The Black Dahlia Murder are streaming the new track “Receipt”, from the band’s new full-length album Abysmal, which comes out on September 18th via Metal Blade Records. Listen to “Receipt” below.

Abysmal showcases TBDM at their very finest with a meticulous, pin-point precise rhythmic assault mixed with ferocious speed and dynamic hooks.  The band also re-enlisted the services of renowned producer Mark Lewis (Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel) and former bass player Ryan Williams, who also helped produce Everblack, with the sole intent to get away from the overt sonic sterility affecting far too many contemporary metal albums.

The album's pre-order bundle packages are now available at this location

Abysmal tracklisting:

“Receipt”
“Vlad, Son Of The Dragon”
“Abysmal”
“Re-Faced”
“Threat Level No. 3”
“The Fog”
“Stygiophobic”
“Asylum”
“The Advent”
“That Cannot Die Which Eternally Is Dead”

“Receipt”:

“Vlad, Son Of The Dragon”:

Trevor Strnad (vocals) states: The new album, Abysmal, is true to The Black Dahlia Murder formula, but further down the evolutionary path we began with our Ritual release. It has bigger, more dynamic and developed songs. People can expect a more raw and natural sounding TBDM record. It's the most real and live sounding thing we've done since our debut. It has a real energy and urgency to it. We made a conscious effort of having a more lively and dynamic sound and I feel the result is truly excellent. What I hear is my band playing as they do live when I step off the stage at soundcheck. Therefore, this is the real TBDM incarnate. Expect a relentless world ravaging touring cycle from us for the next couple of years. You'd better start exercising your necks now!""

The band will return to North America this fall to headline the IndieMerch Tour with Iron Reagan, Harm's Way and Maruta. The trek will start October 3rd and run through October 30th and marks the group's first official Canadian/US tour supporting Abysmal.

Trevor Strand (vocals) states: "We are beyond excited to bring this mighty line-up to your Canadian eardrums... what a package! We've combined the grinding holocaust of the reunited Maruta, the sheer rage of hardcore's hellions Harm's Way, the thrashing maelstrom that is Iron Reagan and of course yours truly. No venue shall be left standing in our wake! We'll be playing lots of new tastiness from Abysmal for you, as well as the classics, so bring your friends and get ready to bang your heads off. I am looking forward to drinking a Pils, eating some Poutine and raging out with my friends to the great white north. Fuckin' eh!"

Head over to Facebook for all tour dates.

The official video for the song "Breaching The Asylum" from Montreal-based death metallers KATAKLYSM can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Of Ghosts And Gods", which will be released on July 31 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the follow-up to "Waiting For The End To Come" was created by up-and-coming dark and macabre artist Art By Surtsey and can be seen below.

Says KATAKLYSM frontman Maurizio Iacono: "'Breaching The Asylum' is a video depicting the different religions, cults and ideology that control most of our society. The song questions the need for humanity to belong to something greater than the physics of the universe and the dangers of its fanatics to silence free will."

According to KATAKYSM, the "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:

01. Breaching The Asylum02. The Black Sheep03. Thy Serpents Tongue04. Soul Destroyer 05. Vindication06. Marching Through Graveyards 07. Shattered 08. Hate Spirit09. Carrying Crosses 10. The World Is A Dying Insect

Guitarist Jean-François "JF" Dagenais tracked drums, guitars and bass for the album, while vocals were recorded by producer Mark Lewis (WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, CANNIBAL CORPSE). The effort was mixed and mastered in the U.K. by British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, AMON AMARTH).

Says the band: "KATAKLYSM has been full of inspiration and are in full determination mode lately; a rejuvenated band that is out to conquer the world with no sign of stopping!

"This promises to be the album that will once and for all establish KATAKLYSM as one of the top pioneers of the genre!

"The latest material will be touching on some new ground while maintaining the aggressive edge the band has always been known for.

"The chemistry with new drummer Oli Beaudoin is incredible, and the four horsemen promise some crushing new material coming your way. Death metal hymns are arriving!"

KATAKLYSM had one of the busiest year in its entire career supporting "Waiting For The End To Come". The band launched a successful run in Australia and Japan and made its way to many other countries, including some first-time stops in places like Brazil and South Africa, among others.

"Waiting For The End To Come" was released in October 2013 via Nuclear Blast.

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)

A preview of the "Metal Allegiance" track "Dying Song", featuring a gust appearance by former PANTERA and current DOWN and SUPERJOINT frontman Philip Anselmo, is available below.

"It's always my pleasure to jam with such esteemed musicians and brothers, and my contribution to this project is further proof of that fact. Hail to all heavy metallers the world over!" stated Anselmo.

"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."

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 "Beth Out Of Hell" song "Always The Fugitive" can be streamed 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

At this past Sunday night's (July 19) Rockstar Energy Mayhem Drink Festival in Hartford, Connecticut, Metal Insider asked SLAYER guitarist Kerry King about Mayhem co-founder Kevin Lyman's recent comment that metal "chased girls away" because the genre "got gray, bald and fat." King responded: "It's a very generalizing statement and it basically throws his tour under the bus. That's just… that's not even Business 101. That's just insane."

King went on to criticize this year's edition of Mayhem, saying: "Do I know this tour wasn't booked correctly? Absolutely I know this tour wasn't booked correctly. Gary Holt [SLAYER guitarist] made the comment that usually there's the Main Stage, a second stage, a third stage, and then that piece-of-shit record stage… Now what they're calling a second stage is at best a fourth stage and they're wondering why people aren't showing up."

He continued: "I think they waited too long and think all the talent that could have been on this took gigs in Europe. Because there's nobody here touring.

"It's easy to fill these stages, but I guess they wanted a different price point, take away the second and third stage which I think had a lot of value. To me, a second-stage headliner is ANTHRAX, MACHINE HEAD…"

King added: "Whoever booked this made a gigantic error."

Asked if he felt SLAYER was in the position of having to carry this year's Mayhem Festival more so than in previous years, King appeared to agree. "[Without the extra stages] it's basically a glorified SLAYER show," he said. "Let me put it to you this way: last year, SLAYER, SUICIDAL [TENDENCIES] and EXODUS played the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee and sold it out. Mayhem came through ten days ago and didn't sell it out. That's what I'm going up against here."

He continued: "I understand it from a fan's perspective. I wouldn't spend money to come to this either."

Asked if this would be the last time we saw SLAYER on Mayhem, King responded: "This might be the last time you see Mayhem."

This year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival kicked off on June 26 in Chula Vista, California and will wrap on August 2 in Dallas, Texas.

Lyman told the Detroit Free Press about Mayhem's 2015 lineup, which includes SLAYER, 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."

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke to Revolver magazine about the band's forthcoming fifteenth album, which is currently being recorded in a Nashville studio.

"There's a lot of riffing going on in there, that's for damn sure," he said. "There's a lot of solos, a lot of pounding drums and bass. I knew from the start that I wanted to go back to my roots, and I wanted to make a thrash record."

The new MEGADETH album will be the band's first to feature LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA. They were recruited earlier this year following the departures of drummer Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick, who have since launched a new project called ACT OF DEFIANCE.

"When Chris and Shawn left, it saddened me a little because they didn't say goodbye," Mustaine said. "They were pissed, because they'd gotten word that people wanted the 'Rust In Peace' [lineup] reunion [with guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza]. And frankly, I didn't; I was happy with those two guys. So when they left, it was like, 'It isn't going to be easy to replace them!'"

He continued: "We haven't found a permanent drummer yet, but finding Kiko was really a mind-blower. It was the first time since Marty Friedman joined the band that I was really intimidated as a player. He's such an amazing talent, and he's been coming in with all of these fresh ideas."

Adler, who has previously said that MEGADETH was the band that made him want to start drumming to begin with, was involved during the songwriting process for the group's new album. "MEGADETH is MEGADETH," Mustaine told Revolver, "and the songs will kind of tell you where they go. But there were several times while we were tracking where Chris would say, 'I think these parts should go like this, because that's how my MEGADETH is.' I was like, 'Yeah, I like that 'my MEGADETH' stuff!'"

Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "The New Emperor", "Tyrannicide", the two-part opus "Conquer… Or Die" and "Poisonous Shadows". The latter track features piano playing from Kiko as well as orchestration from famed Nashville arranger Ronn Huff, the father of former MEGADETH producer Dann Huff. MEGADETH also recorded two cover versions during the sessions for the new CD: "Melt The Ice Away" by BUDGIE and "Foreign Policy" by FEAR.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King joined KING DIAMOND on stage last night (Tuesday, July 21) at the Holmdel, New Jersey stop of this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival at PNC Bank Arts Center to perform the MERCYFUL FATE classic "Evil".

A couple of photos of Kerry's appearance can be seen below.

Said King Diamond: "Kerry, it was an absolute honor to share the stage with you!"

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.

UK progressive melodic death metal act De Profundis will release their new album Kingdom Of The Blind worldwide by Wicker Man Recordings on September 28.

A press release states: “Kingdom Of The Blind is beyond a shadow of a doubt the most accomplished and breathtakingly impressive album ever to bear the De Profundis name and sees the band scaling dizzying new heights of accomplishment. Every aspect of this magnificent album simply radiates quality – from the incredible standards of musicianship and song writing to the intensity of the performances, the rich and powerful production to the evocative artwork, courtesy of Costin Chioreanu, renowned for his work with Arch Enemy, Darkthrone, At The Gates, Grave and many others.
 
“These ten exquisitely crafted tracks will surely see De Profundis explode into the wider metal consciousness and with huge touring plans in place with some of the biggest names in death metal to support the album’s release, this is the year of De Profundis...their time has come.”

Kingdom Of The Blind tracklisting:

“Overture”
“Kult Of The Orthodox”
“Illumination”
“All Consuming”
“Kingdoms Of The Blind”
“Beyond The Threshold”
“A Strange Awakening”
“The Antagonist”
“Thrown To The Wolves”
“In Solitude”

“Kult Of The Orthodox”:

High Fighter, the new stoner metal / sludge outfit born in summer 2014 by former members of A Million Miles, Pyogenesis and Buffalo Hump, have posted live performance videos of “In Veins” and “Scars & Crosses” from Klangstadt Open Air on July 17. The last video is Mammoth Mammoth covering the Kyss song “Green Machine” featuring High Fighter’s Mona Miluski from Römer in Bremen, Germany on July 20.

“In Veins”:

“Scars & Crosses”:

Mammoth Mammoth featuring High Fighter’s Mona Miluski covering Kyss’ “Green Machine”:

 

High Fighter recently checked in with the following announcement:

"Thrilled to announce, this fall we will be hitting the road with mighty AHAB and Mammoth Storm! As you can see, Mona the Ahab guys already started to keep their livers in good shape for that run. Here are the first dates, more to come!

October
29 - Frankfurt, Germany - Elfer Club
31 - Hamburg, Germany - Bambi Galore

November
6 - Stuttgart, Germany - Club Cann
8 - Heidelberg, Germany - Schwimmbad Club

High Fighter's summer tour schedule is as follows:

August
14 - Moledo, Portugal - SonicBlast

While the band recorded their debut EP, The Goat Ritual, live and on one weekend in their rehearsal room, what better location could they have picked to film their first video? Right, of course in that same rehearsal room where all magic began!

The official clip for “2Steps Blueskill“, from their EP The Goat Ritual can be viewed below:

Non Serviam Records has announced the signing of Chicago-based black/death metallers Against The Plagues.

A band statement reads: 

“We feel Non Serviam Records will be a great partner for our upcoming endeavors, and will help us with exposure of our new release. Against the Plagues would like to thank Non Serviam owner Ricardo Gelok for his professionalism, and his confidence in our band. We believe our cooperation will open a more exciting chapter for the band's future.”

Against The Plagues released their Extermination Event EP in January. Extermination Event contains two new tracks and full production videos released by Varyen Entertainment in partnership with Kake Multimedia. The EP was recorded at Belle City Sound with engineer/producer Chris Wisco (Lazarus AD, Novembers Doom, Origin, Jungle Rot) and mastered by Trevor Sadler MasterM.I.N.D. Productions (Madonna, Peter Gabriel, Nine Inch Nails, Rush, Triumph). The cover art was made by Swedish artist Par Olofsson (Exodus, Immolation, Malevolent Creation, Immortal).

 

Before legendary rockers AC/DC hit the stage tomorrow (Wednesday, July 22) at Kantolan Tapahtumapuisto in Hämeenlinna, Finland, they will be presented with a platinum plaque by their record company, Sony, for sales of their "Rock Or Bust" album in Finland. The plaque will consist of a large piece of art that depicts the band as characters in Angry Birds, the popular mobile game, courtesy of Rovio, the Finnish company that created the globally successful franchise.

A photo of the plaque can be seen at Iltalehti.fi.

AC/DC's sixteenth studio album, "Rock Or Bust", has sold around 540,000 copies in the U.S. since debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart back in December.

It's the band's first album without founding guitarist Malcolm Young, who is suffering from dementia. He has been replaced by nephew Stevie Young.

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was arrested last November at his home in Tauranga on charges of threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis.

Although Rudd played on "Rock Or Bust", he did not appear in photos or videos for the disc.

One-time AC/DC drummer Chris Slade officially joined the band's lineup for its performance on the February 8 Grammy Awards telecast. Slade is also behind the kit for the group's current world tour.

Fan-filmed video footage of Brazilian death metal veterans KRISIUN performing a brand new song called "Ways Of Barbarism" on July 18 at Bragança Paulista in São Paulo, Brazil can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Forged In Fury", which will be released on August 7 via Century Media. Featuring cover artwork by renowned artist Joe Petagno (MARDUK, VADER), the CD was produced by Erik Rutan.

"Forged In Fury" track listing:

01. Scars Of The Hatred02. Ways Of Barbarism03. Dogma Of Submission04. Strength Forged In Fury05. Soulless Impaler06. Burning Of The Heretic07. The Isolated Truth08. Oracle Of The Ungod09. Timeless Starvation10. Milonga De La Muerte

As the brain and heart of death metal masters HATE ETERNAL and former guitarist of MORBID ANGEL, Rutan has worked as a producer for his own band as well as for CANNIBAL CORPSE, SIX FEET UNDER, MALEVOLENT CREATION, MADBALL, AGNOSTIC FRONT, to name just a few. In addition, he co-produced KRISIUN's "Conquerors Of Armageddon" album back in 1999.

Said KRISIUN in a statement: "'Forged In Fury' marks our return to the studio after three years of constantly touring all over the globe.

"Things were working well, as we were always satisfied with the results of the previous records, but we thought that it was time for a change. Erik Rutan was the chosen one to be the producer, at Mana Recording Studios in Florida.

"This album could be described as a 'more natural'-sounding album; the songs came out with more ambience and more low end, making it sound even more brutal and straightforward. It took us a lot of hard work and dedication. No fashions or tendencies were followed.

"This is a true relentless metal album to the bone, with a huge, natural sound.

"The songwriting captures all the experience and feelings we gathered through all the years of touring and recording. It has more variation and dynamics, but is still 100% KRISIUN.

"Erik has a huge participation within the whole process, especially with regards to the band's performance. He was able to get the best out of each one of us, as we have been friends for a long time, so it was a pleasure working with him.

"This album was made with a lot of heart and passion for metal music. Hopefully you metal maniacs enjoy it as much as we did working it out. See you on the road."

KRISIUN is confirmed for various European shows and festivals this summer, followed by a North American co-headlining tour with ORIGIN in September/October.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of VAN HALEN's July 20 performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado can be seen below.

A review of the concert is available at HeyReverb.com.

VAN HALEN kicked off its summer North American tour on July 5 in Seattle with a set featuring a number of rarities from the band's catalog that have not been heard live in decades. The show opened with "Light Up The Sky" from 1979's "Van Halen II" and also featured deep tracks like "Feel Your Love Tonight" from its self-titled 1978 debut, "Drop Dead Legs" from "1984", "Dirty Movies" from 1981's "Fair Warning" and "In A Simple Rhyme" from 1980's "Women And Children First".

Two days before the tour started, bassist Wolfgang Van Halen wrote on Twitter: "This is by far the best setlist I've made for us. Can't wait for everyone to hear it. Ya'll are gonna flip."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, "Light Up The Sky" has not been played live in 35 years until now, while "Drop Dead Legs" and "Dirty Movies" had never been performed in concert until the Seattle show.

Other album cuts aired during the concert included "Women In Love" and "Romeo Delight" in addition to hits and fan favorites such as "Runnin' With The Devil", "Unchained", "Panama", "Jump", "Hot For Teacher", "Everybody Wants Some!!" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love".

The tour is VAN HALEN's first since an aborted North American run three years ago in support of its then-new studio album, "A Different Kind Of Truth".

VAN HALEN plays in Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday (July 22) and will spend the whole summer on the road, winding down on October 4 in Los Angeles.

