"Rise To Power", the new album from Michigan thrashers BATTLECROSS, can be streamed in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. Due on August 21 via Metal Blade Records, the CD was produced by Jason Suecof and mixed/mastered by Mark Lewis at Audiohammer Studios. Cover art was completed by Hungarian artist Péter Sallai (SABATON, SACRED STEEL).

BATTLECROSS bassist Don Slater told the Detroit Free Press about "Rise To Power": "It's just about rising up to break from the shackles. It's about whatever challenge or obstacle for you to reach some aspiration you want, you have to rise to it. You're gonna have something that's gonna try to chain you down or break you. You have to rise to it. So this is about inspiring: Hey, if we can just be a bunch of poor boys from Michigan, getting up there to do what we're doing and having fun kicking ass, then you can do whatever you want, too.

"There's a variety of styles on ['Rise To Power'], as opposed to [2013's] 'War Of Will', which had more thrash, yet still started to show our melodic roots. By the third album, you've established yourself, and I'm proud of the groove we established on it."

From August 21 through August 24, BATTLECROSS will play a handful of CD-release shows before they join up with GWAR and BUTCHER BABIES for a North American tour, kicking off August 25 in Millvale, Pennsylvania and wrapping up September 18 in Rochester, New York. Fans can expect to hear BATTLECROSS classics and the blistering new tracks from "Rise to Power".

A new BATTLECROSS song, "Spoiled" was premiered in June. Guitarist Tony Asta stated about the track: "'Spoiled' kicks in with a heavy rockin old-school vibe and progresses into a brutal more technical feel. It's also a really fun song to jam."

He continued: "The subject matter and lyrics of 'Spoiled' were inspired by the dependency on modern technology, more specifically the cyber world. An entire generation thrives from its use but does not know what it was like before the internet existed. It IS a great tool, although the magnitude of its impact on our everyday lives sometimes gives me the chills.

"This is the only song I had a hand in writing lyrics for and you can thank the 'phone-gazing zombies' for it."

BATTLECROSS's new drummer is Bay Area's Alex Bent. After performing with the band on two headlining tours in 2014 and a trip to South America, Alex officially joined and tracked drums for the new album.

"Rise to Power" track listing:

01. Scars02. Not Your Slave03. Absence04. Spoiled05. The Climb06. Blood & Lies07. Bound by Fear08. Despised09. Shackles10. The Path

"Valley Of Tears", the new album from British power metal mercenaries TANK, will be released on September 25. An official teaser video for the CD is available below.

Joining guitarists Mick Tucker and Cliff Evans on the group's's new album are former DRAGONFORCE frontman ZP Theart, who has been a member of TANK's touring lineup for the past two years. Also featured are new recruits Bobby Schottkowski, formerly of SODOM, on drums, and current BLIND GUARDIAN member Barend Courbois on bass.

Regarding the recording process, TANK guitarist Cliff Evans stated: "Bobby recorded the drum tracks in Germany with his producer, Waldemar Sorychta, whose previous work includes albums for LACUNA COIL, TIAMAT and SODOM, to name but a few. The drums are the backbone of the album and they seriously kick ass! Barend laid down the bass guitar in Holland a couple of days before heading out on a sold-out world tour with German metal legends BLIND GUARDIAN. He'll be back with us for our festival shows later this summer. The guitars were recorded in London under the guidance of producer Phil Kinman who is the master at capturing the sound of a Les Paul through a Marshall amp. No frills. Just awesome power! The album will be mastered by Ade Emsley, who recently undertook the task of remastering the entire IRON MAIDEN catalogue for 24-bit iTunes release. There'll be some teasers coming up over the summer, including a video for the title track, 'Valley Of Tears', and more tour dates will be announced soon."

"Valley Of Tears" track listing: 01. War Dance02. Valley03. Of Tears04. Eye Of A Hurricane05. Hold On06. Make A Little Time07. Heading For08. Eternity09. Living A Fantasy10. World On Fire11. Hold Your Fire

The "Valley Of Tears" artwork can be seen below.

Commented Evans: "The title comes from the famous tank battle during the 1973 Yom Kippur War where one side was massively outnumbered but fought on regardless and against all odds secured a heroic victory.

"We feel that our style of metal is slowly disappearing and now we must also fight against the odds to keep it alive.

"We hope 'Valley Of Tears' will inspire other bands and fans alike to never forget what real metal is all about."

At the 2015 installment of the Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) festival in northern Germany, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) and Savatage wowed 80,000-plus attendees with a never-before-attempted music festival performance. Following a 40-minute Savatage set and a 40-minute TSO set, TSO and Savatage band members, across two of the festival’s main stages, performed a perfectly coordinated set of fan-favorites. This ambitious feat, both musically and logistically, was helmed by Paul O'Neill. Al Pitrelli led TSO on the “True Metal Stage” and Jon Oliva headed Savatage on the “Black Stage.” Beyond the unprecedented act of two bands hitting the stage at the same time, this show was also memorable as it marked progressive metal originators Savatage’s first show in over a decade, TSO’s first European festival show, as well as the only live appearances of both bands in Europe in 2015.

Check out pro-shot footage from Savatage's set below:

WJCU disc jockey and former WEA employee Bill Peters announced on his long running Metal On Metal program (August 7th) that after their Wacken Open Air appearance, Savatage plan to continue.

Peters: "I'm friends with their manager. He used to work together at Atlantic. They were very happy with how the show went. They were using it as a test. Based on how it went, they're excited and want to do some more shows and possibly record a new album."

Stay tuned for an update from the Savatage camp, coming soon.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) has announced the dates of its 2015 Winter Tour, once again featuring one of the group’s beloved stories performed in its own renowned audio visual manner. This year’s enchanted Yuletide tale is The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve, which TSO will take to 60 cities across North America to perform 100 shows.

The tour goes on pre-sale to fan club members from September 9 through September 11, and then on sale to the general public on September 18 (see Trans-siberian.com for details).

Based on TSO’s multi-platinum DVD and long running PBS fundraiser, the story follows the journey of a young runaway who, on Christmas Eve, breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater seeking shelter from the cold, and the ghostly visions she experiences from that concert hall’s past. “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” features such lasting crowd-pleasers as "Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24," "O’ Come All Ye Faithful," "Good King Joy," "Christmas Canon," "Music Box Blues," "Promises To Keep," and "This Christmas Day."

TSO creator, lyricist and composer Paul O’Neill says, “‘The Ghosts of Christmas Eve’ brings me back to TSO’s beginnings. We recorded this TV show before TSO had ever toured and it was almost like our first show. It was filmed in a majestic old theatre in Jersey City and we got to work with the legendary Ossie Davis, Jewel and Michael Crawford.  There was a magic we captured and I think that’s why it was so successful as a fundraiser for PBS. The special features some of the best songs from our catalog at the time. We want to keep the spirit of the story alive and weave it together to encompass the best of the Christmas Trilogy that fans of all three stories can enjoy. The band always gets excited when they get to do something new and now that we are finished up with Letters From The Labyrinth (due October 30) there is going to be lots of new music and twists for our fans on this tour.”

This year’s tour follows the massive success of The 2014 Winter Tour, which grossed more than $51 million in just 52 days, played to nearly 1,000,000 fans.  In total, TSO has played in excess of 1,600 shows for more than 11 million fans cementing itself as one of the world’s biggest arena rock acts.  Trans-Siberian Orchestra has consistently ranked in the Top 10 for attendance and grosses according to Pollstar, the touring industry trade publication, and was named among the “Top Touring Artists of the Decade” by Billboard (in 2009). This ongoing success is due to Paul O’Neill’s vision. O’Neill has melded the sound and fury of rock with the storytelling of Broadway to create a unique amalgamation he calls “rock theater” that leaves crowds of all ages speechless. With new fans being introduced to the wonder presented on stage every year, and TSO constantly striving to provide a new experience, audiences can be assured the best is yet to come in 2015. 

As in all previous years, a portion of all ticket sales will go to benefit select national and local charities.  To date, TSO has donated approximately $12 million to worthy charities.

Fan-filmed video footage of Dee Snider's (TWISTED SISTER) August 7 performance at the Rockin' The Rivers music festival outside of Three Forks, Montana can be seen below. Featured in the set was a new Dee Snider rock song called "To Hell And Back", which the singer recorded with his solo band, including former SILVERTIDE guitarist Nick Perri. The track will be included in a new album that Dee is currently working on that will also feature material from Snider's past, including his worldwide hits with TWISTED SISTER.

Dee told Billboard.com: "'To Hell And Back' represents my first truly new, original musical offering since the '90s. When my friend and co-writer, guitarist Nick Perri, presented me with the riff and music bed for this song, I found true inspiration to write for the first time in decades. Lyrically, the song raises a bold middle finger to those who whine and complain about the difficulties of life, but have no real clue what difficult is. As I say in the song, 'Don't tell me your sad story. Don't say your world is black. Just spare me your vainglory. I've been to hell and back!'"

Snider has also recorded four songs with Grammy, Oscar and Emmy Award winner Damon Ranger, whose credits include Katy Perry's "Roar" and working with Kanye West.

"[Ranger] approached me and said, 'Hey man, I think we can reintroduce you to a new audience. You're iconic. You're the voice of rebellion. You could be singing a rock 'Roar' for a new pop audience,'" Snider said. "I'm into trying new, challenging things, so I said 'What do you got in mind?' and we did these tracks. I didn't touch them as a writer; [Ranger] said, 'Do you want to write?' 'Absolutely not. I don't know how to write new songs. I know how to write old songs.' [Ranger] has a grand plan of taking me from Active Rock to FOO FIGHTERS rock to pop-rock to stadium rock."

He continued: "Do I think it's gonna happen? Doubtful. It's kind of long shot when you do something like that, but if it works that would be a whole different thing for me to step into that area as a contemporary artist with music being played on contemporary radio, not oldies stations for classic rock stations but actually connecting with people on a contemporary level. Now that would get me interested. That would be a new challenge."

Melancholy death-doomsters Swallow The Sun have completed their massive recording session. The Finnish sextet’s last album, Emerald Forest And The Blackbird, was released in winter 2012; come November 2015, the long wait between recordings will finally be over. The new Swallow The Sun release will be a triple album entitled Songs From The North I, II & III.
 
Main songwriter and guitarist Juha Raivio comments on the triple album concept: “Making a triple album in this godforsaken digital and modern day and age...Many will say it's madness. I say it is to bring worth, heart and respect back into the music and to the album format where it belongs. This should never turn into a shallow fast food industry where music is only downloaded one song at a time. These albums hold life, death, gloom, beauty and despair in their deepest levels and forms. The three chapters are different but connected, one long journey through these songs written up here in the north. Music is holy, albums are holy. See you on the other side friends.”
 
Finland’s Soundi Magazine has published a story about the new Swallow The Sun release. See below for an excerpt from the article that reveals more details about the three albums:
 
Juha Raivio: “We will release a three studio album package, called ‘Songs From The North I, II & III’. The records are very different from each other, but still form one entity: one with respect for Swallow The Sun's traditions, the second beautifully acoustic, and the third a trip into funeral doom´s dark world. I wonder if any Finnish band has previously released three new studio albums at the same time? This might be a historic release? I hope so.”
 
Soundi Magazine: “I mean, three new studio albums! It must have been enormous task?”
 
Raivio: “Well, we have been short of sleep…We have undeniably done quite a lot work for these records. My attitude towards this very personal entity has been that if this project kills me, at least I can sleep well knowing that it’s the most important Swallow The Sun release.”
 
Stay tuned for more news about Songs From The North I, II & III coming soon!
 
Swallow The Sun is:
Juha Raivio - guitar
Markus Jämsen - guitar
Mikko Kotamäki - vocals
Matti Honkonen -bass
Aleksi Munter - keys
Juuso Raatikainen – drums
 

Impact metal channel conducted an interview with SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser before the band's August 10 concert in Dublin, Ireland. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about the recently released SEPULTURA song "Under My Skin", which celebrates the band's 30th anniversary as well as pays homage to the group's fans, Andreas said: "That song is not a part of any album; it's something very specific for this year, a celebration of thirty years [of SEPULTURA's history]. And it's a gift to our fans who have a SEPULTURA tattoo. It's such a showing of great respect for [the] band, for [the] music, and I think it was the minimum that we could do — express that retribution of respect and love. And we wrote [this] specific song for them and we released it only on vinyl and digital; it's like a special collector's item."

Kisser also talked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to SEPULTURA's 2013 album, "The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart". He said: "The new album, we're gonna starting working [on it] now. Of course, I have a lot of riffs here and there. [Drummer] Eloy [Casagrande] also has some ideas. But we need really to start organizing and then get ready for practice and really develop the songs properly. But we're gonna take our time, probably for an end-of-2016 release."

SEPULTURA recently recorded a new song called "DarkSide" for the Brazilian publisher DarkSide Books. The track was "inspired by the darker side of literature."

This is not the first time a member of SEPULTURA has collaborated with DarkSide Books. Back in 2013, Kisser wrote the foreword to the BLACK SABBATH biography "Destruição Desencadeada".

"The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" came out on October 29, 2013 via Nuclear Blast.

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).

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

On July 24th, German metal legends Helloween performed at Rock Fest Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain. Fan-filmed video from the band's set is available below.

The band's setlist on the night was as follows:

"Eagle Fly Free" 
"Dr. Stein"
"My God-Given Right" 
"Waiting for the Thunder" 
"Lost in America" 
"If I Could Fly" 
"Power" 
"Halloween" / "Sole Survivor" / "I Can" / "Are You Metal?" / "Keeper Of The Seven Keys"

Encore:
"Future World" 
"I Want Out"

have announced the first shows of the European My God-Given Right Tour 2016. Their label mates Rage as well as Crimes Of Passion are confirmed as support acts.

Dates include:

January
29 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
30 - München, Germany - Backstage
31 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz

February
2 - Paris, France - Le Bataclan
3 - London, England - Forum
5 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
6 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
7 - Stuttgart, Germany - Longhorn
10 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
11 - Götheburg, Sweden - Trädgarn
19 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Hala Euronics (Special Guest Gotthard)
20 - Prague, Czech Republic - Forum Karlin (Special Guest Gotthard)  

Helloween will return to North America to play select dates in 2016. The band will be supporting the release of their 15th studio album, My God-Given Right, which has cemented the pumpkin heads as one of the most influential and successful acts of the global metal scene.

Confirmed dates are as follows:

February
28 - Corona Theatre - Montreal, QC
29 - Imperial de Quebec - Quebec City, QC

March
1 - Best Buy Theater - New York, NY
3 - Agora Theater - Cleveland, OH
4 - Concorde Music Hall - Chicago, IL
6 - Showbox at the Market - Seattle, WA
7 - The Avalon - Hollywood, CA

Pre-sale tickets are available now on EnterTheVault.com. Tickets go onsale at all other outlets on August 22nd.

Other Halloween tour dates include:

August
21 - Amphitheatre - Banska, Slovakia
23 - Cieszanow Rock Festival - Cieszanow, Poland
29 - Moscow Metal Meeting - Moscow, Russian Federation      

October
10 - Loud Park - Tokyo, Japan 
14 - 170 Russell - Melbourne, Australia
16 - Metro Theatre - Sydney, Australia
17 - Max Watts - Brisbane, Australia
19 - The Gov - Adelaide, Australia
20 - Capitol - Perth, Australia      

November
13 - Hard Rock Hell 9 - Pwllheli, United Kingdom
14 - Ferienpark - Weissenhäuser Strand, Germany

Boston-based hard rock band Rubikon recently drew in a slew of new fans with the release of their two new tracks “Live That Lie” and “Pretty Pretty”, available for streaming below. This week the band released a third single, “Vipers”. Check out the new music video for the track, directed by No Anchor, as well as the lyric video for the song.

“Vipers” video:

“Vipers” lyric video:

Rubikon’s upcoming third album, Delta, will hit stores on August 21st via Round Hill Records.

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.

“Live That Lie”:

“Pretty Pretty”:

 

Back in June, Children Of Bodom keyboardist Janne Wirman's other band, Warmen, performed at the Tuska Open Air in Helsinki, Finland. During their set they were joined by COB frontman Alexi Laiho; fan-filmed video is available below:

The latest Warmen album, First Of Five Elements, is now available via Spotify and iTunes. The tracks and guest musicians that appear on the album are as follows:

"Intromental"
"The Race" (featuring Pasi Rantanen)
"The Red Letter" (featuring Jonna Geagea)
"Ruler Of Your World" (featuring Pasi Rantanen)
"Suck My Attitude" (featuring Alexi Laiho)
"When Worlds Collide" (featuring Pasi Rantanen)
"First Of The Five Elements"
"Devil In Disguise" (featuring Pasi Rantanen)
"Like A Virgin" - (Madonna cover featuring Jonna Geagea)
"Anger" (featuring Pasi Rantanen)
"Human Race" (featuring Pasi Rantanen)
"Man Behind The Mask" - (Alice Cooper cover featuring Alexi Laiho)

Check the album out using the links below:

- Spotify
- iTunes

Melbourne, Australia’s progressive metal ensemble, Teramaze, has signed to Music Theories Recordings, which is a part of the Mascot Label Group. The band’s first release for the label, Her Halo, will hit stores on October 30. Preorders are available at Mascot Label Group.

Teramaze was originally formed during lead guitarist/producer Dean Well’s teenage years. The band put out a couple albums in the early years, but it wasn’t until the release of Anhedonia in 2012 that Wells felt the modern version of Teramaze actually began. That third album was met with critical acclaim, as was the follow up of 2014’s Esoteric Symbolism, which saw the quartet making a bolder statement and taking no prisoners to flex their musical muscle even further. Now with new vocalist Nathan Peachey and a new record deal with Mascot Label Group, Teramaze have arrived with their cinematic Her Halo. These new beginnings not only brings about more potential, but promise as well.

A press release states: “Wells will tell you himself that the Teramaze sound is assembled within the framework of the songwriting. Regardless of that focus, there is certainly a lot more than simply a faint slither of technicality due to the intricate musical bravado brushing up against the melodies, tunefully brandishing a smoothly executed soundscape while retaining the sheer loudness minus the belligerent anxiety. No wasting time trying to figure out where a solo should be, what type of insane time signature can be put in, and so on. The music shines, not blinds. Even with that melodic sensibility in tow, these guys don't limit themselves to the confines of what stereotypical prog-metal is, as their catchy sonatas emphasize both the precision minded musicianship and melodies with divine harmonious vigor.” 

"It was very much a conscious decision to focus on the songs," elaborates Wells, "Our music is all about the song as a whole. If a melody only needs a slow guitar solo with only three notes, then so be it. There's no need to add anything else that might take away from the track itself. If we focus on the songwriting, we can appeal to musicians or anybody who loves good music."  

The first single off Her Halo will be “Out Of Subconscious” which features fierce tempos, poignant touches of darkness, soaring axe attack, angelic harmonies, and a hauntingly dramatic music video.

Her Halo tracklisting:

“An Ordinary Dream”
“To Love A Tyrant”
“Her Halo”
“Out Of Subconscious”
“For The Innocent”
“Trapeze”
“Broken”
“Delusions Of Grandeur”

Album trailer:

Swiss black metal vortex Borgne have inked a deal with Those Opposed Records for the release of new album Règne Des Morts on September 28, just prior to the band's appearance at the Black Arts Ceremony Fest in Lyon, France. The album features eight tracks (78 minutes) of crushing, industrial black metal that is superior in terms of songwriting and production to anything previously released. New track "Fear" is streaming below.

The album will be distributed by Season Of Mist and Those Opposed Records. Pre-order it at Those Opposed Records. Guests on the new album include Dirge Rep (Gehenna, Enslaved), writing lyrics for one track, and Spellgoth (Horna) contributing vocals on one track. It will also feature one track in Greek (Ormenos also plays in Kawir) and the first Borgne track ever to be sung in French.

The album will be available as:
-CD jewelcase (12-page booklet)
-CD digipack (12-page booklet, limited to first run)
-T-shirt
-Vinyl (more info below)

A massive Borgne Vinyl Box Set of the trilogy that began with Entraves De l'Ame (2010) ends with Règne Des Morts will be released via Those Opposed Records in 2016. The box set will contain Règne Des Morts (2015) on double LP plus 2012 album Royaume Des Ombres on double LP with exclusive bonus track, along with 2012 album Entraves De l'Ame as a single LP. It will be limited to 500 copies and distributed via Those Opposed Records and Season Of Mist: 300 copies on black vinyl, and two different colored vinyl versions each limited to 100 copies.

Those purchasing Règne Des Morts on CD from the band or Season of Mist will have their emails automatically registered for an early-bird mailing list to reserve a copy of the vinyl-box set trilogy ahead of the general public.

Tracklisting:

“Void Miasma”
“Αιώνιοι Φόβοι”
“When Swans Are Choking”
“Everything Is A Fallacy”
“Abysmal Existence”
“Fear”
“L'Odeur De La Mort”

“Fear”:

Twin Cities, Minnesota based metal act, Reflections, have debuted an all new music video (see below) for an all new single, titled "Actias Luna”. "We chose this track because we feel that it shows our true sound and direction," says vocalist Jake Wolf.

Directed by Max Moore, this is the first piece of music we're hearing from the band off their recently completed LP. Wolf continues, "It's a sound that was found while writing The Fantasy Effect and lost in the midst of writing and recording our album Exi(s)t. For those who were expecting something a bit different sounding from us, rest easy knowing that our new album goes through stages. There really is something for everyone. For those of you that have been keeping up with us until now, thank you for being patient."

“Actias Luna” video:

Reflections will release The Color Clear on Friday, September 18th via eOne / Good Fight Music. Both digital and physical pre orders are available today, and anyone who pre-orders the LP on iTunes will receive the video track "Actias Luna" right away as an iTunes Instant Gratification Track. Various pre-order bundles are now available as well. The all new LP will be the follow up to Exi(s)t released by the band in 2013. That release debuted on the Billboard charts for the first time in the band’s history, most notably cracking the top 10 on the Heatseekers chart at #6.

Tracklisting:

“Autumns”
“Limbo”
“Shadow Self”
“Translucence”
“Transparence”
“Actias Luna”
“Sadist”
“Amulet”
“Butterfly Effect”
“Pseudo”

Reflections have announced all new tour dates for the fall after recently wrapping up production on their yet to be titled all new LP due out this fall.

"We could not be more excited to have our first headlining tour coming up with us being able to play all of these songs," says Jake. "It will be very refreshing after a couple years of touring to finally be able to play new music and we hope that it will mean as much to you as it does to us."

Support will come from Toothgrinder, Yüth Forever and Exalt.

German epic doom metallers, Doomshine, will have their third full-length album released via Metal On Metal Records on August 31st. The End Is Worth Waiting For is a follow-up to The Piper At The Gates Of Doom CD (2010, Massacre Records), and is recommended to fans of Solitude Aeturnus, Thunderstorm, Candlemass, Sorcerer, Procession, Isole, Forsaken and the like.

