Last couple of weeks brang us some good and some bad news, hence these line-up changes. M.O.D. ceased to exist while Evergreen Terrace, Rings of Saturn and Cattle Decapitation have canceled their tours. Instead of Evergreen Terrace we have PRO-PAIN on the bill, Rings of Saturn were replaced by HORSE THE BAND and MONUMENTS, Cattle Decapitation were replaced by HOUR OF PENANCE and instead of M.O.D. we'll have DR. LIVING DEAD.
Besides aforementioned PRO-PAIN, HORSE THE BAND, MONUMENTS, HOUR OF PENANCE and DR. LIVING DEAD we've confirmed Polish OUTRE, Swedish VICTIMS and NEGLECTED FIELDS from Latvia. If any of these bands will make it to Your line-up or not, you can still win free tickets with #mybrutalassault – just see the older posts.

SLIPKNOT's official video for the song "Killpop", the third single from the band's latest album, ".5: The Gray Chapter", can be seen below.

In a recent interview with the WGRD 97.9 FM radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor stated about "Killpop": "You know, what's funny [is] over the last few weeks, I've really gotten everyone's interpretation of what that song means to them, and it's nowhere near what I wrote about. So it's kind of interesting to hear people's interpretations of what I'm singing about. And I'll be honest with you: the song is my reflection on my relationship with music. That's who the 'she' is. And not just music, but the music industry in general. So there's a love-hate relationship there that really kind of comes into view."

He continued: "There's the old adage, 'Be careful what you wish for,' and, 'Be careful doing what you love, because sometimes it will turn on you.' And, you know, anytime you mix something that you love and business, you're gonna find the rusty cracks in there that piss you off. So that song, really, is about how much I still love making music, but also how much I just hate the business side, the numbers side, the people in the suits who try to run stuff, and having to deal with them and having to learn how to talk to them. And, you know, it's frustrating sometimes, but it is what it is. And luckily, we got a great song out of it, and we were able to really paint something really cool with it and just be able to put it out there for people to dig."

SLIPKNOT's "Summer's Last Stand" tour kicks off on July 24 in West Palm Beach, Florida, wrapping up six weeks later on September 5 in Dallas. Joining SLIPKNOT on the road trip will be LAMB OF GOD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and MOTIONLESS IN WHITE. The summer jaunt follows a brief spring run that SLIPKNOT launched on April 25 at the Fort Rock festival in Fort Myers, Florida, ending on May 16 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The second single released from "The Gray Chapter", which came out in October, was called "Custer".

Finnish metallers Children Of Bodom (aka COB) are set to release their ninth studio album, I Worship Chaos, worldwide on October 2nd via Nuclear Blast Records. The artwork was created by Finnish artist Tuomas Korpi.

COB frontman, guitarist, and mastermind Alexi Laiho commented on the new album: “We are close to putting the finishing touches on the new COB record I Worship Chaos and as much fun (but most importantly raw, literally bloody knuckled hard work) it has been making it, I’m more than happy and even more anxious to share this chaos with the rest of the world.  So people, put your shades and helmets on, it will get very dark and it might hurt, in a perfect COB fashion of course!”

Returning to Finland’s Danger Johnny Studios (located at a top secret, undisclosed location in Helsinki) to record I Worship Chaos, the album was produced by COB and Mikko Karmila, who worked with the band on their earlier albums Halo Of Blood, Hatebreeder, Follow the Reaper and Hate Crew Deathroll. The album was mixed and mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland.

Tracklisting:

“IHurt”
“My Bodom (I Am The Only One)”
“Morrigan”
“Horns”
“Prayer For The Afflicted”
“I Worship Chaos”
“Hold Your Tongue”
“Suicide Bomber”
“All for Nothing”
“Widdershins”

*The deluxe version of I Worship Chaos will include bonus tracks.

Children Of Bodom recently announced they have parted ways with long-time guitarist Roope Latvala. It was an amicable spilt with no bad blood between them. The band issued the following statement:

“Dear COB Hatecrew, We need to share something with you at this point. Our friend, brother, and a guitar player for 12 years, Roope, is no longer with the band. As we parted ways with no bad blood, we wish him nothing but the best and thank him for allowing us to share the last 12 years of our lives with him.

Hope you know that this will not affect the upcoming shows or the new album as we recorded it as a four piece and it is already mixed, mastered, heavy as shit and ready to go! Enough said, See you soon!”

With a summer tour due to kick off on June 4th, Children Of Bodom have tapped Warmen guitarist Antti Wirman - the brother of COB keyboardist Janne - to replace Latvala for the road trip. He made his live debut with the band on May 30th at a private performance at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland.

Janne Wirman has since commented on conscripting his younger brother:

"We wanted to go with someone close to the band we can count on and who can nail these songs. Antti was the obvious choice."

Children Of Bodom’s summer tour schedule is as follows:

June
4 - Sweden Rock Festival - Solvesborg, Sweden
6 - Laulurinne - Joensuu, Finland (with Nightwish)
11 - Club A2 - St. Petersburg, Russia
12 - Ray Just Arena - Moscow, Russia
13 - Premio - Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
15 -  Tele Club - Ekaterinburg, Russia
19 - Hellfest - Clisson, France
20 - Den Atelier, Luxembourg
21 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium
26 - Rock am Härtsfeldsee - Dischingen, Germany

July
17 - Resurrection Fest - Viveiro, Spain
31 - Ratinan Stadion - Tampere, Finland (with Nightwish)

Dutch symphonic metal band, Epica, has another milestone to their career. The band received the Music Export Award at this year’s edition of the Buma Rocks! The award is given to the Dutch metal act with the most international success in the past year.

Mark Jansen had the following to say about winning the awards: “We are honoured with this prestigious award, it's a big achievement after all those years of investing countless hours and much energy into Epica. It shows that everything you do by following your heart will eventually pay off and will get acknowledged. Thanks to all our fans from all over the world!”

Epic Metal Fest, a brand new festival organized and curated by members of Epica, will take place on November 22nd at Klokgebouw in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Headlining this event, Epica will be joined by befriended bands Eluveitie, Fear Factory (20th Anniversary Demanufacture show), Moonspell, Delain and Periphery, with more bands to be announced.

Simone Simons, Epica’s frontwoman, states: “It was a long-cherished dream of Epica to host our own festival and we are very proud to be able to present an absolute awesome array of international metal acts. This day will surely be the next highlight in our career and we hope to be able to share it with all of you!”

It will mark the band’s return to the Klokgebouw after their 10th Anniversary Retrospect Show, which saw Epica perform in front of more than 4,500 people with fans joining from over 50 different countries.

Epica and Swiss folk metallers Eluveitie will join forces this fall to co-headline across North America. This trek also has Canada’s The Agonist supporting on all dates.

Simone Simons says the following about the upcoming tour: “We are ecstatic to finally return to North America. It is time to nurture our long-distance relationship with our fans over in North America. We'll have a wonderful time together and will perform songs spanning our entire discography. You guys better be ready for us.”

This will mark Epica’s long-awaited return to North America after the band’s tour with Machine Head late 2013 got cancelled. It will also be the group’s first North American run in support of their latest album, The Quantum Enigma, which hit the charts all over Europe and beyond.

Eluveitie’s lead vocalist Chrigel Glanzmann further states: ”We're 8 months into the Origins World Tour now and far from getting tired! We can't wait to finally return to the USA and Canada; especially because we'll return alongside the mighty Epica! By Toutatis, this is gonna be fucking awesome!"

Tour dates:

September
8 - Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
9 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
11 - Corona Theatre - Montreal, QC
12 - Imperial Theatre - Quebec City, QC
13 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON
15 - House Of Blues - Chicago, IL
16 - Mill City Nights - Minneapolis, MN
18 - O'Brians Event Centre - Saskatoon, SK
19 - Union Hall - Edmonton, AB
20 - MacEwan Ballroom - Calgary, AB
22 - Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, BC
23 - Neumos - Seattle, WA
25 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
26 - Fonda Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
28 - Gothic Theatre - Denver, CO
29 - Sokol Auditorium - Omaha, NE

October
1 - Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY
2 - Agora Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
3 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Epica and Eluveitie will also tour Europe this fall. This tour will see Epica and Eluveitie co-headline in Germany, Poland and Czech Republic. Epica will be the headliner on the dates in Italy, France and the UK. Swedish progressive melodic death metal band and label mates Scar Symmetry will be the opener for all dates.

 

 

Epica/Eluveitie co-headline with opener Scar Symmetry:

October
27 - Oberhausen, Germany -Turbinenhalle
28 - Neu Isenburg, Germany - Hugenottenhalle
30 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Hala Euronic
31 - Krakow, Poland - Laznia Nowa Theater

November
1 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
3 - Nürnberg, Germany - Löwensaal

 

 

Epica supported by Eluveitie and opener Scar Symmetry:

November
4 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
5 - Bologna, Italy - Estragon
7 - Grenoble, France - Belle Electrique
8 - Rennes, France - L’Etage
9 - Lille, France -  Aeronef
11 - Bristol, England - Academy
12 - Manchester, England - Ritz
14 - Glasgow, Scotland - Garage
15 - London, England - Forum

 

Sweden’s Ghost (known in North America as Ghost B.C. for legal reasons) will release their new album, entitled Meliora, on August 21st via Loma Vista Recordings/Spinefarm Records. The band has debuted the first video from the album called “Cirice” below. The clip was directed by Roboshobo. Click here for a free download of the track.

Meliora tracklisting:

“Spirit”
“From The Pinnacle To The Pit”
“Cirice”
“Spöksonat”
“He Is”
“Mummy Dust”
“Majesty”
“Devil Church”
“Absolution”
“Deus In Absentia”

More details to follow.

Polish death metallers Disloyal - featuring members of Thy Disease and Deathbringer - are streaming their new album Godless below:

Godless is being released tomorrow (June 9th) via Ghastly Music, a division of Amputated Vein Records. 

Godless was recorded, mixed and mastered in Monroe Sound Studio and features guest appearance by members of Masachist, Yattering and Azarath.

The album tracklist is as follows:

"Abruption"
"Give Place Unto Wrath (Vengeance Is Mine; I Will Repay)"
"New Enemy Rising"
"Dybbuk"
"Self-Carving Titan"
"Mechanism Of Deceit"
"Mors Imperator Mundi"
"Corporate Beasts"
"On The Ashes Of The World"
"The Chastener"

For more information check out the official Disloyal Facebook page here.

German power metallers Iron Savior released their first ever DVD/Live CD Live At The Final Frontier on May 29th. It includes the recordings of the band's show in their hometown Hamburg (from January 2015) and comes as exclusive DVD/2CD digipak.

Check out two clips from the DVD at the bottom of the page.

Tracklisting:

DVD
“Ascendence (Intro)”
“Last Hero”
“Starlight”
“The Savior”
“Revenge Of The Bride”
“Break The Curse”
“Burning Heart”
“Mind Over Matter”
“Hall Of The Heroes”
“R U Ready”
“Condition Red”
“I’ve Been To Hell”
“Heavy Metal Never Dies”
“Coming Home”
“Iron Watcher (Medley)”
“Atlantis Falling”
“Breaking The Law” (Judas Priest cover)

*Also additional backstage/concert footage

CD1
“Ascendence (Intro)”
“Last Hero”
“Starlight”
“The Savior”
“Revenge Of The Bride”
“Break The Curse”
“Burning Heart”
“Mind Over Matter”

CD2
“Hall Of The Heroes”
“R U Ready”
“Condition Red”
“I’ve Been To Hell”
“Heavy Metal Never Dies”
“Coming Home”
“Iron Watcher (Medley)”
“Atlantis Falling”
“Breaking The Law” (Judas Priest cover)

Music legends KISS performed at the Rock In Vienna festival in Vienna, Austria on June 6th. Fan-filmed video from the night can be viewed below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

"Detroit Rock City"
"Deuce" 
"Psycho Circus" 
"Creatures of the Night" 
"I Love It Loud" 
"War Machine"
"Do You Love Me" 
"Hell or Hallelujah" 
"Calling Dr. Love" 
"Lick It Up"
- bass solo - 
"God of Thunder" 
"Parasite" 
"Love Gun" 
"Black Diamond"

Encore:
"Shout It Out Loud" 
"I Was Made for Lovin' You" 
"Rock and Roll All Nite"

KISS' European tour schedule is as follows:

June
8 - O2 Arena - Prague, Czech Republic
10 - Hallenstadion - Zürich, Switzerland
11 - Arena di Verona - Verona, Italy
14 - Download Festival - Castle Donington, UK
16 - Le Zenith - Paris, France
18 - Ziggo Dome - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
21 - Saint Jordi - Barcelona, Spain
22 - Barclay Card Arena - Madrid, Spain

Click here for ticket links and more details.

For almost a half decade, Mike Tramp (White Lion) has been on a worldwide journey, touring and living as a modern life nomad, in his quest for personal and artistic freedom and staying true to the idea of the rock n roll troubadour.

Tramp has just completed his third solo tour of the USA in three years. Playing 50 shows on each tour, traveling all by himself exploring the American continent from coast to coast like never before. A journey of true dedication, making him unique in danish rock history. 

With Nomad, Tramp completes what he calls his trilogy on his journey to show who he is and where he stands. The album makes the final step on the ladder he started climbing (with Cobblestone Street), this time with a full band album, from first to last song.

Tramp: "Without the no compromise on Cobblestone Street and Museum, I would never have found my way home to Nomad. Each previous album gave me the freedom to follow the songs  wherever they wanted to go, and with Nomad my vision was clear as a bell, once again I just had to be who I am."

Tracklisting:

"Give It All You Got"
"Wait Till Forever"
"Counting The Hours"
"Bow And Obey"
"High Like A Mountain"
"No More"
"Stay"
"Who Can You Believe"
"Live To Tell"
"Moving On"

In the spirit of the album, Mike Tramp with special guests Lucer embarks on a massive European tour in late summer taking them to Denmark, Germany, Sweden, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Northen Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, France and Switzerland.

Deluxe editions of LED ZEPPELIN's final three studio albums: "Presence", "In Through The Out Door" and "Coda" will be released in July.

The reaction to the first six LED ZEPPELIN album reissues has been extraordinary, with albums charting in the Top 10 around the globe whilst also garnering 5-star reviews and other critical accolades along the way.

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

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

The reissue campaign ends with a double-barrel blast of LED. "Coda" will be the only LED ZEPPELIN deluxe edition to include two companion discs, featuring 15 tracks recorded between 1968 and 1974. The oldest song in the collection is also perhaps the most interesting. The frenetic blues jam "Sugar Mama" was recorded in 1968 at Olympic Studios during sessions for the band's eponymous debut. The song, which was completed but never officially released until now, can be streamed below (courtesy of RollingStone.com). "Baby Come On Home" from the same session is also included in the set. Also included is the previously unreleased "St. Tristan's Sword", a rollicking instrumental recorded during the "Led Zeppelin III" sessions in 1970.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Presence" track listing:

01. Achilles Last Stand02. For Your Life03. Royal Orleans04. Nobody's Fault But Mine05. Candy Store Rock06. Hots On For Nowhere07. Tea For One

Companion audio

01. Two Ones Are Won (Achilles Last Stand - Reference Mix)02. For Your Life (Reference Mix)03. 10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod) (Reference Mix)04. Royal Orleans (Reference Mix)05. Hots On For Nowhere (Reference Mix)

"In Through The Out Door" track listing

01. In The Evening02. South Bound Saurez03. Fool In The Rain04. Hot Dog05. Carouselambra06. All My Love07. I'm Gonna Crawl Companion audio

01. In The Evening (Rough Mix)02. Southbound Piano (South Bound Saurez - Rough Mix)03. Fool In The Rain (Rough Mix)04. Hot Dog (Rough Mix)05. The Epic (Carouselambra - Rough Mix)06. The Hook (All My Love - Rough Mix)07. Blot (I'm Gonna Crawl - Rough Mix)

"Coda" track listing:

01. We're Gonna Groove02. Poor Tom03. I Can't Quit You Baby04. Walter's Walk05. Ozone Baby06. Darlene07. Bonzo's Montreux08. Wearing And Tearing

Companion audio

Disc One

01. We're Gonna Groove (Alternate Mix) 02. If It Keeps On Raining (When The Levee Breaks - Rough Mix)03. Bonzo's Montreux (Mix Construction In Progress)04. Baby Come On Home05. Sugar Mama (Mix) 06. Poor Tom (Instrumental Mix)07. Travelling Riverside Blues (BBC Session)08. Hey, Hey, What Can I Do Disc Two

01. Four Hands (Four Sticks - Bombay Orchestra) 02. Friends (Bombay Orchestra) 03. St. Tristan's Sword (Rough Mix)04. Desire (The Wanton Song - Rough Mix)05. Bring It On Home (Rough Mix) 06. Walter's Walk (Rough Mix)07. Everybody Makes It Through (In The Light - Rough Mix)

Photo credit: Atlantic Records / The Outside Organisation

Gearing up for the release of his new solo album, Smash, former Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy has released a video for his new song, "I Can't Take It", shot at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA. Check it out below:

Pearcy's solo band line-up is as follows:

Stephen Pearcy - vocals
Erik Ferentinos - guitars
Matt Thorne - bass
Chris Hager - guitars
Greg D'Angelo - drums

Pearcy has booked a series of Stateside solo shows, his itinerary is as follows:

June
13 - Riverside Park Amphitheatre - Rushville, IN
27 - J & P Cycles Annual Open - Monticello, IA

July
11 - McHenry Fiesta Days Festival - Peterson Park, IL
17 - The Boardwalk - Orangevale, CA
18 - Roc Bar Theatre - San Jose, CA
24 - Sycuan Casino - El Cajon, CA
31 - 210 Kapones - San Antonio, TX

August
1 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
2 - Brewsters - Corpus Christi, TX
4 - Trees - Dallas, TX
8 - Rockn' The Railroad Fest - Sheridan, WY

September
7 - Harley Davidson Rally - Milwaukee, WI
25 - Bossanova Ballroom - Portland, OR
26 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA

October
3 - Storm Stadium - Lake Elsinore, CA

Professionally filmed video footage of TESTAMENT's entire August 2, 2014 performance at last year's edition of the Resurrection Fest in Viveiro, Spain can be seen below.

TESTAMENT recently completed the "Dark Roots Of Thrash II" North American tour with EXODUS and SHATTERED SUN.

A new TESTAMENT studio album is currently being written for a tentative early 2016 release.

Speaking about the progress of the songwriting sessions for TESTAMENT's follow-up to 2012's "Dark Roots Of Earth", guitarist Eric Peterson told "Robb's Metalworks": "I would say, musically, [we have] probably, like, a little bit over half [the record written] — maybe a little bit more. Chuck's catching up [on writing vocal lines and lyrics]. And the first batch of songs are just, like, all thrash. And I usually only write a couple of thrash ones, and then I focus on midtempo or just real heavy. But, for some reason, they just all came out super fast. And they're all different, too, so I think, actually, they'll all be keepers."

On the topic of when TESTAMENT plans to begin recording the new album, Peterson said: "My main goal is to get home [from tour] in June, finish it up and get in the studio by September." As for the CD's possible release date, he said: "Well, you know, it's tough to have it out later in the year, because if you put it out past October, people will say, 'Oh, that's last year's record, and it's only been out for a couple of months. So I would lean more towards early '16. And that's right around the corner. We will serve no wine before its time. So it's gotta be right."

Texas-based "groove" metallers PISSING RAZORS have announced their return to the stage, set for Saturday, July 11 at Tricky Falls in their hometown of El Paso.

PISSING RAZORS, which recently added new bassist Geo Gomez, is in the early stages of preparation for a 2015 release of new material and run of live dates planned for both stateside and abroad.

PISSING RAZORS' upcoming CD will follow the vibe and direction of the band's Andy Sneap-produced 1998 self-titled effort as well as 1999's acclaimed "Cast Down The Plague" album, both of which were released through Noise/Modern Music.

PISSING RAZORS's current lineup includes founding members Eddy Garcia (drums), Joe Rodriguez (vocals) and Mat Lynch (guitar), who led the band to gain a loyal underground following in the mid/late '90s and early 2000s through constant touring, both stateside and abroad.

PISSING RAZORS was formed by the Garcia brothers (Eddy and Danny) in the early '90s under the moniker BACK DOOR CYCLOPS, but changed its name to PISSING RAZORS in time for the release of the band's debut studio album, "Psycho Punko Metal Groove", in 1996. The CD was followed by "Pissing Razors", "Cast Down The Plague", "Fields Of Disbelief" (2000), "Where We Come From" (2001), the live record "Live In The Devil's Triangle" (2002) and the group's final release, "Evolution", in 2003.

Fan-filmed video footage of DOKKEN's June 6 performance at Eightball Club in Thessaloniki, Greece 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."

Fan-filmed video footage of CLUTCH's June 6 performance at the FortaRock festival at Goffertpark in Nijmegen, The Netherlands can be seen below.

CLUTCH's new album, "Psychic Warfare", is tentatively due in September via the band's own label, Weathermaker Music. Songtitles set to appear on the follow-up to 2013's "Earth Rocker" include "X-Ray Visions", "Firebird", "Quick Death In Texas", "Our Lady Of Electric Lights", "Monsters", "Decapitation Blues" and "Son Of Virginia".

The basic tracks and most of the guitars for "Psychic Warfare" were laid down at producer Machine's studio in Dripping Springs, Texas, while the remainder was recorded at CLUTCH's studio in Maryland.

Asked how "Psychic Warfare" compares to CLUTCH's previous efforts, drummer Jean-Paul Gaster told Lithium Magazine: "It's hard to say, because we are so close to it at this point and it's so very new to us. It's easier for me to make comparisons, or contrast to, 'Earth Rocker', just because that was the one that preceded it. And I feel like, compared to that record, I think there's a little more dynamic range happening on this album. I think the tempo of the songs is a little bit more far-reaching. 'Earth Rocker' had a very specific energy to it, it was a very upbeat record, and this record also has some of those kinds of songs, but I think some of the feels are a little different — maybe a little more reminiscent of stuff that we've done even before 'Earth Rocker'. So it's definitely a departure from what we did last time."

Gaster also spoke about the songwriting process for "Psychic Warfare" and how it was different from the way CLUTCH approached its previous releases. He said: "The writing dynamic really stays the same. It really just boils down to the four of us getting in a room and jamming. That's really where most of the songs start. Rarely does somebody come to the table with something that sounds like a completed song. It does happen from time to time, but, really, for the most part, it's a pretty organic thing. I think probably the change in the style of songs also happens naturally. We don't really sit around and think what we need to do something different than last time. We just tend to always do that; we sort of just react to whatever we did. Sometimes I think we do that even on a very subconscious level."

Fan-filmed video footage of LYNCH MOB's June 6 concert at Rockpile West in Toronto, Ontario, Canada can be seen below.

LYNCH MOB's new album, "Rebel", will be released in August via Frontiers.

The first song and video from the CD will be premiered later this week.

In a recent interview with Myglobalmind, LYNCH MOB guitarist George Lynch stated about the band's musical approach: "I think LYNCH MOB tends to have that core sound which is the desert, loose-based, rock sound with a mystical component to it. I think that's… we inherently know that. So we always use that as our foundation, almost unconsciously, and anything that flows from that, we can go off and play the different directions and try different things, but within the context of the foundational components that make the band what it is, what it's known for. And that flows from the chemistry between Oni [Logan, vocals], myself and our history. So it's not something that we even decide to do; it just sort of happens right back from when we formed a band together. We just have a style that, even if we're in a room and I go, Okay, I'm going play this weird riff that has nothing to with anything that you'd think we'd' be about' [chuckles], it ends up becoming exactly what we're about. [laughs] That's what's neat about it. It's not like we'd have to really try to be who we are. We are who we are, and everything we play sort of conforms to that within the context of our mutual little musical struggle. We're sitting in a room together, writing. There's a chemistry there."

Asked about Logan's latest return to LYNCH MOB in time for the recording sessions for the band's 2014 EP, "Sun Red Sun", Lynch told "The Classic Metal Show": "I've loved Oni's voice and I've loved his lyrics and I love things about him, things that he does, but again, I've been frustrated my whole life with singers in general. And I just got to the point now where I just kind of let it go. I'm not trying to control the universe. I just do what I do. If people wanna work with me, they work with me. If not… I try to do the right thing. I treat everybody fairly. So Oni's back. Things are going well right now… Right now everything is wonderful. We're in our honeymoon period. It's kind of like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; we just keep getting married over and over again. We get divorced so we can get married again."

"Sun Red Sun" featured a cover of BAD COMPANY's "Burnin' Sky", and included four remastered bonus tracks from the original "Sound Mountain Sessions" EP: "Slow Drag", "World Of Chance", "City Of Freedom" and "Sucka".

California-based rock quintet OF MICE & MEN has canceled the remaining dates of it "Full Circle Tour" after the band's lead singer, Austin Carlile, was hospitalized for undisclosed reasons.

Said the group in a statement: "Austin Carlile was admitted to a hospital yesterday morning, and, per doctor's orders, has been kept in overnight for evaluation.

"The band regrets not being able to perform for their fans and hopes to be back in [San Diego and Mexico City] as soon as possible.

"Refunds for both shows will be available at point of purchase. However, OF MICE & MEN are planning to reschedule both shows for a later date in the year.

"We will have more news on this in the the coming weeks and tickets holders are welcome to retain their tickets, as they will remain valid for these rescheduled dates."

OF MICE & MEN's "Restoring Force: Full Circle" deluxe double-disc, foil-stamped digipack that includes three brand-new songs and an acoustic version of the band's hit single "Feels Like Forever" was released in February.

The new songs — "Broken Generation", "Something To Hide", "Never Giving Up" and the acoustic version of "Feels Like Forever" — were recorded last fall with producer David Bendeth (PARAMORE, BRING ME THE HORIZON) in Southern California.

The two-CD set is a special reissue of the album "Restoring Force", which hit No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart and No. 1 on both the Billboard Top Independent and Top Rock Albums charts.

Professionally filmed video footage of MARILYN MANSON's June 5 performance at the Rock Am Ring festival in Mendig, Germany can be seen below.

MARILYN MANSON is:

Marilyn Manson - VocalsPaul Wiley - GuitarTwiggy Ramirez - BassGil Sharone - Drums

Manson's new album, "The Pale Emperor", was released on January 20 via the shock-rocker's own label — Hell, etc. — in a joint venture with Cooking Vinyl and Loma Vista Recordings.

Manson collaborated on the new album, his first in over two years, with noted film composer/producer Tyler Bates ("Guardians Of The Galaxy", "300", "The Watchmen"). Bates also joined Manson as a member of his band on the recent "The Hell Not Hallelujah Tour", alongside longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez, Gil Sharone on drums and Paul Wiley on guitar.

"'The Pale Emperor' came from a book that I was given in 2000 by [actor Johnny] Depp," Manson recently told Full Metal Jackie.

"We have each other's back as in we have the same tattoo on our back. It covers our entire back. It was about Heliogabalus, which may be a little esoteric for our listeners. He was the emperor of Rome before Caligula. He was the first one to deny God, and that's a big deal."

He continued: "For whatever reason, I had just opened up all the boxes of my past life.

"I moved into a new house while I made this record.

"Normally, I'd title the album before the album was made, but this time I titled it after it was made.

"I unearthed all of these books and I found this book Johnny gave me in Y2K when I went to stay with him in South of France, because we thought the world was going to come to an end. Instead, we set off firecrackers and bought all the absinthe there was in different countries. I read it and it was referring to this emperor who they referred to the pale emperor and I identified with it suddenly."

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Manson revealed that many of the songs on "The Pale Emperor" were recorded in a single take. "It's dirty," he said, "like the dirt under my nails, like someone who has dug a grave."

Manson will team up with SMASHING PUMPKINS for "The End Times" co-headlining tour. They will hit the road together starting July 7 in Concord, California, and ending on August 8 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Professionally filmed video footage of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD performing their new song, "Still Echoes", live for the first time on June 5 at the Rock Am Ring festival in Mendig, Germany can be seen below.

"Still Echoes" is taken from LAMB OF GOD's new album, "VII: Sturm Und Drang", which will be released in July via via Epic in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Entertainment, with whom the band signed a record deal for all territories outside of North America. The CD was once again produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur with engineering by Wilbur, Nick Rowe and Kyle McAulay, and was recorded at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California and Suburban Soul Studios in Torrance, California.

The album's first single, "Still Echoes", was made available on May 18 via all digital retailers and streaming services.

"VII: Sturm Und Drang" track listing:

01. Still Echoes02. Erase This03. 51204. Embers05. Footprints06. Overlord07. Anthropoid08. Engage The Fear Machine09. Delusion Pandemic10. Torches

LAMB OF GOD has announced the variety of bundle options available for the pre-order of "VII: Sturm Und Drang". They range from the "everything bundle" (including the deluxe CD or LP, a 7" vinyl single of bonus tracks, a signed album art lithography, a t-shirt, hoodie, cassette and sticker set and retails for $175) to the standard digital download (which retails for $11.98).

LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe told Billboard.com that the subtitle of "VII: Sturm Und Drang" — which is German for "storm and stress" — indirectly refers to his experience of being arrested at the Prague, Czech Republic airport on June 27, 2012 and being accused of shoving a local fan off the stage during LAMB OF GOD's May 2010 concert in the city. The man, who is said to have stormed the stage three times during the show, reportedly suffered a brain hemorrhage that resulted in his death nearly a month later. Blythe was eventually acquitted of all charges after a panel of Czech judges ruled that concert promoters — and not Blythe — were largely to blame for the fan's death.

According to Blythe, he wanted the title to reflect the new album's lyrical themes, which deal with the psychology of humans reacting under extreme conditions. "I was, like, 'Maybe the Germans have something,' because they're great at cramming complex concepts into, like, one word, like 'schadenfreude' and 'zeitgeist,'" he said. LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton, whose mother is German, came across the title while researching German vocabulary. ["Sturm Und Drang" was used as the name of a German literary movement of the 18th century, and it refers to a state of uneasiness and usually resentment brewing to an eventual explosion.]

"I didn't set out to write this record about my perception of how people handle stress and difficulties … but as I was writing, it kind of started coming to me," said Blythe, who wrote ninety percent of the album's lyrics. He also went on to describe "VII: Sturm Und Drang" as "the most cohesive record we've done in a long time" and not as "schizophrenic" as some of LAMB OF GOD's previous albums.

Blythe told RollingStone.com that "Still Echoes" "is a history of [Prague's] Pankrác Prison," where he was incarcerated for over a month. The first line of "Still Echos" reads: "A thousand heads cut clean across their necks, right down the hall from me." Blythe says: "There was a guillotine right down the hall from me, from when the Nazis had the prison. From 1943 to 1945 they executed almost 2,000 people by the guillotine, because it was cheaper than shooting and quicker than hanging … They call it the Pankrác 'Saw Room' or the 'Axe Room. I sat there at night, and I’d think about all those dudes that got their heads chopped off— men and women — in that place not too far from me."


"Still Echoes" lyric video (studio version):

Fan-filmed video footage of JUDAS PRIEST's entire June 4 concert at Helsingin Jaahalli in Helsinki, Finland.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Dragonaut02. Metal Gods03. Devil's Child04. Victim Of Changes05. Halls Of Valhalla06. Love Bites07. March Of The Damned08. Turbo Lover09. Redeemer Of Souls10. Beyond The Realms Of Death11. Jawbreaker12. Breaking The Law13. Hell Bent For Leather

Encore:

14. The Hellion / Electric Eye15. You've Got Another Thing Comin'

Encore 2:

16. Painkiller17. Living After Midnight

JUDAS PRIEST's latest album, "Redeemer Of Souls", was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

"We felt it was important to make another classic metal album, which is generally what PRIEST has been famous for over the last 40 years," JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford said in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. "We had great success with 'Nostradamus', which was something that we'd always wanted to try. I think there was a nice enough space of time, musically, to do a lot of things but primarily just to kind of get all of the pieces into place to make what we feel is one of our best records — with all of the elements of what classic PRIEST stands for."

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Asked if there will be another JUDAS PRIEST album to follow "Redeemer Of Souls", the band's bassist, Ian Hill, told Music Feeds: "There's no reason why not. I mean, Richie [Faulkner, guitar] came to the band… It's been, like, three years ago now, and he's injected a whole new enthusiasm and energy into the band. We just did the 'Epitaph' tour and we were gonna try and slow down, but that ain't gonna happen — it just ain't gonna happen. I think we enjoy it too much, really. I think the thought of us not doing it terrifies us… or not being able to do it. So we're gonna cram as much as we can while we can. At least three of us ain't spring chickens anymore. So we're gonna keep going until one of us drops, I suppose."

Fan-filmed video footage of THE SIRENS, the collaboration between vocalists Kari Rueslåtten (THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL), Anneke van Giersbergen (THE GATHERING) and Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull (LEAVES' EYES, THEATRE OF TRAGEDY), performing on June 6 at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg can be seen below.

The seeds for THE SIRENS were planted when Anneke approached Kari in early 2013 with the proposal of doing a duet for her "Drive" album (released in 2013). Seeing as Anneke regards Kari as an inspiration going in to do THE GATHERING's breakthrough album, "Mandylion", Anneke's intention was to pay tribute to Kari via the collaboration. The song didn't make the final cut as it didn't fit the album, but they remained in touch. Then, in July 2013, Anneke and Liv had a chance meeting at the Masters Of Rock festival in the Czech Republic, and THE SIRENS concept was born.

"We had a few minutes only to talk in between our gigs," Liv recalls, "but we agreed that we really should get together and tour. We both had to smile then, thinking that we were, with Kari, the 'originals' within our scene. Moreover, all three of us being mothers and still highly busy in music and art. Anneke told me that she had just talked to Kari, and that was the 'go' for THE SIRENS."

It would be fair to call Kari the catalyst for THE SIRENS, as both Anneke and Liv saw her as a role model when they first made their way into music.

"I find it hard to believe that I once inspired them," Kari admits, "but if so, it is truly flattering. It is a fantastic feeling to know that I [am] singing live with two such amazing vocalists!"

THE SIRENS' 2014 tour was split into two parts, including festival appearances, and staged at the end of last year in October and December. It was a full concert showcasing the trio, one band, and a setlist featuring songs from THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL, THE GATHERING and THEATRE OF TRAGEDY as well as tracks from Kari, Anneke and Liv's respective solo careers. They sang alone, performed duets, capping off the night with all three of them on stage, with a show that clocked in at around 100 minutes each night.

"The female-fronted scene has become so big all over the world, sometimes it's hard to believe the three of us were at the very beginning of it," says Anneke. "I am very proud of that. Without intentionally wanting to start a new genre, our bands made it okay to sound and look as a girl singer on a metal stage. It was all very new and exciting. I think the tour [was] great to, in a way, celebrate those early days now that a third-wave of bands is appearing on the scene."

There are noteworthy parallels in the lives of Kari, Anneke and Liv that bind them together. All three fronted influential bands, they went on to have lucrative solo careers and remain active, and they've successfully balanced music with family life. It's clear the trio share a chemistry that make THE SIRENS a rousing success.

"Making music with kindred spirits is such a wonderful feeling," Anneke says. "I also love harmonizing with more than one singer on stage, so that [is] a cool aspect of the show as well."

Fan-filmed video footage of VENOM's June 6 performance at the FortaRock festival at Goffertpark in Nijmegen, The Netherlands can be seen below.

VENOM's latest album, "From The Very Depths", was released on January 27 via Spinefarm. The effort was made available via CD and download.

Asked how the decision came about to start working on a new album, VENOM bassist/vocalist Conrad "Cronos" Lant told Collide art and culture magazine: " Well, we don't sort of sit down and say, 'It's time to write now.' We just write constantly until we have an album. I've heard stories of bands back in the day who were, like, 'Okay, it's time to go into the studio to write an album,' then they would sit in there and scratch their fucking heads and not have a clue. As a musician, I've always come up with ideas non-stop. I don't know where the inspiration comes from. I suppose if you like welding pipes together, you become a fucking plumber. It all just comes from everyday life. I'm not one of these people who reads a book and says, 'Oh, I'm gonna write a song about that book.'"

Regarding what caused the delay in the release of "From The Very Depths", Cronos told Full Metal Jackie: "The thing is, for many, many years, I've always had 100 percent control over everything that gets released by VENOM, as far as the songs and the music. And, you know, that's not down to being a control freak, that's down to the fact that nobody else contributes. It's always been the pain in my butt about this band. It's, like, this is not a solo band. If it was, it'd be called CRONOS. This is VENOM, and it's got a fucking guitarist and a drummer in it, and I don't think that they should be lazy and just sit and play drums when, if they're a musician, they should have ideas, they should wanna better themselves as musicians, they should challenge themselves, do things that scare them. I mean, that's what this is all about; you want those butterflies in your gut. You wanna keep this real, like a fighter. You wanna be anxious about your next fight, you wanna be anxious about your next show. You know? And when I started to put the ideas together for 'Fallen Angels' and I asked the other guys to contribute, I said to them also, 'Now you have to also get involved in the production side. Yes, I'm the producer and I'm gonna oversee the entire project, but I wanna make sure that you guys are happy with what you're doing. It's not now just my decision.' Okay, I can be sitting there, at the end of the day, as sort of the executive producer and give the yay or nay, but the delay was, really, where a song would be constructed, all the parts would be recorded, and then I would sit there and say, 'That's a go. Send it for mixing. Get it out to be mastered.' Whereas now, the delay was, I had to go see Rage [Stuart Dixon, guitar], check all his parts with him, check he was happy with it, but also that he was happy with what I was doing, happy with the vocal, happy with the bassline, happy with the drums. And I had to do exactly the same with Danté [Danny Needham, drums]. Not just check that he nailed his shit and he was happy with his drums, but, 'Are you also happy with the way the song is? Are you happy with the whole band? Are you happy with the song?' And that all takes time. So, really, it took three times longer than it normally would. But, I think, at the end of the day, you get a better product, because you get a better album that you know everybody loves. I've always said, we make VENOM albums for VENOM. At the end of the day, I have to stand there and get behind that album and say, 'I believe in this album. I trust this album. This album is what I fucking believe to be black metal.' When we do concerts, that's for the legions. If the legions wanna tell me what songs to play, I'm happy to play the songs they wanna hear. But when it comes to the album, that's up to us. If you like it, great. If you don't, go and fucking take a hike, because we don't really care. But it is great when people dig your shit."

Reunited Swedish sleaze rockers BACKYARD BABIES played their first comeback show on June 5 at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg. Fan-filmed video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

BACKYARD BABIES have released a new single, "Th1rt3en Or Nothing", via Gain Music Entertainment, which is distributed and partly owned by Sony Music. A new full-length album, "Four By Four", will follow on August 28.

Listen to "Th1rt3en Or Nothing" on Spotify. "We are extremely pleased to continue our career together with Gain / Sony Music Sweden," said BACKYARD BABIES' Nicke Borg. "It's partly our history together, through the RCA, but above all it is the common love of real rock that makes this cooperation will become a success story. Here we go another 25 years, at least!"

BACKYARD BABIES officially reunited in 2014, five years after they announced that they were going on an "indefinite hiatus."

In a 2009 interview with Classic Rock magazine, BACKYARD BABIES guitarist Dregen stated about the band's decision to take a break. "We've been touring, recording and writing for 20 years, the last 10 at a very intense level. It's time for a well-deserved break before we begin writing the next album. . . We're talking months. For the BACKYARD BABIES, two weeks is a long time. If the hiatus lasted for a year, that would be an absolute maximum. During that time we won't be booking any shows, just trying to find a new spark."

To celebrate two decades together, BACKYARD BABIES embarked on the "Them XX Tour" in January/February 2010. In addition, they released a deluxe 120-page book titled "Them XX" containing private photos, three CDs and a DVD-documentary that conveys the 20 years of the BACKYARD BABIES story.

The band's last, self-titled album topped the chart in the group's home country in its first week of release. The CD also entered the Finnish album chart at No. 31.

Released in Europe on August 18, 2008 via Billion Dollar Babies/Spinefarm, "Backyard Babies" was recorded during 90 sweaty days and nights at Polar and Big Island Sound studios in Stockholm with producer Jacob Hellner (RAMMSTEIN, APOCALYPTICA).