RollingStone.com caught up with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons to get his thoughts on seven diverse songs, from a vintage BEE GEES classic to a new LAMB OF GOD rager.

Speaking about LAMB OF GOD's "512" track, Simmons states: "LAMB are a solid bunch of musicians — capable and bombastic. But while I like the backing track here, I must confess this type of vocal styling — what would happen if a werewolf tried singing? — just ain't my thing. Not that I'm claiming I can sing, mind you. Personally, I'd be curious what this fine backing track would sound like with a decent melody and with Dave Grohl's vocals."

"512" is taken from LAMB OF GOD's seventh album, "VII: Sturm Und Drang", which was released on July 24 via Epic in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Entertainment in all territories outside of North America. The CD was once again produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur with engineering by Wilbur, Nick Rowe and Kyle McAulay, and was recorded at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California and Suburban Soul Studios in Torrance, California. As previously reported, LAMB OF GOD will be the musical guests on the Thursday, August 27 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The band will perform several songs on the show's outdoor stage in front of a standing-room-only crowd.

Kaaos TV conducted an interview with one of the nameless ghouls from Swedish occult rockers GHOST August 5 performance at the Ilosaarirock festival in Joensuu, Finland. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if he thinks people like the fact that the members of GHOST have managed to keep their real identities secret by wearing masks and hooded cassocks in all public appearances, the nameless ghoul said: "I think that people like the mystery, but I also think that some people would like to know who we are, and some people do, but they don't talk about it, because maybe they wanna be in the secret little club that they're part of, once they know. [I think it's] both: some people don't wanna know, some people are dying to know… Not dying, but they're curious, at least."

GHOST's third album, "Meliora", will be released on August 21 via Loma Vista Recordings. The follow-up to 2013's "Infestissumam" was helmed by Klas Åhlund, a prolific songwriter, producer and guitarist who is also a member of the Swedish rock band TEDDYBEARS, and was mixed by Andy Wallace (SLAYER, NIRVANA, SEPULTURA, LINKIN PARK, GUNS N' ROSES).

GHOST's June 3 warm-up show at at Doom in Linköping served as the group's live debut with their "new" singer, Papa Emeritus III, the three-month-younger brother of GHOST's previous frontman, Papa Emeritus II.

GHOST will embark on the "Black To The Future" North American headlining tour in the fall. The procession will begin at The Fillmore in Washington, D.C. on September 22.

"Take It Like A Man", the sophomore album from Los Angeles-based metallers BUTCHER BABIES, can be streamed in its entirety below. Due on August 21 via Century Media, the CD was produced by Logan Mader, who has previously worked with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, DEVILDRIVER, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY and GOJIRA.

"Take It Like A Man" track listing:

01. Monsters Ball02. Igniter 03. The Cleansing04. The Butcher 05. Gravemaker 06. Thrown Away 07. Never Go Back08. Marquee09. Blood Soaked Hero 10. Dead Man Walking11. For The Fight12. Blonde Girls All Look The Same

Regarding the musical direction of BUTCHER BABIES' new CD, vocalist Carla Harvey said: "The majority of the album is very aggressive thrash metal. On this album, we wanted to go back to our roots, which were aggressive thrash, and ninety percent of the album is that."

Added co-vocalist Heidi Shepherd: "But the thing is we're not ever gonna sacrifice who we are for that. What we're attempting with this is to bring back the metal and the aggression into radio. So we kind of… We merged the two worlds. And radio stations who have heard it so far are impressed and we're very excited for that."

On the topic of the "Take It Like A Man" album title, Carla said: "We all come from different places and backgrounds, but every member of this band had to fight to be the person he or she is today. That's the whole basis for the record. It's not a gender thing. It's the inner strength you have to find in order to pull your boots up and keep moving forward, whatever the situation may be."

While penning lyrics, Harvey and Shepherd also opened up like never before. Blatant, brutal, and (sometimes) belligerent honesty was the only rule.

"You have to dig to get that emotion out," explained Harvey. "Metalheads can sense authenticity. They know when you're real. Everything we write comes straight from the heart and our own experiences. It's not cookie-cutter bullshit."

That openness has already turned countless fans into believers. "Take It Like A Man" espouses an inspiring final word.

"We want to coerce feeling," Shepherd said. "If you're a musician who does that, you've succeeded. We just want to inspire anyone who listens to us — and melt their faces off."

BUTCHER BABIES will join GWAR and BATTLECROSS across North America from August 25 to September 18.

BUTCHER BABIES are:

Heidi Shepherd - VocalsCarla Harvey - VocalsHenry Flury - GuitarJason Klein - BassChrissy Warner - Drums

The crushing title track to the mighty third album from Seattle's Black Breath, Slaves Beyond Death, has just been released. Check it out below. The album will be released through Southern Lord late in September.

Slaves Beyond Death arrives three years after Black Breath's 2012-released Sentenced To Life, a revered album of morbid metal anthems laced with a deadly allure that few could resist. A foul den of thrashing potency, reanimated hardcore muscle and icy death metal, it's a record that partly sets the tone for this nefarious third chapter of the band, but it's safe to say that Slaves Beyond Death represents a harder, bleaker Black Breath than ever before.

Recorded in the Winter months of 2014 at GodCity studio in Salem, Massachusetts with Kurt Ballou (Converge),Slaves Beyond Death delivers the best part of an hour of stern, unforgiving death metal that resonates with the absolute classics of the genre. The Seattle five-piece is entirely relentless in their intensity, presenting innumerable ferocious riffs across the eight songs, with wicked inventiveness at the heart of its might. Galloping, triumphant melodies reminiscent of Sweden lead in to grueling slammers that unravel at a torturer's pace, while the rasping death-rattles from vocalist Neil McAdams paint a vivid picture of unending suffering in life and beyond the grave. Devoid of self-serving technicality and bombast, Slaves Beyond Death works torrents of scorn in to lively, undeniably entertaining songwriting, an enviable quality that has been present in all of Black Breath's material, and is certainly still the case now. With all of the tracks breaching the five-minute mark at least, and a storming crusade of an instrumental closer, Black Breath is taking big strides forward with this album, and it is sure to be one of the highlights of the musical underworld in 2015.

