British progressive metal heroes, Threshold, recently revealed the first details for their upcoming new double live album, European Journey. It was recorded at various venues across Europe during November 2014, in support of their current studio album For The Journey. European Journey contains 15 live tracks and will be released as a 2CD digipak, out November 13th.

Today the band is presenting the first track from the forthcoming release. Shot by fans across various venues in Europe, the video for “Watchtower On The Moon” draws a perfect parallel with the new live album.  

Keyboardist Richard West commented on the video: "It's so cool to have a video compiling some of our performances from the last tour. It was stitched together from fan footage of various shows across Europe, so it has good parallels with the live album which was also recorded at a number of shows during the tour. “Watchtower On The Moon” is one of our favourites from the last studio album, it's full of energy and great to play live. I think European Journey does a wonderful job of capturing the power and atmosphere of a Threshold show, it just makes me want to get out there and do it again!"

 
European Journey tracklisting:  
 
CD1
“Slipstream”
“The Hours”
“Liberty Complacency Dependency”
“Ground Control”
“Unforgiven”
“Long Way Home”
“Part Of The Chaos”
“Coda”

CD2:
“Watchtower On The Moon”
“Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams”
“Lost In Your Memory”
“Mission Profile”
“The Box”
“Turned To Dust”
“Ashes”

 
Pre-order European Journey here.

Threshold have announced a special European headline tour in January 2016 - The Journey Continues. The band will perform their latest studio album, For The Journey, in its entirety plus a selection of classics and old favourites.

Richard West comments how one recent European show inspired the idea: "In June, we performed the whole of For The Journey for the first time. It was such a good show we thought we'd do it again!"

Supports for all the tour dates are Spheric Universe Experience and Damnation Angels.

Tour dates:

January
13 - Weert, Netherlands - Bosuil
14 - Köln, Germany - Underground
15 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
16 - Berlin, Germany - K17
17 - Markneukirchen, Germany - Warwick Music Hall
19 - München, Germany - Backstage
20 - Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff
21 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
22 - Essen, Germany - Turock
23 - Zoetermeer, Netherlands - Boerderij
24 - London, England - O2 Islington Academy

In a brand new interview with The Quietus, SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya was asked about how he feels about those zealous, rabid and über-passionate SLAYER fans who are notoriously rough on opening acts, chanting "Slay-er! Slay-er!" during their set.

"My view on SLAYER fans? Pretty fucking crazy," Araya said. "Pretty out there. Incredible fans. There have been a lot of situations where people will say, 'Tom, things are getting out of hand. You need to tell them to stop!' But there is absolutely no point in doing that because, no matter what you say from the stage, all they'll hear is, 'Do it again.' They don't hear what you're actually saying, they only hear what they wanna hear which is 'Do it more!' [Laughs] 'He likes what we're doing! Let's carry on doing it… but lets do it more!'"

He continued: "The best way to illustrate that would be when we did the Clash Of The Titans tour in the U.S. a while ago. We were playing in Washington and MEGADETH was headlining that night. On that particular tour, it was a revolving headline. We opened that night, ANTHRAX played after us and we were watching ANTHRAX and the crowd was throwing dirt — clumps of sod — at ANTHRAX. MEGADETH went on and it got worse. You could see it. It was at the amphitheatre in Chicago and they'd just laid out fresh sod — a whole new field of sod — and chunks of it were flying from the back to the front. People at the back seats would throw it to the front and it just got worse and worse. MEGADETH went on and they were getting pelted. They walked off and Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH mainman] was pissed and you could tell that he was going to say something but we were all thinking, 'Oh, no. Don't do it, Dave, please… Bad mistake, bad mistake,' and he went out and got real mad at the audience and was yelling at them to stop what they were doing and they just started throwing more and more at him, y'know what I mean? [Laughs] That's just an audience though; that's how an audience reacts."

Araya added: "A SLAYER audience in that situation would just go overboard; it would be like that scene in the 'Life Of Brian' — you know, at the stoning. 'Don't start the stoning until I blow this whistle… even if he does say Jehovah.' 'He said it again, stone him!' and they end up throwing that massive tombstone over him, dropping it right on him! That would be the SLAYER audience reaction, right there. I would've drowned in the mud had I said anything. [Laughs]"

SLAYER's "Repentless" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 50,000 equivalent album units in the week ending September 17.

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).

In terms of pure album sales, "Repentless" opened with 49,000 copies, marking SLAYER's highest-charting album yet.

"Repentless" was released on September 11 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2009's critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated "World Painted Blood" was produced by Terry Date, who has previously worked with PANTERA, DEFTONES and SOUNDGARDEN.

In a brand new interview with Corus Radio, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was asked about pop superstar Lady Gaga's recent comment that she would rather be called the next IRON MAIDEN than be compared to pop veteran Madonna.

"I think she's great, and I agree with her: she's not the next Madonna; she's way better than that," Dickinson said (see video below). "'Cause, first of all, she can sing — she's got a belter of a voice — [and] she's a really good instrumentalist. And, I mean, she's got a great sense of drama. And anybody that could turn up to an awards ceremony dressed as a bacon sandwich gets my vote. I mean, she's great."

Dickinson also talked about IRON MAIDEN's enduring appeal, driven by the loyalty of its rabid fan base.

"We've tried not to let [the fans] down," he said. "I mean, that's all you can do is try — 'cause, obviously, you can't please everybody all the time. But the way we do that is by not letting ourselves down. 'Cause I think fans — certainly our fans — probably accept that they're always gonna be going on a bit of a journey with you, and they're perfectly at liberty to get off the bus if they don't like the way it's going and rejoin it at some later date [laughs], or find a bus stop down the road ten years ago, and, 'That's where I like to hang out.' But if you stay with it, at least there's a degree of integrity with what we're doing."

He continued: "We've never done things to court anybody else except what we thought was musically valid. And we've never been about fashion and dressing up and going out with supermodels and doing kiss-and-tell biographies and making movies of our willies and posting them and all that kind of rubbish that people do. It's always been about music, and it's always been about music and connecting with people live. And I stress the 'connecting' bit. It's about making real connections — not having a million followers on Twitter."

Speaking to CR Fashion Book magazine, Lady Gaga stated about IRON MAIDEN: "They're one of the greatest rock bands in history, in my opinion. Some people really don't know the importance of metal and the scope of it. Those guys were filling stadiums, and they still are. And it's because of the culture of the music, the poetry that's so powerful, that whenever the fans come together, they unite in the essence of what IRON MAIDEN is all about. I always used to say to people, when they would say, 'Oh, she's the next Madonna.' No, I'm the next IRON MAIDEN."

Gaga graced the cover of a recent issue of CR Fashion Book, which arrived on newsstands on September 3. The publication contained photos of Gaga in two different wedding dresses, including a goth-punk black piece underneath which she is wearing an IRON MAIDEN "The Number Of The Beast" t-shirt.

Lady Gaga previously spoke about her love for IRON MAIDEN and BLACK SABBATH. The singer also appeared in photos with Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Alice Cooper and ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante.