According to the label, the album is, "full of beautiful and haunting melodies, musical, clean and smooth vocals with the most pleasant timbre, heavy as lead riffs, excellent musicianship, and a good variety of moods and tempos."

"We also can't recommend enough checking out the lyrics while you're emerging yourself in these inspired sounds", adds Metal on Metal Records boss, Jowita Kaminska-Peruzzi.

A promo clip for The End Is Worth Waiting For album (featuring a fragment of "Shipwrecked At Doom Bar") can be found below, while three full songs, "Celtic Glasgow Frost", "Third from Inferno" and "Shelter of the Beast", are available for streaming at this location.

The CD artwork was yet again created by the band's bass player, Carsten Fisch, who has also produced, recorded and mixed the album.

The End Is Worth Waiting For tracklisting:

“Celtic Glasgow Frost”
“Witchburn Road”
“Third From Inferno”
“The Alchemist Of Snowdonia”
“Moontiger”
“Shelter Of The Beast”
“Shipwrecked At Doom Bar”

Promo video:

The End Is Worth Waiting For is available for pre-ordering with a discount from Metal On Metal Records' website, while the digital download (in lossless formats) from the Bandcamp page. Like all other Metal on Metal Records releases, later on it will be distributed digitally by CD Baby and made available also from iTunes, Amazon MP3, eMusic and other retailers.

 

Speaking with Songfacts’ Greg Prato, Lou Gramm, “The Voice Of Foreigner”, discusses plans for an upcoming EP release.

“I've got a number of songs written. I think at some point towards the end of the fall, just for the sake of having a little fun and doing something, we might privately release an EP. I honestly think that for groups of our ilk, there's no place to go with an album these days.”

Read more at Songfacts.

If you listen to classic rock radio on a daily basis, you'd be hard-pressed to go a full day without hearing the distinctive and powerful vocals of Lou Gramm blasting through your speakers. As the voice of Foreigner, one of rock's most popular and successful bands, Lou can be heard on every single one of the band's classic hits, which includes sixteen Top 30 songs and nine Top 10's over the years. For those into chart success, that's one less than the Eagles and the same as Fleetwood Mac.

Here are the Top 10's: "I Want To Know What Love Is”, “Waiting For A Girl Like You”, “Double Vision”, "Hot Blooded”, "Urgent”, "Feels Like The First Time”, "I Don't Want To Live Without You”, "Say You Will" and "Cold As Ice”. You know them well. And let's not forget "Head Games”, the rock anthem "Juke Box Hero" and other rockers such as "Dirty White Boy”, "That Was Yesterday”, "Blue Morning, Blue Day,” "Long Long Way From Home" and "Break It Up" that cracked the Top 30.

By 1980, Foreigner's first eight singles (from their first three albums, Foreigner, Double Vision and Head Games) entered the Billboard Top 20 charts, making them the first band to achieve that feat since the Beatles.                  

Lou and his band - currently comprised of brother Ben Grammatico on drums, Michael Staertow on guitar, AD Zimmer on bass and Andy Knoll on keyboards - have the following live dates scheduled.

August
22 - Castle Rock Freedom Fest Fundraiser for American Soldier Network - Castle Rock, CO
28 - Beacon Theatre - Hopewell, VA
29 - DeKalb Corn Festival - DeKalb, IL

September
2 - Minnesota State Fair - St. Paul, MN
12 - Clovis Music Festival - Clovis, NM
26 - State Fair of Oklahoma Main Stage - Oklahoma City, OK

October
9 - Gordie Brown Showroom at the Golden Nugget - Las Vegas, NV

November
7 - Meyer Theatre - Green Bay, WI

December
12 - Socorro Entertainment Center - El Paso, TX

Faith No More have posted a live video for the song “Sunny Side Up” as the band announces a September 3rd performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The “Sunny Side Up” clip was filmed at The Fillmore in Detroit on May 8th.

 
Faith No More recently wrapped up four months of international tour dates following the release of their first album in eighteen years, Sol Invictus.  The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard Top Albums chart with numerous top ten entries across the globe (including #2 in Australia, #4 in Germany and #6 in the UK).
 
Faith No More tour dates:
 
September
6 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot
8 - Denver, CO - Red Rock Amphitheatre
11 - Chicago, IL - Riot Fest
15 - Guacima, Costa Rica - Parque Viva
18 - Bogota, Columbia - Royal Center
20 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Luna Park
24 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Escpaco Das Americas
25 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Rock in Rio
27 - Santiago, Chile - Get Louder
 
October
25 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Festival

Peruvian masters of the macabre, Morbid Slaughter, will release A Filthy Orgy Of Horror And Death on vinyl LP September 4th through Boris Records in North America. The album will also be released as a Deluxe CD Digipack through Inti Records (Peru) in South America and Diehard Tape Edition by the band. Preorder the vinyl edition at Boris Records and preorder the digital version on Bandcamp. A new track, "Zombie Splatter Attack" is streaming below.

Unholy as the first wave of black metal, wild as punk and as filthy as a rock n' roll alley band, Morbid Slaughter present their first act of horror: A Filthy Orgy of Horror and Death. Obsessed by horror tales and the desire to create a lustful beast, Morbid Slaughter was spawned by Envenom in September 2009. With a handful of demos and a 7" EP under their belt, the ghouls known as Envenom, Ripping Corpse and Necrophiliac Sodomizer are ready to ride the beast through the sickening valleys of Hades and engulf the world in a storm of damnation and lust. Coupled with a distinct worship of old horror movies and books, A Filthy Orgy of Horror and Death explores the violent ecstasy of a psycho in the heat of the night and nightmarish themes of sexual carnage, necrolust and brutality.

Tracklisting:

“Cannibal Butcher”
“Zombie Splatter Axe”
“Chainsaw Blade”
“Fuck Off, We Murder”
“Death’s Cold Blood”
“Torture Without Anesthesia”
“Slay With Steel”

"Zombie Splatter Attack":

A Filthy Orgy of Horror and Death by Morbid Slaughter

"Torture Without Anesthesia":

On August 31st, Metal on Metal Records will release Meliah Rage Before the Kill CD, a compilation of the earliest and previously unpublished material of these US power/thrash veterans, including songs from 1986, so from the time before the band got its name. 

Commented the label: "One day in the spring last year, Meliah Rage founder/guitarist, Anthony Nichols, found in his attic a rehearsal tape from 1986, when they still played without a band name and with another vocalist. He didn't have to ask twice if we wanted to hear it! The energy emanating from this recording, the sheer enthusiasm pouring out with every note, and this special, exciting vibe of a young band playing their first songs (and being very tight at that!), all led to the decision it should not stay on that tape and our hard drives only. It deserved to be heard, even just for the four never re-recorded songs. It showed a bit more US power and classic metal face of the band, and it's also interesting to hear the other four songs, which later became Meliah Rage classics, sung by a different vocalist, a very talented Mark Mastroianni. Anthony kept digging in his boxes and found also the very first Meliah Rage demo tape with 4 songs from 1987. The quality was decent enough, so we decided to add it to the rehearsal, and the compilation was completed with three live tracks from 1988 and Kill To Survive song from the band's second demo. It clocks in at over 70 minutes, all audio has been digitally remastered, and in the booklet you will find many archival photos and an in-depth interview focused exclusively on the earliest period of the band's existence. Needless to say, this compilation should be avoided by those who value good recording and production above everything else, but all collectors who are enthusiasts of US metal from the '80s should definitely check it out."

A promo clip for Before The Kill album, featuring fragments of two tracks, a pre-Meliah Rage song "The Eagle" and Meliah Rage "The Pack" from their first 1987 demo, can be watched on YouTube below: 

Before the Kill track listing:

Pre-Meliah Rage rehearsal 1986:
“Misunderstood”
“Beginning of the End”
“The Eagle”
“Stand Up”
 Warrior Lord”
“Enter the Darkness”
“Fight”
“The Pack”

Meliah Rage:
“Beginning of the End” (1st demo '87)
“The Pack” (1st demo '87)
“Enter the Darkness” (1st demo '87)
“Kill to Survive’ (1st demo '87)
“Bates Motel” (live '88)
“Meliah Rage” (live '88)
“Deadly Existence” (live '88)
“Kill to Survive” (from the 2nd demo '87)

Two songs from the album are available on the label's YouTube channel (pre-Meliah Rage "Beginning Of The End" below and a music video for "Kill to Survive" in its first 1987 demo version, and in the Bandcamp player on the Meliah Rage page here, there's an additional live track from 1988 "Bates Motel".

The cover art was painted by the label's owner, Jowita Kaminska-Peruzzi (Exodus, Manilla Road, Attacker, Witchburner, Forsaken, Deceased, Meliah Rage, Nomad Son, Arkham Witch, Metal Law...). More details about the album and high-res cover can be found on the page of this release (http://metal-on-metal.com/albums/meliah-rage-before-the-kill-cd/).

Meliah Rage "Before the Kill" CD can be pre-ordered with a discount from Metal on Metal Records' website, while the digital download is available from Bandcamp.

These US power/thrash veterans probably don't need much introduction, as classics like "Kill To Survive" or "Solitary Solitude" made their name well known in the scene. Formed in 1987 in Boston, MA, Meliah Rage soon signed a deal with Epic Records that released their first 3 albums (including the live EP). After some time off during the period when grunge was hip and good bands were being dropped one by one, Meliah Rage came back in 1996 to record another album and until now released 7 full-lengths, all through independent labels, the latest being "Warrior" (2014, Metal on Metal Records).

German thrashers, Hatred, will release their fourth album, War Of Words, on September 18th. The album include 11 tracks, and three bonus tracks, with a running time of 70 minutes. Check out the album track “Fuck The Zombie”, streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“D.E.T.Y.S.”
“Fuck The Zombie”
“Watch The Genocide”
“Chaos”
“Virus”
“War Of Words”
“Enter The Halls”
“Storm”
“Rise Up”
“World Turns Black”
“Hope - Train Of Thought”

Bonus tracks:

“Nature Of Humanity”
“No Control”
“This Is Hell”

“Fuck The Zombie”:

Guitar legend Steve Vai recently checked in with the following announcement:

"Hey Folks, Steve here. We are thrilled to be posting The Space Between The Notes one leg at a time (nine in total) once a week over the next nine weeks, in full resolution! This bonus footage was culled from multiple sources including pics and vids from fans, band, crew, family, and myself. It’s a chronological video diary that has bits from each of the 253 engagements and 52 countries we visited on the last tour, The Story Of Light tour. It was a glorious life experience for us and we are stoked that we can present it here for you. Enjoy!"

Story of Light Tour: The Space Between the Notes (Tour Mischief) runs down as follows:

Leg 1 (Rehearsals/USA)
Leg 2 (Europe/Eastern Europe)
Leg 3 (Vegas/Netherlands/Russia/Ukraine/Europe)
Leg 4 (Australia/NZ/Indonesia/China/S. Korea/Japan/Taiwan/Thailand)
Leg 5 (Europe...again)
Leg 6 (USA...again)
Leg 7 (Mexico/South America/China)
Leg 8 (Vegas/Singapore/Malaysia/Israel/Europe/Russia/Ukraine)
Leg 9 (USA/St. Barths/Japan/France/Poland)

Leg 1:

Leg 2:

Leg 3:

Leg 4:

Back in April, Vai released  a video for the song “The Story Of Light” from the Stillness In Motion DVD. This selection opens The Space Between The Notes – a fascinating tour diary and video montage of life on the road with Vai and the band.

Vai states: “This is the piece that took the most time and the one I’m most happy with.”

An exclusive full performance of guitar legend Steve Vai's "Weeping China Doll" from the 2DVD release, Stillness In Motion: Vai Live In L.A. can be viewed below:

The double album and DVD, was released April 7 through Sony Music Entertainment and Legacy Recordings, were recorded October 12, 2012, at L.A.’s Club Nokia. It was the 49th show from Vai’s Story of Light World Tour.

 



 

 

Brazilian prog metallers, Daydream XI, have released the official music video for "Keeping The Dream Alive”. The video, directed by Ulisses da Motta, can be seen below.

"Keeping The Dream Alive” is featured on the band’s The Grand Disguise album, released worldwide on September 28th, 2014 via Power Prog.

Tracklisting:

“Keeping The Dream Alive”
“Like Darkness Rules The Night”
“Watch Me Rise”
“The Guts Of Hell”
“The Age Of Sadness”
“Wings Of Destruction”
“About Life And Its Ending”
“Phoenix”
“Zero Days”
“Alone”
“The Grand Disguise”

“Keeping The Dream Alive” video:

Daydream XI is:

Tiago Masseti (Vocals/Guitars)
Marcelo Pereira (Guitars)
Tomás Gonzaga (Bass)
Bruno Giordano (Drums)

Originally formed as a solo project by guitarist Jordi Ruiz (Playmotive, Kyba), Exxasens take inspiration from the study of space and particularly those that have voyaged heroically into its heart of darkness. For his first release Ruiz set up a home studio in April 2007 to compose songs that sought to explore this subject. Uploading one song a month online, after a year he had amassed an army of supporters, assembled his first full-length album and gained interest from the then newly formed label ConSouling Sounds who went on to release it as Polaris in May 2008.
 
Beyond The Universe (2009, Consouling Sounds) followed soon after, featuring thirteen songs – each more elaborate than the last – rich and complex in concept and almost entirely instrumental in construction, Ruiz’s hard work caught the ear of Barcelona label Aloud Music Ltd in 2011 where Eleven Miles (released that same year) and 2013’s Satellites turned Ruiz’s solo project into the fully-fledged band that captivates audiences worldwide today.

 
Back To Earth, the fourth and most accomplished Exxasens album arrives this September. Heavily influenced by the autonomous work of Steven Wilson and the progressive dynamics of Mogwai and 65daysofdstatic, recorded at Siete Barbas Studios it offers up a renewed vision of instrumental post-rock with the introduction of choirs, stratospheric guitar solos and electronic grooves.
 
The video for the track “Hugeness” can be seen below. Back To Earth is out on September 7th through Aloud Music Ltd in Europe, the Ricco Label in Asia (Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia) and Rock-House in Russia.

Exxasens:
 
Jordi Ruiz – Guitars, Programming
Sergio Ledesma – Synths, Keys
Cesc Cespedes – Bass
Oriol Planells – Drums

(Photo - Marc Duran)

Stryper frontman Michael Sweet has checked in with the following update:

"Everyone knows (hopefully) that I'm recording a new solo album soon. It will be released on Rat Pak Records in the spring/summer of 2016. I'm also recording another Sweet & Lynch album with George and it will be released late next year and I'm recording a new 'Super Group' album with a potential lineup of Joel Hoekstra, Robbie Crane and Troy Luccketta with a potential early 2017 release! Whew.....

Anyway, my question is this: would you all be interested in a full blown worship album? I led worship for four years at my old church and I vowed to record and release a worship album someday. What do you think of this idea and would you support something like this?"

Go to this location to give Sweet your feedback.

Stryper will release their new album, Fallen, on October 16th. In the clip below, frontman Michael Sweet discusses the making of the track "Yahweh", the first song released from the record.

Fallen tracklisting:

"Yahweh"
"Fallen"
"Pride"
"Big Screen Lies"
"Heaven"
"Love You Like I Do"
"All Over Again"
"After Forever" (Black Sabbath cover)
"Till I Get What I Need"
"Let There Be Light"
"The Calling"
"King Of Kings"

Audio samples:

Sweet recently issued an update offering some insight on Fallen: "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 texted me and said that “Yahweh” may be the best song since reuniting. Kevin (our publicist) said that the ballad is our new “Honestly”!

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. The more I listen, the more excited I am for all of you to hear it!!!”

On August 14th, guitar lord Joe Stump performed with tribute bands Black Knight's Castle (Ritchie Blackmore) and Stormbringer (Deep Purple) at JR's Mardi Gras in Cranston, RI. Fan-filmed video from the set can be viewed below.

Stump will be a part of the inaugural Axes & Anchors music cruise, the most-rocking boat at sea continues to add to the already impressive lineup. Demon Hunter has just been confirmed to join the previously announced performers that include Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Schenker, Motionless In White, Flyleaf, Thousand Foot Krutch, Alex Skolnick, Tony MacAlpine, Adelitas Way, Randy Rhoads Remembered, Tracii Guns, Gilby Clarke, Mike Orlando and A Beautiful Disaster, Dario Lorina, Aranda, Black Knight’s Castle featuring Joe Stump, Pamela Moore, Falling Through April, Gabriel Ayala and Headstrum. Cabins can be reserved at AxesAndAnchors.com.

The cruise guarantees fans plenty of opportunities for meeting and hanging with their favorite bands on board, including free workshops on topics ranging from guitar and vocals to concert photography to stage clothing construction. Newly confirmed workshops include a drum clinic offered by Shaun Foist, the drummer for Breaking Benjamin. In addition, bass legend Rudy Sarzo will be moderating a clinic for bassists and Johnny Monaco of Enuff Z’nuff will be giving guitar clinics for players of all skill levels. Passengers are encouraged to bring their guitars on board for workshops and jam sessions. 28 workshops are already confirmed and currently listed online with more to be added before Axes & Anchors sets sail in February.

The five days and four nights cruise to Key West and Nassau, Bahamas will take place on the Carnival Victory. The ship offers free gourmet food and 24-hour room service, live comedy shows daily, and 40 live concerts on multiple stages. It also has three large swimming pools: King of the Seas, Triton, and Sirens, all including whirlpools in the immediate area. There is also a 214-foot-long (65 m) Twister waterslide that ends next to the King of the Seas pool. The cruise ship also has 13 bars, a salon/spa, a fitness center, and more amenities available.

All reservations include 4-nights lodging and taxes, all meals, all concerts, all open workshops, a professional photo opportunity with every artist, and more. Current promotions include a $150 per person rebate by paying in full, and the recently announced Stowaway Package, which allows 3rd and 4th passengers in a cabin who are under 21 to cruise for free when accompanied by two passengers over 25 years old.

Former Angra frontman Edu Falaschi has finished the recording of the best-of acoustic album dedicated to the 25th anniversary of his musical career. The title is confirmed as Moonlight, and it will present acoustic versions of the most significant songs of Falaschi’s career in Angra, Almah and more; all the material was rearranged for the voice with piano, acoustic guitar and orchestra.

The cover artwork, which can be seen below, was created by Brazilian designer Gustavo Sazes (Almah, Kamelot, Sepultura, Arch Enemy). The worldwide release is set for the end of this year, the date is to be announced soon.

Tracklisting:

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

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 Falaschi is working in the studio with his mates from Almah on the band's fifth album.

(photo of Edu Falaschi by Danillo Facchini)

 

 

German gothic/symphonic metal band Coronatus will enter the Klangschmiede Studio E in late August to record their seventh studio album, Raben Im Herz, with Markus Stock. Markus will also take care of the album's mix and mastering, whereas Jan Yrlund (Darkgrove) is going to create the album's artwork.
 
Drummer Mats comments: "This time we decided to use a German title for our album - mostly, because the majority of our songs are already in German and we know that it gets a bit old, when you always use two Latin words as an album title.
 
The new songs will feature even more instrumental parts, which also changed our songwriting process: Our previous songs mostly consisted of up to 90% vocals, which turned out to be a bit limiting for us. Now, with additional instrumental parts, the songs will be more varied and it's also more fun for us to play them. There will also be a few changes in store for Anny and Carmen, who will both use a broader vocal range on the new record. This album will rock!"

Raben Im Herz is scheduled to be released on December 4th via Massacre Records.

Prog icon Billy Sherwood, best known for his work with YES and Circa:, has made available his new studio album Divided By One and a compilation called Collection with a hand autographed postcard.

These two CDs and the signed postcard are only available directly from www.billysherwoodcollection.com ahead of a mainstream release in October. Orders through this website are being sent out now.

Says Billy, “I'm very excited to finally have Divided By One, my seventh solo release come out on CD. I'm proud of the record and look forward to getting it out there, I had many requests to release it on CD as it was only for download till now.”

Billy Sherwood is the current bass player in the band YES and will be touring with the band throughout 2015. Billy Sherwood was a key part of the line-ups which created the YES albums Open Your Eyes, The Ladder and was also part of the Talk tour. He recently mixed the band's Heaven And Earth album and two subsequent DVDs.

Divided By One is Sherwood's seventh solo album and this edition through Cherry Red is its first release on CD. This CD release will be eagerly greeted by YES fans especially in light on Sherwood's recent return to the band in mid-2015.

Tracks include:

“On Impact”
“The Scene Comes Alive”
“No Stone Unturned”
“Between Us”
“Divided By One”
“Sequence Of Events”
“Sphere Of Influence”
“Here For You”
“Constellation Codex”
“End Of An Era”

Collection is the ideal introduction to Billy Sherwood's solo career and includes two exclusive tracks. This edition through Cherry Red is its first release on CD.

Says Billy, “I'm happy to announce the release of Collection, it's made up of tracks from each of my previous solo records. In addition to that there are two bonus tracks, one is a new yet unreleased solo track and the other is a cover I did of Sting's song “I Hung My Head”.”

Tracks include:

“Drone Decipher”
“Seeing Through The Walls”
“Call”
“On Impact”
“Dying Breed”
“The Recurring Dream”
“What Was The Question?”
“I Hung My Head” *
“Dark To Light” *

(* Previously unreleased)

The albums will be available through third party distributors and retailers on Backyard Levitation Records, via Cherry Red Records from October 30th.

For more information head here.

For one night only, URIAH HEEP will reunite with core members of the classic 1970s lineup, welcoming both Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake to the Moscow Crocus' iconic stage, to perform the band's classic hits in a two-hour set.

Originally founded by guitarist Mick Box in 1969, URIAH HEEP is truly one of the pivotal classic acts that helped define the rock sound and an era. Part of the fabled "Big Four" alongside LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE, the HEEP story still has a long way to go.

With classic songs like "July Morning", "Lady In Black", "Gypsy", "Easy Livin'" and "Stealin'" full of ambition, sophisticated writing, memorable tunes and, of course, the vocals — the five-part harmonies were a clear influence on the operatics of QUEEN.

URIAH HEEP tours all over the world, has released 23 studio albums and sold more than 40 million units. Today's lineup is settled as Mick Box (guitar, vocals), Bernie Shaw (lead vocals), Phil Lanzon (keyboards, vocals), Davey Rimmer (bass, vocals) and Russell Gilbrook (percussion, vocals).

URIAH HEEP will be joined on stage on October 15 by Ken Hensley (Hammond, vocals, slide guitar) and Lee Kerslake (drums, vocals). Ken parted from URIAH HEEP in 1980 to continue his songwriting and solo career. Lee stayed with URIAH HEEP until 2007.