Slaves Beyond Death's artwork was painted by Italy's Paolo Girardi, who most recently created stunning covers for Inquisition, Manilla Road and Bell Witch, and Southern Lord is once again the proud record label behind this monumental release, which will be available on September 25th on digital, CD and LP formats.

Tracklisting:

“Pleasure, Pain, Disease”
“Slaves Beyond Death”
“Reaping Flesh”
“Seed Of Cain”
“Arc Of Violence”
“A Place Of Insane Brutality”
“Burning Hate”
“Chains Of The Afterlife”

Following their triumphant North American tour with Ringworm, Goatwhore and Theories, Black Breath will return to the road heavily in support of Slaves Beyond Death beginning with a Southern Lord West Coast tour package also including Goatsnake, Battalion of Saints and Obliterations in September. The final details on the tour are coming together this week, the trek also including a hometown Seattle record release show for Slaves Beyond Death on September 26th.

Tour dates:

September
16 - Mystery Box - Los Angeles, CA
17 - Alexs' Bar - Long Beach, CA
19 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
20 - Club Red - Mesa, AZ
22 - Elbo Room - San Francisco, CA
23 - Boardwalk - Sacramento, CA
24 - Catalyst Atrium - Santa Cruz, CA
26 - Highline - Seattle, WA (Black Breath Slaves Beyond Death record release show)
27 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR

(photo: Invisible Hour)

Dutch old school death metallers Bodyfarm will release their third album, Battle Breed, on November 6th via Cyclone Empire Records. The follow-up to 2013's The Coming Scourge was mixed and produced by Ronnie Björnström from Enhanced Audio Productions (Aeon, Centinex). The cover artwork for Battle Breed was designed by Juanjo Castellano (Vomitory, Avulsed) and can be seen below.

Tracklisting:

"Hell March" (Intro)
"The Dark Age" (featuring Martin Van Drunen)
"Saxon Victory"
"Dawn Of Defeat"
"The Last Crusade"
"Prince Of Wallachia"
"Storming Revolution"
"Firing Squad"
"Wolfpack"
"Death By Fire"
"Slaves Of War" (bonus track)

The intro "Hell March" was orchestrated by Clemens Wijers (Carach Angren). The album’s opening track "The Dark Age" features guest vocals by death metal vocalist Martin Van Drunen (Asphyx, Hail Of Bullets).
 
Commented artwork designer Juanjo Castellano: “The inspiration for the cover artwork of Battle Breed came from true old school death metal like Bolt Thrower, Hail Of Bullets and others. War movies also influenced me, as did Bodyfarm’s killer sound of course! To work with Bodyfarm was intense as usual. They are truly committed to the quality of their art so we talked and discussed a lot. But finally, all turned out great!”

Commented Bodyfarm guitarist and frontman Thomas Wouters: "We have recorded our most versatile and aggressive album so far. Every song is really different and suits the lyrical theme going with the song. From brutality to melancholy, it’s all there. The mix is very honest. No triggers or samples were used and the instruments are just as we played it: practically no editing! Ronnie Björnström did a great job recording the drums and mixing the album, and Martin van Drunen added the extra spice to The Dark Age!"

 

 

 

Former / founding Alabama Thunderpussy frontman, Johnny Throckmorton has returned to the stoner rock / metal genre, with a new band out of Richmond, VA, The Medusa. He is joined by former Immortal Avenger axeman, Tommy Gunn, and Mensrea shredder, Nathan Krishna. The group is rounded out by bassist Crystal Cleghorn, and drummer Robley Ball. The band hopes to release an EP or 7-inch in the Fall. 

The Medusa has released a streaming "pre-production" teaser for their upcoming debut release, which can be heard below:

The band is making their first live appearance on Saturday, September 5th, in their hometown of Richmond, VA at Wonderland with local riffers Dirt Merchant and The Tall Boys.

For further details, visit The Medusa on Facebook.

 

 

2015 sees the 35th anniversary of the band Blitzkrieg who came into existence in 1980. Although their debut single (on Neat records) was released in 1981 , “Buried Alive” b/w “Blitzkrieg”, it was not till 1985 that the band recorded their debut album as vocalist Brian Ross was involved with his other band, Satan, recording and touring their debut classic  Court In The Act…

30 years on because of catalogue sale and resale A Time Of Changes is lost in the vaults of corporate hell and may never see the light of day again. That said the current lineup of Blitzkrieg wanted this album available to fans so they have completely re-recorded the album and added two bonus tracks. “Too Wild To Tame”, which should have made the LP back in 1980 but for time restrictions of vinyl then would not fit, was eventually recorded by another Neat records stablemate, Avenger. The second bonus track has never been released before though written at the time. “Jealous Love” was the last song penned by the Ross/Sirroto partnership which fueled the early version of the band.
 
All the classic tracks are here too on this album including many still played live today, which includes the Metallica covered “Blitzkrieg” track. It also features guess twin guitar appearances on “Pull The Trigger” by Satan's Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsay.

Great new artwork has been commissioned for the new version by South American artist Ivan Chacon fronting a new 12-page booklet full of sleeve notes by Brian Ross, lyrics and new photos from the past and present lineup.

The album will be released in Europe by the band's long time label, Metal Nation Records. It will also be released in Japan by Spiritual Beast and various labels in South America to coincide with the band's 15-date four-country tour in November 2015. There will also be a vinyl version of the album  by German based label High Roller Records.

Tracklisting:

“Ragnarok”
“Inferno”
“Blitzkrieg”
“Pull The Trigger” (Features members of Satan)
“Armageddon”
“Take A Look Around”
“Hell To Pay”
“Vikings”
“A Time Of Changes”
“Savior”
“Too Wild To Tame” (Bonus Track)
“Jealous Love” (Bonus Track)

Pictured above: Blitzkrieg, June 2015 - left to right: Ken Johnson - Guitars , Matt Graham - Drums , Brian Ross - Lead Vocals , Alan Ross - Guitars , Bill Baxter - Bass

(Photo - Andrew McCann)

Dave Mustaine says that he would be "honored" if he was asked to rejoin METALLICA but would decline to return to the band that fired him more than three decades ago.

Mustaine, who was the original lead guitarist of METALLICA, was dismissed from the band by drummer Lars Ulrich in 1983. He was replaced by Kirk Hammett and went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.

Asked by a fan on Twitter earlier today (Friday, August 20) if he would come back to METALLICA if the band's frontman, James Hetfield, asked him to do it, Mustaine replied: "I would be honored, but I would not."

Mustaine feuded with the members of METALLICA for more than two decades before finally patching things up over the last few years. He has jammed with his ex-bandmates on several occasions during "Big Four" shows and at METALLICA's 30th anniversary concerts in 2011.

The MEGADETH leader apologized to Hetfield in May 2012 for publicly discussing the fact that Dave wanted to assemble a "supergroup" combining Mustaine and MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson with Hetfield and Ulrich.

Hetfield laughed off talk of a possible collaboration between members of his band and members of MEGADETH in an interview, calling it "crazy" talk on the part of Mustaine.

Hetfield told So What!, METALLICA's fan club magazine, "I see [Mustaine] healthier now. I see him as less of a bitter guy. But I do see a lot of stuff in the press with him talking about jamming with us and making an album. All this other crazy stuff. I read it and say to myself, 'Hold on. This is the Dave that we kind of wanted to forget about. You know, the big-mouth that wants to just go-go-go."

Hetfield added, "But there is an authenticity about him when he speaks. He doesn't think too much before he does. He just goes off the cuff. Plus, when he says stuff like that, it's well-intended."

In an interview with Artisan News, Mustaine was asked about Hetfield's comments. "I already sent [James] a text message and said I apologized to him for saying that and that I won't ever mention it again," Mustaine said. "I like James and I thought what he said was flattering, and then it kind of went the opposite way, and then it kind of came back again. And you know, that's OK. I guess my whole thing was I just wanted them to know that I loved them and that I missed them and I enjoyed playing with them. If that's not mutual, then I understand. I still respect him, and I still care about the guy. If he doesn't wanna play [with me] anymore, that's cool. If he doesn't like the idea of what I said, that's OK, too. It wasn't like I said it was gonna happen, it was something that I kind of wished would happen. But you know, it's OK now, since it doesn't seem like it's gonna happen. And you know what?! It's off my bucket list."

He added, "The thing is that I probably shouldn't have said stuff like that, 'cause, I guess, to some people, they may think that I'm trying to use that as a way to get publicity, so I can see where there would be some feelings about it, and that wasn't my intention."

Mustaine joined his former METALLICA bandmates on stage on December 10, 2011 for the fourth and final intimate show at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the group's week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only.

Photo credit: Seymour Duncan

Finland-based symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH will release a strictly limited (no re-prints!), special tour edition of their current album, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", on October 30 via Nuclear Blast. The set comes with a bonus DVD containing all 21 making-of episode for the CD as well as two new, unreleased performance clips for "Yours Is An Empty Hope" and "Stargazers", along with five special clips, including documentary scenes for the songs "Planet Hell", "Last Of The Wilds", "Storytime", "Arabesque" and "Last Ride Of The Day". There will also be a huge photo gallery with more than 400 pictures, taken on the road and during the promotional period of "Endless Forms Most Beautiful". "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" tour edition track listing: CD

01. Shudder Before The Beautiful02. Weak Fantasy03. Élan04. Yours Is An Empty Hope05. Our Decades In the Sun06. My Walden07. Endless Forms Most Beautiful08. Edema Ruh09. Alpenglow10. The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula11. The Greatest Show On Earth DVD

01. Yours Is An Empty Hope (live)*02. Stargazers (live)*03. Planet Hell (special clip)04. Last Of The Wilds (special clip)05. Storytime (special clip)06. Arabesque (special clip)07. Last Ride Of The Day (special clip)08. Making-of- The Cabin- By The Lake- Inside His Head- Summer Camp- More Campers- New Hometown- Almost There- London- Mixing And Mastering- Ready!- Release Of The First Single- The Theme Of The Album- The Recordings For Floor & Kai- Thoughts And Feelings- The Release- The Artwork- The Tour Rehearsals- The Tour Starts- The Second Single- The Upcoming Shows- Troy09. Élan (official video)10. Endless Forms Most Beautiful (official video)11. Photo Gallery *Previously unreleased, 5.1 Dolby digital and stereo Pre-order the "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" tour edition at this location.

NIGHTWISH has announced a 26-date headlining tour of North America for 2016, launching in Sayreville, New Jersey on February 19, hitting six Canadian cities plus Pittsburgh, Anaheim, and New Orleans, then closing out in Tampa, Florida on March 23. Support on the tour will come from Dutch symphonic metallers DELAIN.

"Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was made available on March 27 in Europe and March 31 in the U.S. via Nuclear Blast.

The cover artwork for "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was created by the band's longtime collaborator Toxic Angel. Famed evolutionary biologist and atheist writer/leader Richard Dawkins appears as a guest on the effort.

Longtime NIGHTWISH drummer Jukka Nevalainen sat out the recording sessions for "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" due to health issues. He has since been replaced by Kai Hahto (WINTERSUN, SWALLOW THE SUN, TREES OF ETERNITY).

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, the company which creates "beautiful lullaby versions of your favorite artists," has just released "Lullaby Versions Of In This Moment" via Roma Music Group.

"Lullaby Versions Of In This Moment" track listing:

01. Beautiful Tragedy02. Adrenalize03. The Promise04. Sex Metal Barbie05. Blood06. Whore07. Big Bad Wolf08. Sick Like Me

The song "Beautiful Tragedy" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Check out audio samples at Amazon.com.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star was born for the parent that wants to pass along their biggest passion to their child, music. Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star transforms popular music into instrumental lullabies perfect for babies, yoga or just relaxation. Now, parents can enjoy the music from LADY GAGA to METALLICA in soothing lullaby style. With over 135 titles to choose from, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star is the largest line of pop, rock, metal and jamband music lullabies in the world. These aren't novelty recordings. They are cute, they are soft but these are serious recordings. Roma Music Group, which releases Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, is run by two music industry veterans who put the fidelity of these recording at the top of the priority list. Let's face it, much like the brand name clothes you buy for your infant, this music is really for you. Whether you are raising a metal baby, rocker or hippie baby, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star has your music transformed from arena anthems into nursery classics.

