DISTURBED's new album, "Immortalized", can be previewed in its entirety starting today (Friday, August 14) on iTunes First Play. The CD will be released on August 21 via Reprise.

DISTURBED will hit the road next spring in support of "Immortalized". The trek kicks off on March 11 in Vancouver, Canada, wrapping up on April 10 in Memphis. The band will be playing smaller venues on this run, from Irving Plaza in New York to the Fillmore in San Francisco, in order to give diehard fans a more up-close experience before the group hits bigger venues.

DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan told The Pulse Of Radio the band has some surprises planned for its live show. "One of the things we talked about is maybe just changing things up in the set," he said. "Besides the obvious songs that the fans want and some of the hits that we've had, I think we want to have a couple more tracks that the fans, especially the diehard fans, have been wanting to hear and maybe we've never even played live before, or we might have only played 'em a handful of times. So we might want to be a little bit more unpredictable."

DISTURBED singer David Draiman told a Boston radio station that "Immortalized" contains the band's first-ever attempt at a love song. The vocalist, known for his dark and often pessimistic lyrics about human nature, said that a track called "You're Mine" was written for his wife Lena, adding, "It's something that I had not done, really, on any record, and it's probably DISTURBED's first attempt at, dare I say, a pseudo, kind of, love song. It's lyrically not as dark as you've come to expect from us."

Draiman said that the album's closing number, "Who Taught You How To Hate", was inspired by becoming a father, explaining, "Children playing in a playground, they don't pay attention to the color of skin, or their religion, or what part of the world they come from, or how much money they have. It's pure, it's simple, and it's unbiased and it's beautiful. And that was definitely one of the things that my son showed me, and it's definitely reflected in that song."

"Immortalized" follows 2010's gold-certified "Asylum", DISTURBED's fourth consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard album chart.

NICKELBACK has been forced to cancel all remaining dates for the 2015 "No Fixed Address" world tour due to an extended period of vocal rest ordered for singer Chad Kroeger, who recently underwent surgery on his voice box. The band states: "We are sorry to miss our fans out on the road this fall, but Chad's health, healing and full recovery are what is most important right now."

Back in June, Kroeger was diagnosed with an operable cyst on his voice box, forcing the cancelation of less than two dozen shows. The singer stated at the time: "I am definitely not thrilled with the prospect of being silent for many weeks to come when I could be out there playing for our fans. I am relying on my doctor and his team to help get my voice back in good form as quickly as possible."

NICKELBACK is expected to return to North America in 2016.

NICKELBACK's latest album, "No Fixed Address", sold around 80,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on November 17, 2014.

The 11-song set is the first through the Canadian act's new deal with Republic Records.

AUDIOTOPSY, the new band featuring guitarist Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE, HELLYEAH), drummer Matt McDonough (MUDVAYNE), vocalist Billy Keeton (SKRAPE) and bassist Perry Stern, will release its debut album, "Natural Causes", on October 2 via Napalm. The CD was produced by the AUDIOTOPSY bandmembers at The Porch Studio in Orlando, Florida with engineer Tim Laud.

The "Audiotopsy" track "The Calling" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

Said Greg: "The focus was to write solid, hooky, big riff songs. We didn't want to sound or look like every other band. It's not supposed to be regular. We're all building this vision together." Merging intricate instrumentation with a seamless knack for melody, they conjured up a style as heavy as it is hypnotic. "We got a vibe going", added Greg. You could call it 'progressive hard rock.'"

"Natural Causes" track listing:

01. Headshot02. All We Know03. LYLAB04. The Calling05. H2O (Interlude)06. Swim07. Disguise Your Devils08. Burn the Sky09. Distorted10. Darken the Rainbow11. Frozen Scars12. Natural Causes (Outro)

Regarding the CD's opening track, "Headshot", Billy said: "It's from the point of view or the eyes of, not necessarily a soldier, but anybody who's in battle and in the trenches. Metaphorically speaking, it's life through the eyes of somebody fighting a battle."

Tribbett, who was also a member of HELLYEAH until early 2014, said about his project: "I'm extremely excited about AUDIOTOPSY. The music has everything you want in a record… heavy, melodic, atmospheric, big, hooky riffs/singalongs as well. The guys in the band are great and we all feel as if this was meant to happen."

Tribbett and bassist Bob "Zilla" Kakaha were dismissed from HELLYEAH in 2013. HELLYEAH guitarist Tom Maxwell explained: "They just pretty much had a lot of other stuff going on in their life that just took the focus of the band away, and for us to continue, we had to part ways with them."

HELLYEAH and MUDVAYNE singer Chad Gray told The Pulse Of Radio that the split with his longtime bandmate and friend Tribbett was painful. "It was really, really tough, I mean, kind of watching Greg go through the things he was going through, you know, as his brother, as somebody that's worked with him for 18 years," he said. "I was watching this decline in him, you know, and it was really, really difficult."

Meanwhile, it's been six years since MUDVAYNE released its self-titled fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

The band has been silent since then, although a message was posted at its Facebook page last year saying that the group had not broken up.

