The Graham Bonnet Band, the new project formed by ex-Rainbow, MSG, Alcatrazz, Impellitteri vocalist Graham Bonnet are releasing an exclusive downloadable 6-track EP titled Escape From Alcatrazz: Alive In Japan, from their official Facebook page.

The tracks will be available individually throughout the week starting July 20th, only from the band's page. Check out the first track "All Night Long" below.

The Graham Bonnet Band lineup:

Graham Bonnet - Vocals
Conrad Pesinato - Guitars
Beth-Ami Heavenstone - Bass
Chase Manhattan - Drums

(Photo - Shelley Welander)

Maiden United, the acoustic Iron Maiden tribute project featuring Damian Wilson (Threshold, Headspace) and Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation), are streaming their cover of the classic "Killers", which can be found on their new album, Remembrance, out now on CD, red 12” vinyl and as digital download.

 

Tracklisting:

"Strange World"
"Charlotte The Harlot"
"Killers"
"Remember Tomorrow"
"Burning Ambition" (featuring Bob Verschoyle)
"Futureal" (featuring Blaze Bayley)
"Aces High"
"Prowler" (featuring Paul Di’Anno)
"Still Life'15"

Contributing musicians:

Damian Wilson (Threshold, Headspace) - Vocals
Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation) - Guitar
Joey Bruers (Up The Irons) - Bass
Stef Broks (Textures) - Drums
Huub van Loon (Dearworld) - Piano
Thijs Schrijnemakers (Orgel Vreten) – Hammond
Mike Coolen (Within Temptation) – Drums on "Prowler"
Marco Kuypers (Cloudmachine) – Piano on "Prowler"
Thunderstick (Samson) - Drums on "Burning Ambition"
Paul Di’Anno – Vocals on "Prowler"
Blaze Bayley – Vocals on "Futureal"
Wudstik (Ayreon) and Marcela Bovio (Stream Of Passion) - Vocals on "Aces High"
Marcela Bovio (Stream Of Passion) - Violin on "Still Life '15"

"Killers":

"Futureal" featuring Blaze Bayley:

"Still Life":

"Aces High":

"Strange World":

Trailer:

Maiden United's debut album, Mind The Acoustic Pieces (2010), was an acoustic re-imagining of the entire classic Iron Maiden album Piece Of Mind with new arrangements. The second album Across The Seventh Sea (2012) contained tracks from different Maiden albums.

For more details visit MaidenuniteD.com.

 

The Loud & Proud Records team and Lynyrd Skynyrd have enjoyed success together for over 15 years and they will continue the tradition with the release of the 2CD/DVD Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For The Fans, a celebration of the band s incredible musical legacy for release on July 24. Check out a clip of Peter Framptom performing "Call Me The Breeze" below:

On one special night last November 12, 2014, at a live event headlined by Lynyrd Skynyrd, an extraordinary collection of artists came together at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA to perform the music of Skynyrd, one of the most influential bands of our time. The unique concert featured incredible performances by Lynyrd Skynyrd, including an unforgettable rendition of “Travelin Man”, performed as a duet between Johnny Van Zant and his late brother Ronnie, who appeared via archival video.

Special guests who took the stage that night include Gregg Allman who performed his bluesy version of the classic “Tuesday’s Gone”, Cheap Trick doing “Gimme Back My Bullets”, Peter Frampton rocking out to “Call Me The Breeze”, Alabama doing “Gimme Three Steps” as well as appearances by Trace Adkins, Blackberry Smoke, Charlie Daniels, Gov’t Mule, Warren Haynes, John Hiatt, Randy Houser, Jason Isbell, Jamey Johnson, Aaron Lewis, moe., O.A.R., Robert Randolph, Donnie Van Zant and an all-star band led by Don Was, performing songs from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s extensive catalog of music.

As part of the campaign to save the Fox Theatre from demolition in 1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded their live album, One More From The Road, at the landmark theatre. The title Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For The Fans, was inspired by that legendary album’s title.

With a catalog of over 60 albums and sales beyond 30 million worldwide, Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remains a cultural icon that appeals to multiple generations. Lynyrd Skynyrd continues to build on the legacy that began over 40 years ago in Jacksonville, Florida. Their last album, Last of a Dyin’ Breed, debuted at #14 on the Billboard Top 200, making it their highest charting album since 1977.

Led by core members Gary Rossington (guitar), Johnny Van Zant (vocals) and Rickey Medlocke (guitar), along with longtime drummer Michael Cartellone, the band also includes Mark "Sparky" Matejka (guitar), Johnny Colt (bass), Peter Keys (keyboards), Dale Krantz Rossington (Honkettes backing vocals) and Carol Chase (Honkettes backing vocals).

One More For The Fans tracklisting:

“Whiskey Rock-A-Roller” (performed by Randy Houser)
“You Got That Right” (performed by Robert Randolph and Jimmy Hall)
“Saturday Night Special” (performed by Aaron Lewis)
“Workin’ For MCA” (performed by Blackberry Smoke)
“Don’t Ask Me No Questions” (performed by O.A.R.)
“Gimme Back My Bullets” (performed by Cheap Trick)
“Simple Man” (performed by Gov’t Mule)
“That Smell” (performed by Warren Haynes)
“Four Walls Of Raiford” (performed by Jamey Johnson)
“I Know A Little” (performed by Jason Isbell)
“Call Me The Breeze” (performed by Peter Frampton)
“What’s Your Name” (performed by Trace Adkins)
“Down South Jukin’ (performed by Charlie Daniels and Donnie Van Zant)
“Gimme Three Steps” (performed by Alabama)
“Tuesday’s Gone” (performed by Gregg Allman)
“Travelin’ Man” (performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd with Jonny and Ronnie on big screen)
“Free Bird” (performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd)
“Sweet Home Alabama” (performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd and the entire cast)

"Freebird":

Trailer:

MEGADETH's new lineup made its live debut Saturday night (July 18) at the Festival D'été De Québec (also known as by its acronym FEQ, or Quebec City Summer Festival in English), in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

Professionally filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below. Quality photos are available at DV-Metal.com.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hangar 18 02. Wake Up Dead 03. In My Darkest Hour 04. Skin O' My Teeth 05. Sweating Bullets 06. Tornado Of Souls 07. Dawn Patrol 08. Poison Was The Cure 09. Trust 10. Kingmaker 11. A Tout Le Monde 12. She-Wolf 13. Symphony Of Destruction 14. Peace Sells 15. Cold Sweat (THIN LIZZY cover)16. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

LAMB OF GOD drummer Adler, who recently laid down the drums on MEGADETH's upcoming studio album, is expected to play as many shows with the Dave Mustaine-led band as his LAMB OF GOD schedule will allow.

MEGADETH's next album will also be the band's first to feature Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

During a question-and-answer session at the Comicpalooza international comic convention in Houston, Texas, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson stated about Adler: "Chris is such a fan of MEGADETH. Chris playing with MEGADETH would be like me joining KISS. We're, like, his favorite band ever and the band that got him into music. I mean, he's so humbly appreciative of the opportunity and being part of this. And so, anyway, we've talked about shows coming up, [and] Chris was, like, 'Dude, I'll move anything I can anywhere to try to make it happen; I just wanna play with MEGADETH.' He may play one show with us and go, 'That's it. I'm done. I don't ever wanna do that again.' So we'll find out as it's coming up. But the goal is Chris would like to play with us as much as possible. And we are still looking to where is the best time to release this new [MEGADETH] record, so as we're looking at some dates coming up, they're not necessarily predicated on the new album being out. And I guess it's kind of cool thing with MEGADETH — we can play shows and not necessarily have to have a new album to go play those [dates]."

Mustaine recently talked to Rolling Stone about his decision to enlist Adler to play on the new MEGADETH album, which was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee. He said: "Our hopes were to have a permanent drummer, but the option to do a record with Chris was really exciting to me. So I thought, 'Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. We'll figure out what we're gonna do about live shows, who's gonna take the drum throne.' And we've looked at a lot of people. I talked with my friend [ex-DREAM THEATER drummer] Mike Portnoy, who I think is an amazing talent. I talked to [ex-SLAYER drummer] Dave Lombardo. [Current DREAM THEATER drummer] Mike Mangini's name has come up. But there was just something telling me to pause, saying, 'Really think about who you're gonna play with, Mustaine. Make sure you're going to do something that's really going to excite people and that is not predictable.'"

He continued: "But one of the things that was great about having Chris come in was he's been a fan for 30 years and he was able to say, 'Well, this is the stuff I like about my MEGADETH.' And it was 'OK, cool.' Because, you know, when we started we were a thrash and speed metal outfit, and as we got more successful and got more critical acclaim melody seeped in. I've always had a melodic content to my songs — it's kind of an innate thing from being brought up with three sisters who listened to Motown. But I think that being forced toward the end of our tenure with Capitol to try and become an alternative band, it muddied the water. And we did turn ourselves inside out a lot during the later Nineties and early part of the 2000s."

The song "Crowned By The Light Of The Sun" from TEENAGE TIME KILLERS can be streamed below. The track is taken from the project's debut album, "Greatest Hits Vol. 1", which will be released on July 31 via Rise Records.

The long-gestating brainchild of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY founder/drummer Reed Mullin, guitarist Mick Murphy (MY RUIN, THE BIRDS OF SATAN) and producer John "Lou" Lousteau, TEENAGE TIME KILLERS' "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" is 20 concise seismic shocks created by an all-star line up of punk and metal legends spanning decades. Joining Reed on drums and Mick on guitar on the album's 20 mostly original tracks and few covers of underground classics (including the RUDIMENTARY PENI deep cut that inspired the project's title) includes:

* Jello Biafra of DEAD KENNEDYS* Randy Blythe of LAMB OF GOD* Dave Grohl and Pat Smear of FOO FIGHTERS* Nick Oliveri* Matt Skiba of ALKALINE TRIO* Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR* Tommy Victor of PRONG and DANZIG* Lee Ving of FEAR* Mike "IX" Williams of EYEHATEGOD* Mike Dean and Woody Weatherman of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY* Karl Agell of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY* Phil Rind of SACRED REICH* Neil Fallon of CLUTCH

All instrumental tracks on "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" were recorded at Grohl's 606 Studios in Northridge, California. The album was produced by John "Lou" Lousteau, Reed Mullin and Mick Murphy, engineered and mixed by John "Lou" Lousteau at 606.

"Greatest Hits Vol. 1" track listing with guest credits:

01. "Exploder"

Vocals: Reed Mullin Featuring Pat Hoed (Bass), London May (Drums)

02. "Crowned By The Light Of The Sun"

Vocals: Neil FallonFeaturing Jim Rota (Guitar), Dave Grohl (Bass)

03. "Hung Out To Dry"

Vocals: Randy BlytheFeaturing Mike Schaefer (Guitar), Dave Grohl (Bass)

04. "Power Outage"

Vocals: Clifford Dinsmore Featuring Dave Grohl (Bass)

05. "Ode To Sean Hannity"

Vocals: Jello BiafraFeaturing Mike Dean (Bass)

06. "Barrio"

Vocals: Matt SkibaFeaturing Brian Baker (Guitar)

07. "The Dead Hand"

Vocals: Reed MullinFeaturing Woody Weatherman (Guitar), Dave Grohl (Bass)

08. "Egobomb"

Vocals: Corey TaylorFeaturing Dave Grohl (Bass)

09. "Plank Walk"

Vocals: Pete Stahl Featuring Greg Anderson (Guitar), Dave Grohl (Bass)

10. "Time To Die"

Vocals: Mike IX Williams Featuring Greg Anderson (Guitar)

11. "Days Of Degradation"

Vocals: Tommy Victor Featuring Dave Grohl (Bass)

12. "Clawhoof"

Vocals: Tairrie B. Murphy Featuring Dave Grohl (Bass)

13. "Big Money"

Vocals: Lee Ving Featuring Pat Smear (Guitar & Bass), London May (Drums)

14. "Devil In This House"

Vocals: Karl Agell Featuring Dave Grohl (Bass)

15. "Say Goodnight To The Acolyte"

Vocals: Phil Rind Featuring Jason Browning (Guitar), Dave Grohl (Bass)

16. "Ignorant People"

Vocals: Tony Foresta Featuring Greg Anderson (Guitar), Nick Oliveri (Bass)

17. "Son Of An Immigrant"

Vocals: Johnny WeberFeaturing Brian Baker (Guitar)

18. "Your Empty Soul"

Vocals: Aaron Beam

19. "Bleeding To Death"

Vocals: Vic Bondi Featuring Dave Grohl (Bass)

20. "Teenage Time Killer"

Vocals: Trenton RogersFeaturing Greg Anderson (Guitar), Pat Hoed (Bass)

The song "Ode To Sean Hannity", featuring a guest appearance by Jello Biafra of DEAD KENNEDYS, can be streamed below.

Mullin explains the fortuitous inspiration behind the track: "I saw John Cleese from Monty Python on an episode of Keith Olbermann's old MSNBC show a couple years back, where he happened read his poem 'Ode To Sean Hannity' aloud. It was fucking hilarious — the rhythm, or cadence rather, and biting political comedy sounded just like a song Jello and the DEAD KENNEDYS would have written back in the old days. So, when we were getting our original five songs together for what later turned into TEENAGE TIME KILLERS, I put Cleese's poem to music, asked Jello to sing it, he said 'yes' and the rest is history."

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor released his third book, "You're Making Me Hate You: A Cantankerous Look At The Common Misconception That Humans Have Any Common Sense Left", on July 7 via Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. The book acts as a commentary on society and pop culture and has been described as "Taylor's take on Peter Griffin's 'You Know What Really Grinds My Gears'."

Taylor is promoting the book with a combination of bookstore events and a solo tour which are one-of-a-kind shows featuring readings from the book, acoustic performance, and audience discussion.

Professionally filmed video footage of Taylor's July 19 appearance at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California can be seen below (courtesy ofYahoo! Screen).

The setlist was as follows:

01. Nutshell (ALICE IN CHAINS cover)02. Bother 03. 30/30-150 04. Through Glass 05. Breathe / Have A Cigar / Time (PINK FLOYD cover)06. The Travelers, Pt. 107. Tired08. Imperfect09. Pulling Teeth (GREEN DAY cover)10. Taciturn11. Snuff12. Community Property (STEEL PANTHER cover - one verse)13. Lightning Crashes (LIVE cover)14. Chloe Dancer (MOTHER LOVE BONE cover)15. Little Red Corvette (PRINCE cover)16. Love Song (THE CURE cover)17. Wicked Game (CHRIS ISAAK cover)18. Take It Easy (THE EAGLES cover)

Encore:

19. Free Bird (LYNYRD SKYNYRD cover - one verse)20. Jamie's Crying (VAN HALEN cover)21. I Don't Care About You (FEAR cover with Scott Ian from ANTHRAX)22. Spit It Out

During an appearance on the Nerdist podcast, Taylor stated about "You're Making Me Hate You": "It's fucking brutal. It's just me basically trashing everyone."

Taylor said that his original title — which the publisher refused to allow him to use — was "You're Making Me Hate You (Or How Justin Bieber Sucked A Million Dicks To Make His Money)".

Taylor's last book, "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Heaven", was published in the summer of 2013 and landed at No. 23 on the New York Times "Hardcover Non-Fiction" best sellers list.

His first book, 2011's "Seven Deadly Sins: Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good", also made the list at No. 26.

LYNCH MOB, the band led by former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch, will release its eighth studio CD, "Rebel", on August 21 via Frontiers Music Srl. The effort was produced by Lynch collaborator Chris "the Wizard" Collier.

The LYNCH MOB lineup on "Rebel" is comprised of Lynch, Oni Logan on vocals, Jeff Pilson (ex-DOKKEN, FOREIGNER, DIO) on bass and Brian Tichy (ex-WHITESNAKE, OZZY OSBOURNE) on drums.

The song "Jelly Roll", taken from "Rebel", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

"Rebel" track listing: 01. Automatic Fix 02. Between The Truth And A Lie03. Testify04. Sanctuary05. Pine Tree Avenue06. Jelly Roll07. Dirty Money08. The Hollow Queen09. The Ledge10. Kingdon Of Slaves11. War

Songs like "Testify", "Sanctuary" and "Dirty Money" showcase Oni's trademark vocal ability while putting his diverse lyrical content on full display.

The official video for the album's first single, "Automatic Fix", can be seen below. The song features an exciting opening riff and vocal melody and Lynch burns on one of his best guitar solos.

Fans who pre-order "Rebel" via iTunes at will receive an instant download of "Automatic Fix".

Talking about "Automatic Fix", Logan states: "This is an interesting song in that it was the last song that was recorded vocally. I initially thoughtthat it might be best used as instrumental. I simply love this song because of its energy an attitude."

"With 'Rebel', we allowed ourselves to move outside our normally imposed self restraints and tread some forbidden sonic territories," explains Lynch. "What surprises me is no matter how far we attempt to stray away from the classic 'LYNCH MOB formula,' we can never really escape the chemistry between myself and Oni. There's just a thing that happens there that's unique to us and undeniable." LYNCH MOB formed in 1989 after Lynch exited DOKKEN.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the release of LYNCH MOB's debut album, "Wicked Sensation", which is the band's most commercially successful work to date, having sold more than half a million copies in the U.S. alone. LYNCH MOB has released seven other albums throughout its career.

SAXON drummer Nigel Glockler and METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof have announced the formation of a new collaborative project. Glockler says: "We've been wanting to work together for years and we finally decided to make it happen. I've asked my friend Al Barrow of MAGNUM to work with us." He adds: So looking forward to this — I know it's going to be fantastic!"

Glockler last December suffered a life-threatening ruptured brain aneurysm and has since made a full recovery.

SAXON has set "Battering Ram" as the title of its 21st studio album, tentatively due this fall via UDR Music. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "The Devil's Footprint", which recounts a tale from the 1600s, and "Tax 'Till You Drop", which looks at evil of another kind.

"Battering Ram" was once again helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT).

METAL CHURCH's new CD — the first to feature returning singer Mike Howe — will be released in the fall via Rat Pak Records. The CD features the lineup of Howe, Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitar), Jeff Plate (drums), Steve Unger (bass) and Rick Van Zandt (lead guitar). It was mixed by Chris "The Wizard" Collier.

Howe, who fronted METAL CHURCH from 1988 until 1994, officially rejoined the band in April.

Video footage of the first "wall of death" — which involves splitting the expansive mosh pit into two sides of people who violently clash at the band's command — ever recorded with 360-degree camera technology can be seen below. The clip was shot during HEAVEN SHALL BURN's July 18 performance at the Resurrection Fest in Viveiro, Lugo, Spain.

In an interview with On Track Magazine conducted nearly a decade ago, LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler stated about the "wall of death": "We were doin' that 'wall of death' for awhile, we were doin' it through the Ozzfest and we played a show on an off-date of Ozzfest where we headlined and we did the 'wall of death.' And that night after the show we came backstage and there were two kids layin' there with broken legs. We went and talked to 'em and did our best to comfort 'em while they were waitin' for the ambulance and they were excited to meet us or whatever, but seein' somebody hurt after that kinda thing definitely made us stop and think about it a minute, and since that night, we haven't done the 'wall of death' again."

Fan-filmed video footage of Japanese metallers LOUDNESS performing on July 17 at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen, Germany can be seen below.

LOUDNESS released its latest studio album, "The Sun Will Rise Again", in June 2014.

In a 2012 interview with Examiner.com, LOUDNESS singer Minoru Niihara stated about the band's songwriting process: "First we have basic concepts and ideas for songs in Japanese and translate them into English. After that, we work with English-speaking songwriters. Then the songwriters will read lyrics and record them for us for pronunciation and intonation. We listen to them over and over to master them. It takes time to master them all, but in the studio I sing them so many times, recording, that I can sing them by heart by the time the recording is done. Memorizing songs for live performances is the same both in English and Japanese."

He added: "The hardest thing is pronunciation. My English has a heavy accent and not that great, but that is sort of my signature, I think. To make it easier, I just have to practice. Performing on the stage over the years has given me poise and self-confidence."

Asked about LOUDNESS' current drummer Masayuki Suzuki, who replaced the late Munetaka Higuchi in 2008, Niihara said: "His nickname is Ampan. Akira [Takasaki, guitar] jammed with Ampan in Sapporo and felt that he is 'our guy' and brought him to Tokyo to do an audition. [Bassist] Masayoshi [Yamashita] and I had never heard of him or seen him perform before he came to Tokyo with Akira. I loved his powerful playing style once I saw him in the audition and also loved the fact that it was very different from Munetaka's. Because Munetaka was such a great drummer, I understand that Ampan is constantly under pressure from being compared to him, but I believe he's the best at what he does and is a wonderful drummer."

He added: "Before he joined LOUDNESS, [Ampan] was working as a music producer and has written lots of songs in many different styles. He’s already written various songs from thrash metal to beautiful ballads for the band. Also, as a drummer he's brought the band a new groove. After Munetaka's passing, his playing has breathed new life into LOUDNESS. His twin bass drums have such a destructive power. We are extremely lucky to have found him."

SIXX: A.M., the band featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx alongside guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael, completed its first headline tour this past spring, a limited run of North American dates that was a huge success and the catalyst for the group's most prolific period. Nikki explains: "SIXX: A.M. is in the most creative place of our career and we've already completed almost 24 songs to date. We're still on a writing and recording spree and plan on finishing up at least 30 songs total. Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the album have over 22 songs that tie together thematically and sonically. They will not be released at the same time to allow fans to absorb each album to its fullest but both will come out in 2016. This will be tied in with a 24-month world tour. For James, DJ and myself, we think it's the perfect time to release so much quality music to our fans who've been supporting us over the last three albums. We're ready."

Michael adds: "There have been a few moments in SIXX: A.M. 's history that I would consider 'turning points.' When 'Life Is Beautiful' reached the top of the charts, we realized that the three of us had a real chemistry and a knack for writing songs that connected with people. When we recorded 'This Is Gonna Hurt', it became clear that we had created a unique 'sound' that only the three of us together could achieve. But I believe that the most pivotal moment for us came when we set out on our first headlining tour for 'Modern Vintage'. Playing to sold-out audiences every night made it clear that we had finally become a real band. We have now taken that energy and inspiration into the studio as we embark on our most ambitious undertaking... A double album which leaves no stone unturned in our quest to create important music and push the boundaries of rock."

Ashba sums it all up: "Imagine the next two years filled with world tours, meet-and-greets and more new music by SIXX: A.M. than your ears can handle. Well, that's exactly what's going to happen! Nikki, James and myself have all decided to make SIXX: A.M. our main priority! We are on a mission to give our fans even more than they could have hoped for, both musically and visually. Also, we would like to thank you for your patience, your loyalty, and most of all, for turning us into a real band. We'll see you on the road in 2016!"

Speaking to RollingStone.com about SIXX: A.M.'s as-yet-untitled new records, Sixx said: "They'll be companion pieces, named 'Volume One' and 'Volume Two', and they'll come out with a little bit of space between them. Because when a band releases a double album, a lot of times, about halfway through the second record, you say, 'Sounds like they ran out of gas…' So by putting them out separately we'll give the fans time to absorb each one fully. They'll get the first one. They'll stream it. They'll feel it. They'll hear it live. And then it'll be, 'Here comes another one…' "

According to Sixx, the two albums will be linked thematically and sonically, although it is not clear to what extent. "There are tent poles that we're working with, but they could still change," he said. "The one thing I can say is that, in SIXX: A.M., we always connect darkness to light, whether it's something like 'Life Is Beautiful' or 'This is Gonna Hurt', or even 'Stars'. There's a lot about our own experiences in our songs, but there's also always a light at the end of the tunnel, because we've lived through those experiences. And on the new material, those themes are maybe even a little bit heavier."

SLAYER's Kerry King told Illinois Entertainer that he wrote the song "Chasing Death", from the band's upcoming "Repentless" album, after his longtime guitar tech, Armand Crump, overdosed and died in 2012. The track was penned partly in an effort to save fellow SLAYER co-founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman from alcoholism.

"There were some wake-up calls in there," King said. "You know, we were trying to get Jeff on board. And he had literally cheated death when he had that arm injury. I don't think people know it was as bad as it was, but the doctor told him when he went in to work on him, 'First, I'm going to try to save your life.' We didn't know if he was going to live. And Jeff, he just... he got out of the hospital, and he lived clean for a while. I'm, like, 'Dude, you just cheated death. You got another shot at doing this all over again. Let's fucking get you back on board, playing some shows.'"

He continued: "I knew when [Jeff] went into the hospital that last time, I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was that bad. Nobody expected that call ... I didn't know if he was ever going to come out of that particular episode, but I didn't think it was going to be that quick.

"You can't make an addicted person get better if they don't want to. We did everything we were supposed to do, but that kind of personality, man. If they're not strong enough to outwit it, then it's gonna happen how it happened."

In January 2011, Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard.

Hanneman eventually died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

In a 2013 interview with Guitar World magazine, former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo stated about Hanneman's battle with the bottle: "Jeff was always a drinker. He always had a Coors Light tall can in his hand. Always."

"Jeff and I always drank," King added. "They called Steven Tyler and Joe Perry the Toxic Twins. We were the Drunk Brothers." He laughed. "The difference being that I don't wake up in the morning and need a beer. Jeff didn't know how not to drink."

"I would express my concern [about his alcohol intake], and he would back off for a few months — but then he would go right back to drinking," said Kathryn Hanneman, Jeff's wife of 24 years. "A few years before his dad died in 2008, I did notice that Jeff was relying on alcohol to start off his day. But I couldn't say much at that point, because I just knew we'd wind up in a verbal confrontation about it. And I'm not going to say I didn't drink with him — I did drink with him, sometimes quite heavily. I figured if l couldn't beat him, join him. But eventually I realized that I couldn't go on like that, and that if l stopped, I might be able to help him get away from it too. But I couldn't. He just relied on it too much to get him through the day."

Hanneman's SLAYER bandmates also spoke about the arthritic condition that he had been battling for many years and that was progressively worsening to the point of interfering with his playing. "His ability to play was slowly deteriorating," SLAYER frontman Tom Araya said, "but he didn't let anybody know that. We could just tell that things were going wrong. It was becoming hard to get stuff out of him. He was very proud and didn't want to make anyone worry about anything. Jeff would show up and play, and he didn't want anyone to know or worry about what else was going on with him. He tried to be really strong and sometimes that can weigh you down."

"You would notice it in his hands and a little bit in his walk," Lombardo said. "It seemed like He was struggling with his playing — it wasn't fuid. You could hear it in the leads. His playing just wasn't as tight as it could have been."

"People have to make their own decisions about how they want to live their lives," Araya said. ''You can't start dictating how they should live because it just pushes them away. It doesn't help anything. It wasn't easy, but it's not like we were blind to what was going on. And there were points that we tried to help and encourage him to come back — tell him he could still be a part of what we do, even if it wasn't full time.

"But I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that he didn't want to let us down. He didn't want to disappoint us. I think when he was having real difficulty over that last year, he just didn't want us to know about it. He kept saying that he needed more time. And the isolation didn't help much either. I think that no matter how things would have worked out, the end result would have been the same."

"It eats you up because you think, Why can't I fix this guy?" King said. "And it's not that he didn't want to be fixed . I mean, he didn't want to die. But he also couldn't help himself before it was too late."

Gary Holt of San Francisco Bay Area thrash icons EXODUS has been the touring guitarist for SLAYER for the past four and a half years.

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

On June 22, Scot Fox of the 97.9 WCPR Rocks radio station conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.

Asked about his rumored collaboration with one of his current favorite artists, pop superstar Lady Gaga, Halford said: "I was in a hotel in London the other day and Gaga was, like, two floors above me. Needless to say, security was really, really tight. We didn't really get to see each other again that day, 'cause she was super busy. But let me tell you: that lady is a heavy metal maniac. She loves PRIEST, she loves [IRON] MAIDEN, she loves MOTÖRHEAD — all of these kinds of heavy metal bands that have been roaring on throughout the decades; she's a big fan of all [of them]."

He continued: "When I met her, I think it was last year in San Diego, where I'm hanging out these days, we immediately bonded. She's just this wonderfully talented lady with a spectacular voice.

"You know, you have to cut through a lot of the visual stuff with Gaga and then get to what her voice is about. For me, as a singer, as a fellow singer, she's absolutely sensational and I would love at some point to do something with her. I don't know if ever that's gonna happen, but it's on my bucket list. I think we've all got a bucket list, and that's on mine."

Halford first Lady Gaga in June 2014 after her show in San Diego. He attended the concert with Lady Starlight, Gaga's longtime friend and collaborator who supported JUDAS PRIEST on tour in 2011.

Back in May, Halford revealed to Yahoo! Music that during one of the London gigs on JUDAS PRIEST's "Epitaph" tour, Gaga was planning to appear as a special guest. "Gaga called and said, 'Can I get on the back of Rob's bike when he comes out and we'll do 'Hell Bent For Leather'?" he said. "I was like, 'Oh my God! Diva moment. Please let this happen!' But she couldn't do it. She ended up doing a shoot in Omaha, Nebraska, that took a week." He added: "If that isn't a nice affirmation that someone with extraordinary talent that isn't metal can still gravitate to the metal experience, I don't know what is."

Lady Gaga previously spoke about her love for IRON MAIDEN and BLACK SABBATH, calling the experience of seeing MAIDEN for the first time a "life-changing" event. The singer also appeared in photos with Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Alice Cooper and ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante.

Former PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo says that he had nothing to do with the decision to remove the "Hesher Dream T-Shirt" — which combines Confederate flag imagery with a nude blonde woman and a potleaf — from the band's official webstore.

The Confederate flag's symbolism is the subject of an emotional debate in the South in the aftermath of the massacre of nine blacks by a white gunman in a Charleston, South Carolina church last month.

White supremacist and suspected killer Dylann Roof had been pictured holding the Confederate flag before he allegedly carried out the murders.

While some people see the flag as a divisive symbol of the South's proslavery legacy, supporters insist the flag is a honorable symbol of regional pride, a mark of respect for Southern soldiers who died in the American Civil War.

After Rolling Stone pointed out the above-mentioned PANTERA shirt in the July 9 article headlined "Why Are These Bands Still Selling Confederate Flag Merch?", the item in question disappeared from the official PANTERA webstore with no explanation.

During a July 17 interview with Brandon Woolum of the WAMX-FM radio station in Huntington, West Virgina, Anselmo was asked whether the shirt in question would ever be brought back on the market. He responded: "I don't know. I don't make these calls, and honestly, this is a complex subject. My only feeling on the whole thing is, with the world the way it sits today and spins, we have a lot more and more pressing and bigger problems than worrying about some fucking flag, and that's how I feel about it."

Former PANTERA and current HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott recently said that the controversy over the Confederate flag was merely a "knee-jerk reaction to something that happened" and it encroached on people's freedom-of-expression rights. He said: "This country was built on freedom of speech and freedom of expression, and when you can no longer do that, then it is no longer based on that, you know. It's a touchy thing, you know, and that's really all I'm going to say about it. I just think that it doesn't follow what the country was built on [and] what it was based on. To me, that blows, but that's how it, is man."

Anselmo admitted earlier in the month that he was thinking twice about his past associations with the rebel flag. "It'd be like, Would we be flying the Nazi flag?" he told HardrockHaven.net. "I don't think so, because flags are looked at whether it be nationalism or symbols of something. Truthfully, it's like...I wish fucking everyone would get along."

He went on to explain that the reason he and his former bandmates might have used the Confederate flag in the first place was "our love of bands like LYNYRD SKYNYRD." But he also admitted that "there was never a time when it was okay to promote hate." He added: "It was never this blatant thing unless I was completely out of my mind, which I was at points in time."

"These days, I wouldn't want anything to fucking do with it because truthfully...I wouldn't," he said. "The way I feel and the group of people I've had to work with my whole life, you see a Confederate flag out there that says 'Heritage, not hate.' I'm not so sure I'm buying into that."

Fan-filmed video footage of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE performing a song called "Strength Of The Mind" at the London, Ontario, Canada (July 18) and Toronto, Ontario, Canada (July 19) stops of the band's tour with RISE AGAINST can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph says that the media should concentrate on "a lot worse things" that are "going on in the world" than the ongoing controversy over the Confederate flag.

The Confederate flag's symbolism is the subject of an emotional debate in the South in the aftermath of the massacre of nine blacks by a white gunman in a Charleston, South Carolina church last month.

White supremacist and suspected killer Dylann Roof had been pictured holding the Confederate flag before he allegedly carried out the murders.

While some people see the flag as a divisive symbol of the South's proslavery legacy, supporters insist the flag is a honorable symbol of regional pride, a mark of respect for Southern soldiers who died in the American Civil War.

During an interview with Metal Insider, Bostaph weighed in on the Confederate flag issue. He said: "Well, what do they say? Those who forget history are bound to repeat it. I mean, I'm not into it. It's not my thing to fly that flag. You don't see the Nazi flag flying. That's going to be controversial by me saying that. I'm not saying one is worse than the other, I'm just saying maybe the confederate flag stood for something really good to those who are flying the flag, but then maybe to the majority of people, it does not."

He continued: "Sometimes things in history are going to be questioned and people need to get into an uproar about it. Maybe it educates some people. When controversial things don't happen, you go home flip on the baseball game and go to bed and that's the only thing you do; you aren't really stimulating your brain."

Paul added: "There are a lot worse things going on in the world. That's really the truth. I mean, who gives a shit about Bruce Jenner and a fucking sex change? I could give a flying rat fuck about that. What that does is it numbs my brain and glazes my face over. I'm uninterested. It's the whole mentality: if you want to fucking distract somebody, just flash a glimmering object in their face and they will be, 'ooh I want that,' and really, something fucked up is happening over there. That's the media — not all the media, but that's what we see. People are interested in that bullshit.

"Sometimes all the people want to do is look over their neighbor's fence. Those are the kind of people that care about Bruce Jenner's sex change. You can walk through the supermarket and see the tabloids. Some people pick those up religiously. That's the way some people want to live. Every time something insignificant is happening, there's something more important that is getting way less press. There was some kind of trade embargo signed; I caught wind of it when all of that was happening. It was something very important economically that was happening under the radar, and only the people that were looking for it saw it."

Washington D.C. area metal band, A Sound Of Thunder, has announced their new album, Tales From The Deadside with a Kickstarter campaign that reached full funding in under 24 hours. The new album is a full-length concept album based on Valiant Entertainment's Shadowman comic book series.

The album was recorded at Assembly Line Studios with RIAA-platinum awarded producer Kevin '131' Gutierrez (Shinedown, While Heaven Wept, Raven). Tales From The Deadside is set for release on September 25th and will be available on CD, limited colored vinyl, and in a number of exclusive pre-order packages only on Kickstarter. The standard CD edition of Tales From The Deadside will feature all-new Shadowman cover artwork, while select backers of the Kickstarter campaign can obtain an exclusive cover featuring Shadowman’s arch-nemesis Master Darque.

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

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

A Sound Of Thunder:

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

Middle East's progressive mastermind Amadeus Awad is back with Death Is Just A Feeling, featuring an all star lineup including Anneke Van Giersbergen (The Gathering, Ayreon, The Gentle Storm), Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Guilt Machine, Stream of Passion), Elia Monsef (Ostura, Amadeus Awad), Marco Minnemann (Joe Satriani, Steven Wilson, The Aristocrats) and Jimmy Keegan (Spocks Beard, John Waite, Santana).

The new album from the Lebanese maestro will be released worldwide on August 20th via Melodic Revolution Records. As with previous releases from Awad, Death Is Just A Feeling is a concept album and contains six tracks clocking in at around 47 minutes with one instrumental track.

According to Amadeus: “This album is the result of: my personal experience with death, both the tragic loss of loved ones (Father, Brother and a Best Friend) as well as my own attempt of committing suicide, which I contemplated more than once at a certain stage in my life."

For his newest opus, Amadeus chose some of the best names in the business to collaborate with, "each one of the characters in the story represents a certain side of me, and I wanted myself to be represented by the greatest personalities in the progressive rock/metal world; being able to work with my idols is a great honour.”

Amadeus is always stretching the boundaries with his music and lyrics, and it’s no different with his new album, he is opening up and revealing his most inner and darkest secrets and coming to terms with death. Death Is Just A Feeling is his finest work to date.

The album was mixed and mastered by Brett Caldas-Lima at Tower Studios.

Amadeus Awad: Acoustic, Electric & Bass Guitars, Keyboards and Orchestration
Anneke Van Giersbergen: Vocals
Arjen Lucassen: Vocals
Elia Monsef: Vocals
Marco Minnemann: Drums on Tracks 2, 3, 5 & 6
James Keegan : Drums on Track 4
Nareg Nashanikian: Cello
Rafi Nashanikian: Clarinet
Dan Harper: Narration

 

Cristina Mlynek of Metal4 conducted an interview with FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares at the Rockharz Open Air festival, which was held last weekend in Germany. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about FEAR FACTORY's musical evolution on the band's upcoming album, "Genexus', Dino said: "I think FEAR FACTORY has a very unique style. I mean, we've definitely evolved over the years. You know, from our first record to our second record… the second record was a massive jump. And then going into the third record was another different period. And then going into the fourth record, a lot of things changed. And every record, we try to evolve a little bit different here and there. And I think on this record, we wanted to really concentrate on a lot of the groove element. And there's also quite a few songs that are pretty fast. We noticed that when we play a lot of the groovier songs live that it goes over better — especially big festivals. Big, heavy, groovy songs like 'Edgecrusher' and 'Linchpin' and, obviously, a new song called 'Soul Hacker'."

Dino also talked about the recent departure of FEAR FACTORY bassist Matt DeVries (previously of CHIMAIRA, where he played guitar, and SIX FEET UNDER) and addition of Tony Campos (ex-SOULFLY, STATIC-X, PRONG, MINISTRY). He said: "Well, we had asked [Tony to join] awhile ago, and, of course, he was busy playing in a band called SOULFLY. So we had Matt DeVries come in, but unfortunately Matt DeVries… Well, not unfortunately… Unfortunately for us, but for him, he wanted to spend more time with his family, so he left the group. And Tony found out, 'cause Tony was playing in MINISTRY at the time, so we were touring together. And then Tony decided to ask. 'Cause we hadn't made any kind of announcement yet; we didn't know anybody was gonna find out. And then Tony just asked me. He goes, 'Hey, man, Matt's leaving…' I'm, like, 'Duh! C'mon in.' It was perfect."

"Genexus" will be released on August 7 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The follow-up to 2012's "The Industrialist" was co-produced by longtime collaborator Rhys Fulber, along with guitarist Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell and mixed by Andy Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD). Artwork was once again handled by Anthony Clarkson. Drums on "Genexus" were performed by Mike Heller (MALIGNANCY).

According to The Pulse Of Radio, STAIND has been mostly inactive since 2011 and singer Aaron Lewis said in a new interview that the band is probably going to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Asked by Shout Out Minnesota if the group has any plans, Lewis replied, "Not for a while. Mike Mushok, the guitar player, signed with another band and their new single just came out last week and he’s gonna be busy for three records with that band."

Mike Mushok is now playing in SAINT ASONIA with former THREE DAYS GRACE frontman Adam Gontier. The band's debut album is due out July 31.

Lewis, meanwhile, has been pursuing a career in the country music scene as a solo artist, releasing an EP and album and touring constantly.

But he maintains that fans have not seen the last of STAIND, saying, "We didn't break up and at some point STAIND will come back out. I don’t know if we’ll record a record or tour or what the deal will be… so this is what it is for a while."

STAIND has released seven studio albums dating back to 1996, with 11 Top 10 rock singles and four No. 1 tracks to their credit.

EVANESCENCE will re-emerge after a three-year hiatus with select, intimate shows scheduled this fall in Nashville, Dallas and Los Angeles. The influential, Grammy-winning band last performed live in November of 2012. The dates are as follows:

Nov. 13 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music WorksNov. 15 - Dallas, TX - South Side BallroomNov. 17 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern

EVANESCENCE has also been confirmed for Ozzfest Japan, the first major international music festival to ever travel to Japan, which will return to Makuhari Messe Arena (just outside of Tokyo) Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22. The two-day event, which will feature more than 22 performers, will be headlined by two Ozzfest veterans: festival namesake OZZY OSBOURNE (who will perform as Ozzy & Friends) and KORN.

EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee states: "You know, we're already playing Japan, and it seems like a waste to do all that practicing for just one show…. So to finally answer the question many of you have been asking since the Ozzfest announcement, YES. We're adding three U.S. dates in November!"

Tickets for the Nashville and Los Angeles dates will go on sale this Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m. local time. The Dallas date goes on sale this Saturday, July 25 at 10 a.m. local time. Lee said that fans can get first access to tickets with the password "rememberhow2fly" this Wednesday, July 22, before the public on-sale.

Lee, who became a mother for the first time in July 2014, told Rolling Stone last year that she had no plans to hit the studio or the stage with EVANESCENCE, prompting many fans to fear that the band was finished.

In an attempt to assure fans that EVANESCENCE wasn't over, Lee posted a message on her Facebook page in September, explaining that "EVANESCENCE is a part of me — it just isn't a complete picture of everything I'm capable of."

Speaking to "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx" co-host Jenn Marino, Lee voiced pretty much the same sentiments, saying: "It's kind of frustrating sometimes if you read the Internet, ever, about anything. So, literally, I get a little frustrated when I'll literally say, 'No, the band is not over. We're just not doing it now.' And then every response is, 'No. EVANESCENCE is dead.' It's like, 'Man, that's so not what I said. Why do you have to make drama?' I said we're not doing it now. I'm totally open-minded. And, I don't know… I would just get bored doing the same thing forever. There's more to me than that."

Lee released a new album in August 2014 called "Amy Lee With Dave Eggar: Aftermath", consisting of music she wrote with Dave Eggar for an independent film called "War Story". The movie premiered last year at the Sundance Film Festival.

Asked how she decided when she is working on new music which ideas to use in EVANESCENCE and which to set aside for other projects, Lee told "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx": "That's always kind of a thought and a little bit of a decision. And I definitely feel like both things exist inside me. And there are songs that I have in the bank that are both. There are some things [where I think], 'That's like an EVANESCENCE song,' and that's sort of in the EVANESCENCE pile of the bank. And then there [are] other songs where I'm, like, 'I don't know what this is.' This is something that [I can use] for something else, and I haven't figured out what to do with it yet."

She continued: "It's funny. I just went through a long period of time between 'The Open Door' and the last record where I didn't know what I was gonna do next and there was just all this music flowing out. And there's just a big pile of really cool stuff that I still wanna do something with that isn't exactly EVANESCENCE. So there's definitely more things to come out in the future."

The last EVANESCENCE album, a self-titled effort, came out in 2011.

The "Aftermath" album sold 6,000 copies in its first week to debut at No. 47 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Dresden, Germany-based quartet Deathrite are ready to open your eyes and bludgeon your ears with their new album, Revelation Of Chaos, scheduled for worldwide release via Prosthetic Records on July 24th. Featuring fierce artwork  by Mark Riddick (Mutilation Rites, Aborted, Fleshgod Apocalypse), the band's 10-track label debut was recorded, mixed and mastered with Jan Oberg in Berlin at Hidden Planet Studio (The Ocean). A full album stream can be found below.

Revelation Of Chaos is currently available for preorder in the Prosthetic webshop on CD, LP, and cassette.

The album's tracklisting is as follows:

“Melting Skies”
“Circle Of Destruction”
“Determinate To Rot”
“Toxic Hammer”
“Mayhem Remains”
“Wrathbringer”
“Salute To Death”
“Swords And Revolt”
“Predator”
“Infernal Domination”

Album stream:

A video teaser for the new album can be seen below:

Vocalist Tony chimed in with details behind the album's theme and its recording process, commenting: "Well, we're pretty stoked with the album. This time, we had a bit more time in the studio and everyone tried to rip as hard as he could, so we think it's pretty natural why Revelation of Chaos is our heaviest release so far. We chose the title because it fit with every song on the record. It's kind of an anthem for the next apocalyptic war and we've tried to throw you straight into the trench of a bloody battlefield to give you a feeling of devastation and terror! That was the point when we decided we needed to work with Mark for the illustration. We're huge fans of the brutal artwork he's put out over the years. We searched for something raw and filthy – nothing fancy, just pure death straight in your face and we think Mark nailed it! So we're definitely excited as f*ck to show you Revelation of Chaos!"

 

 

Deathrite have spent the past four years honing in on their original sound, a mixture of death metal, grindcore and punk with hints of sludge sprinkled on top. Based out of Dresden, the group has made waves in the German DIY scene through appearances on numerous tours and gigs such well-known acts as Rotten Sound, Aura Noir, Mutilation Rites, Integrity, and Full Of Hell. The quartet will soon appear at several European summer festivals (In Flammen, Party.San Open Air) and was recently been added as direct support for a two-date run with Napalm Death this month.

 

West Midlands, UK-based quintet, An Elegy, will release their debut 6-track EP, Embrace The Rain, on July 27th. BraveWords is premiering a new lyric video from the EP called "Hidebound" below. The track features Richard Lardner from Lock And Key.

Says the band: "This song expresses our views towards ignorance and bigotry seen daily in our society and how we feel about those who constantly battle to inflict their ignorance onto the public. Our debut release, Embrace The Rain, drops July 27th available on all digital platforms, if you like what you've heard, make sure to pick it up!"

Young and eager, equipped with their instruments and a goal. An Elegy are ready to take the UK by storm and are certainly one to keep an eye on. Made up of five friends across Coventry and Birmingham and their love of all things heavy. The band have spent their time behind closed doors perfecting their craft and in turn have put their own stamp on their interpretation of the fusion of the metal and hardcore genre.

The lead single, "Ghost”, is available through all good digital platforms now. The video for the track can be seen below:

Bellingham, WA trio, Wild Throne, has shared their new music video for “Harvest Of Darkness”, the title track off their forthcoming debut LP which is now set to arrive on October 2nd. The video is streaming below.

Furthermore, the band - Joshua Holland (guitar/vocals), Noah Burns (drums) and Jeff Johnson (bass) – has shared the cover art and tracklisting for Harvest of Darkness (full details below). Produced by Ross Robinson (At The Drive-In, The Cure, Blood Brothers), Harvest of Darkness  is rife with passion, anchored by lyrics that explore the human condition, its strengths and its weaknesses, its failings and its beauty all layered over an unpredictable storm of prog-inflicted musicianship that finds the three piece fearlessly blowing through boundaries.

Having shared stages with everyone from Red Fang to Marnie Stern and recently completing a North American trek supporting Royal Thunder, Wild Throne are set to embark on a US tour supporting Mutoid Man which will kick off August 19th in Denver, CO (see dates below). The band will be announcing additional tour dates shortly which will see them spending the remainder of 2015 on the road. 

Tracklisting:

“Harvest Of Darkness”
“Shadow Deserts”
“Fear Yourself”
“Lone Lust”
“Death Of A Star”
“Blood Maker”
“I Of The Prism”
“War Is A Romance”
“Born To Die”
“The Wrecking Ball Unchained”
“Trans”

“Harvest Of Darkness” video:

Tour dates (with Mutoid Man)

August
19 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
20 - Salt Lake City, UT - Liquis Joes
22 - Seattle, WA - Barboza
23 - Vancouver, BC - Venue
24 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater Lounge
26 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
27 - Los Angeles, CA - Echo
28 - Phoenix, AZ - The Rebel Lounge
29 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad

Pavement Music has announced a July 24th release for the self-titled, re-recorded and re-energized version of the 1988 debut from old-school thrash-masters Sonick Plague. Originally titled What's The Purpose, this updated version of the album was recorded at Carriage House Studios and captures the powerful energy and grit of the origins of thrash metal. Two more tracks from the upcoming release are streaming below.

Sonick Plauge are veterans (and some say) pioneers of the classic, thrash metal sound. This raw and lively sound originated in the hills of West Virginia in 1984. The lineup was solidified in Connecticut a few years later with founders Ken Cuccaro (drums) and Tim Meehan (guitars), along with Tony Teodoro (guitars) and Sean Donnelly (bass, vox).

Things started moving for Plague when they landed their first show at the legendary Anthrax in Norwalk, CT. Owners Shaun and Brian Sheriden signed the metal quartet to their own label (Anthrax Records) and the debut album, What's The Purpose, was released in 1988. Immediately after the album's release, Tim Meehan retreated south and (after an exhaustive search) was replaced by childhood friend Chuck Crilly (guitars). The band embarked on a self-supported tour and played alongside the likes of Death Angel, Voivod, Gwar, Pantera, Ludichrist, Crumbsuckers and many more. The tour took its toll on the guys and after a couple unsuccessful lineup changes, the band dissolved.

In 2012 Sonick Plague lost their beloved friend and brother Tony Teodoro. The tragic and untimely passing found Ken, Sean and Chuck talking again and soon back to their old musical form. Matt Dupre was recruited to round out the reformed band and a decision was made to re-record and release the debut album while they continue working on material for a follow up.

 

 

Tracklisting:

"Street Wars"
"My Gun"
"AA"
"I Don't Want To Relax"
"View Of Death"
"One Swift Kick"
"Misc Bullshit"
"NRG"

“Street Wars”:

“One Swift Kick”:

“My Gun”:

French black metal trinity, VI, made of current and ex-members of Aosoth and Antaeus, have revealed details concerning their long-awaited debut album. The opus is entitled De Praestgiis Angelorum and will see its release on September 25th via Agonia Records. Premiere track off the record is available for streaming below.

The line-up of VI is shaped by INVRI (Aosoth, ex-Antaeus) on guitars and vocals, BST (Aosoth, ex-Antaeus, ex-Aborted) on bass and Blastum (ex-Aosoth, ex-Antaeus, Merrimack) on drums. Their forthcoming full-length material bestirs within the characteristic black metal niche developed by the said bands, with the addition of expanded guitar work, choirs and subtle sample parts. VI describes their music as "extreme, devoted black metal with illuminated chaos".

The band have completed the entire recording process of their debut album in BST Studio (Antaeus, Hell Militia, Aosoth, Vorkreist) after five long years of comprehensive work. The cover artwork has been created by Alexander L. Brown (Leviathan, Stargazer, Bölzer, Darkthrone).

De Praestgiis Angelorum will be available in:

- 6 panel digipack CD
- regular coloured vinyl
- limited to 100 handnumbered copies black vinyl
- t-shirt

Tracklisting:
“Et in pulverem mortis deduxisti me”
“Par le jugement causé par ses poisons”
“La terre ne cessera de se consumer”
“Regarde tes cadavres car il ne te permettra pas qu'on les enterre”
“Une place parmi les morts”
“Voilà l'homme qui ne te prenait pas comme Seigneur”
“Il est trop tard pour rendre gloire. Ainsi la lumière sera changée en ombre de la mort”
“Plus aucun membre ne sera rendu”

Pre-orders at this location.

VI was formed in Paris (France) in 2007 as a main project of Aosoth's bass player INRVI (who took on guitar and vocal duites in VI). With the help of his long time comrade BST (also involved in Aosoth and The Order Of Appolyon), they released a four-track EP called De Praestigiis Daemonum under Debemur Mortii banner. Shortly after, VI found its drummer, Blastum, who worked and still works with bands such as: Antaeus, Merrimack, Aosoth and Ritualization. Together they recorded a split EP with Aosoth, Angels Falling Down, in 2010. More news on their debut album De Praestgiis Angelorum will follow soon.

 

STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor has written "about eight songs" for the follow-up to the band's the double concept album "House Of Gold & Bones", but won't return to the studio to record the new CD until SLIPKNOT has finished touring in support of its fifth album, ".5: The Gray Chapter".

Taylor, who also fronts SLIPKNOT, told Eddie Trunk about the sound of the new STONE SOUR material: "It's kind of going in a different reaction than the older stuff — like a little more rock and roll, a little more expanding the range again." As to when STONE SOUR plans to lay down the new tracks, Taylor said: "I've got SLIPKNOT until, call it, June of next year. So it's gonna be just kind of, where I can, filling in the blanks and getting everything ready for when that happens."

Each one of STONE SOUR's next two covers EPs, which will follow up the April release of its first one, "Meanwhile In Burbank…", will feature five songs like the initial disc. The next EP, "Straight Outta Burbank", will feature covers of songs from the BAD BRAINS, THE ROLLING STONES, SLAYER, MÖTLEY CRÜE and IRON MAIDEN, while the third one, "No Sleep 'Till Burbank", will focus on tunes from VAN HALEN, the VIOLENT FEMMES, THE BUZZCOCKS, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AC/DC.

According to Taylor, "Straight Outta Burbank" could arrive as early as "about a month" from now. The effort will include a guest appearance by HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale on a cover version of THE ROLLINS STONES classic "Gimme Shelter".

"Meanwhile In Burbank…" was released as a Record Store Day vinyl exclusive and digitally via iTunes. It contained songs from METALLICA, KISS, BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST and ALICE IN CHAINS.

Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio how the recording of the EPs could impact the next all-new STONE SOUR album. "What it did teach us was that we could go into a room and record live, and have it sound tight, have it sound exciting, have it sound like it was recorded together instead of layered in a studio," he said. "And I think that's one of the interesting things that we might try with this upcoming album."

STONE SOUR recently named guitarist Christian Martucci as the permanent replacement for Jim Root, who was dismissed from the band in late 2013 after he decided to sit out the group's last tour in order to begin working on the new SLIPKNOT album. Martucci was recruited to play on that tour and was confirmed as a permanent member on March 18 in a Facebook post.

The situation made things awkward for Root and Taylor, but Root noted that the pair "didn't really have a lot of time to spend together" in the studio during the recording of the latest SLIPKNOT effort.

Root did not speak kindly of STONE SOUR in interviews after he was fired, saying, "Some of the guys in STONE SOUR, I think they just want to be a radio band and write strictly for radio and try to be more of a poppy rock band. And that's not really what I'm into. There's at least one guy in the band that's only concerned about money. I really have no desire to associate with people like that anymore."

Root played on all five STONE SOUR studio records to date, including 2010's "Audio Secrecy" and "House Of Gold & Bones".

The GRAHAM BONNET BAND, the new project formed by legendary hard rock vocalist Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, ALCATRAZZ, IMPELLITTERI), has released an exclusive downloadable six-song EP titled "Escape From Alcatrazz : Alive In Japan" via Facebook. The tracks will be available individually throughout the week starting July 20.

GRAHAM BONNET BAND recently released a two-song single titled "My Kingdom Come", the title track of which was written by none other than Russ Ballard, who previously collaborated with Graham on such hit singles as RAINBOW's "Since You've Been Gone" and on Graham's solo album "Line-up" from 1981. This collaboration marked the first time the two have worked together since 1990 (FORCEFIELD's "Let The Wild Run Free").

The second new track titled "The Mirror Lies" is a group composition that shows that Graham and his new bandmates have no plans to slow down any time soon.

Drums for the two new songs were performed by legendary progressive metal drummer Mark Zonder (WARLORD, ex-FATES WARNING).

Also featured are keyboardists Derek Sherinian (ex-DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER) on the title track, and Eric Ragno (THE BABYS) on "The Mirror Lies".

The new songs were produced by band guitarist Conrado Pesinato and mixed and mastered by Alessandro Del Vecchio.

GRAHAM BONNET BAND is:

Graham Bonnet - VocalsConrado Pesinato - GuitarsBeth-Ami Heavenstone - BassChase Manhattan - Drums

Extreme metal titans ARCH ENEMY will return to North America this July/August to headline the 2015 installment of "Summer Slaughter". This tour will mark the band's second North American run on this album cycle — but the first stateside trek to feature new guitarist Jeff Loomis.

Fans who attend the tour will have the chance to purchase several "Summer Slaughter" exclusive items, including a special edition of ARCH ENEMY's "War Eternal" LP (black-and-blue splatter on white vinyl; limited to 500!). Every CD or LP purchase also comes with a free wristband (while supplies last). For a preview of the band's merch, a new illustration video by artist Felix Laflamme can be viewed below (featuring the track "Avalanche").

ARCH ENEMY's latest album, "War Eternal", sold around 8,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 44. The CD was released on June 10, 2014 in North America via Century Media Records. The cover artwork was created by Costin Chioreanu. ARCH ENEMY in November 2014 parted ways with guitarist Nick Cordle and replaced him with Loomis. Loomis made his live debut with ARCH ENEMY on the band's fall 2014 European tour.

ARCH ENEMY played its first show with singer Alissa White-Gluz in May 2014 in Bucharest, Romania. Angela Gossow, who joined ARCH ENEMY in 2000 and made her debut on the now-classic "Wages Of Sin" (2001), stepped down as frontwoman and is focusing on management, while Alissa is taking her place.