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.

Identical twins Camille and Kennerly Kitt have released their cover version of the NIGHTWISH classic "Nemo". Check out a video for the track below.

Camille and Kennerly's latest album, "Harp Attack 2", features 14 harp duet covers of rock and metal songs from the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and 2000s, plus a 15th bonus track featuring special guest musicians.

Known as the "harp twins," Camille and Kennerly perform internationally as a dynamic acoustic and electric rock harp duo.

As the world's only known identical twin professional harpists, Camille and Kennerly have a passion and flair for arranging and performing contemporary music for harp duet.

Camille and Kennerly are known for their remarkable duet harp arrangements of songs by artists such as GUNS N' ROSES, LED ZEPPELIN, METALLICA, AEROSMITH, AC/DC, DEEP PURPLE and many more. The twins also arrange and perform a jukebox of Broadway, video game, TV and movie soundtrack hits. In addition to being prolific arrangers, Camille and Kennerly compose and perform their own original pieces for harp duet.

In December of 2013, Camille and Kennerly released their first covers albums, "Harp Attack", featuring 14 of their most popular rock and metal arrangements, and "Harp Fantasy", featuring 14 of their most popular TV and movie soundtrack, anime, and video game arrangements.

Camille and Kennerly began posting harp duet music videos of their rock, metal and contemporary cover arrangements on YouTube several years ago. The twins have since acquired millions of views on their 100 percent independently produced videos in addition to amassing legions of fans worldwide — including over 200,000 Facebook fans. Camille and Kennerly are known for their personal interaction with their fans — responding to more fan messages and comments than any other artist of their echelon.

Two short snippets of what appears to be the same new SEVENDUST song can be streamed in the clips below. The track will appear on the band's new album, which was recorded at Architekt Music studios in Butler, New Jersey for a tentative late summer release.

In a recent interview with Loudwire, SEVENDUST guitarist John Connolly stated about the band's new material: "It's funny, you come out of acoustic world and immediately you're, like, 'All right, let's get metal again. Let's get heavy.'"

He continued: "There's a lot of heavy on this one, but there's also a lot of melody. There's a lot of spillover from where our headspace was at on an acoustic perspective, which is great.

"I love being as heavy as we can be but Lajon [Witherspoon], he's a melodic singer, and I think he's going to be excited about a lot of stuff. As heavy as we're trying to be, there's still a ton of melody on it.

"I know Clint [Lowery, guitar] is busy writing a ton of demos and everyone is trying to get back into that headspace."

Connolly added: "We've had such a good time during the last two records, collaborating together as a five-piece which is something we haven't done since the first album. All we had was a rehearsal room, each other, paying the rent and a few shows. Someone would come up with a riff or a demo and bring it in and we'd really hammer it out as a band. We had so much fun on 'Black Out the Sun' and 'Time Travelers & Bonfires', really, just being in each other's face instead of wondering is this going to work or is that going to work?

"Having five cooks in the kitchen at all times, most times, with most bands can be counterproductive, but for us, it just works so much better for us; we're so much more efficient. We're much happier without the guesswork. You play a riff, then Vinny [Hornsby, bass] starts playing, then Clint comes in, and questions get answered, and then you move on to the next thing.

"It's the stuff that we create together that's usually the stuff that gets us the most excited."

SEVENDUST's latest acoustic album, "Time Travelers & Bonfires", sold around 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was made available on April 15, 2014 via 7Bros. Records, in conjunction with ADA Label Services. It is a collection of brand new songs, along with re-recorded SEVENDUST classics. Newly re-recorded songs include "Black", "Gone", "Denial", "Karma", "Trust" and "Crucified". Six brand new songs have also been written and recorded for the acoustic album. It's not the first time SEVENDUST has explored their acoustic side. Their critically acclaimed "Southside Double-Wide" live acoustic album was released in 2004.

British metalcore act BRING ME THE HORIZON has set "That's The Spirit" as the title for its fifth album, due on September 11 via Columbia Records. Around twelve tracks were laid down for the CD, which was produced by BRING ME THE HORIZON keyboardist/vocalist Jordan Fish.

BRING ME THE HORIZON frontman Oli Sykes told NME.com about the new album title: "It's a celebration of depression, a way of making light of it. 'That's The Spirit' — it's quite a depressing phrase when you think about it — the sort of thing you only ever use when you know there's no positive answer to the situation."

Recording sessions for "That's The Spirit" took place at Black Rock Studios on the Greek island of Santorini. The CD will include the track"Drown", which was released as a "tester" single, plus "Happy Song", described by Sykes as an "unofficial title track."

Speaking about the much wider palette of influences which have gone into the making of BRING ME THE HORIZON's new CD, Sykes said: "This time round, the challenge wasn't just for people to be impressed that a screamer's learned to sing. We had to come back with something that would be impressive for people who had no idea of the history of the band."

Regarding the fact that BRING ME THE HORIZON chose to have Fish helm the new effort, Sykes said: "Producers are fine. But they want to justify the importance of their jobs sometimes, so they say things to you like: 'Oh, I know — why can't you do it in the swimming pool?' We know enough now that we were, like, 'It's not that hard. Let's just lay everything down the best way we can, and get on with it.'" "Plus," added Fish, "they cost a lot of money."

BRING ME THE HORIZON's "Live At Wembley" concert DVD was released in June. The set was filmed last December in London when the Yorkshire-based band headlined that city's most prestigious venue, Wembley Arena.

To celebrate more than twenty years of KORN, the band will perform its self-titled debut album in its entirety (and more) in intimate U.S. venues this October. Support on the trek will come from SUICIDE SILENCE and ISLANDER.

The dates are as follows:

Oct. 01 - Chicago, IL - Aragon BallroomOct. 02 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles BallroomOct. 03 - Detroit, M I - The FillmoreOct. 05 - New York City, NY - Irving PlazaOct. 06 - Montclair, NJ - The Wellmont TheaterOct. 08 - Boston, MA - House Of BluesOct. 09 - Silver Spring, MD - The FillmoreOct. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Rock AllegianceOct. 12 - Charlotte, NC - The FillmoreOct. 14 - Atlanta, GA - TabernacleOct. 15 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock LiveOct. 16 - Miami, FL - Fillmore Miami BeachOct. 18 - New Orleans, LA - Bold Sphere Music at Champions SquareOct. 18 - Austin, TX - StubbsOct. 20 - Dallas, TX - South Side BallroomOct. 22 - Phoenix, AZ - The MarqueeOct. 23 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of BluesOct. 24 - San Bernardino, CA - KnotfestOct. 27 - Denver, CO - The FillmoreOct. 28 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Great SaltAirOct. 30 - Oakland, CA - The Fox Theater

Special pre-sale starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. local time at Korn.com. Act quick and look for early entry packages. Password is "blind".

KORN performed its self-titled debut album from front to back for the first time in the U.S. on March 14 at the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas. The performance commemorated last year's 20th anniversary of the 1994 record's release, and featured just the second-ever live airing of the song "Daddy", which was last played in concert in 1995. The song was written about singer Jonathan Davis's experiences with being molested as a child.

"It was crazy, 'cause the song 'Daddy', we started playing that…. We hadn't played that since, like, 1994-1995, just 'cause Jonathan's really… it's really emotional for him," KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch told Metal Hammer (see video below). "But he said he still gets emotional doing it some nights, but he just… he says, 'I'll do it for the fans.' And, I mean, every night there's somebody crying in the front row, 'cause there's a lot of people that have been abused. It's really special to play that song. It's a dark song — it feels dark and everything — but it's kind of like therapy, I think, for people."

Davis said last year in a Rolling Stone article on the 20th anniversary of the first album that he gave up a good job and took drugs and alcohol while recording the group's iconic self-titled 1994 debut.

The singer explained: "I had to quit my job where I was making real money as a mortician, and had my own house, to having nothing — working at a pizza place and living under some stairs." Davis added that he spent most of the recording sessions either drunk or high on meth.

Regarding the impact that KORN's debut album had on the hard rock and heavy metal scene, Welch said: "Just changing the face of metal back then, it's crazy how it happened. And I still can't wrap my head around it. To this day, I'm just, like, 'What?!' But we're very thankful. Now that we're older and wiser, we're grateful for the chance to be able to do what we've done and the impact that we've made."

Added KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu: "People even come up today and tell us that our band influenced them, and if it wasn't for us, they wouldn't be doing what they're doing. It's kind of still… I don't really believe it. Because a lot of these bands telling me this, some of 'em are as big as KORN, if not bigger. It would be different if KORN was such a big band and all these little bands [were telling us], 'Oh, you've influenced us.' But now there's these bigger bands that say that we influenced them in a lot of ways. For example, we just got off tour with SLIPKNOT, and finding out these guys were influenced by us a lot. And they're massive. So it's kind of… I feel like, 'Wow, this is weird.' I don't know how to say it. I feel like it's not really real."

Bon Jovi are set to release a new album, Burning Bridges, on August 21st. A new single, “Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning”, will be released on July 31st.

In the meantime, RadioRock.com.br are streaming another track from the upcoming album. Listen to “We Don’t Run”, streaming here.

Bon Jovi is hitting the road later this year. Visit BonJovi.com/Tour for all the of the details and ticketing information.

Jon Bon Jovi tour packages for Vancouver, BC are on sale now.

Trip packages include:

- Photo op with Jon Bon Jovi (grouped by room)
- Pre-show Q & A with Jon Bon Jovi
- Ticket to see Jon Bon Jovi & The Kings of Suburbia at Brockton Field, Stanley Park
- Welcome party cruise with cocktails & appetizers
- Three days, two nights (Friday, August 21st - Sunday, August 23rd) hotel accommodations at The Westin Bayshore in Vancouver
- All events outside of the concert are private for Runaway Tours trip package buyers only

More info here.