streaming below:

 
Venturing to Portland to work with Adam Pike at Toadhouse Studios in February 2015, the band’s intention was to explore the heavy sonic principles of the Pacific Northwest and embrace Portland’s music scene. Under the tutelage of Pike, who recorded Red Fang’s debut album and tours with them as their front of house engineer, he served as an integral component in achieving the band’s aspirations in the studio and ensuring their exploits across the city were well advised.
 
Swagger and muscle, charm and wit, Chron Goblin pair melody with aggression and groove for a fresh interpretation of heavy. Following the success of 2013's sophomore album Life For The Living, and having toured the UK, USA and Canada, the band's third full-length album Backwater picks up where the former left off. Holy Grove vocalist, Andrea Vidal, features on the ethereal first half of "The Wailing Sound", a track offering contrasts to brain pummelling heavy rockers such as "Fuller", "Give Way", and the meandering complexities of "The Return".
 
Backwater will be released via Ripple Music worldwide on November 13th, but in the meantime, you can stream and share new track "Fuller" via the SoundCloud audio player below.

(Photo Unfolding Creative Photography)

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.

On October 30th, the new album by Polish death metal institution Lost Soul entitled Atlantis: The New Beginning will be released. A lyric video for the track "Atlantis" has been released.

Atlantis – The New Beginning will be released worldwide via Apostasy Records. It will be made available as a limited deluxe edition, as a jewel case edition and as a download. A vinyl version of the album will be released in February 2016 via Supreme Chaos Records.

Tracklisting:

“Hypothelemus”
“Aqueous Ammonia”
“Ravines Of Rapture”
“Unicornis”
“The Next Generation”
“Vastitas Borealis”
“Perihelion”
“False Testimony”
“Frozen Volcano”
“Atlantis”

Bonus tracks (deluxe edition):
“Red Giant”
“Sonidos Del Apocalipsis”
“Supernovae”

"Atlantis" lyric video:

"Aqueous Ammonia":

 

Swedish death metal veterans GRAVE will release their new album, "Out Of Respect For The Dead", on October 16 via Century Media. The CD's eerie artwork, which can be seen below, was again created by Costin Chioreanu, who has been responsible for the band's last three albums as well as the "Morbid Ascent" EP. Chioreanu is also known for his collaborations with such acts as AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST and ARCH ENEMY.

"Out Of Respect For The Dead" will be made available in the following versions: * Standard CD Jewelcase* Digital Download / Stream* LP (comes with double-sided poster, 4-page inlay and 180-gram vinyl)* Limited 2CD Box (comes with an exclusive digipak version of the album, another digipak of the "Morbid Ascent" EP (previously only released on vinyl), three metal buttons and one fridge magnet, worldwide limited to 5000 hand-numbered copies) The LP version is available in the following vinyl colors:

* Black vinyl: unlimited* Golden vinyl: limited to 200 copies, exclusively available at CM Distro Europe* Clear vinyl: limited to 200 copies, exclusively available at Nuclear Blast

"Out Of Respect For The Dead" track listing:

01. Intro / Mass Grave Mass02. Flesh Before My Eyes03. Plain Pine Box04. Out Of Respect For The Dead05. The Ominous "They"06. Redeemed Through Hate07. Deified08. Trail Of Ungodly Trades09. Grotesque Glory "Morbid Ascent" track listing:

01. Venial Sin02. Morbid Ascent03. Possessed (originally by SATYRICON)04. Epos (Risen From The Tomb remix) 05. Reality Of Life (new version) "Morbid Ascent" MCD only available in the limited 2CD box

The song "Plain Pine Box" can be streamed below.

Three years have passed since the release of GRAVE's last opus, "Endless Procession Of Souls", that was followed by a European headlining tour together with SONNE ADAM, the release of the vinyl-only "Morbid Ascent" EP and another tour with labelmates ENTOMBED A.D.

Since fall 2014, GRAVE has been working on the follow-up to "Endless Procession Of Souls". And it has turned out to be one of the angriest and most evil albums of the band's career.

GRAVE is:

Ola Lindgren - guitar, vocalsMika Lagrén - guitarTobias Cristiansson - bass, vocalsRonnie Bergerstål - drums

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach has finished laying down vocals for the band's seventh studio album, tentatively due in early 2016 via Roadrunner Records.

Leach recently said that writing the material for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's next CD was "one of the most challenging projects" in his career.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's follow-up to 2013's "Disarm The Descent" album was recorded with guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz once again handling production duties.The CD will mark the group's second release since Leach rejoined KILLSWITCH in 2012 following a split with the band's previous frontman, Howard Jones.

"Disarm The Descent" sold around 48,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on April 2, 2013 via Roadrunner Records.

"Disarm The Descent" was KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's first album with Leach at the vocal helm since 2002's now-classic, genre-defining "Alive or Just Breathing".

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE has contributed a new song, "Loyalty", to the mixtape for HBO's hit fantasy series "Game Of Thrones".

German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN appear to have regrouped to begin work on their first new material in six years.

A new post on the band's Facebook page features several of the RAMMSTEIN members setting up equipment accompanied by the caption: "Rammstein: Back on!"

RAMMSTEIN frontman Till Lindemann told RockSverige.se in a recent interview that the band was scheduled to get together in September to look for a new rehearsal room. He said: "We used to play in this old and famous club, the Knaack club, but they closed it down because of neighbors and some bullshit, so we have to find something new."

Lindemann also talked about the fact that music has become more disposable, with the majority of younger fans seemingly preferring to download and stream tracks rather than own anything physically.

"It's so easy to get hold of [new music] today and it's so cheap," Till said. "Now you have these DJs, which is kinda cool. Stuff like Skrillex and so on. It's amazing, and I totally like it, and all the dub step and so on, but it's a really strange consuming behavior. It makes it hard to believe in a product and to keep on going with this music. Like with RAMMSTEIN: We go down into the basement and start again with producing an album and you have to go through this… I don't wanna say hell, but sometimes it's really hard to consider yourself in this band situation. Six different persons with different egos and ideas and tastes. Is it worth it these days? [The fans are] gonna download it and they consume it so fast, but I know there's a lot of fans longing for new material, so…"

RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Kruspe, who has spent the last few months promoting the sophomore album from his EMIGRATE project, recently stated about the creative process in RAMMSTEIN: "RAMMSTEIN is so democratic and often decisions are being made because of the egos, not because of the music and I don't have that in EMIGRATE. It makes the studio experience so much more pleasurable in EMIGRATE than in RAMMSTEIN. But there is a responsibility that we have, being in a band like RAMMSTEIN. So if you're asking if I enjoy recording with RAMMSTEIN, no, I don't."

British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST will round off a highly successful year with another very special release that will excite the band's global fanbase. "Symphony For The Lost" is a live album/DVD which captures PARADISE LOST's September 2014 performance at the epic Ancient Roman Theatre of Philippopolis in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, featuring the Orchestra of State Opera Plovdiv and Rodna Pesen Choir.

PARADISE LOST vocalist Nick Holmes states: "We have recorded elements of orchestration many times in the studio over the last two decades, as many of our songs lend themselves well to classical arrangement. However, we have never before had the chance to play with a real orchestra in a live situation, so it was very exciting to have the opportunity to play with the Plovdiv Philharmonic and doing that in such a prestigious location as the Roman theatre." The epic performance was orchestrated by conductor Levon Manukyan, who has previously given the classical treatment to works by MARILYN MANSON, ALICE COOPER, NIRVANA, JUDAS PRIEST and many more, as well as collaborating with Tarja Turunen (ex-NIGHTWISH) and other prestigious soloists.

"Symphony For The Lost" presents classic and current PARADISE LOST songs in an astonishing musical fashion, alongside an impressive visual setting within the captivating atmosphere of The Ancient Roman Theatre of Philippopolis in Plovdiv. From "Gothic" and "Joys Of Emptiness" to "Soul Courageous", "Last Regret" and "Victim Of The Past", "Symphony For The Lost" spans the entire facets of the unique PARADISE LOST sound, yet expands their trademark doom 'n' gloom with a classical dimension.

"Symphony For The Lost" is set for release via Century Media on November 20 and available as 2CD+DVD deluxe edition with 48-page booklet and 2LP+DVD with 16-page booklet limited to:

* 1,600x black vinyl* 200x gold vinyl exclusive to cmdistro.de * 200x orange vinyl exclusive to omerch.eu

"Symphony For The Lost" track listing:

CD One (with orchestra):

01. Tragic Idol02. Last Regret03. Your Own Reality04. Over The Madness05. Joys Of Emptiness06. Victim Of The Past07. Soul Courageous08. Gothic

CD Two (without orchestra):

01. The Enemy02. Erased03. Isolate04. Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us05. As I Die06. One Second07. True Belief08. Say Just Words09. The Last Time

DVD

* First Half (with orchestra): 41:16* Second Half (without orchestra): 41:29* Documentary: 26:17

A trailer for "Symphony For The Lost" is available below.

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale dressed up as a nun for an onstage appearance during GHOST's performance last night (Tuesday, October 6) at The Pageant in St. Louis, Missouri. Several photos can be seen below.

GHOST's Papa Emeritus III and the Nameless Ghouls recently announced on their Facebook page that they were looking for females at their shows to dress up as nuns for them. They were specifically looking for local talent to serve these roles.


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).

The lyric video for the song "Queen Of Hearts" from British heavy metal legends SAXON can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's 21st studio album, "Battering Ram", which will be released on October 30 in North America via UDR Music.

On "Battering Ram" — with Biff Byford singing as well as he ever has, Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt making full use of the term "shredding" with their guitars and the lock-steady rhythm of Nibbs Carter's bass and Nigel Glockler's drums — the future and the past crash together in an ear-scintillatingly engaging, raucous, melodic-yet-classically heavy ten-song collection which will instantly be hailed as a SAXON classic. The title track, with its delectable twin guitar assault heralding the album's commencement, gives the listener an instant crack around the chops, whilst traditionalists will be delighted to hear such a perfect marriage of old, classic SAXON with the newer, fresher invective in such riff-fronted fare as "Destroyer" and "Stand Your Ground", but there are still moments of space and exploration which fans will love.

"This one's a natural progression from 'Sacrifice'," says Byford, "There's a bit less rock 'n' roll and a bit more 'heavy' on it. We wanted to keep focused on a style rather than moving around too much."

Produced by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, ACCEPT) at his Backstage Recording Studios in rural Derbyshire, SAXON were able to hone in and whittle down any excess, finding the sonic space and balance to let "Battering Ram"'s riffs and melodies get the necessary space to scream front and center, Sneap bringing a crispness to the sound which evokes memories of the early '80s without for one moment sounding dated.

"Yes, Andy has been in charge of everything with this album, I keep on overview of it all, but he's done a great job and we're both pleased with the results. We have a great partnership," adds Byford.

Lyrically, "Battering Ram" covers a variety of social situations, like the screaming fans who rage at the gig barriers ("Battering Ram") or engaging in some good old fashioned myth ("The Devil's Footprint" — a 200-year-old tale of people waking up in winter snowfall to see unexplained hoof prints which they followed, looking for an answer in vain).

"When I'm writing lyrics I like to switch back and forth between complex things, reality and rock'n'roll," says Byford, "I thought the whole folklore behind 'The Devil's Footprint' made it great material for a metal song, being that it's both historic and mythical.

"With 'Queen of Hearts', I wanted to write something around Lewis Carroll's 'Alice In Wonderland', and it's about the chess game that happens in the story. I wanted it to have prog-feeling in the way of its ambiance and mood. Then you have songs like 'Destroyer' and 'Hard And Fast' which are '80s-inspired songs with that modern slant on it. I'm a big fan of Marvel comics, and I wanted to write a song around the character Destroyer, and with 'Hard and Fast', it's, as the title suggests, about driving fast! I do like to tie the lyric into the song, so if it's going to be a song about driving fast, well, it has to be a fast, hard song!"