Back in May 2011, Gaga said: "I just saw IRON MAIDEN on their 'Frontier' tour and it totally changed my life. It was my first MAIDEN experience and I just realized in that moment in the show that that was the kind of artist I wanted to be. I didn't want people 30 years from now coming to see my show to see if I've still got it. But rather I wanted them to be fully unified, fists in the air, wanna hear every song. IRON MAIDEN's a lifestyle and those fans live and die by MAIDEN."

SLAYER's eleventh studio album, "Repentless", is the band's first without founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who died in 2013, more than two years after he contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard.

Asked if Jeff had been involved in any discussions about making a new studio album prior to his passing, SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya told Guitar World magazine: "No. Jeff kind of ... [pauses to think] He was a hard person to talk to. When he disappeared, he wouldn't answer calls or return texts. I would reach out to him at points, like, 'Dude, are you ever gonna respond to anything just to let me know you're alive?' And he eventually would. At one point, we had a conversation dealing with the issue of Dave [Lombardo, drums] leaving, and Jeff said he had worked out an idea for a song. And he sent that out to everybody. So he was working on stuff, but I think the main thing was really his ability to perform. It was his strumming hand, which was an important thing in the music we play, and that got to him. We kept telling him to practice, like, 'It'll get better! You might have some difficulties, but it'll get better.' We tried to encourage him to keep playing music."

Added SLAYER guitarist Kerry King: "From, like, seven months after [Jeff] got hurt, we had him come to rehearsal before every tour, trying to get him back in. He was trying, but he just wasn't there. The hardest thing I ever had to say was, 'You're not ready.' That dude's been my sidekick for 25 years, and I have to tell him he can't go on tour in the band he's been in all his life. That sucked."

Asked if Jeff was hurt by that, Kerry said: "I don't know. That's tough. My whole thing was Gary's [Holt, current SLAYER guitarist] been out with us, for however long it was at that point, and he's fucking spot-on money. I said to Jeff, 'As much as people are gonna see you up there and not grasp, or forget, that maybe the playing is not perfect, I don't want that on YouTube for you to live with for the rest of your life.' You have to think about stupid shit like that now. But that was tough. We kept trying to get him in and it wasn't coming around. If he hadn't passed, I don't know if he ever would have been good enough to just step back into being Jeff Hanneman again."

Hanneman eventually died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

"Repentless" was released on September 11 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2009's critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated "World Painted Blood" was produced by Terry Date, who has previously worked with PANTERA, DEFTONES and SOUNDGARDEN.

Los Angeles-based rockers GEMINI SYNDROME have inked a deal with Another Century. The band will enter The Hideout Recording Studio this fall with producer Kane Churko (PAPA ROACH, IN THIS MOMENT) to finish recording its second album for an early 2016 release.

Comments GEMINI SYNDROME drummer Brian Steele Medina: "When we finished touring earlier this year, we immediately immersed ourselves into writing the new album.

"We're pushing our music to extremes in all directions.

"We are extremely excited to have signed with Another Century. On a personal level, we've always been good friends with the team at Another Century, and now we get to work together to push this all to the next level.

"We really feel we've found a home and a family who truly understands us and our vision."

GEMINI SYNDROME's new single, "Eternity", can be streamed at this location.

The band is currently finished up a tour with AVATAR as well as playing headline shows. Singer Aaron Nordstrom sums up the current and future plans: "The tour is going great. The fans are coming out more excited than ever and are enjoying the taste of the new music. There is a lot of anticipation for the new record.

"As soon as we are done on the road, we will head to Vegas to work with Kane Churko and finish up recording.

"We were able to work with him earlier this year (on 'Eternity'), but now we will be there full-time to finish up the next chapter.

"We love the Churko family and we love working with them. I have no doubt we will come out with an incredible album when we are finished. It's definitely one that we are proud and excited to be doing."

Formed in 2010, GEMINI SYNDROME's 2013 full-length debut, "Lux", landed at No. 3 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and yielded the singles "Pleasure & Pain" and "Stardust".

In a brand new interview with Guitar World magazine, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King spoke about the band's decision to hire producer Terry Date to helm their new album, "Repentless", after initially teaming up with Greg Fidelman, who also worked on 2009's "World Painted Blood".

"The 'Repentless' songs] 'Implode' and 'Chasing Death' were recorded and finished before [Rockstar Energy Drink] Mayhem [Festival in] 2012. But Fidelman dicked us. Hard. I don't know if we were stringing him along or he was stringing us along, but he had no intention of working with us. He took another job when we were to start recording. That didn't sit well with me. But I love how ['Repentless'] came out. I love that we had Terry Date. If Fidelman didn't snub us, we'd never have hooked up with Terry. Terry's got a giant history of good shit with big-name bands like PANTERA and SOUNDGARDEN. I think it was a nice marriage. I love the guitars, Tom's [Araya] voice and the drums. Sonically, it's what it needs to be."

King was full of praise for Fidelman during a 2009 interview with Noisecreep, conducted shortly after the release of "World Painted Blood". He said at the time: "Greg is great at what he does, and he's there more to help us make sure we explore all of the possibilities. He'll see that all of our ideas get tried out for the songs. Greg sometimes is like the fifth member of SLAYER when it comes to that. He also has great ideas, like on [the song] 'Americon'. He had an idea to throw in an octave in one section, and it really filled out the track. That's why it’s good to have an extra person in there we trust."

Kerry went even further during a separate 2009 chat with A.V. Club, telling the site: "I hope [Greg] does every record for us until we're done, if he has time and we have time… He was there every fuckin' day [during the 'World Painted Blood' sessions] for us. He was the last one to leave every day, and that's inspiring. It earns you respect. It's cool."

"Repentless" was released on September 11 via Nuclear Blast.

MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee sent out a tweet over the weekend poking fun of Lars Ulrich's notorious inability to keep time during METALLICA's live performances. The tweet in question, which can be seen below, was a meme of the "Straight Outta Compton" film's mocked-up title logo with the space originally occupied by "Compton" replaced with "Tempo" and a photo backdrop of Lars playing the drums.

Just a few hours before Tommy sent out his tweet, METALLICA and MÖTLEY CRÜE shared the stage at the Rock In Rio festival in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

The feud between MÖTLEY CRÜE and METALLICA stems back to an incident nearly two decades ago when Ulrich accused CRÜE of performing to a tape at the American Music Awards in January 1997 (which, by all accounts, they did). After learning of Ulrich's allegations, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx posted an "open letter" to the METALLICA drummer on an American Online message board, writing: "Dear, Sweet, Fat, Balding, Larz (love the make-up, babe!) Taking your ever-moronic soapbox position on a subject that's NONE of your fucking business has made you out to be an asshole as usual. Considering that me and Tommy know that your live tapes have been re-recorded. And ALL your instruments were repaired in Pro Tools (and had that balls to lie to your fans an call it a 'live' album)... People in glass houses should NOT throw rocks!! Considering your bullshit to the press, we feel it's only fair to return the punch!!...Your [sic] such a poseur...Thanks for releasing that 'load' of shit CD of yours...you made more room for us!!"

In a 2012 interview with DRUM! magazine, Ulrich stated about his playing ability: "I usually feel like I've regressed. [laughs] I'm like, 'Why can't I do that anymore?'"

He continued: "I can't say that I necessarily sit down to practice, like, 'I'm going to play and practice so I can get better.' What happens is that I just sit down and kind of play to just more stay in shape."

Ulrich added: "You know, METALLICA was up to two or three months off [in 2011], and I would sit down, I have an iPod next to my drums so I can play along to all kind of crazy stuff, and try to see if I can land in the same zip code of some of that stuff occasionally. But I can't say that I sit down to necessarily practice to sort of get better. For most of my stuff, it's about listening and about interpreting stuff that I'm listening to. So all the kind of sitting down and, you know, 'Now I'm going to do thirty-second-note paradiddles standing on my head — you know what I mean? I don't do that kind of stuff so much. For me it's more about the regimen of staying in shape, running every day, eating healthy, you know, being on top of that side of it.

After a five-year battle over trademark issues, doing everything he could to appease and re-assemble the band, RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer, the CEO of WBS, Inc. — RATT's touring entity and the sole and exclusive owner of the RATT trademarks — has taken control of the RATT brand and is taking his new version of the group back on the road, bringing fans the songs they love and shows they've missed... continuing to build upon RATT's legendary legacy.

Blotzer's revamped RATT, which played shows earlier in the year under the name BOBBY BLOTZER'S RATT EXPERIENCE, is rounded out by Josh Alan (SIN CITY SINNERS), Scotty Griffin (ex-L.A. GUNS), Doc Ellis (Jizzy Pearl's LOVE/HATE) and 22-year-old guitar hero Blaze. Dates on the North American leg of the "Re-Invasion Tour" will begin in October and will include major swings through the Midwest, Southeast, South, Northeast and Canada. Stay tuned for more cities and dates being added each day. Blotzer recently said that he decided to go out on the road and perform RATT's hits with the RATT EXPERIENCE after a disagreement over the ownership of the RATT name made it impossible for the original members of the group to work together.

During an appearance on the April 6 edition of Eddie Trunk's SiriusXM satellite radio show, "Eddie Trunk Live", Blotzer stated about RATT's split with singer Stephen Pearcy: "The problem that lies in RATT really is not just our lead singer. It's the fact that him and the bass player, Mr. Juan Croucier, they wanna own part of [the RATT] name. So, to me, it's just like going round and round… I'm not trying to pun on that, but it's just insane that we're still at this point now that we're five years [after the release of the 'Infestation' album]… We went out in 2013 and did about thirty dates… They were all huge… Festivals that we headlined, festivals that we opened for VAN HALEN, AEROSMITH, GUNS N' ROSES, etc. And then headlined arenas and that kind of thing."

Blotzer also talked about the dispute over the ownership of the RATT name which has caused a rift between the founding members of the band.

"Warren [DeMartini, guitar] and I… The reality of it is a corporation that we own owns [the RATT] name. WBS Inc., which we started out — Warren, Bobby and Stephen," he said. "That was WBS Inc. We did all the business for RATT through the corp… That was before [Stephen] sued us in 2000. In 2000, he left the band three days before the third leg of a tour. In doing that and then suing us as went out as RATT with a new singer [he ended up losing control over the RATT name]. He said, 'You know what?! I'm out. Go get a new singer.' And we did everything accordingly to corporate standards and corporate law. He lost the name in federal court. And I know he's out there slandering Warren and I, trying to suggest that we did something shady to get the name. I read that, and I'm, like, does this guy really not understand that he was in federal court for three weeks when he lost any ownership or ties to the name? But the bottom line is, the corporation that Warren and I own, that's who governs that name, so technically, him and I own the name."

According to Blotzer, he was willing to give up the rights to the RATT name in order to get the band back out on the road, but DeMartini was less willing to budge.

"I actually offered my name up. 'Take my ownership in this name. I don't care," Blotzer said. "I just wanna rock. I wanna work. I wanna play.'"

He continued: "The truth is really I've been trying very hard with the likes of Stephen… You know, I'm talking to these guys indivudally and nobody… It's just like a stalemate that nobody will bend on except me. And I'm not trying to slap myself on the back, but it's… It's kind of a scenario where I wanna play and I don't wanna go put some new original band together and go out where nobody knows who it is."

Blotzer added: "Warren has made it impossible to work, because he won't tour with a new singer. Let's just say, his position is he wants the original band to be the RATT out there. And I get it; I do too. You know?! But it's, like, well, dude, if they're not coming, then let's move ahead here. I wanna play. We can play big gigs, we can earn well, financially, with another singer. But I think he's playing this waiting game. He's waiting for Stephen and Juan to cave. I don't know… It's at a five-year standstill. And I'm, like, Pearcy's 58, I'm 56, Warren's four years younger than me, Croucier is a year and a half younger… Whatever. You know, it's, like, I don't wanna fuck around anymore. I wanna go and play for the fans, go and play for my family and my own just fun of working and earning the way I do with RATT.

"I think it's just not cool that these two guys… Well, actually, it's three, because Juan has cornered Stephen into this brainwashing thing that: 'Don't do it, dude. Don't do it. I know what's going on with this.'

"And if anybody thinks I'm out here spilling dirty laundry, I'm sorry you feel that way, but it you were in my shoes, maybe you'd feel a little different, 'cause it's kind of frustrating to have this much time and success and not be able to ride it out for the last lap, so to say, which Stephen always says. We're ten to twelve on the RATT clock here. Let's play the last ten years, or whatever we have."

Regarding his decision to go out with the RATT EXPERIENCE, Blotzer said: "You know, I thought about it across the board, and I just came to the reality that I am in RATT, I've been in RATT for 33 years, and that's who I am, and people would really, probably rather come and see me play RATT music. I wrote it with them — we all wrote it together… Depending on who you talk to, but the reality is we all wrote that music together, from bare riffs and built it on up."

He continued: "What I'm doing is playing our music, A, [and] B, playing stuff that these guys won't [play]. I don't mean that mean or anything, but the guys in the band were so closed-minded to playing so much of the great material that's between track 1 and 10. We've always done just the video songs, primarily. And trying to get Warren and Stephen to do this stuff has been monumentally hard. And when we would do it… Like playing the song 'Closer To My Heart', people love it. If Warren or Stephen thinks that the audience isn't responding to their Richter scale of sound and movement, then it's out. And it would just be usually about three days into a tour. So here I am with my vote, which is shot down the crapper. "

Blotzer added: "Everybody that's RATT fans out there, you all know that there are so many great tunes that we have that are not even really B-sides; they're just songs that are on the record that kick ass. And there are so many that I wanna play, and that's what… My idea's to go out and play those. Of course, play the obligatory songs that you have to play… And I don't mind playing them. I love 'em all. On the ones that are shorter sets, like if we get put on a festival and we have forty minutes or forty-five minutes. I wanna do… The fact that [RATT] missed going out for the thirty-year anniversary for 'Out Of The Cellar', and not doing that really bothered me. So here we are now on the thirty-year anniversary this year of when 'Invasion Of Your Privacy' came out and that tour, and I wanna go out and play that record from beginning to end. And if we have more time on headlining shows, then we're gonna frontload it and backload it… I don't wanna really give the ideas away, but that will be played in its entirety no matter what our time thing is."

Asked how he felt about the fact that Blotzer assembled the RATT EXPERIENCE band which performed not only the RATT hits, but also several deep album cuts, including many songs that have never been played live, Pearcy told "The Classic Metal Show": "The remaining members really don't understand… You know, anybody can go out and play RATT music in cover bands or however they [wish], but if you're out there taking advantage of…. You know, 'I'm doing a tribute to this guy in the band who's no longer with us.' Or, 'I'm gonna do this…,' you know. And then we hear an ad [for the RATT EXPERIENCE] and they're playing just RATT music with my voice. You know, it's like… Well, you can't do that either. So, in a nutshell, it's not cool. But the guy, he can make a living — that's not a problem — but don't take advantage of the situation and mislead people and be out there saying fictitious things. And other than that, it doesn't bother me. I still get paid."

Canadian hard rock staples Harem Scarem have announced the release of Live At The Phoenix on December 4th.

Available in 2CD/DVD, Blu-ray and Digital formats, this new release, marks the first proper live album recorded by Harem Scarem in front of their “home” audience. Singer Harry Hess explains: “Canada is where we started touring all those years ago and to be able to invite our friends, family and fans to this show was cool.”

Recorded live on Saturday July 11th, 2015 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, this happened to be the perfect time and venue for the band to capture live recordings of numerous songs from their latest record "Thirteen" and also to revisit their classic early material. It was an honest and raw performance showcasing the repertoire of a band which is at the top of their game.

Hess adds: “It wasn't easy coming up with this set list but I think we got to all the important stuff plus it's always fun to play the new material that you haven't been playing for 20 years. It is definitely the most extensive live recording and video that we have ever done and the quality of both the video and audio are by far the best of anything we have ever done.”

Live At The Phoenix tracklisting includes:

CD1
“Garden Of Eden”
“Hard To Love”
“Saviors Never Cry”
“Dagger”
“Distant Memory”
“The Midnight Hours”
“Mandy”
“Killing Me”
“Slowly Slipping Away”
“Troubled Times”

CD2
“Sentimental Blvd.”
“Turn Around”
“Stranger Than Love”
“All I Need”
“Saints And Sinners”
“So Blind”
“Human Nature”
“Voice Of Reason”
“Change Comes Around”
“No Justice”

DVD // Blu Ray

“Garden Of Eden”
“Hard To Love”
“Saviors Never Cry”
“Dagger”
“Distant Memory”
“The Midnight Hours”
“Mandy”
“Killing Me”
“Slowly Slipping Away”
“Troubled Times”

CD2
“Sentimental Blvd.”
“Turn Around”
“Stranger Than Love”
“All I Need”
“Saints And Sinners”
“So Blind”
“Human Nature”
“Voice Of Reason”
“Change Comes Around”
“No Justice”

“No Justice”

Harem Scarem are:
Harry Hess: vocals, guitar
Pete Lesperance; lead guitar, vocals
Stan Miczek: bass guitar
Darren Smith: drums, vocals

Singer Patrick Mulock - who once fronted Eidolon with former Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover and ex-Megadeth/King Diamond guitarist Glen Drover - along with two of his former bandmates in Rampage (guitarist Tyson Emanuel and drummer Chris Lewis) make up the Mississauga-based Phear. They have checked in with the following update:

"Attention to all of the musicians out there! Phear is in need of its fifth member. Yes, that's right, Phear is looking to add a full-time bassist to its line-up. So if you know a kick-ass bassist, or if you are a kick-ass bassist, drop us a message in the Phear Facebook page here."

Phear released their debut album, Insanitarium on May 22 via Amazon, iTunes, and CD Baby.

Check out their new performance video for the song "Heaven" below:

Insanitarium consists of 12 songs (+1 bonus instrumental track) and features the following guest musicans - Glen Drover (Megadeth, King Diamond, Eidolon), Bjorn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork), Stan Miczek (Harem Scarem, Honeymoon Suite, Sass Jordan), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), Travis Montgomery (Threat Signal), Kelly Kereliuk (Prismind), Rick Reid (Eclipse Eternal, Rampage), Omar Ales (Harem Scarem), Mark Ferreira, and Basia Lyjak.

Check out the artwork and tracklisting below:

Insanitarium tracklisting:

“Regan’s Dream”
“Don’t Scream”
“Fallen”
“Heaven”
“Delusions”
“Proud”
“The Drowning Man”
“Until You Die”
“Motive’s Unknown”
“Bloodline”
“In The Name Of"
“Sea of Lies”
“Snap”

Phear have also debuted the video for “Don’t Scream” below:

"Reagan's Dream"featuring Jon Howard from Threat Signal:

Visit Phear on Facebook here.

US bashers Shatter Messiah have issued the following announcement:

"Shatter Messiah would like to welcome Mr. Kelly Conlon from Death and Monstrosity into the family as our new bass player. The outstanding level of skill and power in Kelly's playing has elevated Shatter Messiah to a new level of sonic devastation. We know that this is not a very well kept secret, but we wanted to make an official announcement since word about the new album (Orphans Of Chaos) is starting to spread, and we have been rather lax in getting you guys all the new information! So without further ado... look at this fucking guy!">

Shatter Messiah guitarist Curran Murphy recently posted the following update.

"Mastering and sequence for the fourth Shatter Messiah album is complete! There are also three bonus tracks from a writing and recording session from over two years ago that we will be releasing and that you can get your hands on very, very soon. Artwork and photos will be getting wrapped up today and sent off to Sleazy Rider. Get ready!"

This update was following by a message to the fans from Shatter Messiah drummer Robert Falzano:

"Okay, so I'm sitting here proofing and trying to relearn the new Shatter Messiah material in preparation for some possible live dates....

First of all, Curran did an EXCELLENT job producing and mastering this new record, which should be out in October (I believe) on Sleazy Rider Records.

Second, this material is friggin' ridiculous! WTF were we thinking when we wrote this?!?!?

Third, Curran tells me 'try to relearn it on a 5 piece kit!' HA HA HA! More than half of this material is insanely bizarre poly-rhythmic Terry Bozzio style drums parts written for a 48+ piece drum set! So I can 'realistically' play 6 out of 11 tracks on a 5 piece kit. F.M.L."

Stay tuned for updates and a Falzano status report as he relearns the material....

Shatter Messiah's first two albums Never To Play The Servant and God Burns Like Flesh were released by Dockyard 1 and their third album, Hail The New Cross, was released in October 2013 by Mausoleum Records.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson spoke to Corus Radio about "Tears Of A Clown", one of the songs on the band's new album, "The Book of Souls", which pays tribute to late comedian Robin Williams. He said (see video below): "Steve [Harris, IRON MAIDEN bassist] wrote the song, or Steve wrote the words to the song, and so we were recording it. He didn't tell anybody what it was about, and I had no idea when I was singing the song that it was about Robin Williams. So I finished doing the tune, and I went up to him and I said, 'These words are really cool. What's the genesis of the tune?' And he said, 'Robin Williams.' And I went, 'Wow!' And it surprised the hell out of me, because it was so specific."

He continued: "It's unusual for Steve to be so direct about a subject matter. Like when he does something like 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner' — okay, it's an epic poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, yeah , fine. But to be so specific and direct about a recent tragic event and write a song about that guy, I was really surprised. It was kind of… It's not really appropriate to say 'pleasantly surprised,' but it felt really good that he'd written in that way, because I think, in some way, he maybe felt some kind of affinity to the sense of isolation and things like that that Robin Williams maybe felt. There's some speculation in there, in the song, about exactly what it feels like, but you get the impression that some of those things are maybe quite close to home with Steve himself. So, yeah, that was… I was, like, 'Hmmm. Okay.'"

Robin Williams committed suicide on August 11, 2014 after a long history of depression and health issues.

MAIDEN's sixteenth — and first-ever double — studio album, "The Book Of Souls", was released worldwide on September 4 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the U.S.A).

In a brand new interview with The Irish Times, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was asked for his opinion on the fact that METALLICA hasn't released a new studio album in seven years. He responded: "Funny thing is, I brought that up last night. We were sitting around having some shots, and I said, 'When's METALLICA doing a new record?'"

He continued: "When you think about it, it's kind of like us. You don't have to put out a new record. People will come up to a certain point, because you've got such a catalog. You can just keeping changing songs."

King added: "They [METALLICA] are really living on the first five records, I think. I'm not sure a new record makes sense for them. 'Death Magnetic' [2008] was a nice version compared to 'St. Anger' [2003]. Hopefully, they keep going along that line and get some of the riffs back."

According to Kerry, part of the reason for the longer gap between albums is the fact that "people keep offering you money to come out and play. Other than the tragedies we had in SLAYER, we got offers to play a lot. You really got to sit down and say, 'I'm not going to do that right now.' That being said, usually when we were doing this recording cycle, we don't go out and play when we are recording, but this time we did, because people made offers and we say, 'That sounds like a good idea.' It doesn't sound like it on [SLAYER's new album] 'Repentless', but it takes your momentum away because you've got to go out, learn your catalog and play it and then come back and work on new stuff."

METALLICA's Lars Ulrich acknowledged in an interview with U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine that the band's next studio album is unlikely to arrive anytime soon. The drummer explained: "Obviously, there are a lot of people asking where the next record is. We're going to make another record, but like I said before, we don't really feel this kind of… what's the word? I guess 'responsibility' is probably the right word. We don't feel this inherent responsibility to just churn out records whenever people want them. [Adopts a sarcastic voice] 'I'm sorry! Let me slap myself on the wrists and go make a record for you!' We'll get 'round to it again."

San Antonio death metal deviants, Abhorrent, will untether their debut full-length this November via Willowtip Records. Titled Intransigence, the ten track cranium crusher was engineered, mixed and mastered by Mike Garrison at Sound Crater Recording with guitar and bass reamps by Greg Tomao at The Tomato Farm Studio and includes guest appearances by the Trevor Strnad (The Black Dahlia Murder), Matthew "Chalky" Chalk (Mephistopheles, ex-Psycroptic), Malcolm Pugh (Inferi, A Loathing Requiem) and Antonio Ascencio (Serocs).
 
Abhorrent's wealth of riff-variations and athletic rhythmic assaults surge forward as brief glimpses into parallel dimensions that pass by with a relentless, deathlike certainty. Abhorrent is like the unprincipled, violent force of nature, realizing itself through pure will and power both in spite of death and echoing it vitriolically all the way to its demise.

Intransigence tracklisting:

“Passage
“The Elegance Of Asymmetry” (feat. guest vocals by The Black Dahlia Murder's Trevor Strnad)
“Ifrit” (feat. guest solo by Inferi's Malcolm Pugh)
“Reward System Malfunction”
“Clarity Of Will”
“A Lightness Of Mind” (feat. guest vocals by Mephistopheles' Matthew "Chalky" Chalk)
“Ill Conceived” (feat. guest solo by Serocs' Antonio Ascencio)
“Eternal Recurrence”
“Larva”
“Parasite”

"Ifrit”:

Intransigence by Abhorrent

Pre-order at this location.
 
Abhorrent was formed in 2007 by guitarist Marlon Friday and drummer Lyle Cooper (ex-The Faceless). In 2009, a three-song demo was released before the band went on an indeterminate hiatus while members focused on other projects. In 2014, vocalist Nick Brown and bassist Erlend Caspersen joined and the band entered Sound Crater Recording to record their upcoming debut, Intransigence, which will see release via Willowtip Records on November 20th. Additional teasers to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Stormbringer are gearing up for the release of their second album, Blood And Rust, on October 26th, and have just released their video for the first single, “Bad Blood”.

This album kicks out a monster slice of rock and metal, chunky riffs galore with a head shaking, foot stomping groove at its heart and a twinkle in the eye. If you've never heard Stormbringer before, you're in for a rock n roll treat, stick it on, turn it up and play LOUD!!

Blood And Rust was produced, mixed and mastered by Russ Russell at Parlour Studios.

Tracklisting:

“Blood & Rust”
“No Redemption”
“Rise”
“Bad Blood”
“Unto Me”
“Ashamed”
“No Return”
“Off The Edge”
“Cross To Bear”
“Voice Of Demons”

“Bad Blood” video:

 

Demonic Resurrection frontman Demonstealer has been hard at work recording his second solo album, which features George Kollias on drums. The album is due for release in early 2016.

Meanwhile he has collaborated with drummer Louis Rando from Impiety, who is based in Australia and is part of various bands there. The track also features a lead guitar solo from Demonic Resurrection axe-man Nishith Hegde who is also part of horror metal band Albatross.

The single is being released independently on October 2nd October via his Bandcamp page, as well as on all digital platforms like OKListen, iTunes, Spotify etc. The track has been mixed by Demonstealer himself and mastered by Daniel Kenneth Rego.

The lyrics for the track “Genocidal Leaders”:

The rule of the game is to keep them in fear
An emotionless being, not swayed by tears.
Spill the blood along the way,
To not get caught is the name of the game.
Power, feeding the greed of man
Religion, a controlling master-plan
Diminish, their capacity to think,
Genocide, kill them without fear or remorse
History, rewritten, a bunch of lies
Chaos, nowhere to run or nowhere to hide
Slaughter, the innocent caught in your game
Lust, hungry for money, power and fame.
Ruthless. Tyrant. Mass Murderer. Profiteer.
Heartless. Souless. Unrepenting genocidal leader
Coward. Bastard. Remorseless. Death Dealer.
Heartless. Souless. Unrepenting genocidal leader
Even a verdict in court can be bought
It’s just a matter before you are caught
Your smiling face won’t erase your crimes
The blood on your body is not mine.

UK death metal band, Vacivus, will release the CD version of their debut EP, Rite Of Ascension, on September 25th via Hellthrasher Productions.

Vacivus is a Sunderland-based five-piece act, formed in 2013 by members and ex-members of Wodensthrone, Horrified, Plague Rider and Warbastard, among many others. Since its formation, the band has shared the stage with the likes of Cruciamentum, Grave Miasma and Sheol, making a name for itself as one of the most promising acts of UK's new wave of dark, chaotic death metal.

Recorded live in just one day, Rite Of Ascension features five brand new tracks of raw blackened death metal, dealing with the occult, death and transcendence. The EP was originally released in July through Goatprayer Records as a limited cassette edition (now sold out). The artwork for both CD and MC releases has been created by Grave IX Design.

Rite Of Ascension tracklisting:

“Dark Apotheosis”
“Rite Of Ascension”
“Ageless, Nameless”
“Hostis Rei”
“Vacivus Aeternum”

Stream the entire EP below:

Rite of Ascension by VACIVUS

 

Power Prog has annonced the signing of international metal musician cooperation, The Chronicles Project. The first big common goal is the release of their album, When Darkness Falls, on December 11th on Audio-CD, download card, digital download and as stream.
 
The Chronicles Project was initiated by mastermind Malte Rathke (former keyboardist of J.R.Blackmore) in June 2011. After many tries to find the right and matching musicians for the project in the local scene, Malte decided to go another way and started a YouTube collaboration where he invited musicians from all over the world to work together on the basis of his ideas. After getting tremendous positive feedback on the material and after realizing that the whole thing began to exceed the expectations of everyone, the bar was raised and the former YouTube collaboration turned into a real studio project... with clear intentions and plans for a multiple albums spanning concept. Over the following years, with a lot of efforts and all the skills of the involved, the songs were arranged, refined and recorded to obtain a maximum and best possible result. In July 2015 the album was handed to talented Simone Mularoni at Domination Studios for mixing and mastering and to create a real sound experience. Mission accomplished!

With When Darkness Falls, The Chronicles Project lays down the first milestone of an epic multipart tale out of another world. The story in brief: "The immortal soul gatherers Twilight, Nightfall and Sirelius came to Earth to collect the souls of the deceased and deliver them to the sleeping god Isaari. But an ancient pact and the murder of the mortal Mary threaten not only their mission, but also the equilibrium of forces and therefore the existence of mankind."

Mastermind Malte Rathke has managed it in a brilliant way to merge the different characters of the story into a large whole, musically and lyrically implemented in an impressive manner. With the participation of an illustrious family of well-known singers like Andi Kravljaca (Nergard, Thaurorod, Aeon Zen, Temet Nosce, ex-Silent Call),  Dave Esser (Dave Esser, Schattenspieler), Rob Lundgren (Powerdrive, Scientic), Vasilis Georgiou (Black Fate, SunBurst, Innosense) and Patricia Romera Holgado, plus a sensational acting instrumental section, consisting of Ivan Ravaioli (Lead and rhythm guitars), Martino Garattoni (Bass) and Sam Tickner (drums), a unique concept album has arisen that will cause a sensation in the world of metal and will leave a lasting and sustainable impression at each listener.

Progressive power metal lovers and fans of bands like Kamelot, Blind Guardian, Symphony X, Stratovarius, Pagan's Mind, Vanden Plas and other genre greats will have their real joy. But also, and in particular, friends of metal opera concepts like Ayreon or Avantasia have to listen up and should give The Chronicles Project their full attention, mainly due to the fact that further albums are planned in a not too far future ... so the journey will go on soon. In any case you have to say: A required course and a strict must have for every discerning metal fan.

When Darkness Falls tracklisting:

“Prologue: Our Souls”
“Forever”
“Void Of The Damned”
“The Last Embrace”
“A Dangerous Journey”
“Into Infinity”
“Interlude I: The Confession”
“When Darkness Falls”
“Believe”
“My Revolution”
“Interlude II: Release Me”
“The Dark Symphony”
“Promised Lands”
“Until You're Mine”
“Conclusion: Still Alive”
“Chronicles Of A Strange Mind” (CD Bonus Track)

“Forever”:

Album details:

• All songs written and arranged by Malte Rathke
• Mixed & mastered by Simone Mularoni (Domination Studio)
• Album artwork by Caio Caldas (CadiesArt)
• Logo design, typography & layout by Malte Rathke and Götz Morgenschweis (Power Prog)

The Chronicles Project is:

Malte Rathke (keyboards, arrangements)
Ivan Ravaioli (lead, rhythm guitars)
Martino Garattoni (bass)
Sam Tickner (drums)
Andi Kravljaca (vocals, guitar and keyboard solo on "Promised Lands")
Vasilis Georgiou (vocals)
Rob Lundgren (vocals)
Dave Esser (vocals)
Patricia Romera (vocals)
Gus Drax (guitar solo on "Into Infinity)

 

The never ending story of Hammerheart Records and Japan's death/doom fiends Coffins joining unholy forces expands into the next co-operation. Hammerheart Records will release the second compilation album from Coffins, entitled Perpetual Penance, as a cool 2LP set on 180 gram vinyl.

This great looking vinyl edition will have a poster included and will feature all of Coffins’ split and other smaller releases collected. It will be released in time for Coffins’ appearance at the Netherlands Deathfest in February 2016. Hammerheart Records will release a limited edition for this festival to 100 on blue vinyl with exclusive artwork.

More details to follow.

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions released the 2CD edition of Perpetual Penance on CD and digital formats.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1:
“Hellbringer” (Demo version from Colossal Hole EP)
“No Saviour” (Demo version from Colossal Hole EP)
“Colossal Hole” (Demo version from Colossal Hole EP)
“Drowned In Revelation” (from split with Noothgrush)
“The Wretched Path” (from split with Noothgrush)
“Reborn” (from Reborn flexi)
“Grotesque Messiah” (Extended version from split with Macabra)
“Axes Of Vengeance” (from split with Sourvein)

Disc 2:

“Till Dawn Of The Doomsday” (from split with Warhammer)
“Grotesque Messiah” (from split with Disgrace)
“In Bloody Sewage” (from split with Hooded Menace)
“The Fog Of Burning Flesh” (from split with Stormcrow)
“Slaughter Of Gods '09” (from split with Stormcrow)
“Till Dawn Of The Doomsday/Grotesque Messiah” (Live version from Live In Japan EP)
“In Bloody Sewage” (Live version from Live In Japan EP)
“Here Comes Perdition/Under The Stench/Slaughter Of Gods” (unreleased track Live in Czech Republic)

“Reborn”:

The Dwarves are tough - made from stone by their god Vraccas, they are rough warriors and skilled craftsmen. The love for all kinds of metal is in their blood and there is only one kind of music to complement the thunder of their sledgehammers and the clash of their battleaxes: metal!

Developer KING Art is happy to announce that today a cooperation with the legendary band Blind Guardian has been arranged: Not only will musicians from Blind Guardian perform parts of The Dwarves OST in their own unique style but there will also be a special quest involving Blind Guardian in the game. To perfectly blend that into the fantasy-world of Girdlegard, the developers from KING Art and Blind Guardian are cooperating closely with the author of The Dwarves book series.

A new video shows the visit by some developers of Blind Guardian’s studio, where members of the band are playing The Dwarves for the first time. Watch below:

A crowdfunding campaign for The Dwarves started furiously and is only hours away from passing its 80%-line, having gathered more than 4,000 backers who have pledged over 200,000 $ so far - and there are still 15 days of funding left! A variety of stretch goals has also been revealed. Supporters will be able to vote for either a cooperative Multiplayer, a brand-new character with its own unique skills & story, different new games modes such as New Game Plus or a Horde-Mode and more.

Check out The Dwarves’ Kickstarter campaign here.

 

Influential Brooklyn, New York metal progenitors CANDIRIA have signed to Metal Blade Records. The band's first new full-length album since 2009's "Kiss The Lie" is due in 2016.

Since forming in 1992, CANDIRIA has released seven full-lengths CDs, two EPs, and survived a serious van crash in 2002.

CANDIRIA's John LaMacchia comments: "The band is extremely excited to be a part of the Metal Blade family. We couldn't think of a better way to forge ahead with a new chapter in our career.

"We have a new album in the works and we definitely plan to hit the road in support of it.

"2016 is going to be an amazing year for CANDIRIA."

CANDIRIA's Michael MacIvor adds: "Metal Blade have been at the forefront of extreme music since I was a kid. Just like CANDIRIA, they have always pushed the boundaries of music, and have trusted their gut instincts.

"I can't think of a better place to call home for the future of CANDIRIA. We are extremely happy to be a part of the Metal Blade family."

Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel comments: "I am really happy to welcome CANDIRIA to the Metal Blade family! I have been a huge fan during their career and very excited to work with them."

Metal Injection has debuted a new CANDIRIA mini-documentary that gives fans a glimpse of the current state of the band, and also reflects on the events that led them to this new chapter. The video serves as a perfect introduction for the uninitiated, as well as a fresh take for old fans. Watch the video below.

CANDIRIA will perform this Sunday, September 27 at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, New York.

AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler was a guest on the season four premiere of ABC's "Nashville" last night, appearing as himself and covering Patsy Cline's "Crazy" with Hayden Panettiere, who plays Juliette Barnes on the popular television show.

Video footage of Tyler's appearance on "Nashville" can be seen below.

The single version of the track is available via iTunes.

Steven released his debut country single, "Love Is Your Name", in May, and currently working on a full-length album. He told Rolling Stone Country: "This is a side project, which has now turned into a love of life. I think we got something here that the radio would love to play."

The "Love Is Your Name" clip was filmed just outside Nashville and was previewed on ABC's "Good Morning America" before it went live online. The track was written by Lindsey Lee and Eric Paslay.

Tyler recently signed to Dot Records underneath the Big Machine Label Group umbrella (Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw).

SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor says that he "would retire from touring" if the classic GUNS N' ROSES lineup played again, explaining that he "wouldn't want to go up against that."

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

Speaking to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Taylor stated about the prospect of a GUNS N' ROSES return: "I will believe it when I buy the ticket, let's put it that way. I mean, because nobody gets more excited about the thought of the 'Appetite For Destruction' lineup coming back together… That would be … I mean, there you go. I mean, dude, I would retire from touring, because I wouldn't want to go up against that. You know what I'm saying? And then I would follow them like I was a Deadhead. Like I would just go to every show. But that's only if it's the 'Appetite' lineup — or even if it's those guys with [drummer Matt] Sorum [instead of Steven Adler]… Because I know that Steven has some physical issues, but he can still play, man. I've seen him play. He can jam, dude. That dude knows how to pound."

He continued: "['Appetite For Destruction' is] top to bottom … yeah, it's one of those albums that you cannot listen to and not go, 'Holy shit!' Like you put it on, and you feel it, even if you're not into the music, you feel it. There's something so dirty and so raw and so amazing about that album. And the songs are amazing. You know, people like to talk about the production or the attitude … those fucking songs are ridiculous! It was the one album that all my metal friends, all my skater friends, all my punk friends, all my hard rock friends could agree on."

Taylor also recalled seeing GUNS N' ROSES open for AEROSMITH in 1988, calling it "probably one of the greatest concerts I ever saw in my life." He went on to say: "They were the … they were my ROLLING STONES. You know, they were my rock 'n' roll band. And they always will be, even as Axl tries to kill the name."

Rose is the only original member of GUNS N' ROSES still in the current lineup, which has toured intermittently since 2006 and played its second Las Vegas residency last year.

The closest anyone came to a GUNS reunion in recent memory was when the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012. Three original members of the band, including Slash, Adler and bassist Duff McKagan, showed up, but Axl and guitarist Izzy Stradlin were no-shows.

At the time Slash said in several interviews that the Hall Of Fame ceremony gave him a sense of "closure."

GUNS N' ROSES recently parted ways with guitarists DJ Ashba and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.

Metal Wani's editor in chief Owais "Vitek" Nabi recently conducted an interview with vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth of veteran New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL. You can now listen to the chat below.

Asked if OVERKILL has begun the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2014's "White Devil Armory" album, Blitz said: "We're in a phase right now where we write separately. I get bits of riffs, [OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni] gets bits of vocal lines, I hear some stuff from [OVERKILL guitarist] Dave Linsk. It's always us going back and forth. And when we're out on the SYMPHONY X tour, there'll be a lot of [sessions in the] back lounge in the bus with a guitar and a little recorder. I mean, that's kind of the way we get it done."

He continued: "I really like writing on the road, because it gives it kind of a great energy — you transfer what happens from the stage right to the tape, to some degree, when you're demoing. So it's a really cool way to look at getting at an immediate type of an energy."

Regarding the musical direction of the new OVERKILL material, Blitz said: "Again not reinventing the wheel. I mean, OVERKILL is what OVERKILL is. And I think that somewhere in there lies the beauty of the band's principles — that we can be comfortable in the fact that we write this type of metal. I think the hardest thing, or the thing I think about the most, is that there's a fine line between repetition and style. So I don't like to necessarily repeat myself, but I don't like to lose my identity either."

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

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

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

Ex-DEATH/MASSACRE guitarist Rick Rozz and ex-MASSACRE drummer Mike Mazzonetto have teamed up with with vocalist/bassist Michael Grim to form THE END, an old-school Florida death metal trio.

THE END's debut four-song EP, "Age Of Apocalypse", will be available in January 2016.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Age Of Apocalypse02. Crawling Back To Life03. Silent Screams Of Death04. Inhale The Plague

Says THE END: "Remember when metal was exciting? The first time you heard SLAYER or DEATH? Through the years it has seemed as if metal has lost its edge. The more extreme bands get, the more it loses its value. Given, some bands can be brutal and still hold water. But most cannot. Here at THE END, we know the value of a good melody. With promise to keep it brutal at the same time. We play death metal the old school way, for in our eyes, it's the only way! Soon you will get a taste of what is to come with our first offering, 'Age Of Apocalypse'. It's dark, vicious, and hungry! We feel that it is in the spirit of the glory days of death metal, but with fresh modern feel."

ALL THAT REMAINS bassist Jeanne Sagan has decided to leave the band to pursue personal interests. The departure is amicable and the band will continue to tour in support of its latest album, "The Order Of Things".

ALL THAT REMAINS lead vocalist Phil Labonte explains: "So after nearly 10 years Jeanne Sagan has decided to close the ALL THAT REMAINS chapter of her life.

"Everyone in ALL THAT REMAINS wishes nothing but happiness and success in any and all of her future endeavors.

"We are excited to announce ALL THAT REMAINS's new bass player is a fine young man by the name of Aaron Patrick. He's been a friend for years, formerly of BURY YOUR DEAD and has played for LAMB OF GOD and DEVILDRIVER, among others. We're sure he's going to be the perfect fit, and considering his musical history, I think he's going to add a new and cool dimension to ALL THAT REMAINS's sound moving forward.

"Come check us out and see Aaron rock on the 'HardDrive Live Fallout' tour!"

Jeanne Sagan comments: "It is with heavy heart that I depart from ALL THAT REMAINS. I've decided to follow my heart and pursue other opportunities in life. I truly appreciate the amazing experiences and the great fans over the last decade. I wish ALL THAT REMAINS all the best going forward."

Patrick adds: "I am beyond excited to step in and play bass for ALL THAT REMAINS! We've toured together over the years and have become close friends, so the family element is already there. I'm looking forward to kicking off this next tour in Japan at Loud Park and then onward to the 'HardDrive Live Fallout' tour. Let's fuggin' party!"

ALL THAT REMAINS will co-headline the "HardDrive Live Fallout" tour this fall with WE CAME AS ROMANS. The trek kicks off on October 14 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and will run through November 7.

BARONESS, who recently announced the release of its fourth album, "Purple" (due on December 18 via Abraxan Hymns), will launch its first U.S. tour in support of the ten-song album with a round of intimate performances beginning November 27 at the Ace Of Cups in Columbus, Ohio.

"We've been off tour for too long," said BARONESS guitarist/vocalist John Baizley. "It's time for BARONESS to start playing shows in the U.S. again. We're doing a short run through the eastern half of the States, in small clubs, getting our new songs stage ready for 2016. Who knows, maybe we'll even throw in a few songs from the very early EPs and albums. See you soon…" In conjunction with the tour announcement, the band has unveiled the official music video for "Chlorine & Wine". The clip, which was directed by Jimmy Hubbard, gives fans a raw, behind-the-scenes peek into the making of the song, including footage of BARONESS writing and rehearsing the track as well as recording at producer Dave Fridmann's Tarbox Road Studios. A European outing kicked off the band's live dates in support of "Purple", with slots at both the Reading and Leeds festivals, saw the first live performance of "Chlorine & Wine". BARONESS also joined METALLICA for the September 16 opening at the Centre Videotron in Quebec.

Tour dates: Nov. 27 - Columbus, OH - Ace of CupsNov. 28 - Chicago, IL - Beat KitchenNov. 29 - Madison, WI - FrequencyDec. 01 - St. Louis, MO - The DemoDec. 02 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Music HallDec. 04 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street CollectiveDec. 05 - Dallas, TX - Double WideDec. 06 - Austin, TX - MohawkDec. 08 - Houston, TX - Rudyard'sDec. 09 - New Orleans, LA - Gasa GasaDec. 11 - Gainesville, FL - 8-BIT BarDec. 12 - Savannah, GA - The JinxDec. 13 - Atlanta, GA - The EarlDec. 15 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506Dec. 16 - Richmond, VA - Strange MatterDec. 18 - Baltimore, MD - Metro GalleryDec. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda'sDec. 20 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus Bar Pre-order packages for "Purple", which feature an instant download of "Chlorine & Wine" as well as a limited-edition colored vinyl version of the new album, two picture discs, t-shirts and other unique items are available now. Digital pre-orders, which also include an instant download of "Chlorine & Wine", are available via iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.

BARONESS is John Baizley (guitar, vocals), Pete Adams (guitar, vocals), Nick Jost (bass, keyboards) and Sebastian Thomson (drums).

ZIMMERS HOLE, the project featuring guitarist Jed Simon and bassist Byron Stroud of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, will play its first show in six years on January 23, 2016 at the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Also scheduled to appear are DAYGLO ABORTIONS, PROCESS, GOLERS and AGGRESSION.

ZIMMERS HOLE is best known for its crazy, theatrical live show full of props, humor and blistering old-school metal influence.

ZIMMERS HOLE's current lineup is:

* Chris "The Heathen" Valagao (WEST OF HELL) - Vocals* Jed Simon (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, FRONTLINE ASSMBLY, TENET, SCAR THE MARTYR) - Guitar* Gene Hoglan (TESTAMENT, DARK ANGEL, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD - Drums* Byron Stroud (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, FEAR FACTORY, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, CITY OF FIRE) - Bass

ZIMMERS HOLE's most recent album, "When You Were Shouting At The Devil...We Were In League With Satan", was released in March 2008 via Century Media Records.

Born in 1991, ZIMMERS HOLE has been Byron and Jed's significant other band when not busy with STRAPPING YOUNG LAD or FEAR FACTORY. In the beginning, it was always just a way of spending the weekend drinking far too much and writing absurd songs. As time went on, the group "matured" somewhat, although maturity is highly overrated as far as these guys go, but two remarkable albums ("Bound By Fire" and "Legion of Flames"), a series of successful tours and a string of absolutely unforgettable shows soon followed, putting the mighty ZIMMERS HOLE on the lips of many.

"Follow The Crossed Line", the new video from Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based melodic death metallers THE AGONIST, can be seen below. The clip was directed by THE AGONIST bassist Chris Kells and features professionally filmed footage of THE AGONIST's recent Heavy Montreal performance.

Guitarist Danny Marino comments, "Were thrilled to release this video for 'Follow The Crossed Line'. This song is one of the band's favorites and has become a staple of our live set.

"The video contrasts between us live and us playing in our rehearsal space in Montreal.

"It's always a challenge for Chris both directing and being in the video at the same time, but we're really happy how the video matches the intensity of the song."

"Follow The Crossed Line" is taken from THE AGONIST's latest album, "Eye Of Providence", which was released on February 24 in North America (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media. The band's first CD with singer Vicky Psarakis was recorded at The Grid studio in their hometown with producer Chris Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY). Vicky joined THE AGONIST as the replacement for Alissa White-Gluz, who left the band to focus on her new gig as the frontwoman of ARCH ENEMY.

In a recent interview with Decibel magazine, Danny Marino stated about the writing process for "Eye Of Providence" compared to those for the band's previous albums: "It was a whole new experience and the most enjoyable we've ever had. There was an air of full collaboration like never before. It was a good balance of group effort and individual composition and understanding that balance. While Vicky [and I] were the main composers, every member composed part of this album and this was the first album where lyrical content was also shared between Vicky, Simon [and I]."

Asked where he thinks THE AGONIST fits in today's metal scene, Danny said: "I don't really know exactly. I think it's cliché to say we can't be categorized, but I do think that is true of 'Prisoners' and 'Eye Of Providence'. I feel like we have come into our own sound, especially on 'Eye Of Providence'. I am influenced by artists like Devin Townsend and Mikael Åkerfeldt. Not to say that our music sounds like those bands, per se. But I am inspired by artists with the courage to take a listener to many different places in one album and make it work somehow. That's what we have been trying to do since our second album. I think with 'Eye Of Providence', we were able to find that balance."

THE AGONIST 2015 is:

Vicky Psarakis - VocalsDanny Marino - GuitarChris Kells - BassSimon McKay - DrumsPascal "Paco" Jobin - Guitar