Finnish melodic metallers STRATOVARIUS will release their new album, "Eternal", on September 11 via the earMUSIC label. The CD's arrival will be followed by a full European tour with GLORYHAMMER and DIVINE ASCENSION.

A guided and intimate tour of the album via a 12-minute behind-the-scenes mini-documentary can be seen below. The mini-doc spotlights the band in the studio recording, along with interviews.

"Eternal" will be released in three formats: standard CD jewelcase, limited deluxe edition (CD + DVD mediabook incl. live video tracks recorded at Loud Park in Japan) and double vinyl gatefold.

"Eternal" track listing:

01. My Eternal Dream02. Shine In The Dark03. Rise Above It04. Lost Without A Trace05. Feeding The Fire06. In My Line Of Work07. Man In The Mirror08. Few Are Those09. Fire In Your Eyes10. Lost Saga

The official lyric video for the song "Shine In The Dark" can be seen below.

STRATOVARIUS's last three albums — "Polaris", "Elysium" and "Nemesis" — were released close to each other as the consequence of the renewed creative energy the band gained following the arrival of new members, guitarist Mattias Kupianen (prolific songwriter and producer of all the albums, including "Eternal"), virtuoso bass player Lauri Porra, and the young talent Rolf Pilve, one of the best drummer of his generation who had to replace Jörg Michael after the latter decided to move into a new role in STRATOVARIUS management.

STRATOVARIUS's most recent CD, "Nemesis", included the single "Unbreakable", which became one of the most streamed songs ever released by the band.

Timo Kotipelto (vocals) and Jens Johansson (keyboards) proudly carry the torch of the glorious STRATOVARIUS tradition, but now many fans of the band consider the current lineup "classic STRATOVARIUS."

"Since 'Polaris', we have released a new studio album pretty much every two years," reflects Jens Johansson, "but after 'Nemesis', we all decided to take a little bit of time off after we finished the world tour. Now we're all tanned and rested and it's about fucking time to get back into the saddle. Everybody has been busy the last few months writing lots of new songs, and only the best has been recorded for 'Eternal'."

"Under Attack", a brand new song from the Welsh "ragga metal" act SKINDRED, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Volume", which will be released on October 30 via Napalm Records. In the U.S., the deluxe edition of the CD containing the "Rude Boys For Life" film as a bonus DVD will be made available as a Best Buy exclusive.

"Volume" was recorded at The Strongroom studio in East London and was produced by longtime collaborator James "Lerock" Loughrey, who has previously worked with WHITE ZOMBIE, DEPECHE MODE and MANIC STREET PREACHERS.

"Volume" track listing:

01. Under Attack02. Volume03. Hit The Ground04. Shut Ya Mouth05. I06. The Healing07. Sound The Siren08. Saying It Now09. II10. Straight Jacket11. III12. No Justice13. Stand Up14. Three Words

"Rude Boys For Life" looks at life on the road, its ups and downs, celebrations, festival appearances and headline shows, studio access and their Polish Woodstock headline show where the band played to over one million people.

Directed by SKINDRED's Dan Sturgess, "Rude Boys For Life" offers a revealing and exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of rock music's best live bands. Taken from over 1000 hours of footage filmed by the band over its 17-year career, "Rude Boys For Life" chronicles the band's rise: through the making of all six studio albums, including the new album, "Volume", to exclusive, unseen, behind-the -scenes footage of five world tours; through the early days — touring the USA in a van, to the birth of the now infamous Newport Helicopter at Download festival 2011, culminating in their headline set to a million people at Polish Woodstock. It is a must for any SKINDRED fan, offering unparalleled access to the band's life on the road, with SKINDRED members talking candidly about the highlights, the pitfalls, and how they've maintained inter-band relationships over the course of their career.

SKINDRED has announced a full U.K. headline tour in November. After a sold-out arena run with STEEL PANTHER, a remarkable Camden Rocks performance, two sold-out Hit The Deck headline slots and a host of European festival shows (including Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park in Germany with FOO FIGHTERS and SLIPKNOT), SKINDRED will be hitting the road with CROSSFAITH, YASHIN and HED PE as support.

Anthrax has uploaded a video of Amy Turk performing their song "Safe Home" on a harp!

"I had the total honour of playing at the wedding of my friends Tom and Natalie in August 2013," says Turk. "But was a bit surprised when they asked me to play an Anthrax song as Natalie walked up the aisle! Equally I was very keen to prove it was possible... so here's what happened."

"As always I was really keen to create an arrangement that brought out the features of the original song as much as I could (particularly recreating the drum part accurately!), so this features some fun and unconventional techniques - the muting/strumming effect at the beginning, which is done by strumming with my nails (fingers downwards and thumb upwards) and what I'm going to call the 'drop slap,' where I play one string and slap the soundboard at the same time, with the same hand."

Below is the offiical Anthrax video for "Safe Home", which was originally released on their We've Come For You All album in 2003:

 

 

French black metal trinity, VI, made of current and ex-members of Aosoth and Antaeus, are streaming the track “Par le jugement causé par ses poisons”, from their long-awaited debut album. The opus is entitled De Praestgiis Angelorum and will see its release on September 25th via Agonia Records.

The line-up of VI is shaped by INVRI (Aosoth, ex-Antaeus) on guitars and vocals, BST (Aosoth, ex-Antaeus, ex-Aborted) on bass and Blastum (ex-Aosoth, ex-Antaeus, Merrimack) on drums. Their forthcoming full-length material bestirs within the characteristic black metal niche developed by the said bands, with the addition of expanded guitar work, choirs and subtle sample parts. VI describes their music as "extreme, devoted black metal with illuminated chaos".

The band have completed the entire recording process of their debut album in BST Studio (Antaeus, Hell Militia, Aosoth, Vorkreist) after five long years of comprehensive work. The cover artwork has been created by Alexander L. Brown (Leviathan, Stargazer, Bölzer, Darkthrone).

De Praestgiis Angelorum will be available in:

- 6 panel digipack CD
- regular coloured vinyl
- limited to 100 handnumbered copies black vinyl
- t-shirt

Tracklisting:

“Et in pulverem mortis deduxisti me”
“Par le jugement causé par ses poisons”
“La terre ne cessera de se consumer”
“Regarde tes cadavres car il ne te permettra pas qu'on les enterre”
“Une place parmi les morts”
“Voilà l'homme qui ne te prenait pas comme Seigneur”
“Il est trop tard pour rendre gloire. Ainsi la lumière sera changée en ombre de la mort”
“Plus aucun membre ne sera rendu”

“Par le jugement causé par ses poisons”:

“Il est trop tard pour rendre gloire. Ainsi la lumière sera changée en ombre de la mort”:

Pre-orders at this location.

VI was formed in Paris (France) in 2007 as a main project of Aosoth's bass player INRVI (who took on guitar and vocal duites in VI). With the help of his long time comrade BST (also involved in Aosoth and The Order Of Appolyon), they released a four-track EP called De Praestigiis Daemonum under Debemur Mortii banner. Shortly after, VI found its drummer, Blastum, who worked and still works with bands such as: Antaeus, Merrimack, Aosoth and Ritualization. Together they recorded a split EP with Aosoth, Angels Falling Down, in 2010. More news on their debut album De Praestgiis Angelorum will follow soon.

 

Detroit's Wulfhook have released a music video for the track “Brutal Nightmare” (see below), featured on their debut album, The Impaler, released back on July 17th via Divebomb Records.

Wulfhook, having formed in 2009, is a five piece American heavy metal band from Detroit, Michigan. They have impressively self-financed three remarkable demos including 2012’s stellar Sacrifice, which are the recordings that lead to their deal with Divebomb Records.

Their debut album, The Impaler, is a culmination of years of hard work and overcoming unforeseen adversities along the way. The end result, which was mixed by Jamie King at his Basement Studios, is nothing short of magnificent. The Impaler, simply put, is an unrelenting sonic attack that reveals a band that is completely unaffected by what’s popular or what other musicians are doing and is zeroed in on exactly what will make Wulfhook stand out in the over-crowded underground scene. No tongue in cheek retro throwback, just straight up heavy metal.

Tracklisting:

“The Impaler”
“Brutal Nightmare”
“Through The Darkness”
“Bridge Burner”
“Samara’s Well”
“Eternal”
“Sacrifice”
“Devil’s Harlot”
“Tormentor”
“Atomic Punk”

“Brutal Nightmare” video:

 

Swedish groove rockers, Honeymoon Disease, will release their new studio album, The Transcendence, on November 20th via Napalm Records. Today the band has unveiled the cover artwork and tracklisting for their debut.

The Transcendence tracklisting:

“Higher”
“Stargazer”
“Imperial Mind”
“Gotta Move”
“You're Too Late”
“Break Up”
“Bellevue Groove”
“Fast Love”
“Rock N Roll Shock”
“Brand New Ending”
“Keep Me Spinning”

Available as a 4-page digipak, limited to 200 copies in yellow 1LP gatefold edition and 1LP gatefold edition in black.

The Transcendence will be a real pleasure for fans of rockers such as KISS, Rainbow, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. To get the full live experience check out their upcoming tour dates with Avatarium and The Vintage Caravan.

November
18 - Lyngby, Denmark - Templet
19 - Hamburg, Germany - Klubsen
20 - Essen, Germany - Turock
21 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Speedfest
22 - London, England - Underworld
23 - Frankfurt, Germany - Das Bett
24 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z-7
25 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
26 - Leipzig, Germany - Moritzbastei
27 - Wien, Austria - Szene
28 - Innsbruck, Austria - Weekender
29 - Berlin, Germany - Bi-nuu

American female-fronted heavy metal act, Savage Master, will release their brand new 7” single, "Black Hooves”, via High Roller Records on September 11th.

The single will be limited to 1,000 copies, from which 300 will be available on orange transparent vinyl, 200 on clear vinyl, and 500 on black vinyl. Title track, which is brand new and previously unreleased recording, will be coupled with Riot cover "Swords & Tequila" (taken from the Riot tribute album that came out earlier this year on Skol Records) on side B.

The single can be pre-ordered at this location.

"Give It All You Got", the new video from former WHITE LION singer Mike Tramp, can be seen below. The song is taken from his new solo album, "Nomad", which will be released on August 28 via Target Records. The follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed "Museum" is Mike's fourth release for Target.

The "Give It All You Got" clip was filmed earlier this summer in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Commented Mike: "For someone who was a big part of the MTV video generation of the '80s, where videos became short movies, record companies spent big cash on production and the artist's motto was 'we want it bigger and better than the other bands,' I can't express how gratifying it is to be able to do my new video, spanning across two evenings and with just one other person involved, who, in this case, wears both the cameraman and director hat. Yes, it might be late in my career, but I finally feel that I recognize and identify with the person on the other side of the camera, I am finally me, and tha'ts what it's all about."

According to a press release, "Nomad" sees Tramp "complet[ing] what he calls his trilogy on his journey to show who he is and where he stands. With 'Nomad', Tramp reaches the final step on the ladder he started climbing (with 'Cobblestone Street'), with a full band album, from first to last song."

Said Tramp: "Without the no-compromise [approach] on 'Cobblestone Street' and 'Museum', I would never have found my way home to 'Nomad'. Each previous album gave me the freedom to follow the songs wherever they wanted to go, and with 'Nomad', my vision was clear as a bell. Once again, I just had to be who I am."

Tramp, accompanied by special guests LUCER, will embark on a massive European tour in late summer, consisting of dates in Denmark, Germany, Sweden, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Northen Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, France and Switzerland.

Mike in February once again squashed any rumors of a WHITE LION reunion, claiming guitarist Vito Bratta had no desire to play music.

"A WHITE LION reunion is impossible," Mike told the Jakarta Globe. "Bratta has shown a negative response [to the idea]. He stopped playing guitar, stopped recording; he is just not interested in music anymore."

Tramp's last attempt to revive WHITE LION resulted in the 2008 album "Return Of The Pride" with new members Jamie Law on guitar, bassist Claus Langeskov, drummer Troy Patrick Farrell and Henning Wanner on keyboards.

"I really love the album but it's just not the sound of WHITE LION," Tramp told Hot Metal back in 2012. "I never really wanted to record under the name of WHITE LION again because so much of the sound and the songwriting came between Vito and I.

"Writing a new album is not sitting there and baking bread. The idea has to come to you. That works well when it's Mike Tramp writing new songs. But WHITE LION has restrictions. It's known for an image, for a sound and so on. You're limited already and that's tough when you go in to do that. I don't want to be that as a songwriter. Then it becomes a pre-fabricated product, then you get KISS. That's not what I want to do in this case."

"There's a big difference between going up and playing classic WHITE LION songs and presenting new WHITE LION songs. WHITE LION isn't there. The sound of WHITE LION when it came to songwriting was Vito Bratta and Mike Tramp. That can't be changed and that will never happen again."

DEFTONES have pushed back the projected release date of their eighth studio album to late November. Frontman Chino Moreno told the New Jersey radio station WSOU (hear audio below): "As of today, we are rushing to get our 'thank-you's,' our credits, and all that stuff turned in. Once the music's turned in, which should be hopefully in the next couple of weeks…. There is still some mixing and mastering to be done. But the recording's all done, the songs are there, they're written and recorded, and they're awesome. We're excited about it. We're just dealing with the stuff now, putting all the artwork and everything together. And then, [it will take] a few months for them — the powers that be — to prepare it to be released."

Speaking about the new album's musical direction, Moreno said: "Every time we make a record, our main focus, with anything, is to try different things, and try things maybe outside our comfort zone a little bit. But this time, this record, one thing that's really cool, sonically, is that our bass player [Sergio Vega] is really not so much playing… He does play bass on some of the record, but [on] a lot of the record he plays a Bass VI, which is a six-string bass, which is more like a baritone guitar, sort of. So the way his frequency works with my guitar frequency and Stephen's [Carpenter] guitar frequency, it kind of [gave] it a different sound."

Chino also talked about the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2012's "Koi No Yokan". He said: "It's never easy, I don't think. I think we found better ways to work nowadays. We used to have our own studio in Sacramento, and we didn't have set hours or anything like that. We would show up at the studio at eight o'clock at night, and we'd get there, and we'd have no focus. I mean, we'd sit there for two hours watching 'Lost'… Seriously, we would just waste a lot of time, and by the time we'd start playing our instruments, it was midnight or one o'clock in the morning. We were taking three years sometimes to make records. And I attribute that to a lot of different things, but that was one of the main things. A couple of records back, we adopted this [routine] of going in at this hour — we start at noon and we end at five. And the room that we actually write in is pretty small, so while we're in there, we wanna be actually doing something productive. We just need to create, create, so we can get out of here for the day, and then listen to whatever we did the next morning, come [back] in, and do it again. We did, like, ten days, two weeks of writing sessions — going in and spending six days a week just doing that. We all live apart now — a couple of guys live in Sacramento, I live in Oregon, one guy lives in New York, and one guy lives in L.A. So, yeah, we all kind of fly in to meet at a certain spot and just work. And we all kind of go back to our little hideouts and come back and meet again. So it's kind of cool."

According to Moreno, sixteen songs were written for DEFTONES' new CD, which was once again produced by Matt Hyde (SLAYER, CHILDREN OF BODOM, MONSTER MAGNET, WINDS OF PLAGUE). The effort will feature a guest appearance by Jerry Cantrell (ALICE IN CHAINS).

While German dark rockers Weak has published several EPs in the recent years and played lots of concerts and festivals, Woodhouse Records is now finally releasing their debut full-length album, Dark Desires. A lyric video for the first single, “Into The Night”, is streaming below.

For Weak, Dark Desires is an important step forward, because it's their first regular studio album, ”All songs share the common theme of desire, albeit of different kinds, not just lust. However, our focus is clearly on the sinister side of things, melancholy, despair, or loss.”

The album reveals many facets of their musical personalities, the goth rock, the heavier and the melodic, the atmospheric, the industrial and the glamorous. Great attitude, up-tempo songs and catchy choruses will take hold of you from beginning to the very last second. Produced by the renowned Siggi Bemm in Woodhouse Studios (The Gathering, Tiamat, The Kovenant).

"Of course it helped us a lot to have such an experienced producer on our site for our first album. Siggi really challenged us and made sure we gave our best”, the band said about their cooperation.

Weak stands for cutting guitar riffs, atmospheric keys, grooving beats, and expressive and emotional vocals. The band has been around in the music business for quite some time and has already released a number of tracks. They’ve rocked lots of stages to boot, and even won several awards at festivals and contests such as a band presentation on 1LIVE radio and the second place at the Europe-wide DRUM demo listening session. Weak also played as support act for bands such as Doro, Axxis, 4Lyn, Sportfreunde Stiller, Emil Bulls, and many more.

Comparisons with genre-related acts are viewed calmly and seen as positive by the band: "We don't have a problem with that, hehe, just the opposite is true. We think that statements such as "we do not fit into a specific genre" are almost always inappropriate, they don’t apply in 99% of the cases or the musical result is just about unbearable ;). But of course we also try to define some unique selling points for us – maybe something like "old school goth rock pimped with modern tunes" ... For the future we clearly wish to perform our music live. There is nothing better than to rock a stage, enthrall people with our music, and to have a really great time doing it. This is exactly why we make music.”

Dark Desires will be released on September 11th digitally via Woodhouse Records.

Tracklisting:

“Wolfmoon”
“Jede Nacht”
“Into The Night”
“Don't Farewell”
“Going Nowhere”
“The Safety Dance”
“The Devil's Rose”
“Folge Mir”
“The Art Is Mine”
“Hellfire”
“My World”

“Into The Night” lyric video:

Bucharest metallers Goodbye To Gravity will release their second full-length, entitled Mantras Of War on October 30th via Universal Music Romania.

The ten tracks were produced and engineered throughout 2014 by bassist Alex Pascu at Traian 150 Studios in Bucharest, Romania. The band then left for the picturesque island of Santorini to mix the album at Black Rock Studios, with the help of veteran mixing engineer Kostas Kalimeris, who worked with artists like Bring Me The Horizon, Steve Harris and Joe Bonamassa. The record was mastered by Svante Forsbäck (Rammstein, Volbeat, Amorphis) at Chartmakers Mastering in Helsinki, Finland.

The cover artwork was painted in watercolor by artist Radu Damian, for an astonishing retro Sci-Fi look.

Alex Pascu, about Mantras Of War: “We didn’t make any compromises on this record. The tracks have a very organic sound, thanks to the analog equipment used in all production stages. We wanted to avoid the lifeless and loudness-war-ridden sound that plague some of the current metal records and create a wide sonic spectrum that emphasizes the incredible energy of these new songs.”

“We’re extremely excited with the result!”, adds Andrei Găluț, the band’s singer. “I think the band has a tighter and more mature feel on Mantras Of War. After three years of playing together, we’ve managed to get a better perspective of where we wanted the new stuff to go: faster, more aggressive songs, yet retaining the melody and catchiness we had on our debut album. The tracks are very challenging to play, but we can’t wait to take them out on the road and check out everybody’s reaction!”

Vlad Busca, the label’s representative, declared: “Goodbye To Gravity is for sure one of the most promising bands on the local scene, with a distinct sound on both live appearances and studio recordings. We crossed our paths several times during the years and I always admired their ambition and professionalism, therefore the label’s decision to sign them was a very easy one to make. We hope that this collaboration to be a step forward for all the parties involved.”

Tracklisting:

“The Day We Die”
“Shadow Puppets”
“Atonement”
“Four Minutes Of Rage”
“Rise From The Fallen”
“Heed The Call”
“What If”
“Spaceman” (Babylon Zoo cover)
“This Life Is Running Out”
“Ode To A Sacrifice”

 

FOR TODAY, the American Christian metalcore band from Sioux City, Iowa, will release its new album, "Wake", on October 2 via Nuclear Blast. The effort will be made available on CD (also as an exclusive CD/T-shirt bundle) as well as on vinyl (black, red) and as digital download.

"Wake" track listing:

01. No Truth, No Sacrifice02. Broken Lens03. Forced into Fire04. Deserter05. Bitter Roots06. Wasteland07. Hopeless Ambition08. Determination09. Flooded Earth10. Time and Tide11. Two Brothers (bonus track)12. Without You (bonus track)

The video for the CD's first single, "Broken Lens", can be seen below.

The story of FOR TODAY remains one of triumph. Breaking out of Iowa is hard enough. When you're playing heavy music with a Christian message, it's even harder. Still, the quintet — Mattie Montgomery (lead vocals), Ryan Leitru (lead guitar, vocals), Brandon Leitru (bass), Sam Penner (rhythm guitar), and David Puckett (drums, percussion) — consistently perseveres.

FOR TODAY's last album, "Fight The Silence", came out in 2014 via Razor & Tie. The Will Putney-produced effort was the band's fifth full-length overall and follow-up to 2012's "Immortal" and 2013's "Prevailer" EP.

On the 18th of April, at the studio of Radio Katowice, Polish hard rock band Kruk played a very special concert. With the auditorium packed tight, the band performed a two-hour-plus set, which included their greatest hits as well as a couple of interesting surprises, such as Black Sabbath's "Heaven & Hell" and Deep Purple's "When A Blind Man Cries" and "Burn".

The band was accompanied on stage by guest musicians Piotr Luczyk (Kat), Grzegorz Kupczyk (CETI, Turbo), and, for the grand finale, Józef Skrzek from SBB. Another surprise was an additional acoustic set prepared by the band, presenting Kruk's songs in unique arrangements.
 
The entire concert was filmed and recorded for the purposes of a CD and DVD album, Beyond Live, which will be released in late fall 2015. Check out the trailer for the CD/DVD below:

 
The band was formed in 2001 by Piotr Brzychcy and Krzysztof Walczyk. The band members were heavily inspired by Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Uriah Heep and it was these influences that shaped Kruk's music, placing it within a classic rock framework.

In 2006 Kruk recorded the album Memories with Grzegorz Kupczyk (Ceti's and ex-Turbo’s vocalist). The album was a tribute to the aforementioned bands. In the next years, Kruk followed their own path and managed to forge their own sound. Their proper debut album entitled Before He'll Kill You, released in 2009, was well received both by media and by music fans.

The year 2011 marked the release of their second studio album. Doogie White (ex-Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen, Tank)  made guest appearance on "It Will Not Come Back". The album was enthusiastically reviewed both in Poland and overseas. Kruk supported such legends of rock as Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Graham Bonnet, ex-singer from Rainbow, and Michael Schenker Group.

In 2012 Kruk released the album Be3. Before, the band’s most recent studio album, was released in June 2014. The band’s fourth full-length release should be interesting for fans of such big artists as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and DIO. The album includes a bonus DVD featuring additional material: live show from Spodek Hall, Katowice from February 2014 when Kruk supported the legendary band Deep Purple, interviews, documentary and studio report.
 
Kruk lineup:

Piotr Brzychcy - guitars
Krzysiek Nowak – bass guitar
Darek Nawara - drums
Michał Kuryś - keyboards
Roman Kańtoch - vocal

 

Boston-based hard rock band Rubikon, will release their third album, Delta, tomorrow (Friday, August 21st) via Round Hill Records. A full album stream can be found at this location.

Delta features progressive blues rock riffs, soaring vocals, complex harmonic structures, mile-high atmospherics and metallic outbursts. Influencing genres on Delta range from classic blues rock to hard rock and sludge metal, only further refined by mix master Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures), producer Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, Brother Cane), and Howie Weinberg (Metallica, Nirvana), who mastered the record. Recorded in an organic, live setting at Quad Studios in Nashville, TN, the band chose to include minimal overdubs and completed the album over just two weekends.

“Vipers” video:

“Vipers” lyric video:

"Unlikely Event", the new video from Helsingborg, Sweden's BLACK TEMPLE, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's debut album, "It All Ends", which will be released on August 28 via Century Media (world excluding North America, Scandinavia) and Razzia Notes (Scandinavia). The effort will be available as limited-edition digipak, LP+CD (including bonus track "Skullfucker") and as digital album.

BLACK TEMPLE vocalist and bassist Jonas Pedersen comments: "'Unlikely Event' is somewhat the epicenter of 'It All Ends' — being one of the songs with the most twisted, different written verses — but still with a very driven catchy chorus line. Let this song, as the first single that it is, be the guiding light as you get into our debut album. We hope you enjoy it!"

"It All Ends" is the first release Anders Fridén's (IN FLAMES) label Razzia Notes licensed to Century Media for all territories outside of Scandinavia and North America.

"It All Ends" is an intense story with impressive dynamics. With Magnus Lindberg (CULT OF LUNA) in the producer's seat, the band — which has been called the country's most violent live act — explores new territory in their musical landscapes: a primitive primordial drive fights it out with immediate melodies, performed with an ever present sense that each note can be the last. The end may be near, but "It All Ends" is just the beginning.

Anders Fridén comments: "First time I heard BLACK TEMPLE, I freaked and I said to myself, 'I gotta work with these guys somehow.' The whole expression of their music is a perfect introduction to Razzia Notes and our new collaboration with Century Media.

"Do yourself a favor and get a copy of 'It All Ends'. It's a monster of an album."

Pedersen adds: "To become labelmates with three of my favorite bands at the same time is a bit like a wet dream... I mean, c'mon — DARK FUNERAL, MARDUK and WATAIN... And this is just the top layer, in my opinion, of what this behemoth of a label has released through the years. Simply — such a great honor!"

BLACK TEMPLE will support IN FLAMES on their European tour this fall.

One half of the Cradle Of Filth guitarsenal, Richard Shaw, has recorded three play-throughs of tracks from the new album the band will be playing on the forthcoming European and North American tours. The latter (plus supports) will be announced the first week of September. You can thoroughly enjoy the guitar tracks below.

"Right Wing Of The Garden Triptych"

"Deflowering The Maidenhead, Displeasuring The Goddess"

"Blackest Magick In Practice"

Cradle Of Filth have announced their Inquisitional Torture tour dates for October / November 2015. Frontman Dani Filth checked in with the following update: "Cradle Of Filth are extremely pleased to be hitting the European road in support of our latest album, Hammer Of The Witches, even more so now that British dates have been indelibly grafted onto the beginning! The band is sounding better than ever and are exhilarated to be starting our world tour here in England, at Rottingham Knock City nonetheless, the proverbial hub of heavy metal!

We have an amazing setlist prepared already and everyone, including our infamous Crewdle Of Filth, are chomping at the bit to get out there and start levelling cities with our unique brand of raucous, Hellish music and stage production.

So, long live the 'Filth and see you out there on the open field of battle!"

The fall tour schedule is as follows:

October
16 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
17 - Bristol, UK - Motion
18 - Norwich, UK - The Waterfront
20 - Wolverhampton, UK - Wulfrun Hall
21 - Glasgow, UK - The Garage
22 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Academy 2
23 - London, UK - Koko
24 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
26 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
27 - Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
28 - Paris, France - Caberet Sauvage
29 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix Muziekcentrum
30 - Hannover, Germany - Capitol
31 - Nürnberg, Germany - Hirsch

November
2 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
3 - Lucerne, Switzerland - Schuur
4 - Treviso, Italy - New Age
6 - Rome, Italy - Orion
7 - Milan, Italy - Fabrique
8 - Dornbirn, Austria - Conrad Sohm
9 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
12 - Katowice, Poland - Mega Club
13 - Brno, Czeck Republic - Klub Fleda
14 - Berlin, Germany - C-Club
15 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
17 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
18 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee
19 - Göteborg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers
23 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser

 

 

 

"Sacrifice", the new video from Finnish masters of melancholic metal AMORPHIS, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Under The Red Cloud", which will be released on September 4 via Nuclear Blast.

States AMORPHIS guitarist Esa Holopainen: "'Sacrifice' is the second release from 'Under The Red Cloud' and it presents a bit more familiar AMORPHIS with catchy choruses and melodic touch.

"The video for 'Sacrifice' was shot in Helsinki and Hämeenlinna and follows the lyrical themes of the song.

"Like 'Death Of A King', 'Sacrifice' was pretty much [producer] Jens's [Bogren] decision as a single track. The band finds it too difficult to pick up any single tracks. Haha!"

"Under The Red Cloud" track listing:

01. Under The Red Cloud02. The Four Wise Ones03. Bad Blood04. The Skull05. Death Of A King06. Sacrifice07. Dark Path08. Enemy At The Gates09. Tree Of Ages10. White Night

Bonus tracks (digipak & 2LP):

11. Come The Spring12. Winter’s Sleep

Esa Holopainen previously stated about "Under The Red Cloud": "The artwork is done by Valnoir Mortasonge. Valnoir is well known from his works for LAIBACH, PARADISE LOST, WATAIN, BEHEMOTH and many more. It was a great pleasure to work with him as he [captured] the lyrical topics really well. Colors and details describe the music perfectly."

He continued: "'Under The Red Cloud' is produced by Jens Bogren, who did amazing job with the album. There's a lot's of elements in the songs but every note and element is in perfect harmony so that the result is fucking heavy and melodic. All I can say is that 'Under The Red Cloud' will be in my personal Top 3 AMORPHIS albums that we've ever done."

Pre-order a copy of "Under The Red Cloud" at this location. The "Under The Red Cloud" touring cycle will kick off in September.