Kansas City, Missouri rockers Red Line Chemistry will be releasing the long awaited official and special edition release of their 2006 album Chemical High & A Hand Grenade via Pavement Entertainment on July 24. The band has also added bonus tracks from their self-released 2007 follow up Escape Plan to this special edition. Preorder the album at this location. 

Originally recorded as the band’s debut album, Chemical High & A Hand Grenade was shelved and the band moved forward with new material in the form of Dying For A Living (2011), and Tug Of War (2013). This remixed, remastered, and reinvented album represents an unforgettable and long overdue part of the band's career.

"We are stoked kick off 2015 announcing our signing and new found home with Pavement Entertainment, affording us the extraordinary opportunity to continue bringing our music to all of our amazing fans who have stood by us through every endeavor.  Huge thanks to Mark, Tim, and the Pavement team for bringing us into the family!" says Brett Ditgen.

Chemical High & A High Hand Grenade tracklisting:

“Bullets And Armor”
“Chemical High And A Hand Grenade”
“Heavy”
“Meds For The Hypocrite”
“The Empty”
“Penny Drama”
“The Soldier”
“Thinking Retro Kills”
“Becoming Of Saints”
“Apology”
“Home”
“Bloodlust (Dead In Santa Clara)”

The Anthropocene Extinction is the forthcoming new full-length from San Diego deathgrind icons, Cattle Decapitation. Set for world wide release August 7 via Metal Blade Records, the follow-up to 2012's Monolith Of Inhumanity was again captured by producer Dave Otero (Allegaeon, Cephalic Carnage) at Flatline Audio in Denver, Colorado, and includes guest appearances from the legendary Philip H. Anselmo, Tristan Shone/Author & Punisher and Bethlehem's Mr. Jurgen Bartsch.  

 Thematically, with The Anthropocene Extinction we are transported forward to man's last gasps, reminiscent of what is currently going on with the Laysan Albatrosses on the island of Midway Atoll. The birds and aquatic wildlife of the Pacific Ocean are mistaking the vast amounts of man-made plastic items for food, ingesting it and are dying in large numbers, rotting where they fall and exposing to the world what is happening to the ecosystems of the earth's oceans - the most unknown and unexplored part of our planet. The breakdown of the earth's ecosystems has begun long ago due to human interaction as well as the domino effect that will surely seal the fate for our species: The Anthropocene Extinction.

As a precursor to its release the band is offering up seventh track and second single “Mammals In Babylon”.

Offers guitarist Josh Elmore, "'Mammals In Babylon' was one of the earliest songs written for the new album. At that time we had completed several other tunes that fell more on the epic side of our writing style. As a foil to that strategy, 'Mammals' came about based upon a desire to concoct a no-BS, straight-forward ripper. Blending a brutal death metal assault with groovier passages that leads into a bleak, yet triumphant chorus, 'Mammals' has a pounding quality that gives way to a buzz-sawing completion. All the while [vocalist] Travis' [Ryan] lyrics frame humanity's infancy in paradise and our evolution to 'maturity' which now finds us dwelling in a wasteland of our own creation. We invite you to take a listen to the next track from The Anthropocene Extinction."  

The Anthropocene Extinction tracklisting:

“Manufactured Extinct”
“The Prophets Of Loss”
“Plagueborne”
“Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot)”
“Circo Inhumanitas”
“The Burden Of Seven Billion”
“Mammals In Babylon”
“Mutual Assured Destruction”
“Not Suitable For Life”
“Apex Blasphemy”
“Ave Exitium”
“Pacific Grim”

"Mammals In Babylon":

“Manufactured Extinct”:

In related news, on Friday, July 11th, fans can join Cattle Decapitation at the Brick By Brick in San Diego, California where the band will be playing a special, advanced CD release show in honour of The Anthropocene Extinction. Joining Cattle Decapitation for this special occasion will be Author & Punisher, Noctuary, and Mortuus Terror.

Those in attendance will have a chance to win some killer prizes courtesy of Metal Blade Records and the band making this a show not to be missed. So if you are a local or just in town for the infamous San Diego Comic-Con, make your way down to the Brick By Brick - just short ride away from the SD Convention Center - and prepare to meet your doom! Tickets are available for purchase here.

The Anthropocene Extinction will be released August 7 via Metal Blade Records. For pre-order bundles visit this location.

Cattle Decapitation:

Travis Ryan - vocals
Josh Elmore - guitar
Derek Engemann - bass
Dave McGraw - drums

Multi-national, award winning progressive metal outfit Skyharbor have checked in with yet another line-up change, having recently parted ways with drummer Anup Sastry:

"Hello everyone,

After months of deliberation, Dan (Tompkins) has decided to step down as our frontman and singer. This has been the hardest decision we have ever had to make in our history as a group, and it comes after months of discussion about the future of Skyharbor. We owe you an explanation, and we hope this following makes it clear as to why we reached this decision.

In a nutshell, things have developed with this group far quicker than any of us expected, and we have been getting some amazing opportunities to take our music around the world. We have been lucky enough to be able to play sporadically in India, Europe and the UK, but we have always wanted to take our music further afield to territories such as North America and Australia, and for longer periods than Dan could commit to. As many of you will know, Dan is a husband and a father, and touring for long periods of time with little financial security made it very difficult for the band to be active, and Dan felt strongly that he was holding us back from good opportunities.

Keeping this in mind and the fact that Dan rejoined TesseracT last year, we realised we had to make a choice - we could continue with Dan but as a studio project only, or we could move forward with a dedicated and focused lineup to help Skyharbor grow freely and achieve what we all hope to achieve with it. All 5 of us have collectively and amicably decided that the latter option was the best for the band.

We love Dan as a brother, and are incredibly proud of the two albums we've created with him and the times we have shared on the road. Words cannot describe how grateful we are for all he’s done for this band, and the passion and dedication he put into each show. He will be sorely missed, but will always remain close to us.

Which brings us to the good news:

We are very happy to welcome Eric Emery to Skyharbor as our new full time singer. Eric is a fantastic talent and we are all very excited to write and play music with him. When we reached out to Eric in the hopes of finding someone to fill Dan's shoes, we were all delighted by the quality of his audition and his enthusiasm to fill the spot. As a Grammy nominated engineer, Eric brings to the band not just his voice but his music production experience and knowledge, and we look forward to performing live with him, starting with our first US and Canada tour later this year, details of which we will announce shortly.
As tricky as the last few months have been, we truly believe that everything has worked out for the best. We couldn't be more confident in our new lineup and our future.

We'd like to thank you all for the constant messages of support and requests to see us perform all over the world. You inspire us to continue taking this band forward. We hope for your continued support and understanding through this transitional period and hope that you enjoy the exciting new phase of music that we will be sharing with you very soon. See you on the road!

Following is Tompkins' statement regarding his departure:

“I’m incredibly sad to be parting ways with my amazing friends Keshav, Devesh, Krishna and Aditya. We have collectively come to the decision that it is in the best interest of the group that I step down as the frontman of Skyharbor. From the very start I have put my heart and soul into the project but circumstances have made it clear that I am holding the band back from opportunities too good to miss. We all agree this is the best thing for everyone. We will always be close friends and I wish them only the best for the future.”

And finally, a video message from new Skyharbor frontman Eric Emery:

Skyharbor released their sophomore album, Guiding Lights, on November 10th, 2014 via Basick Records.

Guiding Lights offers 10 tracks of exhilarating and heady progressive music, weaving a sonic tapestry of technically beautiful and imaginative melodies around crunchy metal riffs and sweeping, atmospheric vocals. The album was funded by fans after a fast paced and successful PledgeMusic campaign and has been mixed and mastered by legendary Australian producer Forrester Savell (Karnivool, Animals As Leaders, Dead Letter Circus).  

Comments guitarist and songwriter Keshav Dhar: "We are thrilled to announce that our second record is officially complete, and it is titled Guiding Lights. We have worked incredibly hard over the last two years on making this album the most spectacular effort we could create, and we thank our AMAZING fans for helping bring it to life and take it to the next level! We can't wait for you to sink your teeth into it!"

The album release rounds out a fantastic year for Skyharbor, which has seen appearances at Download Festival, Graspop and a European tour, as well as a nomination for Global Metal Band at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods. On top of this the band released their first single/video for "Evolution" in June 2014 which can be viewed below.

Guiding Lights follows on from the 2011 debut, Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos, which won the band fans worldwide, including Lamb Of God who handpicked the band to support them in India and saw the band picked to play at festivals across the globe whilst also resulting in awards for Best Song, Best Album and Best Band at the Rolling Stone India Metal Awards.

Tracklisting:
"Allure"
"Evolution"
"Idle Minds"
"Miracle"
"Halogen"
"New Devil"
"Patience"
"Guiding Lights"
"Kaikoma"
"The Constant"

"Evolution" lyric video:

Founded in 1999, veteran Brazilian heavy/power metal group Dark Witch finds itself in great ascendance. They have resumed activity after a few breaks – due to singer Bil Martins touring for the European Hellish War tour, and recorded the Hellish War album Keep It Hellish. 

Dark Witch recently released in digital form their long expected debut album The Circle Of Blood. The group has now announced they have signed with Arthorium Records, and the partnerships main aim is to press on CD, release and promoting the album. The physical format promises much care, presenting a 16-page booklet and 13 tracks, one being the cover of the song "Voz Da Consciência", from legendary Brazilian heavy metal group Harppia.

Circle Of Blood tracklisting:

“Circle Of Blood”
“Wild Heart”
“Master Of Fate”
“Cauldron”
“Firestorm”
“Stronghold”
“Blood Sentence”
“Liberty Is Death”
“Lighthouse Reaper”
“Death Rain”
“Siegfried”
“To Valhalla We Ride”
“Voz De Consciencia” (Harppia cover)

Ektomorf brings their mix of thrash, hardcore, and traditional Gypsy music to the EMGtv stage. This performance of "Outcast" showcases the band’s aggressive music and lyrical content. Lead singer, Zoltán Farkas, is using the EMG 81X and EMG 85X to keep a tight low end on his rhythm eight string guitar sounds. Tamás Schrottner rounds out the guitar tones with the EMG 808X. Keeping it all together is Szabi Murvai on bass using the EMG 35DC bass pickups.

Band members:
Zoltán Farkas - guitar/vocals
Szabi Murvai - bass
Róbert Jaksa - drums
Tamás Schrottner - guitars

A year after releasing the all-star project My Kind O' Lovin' producer and composer Milen Vrabevski returns to fulfill, as earlier claimed, his promise and ambition with Intelligent Music Project III - Touching The Divine. The new album features session legends Simon Phillips and Tim Pierce, and Nathan East courtesy of Yeg. Тhe production concept relies again on two project launchers - guest stars John Payne (ex-Asia) and Toto's Joseph Williams. 

Says Joseph, “It's wonderful to explore working with Milen. The project has a wonderful message, accompanied with some beautiful music and some great rock 'n' roll – the musicians in this project are top-notch.”

Musically Touching the Divine delivers a thrilling example of straightforward songwriting combined with rich and layered sound and gently executed dynamic spins. The first single “Mind Projection” is a melodic and energetic slice of AOR, scored with John Payne's powerful vocal arrangement and virtuoso instrumental charge that lets you in deeper to the magic ingredient of this sophisticated project. Bass great Nathan East and fabulous Simon Phillips stamp their own authority in this piece, as well on the record throughout.

Recording sessions took place at Simon Phillips' Phantom recordings (Williams, Pierce, Phillips and East) and at Intelligent Music Studios in Sofia (Payne, Pierce and vocals from Carl Sentance, recently appointed as Nazareth's lead singer). Says Simon, “Music is a universal language. It's really a blessing to have the opportunity to work with musicians from around the world.”

“Mind Projection” brings together once again the positive idea of the producer and composer Milen Vrabevski, that following the true excitement of our hearts and souls will give us the key to living a conscious live and to spiritual satisfaction, we often call happiness.

 

Says Nathan, “This project is very special to me, because of the nature of the message of the project. I was very inspired and happy with the idea, because the message has value and meaning and I am about that. The word 'inspirational' is what I use to describe this project.”

John Payne, who continues his 14 year legacy as Asia Featuring John Payne says, “Doing this project with Milen - it has been great, really - these songs have a lot of structure and melody. It's a very mature project, it's a very intelligent project for the mind.”

Says Milen Vrabevski, “I believe we managed to deliver an astonishing sound once again and it will delight the ears and sound systems of hardcore rockers all around the world. Bearing in mind the top-notch level of our guest stars, I allowed myself mainly to record the acoustic guitar of the first single ‘Mind Projection’. The video was shot in Bulgaria by Vasil Stefanov, a very prolific and talented video director. The explicit idea was to show the level of collaboration and collective effort of all featuring musicians, which I believe, would be one of the most intriguing aspects for the music fans.”

Says Tim Pierce, “My DNA is 'a rock player'. Musically, this project is fun, because it travels a lot of different places.”

“I really enjoyed working with Milen in his studio. There is a great sense of depth in his songs. We tried to get the best of my voice.” (Carl Sentance)

Intelligent Music Project III – Touching the Divine is coming out in late September.

“The coming album is to bring us to the subject of the essence of life. It directs to searching for this special place within our souls that brings the spiritual satisfaction we often call happiness. It is our source of love and creation, balance and harmony. This place is the Divine in us all…” (Milen Vrabevski, MD)

Intelligent Music Project III - Touching The Divine:
Author and producer - Milen Vrabevski, MD

Featuring:
Simon Phillips - drums and percussion
Nathan East (appears courtesy of Yamaha Entertainment Group) - bass 
John Payne - lead and backing vocals 
Joseph Williams - lead and backing vocals 
Carl Sentance - backing vocals & ad-lib, lead vocal part on 7
Tim Pierce - guitars

San Diego heavy metal stalwarts Cage has put out a new free song based on the Daybreak games horror survival game H1Z1. This is a one off track that will not be included on their upcoming album Ancient Evil. Download the track at Soundcloud.

 

In February Cage announced the addition of new bassist Alex “The Captain” Pickard to the permanent lineup. “When we learned that Dwight Magic could not commit to the heavy upcoming touring schedule we had built up, we went on a local search for the right guy," says vocalist Sean "The Hell Destroyer" Peck. "No disrespect to any of the past bass players we have had over the last 23 years, but Alex is quickly becoming my favorite. He really has it all with the chops, song-writing ability, and just wild rocking stage antics! It is great he was able to join us for all the great stuff we have coming up.” Alex also plays with Cage guitarist Casey Trask in the band Monarch, also based in San Diego, California.

Cage would like to thank departing bass player Dwight Magic for all of his great work. He continues to play in his band Detonated.

Cage is preparing for their 7th studio release Ancient Evil, a horror concept album based on the novel written by Sean Peck, on their new record label. A formal announcement and release date will be forthcoming soon.

 

 

 

 

Legendary progressive-rockers Spock's Beard recently announced that their brand new 12th studio album The Oblivion Particle is set for release on August 21and now they have revealed the first track to be taken from the record with “Tides Of Time”.

Dave Meros previously said of the track: "I think the opening track 'Tides Of Time' is classic Spock's in terms of arrangement and style, but everything else is fairly different. That said, the whole album is still within the parameters of what people expect to hear from us."

Spock's Beard's forthcoming new studio album The Oblivion Particle is the follow-up to 2013's Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep. The album finds the band answering the needs of their creations by utilizing the considerable versatility of each member. In addition to Ted Leonard's soaring vocals and Dave Meros' distinctive bass, Alan Morse adds autoharp, banjolele, electric sitar and mandolin to his array of instruments, drummer Jimmy Keegan takes over lead vocals on "Bennett Built A Time Machine" and Ryo expands his arsenal of keyboard sounds throughout the album. In addition, virtuoso Kansas violinist David Ragsdale lends his touch to the album's majestic closer, "Disappear”.

As with the previous album Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep, The Oblivion Particle was recorded at The Mouse House and produced by Rich Mouser, Alan Morse and John Boegehold, a band collaborator of many years.

The band also recently announced European tour dates in support of the album. The band will be joined by young UK act Synaesthesia and Hungarian band Special Providence.

The full list of dates are as follows:

September
16 - Spirit of 66 - Verviers, Belgium
17 - De Boerderij - Zoetermeer, Netherlands
18 - Framus & Warwick Music Hall - Markneukirchen, Germany
19 - Progresja - Warschau, Poland
20 - Metro Club - Brno, Czech Republic
21 - Ship A38 - Budapest, Hungary
23 - Legend - Milan, Italy
24 - Kantine - Augsburg, Germany
25 - Sudhaus - Tübingen, Germany
26 - Alte Seilerei - Mannheim, Germany
27 - Essigfabrik - Köln, Germany
29 - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, UK
30 - Assembly - Leamington Spa, UK

October
1 - The Classic Grand - Glasgow, UK
2 - O2 Academy Islington - London, UK
3 - Club Academy - Manchester, UK

New Jersey's own Windfaerer forges a soundscape that entwines folkloric elegance with black metal ferocity. A portmanteau meaning, "one who travels with the wind," like a vessel lost at sea, the name Windfaerer sets a melancholic atmosphere of longing for a return to a homeland, yet with hopeful eyes set toward the unknown. It is the animus of guitarist and frontman, M. Gonçalves as an epic black metal paean to his ancestral homeland of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).

On their most recent effort, Tenebrosum, Windfaerer casts off the edge of black metal and takes the listener on a spiritual journey of discovery, embarking into the unknown, treacherous seas. The album is named after the archaic term for the Atlantic Ocean ("Mare Tenebrosum"), meaning "sea of darkness."

Tenebrosum finds Windfaerer building upon their previous release, Solar. Powerful violins are immersed in a battering ram of dynamic metal riffing, painting a scene with every passage. The sounds on Tenebrosum can be used as a soundtrack to venerate Gaia or as a rousing heavy metal battle cry. Tenebrosum was recorded at Frightbox Recording throughout 2014 and mixed and mastered by Rob Torres.

A new track, “Celestial Supremacy” is now streaming.

Tenebrosum tracklisting:

“Celestial Supremacy”
“Finisterra”
“Tales Told In Oblivion”
“Santeria”
“The Everlasting”
“Morir En El Olvido”
“The Outer Darkness”

Windfaerer will bring these sonic rituals to the stage on a short bout of east coast performances beginning tomorrow at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, New York. Later in the month the band will raze Trenton, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania followed by a performance at the Pocono Folk Metal Fest in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania in August with additional live actions to be announced in the coming weeks.

Live dates:

July
1 – Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus Bar
17 – Trenton, NJ – Championship Bar
24 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie

August
1 – Stroudsburg, PA – Pocono Folk Metal Fest

Tenebrosum will be released independently on September 22.

Seattle, WA thrashers, Fallen Angels, return in 2015 with their third studio release, World In Decay, produced by Grammy award winning metal producer/engineer Michael Rosen (Forbidden, Testament, Death Angel, Flotsam And Jetsam). The album is set to be released on August 4th via their indie label Cyberdyne Records. The band also plans to tour extensively this summer, bringing their explosive live show full of thrash and shred, which they are known for as a local favourite in the Pacific Northwest.

Fallen Angels want you to remember not to forget the nuclear chaos brought upon Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII in their new lyric video, “Nightmare” (streaming below), which demonstrates with historical visuals the aftermath caused by the Atomic bombs being dropped on those cities. To learn more about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, please visit this location.

“We want to thank everyone who has supported us, and we hope you're as excited as we are about the release of our upcoming album World In Decay. We know you've been waiting a long time for this third release and we can't wait for you to hear it. We hope this album will quench your thirst for new Fallen Angels music. See you on the road thrash fans!”, comments drummer Steve Spitzbart.

World In Decay tracklisting:

“The Hammer's Blow”
“Nightmare”
“Forsaken Existence”
“Leading The Blind”
“Fire At Eden's Gate”
“Into The Abyss”
“The Hour Of The Time”
“Mortis Ex Machina”

“Nightmare” lyric video:

Austin, Texas metal luminaries THE SWORD will release their new album, "High Country", on August 21 via Razor & Tie. Recorded in Austin, the CD was produced by Adrian Quesada and mixed by J. Robbins.

"High Country" features 15 new compositions and will be released simultaneously in CD and double vinyl formats. It will be available today for preorder through Razor & Tie as well as the band's merch site. Access to both preorders is at www.theswordofficial.com. The Razor & Tie preorder includes multiple bundles featuring double colored vinyl, cassettes, three t-shirt designs, a hoodie, as well as a lithograph of the album art. The CD and double vinyl can also be preordered as standalone pieces. The band's preorder features one bundle which includes the CD, an exclusive double colored vinyl with earth and sky printing, a custom engraved and numbered stash box with album art featured on the inside the of the lid, a custom shredder card, a custom packet of rolling papers, and a custom engraved dugout.

"High Country" track listing:

01. Unicorn Farm02. Empty Temples03. High Country04. Tears Like Diamonds05. Mist And Shadow06. Agartha07. Seriously Mysterious08. Suffer No Fools09. Early Snow10. The Dreamthieves11. Buzzards12. Silver Petals13. Ghost Eye14. Turned To Dust15. The Bees Of Spring

The "High Country" title track can be streamed at www.theswordofficial.com.

In conjunction with the release of "High Country", THE SWORD will embark on a 25-show European tour. The trek begins on release day, August 21, at the Pstereo Festival in Trondheim, Norway and ends in Bristol, U.K. on September 19. The band will be touring throughout the remainder of 2015 and 2016. Asked by Radio Cannon in a 2014 interview how he feels the metal scene has evolved since THE SWORD started, the band's guitarist, Kyle Shutt, said: "It's funny, because I think when we started people reacted differently to us because the metal scene was dominated by these macho, wrestler-looking types, screaming at you, etc… And bands like that are dying out. It's becoming a lot more rock 'n' roll. And I also notice that heavy metal journalism in the last ten years is so much more positive compared to when we started. It was so negative back then. And you gotta have haters, you know what I'm saying? It's just that there used to besome serious debates about us on message boards where people would try to figure out what we did and have these crazy theories that we were like, this pre-packaged band. It was so hateful for no reason, and nowadays people are so much more accepting. I think music just got so terrible for a while and so many shitty bands got shoved down people's throats by record labels throwing money at record stations and I think people just started looking past the bullshit and are much more open-minded now, with awesome bands like GRAVEYARD and BOMBUS. Or AMERICAN SHARKS, from Austin. Just cool heavy bands getting exposure."

Victory Records usher in the new leaders of melodic hardcore, Conveyer. The band has laid a solid foundation over the last few years through numerous self-booked, successful North American tours and a self-released debut album, Worn Out.

As the newest addition to the Victory Records family, Conveyer prepares to build on their devoted and faithful following with their sophomore release, When Given Time To Grow, set to be released September 4th. Get a taste of the new album with the new song “Haven” (streaming below).
 
Hailing from Minneapolis, MN, Conveyer’s devotion to music and faith is the common thread that connected its members - Danny Adams (Vocals), Ty Brooks (Guitar), Nick Matako (Guitar), Ben Greene (Bass), and Daniel Glover (Drums).

Frontman Danny Adams says of the signing, “Realizing Victory was on board with Conveyer and wanted to help us do more was a surreal experience. When I was thirteen or fourteen, my mom signed up for a Victory sampler, and it got me into bands like Atreyu, Bayside, Silverstein and eventually The Warriors and Refused. A majority of the bands that got me into going to shows and participating in a local hardcore/metal scene were putting out records through Victory before I even knew what music I liked.”

“To be a part of a label that is responsible for releasing some of my favorite records of all time is a dream come true. We are honored to be a part of the Victory Records family,” adds guitarist Ty Brooks.

On the background of “Haven”, Adams explains, “It’s basically me expressing my disinterest in the immoral composition of the status quo on a worldwide scale, and Christ being the only antithesis to the mindset the world conditions us to live under. I don't think there's a simple way for me to coalesce the entire point of the song, which is why I encourage people to come ask questions at shows or online.”

Conveyer will hit the road this weekend on July 4th, appearing at several festivals such as Audiofeed, Ichthus, Sonshine and Pierced. Stay tuned for more album and tour news on Conveyer.

FIRESPAWN (formerly FIREBORN) — the new Swedish death metal project featuring Lars Göran Petrov (vocals; ENTOMBED) and Victor Brandt (guitar; ENTOMBED), Alex Friberg (bass; NECROPHOBIC), Fredrik Folkare (guitar; UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) and Matte Modin (drums; DARK FUNERAL, DEFLESHED) — has signed a deal with Century Media.

Hailing from Stockholm, FIRESPAWN is the unholy union of five death metal veterans with the aim to create blasphemous, sacrilegious and evil death metal, played by sharp minds with ancient souls. Comments Friberg: "We are stoked to be joining forces with Century Media. They are one of the biggest labels out there in extreme music and together we will spread the fire worldwide!" Adds Jens Prüter, head of A&R at Century Media: "Don't call it supergroup but this spawn of Satan combines the best of Stockholm death metal and it's great to see a bunch of old friends coming together for just one goal: to destroy. I know some of the guys for many years and it's an honor to help them spreading fire worldwide. Special thanks from my side to Costin Chioreanu and Paolo Girardi for helping out on the band's visual presentation, and my colleague Philipp Schulte for taking over the torch and bring you... FIRE! I'll see you burn!"

FIRESPAWN's debut album will be released in November. A seven-inch EP, "Lucifer Has Spoken', will precede the CD on August 7 and will be limited to 500 hand-numbered copies. Visitors of PartySan Open Air festival: Keep your eyes open for a colored vinyl version of the seven-inch (100 copies only!) that will exclusively be offered at the Cudgel sales stand on the festival site.

The cover artwork for "Lucifer Has Spoken" was created by Paolo Girardi who is known from his detailed Hieronymous Bosch-inspired cover artworks for INQUISITION, POWER TRIP and others. The seven-inch artwork just shows a part of a huge piece that will be unveiled when further news on the album is due.

FIRESPAWN is:

Lars Göran Petrov (ENTOMBED) - VocalsVictor Brandt (ENTOMBED) - GuitarAlex Friberg (NECROPHOBIC) - BassFredrik Folkare (UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) - GuitarMatte Modin (DARK FUNERAL, DEFLESHED) - Drums

Humanity is Cancer is currently seeking a home for the release of their upcoming self-titled EP. Any interested parties should contact ThomasHaywoodjr@gmail.com.

A press release states: “Combining the heaviness and raw energy of classic death metal with the brutality and ferocity of modern extremists, Humanity Is Cancer is as much of a reminder of extreme music's roots as it is a breath of fresh poison. Expect no prepackaged gloss, no flash, and no nods to current trends. What you should expect is the only true certainty, the cold grip of death.”

Humanity Is Cancer was created as a writing outlet for Thomas Haywood (ex-Abigail Williams, System Divide, Aborted) since his departure from the extreme music world in 2010. Originally, Humanity Is Cancer started with two key members, Thomas and his good friend, the infamous, Dirk Verbeuren (Soilwork, Scarve, Aborted, Devin Townsend). Unfortunately, Dirk became increasingly busy with touring and session work and had to unfortunately opt out.

Despite this set-back, Thomas sought out others to aid in his vision, and eventually found the perfect compliments to his writing style, vocalist Noah Buchanan (Solipsist) and most recently drummer, Lyle Cooper (ex- Faceless). With the influx of deathcore most present in the States, Humanity Is Cancer has set out to create true death metal, respectfully nodding to those who have paved the way.

Teaser:

Deluxe editions of Led Zeppelin’s final three studio albums: Presence, In Through The Out Door, and Coda will be released in July. The reaction to the first six Led Zepplin album reissues has been extraordinary, with albums charting in the Top 10 around the globe whilst also garnering 5-star reviews and other critical accolades along the way.

As with the previous deluxe editions, Presence, In Through The Out Door, and Coda have been newly remastered by guitarist and producer Jimmy Page and are accompanied by companion audio comprised of previously unreleased music related to the original release selected and compiled by Page.

Take a glimpse inside the forthcoming Super Deluxe Edition of In Through The Out Door with the following video:

Contents of the Super Deluxe Edition of Presence can be seen below:

Included as part of the Presence bonus disc, there's a "reference mix" of the track "Hots On For Nowhere”. The song by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page grew out of the sessions for 1975′s Physical Graffiti.

Presence, In Through The Out Door, and Coda will each be available July 31st from Atlantic/Swan Song in the following formats:

* Single CD – Remastered original album. Presence and Coda will be packaged in a gatefold card wallet. All CD and LP versions of In Through The Out Door will be wrapped in a brown paper page replicating its initial release.

* Deluxe Edition (2CD and 3CD) – Remastered album, plus a second disc of unreleased companion audio. Coda will feature two companion audio discs.

* Single LP – Remastered album on 180-gram vinyl, packaged in a sleeve that replicates the LP’s first pressing in exacting detail. All vinyl versions of In Through The Out Door will also include the water-sensitive insert that replicates the inner sleeve from the album’s initial release.  

* Deluxe Edition Vinyl – Remastered album and unreleased companion audio on 180-gram vinyl. Coda will feature two companion LPs.

* Digital Download – Remastered album and companion audio will both be available.

* Super Deluxe Boxed Set – This collection includes:          

- Remastered album on CD in vinyl replica sleeve.
- Companion audio on CD in card wallet.
- Remastered album on 180-gram vinyl in a sleeve replicating first pressing.
- Companion audio on 180-gram vinyl.
- High-def audio download card of all content at 96kHz/24 bit.
- Hard bound, 72+ page book filled with rare and previously unseen photos and memorabilia.
- High quality print of the original album cover, the first 30,000 of which will be individually numbered.

Originally released in 1976, Presence was recorded during a whirlwind 18-day session at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany. The album—which peaked at #1 in both the U.S. and UK and was certified triple platinum—crackles with energy on Zeppelin classics like “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” and  “Achilles Last Stand” and delivers powerful jolts of the group at its visceral best.

The companion audio disc that accompanies Presence has five unreleased reference mixes from the sessions, which reveal works in progress. Along with alternate incarnations of “For Your Life” “Achilles Last Stand” and “Royal Orleans,” there is also the previously unheard instrumental curiously titled “10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod).”

On its release in the summer of 1979, In Through The Out Door topped the U.S. and UK album charts and has since been certified six-times platinum. Sadly, it would be the last album that Led Zeppelin recorded prior to drummer John Bonham’s passing the following year. Among the seven album tracks are “Fool In The Rain” and “All My Love,” two songs that remain rock radio staples to this day.   

The album’s companion audio disc features an unreleased rough mix of every track from the original album, including early versions with working titles such as “The Hook” (“All My Love”),  “The Epic” (“Carouselambra”), and “Blot” (“I’m Gonna Crawl”).

The appropriately titled Coda was Led Zeppelin’s final album of studio recordings. Released in 1982, it was comprised of eight unreleased tracks recorded between 1970 and 1978. It peaked at #6 on the album charts and has been certified platinum in the U.S.  

The reissue campaign ends with a double-barrel blast of Led. Coda will be the only Led Zeppelin deluxe edition to include two companion discs, featuring 15 tracks recorded between 1968 and 1974. “Baby Come On Home” from the same session is also included in the set. Also included is the previously unreleased “St. Tristan’s Sword,” a rollicking instrumental recorded during the Led Zeppelin III sessions in 1970.

In 1972, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page took a fabled trip to India to perform with the Bombay Orchestra and now, for the first time, recordings from these sessions will be officially released with dynamic takes on “Friends” and “Four Hands” (“Four Sticks” from Led Zeppelin IV). Among the many other highlights featured here is an early version of “When The Levee Breaks” from 1970 titled “If It Keeps On Raining”; rough mixes of “The Wanton Song” and “In The Light,” from the Physical Graffiti sessions at Headley Grange, the latter a different alternate version than the one included in the Physical Graffiti deluxe edition; and an instrumental mix of “Poor Tom” from 1970.

In 1968, Jimmy Page formed Led Zeppelin, one of the most influential, innovative and successful groups in modern music, having sold more than 300 million albums worldwide. The band rose from the ashes of The Yardbirds, when Page brought in Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones. In 1969, Led Zeppelin released its self-titled debut. It marked the beginning of a 12-year reign, during which the group was widely considered to be the biggest and most innovative rock band in the world.

Led Zeppelin continues to be honored for its pivotal role in music history. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and a year later was awarded with the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm. Founding members Page, Plant, and Jones, and along with Jason Bonham, the son of John Bonham – took the stage at London’s O2 Arena in 2007 to headline a tribute concert for Ahmet Ertegun, a dear friend and Atlantic Records’ founder. The band was honored for its lifetime contribution to American culture at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. In January of 2014, the band won their first ever Grammy award as Celebration Day, which captured their live performance at the Ertegun tribute concert, was named Best Rock Album.

Presence tracklisting:

“Achilles Last Stand”
“For Your Life”
“Royal Orleans”
“Nobody’s Fault But Mine”
“Candy Store Rock”
“Hots On For Nowhere”
“Tea For One”

Companion Audio:
“Two Ones Are Won”  (Achilles Last Stand – Reference Mix)
“For Your Life”  (Reference Mix)
“10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod)” (Reference Mix)
“Royal Orleans” (Reference Mix)
“Hots On For Nowhere” (Reference Mix)

In Through The Out Door tracklisting:

“In The Evening”
“South Bound Saurez”
“Fool In The Rain”
“Hot Dog”
“Carouselambra”
“All My Love”
“I’m Gonna Crawl”

Companion Audio:

“In The Evening” (Rough Mix)
“Southbound Piano” (South Bound Saurez - Rough Mix)
“Fool In The Rain” (Rough Mix)
“Hot Dog” (Rough Mix)
“The Epic” (Carouselambra - Rough Mix)
“The Hook” (All My Love - Rough Mix)
“Blot”  (I’m Gonna Crawl - Rough Mix)

Coda tracklisting:

“We’re Gonna Groove”
“Poor Tom”
“I Can’t Quit You Baby”
“Walter’s Walk”
“Ozone Baby”
“Darlene”
“Bonzo’s Montreux”
“Wearing And Tearing”

Companion Audio:

Disc One
“We’re Gonna Groove”  (Alternate Mix)
“If It Keeps On Raining” (When The Levee  Breaks - Rough Mix)     
“Bonzo’s Montreux” (Mix Construction In Progress)
“Baby Come On Home”
“Sugar Mama” ( Mix)
“Poor Tom” (Instrumental Mix)
“Travelling Riverside Blues” (BBC Session)
“Hey, Hey, What Can I Do”

Disc Two
“Four Hands“ (Four Sticks - Bombay Orchestra)
“Friends” (Bombay Orchestra)
“St. Tristan’s Sword” (Rough Mix)
“Desire” (The Wanton Song - Rough Mix)
“Bring It On Home” (Rough Mix)
“Walter’s Walk” (Rough Mix)
“Everybody Makes It Through” (In The Light - Rough Mix)

The oldest song in the collection is perhaps the most interesting. The frenetic blues jam “Sugar Mama” was recorded in 1968 at Olympic Studios during sessions for the band’s eponymous debut. The song was completed but never officially released. Check it out below:

Pre-order links for all formats can be found at this location.

 

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. A new trailer is streaming 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)

Trailer:

Multi-national metal maestro's DragonForce recently announced the worldwide release of their debut DVD entitled In The Line Of Fire. The release is scheduled for July 10 and features high definition footage shot during the band's Ultimate Stage headline show at 2014's Loud Park Festival in the Saitama Super Arena, Japan, the band used multiple camera angles to capture the raw energy of their show and instrumental dexterity for which they are rightly celebrated worldwide. A medley trailer can be seen below.

The tracklisting below features a selection of new songs from the latest album Maximum Overload mixed in with foot stomping anthems and lightning fast shred-fests from previous releases. The video also includes backstage, behind the scenes, and off tour footage to give fans an insight into the Maximum Overload World Tour. Preorders are being taken at MetalBlade.com.

In The Line Of Fire tracklisting:

“Fury Of The Storm”
“Three Hammers”
“Black Winter Night”
“Tomorrow’s Kings”
“Seasons”
“Symphony Of The Night”
“Cry Thunder”
“Ring Of Fire”
“Through The Fire And The Flames”
“Valley Of The Damned”

“Defenders” (CD only bonus track)

Medley trailer:

Trailer:

Mix and mastered by Damien Rainaud in Los Angeles, CA. Produced and edited by Herman Li.

DragonForce are currently on the Maximum Overload World Tour, which commenced in September 2014 and is due to conclude in 2016. Throughout their six studio album and multiple world tour history, DF has steadfastly refused to shoot a DVD, until now. Guitarist Herman Li explains, "We always held the opinion that if we ever did a DVD we wanted to do it properly. Now, having released six studio albums we thought we had a great cross section of material to pick from and we knew the facilities at Loud Park made it a great place to film a show. Everything just came together and we're very pleased with the results and hope the fans will be also."

A snapshot of the DVD can be seen by checking out the just released second music video from Maximum Overload; a storming version of “Three Hammers” which was shot at the same show.

The release will be a double disc package of the DVD and accompanying Live Audio CD of the show and will also be available in Blu-Ray.

 

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King says that the band's late axeman Jeff Hanneman played a major part in the group's decision to welcome back drummer Paul Bostaph following Dave Lombardo's exit more than two years ago.

Lombardo was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the band's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other members of the group. He has since been replaced by Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band.

Asked what the reason was for SLAYER's latest split with Lombardo, King told Artisan News (see video below): "Misinformation — not coming from SLAYER."

He continued: "I feel bad for Dave, because he made some really bad choices based on listening to some really bad advice."

Regarding how Bostaph's return to SLAYER came about, King said: "It was really weird for me, because when we… when Dave made his big, you know, tirade in the press, we were on a flight [to Australia] for fourteen hours and couldn't make any rebuttals. So by the time we landed, it was almost like old news. So we didn't respond. But the funny thing is the first text on my phone — which I got a billion texts; I'm, like, 'What happened in America?' — was Paul. And he goes — I'm sure it's still in my phone somewhere — he said he wanted his job back. And my first impression was, why would I take somebody back that quit my band twice? And I even asked him, after we rehearsed. 'Cause we rehearsed…"

He continued: "When we went to Australia, [former SLAYER drummer] Jon Dette bailed us out, which I was super-thankful for, so I tried out Jon Dette and I tried out Paul on the same brand new two new songs. I gave 'em each the exact same amount of time to learn 'em: 'Here's the parameters. Let's see what happens.' Then that was one of Jeff's last decisions in SLAYER; he voted Paul back in. And I wouldn't go against Jeff. Jesus… For him to be paying attention and being able to make a decision, I was, like, fuckin' sending skyrockets in the sky: 'Thank you! Jeff did something!' So I wanted him to be a part, and he couldn't. So, you know, I know from talking to Jeff that he wanted Paul. I think Tom [Araya, SLAYER bassist/vocalist] wanted Paul, and I was already outnumbered, so it didn't matter if I wanted Paul or wanted Jon; it didn't matter."

King added: "Before we gave him the gig, I called up Paul… 'Cause we were friends the whole time; there was never bad blood. I mean, I don't think I ever asked him why he quit. But, you know, he was always my friend. We'd come through town, and I'd say, 'Hey, man, you coming to the show? Let's go have some drinks.' Whatever. And I called him. I said, 'Paul, what's there to say, if you get this gig, that you're not just gonna fucking leave in eight months?' And he's, like, 'Oh, man…' I don't remember exactly what he said, but he was just, like, 'Oh, man. I'm more grown up now. I'm 50 years old. I don't wanna go in other bands.' And I'm, like, 'Dude, I certainly don't wanna get new bandmembers.' If this is how it is 'till the day we're done, I will be a happy motherfucker, because it's just a pain in the ass changing members. It makes people… It makes the fan base question what you're doing."

Gary Holt of San Francisco Bay Area thrash icons EXODUS has been the touring guitarist for SLAYER since January 2011 when the band's 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".

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

According to TMZ.com, JOURNEY drummer Deen Castronovo has been indicted by a grand jury on a rape charge.

The 50-year-old rocker was arrested on June 14 in Salem, Oregon, on misdemeanor charges related to domestic violence. But now more charges have been added, including unlawful use of a weapon, rape and sexual abuse. He has been barred from having contact with the woman he allegedly assaulted.

The drummer was booked into the Marion County Jail without bail Monday night and is set to appear in court today (Tuesday, June 30) at 3 p.m.

JOURNEY has replaced Castronovo on its current tour by Omar Hakim.

Castronovo has been a member of JOURNEY since 1998, when he replaced Steve Smith.

The drummer was previously arrested in January 2012 for allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend. He was subsequently ordered to perform 80 hours of community service and attend anger-management classes as part of a plea deal.

A representative of Castronovo's claimed at the time that the altercation was "a misunderstanding that should not have been escalated to such a level in the first place."

Fabio Pugliese conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton on June 24 in Rome, Italy. You can now watch the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the current QUEENSRŸCHE lineup:

"Well, there's a new unity. There's a bond between the band, and everyone is on the same level. Everyone is participating as musicians, and things are moving along really great, and the songwriting is very cohesive. And you'll see the energy in the stage show and you'll just see the difference."

On whether there has been a change in QUEENSRŸCHE's approach to making music:

"As far as the members of the band QUEENSRYCHE, it's always been about pushing the creativity and evolving as a band, and we haven't changed in that aspect of writing. We just kind of more defined it in the last few years."

On some people's opinion that current QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre's voice is very similar to that of the band's former frontman, Geoff Tate:

"I think Todd [has a style] his own. I think he has nuances of many singers, just as guitar players have nuances of other guitar players. I think he has just been under the microscope, but he does have his own voice."

On QUEENSRŸCHE's upcoming studio album:

"The next album from QUEENSRYCHE is hopefully coming out the first week of October. We are doing a worldwide release, and very much expected. And the record label, Century Media, is the one that will be putting it out, and they have the demos right now and are very positive and happy about it. I know that a lot of people are really anticipating this, so stay tuned and you won't be disappointed."

In keeping with the goal of finding the "best of the best" for their fans regardless of who manufactures it, the members of ANTHRAX have produced a new bourbon, "The Devil You Know", priced at $59 and available now at this location.

"If we find something we really like and that we actually drink ourselves, we think maybe our fans might like it too, so we want to make it available for them," said ANTHRAX's Scott Ian. "We really enjoyed 'Indians', the bourbon we produced last year, and obviously our fans did as well as it sold out really quickly."

Consequently, ANTHRAX — Ian, Charlie Benante, Frank Bello and Joey Belladonna — decided to do another round of "taste testing," this time working with Kentucky-based Knob Creek to produce two barrels of a high-end bourbon, "The Devil You Know", now part of the distillery's "small batch bourbon" collection. Both barrels were aged for nine years, a process that results in a much richer more distinctive taste. And every bottle purchased ships with a card personally autographed by the band.

"The Devil You Know" will taste like no other bourbon, due to the blend of specially selected aged bourbons and rye whiskeys, as well as the wood barrels they were aged in.

"We had a great time sampling the different bourbons to find the one we thought was the best," added Bello, " and we hope our fans have the same good time drinking it. Responsibly, of course."

ANTHRAX is currently in the final stages of recording the follow-up to its critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated 2011 album "Worship Music". The new CD is expected out early 2016.

Members of YES, Rush, Black Sabbath and more have paid tribute to legendary YES bassist Chris Squire, who has died at the age of 67. Squire, who co-founded the band in 1968 with singer Jon Anderson, was diagnosed with Acute Erythroid Leukemia, an uncommon form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), earlier this year. 

The band confirmed his death in a statement: “It’s with the heaviest of hearts and unbearable sadness that we must inform you of the passing of our dear friend and Yes co-founder, Chris Squire. Chris peacefully passed away last night in Phoenix Arizona. We will have more information for you soon.”

Squire was the only member to appear on each of their 21 studio albums, released from 1969 to 2014.

Jon Anderson: “Chris was a very special part of my life; we were musical brothers. He was an amazingly unique bass player - very poetic - and had a wonderful knowledge of harmony. We met at a certain time when music was very open, and I feel blessed to have created some wonderful, adventurous, music with him.  Chris had such a great sense of humor... he always said he was Darth Vader to my Obiwan. I always thought of him as Christopher Robin to my Winnie the Pooh. We travelled a road less travelled and I'm so thankful that he climbed the musical mountains with me. Throughout everything, he was still my brother, and I'm so glad we were able to reconnect recently. I saw him in my meditation last night, and he was radiant. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones. Love and light....."

Rush’s Geddy Lee: “Although we never met, I’m so sorry to hear about Chris Squire from Yes passing. As a bass player and innovator on the instrument he was a huge inspiration to me. Simply put, he was one of the greatest rock bassists of all time. My most sincere condolences to his family and friends.” 

Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler: “Shocked to hear of the passing of Chris Squire, one of the great bass players. RIP.”

Matt Sorum (Velvet Revolver, Guns N’ Roses, The Cult): “Lost the great bassist Chris Squire of Yes today, he was an incredible visionary in the progressive world and a very kind man, he was actually the first rockstar I met in 1974. I was 14 and snuck backstage with my friend , he gave us passes and let us stay. Later in life we crossed paths in Hollywood and I ended up jamming with him long hours in the hills at his home in Laurel Canyon over drinks and other assorted fun. We dove into musical expression and many laughs along the way. He challenged me to learn the entire album Tales from Topographic Oceans which is a tough being it is four songs of 20 mins each. I gave it my best shot and ended up at Chris's house for three days playing it. The progressive world has lost a Giant today, I'm glad I was able to make some incredible noise with you fine sir and will see you on the other side someday.”

Eric Bloom (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT):"A true innovator. RIP."

Adrian Belew (King Crimson): “I’m sorry to hear that Chris Squire is gone. He was a great player in one of the best rock bands ever. He forged his own unique style, something few musicians can say. Chris came to hear The Bears once and loved the band. Later he said in an interview The Bears were the most exciting live band he'd heard since The Who in the 60's. A huge compliment. Speaking of The Who, I know the three bassists who influenced a young Julie Slick were Jack Bruce, John Entwhistle, and Chris Squire. All greats of their time. It's your time now Julie, and you deserve it."

YES will be honouring their commitment to their North American summer tour with Toto, as well as confirming their performances on the Cruise To The Edge in November. Chris's role in the band will be covered by YES alumnus Billy Sherwood.

To quote Chris prior to his death while receiving treatment for Leukemia: "This will be the first time since the band formed in 1968 that YES will have performed live without me. But the other guys and myself have agreed that Billy Sherwood will do an excellent job of covering my parts and the show as a whole will deliver the same YES experience that our fans have come to expect over the years."
 

Like It Is - YES At The Mesa Arts Center is due out on July 3rd in Europe and July 10th in North America. Available in 2CD/DVD, Blu-ray and Digital formats, with a later release planned on vinyl too, this new live album, which follows a similar path to the successful release Like It Is – YES At The Bristol Hippodrome, sees two of the band’s signature albums, 1971’s Fragile, and 1972’s Close To The Edge performed live in their entirety on the band’s 2014 world tour.

Recorded live on Tuesday August 12th, 2014 at the Ikeda Theater in Mesa, AZ, featuring Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White Geoff Downes and Jon Davison, offers an exciting take on two amazing pieces of music which include live staples such as “Roundabout”, “Heart Of The Sunrise”, “And You and I” and the epic “Close To The Edge”.

“That evening in Mesa, Arizona was a great one. The audience was fantastic; they loved the music and really made it a very special night for us. And we were in top form. The music sounded great and we could have played all night,” says YES co-founder and bassist, Chris Squire. “Like It Is brings the magic and wonderful music of that evening to fans everywhere, and we’re sure they’ll enjoy listening to it as much as we did performing it.”

This new live release comes as YES continues one of its most fertile musical periods in their nearly five decade history and is a perfect companion piece to the other retrospective live release,  Like it Is – YES At The Bristol Hippodrome, which included amazing renditions of Going For the One and The Yes Album. Formed in 1968, the band has endured for nearly five decades and remains one of the most popular live touring acts in rock n roll. They have recently announced their US tour with label-mates Toto. All dates and ticket links here.

Tracklisting:

CD1 (LP 1):

“Close To The Edge”
“And You And I”
“Siberian Khatru”

CD2 (LP 2):

“Roundabout”
Cans And Brahms”
“We Have Heaven”
“South Side Of The Sky”
“Five Per Cent For Nothing”
“Long Distance Runaround”
“The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)”
“Mood For A Day”
“Heart Of The Sunrise”

DVD / Blu-Ray:

“Close To The Edge”
“And You And I”
“Siberian Khatru”
“Roundabout”
“Cans And Brahms”
“We Have Heaven”
“South Side Of The Sky”
“Five Per Cent For Nothing”
“Long Distance Runaround”
“The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)”
“Mood For A Day”
“Heart Of The Sunrise”

“Heart Of The Sunrise”:

 "South Side Of The Sky":

 

 

 

The L.A. Times recently caught up with KISS legends Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, who discussed their connection to the Japanese #1 pop sensation Momoiro Clover Z, who will make their US live debut on July 2nd. An excerpt is available below:

Stanley: "Our collaboration with MCZ ('Samurai Son') was a meeting of cultures. The entertainment value of what MCZ does is undeniable. So whether our music is different, to me it didn’t matter. KISS is about breaking the rules and doing what excites us."

Stanley and Simmons say they've always appreciated Japanese culture, which is what drew them toward this collaboration.

"When we first heard about MCZ, we were very taken with the great shows they did and we also love that MCZ has great pride in being Japanese," Stanley said. "When we watched them dance, we saw geisha, sumo — there is great Japanese tradition in what they do."

"A lot of the look behind KISS comes from Marvel Comics and Japanese culture. When we first came out over 40 years ago, people thought we were from Japan," Simmons said. "Japan has always been a magical place where the past and the present live side by side."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

KISS recently checked in with the following announcement:

"Our friends, Japanese singing sensation Momoiro Clover Z will make their US show debut on July 2nd in LA at the Anime Expo at the LA Convention Center!

KISS and MCZ recently collaborated to produce the #1 hit single in Japan, 'Samurai Son', which they jointly performed during a historical concert at the Tokyo Dome in March 2015. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley will introduce MCZ to a live audience on July 2nd.

Tickets available to Anime Badge Holders only at this location this location."

According to AWN.com, KISS will receive the prestigious 2015 Special Commissioner’s Award from Japan’s International Short Shorts Asian Film Festival, one of Asia’s largest and most popular international short film festivals. KISS is receiving the award for their “Samurai Son” video from last year, a collaboration with Japanese pop sensations Momoiro Clover Z (MCZ). The award will be presented to Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley on July 2nd at the Nokia Theatre.

This  East Meets West cross-promotional campaign is the direct result of KISS’ decades-long affection for Japan and the Japanese culture, along with an unprecedented recent collaboration between KISS and MCZ. In early 2015, MCZ’s release of the Paul Stanley written song "Yume no Ukiyo Ni Saitemina” (“Samurai Son”) along with MCZ’s cover of the KISS classic “Rock N’ Roll All Night,” were both included on MCZ’s # 1 EP in Japan. This # 1 EP concurrently marked KISS’ first # 1 record in the band’s 40-year history. The # 1 EP was listed on Japan’s Oricon Chart and Japan’s Amazon Pop Chart.

Click here for complete details on the award presentation.

The new video below features an unedited track-by-track discussion of Bill Ward's Accountable Beasts album. The interview was conducted by Mike Stark for LA Radio Sessions on June 13th.

During the interview, Stark comments on Bill Ward’s “new energy”. Bill explains: “I think it’s just everything going on, you know, we’ve kept it a secret - it keeps leaking a little bit, but you know I have a new rock trio as well. And so, we can’t officially say anything about it but after this interview I’m on my way to rehearse with them. We’re in the studio starting Monday (June 15th) recording a brand new album with the rock trio, besides BWB (Bill Ward Band). So, yours truly, I was kicking ass… I played drums for eight hours yesterday. I mean seriously, I’m getting down and just fucking playing.”

Ward has released his first solo album in 18 years called Accountable Beasts, on iTunes. The CD features Ward's drumming on seven of the album's nine tracks, as well as contributions from his longtime collaborators Keith Lynch (guitar, keyboards), Paul Ill (bass) and Ronnie Ciago (drums), along with drummer Walter Earl and an array of session singers, including Ward's daughter Emily.

 

 

Accountable Beasts features the following tracks:

“Leaf Killers”
“Accountable Beasts”
“Katastrophic World”
“D.O.T.H.”
‘First Day Back”
“As It Is In Heaven”
“Ashes”
“Straws”
“The Wall Of Death”

 

 

"Jekyll And Hyde", the new video from Las Vegas-based metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's sixth album, "Got Your Six", which will be released on August 28 through Prospect Park in North America and Eleven Seven Music outside North America.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's U.S. record label, Prospect Park, got "five finger death punked" when they asked the band for a new music video. Guitarist Zoltan Bathory explains: "Punking the label and trolling the trolls is actually very satisfying… so either we make a video that makes a difference like 'Wrong Side Of Heaven' did or we just fuck it all up and have fun with it... just clown the whole thing as we did with 'Under And Over It'… and now with this one. We didn't even hire a director… We didn't want this to accidentally make sense."

Adds Jeremy Summers, president of Prospect Park: "First we were scratching our collective heads, but we never once interfered with [the band's] vision… so ultimately — if that's what the band wants to put out, we are not going to stop them. We were shocked, then cried, then laughed because it's actually funny."

"Jekyll And Hyde" has already claimed the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Rock chart upon release, debuted on the Spotify Viral chart and Shazam Future Hits chart. It is also quickly approaching the Top Ten rock radio charts after just two weeks.

Regarding the song's inception, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine: "[FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer] Ivan [Moody] is a total caveman. In 2015, we have every device known to God for recording yourself or capturing an idea in MP3 and e-mailing it somewhere, but he has no technical savvy at all. He's always, like, 'I had a great idea last night, but I had no way of capturing it.' So one night I told Ivan, 'No matter what, if you have ideas, call me and leave them on my voicemail.' A year later, I'm at home looking through old hard drives and old folders on my computer, and I come across this Pro Tools session that had a bunch of voicemails from Ivan dumped into the computer from my phone. I open this session and I start listening through these voicemail song ideas. He sketches out the lyrics and vibe for this one idea, so I start laying a little riff underneath it, and then I start creating another section where I cut some of his words and made a little chorus. I sent it out to everybody and said, 'I don't know what you think, but this is something that Ivan left on my voicemail a year ago,' and they were, like, 'Ooh! That's pretty cool!' That actual voicemail ended up staying in the song! What you hear in the first verse is all from that voicemail message."

Ivan clarified, telling the magazine: "What happened was that it was, like, 4 a.m. and I was up writing, and I looked on the Internet and saw that somebody had posted on my Facebook page — but I don't even have a Facebook page. So that was the start of it. At the very bottom, there was a media release saying that I had died — that I had overdosed in some club in New York. This rhythm popped into my head — this quick 4/4 beat — and I knew that Zoltan [Bathory, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist] would be sleeping and Jeremy [Spencer, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer] hates when I call him late. So I left it on Jason's voicemail, and it was the beginning of 'Jekyll And Hyde'. It ended up being a fantastic fucking song. I think it's one of the best we've ever written."

The "Got Your Six" pre-order, as well as several exclusive album pre-order merchandise packages, are live and ready now at www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com. Upon purchasing any "Got Your Six" pre-order offer, buyers will be able to instantly download "Jekyll And Hyde". "Got Your Six" is available in various formats to accommodate fans digitally, as well as those who prefer a physical item CD or vinyl alike: * Standard album, digital (11 tracks)* Deluxe album, digital (11 tracks + 3 bonus tracks)* Standard physical CD (11 tracks)* Deluxe physical CD (11 tracks + 3 bonus tracks + redeemable code for an exclusive t-shirt)* Vinyl (11 tracks + 3 bonus tracks + digital download card for the deluxe version of the album) There will also be an exclusive Best Buy edition of the album available (deluxe album and an exclusive, limited-edition FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH merchandise item). "Got Your Six" track listing:

01. Got Your Six02. Jekyll And Hyde03. Wash It All Away04. Ain't My Last Dance05. My Nemesis06. No Sudden Movement07. Question Everything08. Hell To Pay09. Digging My Own Grave10. Meet My Maker11. Boots And Blood Deluxe-edition bonus tracks:

12. You're Not My Kind13. This Is My War14. I Apologize

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will head out on a co-headlining fall tour with PAPA ROACH. The trek kicks off on September 4 in Lexington, Kentucky, winding down on October 9 in Glen Falls, New York. Also along will be IN THIS MOMENT and FROM ASHES TO NEW.

The two headliners actively involved their fans in the routing of the tour by giving them the opportunity to request the tour come to their city via a "demand campaign." Some 1.5 million people responded and made their choices known.

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 new track, "Toxic Hammer", is streaming 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”

"Toxic Hammer":

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 July.

After having deeply explored the different aspects of Crowley's philosophy on their previous releases Iao Sabao and Lucifer Leviathan Logos, Norwegian occult heavy metal band Magister Templi returns with its second full-length, Into Duat, in which they focus thematically on some of the central myths and gods of Egyptian mythology ("Duat" is the realm of the God Osiris).

Into Duat is targeted for release at the end of August, followed by an active live campaign, which will bring the band to play at the No Sleep Til Dublin Festival 2015 and afterwards on an European tour with Christian Mistress. Into Duat was recorded in Oslo between Evil Octopus and Sorcerer studios, with former band member Simon Aarset as technician.

As in their vinyl 7'' release Nyarlathotep (2014), the band had moved even further away from their doom-inspired beginnings, towards a more open-minded musical experience strongly based on filthy traditional heavy metal. Heavy guitars, intense drumming and commanding vocals are key ingredients.

Into Duat tracklisting:

“Creation”
“The Lord Of The Morning”
“Osiris”
“Horus The Avenger”
“Anubis”
“Sobek”
“Slaying Apophis”
“Destruction”

Nearly 10 years in the making, the debut album from Spillage has just been let loose on the highways of hard rock/metal.

Tony Spillman, formerly of Earthen Grave, has assembled a massively talented lineup that brings the songs of Spillage to life with raw emotion, colourful landscapes, and at times, full blown rage. Lothar Keller (The Skull, Divinity Compromised) lends his incredible range to light up the vocals, Nick Bozidarevic (Band Of Brothers) joins Tony to create a very Tipton/Downing-esque guitar duo, and Willie Max (Blackfinger, Shadoz Edge) and Chris Martins (Band Of Brothers) hold down an absolutely thunderous rhythm section, and Paul Rau lays down the essential keyboard accents. Special guest lead guitar spots by none other than Trouble's Bruce Franklin send things completely into the stratosphere.

Taking the best qualities of early Judas Priest and Uriah Heep, and mixing it with Uli Jon Roth-era Scorpions, Spillage manages to create brilliant, original music that stands well on its own in today's heavy scene.

Produced by the one and only Bruce Franklin, the self titled Spillage debut is out now via Qumran Records. CD and digital downloads are available online via the band's official Bandcamp page. Limited edition red vinyl will be available soon.

Tracklisting:

“The Darkness”
“Live In Fear”
“The Road”
“Call It Freedom”
“In Hell”
“Insomnia”
“Devil Woman”
“Land Of Opportunity”
“We Are”

Having already shared the stage with the likes of Trouble, Elder, and Brimstone Coven, and taking part in high profile festivals such as Days Of The Doomed, Spillage is poised to hit the road this summer in full force supporting the release of their debut album. Check listings for a city near you.

Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming indie comedy, Doreen: The Movie. A trailer featuring Plant can be seen below.

Says BirminghamMail.co.uk: Look who’s knocking on our Doreen’s door – it’s only Robert Plant! The Led Zeppelin frontman seems to have developed a new sideline of Tarmacing drives, under the name Plant Hire: Your Driveway To Heaven.

The singer songwriter from West Bromwich makes a cameo appearance in the forthcoming Doreen: The Movie, based on the life of the Birmingham Mail columnist.

Doreen Tipton, the world famous Lazy Cow from the Black Country, began as a comedy creation who went viral on YouTube. Then Doreen, played by actress Gill Jordan, became the star of her own stage show, had her biography written and is now the star of the big screen in a film coming to cinemas in October.

This clip from the movie sees Robert Plant knocking on Doreen’s door and it’s answered by her next-door-neighbour and all-round skivvy Doris.

Robert, 66, says: “Good afternoon madam. I just happen to have outside a truck with half a load of Tarmacadam. Would you care for a little bitumen slapped up your alley? A small amount of Tarmac for your drive?”

Doreen asks if he wants money, to which he replies: “I’m quite solvent at the moment but I could do with a little bit, a pinch here and there for some apple juice.”

To which Doreen says: “Tell him to bugger off.”

Faced with a slammed door, Robert cries: “I’m distressed by this, I have a full hot bucket. This is the finest bitumen in the land, from Tividale. There must be an easier way to make ends meet.”

He pushes a card through the letterbox with Plant Hire, Your Driveway to Heaven on it.

Doreen: The Movie will be screening in and around the Black Country from October 17th.

Calling downtown Toronto their home, but crisscrossing the continent for weeks on end, armed with little more than their brand of original hard rock, their gear and a dream: Diemonds have recently signed with Napalm Records and today they unveil more details for their brand new album, Never Wanna Die, set to be released worldwide on September 4th.

"Stoked to be a part of the Napalm family, ready to unleash our proudest and most exciting album to date”, says C.C Diemond about the signing and upcoming album.

With their third album the band continues to modernize their heavy rock n' roll sound. This time, multiple Juno award-winner Eric Ratz (Monster Truck, Billy Talent) is in the producer chair. Remaining true to their sound, Diemonds takes lyrics that speak to the outcasts, wild children, and misfits, and combine them with a hard-hitting live show, taking cues from the greats they look up to.

Priya Panda, the band's front woman, is the sultry singer that the music world has has been waiting for. With her larger-than-life presence, she breaks every cultural, social, gender and sexual boundary known to hard rock. If the ever-growing legions of the band's loyal following are any indication, Diemonds are firmly carving their own path in music and hoards of rock fans are already along for the ride.

Never Wanna Die tracklisting:

“Never Wanna Die”
“Hell Is Full”
“Over It”
“Ain’t That Kinda Girl”
“Secret”
“Better Off Dead”
“Forever Untamed”
“Wild At Heart”
“Meet Your Maker”
“Save Your Life”

“Over It” lyric video:

Pre-order our copy as well as the exclusive limited vinyl edition of Never Wanna Die at the following links:

North America
Rest of World

Diamonds tour dates include:

July
9 - Peterborough, ON - Historic Red Dog
10 - St. Catharines, ON - Detour Music Hall
11 - Petawawa, ON - The Great Canadian Warehouse
12 - Arnprior, ON - The John St. Pub
14 - Sherbrooke, QC - Bar Le Magog
16 - Moncton, NB - Esquire Tavern
17 - Fredericton, NB - The Capital Complex
18 - Halifax, NS - Gus' Pub & Grill
19 - Saint John, NB - Pub Down Under