Former PANTERA and current SUPERJOINT and DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo says that he "wouldn't want anything to do" with the Confederate flag since the South embarked on an emotional debate over the flag's symbolism 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.

In light of the fact that the cover artwork of SUPERJOINT RITUAL's "Use Once And Destroy" album and a lot of PANTERA's merchandise incorporated the Confederate flag, Anselmo was asked by HardrockHaven.net for his opinion on the current backlash against the flag. He responded: "Uh, I think there's some legitimacy to it, man. If it's something that… you know, I guess… At my age… It is a symbol… It'd be, like, you know, would we be flying the Nazi flag? I don't think so, because flags are looked at as… whether it be nationalism or symbols of something, you know? And, truthfully, you know, it's like… I wish fucking everyone would get along. I wish that more than anything, but we all know, as logical human beings, that that's pretty much impossible. You know, everybody has different ideas about stuff."

He continued: "I think, really, where the use of the rebel flag or Confederate flag with us really came from was our love of bands like LYNYRD SKYNYRD and whatnot and shit like that, you know. There was never a time when it was okay to promote hate without a little bit of the tongue in the cheek, you know? It was never this blatant thing, unless I was completely out of my mind, which I was at points in time. And I'll own that for damn sure, but that was a long-ass time ago. I'm coming up on 47 years old… and I think that if it's upsetting enough to people in general, you know, I guess… This is tough to say without taking any side… Like I said, I can see where if people see it as a symbol of hate, then…"

Anselmo added: "These days, I wouldn't want anything to fucking do with it, because, truthfully… I wouldn't. I wouldn't want much to fucking do with it at all, and personally, you know I would never… The way I feel, and the group of people I've had to work with my whole life, you know… You see a Confederate flag out there that says 'Heritage, not hate.' I'm not so sure I'm buying into that, you know? But I can look at any… People can point out flaws in any social group, any ethnic group, any ideology and anything like that, and being that's, once again, because everybody has different ideas about things…

"At this point in time, I just wish everybody would chill the fuck out man and realize, you know, maybe a good dose of love, for lack of a better word, would do us all friggin' a lot better instead of pulling sides, taking sides. You know, everybody wants to have a firm stance on things, but maybe sometimes we should sit back and listen for a change, you know?"

SUPERJOINT RITUAL — now known simply as SUPERJOINT for legal reasons — played its first-ever European show at this year's Hellfest on June 21 in Clisson, France.

SUPERJOINT has just embarked on its first tour in over a decade. Presented by Anselmo's own Housecore Records, "The It Takes Guts Tour" commenced on July 10 in Oklahoma City and will ravage its way through more than a dozen cities.

SUPERJOINT's current lineup includes Anselmo alongside guitarists Kevin Bond (CHRIST INVERSION, ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER) and Jimmy Bower (DOWN, EYEHATEGOD), drummer José Manuel Gonzalez (WARBEAST, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) and bassist Stephen Taylor (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, WOVEN HAND, 16 HORSE POWER).

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor says that the Confederate flag shouldn't be flying over government buildings because it symbolizes the fact that the South fought for the ability to own people of color as items to be bought and sold.

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 appearance on the July 9 edition of the "Opie Radio" talk show, Taylor weighed in on the Confederate flag controversy, saying: "It's interesting, 'cause everybody talks about heritage versus hate and everything. And it's just, like, history kind of teaches us it is about hate. I mean, you can talk about the General Lee [Robert E. Lee, the leading Confederate General during the U.S. Civil War who has been venerated as a heroic figure in the South] all you want, but it still stands for the fact that you were trying to keep the right to own people."

He continued: "I don't get it. It's 2015. It's not like it's fucking 1901. It's 2015. If you can't figure out why it's wrong to put a Confederate flag in front of a place where you're supposed to have fucking equal justice, then you need to go back to fucking sleep, man, 'cause you're never gonna figure it out."

Taylor also talked about the fact that Amazon and Walmart have both announced that they will no longer sell Confederate flag merchandise in the wake of the Charleston massacre. He said: "Everybody has the right to free speech, but when you're flying that outside of a government building, it's not right. I'm not taking anyway from anybody's right to wear it — it's fine; you can believe what you believe. You can actually superimpose your beliefs and what you think it stands for. 'Cause a lot of people don't understand what it stands for — they think it's General Lee, it just represents the South and we're good old boys and whatever, and that's fine, but you don't understand that there's a whole other level that that represents, you know?!"

He continued: "So, yeah, on the one hand, Walmart shouldn't have done that, and it's just another fucking overreaction to something that made sense here, but then people just completely overdid it and made it fucking contrite and stupid."

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.

"I lost my mentor, producer, co-writer, and my friend Dick Wagner last year, which led to a lot of personal and emotional distractions for me," says Danish / American rock singer Maryann Cotton. 

"I was most honored to perform at the Dick Wagner - Remember The Child Memorial Concert at the Fillmore in Detroit this year, where we celebrated his beautiful friendship and majestic legacy. I was enveloped in the warm welcome of so many great musicians and Dick Wagner fans. This has helped me to move forward, as my Maestro would so encourage.

Dick and I managed to finish all the songs and pre-production for our announced album Chester Rose - The Legend Begins - but we never reached the studio process. When he died, we were in negotiations with one of the world’s biggest record companies, and future plans were falling into place.

My manager Susan Michelson, Dick Wagner’s business partner and personal manager, has continued moving ahead with the project and is currently working on contracts and related details. The record company remains very enthusiastic about the Chester Rose concept. They are dedicated to recording the Maestro’s final album, but the many details of this substantial project and its offshoots take some time to fall into place. I cannot wait till our album is ready to share with you.

With all that said, I’m proud to let you know that I secretly, over four months, have been in a writing, studio recording, and mixing / mastering process, and completed a full new album - to please my fans.

I have together with my manager decided to release the album this summer, which also means new upcoming shows and tour this year. The release date, album cover and tracklist, will be announced shortly."

 

 

 

 

DISTURBED has come roaring back with a new single called "The Vengeful One", to be followed by a new album, "Immortalized", on August 21. The band ended its four-year hiatus on June 23 with the release of the single and video and the news about the record.

"Immortalized" is available for pre-order everywhere and follows 2010's gold-certified "Asylum", DISTURBED's fourth consecutive No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart.

The album process got underway back in January 2014 when singer David Draiman, guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren got together for dinner in their hometown of Chicago.

Soon after, without notifying friends, families, or their label, the three began to fly back and forth to each other's respective home studios for writing sessions, marking the first time they collectively wrote together since 2001.

Speaking about the veil of secrecy that surrounded the making of "Immortalized", Draiman told Seattle's KISW radio station (hear audio below): "Isn't there something amazing about getting a really nice surprise? There's something… even the built-in momentum of surprising someone. There definitely was method to that madness. We wanted people to be caught off guard, we wanted people to be shocked. We wanted people to be pleasantly surprised, and for that surprise to fuel fervor, hopefully, and hopefully it's building to that."

According to the singer, keeping DISTURBED's comeback plans a secret for more than a year was no easy task. "It took a lot of effort to do that — a lot of white lies, and NDAs [non-disclosure agreements] and story telling… a lot of family and friends getting pissed off at you because you won't really tell 'em everything that's going on," he said. "So it was a burden that I'm glad I no longer have to carry. And the surprise factor has definitely seemed to work. It was part of our plan all along to, kind of, come out of nowhere. We didn't know whether or not we would be able to accomplish it, because it was one hell of a challenge, but we were able to pull it off somehow, and I think that the results are speaking for themselves."

Draiman also shot down rumors that DISTURBED's 2011 decision to take a break was fueled by internal strife. He said: "The one beautiful thing about our camp is that we've always stayed family, we've always been on good terms with each other. And that was the beautiful thing about recording ['Immortalized'] in [Las] Vegas. People [would be], like, 'There are so many people coming through Las Vegas. Why there? You shouldn't be seen there.' Yeah, but you know what?! How unusual is it to see a member from the band DISTURBED partying in Vegas? It's not something completely out of left field, and we're actually friends with one another, so seeing us together in Vegas is also not completely out of left field. So it kind of gave us what we like to refer to as 'plausible deniability.'"

In addition to 15 new songs — including 12 on the album and three more on the deluxe edition — "Immortalized" contains a cover of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence".

DISTURBED has yet to announce tour plans behind the new record.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Arrival Of Autumn will be performing Alberta show dates this July in Edmonton for MuleFest, Calgary for Catalyst Event's Kick Off Show and Red Deer for Leave The Living CD release show all in support of their latest album, Shadows, released last year and available on Bandcamp (below).

Show dates:

July
12 - Edmonton, AB - YEG Event Centre / Flow Lounge @ Mule Fest
18 - Calgary, AB - Catalyst Event's Kick Off
30 - Red Deer, AB - The Vat Pub

Shadows tracklisting:

“DanmnedNation”
“Selfish Sanity”
“Labryinth”
“Forget Me Now”
“Endless Nights”
“Like Fire”
“The Court Of Owls”
“Shadows”
“There’s No Angels Here”
“Fall In Ashes”

“Like Fire” lyric video:

Album stream:

Shadows by Arrival Of Autumn

In additional news, AOA's drummer Ty Fox has posted a new drum playthrough for their track “Labyrinth”:

Ted Nugent and Kid Rock have joined forces to record a song in support of the Confederate flag.

The track, titled "Kiss My Rebel Ass", will reportedly be available as an instant download from both musicians' web sites on July 17. All proceeds from the song will be donated to the American Freedom Party.

Nugent, 66, and Rock, 44, announced the collaboration during a joint appearance the two made on WWJ Newsradio 950.

"Kiss My Rebel Ass" was written and recorded after Nugent contacted Rock to express his support after Kid Rock invited anyone protesting his use of the flag at his concerts to "kiss my ass."

"When you get a text from the Nuge, you know you've done something right," laughed Rock. Nugent added: "Rock 'n' roll ain't supposed to be nice — it's supposed to hit you upside the head with a tire iron, and that is exactly what this song does."

Kid Rock described "Kiss My Rebel Ass" as "a love letter to the South and a middle finger to the PC establishment."

The Confederate flag's symbolism has been 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.

Nugent defended the Confederate flag on July 8 during an appearance on the Blog Talk Radio show "World Positive Thinkers". He said: "I believe that we always have to look at substance over symbolism, and I think we have to be honest. If we burned every Confederate flag today, would they stop shooting each other in Chicago? If we burned every Confederate flag today, would we stop sanctuary cities from accommodating murderers and rapists and savage people?"

While the state of South Carolina and major retailers across the country are officially withdrawing any connection between themselves and the Confederate Flag, Kid Rock appears to want to continue to associate himself with the controversial symbol.

Last week, the National Action Network's chapter in Michigan protested outside of the Detroit Historical Museum, which houses a Kid Rock exhibit. The Network demanded that Kid Rock stop displaying the Confederate flag at his concerts.

Kid Rock responded in a statement to Fox News: "Please tell the people who are protesting to kiss my ass."

The rocker, a native of Michigan (which was on the Union side during the Civil War), adopted the Confederate flag when his 2012 album "Rebel Soul" was released.

Reactivated Canadian metallers, Varga, have checked in with the following update:

"We regret to say that after many years, and many, many miles, Adam Alex and Varga have parted ways.

Big A would be too hard to replace, and so, despite the musical challenges it presents, the band has decided to continue on as a three-piece."

Adam has issued the following statement regarding his departure:

"Hello Varga Fans!

Thank you for all of your support since our reunion. It's been a total blast re-recording and performing our material to our heavy metal fanatics. Unfortunately I will no longer be performing with the band due to a set of unfortunate circumstances. Joe, Dan and Sean will continue to perform our songs as a 3-piece outfit and will no doubt jam them hard. I'd like to thank our crew Ed, Al and Todd. You guys are truly hardcore !!

This is my last Varga related post. It's been a pleasure performing for you and I wish the rest of the band the best in their future endeavors."

Varga released a new music video earlier this year for the track “Beginning Of The End”, featured on their 2013 album, Enter The Metal. The video was produced and directed by Joe Varga and can be seen below.

Enter The Metal tracklisting:

“Beginning Of The End”
“Gamera”
“Mad Scientist”
“Plane Crash”
“No More Clean Air”
“Shark Attack”

Early last week, Eden’s Curse original lead vocalist Michael Eden learned that the past (biography, press and photos) can be erased at the push of a button. Eden’s existence along with other former members and their contributions from the past had been erased by his former partner Paul Logue on Logue’s Eden’s Curse website overseas.

Comments Eden: “There are two bands with the same name Eden’s Curse and it’s time for the best band to stay and the loser to go home. This ego driven behavior can no longer be ignored. I consider these actions by Logue to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. This kind of thing is a slap in the face to all of us who helped build the music of Eden’s Curse and make it what it was. Other former members might not care what the fans see and believe, but I do. You've got bands like Mötley Crüe signing legal agreements that claim they won’t tour again. Well, I decided I like that. This challenge I now formally present to Paul Logue and his band is no game, no gimmick, and there will be no back pedaling on our part. It’s Eden's Curse vs. the overseas band who still use my name and my voice on tape! The terms could not be simpler. It’s one band vs. the other band on stage in front of an audience in the USA where the bands core fans exist. This decision of the winner will be decided by industry professionals with enough balls to not take sides or payoffs. Winner takes all.

The rules are pretty simple. Bring the best you got. Leave your backing tapes with my voice, James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Andi Derris (Helloween) and Tony Harnell (TNT/Skid Row) at home. That cute trick might work for your clueless fans overseas, but not for this. The live show for this event will be announced at a later date should the overseas band choose to put their money where their mouth has been for years. My band will NOT be using tracks/samples of any kind. Everything will be 100% LIVE! Logue’s band must play by the same rules. We must compare apples to apples! Not apples to oranges!!! That means both bands play ONLY the ORIGINAL Curse songs off the first three albums and the exact same set list! I’m sure that can be decided between myself and Logue.  

What does the winner get? They get Eden's Curse! 

If Logue’s band are the better band (including their singer) my guys go off into the sunset. That means the loser of this contest in front of a live audience will sign a legal document on stage with attorneys present saying that they forfeit all rights to the Eden’s Curse name, logo and can’t release any future releases using that name anywhere in the world. We go big or we go home.”

Eden’s Curse (Michael Eden’s band) is currently mixing their debut live CD The Devil In Disguise...Live!, which was recorded at Rock N' Skull 2014 and is scheduled for a late fall 2015 release.

San Francisco Bay Area thrash veterans DEATH ANGEL will release "A Thrashumentary" on July 24 via Nuclear Blast. The DVD was directed, shot and edited by Tommy Jones (KATAKLYSM, SOILWORK, LAMB OF GOD, CARCASS, TESTAMENT) of Videohammer Studios. The release will also include a full live album titled "The Bay Calls For Blood".

The second of two trailers for "A Thrashumentary" is available below.

"It is with great excitement that I finally get to share this DEATH ANGEL news," comments vocalist Mark Osegueda. "'A Thrashumentary' is finally complete and ready for release this summer! The film tells the story of DEATH ANGEL from our inception to the present day. With many guest appearances by some of our peers and contemporaries who happen to be some of the most respected players in the genre, it covers the highs, lows and highs again of the band and the thrash metal movement. A must-have for any metal fan!

"The even better news is 'A Thrashumentary' will be accompanied by an official live album called 'The Bay Calls For Blood', which was recorded in our hometown of San Francisco! We are so proud of this recording and performance that we decided to release it as a live DEATH ANGEL record! Did I say record? Damn right, I did! Because it will also be available separately on limited-edition vinyl for all the true metal fans! Bleed for it!"

Adds director Tommy Jones: "What originally started out as a live music video for 'River Of Rapture' in 2010 has evolved into a full-scale historical documentary on the band and the thrash scene. This is the first time the band in its current lineup has been able to collectively sit down, and tell the story of how DEATH ANGEL came to be Mark, Rob, Ted, Will and Damien. Mixed with live footage I shot in the Philippines, Asia, Germany, Europe and North America, this project was a blast to produce. It became a true evolution from what we originally set out to do, while solidifying a lifelong friendship.

"I can't wait for the DEATH ANGEL fans worldwide to be able to sit back and throw on 'A Thrashumentary' and hear/see the band's story straight from their mouths. It's a project I'm very proud of. It's also something I would have never envisioned doing when I was a kid taking my guitar to my teacher to learn the solo of 'Bored'! Thrash on!"

"A Thrashumentary" DVD chapter list:

01. Start02. We Grew Up In The Bay Area Thrash Scene03. The Original Lineup Of Death Angel04. Kill As One05. The Ultra Violence06. Frolic In The Park07. Act III08. The Accident09. The O10. Swarm11. Thrash Of The Titans12. I Like Everything About Ted13. The Art Of Dying14. Killing Season15. Relentless Revolution16. I'm Looking For Will Carroll17. And Then Damien Came In18. Relentless Retribution19. Impressions Of Suecof20. Relentless Touring21. Thrashers22. Death Angel Is23. The Last Song Of The Evening24. Credits

Extra:

25. Mistress Of Pain Live "The Bay Calls For Blood" bonus live album and individual LP track listing:

01. Left For Dead02. Fallen03. Buried Alive04. The Dream Calls For Blood05. Execution/Don't Save Me06. Truce07. Detonate08. Bored09. Caster Of Shame10. Territorial Instinct/Bloodlust

As previously reported, DEATH ANGEL will enter the studio on October 1 to begin recording its new album for an April 2016 release via Nuclear Blast.

Asked by Groovey of Groovey.TV what fans can expect from the follow-up to 2013's "The Dream Calls For Blood", DEATH ANGEL guitarist Ted Aguilar said: "It's gonna be DEATH ANGEL. In my personal opinion, I don't think we're gonna try to top ['The Dream Calls For Blood']. You can't recreate that moment in time. 'The Dream Calls For Blood' is 'The Dream Calls For Blood'. This next album we're writing… I mean, we've got some songs; [we're] four songs in. No lyrics yet, but… It's always gonna be heavy. The foundation of DEATH ANGEL is still there, but it's kind of hard to describe what direction we're going in until it's recorded, mixed and mastered. 'Cause the way DEATH ANGEL writes, we write a song, but it's always evolving — up until the point of recording. Even when it comes down to the mixing. It's just, like, 'Ah, let's change that up.'"

He continued: "'The Dream Calls For Blood', it's a great record. We're proud of it. And the next album, it's just gonna be DEATH ANGEL in our mindset today. I'm not gonna say, 'It's gonna be this,' and it ends up being a little different. Who knows what this album is gonna sound like? [But] it's gonna be good."

Asked if DEATH ANGEL has been writing any new material on the road, Ted said: "We've written some stuff on the road, and when we get back [home from the current tour], we're gonna write some more. Then we've got Europe in July and August, and we're gonna continue writing in Europe, on downtime and whatnot. 'Cause there's a lot of time on the road; plenty of hours go by, like right now. And then when we get home after Europe, in August, we're gonna spend a couple of weeks off, then all of September is honing in and doing pre-production, writing a little more and just fixing the loose ends."

DEATH ANGEL's seventh album, "The Dream Calls For Blood", sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 72 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Video footage of the reunited seminal Swedish hardcore band REFUSED performing a brand new song, "War On The Palaces", at Vacation Vinyl in Los Angeles, California can be seen below. The track is taken from the group's new album, "Freedom", which was released on June 30 via Epitaph. The CD was produced by Nick Launay (ARCADE FIRE, Kate Bush, Nick Cave) except for the songs "Elektra" and "366", which were helmed and co-written by Shellback, the Swedish pop superproducer who has worked with pop superstars Taylor Swift, Britney Spears and Pink, among others.

"It's not a reunion anymore," said REFUSED frontman Dennis Lyxzén in a statement. "This is one of the most radical things we've ever done, both musically and lyrically."

"Nobody wanted us to fuck with the image of the band who makes a great album and splits up," added drummer David Sandström. "Nobody wanted us to dilute it. That actually provoked us."

"Freedom" got a limited-edition CD release featuring a 28-page hardbound book with a poster and gold foil stamping on the album cover.

"Freedom" track listing:

01. Elektra02. Old Friends / New War03. Dawkins Christ04. Françafrique05. Thought Is Blood06. War On The Palaces07. Destroy The Man08. 36609. Servants Of Death10. Useless Europeans

REFUSED last year parted ways with guitarist Jon Brännström. He revealed his exit from the group in an October 31, 2014 posting on REFUSED's Facebook page, where he wrote: "I was fired from REFUSED a while ago. I wasn't given a reasonable explanation and wasn't even invited to sit down and talk about it, so I'm not completely sure why they decided to go on without me."

Back in 2012, REFUSED embarked on a reunion tour where the band performed tracks from its classic 1998 album, "The Shape of Punk To Come", at festivals around the world. The final show of the trek took place on December 15, 2012 in REFUSED's hometown of Umeå, Sweden.

REFUSED's legacy was chronicled via the "Refused Are Fucking Dead" collection, which featured never-before-seen material and videos. In addition, REFUSED's landmark 1998 album, "The Shape Of Punk To Come", was remixed and remastered in 5.1 surround DVD audio format, and was re-released through Epitaph Records. Also re-released were remastered editions of REFUSED's "Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent" and "The EP Compilation" CDs.

"Boneyard", the new Marco De Molina-directed video from DEVIL CITY ANGELS, the band originally formed by Rikki Rockett (POISON), Tracii Guns (L.A GUNS), Eric Brittingham (CINDERELLA), and vocalist Brandon Gibbs, can be seen below. The song is taken from DEVIL CITY ANGELS' self-titled debut album, which was produced by the DEVIL CITY ANGELS bandmembers themselves in Los Angeles and was mixed in Nashville by Anthony Focx. A September 11 release is expected.

Following the recording of "Devil City Angels", Brittingham decided not to continue with the project and his spot has been taken by Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE). "It was kind of by accident how it came together, it really was," Tracii told Lithium Magazine about DEVIL CITY ANGELS' formation. "Rikki and I had done a John Entwistle/Keith Moon tribute show together. We went backstage after playing our songs and the guys backstage were all kind of chanting, 'Guns and Rocketts, Guns and Rocketts' as a joke. And we kind of laughed it off but then Rikki suddenly turned around and said, 'Guns and Rocketts' actually has a pretty nice ring to it, don't you think. So we decided right there to start a band."

Guns, who has a solo project called LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN, continued: "[LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN is] more of a vanity project. I wanted something that I could go and tour with and be in a real band. We thought of a few different players and Rikki said he knew Brandon. He said he knew this guy who was younger than us, but should have been born decades earlier. He had a real bluesy sound and played with Eric. We decided to check him out so I called him and he was a really cool dude. And before you knew it, we had him ask Eric if he was interested. He said absolutely and they flew out here a couple weeks later and we recorded [our] first song [called 'All My People']."

Regarding "All My People", Tracii said: "The song was written by Rikki and Brandon a couple of years before. They each did their parts separately and then we did the vocal tracking. They went home and I spent the rest of the time doing the lead guitar stuff. And we sent it to Anthony Focx, who is an amazing engineer and mixer who has worked with [former] METALLICA [bassist Jason Newsted] and AEROSMITH and a bunch of other bands. He is a good friend of ours and he mixed it really good and we put it out."

He added: "It was eight days from recording to releasing it. It was beautiful the way it came together, kind of old school."

Tracii also spoke about DEVIL CITY ANGELS' musical direction, saying "It's basic. It's simple. We might groove out a little more on some things and we might have a ballad or two. But other than that, we're going to keep it pretty straightforward 1977 rock. Since we have a winner with 'All My People', we are just going to stay in that framework. We feel that kind of music and Brandon surely delivers it."

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

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

"Metal Allegiance" contains appearances by:

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

The official lyric video for the song "Can't Kill The Devil" from "Metal Allegiance" can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Metal Allegiance" track listing:

01. Gift Of Pain

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

02. Let Darkness Fall

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

03. Can't Kill The Devil

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

04. Dying Song

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

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

06. Destination: Nowhere

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

07. Wait Until Tomorrow

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

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

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

09. Pledge Of Allegiance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Legendary U.S. heavy/doom metal band PENTAGRAM will release its new studio album, "Curious Volume", on August 28 via Peaceville Records.

The track "Walk Alone", taken from "Curious Volume", can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. Featuring 11 classic heavy metal compositions with catchy hooks from core band members Victor Griffin, Greg Turley and Bobby Liebling (Pete Campbell on the drums completes the band's lineup), "Curious Volume" was recorded with Swedish producer Mattias Nilsson at studios located in Maryland and Virginia. Additional recording took place in Tennessee with Grammy Award-winning producer Travis Wyrick, who also helmed PENTAGRAM's previous album, "Last Rites". The album's cover artwork was provided courtesy of Richard Schouten.

"Curious Volume" track listing: 01. Lay Down And Die02. The Tempter Push03. Dead Bury Dead04. Earth Flight05. Walk Alone06. Curious Volume07. Misunderstood08. Close The Casket09. Sufferin'10. Devil's Playground11. Because I Made It

To support the new album, the band has tours planned in North America and Europe throughout 2015 and 2016. PENTAGRAM, the highly influential American heavy metal/doom act fronted by mastermind Bobby Liebling, formed in the early 1970s, though their debut album — now known as "Relentless" — didn't see a release until 1985. Through four decades of adversity and triumph, PENTAGRAM has become a legendary international act and have firmly stamped their name in the heavy metal history books.

This first-ever official PENTAGRAM video collection, "All Your Sins" recovers, repairs and resurrects the earliest known footage of these doomed metal pioneers and more. It contains two DVDs packed with priceless archive footage, as well as recent shows, "All Your Sins - Video Vault". This definitive collection features numerous historical shows, including a charged performance in 1985 at the legendary CBGB club in New York City, with a mass of classic renditions from the band's catalogue finally gathered together for a live journey spanning over 30 years.

Although always a cult act with a strong and dedicated worldwide fanbase, PENTAGRAM has enjoyed a recent surge in interest due in part to the fly-on-the-wall 2011 documentary "Last Days Here" following the life, trials & tribulations of Bobby Liebling. The film gained international recognition; travelling the worldwide film festival circuit where it won several awards including "Best Music Documentary" at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam.

In a recent interview with Esquire magazine, BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne said that he saw the "Last Days Here" documentary, calling it a "very, very sad story, because [Bobby is] a guy... He's the only child of his elderly mom and dad and he lives in a crack-smoking, heroin-using world. And why that guy is still alive is beyond me. I mean, I've been there, done it, and by the grace of God, I got out of it. But, you know, I hope the guy doesn't die."

Ozzy added: "I hope he has [cleaned up] because that video was like a good reason not to get stoned. And you know, for what it's worth: That could have been me. That could have been any number of people. That's why I say to myself every day, 'God, you're fucking lucky, Ozzy!'"

Each episode of Digital Tour Bus's "Bus Invaders" takes you inside the touring vehicle of one of today's top touring acts. In the latest episode, which was filmed on May 22 in Chicago, Illinois, Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA take you on a tour of their bus while on the road in North America with DESTRUCTION and ARSIS.

On June 5, SEPULTURA released a limited-edition seven-inch single to mark its 30th anniversary. "Under My Skin" features artwork of fan tattoos on its cover, with a live version of "Kairos" on the b-side. The single was issued on black, yellow and green vinyl, with only 200 copies of each version pressed.

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."

This is not the first time a member of SEPULTURA has collaborated with DarkSide Books. Back in 2013, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser wrote the foreword to the BLACK SABBATH biography "Destruição Desencadeada".

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

Fan-filmed video footage of AC/DC's July 12 concert in Gelsenkirchen, Germany can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Rock Or Bust 02. Shoot To Thrill 03. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be 04. Back In Black 05. Play Ball 06. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 07. Thunderstruck 08. High Voltage 09. Rock 'N' Roll Train 10. Hells Bells 11. Baptism By Fire 12. You Shook Me All Night Long 13. Sin City 14. Shot Down In Flames 15. Have A Drink On Me 16. T.N.T. 17. Whole Lotta Rosie 18. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

19. Highway To Hell 20. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

AC/DC's sixteenth studio album, "Rock Or Bust", has sold around 538,000 copies 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.

The band will return to North America later this summer for 13 more tour dates, starting on August 22 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts and wrapping up on September 28 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Fan-filmed video footage of ADLER, the band led by former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, performing on July 10 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below.

As previously reported, ADLER is working on material for its sophomore album for a tentative February 2016 release.

ADLER is comprised of Adler, frontman Jacob Bunton (LYNAM, MARS ELECTRIC), guitarist Lonny Paul (ADLER'S APPETITE), and bassist Johnny Martin (CHELSEA SMILES).

Speaking to California Rock News before the Whisky concert, Bunton said: "We have shows, so we're recording when we're not doing shows. It's part of the process — just staying busy, doing the rock and roll thing. But [it will] probably [be out in] February. I say probably. Might be November or December; we never know. Might be January."

ADLER recently returned to the studio with producer Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, DOKKEN) to record one new track, "Life Ain't Gonna.

Steven, who appeared on season two of on the "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" show and the first season of the spin-off program "Sober House" back in late 2008 and early 2009, told the "Fox Rocks" show about ADLER: "[Our debut] album 'Back From The Dead' came out, actually, in November 2012. But because of the addiction problems I had, we were not able to tour the record in 2013. In 2014, I just took the whole year off and focused on my sobriety. I got into an AA program, I have a sponsor, I'm doing the steps. I'm doing the work, basically, and giving a big effort, and it's working out great."

He continued: "It's been such a joy to wake up in the morning. My life [just took] a complete 180[-degree turn]. Life's exciting again. And I love coming down to the studio and playing, even if it's just by myself. Sometimes I get bored, and I go, 'Well, it's time to get out of the house.' And I come out and I come and jam for a couple of hours, and it feels great."

Steven Adler was the drummer for GUNS N' ROSES from 1985 to 1990. He was eventually fired from the band due to his drug addiction, which caused him to spiral down into depression and more drug use.

Reactivated U.K. thrashers ACID REIGN have set a July 17 release date for "Plan Of The Damned", their first single in 25 years. Featuring the image "Delusion Dwellers" by acclaimed artist Laurie Lipton, the artwork can be seen below.

ACID REIGN will be announcing a classic back-catalogue tour in the near future, although "Plan Of The Damned" will definitely be included, that will keep the band busy until late 2016.

ACID REIGN vocalist Howard "H" Smith had this to say about "Plan Of The Damned" and the honour of having Laurie Lipton cover art: "I have been a fan of Laurie's for years and I thought I'd fire off an email to her manager to see if there was any way she would even consider letting us use one of her pieces. Half an hour and three emails later from Laurie herself and she had given us permission! To say that we are happy with this would be a huge understatement; it captures the spirit of the song perfectly and is a stunning piece of art, as all of her works are.

"I know it sounds corny, but, for me, this really is one of those, 'wow, this is actually happening' moments.

"We couldn't be happier with the way 'Plan Of The Damned' has turned out. We recorded it in Wales at Not In Pill Studios with the awesome team of Martyn 'Ginge' Ford and Matt Bond (SLIPKNOT, TRIVIUM, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, AXEWOUND). The studio is under a boxing gym and the smell of sweat, aggression and metal is in the walls! We had a blast, it was a great experience."

A band considered ahead of its time by many, ACID REIGN was one of the leading lights of the U.K. thrash attack and spent time on the road with the likes of EXODUS, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, DARK ANGEL, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DEATH ANGEL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and CANDLEMASS. Signed to Music For Nations subsidiary Under One Flag, the band would release two albums (including the seminal "The Fear"), two EPs and "The Worst Of" compilation before calling time on the band in 1991, their final appearance being at the world-famous Marquee club in London.

ACID REIGN first started to show signs of life once again in 2011, when Lost & Found Records released remastered versions of their albums and EPs. The reaction to the reissues — which were remastered by legendary producer Bill Metoyer (SLAYER, D.R.I., FLOTSAM AND JETSAM) — was so good that the band started to receive a stream of requests about when ACID REIGN might take the stage again.

Despite the interest, though, all remained quiet on the ACID REIGN front until the Candlelight release of the extensive box set "The Apple Core Archives". The set was a three-CD-only collection of every song ACID REIGN had ever put out, with new sleeve notes, unseen pics, demos and housed in an Apple Core-themed box.

Since this release, Smith has been actively working on the all-new ACID REIGN reboot and looking forward to bringing the band back where they belong — on stage!

