Levi Seth of Sticks For Stones recently conducted an interview with keyboardist Janne Wirman of Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Sticks For Stones: Do you see revenue from streaming services such as Spotify? Janne: No, no, no. There's no money at all in Spotify. No. It's shit. Sticks For Stones: Do you like your songs being on Spotify? Janne: If it was up for me, personally, I would not put it up on Spotify. Personally, I don't even use Spotify, I don't have an account. I just dislike it just due to the fact that I know that the artists are not getting nothing out of it.

Sticks For Stones: Do you still collect physical records and CDs? Janne: Yeah, actually, that's a bit of a problem for me too. 'Cause, you know, I don't use Spotify, I don't use streaming services. At some point, I used to buy a lot of stuff off iTunes, but now I kind of dislike the new iTunes too. So, it's, like, I don't have a lot of ways to get music anymore nowadays. And then what I really, really wanna get, I need to get it as a CD. But then your house is full of CDs and, you know, it's just... whatever. And record stores do not exist anymore, so then if you really want a CD of something, you need to order it or something. I don't know… It's just... It's sad. The whole state of music business is kind of weird right now. Sticks For Stones: It's sad to see artists getting the raw end of the deal… Janne: Yeah, definitely, 'cause, you know, a huge part of our income is now totally gone. Album sales just don't exist anymore. It's a really, really fucked up situation, I think. Sticks For Stones: It's sad kids these days are missing out on collecting albums and reading the lyrics and the album art… Janne: That's how I am too — old school — but then, at the same time, I do understand how the kids nowadays don't wanna collect all those CDs. But, I don't know... I was just amazed that the format… Like, there's nothing... I don't know... It's difficult to even imagine. But, like, the CD... nobody was even interested in re-inventing the CD, like coming out with a format that would still be appealing as a collectible… But I don't know... I guess the MP3 is just so much easier for the kids nowadays.

Read the entire interview at Sticks For Stones.

Texas-based Dead To A Dying World has completed their immense sophomore album, Litany, and plans to release the record this October alongside a Western US tour. In advance of its release, "Beneath The Loam”, the first single from the record, is streaming below.
 
Dead To A Dying World return with the long-awaited follow-up to their 2011 self-titled debut album with the defining opus entitled Litany, an endeavor that emboldens the septet's tremendous creative spirit. Litany is increasingly ambitious with each of its six triumphant musical movements, demanding hope and despair in its deliberate parade of the sours of humanity. This musical ensemble has crafted an aural landscape that thrives somewhere between apocalyptic doom, blackened crust, and dark post-rock. Their compositional skill is wonderful to behold as their works flow seamlessly from solemn string arrangement into tremendous dooming resolution.
 
Invited into the collaborative fold for guest appearances on this album are some of the creative minds behind Pallbearer, Sabbath Assembly, and Pinkish Black, whose contributions bring the entrancing narrative within Litany an unapologetic authenticity. With celebrated producer Billy Anderson at the helm, the band's sound reaches brilliant new heights. Litany is a statement, a mantra, an epilogue, yet it gives just a hint to the musical manuscript underwritten by Dead To A Dying World.
 
See the incredible trailer for Litany created by Chariot of Black Moth including the cover art, performance footage, audio and more below.

Litany tracklisting:

“The Hunt Eternal”
“Cicatrix”
“Eventide”
“Beneath The Loam”
“Sick & Sunder”
“Narcissus”

Trailer:

“Beneath The Loam”:

 
Litany will be presented in multiple formats, the digital and gatefold CD on October 16th, and a deluxe 2xLP shortly afterward. Gilead Media will handle the CD release, and combine forces with Alerta Antifascista Records and Tofu Carnage Records for the 2xLP release. This album is for those who truly appreciate the aesthetic value of deluxe packaging and heavyweight color vinyl, pressed on 200-gram vinyl with both Gold with Black Splatter and Black pressings for North America and Gold inside Milky Clear with Bone Splatter and Black pressings for Europe, and features heavyweight spot-varnish printed jackets with foil-embossed graphics.
 
(Photo - Kathleen Kennedy)

 

Danish/Swedish squad Down Among The Dead Men will unleash their second full-length, Exterminate! Annihilate! Destroy!, on November 6th via Cyclone Empire Records.

The D-beat/crust-laden death metal outfit, featuring Dave Ingram (ex-Benediction, Bolt Thrower, Downlord) and axemaster Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, The Grotesquery, Ribspreader) have recorded 14 “heads down, no nonsense” tracks, amongst them two covers by Discharge and Anvil.

The cover artwork is again dragged from the filthy mind of Turkka Rantanen, whose past work has included Archgoat, Adramelech, The Grotesquery, Demilich, Demigod and more.

Tracklisting:

“Pyramids Of Mars”
“Warriors Of The Deep”
“The Oncoming Storm”
“The Ambassadors Of Death”
“Forged In Fire” (Anvil cover featuring vocals by Kam Lee)
“Arc Of Infinity”
“Death Seed”
“War Machines”
“Unearthly Child”
“Tooth And Claw”
“Armageddon Factor”
“Protest And Survive” (Discharge cover featuring vocals by Bob Thunder & Donovan Spenceley)
“Deadly Assassin”
“Exterminate! Annihilate! Destroy!”

Prepare to be Exterminated, Annihilated and thoroughly Destroyed.

Producing technical groovy death metal rooted in musical duality and lyricism, Winnipeg, MB's Inverted Serenityare streaming their new single, “Elemental Abyss”, off their upcoming album Integral, due out on October 9th to follow up their 2013 debut Manifestation Of Eternity In A World Of Time.

The band comments about the track: "Perhaps our most mature and technically structured songwriting on the record can be found in “Elemental Abyss”. This song comes out of the gate with a full speed technical thrash pace that unfolds itself into larger layered riffs all while maintaining a mid-paced headbanging groove underlying the majority of the song. Heavy and polyrhythmic riffs are explored akin to the sounds of bands like Decapitated and Meshuggah. A 7/4 time signature is played while Marcos vocals push the thickness of the song along. Tomas' massive sounding screams lead you into the auditory abyss we specifically placed as the final stretch of the album. The themes explored lyrically are tied into the unknowing of our oceans on Earth, which can be paralleled to the unknown depths of our emotions inside of us. While we are immersed in this material world structured by the elements, through discernment and letting go of the weight of physical reality, we are immersed in the fractal nature of reality and its infinite depth."

Integral tracklisting:

“Yugen”
“Everscending”
“Grasp Of Impermanence”
“Coeur”
“Integral”
“Under One Sky”
“Breath Of Life”
“Volatile Thirst”
“Wrought (Rot)”
“Elemental Abyss”

“Elemental Abyss”:

(Photo - Brandon Bollen)

Power Prog has annonced the signing of one of Germany's premier voices of rock, Carsten 'Lizard' Schulz. Now the common goal is the release of his first solo album The Day The Earth Stopped Turning under the flag of Carsten Lizard Schulz Syndicate on November 20th as double CD, download card, digital download and stream.

Carsten 'Lizard' Schulz is certainly no stranger to the international rock and metal scene and he can look back on a more than 20 years lasting and successful career. As lead singer and formative element of well known acts like Domain, Evidence One, Code Of Perfection and Midnite Club in the first decade of the 2000s, he has influenced the German hard rock scene like only a few other artists. His lead singing skills can be also enjoyed on more recent albums by Dead End Heroes, Lavalle, Rik Priem's Prime, Frozen Rain and many others and as a guest singer he can be heard on countless other releases. But Carsten is also a highly sought-after songwriter. You can listen the works out of his pen on albums by Russell Allen / Mat Sinner, Vengeance, Gary John Barden, etc.... a real musical workaholic.

A real labor of love is the realization of his first solo album The Day The Earth Stopped Turning. A process that took many years to complete - on the one hand for reasons of time, to the other hand to present the best possible and identifiable result. As a die-hard fan of the good old 70s, Carsten's clear intention was to create an adult and classical hard rock album with the special old-school flair. Under the decisive participation of his congenial partner Steffen Seeger and with the help and support by dozens of well-known artists from the last four decades (such as Axel Rudi Pell, Mat Sinner, Neil Murray, Erik Norlander and lots of others), a classic rock album has emerged that seeks of his peers in the current world of music and which is much more than a tribute to the good old days. A man, his friends and their mission give us an over 80 minutes lasting listening pleasure which brings us back to the past and to greats like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Uriah Heep, Nazareth, Kansas, Manfred Mann... but hey, definitely no reheated brew, this is how straight sophisticated classic hard rock should sound today.

The Day The Earth Stopped Turning tracklisting:

CD1
“The Prize Is Shame”
“Head's Blowing A Fuse”
“Black Water Soul”
“Dogs”
“Perfect To Me”
“Into The Blue”
“Soulburn”
“Man In Flames”

CD2
“Last Train To Babylon”
“Lucky Star”
“Song Like Rain”
“Close Your Eyes And Count To Ten”
“Brand New Fire”
“Nothing Left To Give”
“Postcards From Hell”
“The Teacher”

Album details:

• Produced & engineered by Steffen Seeger & CLS
• Mixed & mastered by Rolf Munkes
• Main recordings at Seegewerk Studios, Mannheim/Germany
• Artwork design by Stan W. Decker
• Artwork concept by CLS
• Logo design & CD layout by Götz Morgenschweis
• CLS pix by Ralf Mack

Pre-order the album as Double CD and as high quality digital download in MP3, lossless FLAC, ALAC and more in Power Prog's Digital Audio Store here.
 
Carsten Lizard Schulz Syndicate is:

Lead and backing vocals:
Carsten 'Lizard' Schulz

Drums:
Ramy Ali (Freedom Call / Iron Mask)
Markus Kullmann (Fox / Hartmann /Glenn Hughes / ex-Voodoo Circle)

Bass:
Thomas "Hutch" Bauer (Mad Max / ex-Evidence One / Frontline)
Alex Jansen (Fox)
Henning Saleschke (The Brights)
Ilker Ersin (Freedom Call / Powerworld)
Michael "Muelli" Mueller (Jadded Heart)
Mat Sinner (Primal Fear / Voodoo Circle / Sinner)
Neil Murray (ex-Whitesnake / -Black Sabbath / -Garry Moore etc.)
Paul Logue (Eden's Curse / Dead End Heroes)
Volker Krawczak (Axel Rudi Pell)

Keyboards:
Holger Seeger (Dead End Heroes)
Alessandro Del Vecchio (Voodoo Circle / Glenn Hughes / Hardline etc.)
Erik Norlander (Solo artist / Lana Lane / Rocket Scientists)

Guitars:
Joerg Wartmann (ex-Evidence One / Unheilig)
Oliver Hartmann (Hartmann / Avantasia)
Axel Rudi Pell (Solo artist)
Stefan Kahne (The Brights)
Guido Stoecker (Bodyguerra)
Matti Filippini (Moonstone Project / Glenn Hughes / Ian Paice)
Kelly Simonz (Solo artist)
Rolf Munkes (Empire / Tony Martin / Dead End Heroes)
Tommy Vitaly (Solo artist)
Steffen Seeger (Midnite Club)
Oliver "O.G." Guettinger (ex-Czakan / -Backbone Slide)
Cede Dupont (Silent Circus / Downspirit / ex-Freedom Call / ex-Symphorce)
Helge Engelke (Fair Warning)
Chris Lyne (Mother Road / ex-Soul Doctor)
Ferdy Doernberg (Axel Rudi Pell / ex-Uli Jon Roth)
Thorsten Koehne (Eden's Curse / ex-Hardline)
Pete Ahonen (Burning Point / Stargazery / Ghost Machine)

Additional backing vocals:
Pete Newdeck (Tainted Nation / ex-Eden's Curse / ex-Grim Reaper)

2015 has been a pretty intense year for Germany's Finsterforst. The release of their latest album Mach Dich Frei, many breathtaking club and festival shows and an almost unbearable hot summer certainly kept them busy and sweating. Today the band has unveiled new details about an upcoming release.

“We want to inform you that we do not intend to sit on our lazy asses and do nothing creative. After all, we have to work at least a bit for our big salary, don't we? Therefore, we will enter the Iguana Studios around the end of the year and beginning of 2016 to record a next... thing! It ain't gonna be a usual full-length album, but an EP! I can't deliver you the complete details now, because we are still in the writing process and think about what weird stuff we want to present to you guys.

“One thing is for sure: musically this next release will NOT be on the same tracks as Mach Dich Frei is! Please, that is no reason to whine and fall into deep holes of depressions - you will still recognize our Black Forest Metal sound and style! We simply feel like trying something in addition that fits to our quite weird personalities before creating a next full-length album. Be sure, you will be delighted with a heavy and intense sounding party, which will include together with a couple of new own compositions also some cover songs!”

More info and news coming soon.

 

Transatlantic progressive metal conglomerate Zierler have announced the long awaited release of their debut album, ESC, via US-based Vanity Music Group. Masterminded by Danish songwriter and keyboardist Finn Zierler (ex-Beyond Twilight), who has assembled some of the world’s most well respected metal musicians for his latest venture, ESC is set for an October 16th release worldwide.
 
His first new album in a decade, ESC is Finn’s most mature as well as his most daring musical work to date. Drawing from a wide array of influences that bring to mind everything from the unabashed pomp of classic Queen and the madness of Devin Townsend, to the virtuosity of Dream Theater and the eclectic stylings of Hollywood’s Danny Elfman, Zierler masterfully walk the fine line between genius and insanity, combining a powerful, multi-layered progressive metal foundation with an often dark, majestic orchestral feel. The result is an intricate musical tour-de-force that took the better part of two years to complete.
 
“I set different goals for myself in making this new album. I wanted to accomplish doing an album that was 100% uncompromising in every way. I wanted to break through new creative areas. And I wanted to show compositions, structures and techniques that no one has ever heard or seen before”, reflects Finn on the making of ESC.
 
“This is by far the most time consuming, complex and detail oriented album I've ever worked on. I took the time necessary to record this beast out of respect for the players, the compositions, and the music itself. I put a lot of emphasis on not taking the easy way out, not using technology to do edits to save time or whatever. The musicians involved are all so talented - there's no cheating, no copy/paste anywhere. Everything on the album is recorded as organically as possible. Personally, I'm sick of listening to “plastic” albums that sound more like machines than humans!"

 
Joining Finn on ESC are Swedish guitarist Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry, Kaipa), the first to come aboard, and Norwegian bassist/vocalist Truls Haugen (Intense, Circus Maximus) on the Scandinavian side. Finn also reached out across the pond to a pair of Texas standouts, drum veteran Bobby Jarzombek, whose stellar resume includes the likes of Fates Warning, Halford, Riot, and Spastic Ink, and vocal powerhouse Kelly Sundown Carpenter, who sang on Beyond Twilight’s 2005 album, Section X and was last seen with Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G's band, Firewind, as well as Darkology.
 
The album's stellar mix comes courtesy of another Beyond Twilight alum and long-time friend, noted studio whiz Jacob Hansen, best known for his affiliation with Danish superstars Volbeat as well as his work with Amaranthe and Destruction, amongst others. Last but not least, acclaimed London-based graphic artist Rob Sindermann has been tapped to create the stunning visuals for the ESC album packaging which includes an elaborate deluxe booklet.

ESC tracklisting:
 
“A New Beginning”
“Aggrezzor”
“Darkness Delight”
“Dark To The Bone”
“Evil Spirit”
“Married To The Cause”
“No Chorus”
“Rainheart”
“You Can't Fix Me No More”
“Water”
“Whispers”

Legendary Australian hard rockers AC/DC this week landed at position No. 3 on Billboard.com's "Hot Tours" list of top-grossing tours with $4 million in ticket sales from an outdoor Canadian performance on August 28 at the Plaines d'Abraham in Quebec City. Promoted by Live Nation and Montreal-based event producer Evenko, the concert drew 48,588 fans.

The Quebec performance was the first of three outdoor events staged in Canadian markets during AC/DC's current North American tour.

AC/DC's sixteenth studio album, "Rock Or Bust", has sold around 545,000 copies since debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart back in December.

It's the band's first album without founding guitarist Malcolm Young, who is suffering from dementia. He has been replaced by nephew Stevie Young.

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was arrested last November at his home in Tauranga on charges of threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis.

Although Rudd played on "Rock Or Bust", he did not appear in photos or videos for the disc.

One-time AC/DC drummer Chris Slade officially joined the band's lineup for its performance on the February 8 Grammy Awards telecast. Slade is also behind the kit for the group's current world tour.

The band's North American tour will wrap on September 28 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Romania's Metal Maniac conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza of German thrash metal veterans KREATOR on August 6 at the Brutal Assault festival in Josefov, Czech Republic. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On when fans can expect to see KREATOR's follow-up to the 2012 album "Phantom Antichrist":

"I'm having ideas for a couple of songs, but, to me, it's important to wait for the right moment to come, to get together with the band to rehearse the songs. At the moment, I don't have much to say, really. Maybe in 2017. But maybe next year we'll start writing. I don't think it's gonna come out next year, though. You know how quick time passes…

"I don't wanna put out an album just for the sake of it. I wanna put out an album that really, really [matters]."

"In my perfect world, we would start rehearsing for the album in January 2016, then record it in the summertime, because we wanna go to Sweden [to record the album with producer Jens Bogren], and we don't wanna go there in the wintertime. And then release it in 2017… January or something. That's my plan, but I don't know if that's gonna [pan out].

"[All of us in the band are] on the same page — we don't wanna release something that we're not a hundred percent happy with. And I'm always preparing the songs, and then we go in and play. And when we jam sometimes, we have better ideas even.

"It was just not the time yet. I don't feel that I have anything to say yet. To me, it's important to come up with songs that matter. And if I don't have anything to sing about, and I'm not inspired, I'd rather not come up with something."

On why he is not interested in teaming up with SODOM, DESTRUCTION and TANKARD for the "Teutonic Big Four" tour:

"If you work as a band and you try to come up with good stuff and write great albums that matter and stand the test of time, so to speak… I don't think about the past too much. And this whole 'Teutonic Big Four' thing is a thing of the past, if you ask me, so that's why I'm not really interested. But I love the guys; I love all of those guys — I love [SODOM's] Tom [Angelripper], I love [DESTRUCTION's] Schmier; they're awesome guys — but I'm just not into going too deep into this, because it's a thing of the past.

"To be honest with you, we live in the present, and I want the present to be… For us, for KREATOR, the present should be what matters the most."

"To me, KREATOR has always been about progressing, changing, developing with the scene — being a part of the scene, being a part of the extreme metal scene. That, to me, is more important than going on a nostalgic trip. So KREATOR's about the here and now, and that's why we take our time [to make] albums. We really plan things; we don't just do things randomly. And that's why I'd rather concentrate on my new record [and] on the live shows than recycling the past."

"Phantom Antichrist" sold 3,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 1 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

BLACK SABBATH will embark on tour that is being billed as "The End" in January 2016.

The official press release reads as follows:

"It's the Beginning of THE END.

"It started nearly five decades ago with a crack of thunder, a distant bell ringing and then that monstrous riff that shook the earth. The heaviest rock sound ever heard.

"In that moment Heavy Metal was born, created by a young band from Birmingham, England barely out of their teens.

"Now it ENDS, the final tour by the greatest Metal Band of all time, BLACK SABBATH. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler close the final chapter in the final volume of the incredible BLACK SABBATH story.

"BLACK SABBATH's farewell tour, 'The End', begins on January 20, 2016 and it promises to surpass all previous tours with their most mesmerizing production ever.

"When this tour concludes, it will truly be THE END,

"THE END of one of most legendary bands in Rock 'n Roll history…"

BLACK SABBATH "The End" tour dates:

North America

Jan. 20 - Omaha, NE @ Centurylink CenterJan. 22 - Chicago, IL @ UNited CenterJan. 25 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target CenterJan. 28 - Saskatoon, SK @ Sasktel CentreJan. 30 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall CentreFeb. 01 - Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank SaddledomeFeb. 03 - Vancouver, BC @ Rogers ArenaFeb. 06 - Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma DomeFeb. 09 - San Jose, CA @ SAP CenterFeb. 11 - Los Angeles, CA @ The ForumFeb. 13 - Das Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events CenterFeb. 15 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi CenterFeb. 17 - Kansas City, MO @ Sprint CenterFeb. 18 - Detroit, MI @ The Palace of Auburn HillsFeb. 21 - Hamilton, ON @ Firstontario CentreFeb. 23 - Montreal, QC @ Bell CentreFeb. 25 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

Australia and New Zealand

Apr. 15 - Perth, @ Perth ArenaApr. 17 - Adelaide @ Entertainment CentreApr. 19 - Melbourne @ Rod Lave ArenaApr. 23 - Sydney @ Allphones ArenaApr. 25 - Brisbane @ Entertainment CenterApr. 28 - Auckland @ Vector ArenaApr. 30 - Dunedin @ Forsyth Barr Stadium

Ozzy Osbourne said this past spring that BLACK SABBATH will embark on one last tour in 2016 before calling it quits. "The plan is that next year [we'll do] the final BLACK SABBATH tour and then it's over," Ozzy said during an April 24 press conference in in São Paulo, Brazil, where he performed as part of the Monsters Of Rock festival.

Ozzy also said that he will keep recording and touring as a solo artist once SABBATH has packed it in. "I'm still gonna continue my solo career," he said. "I'm doing these few [solo] gigs down here [in South America] now. Then at the beginning of next year, I'm going out with SABBATH. The SABBATH thing is folding up after the next tour, but I'm gonna continue my solo career."

Iommi in April dismissed rumors that his health is the reason why the band canceled an appearance at this year's edition of Ozzfest Japan in November. Iommi, who was diagnosed with lymphoma in early 2012, wrote, "I'm not sure how the rumor of my being unwell started" He added, "Once you've had something like lymphoma, the fear that it will return never leaves. All I can say is that right now I'm fine and have regular blood tests." Although it was originally announced that SABBATH would give its final Japanese performance at the event, the band dropped off the bill on April 8. Ozzy will now perform solo instead, accompanied by yet-to-be-disclosed "friends."

No reason was given for SABBATH's withdrawal from the event.

Although Iommi completed his treatment last summer, he admitted that he was told by doctors that his cancer "more than likely… will come back and it could be any time."

It is not clear whether SABBATH has begun writing a new album yet. Ozzy has also begun work on a solo album, and will do a residency in Las Vegas this October.

"13" was the first SABBATH album in 35 years to feature Osbourne, Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler together, with drummer Bill Ward the only founding member to sit out the record and world tour.

"13" went to No. 1 in both the U.S. and the U.K., a first for the band in America and only their second chart-topper in their native country since 1971.

Osbourne released a solo career retrospective titled "Memoirs Of A Madman" in October 2014. The CD contained 17 of his greatest hits, while the DVD featured music videos, rare live performances and interviews.

Ozzy's last solo studio effort was 2010's "Scream".

Long-running German metallers GRAVE DIGGER will release a 35-anniversary album, "Exhumation - The Early Years", on October 23. The CD will contain re-recorded versions of the band's "absolute classics with a dynamic and powerful sound of 2015," according to a press release.

"Exhumation - The Early Years" track listing:

01. Headbanging Man02. Fire In Your Eyes03. Witch Hunter04. Shoot Her Down05. Stand Up And Rock06. Heavy Metal Breakdown07. Enola Gay - Drop The Bomb08. Get Away09. We Wanna Rock You10. Playing Fools11. Here I Stand12. Tyrant13. Paradise 14. My Private Morning Hell (bonus track)15. Young And Dangerous (bonus track)

The song "Stand Up And Rock" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

In a 2014 interview with Metal Blast, GRAVE DIGGER frontman Chris Boltendahl stated about the band's longeviety: "This is the kind of music that I wanted to do when I was 12. When I was 18, I wanted to be a metal star. I worked hard for that, and I've always believed in the music I make. We've always gone our own way through the metal scene, and that's what has allowed us to be here. We are here, stronger than ever!"

Boltendahl also credited GRAVE DIGGER's strong work ethic for giving the band the inspiration to keep going, even in the hardest of times.

"We are Germans; we are very hard-working guys," he said. "We have a very straight kind of thinking, so if we start with something, we really want to carry on with it until the end. That's the magic of GRAVE DIGGER; we're always working hard. Our career goes up and down, we have good times and bad times, but we never think about stopping. We always want to give people the best we can do."

GRAVE DIGGER's last studio album, "Return Of The Reaper", was released in July 2014 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded at Principal Studios (KREATOR, IN EXTREMO, GRAVE DIGGER) in Senden, Germany.

Boltendahl previously said that "Return Of The Reaper" would be stylistically reminiscent of GRAVE DIGGER's classic albums "Heavy Metal Breakdown" (1984), "Witch Hunter" (1985) and "The Reaper" (1993).

The official lyric video for the song "Here To Mars" from COHEED AND CAMBRIA can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "The Color Before The Sun", which will be released on October 9 via 300 Entertainment. The cover, which features a serene lake with a house disintegrating into the sky, was created by Nick Steinhardt (TOUCHE AMORE, DEAFHEAVEN) and reflects the story behind the ten-song album. While the most conceptually abstruse COHEED records have always had a foundation in reality, "The Color Before The Sun" marks the first time Sanchez is exposing his raw feelings, narrated from his own perspective — the anxiety of fatherhood, the disorienting feeling of losing a home, the reflections had during early-morning walks. His own story is told through big, bright, driving, colorful songs that beam like power-pop, crunch like vintage '90s emocore and float with the expansive feel of space-rock. Sanchez's journey is captured not only in the music, but also in a new limited-edition deluxe box set available for pre-order at CoheedAndCambria.com The extensive collection offers fans two hardcover books; one featuring album lyrics and expansive artwork from "The Color Before The Sun", while a separate book documents the events and emotions of the time with prose and photographs. Four different pieces of music are housed in the die-cut slipcase: "The Color Before The Sun" (CD), "The Color Before The Sun" demos (CD), an in-studio DVD and a clear 7-inch vinyl with two non-album demo tracks. Purchasers also receive an instant download of "You Got Spirit, Kid", a membership card, a custom house key, a lapel pin, a certificate of authenticity; as well as exclusive, members-only access to new music, videos, concert tickets, merchandise and commentary from the band. "The Color Before The Sun" track listing: 01. Island02. Eraser03. Colors04. Here To Mars05. Ghost06. Atlas07. Young Love08. You Got Spirit, Kid09. The Audience10. Peace To The Mountain

"The Color Before The Sun" is the outfit's eighth studio album and their first non-conceptual release, with the previous offerings forming the larger story of "The Amory Wars", a science-fiction saga depicting the story of COHEED AND CAMBRIA Kilgannon. "The Color Before The Sun" was recorded at St. Charles Studio in Nashville, and produced by Jay Joyce (CAGE THE ELEPHANT, ERIC CHURCH, HALESTORM). The New York-based band's album arrives via the recently formed label, 300 Entertainment who pride themselves on being an independent, creative driven record label that focuses on intense artist development. 300 Entertainment co-founder Lyor Cohen offers: "COHEED AND CAMBRIA have created a lane and legacy for themselves that is very much their own. Their DIY approach fits the ethos of 300. They've taken some brave artistic steps on this forthcoming new album and we are looking forward to sharing it with the world." Photo credit: LeAnn Mueller

Raucous rockers UGLY KID JOE will release a new full-length album titled "Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" in North America on October 16 via Metalville/UKJ Records. The CD was recorded at JT Studios and Balance Studios in Louisiana with producer (and UGLY KID JOE guitarist) Dave Fortman (SLIPKNOT, GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE).

The official lyric video for the song "Hell Ain't Hard To Find" from "Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" can be seen below.

Whitfield Crane (vocals) and Klaus Eichstadt (guitar) teamed up with Sonny Mayo (guitar), Shannon Larkin (drums), Zac Morris (drums), Cordell Crockett (bass) and Dave Fortman (guitar) to form the now seven-member lineup (a.k.a. "Seven-Headed Monster"; pictured below) and write and record in the studio. The result is the most cohesive sounding UGLY KID JOE record to date.

"Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" boasts a collection of well-crafted rock tunes, from the riff-driven "Let The Record Play" to the hard-hitting "She's Already Gone" and "Hell Ain't Hard To Find".

"It's a full circle of sorts," says Crane. "There was a lot of love and talent in one room and that is exactly what this album sounds like."

In addition to the nine newly written original songs, the album features a couple of cover songs, including RARE EARTH's version of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", with Australian chart-topping vocalist Dallas Frasca lending her unmistakable vocals behind Crane, and the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades", with a very special guest appearance from MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell, who lends his signature sound to the timeless track. Campbell also appears on the songs "My Old Man" and "Under The Bottom".

"Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" track listing:

01. Hell Ain't Hard To Find02. Let The Record Play03. Bad Seed04. Mirror The Man05. She's Already Gone06. Nothing Ever Changes07. My Old Man (feat. Phil Campbell)08. Under The Bottom (feat. Phil Campbell)09. Ace Of Spades (feat. Phil Campbell)10. Enemy11. Papa Was A Rolling Stone (feat. Dallas Frasca)

This September, UGLY KID JOE will head to the U.K. for an intimate tour, finishing with two shows at the Underworld in London.

UGLY KID JOE's most recent CD + DVD, "Stairway To Hell", was released in October 2013 via Metalville. The set contained the band's latest EP, "Stairway To Hell", which was originally released independently in 2012, plus three bonus acoustic tracks and a special bonus DVD, including the 2012 Download festival concert, two new video clips and a "making-of" segment.

UGLY KID JOE released three full-length albums and toured extensively throughout the 1990s before disbanding in 1997.

From left to right in photo below: Whitfield Crane, Dave Fortman, Klaus Eichstadt, Cordell Crockett, Zac Morris, Shannon Larkin, Sonny Mayo

"All My People", a new song from DEVIL CITY ANGELS, the band originally formed by Rikki Rockett (POISON), Tracii Guns (L.A GUNS), Eric Brittingham (CINDERELLA), and vocalist Brandon Gibbs, can be streamed below. The song is taken from DEVIL CITY ANGELS' self-titled debut album, which was produced by the DEVIL CITY ANGELS bandmembers themselves in Los Angeles and was mixed in Nashville by Anthony Focx. A September 18 release is expected.

"Devil City Angels" can be pre-ordered at IndieMerch.com.

Following the recording of "Devil City Angels", Brittingham decided not to continue with the project and his spot has been taken by Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE). "It was kind of by accident how it came together, it really was," Tracii told Lithium Magazine about DEVIL CITY ANGELS' formation. "Rikki and I had done a John Entwistle/Keith Moon tribute show together. We went backstage after playing our songs and the guys backstage were all kind of chanting, 'Guns and Rocketts, Guns and Rocketts' as a joke. And we kind of laughed it off but then Rikki suddenly turned around and said, 'Guns and Rocketts' actually has a pretty nice ring to it, don't you think. So we decided right there to start a band."

Guns, who has a solo project called LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN, continued: "[LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN is] more of a vanity project. I wanted something that I could go and tour with and be in a real band. We thought of a few different players and Rikki said he knew Brandon. He said he knew this guy who was younger than us, but should have been born decades earlier. He had a real bluesy sound and played with Eric. We decided to check him out so I called him and he was a really cool dude. And before you knew it, we had him ask Eric if he was interested. He said absolutely and they flew out here a couple weeks later and we recorded [our] first song [called 'All My People']."

Regarding "All My People", Tracii said: "The song was written by Rikki and Brandon a couple of years before. They each did their parts separately and then we did the vocal tracking. They went home and I spent the rest of the time doing the lead guitar stuff. And we sent it to Anthony Focx, who is an amazing engineer and mixer who has worked with [former] METALLICA [bassist Jason Newsted] and AEROSMITH and a bunch of other bands. He is a good friend of ours and he mixed it really good and we put it out."

He added: "It was eight days from recording to releasing it. It was beautiful the way it came together, kind of old school."

Tracii also spoke about DEVIL CITY ANGELS' musical direction, saying "It's basic. It's simple. We might groove out a little more on some things and we might have a ballad or two. But other than that, we're going to keep it pretty straightforward 1977 rock. Since we have a winner with 'All My People', we are just going to stay in that framework. We feel that kind of music and Brandon surely delivers it."

French black/death metal veterans, Temple Of Baal, have set Mysterium as the title of their next full-length album, due on October 2nd via Agonia Records. The track “Hosanna” can be found streaming below.

As the album's title suggests, Mysterium dwells on the topics of spirituality and religiosity. "From the opener, ‘Lord Of Knowledge  And Death’, to the closing number, ‘All In Your Name’, every inch of this record drips with it" - comments the band. "Mysterium can be seen a collection of meditations and prayers over the mysteries of Faith, directed towards the gods of the left hand path."

Musically, Temple Of Baal's black metal roots are back in full force, allowing the atmospheres to develop through songs of epic proportions, mostly clocking around 8 or 9 minutes each. Mysterium covers a wide musical specter, from slower ritualistic parts, to furious blasts and thrashy riffs or the surprisingly melodic choirs of "Magna Gloria Tua" and "Hosanna", each song taking the listener into a spiritual journey, evolving through various climates, keeping the listener's mind awake. "I never got that much into monotonous, uniform albums" - says band's leader Amduscias. "I like music to take my mind from one point to another. Even if I have a strict view of what Temple Of Baal should be, stagnation is not something I'm very fond of."

The recording of Mysterium took place in Hybreed Studios with long-time sound engineer, Andrew Guillotin (Glorior Belli, Mourning Dawn), who managed to capture the band's trademark massive sounding, magnifying it through a warm and organic production. Cover artwork and layout have been prepared by David Fitt (Aosoth, Secrets of the Moon, Svart Crown) and Maria Yakhnenko.

Paying tribute to their old school roots, Temple Of Baal covers Bathory for the second time, with the song "The Golden Walls Of Heaven" closing the vinyl edition as a bonus track.

Mysterium will be available in:
- 6 panel digipack CD witt 16 pages booklet
- Regular gatefold double black vinyl
- Limited to 150 hand-numbered copies double gatefold vinyl (including one picture disc and one black vinyl)
- T-shirt

Mysterium tracklisting:

“Lord Of Knowledge And Death”
“Magna Gloria Tua”
“Divine Scythe”
“Hosanna”
“Dictum Ignis”
“Black Redeeming Flame”
“Holy Art Thou”
“All In Your Name”
“The Golden Walls Of Heaven” (Bathory cover, vinyl bonus track)

“Hosanna”:

“Divine Scythe”:

Pre-orders are available at Agonia Records.

 

Windhand return with their third full-length, Grief's Infernal Flower. The album was produced by Jack Endino (Nirvana, High On Fire, Soundgarden) and is a massive, heavy, personal and modern testament to the power of doom and stoner metal's legacies. One sees the urgency the band have displayed over their career reflected in their music - long-canonized tropes are reimagined and reinvented, Windhand convey an irrepressible sense of motion even within the slowest of songs.

Check out the new track “Hyperion”:

Front woman Dorthia Cottrell firmly establishes herself as one of today's most powerful vocalists by perfectly balancing beauty with enormous force, and the twin-guitar attack of Garrett Morris and Asechiah Bogdan weaves together nine songs of perfect riffs and fuzzed-out bliss. That often-delicate splendor is all tempered by the colossal rhythmic mastery of bassist Parker Chandler and drummer Ryan Wolfe, whose lower-register expertise serves as the backbone of the new record. Though the first two Windhand albums were underground classics, Grief's Infernal Flower stands to see Windhand cementing themselves as one of the premier metal bands of our time. The album will be released via Relapse Records on September 18th.

Grief's Infernal Flower tracklisting:

“Two Urns”
“Forest Clouds”
“Crypt Key”
“Tanngrisnir”
“Sparrow”
“Hyperion”
“Hesperus”
“Kingfisher”
“Aition”

“Crypt Key” video:

“Two Urns”:

Windhand tour dates:

September
18 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter

October
21 - New York, NY - Gramercy #
22 - Buffalo, NY - Waiting Room #
23 - Pittsburgh, PA - Smiling Moose #
24 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle #
27 - Seattle, WA - Neumos #
28 - Vancouver, BC - Astoria  #
29 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios #
30 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel #
31 - San Diego, CA - Night of the Shred ^

November
1 - Los Angeles, CA - Roxy #
2 - Mesa, AZ - Club Red #
3 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister #
4 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater  #
6 - Dallas, TX - Dada #
7 - Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Fest Nites #
8 - Little Rock, AR - White Water Tavern #
11 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups #
12 - Ferndale, MI - Loving Touch #
13 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop #
14 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery #
15 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts #

# - with Danava and Monolord
^ - with Monolord

 

 

Windhand is:

Garrett Morris (Guitars)
Parker Chandler (Bass)
Dorthia Cottrell (Vocals)
Asechiah Bogdan (Guitars)
Ryan Wolfe (Drums)

(Photo - Jordan Vance)

 

Raped In The Face Records recently announced the release of the second full-length albumfrom Dutch death metal band I Chaos (featuring members of Dew-Scented). Masterbleeder will be released on September 25th. The album’s opening cut, “Waking Hell”, is streaming below.

Masterbleeder is a concept album dealing with a lost soul entering the treacherous world of psychiatry and pharmacy and learning about the daily oppression and mental incarceration of millions of people.

Masterbleeder tracklisting:

“Waking Hell”
“Ills Of Flesh”
“Instrument Of Tyranny”
“Fallen Race”
“Blinding Race”
“Sublimation”
“Above All That Bleeds”
“Glorious Defeat”
“Bled Empty”
“Ending Of A Lie”

“Waking Hell”:

Trailer featuring short preview of “Glorious Defeat”:

 

All-star band Metal Allegiance will be releasing an album of original material. The self-titled album is scheduled for worldwide release on September 18th via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

The album features a collection of hard rock and heavy metal’s most notable performers. Brought together by principal partner Mark Menghi, Metal Allegiance contains appearances by Philip H. Anselmo, Charlie Benante, Chuck Billy, D. Randall Blythe, Rex Brown, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Phil Demmel, David Ellefson, Alissa White-Gluz, Matthew K. Heafy, Gary Holt, jamey Jasta, Chris Jericho, Andreas Kisser, Misha Mansoor, Mark Osegueda, Tim “Ripper” Owens, dUg Pinnick, Mike Portnoy, Troy Sanders, Cristina Scabbia, Alex Skolnick, Steve “Zetro” Souza and Ben Weinman.

Webisode #9 covers the recording of the track “Pledge Of Allegiance”, featuring Mark Osegueda, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, Charlie Benante, Gary Holt and Andreas Kisser:

Webisode #8 covers the recording of the track "Triangulum”, featuring Misha Mansoor, Ben Weinman, Charlie Benante, Phil Demmel, Matt Heafy & Bumblefoot:

Webisode #7 covers the recording of the track “Wait Until Tomorrow”, featuring Doug Pinnick, Jamey Jasta, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson and Mike Portnoy:

Webisode #6 covers the recording of the track “Destination Nowhere”, featuring Matt Heafy of Trivium as guest vocalist and guitarist:

Webisode #5 covers the recording of the track “Scars”, featuring Mark Osegueda (Death Angel) and Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil):

Webisode #4 covers the recording of the third track, “Can’t Kill The Devil” (featuring Testament’s Chuck Billy, Machine Head’s Phil Demmel and Sepultura’s Andreas Kisser. Watch the clip below:

Webisode #3 covers the recording of the fourth track, “Dying Song” (featuring Phil Anselmo). Watch the clip below:

Webisode #2 featues Mastodon’s Troy Sanders, Kill Devil Hill’s Rex Brown and Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe:

Webisode #1 can be seen below, featuring Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe and Exodus’ Gary Holt:

Metal Allegiance will be having a record release concert on September 17th in New York City at the Best Buy Theater. The show, presented by D’Addario, will feature the following confirmed participants: Frank Bello (Anthrax), Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Chuck Billy (Testament), David Ellefson (Metal Allegiance/Megadeth), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), Gary Holt (Slayer/Exodus), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance), Mark Osegueda (Death Angel), Mike Portnoy (Metal Allegiance/The Winery Dogs), Troy Sanders (Mastodon), Alex Skolnick (Metal Allegiance/Testament) along with a few special guests.

Space Born Killers have been tapped to open the show. Tickets for the show are $25.00 and can be purchased via Axs.com at this location

“It's always my pleasure to jam with such esteemed musicians and brothers, and my contribution to this project is further proof of that fact. Hail to all Heavy Metalers the world over!”, states Philip H. Aneslmo.

Mike Portnoy adds, “I could not be any more excited or proud of the Metal Allegiance album... it's everything I’ve always dreamed of and hoped for & 100x more!"

From the blistering opening of album starter “Gift Of Pain” to the final notes of closer “Pledge Of Allegiance,” it is clear this collective have created something special. The diversity of the individual tracks is apparent through each musical collaboration. The standard edition CD of Metal Allegiance will feature the 9 original songs. A digipak edition will be available that features an all-star tribute to Ronnie James Dio with a cover of his classic song “We Rock” as well as a 45 minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the album. A double vinyl version will also be available that will feature all 10 songs as well.

D. Randall Blythe adds, "When Lamb Of God asked Alex Skolnick to rip a guest solo on “Ashes Of The Wake”, it was a big deal to us to have one of the legends of our scene play on our record. Much to my amazement, years later he returned the request, and it's an even bigger deal to me to be asked on a peer level to contribute to a project with so many stellar players. I was honoured to be chosen – “Gift Of Pain” rips! Play it LOUD!"

Metal Allegiance tracklisting:

“Gift Of Pain”
Vocals: D. Randall Blythe
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex Skolnick
Bass: David Ellefson
Drums: Mike Portnoy Additional
Lead Guitar: Gary Holt

“Let Darkness Fall”
Vocals: Troy Sanders
Lead, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitars: Alex Skolnick
Bass: David Ellefson
Drums & Percussion: Mike Portnoy
Additional Bass: Mark Menghi & Rex Brown
Additional Screams: D. Randall Blythe

“Can’t Kill The Devil”
Vocals: Chuck Billy
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex Skolnick
Bass: David Ellefson
Drums: Mike Portnoy
Additional Lead Guitar: Phil Demmel & Andreas Kisser

“Dying Song”
Vocals: Philip H. Anselmo
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex Skolnick
Bass: Mark Menghi
Drums: Mike Portnoy

“Scars”
Vocals: Mark Osegueda & Cristina Scabbia
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex Skolnick
Bass: David Ellefson
Drums: Mike Portnoy

“Destination: Nowhere”
Vocals: Matthew K. Heafy
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex Skolnick
Bass: David Ellefson
Drums: Mike Portnoy
Additional Lead Guitar: Matthew K. Heafy

“Wait Until Tomorrow”
Vocals: dUg Pinnick & Jamey Jasta
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex Skolnick
Bass: David Ellefson
Drums, Percussion & Additional Vocals: Mike Portnoy

“Triangulum”
I. Creation
II. Evolution
III. Destruction
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex Skolnick
Bass: David Ellefson
Drums: Mike Portnoy
Additional Lead Guitar: Misha Mansoor, Ben Weinman, Charlie Benante, Phil Demmel, Matthew K. Heafy& Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal

“Pledge Of Allegiance”
Vocals: Mark Osegueda
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex Skolnick
Bass: David Ellefson
Drums: Mike Portnoy
Additional Lead Guitar: Charlie Benante, Gary Holt & Andreas Kisser

“We Rock” (Deluxe Edition Only)
Vocals: Mark Osegueda, Chris Jericho, Tim "Ripper" Owens, Alissa White-Gluz, Chuck Billy & Steve “Zetro” Souza
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex Skolnick
Bass: David Ellefson
Drums: Mike Portnoy
Additional Lead Guitar: Andreas Kisser, Phil Demmel & Gary Holt

“Can’t Kill The Devil” lyric video:

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

Previous participants in Metal Allegiance live events have included: Philip Anselmo/Rex Brown (Pantera), Joey Belladonna/Frank Bello/Charlie Benante/Scott Ian (Anthrax), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Gary Holt/Kerry King/Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Chuck Billy/Alex Skolnick (Testament), Troy Sanders (Mastodon), Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs) and Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) to name a few. These unforgettable events have also spawned surprise appearances by the likes of Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath), Phil Campbell/Mikkey Dee (Motöhead), Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs).

(Photo - Igor Rockxposure)

 

TesseracT will release their all new LP, titled Polaris, on September 18th via their UK label home Kscope and a partnership with eOne Music in North America. Ahead of the release, the band are giving fans worldwide a chance to see their first video for new track “Survival”.

Vocalist Dan Tompkins comments on the video: "As musicians we've never had 'overnight' success; we've all worked tirelessly for well over a decade and committed to many personal sacrifices to exist as a band. Survival is a hard hitting song about the struggles we've encountered along the way but specifically and especially about the strain and burden of being apart from our loved ones to whom we are forever beholden for their steadfast and loving support. The idea behind our video represents that struggle for Survival and the burning desire to be reunited with our families after long periods of absence.”

With the stunning Derbyshire landscape as a backdrop “Survival” was filmed & directed by Pele Newell, who said, “Working with TesseracT has been great, it's nice to work with people that are so passionate about what they do.” On the video concept he comments, ”The video is set in the near future where Imani (The actors) has been framed. Central are hunting him down as they have already captured his family.  He's on a constant battle to find them without being captured himself.”

The new LP will followup to the Altered State LP that was released in 2013. The new album will be the band’s third studio album and first for Kscope and eOne.

“Polaris, is a different scenario. The first chance for us as a group to stop and take stock of what we are right now, to explore a TesseracT of melody, dynamics, and singular focus. For the first time, too, we feel free from the bounds of genre specific expectations."

Tracklisting:

“Dystopia”
“Hexes”
“Survival”
“Tourniquet”
“Utopia”
“Phoenix”
“Messenger”
“Cages”
“Seven Names”

“Messenger”:

Trailer:

TesseracT will return to North America for a healthy batch of tour dates slated for later this year. The band has tapped The Contortionist as main support along with Erra, and Skyharbor.

"Five years ago we bundled ourselves in to a van and set off on our debut North American tour," says bassist Amos Williams. "It was not only our North American debut but also our first major tour, really."

Dates will kick off on November 2nd at the Theater for Living Arts in Philadelphia and run coast to coast making a few stops in Canada before wrapping things up at Irving Plaza in New York City on December 7th. Tickets will go on sale Friday, August 21st at 10 AM, local time. Fans can visit the band's official website for ticket info. VIP upgrades including band meet and greet options are available for all shows. For more info on that, click here.

"We're beyond excited to announce that we're touring with TesseracT," says The Contortionist vocalist Mike Lessard. "They're a band we've always wanted to tour with, so it will be nice to share the road with them finally. This tour is a must see for any progressive fan!"

Williams comments again on that first North American run, where they supported Devin Townsend, "We were lucky enough to be supporting the incredible DTP, from whom we learned how to project and perform. It was an experience that none of us will ever forget. Everything about it was intense, from the traveling in a tiny van, or squeezing the whole band into a single Motel 6 room, through to the stunning crowds, and wonderful friends we made. So, a little over 5 years later it is an awesome feeling to return to the US and Canada to headline a tour with that same line up that traveled all the miles, and worked so hard to get TesseracT to where it is today."

Tour dates:

November
2 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA
3 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
4 - Montreal, QC - Café Campus
6 - Toronto, ON - The Phoenix Theater
7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls
8 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
9 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
11 - Winnipeg, MB - WECC
12 - Saskatoon, SK - O'Briens
13 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room
14 - Calgary, AB - Dickens
16 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
17 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne
18 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
20 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
21 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
23 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
24 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
25 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red
27 - Salt Lake City, UT - Complex Live
28 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
29 - Albq, NM - Sunshine Theatre

December
1 - Austin, TX - Empire Control Room
2 - Dallas, TX - Trees
4 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
5 - Winston-Salem, NC - Ziggy's
6 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
7 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza

 

Canadian label Test Your Metal Records announces its signing of internationally known Brazilian singer and composer Edu Falaschi for the release of his best of 25th anniversary CD, Moonlight Celebration, where he will be singing acoustic versions of the most significant songs of his career from voice, piano, guitar, orchestra and as a frontman of Almah and Angra.

"I am beyond honoured to be working with Edu Falaschi for his 25th year anniversary album. Between Angra, Almah and any solo work he's done, I have been a fan of his music for a long time. I'm looking forward to bringing him to North America and welcoming him into the Test Your Metal family." comments TYM founder Grant Truesdell.

The album is slated for a November 20th release date and features older and more recent hits from Symbols, Angra and Almah (tracklisting below).

In addition to the CD's release, Falaschi will be hitting the road for a North American Moonlight Celebration tour (dates to be announced). He will be accompanied by respected Brazilian jazz / pop music pianist Tiago Mineiro who has performed with such artists as Seu Jorge, Arthur Maia (Brazil), Urs Wittwer (Sweden), Mind Priorty (Belgium), Beethova (Haiti) and will also be joined by maestro and violinist Adriano Machado, creator and conductor of the Symphonic Orchestra Villa Lobos whose credits include working with the some of Brazil's most well known orchestras and such international artists as Jorge & Mateus, Elvis in Concert (USA), Bee Gees (Australia), Dione Warwick (USA), Roberto Carlos, Bruno & Marrone among many others.

With sixteen records released worldwide, a Brazilian golden disc award, more than one million CDs sold plus countless world tours and recognition from fans around the globe, especially in Japan, Europe and South America, the 'Moonlight Celebration' tour is a quintessence of Falaschi’s career. Each show of the tour will bring an intimate, cozy, emotional atmosphere extending frontiers of ordinary sound due to refined and sophisticated arrangements. Edu Falaschi’s famous compositions will be re-read and interpreted in order to present an outstanding mixture of classic rock, jazz, popular music with sound of piano, voice, acoustic guitar and orchestra highlighting harmony and melody. Without any doubt, it will touch the hearts of fans and let them travel in time with the songs that are in their blood. Falaschi also plans to have very special guests join him at each show to make this musical adventure even more exciting.

Tracklisting:

“Nova Era”
“Bleeding Heart”
“Warm Wind”
“Arising Thunder”
“Rebirth”
“Breathe”
“The Traveller”
“Angels And Demons”
“Spread Your Fire”
“Wishing Well”
“Wings Of Revolution”

Edu Falaschi started his career in 1990 and since then the musician has issued 14 studio albums and received worldwide fame with more than one million CDs sold, and countless world tours. At the moment, Edu is working in the studio with his mates from Almah on the band's fifth album.

 

 

THE ROLLING STONES guitarist Keith Richards has slammed the current rock scene, telling the New York Daily News that "it sounds like a dull thud to me. For most bands, getting the syncopation is beyond them. It's endless thudding away, with no bounce, no lift, no syncopation."

Richards was equally critical of heavy metal, telling the Daily News. "Millions are in love with METALLICA and BLACK SABBATH. I just thought they were great jokes."

In a 2007 interview, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich spoke about the experience of opening for THE ROLLING STONES at a pair of shows in San Francisco in November 2005. He told "The Opie & Anthony Show": "We were in the middle of some chill time after the 'St. Anger' tour and one day it was like, 'The STONES wanna know if you wanna open for them in San Francisco,' and it was like, 'Duh, of course, we will. Just name the day and place and we'll be there.' We obviously hadn't opened for anybody for a few years but if you're gonna open for anybody, open for the STONES. I mean, c'mon!"

He continued: "It's the second show — [we played] two shows [with THE ROLLING STONES] in a row — and some assistant with, like, five walkie-talkies and a water-bottle holder, whatever, comes in before the show and says, 'Do you want your picture taken with THE ROLLING STONES?' We were like, 'You know what? Sure. Why not?' So after our show and then they're getting ready to go on, this assistant comes in and says, 'Okay, be ready in five minutes' or whatever. So she comes in, she escorts us into this place in the tunnel leading into the stadium and she says, 'Wait here.' As we're standing in this tunnel, literally, and this band EVERCLEAR — who were playing also — they were kind of like over there on their 'X'. So we're standing there and we go over and say 'Hello' to the guys in EVERCLEAR, 'Hey, how was your show?' And this assistant comes back and says, 'No. The guys in METALLICA stay here, and the guys in EVERCLEAR stay over here.' We were like, 'Whoaaah.' So then about five minutes later the STONES come in, and I swear they didn't stop — they slowed down their pace, or their walk, just slow enough to get, like, two or three pictures taken, two or three frames shot with EVERCLEAR, and then they came over to where we were standing waiting, and they all looked at us… No, actually, Charlie Watts said 'Hello' and I think Keith [Richards] nodded or something, and Mick [Jagger] looked like we were all gonna give him pneumonia or something — he had this disgusting look on his face. And then they slowed down long enough while the photographer took two or three frames, and then they walked off. And then the assistant came over and said, 'If the band approves the photo, we'll send you a copy.' That kind of sums up THE ROLLING STONES experience. [Laughs]"

Ulrich added: "Being up on stage, that was awesome and the legacy and the whole thing, but that kind of left me with a little bit of a strange taste in my mouth… If we ever pulled that, would you come and find me and shoot me? I mean, seriously? But it was a great night and getting a chance to just be part of… If you can sit there and tell your kids, 'I opened for IRON MAIDEN, I opened for DEEP PURPLE, and I opened for THE ROLLING STONES,' then you're pretty much good to go, you know what I mean?"

Richards's new solo album, titled "Crosseyed Heart", will be released on September 18 via Virgin EMI/Universal Music. It is his first solo work in 23 years.

Keith wrote or co-wrote the majority of the tracks on "Crosseyed Heart", many with co-producer Steve Jordan. Richards, who plays electric and acoustic guitars, bass, piano and vocals on the album, is joined by guitarist Waddy Wachtel, keyboardist Ivan Neville and background singer Sarah Dash, part of the X-PENSIVE WINOS, who accompanied Richards on his previous solo records.

SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell said recently that the band had started working on material for its next album and he was apparently telling the truth: a photo posted at the group's Facebook account on Wednesday (September 2), showed the band members in the studio with guitars in hand, with a caption underneath reading, "Working on new material this week."

Cornell told The Pulse Of Radio last week that SOUNDGARDEN is working on its new music at a "relaxed pace." The band's last effort, "King Animal", came out in November 2012.

Cornell also has a solo tour in the works and told Rolling Stone that he has "several other irons in the fire and things going that I won’t mention now."

He told The Pulse Of Radio that he thinks it's good for the band members to spend time on their own projects. "We all bring in our outside-the-band experiences back in, and that doesn't seem to ever be anything but a good thing," he said. "It's great to sort of go out into a different world and come back with new understandings of how to write songs and how to record albums, and also just that sort of palate-clearing of doing something different."

"Higher Truth", Cornell's fourth solo studio album, arrives on September 18 and features the single "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart".

Cornell will begin a solo acoustic tour in support of "Higher Truth" on September 18 in San Diego, winding down on November 4 in Phoenix

Former HANOI ROCKS frontman Michael Monroe will release his new studio album, "Blackout States", on Friday, October 9 via Spinefarm Records. The 13-track follow-up to 2013's "Horns And Halos" was produced by Chips Kiesbye (HELLACOPTERS, NOMADS) in Gothenburg, Sweden, and mixed by Petri Majuri in Helsinki, Finland.

"Blackout States" track listing:

01. This Ain't No Love Song02. Old King's Road03. Goin’ Down With The Ship04. Keep Your Eye On You05. The Bastard’s Bash06. Good Old Bad Days07. R.L.F.08. Blackout States09. Under The Northern Lights10. Permanent Youth11. Dead Hearts On Denmark Street12. Six Feet In The Ground13. Walk Away14. Break The Noose (vinyl LP bonus track)

The official video for the song "Old King's Road" can be seen below. With "Blackout States", Monroe's current touring and recording outfit — comprised of bassist Sami Yaffa (ex-HANOI ROCKS, NEW YORK DOLLS), guitarist Steve Conte (ex-NEW YORK DOLLS, COMPANY OF WOLVES), guitarist Rich Jones (ex-BLACK HALOS, AMEN), and drummer Karl Rockfist (ex-CHELSEA SMILES, DANZIG) — provided strong creative support for a groundbreaking artist whose reputation continues to flourish. Many of rock's most noted performers, including Dave Grohl and Slash, have cited Monroe's unwavering drive and three-decade-plus career as a genuine source of inspiration. As with "Horns And Halos", the new recordings see Monroe both toasting the future and honoring the past, occasionally giving the nod to glam punk pioneers HANOI ROCKS, the group with which he forged his name in the early-to mid-'80s. Says Monroe: "I'm extremely excited about our new album, 'Blackout States'. It has all the ingredients of a perfect rock 'n' roll record: strong melodic songs with great meaningful lyrics that defy all clichés, delivered with a punky, ballsy attitude by a killer band. I highly recommend 'Blackout States' to anyone who's even a little bit interested in what real, authentic, high-energy rock 'n' roll at its best sounds like today." Monroe will hit the road this fall for a co-headlining tour with Sweden’s sleazemongers HARDCORE SUPERSTAR and some very special U.K. shows with ALICE COOPER.

"Fallen", the new album from STRYPER, will be released worldwide on Friday, October 16 via Frontiers. The CD was tracked at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts and will include a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "After Forever".

"Fallen" track listing:

01. Yahweh02. Fallen03. Pride04. Big Screen Lies05. Heaven06. Love You Like I Do07. All Over Again08. After Forever (BLACK SABBATH cover)09. Till I Get What I Need10. Let There Be Light11. The Calling12. King Of Kings

The song "Big Screen Lies" can be streamed below.

"Yahweh" was co-written by SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery.

The cover artwork for "Fallen", which can be seen below, was designed by Stanis Decker, who worked with STRYPER on 2013's "No More Hell To Pay". STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet says: "We sent Stanis the concept about Lucifer being cast out of heaven and he sent us this amazing illustration, capturing the original idea perfectly."

Sweet recently stated about the musical direction of "Fallen": "It's gonna be… I don't wanna scare any fans away or anything, but it's gonna be the heaviest album we've done. Not in the sense that it's gonna be thrash metal or anything like that. It's definitely got a little bit of a darker vibe to it lyrically and musically. Some of the songs are tuned down — not like the modern Drop B stuff; I'm talking like the E dropped to D, 'Unchained' VAN HALEN kind of stuff. And it's just got a heavy sound to it. And I think when people hear it, in a good way, they're gonna go, 'That's STRYPER? What?' I think they're gonna be shocked."

He added: "The album was written and arranged very quickly (9-10 days, actually). This by no means reflects on the quality of the album. It's some of our best material to date and so far those who have heard it have said the very same. Chris Jericho [FOZZY singer and WWE wrestling superstar] texted me and said that 'Yahweh' may be the best song since reuniting.

"There are songs on this album that coincide with sitting down and reading the bible.

"The music is heavy and the lyrics are bold and powerful, some taken right from scriptures.

"Sonically, I think this is our best-sounding album to date! Everything is crystal clear. The highs are crisp and the lows are tight and punchy."

UK thrashers Gama Bomb have announced their new album Untouchable Glory. The album will be released on October 30 via AFM Records.

The album was produced by Scott Atkins, with cover art by Graham Humphreys and design by Rory McGuigan. Full details will be released soon.

Gama Bomb’s previous album, The Terror Tapes, was released in April 2013 via AFM Records.

(Photo by: Ruth Medjber)

Barcelona, Spain-based epic Celtic death metal combo, Steignyr, have released an official video teaser for their new album, The Prophecy Of The Highlands, to be released next year through Art Gates Records.

The band previously released the new video for "Another Stupid Song Of Beer". The video was directed by Henry Menacho from Kronic Produccions.

Stay tuned for more album details, coming soon.

 

Speaking The King's will release their debut full-length ‪Carousel‬ via Nuclear Blast Records on October 16. A new lyric video for “Motion Sickness” is streaming below.

The album is frontloaded with moshy breakdowns, which are tempered by soaring melodic choruses that will camp out in your brain for weeks at a time.

Carousel was recorded with the mighty Steve Evetts at the helm. The producer lists Suicide Silence, Architects, and Every Time I Die among his credits.

The band said, “We are ready to win the world over with Carousel, which is a journey through catchy choruses to the heaviest of breakdowns. This album offers a diversity and range of emotions, which are reflective of each member and the ride we have been on to this day. We are so eager to let the world into our hearts and for you to let us into your ears.”

Carousel tracklisting:

“Breathe”
“Choke”
“Caught In The Middle”
“Liar Liar”
“Motion Sickness”
“Shipwrecked”
“Worthless”
“City Lights”
“The Way”
“Close To Impossible”

“Motion Sickness” lyric video:

Having previously been met with a delay, Primus‘ 5.1 surround sound edition of their tribute album to the 1971 film ‘Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory‘ will now arrive in stores on November 20th. That album is titled ‘Primus & The Chocolate Factory With The Fungi Ensemble‘ and will come with a 5.1 surround sound mix on DVD, complete with a visualizer, plus a CD copy as well. You can now pre-order that here. A preview track can be found below. The band will hit the road next month for a final Willy Wonka-inspired run behind the album, those dates include:

09/01 Modesto, CA – Modesto Center Plaza

Pyramaze keyboardist Jonah W will release a new solo instrumental keyboard/piano album on September 23 via Blinding Force Recordings.

Fire Maple contains 19 tracks of epic, sweeping, melodic, and moody piano based instrumental music. Jonah draws his musical inspiration from the beauty of nature, personal tragedy, and the emotions of everyday life.

The Fire Maple is a natural progression and follow up to 2013's Staircase to Nowhere. Here is the brand new video for the track “The Fury Of Winter”:

Jonah W has previously worked with many world class musicians including Matt Barlow (Pyramaze - Immortal) and David Ellefson (Avian - From The Depths Of Time).

Bay Area tech death/thrash metallers, Insanity, are set to release their first full-length album since 1994. Visions Of Apocalypse will be released on CD on November 13th on Unspeakable Axe Records. A vinyl LP version on Dark Descent Records is also in the works, tentatively set for a late year release.

Innovators of the blast beat and influencers of the likes of genre godfathers like Napalm Death, Insanity have survived repeated tragedies and setbacks since forming in the mid-80s. The Bay Area metal masters should need no introduction, but somehow after 30 years they are still one of the most unsung bands in the underground.

In 2015 they are finally returning to sand-blast the ears of loyalists and unbelievers alike. The long-in-the-works album Visions Of Apocalypse was begun years ago, with original drummer Bud Mills involved, until his untimely passing from cancer in 2007. Through this loss and subsequent lineup changes, the band persevered, led by original guitarist and longtime vocalist Dave Gorsuch, with Juan Casarez stepping behind the kit.

In mid-2015, the final tracks were laid down and at last the album was completed. 

Tracklisting:
 
“Sacrefixion”
“When”
“Sociopath”
“Mortification”
“Disillusioned”
“Dread The Dawn”
“Tired”
“Blind”
“Visions Of Apocalypse”