There is also the album's closing cut, haunting, gripping, melancholic tale of the First World War, "The Kingdom Of The Cross", where a poem unfurls the feelings and horrors which comprised this most brutal of global conflicts. "This year is the centenary of the end of the First World War. Nigel had a piece of music which he played on a synthesizer for a couple of years that I really liked. We had an actor (and singer), David Bower from the band HELL, read the poem and I sang the choruses. I didn't want it to be typical SAXON, so it is just keyboards, bass, me and Dave."

The official video for the CD's title track can be seen below. In this no-nonsense, sharp clip, Biff and the boys are captured at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, U.K, throwing down a thunderous performance. "Battering Ram" is available for pre-order now via iTunes, with "Battering Ram" as the instant grat track. Various "Battering Ram" formats include CD in ecolbook, 180-gram vinyl, limited edition boxset (containing CD, vinyl and a bonus CD with the band performance of their "Denim & Leather" tour "Saxon Over Sweden 2011", featuring 18 tracks).

"Battering Ram" track listing:

01. Battering Ram02. The Devil's Footprint03. Queen Of Hearts04. Destroyer05. Hard And Fast06. Eye Of The Storm07. Stand Your Ground08. Top Of The World09. To The End10. Kingdom Of The Cross

Fans in Europe & Asia have already had the pleasure to see the Danish rocker on stage with the Metal Opera. Now the whole world is going to get their share of Pretty Maids vocal powerhouse Ronnie Atkins. Not only will he appear on AVANTASIA's new album, he will also join the massive all-star line up on stage around the globe during the GHOSTLIGHTS WORLD TOUR 2016 (dates at avantasia.net!). The European tour will start in March, tour dates in other parts of the world tba soon!
The new album GHOSTLIGHTS will be out January, 29th 2016. Singers who have been confirmed are Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween, Unisonic), Jorn Lande, Geoff Tate (ex-Queensryche, Operation:Mindcrime), Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) and Bob Catley (Magnum). More to be announced soon!

RAMMSTEIN made a triumphant return to the U.S. stage for the first time in 10 years, to headline one sold-out concert at New York City's Madison Square Garden. The venue's more than 18,000 seats were snatched up for the special appearance within less than 30 minutes of going on sale, heralding RAMMSTEIN's return with a frenzied fanfare on par with the German band's elaborate stage presentation. On September 25, Island/UMe will release "Rammstein In Amerika" in 2DVD and 2Blu-ray packages, pairing the incendiary Madison Square Garden concert, expertly filmed and recorded in 5.1 surround, with a feature-length documentary film directed by Hannes Rossacher. A 20-minute film about the making of RAMMSTEIN's sixth album, "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da", is also included.

The two-hour "Rammstein In Amerika" documentary throws open the band's private archives spanning more than 20 years, including a trove of never-before-seen footage. Originated and personally overseen by RAMMSTEIN, the film is a fascinating chronological exploration of the band's history, from the members' shared experience of limited touring and other creative business opportunities behind the Iron Curtain in their native East Germany to bursting onto the world's stage as metal/rock heroes after Germany's reunification. The film follows RAMMSTEIN's first forays into U.S. touring and American music business dealings in the 1990s, their work with David Lynch for the "Lost Highway" soundtrack, global radio and music television success, and international touring, which included the 1999 arrest of two of the band's members in Massachusetts for elements of their stage presentation deemed by local police to be "lewd and lascivious behavior." The film also goes behind the scenes with RAMMSTEIN's retreat from America in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, before concluding with the band's eventual return to perform in America on November 12, 2010 at Madison Square Garden. In addition to RAMMSTEIN's Till Lindemann (vocals), Richard Z. Kruspe (guitar), Paul Landers (guitar), Oliver Riedel (bass), Flake Lorenz (keyboard), and Christoph Schneider (drums, percussion), several well-known American artists, including Iggy Pop, Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), Moby, Melissa Auf der Maur, Marilyn Manson, Kiefer Sutherland, Steven Tyler (AEROSMITH), Jonathan Davis (KORN), CJ Ramone, Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), SLIPKNOT, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, KISS and Taylor Momsen, are among the documentary's diverse and insightful participants. Shot in high definition with 14 cameras and 5.1 surround audio, RAMMSTEIN's "Live From Madison Square Garden" concert film shows the band in full creative stride as they command the stage for their roof-raising return to New York. RAMMSTEIN's complete performance of 18 songs is captured in the film, clocking in for one hour and 41 minutes of visual and sonic annihilation. Also included is Paul Landers's 20-minute "Making Of Liebe Ist Für Alle Da" documentary, which takes viewers into the studio during RAMMSTEIN's November/December 2008 sessions for the band's sixth album in Sonoma, California. "Live From Madison Square Garden" track listing:

01. Rammlied02. B********03. Waidmanns Heil04. Keine Lust05. Weisses Fleisch 06. Feuer Frei! 07. Wiener Blut 08. Frühling In Paris 09. Ich Tu Dir Weh10. Du Riechst So Gut11. Benzin12. Links 2 3 413. Du Hast14. Pussy15. Sonne16. Haifisch17. Ich Will18. Engel

A performance clip of the song "Benzin", taken from "Live From Madison Square Garden", can be seen below.

Melodic metallers MASTERPLAN will unleash their first-ever concert release on October 9.

"Keep Your Dream aLive" will be available as DVD/CD and Blu-ray/CD sets, both including the entire show from Masters Of Rock festival, recordings from Wacken Open Air, footage from the band's latest Asian tour and ProgPower USA, as well as all five official MASTERPLAN video clips. The Masters Of Rock show is featured on the CD.

CD track listing:

01. Enlighten Me02. Spirit Never Die03. Lost And Gone04. Crystal Night05. Betrayal06. Crimson Rider07. Back For My Life08. Time To Be King09. Keep Your Dream Alive10. Heroes11. Soulburn12. Kind Hearted Light13. Crawling From Hell14. Black Night Of Magic

DVD (Masters Of Rock show) track listing:

01. Intro02. Enlighten Me03. Spirit Never Die04. Lost And Gone05. Crystal Night06. Betrayal07. Crimson Rider08. Back For My Life09. Time To Be King10. Keep Your Dream Alive11. Heroes12. Soulburn13. Kind Hearted Light14. Crawling From Hell

A performance clip of the song "Spirit Never Die" from "Keep Your Dream aLive" can be seen below.

MASTERPLAN will tour Latin America in October.

MASTERPLAN's new album, "Novum Initium", was released in June 2013 via AFM Records.

Joining guitarist Roland Grapow (ex-HELLOWEEN) in MASTERPLAN's current lineup are drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka (CRADLE OF FILTH), vocalist Rick Altzi (AT VANCE, SANDALINAS, THUNDERSTONE), who replaces Jorn Lande, and bassist Jari Kainulainen (STRATOVARIUS, SYMFONIA, DEVIL'S TRAIN).

In an interview with Uber Rock, Altzi stated about the band's latest CD: "We decided to start afresh, not changing the whole MASTERPLAN trademark too much, but also not trying to think so much about the past. It was really more looking forward into the future. I think it was a very important decision not trying to copy the old style, but look forward and make something really good."

Speaking to Myglobalmind, Grapow said about MASTERPLAN's numerous personnel shuffles: "I think that it's basically hard to explain why we always had singer changes. When we started MASTERPLAN with Jorn [Lande], a lot of people had warned me to be careful saying that he was very difficult. That he was never happy or satisfied with things. I think that the only thing that he really was concentrated on was trading on a solo career called JORN. Everything else for him was just a side project; he never saw MASTERPLAN as his main band. It was especially bad for me as I had put so much love, work and so much feeling for this band. I had given everything to make the band big. Jorn never did anything for us for this band. He never even said anything great about MASTERPLAN. That is not nice; you need a really good team behind you which loves this work. It's the same as a company — if someone is not dedicated totally 100%, it doesn't matter what a great voice he has. You stay on the same level, but now with a totally different lineup, we have a really big chance of getting further now. We can play live again. That just wasn't happening for about six years, which was quite terrible, to be honest."

MASTERPLAN's current lineup:

Rick Altzi - vocals Roland Grapow - guitars Axel Mackenrott - keyboards Jari Kainulainen - bass Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka - drums