Dutch death metal newcomers, Apophys, have launched a new music video for "The Red Planet." This track is taken from their debut album, Prime Incursion, which is available worldwide now. The video was shot and directed by Sebastiaan Spijker at Beyond the Digit, with makeup andeffects by Timmermans at Horror Grime NL. As for the theme behind the visual, the band gives us the details in the following statement:

"The lyrical theme behind 'The Red Planet' is the idea of creation and transcending what has been done before. The main character in the song creates something so perfect he values it above anything else. We tried to weave this concept into the plot of our new video; you will witness an entity from a place unknown fashioning his own form of life, only to keep wanting more after the success of the first one. Things get chaotic, risky, and weird. In the end, his experiment results in five human-like organisms that will be the start of a completely new race."

Apophys is comprised of musicians from God Dethroned, Prostitute Disfigurement, Detonation and Toxocara among others. Thrusting forth nine deviant hymns of grisly, sci-fi-tinged death metal centered on themes extending from transcendental travel, rapid evolutionary progression, and global epidemics, to artificial intelligence in all-out war with their maker, Prime Incursion recalls the repugnant charm of death metal legends like Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Immolation and Pyrexia.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King has slammed Kevin Lyman over comments the co-founder of the annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival made regarding the state of the heavy metal scene and the future of the traveling event.

In an article published on July 8 by Detroit Free Press, Lyman was quoted a saying about the difficulties of booking headline-worthy acts for the festival: "The bands at the top all demand a certain level of fee to be on tour. Unlike punk rock, metal never knows how to take a step back to move the whole scene forward. That's how punk rock was. That's how we nurtured punk rock. BAD RELIGION would take a little less than they could on their own to bring the whole scene forward, so we could make sure we had a good [touring] package around them. Metal doesn't seem to have that concern, never has, never has since I was working in the clubs in the '80s. It's always about a 'me, me, me' thing."

Lyman added that part of the problem is the fact that metal's audiences have dwindled as the established headlining acts got older. "What happened was metal chased girls away because what happened was metal aged," he said. "Metal got gray, bald and fat. And metal was about danger. When you went to a metal show, it was dudes onstage; there was some danger in it."

Regarding Mayhem's 2015 lineup — which includes SLAYER, KING DIAMOND, HELLYEAH and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA — Lyman said: "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."

During a brand new interview with Howie D. from Hard Edge Radio and National Rock Review, King was asked to respond to Lyman's comments. Kerry said (hear audio below): "What a douche. I do care [about what he said], because that directly affects this product [referring to the Mayhem festival]. But at the end of the day — let me say this — when you think of the old and fat and [bald]… Okay, I got the 'bald' part — I get it — but, I mean, when you think of that statement, do you think of me, or are you thinking fucking Lyman? Dude, I look like a fucking convict; I'm not here looking all old, fat and gray, you know?! It's, like, c'mon, man, speak for yourself. Don't put that label on us, the genre and your festival or anything. That's just fucking… That's one of the stupidest marketing things I've ever heard. It's not marketing. It's just somebody babbling."

Lyman recently apologized for the remarks he made in the Detroit Free Press interview, explaining that "I was never talking about Mayhem — I was talking about metal scene as a whole." He added: "It costs lots of money and energy to drive the tour, plus it has been a challenge to work with larger acts who will sell the bulk of tickets to these-sized venues while we still have the responsibility to deliver performances by the up-and-comers, who are the headliners of tomorrow."

This year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival kicked off on June 26 in Chula Vista, California and will wrap on August 2 in Dallas, Texas.

Interview (audio):

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE frontman Matt Tuck says the band parted ways with bassist Jason "Jay" James several months before making the split public.

The Welsh outfit announced Jay's departure in February during the recording sessions for the group's forthcoming fifth album, "Venom", and recruited Jamie Mathias as his replacement in May.

Tuck told Revolver: "We parted ways with [Jay] a long time before we announced it. We wanted to make sure we were comfortable making that decision, and comfortable with making that statement publicly. We wanted to get the album ready to be recorded before we said anything…"

Tuck described the split with James as "the most difficult thing we've ever had to do, and not just in the band or in our careers, but in our lives, personally. It was awful. Losing a long-term member — and our best friend, which was much more important to us — was a very powerful moment that we'd never been through before, and it was a decision that we deliberated over for, like, three months; we kept fighting and fighting to find valid reasons for him to stay, but eventually it was just impossible.

"I'm not going to go into detail," Tuck continued, "but it was in Jay's best interest personally, more than ours, that he was not in the band. People can read into that what they want, which they will anyway; but it was just stuff going on that was jeopardizing the band's career, and it had to stop. And, unfortunately, it came to the point where enough was enough, and we just had to make that call."

He added: "Behind the scenes, we were going through a bit of emotional distress. But apart from that, as far as the band was concerned, everything was great. We were writing good songs, and it probably helped having that emotional distress to bring out that feistiness that the last album lacked, you know? It's good to have that emotional drama in a band, sometimes; it can really help with the creative process."

In a recent interview with Kerrang! magazine, Tuck stated about Mathias: "He's a Welsh lad. He sent in an audition tape and his was really good. We held auditions for a few guys, and when he came, he just smashed it. He fitted in instantly, especially with the Welsh connection. He plays like a beast and he sings like an angel."

Produced by Carl Bown and Colin Richardson (SLIPKNOT, MACHINE HEAD, TRIVIUM) at Metropolis Studio in London, "Venom" will be released on August 14 via RCA.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE will join up with SLIPKNOT and LAMB OF GOD later this month for a North American tour.

Author Marisa Williams conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph at the July 11 stop of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked how the music industry has changed since he first started playing drums professionally, Bostaph said: "Well, firstly, when I started recording and touring, there was no Internet. Cell phones didn't exist, pagers didn't exist. So pretty much the only way you ever got in touch with anybody was by a landline. Over the years, music videos became popular, you had MTV, MTV changed, grunge came and went, rap has evolved, [and] heavy metal has been here the whole time. Also, the [advent] of the Internet. Now that's changed the music industry completely, because people are able to appropriate, download or get music for free — music from their favorite bands — which affects the income of everything. It's changed the dynamic and the economics of the music industry and how it's approached. And, you know, like, YouTube… people get discovered on YouTube. Justin Bieber was discovered on YouTube…'

He continued: "People have immediate access to anything they want, [and] they also have a very strong opinion now. When you say something in the press… For instance, Blabbermouth, or some of these web sites, they'll take something you say out of context and make it controversial — take a portion of your interview — and then you see all these comments. So people actually have power now that they didn't have, say, in 1990, that they can, with their opinions… They can voice their opinions… Some people are very educated in their opinions, some people are pretty brutal in their opinions… but that's their opinion. So it definitely changes… It's an interesting dynamic. I think your skin has to be thicker nowadays [if you are playing in a band]."

Bostaph rejoined SLAYER in 2013 after previously leaving the group twice.

Original SLAYER drummer Lombardo was effectively fired from the band after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other members of the group.

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.

Jimmy Cabbs recently conducted an interview with guitarist Andreas Kisser of Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA. You can now watch the chat in two parts below.

Asked how he would explain the fact that SEPULTURA still doesn't get the recognition it deserves from the American audiences like it does in other parts of the world, Kisser said: "Since [guitarist/vocalist] Max [Cavalera] left the band [in 1996], SEPULTURA has been attacked, in the sense that it was [presented] to the press, and Roadrunner, our record label at the time, really helped to create that image — that Max was the victim, that SEPULTURA did somehow put him out because of whatever reasons and stuff. But we only fired our manager. And he was married with our manager, so he left the band. We didn't fire him. And they started creating this image that we were the bad guys, and America kind of bought that — most of America, I should say. I cannot really generalize, because we have great fans here as well that can really feel and see the evolution of the topics that we're talking about and our musical experiences, not only in Brazil, but going different ways, not trying to copy ourselves, and really keep the SEPULTURA spirit alive that is keeping us together."

He continued: "Even with the Cavaleras [Max and his brother Igor, who left SEPULTURA in 2006] in the band, we never did the same album; we always tried to do something different. Even 'Chaos A.D.', which is one of the most special albums in our career, we [followed it up with] 'Roots', which is totally different from it. Usually a band finds a formula and tries to repeat [it], but we never did that. And Max tried to repeat a lot 'Roots' and stuff, and talking to the press, and this and that. And not only in the media, but backstage, behind the business, and making campaigns against [us]. And, anyway… We didn't lose only the singer — we lost our management, we lost the trust from the label, we lost the trust from many promoters and booking agents and stuff. So we really had to rebuild everything, you know. But I think America is a difficult place to tour as well, you know, playing metal and stuff, so we were much more in Europe and South America and different places than here, you know, so that helped [create a] distance with the American crowd and fans."

Kisser added: "But, you know, it's a challenge… America was a challenge, and always was a challenge for SEPULTURA. We never did a headlining tour here in the same way we did in Europe, for instance — playing arenas. We opened for Ozzy [Osbourne] here, we opened for PANTERA, we opened for MINISTRY, we did Ozzfest, and great shows like that, but never a SEPULTURA [headlining] tour like that. So, when we were ready to do that on the 'Roots' tour — in 1997, we were ready to come to America and really establish SEPULTURA as a great act — but Max left at the worst moment. So the consuequences were really hard for us and stuff. But nowadays, looking back, I have to thank everything that happened to us. Because we are a much better band now. We control a lot more our life, our business. We are older, we have family, kids… We are more experienced to deal with different things, and we enjoy ourselves. I think that's the most important thing. And too bad for the people who don't follow SEPULTURA [anymore]. It's their problem, actually.

"I'm not here to convince or preach to anyone. I just express myself through my guitar and lyrics, etc. And we've got connections with different cultures, different crowds, different countries…. 73 countries SEPULTURA visited in these thirty years. It's an amazing mark — an amazing mark. It's insane to see that, regardless of politics and religion, we go everywhere and the music really opens the door.

"It's a privilege to be a part of SEPULTURA, and we just need to work more in America.

"I just tell them — the people who denied SEPULTURA with this or that — to give [it] a chance and come to the show and see and enjoy the music. We have nothing more than to offer than our music, and I think that's the beauty of it all. We're not here to cheat anyone or try to create images; we just like to play our music honestly and have that connection with the crowd. That's it."

SEPULTURA's North American tour with DESTRUCTION and ARSIS kicked off in Phoenix, Arizona on May 10 and ended on June 14 in Grand Junction, Colorado.

SEPULTURA was joined by legendary guitarist Steve Vai on stage during the band's May 9 performance at the Rock In Rio USA festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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

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

In a brand new interview with The Huffington Post, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was asked if he thinks it's a sign of respect when metal web sites post interview quotes from him every few days, or that they know he speaks his mind so they are just waiting for him to say something that may be controversial. He responded: "I think it's a double-edged sword, for sure. There is people being very respectful and giving props to what I say, and then there is people taking the stupidest thing out of context and making it a headline, and we all know what fuckin' web site does that. That's just a slap in the face. Aren't we all supposed to be on the same side? Aren't we all supposed to better each other by talking to each other? It just lends me to believe some day I'm just going to shut my fuckin' mouth, [and] then where are you going to be?"

King told the Great Falls Tribune back in 2006 that web sites like BLABBERMOUTH.NET — which give fans a chance to read the latest news on bands and share their opinions with a wide audience — are "good and bad." He added: "I think Blabbermouth as a whole is a cancer of cyberspace, but people can get good information off it. But you've gotta put it in perspective; you can also get garbage off it."

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.

Billboard chart-topping hard rock group Trapt are going through a transformation – one that is sure to leave fans, both new and diehard, craving more. Featuring a new yet organic sound, Trapt will reveal their latest music in the form of their upcoming sixth studio album DNA, hitting stores this fall via Minus Head Records / Crash Collide.

Today, Trapt unveil a special teaser of their new track “Human” - boasting a transformed approach that will appeal to fans of all music, from heavy metal to Top 40, and everything in between. The track also showcases the fresh Trapt sound; un-polished with raw production qualities. Take a listen to a snippet of “Human”, and watch the video to catch exclusive in-studio footage during the recording of DNA.

Take a listen to another Trapt single from DNA, entitled “Passenger” (Chris Lord Alge mix): https://youtu.be/KZPl7AIRg_s

 
Trapt kicked off their current US tour with Sons Of Texas last week. Right now, if you buy a ticket or exclusive VIP package to the upcoming tour, you’ll get the “Passenger” single for free. Get your tickets and single here.

Dave Wyndorf and his henchmen seemingly had the time of their lives when they completely rearranged and boosted Last Patrol 2014 and christened it Milking The Stars: A Re-imagining Of Last Patrol.

Now Monster Magnet go back even further to 2010 and their Mastermind album. Even if you know the album inside and out you won't be prepared in the slightest for the trip that is Cobras And Fire (The Mastermind Redux): just think of the beast Apocalypse Now turned into in its Redux form. Familiar elements drift by and are swallowed whole by thundering psych orgies - Wyndorf often focuses on a singular song fragment and turns it into his ride to total Nirvana. Go look for your daily dose of average rock elsewhere: this is the mindfuck of the year/

The first song from Cobras And Fire (The Mastermind Redux), "Mastermind '69" is streaming below.

 
Frontman Dave Wyndorf on the new album: "Hey, hey! I'm pleased to announce the release of Cobras And Fire: The Mastermind Redux. It's a re-imagining of material from 2010's Mastermind album as an alternative listening experience that I think stands on it's own.

With Cobras And Fire I wanted to present these songs in a much stranger and dirtier atmosphere. Less "classic rock" and more... well, I'd guess I'd call it a deranged fusion of garage-psych, fuzz punk and movie soundtrack music. It's almost completely re-recorded (with the bulk of the guitar and bass playing by co-producer Phil Caivano) and as in Milking The Stars I've added organ, piano, sitars and more to flesh out a completely new sound for these tunes. There's also a Hawkwind/Pink Fairies inspired cover version of The Temptations 1969 classic "Ball Of Confusion" with background vocals by Monster Magnet co-founder and Rib Eye Bros. frontman Tim Cronin. Plus an 8-minute, tripped out sonic adventure entitled "I Live Behind The Paradise Machine" specially created by mixer extraordinaire Evil Joe Barresi. Joe is at his best here, seamlessly integrating elements from several Magnet songs into a new, stand alone composition.

All in all I call this the weirdest Monster Magnet yet, and that's a good thing! I hope you like it! Rock on!"

Cobras and Fire (The Mastermind Redux) will be released via Napalm Records on October 9th. The album is available for pre-order via the Napalm Records Webstore here.

Cobras and Fire (The Mastermind Redux) Track Listing:

“She Digs That Hole”
“Watch Me Fade”
“Mastermind '69”
“Hallucination Bomb”
“Gods And Punks”
“The Titan”
“When The Planes Fall From The Sky”
“Ball Of Confusion”
“Time Machine”
“I Live Behind The Paradise Machine Evil Joe Barresi's Magnet Mash Vol.1”

“Mastermind '69”:

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 “Skøgen Skulle Dø” 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”

“Onde Børn” video:

“Hævnen”:

Mirkier live dates:

August
22 - Midgardsblot Metalfestiva - Borre, Norway

 

Puerto Rican death/thrashers, Zafakon, have announced the release date for their second studio album, entitled Release. This will be the follow-up to their 2010 debut album, War As A Drug.

"I think this album will expand our fan base, music-wise" says Weslie Negrón (bass). "Yhann's (lead guitar) addition to the band has widened our approach towards our music. We're very happy with the position we are in.”

The album will feature the work of legendary metal producer Dan Swano, on mixing duties. "Working with Dan is one of the biggest privileges we got going on this album. We're looking forward for the final product”, Says Negrón.

Release is scheduled to come out on December 6th at the celebration of the conference The Metal Islands, which will include Cuba's Tendencia, Dominican Republic's Abaddon RD, and Puerto Rico's own Dantesco.

 
Tracklisting:

“I. Conveyor Of Shame”
“Twisted Brains”
“Ecosfear”
“Prevaricator”
“II. Sirens”
“Valor y Sacrificio”
“Arbeit Macht Frei”
“Phantom Scream”
“The Optimist”
“III. Release”

More details to follow.

As diverse as international rock’n’roll music presents itself today, as many twists and turns as it may have taken in the past 50 years: whenever this brand of music comes from the UK, it automatically appears to have an unmistakable British flair. This may well be due to the fact that Britain is considered to be the birthplace of rock music and can look back on a centuries-old tradition of that genre. Because really: what would the world be like today without Led Zeppelin, without Free, The Who and the Stones?

A question which The Jokers from Liverpool like to answer to in their very own way. Hurricane, the third album by the four-piece surrounding vocalist Wane Parry and guitarist Paul Hurst leaves no doubt where their roots are and where their direction is taking them. “The style we play is ‘big rock’, that sound and feel runs through all our albums,” Hurst explains, adding: “Groove, riff-based songs with a strong top-line vocal melody and hooks. With Hurricane, we have still maintained this sound but tried to capture more of the raw live energy of the band in the recordings.” An energy which oozes through all 12 tracks (plus bonus material) on the album.

Even after their 2013 release Rock’n’Roll Is Alive, The Jokers used every opportunity to present their haunting rock songs to the public. Countless club gigs all over the UK, a three-week tour of Spain, appearances at renowned festivals, such as Planet Rockstock, Hard Rock Hell and Guildfest – The Jokers know that they usually find the most important inspirations for their music in the streets. In addition, the musicians started directly after the release of Rock’n’Roll Is Alive – along with their live activities – to integrate those influences into new material. As often as possible, Parry, Hurst and the two new additions Dan Evans (drums) and Phil Hartley (bass) met at their rehearsal room to work on the material for Hurricane. Talking of new additions: Parry and Hurst have obviously struck home when it comes to their two new band members: “Dan has been with the band for the last two years. His style is a cross between John Bonham and Stuart Copeland. Phil on bass has the look of a Viking but plays like Andy Fraser.”

Hurricane will be out on September 18th (October 2nd in North America) via Steamhammer/SPV as CD, LP and Download.

CD tracklisting:

“Run 4 Cover”
“Hurricane”
“Her Word Is Love”
“She's On Fire”
“Summer Time”
“Angel”
“Lockdown”
“Dream”
“Salvation”
“Silver City”
“Everywhere I Go”
“Rockerman”

LP tracklisting:

Side 1
“Run 4 Cover”
“Hurricane”
“Her Word Is Love”
“She's On Fire”
“Summer Time”

Side 2
“Angel”
“Lockdown”
“Dream”
“Silver City”
“Salvation”

The band’s live itinerary can be found at this location.

The Jokers band lineup:

Paul Hurst (guitar)
Phil Hartley (bass)
Wane Parry (vocals)
Dan Evans (drums)

 

Swedish heavy metal band Mindless Sinner from Linköping have signed a worldwide deal with Pure Steel Records. After 25 years the band will release their new album, The New Messiah, on October 16th.

Says the band: “We're proud to announce that Mindless Sinner has signed a worldwide record deal with Pure Steel Records. We're looking forward to some great stuff and a great collaboration for the future.”

Mindless Sinner lineup:

Christer Göransson - vocals
Magnus Danneblad - lead guitar
Jerker Edman - lead guitar
Christer Carlson - bass
Tommy Viktorsson - drums

Universal Music Enterprises will mark the 10th anniversary of Australian Grammy-winning rockers Wolfmother’s self-titled Modular/Interscope debut album, which first came out in 2005 via Universal Music Australia/Modular, featuring classic songs like the Top 10 U.S. alternative and #7 Mainstream Rock smash, “Woman” (earning Best Hard Rock Performance at the 2007 Grammys) and the Rock radio mainstays “Joker & The Thief” and “White Unicorn,” along with international hits, “Mind’s Eye”, “Dimension” and “Love Train”. Critics cited the band’s raw power, comparing it to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and classic psychedelic groups like Blue Cheer.

Wolfmother: 10th Anniversary will be available both as a deluxe two-CD physical set, digitally and – for the first time in the U.S. – a two-LP vinyl set, on September 25th, with the original cover artwork by Frank Frazetta. The double-album set, issued on audiophile 180g heavyweight vinyl, features four bonus B-sides, including “The Earth’s Rotation Around The Sun”, an acoustic version of “Vagabond”, a Loving Hands remix of “Joker & The Thief” and a Mstrkrft remix of “Woman”. The double-CD will also be available in digital audio, while the two-LP set will come with a download card.

The 13 tracks on the original album release will be supplemented by another CD of demos, b-sides, re-mixes and live recordings, many of them from the band’s fabled Velvet Sound Demo, recorded at the Sydney studio of the same name in a single day for Interscope and producer Dave Sardy before arriving in the States to commence working on their proper debut.

Lead vocalist/guitarist Andrew Stockdale described the process of recording the demos “We just banged out that whole record in one day. And you can hear it’s pretty close to where the record actually ended up. I can't believe we were that good and we hadn't toured, we hadn't made any records before, we had no experience. It’s like, ‘What the hell was going on?’”

After Stockdale, a former fashion photographer, formed the band in Sydney with bassist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett, Wolfmother began jamming in his studio, an abandoned warehouse in the middle of the city, earning a princely $37 – and free beer – for their first gig in a local pub, picking out their name on the fly. 

The first album was recorded at Sound City (the drums), Pass Studios in Burbank (bass, guitars and some vocals) and Sound Factory.

Wolfmother went on to win Best Breakthrough Album and Best Rock Album, while the band took home Best Group at the 2006 Australian ARIA Music Awards, with “Woman” taking home Best Hard Rock performance at the 2007 Grammys. The album peaked at #3 on the ARIA Albums Chart in Australia. In the U.S., it peaked at #22, and was certified gold by the RIAA. Rolling Stone named it the 16th best album of the year for 2006, while Metallica’s Lars Ulrich called it “awesome," and, following its release, “I would listen to it every day.”  “Vagabond” was used in the movie 500 Days of Summer, while “Apple Tree” was heard in the trailer for The Hangover Part III and “Dimension” was used in TV’s House.

The band followed up Wolfmother with 2009’s Cosmic Egg and last year’s New Crown.

“After we had some success, it felt like labels were more open minded to guitar driven bands, phaser pedals and general psychedelic lyrical content, so to speak,” says Stockdale. “Looking back now, I do see our first record as a catalyst for a bit of a change in the musical landscape.  Whatever Wolfmother’s roll or impact was on this change is questionable.  I’m just happy that we got in when we did and everything I've seen since seems pretty righteous.”

Wolfmother just finished recording their fourth studio album with producer Brendan O’Brien (Jackyl, Mastodon, AC/DC) which will be released in early 2016.

 

 

 

 

1967. It was called a time to “tune in, turn on, and drop out.”  With its memorable Summer Of Love and the birth of a new world order youth-driven social consciousness, 1967 remains a pivotal year in the history of America, and the rest of the world, for that matter.  Now, with its latest studio album, reuniting 3/4ths of the original band, Vanilla Fudge pay tribute to the music that made that time so special.

Beginning Friday July 24th,  Spirit Of ’67, will be available in a limited 12” starburst vinyl release from Cleopatra Records.

Spirit Of ’67 has given music fans a return to the classic VF sound:  slowed-down, heavily-psychedelic arrangements of songs that had been known as Top 40 pop hits in their original versions.  Give these songs to the Fudge, however, and you add sheer weight and depth that cuts through with the always-mesmerizing vocals of Mark Stein.

Including all-new versions of iconic hits such as “Gimme Some Lovin’”, “For What It‘s Worth,’” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” and “I Can See For Miles,”  Spirit Of ’67  features that legendary Vanilla Fudge sound recorded with today’s state-of-the-art recording technology.  The result is a trip in the way-back machine, that sounds remarkably fresh.

“When CDs first came on the scene in the early 1980s, they took the industry by storm because of the flawless, digital, clean and powerful production which was great,” says vocalist/ keyboardist Mark Stein. “However, when you put the needle down on a vinyl recording there was a warmer, analog vibe that is also distinctive. I'm excited that our new effort Spirit Of '67 will be available now on vinyl as this will blend the old school tradition with the production sound of today."

Adds drummer Carmine Appice: “Spirit Of '67 for me was a breakthrough album. This was the first time in many years the Fudge sat in a room together to tear apart and reconstruct songs that everyone knows. The arrangements performance and production are top of the line. I love the whole record.” Appice also sang lead on the first half of  “Tracks Of My Tears,” and background vocals on the rest of the album.

Spirit Of ’67 was jointly produced by Stein and Appice, and also features founding member/ guitarist Vinny Martell, and bassist Pete Bremy, recruited to replace original bassist Tim Bogert, who retired from touring in 2008.  Vanilla Fudge broke out of the international music scene in 1967 with its blue-eyed soulful version of The Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.”  The platinum success of its first album led to three years of constant touring and numerous TV appearances such as The Ed Sullivan Show.  The band parted ways in 1970, but has reunited a few times since.  Spirit Of ’67 marks the first studio album for the band in over 30 years.

Also included is one original song written by Stein, which closes the album. For a band known for its ability to re-imagine and reinvent the music of others, this new album is bound to please diehard fans and newcomers alike. “’Let's Pray For Peace’ is about a vision I had that came to me suddenly as if my supreme being was speaking thru me,” says Stein. “Constant media attention to a world that's at odds with itself and it's people inspired me to send a message... What if all of us could stop for a moment, as naive as it may sound to some, and say "who'd like to share, a little silent prayer ‘Let's Pray For Peace’ tonight. Might it make a difference?”

Vinny Martell, a US Navy veteran and whose contributions shaped many of the songs such as “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” notes the similarities between the time the band’s first album was released and today: “"Spirit Of '67," on vinyl is being released at a time when the world is in turmoil and divided by war...much as it was in 1967 with our first album... Then, our music reached across racial divides and behind the Iron Curtain... Now, we want to reunite with fans and connect with a new generation...”

“Cleopatra Records jumped at the opportunity to work with such an iconic band as Vanilla Fudge," says label VP Tim Yasui. “ Spirit Of '67 is an album that we're proud of getting behind - the band delivers a 1-2 punch with their unique takes on these classic songs that only the Fudge can deliver."

Catch Vanilla Fudge live in concert:

August 
7 - The Arcadia Theater - St. Charles, IL
8 - Pop’s - Sauget, IL 
15 - Pompano Beach Amphitheatre - Pompano Beach, FL

October
8 - Bull Run - Shirley, MA
9 - Penn’s Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA
10 - Tangier Cabaret Room - Akron, OH
12 - Ram’s Head - Annapolis, MD
28 - Shimokitazawa Gardens - Tokyo, Japan
29 - Shimokitazawa Gardens Tokyo, Japan

November
6 - Scottish Rite Auditorium - Collingswood, NJ
8 - BB Kings - New York, NY

 

 

 

 

 

See the Vanilla Fudge live in concert beginning in August:

August  7  2015-                 The Arcadia Theater- St. Charles, IL

August 8, 2015-                  POP’S Sauget, Illinois  

August 15, 2015     Pompano Beach Amphitheatre Pompano Beach, FL.

October 8, 2015                  Bull Run Shirley, MA.

October 9, 2015                  Penn’s Peak Jim Thorpe, PA.

October 10, 2015                Tangier – Cabaret Room Akron, Ohio

October 12, 2015                Ram’s Head  Annapolis, MD.

October  28& 29th               Shimokitazawa Gardens Tokyo, Japan

November 6, 2015                         Scottish Rite Auditorium Collingswood, NJ

November 8, 2015                         BB Kings NYC

 

Former MEGADETH members Chris Poland (guitar) and Nick Menza (drums) performed at a benefit concert for Poland's OHM: bandmate David Eagle (drums), who suffered a heart attack and had open-heart surgery in May. The event took place on July 9 at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California.

Fan-filmed video footage of Poland and Menza's performance at the David Eagle benefit concert can be seen below.

As previously reported, Poland, Menza and fellow former MEGADETH member James LoMenzo (bass) have joined forces in a brand new band.

Regarding the new project's musical direction, which has been described by some as "LED ZEPPELIN meets METALLICA," Nick said: "It's got some elements of that, but I'd say we're just so far beyond everything that's been heard already. It's gonna be a conglomerate of styles. It's gonna be what we like to do best — have fun, play… Our material is gonna be really out there. It's gonna be different. It's gonna pumped, it's gonna be heavy, but it's gonna be us."

[Note: The music performed in the clips below is not to be confused with the project that Poland and Menza are working on with LoMenzo.]

Poland is best known for his work on MEGADETH's first two albums — "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" (1985) and "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" (1986).

Menza joined MEGADETH for the 1989 recording "Rust In Peace" and for the next nine years became associated with the band's "classic" and most profitable era.