Metal Temple magazine recently conducted an interview with former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the musical direction of his latest solo album, "Inferno":

"When I decided to make an album that was not just for Japan, when I decided to make an album that was for the entire world, I had to be honest with myself: what does everybody wanna hear Marty Friedman do. And I know what they really want — they want me to play aggressive, crazy, heavy, wild, intense music; that's what I knew for sure. So I had to keep that in mind. There's a lot of things that I like to do — I like a lot more avant-garde music and strange, eclectic, traditional music and really modern music, but I tried to keep 'Inferno' in a place where I know what everybody wants me to do and I also enjoy it myself. So not only do I have to please everybody, but I had to please myself. So it took a lot of effort to be honest with myself about that, but it was worth it, because the record did really well and everybody seems to like it."

On how his move to Japan influenced him as a guitar player and as a person:

"As guitar player, big time, because I've done so many crazy things in Japan — everything from all kinds of different television programs to radio to every possible media thing. My brain is working much, much more than it did when I was a teenager and in my 20s. So when you have that kind of stimulation, it really helps you as a musician as well. So that automatically helps my guitar playing. And I've played so many different kinds of music since I've been here, aside from, of course, my own solo music, but playing with every other possible artist. [It's been] so challenging, and doing so many strange collaborations that my guitar playing has grown maybe twenty times faster than it did before I moved here, just because I'm forced to do so many different things. So it's really good for my musicianship. And, as a person, it's always good to have other cultures that you can tap into. When you speak another language, it gives you an even deeper understanding of humans in general, and you can talk more about different things with more interesting topics."

Friedman has announced his first tour of North America since 2003 — a 21-date headlining run that will kick off September 9. The trek marks the latest leg of Friedman's ongoing world tour in support of "Inferno", his solo album that so far has seen him complete a record-breaking tour across South America; perform extensively in Europe with acts such as Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE), ARCH ENEMY and KREATOR; and play multiple high-profile gigs in his current home country of Japan, including a set at the country's largest heavy metal festival, Loud Park.

The upcoming North American leg of the "Inferno" tour will start in Friedman's former hometown of Baltimore and wrap up on the West Coast on October 3. Support will be provided by the Los Angeles-based extreme shred outfit EXMORTUS.

Chilean singer Caterina Nix recently spoke to Metal-Impact.com about CHAOS MAGIC, her new alliance with Finnish songwriter/producer Timo Tolkki (formerly of STRATOVARIUS). You can now watch the chat below.

Frontiers Music Srl released CHAOS MAGIC's self-titled debut album on July 3 in Europe and July 10 in North America.

Nix previously collaborated with Timo on the second chapter of the AVALON rock opera "Angels Of The Apocalypse", where she shared lead vocals on songs with such singers as Simone Simons (EPICA), Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE), and Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH).

Caterina's career started by singing lead vocals for the Chilean metal band AGHONYA with whom she opened shows for such bands as AFTER FOREVER, EDGUY and WITHIN TEMPTATION.

"I met Timo in Chile some years ago, during one of his visits to the country with STRATOVARIUS," says Caterina. "I remember going to a meet-and-greet with the band, and Timo and I just started talking like we had known each other for ages. We developed a very nice sort of father-to-daughter friendship and we have been in contact ever since. One day I decided to send him my music, just to know his opinion about it, and thankfully, he was pleasantly surprised. That's how it all started, really."

The "Chaos Magic" album was written, performed and produced by Tolkki to develop the vocal talent of Caterina and shows a diverse side of Timo's musical talents.

"I feel the music Timo created for this project is very current, it's strong and also shows some more delicate moments, without losing its edge," says Caterina. "It was a joy for me to sing these beautifully contagious songs. I did my best to bring emotion and passion into the songs, which I guess wasn't so hard, since I was truly so excited."

She adds: "I hope this album reaches several layers of music listeners. It's quite captivating and nothing would make me happier than singing these songs live... giving myself to the audience and feeling that connection, which is truly priceless to me."

"Chaos Magic" track listing:

01. I'm Alive02. Dangerous Game03. One Drop Of Blood04. Seraphim05. From The Stars06. A Little Too Late07. Passionflow08. Dead Memories09. Please Don't Tell Me10. Right Now11. The Point Of No Return

CHAOS MAGIC is:

Caterina Nix - Lead VocalsTimo Tolkki - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, ProductionJami Huovinen - Drums

The latest episode of the "Mars Attacks" podcast features an interview with former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE drummer Shawn Drover. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether he contributed musically to ACT OF DEFIANCE's debut album, "Birth And The Burial":

"I wrote half of the record. [Former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist] Chris [Broderick] wrote five songs and I wrote five songs. Once we left our previous band, that was kind of… We just said, 'Look, you write five tunes, I'll write five tunes. Let's send 'em as we go along and kind of see where we…' The only statement we really had with each other was to make sure that this was a hundred-percent, unrelenting heavy metal record, and we kind of went off based on that premise: to do it without compromise and to make these songs… We didn't think or cater to what other people might think, or what subgenre of metal we should make these tunes. None of that stuff had any bearing on what we were doing at all. We just locked ourselves away in our music rooms, and away we went writing the tunes, and what you hear with 'Birth And The Burial' is the end result of that."

On whether any of the material on "Birth And The Burial" is leftover music from previous years or if they are all brand-new ideas:

"Chris, obviously, being the accomplished player that he is, he has a recording studio in his house, so I'm sure he has accumulated riffs here and there. But I believe that 'Refrain And Re-Fracture' was something that he previously had, parts of it. But, by and large, this is all new stuff. I think I may have had one riff or two as well that I've had in the past, but pretty much most of it is all new riffs. Certainly on my end of it, the five songs that I wrote, most of it is all new stuff. Absolutely. And I wanted it to be — I wanted to have a fresh perspective on being creative and making new music, not entirely relying on something that I wrote five years ago, or fifteen years ago, whatever the case may be. It's pretty much fresh stuff. We really inspired each other to do that. Chris would send me something that he was working on, and sometimes that would trigger me going, 'Man, I really need to write a heavy tune like he's writing,' you know what I mean? A song that he wrote called 'Throwback' kind of inspired me a little bit to write a song called 'Thy Lord Belial', because his song is really brutal, and I wanted to have… That's a big part of who I am, too — the thrash metal element — so I wanted to make sure that I wrote a song that was equally as aggressive, but different from what he wrote."

In addition to Drover and Broderick, ACT OF DEFIANCE features ex-SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass).

"Birth And The Burial" will be released on August 21 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was helmed by producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED and SHADOWS FALL, among others.

Band photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Interview (audio):

Veteran Brazilian metal musician Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, SEPULTURA, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, KILLER BE KILLED) has told RockSverige.se that he would like his career to be the subject of a documentary film. He explained: "I think it would be interesting, because there's a lot of cool footage from all the years, like early SEPULTURA footage. A really well-made documentary about my life that would be similar to the book [Max's autobiography, 'My Bloody Roots: From Sepultura To Soulfly And Beyond'], and maybe even using the book as the guideline for it."

He continued: "You have to find the right guys to do it. I love Sam Dunn, the guy that did metal documentaries ['Global Metal', 'Iron Maiden: Flight 666', 'Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage', 'Metal Evolution'). Somebody like that would be great for something like this. I would only do it if you deal with somebody special, someone that is really dedicated. We would have to go to Brazil and go back to the roots where I grew up and show all the places. It would be a real project and take some time, but I think it would be really cool. It's on a wish list for the future, to do something like that."

In an interview with Phoenix New Times, Max stated about his decision to write his memoir: "It felt like it was a good time. I'm reaching about 30 years of my career. 30 years of music. It's a story that I think is really cool. Coming from Brazil... and you know, achieving what you wanted, your dream."

He continued: "There is a lot really funny shit in it. Pissing off Lemmy [Kilmister of MOTÖRHEAD]. Throwing wine on Lemmy's head. Lemmy chewing Gloria's [Cavalera, Max's wife and manager] ass, saying he wants to kick my ass. Puking on Eddie Vedder [PEARL JAM] on a MINISTRY tour. Those are fucking amazing stories and you can't fabricate this shit. The time made it. So it was a long process."

Max added: "I worked with a guy, Joel McIver, who is an English writer. He wrote a Randy Rhoads book, a MOTÖRHEAD book, a DEEP PURPLE book, and a METALLICA unofficial biography, which they really loved. We did about 1,000 interviews trying to remember everything. It wasn't chronological. One day, we'd talk about my childhood or the split from SEPULTURA or the death of [Max Cavalera's stepson] Dana. That was a really hard time to talk to about. It tough to talk about that stuff. That was hard… Dark, really dark."

SOULFLY's tenth studio album, "Archangel", was released on August 14 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD was produced by Matt Hyde, who has previously worked with SLAYER and CHILDREN OF BODOM. The cover artwork was created by artist Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH,SODOM).

Underkill TV recently conducted an interview with Richard Taylor, vocalist of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's solo/side project BRITISH LION. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about BRITISH LION's musical direction, Taylor said: "It's very difficult to describe your music or whatever, but… The way I write lyrics and melodies is I love melody. And I think with Steve… Steve loves the same or whatever. I think the difference is just that, with MAIDEN, [which] is just an incredible band, and Bruce Dickinson is the most amazing singer ever, but it's a completely different style to what I do. But when Steve and I get together — Steve loves melody as well — I think it's just me that takes it in that different direction from the sound. Fundamentally, it's still rock, and if you see it live, it's really powerful live."

Asked if there are any plans for BRITISH LION to record a follow-up album to 2012's self-titled debut, Taylor said: "Yeah, I think that's the plan. I write all the time, and when I get together with Steve, we write. There's so much stuff. It's [a matter of] fitting it in — obviously, more around Steve, [since] he's a pretty busy man. But, yeah, that's the plan."

Fan-filmed video footage of BRITISH LION performing two brand new songs, "Spitfire" and "Bible Black", on July 29 at The Square in Harlow, United Kingdom can be seen below.

BRITISH LION's debut album sold around 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 3 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"British Lion" was released in the U.S. on September 25, 2012 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). Mixed by Kevin Shirley — whose credits include IRON MAIDEN as well as Led ZEPPELIN, JOURNEY and RUSH, among many others — the CD, which features Harris alongside Taylor, guitarists Graham Leslie and David Hawkins and drummer Simon Dawson, presents a different side of the bassist's musical visions.

"British Lion" comprises ten songs that Steve and his collaborators have been working on between IRON MAIDEN tours and releases and is described by Harris as "'70s-influenced, British-sounding hard rock." "I'd say it's more mainstream rock than metal... and quite commercial… but good commercial," he said. "There's all kinds of stuff going on, with nods to THE WHO and UFO and some classic British rock bands, but it's not the progressive rock album some might be expecting."

BRITISH LION last month embarked on a 22-date U.K. tour. Support on the trek is coming from THE RAVEN AGE, the band led by Steve's son George Harris.

Interview:


Performance:

"Birth And The Burial", the debut album from ACT OF DEFIANCE, the band featuring former MEGADETH members Shawn Drover (drums) and Chris Broderick (guitar), alongside ex-SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner, and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass), can be streamed in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. The CD will be released on August 21 via Metal Blade Records.

In other news, ACT OF DEFIANCE will embark on its first-ever U.S. tour, co-headlining with ALLEGAEON starting October 22.

Comments Drover: "We are all so proud for everybody to finally be able to hear 'Birth And The Burial' streaming in its entirety. We worked extremely hard to make the best heavy metal record we could, and we are all beyond excited for to sink your teeth into this record.

"We said from the get-go this record is 100% uncompromising heavy metal, and now you can hear it for yourselves.

"With the release of 'Birth And The Burial', we as ACT OF DEFIANCE can now at last announce our first co-headlining tour with our new Metal Blade labelmates ALLEGAEON. This tour will be 100% complete heavy metal and we cannot wait to see you all there."

Adds Broderick: "We spent a lot of time and effort on 'Birth And The Burial' to get it to sound as good as it possibly could, and we are not only excited for it's release this Friday, August 21 and the fact that everyone can stream it, but also to announce that we will be heading out on tour to support it in October.

"It's one thing to get a CD to sound great, but now we have to live up to that sound live as well, and I know from talking to Shawn, Henry, and Matt that we are going to bring it!

"The tour will be with our Metal Blade record labelmates ALLEGAEON. I urge you to pick up the CD and then come see us live to compare and contrast."

Tour dates:

Oct. 22 - Las Vegas, NC – Count's Vamp'dOct. 23 - Phoenix, AZ – Club RedOct. 24 - San Diego, CA – Brick By BrickOct. 25 - Pomona, CA – Glass HouseOct. 28 - Salt Lake City, UT – Area 51Oct. 30 - Denver, CO – Marquis TheaterOct. 31 - Merriam, KS – AftershockNov. 01 - St. Louis, MO – FubarNov. 03 - Danville, IL – Vintage VillainsNov. 04 - Chicago, IL – Double DoorNov. 05 -Westland, MI – Token LoungeNov. 06 - Lakefield, OH – The FoundryNov. 09 - Toronto, ON – Mod ClubNov. 11 - Montreal, QC – Petit CampusNov. 13 - Brooklyn, NY – Saint VitusNov. 14 - Holyoke, MA – Waterfront TavernNov. 15 - Providence, RI – Providence Metal Fest

In a time of endless sub-genre classifications being thrown at bands, ACT OF DEFIANCE cut to the quick, offering 100-percent in-your-face, uncompromising metal. "If you invited fans of all kinds of metal — from thrash to Scandinavian metal to modern American metal — and had them all in a mosh pit, ACT OF DEFIANCE would be their soundtrack," asserts Broderick.

Having a deep-seated respect for each other, Broderick and Drover share a very complementary writing style, instinctively getting where the other is coming from.

"Shawn knows metal inside and out," says Broderick. "He's always been a metalhead, so we come from the same musical background, and we get that world. We didn't really talk about what we might do next until after we had both left MEGADETH, and we were like, well, we came up with all of these great riffs for MEGADETH that were never used, so we decided to use some of those for the basis of what we were going to do with ACT OF DEFIANCE. Out of that spawned a burst of creativity and a lot of newer material, and it was all really exciting and what we really wanted this band to be."

Drover is very much on the same page, believing the two have a special chemistry that goes beyond their musical collaborations. "Having the same vision of what we want to do musically, from a business perspective, and in terms of what we want to achieve with this band, is a really important factor," he says. "It means we can concentrate on making the best music and we can and look at the overall picture, instead of squabbling about who should get more songwriting credit and unimportant crap, which often leads to the demise of so many bands. As far as we are concerned, the body of music we create is what matters."

While Bachand is better known for his work on six rather than four strings, coming into the band he stepped up straight away, impressing Broderick and Drover with his adaptability and playing style. "I'd met Matt many times before and he's a great guy and an all-around great musician," Chris says. "He plays bass like a bass player, which was awesome for me, because when I demoed the songs it was pretty much laying down the bass just so it had some lower notes and then moving on! But he came in and he spent the time and made them into really nice bass lines that added an extra dimension to the songs, which not all guitarists can do, and he really gets what we're trying to achieve with this band."

The final piece of the puzzle fell into place with Henry Derek Bonner, who was recruited following an extensive search. Determined that the band needed to be fronted by a vocalist who was not limited to the standard practice of screamed vocals or clean vocals, they demanded versatility, and Derek delivered. "We started from a list of I'd say 30 vocalists, and we worked that down to a shortlist, and we sent everyone on that a demo to lay some vocal tracks over, and when they all came back we knew Henry was our guy," Drover enthuses. "He can do the super-heavy, growling vocals, he can do the really melodic clean vocals, but he can also do everything in between, and he has the ability to really build and shift within that range," adds Broderick. "The other really cool thing I really like is that his really heavy singing still has pitch to it. There are these really melodic lines even in his heaviest vocals."

It takes only one exposure to "Birth And The Burial" to become abundantly aware that this is not the sound of a bunch of guys screwing around. Kicking things off with first single "Throwback" they throw down the gauntlet, the track erupting in a cascading lead before launching into a breakneck thrash attack, sounding very much like four guys ready to fight, its massive chorus only upping the ante. The merciless intensity displayed is a mode they return to often, "Thy Lord Belial", "Dead Stare" and "Disastrophe" particularly upping the adrenaline and sure to cause mosh pit carnage. However, groove and dark melody are as important as flat out riffing, kicking up plenty to inspire mass headbanging and fist-in-the-air excitement, and they also have their more brooding, atmospheric moments, "Poison Dream" and "Obey The Fallen" possessing a somberness alongside their compelling sonic violence. Fans of Broderick's previous work are aware of his incredible talent when it comes to shredding, and on "Birth And The Burial" he unleashes some of his most breathless and compelling soloing to date, finding the perfect marriage between technicality and melody.

"I really loved the luxury of being able to look at the rhythm behind the solo and have it support the kind of soloing I wanted to do," he says. "What I really like to do is listen to the rhythm and imagine what I want to hear, whether it's a harmonic, rhythmic kind of sixteenth note kind of thing, or a melody that is really haunting and eerie. After I flesh some of that out I let my inspiration take me as I'm creating the solo. I've never been one to typically improv a solo and say that's it, and I wanted every one on this record to really have a life of its own."

Thematically, the band explore their own personal experiences, focusing on some of the harder truths, the aggression of the music the perfect vehicle for expressing such sentiments. "'Poison Dream' is about somebody being consumed by a dream of fame or power or money, and how they will sacrifice anything to get that, while 'Legion Of Lies' is about a person who is constantly casting out negativity and betrayal and trying to deceive those around him, but we hope that fans will take these lyrics and put their own personal meaning to them," Chris says. "You never want to make them so specific to any particular situation, and I think a lot of these experiences are really relatable."

The album title is lifted from the anthemic closing track of the same name, focusing on a person burning their bridges with friends and those they have worked with in past, and asking them to look for forgiveness before it's too late. "The line 'you reap what you sow, the birth and the burial' — to me, that really sums it up, because what you do in life will reflect in the time that you die, and I thought that was really cool in the way it tied into the record," Broderick says.

With recording split between three studios in three different states, Broderick handled vocal and guitar production at his own Ill-Fated Studio in Los Angeles, Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, REVOCATION, MUNICIPAL WASTE) worked with Drover tracking the drums in Dexter's Lab in Milford, Connecticut, while Bachand laid down his bass at ManShark, in Southampton, Massachusetts. While the band had a lot of work to do, when they headed into the studio things ran very smoothly.

"We had pretty much everything demoed by the time we started recording," Chris says. 'We would change things as we were doing the final takes, but for the most part we knew exactly what we were playing, and from there it was a case of making sure we got really good takes." With artwork courtesy of Travis Smith (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) and their logo and emblem the work of Van Williams (formerly of NEVERMORE and currently of GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS) the band focused on ensuring every element of their presentation had meaning to it, wanting to offer fans the proverbial full package, and they have every intention of being around a while.

"I want ACT OF DEFIANCE to be a hard working, heavy metal road-dog band, and we really do have what's almost a blue collar sensibility and perspective," Drover states plainly. "We know we are going to have to earn this and that we can't rest on what any of us have done previously, and that is something we are more than willing to do. Believe me."

Band photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Austria's Crossing Edge will release their debut album, Breakout, via Massacre Records on August 21st. The band have now announced the album tracklisting.

The modern melodic metal five-piece was formed in 2011 by guitarist Stefan Griesinger, drummer Sebastian Letzbor, lead guitarist Thomas Mayrhofer and vocalist Bernhard Klausner. Florian Wacha replaced the band's former bassist Roman Mayrhofer in 2012.
 
Breakout was recorded, mixed and mastered by Norbert Leitner. Patrick Eichmeir is responsible for the album's artwork.

Tracklisting:

“Call Me Under”
“Part Of Me”
“Into The Sun”
“In Case Of Emergency”
“Breakout”
“Behind Closed Doors”
“Never Ending Misery”
“Tonight”
“The Prophet’s Choice”
“Testify”
“Destiny”
“New Messiah”

The album will feature guest vocals by Daniel Fellner of Devastating Enemy.
 
“Part Of Me” video:

Lineup:
 
Bernhard Klausner - Vocals
Thomas Mayrhofer - Lead Guitar
Stefan Griesinger - Guitar
Florian Wacha - Bass
Sebastian Letzbor - Drums

 

ESCAPE THE FATE will release its new album, "Hate Me", on October 30 via Eleven Seven Music.

When a band has had as storied and, at times, controversial a first decade in the limelight as ESCAPE THE FATE, there is often a temptation to focus on that past, rather than concentrating on the future. Yet as they stand on the cusp of releasing their fifth, and arguably most significant studio album to date, the upcoming chapters of the Vegas quartet's career not only look bright, but are set to resolutely be their best yet. "This new album is, without any question in my mind, the best thing that has ever borne the ESCAPE THE FATE name by a distance,"enthuses frontman Craig Mabbitt with no hint of hesitation. A remarkable statement given the last two ESCAPE THE FATE records gatecrashed the Billboard Top 30. "Sonically we've always been a diverse band who have everything from ballads to really heavy songs — and our fans expect that — but I think on this album we've gone full force with it. The heaviest songs are the heaviest we've ever written, and the poppy songs are the poppiest we've ever done. We came to this kind of ‘Who cares what people think of us'realization this time around — we're amplifying everything that we love about this band in all directions and it has been incredibly liberating." Indeed, with the group (completed by drummer Robert Ortiz and guitarists Thomas "TJ" Bell and Kevin "Thrasher" Gruft) now blessed with the most stable and creatively fertile lineup they've enjoyed in years, ESCAPE THE FATE are gearing up to show the world the scale of the talents that, in truth, they have long possessed. "We wrote probably 50 or so songs in total," explains Thrasher. "There are songs on this record that I've worked on in private for years but have only just come to fruition. There's probably half a decades work wrapped up in this thing!" "It has bee a real team effort this time around," continues Mabbitt. "We have all worked on lyrics, all contributed to the songwriting process. We're the most unified as a team I think we've ever been, certainly in my history in the band. I actually wish we hadn't done a self-titled album already because I think this is our most definitive statement yet." A significant part of fine-tuning statement has been the introduction of Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson (PAPA ROACH, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, MÖTÖRHEAD) to proceedings. "He pushed us incredibly hard to expand ideas beyond where we initially thought they could go," says TJ. "He's a master at looking at a song and picking out the smallest details of what could be improved but doing so in a way which makes sense for the overall tone of the record." "He challenged me more than anyone ever has in a studio environment," concurs Thrasher. "From technique to tone he fine tuned everything we were doing and made sure we were giving 110%. I won't lie, it was stressful at times but he is a great producer — you only need to look at his track record to see that!" Indeed, for new new blood Thrasher — both playing and writing extensively on his first ESCAPE THE FATE album, it has been an opportunity to really earn his stripes. "I wanted to show exactly what I can do," explains the axeman. "Having been a session player for years but always loving this band's output, there was a responsibility on my shoulders to prove myself. I tried to take everything I'd learnt over all the years of playing and pour it all into these songs. And what's great is that the guys gave me all the support I needed — it's been one of the most free and enjoyable writing environments I've ever enjoyed." The end result of this hard-fought creative battle is a collection of songs spilling over with stadium-wrecking hooks, as well as significant slice of the jackhammer punch fans of the band have come to know and love. Perhaps most crucially though, there is an abiding sense that this is ESCAPE THE FATE at their most bruisingly motivated. "Lyrically, a lot of these tracks are based around the hate we've received over the years and just embracing that and using it to our own advantage," says Mabbitt. "I've had to step up to the plate lately, for the fans as much as anything else, because they take the name ESCAPE THE FATE very seriously and I owe them something for that, for all the support they've shown us over the years. It's very humbling for me to be able to listen to this collection of songs and think about where we've come from and what we've been through to get to this point." To that end, first single, the anthemic "Alive", comes replete with a lead-heavy dual guitar attack and a sky-scraping solo, underpinned with a soul-baring vocal performance that underlines, emboldens and italicises both the band's survival instinct and their indefatigable determination to emerge victorious. From there, the lung-bursting chorus of "Remember Every Scar" serves as a powerful lament to life at the bottom of the bottle while the likes of "Breaking Me Down" and "Let Me Be" revel in a dynamic rise and fall which sees the band on taking their sound to a place that is sure to raise the eyebrows of both fans and critics alike. Naturally, those with a penchant for the heavier stuff are amply catered for too, "Just A Memory"'s thrash-and-burn-a-circle-pit-starting sonic landmine to match anything in the band's catalogue to date: truly, this is a group at their most diverse and powerfully self-assured. "Like I say,"smiles Thrasher, "I think there genuinely is something in there for everyone." And so, what we are about to witness is a re-incarnated, reborn, rejuvenated ESCAPE THE FATE firing on all cylinders once more. With a stint on this summer's Warped Tour already under their belts and the promise of a global touring schedule to come, this is a band who, after a ten-year tenure, are still as hungry as they've ever been. "It's the start of a new era for us,"confirms Mabbitt. "We're getting back on our feet, putting our middle finger up to the world and proving ourselves individually and collectively. Everyone in this band now wants the same thing: we want to play our music for as many people as possible and be a unit, a gang. We've been envious of bands who have always had that but now we have that and it's a wonderful feeling." The message from the ESCAPE THE FATE camp is louder and clearer than it has even been in the past: "We're coming for everyone and we aren't taking any prisoners," concludes Mabbitt.

"Hate Me" track listing:

01. Just A Memory02. Live For Today03. Remember Every Scar04. Breaking Me Down05. Alive06. Get Up, Get Out07. Hate Me08. Les Enfants Terribles (The Terrible Children)09. I Won't Break10. Let Me Be

Michael Denner and Hank Shermann, the original Danish guitar players of MERCYFUL FATE's legendary "Melissa" and "Don't Break the Oath" albums, have created a new classic in the forthcoming EP "Satan's Tomb", coming on October 2 via Metal Blade Records. These songs were crafted with the MERCYFUL FATE worldwide legion of fans at the forefront of the duo's collective minds. From the first riff to the last wail, one cannot help but feel the magic newly recaptured once again.

The band, which is simply called DENNER/SHERMANN, calls into service a formidable group of allies who were capable of helping realize this menagerie of malice, was a task carefully orchestrated by these metal mad scientists. Shermann first called upon Marc Grabowski (DEMONICA) to handle the bass guitar, followed by the only drummer that made sense for many obvious aspects, the one known as Snowy Shaw (MERCYFUL FATE, KING DIAMOND, DREAM EVIL). Many voices were considered, but fate lead them to Sean Peck (CAGE, DEATH DEALER). He was not only a fan but had the versatile vocal skills to make the new songs come to life like their fans would expect.

Said Denner: "Creating these songs with this lineup really ignited my metal fire hotter than ever! I'm sure the fans are going to love this thing."

Added Shermann: "This mix ended up really having an old-school feel to it that sounds awesome when blasting at an unhealthy volume."

Stated Peck: "Being invited to collaborate with these two guys who had such a profound, major impact on my indoctrination to metal, has been absolutely killer! And now we are continuing to write more material for a full-length release too. My mind is officially blown!"

The EP was recorded in the USA, Denmark and Sweden and was mixed by Arnold Lindberg at Sound Industry Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden. The mastering was done by Maor Applebaum in Los Angeles, California.

The "Satan's Tomb" cover artwork was painted by Thomas Holm whose work on MERCYFUL FATE's "Melissa" and "Don't Break The Oath" is well known throughout the metal world.

"Satan's Tomb" track listing:

01. Satan's Tomb02. War Witch03. New Gods04. Seven Skulls

This will be available in both CD, vinyl formats and downloads.

DENNER/SHERMANN is:

Michael Denner - GuitarHank Shermann - GuitarSean Peck - VocalsSnowy Shaw - DrumsMarc Grabowski - Bass

MERCYFUL FATE's last studio album, "9", was released in 1999.

MERCYFUL FATE will be remembered for its unquestionable mark on the history of metal with its innovative sound, complex arrangements, memorable melody, and its influence on bands that later took the genre to new heights.

In 1998, METALLICA paid tribute to MERCYFUL FATE by recording a medley of classic MERCYFUL FATE songs on the album "Garage Inc." Entitled "Mercyful Fate", the medley included parts from "Satan's Fall", "Curse of the Pharaohs", "A Corpse Without Soul", "Into the Coven" and "Evil".

Lars Ulrich of METALLICA (a fellow Dane) played drums on a new version of MERCYFUL FATE's "Return of the Vampire" on the "In the Shadows" album, which came out in 1993.

Leeds, U.K.-based rockers GENTLEMANS PISTOLS, who feature in their ranks CARCASS guitarist Bill Steer, will release their third album, "Hustler's Row", on October 16 via Nuclear Blast.

The song "The Searcher", taken from "Hustler's Row", can be streamed below.

Says GENTLEMANS PISTOLS vocalist and guitarist James Atkinson: "'Hustler's Row' is a cathartic journey through the last five years of my life. The album begins with questions of where my life is going and ends with me heading straight down 'Hustler's Row'; on a turbulent voyage of the sweetest sufferings and the most inexpensive of thrills. The artwork is by John Pearson and it encapsulates everything I put across in the title track, that 'Hustler's Row' is a place for freaks, losers, lovers and those searching for something more from life. So we invite you to join us on the 'Row'…"

The artwork shows a grisly dystopian vision of a British street, overflowing with violence, gloom and insanity. Rabid dogs and Hitchcock-esque ominous birds loom over the flailing limbs and blood red lettering spelling out "Hustler's Row".

"Our old guitarist, Chris Rogers, lived on a street called Hustler's Row in Leeds," adds Atkinson. "It's actually a really nice place, but, to me, the name evoked an image of a place of desolation and despair, so the lyrics I wrote have no connection to that street at all. It was Bill that thought it would make a good album title and it seemed to make sense as it is the final song on the album too."

"Hustler's Row" formats and track listings:

CD

01. The Searcher02. Devil’s Advocate On Call03. Time Wasters04. Private Rendezvous05. Stress And Confusion06. Personal Fantasy Wonderland07. Lady Teaser08. Dazzle Drizzler09. Coz Of You10. Hustler’s Row

Vinyl

Side A

01. The Searcher02. Devil’s Advocate On Call03. Time Wasters04. Private Rendezvous05. Stress And Confusion

Side B

01. Personal Fantasy Wonderland02. Lady Teaser03. Dazzle Drizzler04. Coz Of You05. Hustler’s Row

Says the group: "The album was recorded by singer/guitarist James Atkinson at Mutiny Studios in Bradford and reflects nearly five years of experience for the band: good times, bad times, boredom, exhilaration, heartache, frustration and wonder.

"With this album, we tried to make a record that we would want to listen to; one that was heavy but melodic, intense but catchy, thoughtful but unruly. A record for reprobates and romantics, for gentlemen and hustlers.ˮ

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS have been causing a stir on the underground for a while now with their debauched lyrics, melodic groove and general Yorkshire rock 'n' roll swagger. Formed as a three-piece back in 2003, the band has gone through a variety of lineup changes throughout its career and has now stabilized as a four-piece. GENTLEMANS PISTOLS' last album, "At Her Majesty's Pleasure", was released to great acclaim in 2011.

The band has performed at U.K. and international festivals such as Desertfest, Hammerfest, Long Division and Fuji Rock festival in Japan, and has previously toured with the likes of WITCHCRAFT, LEAF HOUND and PENTAGRAM.

In a 2013 interview, Steer stated about GENTLEMANS PISTOLS: "It's a very fun thing to do and very different from CARCASS in a lot of ways." GENTLEMANS PISTOLS are:

James Atkinson - vocals/guitarsBill Steer - guitarStuart Dobbins - drumsRobert Threapleton - bass

Each episode of Digital Tour Bus's "Dream Tour" features an act discussing who they would put on their ideal tour if there was no limits. In this episode, which was filmed on April 6 in Chicago, Illinois, Tomas Lindberg, vocalist for the Swedish melodic death metal band AT THE GATES, talks about his ultimate tour lineup.

Asked if there are any plans for AT THE GATES to head back into the studio to begin work on the follow-up to last year's comeback album, "At War With Reality", Tomas told GetYourRockOut in June: "Right now, we're just doing this, because the album took so long; it was lots of hard work for us. And we are so happy with how it's received. And we are so happy to be able to play it live. Because we don't wanna do it as a career thing; we just wanna enjoy where we are. We're enjoying this now and this is what we do. When we feel like we're done touring this record, that's when we'll sit down and see, 'Do we have any more songs?' It's very undramatic. We don't want this to get stale either. When we're done with this record, that's when we'll start thinking about the new one."

On April 6, AT THE GATES released a very special split seven-inch EP (together with VOIVOD) to accompany the band's latest tour. The EP featured the AT THE GATES bonus track "Language Of The Dead" from the "At War With Reality" sessions — previously unreleased on vinyl! — while VOIVOD contributed a new track, "We Are Connected". The EP was "double A-sided" (meaning, each band has their own, reversible front-cover side!) and came with artwork created for both bands by VOIVOD's Michel "Away" Langevin.

"At War With Reality" was released on October 28, 2014 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media. The CD, which sold 7,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 53 on The Billboard 200 chart, was recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg and was mixed at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren (OPETH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK, PARADISE LOST, KREATOR).

The official lyric video for the song "Another Nail In The Coffin" from COAL CHAMBER, the reformed '90s alt-metal band fronted by current DEVILDRIVER singer Dez Fafara, can be seen below. The track is taken from COAL CHAMBER's comeback album, "Rivals, which sold around 7,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 80 on The Billboard 200 chart (which includes stream activity). The band's first CD in over thirteen years was recorded in part at Audiohammer studio in Sanford, Florida with producer Mark Lewis (DEVILDRIVER, CANNIBAL CORPSE).

Asked who the "rivals" are that he is talking about in the title of COAL CHAMBER's new album, Dez said: "It's really more about the artwork and how [the word] 'rivals' is scratched out."

He continued: "Rivals can be your inner demons, your inner self; [or] exterior factors that are negative influences on your life. But either way, they've gotta go. And that's kind of what this whole thing is about. If you go inside the record and you listen to the lyrics, it's about expelling demons and getting rid of negative influences in and around your life."

Speaking to The Age Of Metal, Fafara stated about the writing process for "Rivals": "We locked ourselves in a room and just waited until it was very tight. Then [the other guys in the band] would throw me songs and I would throw them back lyrics, and that's how it came together. It's a very democratic process when it comes to COAL CHAMBER and the writing. And I think they did a great job. It was extremely freeing to do this record, 'cause I could use anything I want — I could use high screams, low screams, clean vocals, whisper tracks… all sorts of stuff — which was very freeing as an artist to do. It was a great time to record. And I think you can feel that within the record. We didn't record with a click track, so [there are] ebbs and flows. Nothing was copied an pasted; everything was sung. I hit most of the stuff the first time I did the vocals, and the music itself is really raw and has a really great feel to it. I think it has a fresh feel to it. Don't expect a throwback record. It's not gonna sound like a throwback record. It's us moving forward."

Massacre Records will release the new album from German progressive metal veterans, Ivanhoe, on October 16th. It's been two years since Ivanhoe released their latest album Systematrix. Now the time has come to release its follow-up.
 
7 Days was produced, mixed and mastered by Andy Horn at Red Room. Sua Balac has created the cover artwork.
 
Ivanhoe have released the official video clip for the new song "Overrun”. Check it out below and stay tuned for more album details, coming soon.

 

Phil Campbell (MOTÖRHEAD) makes a guest appearance on guest on UGLY KID JOE's upcoming album, "Uglier Than They Used Ta Be". Phil has added his "amazing" guitar work to the songs "My Old Man", "Under The Bottom" and UGLY KID JOE's cover version of the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades".

UGLY KID JOE has launched a PledgeMusic campaign for its first full-length album in 19 years. Tentatively due this fall, the CD's cover art was created by Daniel Mercer and can be seen below.

"Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" track listing:

01. Hell Ain't Hard To Find02. Let The Record Play03. My Old Man04. Bad Seed05. She's Already Gone06. Under The Bottom07. Mirror Of The Man08. The Enemy09. Nothing Ever Changes10. Ace of Spades

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.

Coming off their performance this past weekend at Metallion Festival in BC, Edmonton, AB's Death Toll Rising has premiered their new video "Scorched Earth Policy" in support of their latest album, Infection Legacy. 

"We are beyond excited to be releasing our first ever music video," comments guitarist Drew Copland. "This is one of the thrashers off our most recent album, Infection Legacy and always proved to be a fan favorite, so it was a no brainer to do this track. We were lucky enough to work with our good friend and director Lindsay Robinson on this project and he pretty much nailed everything we had in mind, it looks sick! It was a great experience and we were able to have a ton of our friends out to party and be in the video, which made it all the more motivating for us. It was cold, it was late, and it was exhausting, but in the end completely worth every minute!"

 

 

 

Norwegian melodic black metal band Vreid venture back to their roots on their seventh album, titled Sólverv. Cold dissonance and feverish melodies embellish this opus.

Inspired by the blood heritage of Hváll who, alongside his fellow band members, hails from the deep valleys of Sogndal in Norway; a place where his ancestors fought and died to preserve their precious land. Sólverv is an epic milestone for this tyrannical brigade.

“Sólverv is not just another album, this is the definition of our lives and heritage. We share a bond since our childhood days, and the fire burns stronger than ever. We strive for the timeless, and through our music we lose track of time.” - Hváll

Sólverv will be released through Indie Recordings on October 9th. Vreid will hit the road in October on the Indie Recordings 10 Year Anniversary Tour alongside none other than extreme metallers Keep Of Kalessin and the vicious northerners in Vredehammer.
 

 

Less than a month before the release date of The Grim Muse, Polish melodic death metal mavericks In Twilight's Embrace reveal the title track off their new opus. If you are curious about how the eponymous song manifests itself, you definitely should check it out. The additional quality mark of that one is the mighty Tomas Lindberg (At The Gates, Disfear) who does the guest singing and once again nails it. The album is now available for pre-order.

Clocking in over 5 minutes, “The Grim Muse” is one of the most unusual songs not only on the third In Twilight's Embrace full-length, but in the entire discography of the band. Beginning with the initial, dissonant gloom, then falling into the fast paced death metal maelstrom, the piece finally reaches its epic climax.

“This one is not a typical album single and that's exactly the reason why we went for it. Instead, this track is a constant grower, slowly unfolding its eerie aura. Tomas, who has recently used to sing on top of a somewhat more straightforward stuff, has done a great job in this sombre sonic reality”, says Cyprian Łakomy, the vocalist of In Twilight's Embrace.

Driven by bitterness, disillusion and doubt, The Grim Muse is the defining work of In Twilight’s Embrace. The album comes out on September 15th via Arachnophobia Records and will be available as a classic jewel-case compact disc.

“Dystopian”:

Following the release of 2013's debut album The Rise Of Jimmy Silver and last years UK/European tour with rock legends Y&T; Bournemouth, UK hard rock 5-piece Voodoo Vegas have confirmed they will release their new EP Hypnotise, on October 12th.

The new EP features four tracks of pumped up, high voltage rock n' roll that will please anyone that's a fan of hard rock music. Laying down a foundation of essential classic rock, Voodoo Vegas have stripped away their sound and put the pieces back together to create a collection of music that is modern, fresh and demands it be turned up, LOUD!
 
Frontman Lawrence Case picks up the story "Since the release of our first album, we've been focusing on touring, playing live and writing new material. When you tour with bands like Y&T and Status Quo, the pure class and calibre of these guys is unmistakable. Watching those bands play live out front and by side stage, it was obvious we were going to learn so much, not only to benefit our live show but also our perception on crafting the next chapter of Voodoo Vegas."
 
So why an EP, why not the second album now? Case coolly replies "We're living in an age where music comes and goes in a blink of an eye. Our focus was always going to be on raising our game via the live shows and I think by doing this EP now it allows us the flexibility of continuing to extend our reach out to live audiences in sync with this release. The second album is in the works but we felt we needed to bridge that gap firstly and this EP is a very good indicator of where Voodoo Vegas are going. Essentially this a prelude as to what happens next but doesn't give the game away.”
 
Opening title track “Hypnotise” is unmistakably Voodoo Vegas but with a twist, the song blisters along with effortless groove, hard driven guitars and hooks aplenty. “Tied Up” maintains the pace but steps things up and showcases Voodoo Vegas as the true contenders they are. “Round & Round” mixes things up with dueling guitars, bass breakdowns and a live 'jam' feel midway whilst “Killing Joke” cements the EP together and will surely become a live favourite in the band's set list.
 
The Hypnotise EP was produced by Will Maya (The Answer, Breed 77) and recorded at Los Rosales Residential Studio in Madrid.

“Working with Will on this project really helped us bring the new songs to life. The guys is a consummate musician and producer and has a great eye for detail. We learnt a lot working with him. The fact that it was off the back of his work with The Answer (their latest album 'Raise A Little Hell' which broke into the UK's National Top 20 and hit No.1 on the Rock Chart) really spurred all of us on. As a band, right now we've never been stronger. It's an exciting time for Voodoo Vegas.”

With the EP's cover art once again drawn by noted comic book artist Jim Boswell, Jimmy Silver makes his return but this time he's not the city smashing giant as seen on Voodoo Vegas's debut album. As the title track suggests, something's afoot and just who is the mysterious lady luring Jimmy in with her charms?

All will be revealed over the coming months as Case explains, "We wanted Jimmy Silver back but this time we wanted a twist, a backstory which you'll find running across not just the EP but on the second album. There's a lot going on behind the scenes with this and we can't wait to get the ball rolling!"

Tracklisting:
 
“Hypnotise”
“Tied Up”
“Round & Round”
“Killing Joke”

“Hypnotise” lyric video:

Voodoo Vegas are:

Lawrence Case - Vocals / Harmonica
Merylina Hamilton - Guitar
Ash Moulton - Bass
Jonno Smyth - Drums
Jon Dawson - Guitar

 

On September 18th, Christian Mistress will release their new 8-song excursion in pure American heavy metal - their LP titled To Your Death. The new video for the track “Open Road” can be seen below.

Marked by the powerful vocals of Christine Davis and the rich harmonies of guitar duo Oscar Sparbel and Tim Diedrich, Christian Mistress is simultaneously relevant and anachronistic. Formed in Olympia, Washington in 2008, the band quickly distinguished themselves through their tasteful treatment of the grit and style pioneered by early 80’s NWOBHM as well as through the unique, raspy vocal presence of Christine Davis. After releasing a demo and a single in 2009, the following year saw Christian Mistress partner with Olympia label 20 Buck Spin to release their debut full-length Agony & Opium.
 
Agony & Opium eventually caught the attention of Relapse Records, who signed Christian Mistress in 2011. Shortly thereafter, the band recorded their second full-length album, Possession; a 41-minute slab of traditional heavy metal mixed with classic rock sensibilities. Released in February 2012, Possession netted the band widespread recognition.
 
After relocating to Portland, OR, Christian Mistress has now returned with their new full-length To Your Death, an album that serves the song, the art, and the listener, while ignoring the line drawn between past, present and future. By now, it’s clear that Christian Mistress are deeply passionate about what they do, and aren’t simply following the latest trends.
 
To Your Death will be available on CD, LP and Digital formats September 18th from Relapse. More track premieres, video, and info coming soon.

Tracklisting:

“Neon”
“Stronger Than Blood”
“No Place”
“Walkin’ Around”
“Open Road”
“Ultimate Freedom”
“Lone Wild”
“Ill”

“Stronger Than Blood”:

Christian Mistress is:

Oscar Sparbel - Guitar
Jonny Wulf - Bass
Christine Davis - Vocals
Reuben Storey - Drums
Tim Diedrich - Guitar

 

Two years after the recording of their Ritual Zombi album, Spanish death metal veterans, Avulsed, returns with a new recording in form of a 5-song EP entitled Altar Of Disembowelment, that marks the band's recording debut for new drummer Erik Raya. A lyric video for the new track “Red Viscera Serology” can be found below.

Stylistically, Altar Of Disembowelment continues the unmistakeable sound of Avulsed, forged during almost 25 years, but this time, the four new songs sounds a bit heavier and darker than ever before, with their traditional essence firmly rooted in the old Finnish and Swedish schools with a Bolthrowerish spice and the fucking low vocal register that forever remains intact in Avulsed.

The EP was recorded in three different studios and mixed at Overhead Studios by Raúl Fournier "Furni", ex-drummer of Avulsed between 1994-2004 for a later mastering at Unisound Studios by Dan Swanö.

Besides the four new songs, there's a cover version of Black Sabbath’s "Neon Knights” that was initially recorded in late 2010 for a tribute album to Dio that ended up being a fiasco and instead of using that recording, the band decided to re-record it again for this EP.

Cover artwork for Altar Of Disembowelment was again work of Juanjo Castellano who was also responsible behind the masterpiece cover art of Ritual Zombi who surpassed himself once again creating another absolutely astonishing artwork.

Altar Of Disembowelment tracklisting:

“To Sacrifice And Devour”
“Red Viscera Serology”
“Ceremony Of Impalement”
“Tremble In The Darkness”
“Neon Knights” (Black Sabbath)

“Red Viscera Serology” lyric video:

“To Sacrifice And Devour”:

Release date for the CD version of Altar Of Disembowelment is settled for September 9th through Xtreem Music, right before the band's European tour, and the vinyl version on 10" format, will be released at the same time by greek label Screaming Victims Distro on a limited edition of 500 copies with 100 units on each five different colours (black, red, blue, clear & marble).

 

On the heels of Myrkur's universally praised debut EP, comes M, the Danish black metal phenom's first full-length album. Recorded in various locations of Oslo, Norway (including renowned artist Emanuel Vigeland's Museum) with co-producer Garm - the mastermind behind black metal legends Ulver - M finds Myrkur achieving the grandiose heights that everyone hoped she would climb to.

A full pre-release album stream can be found below.

The melodies are lush and the brutality devastating. M is a highly developed metal masterpiece that blends second-wave black metal, Nordic folk music, classical instrumentation and haunting choirs. Rounded out on record by members of Mayhem, Dodheimsgard & Nidingr plus a guest appearance from Christopher Amott of Arch Enemy, Myrkur has quickly established herself as one of the best and most intriguing acts in metal today.

M will see its worldwide release August 21st via Relapse alongside her first ever live performance, headlining the black stage at Denmark's Roskilde Festival with Deafheaven and Tombs. Numerous other festival appearances around Europe are planned throughout the year. Physical and digtal pre-orders are now available and include a special deluxe LP package containing an exclusive bonus track of the "Skadi" demo.

Myrkur on the concepts of M: "The album is a story where the songs are connected. It is Nordic folk music, black metal, classical choirs and more. It feels like a soundtrack to some sort of Norse mythology horror movie with blastbeats. I wrote it about many things, as a goddess who wants revenge and to kill off people in my life, perhaps also a side of myself. I feel a strong sense of being divided into two, not one whole. a side of light and a side of shadows battle within me. And sometimes a disassociation to reality. A disconnect to the normal world and to what I am. This album tells my story and the transformation to one is complete in my mind."

Producer Kristoffer Rygg aka Garm of Ulver on M: "In a - for me - short, but efficient time I feel that we managed to sew together a production that will be instantly recognizable in the plethora of "history conscious" metal music, with it's stylistic wavering between classical, folk, rock (shoegaze) and (black) metal traditions. At the same time "M" also sounds strangely contemporary to me. It goes in circles, I guess. Soundwise it's all out classic analogue stuff. No triggered drums, brick walling or all on grid here. It's a really natural sound harkening back to the days of old. That's the feel (or soul) we were after and I think we captured it. It's no secret that Amalie loves Bergtatt (our first album), and there's even a song on the album to prove it! I'm not really a type to gush, but Myrkur is a multi-talent and she knows it. Fortunately for me we really hit it off and were on the same page from the get-go... I think our time of meeting was really auspicious as I've been working a bit with Ulver's old metal back catalogue recently and with that stuff fresh in mind the feeling came natural and was a total trip for me, to summon that epic, sylvan Scandinavian sound, as it were. I am really proud to be involved, to help her make her vision come to life, and also to have her carry the torch, so to speak. I think it's a killer album and I'm anxious to see what people think."

Tracklisting:

“Skøgen Skulle Dø”
“Hævnen”
“Onde Børn”
“Vølvens Spådom”
“Jeg er Guden, I er Tjenerne”
“Nordlys”
“Mordet”
“Byssan Lull”
“Dybt i Skoven”
“Skadi”
“Norn”

Album stream:

“Onde Børn” video:

Myrkur live dates:

August
22 - Midgardsblot Metalfestiva - Borre, Norway

(Photo: Rasmus Malmstrøm)

One Machine, the brainchild of acclaimed guitarist/songwriter Steve Smyth (Testament, Nevermore, Forbidden, Dragonlord, Vicious Rumors), recently announced The Final Cull as the title of their second album, due out on September 18th worldwide via Scarlet Records. A lyric video for the album’s title track is streaming below:

The band recently launched part one of a three part “Making Of The Final Cull” crowdfunding video series. Watch below.
 
This series includes snippets of new music, in addition to discussing new The Final Cull songwriting, recording and subjects in connection with One Machine’s IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign and pre-order to help offset the costs incurred during the recording. The campaign also serves as the official album pre-order, which will be available in Digital Download, CD, Digipak, and special edition vinyl formats. In addition, the campaign itself offers many great donation perks. For more information, please visit this location.

Steve Smyth states: “In this first video, you’ll learn about our plan for using the money received, as well as the reasons behind why we chose to record live in the studio, as opposed to what has been the standard way for so long. Please head on over to our campaign and check it out, you’ll hear a bit of the new stuff as well!”

The band recently released the new album art, illustrated by Gustavo Sazes (Gus G. Morbid Angel, Arch Enemy).

“We are very happy to present our new album cover for The Final Cull, designed by the very talented Gustavo Sazes,” states Steve Smyth. “The cover concept behind The Final Cull is a bit of fantasy, a bit of reality crossed in between, as we present the idea of humanity being wiped out by the advancement of technology, at the hands of a small set of powerful human beings bent on power and control over all, even at the cost of the general population. The only useful and lasting valuable assets of humanity is the human soul, this last piece behind taken daily via technology, mind control, and psychological warfare. The scene of the cover is set in the near future, where human beings are rounded up and placed into tubes, which take the soul, to be placed in the “new” human beings, complete A.I. human replicas, and here is where the album begins… we hope you will join us down the dark path that is The Final Cull!”

Tracklistings for the two editions are as follows:

Digital Release:

“Forewarning”
“The Final Cull”
“Summoning Of The Soul”
“Screaming For Light”
“The Grand Design”
“New Motive Power”
“Ashes In The Sky”
“Born From This Hate”
“Welcome To The World”

CD Digipak and Limited Edition Vinyl:

“Forewarning”
“The Final Cull”
“Summoning Of The Soul”
“Screaming For Light”
“The Grand Design”
“New Motive Power”
“Ashes In The Sky”
“Born From This Hate”
“Welcome To The World”
“Computer God” (Black Sabbath)

The Final Cull was tracked at Death Island Studios, with Marco Angioni and Tue Madsen helming. Recording lasted for nine days solid, as the band put in 15-18 hour days on this record.

One Machine is:

Steve Smyth (guitar)
Jamie Hunt (guitar)
Chris Hawkins (vocals)
Stefano Selvatico (bass)

 

Swiss modern metal act, Atropas, has released the official music video for the song "Take Me Home”, taken from their upcoming album Episodes Of Solitude, out in September.

Says the band: "We put our hearts, souls, our minds, blood, sweat and tears, our love and every possible emotion into this new record. We could not be happier to present to you our new video for "Take Me Home". Thanks go to Peter Balicki and Steve Noi of Content Park for filming this and thanks to Maxim Ritzi for editing the living hell out of the footage, we couldn't be happier with the results. This song is about all of you who have always made us feel welcomed, loved and appreciated. You gave us everything we've achieved and now it's time for us to give back to you: This song is for you! Thank you for taking us home. Here's to going onwards and upwards! We love you and hope you enjoy the new song.”
 

 

On August 21st, Rivers Of Nihil will release their sophomore album, Monarchy, via Metal Blade Records. A full stream of the album can be found below.

Tracklisting:

"Heirless"
"Perpetual Growth Machine"
"Reign Of Dreams"
"Sand Baptism"
"Ancestral, I"
"Dehydrate"
"Monarchy"
"Terrestria II: Thrive"
"Circles In The Sky"
"Suntold"

Album stream:

"Sand Baptism" video:

"Perpetual Growth Machine" guitar play through:

Several Monarcy pre-order options are available at this location.

A video documenting the making of the album can be viewed below.

The video was shot during recording at guitarist Brody Uttley's home studio and recording at Atrium Audio in Lancaster, PA with Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland. This video gives fans an insight into the processes behind the tracking and concept of Monarchy.

Rivers Of Nihil have one more CD release show for Monarchy, for fans wishing to see the new songs performed live for the first time and purchase the CD in person:

August
19 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's manager says that the woman accusing the band's lead singer, Ivan Moody (pictured), of attacking her is "not a credible source of information" and insists that "nobody in FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH condones domestic violence or abuse of any kind."

A woman claiming to be Moody's wife has reportedly filed for divorce from the vocalist, accusing him of infidelity and being violent during their relationship. TMZ.com cited divorce documents in which the woman, Holly Smith, claimed she confronted Moody in a Las Vegas hotel room after finding texts on his phone from other women. She alleged that she then fell asleep and awoke with Ivan's arms around her neck in a jiu-jitsu hold. He then repeatedly punched her and choked her. Moody was reportedly arrested for domestic violence in connection with that incident, but the charges were later dropped.

However, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory later tweeted the following, "I don't know which 1 is more offensive insinuating that Ivan knows JiuJitsu or that he has a wife! none of those R true GottaLoveTheInternet." And sources have told The Pulse Of Radio that while Smith and Moody were involved "on and off" for a time, they were never married.

Another report surfaced on TMZ.com yesterday which said that Moody's sister sought and was granted a restraining order against the singer in September 2014. Moody's sister, Sandra Dykes, got the restraining order for herself and her two children after she claimed that Moody became violent after drinking or doing drugs. Moody allegedly threatened his sister, as well as his own mother and daughter, and accused them all of taking his money.

Dykes also claimed that Moody's mother and daughter were seeking their own restraining orders against the vocalist.

Moody's sister also stated in her petition for the restraining order that her brother has a history of violence with women that spirals out of control when he uses alcohol and drugs.

A new statement from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH manager Allen Kovac issued today (Friday, August 14) reads as follows:

"Holly Smith has made claims of domestic violence that were dismissed on July 14th, 2015. She has also claimed that she was married to Ivan Moody, which Ivan denies. A search of county clerk records in the location she claims to have gotten married showed no marriage certificate. Ms. Smith has also made statements alleging that Moody is the father of her child which has also been shown to be untrue.

"We look forward to proving that there are no grounds for divorce in this case and that Ms Smith is not a credible source of information. Nobody in FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH condones domestic violence or abuse of any kind. The media attention is rife with false allegations and we hope that the media will start to follow the facts so that Ivan can move on.

"Given the shameless attempt to become a media star with these false allegations, I think FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH can take this 15 minutes of fame and use the situation to promote their sixth album ('Got Your Six', due out September 4) and U.S. tour (with PAPA ROACH, also starting on September 4) as well. Early projections show the album looks to debut at #1 — we want to thank Ms. Smith and TMZ for all their help!"

Smith has requested financial support in her "divorce" filing, saying that Moody earns around $66,000 a month with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH.

Moody himself had not issued any comment on the matter, and a source close to the band told The Pulse Of Radio that he was unlikely to for the moment.

Originally from the Denver area, Moody moved back to Colorado after spending time in both Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Metal Wani's editor in chief Owais "Vitek" Nabi recently conducted an interview with BUTCHER BABIES singer Heidi Shepherd. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the seemingly endless amount of online criticism levelled at BUTCHER BABIES:

"You know, I don't read any of it, because I learned very early on that someone… a small-minded person feels very comfortable and very powerful behind a keyboard, but when it comes to anyone's face, they've got nothing to say. I'm not gonna let those kinds of people define who I am, by any means, because I define who I am, and my music a nd my band defines who we are. Those people, they'll aways be there, they'll always try and knock someone else down, because they're very unhappy with their own lives. So I feel bad for them. [Laughs] You know, if I ever do happen to come across anything, I kind of view it as a little bit of a kick in the ass and a fire under my ass. If people like that think that they're gonna get us down by saying something like that, they're widely mistaken, because, if anything, it just makes us wanna be better and better. So it's a win-win situation on my part."

On female musicians not being openly embraced by the heavy metal community:

"It is an unfortunate thing. It's been an uphill battle, but it's also a double-edged sword. It's been somewhat of a hard journey because of that, but I feel very lucky, because I think if it had just been widely accepted, I may not have worked as hard for it, and I may not still be working as hard, and we may have just floated under the radar. But with the fact that we are something different… you know, two girls in a metal band — what? The fact that we are something different, maybe it turned some heads. It turns people off, without hearing the music at all, but it also turned heads that may not have turned before. So, as I said, it's a double-edged sword. And it is unfortunate that people immediately dismiss a band because there are girls in it. That's ridiculous; that's the dumbest thing ever. There's no reason why girls can't get up there and rock just as hard [as], if not harder than, the boys. And I'm so happy to say that I'm seeing a movement. From when we started to now, people are understanding that and coming around, and it's become… Every negative thing that someone has to say, or every negative person that we come across with it, there's ten people that are all for it. So it's becoming more widely accepted and more viewed as exciting than a bummer."

BUTCHER BABIES will release their sophomore album, "Take It Like A Man", 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.

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

In a brand new interview with Exclaim.ca, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe admitted that he was not big on guitar solos, and that includes those performed by his bandmates Mark Morton and Willie Adler. "No offense to my dudes, or any other guitar players out there, but when I hear solos, I really don't pay attention to them," he said. "I honestly don't. There are only a few solos that I'm like, 'That is freaking awesome!' Most of the time, it sounds like jerking off to me. I'm a riff kind of dude. I come from the punk rock school. I don't care about noodling."

Blythe also spoke about the relatively short length of LAMB OF GOD's seventh album, "VII: Sturm Und Drang", which is slim and trim at ten songs — not nearly as long as many other recent high-profile metal albums. "I wanted to release a ten-song record," said Blythe. "Everybody wants bonus tracks now, and we all wanted a ten-song record. You look at [METALLICA's] 'Master Of Puppets' or [SLAYER's] 'Reign In Blood', and they're short. 'Reign In Blood' is 30 minutes, and it's just a pummelling, masterpiece. For an album that you're going to have any sort of longer songs, I think constant sonic barrage, just constant ass-beating, it gets old on the listener. You need some dynamics, some ebbs and flows."

"VII: Sturm Und Drang" 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.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor recently sat down with Zippo Encore — the music program created by Zippo — to talk about the band's "Summer's Last Stand" U.S. tour with LAMB OF GOD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and MOTIONLESS IN WHITE. You can watch the clip below.

SLIPKNOT and Zippo Encore have partnered for "Summer's Last Stand". The members of SLIPKNOT worked with Zippo to design a collection of exclusive Zippo lighters that were made available to fans during the trek. Said Taylor: "The process for bringing our special SLIPKNOT Zippos to life is essentially us just basically putting our creative caps on and trying to think of something visually that we would wanna see and maybe has never been seen before.

"I know Clown's [percussionist Shawn Crahan] [worked] on some designs, and he's so artistically visual that [it has resulted in] some very, very cool things that the fans will appreciate."

He continued: "Zippo is a brand that I've appreciated since I was young. And who can think of a concert, especially a heavy metal or hard rock concert, without picturing lighters up in the air showing the appreciation for the music that's been going on."

Taylor added: "I think SLIPKNOT fans will be into this, as far as us working with Zippo, because they know that when we put our name behind something that it's gonna mean quality and it's gonna mean something very cool for them. We do it for the art, and we do it for the fans — to try and make something cool for them, because they are the whole reason that we're here. So it'll be exciting to see the reaction to the SLIPKNOT Zippos that come out, especially knowing that it came from our brain and that it's something that we back fully."

The "Summer's Last Stand" tour kicked off on July 24 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and will wrap up six weeks later on September 5 in Dallas. SLIPKNOT is supporting its latest album, ".5: The Gray Chapter", which came out in October.

The latest single released from "The Gray Chapter" is called "Killpop".

Lars Eric Mattsson will release his new album, Songs From A Different Room, on September 18th via Lion Music.

Songs From A Different Room is Lars’ first all acoustic vocal album, very different from anything you have heard from him before. The songs were written in 2008 and most of the backing tracks were also recorded at that time. Originally another singer was scheduled to record them but things didn't work out and finally in 2014 Lars decided to do them by himself, something he feels very good about now.

Lars says: "I am very proud of this album, I think these ten songs are really great and they do present another very personal side of me, both as a person and as a musician. I put a lot of work into the guitar playing and the singing as well as the actual writing of the songs. I think there is no other album out there that sounds like this one, so it's quite unique stuff in an over saturated world where there are too many artists sounding the same.”

"Releasing an all acoustic album might be something of a challenge, but something I always wanted to do”, Lars recalls. Currently Lars is performing with Roadhouse, a blues/rock band for which he has made some fresh arrangements of some cool rock and blues classics.

Tracklisting:

“All We've Got”
“Keep Pushing Me On”
“Hold On”
“I Feel Your Spirit”
“Temporary State of Confusion”
“Just Let It Rain”
“Shadow Of Doubt”
“Keep On Burning”
“Sweet Taste Of Mystery”
“Remain Unsolved”