ACID REIGN 2015 is:

* Howard "H" Smith (vocals)* Cooky (guitar)* Marc Jackson (drums)* Pete Dee (bass)* Paul Chanter (guitar)

Photo credit: www.kayleighvictoriaphotography.com

Glenn Danzig recently spoke to OC Weekly about his long-awaited covers record, "Skeletons", which will be released in Europe this fall via Evilive Music/AFM Records. The CD, which was recorded with PRONG guitarist/vocalist Tommy Victor and former TYPE O NEGATIVE drummer Johnny Kelly, will include the former MISFITS frontman's take on songs by BLACK SABBATH ("N.I.B."), ZZ TOP ("Rough Boy"), THE TROGGS ("A Girl Like You"), THE EVERLY BROTHERS ("Crying In The Rain") and others.

Regarding his decision to cover "Lord Of The Thighs" by AEROSMITH, Glenn said: "The second AEROSMITH album [1974's 'Get Your Wings'] is pretty cool. And maybe people who listen to DANZIG or other bands I've been in or other genres might not think AEROSMITH has some great songs, but they do."

Danzig also talked about his general mindset when choosing which songs to tackle for a covers project like "Skeletons". He said: "Unless you're gonna make it your own, leave it alone. Because everyone has already heard the original a million times and they're always gonna judge you against the original, so if you try to do it exactly the same, people are just gonna like the original. So you always have to bring a new element to it."

According to Glenn, the full skull makeup which he wore for the first time since his MISFITS days nearly 40 years ago for the "Skeletons" photo shoot was inspired by legendary singer-songwriter David Bowie.

"One of my favorite covers records is David Bowie's 'Pinups' and I wanted to do a take on that and the record is called 'Skeletons' so I decided I'd do the skull face," he revealed.

Photo credit: Rolling Stone

Coal Chamber recently returned from a massive European tour that saw them playing to sold out rooms across the continent. At their London tour stop, the band filmed live footage performing the title track of their new album Rivals. They used this for their head banging new video, which is being debuted today.  Check it out below:

Coal Chamber's first new album in over 13 years, Rivals, was released in May of 2015 entering the Billboard Top 200 and received critical acclaim from the media and fans alike.  

In support of Rivals, Coal Chamber are returning to the road in North America with Fear Factory (all dates), Devil You Know (select dates), Jasta (select dates), Saint Ridley and Madlife (all dates). The tour kicks off July 24th in Tucson, AZ and will wrap up in Santa Ana, CA on August 22nd.  This run also includes festival appearances at Dirt Fest in Birch Run, MI, Heavy MTL, in Montreal, QC and the B4BQ (Part of the GWAR B-Q) in Richmond, VA.  

Find Coal Chamber’s live itinerary at this location.

On July 11th, Van Halen performed at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, CA. Quality front row footage courtesy of Heavy Metal Greg can be viewed below:

On July 10th, Universal Studios and Ilumination Entertainment released the highly anticipated animated Minions film - a spin-off and prequel to the Despicable Me franchise - in North America. Following is a clip from the film paying tribute to Van Halen's classic "Eruption":

For information on the Minions movie go to Wikipedia for an overview.

Planet Mosh conducted an interview with Igor Cavalera (CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SEPULTURA) at the 2015 edition of the U.K.'s Download festival, which was held last month in Donington Park. You can now listen to the chat below.

Speaking about the negative publicity surrounding Brazil's decision to spend colossal sums of money on new stadiums to host hundreds of thousands of tourists during last year's Wold Cup, Igor said: "It's crazy, 'cause it was very negative, of course, but it was [also] very positive in the sense that people stood up in Brazil and they were really not happy with a lot of the things that were done for the World Cup. And now we're, kind of, like, seeing the tip of the iceberg with the whole FIFA thing, how they work. And it's, like, people were already, in Brazil, they already were, kind of, like, predicting what was about to happen. They were, like, 'This is bullshit.' There was so much money being thrown everywhere. Every stadium they built there they overpriced by millions, and someone is just walking away with all this money. So it's cool to see that the people were the first ones to spot what was wrong. And I'm very proud of that. 'Cause, for many years, in Europe or other places, those things just happened and nobody said anything. So it's kind of cool to see… Football-wise, of course, it was a disaster for us, for Brazil, to have that kind of ending for, whatever… the run we had. But I also have to say that they deserved it. It was not a team that… I didn't feel really confident about the team. And still today, I'm not into it — the way they play, and some of the players, their attitude, and the coach… So I'm not happy with Brazil now. I thought it was gonna change after such a drastic result, but it's still shit there."

The Brazilian soccer team experienced its worst loss ever in the form of a disastrous 7-1 hammering by Germany in the World Cup semi-final last year.

Igor's brother and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY bandmate Max Cavalera told The Age Of Metal about Brazil's poor World Cup 2014 showing: "I got really mad after the [semi-final] game. I wanted to burn my [Brazil soccer] shirt. But it didn't burn. That's weird, right?! Maybe it was giving me a sign that, it won't burn. Give them another chance. Russia is coming. This is the revenge. And if I was the Brazilian coach, I would make them watch that game every game before they play in the Russian World Cup [in 2018]. Watch that as a reminder of never ever let that happen again. [Laughs]"

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's third album, "Pandemonium", sold around 2,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 177 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was produced by John Gray, who previously worked with SOULFLY.

Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt is featured in a new interview with The Metal Review, discussing the evolution of the band#s sound and fan reactions to it. An excerpt is available below.

Åkerfeldt: "“I remember in Sweden a drunk guy came up to me and he was like ‘what the f*** are you doing? You’re so talented, you had the best voice for it and now you’re doing this s*** (referring to clean vocals)’ and I responded ‘well I just felt that I couldn’t write good stuff with that style for now and I couldn’t come up with anything that I found interesting’. He looked at me and paused for like ten seconds, which felt like an eternity and finally turned to me and asks ‘but why don’t you do heavy s***?’ (laughs).”

“On a strictly commercial level, if we wanted to avoid any type of confrontation, we would do music that we think that the fans want to hear; records like Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries came about on those same premises, so that’s how we still want to work. We’re not a corporation, we don’t treat this band like a money making machine or as a plan to dominate the world; we’re not business men, we’re musicians and artists, we’re the very pure kind of interest in music.”

Go to this location for the complete story.

Opeth have announced details of two very special US performances celebrating the group’s landmark 25th anniversary. The unique shows, dubbed An Evening with Opeth, are set for October 22nd at New York’s Beacon Theater and October 24th at Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theater and will see Opeth celebrating their remarkable career with two unique sets each night.

The progressive Swedes will perform 2005's much-lauded Ghost Reveries album in its entirety (which in turn is celebrating its 10th anniversary), plus a second set of classics from their 25-year career. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 1st at 10 AM local time with VIP/Fan Club Pre-sale beginning Wednesday, April 29th at 10 AM local time. A very limited amount of VIP upgrades will also be available on pre-sale which allow early entry into the venue, a 20 minute meet n' greet with the band, a commemorative VIP laminate pass, a selection of guitar plectrums from each guitarist, your choice of t-shirt from the merch booth, the official tour poster and a pair of Martin Axenrot signature drumsticks. For more details and ticket information visit this location.

Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt commented on the special performances saying, “The forces that be put up a very mystical and subtle little advert on the so called internet. Yes, we will celebrate 25 years of being Opeth in 2015 and this is reason enough to gather up the forces and play. For you.”

Opeth’s upcoming return to North America marks the group’s second tour of the states since the release of their new album Pale Communion which staked its claim on numerous Best of 2014 lists.

As the next chapter in Relapse Records’ ongoing 25th anniversary commemoration, heavy music visionaries Neurosis will have two of their most revered and long out-of-print titles reissued on super deluxe 180-gram double vinyl this fall.

Through Silver In Blood (1996) has not been printed on vinyl in ten years, while Times of Grace (1999) is seeing its first pressing in over fifteen years. Additionally, Grace, the 1999 Tribes of Neurot companion piece to Times Of Grace, will also see a deluxe Relapse reissue, its first time ever on vinyl.  

Each reissue will contain reinterpretations of the original iconic artwork and will be housed in heavy duty “tip-on” jackets and will be available in a variety of limited edition exclusive colours. The reissues are set for worldwide release on September 4th and will also include full album digital download codes. Pre-orders for all of the editions can be currently found here.  
 
In concurrence with the deluxe reissues, Neurosis are preparing to embark on a headlining North American tour this summer alongside Neurot Recordings doomsters Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth, experimental sludge/noise technicians The Body and sludgesters SUMAC.

Find the band’s tour schedule here.

 

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford has revealed that he wrote the band's song "Before The Dawn" about his very first heartbreak nearly forty years ago.

Halford, who came out as gay in 1998 and became the first high-profile metal musician to do so, spoke to the "Metal Hammer Magazine Show" about some heavy metal bands' reluctance to be "a bit sensitive" in their music. He said: "Well, I think some bands are doing that. I mean, look, when PRIEST started… The roots of metal go back to the Midlands [region of the U.K.] with PRIEST and SABBATH, and now, it's just sensational, the variety that's out there today for you to pick and choose. I guess, again, depending on what kind of metal you're playing, it may be kind of an alien area to go into that kind of sensitivity. Sometime that's just out of your league; you may not even be wanting to portray that type of performance. But I think if you're able to, it just shows another dimension, 'cause, obviously, metal music in general is all about emotion, conveying emotion, and I don't care how fierce your band is, everybody's had a broken hear, everybody's had a mishap, and sometimes you talk about that with a feeling of rage, or you can do it in a strong and sensitive manner. You know, I think if you're in a band and you wanna completely explore all of the virtues of the musicians, you should try absolutely everything. Don't push it away from you just because the words don't sound right, or it makes you feel a particular way. Take those feelings and convey them into some kind of musical performance."

Asked if he remembers his first heartbreak, Halford responded: "Yeah, I do, actually. And it was probably later on in my life. It wasn't in my teen years; I think it was in my 20s. And even talking as a gay guy. We get broken hearts too, folks. So that's what happened to me. And it's a hellish thing to go through, but it's part of life."

He continued: "Life is about loving and living and experiencing every kind of thing that can be thrown at you. There's music for that. I think we all listen to music, to metal, depending on the mood that we're in. If I'm in the mood for some classic metal, I'll listen to that kind of band. If I wanna rage, I might listen to some SLAYER or CANNIBAL CORPSE or EMPEROR or BEHEMOTH, you know?! It depends on where I'm at [at that particular] time of day. The emotional connection through the music has always been very strong to me."

Pressed about whether he ever wrote a song about the experience of getting his heart broken for the first time, Halford said: "I did, actually. And I'm just trying to think what it was called. I think it was called 'Before The Dawn'. There you go. I'm pretty sure that was. And now the hardcore fans out there are gonna be listening to this — as you do, as I would — and are gonna be getting on their laptops and are gonna be doing all that and checking out the lyrics and this and that and the other. Yeah, I think that was… It may not be in true essence, but there's definitely some truth to the fact that that was relative to that incident."

"Before The Dawn" was featured on JUDAS PRIEST's fifth studio album, "Killing Machine" (known as "Hell Bent For Leather" in the U.S.), which came out in 1978.

Legendary Danish heavy metal singer King Diamond (MERCYFUL FATE, KING DIAMOND) was interviewed on the June 19-21 edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. You can now listen to the chat using the Podbean widget below. A couple of excerpts follow.

Full Metal Jackie: MERCYFUL FATE has had a lot of influence on a lot of bands. Do you feel at all uncomfortable when fans share the impact you've had on them?

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

Tell us, what makes the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival a good starting point to thinking about making new music?

"Well, it's always great to do when you're on tour. I mean, I was supposed to be in the middle of writing right now, when suddenly we were… We were planning our own tour for this autumn, and suddenly we got the offer of doing [the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival]. And it kind of put a stop to the… 'Cause [my] home studio is ready now to go, but this [tour] is very important to do. So we don't wanna be rushed with writing a new album anyway. So we are gonna take our time, and it's gonna be the best you've ever heard from us — there's no doubt in my mind — 'cause we have all the tools at our fingertips this time. But it has put, you can say, the brakes on starting that process, so we'll pick it up when Mayhem is done. But it's always great to come off a tour and then start writing, 'cause you are very, very inspired. I am, certainly."

To see a full list of stations carrying the program and when it airs, go to FullMetalJackieRadio.com.

"Dreams Of Horror", a 2xCD collection of KING DIAMOND songs, newly enhanced into ultimate editions by King Diamond and Andy La Rocque themselves, sold around 1,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

Released last November, "Dreams Of Horror" is the only "best-of" album covering the band's entire career. King Diamond and Andy La Rocque meticulously mastered and enhanced these 23 songs into the ultimate editions, chosen by the band from both the Roadrunner and Metal Blade catalogs.

Swedish bassist Pontus Egberg (THE POODLES, LION'S SHARE, ZAN CLAN) recently joined KING DIAMOND following the departure of Hal Patino.

King, 59, whose real name is Kim Bendix Petersen, underwent open-heart triple-bypass surgery in November 2010. He has since completed his cardiac rehabilitation program and has stopped smoking entirely, changed his diet and is getting regular exercise.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor says that all the hoopla surrounding his recent dressing down of rapper Kanye West is "ridiculous."

In an interview with Music Choice conducted earlier this week, Taylor slammed West for claiming to be "the greatest living rock star on the planet," saying: "Kanye, you are not — not — the greatest living rock star of all time. The fact that you had to tell people that kind of says it all. You remind of the guy who brags about pussy. They never get as much as they brag about. Stop it. [Slaps wrist] Stop it!"

Taylor's video message has since gone viral, having been seen nearly three million times on YouTube in three days.

The SLIPKNOT frontman spoke about the attention the clip has been getting during an appearance on Thursday's (July 9) edition of the "Opie Radio" talk show. Taylor said: "[Kanye] was playing Glastonbury, which, if you're not familiar with that, is Coachella [the annual California festival] with a different accent. And he's on stage, and he's doing a little spaceship thing on stage… It's very strange-looking. And he goes, 'You people are witnessing the greatest living rock star of all time,' and then proceeds to mess the words up to [QUEEN's] 'Bohemian Rhapsody' — in England! In England! Are you kidding me? Unbelievable, dude. And so, of course, I'm on Music Choice, and they asked me about it, so I just kind of cut this PSA [public service announcement] where I'm just, like, 'Look, just stop.'"

He continued: "It's kind of precious, 'cause everybody's, like, 'Well, you know, Kanye's got way more Grammys than SLIPKNOT has albums.' And I'm, like, that says it all. To get a Grammy now is like getting a Teen Choice award. Who cares? It's ridiculous. And by the way, I have one, you jerks. At least one."

Taylor went on to say: "The thing today, though… I woke up, and now the academics are in on it. Like, there's all these blogs on it. Like, 'Well, Corey Taylor, actually, kind of is the greatest living rock star, and this is why…' blah blah blah. And this one woman — she's precious to me — she was, like, 'Yeah, but Corey's much better at his gig than Kanye West is.' So… So what? Who cares if, like, you can do the math and show me where he is? He still sucks."

Asked if he was loving the attention his Kanye West rant had generated, Taylor said: "No! God no! Because it's so ridiculous, man. Here's the thing: I've written three books, I've sold millions of albums, I'm in two different bands, I'm in movies and shit. And this is what it took? This is what it took? Me talking about some hardon. I'm, like, you've gotta be kidding me, man."

He continued: "That's the problem. That's one of the reasons I wrote [my new] book ['You're Making Me Hate You'] — because everything has flipped on itself. It doesn't take anything to be famous anymore. It used to be you had to have talent, you had to have a work ethic, you had to have something creative and special to be able to be famous. Now, apparently, you come out of the right cooch, you get a reality show, [and] you're famous. I'm, like, really? God, I was born in the wrong fucking decade, man."

West had previously compared himself to visionaries in the fields of art, fashion, technology, sports and business.

During a 2013 concert in Paris, the outspoken rapper called himself Picasso, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney and Basquiat.

In an interview with U.K.'s Sunday Times, Kanye defended his comments. He said: "For all haters, I'm not saying I'm Da Vinci, but I feel it's right for any human being to compare themselves to anything.

"People get really uptight about my comparisons, but I'm an extreme speaker, and I speak through comparisons."

"You're Making Me Hate You" was released on Tuesday (July 7) via Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

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.

EMPEROR frontman Ihsahn (real name: Vegard Sverre Tveitan) has completed the songwriting process for his sixth solo album, tentatively due in early 2016.

Ihsahn spoke about his upcoming CD during an interview with Eternal Terror conducted at last month's Tons Of Rock festival in Halden, Norway. He said: "I would say in 95 percent of cases, [when I am working on a new album] it's all fresh [ideas that I end up using]. This time, it's a bit diferent. There are a few themes from my upcoming album that were, not leftovers, but things that I wrote in the period when I did [2013's] 'Das Seelenbrechen', but that did not fit into that album, but that I, in my mind, [thought] 'This wil fit better in the next one.' Because the previous album was such a, kind of, different type of album."

Asked if he is the type of artist that listens back to his albums and wishes he could go back and change things about each one, Ihsahn said: "Well, I used to be like that, but now, I guess, since I've done quite a few albums over the years, for me, they're more representations of times. And, I guess, also with my solo work, I've had particular ideas… not limiting, but making a framework for each album to work within, so that it becomes a project and kind of an experiment in itself. So whereas the previous album was this total freeform, mental-trip kind of thing, this new album is much more focused on the rhythmical aspects and something that is inspired by other types of music that I really enjoy that are really focusing in on good choruses and really… not necessarily technical, but really cool guitar riffs. At least that's the intention — to focus on a more classic vibe."

Released in October 2013, "Das Seelenbrechen" was described in a press release as "a bold and adventurous recording that is a musical contrast to the progressive shades and saxophone augmentations of the EMPEROR vocalist/guitarist's previous two albums (2009's 'After' and 2011's 'Eremita'). The album exists in an entirely unfamiliar sonic world as Ihsahn draws upon his most esoteric influences, fully embracing the spirit of the avant-garde. Comprising ten vivid but disparate explorations in sound that range from bittersweet electronica to deranged and feral improvisation, 'Das Seelenbrechen' is every bit as dark and destructive as the artist's previous work but is far more disorientating and disturbing than anything he has attempted in his past."

In 2014, EMPEROR celebrated the 20th anniversary of its "In The Nightside Eclipse" album by making a number of festival appearances.

"Happy Song", a brand new track from the British metalcore act BRING ME THE HORIZON, was premiered earlier tonight on BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show" with Daniel P. Carter and can now be streamed below. The song will appear on the band's fifth album, tentatively due later in the year.

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.

Speaking about the fact that it's not often that a U.K. band from a metal background gets to play such vast venues, BRING ME THE HORIZON frontman Oli Sykes told the Independent: "I guess we didn't know how far the band would come along, but at the same time there are not many English bands that have of this kind of heaviness — apart from IRON MAIDEN — that have achieved it. It's always the American ones. We still don't feel like a big rock band. If you thought about a band playing Wembley, you'd think of them as superstars, wouldn't you? But that's not the case. We're still normal people doing day-to-day things."

In a separate interview with Gigwise, Sykes stated about BRING ME THE HORIZON's ambitions: "We want to be a gateway band for people. For me, that was LINKIN PARK; they were the band that got me into heavier music. It's not our goal, but we're not elitist — we think that's cool if you can get other into this kind of music. That's awesome."