Rock Bottom conducted an interview with former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno earlier this month in Argentina. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how he is doing with his health:

"I'm waiting for [knee] operations. But instead of sitting at home, I thought I might as well come and play still. As long as the fans don't care about me sitting down. I'll sit down and sing. Fuck it. They come to hear my voice, not to see me. We just played Wacken [Open Air festival]. [We] headlined the Friday night, [and] went down fantastic, sitting down. [We played] the Rock Hard [Festival], sitting down. The Brazil tour, sitting down. I can't do anything about it until the operation is next year… I don't have a choice. I have to sit down. I have no balance. My knees are both destroyed. I'm in a lot of pain, but fuck it. I'm no pussy, man. I spoke to Dave Grohl, and Dave Grohl, he broke his leg on stage, and he still keeps playing. So I can do the same. [It's] no big deal."

On his singing style in the IRON MAIDEN days:

"[When I was in] IRON MAIDEN, I was a young boy; I didn't know how to sing. I had no voice."

On how his voice has developed over the years:

"[I smoked] cigarettes, [drank] Jack Daniel's and [took] cocaine. I don't fuck around. I hate pussies who say, 'Oh, you have to have voice lessons.' Sorry, Bruce. But, you know, it's, like, bullshit. If you can't sing, don't sing. For maybe opera, you become trained. But for heavy metal and rock and roll, to be trained by a teacher? Fuck off."

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN before being replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ, the new band featuring Di'Anno alongside members of Paul's longtime German touring backing group THE PHANTOMZ, released its debut album, "The League Of Shadows", in North America on July 24 via Metalville Records.

The official lyric video for Chris Cornell's new single, called "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart", can be seen below. The clip was directed by Josh Graham and beautifully reflects the essence of the song.

"Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" is the first track to be released from the SOUNDGARDEN singer's new solo album, "Higher Truth", which is set for release on September 18 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). The song opens with acoustic guitar and is said to be a far cry from the material that Cornell recorded on his last solo album, 2009's Timbaland-produced "Scream".

Starting today fans can pre-order the deluxe version of the highly anticipated album, which contains four bonus tracks. Produced by Brendan O'Brien (BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, PEARL JAM, NEIL YOUNG), "Higher Truth" showcases Cornell's constant evolution as a master songwriter, lyricist and musical craftsman — telling human stories, which transcend musical genres. Inspired by the stark arrangements of musicians like Nick Drake, Daniel Johnston and "White Album"-era THE BEATLES, Cornell creates a musical universe unlike anything he has done before. Fans who preorder the album on iTunes will receive "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" as an instant download.

"Higher Truth" track listing: 01. Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart02. Dead Wishes03. Worried Moon04. Before We Disappear05. Through The Window06. Josephine07. Murderer Of Blue Skies08. Higher Truth09. Let Your Eyes Wander10. Only These Words11. Circling12. Our Time In The Universe Bonus tracks: 13. Bend In The Road14. Wrong Side15. Misery Chain16. Our Time In The Universe (Remix)

Cornell will embark on a solo acoustic tour of North America this fall, starting on September 20 in Los Angeles and winding down on November 2 in Austin, Texas.

While he plans to play songs from his entire career, including material from SOUNDGARDEN, TEMPLE OF THE DOG, AUDIOSLAVE and his other solo efforts. he told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that some tunes don't work in an acoustic setting. "There's certainly many, many songs that just don't really translate to an acoustic performance at all," he said. "One of the funny things is that the initial 'Spoonman' demo I did at home with an acoustic guitar, and yet it just doesn't really work as an acoustic song."

According to RollingStone.com, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, the supergroup featuring Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry, will play its first live shows in September. Rounding out the band's lineup will be former GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum.

The first HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES concerts will take place at the The Roxy in West Hollywood, California on September 16 and September 17. Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday via Ticketfly. HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES will also play in Brazil on September 24 as part of the Rock In Rio festival.

The HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES debut album will be released on September 11. The self-titled set, which was produced by Bob Ezrin, features appearances by Paul McCartney, Brian Johnson, Joe Walsh, Zak Starkey, Perry Farrell, Dave Grohl, Slash, Robbie Krieger, and Kip Winger, among others. All artist proceeds will be donated to MusiCares.

The project is a salute to Cooper's hard partying L.A. crew in 1973/1974, which included Keith Moon, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, and Micky Dolenz, among others. A plank of wood featuring the legendary musicians’ signature is immortalized at Hollywood's Rainbow Bar & Grill in the club's upper level, known as "Over The Rainbow."

In addition to new material, classics covered by the band includes THE WHO's "My Generation", BADFINGER's "Come And Get It", LED ZEPPELIN's "Whole Lotta Love", a medley of THE DOORS' "Five To One/Break On Through", John Lennon's "Cold Turkey", T. REX's "Jeepster", THE SMALL FACES' "Itchycoo Park" and Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression", among others.

Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote the album's liner notes and stated: "I'm not here to defend their vices. Over-indulgence of any sort does not ultimately constitute for a healthy mind and body. And while on the periphery of those involved, wives may have come and gone, career choices may have been deemed dubious, and heartbreak in some cases stalked a dark corridor, but in the lair of the Hollywood Vampires only joy and laughter reigned."

He went on to say: "I’m not completely sure what constituted bad behavior back then, but in this lair it existed in a bubble, a hermetically sealed dome of fun. It may not have been the round table at the Algonquin, but these were witty, intelligent guys who often got raucous and loud, but rest assured there were no bystanders or animals hurt in the making of the Hollywood Vampires."

Frontiers Music Srl will release "Beth Out Of Hell", the new album from the Swedish symphonic metal band THE MURDER OF MY SWEET, on August 21.

The official video for the "Beth Out Of Hell" song "The Awakening" can be seen below.

"Beth Out of Hell" is an apocalyptic love story where Lucifer's Daughter falls in love with the Archangel Michael," says THE MURDER OF MY SWEET singer Angelica Rylin. "The story in the new album basically takes off right where we left you with the last three songs of 'Bye Bye Lullabye'."

Adds THE MURDER OF MY SWEET drummer and producer Daniel Flores: "It took us three years to record this album, and the reason for that is that we wanted to give the fans an album they truly deserve. We made a conscious effort to keep all the songs very interesting and diverse, much like in a film or a musical."

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET released its debut album, "Divanity", in 2009 and received swift praise from media around the world. Much of the positive response was directed at the heavy orchestrations and Angelica Rylin's strong, soaring vocals. The CD's first single, "Bleed Me Dry", reached a peak position of No. 14 on the Swedish international singles chart. In the summer of both 2010 and 2011, the band toured in Sweden, France and Germany and played at festivals like Sweden Rock, Rock Weekend, Baltic Festival, Raismes Fest and Wacken Open Air. The darker Nordic months were spent in the studio where Flores and Rylin worked on the follow-up album, "Bye, Bye Lullaby", which was released in 2012.

Now THE MURDER OF MY SWEET is back with its most ambitious and exciting album to date. The CD is definitely darker and heavier compared to their previous two records, but still features the trademark over-the-top symphonic arrangements, cinematic elements and riffs the band is known for. This release also marks the debut of the band's new bass player, Patrik Janson (PLATITUDE).

"Beth Out of Hell" track listing:

01. Hell On Earth02. The Awakening03. World In Ashes04. Always The Fugitive05. Bitter Love06. Still07. Humble Servant08. Requiem For A Ghost09. Euthanasia10. Tide After Tide11. Poets By Default12. Heaven Succumb13. Means To An End

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for "Beth Out of Hell" is available below.

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET is:

Angelica Rylin: lead and background vocals Daniel Flores: drums, keyboards, vocalsChristopher Vetter: guitarPatrik Janson: bass

"Footsteps", the new video from Michigan-based rockers POP EVIL, can be seen below. The clip was directed by POP EVIL's longtime collaborator Johan Carlén who has helmed the last handful of visually stunning music videos the band has released, including "Trenches", "Deal With The Devil" and "Torn To Pieces".

"We challenged ourselves to come up with something different for the viewer," says POP EVIL vocalist Leigh Kakaty. "Johan brought our vision to a whole new light, as it's reflected through this amazing piece of art."

"Footsteps" is taken from POP EVIL's new album, titled "Up", which will be released on August 21 via eOne Music. Recorded at Studio Litho, Robert Lang Studios and London Bridge Studios with producer Adam Kasper (PEARL JAM, SOUNDGARDEN, FOO FIGHTERS), the CD is "the sound of a rock band cementing a powerful identity that's steadily materialized over the course of three prior full-length slabs," according to a press release.

"Up" track listing:

01. Footsteps02. Core03. In Disarray04. Take It All05. Ghost Of Muskegon06. If Only For Now07. ...08. Ways to Get High09. Lux10. Vendetta11. Dead In The Water12. Seattle Rain13. Til Kingdom Come

"Up" is the highly anticipated follow-up to POP EVIL's previous LP, "Onyx", which was released in 2013. "Onyx" produced four Top 10 singles on the Active Rock chart, with three of them reaching Number One: "Trenches", "Deal With The Devil" and "Torn To Pieces".

Since "Onyx" was released, POP EVIL has played over 250 shows. Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival alongside GODSMACK, supporting STONE SOUR in the U.S. and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in Europe were just some of the highlights from last year. The band also made headlines with their memorable Rock On The Range festival performance in Columbus, Ohio. Not only did they perform "Trenches" with Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame member Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, but the band brought 13 marines on stage showcasing the Lima Company Eyes of Freedom Memorial to stand behind them during the performance.

By the time 2014 came to a close, the band found their songs atop the year end charts at Billboard magazine. "Torn To Pieces" landed at #7 on the "Top Mainstream Rock Songs" while POP EVIL came in at #4 on the "Mainstream Rock Artists" chart.

The new CHASTAIN album "We Bleed Metal" will be released worldwide on November 6. It will be made available on CD and vinyl as well as all digital formats. Guitarist David T. Chastain states: "This is a continuation of the 'Surrender To No One' sound with, hopefully, some improvements all the way around. [Singer] Leather [Leone] has never sounded better and I believe this is my most shredtastic CHASTAIN lead guitar playing since 'The 7th Of Never' era." Drummer Stian Kristoffersen (PAGAN'S MIND) and bassist Mike Skimmerhorn return once again to complete the lineup.

The "We Bleed Metal" cover artwork can be seen below.

The CHASTAIN albums "Surrender To No One" and "We Bleed Metal" will be released in vinyl format later in the year on Pure Steel Records.

The CHASTAIN classic albums "The 7th Of Never" and "The Voice Of The Cult" were recently reissued on CD by Divebomb/Tribunal Records. These reissues were nicely redone with new mastering, packaging, interviews, old reviews and more.

The "uncut" version of CHASTAIN's comeback album, "Surrender To No One", was made available on digital format on Leviathan worldwide.

The Leather-fronted version of CHASTAIN recorded five CDs in the mid-to-late 1980s: 1985's "Mystery Of Illusion", 1986's "Ruler Of The Wasteland", 1987's "The 7th Of Never", 1988's "The Voice Of The Cult" and 1990's "For Those Who Dare". After the "For Those Who Dare" tour, David and Leather amicably went their separate ways but kept in touch over the years before reuniting in 2013.

Leather in 2012 released the debut album from her SLEDGE LEATHER project, "Imagine Me Alive". The CD was inspired in 2010 when Leather called Sandy Sledge to collaborate on the Ronnie James Dio track "Egypt" for a demo tribute recording. Due to the overwhelming response for more material, SLEDGE LEATHER was born and performed at Germany's Keep It True festival in April 2011.

According to The Bucks Herald, IRON MAIDEN lead singer Bruce Dickinson made a surprise landing at RAF Halton this week when his plane started to run low on fuel.

Dickinson was piloting a replica Fokker Dr1 triplane when he diverted his plane into Halton, which is said to be one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom.

Squadron leader Gary Coleman, officer commanding operations squadron at RAF Halton, said: "We applaud Bruce Dickinson’s decision to divert to RAF Halton rather than press to his destination with potentially low fuel.

"To see such a well-regarded pilot, and world-renowned rock singer, make this decision is great for our student pilots to see.

"It makes them realise that anyone can find themselves low on fuel due to unforeseen circumstances and that the right decision is to divert.

"He really does have a magnificent Fokker Triplane, so it was a pleasure to provide it with a home for a few nights until we sent him on his way."

After the sad death of John Day, who owned and built this replica Fokker Dr1 aircraft, it was bought by Dickinson, who holds the coveted Air Transport Pilots' Licence and has around 7,000 flying hours under his belt.

Bruce said: "Aeroplanes started at the age of five with my godfather, in the RAF during the siege of Malta and one of 'Trenchard's apprentices.' My uncle was RAF and also an engineer.

"Until age 30 plastic aeroplanes and Biggles was as far as I got. Rubbish at maths and physics, I talked myself out of applying to the RAF and nearly joined the Army. Luckily for the U.K. military, I became a rock singer instead.

"I started actually flying at the ripe old age of 30. 7,000 hours later, I finished up as a Boeing 757 captain and 737 instructor.

"Luckily, the aircraft design I fly is still older than me, but the gap is closing.

"In my spare time, I sing a bit, own a company that fixes airliners and am trying to bring airships back into the skies. Actually, I should have been born in 1898, not 1958. C'est la vie."

Glam gods Steel Panther performed at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, CA on August 3rd. The show was featured as a Yahoo Stream broadcast and pro shot video can be viewed below. Fan filmed clips featuring Miley Cyrus and Nuno Bettencourt are also available.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Eyes Of A Panther" 
"Tomorrow Night"
"La Bamba" 
"Fat Girl (Thar She Blows)" 
"Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World" 
"Asian Hooker" 
"You Really Got Me" (with Nuno Bettencourt)
"17 Girls in a Row" 
"Gloryhole" 
"Girl From Oklahoma" 
"Community Property" 
"Party All Day (Fuck All Night)" 
"Panama" 
"Rebel Yell" 
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" (with Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus)
"When the Saints Go Marching In" (with Ron Jeremy)
"Oh! Susanna" (with Ron Jeremy) 
"Death To All But Metal"

Former Dio guitarist Tracy G is in the studio writing under his band Tracy G Group for a new CD and will be released in October with six songs.

The EP will feature Mike Beatty on the vocals, Randy Oveido on the bass, Adrian Aguilar on the drums with Korn drummer Ray Luzier performing on two tracks.

Video “This Device”; first track off upcoming EP:

Video “Out Of Time”; second track off EP:

Nashville hard rock singer, bassist Jasmine Cain has self-released her fifth album, White Noise.

White Noise is produced by Lincoln Parish, former guitarist for Cage The Elephant, and Mills Logan (Taylor Swift, Toby Keith, Luke Bryan) the album features special guests Jeff LaBar from Cinderella, Gerry Finn from Killer Dwarfs, and Christopher Williams from Accept. Michael Starr, from Steel Panther, does a duet on “Fall To Rise”.

White Noise tracklisting:

“Coming In Hot”
“White Noise”
“Break Even”
“Hole”
“Fool’s Gold”
“Into The Grey”
“Nightingale”
“1995”
“Any Given Sunday”
“Fall To Rise”

“Fall To Rise” featuring Michael Starr:

Video “Nightingale”:

Special guests:
Kevin Bebout: Bass (“Any Given Sunday”)
Lincoln Parish: Guitar/Percussion/Synth
Mills Logan: Percussion/Programming
Kenny Greenberg: Guitar (“Break Even” “Hole” “Into The Grey”)
Philip Kelly: Drums (“Any Given Sunday”)
Amber Rose: BGV
Paige Logan: BGV/Vocal Arrangements
Christopher Williams: Drums (“Nightingale”)
Jeff Caughron: Guitar ("Nightingale”)
Gerry Finn: Guitar (Into the Grey”)
Jeff LaBar: Guitar (“Fool’s Gold” “Any Given Sunday”)
Charlie Parra: Guitar ("Fall To Rise”)
Michael Starr: Vocals (“Fall To Rise”)

In a music scene that has become so over saturated with sound-a-like cookie cutter bands, how does a band stand out above their peers? That is a challenge that Southampton, UK 5-piece Gone By Tomorrow faced, and the end result is the new EP Blank Future. Produced by Sam and Joe Graves at Innersound Studios (Asking Alexandria, Glamour Of The Kill, Ben Bruce, Yashin), the EP is set for release on October 16th.

Taking elements from many areas across the rock spectrum, Gone By Tomorrow have armed themselves with catchy choruses, shredding riffs, powerful dynamic breakdowns and much more to create an individual sound that sits within the metalcore genre, without getting lost amongst the crowd. With a solid fan base, earned from prestigious support slots, including The Word Alive, Our Last Night, Ghost Town, The Color Morale and Hacktivist, festival appearances such as Butserfest, Takedown and Messtival and a headline UK tour, Gone By Tomorrow are only heading up.

Blank Future tracklisting:

“Undefined”
“Outspoken”
“I Saved Latin, What Did You Ever Do”
“Here's To You, Dearest Enemy”
“Not The Only Ones”
“The Homecoming”

Gone By Tomorrow have announced a series of UK tour dates for September with Opheon.

Canadian thrash-speed metallers, Warsenal, recently signed a new record deal with Italian label Punishment Records for their new full-length album, Barn Burner, set to be released on September 28th. The new music video for the album track “Dying On Stage” is now streaming below.

Barn Burner tracklisting:

“Dying On Stage”
“Let Me Out”
“Hit ‘N’ Run”
“Conquer”
“Stab You One By One”
“Unstoppable”
“Wars”
“NightStalker”
“Minefield Game”

“Dying On Stage” video:

Scale The Summit’s forthcoming release, V, due out on September 18th via Prosthetic Records, expertly showcases the instrumental progressive rock band's definitive sound as it ebbs and flows across an array of beguiling soundscapes. The album was mixed by Jamie King (BTBAM, The Contortionist) who previously worked with the band on their smashing 2013 release The Migration.

With just over a month left until V hits store shelves worldwide, the band have decided to unveil a second track from the album, "Kestrel", which can be streamed below. Commenting on the track, the band stated "Kestrel is a really exciting part of the album for us, as it brings out the band's softest moments and most intense moments all in the same song. Each instrument slowly builds on one another and keeps escalating toward some serious energy. It's a dynamic shift unlike anything we've really done before. We're super excited to play this one live!"

“Kestrel”:

The cover art for V was completed by the UK-based artist Duncan Storr, with whom the band previously worked on their 2013 effort The Migration. The artwork is a composite of images that each correlate to a specific track title, and over the past two weeks, the band has led up to its reveal with teaser snippets of each song along with its associated visuals via social media platforms. You can hear samples of each of the 10 tracks on the new album here.

V tracklisting:

“The Winged Bull”
“Soria Moria”
“Pontus Euxinus”
“Trapped In Ice”
“Stolas”
“The Isle Of Mull”
“Kestral”
“Oort Cloud”
“Blue Sun”
“The Golden Bird”

“Stolas” video:

Mixed and mastered by Jamie King (BTBAM, The Contortionist), V is now available for pre-order on CD and LP (including black, white and clear vinyl options) at this location. Digital pre-orders, which include an instant download of “Kestral” and ”Stolas," are also available via iTunes, Bandcamp and Amazon.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of ARMORED SAINT's August 4 performance at Effenaar in Eindhoven, The Netherlands as the support act for QUEENSRŸCHE can be seen below.

ARMORED SAINT's seventh studio album, "Win Hands Down", was released on June 2 in North America via Metal Blade. The CD was produced by bassist Joey Vera and mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, STONE SOUR).

ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush previously stated about "Win Hands Down": "When we began talking about a new record, I told Joey Vera to pretend we were a really huge band and that we could do anything we wanted. At least that was the mindset we should have, from the writing to the production. What came out was 'Win Hands Down', which is our first record in five years."

He continued: "There's everything from classic ARMORED SAINT rocker songs to epic songs and we all dug deep to deliver something special. If we weren't going to, then we shouldn't have bothered. I'm glad we did."

In episode #137 of One On One With Mitch Lafon, Mitch is joined by Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist, Chris Caffery.

Chris discusses his new album Your Heaven Is Real, former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, Savatage's upcoming plans, the TSO/Savatage at Wacken performance, his line of hot sauces, and much more.

On the future of Savatage, Chris states: "The ultimate decision for Savatage is up to Jon (Oliva).” On making a new Savatage album: "If they decide it's time to do another record then we'll do it. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Listen below:

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

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

Stay tuned for updates.

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

Check out pro-shot footage of the dual-stage performance of "Fortuna - Carmina Burana" courtesy of Germany's 3Sat network:

At 9:45 PM, Savatage, including members Oliva, Pitrelli, Johnny Lee Middleton, Chris Caffery, Jeff Plate, Zak Stevens, Bill Hudson, plus several backing musicians (including TSO's Vitalij Kuprij), ripped through such Savatage songs as “Gutter Ballet,” “Hall of the Mountain King,” “Edge of Thorns,” "Jesus Saves" and more.

As the Savatage set came to a close, guitarist Pitrelli raced to the other stage to join TSO for a fierce performance including songs from their upcoming release Letters From The Labyrinth – “Prometheus,” “Toccata/Carpimus Noctem” from the platinum-certified Night Castle and more. For TSO’s first set, the band consisted of John O.Reilly and Jeff Plate (drums), David Z and Middleton (bass), Angus Clark and Caffery (guitars), Mee Eun Kim and Derek Wieland (keyboards), Asha Melvana and Roddy Chong (strings). Vocal duties were handled by Jeff Scott Soto, Kayla Reeves and Andrew Ross, with the group bolstered at times with dancers, background vocalists and more.

At 11 PM came the portion of the performance that left the crowd astonished: all band members took to their respective stages and began an hour-long simultaneous performance playing the same songs concurrently. They stormed through the set containing such songs as Savatage’s “Turns To Me,” a rousing version of “Believe” with a duet featuring Oliva and Robin Borneman along with TSO favorites including “A Last Illusion,” “Requiem,” "Beethoven," and “King Rurick” from TSO’s forthcoming release. A united Trans-Siberian Orchestra featured four guitarists, four keyboard players, two drummers, two bassists, a string section, and multiple vocalists (including the addition of TSO's Russell Allen and Savatage’s Stevens to the above). It was a sight to behold, with several generations on stage: from teenagers taking their first steps on an international rock stage to seasoned veterans who have toured the world.

Throughout the two-plus hours, along with an unprecedented sonic storm, fans were treated to an incredible pyrotechnic display estimated to have cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. As anyone on site could attest, it was an unparalleled auditory and visual experience.

Check out some fan-filmed footage below:

Hailing from Kotka, Finland, female-fronted quintet Crimson Sun play modern melodic metal with an in your face attitude. Crimson Sun has released two new tracks from their debut album, “Clockwork Heart” and “Eye Of The Beholder’. The songs appear on Towards The Light, which was released on August 3rd via Maple Metal Records. Both tracks are streaming below.
 
Towards The Light was recorded last Fall at Deep Noise Studios, Kouvola, Fi with Saku Moilanen, and the mastering was done by Jacob Hansen (Epica, Volbeat, Amaranthe, Primal Fear)in Denmark. The album cover art is by renowned Serbian artist Slobicus Doomicus.

Jacob Hansen has shared his comments on Towards The Light: “I really enjoyed the songs and the band. To me, this band could easily become ‘the Next Big Thing’! The song structures and overall sound is catchy, as well as being heavy. Fine tuning this combination could mean big business!”

Towards The Light tracklisting:

“The Storm”
“Eye Of The Beholder”
“Awaken”
“Towards The Light”
“The Herald”
“Portrait Of A Ghost”
“Enter The Silence”
“The Spark”
“Clockwork Heart”
“Memories Burning”

“Clockwork Heart”:

 
“Eye of the Beholder”:

"The Storm" lyric video:

 
 
Album teaser:

Intro video:

Crimson Sun was founded in 2001 by guitarist Joni Junnila, and the band went through various member changes before settling down with the quintet that recorded their EP The Border in 2013.

Crimson Sun live dates:

August
14 - Dark River Festival 2015 - Honkala, Finland
15 - Virgin Oil - Helsinki, Finland

Crimson Sun is:

Sini Seppälä - Vocals
Joni Junnila - Guitars
Jukka Jauhiainen - Bass
Miikka Hujanen - Keyboards
Antti Rantavuo - Drums

A Sound Of Thunder have released a cover version of the classic Manowar song "Pleasure Slave". The song can be streamed below. The band is offering a high-quality digital download of the track as a free bonus with its current Kickstarter campaign.

As if Manowar weren't controversial enough among metal heads, the song "Pleasure Slave", a bonus track from Manowar's sixth album Kings Of Metal, is infamous for its lyrical content.

"Joey DeMaio wrote one of the most hilariously sexist songs of all time," stated A Sound Of Thunedr vocalist Nina Osegueda.  "And that's cool, but turnabout is fair play.  This one's for you, Joey!"

"There is no greater joy than taking a hilariously misogynistic piece of music and turning it upside-down," Osegueda continued. "The composition itself is great, but I always wanted it to be a little faster. The vocals were a challenge, but I had fun using my low register more than usual. As for the background vocals, we had a great time recording a bunch of our male fans making horrible orgasm noises. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life!"

A Sound of Thunder guitarist Josh Schwartz also commented on the track: "Ironically, this song has probably given me more pleasure over the years than any other.  The lyrics are so ridiculously over the top, and Eric Adams delivers them with such conviction, that I can't help but crack up when I hear it...we are talking laughing so hard I'd be in tears sometimes!  So full disclosure: we actually love Manowar and embrace their cheese, and just thought it would be fun to turn this one on its head.  Our fans paid for the production of this song so we're releasing it for free to the whole world to hopefully spread some smiles and laughter.  Hail, kill, and enjoy!"

The band recently released a video for “Tower Of Souls”.

"Tower of Souls" is the soundtrack to the first major battle between Shadowman, the hero, and Master Darque, the villain. Master Darque is trapped in a hell-like domain known as the Deadside, but is nearing the culmination of his plan to escape and wage war on the Earth. Only Shadowman has the power to stop Darque's scheme, so Darque recruits Baron Samedi, the voodoo lord of the dead, to keep Shadowman occupied. But Samedi's loyalties are not what they seem: he betrays Darque and clears a path for the final confrontation between Darque and Shadowman.

“When we wrote the song we wanted to capture the sinister nature of Darque's plot and the huge consequences involved, so we used a lot of sinister and dissonant notes and chord changes. An unrelenting triplet beat drives the song forward and gives it an almost militaristic feel. Hopefully the listener feels that he's right in the middle of an epic battle on the Deadside!”

The lyric video features panels straight out of Valiant Entertainment's Shadowman comic book series on which the song and album are based.

A Sound Of Thunder recently announced its new album Tales From The Deadside with a Kickstarter campaign that reached full funding in under 24 hours.  The full-length concept album is based on Valiant Entertainment's Shadowman comic book series.  The album was recorded at Assembly Line Studios with RIAA-platinum awarded producer Kevin '131' Gutierrez (Shinedown, While Heaven Wept, Raven).

Tales From he Deadside is set for release on September 25th. The Kickstarter campaign runs through August 17th and features many exclusive items including colored vinyl, picture discs, t-shirts, and digital bonus tracks featuring additional guest musicians yet to be announced.

Tony Carey (Rainbow, Planet P Project) has recorded keyboards on A Sound Of Thunder's cover of the Rainbow classic "Death Alley Driver". The track is exclusively available via A Sound Of Thunder's current Kickstarter campaign.  A preview of the track is streaming below:

Despite an imposing catalog as a solo artist and with his own Planet P Project, among metalheads Tony Carey is best known as part of the definitive lineup of Rainbow. Along with Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Cozy Powell, and Jimmy Bain, Carey performed on the seminal Rising and On Stage albums. Carey's hair-raising synthesizer notes on "Tarot Woman" and haunting Mellotron chords on "Stargazer" are just some of his highlights on Rising, an archetypal cornerstone album of melodic and power metal.

"This is a very cool cover of a very cool song, by a very cool band. So that's all cool..." said Carey.  "As far as my part goes, I threw down some old-school Hammond and played a much-too-fast solo bit on a Minimoog (remember those?) and woke up on the Sunset Strip in pre-Apocalypse 1976... lots of fun, and not something I do very often. Hollywood Swingin'! Thanks for having me."

A Sound Of Thunder guitarist Josh Schwartz added: "Tony is an immensely accomplished musician and producer and I can't overstate how honoured I am to have him on our recording. His work with Rainbow only scratches the surface of his many talents. Fans will know that Tony didn't play on the original version of “Death Alley”. By adding wall-to-wall Hammond organ and his own personal style, Tony has warmed up the song and given it a kick in the pants and a very cool '70s vibe not present on the original."

The band recently announced the first exclusive KickStarter-only bonus track in their campaign - a cover of Dio’s "Last in Line" featuring Benedictum’s Veronica Freeman. Details on how to get the track can be found here. A sample of the song can be found below:

"The story of Shadowman, his alter-ego Jack Boniface, and the many characters in his world inspired us to create what we believe is our best album to date," said A Sound Of Thunder guitarist Josh Schwartz. "We let the story lead us to places our music has never been before, combining all the elements of supernatural horror, drama, action and adventure found in the comics. Of course everything has gone through our own unique Thunderous filter, and all the familiar ASOT elements will be there, Shadowman's harrowing journey demanded no less!"

A Sound Of Thunder was formed in Washington, DC in 2009. Their most recent album The Lesser Key of Solomon was released on September 9th, 2014 via Mad Neptune Records and debuted at #43 on the Billboard Heatseeker’s Albums chart.

A Sound Of Thunder:

Nina Osegueda- vocals
Josh Schwartz- guitars/ keyboards
Jesse Keen- guitars/ keyboards
Chris Haren- drums/ percussion

 

Comatose Music and Norwegian sickos Kraanium are teaming up once again for the band’s next slab of bloody depravity.

Chronicles Of Perversion is the new offering from these purveyors of the twisted and grotesque. Kraanium's fourth full-length release since their 2001 inception contains 11 tracks of stomach wrenching, pure guttural brutality as you would expect, and only as they can deliver. The band continues to embody the slam genre and this release promises to be their most violent, pit stomping music to date in true Kraanium form... not for the feeble.

Artwork for Chronicles Of Perversion by Marco Hasmann. Highly recommended for fans of Devourment, Abominable Putridity and Waking the Cadaver. A stream of the track “Acid Combustion” can be found below. Comatose Music will release Chronicles of Perversion on September 18th.

Tracklisting:

“Rock Filled Orifice”
“Human Skin Fuck Doll”
“Hung By Your Entrails”
“Destined For Surgical Defilement”
“Evisceration Of Pre-Teen Cadavers”
“Chronicles Of Perversion”
“Acid Cumbustion”
“Rusty Knife Defloration”
“Fermented Uteral Mastication”
“Sodomize Her Headless Corpse”
“Revisitate To Mutilate”

“Acid Combustion”:

Detroit death-doom band, Temple Of Void, recently signed to underground independent label Shadow Kingdom Records. The band's first order of business with its new label will be a reissue of the group's debut album, Of Terror And The Supernatural, a pulverizing record that steamrolls via a morbid, high-fidelity death metal assault. The album will see a September 4th release through Shadow Kingdom, complete with eerie cover art by legendary science fiction and fantasy artist Bruce Pennington. The track “The Embalmer’s Art” can be heard below.

Temple Of Void creates crushing metal that will appeal to fans of Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Dismember, Hooded Menace, Incantation and (old) Paradise Lost. The band's sound combines the slow tempos and depressive moods of doom metal with the subhuman vocals and double kick drumming of classic death metal. Check out the video for Temple Of Void's "Savage Howl" below.

 

 

Tracklisting:

 

“The Embalmer’s Art”
“Savage Howl”
“Beyond The Ultimate”
“Invocation Of Demise”
“To Carry This Corpse Evermore”
“Rot In Solitude”
“Exanimate Gaze”
“Bargain In Death”

“The Embalmer’s Art”:

“Savage Howl” video:

 

 

Omnium Gatherum are streaming their new single, “Skyline”, featured on their new 7” split with Insomnium. The track will also be included on the band’s new album, due in February 2016.

The release with Insomnium is double A-sided (meaning, each band has their own front-cover side) and contains one track from Insomnium, "Out To The Sea" (which previously appeared on the now sold-out Shadows Of The Dying Sun deluxe CD box-set edition), and one track from Omnium Gatherum, "Skyline".

Featuring artwork by Olli-Pekka Lappalainen (who previously created designs for both bands), this tour exclusive 7" is limited to 500 copies and available at all upcoming shows while supplies last.

Tracklisting:

Side A
“Out To The Sea” (Insomnium)

Side A
“Skyline” (Omnium Gatherum)

 

 

Tour dates:

August
11 - New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre
12 - West Springfield, VA - Empire
13 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
14 - Albany, NY - Bogie's
15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar
16 - Westland, MI - Token Lounge
17 - Joliet, IL - Mojoes
18 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
19 - Winnipeg, MB - Zoo Cabaret
21 - Edmonton, AL - Pawn Shop
22 - Calgary, AL - Nite Owl
23 - Vancouver, BC - Red Room
24 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
25 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
26 - San Francisco, CA - Thee Parkside
27 - Los Angeles, CA - Whiskey a Go Go
28 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
29 - Las Vegas, NV - LVCS
30 - Tempe, AZ - Club Red

September
1 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
3 - Louisville, KY - Expo Five
4 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
5 - Toronto, ON - Garrison
6 - Ottawa, ON - Ritual
7 - Quebec, QC - Le Cercle

 

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.

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.

The album track “Dybt I Skoven” is streaming below:

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”

“Skøgen Skulle Dø”:

“Onde Børn” video:

“Hævnen”:

Mirkier live dates:

August
22 - Midgardsblot Metalfestiva - Borre, Norway

Introducing Norway’s Magick Touch, musically sawing a beautiful woman in half on their nine track debut album, Electrick Sorcery.

Electrick Sorcery will be released digitally on August 30th, via SCS Records. Enjoy the full album, streaming now at this location.

Magick Touch explore the mystery and magic of the hard rock riff, a cosmic entity that has amused and frightened mankind for ages. By utilising the unholy trinity of electric guitar, thunderous bass and explosive drums, the band seeks to evoke and further enhance the elements that human kind in a casual manner refers to as Hard Rock.

Whereas paying great respect to the groundbreaking and inspirational work of ancient sorcerers like Lynott, The Youngs & Scott, Blackmore, Coverdale, Stanley, Frehley, Simmons and young master Hudson, Magick Touch do not shy away from adding contemporary (magic) touches to the traditions of the Elders. Proud to be in the service of the greater universal powers, there is still Hard Rock to be revealed - believe the true wonders to come!

Band lineup:

Bard Nordvik - lead drums, vocals
HK Rein - lead guitar, vocals
Christer Ottesen - lead bass, vocals

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

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

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

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

Leg 1:

Leg 2:

Leg 3:

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

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

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

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

 



 

 

"Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart", a brand new song from former AUDIOSLAVE and current SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell, is available for streaming at Apple Music. The track is the first single from Cornell's new solo album, "Higher Truth", which will be released on September 18. The CD was produced by Brendan O’Brien (BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, PEARL JAM, NEIL YOUNG).

Cornell will embark on a solo acoustic tour of North America this fall in support of "Higher Truth". The trek begins on September 20 in Los Angeles, winding down on November 2 in Austin, Texas.

Cornell will play songs from throughout his entire career at the shows including material from SOUNDGARDEN, TEMPLE OF THE DOG, AUDIOSLAVE and his three previous solo efforts.

The singer told The Pulse Of Radio a while back how he first started doing acoustic gigs. "It came from all the way back as far as SOUNDGARDEN with a song called 'Mind Riot', where I would just start to do it alone," he said. "And what I noticed was dynamically it was really great in the middle of a set to give the audience a break from just the sonic pounding. And in AUDIOSLAVE, I started having kind of like a four-, five-song interlude where I would just play acoustic guitar and sing. It was just so intimidating, but there was something about that, I guess, that I liked."

Cornell's previous solo albums include 1999's "Euphoria Morning", 2007's "Carry On" and the controversial 2009 release "Scream", which found the hard rock singer teaming with producer Timbaland for a more pop-urban sound.

SOUNDGARDEN reunited in 2010, touring extensively and releasing the "King Animal" album in 2012. Work on a new studio set is expected to begin sometime later this year.

Cornell told The Pulse Of Radio that he sees working with SOUNDGARDEN again as having a positive influence on his solo career. "One thing about a solo artist is you can just be in a room way too long with yourself and your own thoughts and your own songs, and it feels really good to be working with Ben [Shepherd, bassist] and Matt [Cameron, drummer] and Kim [Thayil, guitarist] again, and it's actually a really nice reprieve also from just being alone, doing what I do. It's helping with the balance, I think, too."

Finland's Re-Armed will unleash death on August 21st in the form of new single/EP, Total Lack Of Communication. The band has made all three EP tracks available for streaming and free download in advance of the official release. Grab 'em all here (tracks streaming below).

Death/thrash metal with groovy rhythms and a dash of grind, the self-released EP follows 2014 sophomore album Rottendam (Eternal Sound Records). Total Lack Of Communication is designed to keep the fires burning and blood flowing while the band works on new material for a new full-length album. Visit the Re-Armed shop for a variety of EP bundle packages and merch galore.

Tracklisting:
 
“Total Lack Of Communication”
“Meant To Be Broken”
“Unhuman”

Re-Armed will tour China from September 24th - October 11th.  The band has also announced these upcoming show dates:

August
15 - Bar15 - Seinäjoki, Finland (with End Time Design)
22 - PRKL - Helsinki, Finland (with Profane Omen)
29 - Beermageddon Metal Festival - UK

September
4 - Blackpool - Järvenpää, Finland (with Frosttide, MySore)

Re-Armed have been around since 2001, when five guys from Kerava, Finland decided to start playing similar music likened to so-called "Gothenburg metal." Their musical style has evolved along with many critically acclaimed demo tapes, gigs, lineup changes and a well-received debut album Worldwide Hypnotize, which was released internationally on January 2012 via Massacre Records. After releasing their debut, the band supported names such as Chimaira, Suffocation, Origin, Cattle Decapitation and Cryptopsy for the tours in Europe. In this year Re-Armed also made their first big outdoor festival appearance at Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Hall in the UK.

The second album Rottendam was released on January 2014 via Eternal Sound Records, but major lineup changes froze the band almost for a year. Former guitarist/songwriter Tommi Helkalahti decided to leave the band, leaving vocalist Jouni Matilainen as the only current former member in the band.

Re-Armed is:

Jussi Venäläinen - Guitars
Juhana Heinonen - Bass and Backup Vocals
Jouni Matilainen - Lead Vocals
Mika Oinonen - Guitars and Backup Vocals
Iiro Karjalainen - Drums