"Rock 'N' Roll", the seventh studio album from California rockers BUCKCHERRY, can be streamed in its entirety via Pandora Premieres. The CD will be released on August 21 via F-Bomb Records/Caroline. On "Rock 'N' Roll", the Los Angeles quintet — Josh Todd (vocals), Keith Nelson (guitar), Stevie D. (guitar), Xavier Muriel (drums) and Kelly LeMieux (bass) — staunchly uphold the commandments of rock music with an arsenal of new anthems primed to explode on impact and teeming with riotous energy, sexy swagger, and primal chops intact. It's something that the boys have done since day one, but it's more necessary now than ever. "There's been so much talk about how rock 'n' roll is dead and all of this bullshit," says Todd. "The funny thing is, that's been going on since we put out our first record in 1999. We wanted to call the new album 'Rock 'N' Roll', because this is what we've been doing our whole lives. We focused on making a record that encompasses all of what we are. You get every flavor of BUCKCHERRY." They rev up "Rock 'N' Roll" with the propulsive first single and opener "Bring It On Back". From the jump, a robust guitar groove struts right alongside an unshakable refrain. It's got the band's signature hallmarks, but Todd pulled lyrical inspiration from a new source altogether. "When I'm not on the road, I race Go-Karts for my hobby," he says. "The song is really about racing. I had a driver named Kurt Busch in mind when I wrote the lyrics. They call him 'The Outlaw,' and he's a badass. It captures that intensity of racing and the mentality. I love it." "Bring It On Back" is an immediate reminder that rock 'n' roll is alive and thriving in 2015. BUCKCHERRY have added fuel to the genre's fire for nearly two decades now. The Grammy Award-nominated outfit is responsible for smashes including "Lit Up" off their gold-certified 1999 self-titled debut as well as "Crazy Bitch" and "Sorry" from 2006's platinum "15". Along the way, they've shared stages with everybody from AC/DC and MÖTLEY CRÜE to SLIPKNOT and ROB ZOMBIE, among others. "Rock 'N' Roll" track listing:

01. Bring It On Back02. Tight Pants03. Wish To Carry On04. The Feeling Never Dies05. Cradle06. The Madness07. Wood08. Rain's Falling09. Sex Appeal10. Get With It

Canadian metal legends ANVIL will enter a studio in Cologne, Germany in October with producer Martin "Mattes" Pfeiffer to begin recording their new album, tentatively titled "Anvil Is Anvil", for an early 2016 release. ANVIL guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow told Metal Talk about the upcoming recording sessions (see video below): "[Martin has] been working with, and still is working with, Udo Dirkschneider. He did the last couple of U.D.O. albums. We listened to them, and they sound great. He seems like a really great guy, [so] we're gonna try that. Not that we didn't like what Bob Marlette [producer of 2011's 'Juggernaut Of Justice' and 2013's 'Hope In Hell'] did. Bob Marlette is a genius — absolutely incredible — [and we] loved his work, but I think it's important for a band to change its 'underwear.' It doesn't change the person, but it changes the underwear, and it is important to change your underwear; otherwise it starts to stink. It's the same sort of concept: you can't stay the same; you need to inject something new, something fresh, something that you didn't do yet."

Bringing fans a more intimate experience, PledgeMusic offers pledgers a chance to get up close and personal with their favorite artists, access exclusive content and be a part of something that fans would not normally have access to. With every pre-order, pledgers will get the AccessPass which will give them exclusive looks at behind the scenes videos, photos and messages from the band. Fans will also have several once in a lifetime opportunities to purchase:

* In-person or Skype drum lesson with Robb Reiner* In-person or Skype guitar lesson with Lips* Guest back-up vocal appearance on the new record* One of Lips's amps* The opportunity to attend a live rehearsal* A day in the studio with the band* Signed limited edition CD with bonus tracks* Signed drum head* Exclusive Pledger T-shirt* AMPU (Anvil Metal Pounders Union) deluxe lifetime membership and signed CD* Signed set list* Signed drumsticks* Handwritten lyric sheets

To pledge, please visit www.pledgemusic.com/anvil.

Asked how the success of "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", a 2009 documentary produced by a former roadie that gave the band more notoriety and fame that it was unable to generate on its own, changed ANVIL's career, Lips told Metal Talk: "The main change is that, basically, we haven't stopped working, and we were able to give up our day jobs, and this has become it. Which is all that you can ever ask for. I mean, that's a dream — to be able to do what you love and actually make a living at it. What more could you possibly ask? What, to be a millionaire? Well, you know, I think that's asking too much; that's getting greedy, and I've never been that way. It's not really been about money as much as it's been about survival, and I think most people feel the same way about their lives. And I'm no different. It's not really about being greedy and having millions of dollars; it's just getting what you want out of life and enjoying it. That's what it's really all about."

ANVIL's latest album, "Hope In Hell", sold a little under 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The disc followed up "Juggernaut Of Justice", which opened with around 1,600 units back in May 2011. The 2009 re-release of the band's 2007 CD, "This is Thirteen", registered a first-week tally of 1,400 to enter the Top New Artist Albums chart at No. 19.

ANVIL last year parted ways with bassist Sal Italiano and replaced him with Chris Robertson. Lips told M.E.A.T.'s Drew Masters that Chris has actually been part of the ANVIL camp for some time now, having been both their rehearsal bassist as well as a member of their road crew. Lips also stated that he's glad the band is, once again, "all Canadian — that is the heart and soul of ANVIL."

SHINEDOWN's much-anticipated new album. "Threat To Survival" — the rock band's first new album in three years — arrives everywhere on September 18 via Atlantic. "Threat To Survival" follows 2012's RIAA gold-certified "Amaryllis".

The "Threat To Survival" song "Black Cadillac" can now be streamed below.

"'Threat To Survival' refers to that primal instinct in all of us that determines how we respond to crisis and conflict — the idea of 'fight or flight' and the choices we make in any given situation," explains SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith. "This album represents those deciding moments for us as a band. It's a collection of scenarios that made us who we are, and is, by far, the most autobiographical album we've created to date."

"Cut The Cord" — produced by SHINEDOWN's own Eric Bass — arrived last month and fast ascended to #1 at Active Rock radio outlets across the country. The single's immediate success continues a record-setting streak in which every one of the 19 singles released over SHINEDOWN's decade-plus career has ascended to the upper regions of the radio charts — a feat that no other rock band has achieved.

In addition, the "Cut The Cord" companion video recently had its world premiere on Billboard.com. The powerful clip — directed by the band's longtime collaborator Darren Doane ("Devour", "Sound Of Madness", "Bully") — has already earned over 1.5 million individual views and can now be viewed at SHINEDOWN's official YouTube channel.

SHINEDOWN is currently traveling the U.S. on a very special summer tour, their first major trek in more than two years. The dates see SHINEDOWN visiting theatres and other intimate venues across the country, performing a unique set that includes classic hits, deep cuts, and best of all, new songs from the upcoming "Threat To Survival". Support on most dates comes from special guests NOTHING MORE.

SHINEDOWN will then return to the road in October to headline a string of festivals: Mobile, Alabama's Bayfest (October 2), Louisville, Kentucky's Louder Than Life (October 4) and Sacramento, California's Monster Energy Aftershock (October 24). The band is already set to kick off 2016 by crossing the Atlantic for the inaugural United Kingdom version of the "Carnival Of Madness Tour", joining fellow hard rock icons BLACK STONE CHERRY, Atlantic Records labelmates HALESTORM, and newcomers HIGHLY SUSPECT for arena dates slated through mid-February. More fall touring plans in support of "Threat To Survival" will be announced soon.

"Threat To Survival" track listing:

01. Asking For It02. Cut The Cord03. State Of My Head04. Outcast05. How Did You Love?06. It All Adds Up07. Oblivion08. Dangerous09. Thick As Thieves10. Black Cadillac11. Misfits

SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith told The Pulse Of Radio what we can expect from the record. "A lot of bands and a lot of artists take the initiative to say — if they're lucky enough to get to a fifth album — 'Yeah, it's such a different record' and all these things," he said. "And you listen to it and you go, 'That's cool, it sounds exactly the same as your last records.' That's really not the case with this. It's a devastating record. It's a heartbreaking record. It's a beautiful record, but it's ferocious."

Smith said in a statement about "Cut The Cord": "In your truest moment of weakness… When everyone and everything has betrayed you, and evil and hatred has wrapped itself around your mind, body and soul… this is the song that you play. This is the statement to the world that you will not give up, you will not give in, and you refuse to fail!!! Now is your time… to 'cut the cord.'"

Finnish gothic metal/rock band ENTWINE will release its seventh album, "Chaotic Nation", on October 2. According to a press release, the follow-up to 2009's "Painstained" "presents a rejuvenated, supercharged contemporary melodic metal group with ten impeccably written scorching hot rock anthems for you to bang you head to."

ENTWINE drummer Aksu Hanttu spent much of the pause expanding his CV and honing his skills as one of the top metal producers in Finland, in preparation for the kaleidoscope of sound and tour de force of dynamics that became "Chaotic Nation".

Hanttu's sturdy drum beats and producer's hand-print shine all over the band's new outing, but none of it would've come to fruition without a bunch of killer songs. It is guitarist Tom Mikkola's renewed vision and fresh angles to song-writing that laid the brickwork for what resulted to Entwine's strongest outing to date. The icing on the cake is Mika Tauriainen's uniquely emotive voice and thoughtful lyrics, crowning a solidly played, melody-oriented work chock-full of dexterous compositions and catchy hooks.

Versatility is key on "Chaotic Nation"; the songs span a rainbow of atmospheres, from the laid-back, almost jazzy grooviness of "The Evil Lives In The Shadows" to the wonderfully cheesy 1980's keyboards in "Fortune Falls", contemporary electro influences in "Revolt For Redemption" and the one-two punch of gloriously life-affirming, uplifting anthem "As We Arise" and the super catchy single cut "Plastic World". It's all right here and it's still the good old ENTWINE we've all grown to love and appreciate; contagious pop hooks and all, just way improved.

The release of "Chaotic Nation" was preceded by the "Plastic World" single release (out in all digital platforms August 14), accompanied by a September 18 video directed by Finnish shooting star Ville Juurikkala (NIGHTWISH, RECKLESS LOVE, SANTA CRUZ).

"Chaotic Nation" track listing:

01. End Of Silence02. Saint Of Sorrow03. Fortune Falls04. Plastic World05. As We Arise06. Lost, But Still Alive07. Adrenalize08. The Evil Lives In The Shadows09. Revolt For Redemption 10. Scream

ENTWINE is:

Mika Tauriainen - vocalsTom Mikkola - guitarJaani - guitarJoni - bassAksu Hanttu - drums

Quality fan-filmed video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE's August 4 performance at Effenaar in Eindhoven, The Netherlands can be seen below.

QUEENSRŸCHE will release its new album, "Condition Hüman", on October 2 via Century Media. The CD was recorded in part at at Uberbeatz Studio in Washington with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, SOULFLY and SHADOWS FALL. Pre-Orders are available now at PledgeMusic.com.

In a recent interview with "Hard Time Radio" on KNON 89.3 FM in Dallas, Texas, QUEENSRŸCHE vocalist Todd La Torre stated about the band's follow-up to 2013's "Queensrÿche": "We're really excited about the songs. We put a lot of into it, and hopefully the fans really dig it. You never know. It's so subjective, but there's such a diversity, I think, of material that, surely, there's something for everyone — kind of like on the last record… There's some stuff that sounds like it would be from the 'Mindcrime' era, there is a couple of songs that sound like they could have been from 'Empire'. There's also some tunes that could have been from the 'Rage' and 'Warning'…"

He continued: "Honestly, I know it sounds typical or cliché to say, but I really feel that there's material on this record that spans from the first record that the band did up to 'Empire' and maybe even 'Promised Land'. There's a lot of diversity, but there's a complexity to these songs… It's a different animal to the last record. The last record was awesome and we're very proud of it. This one is a lot more involved, [with] a lot more layers. And I think, vocally speaking, I was able to do some things on this record that I didn't get to do on the last one, just because the material maybe didn't call for it, but this stuff does. There's some really dark and slow and haunting, creepy stuff on here. There's just a lot of… I don't know… It's hard to compare it to anything. So that's why I think that the best thing I can say is I think that there's something for everyone on this album; I really believe that… The drumming on this is so good, the bass… the rhythm section, the bass playing of Eddie [Jackson] locks in with Scottie's [Rockenfield] kick drum. I mean, the guitar work that Parker [Lundgren] and Michael [Wilton] did really shines. And a lot of great harmony guitar work that was so evident in the QUEENSRŸCHE sound is very vibrant on this record in certain places. Everything was microscoped to every single, tiny little detail that… no expense was spared. We didn't wanna overdo everything."

"Queensrÿche" sold around 13,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart.

W.A.S.P.'s fifteenth studio album, titled "Golgotha", will be released on October 2 via Austria's Napalm Records.

The "Golgotha" song "Last Runaway" can now be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

"Forty years ago I came to Hollywood as a teenager," W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless told Ultimate Classic Rock. "Terrified and scared out of my mind, I had no idea what waited there for me. The song 'Last Runaway' is an intensely personal account of what happened to me, not only then but over the years and the success that followed after. Be it a kid looking for success in the music business or any life-challenging endeavor that someone would 'run away' from in life, I'm certain that everyone can relate to this story one way or another. It's another kid 'chasing the dream' and trying to survive it in the process. We've all been there."

"Golgotha" track listing:

01. Scream02. Last Runaway03. Shotgun04. Miss You05. Fallen Under06. Slaves Of The New World Order07. Eyes Of My Maker08. Hero Of The World09. Golgotha

Commented Lawless: "One of the first tracks we recorded was 'Miss You'. It's interesting because, ironically, it was the first song ever written for [1992's] 'The Crimson Idol' [album]. There were three songs that were originally supposed to be on the 'Idol' [CD] but never made it and 'Miss You' was one of them. When you see the lyrics, you'll understand that Jonathan is clearly talking to his brother Michael, as he kneels at his graveside."

At the 2014 edition of the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden, Lawless stated about the lyrical inspiration for the upcoming CD: "'Golgotha' is Hebrew for place of the skull, and it's the hill where Christ was crucified. And it's interesting, when you see a lot of bands going around using Satanic images or images of death and things like that, and I'm thinking, all they need to do is look at the source, 'cause it's right there. I mean, if you want death, there's enough to go around there."

Regarding the musical direction of W.A.S.P.'s new material, Lawless said: "It sounds probably more similar to the last two that we've done [2007's 'Dominator' and 2009's 'Babylon']."

Drummer Mike Dupke recently left W.A.S.P. after a nine-year stint with the band. He has since been replaced on the road by YNGWIE MALMSTEEN drummer Patrick Johansson.

On July 17, Kristyn Clarke of PopCultureMadness.com conducted an interview with HELLYEAH guitarist Tom Maxwell at the Camden, New Jersey stop of this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about the future of U.S. festivals like Mayhem, Maxwell said: "I think the traveling festival is probably gonna die — unless some new bands emerge or something like that start… unless they start branching out. I think they're gonna just die because you can't compete with… You have all your radio stations coming up now, popping up, and they're putting on their festivals, in their town, and it's all over. And they call it, what is it? 'Loudest Month.' And it can continue on, with more stations that get behind doing that kind of thing. Which I think is cooler anyway, because the radio stations get fully behind it, they're pumping it non-stope; it's like feeding water to the masses. They're just soaking it in, and they're there. Every radio festival that I've ever been to has been fucking cool — even in the States. They're picking up exactly what they're doing in Europe. Now, in Europe, those festivals are part of culture now, and that's what needs to happen here."

He continued: "In today's climate, whether it's money or the lack of interest from the public in music… 'Cause there might be something else in the next month that you're saving up for. I think that that's the way it's gonna go. I think the traveling summer tours are a gamble, man. The promoters, they're putting a lot out on the line, and there's a lot of competition. And, like I said, you can't have the same bands coming back every year, every other year. It's just, like, 'Oh, really? Pizza again?' You know what I mean? It's just stale. It's the same bands."

"I was expecting this year to have SLIPKNOT again, or something. I know it's always AVENGED SEVENFOLD or SLIPKNOT and FIVE FINGER [DEATH PUNCH] and, you know… Who else is out there? It's just very little bands that are available, unless you wanna just keep feeding them. And then [the bands] get to the point of, like, 'Fuck this! I'll just do it myself.' That's what Ozzy [Osbourne] did [with Ozzfest]."

Maxwell added: "I think it's got a bleak future — the traveling tours. Even when you're not on a good tour like this, you really need a strong package nowadays. It's, like, we refuse tours left and right, and with bands that have buzz, because we want a fresh look. You know what I mean? We need bands that are gonna make the show exciting and not be, you know, just, like, stale…

"We tried so hard in the past two years to turn this steamboat around, from the stigma that's been with it, with the 'southern-party-metal' thing that I worked my ass off to kill with our new record [2014's 'Blood For Blood'] — and we all did; me, Chad [Gray, vocals] and Vinnie [Paul Abbott, drums], all three of us, just went into the studio and just crushed it with this record. And this is the path we want. And we wanna stay clear from anything that we were lumped in before, but we're also open to new ideas, and getting other bands that might not seem to be in the same genre. I mean, it's cool to branch out a little bit and [reach] a wider audience."

Maxwell's comments echo those made by HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who recently told Australia's Music Business Facts: "If you look at the bands that are headlining all these festivals these days, there's no new bands — it's always METALLICA, it's always AEROSMITH, it's always JUDAS PRIEST, VAN HALEN, KISS… It's all these bands that have been around for forty years. The only band I can think of that's come along in the last ten or fifteen years that can headline festivals is LINKIN PARK, and that's really about it. Maybe SLIPKNOT [as well]. There really hasn't been the kind of artist development that there used to be. [When some of these older bands start retiring and they can't play anymore], it's gonna be a shock to the concert system, man. Live Nation and AEG and all these people are gonna have to figure out a way to turn some of these other bands into headliners. Either that or the festivals are gonna go away, you know, because every year, if you look at [the festival headlining acts], it's one of those bands that's been around forever."

Frontiers Music Srl will release the tenth studio album from British rockers PRAYING MANTIS, titled "Legacy", on August 21.

The "Legacy" song "Tokyo" can be streamed below.

The early reactions to the new songs have been outstanding and there is a real buzz beginning to emerge that this could arguably be the best album that MANTIS have ever made! Bold words to be sure, but this is more than mere record label hyperbole...

"Legacy" is the first recording to feature the two new members from the Netherlands, John "Jaycee" Cuijpers and Hans in't Zandt (vocals and drums respectively), who have truly provided a new dimension to the writing process and musical performances. Together with the prolific songwriting talents of Chris Troy and guitarists Tino Troy and Andy Burgess, they have been instrumental not only in the writing of the new songs, but in providing a new vision in terms of the sound engineering and production. The recording of the album was carried out in various recording studios in Belgium, Netherlands and U.K.

As per the previous record, "Sanctuary", the mixing of the new album was done by Andrew Reilly in his studio in Atlanta. The first single, "Fight For Your Honour", will be accompanied by a video shot while the band performed the song for the first time at their acclaimed performance at the Frontiers Rock Festival II in Milan, Italy.

One of the most influential and famous artists in the rock field, Rodney Matthews (MAGNUM, DIAMOND HEAD, ALLEN/LANDE), has been commissioned to do the artwork for the album in the same style and stunning quality that so many fans loved on the original MANTIS albums like "Time Tells No Lies" and the later album "Predator In Disguise".

PRAYING MANTIS are a well-established band of melodic hard rockers. They were formed by brothers Tino and Chris Troy in 1973 and together with bands like IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, SAXON, and others they spearheaded the NWOBHM movement. While they did not see the same dizzying heights of success as some of their contemporaries, PRAYING MANTIS nonetheless became one of the most influential bands of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). The band has remained active over the years and still record and play live regularly.

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for the album is available below.

"Legacy" track listing:

01. Fight For Your Honour02. The One03. Believable04. Tokyo05. Better Man06. All I See07. Eyes Of A Child08. The Runner09. Against The World10. Fallen Angel11. Second Time Around

PRAYING MANTIS is:

Tino Troy - GuitarChris Troy - BassJohn Cuijpers - VocalsAndy Burgess - GuitarHans in't Zandt - Drums

"This Goes Out To You", the new video from Grammy-nominated SoCal hard rockers P.O.D., can be seen below. The track is taken from P.O.D.'s ninth studio album, "The Awakening", which will be released on August 21 via T-Boy/UMC. The evocative album, produced by the band's longtime collaborator and friend Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, KELLY CLARKSON), features 10 tracks and special guests Maria Brink from IN THIS MOMENT and Lou Koller from SICK OF IT ALL. Directed by San Diego-based filmmaker Gavin Filipiak, the video for "This Goes Out To You" was shot on location and is a tribute to P.O.D.'s hometown community and San Diego culture featuring "Cholo Goth" duo Prayers, Roller Derby darlings San Diego Derby Dolls, dancers Hob.e, Prime Tyme Ron Myles and Jason Sensation, as well as vintage cars from various local clubs organized by Tribal Streetwear.

Long known for carrying the hard rock torch with a positive message, P.O.D. are looking forward to sharing "The Awakening" with fans around the world. The album travels on a journey based on the good and bad choices of a central character, exploring the consequences of his decisions.

"'The Awakening' is meant to be listened to in its entirety," says P.O.D. singer and lyricist Sonny Sandoval. "Every song ultimately explores a character dealing with life, making mistakes, fighting, trying. But we also live in a singles-type world, and it works on that level, too."

Sonically, each track benefitted from the band's years of studio and stage experience. "I used to want to put as many tracks of guitar on the record as I could, because I thought that's what you did," says guitarist Marcos Curiel. "But as I've gotten older, I've realized that the more space you're letting in with all the instruments, everything breathes and has an energy and a vibe."

"'The Awakening' is definitely an evolution from where we've come from," says bassist Traa Daniels. "It's this amazing piece of art that we've been able to put together as four guys who are like brothers; this is really special."

"I feel this is like a pivotal moment for P.O.D.," says drummer Wuv Bernardo. "It's more than just, 'Man, we just went in the studio and did a record…' The urgency of our band, as far as how serious we are putting this kind of material in there and the way that we did it, blows my mind. I am proud of these guys, of us."

P.O.D. is Sonny Sandoval (vocals), Marcos Curiel (guitar), Traa Daniels (bass) and Wuv Bernardo (drums).

"The Awakening" track listing:

01. Am I Awake02. This Goes Out To You03. Rise of NWO04. Criminal Conversations (feat. Maria Brink)05. Somebody's Trying to Kill Me06. Get Down07. Speed Demon08. Want It All09. Revolución (feat. Lou Koller)10. The Awakening

Fan-filmed video footage of MÖTLEY CRÜE's July 31 performance at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado can be seen below.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Final Tour", which kicked off last year, will end New Year's Eve at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after one more round of North American gigs.

Speaking to The Billings Outpost, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx admitted that he and his bandmates are going into their final run of shows with a renewed appreciation for each other.

"This is just probably a bad analogy, but if you've been in love with somebody for over 30 years, there are days when you may take them for granted, days when they may get on your nerves," Sixx said. "There are days when you're, like, 'I don't know if I love them as much as I used to love them.' Then you find out they're going to die. And, all of a sudden, all of the little things about them become so important, and all the laughter and all that seems to get louder and you start to remember things in a positive way. I think that's how it is for me and the guys. We're, like, 'Wow, this is real… It's getting fucking real."

While announcing the first details of "The Final Tour" at a Los Angeles press conference in January 2014, the four members of MÖTLEY CRÜE revealed that they took the unusual step of having their lawyer draw up a formal "cessation of touring" agreement that goes into effect at the end of 2015 and prohibits the members of the group from going on the road again under the MÖTLEY CRÜE banner.

According to Sixx, he hasn't had any second thoughts about ending MÖTLEY CRÜE. "No, absolutely not, not one second thought, never," he said. "This is on MÖTLEY CRÜE's terms. We decided to go out the way we came in, and we're not really interested in any other version of it. There are all kinds of stuff that are around here and there. I don't know, maybe we'll make some music. Maybe we won't. But right now, as far as that specific question, no to us ever getting back together and touring."

Myles Kennedy (SLASH, ALTER BRIDGE) has completed recording his long-awaited solo album with Brian Sperber (ALTER BRIDGE) at Tiny Pocket Studio in Yorktown Heights, upstate New York. The CD's release date, title and artwork have yet to be revealed.

In a 2012 interview with Metalshrine, Myles said that his upcoming solo effort would feature guest appearances by "a lot of friends," including Slash, who "was kind enough to offer his guitar prowess on a track which turned out really cool."

Regarding how the musical direction of his solo album compares to that of ALTER BRIDGE and Slash, Myles said: "People who have heard it say it's closer to my previous band back in the late '90s, THE MAYFIELD FOUR. It kinda has that vibe to it. It's definitely different from both SLASH AND THE CONSPIRATORS and ALTER BRIDGE stuff." He described the CD to Music Radar as "probably a little more singer-songwriter oriented than what people have heard from me before. There's piano on it, and it's a little more intimate sounding."

Slash told Rocksverige.se that he was blown away with Kennedy the first time he ever heard his voice, saying, "I had never met him before, I had just heard about him. I didn't even know what he sang like. I asked him to sing a song on my (first) solo record with all the different singers, and he was fucking great. Then we met, he came to L.A. and we recorded the studio version of 'Starlight'."

Slash added, "I just really liked him, he's very laid back and cool. At that point I asked him if he wanted to do a tour with me to support that album. I guess it was obvious to me somehow that he could sing the bulk of the material from that solo record and it was just a gut feeling he could sing all the GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER and SNAKEPIT stuff."

Slash told The Pulse Of Radio that his singer is one of the most dedicated musicians he's ever worked with: "You know, Myles is pretty interesting. I mean, he sings great, he's a great lyricist, all he does is work, he loves to tour. He works constantly, but when he's not working onstage, he's working in his room, writing stuff and, you know, in the studio he's always there. So he's sort of odd. [laughs]"

"Start To Break", a brand new song from reactivated Southern California metallers ATREYU, can be streamed at AltPress.com. The track is taken from the band's comeback album, "Long Live" , which will be released on September 18 through the Search And Destroy imprint as part of the newly announced joint venture between Raw Power Management and Spinefarm.

Of the song, ATREYU frontman Alex Varkatzas said: "Life can get to you. This world is so fast-paced, and in trying to keep up with it, we lose part of ourselves. This song is about fighting through those negative emotions and embracing the challenge."

ATREYU will hit the road this fall on a headline tour in support of "Long Live". The band has played a handful of packed shows since reforming in late 2014. This is the first full ATREYU run in several years, which means fans are in for a real mosh-worthy treat. BEARTOOTH will provide main support on select dates of the tour.

Pre-orders for "Long Live" include a variety of lifestyle items, many of which reflect the interests of the band members themselves. These items include a bike, a surfboard, a skate deck, a Dan Jacobs guitar, a studio-used drumhead, canvas prints, and muay thai gloves.

The "Long Live" clip was directed by ATREYU bassist Porter McKnight.

"Long Live" track listing:

01. Long Live02. Live To Labor03. I Would Kill/Lie/Die (For You)04. Cut Off The Head05. A Bitter Broken Memory06. Do You Know Who You Are07. Revival (Interlude)08. Heartbeats And Flatlines09. Brass Balls10. Moments Before Dawn11. Start To Break12. Reckless

Jason Rockman, SLAVES ON DOPE singer and on-air announcer on the Montreal, Quebec, Canada radio station CHOM 97 7, conducted an interview with drummer Mike Cox and bassist Nadja Peulen of COAL CHAMBER, the reformed '90s alt-metal band fronted by current DEVILDRIVER singer Dez Fafara, at this past weekend's Heavy Montreal festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about COAL CHAMBER's improved live performance compared to how it was nearly twenty years ago, Cox said: "I think just maturity has happened over the years. We've all gotten better, I think, musically. And we've been playing these songs for so goddamn long, we'd better play them right. I think we all take it a little more seriously. Back then, we were just young and dumb and having fun. And sometimes, with excess partying and stuff back in the day, I'm sure the shows weren't as good as [they could have been]. We always try to do the live show; that's the only reason why we play — for the live show. And I think everything's just tighter now."

Cox also talked about the making of COAL CHAMBER's comeback album, "Rivals, which was released on May 19 North America via Napalm. he said: "I hate making records. [it's] a lot of pressure. And they put us in the middle of nowhere in Florida, in a cabin, and there's literally nothing to do except play. I think, doing a record, you find out how good you are, 'cause they make you play perfect. And I hate having to do stuff over and over and over. But, all in all, it was good. I was glad when it was done. It came out better than, I think, any of us thought it would. It sounds nasty; it's heavy. It was good. I think we all needed to get it out of system, for sure, after so many years."

"Rivals was recorded in part at Audiohammer studio in Sanford, Florida with producer Mark Lewis (DEVILDRIVER, CANNIBAL CORPSE).

Interview:


Performance footage:

Despite the fact that Sebastian Bach often hears how much fans miss him in SKID ROW, the singer, who was unceremoniously fired from the band in 1996 and has since carved a solo career, says that he is happy with where he is right now and has no desire to turn back the clock.

"I don't [miss those days at all]," Bach told Jane Gazzo of Australia's Triple M station (hear audio below). "You're talking about 1989. I don't walk around in 2015 missing 1989. I don't know anybody that does. It's, like, 'Oh, I miss those days?' Like, how corny is that? No, I don't. I just did a seven-week tour in America, and I don't associate those [SKID ROW] songs with '89 anymore, I associate 'em with the last seven weeks. I play them every night. That's my job. I'm a saloon singer, like Frank Sinatra."

Bach does, however, plan on revisiting some of the events from his SKID ROW days in his upcoming autobiography, "18 And Life On Skid Row", which is tentatively due in January 2016 via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

"When you talk about old memories and stuff, the time where I do think of those things is where I'm writing my book," he said. "I write about a lot of those things that you're asking me about. I have to sit down and remember things; it's not like on a tip of my brain. And, yeah, we did a lot of crazy shit back then — definitely, without a doubt. We weren't the only ones, though."

In an October 2014 interview with Psycho Babble TV, Bach stated about his upcoming autobiography: "My first impulse was not to have a typical book of, like, starting at your childhood, going through, and then you rise and then you fall and then you come back… that whole typical storyline. When I read Neil Young's book, 'Waging Heavy Peace', I'm a big Neil Young fan, and his book's not linear, it's not, like, 'Here's me as a kid, here's…' I just found it interesting. I like to be surprised. I don't like to be bored. Being bored is boring. But, having said that, when I read Paul Stanley's book, the story of how he was not famous, or KISS was not famous, and then they became KISS, and what that is like, to go from being a normal person and then being a rock star, that is fascinating to read by anybody, and I have that story. So, even thought I might not personally find that totally interesting to me, to the reader, to read about, okay, I was, like, a teenager and then a millionaire on television and touring the world, that's a fascinating story. So I wanna tell those details."

Bach talked in more detail about the writing process for his autobiography in a 2013 interview with Metalshrine. He said: "When I first got the [book] deal [with HarperCollins], they wanted me to use a co-writer and I thought that was bullshit, but at the same time, I had proved to them that I was capable of writing a book, so they said, 'OK, we'll give you a chance.' I wrote, like, 25 pages and they loved it. They loved my writing and they said, 'Yeah, Sebastian, you can write it all on your own!' That was extremely important to me and like a milestone. I said, 'I can? Wow!' It meant a lot to me, so I'm taking it very seriously and I don't plan on writing just one book over the course of my life. I'd like to write more than one. I love Henry Rollins' books! His books are amazing, like 'Black Coffee Blues' and 'Get In The Van'. He's just a great writer and I love the way he writes. I used to write on my web site all the time and now I'm just kinda taking it off the Internet and putting it into the pages of the book. That's what I'm trying to do."

Interview (audio):

The late, brilliant bass pioneer Jaco Pastorius changed the instrument forever with fluid passages that leaped out of the rhythm section. The visionary player, arranger, composer and producer was celebrated last night (Wednesday, August 12) at the Hollywood Bowl by a range of artists with music from the iconic "Word Of Mouth" album reimagined by Grammy-winning arranger Vince Mendoza and clips from the new "Jaco" documentary, produced by METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo.

Fan-filmed video footage of Trujillo performing at last night's event can be seen below.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Trujillo is spearheading a series of events to promote "Jaco". The film is now set for release on November 27 through on-demand and streaming services, with the soundtrack scheduled to arrive on the same day.

Before that, however, "Jaco" will be screened at several special events, including a showing this Friday (August 14) in Santa Ana, California with Trujillo and director Paul Marchand in attendance for a question-and-answer session. Limited theatrical screenings will also begin on August 17 in Los Angeles, with more screenings coming through October in Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta, Portland, and other cities.

Trujillo has been working on the film for five years and told The Pulse Of Radio that finding the right balance of material was the biggest challenge. "There's just so much in his life, so many different angles to it, and everybody has a story," he said. "A lot of them are funny, some of them are sad, and I guess the biggest challenge is trying to get the balance right. Because it is a tragic story, but there's obviously a lot of positives, and Jaco did have a sense of humor, so it's really a very wide scenario."

Trujillo launched a PledgeMusic campaign earlier this year to raise funds for the film's completion, with incentives for contributors including bass lessons, signed Blu-rays or DVDs of the film and other personalized mementos.

Trujillo told LA Weekly that "Jaco" has already cost him a lot of money out of his own pocket. He revealed: "When you are trying to do it right, it's costly. I've been a part of this film for five years. I've spent a huge chunk of money. It's great because I feel it needs to be done, but I have [other] responsibilities, too." Trujillo explained that just because he is a member of METALLICA, that doesn't give him access to unlimited funds, saying, "People don't understand. I didn't write [METALLICA's huge hit] 'Enter Sandman'. It's a little different for me."

The film will include interviews with Jaco's friends and fellow music legends, including Flea, Geddy Lee, Carlos Santana, Sting, Bootsy Collins and many more.

Pastorius was a pioneer who influenced the sound of modern jazz and rock by redefining the sound and the role of the electric bass guitar.

British progressive metal heroes Threshold have revealed the first details for their upcoming new double live album, European Journey. It was recorded at various venues across Europe during November 2014, in support of their current studio album For The Journey. European Journey contains 15 live tracks and will be released as a 2CD digipak, out November 13th.  
 
Keyboard player Richard West comments: "We had a fantastic tour playing so many fan favorites going back to '97 with “Part Of The Chaos” through “Mission Profile”, “Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams” to the present day with “The Box”. We recorded some shows along the way and it's turned into this really powerful double album.”
 
"Threshold continue to enjoy fantastic support from our loyal fans. The band have always enjoyed mixing with the people who listen to our music and this tour was no exception”, adds Karl Groom.

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

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

 
Pre-order European Journey here.

Canuck hard rock quartet Old James has just released the video for new single, "Kill Off the Rose", which is a companion piece to their current Indiegogo campaign.

The campaign is running in order to fund the band's upcoming full length album Speak Volumes, which is due to be recorded later this year in Los Angeles.  The perks included in the campaign include lessons from guitarist, Andy Thompson, a Dean guitar, lessons from drummer Chris Stephenson and a personally written song, amongst others.
 
The band, who have electrified audiences across North America on runs with the likes of Uli Jon Roth / Vinnie Moore (on the XG Guitar Tour) and Girlschool / Crucified Barbara, are primed and ready to take things to the next level and Speak Volumes will be the springboard for that target. Drummer Chris Stephenson says, "We've been working extremely hard this summer, writing and demoing songs which we're very proud of. We're not only beyond excited to be recording Speak Volumes in Los Angeles, but also to see the positive outcome all of this hard work and dedication will be. Working with the right producer will be key."

Baltimore dark rockers, Precious Child, have released the official video for the single "I Fall”, featuring America's Next Top Model Cycle 20 actress Nina Burns.

“This is one of the most intense things I’ve ever done. I had no idea that a video shoot would be so involved. When we were initially discussing it, I was pretty unsure about how well the video would turn out. Despite this being his first video project, Precious proved that he has a clear and strong vision and it was wonderful to see our initial storyboard come to life. When I first saw the video, I surprised myself and cried. I myself have dealt with my share of darkness and understood the message of the video quite well." - Precious Child

Precious Child is currently performing concerts on the east coast, touring September 2015, and will be touring the West Coast in the Winter of 2015.

 

Fuzzorama Records recently announced the release of Living Ghosts, the brand new album from Canadian psychedelic fuzz rockers We Hunt Buffalo. The album tracklisting can now be seen below.
 
Formed in the suburbs of Vancouver in 2010, with their debut EP the trio introduced the underground to a new band that in the words of Georgia Straight were, "dedicated to tracking down and capturing a dying breed of rock and roll.”
 
In hardly no time at all the band went on to generate a local buzz around the city’s rock scene where they soon crossed paths with Tanis Gibbons, apprentice to Colin Steward at local recording studio The Hive. Cutting their first full-length with Gibbons in 2011 – the self-titled We Hunt Buffalo – the album packed hard hitting, fuzz rock grooves and psychedelic metal in the spirit of Queens Of The Stone Age and Soundgarden. Fuelled by local acclaim, the band continued to play dirty rock and roll in and around Vancouver to a mounting fan base and in 2013 went on to release the EP Blood From A Stone, recorded at Nimbus School of Recording Arts by Alex 'Condor' Aligizakis.
 
Throughout 2013 the band toured and performed with the likes of Sleepy Sun, Band of Skulls and Biblical and was added as main support to Monster Truck on their cross Canada tour later that same year. Fast-forward to today and the band has racked up notable support slots with Red Fang, Cancer Bats, Chevelle, Danko Jones, Electric Six and Steel Panther, along with an unforgettable appearance at Victoria's Rifflandia Festival.

Tracklisting:

“Ragnarök”
“Back to the River”
“Prairie Oyster”
“Hold On”
“Comatose”
“Fear”
“The Barrens”
“Looking Glass”
“Walk Again”
 
Recorded by Jesse Gander (Bison, Japandroids, Anciients) at Raincity Recorders Living Ghosts will get an official release on Swedish record label Fuzzorama on September 25th. Listen to the new track “Back To The River”, below:

We Hunt Buffalo are:
 
Ryan Forsythe – Vocals/Guitar
Brendan Simpson – Bass/Vocals
Brandon Carter – Drums/Vocals

The UK’s spiritually irreverent death metal export Abhorrent Decimation have just revealed the title, track list and release date for the album, Miasmic Mutation.

Mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström (Aeon, Apostasy, Bodyfarm, Krow), Miasmic Mutation is the band’s debut album and will be released in various formats worldwide on September 25.

Abhorrent Decimation vocalist Ashley Scott shares the following about the announcement, “It's been such a long time coming, I am truly honored to finally be here at this milestone, announcing Miasmic Mutation to you all. The real joy will come when we can let you hear it and we can get out there and gig it! 1000's of hours of work and love have gone into this release. The material pushed us into a darker and heavier sounding place and I know this record will live up to and supersede all expectations. The combination of stellar engineering and recording by David Archer and the final expert mix and master from Ronnie Björnström has delivered such incredible results, I am so proud of what we have achieved."

Miasmic Mutation tracklisting:

“Glaciate The Servants”
“The Icon Of Loss”
“Eternal Repusion”
“Souls Of Sedation”
“…For The Desperately Lost”
“Miasmic Mutation”
“Echoes Of The Vortex”
“Terminal Reality”
“Odious”

Abhorrent Decimation will tour through the UK in October in support of Miasmic Mutation, dates to follow.

Chicago's District 97 have released a video for “Snow Country”, a track  from their third studio full-length, In Vaults, out now via Laser’s Edge.

Their third album for Laser's Edge, In Vaults boasts more than an hour of District 97's unique brew of prog rock, metal, alternative, classical, pop and jazz influences with nine brand new tracks. The album was recorded at IV Lab Studios in Chicago, engineered by Chris Harden with additional engineering by Shane Hendrickson, mixed by Rich Mouser and Jeff Fox at The Mouse House Studio and mastered by Bob Katz at Digital Domain, and features brilliant cover art designed by Björn Gooßes.

In Vaults tracklisting:

“Snow Country”
“Death By A Thousand Cuts”
“Handlebars”
“A Lottery”
“All’s Well That Ends Well”
“Takeover”
“On Paper”
“Learn From Danny”
“Blinding Vision”

“Takeover”:

Trailer: