KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has once again defended his controversial "rock is dead" comment, blaming the technology and fans for the current state of affairs.

Simmons told Esquire magazine in September — in an interview conducted by his son Nick — that "rock did not die of old age. It was murdered. Some brilliance, somewhere, was going to be expressed and now it won't because it's that much harder to earn a living playing and writing songs. No one will pay you to do it."

Simmons went on to elaborate that as a result of file-sharing and other issues, record label support for rock music was not available like it was when KISS was coming up, concluding, "It's finally dead. Rock is finally dead."

In a brand new interview with "Steve Wright In The Afternoon" on U.K.'s BBC Radio 2, Simmons stood by his comments, explaining (hear audio below): "The most important thing for me is the sad fate of new bands. I've been quoted as saying 'rock is dead,' and, unfortunately, it truly is, because you cannot name a new BEATLES or a new Elvis or a new [BLACK] SABBATH."

He continued: "Who's the new LED ZEPPELIN? The point is, in the pop world, there's Taylor [Swift], who's fantastic, and [Lady] Gaga… there's a lot of stuff. But only time makes you iconic. And I love all kinds of music, but in rock, it is sadly dying a bad fate. And that's because the Internet and filesharing and downloading have killed the chances of the next young band that does have the writing potential and the performing potential to be the next ZEPPELIN or BEATLES, but there's no support system. That's called record companies."

Simmons went on to say: "Imagine you work as a roofer — you put roofs on buildings — and then they figure out a way for you to do that and not get you paid. You write a book, you spend a year doing it, and then everybody fileshares it and downloads it and you don't get paid. The Internet says, basically, that no matter how much you work and how long, I'm going to take your stuff and you're not gonna paid for it. Listen, it doesn't hurt me. I'm very rich, so it doesn't affect me. I'm saddened that… Because once upon a time, I was dirt poor, and I got my riches by working for it for 41 years. But at least I had a chance. I had a record company in my corner that gave me advances — millions of dollars — that I never had to pay back, even if we failed. You only hurt the one you love. People complained about record companies: 'Ah, the suits.' Yeah, you're right: they were suits; they were not like you and I, and they don't like the same things we do. But they were the support system; they were the ones that made it all possible. Without Geffen Records, there wouldn't have been a NIRVANA. Don't kid yourself."

A number of hard rock and heavy metal musicians have weighed in on the topic in a variety of interviews over the last nine months, with some digging a little deeper into Simmons' full remarks and others just glossing over the headline. SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor told a radio station last October: "Nothing against Gene. I understand what he was trying to say. His way of making albums and making music and getting things out there is dead. But you just kind of have to roll with the technology, you have to rise with the times, you have to learn to use those to your advantage. You can't just sit back and just kind of do album-tour-album-tour — there's so much that goes into it now."

Greek progressive/technical metallers, Acid Death, have signed a deal with Germany’s 7Hard Records. The 5-year deal starts with the release of their upcoming album, Hall Of Mirrors. The album will be on market worldwide in early September, possibly September 11th (tbc).

Says the band: “We as Acid Death feel that a new and impressive era is starting for the band. We are really happy to start working with 7Hard Records and we will give our 100% to this cooperation!”

Hall Of Mirrors tracklisting:

“Hell’s Maw”
“Mental Slime”
“Truth Revealed”
“Life And Death”
“The Unfair Fight”
“Hall Of Mirrors”
“Taste Of The Erratic”
“Ghostship”
“Planes Of The Eternal Dead”
“Supreme Act Of Heroism”

Audio samples:

 

Hall Of Mirrors Album Sample by ACID DEATH

 

Guest musicians on Hall Of Mirrors include:

Manthos “ManSter” Stergiou (Tardive Dyskinesia) - backing vocals
Nick Melissourgos (Suicidal Angels) - lead guitar
Jon Soti (Floating Worlds) - melodic vocals
Illiana Tsakiraki (Enemy Of Reality) - female vocals

Swedish sextet Year Of The Goat is back with a heavy sign of life and their full-length album, The Unspeakable, to be released on July 31st via Napalm Records. A lyric video for “The Emma” can be found below.

The album features nine of the finest dark rock / occult rock tracks with exiting anthemic choruses, enthralling arrangements and a nice 60s/70s vibe. These capture the listener in a whole atmosphere of trademarks of dark rock.

 

 

The Unspeakable tracklisting:

“All He Has Read”
“Pillars Of The South”
“The Emma”
“Vermin”
“World Of Wonders”
“The Wind”
“Black Sunlight”
“The Sermon”
“The Key And The Gate” (Alternative Version - Bonus Track)
“Riders Of Vultures”

“The Emma” lyric video:

Teaser:

 

Australian melodic thrash metallers, Envenomed, have just sign a record deal with Italian label Punishment 18 Records.

The band’s first album, titled Evil Unseen, was released independently by the band in 2014 and now will be re-released and distributed worldwide this year. Details to follow.

Envenomed lineup:

Anthony Mavrikis - Guitars & Vocals
Brendan Farrugia - Guitars
Liam Wagener - Bass
Chris Sheppard - Drums

Brisbane based progressive act Caligula's Horse have signed with record label InsideOut Music (of the Century Media family).
 
Founder and CEO of InsideOut Music, Thomas Waber had this to say about the signing: "Australia is home to many great bands and we are thrilled and excited to start working with Caligula's Horse, one of the most exciting Australian bands we have heard in quite a while!"
 
Vocalist Jim Grey echoed Waber's comments, "Over the moon, man! Over the moon. This is a huge step for us - we're thrilled to be working with Inside Out, not to mention the honour of sharing a roster with some of our musical heroes...we're all absolutely stoked!".
 
This news follows a hugely successful year for the group so far, with highlights including signing with Wild Thing Presents (Management), The Agency Group (North American bookings), AMF Publishing, as well as supporting musical heavyweights such as Opeth, Mastodon, The Ocean and Twelve Foot Ninja.
 
Caligula's Horse will make their way to Europe for the first time in October, including a performance at the ProgPower Europe Festival in the Netherlands (October 2nd) alongside acts such as Leprous, Myrath and Pagan's Mind. The band also has plans in place to tour Australia in the not too distant future.
 
You can check out the video for “A Gift To Afterthought”, taken from the bands 2013 album The Tide, The Thief & River's End, below:

Italian multi-instrumentalist/composer Zombie Sam released his Self Conscious Insanity album on June 4th, 2013 via Coroner Records. featuring the song "A Hallow Tale". A remix of the track is now available for free download via Soundcloud here. Both versions are available below:

Zombie Sam recently checked in with the following update:

"It's official! Finally started working again on my new album I wrote a new song and it's very... oh well, you will see. What if I release a free song very soon just to get into the mood of a scary Halloween party?

Be sure my new album is gonna be as crazy as the first one. Working on the concept right now. Are you into Tim Burton? I'm your man, I'm the jester that will bring you into a macabre, spooky, dark movie with my cinematic music."

Zombie Sam also collaborated on the Season Of Ghosts debut, The Human Paradox, released on December 8th, 2014 via Coroner Records. Mastermind/vocalist Sophia posted a behind-the-scenes clip from the recording sessions featuring Zombie Sam. Check it out below:

A full length audio clip of the third song on the album, "Time Travellers", can be heard below:

Season Of Ghosts is a groundbreaking music project, dedicated to the love for the unseen and film soundtracks, combining extreme rock and metal sounds, harsh electronics and powerful, compelling vocals, through the eerie spectrum of a Sci-Fi and horror movie.

Tracklisting:

"Nothing Disappears Without A Trace"
"Genesis - The Phoenix Syndrome"
"Time Travellers"
"Dream; Paralysis"
"The Human Paradox"
"[NE]: MESIS - The Kiss Of Justice"
"Beautiful Eternal Things"
"Dreaming In The Gray Lands"
"The Road To Acheron"
"Quantum - Through The Looking Glass"
"Reincarnation"
"There And Back Again"

Preview:

For information on Zombie Sam go to 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.

DISTURBED singer David Draiman says that he is"done with social media" after dealing with Twitter trolls who have baited him about his sometimes-controversial views.

Draiman, who is the son of Israelis and the grandson of Holocaust survivors, spent much of the last few months linking to articles by conservative and pro-Israel blogs and has often used his fame to speak out against anti-Semitism. This led to frequent heated exchanges with his followers on Twitter, some of whom believe that Israel is not blameless in the ongoing conflict with Palestinians.

Draiman — who has extensive family in Israel, including his brother, Jerusalem-based folk rock and ambient musician Ben Draiman, as well as his grandmother — has just deleted his @davidmdraiman Twitter account, explaining to the 93X radio station in Minnesota: "I'm done with social media, personally. And it had nothing to do with the [upcoming release of the new DISTURBED] record. It happened to be coincidental, but it had nothing to do with the record."

He continued: "Social media has become a playground for trolls, a playground for these people who prey on one another. You can't get anything decent done on there anymore; you just open yourself up to constant attack. And I'm just done with it. I'm done with it. I hope that the couple of years of my being as involved in it as I was meant something to people. I hope that they gleaned something from it, or took something away from it, or at least were entertained or something, because, now, I'm becoming a recluse."

Draiman added: "At the end of the day, what people want from me is to get up there on that stage and make them feel powerful and give them a release for an hour and a half or two hours every once in a while. And if I'm still able to do that, hopefully I'm still making people happy."

DISTURBED's first new album since 2011, "Immortalized", is due out August 21. The CD 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.

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.

Queen are launching their own beer to celebrity the 40th anniversary of smash hit Bohemian Rhapsody.

Bohemian Lager is described as "golden and hoppy"and will be made in the Czech Republic. The 4.7%ABV brew follows the release of the band's Killer Queen Vodka – which launched in honour of late frontman Freddie Mercury's favourite tipple.

Bohemian Lager will be available in Europe later in the summer ahead of a planned worldwide release. A 12-pack of bottles will cost £20. They'll feature an image from A Night at the Opera, the album on which Bohemian Rhapsody appeared. They'll also include the distinctive Queen crest, which was designed by Mercury while he was a student at Ealing Art College.

Bohemian Rhapsody spent nine weeks at the top of the UK singles chart when it was released in 1975.

"Get 'Em Up", the new video from Canadian rockers NICKELBACK, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "No Fixed Address", which sold around 80,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on November 17, 2014.

Speaking to Loudwire, NICKELBACK frontman Chad Kroeger stated about the track: "I've always wanted to write a song about a bank robbery. If I couldn't be involved in a bank robbery, I gotta write a good one. My band members still haven't figured out that this is a metaphor from an instance early on in my life."

He continued: "I thought, instead of it being this scene out of the movie Heat, a very serious thing, I pictured these two guys who come up with this plan and it's just going to be fantastic. There's going to be machine guns, and they're going to roll up in this hot muscle car and they're going to kick the front door in and they're going to get the money and they're going to get away scot free and then they're going to head to Mexico or whatever. That's what the planning stage looks like, then once they get there they can't find a place to park. They drive around the block a half a dozen times, or twelve times, or whatever I say in the car. Then they finally get parked, get out of the car, start walking towards the bank and start practicing what they're going to say when we get in there, that whole thing. They go to kick the front door in and it's Sunday. The bank is closed. There are two cops standing across the street and it just turns into this — and I picture almost the 'Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels', absurdity of it.”

As previously reported, NICKELBACK was forced to cancel all remaining dates of the second leg of the 2015 "No Fixed Address" North American tour due to Kroeger being diagnosed with an operable cyst on his voice box. Chad will undergo surgery in three weeks following vocal rest ordered by doctors. Ticket refunds will be available at the point of purchase.

NICKELBACK canceled shows over the weekend, hoping the additional rest and treatment would help but an unfortunate diagnosis from Chad's doctor revealed a more serious scenario. "I am sorry I have to interrupt the party this summer and I am definitely not thrilled with the prospect of being silent for many weeks to come when I could be out there playing for our fans," shared Chad. "I am relying on my doctor and his team to help get my voice back in good form as quickly as possible."

Chad's medical team anticipates a full recovery and the "No Fixed Address" tour will resume with their previously scheduled European run, in Helsinki, Finland on September 30.

NICKELBACK is expected to return to North America in 2016.

Two years after the recording of their Ritual Zombi album, Spanish death metal veterans, Avulsed, returns with a new recording in form of a 5-song EP entitled Altar Of Disembowelment, that marks the band's recording debut for new drummer Erik Raya.

Stylistically, Altar Of Disembowelment continues the unmistakeable sound of Avulsed, forged during almost 25 years, but this time, the four new songs sounds a bit heavier and darker than ever before, with their traditional essence firmly rooted in the old Finnish and Swedish schools with a Bolthrowerish spice and the fucking low vocal register that forever remains intact in Avulsed.

The EP was recorded in three different studios and mixed at Overhead Studios by Raúl Fournier "Furni", ex-drummer of Avulsed between 1994-2004 for a later mastering at Unisound Studios by Dan Swanö.

Besides the four new songs, there's a cover version of Black Sabbath’s "Neon Knights” that was initially recorded in late 2010 for a tribute album to Dio that ended up being a fiasco and instead of using that recording, the band decided to re-record it again for this EP.

Cover artwork for Altar Of Disembowelment was again work of Juanjo Castellano who was also responsible behind the masterpiece cover art of Ritual Zombi who surpassed himself once again creating another absolutely astonishing artwork.

Altar Of Disembowelment tracklisting:

“To Sacrifice And Devour”
“Red Viscera Serology”
“Ceremony Of Impalement”
“Tremble In The Darkness”
“Neon Knights” (Black Sabbath)

Release date for the CD version of Altar Of Disembowelment is settled for September 9th through Xtreem Music, right before the band's European tour, and the vinyl version on 10" format, will be released at the same time by greek label Screaming Victims Distro on a limited edition of 500 copies with 100 units on each five different colours (black, red, blue, clear & marble).

Listen to an exclusive advance track from the EP below:

 

London, England quartet Limb are streaming the first single from their forthcoming sophomore album, Terminal. The track "Ghost Dance" can be heard below.

Terminal follows hot on the heels of Limb's self-titled 2014 debut, but takes an enormous leap forward. Perhaps it's the result of playing across the UK on tour with New Heavy Sounds labelmates Black Moth, and the introduction of new drummer Tom Mowforth (ex-Uncle Acid) but Limb are now more explosive than ever before. Where the debut showcased their thick, loping, and stripped-down sound, Terminal cranks up the sonics, mashes the grooves, and ups the filth quotient to truly corrosive levels.

In their quest to take things to the next planet, Limb hooked up with legendary extreme metal producer Russ Russell (Napalm Death, Dimmu Borgir, Evile). A bold move, but together they've created a monolithic statement of intent. Terminal is a down-tuned and dirty barrage of monumental riffs.
 
Recognizing Limb's love of both stoner dirge and glam stomp, Russell has described the band's sound as "GoatSlade" - and we can see why. Buried in the dirt is a cosmic boogie, which pays more than a nod to the decade of stacked platform boots without ever feeling retro.
 
Right from the opening double whammy of "Three Snake Leaves" and "Ghost Dance", you're propelled into a maelstrom that never lets up. The riffs come layered, thick, and fast, from the fuzzy throb of "Dawn Raiders" to the off-kilter groove of "Spoils Of A Portrait King", marking the halfway point with its monstrous, doomy outro. The second half of the album contains Limb's take on a traditional murder ballad, "Down By The Banks", as well as the chaotic hardcore of "Mortuary Teeth". The whole thing ends with "Cocytus", the soundtrack to a voyage across the eponymous river of dead souls that encircles Hell, complete with a hypnotic riff ending.
 
Thematically the album addresses the prospect of absolute destruction and the possibility of life thereafter, which is echoed in the album's artwork, a startling retro-futuristic collage by Cur3es (responsible for the art of Fu Manchu's Gigantoid). It conveys the album's mood perfectly: the familiar juxtaposed with the unknown, a world where nothing is quite as it should be.

As usual it'll be a deluxe LP package: 180g transparent white and cosmic purple haze vinyl, gatefold sleeve, printed lyric inner and free download. Also available on CD and download on September 11th via New Heavy Sounds.

Tracklisting:

“Three Snake Leaves”
“Ghost Dance”
“Micromegas”
“Dawn Raiders”
“Spoils Of A Portrait King”
“Down By The Banks”
“Sleepwalkers”
“Mortuary Teeth”
“Cocylas”

“Ghost Dance”:

Traditional doom merchants, Desolate Pathway, have unveiled plans for new material which explores a different direction to their début album Valley Of The King - a two-track single, entitled “Into The Realms” Guitarist Vince Hempstead has called it “a foot into our journey of Greek mythology.”

The A-side, entitled “Into The Realms Of Poseidon”, features acclaimed Sorrows Path guitarist Kostas Salomidis for a dose of Greek authenticity. On the B-side is a five-minute instrumental entitled "Tales Of Glaucus", a prophetic sea-god who came to the rescue of sailors and fishermen.

Along with the usual digital formats, there will be a limited amount of CDs available at the Fest Of Hades performance in Wakefield, UK. The band have stated on their Facebook page that they may look into a small vinyl run, depending on costs. In addition, their second album is on the horizon, with a tentative deadline of early 2016.

“Into The Realms” has a release date of October 31st to tie in with the Fest Of Hades performance that day.  

The band are due to hit the road several times this year. Dates are as follows:

June
18 - Surrey, UK - The Cave, Addlestone

August
29 - Hatfield, UK - Power And Glory Festival
30 - Hastings, UK - The Carlisle

September
19 - Hastings, UK - The Carlisle

October
31 - Wakefield, UK - Fest Of Hades

November
13 - Brighton, UK - The Haunt-
14 - Bournemouth, UK - The Anvil
28 - London, UK - The Unicorn

Berlin, Germany-based classic rock overlords, Kadavar, have released a video for “The Old Man”, a track from their brand new album. The band’s third album, Berlin, is slated for an August 21st release.

The album’s tracklisting, as well as four more versions of the cover that will be available for everyone buying the vinyl version of the album, can be seen below.

The glasses of the cover model will be cut out, depending on how you insert the inlay, the cover will change. See above. Pre-order Berlin at this location.

Berlin tracklisting:

“Lord Of The Sky”
“Last Living Dinosaur”
“Thousand Miles Away From Home”
“Filthy Illusion”
“Pale Blue Eyes”
“Stolen Dreams”
“The Old Man”
“Spanish Wild Rose”
“See The World With Your Own Eyes”
“Circles In My Mind”
“Into The Night”
“Reich der Träume” (Nico cover) (Bonus Track)

Commented drummer Tiger: “About ten years ago, when we - independently of one another - moved to Berlin, we just wanted to break free from home and do something new. I thought it was comfortable, to blend in and just live from day to day. A lot of very long nights and so many completely different people at one place. Where there are opposites you can always ground yourself. We’re all different, come from different places but have managed to create something together we all like. I think the Berlin lifestyle has influenced our band very much and therefore fits perfectly as the album’s title.“

Furthermore the band has announced to tour Europe this winter. Find the dates here.

 

Caliber TV has uploaded multi-camera video footage of the new ASKING ALEXANDRIA lineup performing on June 23 at the Mesa, Arizona stop of the Vans Warped Tour. Check it out below.

ASKING ALEXANDRIA guitarist Ben Bruce wrote a lot of the lyrics on the band's forthcoming about the group's former singer, Danny Worsnop, but ended up re-writing them at the urging of Danny's replacement, Denis Shaforostov.

Worsnop revealed he was exiting ASKING ALEXANDRIA on January 22, explaining in a statement: "Over the last eight years together, we've done some amazing things and created something truly special. I now, same as then, want what's best for the band and at this point in time, that isn't me. ASKING ALEXANDRIA will continue to tour throughout the year and will be working on a new album."

Worsnop added, "I will always support and love ASKING ALEXANDRIA and cannot wait to see what the future holds for them."

In a recent interview with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Ben said: "I've written a lot of the lyrics for [ASKING ALEXANDRIA's upcoming] record, and a lot of them, to begin with, were about Danny. I mean, I was fucking pissed off, man. The guy was my best friend, and he just kind of turned his back on me and fucking bailed. And I was angry — I was really angry — and I was upset, so a lot of the lyrics were written towards Danny and a lot of them were quite spiteful and lot of them were quite upsetting. And I sat down one day, and Denis actually sat down [with me], and he was, like, 'You don't want this album to be about Danny. Danny is in the past now. You need to move on. You need to look forward to your future.' And I was, like, 'You're right. You're right.' And I sat down and I re-wrote most of the record — lyrically anyway — with Denis."

He continued" "It was hard to, sort of, switch off, 'cause I was still angry and stuff. Every now and again, there might be something about Danny, obviously, because, being a musician and an artist, I write about what's fueling me and how I'm feeling at the time. But a lot of how I'm feeling is excitement, and I am happy, and I am extremely grateful to still be going, so I just had to concentrate more on that for writing the new record than use my energy, in hindsight, in a negative way, which it completely would have been had Denis not called me out and said, 'Stop being a pussy,' which is cool." Although ASKING ALEXANDRIA's split with Worsnop came as a shock to most of the band's fans, Bruce revealed to U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine that "it was a day that had been inevitable and needed to happen for… I wanna say a few months, but it's probably more like a few years. Danny just stopped caring about ASKING ALEXANDRIA; his heart wasn't in it anymore. He didn't like screaming, he didn't like heavy music, he didn't like the fans, he didn't like anything to do with ASKING ALEXANDRIA. And that was apparent for a long time. So, it wasn't a nasty, angry phone call, it was just a much-needed conversation, and it had taken a long time to get to that point."

He continued: "Me and Danny had been best friends for a very long time, [but] as sad as it is, or was, it was necessary, and I know for certain that ASKING ALEXANDRIA — myself, Cam [Liddell, guitar], James [Cassells, drums] and Sam [Bettley, bass] — are a lot happier now that Danny is not a part of the group. We don't have to worry about someone being in a bad mood all the time, or not turning up to stage on time. It was, like, 'If you don't wanna be here, just don't be here.' We're relieved now. We can all move on and concentrate wholeheartedly on a band that we do still love and care about."

Bruce went on to say that "I was very angry at Danny for a long time. He was my best friend, and I felt like he'd abandoned me. But I felt like he'd abandoned me long before that phone call. I felt like him not caring about ASKING ALEXANDRIA anymore was him abandoning me and what we'd created together. [But] there was no anger on the phone. I don't really know what I felt. I'm not sure I felt anything. It was more of an, 'All right, man. See you later, dude,' and that was the end of the phone call. It didn't really hit until it all got publicly released, when it was all, 'I guess this is really happening…'"

ASKING ALEXANDRIA last month confirmed that Shaforostov, formerly of Ukranian metal act MAKE ME FAMOUS, had joined the band as its new vocalist.

Bruce told Kerrang!: "Denis was the right choice to make. He's an incredibly talented vocalist, from the multiple wide range of screams that ASKING ALEXANDRIA obviously needs and will continue to have, and his singing and range is out of this world. He's been a fan of the band for a long time, so he's familiar with all our old songs, and he really cares about the band."

"Fallen", the new album from STRYPER, will be released worldwide on Friday, October 16 via Frontiers. The CD was tracked at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts and will include a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "After Forever".

The first song from "Fallen", "Yahweh", which was co-written by SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery, will be made available the week of July 6.

The cover artwork for "Fallen", which can be seen below, was designed by Stanis Decker, who worked with STRYPER on 2013's "No More Hell To Pay". STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet says: "We sent Stanis the concept about Lucifer being cast out of heaven and he sent us this amazing illustration, capturing the original idea perfectly. We're excited to be able to finally show all of you!"

Sweet recently stated about the musical direction of "Fallen": "It's gonna be… I don't wanna scare any fans away or anything, but it's gonna be the heaviest album we've done. Not in the sense that it's gonna be thrash metal or anything like that. It's definitely got a little bit of a darker vibe to it lyrically and musically. Some of the songs are tuned down — not like the modern Drop B stuff; I'm talking like the E dropped to D, 'Unchained' VAN HALEN kind of stuff. And it's just got a heavy sound to it. And I think when people hear it, in a good way, they're gonna go, 'That's STRYPER? What?' I think they're gonna be shocked."

He added: "The album was written and arranged very quickly (9-10 days, actually). This by no means reflects on the quality of the album. It's some of our best material to date and so far those who have heard it have said the very same. Chris Jericho [FOZZY singer and WWE wrestling superstar] texted me and said that 'Yahweh' may be the best song since reuniting.

"There are songs on this album that coincide with sitting down and reading the bible.

"The music is heavy and the lyrics are bold and powerful, some taken right from scriptures.

"Sonically, I think this is our best-sounding album to date! Everything is crystal clear. The highs are crisp and the lows are tight and punchy. The more I listen, the more excited I am for all of you to hear it!!!"

Other songtitles set to appear on "Fallen" include "Let There Be Light", "Big Screen Lies" and the title track.

The official video for the song "Army Of The Night" from multinational metallers POWERWOLF can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's sixth album, "Blessed & Possessed", which will be released on July 17 via Napalm. The CD was mixed at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden with Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd and was mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street. The album's cover artwork was once again created by POWERWOLF guitarist Matthew Greywolf.

The band said about "Army Of The Night": "'Army Of The Night' is one of the many songs of 'Blessed & Possessed' we can't wait to perform live. Already the very first time we played that song during the songwriting, the energy and dynamics literally blew us away and we felt like this is going to be a must-play. While many of the songs on 'Blessed & Possessed' are very detailed and elaborated, this one is probably one of straightest and most compact POWERWOLF songs to date."

"Blessed & Possessed" track listing:

01. Blessed & Possessed02. Dead Until Dark03. Army Of The Night04. Armata Strigoi05. We Are The Wild06. Higher Than Heaven07. Christ & Combat08. Sanctus Dominus09. Sacramental Sister10. All You Can Bleed11. Let There Be Night

POWERWOLF's fifth album, "Preachers Of The Night", entered the official chart in Germany at position No. 1. The CD was released in July 2013 via Napalm Records.

POWERWOLF's first live album, "Alive In The Night", was recorded exclusively for Metal Hammer, Germany's leading metal magazine. The CD was only available with the April 2012 issue of Metal Hammer.

DISTURBED's comeback is off to a roaring start. According to The Pulse Of Radio, guitarist Dan Donegan posted online that the video for the group's new single, "The Vengeful One", had racked up more than one million views in 24 hours, adding, "Thanks everyone for your support. It's good to be back." The song is taken from DISTURBED's first new album since 2011, "Immortalized", which is due out August 21.

The band announced its return on Tuesday (June 23) and Donegan told The Pulse Of Radio they kept the creation of the new album a secret for the better part of a year. "It's been tough, because we haven't even told like some of our family and friends, so, I mean, for us to go away for almost four months, it was tricky," he said. "I mean, there was some family that I didn't even tell what I was doing. It was tricky to kind of keep that secret, 'cause I'm very bad at lying. I'm not a good liar at all, so to kind of withhold that information from our friends and family, it was tough."

"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.

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".

Regarding the songwriting process for "Immortalized", DISTURBED singer David Draiman told Billboard.com: "There's a lot of new and fresh in the mix. We had more input on each other's parts than we probably ever had previously. Everything was really put under the microscope and everybody had an opinion, and, believe me, everyone was voicing them loudly. You get all these very, very alpha type of mentalities all in one room together, all being very, very cocksure about what they want to do and how they want to do it. There were fireworks on an occasion or two, but I must say everyone was very, very decent and open and willing to try anything anyone suggested at any point in time. We were very, very cooperative with one another, very professional the entire time — not that we haven't always been, but especially this time."

DISTURBED has yet to announce tour plans behind the new record

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Good-time rock 'n' rollers TRIXTER have released the official video for the title track of their new album, "Human Era", which is out now on Frontiers. The band's bassist, P.J. Farley, states: "The song 'Human Era' encapsulates not only the record but in essence our career. This video shows a glimpse of every step we took — from TRIXTER's very first show up until our most recent performance in May 2015. It's the kind of video we'd always imagined making. There's great early-day hanging-around footage as well as tour/backstage footage."

"Human Era" came out on June 5 in Europe and June 9 in North America.

Following on the heels of the successful comeback album "New Audio Machine", TRIXTER is returning stronger than ever.

"After the success of our last album, 'New Audio Machine', we felt more confident than ever in making another top-notch album," says TRIXTER lead guitarist Steve Brown. "I'm so proud to say that after more than 25 years of making records, TRIXTER is getting better and better. 'Human Era' will show the world this band at its finest."

The new CD sees TRIXTER sticking to their guns and delivering 11 new choice cuts, with a sound reminiscent of their earlier work which they were well known for in the '90s. For fans new to TRIXTER, their sound fits in nicely to an album collection next to BON JOVI, DEF LEPPARD, VAN HALEN, AC/DC and even '70s classic rock mainstays.

"Almost 30 years together and the band is tighter than ever!" adds Brown. "We are family and that makes everything we do more and more special. The title track, 'Human Era', really sheds insight into our story."

"Human Era" track listing:

01. Rockin' To The Edge Of The Night02. Crash That Party03. Not Like All The Rest04. For You05. Every Second Counts06. Beats Me Up07. Good Times Now08. Midnight In Your Eyes09. All Night Long10. Soul Of A Lovin' Man11. Human Era12. Always A Victim (acoustic version - bonus track iTunes)13. Road Of A Thousand Dreams (re-recorded version - bonus track iTunes)

TRIXTER is Pete Loran (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Steve Brown (lead guitar/harmonica/backing vocals), P.J. Farley (bass/backing vocals) and Gus Scott (drums/percussion/backing vocals).

VENOMOUS CONCEPT — the international grind punk "supergroup" featuring BRUTAL TRUTH vocalist Kevin Sharp and bassist Danny Lilker alongside NAPALM DEATH members Shane Embury (bass) and Danny Herrera (drums), plus guitarist John Cooke, has inked a deal with Season Of Mist. Regarding the signing, VENOMOUS CONCEPT comments: "It's been a long time coming, distractions happen, chaos happens… life happens… But hey, still here — still killing it… still grinding... couldn’t be more happy to be with Michael and Gordon and the Season Of Mist people… Couldn't think of anyone better suited to get our friends and family the attitude adjustment they needed… So I hope you guys check it out… throw a few pints down and smash… We sure did. Be sure to bring your drinking money to the show… Ook!!! likes to drink…"

VENOMOUS CONCEPT was conceived as something like a grind punk supergroup — if that term can even be applied to a bunch of people with clear counter culture preferences. The name was quite obviously chosen as a homage to the legendary POISON IDEA.

At the core of VENOMOUS CONCEPT, you will find BRUTAL TRUTH vocalist Kevin Sharp and Shane Embury, the iconic bass guitarist of NAPALM DEATH. The two musicians had bonded over beer and pizza as well as their mutual love of such punk heroes such as BLACK FLAG, SYSTEMATIC DEATH, GBH, SIEGE, and, of course, the aforementioned POISON IDEA. The duo soon set about plotting their own assault on the style. Armed with bucket loads of coffee, the pair roped in Danny Herrera of NAPALM DEATH on drums as well as MELVINS guitarist Buzz Osborne. A record deal was signed with Mike Patton and VENOMOUS CONCEPT's first album, "Retroactive Abortion" (2004), was followed by a a split CD with Japanese grind band 324 (2006) and another in 2008 with BLÖOD DÜSTER.

Osborne eventually went on a hiatus, but he has never left and there is always a chance for his return — schedules permitting. Shane switched to guitar, when longtime friend Danny Lilker joined on bass. Next, VENOMOUS CONCEPT brought in John Cooke of CORRUPT MORAL ALTAR on second guitar for touring. A second full-length titled "Poisoned Apple" was also released in 2008.

Finally and after too long of a quiet spell, the band decided that it was time for more pizza and beer (cue the A.O.D. classic). They got together with a bunch of ideas, which they had recorded in demo form here and there, on tour, and in various smelly rehearsal studios…

VENOMOUS CONCEPT recorded a new album during 2014, which sees the band continue in their trademark hardcore punk styles — with the added bonus of compositions by Lilker and Cooke. You will find these fire-starters branching out dynamically in order to perfect their art of grinding rock!

VENOMOUS CONCEPT is:

Kevin Sharp: vocalsDan Lilker: bass guitarDanny Herrera: drumsJohn Cooke: guitar, backing vocalsShane Embury: guitar, backing vocals

"Beg Borrow Steal", the new video from MOTOR SISTER, the band featuring guitarist Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), his wife Pearl Aday (daughter of actor/musician Meat Loaf), drummer John Tempesta (formerly of EXODUS, TESTAMENT, WHITE ZOMBIE, HELMET and other bands) and bassist Joey Vera (current ARMORED SAINT and FATES WARNING member, who was briefly in ANTHRAX) and Jim Wilson, guitarist/vocalist of MOTHER SUPERIOR (who doubled as Henry Rollins' backing band from 1997 to 2003) and longtime Daniel Lanois bassist, can be seen below. The song is taken from MOTOR SISTER's debut album, "Ride", which was released on March 10 via Metal Blade.

MOTOR SISTER came together in 2013 when Ian, Aday, Tempesta, Vera and Wilson joined forces to perform MOTHER SUPERIOR's music at a show in Ian's house as the guitarist's birthday present to himself.

"I wanted to cherry-pick a set list of my favorite MOTHER SUPERIOR songs and get these guys together and have the concert at my house," Ian says of the event that eventually led to an album. Enthralled at the idea of making a record of his favorite MOTHER SUPERIOR songs, Ian e-mailed producer Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER) and asked if he thought it was possible to recapture the same spontaneous energy MOTOR SISTER generated at their makeshift gig, and if an album could be recorded quickly. "He said, 'Yeah, we can make the record in two days and we can make it sound really good.' So that's what we did," Ian says. "A week and a half later, we made the record in L.A. over a two-day period. We recorded the whole thing live in the studio and the set-up was at my house."

He continues: "Jim was totally into the idea. Pearl was a huge MOTHER SUPERIOR fan from way back and was in. I asked my good friends Joey Vera and John Tempesta to be a part of it because I knew they were both big fans as well and with no hesitation they said, 'We're in.'" Wilson, too, was stoked by the opportunity to dust off some songs he hadn't played since his L.A. rock trio broke up in the early 2000s after releasing eight albums and playing as Henry Rollins' backing band. "I definitely didn't need any arm-twisting," he says. "I was totally flattered and thought it was a great idea. I figured it would be fun and it was a great opportunity for a new chapter to be established in order to move forward." The recordings from those two days are what became to be known as MOTOR SISTER's "Ride". "Ride" track listing:

01. A-Hole02. This Song Reminds Me Of You03. Beg Borrow Steal04. Fool Around05. Get That Girl06. Head Hanging Low07. Fork in the Road08. Little Motor Sister09. Pretty in the Morning10. Whore11. Doghouse12. Devil Wind

Grammy-winning country singer Steve Wariner has revealed to The Tennessean that he recently recorded a steel guitar part for a MEGADETH song. Wariner met MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine in the recording studio, after which Mustaine came to see Wariner perform.

"Worlds collide," Wariner said. "It's funny. Imagine MEGADETH with steel guitar. That's what I did, and Dave Mustaine is the nicest guy in the world. Isn't that crazy? It's out of my world. You know me, I'm a traditional country guy. But the stuff I played on is awesome."

Back in November 2013, MEGADETH played at the tribute concert honoring the late Country Music Hall Of Famer George Jones at Nashville, Tennessee's Bridgestone Arena.

MEGADETH was joined by Jamey Johnson for a performance of Jones' song "Wild Irish Rose".

Mustaine and his family moved to Tennessee last October after living in Fallbrook, California for many years.

The new MEGADETH album will mark the band's first to feature LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "The Emperor Has No Clothes", "Tyranocide" and "Poisonous Shadows". The latter track features piano playing from Kiko as well as orchestration from famed Nashville arranger Ronn Huff, the father of former MEGADETH producer Dann Huff. MEGADETH also recorded two cover versions during the sessions for the new CD: "Melt The Ice Away" by BUDGIE and "Foreign Policy" by FEAR.

DISTURBED has come roaring back with a new single called "The Vengeful One", while a new album, "Immortalized", will arrive on August 21. The band ended its four-year hiatus on Tuesday (June 23) with the release of the single and video and the news about the record. Singer David Draiman told The Pulse Of Radio why the break was good not just for DISTURBED, but for its fans. "Not only you, but when your fan base as well gets used to seeing you every other year and getting a record from you every other year, it can become a little bit much," he explained. "I think we wanted to go back to making them events and to making sure we were as hungry as we really should be and as the fans deserved us to be. And this record, and the way we feel about wanting to play, is gonna be very, very obvious to everyone."

"Immortalized" was produced by Kevin Churko, who has helmed the latest efforts from a number of popular hard rock and heavy metal acts, including FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, IN THIS MOMENT, PAPA ROACH and HELLYEAH.

DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan told The Pulse Of Radio about working with a new producer: "I think we needed… we wanted that. We wanted, especially having this time off, and being off this long break, to come back with something that sounds a little bit more fresh. It's been five years between albums, so it was nice to have, kind of, a new production element to it and things that, kind of, pushed us and challenged us to raise the bar."

"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 Draiman, 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.

"It took a lot to keep things quiet," Draiman told Billboard.com. "It took a lot of pain and agony and white lies and deception non-disclosure agreements. How can you explain to all your friends and family that you're leaving home for four months to be in [a recording studio in Las] Vegas, y'know? To come up with something that you're so proud of and not be able to tell anyone about or play it for anyone is torturous, believe me." Donegan said there was "a close call" towards the end of the sessions when a radio convention was held at the Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino, where he and Wengren were staying.

"We would sneak in separately, go into different doors and not be seen together and hope that nobody would spot us and blow our cover," the guitarist recalled. "Somehow we pulled that off." Why the secrecy? "Since there was no time frame on this, we didn't want to speak too soon," Donegan explained. "We just wanted to see how the process went and not get people all whipped up and have the microscope on us while we were doing it."

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.

Owner’s fury after open window leads to $500 punishment
A venue owner in Washington DC is furious after a drummer’s fart led to a $500 fine.

Bill Duggan, proprietor of the Madam’s Organ Blues Bar, was punished by the city’s Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration because the unidentified musician opened a window at 1.30am last June.

But an enforcement officer happened to pass by and identified an operational policy violation, as venue doors and windows must be shut after 12.30am while live music is being performed.

Duggan said in a report: “He opened the window to let a fart out. He cracked it open for five minutes – and the inspector showed up.”

He tells Borderstan: “20 fucking years with not one violation, and this is what they came up with. People get stabbed and shot in other establishments.

“In ours, someone farts, cracks a window, and they spend a year on it.”

A post on the venue’s Facebook page says: “It took a long time for that gas to clear the air – but the current situation smells even worse.”

He aims to appeal the ruling.

Fan-filmed video footage of AC/DC's June 21 performance in Hannover, 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 535,000 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.

Billboard.com caught up with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich to talk about how he embraces the band’s legacy, avoids sabbaticals in-between projects and aligns with streaming partners in a post-Napster music industry.

An excerpt below:

Billboard: You were a vocal opponent to Napster and digital piracy, and famously held out on iTunes and other digital services until 2006. But as we see artists align themselves with Tidal, Spotify and now Apple Music, how do you approach the digital-music landscape? Do you feel the need to choose sides?

Ulrich: “You don’t want to necessarily say yes to everything that comes your way. Obviously, in the case of Apple, they’re a bigger brand or company than anybody and they have some very smart people running it. So we’d call (Apple Music) a no-brainer. Personally, I have 37 Apple products and that’s just me not counting the rest of my family, so that’s a fairly easy one for me. We’ve been in a relationship with Daniel Ek and Spotify for a few years, which has been very rewarding. He’s a smart guy and getting our music out, we try to align ourselves with the people who are smartest.

“You can tell a lot about the companies by the people who run them. With Daniel, he’s very passionate about music so you feel safe with him. Same with Eddy Cue and the people who run the music over at Apple; they’re very passionate about artists and music and so on, so you feel like there’s safe relationships to be in. Some of the other companies you maybe deal with a little more cautiously. We try to put ourselves somewhere in the middle. We’re not necessarily the tip of the arrow coming in first, at the same time we don’t like to be too difficult and demanding. We flow in with the waves as they reach the shore.”

Pop star Taylor Swift recently took on Apple and slammed the company's launch of Apple Music, her main issue being that artists wouldn't receive royalties during the venture's three month trial period. An open letter written by Swift to Apple (found here) echoes Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich's famous July 2000 stand against Napster (available here).

Swift (2015): "This is not about me. Thankfully I am on my fifth album and can support myself, my band, crew, and entire management team by playing live shows. This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field…but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs.

Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing.

But I say to Apple with all due respect, it’s not too late to change this policy and change the minds of those in the music industry who will be deeply and gravely affected by this. We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation."

Ulrich (2000): "My band, Metallica, is fortunate enough to make a great living from what it does. Most artists are barely earning a decent wage and need every source of revenue available to scrape by. Also keep in mind that the primary source of income for most songwriters is from the sale of records. Every time a Napster enthusiast downloads a song, it takes money from the pockets of all these members of the creative community.

It's clear... that if music is free for downloading, the music industry is not viable; all the jobs I just talked about will be lost and the diverse voices of the artists will disappear. The argument I hear a lot, that 'music should be free,' must then mean that musicians should work for free. Nobody else works for free. Why should musicians?"

It has been reported that since Swift voiced her opinions, Apple was quick to react by changing the initial plan, announcing they will pay the royalties during the Apple Music trial period.

Italian death/thrash metal act Krysantemia has released their new video for “Not Alone”, the latest single off its third album, Finis Dierum, out now on memorial Records.

Krysantemia commented: "The whole video has been filmed by Pier Nicola Arena in the old part of my house before the work of its renovation. ‘Not Alone' is very important because Alex (Ruggeri, guitar) wrote it in memory of his father who died when he was eight years old. We tried to translate the anger of that moment to music."

Finis Dierum was recorded at the renowned New Sin Studio and produced by Luigi Stefanini (Adimiron, Vision Divine).

Creep, the band that shocked the Italian metal scene 4 years ago with the album Beast In The Portrait, is back with a new worldwide deal with Sliptrick Records. The band is preparing to release their sophomore album titled Innerland; produced at Magnitude Studios by Matteo Magni of Rhyme.

Innerland, a metaphorical journey through the landscapes of human soul, always suspended between good and evil, somewhere between fury and calm, is a stunning blend of groovy metal riffs, ruff vocals articulated with melodic hooks, redefining their new gloomy, gritty, pounding and mature sound.

New song “Forsaken”: