Unrated Magazine conducted an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King at the July 12 stop of this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival in Tinley Park, Illinois. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On what it was like writing SLAYER's new album, "Repentless", without the contributions of the band's late guitarist Jeff Hanneman:

Kerry: "I worked on for the better part of four years, and I think that made it better, because I had a lot of time, you know, to go out on however long a tour [would be] — be it a week, be it six weeks — and come back and live with it, which is a luxury we don't usually have. So I think that probably made the end result that much better. [We just did several days of press in Europe] and people were frothing at the mouth for it, so I think we did something good."

On SLAYER winning a couple of Grammy Awards:

Kerry: "To be honest? I think it's one of the most retarded things ever, because no one involved with the Grammys has any idea, anything about metal, let alone hard rock. I mean, the first time a Grammy was awarded to a metal band was JETHRO TULL. Are you serious? Last year? TENACIOUS D. They're a fucking joke band. That's what I've gotta say, first and foremost. When we won ours, I think it was probably cool for my parents, you know, 'cause they understand what a Grammy is. They don't understand the bullshit involved with it, but to be able to come home with that big-ass heavy award and show it to my parents, that was important to me."

On how metal has changed in the more than thirty years since SLAYER's inception:

Kerry: "For us, not at all. I think we're the same band we were that put out 'Show No Mercy' in '83. Older and wiser, and hopefully my lyrics are more intellectually sound than they were when I was nineteen. But, you know, it had a big wave up until the early '90s, and then pretty much grunge came and killed every kind of music on the planet. And you just had to wait around for the next surge of people wanting metal, which, for me, started happening around 2000, 2001. 'God Hates Us All' came out, and SLAYER was re-energized, and it just seemed like it took off again. But, I mean, for us, it was the same all the way through. I refer to it as that weird phase of the '90s; we had to get over that."

On this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, which SLAYER is headlining:

Kerry: "California was big, of course. I know here in Chicago it's gonna be big. Detroit was big. But, I mean, it's not a typical Mayhem when it's just jam-packed with people, because they tried to keep the festival going. And Gary Holt [SLAYER guitarist] said it best. He said, 'We don't have a second or third stage. We have a fourth stage that's acting as the number two stage.' And the quality of what they put out just isn't there. We did a show at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee last year — it was us, SUICIDAL [TENDENCIES] and EXODUS — and it was sold out. We had Mayhem there four days ago, and it wasn't sold out. That tells you something."

On the relatively low cost of the tickets for this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival:

Kerry: "Nah [tickets are not that expensive], but they're expensive on this tour for bang for your buck. Because a bang for your buck… other than one band I know of on the second stage and a handful of main-stagers, you know, it's… This is usually where people would come out and just party all day, and they're passing on the party 'cause the bill's so shitty."

On what the perfect mix of bands would be for a Mayhem Festival:

Kerry: "We've been on great ones. In '09, it was SLAYER and [MARILYN] MANSON; that's a good thing. SLAYER and SLIPKNOT in 2012. Us and KING DIAMOND, it's great and everything, but I'm not sure KING's a headliner to where, like… What was it a couple of years ago? AVENGED SEVENFOLD and KORN. Those are two legitimate headliners. That's people coming out and saying, 'I get it.' And their second stage had a legitimate headliner, like ANTHRAX or MACHINE HEAD — somebody awesome. And now, like Gary said, our second stage is what used to be a fourth stage, and I think the kids are protesting by not buying tickets for it."

"Repentless" will be released on September 11 via Nuclear Blast.

ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke to Metal Onslaught Magazine about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2011's "Worship Music" album. He said: "I think its going to be released the beginning of next year. I would like to have this 'Spreading The Disease' 30th-anniversary [reissue] out at the end of [2015]. I think this album is going to take a little bit longer to finish and complete, because there is about 20 songs. The problem with having 20 songs is that you have 20 songs. It's not the problem that you have the twenty songs, it's just the problem that you have to complete the 20 songs. The bigger problem is that we do not know which ones we are going to choose. It's been taking a lot to really consider which ones are the best and which ones are [just] okay. So it's a hard decision to come up with. We are giving each song 100 percent, so that's why its taking a little longer to complete." Regarding the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Charlie said: "It's metal! It's definitely metal. I don't think we are really experimenting. We are not doing any dub step, we are not doing any waltzes or anything like that. It's strictly hard rock and heavy metal. Like the songs on the last record, if they were fast, these will be faster. [Laughs] So it's going to be that type of evolution. It's definitely something that has progressed really well." Speaking about the lyrical themes covered on the new ANTHRAX album, Charlie said: "The way these songs are created, usually I will come in with the basic framework for the tune. And Scott [Ian, guitar] will take the songs and really put his lyric hat on. Sometimes we will discuss certain topics, like this aspect or that aspect, and it kind of comes like that. So some of these titles have deeper meanings, but they probably have more meaning to Scott. I always wondered about that, especially with RUSH, because Neil [Peart] is the lyricist of the band and how does Geddy [Lee, RUSH bassist/vocalist] then take it and sell it?"

ANTHRAX's new album, which is once again being produced by Jay Ruston (STONE SOUR, STEEL PANTHER), will include such songtitles as "The Battle Chose Us", "You Gotta Believe" and "The Evil Twin".

ANTHRAX recently completed a six-week North American tour with VOLBEAT. The band's setlist included the new song "Soror Irrumator (Lords Of The Rock)", ANTHRAX's contribution to the the second installment of "Catch The Throne: The Mixtape", for HBO's Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning series "Game Of Thrones".

Former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Broderick spoke to Guitar World magazine about his decision to leave the band last fall, explaining that he "was constantly weighing the positives against the negatives" during his tenure with the Dave Mustaine-led group.

Only hours after drummer Shawn Drover announced his exit from MEGADETH on November 25, 2014 to "to pursue [his] own musical interests," Broderick revealed he also quit the legendary metal band, saying that he was leaving the group "due to artistic and musical differences."

Asked if there was a dress code in MEGADETH, Broderick told Guitar World: "There definitely was a dress code that he wanted to maintain for a MEGADETH look. For me, with everything in this camp, I saw very early on that Dave [Mustaine] is the owner of the company and he is the one that has the right to say how the company is presented and how it should look. The only time we had any issues was when I didn't know a specific thing about how he wanted my appearance to be, and then I would find out as we went along. I saw it very early on as a job requirement and I felt that if the job is worth it to me then I would make those changes."

Regarding whether he had considered leaving the band in the past, Broderick said: "I was constantly weighing the positives against the negatives. I likened it to a lawyer that's working for a firm and finally wants to break out and start his own firm or a chef that wants to open up his own restaurant. You have to deal with the corporate mannerisms from the company you're working for. And once it gets to a point where you feel like you would be happier on your own, that's when you finally to cut the cord. I had been thinking about what to do for a long time, but up until I decided to leave, I always felt the positives outweighed the negatives."

Asked when that balance tipped, Broderick responded: "Not until the last quarter of 2014. I was dwelling on my lack of musical creativity in the band. Dave was getting ready to go in and do another CD and my heart just wasn't in it because I knew I wasn't going to have any artistic say in the definition of the album and the music. He was calling, saying, 'Hey, I want to get you guys down there.' The last thing I wanted to do was go down there and work on a partial CD and then say, 'Hey, this isn't for me.' It was just the right time to leave."

ACT OF DEFIANCE, the band featuring Broderick and Drover, alongside ex-SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner, and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass), will release its debut album, "Birth And The Burial", on August 21 via Metal Blade Records.

JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon has not ruled out a reunion with Steve Perry, saying that the band would happily share the stage with its former lead singer.

"The door has always been open, like I've said a zillion times," Schon told ABC News Radio. "People ask me every day, 'Are you reuniting?' Steve says, 'No,' and I say, 'You never know.'"

Even if JOURNEY does end up working with Perry again, Schon says that the collaboration would not affect the band's current singer, Arnel Pineda. "[We] are always like, 'You ever want to come on and just sing a portion of one song, sing a part of a song with Arnel or sing the whole set, you're welcome anytime you want to come,'" Schon said. "[Arnel is] not threatened. Nobody's on any ego trip. We don't have any bad feelings."

Schon did admit, however, that he doesn't have much communication with Perry anymore. "I mean, he won't allow me to speak to him directly on the phone, and I write to him all the time and just say, 'Hey, what's up? I hope you're doing well,' and that's it, you know?" he said. "And sometimes he writes back and sometimes he doesn't."

The guitarist told ABC News Radio that he looks back fondly on what JOURNEY accomplished while Perry was in the band. "All's we did was create timeless music," he said. "And so for that I'm very grateful. And I'm sure he is too. He said that he is. But, you know, we're grown men and so it's time to take the chips off the shoulder and to grow up and let the kids be kids."

Schon added that he was surprised to see Perry make a series of appearances on stage with alternative rockers EELS last year and expressed hope that Perry would play more shows in the future.

"I was just happy to see him get out there," he laughed. "I thought it was quite ironic the places that he chose to do it. But, you know, I was glad to see him sing and hope that he would do more, actually."

DEFTONES kicked off a co-headlining tour with INCUBUS last week, but don't expect to hear any new songs on the trek. Although the band has nearly completed work on its eighth studio release, singer Chino Moreno told The Pulse Of Radio why fans will have to wait a little longer to hear the new material live."We contemplated it a little bit, we talked about it," he said. "But with, you know, YouTube and things like that, it's like, by the time people hear the real recorded version, a live version recorded on someone's camera phone will be people's first idea of what our new record sounds like. I really don't think we wanted to take that step yet. But yeah, it is sort of hard 'cause we're sitting on all this material that we're really excited about and really want to play."

According to Moreno, sixteen songs were written for DEFTONES' new CD, which was once again produced by Matt Hyde (SLAYER, CHILDREN OF BODOM, MONSTER MAGNET, WINDS OF PLAGUE). The effort, which is is tentatively due on September 25, will feature a guest appearance by Jerry Cantrell (ALICE IN CHAINS).

Chino told RollingStone.com about the new DEFTONES material: "The songs are amazing, and we wrote them in a really cool way. We had all of us in a room together with one person expressing an idea and another person jumping on it. The songs are really built as a collective. We have five guys who have almost completely different takes on music, so when it works, it works great."

"I think it's a little more of a heady record," Moreno said when asked how the DEFTONES' new material compares to that on "Koi No Yokan". "I feel like we've gone into the songs and really dissected them. If something sounded a little straight, we took a left turn and made things a little screwy. We just tried something completely opposite, not to sabotage it, but to challenge ourselves and try new things that we haven't done in the past.

"It definitely feels like we've taken a step from our last record," he continued. "But it's definitely a DEFTONES record, and it has all the elements that make us who we are. We're not going out there to change anything, other than just thinking outside the box."

Finnish gothic metallers THE 69 EYES have entered the studio with producer Johnny Lee Michaels to begin recording their new album for an early 201 release.

Says THE 69 EYES vocalist Jyrki 69: "Dear Helsinki vampires loyalists, how's your summer been? I've been thinking of you a lot lately. Especially in the nights... in the studio. You see, we are currently in the studio recording our new album here in Helsinki. It's coming out really good; [it] feels like a record I've always wanted us to do. A bit hard to explain, but you will hear it soon! If you happened to like those albums we've made earlier with Johnny, you will love this new one, too. The first single will come out later on this year and the album in early 2016. August moon — where are you...?"

THE 69 EYES released a compilation album, "The Best Of Helsinki Vampires", on November 1, 2013 . The collection included a brand new song, "Lost Without Love", written by Jyrki69 and dealing with situations he and the band's drummer, Jussi69, have both gone through.

THE 69 EYES released a digital EP, "Love Runs Away", via iTunes on February 1, 2013. The effort included two previously unreleased bonus songs, "Rosary Blue" and "Dracula's Castle".

"Love Runs Away" was the third single and opening track of THE 69 EYES' latest album, "X", which came out in September 2012.

In a brand new interview with Overdrive, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares was asked about Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival co-founder Kevin Lyman's recent comment that metal has gotten "gray, bald and fat," and that it had no worthy future headlining acts to take over from the classic bands like BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA.

"I think he has a point," Dino said. "I mean, who else is as big as MAIDEN? In the last 20 years, in that genre, who else is that big? The closest might be SLIPKNOT or RAMMSTEIN. It's not because those guys have got what artists like JUDAS PRIEST, MAIDEN, and all those guys have, but maybe those guys have gotten old and bald, but those guys are still doing it. Those guys are still playing massive arenas. But as far as new and up-and-coming bands not being as big as those old bands, I think he used the wrong metaphor. If you say there's not enough younger bands becoming as big as these big metal icons, he's right. There's not a lot of them. But that also has to do a lot with our generation — where music has been cheapened by everyone getting it for free."

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford recently said that he believed that the rock scene was "thriving" but admitted that the changes in the music industry have made it difficult for new artists to launch their careers.

Asked if he thought any of the newer hard rock artists have a shot at becoming arena-sized acts once the current crop of dinosaur bands are no longer around, Halford told 1290 KOIL: "Well, there's incredible talent out there right now, with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, IN THIS MOMENT, ROYAL BLOOD… There's a ton of bands… RIVAL SONS… I can keep going and going."

He continued: "I'll tell you what's changed, and you're probably aware of this as well, guys. Since the invention of this thing called the Internet, everything has shifted… The way we absorb music now, the way we go to shows and everything, the way we connect… I just actually started Instagram for the first time, because I've been told that it's a really important social tool, @robhalfordlegacy. You can see what I get up to on the road, taking pictures of my friends and so on and so forth. So it's a different world.

"We were pondering about this the other day in the van driving back from a gig [during our South American tour]. You know, will there be another great, big rock-star giant like Ozzy Osbourne? Will there be another great, big rock-star giant like Axl Rose, for example. Does that really matter? I don't know. But it's shifted, it's changed. The good news is there's an extraordinary display of talent coming from all different quarters in all different genres of rock and roll. So the future looks bright."

Halford added: "My mate Gene Simmons [KISS] said 'rock and roll is dead' [a few months] ago, which caused a bit of a ruckus. I don't believe it's dead. I think it's thriving, I think it's great, and I think the future's bright. Not only the bands that are coming up now, but the bands that are starting where we started forty years ago, making noise in the garage or whatever. It's great."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told BBC World Service's "The Inquiry" that the quality of modern music was a factor in why newer artists have not connected with audiences the way bands like METALLICA have been able to.

"I think one of the main reasons I connect less with new music in my life now is because there's less great new music to connect with," he said. "I mean, a lot of the stuff that's been played is just regurgitated… There's not people on the leading edge, like THE BEATLES or the Miles Davises or the Jimi Hendrixes taking us all by the hand into these completely unknown, uncharted musical territories."

Lars also lamented the fact that diminishing record sales have resulted in record companies investing less funds into breaking newer artists, making it more difficult for up-and-coming bands to survive.

"It's all cause and effect," he explained. "When there's less people buying music, there's less money generated back and record companies take less chances. Instead of promoting five hundred records a year, they promote fifty records a year, and there's less and less and less and less money being put into younger artists. And there's a danger of younger artists coming close to extinction."

Los Angeles stoner/doom metal band Behold! The Monolith will release new album Architects of the Void September 29 on CD, digital, and vinyl. Pre-order the album at Bandcamp. The track “The Mithriditist” can be heard streaming below.

Legendary producer Billy Anderson has expertly harnessed the band's smoke-belching locomotive style, while the songwriting is the most captivating of the quartet's career.

Guitarist Matt Price had this to say about the results: "It's a relatively dark album, which is probably fitting. A few of the riffs and ideas had pretty much coagulated right before Kevin's accident, and most of the others were colored by it, so yeah it feels kinda heavy and dark to me. I hope I don't sound like a high falootin' artisté, but it felt personal for me and Chase, so it wound up being more than just stringing riffs together, ya know? That being said Cas and Jordan came in and kicked ass and brought their own stamp to the sound. So it's a bit different, but I think it captures the essence what Behold! The Monolith is all about!"

Architects of the Void follows 2012 release Defender, Redeemist marks the debut of vocalist Jordan Nalley who took the reins following the tragic 2013 death of Kevin McDade in a car accident. The album will also be the first for new bassist Jason "Cas" Casanova (Sasquatch). The album artwork was created by Dusty Peterson (Bloodbath, Six Feet Under, Oceano).

Architects Of The Void tracklisting:

“Umbral Vale”
“Philosopher’s Blade”
“The Mithridist”
“Lord Of Bones”
“Black Days Of…”
“Between Oder And The Vistula”
“Architects Of The Void”

“The Mithriditist”:

 

Essex, UK-based rock quartet, InMe, have revealed a brand new video for “Rapture: Land Of The Secret Rose”, the latest track taken from their new album Trilogy: Dawn, which is out now.
 
Directed by Dan Eden and featuring footage taken from their recent headline tour dates and summer festival appearances, front man Dave McPherson comments on the inspiration behind the track; ““Rapture: Land Of The Secret Rose” is a musical love letter to the South West of England. Trilogy: Dawn is all about the early chapters of life and I hold dear some of my fondest memories from family holidays in my childhood down in Dorset, Lynmouth, Cornwall and more. I still visit annually and I wanted to have an upbeat, rocking, fun song as an ode to my love for the place I'd call my second home. This was a super fun song to play on our last tour and we brought our friend Dan Eden along to capture the live spirit. I'm not a fan of seeing myself in music videos but live feels a lot more natural to me!"

InMe recently announced a short run of UK headline dates for September 2015 dubbed The Overgrown Butterflies Tour, celebrating the respective 10 and 12 year anniversaries of their first two hit records White Butterfly and Overgrown Eden, playing them both in full at each show. Taking in Manchester, Glasgow, Nottingham, Birmingham and London, the shows are set to be a celebration of their roots and a very special treat for long-term fans as well as new recruits who may never have had the chance to see older material live.
 
Says the band: "A decade ago we released our sophomore opus White Butterfly to wide acclaim, two years after our debut album Overgrown Eden. These records were the catalyst that established an incredible loyal warm audience that we're still eternally grateful to have involved with our music. If you can make a show we strongly suggest you make the effort as this is going to be magic!

Tour dates:

September
14 - Manchester, England - Sound Control
15 - Glasgow, Scotland - Classic Grand   
16 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
17 - Birmingham, England - Warehouse      
18 - London, England - Islington Academy

Dutch stoner metallers, Obese, have released a new video for the track "Red As The Sun”, taken from the album Kali Yuga, released by Argonauta Records in June 2015 on CD/DD.

Obese hail from Holland, they are authors of a crunchy, catchy, powerful and above all heavy as hell sound. Bringing the groove back into stoner and feeding your appetite with fat tunes that will leave you hungry for more. The weight and thickness of sound is being explored one track at a time: corpulency never felt that good. The immense riffage in a vast landscape of bulldozing euphony will leave nobody unsatisfied.
 

Hungarian doll/melodic metal band, Ann My Guard, have released a brand new cover song. "Promise" is a tribute to the Silent Hill video game series composer and musician, Akira Yamaoka.

Frontwoman Eszter Anna Baumann states: ”The atmosphere of the entire game, the meaning behind the story and the sounds that Mr Yamaoka presents in the game have been deeply inspiring me since I first played Silent Hill. I think both the game and Ann My Guard have many things in common, for example, I think about our music as an escape from reality to somewhere else, maybe to a higher state of mind, where you can see your soul as a revealing mirror. I just simply cannot describe how Silent Hill has been so effective to me. I've always thought if Ann My Guard is ever gonna make a cover song, that will be for a special one. I can proudly say that we could totally reach our goal, because we didn't only record the melody of "Promise (reprise)" but also added our own musical taste to it, with some extra parts and the lyrics.”

Besides releasing this new single, the band is keenly preparing for their first European tour, which is starting in October.

Canadian death metal outfit, Accursed Spawn, has announced that 6-string, fretless bassist Weiyun Lu will be playing his first official dates with the band this summer in Ontario and Quebec, including stops at Grind Your Mind Open Air, Trailer Thrash Festival, and the third annual Oshawa Deathfest.

"We've all known Wei for some time now, having listened to his work in other bands like Argus Panoptes and Maou Mindu. We knew right away that Wei would bring a new, technical dynamic to the songwriting in Accursed Spawn. We are really excited to welcome him into the fold!”, commented guitarist Adam Pell.

Footage of Weiyun performing “Clotheshanger Abortion” with Accursed Spawn in Montreal can be seen below:

Upcoming tour dates:

July
31 - Oshawa Deathfest III - Oshawa, ON

August
1 - The Cavern Barn - Toronto, ON
15 - Grind Your Mind Open Air - Drummondville, QC
25 - Trailer Thrash Festival - St-Pie, QC

Accursed Spawn recently released their music video for the track “Burned Into Sterility”, filmed at the band's jam spot by Nick Richer (Norilsk) and Greg Toope from Hvy One Productions (Ottawa). The track is from the band's second EP Putrid, which can be purchased from the group's Big Cartel and Bandcamp pages.

Putrid EP tracklisting:

“Putrid” (Intro)
“Sedate to Mutilate”
“Clotheshanger Abortion”
“My Fist”
“Burned into Sterility”

In episode 127 of One On One With Mitch Lafon, Mitch is joined by legendary Aerosmith bassist, Tom Hamilton.

Tom discusses the band's upcoming Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014 DVD, work on a new Aerosmith album, the possibility of a solo record, an in-depth look at five of the most famous Aerosmith songs that he's had a hand in writing including "Kings And Queens", "Draw The Line", "Sweet Emotion", "Janie's Got A Gun" and "Sick As A Dog", and much more.

Selected Quotes from the interview: 

On a follow-up to Music from Another Dimension!: "I just don't know the timing of when we can get back into it, but I can't imagine it not happening. I would like to go in and do a really concise/tight Aerosmith rock album."

On why he's never done an side project: "What has always been an obsession for me was to be more involved in the writing of an Aerosmith album."

On the making of Aerosmith's classic Draw The Line album: "That album was a really tough time in our history. It was really frustrating."

Greg Prato recently spoke with Hamilton for the Long Island Pulse. They discussed the 40th Anniversary of the band's classic Toys In The Attic record. An excerpt is available below:

Long Island Pulse: Forty years later, how do you view Toys in the Attic?

Tom Hamilton: "That one was really a moment of inspiration for us. Our second album, Get Your Wings, we were under a lot of pressure from the label because they weren’t happy with how our first album (Aerosmith) did. So we got to that project and made a better album. When it came time to do Toys in the Attic, I think we all really wanted to step up and make a statement. The band was really getting good and our producer, Jack Douglas, was someone that we had a lot of faith in—he was becoming a great producer. Everybody just really wanted to go and kick ass. If you look at the changes between Get Your Wings and Toys in the Attic, you can see how much better we were at making records and writing songs."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

North American syndicated rock radio show and website, InTheStudio: The Stories Behind History’s Greatest Rock Bands, recently dusted off Toys In The Attic as well...

The perception that Aerosmith had broke with “Dream On” off their debut album is not entirely accurate.  As drummer Joey Kramer recalls to InTheStudio host Redbeard, “The first album really didn’t go anywhere until “Dream On” was released (as a single) three or four times. “Dream On” was a single when this record (Toys InThe Attic) hit.”

It was the third release of “Dream On” as a single, after the release of their second album Get Your Wings, that lit the fuse for Aerosmith’s breakout album Toys In The Attic.  What followed was an monster album selling over 8 million copies and producing the timeless classics “Walk this Way” and “Sweet Emotion”, not to mention the first anti-child abuse song “Uncle Salty”, the circular contagion of “No More, No More”, a swingin’ cover of Bullmoose Jackson’s bawdy, “Big Ten Inch” and the riff rock title track “Toys In The Attic”.

Steven Tyler, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford take us back to this critical moment in history where Aerosmith began their rise as America’s greatest hard rock band. Tune in at this location.

New Zealand-based Stuff.com has picked up a thread launched in June regarding the enduring legacy of Cradle Of Filth's infamous "Jesus Is A Cunt" shirt, which is celebrating its 22nd birthday this year. An excerpt from their interview with frontman Dani Filth is available below:

"The premise behind the shirt, remember we were young, ... it was more of an anarchic thing more than anything else. Jesus is there because we were looking for a mythological character to sum up the apathy ... that anarchic statement. The religious side of it was obviously there to stir up a bit of controversy at the time but when those shirts were first introduced we were just a small band starting out."

He pauses for a moment before uttering the word "silly."

"It seems strange that 20 odd years on it keeps resurfacing in such a manner," Filth says of that t-shirt. "I think it will always be a bit of a bugbear for the band but at the end of the day it's something that happened. When I get to the pearly gates I'll have to explain my way out of it."

What will you say, Mr Filth?

"You know what, it worked out okay for you – we kept your name alive."

Go to this location for the complete article. Learn more at this location and get your very own "Jesus Is A Cunt" t-shirt here.

Cradle Of Filth's new album, Hammer Of The Witches, was released worldwide on July 10th via Nuclear Blast, and has entered the charts.

Commented singer and main man Dani Filth: “Cradle Of Filth, as a band, are collectively proud of the achievements thus far that our new album Hammer Of The Witches has garnered since the release of the album last week, and it is thanks to all our fans' eternal dedication and the hard work of the Nuclear Blast team that we have secured excellent chart positions around the globe; with hopefully more great news to follow. Long live the ‘Filth!”

Chart positions include:

Finland: #5
Canada: #14 (Hard Music Charts)
Hungary: #21
Germany: #23
Australia: #28
Belgium: #28
Netherlands: #38
UK: #44
Switzerland: #46
Austria: #57
Italy: #68
USA: #197

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

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

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

The fall tour schedule is as follows:

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

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

Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR was the singer that came "closest" to replacing Scott Weiland in VELVET REVOLVER, but he was eventually ruled out of the running by Slash, who felt that Corey's voice "didn't have certain elements" the guitarist thought it needed.

VELVET REVOLVER has still not found a new singer following its April 2008 split with Weiland and is more or less on hiatus, although it reunited with the former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman for a short one-off performance at a benefit concert in January 2012.

While the team-up of Taylor with VELVET REVOLVER never officially took off, VELVET guitarist Slash did confirm that the band got together with Taylor to jam and even record some new material.

During the latest installment of Loudwire's "Wikipedia: Fact Or Fiction?" segment, Corey was asked about the music he reportedly wrote and recorded with VELVET REVOLVER and whether the recordings will ever see the light of day.

"I think it was ten [songs that I recorded with VELVET REVOLVER]… I think it was… It's either nine or ten," Taylor said (see video below). "There was a handful that we wrote, and then there was a handful that I kind of rearranged a little bit based on music that they already had. So it wasn't music that we kind of wrote together. I mean, there were, like, three… I think there was three songs that we wrote together, which were actually pretty sweet. And then the rest of it was me writing to music that they already had that I thought was pretty cool."

He continued: "Yeah, the world will probably never hear 'em, which is fine, because, I mean, I would want another crack at kind of working on some of that stuff anyway. But that will never happen, so it's…. You know, it's all good."

Last October, Slash was asked during a question-and-answer session with Australia's Rolling Stone magazine why Taylor and former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach weren't the right singers for VELVET REVOLVER, and which vocalist came closest to replacing Weiland, Slash said: "Well, Sebastian [auditioned for the VELVET REVOLVER singer spot] before Scott [became a member of the band]. And I love Sebastian, but, if you can imagine, it sounded sort of like 'SKID N' ROSES.' It was cool, but you knew that everybody who heard it was gonna be, like, 'Oh, yeah, that makes sense.' It was a little bit too predictable. But as far as [vocalists that we have auditioned] since Scott [was dismissed from the band], probably [the one that came] the closest [to landing the gig] would have to be Corey, 'cause everybody was rallying for him. And I love Corey to death, but something about it was just a little bit too… What's the word for it? You know how Corey sings. It's a very macho kind of thing. But it didn't have certain elements I thought it needed. So we just didn't go down that path. And that was the closest so far."

Back in January 2012, Taylor was asked by ESPN.com what he felt he would have brought to the VELVET REVOLVER team had he quarterbacked it. Taylor replied: "What I would have brought to VELVET REVOLVER would have been more of the attitude that I think they wanted from Scott, but they got the negative side of it, you know what I'm saying? Scott, to me, has always been the guy who — he's much more interesting when he's being a dick to other people than he is onstage, to be honest. I mean, he does the lizard weird-thing-dance and everything, but that gets old after a while. When you need that strong frontman, he just really didn't do it because he was too busy just being into himself instead of engaging the audience."

Corey added, "So I would have tried to basically build a bridge between what [the members of VELVET REVOLVER] had with Axl [Rose during their time with GUNS N' ROSES] and what they had with Scott, but with a little more good time feel to it — 'cause I can have an attitude and still smile, all fucking day. I think, in a lot of ways, they could have relaxed a little bit, knowing that they wouldn't have to worry about, What's the singer going to do? Are we going to be able to go onstage on time? Are we going to be able to play our show without a fit being thrown? Are we going to be able to play the songs the way they were written?

"I am a firm believer in, give the fans what they want. Do what you do, but give the fans what they want. They're the whole reason that you are where you are, and they deserve every fucking bit that you can give them."

Slash admitted in an interview that he was the main reason Taylor didn't get the frontman job, explaining, "It just didn't seem to fit right to me. And he's great, and I love Corey, but it didn't seem like the answer to the VELVET REVOLVER problem."

Taylor told a Canadian radio station after hearing of Slash's comments, "I guess it just wasn't working for him, which... He's Slash and he's entitled to have that, and I'm not gonna argue with him. But it was cool to just be able to get together and jam with those guys and I made some really cool friends."

John Reese (pictured with SLAYER's Kerry King), the co-founder of the annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, has penned an "open letter" to the heavy metal community, asking everyone to support the genre and not continue to make divisive comments regarding the event.

After Reese's partner, Kevin Lyman, said in an interview earlier in the month that aging metal bands demanded big fees to be on bills and that there was no community spirit, like that which exists in the punk scene, guitarist Kerry King of SLAYER — which is headlining this year's Mayhem festival — criticized the organization of the event and blamed the festival's low attendances on the fact that the 2015 Mayhem lineup is "so shitty."

Earlier today, Reese released the following open letter:

"Dear fans of heavy music and metal bands everywhere,

"We are one community. It is vitally important to our community that we all unite, not divide! Without each other's support, the only thing that suffers is metal as a genre!

"In the midst of our most challenging year in eight years of producing the festival, my partner Kevin Lyman made some comments that he has subsequently apologized for.

"Kevin is an honorable man and has given everything he has to the presentation of music and expanding the profile of countless artists! I am proud of our partnership and our results throughout the years! We have always tried to deliver a platform for artists to expand their fan base and the genre as a whole!

"In saying this, various people involved with the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and some from the metal community have understandably made some divisive comments regarding the event. The event has suffered as a result of these many comments. What's done is done, but I am here to say that heavy metal music is alive and well! I shouldn't have to remind everyone that we as a culture have faced ostracism from the mainstream for decades and we should not let over-sensationalized media hype separate us! I think we are ALL tired of all of the bullshit. I know I am!

"Let's move the conversation forward supporting each other not dividing.

"Thank you to SLAYER, KING DIAMOND, HELLYEAH, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and every single one of the incredibly talented bands that have performed this year on Mayhem!

I would also just like to add a few other choice things for any media conspiracy headlines:

"'Can't we all just get along!' – Rodney King 1994

"Marilyn Manson did NOT cause Columbine!

"Obama is not the Antichrist!! And he ain't taking our guns!

"Justin Bieber….. uhhhh… no comment!

"Heavy metal does not cure cancer, but it is good to fuck to.

"Hopefully I will see many of you at Knotfest 2015!"

Lyman told the Detroit Free Press about the festival's 2015 lineup, which also includes KING DIAMOND, HELLYEAH and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: "It was the best available for what we had to work with. We had pressure to keep the package at a certain price and make that work, and we had pressure on headliner expenses." In addition, there are fewer acts on the bill and only two stages this time around because "we had to condense it," Lyman said. "The expenses of putting on those shows had gotten high, so we had to push it all into the concourses. They [venues] don't want to build a fence outside [for third and fourth stages] anymore. Those things cost money."

METAL ALLEGIANCE — the all-star metal band consisting of a rotating cast of musicians, including members of MEGADETH, TESTAMENT — which debuted on MOTÖRHEAD's Motörboat cruise last year, and performed at this year's NAMM show and on the ShipRocked cruise, will release its self-titled debut album on September 18 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Brought together by METAL ALLEGIANCE principal partner Mark Menghi, the project's original material came together from the creative minds of David Ellefson of MEGADETH, Mike Portnoy of THE WINERY DOGS, and Alex Skolnick from TESTAMENT, alongside Menghi. The four writers then reached out through their metal rolodexes to a diverse lineup of performers, each adding their own personal musical stamp to the collection of nine original songs.

"Metal Allegiance" contains appearances by:

* Philip H. Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN)* Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX)* Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT)* D. Randall Blythe (LAMB OF GOD)* Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN, KILL DEVIL HILL)* Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES)* Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD)* Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY)V* Matthew K. Heafy (TRIVIUM)* Gary Holt (EXODUS)* Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED)* Chris Jericho (FOZZY)* Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA)* Misha Mansoor (PERIPHERY)* Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL)* Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH)* Doug Pinnick (KING'S X, KXM)* Troy Sanders (MASTODON)* Cristina Scabbia (LACUNA COIL)* Steve "Zetro" Souza (EXODUS)* Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN)

The fourth studio webisode for "Metal Allegiance", which covers the recording of the track "Can't Kill The Devil" (featuring TESTAMENT's Chuck Billy, MACHINE HEAD's Phil Demmel and SEPULTURA's Andreas Kisser) is available below.

"I am very honored to be a part of the METAL ALLEGIANCE record. The track 'Can't Kill The Devil' was fun and challenging for me," stated TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy. "Working outside of TESTAMENT lets me try different things with my voice. I think the fans are going to be singing along to this track for sure." MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel added: "So stoked to throw down with legends!"

Blythe said: "When LAMB OF GOD asked Alex Skolnick to rip a guest solo on 'Ashes Of The Wake', it was a big deal to us to have one of the legends of our scene play on our record. Much to my amazement, years later he returned the request, and it's an even bigger deal to me to be asked on a peer level to contribute to a project with so many stellar players. I was honored to be chosen. 'Gift Of Pain' rips! Play it LOUD!"

Mike Portnoy added: "I could not be any more excited or proud of the METAL ALLEGIANCE album... It's everything I've always dreamed of and hoped for and a hundred times more!"

From the blistering opening of album starter "Gift Of Pain" to the final notes of closer "Pledge Of Allegiance", it is clear this collective have created something special. The diversity of the individual tracks is apparent through each musical collaboration.

The standard edition CD of "Metal Allegiance" will feature the nine original songs. A digipak edition will be available that features an all-star tribute to Ronnie James Dio with a cover of his classic song "We Rock" as well as a 45-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the album. A double vinyl version will also be available that will feature all 10 songs as well.

"Metal Allegiance" track listing:

01. Gift Of Pain

Vocals: D. Randall BlytheLead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex SkolnickBass: David Ellefson Drums: Mike PortnoyAdditional Lead Guitar: Gary Holt

02. Let Darkness Fall

Vocals: Troy SandersLead, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitars: Alex SkolnickBass: David EllefsonDrums & Percussion: Mike PortnoyAdditional Bass: Mark Menghi & Rex BrownAdditional Screams: D. Randall Blythe

03. Can't Kill The Devil

Vocals: Chuck BillyLead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex SkolnickBass: David Ellefson Drums: Mike PortnoyAdditional Lead Guitar: Phil Demmel & Andreas Kisser

04. Dying Song

Vocals: Philip H. AnselmoLead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex SkolnickBass: Mark Menghi Drums: Mike Portnoy

05. Scars Vocals: Mark Osegueda & Cristina ScabbiaLead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex Skolnick Bass: David EllefsonDrums: Mike Portnoy

06. Destination: Nowhere

Vocals: Matthew K. HeafyLead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex SkolnickBass: David Ellefson Drums: Mike PortnoyAdditional Lead Guitar: Matthew K. Heafy

07. Wait Until Tomorrow

Vocals: Doug Pinnick & Jamey JastaLead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex SkolnickBass: David EllefsonDrums, Percussion & Additional Vocals: Mike Portnoy

8. Triangulum I. Creation II. Evolution III. Destruction

Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex SkolnickBass: David EllefsonDrums: Mike PortnoyAdditional Lead Guitar: Misha Mansoor, Ben Weinman, Charlie Benante, Phil Demmel, Matthew K. Heafy & Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal

09. Pledge Of Allegiance

Vocals: Mark OseguedaLead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex SkolnickBass: David Ellefson Drums: Mike PortnoyAdditional Lead Guitar: Charlie Benante, Gary Holt & Andreas Kisser

10. We Rock (DIO cover) (deluxe edition only)

Vocals: Mark Osegueda, Chris Jericho, Tim "Ripper" Owens, Alissa White-Gluz, Chuck Billy & Steve "Zetro" SouzaLead & Rhythm Guitars: Alex SkolnickBass: David Ellefson Drums: Mike PortnoyAdditional Lead Guitar: Andreas Kisser, Phil Demmel & Gary Holt Nuclear Blast Entertainment president Monte Conner offered up his label as the home for METAL ALLEGIANCE after several meetings. Upon hearing the demos and seeing the list of performers, he felt it was something he wanted to be a part of.

"I am incredibly fortunate to be able to work with legendary musicians and personal heroes like David Ellefson, Alex Skolnick and Mike Portnoy, as well as METAL ALLEGIANCE founder Mark Menghi," he said. "These guys wrote an amazing and diverse record that is 100 percent pure metal, and lined up some killer guest vocalists and lead guitarists to bring it home in an epic, shredding fashion — just the leads on this record alone will blow people away!" he said. "Perhaps the coolest part of all is that unlike similar projects in the past that existed as studio-only creations, METAL ALLEGIANCE were a touring entity first and have now organically evolved into a studio band that makes albums. I am very grateful to these guys for choosing me and the Nuclear Blast team as the vehicle to bring their music to the metal masses."

Stemming from an initial idea in 2011, METAL ALLEGIANCE was born as a way to unite a collection of hard rock and heavy metal's most notable musicians in a setting born under one ideal, a love of music and performing. In 2015, that ideal still holds true and has become the foundation for everything METAL ALLEGIANCE; furthered with the release of the upcoming debut album. While the lineup may change, the passion, the energy and the emotion all remain the same. METAL ALLEGIANCE is more than just a record or a concert, it’s an experience and a lifestyle.

Previous participants in METAL ALLEGIANCE live events have included Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown (PANTERA); Joey Belladonna, Frank Bello, Charlie Benante and Scott Ian (ANTHRAX); Gary Holt, Kerry King and Dave Lombardo (SLAYER), Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT); Troy Sanders (MASTODON); and Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA). These unforgettable events have also spawned surprise appearances by the likes of Geezer Butler (BLACK SABBATH), Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee (MOTÖHEAD), Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan (THE WINERY DOGS).

Portnoy previously told MikePortnoyWarriors.com about METAL ALLEGIANCE: "For me, I'm getting to do the full-blown, double-bass shredding drumming that I've only been able to hint at with DREAM THEATER or with AVENGED or with ADRENALINE MOB. So now it's a full-blown album. And the whole album is not thrash. I mean, this album is really kind of the history of metal; there's moments that are early metal, like very [BLACK] SABBATH-esque, and then there's moments that are full-on mid-'80s thrash — EXODUS, SLAYER, early METALLICA, 'Kill 'Em All' METALLICA — so there's a good chunk that's very, very much like that. And then there's moments that get more into '90s type of ALICE IN CHAINS sort of stuff. So it's almost a good history-of-metal sort of album. But I definitely have gotten my metal chops in. It's been fun. It's been really, really cool. I can't wait for people to hear this album."

Regarding how he fits alongside other METAL ALLEGIANCE members, Portnoy said: "To me, METAL ALLEGIANCE is… it's the ultimate hang. And, for me, it's awesome, because I'm really the only guy on the roster that's not normally in a thrash or metal band; I come from a kind of different world. So, on the outside, it may look weird that I do this, but I've always been the biggest metal fan through and through. I grew up listening to the same stuff as all these guys — we all grew up listening to [BLACK] SABBATH and [JUDAS] PRIEST and [IRON] MAIDEN and KISS and AC/DC and MOTÖRHEAD — so I have the same musical background as these guys. And once all the guys in METAL ALLEGIANCE were coming up — in MEGADETH and SLAYER and PANTERA and ANTHRAX — I was coming up around the same time as well, just in a different genre. But these guys were always my friends; I was always hanging out with the ANTHRAX guys and the PANTERA guys… whatever. I felt a close kinship to all the guys in this thrash world, and they became my friends. So, with METAL ALLEGIANCE, for me, it's a natural thing to be involved with these guys. All these guys are great guys, great friends. We love jamming together, and the whole METAL ALLEGIANCE thing is just… You know, we're fans. When we're up on stage playing this stuff, we're as much fans as the people on the other side, in the audience. We're on the side of the stage headbanging and cheering everybody on and having a good time. So that's what it's about: it's just metal by metal guys who are still metal fans."

Ohio metal band Miss May I will make their return later this summer with the release of their next studio album, Deathless, via Rise Records on August 7th. Check out the new video for the album’s title track below:

Fans can pre-order the new album at MissMayIMusic.com. All pre-orders will come with an instant download of the band’s new track, “I.H.E.”. The official music video for the new song is streaming below.
 
Deathless was produced by Joey Sturgis (Of Mice & Men) and Nick Sampson (Asking Alexandria) and was recorded at The Foundation Recording Studio in Connersville, IN. The band’s fifth record follows their 2014 breakout, Rise of the Lion, which debuted at #21 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart.
 
"We are very excited about this release,” says vocalist Levi Benton. “Not only have we been working on this record for almost a year but we recorded it with our old friend Joey Sturgis who did our first 2 records and really brought out the best in us. This record is about how the last two years have tested us on many levels and how we have come through it all stronger and better. That's where the title comes from, because we are Deathless!”
 
Miss May I’s new record is not only a turning point for the band’s career it’s also a return to form. Since their inception in 2007, they’ve steadily amassed a worldwide army of fans with four records, the last three of which have charted higher with each consecutive release. With Deathless, the band has never sounded more aggressive, while remaining as accessible as always. All roads have led to this point in the band’s burgeoning career. And Miss May I doesn’t disappoint.

Deathless tracklisting:

“I H.E.”
“Trust My Heart (Never Hope To Die)”
“Psychotic Romantic”
“Deathless”
“Bastards Left Behind”
“Arise”
“Turn Back The Time”
“Empty Promises”
“The Artificial”
“Born From Nothing”

“I H.E.” video:

 

"The Ride Majestic", the tenth studio album from Sweden-based melodic death metal experts SOILWORK, will be released worldwide on August 28 via Nuclear Blast.

In preparation for the CD's release, SOILWORK has created a two-part mini-documentary inviting fans and newcomers alike to take an inside look at the band's history.

In part one, which can be seen below, vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid gives a personal account of what has shaped SOILWORK as the one of the greatest European metal bands in modern music.

Strid states: "'The Ride Majestic' was one of the first songs we wrote for this album. The intro sets a certain melancholic mood and after that it's all pure melodic mayhem. There's a very epic and anthemic feel to it, which suits the album title perfectly. The lyrics deal with the fear of dying and the art of remaining sane while you're still alive. Not wanting to miss a thing, wanting to embrace every moment, and being able to bring it all back on your dying day, with a snap of your fingers. It's also a tribute to the ones we've lost and the comfort of hoping that they will catch us when we fall, on the other side. We believe that, if there is an afterlife, this song would be the soundtrack to that journey. It deals with the acceptance of life and death and possibly everything between and beyond."

Joining SOILWORK on tour in support of the effort will be new bassist Markus Wibom, formerly of Helsingborg hardcore group HEARTS ALIVE. Wibom replaces longtime bandmember Ola Flink, who has amicably left the group to focus on other endeavors. Wibom has been a personal friend of the band for many years and has previously toured with SOILWORK as a guitar tech and lighting designer. Wibom made his live debut with SOILWORK in Stockholm on April 30. Strid states: "We all, sooner or later, come to a crossroad in our lives when our focus of being fueled by the past is just as strong as our visions of the future and we have to make that incredibly hard decision. Where do I go now?

"Flink will forever be a symbol for SOILWORK and of all we were and still are about. That being said, we all could sense that he eventually would come to the above mentioned crossroad. He understandably and respectfully chose to step down. "So, where do WE go now? Let me introduce you to one of the finest and most stand-up people I know: Markus Wibom. He's been a longtime friend and is an overall multi-instrumental amazing musician. He's been with us before, on past world tours. He's also an amazing character and I couldn't think of a better person to fill Flink's shoes, which indeed are very big… literally. (Markus's shoe size is actually even bigger, if anybody wants to know)

"Anyway, as much as I will miss Flink, I'm just as excited to tour the world with one of my absolute best friends.

"Thank you, Flink; you will forever rule. Thank you, Markus, for taking this on. I know you will blow people's minds, once the world tour of 'The Ride Majestic' commences.

"Please give Markus a very warm welcome, everyone!" Wibom adds: "It's a great honor and a true pleasure to play with such skilled musicians and amazing people! It's going to be awesome to share the stage with those guys after all these years on the road together, and with the new record coming up — it absolutely kills!" Catch Wibom out on tour with SOILWORK on the band's upcoming European headline tour, dubbed "The Tour Majestic", with support from HATESPHERE. The European dates will follow SOILWORK's upcoming U.S. tour with SOULFLY, DECAPITATED and SHATTERED SUN, in addition to several European summer festival dates coming up soon.

San Francisco Bay Area thrashers HATCHET will release their third studio album, "Fear Beyond Lunacy", on October 30 via The End Records. The follow-up to 2013's "Dawn Of The End" marks the recording debut of the new HATCHET lineup behind founding member, vocalist and lead guitarist Julz Ramos: Clayton Cagle on guitar, Kody Barba on bass, and Ben Smith on drums. The new members have injected the band with a surge of raw energy, and fans of HATCHET will be satisfied with this revived enthusiasm laid into the recordings. Ramos said: "The faster, thrashier tracks hit harder than ever before, while the melodic stuff is catchier and we've even experimented with some heavier, slower tempos."

The "Fear Beyond Lunacy" song "The World Beyond" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Said Ramos: "We felt 'The World Beyond' was a good all around track to introduce fans to the new album. It has a good mixture of both fast and mid-tempo pacing with some cool gang chants in the verse. It isn't the fastest or the most melodic on the album either, so we wanted people to get a taste but not give away the whole brewery up front. It only leads to good things from here!"

Regarding the "Fear Beyond Lunacy" cover, Ramos said: "The artwork was done by Andrej Bartulovic from All Things Rotten, who also did our previous album cover for 'Dawn Of The End'. The artwork depicts what I see us becoming as a modern society. A society of fear-engrossed, media-addicted slaves. We are constantly hooked on what our media and TVs are feeding us to believe to be true and what we should be afraid of today, tomorrow, next month/year etc. I feel this is particularly true with Americans. There is always some big conspiracy happening or natural disaster predicted by someone hundreds of years ago that everyone in some form or another seems to live their lives in fear of. It's getting out of hand, and that's what this picture represents; someone who is ultimately driven insane by this and where we can all be heading if we are not careful."

"Fear Beyond Lunacy" track listing:

01. Where Time Cannot Exist02. Living In Extinction03. Lethal Injustice04. In Fear We Trust05. Killing Indulgence06. Dead And Gone07. Tearing Into Hell08. Prophet Of Delusion09. The World Beyond10. Frozen Hell (bonus track)11. Awaiting Evil (bonus track) **

** Available only with purchase of vinyl edition

"Fear Beyond Lunacy" can b pre-ordered at www.theomegaorder.com/hatchet.

After releasing two demos, HATCHET's debut album, "Awaiting Evil", was made available in mid-2008 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was well received by thrash enthusiasts around the globe and proved a great beginning for the band. Since the release of the debut, HATCHET has completed three full DIY U.S. tours and has shared the stage with SOILWORK, JEFF LOOMIS, THREAT SIGNAL, BLACK TIDE, CELLADOR, EXMORTUS and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.

In an unprecedented event in extreme metal, Canadian powerhouse Kataklysm will release ten music videos in the ten days leading up to the release of their new album, Of Ghosts And Gods. Today, the band has released a video for “Shattered”.

Mastermind Maurizio Iacono: ““Shattered” is about someone who functions in a normal society in an automatic mode but is riddled with inner demons.”

Kataklysm will release Of Ghosts And Gods on July 31st worldwide via Nuclear Blast. Guitarist J- F Dagenais tracked drums, guitars and bass for the album, while vocals were recorded by producer Mark Lewis (Whitechapel, DevilDriver, Cannibal Corpse). The entire process was mixed and mastered in the UK by legendary producer Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Testament, Exodus, Amon Amarth)

The new album artwork was done by up and coming dark and macabre artist Art by Surtsey. The new Kataklysm cover art echoes a sinister artwork depicting the reality of humanity’s beautifully disturbing existence and its impending death through the Mortal and the Everlasting, the background shows an ancient Incantation written in Aramaic.

Of Ghosts And Gods track listing:

“Breaching The Asylum”
“The Black Sheep”
“Thy Serpents Tongue”
“Soul Destroyer”
“Vindication”
“Marching Through Graveyards”
“Shattered”
“Hate Spirit”
“Carrying Crosses”
“The World Is A Dying Insect”

“Carrying Crosses” video:

“Soul Destroyer” video:

“Thy Serpents Tongue” video:

“Vindication” video:

“Marching Through Graveyards” video:

“The Black Sheep” video:

“Breaching The Asylum” video:

“Soul Destroyer”:

Preview:

About the album, the band previously stated: “It has all the elements that make Kataklysm the force that it is with unrelenting power, melodic hooks, extreme passages and the head stomping grooves Kataklysm is well known for, plus it jumps into new territory in the true nature of the band’s adventurous exploits to push the limit. The end result will be our fans head banging with their horns in the air and shouting the hymns - and that’s our satisfaction right there. We will be hitting the road this summer with a string of festivals in support of the album. This is a determined Kataklysm like you’ve never seen before. Be ready."

Kataklysm have announced dates for their Of Ghosts And Gods European tour 2016

Mastermind Maurizio states: “It’s been a little awhile since we have visited the clubs and theaters of Europe , the last run was incredible as we remember it well, this time we come stronger then ever supporting the bombastic Of Ghosts And Gods with an unprecedented 44 shows across the old continent as we will be visiting new cities and also countries such as Norway, Finland, Estonia and Latvia for the very first time… excitement is an understatement! We will be bringing a full Kataklysm show so you can feel the real experience our way and we are bring with us our brothers:  the Greek titan kings of SepticFlesh and Belgian gore masters Aborted to bring the power and the blood, in true Kataklysm tradition the tour will be in January / February, so come start the year the right way and experience this sonic assault when it comes to destroy your town.”

Tour dates:

January
7 - Berlin, Germany - C-Club
8 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
9 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
10 - Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall
11 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
12 - Göteburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers
13 - Oslo, Norway - Blå
14 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Strand
16 - Helsinki, Finland - Nosturi
17 - Tallin, Estonia - Tapper
18 - Riga, Latvia - Melna Piektdiena
19 - Vilnius, Lithuania - New York
20 - Warschau, Poland - Progresja
21 - Cracov, Poland - Fabryka
22 - Prag, Czech Republic - Meet Factory
23 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
24 - Budapest, Hungary - Dürer Kert
25 - Lubljana, Slovenia - Kino Siska
26 - Wörgl, Austria - Komma
27 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Majestic
28 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA
29 - Geiselwind, Germany - Musichall
30 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z 7
31 - München, Germany - Backstage

February
1 - Genf, Switzerland - Lùsine
2 - Montepellier, France - Rockstore
3 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
4 - Madrid, Spain - Caracol
5 - Limoges, France - CC John Lennon
6 - Vannes, France - Echonova
7 - Rouen, France - Le 106
9 - Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
10 - St. Etienne, France - Le Fil
11 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
12 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob
13 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
14 - Paris, France - La Machine
15 - Bristol, UK - Fleece
16 - Glasgow, UK - Audio
17 - Dublin, Ireland - Voodoo Lounge
18 - Manchester, UK - Sound Control
19 - Nuneaton, UK - Queens Hall
20 - London, UK - Underworld
21 - Tilburg, Netherlands - O13

Kataklysm and diabolical death / black metal giants Belphegor will co-headline an uncompromising raid on North American shores this fall

“We've had a very busy year preparing for the world campaign for our new album, Of Ghosts and Gods, that is currently underway in Europe for the festival season,” commented vocalist Maurizio Iacono. “This fall, we will return to the US and Canada with our crazy brothers in Belphegor, to destroy your souls and cities one by one. We hope to see you guys there joining in on the madness!"

Adds Belphegor guitarist/vocalist and mastermind Helmuth Lehner: "Ave! Belphegor are looking forward to returning to US shores and celebrating our 9th North American raid to promote the latest offering, Conjuring The Dead. Revel in brutal musick and join the pit with us!“

Confirmed dates are as follows:

October
24 - San Bernardino, CA KnotFest 2015
25 - Las Vegas, NV - LVCS
26 - Oakland, CA - Metro Opera House
27 - Portland, OR - Panic Room
28 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
30 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock
31 - Chicago, IL - Reggies

November
1 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
2 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
3 - Amarillo, TX - Yellow City Bomb Shelter
4 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
6 - Orlando, FL - The Haven
7 - Charlotte, NC - The Casbah @ Tremont
8 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
9 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
10 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
11 - Columbus, OH - Al Rosa Villa
12 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club
13 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
14 - Quebec City, QC - Complexe Meduse *
15 - Sherbrooke, QC - Theatre Granada *
16 - Ottawa, ON - Maverick's *

* - no Belphegor

Midlands, UK-based extreme metal quintet, Gehtika, have released a video for their new single, “One Night: Seven Sins”, the track from their forthcoming release, A Monster In Mourning, slated for release on August 17th. The band once again teamed up with Wil Henry of Silent Syndicate Productions, someone who Gehtika had worked with on their “Impossible Question” music video.

Vocalist Anthony Knight comments, "The whole album follows a dark fantasy tale and “One Night: Seven Sins” is the opening track and the catalyst for all the events that follow.

"There are three characters in this track; The Prince (who's played by Prok from Morgue Orgy), The Serving Girl & Lady Morgana Mai and none of them get off to a particularly good start! It’s two nights before The Prince and Lady Morgana are due to be wed, but the Prince is a bit of a 'playboy' and decides to have his way with The Serving Girl (naughty!) For reasons unknown at this point in the story Morgana, during her sleep, she is given sight of these deceitful events unfolding and awakes 'with a panic and a hellish fright'. A grimoire lays at the foot of her bed; open and inviting, she’s drawn to it and begins to read.

"In her anger and emotionally fragile state she reads through the hateful curses of the grimoire and condemns the shallow, devious Prince to life both faceless and nameless… much to the shock of both the Prince and the Serving Girl, who flees at the sight of his face falling away.

"Morgana becomes consumed by the corruption and power of the book, 'transcending humanity'. The spell convinces the Prince that the Serving Girl is to blame, so he will relentlessly hunt poor innocent peasant girls in his obsessive quest to put the culprit to the pyre and lift the curse… only with every innocent life he takes, Morgana’s new powers will grow.

“In the video we have Bryanne (who plays Lady Morgana Mai), as herself to begin with, entering a darkened empty room and then suddenly getting these flashes of distant memories, which aren’t her own. The band effectively 'narrate' the story while Bryanne becomes possessed by the visions; reliving Morgana’s transcendence from a woman scorned to a corrupted witch… and it would appear that even after her visions have ceased, Morgana perhaps hasn’t…

"Myself and Topher co-directed certain scenes but all credit really needs to go to Wil – he’s done a fantastic job getting the right shots, the feel of the song and the editing is fantastic!"

"The artwork was created by an insanely talented friend of ours, Scott Davidson," states Knight. "We worked with him on our Impossible Question EP and the 'Stack The Pyres' single so, as with the Owen Davies, our album producer, we had to go back to him for this."

"Infinitely talented and a true gent to work with; Scott is amazing at creating fantasy artwork so we knew this would be a project he'd really get stuck into. Myself and our guitarist Scott [Allen] met up with him to go through the story, lyrics and overall concept and he went away and created a bunch of sketches which we really struggled to choose from! We eventually/reluctantly managed to narrow it down though and he's produced the album artwork depicting the Prince character (aka the 'Monster In Mourning') plus two other pieces which are only available in the limited edition version of the album."

Tracklisting:

“Apollyon”
“One Night: Seven Sins”
“Step Forth From The Darkness”
“Stack The Pyres”
“Empire In Decay”
“A Monster In Mourning”
“Reckoning”
“The Massaquerade”
“Shepherd Of Erebus”
“The Fiend Staring Back At Me”
“A Halo Of Crows”

A Monster In Mourning follows a concept the band had initially explored on previous single release ‘Stack The Pyres’ (which has been re-recorded for the album).

"As a band, this album is a big deal!" exclaims Anthony. "We've wanted to get another album under our belts for some time; we had a relatively quiet 2014, except for being given the opportunity to play the Sophie Lancaster Stage at Bloodstock (which was amazing!) so although we've been desperate to put out a new release we certainly didn't want to rush it! We put in a ton of time at the studio writing (some may say too much time...) and dissected every bit of every track until we were confident they were perfect. A massive amount of time and effort has gone into making this; we wanted to create something special that we and our fans can all be really proud of."

"Personally, this album has been huge amount of fun to write and has allowed me to try a few things, both lyrically and creatively, that I've always wanted to try! Not only have I had the opportunity to make every track part of the story, but I've been able to flesh out all of the characters in the book, something I've really enjoyed and am extremely proud of - I can't wait for people to hear what we've created musically and also get immersed in the story... hopefully everyone enjoys reading the lyrics and story as much as we did writing it all!"

“Stack The Pyres”:

Japanese metal legends recently did a handful of live dates in Europe, hitting the annual Bang Your Head Festival in Germany, Bergen Op Zoom in the Netherlands, and Prato Italy along the way. Fan-filmed video from all three shows is available below:

The setlist for the club shows was as follows:

"Crazy Nights" 
"Like Hell" 
"Heavy Chains" 
"The Stronger" 
"The Sun Will Rise Again" 
"Street Woman" 
"Black Star Oblivion" 
"We Could Be Together" 
"Let It Go" 
"Never Change Your Mind" 
"Clockwork Toy" 
"In the Mirror" 
- drum solo - 
"Exploder" 
"Dream Fantasy" 
"Esper" 

Encore:
"Crazy Doctor" 
"S.D.I." 

IRON MAIDEN guitarist Janick Gers spoke to Glide Magazine about the band's forthcoming double album, "The Book Of Souls", which will be released globally on September 4 through Parlophone Records (Sanctuary Copyrights/BMG in the U.S.A.).

Regarding what it was like making the new CD in the months prior to the announcement that MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson had a cancerous tumor on his tongue and would have to undergo extensive medical treatment, Gers said: "Actually, nobody knew that Bruce was ill when we did the album. We put the album together between September and early December and Bruce was singing fantastic. In fact, he was staying with me and we were staying in the same hotel — the rest of the band were in different places — so we were going out and having a drink and a chat about how things were going. We were really happy with the album and his voice was sounding great and he was his usual bubbly self — excited about the album and we were having great fun. It wasn't until afterwards when he got back to England that he said he got an abscess, which he's had before and he had a couple of teeth taken out, and it came back. It was only then he said to me, 'I've got this abscess back.' He couldn't drink because he was on antibiotics and I thought that was strange because he said that last year. I didn't have any clue — nobody had any clue — and then we got a message from Andy Taylor, one of our managers, who told me what happened. I was in shock, because Bruce was singing incredibly well."

He continued: "Obviously we had to just scrap everything for this year. We had a tour booked, and we said forget that. Bruce was very positive, he found it very early, and the doctor told him it was going to be curable. It was on his tongue, nowhere near his vocal cords, and he's in the clear now. I saw him a couple of weeks ago and he was looking good. He was still a bit thin from his chemo; he's not back to running a 10K yet, but he looks fine, he's talking fine. I don't know what his singing voice is like, because he's had radiotherapy on his throat, so obviously his throat will be quite swollen. But when we did the album we had no idea about any of this; it only became apparent after we got to the end of the album. So it didn't affect the album in that way, it's just affected this year and the fact that we won't be touring."

Asked why it has taken IRON MAIDEN so long to release a double album, Gers said: "This is a time when people's attention spans are so limited, they're so small and they've got the attention span of a gnat. This is a triple album in actual fact — it's a triple vinyl album and a double CD. We just do what we want to do and we've always done that — we always kind of fight against the tide. It wasn't that we set out to make a double album; we just brought so many ideas into the studio and they were all good ideas. Some of the songs weren't that long when they came in, but they ended up that long when we finished them. Everybody always brings in probably an hour's worth of music. You might only want to use 15 minutes of it, but you've got an hour of stuff that's really good. It's indicative of how creative everybody in the band is. This band's been going a long time and we never have to scrape around because there are always so many ideas to use — melodies, tunes, themes. It just ended up we had 11 songs in 92 minutes, which is quite too long for a single album. I think it's good; we just come in and try different things, and we never restrict ourselves in terms of melodies and tunes. If it's long, it ends up long, and it's as simple as that. If it feels right, that's what it is. This album just dictates where we are right now in 2015. We're not a band that looks backwards, we always look forward and we're always trying to develop new ideas, new strategies, new attacks of songs, and taking songs down different pathways. And I think this album proves that we're still valid; the songs are powerful and edgy. There's all types of different songs on this album and there's almost something for everybody — classically influenced, jazz influenced, rock and blues influenced — it's all there and it's just indicative of what the band's about."

Read the entire interview at Glide Magazine .

A listening party for "The Book Of Souls" will be held on September 3 at Rock N Roll Ribs, the barbecue restaurant owned by MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain and close friend Mitch Tanne, in Coral Springs, Florida.

"The Book Of Souls" will include "Empire Of The Clouds", an 18-minute track penned by Dickinson. The CD was recorded in Paris, France with producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in late 2014, with the finishing touches added earlier this year.

HollywoodChicago.com conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph at the July 12 stop of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival in Tinley Park, Illinois. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the differences between drumming for SLAYER, EXODUS and TESTAMENT:

"With TESTAMENT, it's probably a bit more diverse in terms of thrashing. They still thrash, but not every song is, like, super, super… super, super thrash in terms of me being busy as as a drummer. It's more in-the-pocket thrash. No, that being said, they have Gene Hoglan playing drums for 'em now, and he's taken it way over the top. But with EXODUS, the challenge there was playing Tom Hunting's parts. Tom Hunting's one of the most underrated, legendary thrash metal drummers ever. Other guys have been getting way more credit than he gets, and that guy's probably one of the best, in my opinion. And his style is not an easy style to recreate at all. So playing with EXODUS, the challenge was trying to make it still sound like EXODUS and learn how to play like Tom Hunting, and that's not easy."

On illegal music downloading:

"I'm the kind of person who likes to get stuff for free, but I like to buy the music that I listen to, because the artist created it, and they took their time and effort to make it, and if I grab that music for free, then… I'm not stealing from 'em, but I'm not giving anything back for what they gave me. I think what it comes down to now is playing live, and I think that's a good thing. Because if you're a really good live band, people are gonna come see you. I mean, if a million people had our record but we didn't sell a million records, that's still a million people that, at one time or another, probably would come and see us play. Also, if you're great in the studio, but you suck live, that's probably gonna be a problem nowadays. But I don't think we have that problem."

SLAYER's new album, "Repentless", will be released on September 11 via Nuclear Blast. The CD's title track is now on sale digitally virtually everywhere, including on Amazon, iTunes and Google. The artwork was created by Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco in collaboration with the band's Tom Araya and Kerry King.

"Repentless" was produced by Terry Date, who has previously worked with PANTERA, SLIPKNOT and SOUNDGARDEN.

In a brand new interview with MLive, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford spoke about how the heavy metal scene of today compares to the way it was in the mid '80s, when metal was enjoying its heyday on both sides of the Atlantic.

"It's a different landscape today vs. the past," he said. "There's only one IRON MAIDEN, and only one BLACK SABBATH, of sorts. What we crafted in the '70s and '80s was our feeling. I think it's natural for new metal bands to strive to find their own direction. I personally could look around and see acts like [Jimi] Hendrix, DEEP PURPLE, etc. ... the beginnings of the metal scene, to an extent. We learned from the masters in some respect."

He continued: "To me, it's always been about quality, not quality. I'm in this to make quality music that's going to stick, where you can look back 5-10 years from now and say it still sounds pretty darn good. I'm not dismissing the incredible talent out there now. People are in a band to make their dreams come true, and it's really tough."

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton recently said that he was proud to have had an influence on the current crop of up-and-coming artists, many of whom in turn have an impact on PRIEST's work.

He said: "I think there's still some great young bands around. We've got a lot of respect for the younger bands. You can still learn from them, because they're creating new parts of heavy metal. Every year, every decade it changes, but the backbone is still heavy metal."

He added: "If we've inspired some young bands, that's great, and it makes us proud. We're not stupid, we listen to the young bands as well, and we learn from them. We don't copy them, but we get inspired."

JUDAS PRIEST is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Redeemer Of Souls", which was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"X-Ray Visions", the new video from Maryland rockers CLUTCH, can be seen below. The clip was shot by renowned photographer Dan Winters, who also designed the cover for the band's eleventh studio album, "Psychic Warfare".

Sirius XM's Liquid Metal (Sirius XM channel 40) will premiere the audio track of "X-Ray Visions" throughout its programming from July 29 to July 31.

"X-Ray Visions" is the first single from "Psychic Warfare", which will be released on October 2 via the band's own label Weathermaker Music. The CD was helmed by CLUTCH's longtime producer Machine (LAMB OF GOD, EVERY TIME I DIE) and consists of 12 new tracks.

"The title 'Psychic Warfare' is taken from the track 'X-Ray Visions'," states singer Neil Fallon. "It's a tale about an unnamed protagonist who is forced to seek refuge in a flop house motel. He is hiding from several nefarious psychic forces, the worst of which is his own sleep-deprived paranoia."

According to Fallon, the "X-Ray Visions" lyrical concept was influenced by Philip K. Dick, the science fiction author whose 1968 novel"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" was the basis for "Blade Runner". Neil said: "[Dick's] general philosophy and questions have always crept into my lyrics, because I share an interest in it. On 'Earth Rocker', 'Crucial Velocity' was definitely a Philip K. Dick song for me. On this record, 'X-Ray Visions' certainly is."

Fallon added that the secluded studio location was the inspiration for the song "A Quick Death In Texas". He explained: "I was staying in a kind of unique, maybe 100-year-old property, by myself. I got spooked out because I come from the East Coast and the suburbs and I was out in the woods. That was the environment that brought out 'A Quick Death In Texas' — and the locals."

"Psychic Warfare" track listing:

01. The Affidavit02. X-Ray Visions03. Firebirds 04. A Quick Death in Texas 05. Sucker For The Witch06. Your Love is Incarceration07. Doom Saloon 08. Our Lady of Electric Light 09. Noble Savages 10. Behold the Colossus 11. Decapitation Blues 12. Son Of Virginia

Regarding the musical direction of "Psychic Warfare", Fallon said: "It's probably faster than 'Earth Rocker'. We wrote it pretty quickly after 'Earth Rocker', so we were, kind of, still in that headspace."

CLUTCH drummer Jean-Paul Gaster told The Aquarian Weekly: "There are some similarities in regards to 'Earth Rocker', and there are some songs on it that are sort of familiar, but we did some different stuff, too. There's stuff that is a little funkier, and there's other stuff that's a little more bluesy. So there's more diversity, I think."

Asked about the creative process in CLUTCH, Jean-Paul Gaster said: "The creative process really hasn't changed all that much. It's really just the four of us getting together and banging out jams, so to speak. We work on one or two parts at a time, and often we set those parts aside and work on something new. We'll do that for several months until we have a large pool of ideas to pull from. As we get closer to the recording process, we start to try to fix some of these parts and make them into songs. Sometimes the songs get cannibalized as well, like one song will sort of eat the other, in a way. And even then we have a lot of songs to choose from, so sometimes songs that we have been working on for months won't even end up on the record."

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King joined KING DIAMOND on stage on July 25 at the Mansfield, Massachusetts stop of this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival to perform the MERCYFUL FATE classic "Evil".

Fan-filmed video footage of Kerry's appearance can be seen below.

Kerry King has previously stated that he and fellow original SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman were big fans of MERCYFUL FATE when SLAYER recorded the album "Hell Awaits", so much so that the LP was very influenced by the Danish heavy metal act.

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

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

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

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

Asked by Full Metal Jackie if he feels at all uncomfortable when fans share the impact MERCYFUL FATE had on them, King Diamond said: "It's great to hear. I mean, I was very lucky the other day. I went and saw my friends in VOLBEAT play here in Dallas. And ANTHRAX was supporting. I met [ANTHRAX guitarist] Scott Ian before, but I met all of [the ANTHRAX guys] this time around and got to really talk to them. And what an amazing bunch of guys. I mean, really great human beings — nice people. It was amazing. And they just played and put on an amazing show. So it was a very good evening, and it was great to meet [them]. And they also were talking about: 'Hey! Let's do [MERCYFUL FATE's] 'Evil'.' [And I said] 'Okay, I can do 'Evil' in my sleep, so we can do that, if you want to.' And then one of the other guys said: 'Hey, there's a little more to it than just that.' It can quickly go wrong if you have not tested it properly. So some other time we'll do it. But I remember, the drummer [Charlie Benante] said that he could play the entire 'Melissa' album, if need be. So it's nice to hear that people are really that into that old music still."

SLAYER's new album, "Repentless", will be released on September 11 via Nuclear Blast.

Fan-filmed video footage of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE performing a new song called "Strength Of The Mind" at the July 26 Asbury Park, New Jersey stop of the band's tour with RISE AGAINST can be seen below.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach recently finished laying down vocals on five songs for the band's forthcoming seventh full-length album. The follow-up to 2013's "Disarm The Descent" is tentatively due in early 2016 via Roadrunner.

Leach wrote in a post on Instagram: "[I am] pretty stoked on the song I just finished. It turned out to be quite unique sonically and lyrically. It's an ode to the road, the trials and triumphs, the friendships and long-distance love."

He continued: "So far this record has a little bit of everything, and I couldn't be happier with it. [I am] also pushing my voice to higher registers and allowing the grit to come through, which definitely suits my style as a vocalist.

"The topics are pretty heavy so far on the first four (even though they are all very different from each other,) so this one rounds it out with a more uptempo sing-along feel (almost punk rock meets '80s metal riffs with double bass for good measure)."

Jesse added: "I truly hope KILLSWITCH ENGAGE fans of all types will be able to find something they dig on this record. That being said, so far I truly feel I've put my everything into this record."

A KILLSWITCH ENGAGE concert film shot on October 31, 2014 at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts will be included on the band's next DVD release, tentatively due before the end of the year. The performance footage was filmed by the direction team of Ian McFarland and Mike Pecci (FEAR FACTORY, MESHUGGAH) using five Canon C300 cameras outfitted with Zeiss Prime Super Speed Lenses.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE recently finished recording a new song, "Loyalty", that is featured on the mixtape for HBO's hit fantasy series "Game Of Thrones".