Canadian melodic metallers Borealis will release their new album, Purgatory, on June 19th in Europe, and on July 21st in North America via AFM Records. The band are streaming the new track "From The Ashes" below:

After the self-released World Of Silence (2008) and 2011’s Fall From Grace (Lion Music/Hydrant Music), now with Purgatory the band reaches a whole new level. Their value not only comes from the tasteful instrumentations, but also from Matt Marinelli’s expressive voice which elegantly guides through the twelve songs on Purgatory. Borealis create atmospheric depth like few others are able to. Their partly quite modern guitar riffs merge with classic power metal, progressive elements and a symphonic touch, to build a heavy and intense, yet melodic sound which fans of Evergrey, Kamelot and Nocturnal Rites will embrace to the fullest.

 

Tracklisting:
"Past The Veil"
"From The Ashes"
"The Chosen One"
"Destiny"
"Darkest Sin"
"My Peace"
"Place Of Darkness"
"Welcome To Eternity"
"Sacrifice"
"Rest My Child"
"Purgatory"
"Revelation"

 

Check out the following album teaser:

 

 

 

 

AEROSMITH's headlining appearance at the Download festival in Donington Park on June 15, 2014, was adored by the fans and acclaimed by the critics. The band delivered a blistering set of their greatest hits with 80,000 people in the crowd singing along. It was proof, if any were needed, that AEROSMITH remain one of the most dynamic live acts on the planet with a catalogue of songs that is firmly embedded in the hearts and minds of rock fans from all over the globe.

"Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014", a triumphant celebration of a legendary band at the peak of their powers, will be released on Blu-ray, DVD and digital on September 4.

The "Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014" 19-song set list includes the band's iconic hits "Love In A Elevator", "Janie's Got A Gun", "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing", "Dude Looks Like A Lady", "Walk This Way", "Dream On", "Sweet Emotion" and many more.

"It's always an absolute hoot that leaves me howling at the moon, performing at Donington we couldn't have had a better time on stage that night," says Steven Tyler. "I could feel the vibes of all the greats pulsing through the stage like AC/DC, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, METALLICA and so many more."

"We have played Donington many times but this performance was one of our best," said Joe Perry. "Thanks to our fans who were there who helped us make it a night to remember… It will give our fans who weren't there around the world a chance to relive an ass-kicking night of rock and roll."

"We're really proud and grateful to have been chosen to headline the Download festival at Donington for 2014," Tom Hamilton says. "It was an awesome experience and I think this film captures it. Special thanks to the insane fans who stuck with us through mud and rain."

AEROSMITH's latest effort, 2012's "Music From Another Dimension!", debuted at No. 5 on The Billboard 200 album chart, selling 63,000 copies in its first week of release. The group's previous collection of new songs, 2001's "Just Push Play", entered the chart at No. 2 with sales of 240,000 copies.

RockSverige.se conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH at this year's Sweden Rock Festival, which was held last weekend in Sölvesborg. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether any progress has been made on his long-rumored solo album:

"I don't know. Maybe. I actually got an offer from a record label to do a solo record not long ago. But, I mean, those rumors come from me saying that I would like to do a thing like that to learn more about studio production, like the technical aspect of recording a record. So I was thinking I'm gonna start in a somewhat easy way, with just an acoustic guitar and vocals — basically some type of singer-songwriter record. But, I mean, it hasn't materialized. And since then people ask me all the time, 'When is it coming?' So it was never decided, really; it was just, like, something I said."

On whether he has any material set aside already for a possible solo album:

"Well, nothing that I've written with the intention of putting it out as a solo record. It's just… I have snippets of songs that haven't ended up anywhere else. So I might… I might do something, but I don't think people should hold their breaths."

On whether there are any plans to release a second album from STORM CORROSION, the collaboration between Åkerfeldt and PORCUPINE TREE's Steven Wilson:

"I think there's a possibility that we… We don't really know what to do with another record — what would it be? The good thing with [the first] STORM CORROSION [album] was that there was no references and nobody really knew that we were making that record. So when it came out, it was just, like, out of nowhere, and nobody knew what to expect. But now, since we have a record [out], there's also a reference, which kind of makes it a bit dull — that we have to follow up this record. But both me and Steve, we loved making that record and we love the record; it's very much an acquired taste, I think. So we said if we feel like it, we'll do another one. But we prefer to do so when people, kind of, forgot about the first one."

Fan-filmed video footage of APOCALYPTICA's June 10 performance at the Metropolis in Montreal, Quebec, Canada can be seen below.

APOCALYPTICA's new album, "Shadowmaker", was released on April 21 via Eleven Seven Music Group's Better Noise imprint. The Finnish musicians — accompanied by their American lead singer Franky Perez — recorded the CD with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON).

In a recent interview with Australia's The Rockpit, APOCALYPTICA's Eicca Toppinen stated about "Shadowmaker": "It's always hard to talk about albums without being a nerdy musician. I think it's a totally new kind of record for APOCALYPTICA, especially because we have one singer on the whole album, and I think it's making the whole album more solid. It's more of a band record compared to the album that we have had guest vocalists, so I think it's more solid.

"We had a break when we stopped touring for '7th Symphony', we had one year off, we didn't write a single song for a record, nothing except for 'Wagner Reloaded', but for the regular stuff, nothing. And after the break, we came together and if we wanted to do something, we have to do exactly what we want to do and this record is the result of that, that journey.

"We wanted to challenge ourselves even more and we wanted to be tight as a band before the pre-production and the thing that Franky [Perez, vocalist] was part of the pre-production, we spent weeks with him in the rehearsal room arranging the songs and getting things more defined before we went into the studio.

"I think this album is full of attitude, it's a real attitude record."

Asked how APOCALYPTICA ended up hiring Franky Perez to handle the vocals on the entire "Shadowmaker" record, Eicca said: "It was actually the beginning of June last year when we made the decision to, 'Okay, there's no more guest vocalists on this record. We need to find a guy who makes the record and will tour with us for the record. It's like a puzzle where all the pieces of the puzzle are spread all over, they are not connected, and we need to get those pieces connected. And ways to have one singer to make the whole thing more understandable for people, to make the working circumstances more comfortable for us where things are not so dependant on people outside of the band — the guests, the managers and the label — so it's all about us."

He continued: "Our manager put a quiet request in the business, like, 'Okay, APOCALYPTICA searching for a singer for the record. Do we have any suggestions or any people who are great singers who do not have the right band yet?' And we got about 20-25 suggestions. We went through them, and asked five of them to make a recording and from those we picked out three and asked them to sing a little piece of 'Hole In My Soul' from the new album, and Franky was the obvious choice. So he came through the record company search. Somebody said at the American label that he's the guy, 'I've used him many times on session [recordings]. He's great. And he didn't have anything active going except his solo record, but nothing band-wise."

Eicca added: "I love Franky's voice. He's not just a regular singer. He has a very soulful sound and he's able to sing different styles, which is perfect for APOCALYPTICA, because our songs are not only heavy metal, it's a variety of different colors and different dynamics, and the singer needs to match that, and I think Franky is a perfect match."

Asked if APOCALYPTICA would consider keeping Perez permanently as a bandmember, Eicca said: "It's too early to think about it, but nothing is decided. Now we got the record done, and then we will have touring more or less for two years, and at the end of that time, or sometime during those two years, we will know. But it wouldn't be an impossible option to have Franky in the band, but it's too early to think about it. We have been through several concepts, and we still want the option to change the concept to do something different."

Following up on the success of their Divebomb Bootcamp Series re-release last year entitled, Victim Of Thought, Enertia returns with their fifth album and first of new material in a decade. Piece Of The Factory, will be released via Divebomb Records on July 17.

An official description below:

“After working practically non-stop for eleven years, which included rehearsing 2-3 times a week, 800+ shows in 20+ states and well over 10,000 CDs sold on six continents, upstate New York pure American Metal band, Enertia was at a crossroads. After spending in excess of $25k recording their fourth album, Force, with producer, Neil Kernon, the band had finally exhausted their bank account and didn't have the money or resources to properly record their fifth album.  It was time for Enertia to regroup.

“Fast forward to 2007, after three productive years laying the groundwork for what would become their much anticipated new album everything had almost disastrously ground to a halt, that is, until bassist, Joe Paciolla, made up his mind that these recordings had to be completed no matter the cost. In 2011, the band fortuitously happened upon a great studio and in it the remarkable engineer/producer, Tim Lynch, who was enlisted to help guide Enertia through the completion of the album.

“Three additional years of hard work and several hundred hours were spent at The Recording Company in Esperance, NY, where Enertia created the most diverse, infectious and prolific album of the band’s lengthy career, Piece Of The Factory.

“Enertia is now almost two decades in from the release of their debut EP, Law Of Three, and after years of hard work and perseverance it would seem this could their end up being their swan song. Could Piece Of The Factory be Enertia’s farewell, only time will tell, but delivering the fans an album this powerful indicates they most definitely plan on going out with the biggest bang of their nearly twenty year career.”

Piece Of The Factory tracklisting:

“Do It Again”
“Demons Of Silence”
“The Hardest Sorrow”
“Piece Of The Factory”
“Beside You, Beside Me”
“An Old Fashioned Beating”
“Hard To Follow”
“Prisoner”
“Can’t Breathe”
“Letting Go”

“Beside You, Beside Me”:

Piece Of The Factory by ENERTIA

Progressive metal band Between The Buried And Me have premiered the third single from Coma Ecliptic with “Famine Wolf”.

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The upcoming album is also now available for pre-order with special bundles and packages offered, including: CD, LP, two pre-order exclusive t-shirts, an exclusive hour long behind the scenes making-of DVD, and a Coma Ecliptic limited edition 27"x40" movie poster. Coma Ecliptic will be officially released worldwide on July 10th. Grandiose, dynamic, heavy, melodic, technically challenging and more, this album delivers.

Coma Ecliptic boasts a series of emotive peaks and valleys that drive the narrative along with the lyrics. Singer Tommy Rogers shares: "Coma Ecliptic is a new life for BTBAM. Throughout the process we worked harder than we ever have and really pushed the BTBAM sound to a new identity. In a world of repetition, I'm very proud to be a part of something that is extremely rewarding, as well as frightening. When you don't push yourself you will never know what the outcome is. The outcome is Coma Ecliptic."

 

Coma Ecliptic was recorded in January and February of 2015 with longtime Between the Buried and Me producer Jamie King at Basement Recordings in North Carolina. Drums and piano were recorded with King and Kris Hilbert at the Fidelitorium. Final mixing and mastering was placed in the capable hands of Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Amon Amarth, Devin Townsend) at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden.

Video "The Coma Machine":

“Memory Palace”

On release day, the band will continue their headline run with the release of Coma Ecliptic and kick off a tour with support from Animals As Leaders and The Contortionist on July 7th in Athens, GA at Georgia Theatre.

VIP packages are on sale now that include an exclusive Q&A; with both Between The Buried And Me and Animals As Leaders, photo ops with each band, an 18x24 poster signed by both bands, and a souvenir laminate with early entrance to the show! VIP packages can be purchased at this location. General tickets can be purchased here.

Tour dates:

June

11-14 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival

July (with Animals As Leaders, The Contortionist)

7 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre
8 - Tallahassee, FL - Sidebar Theater
9 - Orlando, FL - Venue 578
10 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
11 - Jacksonville, FL - Freebird Live
13 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
14 - Little Rock, AR - Juanita’s
15 - Oklahoma, OK - Diamond Ballroom
17 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater and Club
18 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl
19 - Tucson, AZ - Club X’s
21 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
22 - San Diego, CA - Observatory North Park
23 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
24 - Sacramento, CA - Ace Of Spades
25 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Concert House
27 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
29 - Des Moines, IA - Wooly’s
30 - Joliet, IL - Mojoes
31 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall

August

1 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
2 - Bloomington, IL - The Castle Theatre
4 - London, ON - London Music Hall
6 - Buffalo, NY - The Town Ballroom
7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
8 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
9 - Wilmington, NC - Ziggys By The Sea
11 - Clifton, NY - Upstate Concert Hall
12 - Providence, RI - Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
13 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
14 - Winston-Salem, NC - Ziggys
15 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works

 

 

BTBAM have confirmed a full European headline tour for the fall. The tour will kick off in Southampton in the UK on the 22nd of September and will bring the band to ten countries in total. Support comes from Haken.

Comments BTBAM singer Tommy Rogers: "We are pleased to announce that we are heading back to the UK and Europe later this year with Haken! We are very excited to play new material off of Coma Ecliptic for all you, and to surround ourselves in your culture that we love so much. See you soon and let the coma begin!"

Dates include:

September

16 - Southampton, UK - Talking Heads
17 - London, UK - Electric Ballroom
18 - Manchester, UK - Gorilla
19 - Glasgow, UK - The Garage
20 - Leeds, UK - The Key Club
22 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
23 - Brighton, UK - The Haunt
25 - Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
26 - Brussels, Belgium - Magasin 4
27 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
28 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo
29 - Berlin, Germany - Magnet
30 - München, Germany - Backstage Club

October

1 - Köln, Germany - Euroblast Festival
3 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Small Hall *
4 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers *
5 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee *
6 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klubben/Fryshuset *
8 - Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia *

* BTBAM only

Hellion lead guitarist and solo artist, Maxxxwell Carlisle, has released a cover of "Like Hell", originally recorded by Japanese metal legends
Loudness on their 1985 Thunder In The East album. Featuring Fang VonWrathenstein (Lords Of The Trident) on vocals, the cover track is one of several
singles to be released for Carlisle's upcoming full-length solo album, which will feature covers and new original material.

The new album, entitled When The Clock Strikes Metal, will be Maxxxwell's sixth solo album and features a host of guest vocalists and guitarists.

"I've long been a huge fan of Loudness and in particular, Akira Takasaki's guitar playing. My upcoming album features covers as well as originals
so it was a perfect opportunity to pay tribute to some of my favourite players and bands."

In addition to his upcoming solo album, Maxxxwell continues to work with Hellion on a new live album, new studio tracks and touring. Full album details and release dates TBA.

The single is available now on iTunes, Amazon.com, and Google Play, and can be streamed below:

Arisen New Era is the impending new full-length from French death metal legion and recent Unique Leader signees, Kronos. Featuring a continuous textual reference to the gods of ancient civilizations, Kronos punctures ears with a heightened level of dynamics accomplished by only by a select number of bands. Recorded, mixed and mastered by David Potvin at Dome Studios (Lyzanxia, Arcania, Under The Abyss) in (appropriately) Angers, France, the nine-track Arisen New Era is a smoldering display of technical death metal barbarity adorned in the distinctive cover art of Pierre Alain (Withering Soul, Silentlie, Cyrax). The band has released a lyric video for the album’s fifth offering “Klymenos Underwrath”.

"We are extremely happy to have our upcoming new album out on Unique Leader Records," the band issues. "This is the perfect fit for Kronos as we are huge fans of their output from the beginning. We're proud to be next on the list. Arisen New Era will be, without any doubt, the most successful album from the band. The riffs are more powerful, technical and melodic than anything Kronos has written thus far. Each song has its own identity and the epic side of the band is more present than ever before and backed by a great production. We are really looking forward its release and can't wait to play these new tracks live!"

Arisen New Era tracklisting:

"Infernal Abyss Sovereignty"
"Zeus Dethroned"
"Soul-Voracious Vultures"
"Rapture In Misery"
"Klymenos Underwrath"
"Aeons Titan Crown"
"Brotherlords"
"Purity Slaughtered"
"Hellysium"

"Klymenos Underwrath" lyric video:

Album trailer:

Arisen New Era will be released via Unique Leader Records on July 24.

 

Kaotoxin Records has revealed details about the forthcoming debut EP from Bulgaria's Sources Of I. Faces, a three-song offering of melodic dark metal is set to be released worldwide on August 14 as a limited edition (500 copies) deluxe DigiSleeve CD and digital download.

 Recently signed to Kaotoxin's sub-label Tanquam Aegri Somnia, Sources Of I is a new band formed by Déhà (We All Die (laughing), C.O.A.G, Merda Mundi) on bass and vocals, Dragshan and Delian on guitars and Vortep on drums.

Produced at the HHStudio (Yhdarl, Miserable Failure, Atara), the EP displays a unique mix of Dark and Black Metal. The band has created an epic and doom-laden sound, based on dark philosophies and negative introspection, full of crushing melodies and viciously intense anthems of darkness with a very strong and personal identity.

Faces tracklisting:

“Discrepancy Of Life”
“Shadow Of The Stars”
“When You Will Close My Eyes To The Light”

 

With their tenth album Intermination due out later this month, German thrashers Dew-Scented have unveiled a third new track, "Ode To Extinction" in lyric video form.

Bassist Joost van der Graaf stated, “The idea for the music for ‘Ode To Extinction’ came from the bass intro, which was something I had been fooling around with for a while. As soon as the music kicks in, this progression is played by Marv (guitarist), while Rory (guitarist) and I support it with a riff underneath. On its way, it turns out to be a four-riff song but with quite a lot going on and a bit of an unusual structure. I am pleased with the melody/heaviness balance. Furthermore, I think Marv and Rory did a great job with the leads!”

Vocalist Leif Jensen added, "This track has some unusual structure and a pretty apocalyptic vibe to it, so the lyrics pretty much wrote themselves. It’s surely one of the heaviest songs on Intermination and should be fun to play live!"

All formats of Intermination include a cover of Repulsion's "Radiation Sickness," while the digital edition and the limited-edition gatefold vinyl (dark green and 180-gram black variants) will include two bonus tracks, “Those Who Will Not See” and “Survival Reaction” (Solstice cover). Pre-order information, including exclusive t-shirt bundles, can be found at this location.
 

Intermination tracklisting:

“Declaration Of Intent”
“On A Collision Course”
“Scars Of Creation”
“Affect Gravity”
“Means To An End”
“Ode To Extinction”
“Demon Seed”
“Power Surge”
“Ruptured Perpetually”
“Living Lies”
“Atavistic”
“Reborn”
“Radiation Sickness” (Repulsion cover)

Bonus tracks (vinyl and digital versions):

“Those Who Will Not See”
“Survival Reaction” (Solstice cover)

"Ode To Extinction" lyric video:

"Affect Gravity":

“On A Collision Course”:

Dew Scented will headline the Thrash Mercenaries Tour 2015 with Angelus Apatrida, No Return, and Heboïdophrenie.

 

Tour dates:

October

15 - Paris, France - Glazart
16 - Selestat, France - Rock Your Brain Festival
17 - Munster, Germany - Sputnikhalle
18 - Almelo, Netherlands - Naxt Stage
19 - Roeselare, Belgium - De Verlichte Geest
20 - Siegen, Germany - Vortex Club
21 - Hamburg, Germany - Bambi Galore
22 - Berlin, Germany - K17
23 - Erfurt, Germany - From Hell Club
24 - Nurnberg, Germany - Hirsch
25 - Innsbruck, Austria - PMK
26 - Budapest, Hungary - Durer Kert
27 - Praha, Czech Republic - Noca Chmelnice
28 - Graz, Austria - Explosiv
29 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex Club
30 - Lyon, France - CCO
31 - Saintes, France - Hell’ Oween Festival

 

Ravage, the traditional heavy metal/ thrash band from Boston,MA is working with illustrator Tim Jacobus on the cover artwork for the band's latest release Return Of The Spectral Rider.  Jacobus is best known for his work as illustrator for the popular Goosebumps series of horror novels by R.L. Stine.
    
Singer Al Ravage commented, "On our last CD we were privileged to get artwork done by the great Ed Repka, which was amazing and a dream come true in many ways. This time we were looking for something a little different. Eli (Ravage guitarist) has always been a big fan of the Goosebumps books since he was a little kid and he suggested we reach out to Tim. We were lucky enough again that he was available and willing to work with us and having seen the nearly finished artwork, I think he really nailed it. I think the artwork fits this material like a glove because in a lot of ways this whole project is a heavy metal nostalgia trip for us. We are re-recording a lot of songs we wrote when we were in our early to mid-teens and we have brought in a lot of guest musicians we haven't seen in years. We always liked these songs and we just felt they never got the production quality or release or artwork presentation that they deserved, so it has been a blast to revisit all of this stuff 10 years later. Whether or not anyone actually buys it or pays any attention to it at all, we'll be happy knowing that it is finally out there in the way we originally intended."
    
Although a full track listing, label, release format and date are yet to be announced, the Return Of The Spectral Rider album is expected to be at least a full re-recording of Ravage's album Spectral Rider which was given only a limited European release back in 2005. Ravage's last full length release was The End Of Tomorrow which was released by Metal Blade Records in 2009.

Examples of art from Jacobus:

Canadian grindcore outfit Fuck The Facts have posted a video taking a progressive look at the creation of the band's cover art created by vocalist Mélanie Mongeon, for their upcoming album Desire Will Rot. The video also features a small clip of their song “Nothing Changes”.

Fuck The Facts return to pummel your ear drums with the French track and first single “Solitude” from Desire Will Rot, set to be unleashed on August 25th via their indie label Noise Salvation.

The album is the band's first full length since 2011's Die Miserable and follows the band's recent split EP with Fistfuck along with 2014's Abandoned and 2013's Amer EPs. Recorded and mixed by FTF guitarist Topon Das at his Apartment 2 recording studio in Ottawa, ON, Das comments the following on the upcoming album.

"Even though we've been consistently releasing new music over the past few years, we haven't put out a full-length album since 2011's Die Miserable. I love the EPs that we've released since then, but this album is long overdue and was initially intended to come out much earlier.

Our 2013 EP Amer is actually the B-sides of Desire Will Rot, and the original plan was for them to be released together (like we did with Die Miserable and the Misery EP). Over the past 12 months we've only played a handful of shows, and this has finally allowed us the time to not only complete this new album, but also our Abandoned EP that came out in October last year, and the split with Fistfuck, which has just been released.

Obviously some similarities to the Amer EP are to be expected on this new record, but I think Desire Will Rot is also very similar to our 2008 album Disgorge Mexico in sound and feel. For me, Disgorge Mexico is the album that really defined what I wanted to do with Fuck The Facts, so to finally have a record that I feel has matched that, is something I'm very excited about."

Desire Will Rot will be released on 12'' vinyl, CD, cassette and digital download.

Desire Will Rot tracklisting:

“Everywhere Yet Nowhere”
“Shadows Collide”
“The Path of Most Resistance”
“La Mort I”
“La Mort II”
“Prey”
“Storm of Silence”
“Solitude”
“False Hope”
“Circle”
“Nothing Changes”

"Solitude":

Desire Will Rot by Fuck The Facts

Sir Christopher Lee, who has starred in almost 300 movies, including "The Lord Of The Rings", "Star Wars", "The Man With The Golden Gun", "Dracula", "The Wicker Man" and most recently "The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies", has died at the age of 93. He passed away in a London hospital on Sunday after being treated for respiratory problems.

Sir Christopher Lee last December released released his latest heavy metal single titled "Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing".

The single was a playful take on the Christmas classic "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and included three different mixes of the song.

"It's light-hearted, joyful and fun. It's a band singing on how metal should be played, the effect it has on the band and its listeners," Sir Christopher explained.

Lee joined forces once again with guitar prodigy Hedras Ramos, who had previously worked with Christopher on the album "Charlemagne: The Omens Of Death" (2013), replacing Richie Faulkner (JUDAS PRIEST) and "A Heavy Metal Christmas" (2012), which was Sir Christopher's first venture into "Christmas metal."

Christopher Lee became the oldest heavy metal artist at the age of 91. At Christmas 2013, the song "Jingle Hell" reached No. 18 on Billboard, making him the oldest performer in history to have charted. The record was previously held by Tony Bennett.

"At my age, the most important thing for me is to keep active by doing things that I truly enjoy. I do not know how long I am going to be around, so every day is a celebration and I want to share it with my fans," Lee, who turned 93 in May, said.

"Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing" is available now on iTunes, Amazon and Google Music.

Rivers Of Nihil unveils Monarchy, their sophomore full-length album. The record will be available worldwide on Metal Blade Records on August 21st. A brand new track, "Perpetual Growth Machine”, is streaming below, while pre-order bundles are available now at this location.

Rivers Of Nihil began their musical journey in 2009, and recorded their first EP, Hierarchy, with Carson Slovak. Six years and multiple tours later, the band returned to Slovak and Atrium Audio in Pennsylvania, after having recorded their previous effort The Conscious Seed Of Light in 2013 with Erik Rutan at Mana Studios in Florida. Since the release of that album and signing with Metal Blade Records, Rivers Of Nihil found themselves quickly climbing the global metal ranks on the strength of overwhelmingly positive reviews and tours with Death (DTA Tours), Obituary, Whitechapel, Dying Fetus, Black Crown Initiate, plus an appearance at the storied New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.

During the album campaign, the band was joined by new drummer Alan Balamut and guitarist Jon Topore. Balamut and Topore join guitarist Brody Uttley, bassist Adam Biggs, and vocalist Jake Dieffenbach to form the up-and-coming force of modern death metal that is Rivers Of Nihil.

Guitarist Brody Uttley cites recent personal hardships as a major factor in the creative process for Monarchy. Uttley divulges that, "I lost a few close friends. The loss of these people had a profound influence on the creation of the music for this record. I was having strong feelings of rage, sadness, hope, and frustration as a result. The songs turned out heavier, darker, sadder, and more frightening than I had ever hoped that they would." The mood of this album, and the song sequence, reflect these emotions. Monarchy begins with the most heavy and darkest tracks, and continues to develop more progressive leanings until the end when Uttley says "the emotional tension completely falls apart."

The seasonal concept that began with spring on The Conscious Seed of Light continues, of course, with Monarchy, as it welcomes the oppressive heat of summer. The story takes place millions of years after the events in The Conscious Seed of Light.

Adam Biggs, who also serves as the band's primary lyricist, explains: "The Earth has been transformed into a vast desert wasteland, where after aeons of lifelessness, new beings begin to take shape and begin their journey as shepherds of the planet. But after a while, a class system forms from a sun-worshiping religious dictatorship, and these beings start to lose their way. Only the guidance of an ancient earthly force can help them save themselves as well the planet."

"Perpetual Growth Machine”:

Former Evile lead guitarist, Ol Drake, is streaming the new track, “Han Valen”, from his upcoming solo release, Old Rake.

Ol Drake comments: "Welcome to the first track on my solo album thing. It is entitled “Han Valen” for absolutely no reason and isn't implying anything at all.
The intro which goes on for 7 years was written when I was about 16 while showing a friend of mine online (Hammy) how to tap on the guitar. When it came to doing this album I thought it would make a cool addition. With drums from Mike Heller (Malignancy, Fear Factory) and orchestration on the intro by Zino Von Hamersveld, it's definitely a song for guitarists to dig their teeth into. If you want to learn how to play it, there is a guitar and bass tab and notation book available, notated by that me person. Hope you all enjoy!  If you like what you hear, please support the project and get an order in!"
 

Ol Drake recently released samples from his entire debut solo album, Old Rake. Listen below:

Ol Drake previously released the first single from Old Rake, which features instrumental guitar encompassing a myriad of styles, including flat-out shredding, classical, progressive, melodic and acoustic. The album is due to be released on June 22nd in Europe and June 23rd in North America.

The first track, "Guitarists Playing Guitars" - which made its debut recently on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter - showcases the six-string shredder's phenomenal fretwork and features special guest appearances from the likes of Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer), James Murphy (Death, Testament, Obituary) and Josh Middleton (Sylosis). Also featured is sticksman Mike Heller (Fear Factory, Malignancy), who performs drums on the entire album. Listen to "Guitarists Playing Guitars" now on Spotify at this location.

 

 

Ol Drake comments: "Behold the first single from the already-rusty Old Rake. This song was written by trying to write the cheesiest riff possible and going from there.

"I was speaking to Gary Holt and he said he'd like to solo on the album, and it just happened that when he'd said that I'd reached the main 'solo section' in its writing process. Then I Thought 'I might as well go all out'. James got involved and I couldn't believe it; to have two of my idols from growing up on one of MY songs was mind-blowing. I then asked my friend, Josh, from Sylosis, who is a ridiculous shredder, and my other friend, Amit. I met Amit through his working at a metal magazine publication, but mainly from at festivals involving alcohol; ridiculous shredder, too!

"Do not take a full impression of the whole album from this song; every track is different. Hope you enjoy my cheese-fest of “Guitarists Playing Guitars”!”

 

 

Old Rake is available to pre-order now on CD and limited edition signed CD. For anyone brave enough to attempt playing any songs from the album, there is also a deluxe 242-page tab book, featuring full tablature for both guitar and bass, transcribed by Ol Drake himself.

See a sneak peek of the official tab book below, and try your hand at the "Guitarists Playing Guitars" tab at this location.

Old Rake was recorded at the guitarist's home studio and was mixed with producer and former Death/Testament/Obituary guitarist James Murphy. Pre-order the CD, signed CD and official tab book now in Europe at this location or in North America here.

The album is also available to pre-order now on iTunes, including an exclusive bonus track as well as an instant download of "Guitarists Playing Guitars”.

"Spaceship Janitor" demo:

 

Rebooted UK thrash legends, Acid Reign, have unveiled the cover art for “Plan Of The Damned”, their first single in 25 years. Featuring the image ‘Delusion Dwellers’ by acclaimed artist Laurie Lipton, “Plan Of The Damned” will be launched in July 2015.

Acid Reign will be announcing a classic back catalogue tour in the near future, although “Plan Of The Damned” will definitely be included, that will keep the band busy until late 2016.

Frontman H had this to say about “Plan Of The Damned” and the honour of having Laurie Lipton cover art:

"I have been a fan of Laurie's for years and I thought I'd fire off an email to her manager to see if there was any way she would even consider letting us use one of her pieces. Half an hour and three emails later from Laurie herself and she had given us permission! To say that we are happy with this would be a huge understatement; it captures the spirit of the song perfectly and is a stunning piece of art, as all of her works are. I know it sounds corny but for me this really is one of those "wow this is actually happening" moments. We couldn't be happier with the way “Plan Of The Damned” has turned out. We recorded it in Wales at Not In Pill Studios with the awesome team of Martyn "Ginge" Ford and Matt Bond (Slipknot, Trivium, Bullet For My Valentine, Axewound). The studio is under a boxing gym and the smell of sweat, aggression and metal is in the walls! We had a blast, it was a great experience."

Twenty four years is a long time in anyone’s book, but that is how long it’s been since the ‘Kings Of Apple Core’, Acid Reign, have been missing from the UK thrash scene.

More of a reboot than a reformation, sole original member Howard ‘H’ Smith comments: "I tried to put the old lineup back together the guys were unable to do it for differing reasons. Then, in the summer of 2014, I started toying with the idea of a new line up and it came together quite quickly. We’re taking it slowly, learning the old stuff and playing with new ideas too. It’s not a reformation it’s a reboot. Even if it was the old line up it would be different, it’s been 24 years! The main thing is that the goodwill toward Acid Reign has never been stronger, everywhere I go people are saying we should come back and eventually I actually fucking listened!”

 

 

A band considered ahead of their time by many, Acid Reign were one of the leading lights of the UK trash attack and spent time on the road with the likes of Exodus, Nuclear Assault, Dark Angel, Suicidal Tendencies, Death Angel, Flotsam & Jetsam and Candlemass. Signed to Music For Nations subsidiary Under One Flag, the band would release two albums (including the seminal The Fear), two EPs and a Worst Of compilation before calling time on the band in 1991, their final appearance being at the world famous Marquee club in London.

Acid Reign first started to show signs of life once again when, in 2011, Lost & Found Records released re-mastered versions of their albums and EPs. Re-mastered by legendary producer Bill Metoyer (Slayer, DRI, Flotsam & Jetsam), the reaction was so good that the band started to receive a stream of requests about when Acid Reign might take the stage again.

Despite the interest though, all remained quiet on the Acid Reign front until the Candlelight Records release of the extensive box set, The Apple Core Archives. A three CD only collection of every song they'd ever put out, with new sleeve notes, unseen pics, demos and housed in an Apple Core themed box.

 

 

Since this release H has been actively working on the all new Acid Reign reboot and looking forward to bringing the band back where they belong – on stage!

As ‘H’ himself states: “Finally the rebooted line up is complete, it’s taken nearly two years but I can honestly say it’s been worth the wait. Typically we’re doing things differently to everyone else as where they reformed (and believe me we tried) we are now rebooting. Everyone in the band has Acid Reign in their DNA, some of the guys knew the band back in the day and some didn’t but everyone is on the same page and we can’t wait to get out there and show the world how much it has been missing us.”

Acid Reign 2015 – The Reboot:

Howard ‘H’ Smith - Since Acid Reign called it a day in 1991 "H" hasn't let the grass grow under his feet. He's been based in London and performing as a stand up comedian since 1994 as himself and also as his alter ego "Keith Platt Professional Yorkshireman". Musically he has recorded a song "A Mothers Love" with Italian thrash band Satanika based on Acid Reign original "Motherly Love" feathered on their The Plague Of Thrash album in 2010. In 2014 he also recorded a guest spot on two songs on Suicide Watch's new min album Alienation Zone. There has also been many guest live appearances with Re-Animator and old mates Lawnmower Deth. In August 2014 Howard oversaw the release of The Apple Core Archives on Candlelight Records, a triple CD box set of the bands entire career. Howard also hosts the world’s only comedy metal podcast for website All About The Rock, “Talking Bollocks”.

Cooky - Came highly recommended to the band by ex-guitarist Kev who told ‘H’, “He’s a great guy, a good laugh and daft as a brush.”

Marc Jackson - Influenced by musicians such as Bill Ward, John Bonham, and Cozy Powell, Marc has been a drummer since the age of thirteen, playing across the world with a host of bands, including M:Pire Of Evil, Beyond the Grave, Sabbatica (Black Sabbath Tribute), Metalizer and Minnikin.

Pete Dee - Pete has worked on both sides of the glass as both a producer and a musician. He’s a member of the highly rated Kremated as well as hardcore outfit Bun Dem Out and has enjoyed stints in Rogue Male, Reactor and Viral Technology. A chance phone call in early 2015 led to him joining Acid Reign. “Some bloke calling himself “H” phoned me up in February 2015 and asked me to audition for Acid Reign which was very cool as Kremated were planning on doing a cover of “Goddess”, now I get to play it in the real thing!”

Paul Chanter - Paul did actually play with Acid Reign in 1990 on the Joke’s On Us Tour when he was dragged onstage by H from the audience at the Marquee to rip through "Motherly Love". Paul was the band’s first choice to replace Adam when he quit in 1990 although it’s taken until 2015 for Paul to actually get offered the role! As a member of acclaimed metal act Died Smiling, Paul toured with Stuck Mojo and appeared at the UK’s best metal festival, Bloodstock Open Air.

(Photo - kayleighvictoriaphotography.com)

All the way from Japan, Masaki Murashita brings his heavy guitar sounds to the EMGtv stage, live in California. Here he is performing an instrumental version of the title track from his first solo album, "Retribution". Murashita, known by his fans as the front man of the thrash band Hemoptysis, shows off the tight rhythm sounds of the EMG 81X and EMG 85X humbucker guitar pickups.

 

Murashita recently announced Japan tour dates. Murashita recruits Rodney McGlothlin (Voice Of Dissent) on bass and KK (ex-Ninezero) on drums for this tour.

Murashita comments, "I'm beyond stoked to finally get to tour in my home country, Japan! I can't wait to perform the songs from the upcoming EP and get to see the all the metal fans there!"

Tour dates:

September

4 – Nagoya – Imaike Club 3Star
5 – Tokyo – Meguro Rokumeikan
11 – Tokyo – Shinjuku WildSide Tokyo
13 – Osaka – Namba Rockets

Murashita is currently recording the debut EP, due this summer.

Murashita released the single “Retribution” in January. The track features bassist Kelly Conlon (Death, Monstrosity, Vital Remains), drummer Kevin Talley (Suffocation, Six Feet Under, Chimaira) and was Mixed by Ryan Greene (Megadeth, NOFX).

“Retribution” lyric video:

"Monsters Ball", a brand new song from Los Angeles-based metallers BUTCHER BABIES, can be streamed below. A music video for the track was filmed this past weekend in the band's hometown.

"Monsters Ball" is taken from BUTCHER BABIES' sophomore album, "Take It Like A Man", which is scheduled for release on August 21 via Century Media. The CD was produced by Logan Mader, who has previously worked with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, DEVILDRIVER, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY and GOJIRA.

BUTCHER BABIES have been performing "Monsters Ball" on their recent tour, to a great reception from the crowd.

"We wrote that song about the pit, actually," BUTCHER BABIES singer Heidi Shepherd told Tina Smash of "Big Smash Radio". "It's called 'Monsters Ball'. That's what it is out there. All of us are just like monsters running around. There's a line that says, 'The broken limbs are leaving the match. A ringmaster's itch for a mass to scratch.' It's just.. We're all out there kind of doing the exact same thing. 'Over the edge, you take the decadent fall.' That's when kids come over the edge for crowdsurfing and stuff. But it's just, like, in the end, you can't stop moving. All of us, we grew up in the pit. All of us felt the exact same thing. And when you're out there and you're feeling it, [starts chanting], 'You can't stop moving; no, you can't stop moving; no, you can't stop...'"

Added fellow BUTCHER BABIES frontwoman Carla Harvey: "It's a really incredible feeling to see a sea of people singing a song that literally has never been heard yet. It's really cool. Every show we've done so far on this tour we've gotten them into it, and it's an amazing feeling."

Regarding the musical direction of BUTCHER BABIES' forthcoming CD, Carla said: "The majority of the album is very aggressive thrash metal. On this album, we wanted to go back to our roots, which were aggressive thrash, and ninety percent of the album is that."

Added Heidi: "But the thing is we're not ever gonna sacrifice who we are for that. What we're attempting with this is to bring back the metal and the aggression into radio. So we kind of… We merged the two worlds. And radio stations who have heard it so far are impressed and we're very excited for that."

Black Tongue will release their new full-length, The Unconquerable Dark, on September 4th via Century Media Records.

The Unconquerable Dark is a devastatingly bleak record that showcases the Hull Hate Crew’s trademark downtempo sound to absolute full effect. From the opening doom drenched riffs of “Plague Worship: to the black metal tinged “L’appel du Vide” (lyric video below), to the unfathomably heavy “Prince Of Ash” and “Vermintide” (featuring guest vocals from Suicide Silence’s Eddie Hermida), the hatred spews out of the speakers.

Produced by Black Tongue and Jesse Kirkbride (Traitors, Demolisher), the album features artwork by Ken Sarafin (Oceano, Catalepsy).

The band comments: “Our original mindset for Falisfier and Born Hanged was to create the most ridiculously crushing music around. We created the heaviest music because there just wasn't anything around at the time that was as heavy as we wanted to hear. We feel like we did a pretty good job. Now there's a plethora of bands that are taking the reigns of the heavy and we love it, but a new direction is in order. With The Unconquerable Dark we wanted to keep the slow, low and crushing vibe but add some maturity to it. More riffs, more memorable choruses and some juicy lead thrown in. Don't get us wrong, this is the heaviest thing we've ever released (and probably that you've ever heard), but we took the time to give it atmosphere and structure instead of being heavy for heavy's sake.

We spent a lot of time on this album mixing and mastering it ourselves so that we could get the closest representation of the heaviness that is in our minds. We didn't want to let someone else's polished and clean mix detract from the dimension-shattering sound that we strive to achieve. This is album is in our opinion the best thing we have released so far."

The Unconquerable Dark tracklisting:

“Plague Worship”
“In The Wake Ov The Wolf”
“Young Gloom”
“L’appel du Vide”
“Vermintide” (ft. Eddie Hermida)
“Prince Of Ash”
“The Masquerade”
“A Pale Procession II: Death March”
“I’m So Tired Of Sighing. Please Lord, Let It Be Night”

“L’appel du Vide” lyric video:

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS — the Swedish band featuring ARCH ENEMY guitarist Michael Amott and bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, along with vocalist Apollo Papathanasio (ex-FIREWIND) — has just wrapped three days of days of rehearsals and songwriting which have resulted in fifteen new original songs and two covers.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS is expected to enter the studio later in the year to record the follow-up to 2013's "Earth Blues" (InsideOut Music).

Amott previously stated about "Earth Blues": "I had the idea for this artwork from my time as a child, seeing posters of two young lovers watching a romantic sunset on the beach — just your typical tacky bedroom art in the '70s, really... Also, growing up in what is now referred to with some nostalgia as the Atomic Age — the threat of nuclear war was always looming over our heads it seemed. I wanted to combine these two images of my youth in one paradoxical image and Per Wiberg of Hippograffix (and SPIRITUAL BEGGARS keyboardist) really managed to capture the melancholic feeling perfectly. Earth Blues, indeed."

Regarding the making of "Earth Blues", Amott said: "We started the recording process of 'Earth Blues' with an eight-day-long session at Fat Guitar Studios (Sweden) with knob-twiddler Roberth Ekholm, a truly great dude who really knows how to capture a band jamming live, sadly a rare quality in recording engineers nowadays! We continued with some overdubs at various studios in Sweden, and it's all come together super easy this time. Sonically, I think this might be our finest hour yet. It's a raw, heavy and honest record."

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS reissued two of its classic catalog titles on October 14, 2013: the band's 2005 "Demons" album was made available for the first time ever on vinyl via InsideOut Music; and their acclaimed and hard-to-find debut LP, the self-titled "Spiritual Beggars" from 1994, was re-released with over 70 minutes of unreleased bonus material via Century Media Records.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS is:

Michael Amott (ARCH ENEMY, CARCASS) - Guitar Ludwig Witt (FIREBIRD) - DrumsPer Wiberg (OPETH) - KeyboardsSharlee D'Angelo (ARCH ENEMY, MERCYFUL FATE) - BassApollo Papathanasio (FIREWIND) - Vocals

Just wrapped up 3 days of rehearsals and songwriting: 15 new originals and 2 covers! 👽🎸🎶 #spiritualbeggars9 @BURRN_ pic.twitter.com/suy08RdNwf

— Spiritual Beggars (@Spiritual_B) June 10, 2015
"Turn The Tide" video:

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

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

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

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

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

Talking about "Automatic Fix", Logan states: "This is an interesting song in that it was the last song that was recorded vocally. I initially thoughtthat it might be best used as instrumental. I simply love this song because of its energy an attitude." An EPK talking about the new album was recently released and can be seen below. "Rebel" track listing: 01. Automatic Fix 02. Between The Truth And A Lie03. Testify04. Sanctuary05. Pine Tree Avenue06. Jelly Roll07. Dirty Money08. The Hollow Queen09. The Ledge10. Kingdon Of Slaves11. War

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

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

LYNCH MOB will be touring throughout the summer in support of "Rebel".

Last week, veteran California thrashers SLAYER announced their heaviest release ever — the Metal Eagle Edition of their upcoming album "Repentless", set for a September 11 release. Made of aluminum alloy, measuring 15" x 17" x 3" and weighing in at a hefty 7.8 pounds (yes, the final version is heavier than previously announced), the Metal Eagle Edition will house a deluxe digipak of the "Repentless" CD plus bonus material detailed below. The limited (only 3,000 copies worldwide) and numbered Metal Eagle Edition will be a direct-to-consumer item and available exclusively via the Nuclear Blast mailorder online store. Now, the time has come to reveal the special contents of this limited collector's piece.

The Metal Eagle will include the following exclusive items: * Deluxe digipak (folds out into "inverted cross")* Bonus Blu-Ray and DVD including "Slayer Live At Wacken 2014" and "Making Of Repentless Documentary"* Bonus live CD "Slayer Live At Wacken 2014"* Fold-out poster* Album sticker* Numbered certificate The highly anticipated "Repentless" is SLAYER's eleventh studio album, the first since 2009's critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated "World Painted Blood" and the first with producer Terry Date (PANTERA, SLIPKNOT, SOUNDGARDEN). The band — Tom Araya (bass, vocals), Kerry King (guitar), Paul Bostaph (drums), and Gary Holt (guitar), who recorded lead guitar parts for about a half-dozen of the album's new tracks — started recording "Repentless" in March 2014, and made the track "Implode" available as a free download in April of that year. The band and Date continued to record between September 2014 and mid-January 2015 at Henson Studios in Los Angeles. For the album, "Implode" was completely re-recorded from the ground up, and "When The Stillness Comes", used as an instrumental track in a Scion commercial, got a revamped intro and all new vocals.

"Repentless" also includes "Piano Wire", an unfinished song from the "World Painted Blood" sessions written by Hanneman. About the track, Rolling Stone wrote that it "begins with an eerie guitar line before evolving into a full-on-doom (and classic SLAYER) riff onslaught." King put it this way: "When I hear it, I think 'Jeff.' It sounds like a Jeff Hanneman song."

The 12-track "Repentless" is, according to those who have heard it, a sonic assault of brutal, ominous, lightening-fast and heavy-as-hell music with lyrics that unmask what SLAYER knows best — the terror, the corruption and the societal turmoil that dominates our world.

"The new album sounds like SLAYER," said Araya. "In the past, our fans have always known what to expect, this time they don't. But we really like it, and I don't think the fans are going to be disappointed."

As is expected from SLAYER, the band will support the release of "Repentless" with extensive touring across the globe, beginning this summer when the band headlines the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. That tour kicks off June 26 at Sleep Train Amphitheater in San Diego, California.

Singer Vicky Psarakis of Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based melodic death metallers THE AGONIST has uploaded her vocal cover version of the AEROSMITH classic "Dream On". Check it out in the YouTube clip below.

THE AGONIST's new album, "Eye Of Providence", was released on February 24 in North America (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media. The band's first CD with \ Vicky Psarakis was recorded at The Grid studio in their hometown with producer Chris Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY). Vicky joined THE AGONIST as the replacement for Alissa White-Gluz, who left the band to focus on her new gig as the frontwoman of ARCH ENEMY.

In a recent interview with Decibel magazine, guitarist Danny Marino stated about the writing process for "Eye Of Providence" compared to those for the band's previous albums: "It was a whole new experience and the most enjoyable we've ever had. There was an air of full collaboration like never before. It was a good balance of group effort and individual composition and understanding that balance. While Vicky [and I] were the main composers, every member composed part of this album and this was the first album where lyrical content was also shared between Vicky, Simon [and I]."

Asked where he thinks THE AGONIST fits in today's metal scene, Danny said: "I don't really know exactly. I think it's cliché to say we can't be categorized, but I do think that is true of 'Prisoners' and 'Eye Of Providence'. I feel like we have come into our own sound, especially on 'Eye Of Providence'. I am influenced by artists like Devin Townsend and Mikael Åkerfeldt. Not to say that our music sounds like those bands, per se. But I am inspired by artists with the courage to take a listener to many different places in one album and make it work somehow. That's what we have been trying to do since our second album. I think with 'Eye Of Providence', we were able to find that balance."

THE AGONIST 2015 is:

Vicky Psarakis - VocalsDanny Marino - GuitarChris Kells - BassSimon McKay - DrumsPascal "Paco" Jobin - Guitar

DEVIL CITY ANGELS, the band originally formed by Rikki Rockett (POISON), Tracii Guns (L.A GUNS), Eric Brittingham (CINDERELLA), and vocalist Brandon Gibbs, has signed a worldwide deal with Century Media. The group's self-titled debut was produced by the DEVIL CITY ANGELS bandmembers themselves in Los Angeles and was mixed in Nashville by Anthony Focx. A September 18 release is expected.

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

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

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

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

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

STAIND singer Aaron Lewis is preparing to enter the studio to record the follow-up to his first full-length country album, "The Road", which came out in November 2012 via Blaster Records through Warner Music Nashville. Speaking to Artisan News before his June 7 concert in Englewood, New Jersey, Lewis said about his new solo CD plans (see video below): "We're trying to get the final details put together. It took a while for all the record-label stuff to iron out and get solid on that side of things. So in the next couple of months I'll be hitting the studio. We're in the last stages of a record being recorded, where we're trying to figure out who's gonna produce it and where we're gonna do it and that type of stuff."

Asked how the country-music scene has received him so far, Lewis said: "The fact that radio hasn't really come around to playing my songs yet, there is a little bit of a backlash there. It seems like the artists that I end up playing with and doing shows with are fans of what I do. It's just one of those weird things. It's such a good-old-boys network in Nashville, it's so political in Nashville, and I'm not one to necessarily play along; I tend to stick to my guns, and sometimes that's not what they want you to do."

He continued: "Nashville is a machine. It has the writers that write all the songs, and then it has the performers that go into the studio to record them and then go out on tour and play them. And I don't want anything to do with somebody writing songs for me… I'm certainly not gonna change what I'm doing in order to get on radio."

STAIND played just a handful of shows last year, with Lewis devoting much of 2014 to solo shows.

The last STAIND album, a self-titled effort, came out in 2011. The band does not yet have plans to enter the studio.

Guitarist Mike Mushok told the Midland Daily News back in May 2014 about the band's future, "It's got to be something that Aaron wants to do. I always enjoy writing with [Aaron] and I look forward to it. We complement each other. He makes what I do better."

Fly-on-the-wall footage of METALLICA's June 6 performance at the X Games in Austin, Texas can be seen below. The 12-minute clip, which was shot by a MetOnTour reporter, includes drummer Lars Ulrich, bassist Robert Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett in the meet-and-greet, tuning-room footage and "Whiplash" from the show. Also available is fan-filmed video footage of the entire concert.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Fuel02. For Whom The Bell Tolls03. Metal Militia04. Sad But True05. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)06. Cyanide07. One08. Master Of Puppets09. Battery10. Fade To Black11. Enter Sandman

Encore:

12. Creeping Death13. Whiplash14. Seek And Destroy

As previously reported, METALLICA has joined forces with ESPN and Circuit Of The Americas to assist the victims of the recent floods in Texas by donating all money raised from the sale of downloads of the band's show at the X Games to the American Red Cross of Central Texas. All formats of the download, including the high definition versions, are being offered at LiveMetallica.com for the very deeply discounted price of $5.00 each through July 15. Click here to order the show.

Hetfield told skateboarding legend Tony Hawk in a previously released clip: "It only makes sense that people who grew up on METALLICA are wanting to continue to skate and do the cool things that they do."

Hetfield continued, "We're pretty jazzed. We're excited to get there and X-Games has been going on for a while; it's about time! The music does something to you. When athletes are already really good and the music takes them to another place, you can't explain that."

Bassist Robert Trujillo added, "It always seemed like the skaters and the surfers were really connected to the music of METALLICA… There's a connection to those type of people. It's similar energy. You see at these events they're playing a lot of hard rock metal and punk rock."

Despite insisting that work has been proceeding on a new album, METALLICA has spent a lot of time outside the studio in the last year, with activities that included a string of European all-request shows last summer, a week-long residency on "The Late Show With Craig Ferguson", and the Rock In Rio USA stint in early May.

More festival dates are on the schedule for this summer, including two shows in Montreal and a headlining slot at Lollapalooza in Chicago at the end of July.

Official Metallica.com footage:


Fan-filmed footage of entire concert:

AC/DC tour manager Garry Van Egmond has confirmed to Bay Of Plenty Times that the band's estranged drummer Phil Rudd will not perform with the group when they play Rudd's home country of New Zealand in December.

"Chris Slade will be on drums," Van Egmond said. "He replaced Phil when he left the band some years back and he has been playing in the 'Rock Or Bust' tour worldwide."

Van Egmond stopped short of saying Rudd was officially out of AC/DC, telling Bay Of Plenty Times that there was "no confirmation that Phil has left the band permanently." He added: "All I can say is that Phil will not be playing in the New Zealand concerts."

AC/DC will play two shows in New Zealand: December 12 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington and December 15 at Western Springs in Auckland.

Van Egmond did not know if there were any plans for Rudd to attend the concerts or whether the other members of the band would be in contact with the drummer while they were in New Zealand.

Rudd in April pleaded guilty to charges of drug possession and one charge of threatening to kill. A second threatening to kill charge was dropped.

According to court documents, police found 0.478 grams (0.017 ounces) of methamphetamine and 91 grams (3.21 ounces) of marijuana during a November 6, 2014 raid on Rudd's New Zealand home.

The raid was conducted after he was accused of threatening to kill an associate and his daughter during a phone call in September.

Prosecutors claimed that Rudd made a phone call on the morning of September 26 and allegedly spoke about "what he wanted done" to an unnamed man who had been working for him for three years.

The second call was allegedly to the unnamed man himself, and it was during this call that prosecutors claimed Rudd "threatened to kill him and his daughter."

Rudd's lawyer, Craig Tuck, said that the entire matter revolved around "an angry phone call — that was it."

On May 23, Ronny Bittner of Rock Hard magazine conducted an interview with vocalist Warrel Dane and guitarist Lenny Rutledge of the reunited '80s cult metal outfit SANCTUARY at the Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about SANCTUARY's latest addition, guitarist Nick Cordle (ex-ARCH ENEMY, ARSIS), who was replaced in ARCH ENEMY by Dane's former NEVERMORE bandmate Jeff Loomis, Warrel said: "We wife-swapped with ARCH ENEMY. Jeff's in ARCH ENEMY now, and now Nick's playing with us. We don't know the whole story about that, but whatever… it worked out good for us, and everybody else, I guess, too."

Added Lenny: "Yeah, [Nick is] working out great. He's a great guy, he's a great player. When [SANCTUARY producer] Zeuss recommended Nick, I wasn't even really sure who he was, but I was a real big fan of the recent 'War Eternal' ARCH ENEMY album, and when they told me who it was, I was, like, 'Holy crap! Hell yeah! We'd love to have that guy.' He's just an amazing player. So, once we contacted him and everything, he was into it. So, yeah, everything is going good with him."

Dane also spoke about the possibility of NEVERMORE recording a new studio album, four years after Loomis and drummer Van Williams announced their departure from the band due to personal differences with Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard.

"You never know," Warrel said. "Don't always take everything I say in interviews as the absolute truth. I mean, I would love to do another NEVERMORE record, but I wouldn't do it without Jeff. So… We'll see, you know. He's in ARCH ENEMY now. Nick's in SANCTUARY. And it's kind of weird, and kind of incestuous and bizarre at the same time."

Asked if there is chance SANCTUARY and ARCH ENEMY will one day tour together, Warrel said: "Oh, Jeez… Well, hey, I would be totally open to that. You may have just planted a seed, my friend."

SANCTUARY's comeback album, "The Year The Sun Died", was released in October 2014 via Century Media.