In the wake of the recent announcement of their impending second full-length coming together for release this summer, Phoenix, Arizona's metal experimentalist trio, The Oxford Coma, has just re-drafted their latest works with a new title and new cover artwork, and has issued all of the newly confirmed info alongside the album's tracklisting and release date.

Initially dubbed The Pulls, a recent change of direction has forged a new cover layout and title for the album, which is now called, Paris Is Mine. Through several lineup alterations and sporadic expansions, the usual three-piece bass, guitar and drums lineup of The Oxford Coma at times radically expands for live shows to include a second drummer, and for the first time on record, this time the tactic was applied in the studio setting. Utilizing both a former and current percussionist, and continuing their self-described recording "de-evolution" - continuing to opt for rawer, live, DIY productions with each release - through several sessions, ended up with their most corrosive and unreserved material to date. Bent on combining the weirdness and freshness of improvisation with the intensity and honesty of good metal and the lasting impact of innovative rock, the new album was produced with minimal production, the vocals all in one take in order to preserve a natural feel. Recorded, engineered, mixed, mastered by Jalipaz at Audioconfusion in Mesa, Arizona, Paris Is Mine delivers forty minutes of exploratory thunder as perplexing as it is enthralling, even closing out with an improvised jam and a drop-tuned cover of Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks."

Paris Is Mine will be independently released digitally on August 11th, with a limited physical format to follow. Stand by for additional info from the record, audio samples, an official video, tour dates and more to be released throughout the weeks ahead.

Paris Is Mine tracklisting:

“Canadian Questionmark”
“Ritaling”
“Daisies”
“The Pulls”
“Ados Watts Jam”
“When The Levee Breaks” (Led Zeppelin cover)

From the scorching Southwestern US underground music scene comes the indefinable works of The Oxford Coma, an outfit which rides the fine line between rock and metal, experimental and straightforward, and even being a trio or quartet, and which has steadily pumped out a hearty discography of independent releases since their 2011 inception. Powered and endorsed by Orange amps, and drawing from a wide array of influences from across the spectrum of forward-thinking rock artists, bridging the early days and modern times, comparisons to the improvisational prog rock circles of the 1960s and '70s to premier extreme acts of the 1990s through today, the collective recorded output of this morphing act has drawn similarities to everything from early Tool to Primus, Radiohead to The Dillinger Escape Plan, Nirvana to Neurosis, King Crimson to Kyuss, and so on.

 

On June 16th, Rise Above Records will re-release Cathedral's In Memoriam.

The first self-financed cassette recording by Cathedral - made available in October 1990 - was a pioneering underground masterpiece in its own right; the sound of a young band exploring its newfound chemistry, finding confident variations on a flawless list of influences and cultivating a sound and style that would prove hugely inspirational throughout the 1990s and beyond, being a major influence on everyone from Electric Wizard through to Reverend Bizarre.
 
Where most demos are little more than a dry run for the first album, In Memoriam still has its own distinct and important identity in the Cathedral canon. The debut LP that followed, Forest Of Equilibrium, has a sombre, devout, melodic and mystical grandeur all of its own - but In Memoriam has a far murkier, earthier, more deathly intent. Creepy, cryptic and bowel-looseningly heavy, it represents the first time that the doom metal stylings of Trouble, Saint Vitus, Pentagram and Witchfinder General had been rendered in a new, more extreme metallic form.

At the beginning of the new decade, it was really only Cathedral who were proud to assert the influence of true doom metal - a perennially unfashionable genre, but especially in a turn-of-the-decade metal scene so obsessed with speed, technicality, brutality and modernity. 
 
The CD edition comes with a bonus DVD, featuring a rare live performance from 1991. It also incudes a booklet with extensive notes and rare photos. The vinyl edition comes as a double 180gm LP set in gatefold sleeve and full sized eight-page booklet. Tracklisting is as follows:
 
Demo 1990
"Mourning Of A New Day"
"All Your Sins"
"Ebony Tears"
"March"
Live Holland / Belgium 1991
"Intro / Comiserating The Celebration"
"Ebony Tears"
"Neophytes For Serpent Eve"
"All Your Sins"
"Mourning Of A New Day"
DVD Live in Groningen (NL) May 1st 1991
"Intro / Comiserating The Celebration" 
"Ebony Tears"
"Neophytes For Serpent Eve"
"All Your Sins"
"Mourning Of A New Day"

 

 

 

Fan-filmed video footage of ACCEPT's June 5 performance at the South Park festival in Tampere, Finland can be seen below.

ACCEPT in april announced the addition of guitarist Uwe Lulis (GRAVE DIGGER, REBELLION) and drummer Christopher Williams to the group's ranks.

ACCEPT parted ways with guitarist Herman Frank and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann last December. The band explained in a statement at the time: "We and the fans all knew that [Herman and Stefan] had their own careers and that eventually we would run into scheduling and other conflicts beyond our control."

Herman joined ACCEPT in 1982 shortly before the release of the band's "Restless And Wild" album and exited the group for the first time after the arrival of 1983's "Balls To The Wall" LP.

When ACCEPT reunited for festival appearances in 2005, Herman handled second-guitar duties alongside founding axeman Wolf Hoffmann, with Schwarzmann sitting behind the kit.

Frank and Schwarzmann were involved in ACCEPT's comeback with new singer Mark Tornillo and have appeared on their last three studio albums: 2010's "Blood of the Nations", 2012's "Stalingrad" and 2014's "Blind Rage".

Frank and Schwarzmann are playing in PANZER, a new project also featuring vocalist and bassist Schmier, best known as frontman of DESTRUCTION.

Fan-filmed video footage of DOKKEN performing the song "It's Not Love" at this year's edition of the at Sweden Rock Festival on June 5 in Sölvesborg can be seen below.

In an interview with the "One On One With Mitch Lafon" podcast, DOKKEN frontman Don Dokken stated about Mark Boals' (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, DIO DISCIPLES) recent addition to DOKKEN as the band's bass player: "Everybody knows about him. He's a lead singer. That's what he does; he's a lead singer. And he was doing background vocals with me, 'cause he has a very high voice and he was hitting the notes that I couldn't hit. You know, I'm older, I lost that range, I don't have that range. Actually, I'm singing way better these days; my voice is much, much better than it used to be. But it's nice to have another strong… He loves going on the road with us and rocking out — playing rock shows for two hours. He's in the band permanent."

Asked how his pre-show routine has changed over the years, Don said: "Now I have to warm up for an hour — at least an hour. When I get ready before a show, I don't talk at all during the day and I sing very light at soundcheck. And then an hour before I go to the show, in the hotel room, I turn on the shower, sit on the toilet, close the door and let the whole bathroom completely fill up with hot-water steam, purge my sinuses, cough up phlegm, and then start doing my scales — same thing all singers do. And start slowly singing higher and higher and higher and higher. And plus, I've taken vocal lessons over the years by famous vocal coaches like Ron Anderson. And he's taught me how to hit higher notes without straining my voice."

He continued: "In the '80s, when I was at my peak, I guess you could say, I didn't warm up, I didn't do anything; I just smoked a cigarette and I'd go on and sing, and I sounded great. But I was younger, and my voice was… I don't know… It's just the way it was. Plus, in the '80s, we were doing fifty, sixty, seventy shows a year. I mean, we were really… We were playing four or five in a row, day off; four or five in a row, day off. We played fifty shows with AC/DC in Europe in eight weeks. So it's like a muscle; you're singing every day, so your voice gets stronger. But then again, it only takes that one note one time on stage when I'm not paying attention and I sing too hard, I press down too hard on my vocal cord, and it's over. My voice is hurt and it needs to rest, and I can't rest it, because I have to go do four more shows in a row when I've hurt my voice, and it just gets worse and worse and worse and worse. So I've learned I have to be careful now. I have to respect my voice, I have to take care of my voice. Because, otherwise, the fans go on the Internet and say, 'Hey, I just saw DOKKEN last night and Don sucked.'"

Regarding whether he finds fan criticism on the Internet frustrating, Don said: "It's frustrating, but it's honest. I mean, if I'm not good, I'm not good. But what the fans don't understand is, they expect you to sound exactly like you did on the record, which we recorded thirty years ago; they expect you to sound amazing every night. They don't take into consideration, you're driving in a snowstorm, you're in a tour bus with heat going — dry heat — you're talking and doing interviews on the radio in the morning, and it takes its toll on your voice. But they don't really care. They're just, like, 'Look, you'd better be amazing every night, or we're gonna critique you and say bullshit.' So they don't understand what it's like. I mean, we're going to Sweden Rock [Festival] — ten-hour flight. We play Sweden Rock, and the next day, after the show, we have to fly for four hours to Athens, Greece, and that same day we have to fly to Thessaloniki and do a show. I'm gonna be completely burnt out. But I'll try to take a nap, sleep for two or three hours, get up, warm up my voice, and hopefully it'll be okay. And the next day I've gotta fly back to Athens and do another two-hour show. It takes its toll on you, and the fans don't really give a shit."

Robert Plant has been forced to postpone two shows on his on the North American leg of his tour with the SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS after has come down with laryngitis. Tuesday's show at Meadow Brook Music Festival has been rescheduled for September 10, while Sunday's concert in Toronto will now take place on Tuesday, September 15. Tickets will be honored for the new dates, though refunds may be obtained at the point of purchase through June 19, according to promoter Live Nation.

Unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts, THE PIXIES will not be appearing on the rescheduled dates. A replacement support artist will be named at a future date.

"Sunday morning I woke up with a flu that's developed into laryngitis," Plant said in a statement. "I'm really disappointed as I've only missed one gig in 15 years and now here's two in a row. It's heartbreaking. I'm furious, frustrated and silent."

Dates on Plant's tour with the SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS include his return to Bonnaroo the weekend of June 12. The trek will end on June 17 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Mann Center.

The tour is in support of Plant's "Lullaby And… The Ceaseless Roar" album, which was released September 2014 on Nonesuch/Warner Bros.

Plant spoke to Relix magazine about his current music and how it connects to his early days in LED ZEPPELIN, explaining, "I want people to know I'm pulling points of reference from other times and other places — incongruous and out of step and kilter — into another world. I've done it with ZEPPELIN lyrics, as well — 'if the sun refused to shine' and 'the road remains the same' and all the shit. There's so many bits like that, because I like the idea of spinning the bottle. And if one or two people pick up on it, that's the justice — that's about right."

U.K. glam metal veterans TIGERTAILZ have tapped their bassist, Rob Wylde, to sing for the group following the recent departure of Jules Millis. Wylde was previously the frontman in TEENAGE CASKET COMPANY and the U.K. POISON tribute act POIZON.

TIGERTAILZ guitarist Jay Pepper had this to say about the band's latest addition: "Rob was the obvious choice here; no question of anyone else. He's already a proven frontman in his own bands TEENAGE CASKET COMPANY and POIZON. He's a great guy to work with and has the same high standards as us. He's a perfect fit going forward for TIGERTAILZ, and with our new bass player to be announced in a few weeks, it's onwards and upwards for a new exciting 'TAILZ era."

Millis left TIGERTAILZ in March "due to personal reasons." He joined the band in 2012 folllowing the acrimonious exit of TIGERTAILZ's longtime singer Kim Hooker.

TIGERTAILZ's was originally fronted by Steevi Jaimz, who left the group in 1988. Jaimz later attempted to register the TIGERTAILZ name as a trademark with the U.K. Patent Office and launch his own version of TIGERTAILZ with drummer Ace Finchum.

Pepper is the sole remaining member of TIGERTAILZ's classic lineup.

As the U.K.'s answer to POISON and MÖTLEY CRÜE, TIGERTAILZ was the only U.K.-based band of this ilk to dominate the U.K. charts at the end of the '80s, with "Bezerk" hitting the U.K. Top 40 and a U.K. Top 5 live video release filmed in their hometown Cardiff.

TIGERTAILZ's founding bassist Pepsi Tate passed away on September 18, 2007 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 42 years old.

Grammy-nominated SoCal hard rockers P.O.D. will release their ninth studio album, "The Awakening", on August 21 via T-Boy/UMC. The evocative album, produced by the band's longtime collaborator and friend Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, KELLY CLARKSON), features 10 tracks and special guests Maria Brink from IN THIS MOMENT and Lou Koller from SICK OF IT ALL.

Beginning today, "The Awakening" is available worldwide for preorder on CD, digital, and vinyl LP. Preorders for the digital album on iTunes unlock the rousing lead single "This Goes Out To You" for immediate download.

P.O.D. is on tour throughout the summer and well into the fall, with confirmed shows in more than 25 U.S. cities. Before heading out on tour, P.O.D. will celebrate the release of their new single, "This Goes Out To You", by performing a special pre-game "Party At The Park" set at San Diego's PETCO Park this Friday, June 12 (San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers).

Long known for carrying the hard rock torch with a positive message, P.O.D. are looking forward to sharing "The Awakening" with fans around the world. The album travels on a journey based on the good and bad choices of a central character, exploring the consequences of his decisions.

"'The Awakening' is meant to be listened to in its entirety," says P.O.D. singer and lyricist Sonny Sandoval. "Every song ultimately explores a character dealing with life, making mistakes, fighting, trying. But we also live in a singles-type world, and it works on that level, too."

Sonically, each track benefitted from the band's years of studio and stage experience. "I used to want to put as many tracks of guitar on the record as I could, because I thought that's what you did," says guitarist Marcos Curiel. "But as I've gotten older, I've realized that the more space you're letting in with all the instruments, everything breathes and has an energy and a vibe."

"'The Awakening' is definitely an evolution from where we've come from," says bassist Traa Daniels. "It's this amazing piece of art that we've been able to put together as four guys who are like brothers; this is really special."

"I feel this is like a pivotal moment for P.O.D.," says drummer Wuv Bernardo. "It's more than just, 'Man, we just went in the studio and did a record…' The urgency of our band, as far as how serious we are putting this kind of material in there and the way that we did it, blows my mind. I am proud of these guys, of us."

P.O.D. is Sonny Sandoval (vocals), Marcos Curiel (guitar), Traa Daniels (bass) and Wuv Bernardo (drums).

When asked about P.O.D.'s particularly active schedule this year, Wuv summed it up well for everyone, saying, "This time around it's just pure band excitement. It's natural and it's where we're at."

"The Awakening" track listing:

01. Am I Awake02. This Goes Out To You03. Rise of NWO04. Criminal Conversations (feat. Maria Brink)05. Somebody's Trying to Kill Me06. Get Down07. Speed Demon08. Want It All09. Revolución (feat. Lou Koller)10. The Awakening

Long awaited Swedish heavy / power metallers Stormhold’s debut album Battle Of The Royal Halls is about to be released in Europe and worldwide. The first single from the album has been released as a lyric video with "The Final Decision". Worldwide release date is set for July 2.

Battle Of The Royal Halls tracklisting:

“Tales Of Astraal”
“Destiny’s Calling”
“Journeybook”
“The Final Decision”
“King (Born Out Of Madness)”
“Arise”
“Godric Hammerfist”
“Legions Of The Brave”
“Stormhold”
“Fear Your Death”
“Gates Of Astraal”
“Battle Of The Royal Halls”

“The Final Decision” lyric video:

Swedish rock/metal goths Myrah has released a new lyric video for “She Rides The Night”, taken from their new album Until The End Of Time.

Until The End Of Time tracklisting:

“Taken”
“My Angel”
“I Lied”
“Into Oblivion”
“Ge Mig Liv”
“She Rides The Night”
“Addicted To Darkness”
“The Storm”
“Vandrink I Ensamheten”
“A Shadow Screams My Name”
“Until The End Of Time”

“She Rides The Night” lyric video:

Until The End Of Time was already released in Spain, worldwide release is set for July 13.

On June 26, Norwegian black metallers Isvind will release their new album Gud. The Daumyra successor is again released by Folter Records (distributed by Alive). A new song “dåren" is streaming.

Gud tracklisting:

“flommen”
“ordet”
“tronen”
“dåren”
“hyrden”
“boken”
“giften”
“himmelen”
“spiret”

“dåren”:

Las Vegas-based rock ‘n’ roll band, The Bones, are celebrating success of their latest live studio album, Ruin Your Rockshow, Live!. Known for turning traditionally cheesy songs into rock head-bangers, The Bones’ latest 17-track live album cheekily covers classics such as Modern English’s “I Melt With You”, The Bangles’ “Walk Like An Egyptian”, Psychedelic Furs’ “Pretty In Pink”, Prince’s iconic “Purple Rain” and many more.
 
Comprised of singer/guitarist Patrick Vitagliano (John Connelly’s Nuclear Theory), lead guitarist Jeff Duncan (Armored Saint, Odin), drummer Shawn Duncan (Bulletboys, DC4) and bass player Sean Koos (Joan Jett & The Blackhearts), the tongue-and-cheek project’s high-energy set has quickly became one of the most memorable rock shows in Las Vegas, dubbed as “The Lovechild of Social Distortion and The GoGos”.

“This project is a blast, we are VERY intentionally, the silliest show in rock ‘n’ roll!,” says Vitagliano.
 
Last month The Bones held a free record release party at Count’s Vamp’d in Las Vegas, for fans to get an up close and personal, exclusive preview of Ruin Your Rockshow, Live! with special guest, all-girl rock band, Brazen.
 
To listen to Ruin Your Rockshow, Live! online, click here.

(Photo - Vincent Young)

According to The Hollywood Reporter, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash and his soon-to-be-ex-wife Perla Ferrar, have put their mansion in the Mulholland Estates, a guard-gated community in the Beverly Hills area of Los Angeles, on the market for $11 million.

The 11,000-square-foot, three-story Tuscan Villa-like home on Clerendon Road includes six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a swimming pool with outdoor bar, a skate ramp, and large kitchen with double islands. The master bedroom includes a large walk-in closet as well as paneled walls that double as storage space. The lower level features a nightclub replete with DJ booth, LED lights, a pole-dancing pole and photo booth. It also offers a professional recording studio with vocal booth as well as a screening theater and wine cellar.

Slash and Perla bought the home in 2009 for $7.3 million. Their neighbors reportedly included Vanna White, TV judge Greg Mathis, reality TV queen Paris Hilton, British pop star Robbie Williams and actor Charlie Sheen.

Perla told a cameraman from TMZ earlier in the year that her separation from the legendary guitarist was "pretty amicable," adding that "he's gonna do the right thing for me and his children" in the divorce. Asked how their assets will be divided in lieu of a prenuptial agreement, Perla said, "I don't know how any of that's gonna work, but I know he's gonna do the right thing for me and his children, as I would do the right thing to him. Like I said, it's amicable, so there's no bad blood — at least not yet."

Slash filed for divorce from Perla in December after 13 years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences." He was asking for joint custody of their two sons, 12-year-old London and 10-year-old Cash.

Asked about Slash and his new girlfriend, Meegan Hodges, recently getting matching tattoos, Perla responded, "They can do whatever the hell they wanna do. Whatever."

Perla added that there were no hard feelings at all between her and Slash, saying, "Not at all. I like [Meegan]. I think she's a nice woman. Everything's really cool and amicable."

She added, "[Slash and I] had a really long, lasting, loving relationship for a long time. We're best friends, we're business partners, and we just wanna do what's best for our kids."

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have released the new 2CD collection from Japan's death/doom fiends Coffins entitled Perpetual Penance on CD and digital formats. This is an essential compilation of Coffins vinyl only and split release tracks, features artwork by Uchino and is the follow up to the 2011 release Ancient Torture. Stream the album for free and then purchase the digital download for only $9.99 here.

This is an essential compilation of Coffins vinyl only and split release tracks, features artwork by Uchino and is the follow up to the 2011 release Ancient Torture. The first 100 orders come with a free chrome Coffin keychain, a miniature casket that opens to store your victim’s ashes.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1:
“Hellbringer” (Demo version from Colossal Hole EP)
“No Saviour” (Demo version from Colossal Hole EP)
“Colossal Hole” (Demo version from Colossal Hole EP)
“Drowned In Revelation” (from split with Noothgrush)
“The Wretched Path” (from split with Noothgrush)
“Reborn” (from Reborn flexi)
“Grotesque Messiah” (Extended version from split with Macabra)
“Axes Of Vengeance” (from split with Sourvein)

Disc 2:

“Till Dawn Of The Doomsday” (from split with Warhammer)
“Grotesque Messiah” (from split with Disgrace)
“In Bloody Sewage” (from split with Hooded Menace)
“The Fog Of Burning Flesh” (from split with Stormcrow)
“Slaughter Of Gods '09” (from split with Stormcrow)
“Till Dawn Of The Doomsday/Grotesque Messiah” (Live version from Live In Japan EP)
“In Bloody Sewage” (Live version from Live In Japan EP)
“Here Comes Perdition/Under The Stench/Slaughter Of Gods” (unreleased track Live in Czech Republic)

“Reborn”:

 

Pre-order the Double CD for only $14 with free shipping at this location.

 

 

 

 

 

“Book Of Skulls”, a track from Italian rockers Goblin Rebirth’s new self-titled album, out June 30th via Relapse Records, can now be heard streaming below. Goblin Rebirth will be available on CD/LP/Digital, and is available for physical preorder at Relapse.com.

Inspired by the legendary Goblin, the 1970's horror-synth / film score icons responsible for such soundtracks as Suspiria, Zombi and Tenebre, Goblin Rebirth came together after a temporary reformation of the original group in 2009.  The new incarnation of the group contains the famed rhythm section of the original Goblin (drummer Agostino Marangolo and bassist Fabio Pignatelli, who both played on the classic soundtracks to Zombi/Dawn of the Dead, Suspria, Profondo Rosso/Deep Red and more), with the addition of Aidan Zammit and Danilo Cherni on keyboards and Giacomo Anselmi on guitar.

The band formed in 2010 and started with a live repertoire of Goblin hits and some unusual songs from more obscure Goblin soundtracks. The band members soon began creating new material and decided to look to the future, creating songs that grew out of an organic process, through a combination of individual compositions and jam sessions.

Now the first new recordings from Goblin Rebirth will see the light of day via Relapse this summer.  The group's debut album was mixed and produced by bassist Fabio Pignatelli. Tracks were recorded at the various members' personal studios, while the drums were recorded in Trani, at Scuola Sul Mare Studios.  The album was mastered by Bob Fix at BobFixMastering. Guest musicians on the album include Arnaldo Vacca on percussion and Roberta Lombardini on vocals.

 

 

Tracklisting:

“Requiem For X”
“Back In 74”
“Book Of Skulls”
“Mysterium”
“Evil In The Machine”
“Forest”
“Bolero”
“Rebirth”

“Book Of Skulls”:

“Requiem For X”:

Album trailer:

American neo-classic riff masters, Black Fast, will release their all new LP, Terms Of Surrender, on August 7th via eOne Music. Ripping pages from Death's technical death metal guidebook, the St. Louis foursome conjures the spirit of the late, great Chuck Schuldiner while channeling the viciousness of Megadeth's young-and-hungry Dave Mustaine and blistering aggression of Kreator’s Mille Petrozza. The album track, “To Propagate The Void”, can be heard streaming below.  

The band tapped veteran producer Erik Rutan for the effort on their debut LP for eOne Music. Known for his work with Hate Eternal, Six Feet Under, Goatwhore and Cannibal Corpse, Rutan was an easy choice.

Terms of Surrender will be the band's followup to their highly buzzed about self-released Starving Out The Light. Black Fast has a short but concentrated history. Started in 2010 by fellow music students Aaron Akin, Trevor Johanson, Ryan Thompson and Ross Burnett, the band has bulldozed on an upward trajectory ever since. Their soundtrack to society’s collapse is relentless. Possessed by unbridled energy and a palpable desperation, the band has a fierce vitality that will not go unnoticed.

Creating a modern twist on the energetic riffs of metal’s glory days, Black Fast harness the spirit of their metal forefathers, whether exploring hand-cramp-inducing riffs or blazing through straightforward thrash. Black Fast songs have a hungry ferocity reminiscent of the Bay Area thrash scene, the likes of which haven’t been this raw or hyper-charged in decades.

Tracklisting:

“The Keep”
“To Propagate The Void”
“The Coming Swarm”
“Tongues Of Silver”
“I Conspire”
“Haunted Vigil”
“The Fall”
“Vacuous Idol”
“Until Dust”

“To Propagate The Void”:

 

Finger Eleven is set to release their sixth studio album, and first in five years, appropriately titled Five Crooked Lines, on July 31st via The Bicycle Music Company/Concord. The album’s first single, “Wolves And Doors”, is available on digital online retail outlets today and hits radio this week. A video for the song can be seen below.

When Finger Eleven - Scott Anderson (vocals), James Black (guitar), Rick Jackett (guitar) and Sean Anderson (bass) - decided to start writing the follow-up to their 2010 album Life Turns Electric, the band members all agreed they wanted to do something different. Since their formation in high school in 1990 (as Rainbow Butt Monkeys), they had released seven full-length albums – including the 2007 Juno Award winning Them Vs. You Vs. Me, which featured the smash hit single “Paralyzer” - and experimented with a variety of styles such as hard rock, classic rock, heavy blues, etc.. So, over a two-and-a-half year period, they decided to try a bit of everything over a multitude of writing sessions.

As the members pored through the material they had written, they agreed that the best songs, the ones that rang truest and were the most natural, were the more aggressive ones. So, instead of spit-polishing the mixes and layering the tunes with heart-rending guitar arpeggios and keys, they toughened up, building muscular walls of riffs and performing with a forcefulness and energy reminiscent of their earliest days.

“When we started the band, we just wanted to blow everyone away with force and power and MAKE them take notice of us,” says guitarist James Black. “We wanted this record to be that same kind of punch in the face. On our past couple albums, we’ve taken full advantage of the ‘studio.’ We’ve had songs with hundreds of tracks, some with forty tracks of guitar alone. This time, we wanted to keep the songs so raw they sounded like they do in the rehearsal room.”

In addition to capturing a primal, authentic feel, Five Crooked Lines incorporates the band’s earliest influences and recontextualizes them in an explosive modern framework. “Absolute Truth” features a turbulent rhythm that tumbles through a vortex of quasi-psychedelic guitars, “Blackout Song” is a feast of fuzzy, wailing riffs, four-to-the-floor beats and euphoric hooks and the title track exits the gate with crashing symbols, a buzzing passage and a counter-melody that keeps the music pumping. From one song to the next, there are no compromises, no concessions and nothing tailor-crafted to suit any outside demands. There’s even a seven-minute song, “Come On, Oblivion,” a transcendent ebb-and-flow mélange of trippy acoustic and electric instrumentation that’s as reminiscent of early The Verve as it is of Pink Floyd.

The band chose the album title after they realized that Anderson’s lyrics to the title song had a universal appeal and a particular relevance to the album. “For me it’s symbolic of fortune and luck and how fragile those things are,” Anderson says. “In one instance you’ve got Five Crooked Lines, which in one position is just a heap of bent sticks. But in the right way, they make a star, which is the most glorious shape there is.”

When all the songs were ready, Finger Eleven headed down to a home studio in West Nashville where producer Dave Cobb (Rival Sons, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) helped them narrow the bounty of songs they had written down to 12 and record them at break neck speed. Upon arriving in Music City, Finger Eleven knew they needed their record to capture the old-school atmospheres of some of their favorite classic rock records. Secondly, they needed a drummer.

“Instead of finding someone to come down to Nashville with us, we figured we could get a killer drummer there,” explains Jackett. “I mean, Nashville is home to some of the best session players. Dave called up Chris Powell, and within the first three hours of the first day it was happening. We knew right away that his drumming would elevate the entire record.”

Finger Eleven, Cobb and Powell recorded Five Crooked Lines in 11 days and mixed in an additional four.

Some critics and fans frown when musicians tap into a particular era for inspiration, but, having achieved success on their own terms long ago, Finger Eleven don’t care. “I think we’ve always gone against the current,” Black says, “or at least against where we’re ‘logically’ expected to go next. Because we’re all open minded enough to just go for it, we go for it. With Five Crooked Lines I think we went far enough out there to be able to look back and say ‘Fuck it.’ We love big guitar, big beat, loud as fuck rock and roll music. We know how to do this kind of music. Let’s own it.”

Before the album’s release, Finger Eleven will hit the road for shows with Three Days Grace, along with headlining and festival shows of their own starting June 13 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada at the Sound of Music Festival. Tour dates at this location.

“Wolves And Doors” video:

 

Spanish modern melodeath metallers, Rise To Fall, release their new album, End Vs Beginning, today, June 9th via Coroner Records. The album was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios. A new lyric video for “Thunders Of Emotions Beating” can be seen below.

End VS Beginning tracklisting:

“End Vs Beginning”
“The Threshold”
“Plastic Scene”
“Burning Signs”
“Parasites”
“Rise Without Drama”
“Thunders Of Emotions Beating”
“Murk Empire”
“Against All Odds”
“Dark Clowns Leading Blinds”
“Emptiness”
“Welcome To...”
“...The Refuge”
“Unspeakable Sins”
“Sustension”

“Thunders Of Emotions Beating” lyric video:

Teaser:

UK metal act, Heart Of A Coward, have completed a new video for their song, “Hollow”.

Jamie Graham (vocals) had this to say about the video: ““Hollow” is the opener for the new record and the shortest, sharpest statement of intent we could make before the Summer starts and we prepare to unleash this beast of an album onto everyone. There's a little more pace in this song than people will be used to hearing from us... safe to say that's something that's stuck across this new record. We cannot wait to show everyone what we've been cooking up."

The band's second album, Severance, was released in November of 2013 on Century Media which saw the band tour with Machine Head, Thy Art Is Murder, Sikth, Attila and After The Burial.  This summer the guys are playing Download Fest as well as a few other UK festivals.  Look out for music and album details coming soon.

 

 

 

 

Copenhagen, Denmark-based rockers Celestial Son (formerly Drone) will release their new album, Saturn’s Return, in September via Mighty Music, and in many ways the album will take the band to the next level.

Two videos are directed by the highly acclaimed director Lasse Hoile, who has made videos, artwork and live visuals for a long list of internationally prominent names like Dream Theater, Opeth, Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson. Lasse Hoile will also be handling the albums visual appearance through pictures for cover and artwork (sample below).

Drone released the debut album Doors Of Perception in 2011 and that kick-started a lot of things for the band, living a year in Hamburg, Germany to take the band a step further to the international scene. The debut album received a lot of great reviews, but since another metal band with the same name threatened with a lawsuit and the word "Drone" is being used more and more in a context not suitable with a rock band, the band will from now on go under the new monicker Celestial Son.

Check out the new video for “Nothing In Excess”, directed by Lasse Hoile:

 

 

 

 

Karisma Records have inked a deal with rockers Tiebreaker that initially sees the label release two full-length albums from the band. First up will be the re-release of Tiebreaker's debut full-length album, We Come From The Mountains, which was previously self-released in Norway, and which Karisma plans to release internationally in both CD and digital formats in the fall of this year. In the meantime, the band plans to move to a cabin in the Norwegian countryside during August to concentrate on their sophomore full-length album, about which more details will be released at a later date.

Formed  by five childhood friends in 2011 in Odda, Hordaland, Tiebreaker emerged from the Norwegian underground and within a few very short years grew into one of the finest rock bands in the country. With their high-energy shows, Tiebreaker have established a solid reputation on the live circuit, playing over 200 shows since 2013, including a tour of Texas, where the band played eleven shows in nine days.

Tiebreaker's lineup of Thomas Espeland Karlsen on vocals, Eirik Wik Haug and Olav Areklett Vikingstad on guitars, Patrick Andersson on bass and Pål Gunnar Dale on drums, creates a sound that blends classic  70's rock with today's dirty rock and blues style and a pinch of prog thrown into the mix.

To coincide with the announcement of their new record deal, Tiebreaker have debuted a video of the band playing live at the ABC Studios. Filmed by Gregor from tripidea.com and produced by Kjetil Ulland, the video can be seen below:

 

Swiss rockers Gotthard will release a limited edition live album, Live & Bangin’, on June 12th. 

Gotthard’s Nic Maeder states: “We’ve recorded this album on our Bang! tour in Baar, Switzerland in 2014 and decided that we wanted to release it as a limited special edition just for you. This album is exclusively dedicated to you guys!”

Live & Bangin’ is a massive thank you for the last four years, in which you have kept the faith with Gotthard - because without you, there probably wouldn’t have been a future after the tragic death of Steve Lee end of 2010. Live & Bangin’ will not be available in stores, but instead sold solely in the Gotthard fan shop and at merchandise stalls on the upcoming festival tour, strictly limited. Exclusively for Fanclub members there’s a pile of CDs autographed by the band waiting to be unleashed. Live & Bangin’ will be officially released on June 12th - however, pre-order aficionados may take a turn here.

How to order if you are a Fanclub member: Every Fanclub member can order 1 signed copy each. Ordering more copies is possible but the other copies will be unsigned then. You can easily order in the fan shop with the link above. We will recognize you as a Fanclub member by your name on the invoice.

There’s not a second wasted on Live & Bangin’: Almost like on an official bootleg, there are close to 75 minutes of the Tessin platinum rockers’ sound - unaltered, live and pure. With the premium digipack and a 16-page booklet packed with first hand live images Live & Bangin’ really feels like a Bang! tour flashback. You could actually call its tracklisting a set list, because the songs on Live & Bangin’ are a perfect cross section of the tour-show including a lifelike instant mosh pit in your living room.

Live & Bangin’ tracklisting: 

“Let Me In Katie”
“Bang!”
“Get Up ‘N’ Move On”
“Sister Moon”
“Right On”
“Master Of Illusion”
“Feel What I Feel”
“The Call”
“Remember It’s Me”
“What You Get”
“The Train”
“C’est La Vie”
“That’s It (Car Crash)”
“Mountain Mama”
“Lift U Up”
“Thank You”
“Anytime Anywhere”

Teaser video: 

Live & Bangin’ is the adequate warm-up for Gotthard’s upcoming festival dates. The final leg of the Bang! tour kicks off June 19th, when Nic, Leo, Freddy, Hena and Marc want to thank you in person - live and eye-to-eye. This summer is all about you, be there and celebrate yourself!

Tour dates can be found at this location.

Fly-on-the-wall footage of METALLICA's May 31 performance at the Rockavaria festival in Munich, Germany can be seen below. The 10-minute clip, which was shot by a MetOnTour reporter, includes drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo in the meet-and-greet, tuning-room footage and "Fight Fire With Fire" from the show.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Fuel02. For Whom The Bell Tolls03. Metal Militia04. King Nothing05. Disposable Heroes06. The Unforgiven II07. Cyanide08. Lords Of Summer09. Sad But True10. The Frayed Ends Of Sanity11. One12. Master Of Puppets13. Fight Fire With Fire14. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)15. Seek And Destroy

Encore:

16. Creeping Death17. Nothing Else Matters18. Enter Sandman

METALLICA currently has 10 dates on its calendar between now and mid-September, including this year's edition of Lollapalooza, which will take place at Grant Park in Chicago, on July 31, August 1 and August 2.

The band has reportedly been working on its tenth studio album, which will follow up 2008's "Death Magnetic".

METALLICA has made available for purchase a limited-edition box set containing 50 CDs that chronicle the band's tours of Australia and New Zealand in 2010 and 2013. The set features recordings of 62 different METALLICA originals and covers from 25 different shows, each on two discs, and retails for a hefty $395.

Despite insisting that work has been proceeding on a new CD, 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 a Rock In Rio USA stint.

Fan-filmed video footage of BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T, performing on June 7 at Križanke in Ljubljana, Slovenia can be seen below.

BODY COUNT's 2014 comeback album "Manslaughter", saw Ice-T modernizing some of the lyrics, adding references to Xbox, email passwords and vegans.

"Manslaughter" sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 102 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 10, 2014 via Sumerian.

In an interview with Esquire, Ice-T stated about his decision to bring back BODY COUNT: "The band wanted to get back together. The band lives in L.A., and I live [in New Jersey], so Ernie [guitar] was calling me, saying, 'Ice, let's rock and roll!' I said that I didn't want to do a mixtape. I don't want to do another album unless I write the music, because on the previous album, in 2006, I kinda mailed it in. They wrote the music in L.A. and sent me the tracks, I wrote the lyrics, and I just kinda walked away. I didn't mix it, I didn't do anything to it, and the record suffered. And I didn't want to do another one unless we had a real shot at making a good record together."

Regarding how the Sumerian deal came together, Ice-T said: "Vince [bassist Vince Dennis, a.k.a. Vincent Price; STEEL PROPHET] was connected to Juan [guitarist Juan Garcia, a.k.a. Juan Of The Dead; AGENT STEEL, EVILDEAD] and Juan had connections to Sumerian Records. The head of the label, Ash Avildsen, is a BODY COUNT fan. He had a little money to throw at the project and he didn't care about previous sales or anything. When you're lucky enough in this business to run into a real fan, they're like, 'Let's just do this!' You need someone in this business who just believes in you, that's not doing that SoundScan and all that other shit. Not doing the numbers, but doing the — [Ice taps his fist into his left hand three times]."

BODY COUNT's current lineup includes guitarist Juan Garcia (a.k.a. Juan Of The Dead; AGENT STEEL, EVILDEAD), who made his live debut with the group in November 2013 at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas.

BODY COUNT took part in last summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE's video for the song "Green Eyes" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's fourth full-length album and first for Artery Recordings, "Hail Mary", which will be released on June 16.

When it came time to record "Hail Mary", the members of IWRESTLEDABEARONCE all agreed on one thing.

So, what was the great unifier in this case for musicians Steven Bradley (guitar), Courtney LaPlante (vocals), Mike Stringer (guitar), Mikey Montgomery (drums) and Mike "Rickshaw" Martin (bass)?

"We wanted to write some straight-up heavy, crazy, gnarly music this time," declares Steven. "We basically decided to just shit on everything people might be expecting and do something 'weird' for us; [in other words] take things in a darker direction and write some music that explores even more heavy/technical genres than in the past."

"On this album, we all had a clear goal to push ourselves both creatively and technically," LaPlante agrees. "My lyrics and performance had to mirror the music. I had to push passed my self-created boundaries, and as Steven so eloquently put it, 'Get gnarly.' The only pressure I felt was from myself. Since I joined the band, I've grown as a vocalist and lyricist, and now is my time to prove it."

With that mindset, the quintet retreated to Steven's studio in suburban Los Angeles to cut the 14 tracks comprising "Hail Mary". 2013's "Late For Nothing" introduced Courtney behind the mic, boasted a guest spot from guitar god Steve Vai on "Carnage Asada", and scored acclaim from the likes of Ultimate Guitar, MetalSucks, Kerrang! and Revolver. However, this new collective goal encouraged the members to truly gel on album number four.

"The last time we were writing, I had just joined the band, and I was a bit isolated at home for the beginning of the process," recalls Courtney. "I didn't hit my stride creatively until I got down to Los Angeles with the guys. This time, I was there for every single moment. I was engrossed in it. Together, we watched little ideas bloom into what 'Hail Mary' is now."

Album opener "Gift Of Death" begins with a dissonant hum before slipping into a bludgeoning polyrhythmic guitar-and-drum death march punctuated by Courtney's distinct growls. "The goal was to piece together a bunch of crazy tech metal ideas, but to not lose sight of keeping it memorable and somewhat organized," says Steven. "Also it's pretty damn evil, and it really sets the tone for the album."

Courtney goes deeper, explaining, "'Gift Of Death' is told by a person who has been so sure their entire life that they are going to go to heaven — only to end up in hell. They realize that they have been cast aside. The gift is supposed to be a blessing, but this person realizes that they've been cheated."

Then, there's the eradicating and entrancing "Erase It All", which boasts a scorching cameo from SUICIDE SILENCE singer Eddie Hermida and also appropriately received its debut on Easter Sunday 2015. "It's emblematic of what we're doing on this record and having both Courtney and Eddie together at the end of the song is just inarguably br00talz."

"It's time to reject the notion that if you play by the rules, then you will be rewarded," sighs Courtney. "Erase that false mindset and move on to better things. It's about standing up for yourself and not drinking a drop of the poison disguised as medicine people shove in your face."

Elsewhere on the grossly epic "Doomed To Fail Pt. 1" and "Doomed To Fail Pt. 2", the group employs traditional guitar solos, another evolution in the spirit of assembling their "most metal album," as Courtney calls it. Steven explains, "This album has the craziest guitar work of any of our albums so far, and it's due in part to Young Michel [Stringer] joining the band and being an absolute beast on guitar. 'Doomed To Fail Pt. 1' has legitimate guitar solos, which is totally different for us. Normally, we'd eschew that, but we're embracing it and even adding another dimension to the music. Then 'Pt. 2' kicks in and, as the only song on the album that doesn't feature predominately screaming, gives the album a breath of fresh air while dancing around the same melodies as the extremely heavy/technical 'Pt. 1'."

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE's multi-dimensional sound has transfixed listeners since the release of their 2009 debut, "It's All Happening". Over the course of 2011's "Ruining It For Everybody" and "Late For Nothing", the band amassed nearly 100 million cumulative YouTube views, while obliterating stages in 40-plus countries and with bands from every genre imaginable. Everything laid the groundwork for "Hail Mary" as their most corrosive, catchy, and chaotic statement to date though.

Their duality ultimately shines through the title. "It's twofold," concludes Steven. "Courtney's lyrics contain a lot of religious themes this time around. We feel that blindly following religion or anyone else's doctrines and embracing close-mindedness is the culprit behind many of the world's worst tragedies, and we want to encourage people to question anything/everything that's force-fed to them. We purposefully took a step away from the bright neon themes of our past to do something darker with this album. There's also the football reference and us just saying, 'Fuck it! We've been quiet for a little while now, but let's just throw this straight out there and see what happens.' We aim to destroy everything this time around, and I hope everyone's on board with that."

"Hail Mary" track listing:

01. Gift Of Death02. Remain Clam03. Green Eyes04. Erase It All05. Curse The Spot06. Doomed To Fail Pt. 107. Doomed To Fail Pt. 208. Killed To Death09. Trips10. Man Of Virtue11. Carbon Copy12. Wade In The Water13. We All Float Down Here14. Your God Is Too Small

"Old New York", the new video from New York hardcore legends AGNOSTIC FRONT, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's eleventh album, "The American Dream Died", which was produced by MADBALL singer Freddy Cricien and engineered, mixed and mastered by Paul Miner (H2O, TERROR). The record, which features guest appearances by Cricien, Toby Morse (H2O) and Lou Koller (SICK OF IT ALL), was made available as digital download, on vinyl as well as on CD. A limited bundle with an exclusive t-shirt was also on sale.

In a recent interview with RockSverige.se, AGNOSTIC FRONT singer Roger Miret was asked at what point the American dream died. "You know, that's just a statement from me," he responded. "I'm just stating that, little by little, this country is leaning towards losing its values, Americans are losing their constitutional rights. You see it happening, and it's no secret; it's out there and you can see what's going on."

He continued: "The main focal point to why we call the record 'The American Dream Died' and how this all started is the collapse of the housing market. When that collapsed, and you saw what followed with the banking collapse and then the world's banks collapsed. Everything went to hell all over the world pretty much, and that's when I clearly was making that statement, but it followed through."

Roger added: "It's a little bit of everything. You watch all of the corruption on all these higher levels. Police corruption and all this police violence going on. Everything just escalated. I'm not saying the American dream when it comes to cars, apple pie, baseball… it's all there and anybody can come to America. You can buy a home, but you won't own it for 30 years. America is a beautiful country, but the government is just so corrupt, it's destroying your dreams."

Fan-filmed video footage of BEHEMOTH's June 6 performance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg can be seen below.

BEHEMOTH's latest album, "The Satanist", sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's ninth full-length studio CD, 2009's "Evangelion", opened with around 8,500 units to land at No. 56.

The definitive BEHEMOTH biography, "Behemoth: Devil's Conquistadors" by Lukasz Dunaj, was released in February via Metal Blade. The 490-page, hardcover tome includes quotes and anecdotes from current and former members that provide context and details in addition to the author's narrative, plus interviews with Tomas Krajewski, Rob Darken, Graal, Havok, and more. The artistically presented pages are splattered with old photos of the band, flyers, lyric sheets, etc.

The English-language version of BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski's autobiography, "Sacrum Profanum", was released on March 31 via Jawbone Press. The book received editorial assistance from Mark Eglinton, co-author of Rex Brown's memoir, "Official Truth, 101 Proof - The Inside Story Of Pantera".

Originally released in Poland in October 2012, "Sacrum Profanum" was previously described by Darski as "a really long in-depth interview."

Fan-filmed video footage of Swedish occult rockers GHOST performing a brand new song, "Majesty", on June 4 at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg can be seen below. The track is taken from GHOST's third album, "Meliora", which will be released on August 21 via Loma Vista Recordings. The follow-up to 2013's "Infestissumam" was helmed by Klas Åhlund, a prolific songwriter, producer and guitarist who is also a member of the Swedish rock band TEDDYBEARS, and was mixed by Andy Wallace (SLAYER, NIRVANA, SEPULTURA, LINKIN PARK, GUNS N' ROSES).

"Meliora" track listing:

01. Spirit02. From The Pinnacle To The Pit03. Cirice04. Spöksonat05. He Is06. Mummy Dust07. Majesty08. Devil Church09. Absolution10. Deus In Absentia

The cover artwork for the CD can be seen below.

GHOST's June 3 warm-up show at at Doom in Linköping served as the group's live debut with "new" singer Papa Emeritus III, the three-month-younger brother of GHOST's previous frontman, Papa Emeritus II.

GHOST is planning to return to the studio before the summer to record several cover songs, including one by Leonard Cohen and another by the '80s Swedish band IMPERIET.

GHOST's last release was a covers EP, "If You Have Ghost", which sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 87 on The Billboard 200 chart. Issued on November 19, 2013 via Loma Vista Recordings, the five-track EP was recorded and produced by Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS, NIRVANA), and included cover versions of songs by ROKY ERICKSON, ABBA, ARMY OF LOVERS and DEPECHE MODE, plus a live version of the GHOST offering "Secular Haze", recorded in Brooklyn earlier that year.

GHOST was forced to modify its name in the U.S. to GHOST B.C. for "legal reasons."

Video footage of CROWBAR's June 6 performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below.

CROWBAR's latest album, "Symmetry In Black", sold around 3,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 68 on The Billboard 200 chart.

CROWBAR's previous CD, 2011's "Sever The Wicked Hand", opened with around 3,500 units to land at position No. 4 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Symmetry In Black" came out in North America on May 27, 2014 via Entertainment One Music. The CD, which was made available in Europe on May 26, 2014 through Century Media Records, was produced by CROWBAR guitarist/vocalist Kirk Windstein and Duane Simoneaux and was mixed by Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA).

Power metal act, Judicator, have joined the Divebomb Records roster and will see the release of their third album, At The Expense Of Humanity, on July 17th.At The Expense Of Humanity is a progressive power metal concept album about singer John Yelland’s brother who passed away after battling cancer. The album details the story of John’s family, their struggles, and his personal existential and philosophical quandaries that resulted.Musically, At The Expense Of Humanity, shows the band moving away from the Germanic power metal styles explored on their sophomore effort Sleepy Plessow and plunging into more progressive territories, as well as incorporating other elements they had yet to discover within themselves.  At The Expense Of Humanity is a big, bold step for the US metal band, and exhibits no signs of impeding its momentum now.Tracklisting:“A Picture Of Fading Light”“God's Failures”“Cannibalistic Mind”“Coping Mechanism”“My Fantasy Destroyed”“Lucid Nightmare”“The Rain In The Meadow”“Nemesis/Fratricide”“Autophagia”“Life Support”“At The Expense Of Humanity”“How Long Can You Live Forever?”“Enantiodromia”“Coping Mechanism”: