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San Francisco Bay Area thrash veterans DEATH ANGEL, have released a live rendition of the song “Fallen” at this location: The track comes from their upcoming The Bay Calls for Blood – Live in San Francisco album, which will also be included with the release of their a thrashumentary DVD. The a thrashumentary DVD release was directed, shot and edited by Tommy Jones (KATAKLYSM, SOILWORK, LAMB OF GOD, CARCASS, TESTAMENT) of Videohammer Studios will be released July 24th via Nuclear Blast Records. The release will include a bonus full live album entitled The Bay Calls for Blood – Live in San Francisco. The Bay Calls for Blood – Live in San Francisco will also be sold as a vinyl LP exclusively through Nuclear Blast mail-order and will be made available in the digital format as well. Artwork for the LP version was created by Joey James Hernandez. Read more... then come back and comment below.

Jacky BamBam of Philadelphia's 93.3 WMMR radio station recently conducted an interview with CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer. You can now listen to the chat at using the audio player below. Speaking about the gift he gave to HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale for her 30th birthday, Keifer recalled: "It's funny. We've become friends since we did… That first show [HALESTORM and my solo band] did together was in Atlantic City. You know, she told me how she'd been inspired by my guitar playing and singing in CINDERELLA and that stuff, and it meant the world to me. And we've just become very close friends since then. Honestly, the whole band HALESTORM and my solo band are all big buds. So we were hanging out last fall, and it was her birthday — it was in October, I believe it was — and we were going out to all hang. And I was kind of looking around in my jewelry box and I saw this pin that I'd had [that I originally wore on the cover of the CINDERELLA debut album 'Night Songs', that I don't even remember when I took it off the jacket. And I just knew that she would like that, and I knew that she would know what it was, so I gave it to her for her birthday. And she loved it. And she surprised me by wearing it on [HALESTORM's 'Into The Wild Life'] album cover, which was just the coolest thing ever." Lzzy talked about the gift she received from Tom during a recent interview with WMMR's Jaxon. She said: "My birthday last October, we got together, and [Tom's], like, 'I found something, and I want you to have it. And it's not really big or great, but I know you'll know what it is.' And he hands me this little pouch, and it's a piece of costume jewelry. It's a pin that he wore on the cover of 'Night Songs'. And he's, like, 'I want you to have this. Because I don't even know why I saved it, but you're gonna appreciate this more than anyone else…' So, I decided to surprise him and wear it on our cover for 'Into The Wild Life'. So, I did. And it was so funny, 'cause we were working with a stylist [during the photo shoot for the 'Into The Wild Life' cover], and I'm, like, 'I brought this pin… I don't care who you are or what's 'in style' right now, but you have to make sure that I'm wearing this.' So I did, and then the album came out, and he's, like, 'Lzzy… Is this [the pin I gave you]?' And I'm, like, 'Yeah. Tradition man! We've gotta role that through!' So it's really nice." Tom Keifer talking to WMMR's about his gift to Lzzy Hale (audio):

Lzzy Hale talking to WMMR's Jaxon about Tom Keifer's gift (audio):

Video footage of Lzzy Hale performing CINDERELLA's "Nobody's Fool" with Tom and his solo band in Nashville in May 2015:

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This fall, the symphonic EPICA (NL) and folky ELUVEITIE (CH) will be touring Europe together with opener SCAR SYMMETRY (SWE). To give you an idea of what to expect, a tour commercial has been launched. This will be the last European tour of EPICA to promote their latest record »The Quantum Enigma« before getting back to the studio to start recording a new album. “We're in the middle of the European summer festival season as we speak, and we're having the time of our lives! Every show keeps getting better, every crowd seems bigger than the last one. »TQE« raised the bar drastically on all levels. I hope, we can share our enthusiasm with our fans one more time later this year!” - Isaac Delahaye ELUVEITIE will tour in support of their latest album »Origins«. SCAR SYMMETRY will tour in support of their upcoming album, due this fall. Read more... then come back and comment below.

San Francisco Bay Area thrash veterans DEATH ANGEL will release "A Thrashumentary" on July 24 via Nuclear Blast. The DVD was directed, shot and edited by Tommy Jones (KATAKLYSM, SOILWORK, LAMB OF GOD, CARCASS, TESTAMENT) of Videohammer Studios. The release will also include a full live album titled "The Bay Calls For Blood". An audio recording of the song "Fallen", taken from "The Bay Calls For Blood", can be streamed below. "It is with great excitement that I finally get to share this DEATH ANGEL news," comments vocalist Mark Osegueda. "'A Thrashumentary' is finally complete and ready for release this summer! The film tells the story of DEATH ANGEL from our inception to the present day. With many guest appearances by some of our peers and contemporaries who happen to be some of the most respected players in the genre, it covers the highs, lows and highs again of the band and the thrash metal movement. A must-have for any metal fan! "The even better news is 'A Thrashumentary' will be accompanied by an official live album called 'The Bay Calls For Blood', which was recorded in our hometown of San Francisco! We are so proud of this recording and performance that we decided to release it as a live DEATH ANGEL record! Did I say record? Damn right, I did! Because it will also be available separately on limited-edition vinyl for all the true metal fans! Bleed for it!" Adds director Tommy Jones: "What originally started out as a live music video for 'River Of Rapture' in 2010 has evolved into a full-scale historical documentary on the band and the thrash scene. This is the first time the band in its current lineup has been able to collectively sit down, and tell the story of how DEATH ANGEL came to be Mark, Rob, Ted, Will and Damien. Mixed with live footage I shot in the Philippines, Asia, Germany, Europe and North America, this project was a blast to produce. It became a true evolution from what we originally set out to do, while solidifying a lifelong friendship. "I can't wait for the DEATH ANGEL fans worldwide to be able to sit back and throw on 'A Thrashumentary' and hear/see the band's story straight from their mouths. It's a project I'm very proud of. It's also something I would have never envisioned doing when I was a kid taking my guitar to my teacher to learn the solo of 'Bored'! Thrash on!" "A Thrashumentary" DVD chapter list: 01. Start 02. We Grew Up In The Bay Area Thrash Scene 03. The Original Lineup Of Death Angel 04. Kill As One 05. The Ultra Violence 06. Frolic In The Park 07. Act III 08. The Accident 09. The O 10. Swarm 11. Thrash Of The Titans 12. I Like Everything About Ted 13. The Art Of Dying 14. Killing Season 15. Relentless Revolution 16. I'm Looking For Will Carroll 17. And Then Damien Came In 18. Relentless Retribution 19. Impressions Of Suecof 20. Relentless Touring 21. Thrashers 22. Death Angel Is 23. The Last Song Of The Evening 24. Credits Extra: 25. Mistress Of Pain Live "The Bay Calls For Blood" bonus live album and individual LP track listing: 01. Left For Dead 02. Fallen 03. Buried Alive 04. The Dream Calls For Blood 05. Execution/Don't Save Me 06. Truce 07. Detonate 08. Bored 09. Caster Of Shame 10. Territorial Instinct/Bloodlust As previously reported, DEATH ANGEL will enter the studio on October 1 to begin recording its new album for an April 2016 release via Nuclear Blast. Asked by Groovey of Groovey.TV what fans can expect from the follow-up to 2013's "The Dream Calls For Blood", DEATH ANGEL guitarist Ted Aguilar said: "It's gonna be DEATH ANGEL. In my personal opinion, I don't think we're gonna try to top ['The Dream Calls For Blood']. You can't recreate that moment in time. 'The Dream Calls For Blood' is 'The Dream Calls For Blood'. This next album we're writing… I mean, we've got some songs; [we're] four songs in. No lyrics yet, but… It's always gonna be heavy. The foundation of DEATH ANGEL is still there, but it's kind of hard to describe what direction we're going in until it's recorded, mixed and mastered. 'Cause the way DEATH ANGEL writes, we write a song, but it's always evolving — up until the point of recording. Even when it comes down to the mixing. It's just, like, 'Ah, let's change that up.'" He continued: "'The Dream Calls For Blood', it's a great record. We're proud of it. And the next album, it's just gonna be DEATH ANGEL in our mindset today. I'm not gonna say, 'It's gonna be this,' and it ends up being a little different. Who knows what this album is gonna sound like? [but] it's gonna be good." Asked if DEATH ANGEL has been writing any new material on the road, Ted said: "We've written some stuff on the road, and when we get back [home from the current tour], we're gonna write some more. Then we've got Europe in July and August, and we're gonna continue writing in Europe, on downtime and whatnot. 'Cause there's a lot of time on the road; plenty of hours go by, like right now. And then when we get home after Europe, in August, we're gonna spend a couple of weeks off, then all of September is honing in and doing pre-production, writing a little more and just fixing the loose ends." DEATH ANGEL's seventh album, "The Dream Calls For Blood", sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 72 on The Billboard 200 chart.

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On April 24, former THE IRON MAIDENS and current ALICE COOPER guitarist Nita Strauss was interviewed by Neil Shukla at Cosmopolitan Music Hall (inside Cosmo Music) in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follows (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).On what it's like to be part of Alice Cooper's "nightmare":"It's not a nightmare, I can tell you that much. It's really… It's been an amazing experience. It's coming up on my first year with the band — it's gonna be our anniversary — and it's been truly an amazing experience. Working with Alice is a dream come true, and everyone in the band has been great."On playing the role of Dave Murray in the all-female IRON MAIDEN tribute band THE IRON MAIDENS:"It's actually a funny story. The other guitar player in THE IRON MAIDENS is my best friend Courtney Cox. And when she originally approached me to be in THE IRON MAIDENS, I said, 'Can I be Adrian [Smith]?' She said, 'No. I'm Adrian.' I said, 'Pass.' [Laughs] And then, a couple of years later, I wound up playing in the band anyway, and I assumed the role of Dave Murray-slash-Janick Gers, so I did a little bit of Dave and Janick. It was a great time. And being Dave kind of gave me the chance to stretch my musical horizons a little bit, play some scales I didn't usually play before. So it was a lot of fun."On what drew her to the world of rock and metal:"I started playing guitar at 15. And I think was the first heavy metal song I ever heard, which was 'Trust' by MEGADETH, that really sparked my love of heavy metal. And ever since then, it was sort of a non-stop train, a non-stop train of heavy metal… crazy train, if you will. [Laughs] And, yeah, I mean, when you feel it, when you really feel a kind of music in your heart, and you know what you're supposed to be doing, it's a beautiful thing. I feel really lucky that I did."On her upcoming solo album:"I'm really excited about it. It's so hard to write a solo album, with the schedule that I have. So a lot of people are asking when the solo album's gonna be released. It's probably gonna be released, at this rate, sometime in, like, 2050. [Laughs] But I'm writing [for] it. I'm really, really excited. I still have to decide if I'm gonna have vocalists on it, or if I'm gonna do an instrumental album. I'm a big fan of instrumental guitar music, so, more than likely, it'll have at least a lot of instrumental tracks. And I'm just really excited to be in the studio and writing again. And writing some heavy stuff."

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In the four-minute clip below, QUEEN guitarist Brian May tests his knowledge of his own band by playing QUEEN's brand new and only official game.The QUEEN game is now available on both the Apple and Google app stores. Solve puzzles, complete trivia and win real-world QUEEN merchandise, all with QUEEN's original music.Queen: Play The Game is QUEEN's first official app and is a digital puzzle and trivia game for smartphones and tablets. With beautiful imagery from QUEEN's official archive, re-sampled sounds from all the hits and many recordings you may not have heard, this is a truly unique QUEEN experience. Test your knowledge of the band, solve puzzles, unlock official artwork, discover new music and win real official QUEEN merchandise.This app contains thousands of images, music clips and facts from the official QUEEN archive. Complete sections of the game and you'll also be entered into competitions to win real-world high-value packs of official QUEEN merchandise. The game runs on both Apple's iOS operating system and Google's Android so most modern smartphone and tablet users will be able to play.This game has everything for the QUEEN fan, young and old and evolves over time with new content and game modes added regularly. How much do you know about QUEEN's; songs, albums, tours, band members, producers, live gigs, studios, history, instruments, tastes etc? Whatever your level of knowledge you are sure to unlock some surprising facts about these most iconic of British rock bands.If you're a casual QUEEN fan, or indeed are just starting on your journey with their music, you will learn more about the band from this game than perhaps anywhere else.If you're already a seasoned expert, well there's an entire expert mode, especially for you. Are you one of the few people on the planet that can complete the whole game on expert, first time through?Queen: Play The Game has been created by SoshiGames of Birmingham in the U.K., a company focused on making games for artists and who worked very closely with QUEEN's official archivist and management team. "It was very important for us to be able to use only official QUEEN imagery and the band's incredible portfolio of music," says Cliff Dennett, CEO of SoshiGames. "We wanted to create an authentic and high-quality experience for the fans, befitting of a band with the stature of QUEEN."Greg Brooks is QUEEN's official archivist and has curated a lot of the content used in the game. Greg remarks: "Queen: Play The Game presents a lot of imagery you may not have encountered before and in brand new puzzle formats. We submitted over 1,400 questions to Soshi, as well as a mass of imagery and they've presented the best of it in an inventive logical way — often in contexts you won't expect."From launch, Queen: Play The Game spans across the history of the band, from the early days and the release of the first album, right up to "Made In Heaven" and the band members' solo projects. The app will grow as well, with new content and gameplay released on a regular basis, offering more ways to explore QUEEN and more ways to win cool official QUEEN prizes.For more information, visit www.queenplaythegame.com.

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Fan-filmed video footage of MO Read more... then come back and comment below.

Slash and his band — MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS — are scheduled to stay on the road until the end of the year, after which they will take a short break before beginning work on the follow-up to their 2014 album "World On Fire". "We're working on new material for the next record," Slash tells Billboard.com. "When this tour's over we'll start going in and doing some pre-production and probably go into the studio some time in mid-to-late spring and record." Regarding how the new songs are shaping up, Slash says: "They sound very rhythmic and that's definitely something that, for me personally, I'm going for. We'll see what that turns into. It changes. It sort of evolves; you start out with one idea and that sort of morphs into another idea. At this point it sounds like it's going to be really awesome, so I'm excited about it." Slash recently told Classic Rock magazine about his songwriting approach: "On the road is the platform that I find is the easiest for me to work on new material," he said. "It's easier here than it is for me to do when I'm at home. So I just get going. I take my phone and I record ideas on the phone and then we jam stuff at soundchecks; when we have soundchecks. So we compile a bunch of ideas, and then when the tour is over, we go home and, sort of, hash them out." "World On Fire" sold around 29,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on September 16, 2014 via Slash's own label Dik Hayd International distributed through Roadrunner Records (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America). "World On Fire" is the second album to feature Slash's regular backing band, MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, and follows up 2012's "Apocalyptic Love", which sold around 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart. On Slash self-titled solo effort he employed a different vocalist on each track, before settling on ALTER BRIDGE member Kennedy for both touring and eventually recording. Read more... then come back and comment below.

Pioneers of industrial-tinged extreme metal, FEAR FACTORY, have released their first single “Soul Hacker” digitally. You can order it here. The band recently released a lyric video for the brand new track, which you can check out here: The track comes from their much anticipated metallic masterpiece, »Genexus« , which will be released worldwide on August 7th via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. “We chose the song ‘Soul Hacker’ for the first single cause it's heavy, catchy and has a lot of groove,” comments guitarist Dino Cazares. “You can really hear the aggression in Burt's vocals on this one, not to mention on the entire album. We think people are really going to love this song and record; it’s super varied, melodic, aggressive and heavy.” Cazares continues: “We wanted to make it a little more interesting than your typical lyric video, so we included some live footage of the band from our last few tours and images of ourselves performing the song on TV screens. Hope you guys like it!” Pre-order »Genexus« by itself or in various bundles here: Read more... then come back and comment below.

MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil and his longtime girlfriend Rain Hannah will appear on this week's episode of the ABC reality series "Celebrity Wife Swap". Also making an appearance on the program, which airs on Wednesday, June 24 at 10:00 p.m. EDT, is Gunnar Nelson, half of the '90s rock band NELSON, which he formed with his twin brother, Matthew. In one of the scenes, Vince had to cook a dinner for 20 friends and he admitted that it was the first time he'd ever played chef in the kitchen. "I hadn't been in a supermarket to do grocery shopping since MÖTLEY CRÜE first went out on the road in 1981," he told the Las Vegas Sun. "I didn't know where to find any of the ingredients." For the uninitiated, ABC provided this helpful explanation of the premise: "Two members of celebrity families swap lives (but not bedrooms), and embark on a journey like no other to experience another family's way of life, including raising children, cultural and religious traditions and family dynamics, all while dealing with life in the spotlight. In the end, the couples have the opportunity to reflect and re-discover their connections and what brought them together in the first place." Neil is no stranger to reality television, having previously appeared on "The Surreal Life", "Skating With The Stars" and "Remaking Vince Neil". Read more... then come back and comment below.

Finnish/Swedish death rockers GRAVE PLEASURES will release their new album, "Dreamcrash", on September 4 through Sony Music's Columbia label.Formed out of the debris of the band BEASTMILK — the band that had indie kids, goths, punks and the music press dancing to their highly praised debut album "Climax" in 2013 — GRAVE PLEASURES are taking the concept of the apocalypse one step further. This time it's personal.GRAVE PLEASURES consists of singer/songwriter Mat McNerney (also of HEXVESSEL), bassist Valtteri Arino, guitarist/songwriter Linnéa Olsson (THE OATH, SONIC RITUAL), drummer Uno Bruniusson (IN SOLITUDE, PROCESSION) — as well as live and studio session guitarist Juho Vanhanen (ORANSSI PAZUZU).In May of this year, this impressive lineup entered the studio together with award-winning producer Tom Dalgety (KILLING JOKE, ROYAL BLOOD). The result is a complex and feverish set of modern rock songs. Urban tribal rhythms; potent melancholia; raw pop sensibility; irreverent ferociousness — "Dreamcrash" is seductive in its surrealism one minute, and a cold shower of harsh reality the next."I am concerned with a total collapse of our dreams," says Mat McNerney. "Hacking out this feverish, frantic and very uninhibited music, it exposes and lays raw some intense emotions. As we get deeper and closer to capturing the spirit of what we set out for this band to be, we are touching some vital nerves. It's getting under the skin, under the flesh."The stunning artwork is made by Samantha Muljat at Bloodbank Design and can be seen below.Read more... then come back and comment below.

Brazilian Metal veterans SEPULTURA are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year with an extensive European tour in July, August and November 2015. On this tour, they will perform a special setlist featuring songs, they usually don’t play live.Today, SEPULTURA added more dates to their '30th Anniversary Tour'.The following dates have been added today:Make sure to get your tickets for SEPULTURA soon. The show in Cham on the 22nd of August is already sold out and a few more shows are close to be sold out as well.Order your copy of SEPULTURA’s current anniversary EP »SEPULTURA Under My Skin« here: Read more... then come back and comment below.

MEGADETH's David Ellefson conducted an interview with METALLICA's Robert Trujillo for a Bass Gear Magazine column at the after the MASS MENTAL performance at Warwick in Markneukirchen, Germany during the Warwick Open Day 2014. You can now watch the chat below.Asked about his history with flamenco, a form of Spanish folk music and dance from the region of Andalusia in southern Spain, Trujillo said: "Well, flamenco was probably the first music that I may have heard as a baby, because my father played flamenco. It was for, obviously, hobby purposes, but that's what he played all the time, so I got used to hearing him play that style of music. And also, his finger technique, obviously, was… fingers… So when I picked up the acoustic guitar, I immediately started playing like that. And then I realized at some point that I was gravitating towards music that was more bass driven. But also, at one point, I realized that the more rhythmic instruments, like bass and drums, were what really suited me, 'cause I wanted to be a drummer first. We lived in an apartment, so I couldn't afford to get a kit to play loud and all that. My father had a friend who actually had a hollow-body bass guitar, and didn't work through an amp, but because it was hollow body, I could play it. So I kind of played on that for about a year, learning scales and all that. And here I am."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".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.MEGADETH is currently recording its new album for a tentative late 2015 or early 2016 release. The CD will be the band's first to feature LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

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MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke to Guitar World magazine about the band's long-awaited fifteenth album, which is currently being recorded at a Nashville studio for a late 2015 or early 2016 release. He said: "I think a lot of people are gonna be happy, because the music is really aggressive again." He continued: "There's nothing too out of the ordinary on the record. I think probably the most noticeable thing will be how my playing with the San Diego Symphony [in April 2014] affected some of my guitar work. Learning Vivaldi and Bach and all that, there's some stuff on the album where you can tell that made an impression on me. But there's nothing like 'Blackest Crow' [from 2013's 'Super Collider'], and, lyrically, nothing like songs that were on [1999's] 'Risk', talking about ecstasy or the breadline and stuff like that. These songs are definitely very dark. But is there anything unexpected? It depends what you expect. And anyway, to be predictably unpredictable… is still to be predictable."Regarding the songwriting process for MEGADETH's new CD, Mustaine said: "I compiled stuff from things I laid down over a lot of years, on cassettes, microcassettes, even going back to floppy disc. I put all of it onto a hard drive, and it came out to more than 200 song ideas and riffs. Which is a pretty overwhelming number. We got that down to 13 songs."The new MEGADETH album will mark the band's first to feature LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA. Mustaine has called Loureiro "best guitarist we've ever had," adding that he was a good fit personality wise. "[MEGADETH's last guitarist] Chris [Broderick] and I had a good chemistry, but we weren't really as close as I would have wanted us to be," Mustaine explained. "Kiko, I feel like I've known him for years."Songtitles set to appear on MEGADETH's new album include "The Emperor Has No Clothes", "Tyranocide" and "Poisonous Shadows". The latter track features piano playing from Kiko as well as orchestration from famed Nashville arranger Ronn Huff, the father of former MEGADETH producer Dann Huff. Mustaine said: "It's a very dramatic kind of song." MEGADETH also recorded two cover versions during the sessions for the new CD: "Melt The Ice Away" by BUDGIE and "Foreign Policy" by FEAR. Mustaine recently told Rolling Stone magazine about the sound of the new MEGADETH material: "Over the years we've always said, 'We're going back to our roots.' But the naysayers, they just want 'Rust In Peace' 20 times, which is never gonna happen. Because I've never written the same song twice. Unlike a lot of other rock and metal bands that, you know, they rely on a set formula, I try and make the songs all different. The funny thing, though, was that when [David] Ellefson was doing the bass tracks, I was telling him, 'This is the 'Tornado' ['Tornado Of Souls'] part,' 'This is the 'Bad Omen' part,' 'This is the 'Black Friday' part,' 'This is the 'Holy Wars' part.' Because a lot of the things were in that kind of vein. Now, is it going back in time? Hell, I don't know. But I like what I'm hearing."Drummer Shawn Drover quit MEGADETH on November 25, 2014 "to pursue [his] own musical interests." Broderick announced his departure from the band a few hours later, saying that he was exiting the group "due to artistic and musical differences." Read more... then come back and comment below.

Professionally filmed video footage of BLACK VEIL BRIDES performing at the Day 1 2015 Vans Warped Tour webcast on June 18 in Pomona, California can be seen below.BLACK VEIL BRIDES vocalist Andy Biersack told MikeJamesRockShow.com about the band's plans for the immediate future: "We're gonna keep touring the rest of the cycle on this record and then go back and probably make another record in the winter… We're headlining the Warped tour this year, so that's really exciting. And then, after that, we're gonna do maybe one more tour. We might come back [to England] before the end of the year. And then we're gonna take a couple of months off and probably start making a new record."He continued: "We put out, I guess, coming up on our fifth record, and… So, I mean, we really like to write records and record records. I mean, it's fun for us. So, every time we think, 'Oh, after this one, we'll take a couple of years off,' six months go by and I'm, like, 'Ah, let's get back in the studio and make music.'"BLACK VEIL BRIDES will release its first-ever concert DVD and Blu-ray, "Alive And Burning", on July 10. The cover artwork for the set was designed by the band's longtime friend and previous album cover illustrator Richard Villa. "Alive And Burning" will feature footage of BLACK VEIL BRIDES' sold-out hometown show in Los Angeles at the Wiltern Theater on November 1, 2014. The concert was part of the group's inaugural Halloweekend event as part of "The Black Mass" tour. The DVD was directed by Casey Tebo, known for his work on the acclaimed AEROSMITH documentary "Rock For The Rising Sun".BLACK VEIL BRIDES' latest, self-titled album skyrocketed to No. 1 on the iTunes Rock Chart, No. 4 on the iTunes overall album chart, and to Top 10 on iTunes in over 20 countries when it was released. It debuted at No. 10 on The Billboard 200 album chart, giving BLACK VEIL BRIDES their second consecutive Top 10 album. "Black Veil Brides" was helmed by producer Bob Rock, whose resume includes albums by METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE CULT and many others.

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DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell, who has been battling Hodgkin's lymphoma since 2013, has posted the following statement on his Facebook page:"I'm saddened by the fact that my cancer has returned. However, I'm beyond consolation that its return will prevent me from being able to do my job for a while."I'm still working on a schedule of treatment with my doctors, but I will see you all very soon."My apologies."It is believed that Vivian'a replacement for DEF LEPPARD's upcoming shows will once again be TRIXTER guitarist Steve Brown, who previously stepped in for Campbell for a couple of dates last fall, including on September 28, 2014 at the pre-game show at the first of last year's three NFL International Series games when the Oakland Raiders hosted the Miami Dolphins.DEF LEPPARD will hit the road in North America this summer with STYX and TESLA. The 48-date trek will kick off on June 23 in Tampa, Florida, on and will wrap on October 17 in Jacksonville, Florida.Earlier this year, Vivian told the 106.5 WSFL radio station: "I got a cancer diagnosis a couple of years ago. And I gave it three runs of chemo, and that didn't quite do the job; it kept coming back. So I did a stem-cell transplant after last summer's tour. So in October I went to the hospital for a few weeks. All indications are that it's been successful. I mean, the scans are good, the bloodwork's good, my strength is coming back, my fitness is coming back. So it's kind of really corrected my life course in a lot of ways that are very positive. So I wouldn't change a thing. I mean, I've learned a lot from going through this — a lot of very, very valuable lessons. I'm kind of grateful for it in a way."In an interview with the "Eddie Trunk Podcast", Vivian spoke about what it was like to find out last year that his cancer had returned after first announcing in November 2013 that he was in remission."For anyone who knew anything about cancer, they'd probably say, 'Well, that's not unusual,'" he said. "But I didn't. I got my diagnosis in the spring of 2013 when we were doing the Las Vegas residency with DEF LEPPARD. And as soon as we were done with that, I started six months of chemo. And I just kind of naturally assumed you do the chemo, you do a scan at the end of the chemo and it shows that you're good, and that's it. But apparently not. It was, like, ninety-something percent gone, and it was what they couldn't see on the scan that came creeping back. And it came back so fast. That's why the doctors advised me to do the stem-cell transplant — to try and kill it at the microbiological level. So it's pretty much rocket-science stuff; I mean, it's amazing technology. I personally feel pretty good about this right now. I feel that it's gone. But, like I said, you never really know, and you've gotta keep your eye on it. If it's gonna come back, it's gonna come back in the next couple of years. But hopefully not, you know?!"Asked if he has had an opportunity to speak with some of his fellow musicians, like BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi, and other people who have gone through similar ordeals, Vivian said: "Funny enough, actually, I think that Tony Iommi and I have the same cancer — Hodgkin's lymphoma — as far as I know. But obviously I don't know what stage his was at. Now I don't know Tony personally, so I haven't talked to him about it. But I've talked to a lot of people. It's amazing. Even just through my Facebook page. I mean, you put this kind of stuff out there, and I personally was amazed by how rampant it is, how many people have been affected by it to some degree, or people that are close to them in their family. I've had a lot of advice, but to be honest, I'm just pig-headed and Irish, and I just do my own thing. The main thing for me was to continue working, and in fact, to continue my life unabated, and to not let it compromise me as much as possible. And I think that's been a big part of my mental recovery on this."Campbell — who before joining DEF LEPPARD in 1992 was well known for his work with DIO and WHITESNAKE — went public with his Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis in 2013. Read more... then come back and comment below.

Former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar has branded Eddie Van Halen "a liar" after the legendary VH guitarist claimed in an interview that Eddie had to show ex-VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony "how to play all the parts" to the band's classic songs before they would go on tour.Speaking to Billboard.com, Eddie Van Halen defended his decision to enlist his son Wolfgang to play bass for VAN HALEN following the dismissal of Anthony. He said: "Every note Mike ever played, I had to show him how to play. Before we'd go on tour, he'd come over with a video camera and I'd have to show him how to play all the parts." Van Halen also downplayed the role Anthony's harmonic backing vocals play in creating the group's signature sound. "Mike's voice is like a piccolo trumpet. But he's not a singer. He just has a range from hell," Eddie said. "Mike was just born with a very high voice. I have more soul as a singer than he does. And you know, people always talk about Mike's voice on VAN HALEN songs, but that’s a blend of Mike's voice and my voice. It's not just him."Earlier today, after being told of Eddie's latest comments about Michael Anthony, Hagar released a video message defending the bassist, with whom he currently plays in THE CIRCLE, also featuring Jason Bonham on drums and Vic Johnson on guitar. He said (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's really irritating to see them go after Mikey. Mikey didn't do anything — ever — to VAN HALEN. Mikey was the most loyal guy in the band. He was the first guy there at rehearsal, the last guy to leave, the guy that was… the first guy at the gig, the guy that flew the… carried the banner, the flag, the VH banner… he carried it every night. And the horseman with the flag, the flagman on the horse in the calvary. That was Michael Anthony, okay?! [He was] a hundred percent dedicated. [He] never did anything to hurt those guys. And they try to hurt him again, and again, and again."He continued: "For Eddie to say he had to show [Michael] what to play and had to teach him all those songs, that is the biggest line of bullshit I've ever heard in my life. I was in that band for eleven years, and there was never a video camera involved of Eddie showing him what to play. Eddie would tell him what to play once in a while, and say, 'No, Mike, don't play with that many notes. Just stay on one note — boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom — so that I can fuck up and nobody will know it.' It was that kind of shit. And I am telling you straight up, especially on the '04 reunion tour, if Mike would have played any more than one note, it would have been showing that Eddie wasn't playing the right chords again and again and again; I couldn't sing to 'em, you couldn't play bass to 'em. So… that is a lot of bullshit. And I don't know why they go after him like that. He doesn't deserve it. He's one of the greatest rock and roll bass players ever in the world. Michael Anthony is Top 5 rock and roll bass player in the world. Any bass player will tell you that, any musician will tell you that. Listen to him play on THE CIRCLE. He ain't going 'boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom' unless it was called for. Michael Anthony is a bad motherfucker. Fuck you, Eddie Van Halen, for saying that about Mikey. You're a liar."Anthony, for is part, offered the following rebuttal to Eddie's comments in the Billboard.com interview: "I am proud to say that my bass playing and vocals helped create our sound. I've always chosen to take the high road and stay out of the never-ending mudslinging, because I believe that it ultimately ends up hurting the VAN HALEN fans."

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The final track listing for »Repentless«, SLAYER’s first new album in six years, due out 9/11/15 (Nuclear Blast), is announced today, and is now available for pre-order here. The track listing is:01. Delusions Of Saviour02. Repentless03. Take Control04. Vices05. Cast The First Stone06. When The Stillness Comes07. Chasing Death08. Implode09. Piano Wire10. Atrocity Vendor11. You Against You12. Pride In Prejudice'Repentless,' the album’s title track, goes on sale digitally virtually everywhere today. The 'Repentless' visualizer clip can be viewed here: Order 'Repentless' digitally here.SLAYER’s »Repentless« will be available in a wide array of formats, as detailed below:* Limited CD + Blu-ray digipak (includes Blu-ray of »SLAYER Live At Wacken 2014« and the »Making Of »Repentless« Documentary«)* Limited CD + DVD digipak (includes DVD of »SLAYER Live At Wacken 2014« and the »Making Of »Repentless« Documentary«)* Strictly limited 12-inch sized box (includes CD + Blu-ray digipak; DVD; exclusive »Repentless« 12-inch picture vinyl; »SLAYER Live At Wacken 2014« CD; 12-inch photo card; 12-inch fold-out poster)* CD jewel case* Vinyl in gatefold (audio mastered for vinyl)* Digital (all digital platforms)* Limited edition »Metal Eagle Edition« (available only at http://media.nuclearblast.de/bands/Splash/slayer/repentless/eagle/index.html)»Repentless« is SLAYER’s first new studio album since 2009’s critically-acclaimed, Grammy-nominated »World Painted Blood«. The twelve songs were produced by Terry Date and recorded between August 2014 and mid-January 2015 at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles. SLAYER will tour extensively to support the release of the album, and will headline this summer’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival that kicks off July 26 in San Diego, CA. Dates are below. Read more... then come back and comment below.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx and singer Vince Neil recently spoke to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates' this location about the band's "The Final Tour", which kicked off last year and will end New Year's Eve at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after one more round of North American gigs. You can watch the question-and-answer session at this location.Speaking about the CRÜE's stage show, Sixx said: "It always starts with the songs, to be honest with you. You know, the lights and whatever effects we have, it all comes from the rhythm of the songs, or maybe there's a story with the lyrics, or maybe there's a color associated with a song, like 'Dr. Feelgood'. A lot of times we're working on that and the color green comes up, because of the album cover — green with the medical symbol on it. And then we always try to push ourselves as far as set designs and… And we use technology. We're always trying to find out what is brand new. A lot of the stuff that we've developed with pyrotechnics has never been used before. And a lot of times, after we use pyrotechnics, they'll become available, and you'll see other bands using them, and they try to use 'em in their own way and stuff. And then we never go back to that same technology; we try to develop something further. The stuff that we have in Europe when we play outdoors, the flameheads that we have shoot about ninety feet. And when we were playing in Sweden, the wind was blowing, and they were out at the front of house and on the side of stage, and the wind was blowing, and it was literally, like, fire over the whole audience. Definitely probably not legal, but… you know."Added Neil: "This year we're bringing over the biggest show to Europe that we've ever done. We're bringing over Tommy's [Lee, drummer]… his drum thing, which is a two-hundred-foot-long roller coaster… I mean, things like that that people will go, they've never seen anything like that before. And then, like Nikki was saying, with the pyrotechnics, the newest technology of pyro, the lighting, the whole show…"Sixx also talked about his flamethrower bass, explaining: "It's like holding on to a dragon, to be honest with you — a fire-breathing dragon. It's painfully violent, is the only way I can describe it. When Vince sings the last 'Shout at the devil,' and I do the last shot, I walk over and I want that thing out of my hands. 'Cause it weighs almost a hundred pounds, and it's so hot that… When we start the song, I'll be soaking wet, and at the end of the song, my hair is dry. It's amazing."MÖTLEY CRÜE first announced plans for their two-year "Final Tour" by signing a Cessation Of Touring Agreement at a press conference in Los Angeles in January 2014, solidifying the end of their touring career with their last show ever on New Year's Eve at Staples Center in their hometown of Los Angeles. Since the announcement the band has been touring tirelessly to say goodbye to fans around the world. The 2014 leg of "The Final Tour" was one of last year's top-grossing tours, selling close to a million tickets across 72 cities and grossing more than $45 million. Read more... then come back and comment below.

Today, the creators of Cinematic Metal, Luca Turilli’s RHAPSODY, release their new cinematic album »Prometheus - Symphonia Ignis Divinus« via Nuclear Blast Records. As a result of this, the band releases a second album excerpts trailer, which can be watched here: Order your copy of Luca Turilli’s RHAPSODY’s new outstanding record here:The international press feels impressed about the quality of »Prometheus - Symphonia Ignis Divinus«:“More epic than »Game of Thrones«. Luca Turilli is back with his unique cinematic style.“ CLASSIX (I), Lorenzo Becciani“A gargantuan swing of the symphonic metal pendulum, this is Rhapsody's grand masterpiece. If music were to be treated like a Hollywood blockbuster, »Prometheus« would break records at the box office.“ POWERPLAY (UK), Bruce Turnbull "Still more classic and bombast - it’s not an easy-listening album, but if you capture it, it’s a record for eternity!“ ROCK IT (D), Hartl Grill “Finally, Luca Turilli's RHAPSODY leave Dragon Metal behind them and walk along the red carpet of Cinematic Metal with an epic and genius swing. From Gollum to parapsychologists - this record delivers a wild mix of spiritual questions and bombastic melodies which merge with the modern and electronic level of 2015!“ SOUND INFECTION (D), Anne Swallow “This album crosses any boundary among epic metal, classical music and movie scores. It's definitely the most bombastic and cinematic Rhapsody's release to date.” ROCK HARD (IT), Emanuele Biani “Grandeur and multilayered bombast rule more than ever in this masterly blend of power metal and classical music!“ LORDS OF METAL (NL), Vera Matthijssens“One thing is certain, the only composer on earth who can top Luca Turilli is the man himself… Turilli composes musicscapes beyond comparison. While he will never be held to the unattainable standard of a modern Mozart and Beethoven – the giants who receive 100% critical acclaim whether deserved or not – Luca can easily draw comparisons to modern composers like John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Jerry Goldsmith.” METAL UNDERGROUND (US), CROMCarl Read more... then come back and comment below.

Ozzy Osbourne will perform at the 2015 edition of the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, set to take place October 30 – November 1 at New Orleans City Park's permanent Festival Grounds, bordered by Wisner Boulevard and Interstate 610.Osbourne, who will headline the event on Saturday, October 31, will be backed by Geezer Butler (BLACK SABBATH), Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and Slash (GUNS N' ROSES).Voodoo 2015 weekend passes go on sale June 23 at 11 a.m. CDT via the festival's official web site, WorshipTheMusic.com. The initial price for a three-day general admission credential is $150 plus fees and service charges, the same early-bird price as in 2014. A three-day LOA VIP credential is $500 plus fees. A pre-sale that kicked off Thursday (June 18) via Live Nation and festival partners Citi, Fuse TV and Zippo offers discounts on weekend packages. The pre-sale continues until June 23.Ozzy is scheduled to take part in a month-long residency in Las Vegas called Hell Gate this fall.Osbourne released a solo career retrospective titled "Memoirs Of A Madman" in October 2014. The CD contained 17 of his greatest hits, while the DVD featured music videos, rare live performances and interviews.Ozzy's last solo studio effort was 2010's "Scream".Read more... then come back and comment below.

An outcry went through the metal scene, when Peter „Peavy“ Wagner and Victor Smolski of RAGE declared the end of their musical collaboration in the beginning of February 2015. Since André Hilgers also had to leave his place behind the drums, rumors were running high quickly and there was even talk about RAGE would call it quits. Though Peavy made it clear over and over again in interviews that the new line-up of the band was already positioned, the names of his new band mates remained untold. Now the wait has come to an end - the new line-up of RAGE reads as follows: Peter „Peavy“ Wagner - vocals, bassMarcos Rodriguez - guitars, vocalsVassilios „Lucky“ Maniatopoulos - drums, vocalsWatch a video statement about that, here: With his current line-up, Peavy puts his trust in relative newcomers this time. „There were quite a couple of proposals from established musicians, but this wasn’t what I was looking for“, comments Wagner. „I wanted to have a real band again with all members pulling in the same direction“.Marcos Rodriguez was born in Venezuela and is living currently in Antwerpen, Belgium. The 36-year old exceptional guitarist is a die-hard fan of RAGE and met Peavy on RAGE’s 30th anniversary tour, when he was supporting parts of the tour with his own band SOUNDCHASER.Vassilios „Lucky“ Maniatopoulos has so far primarily made an appearance as the vocalist of the band TRI STATE CORNER. It’s only surprising to those who haven’t seen Lucky live yet with his „Bouzouki-Rockband“ that the former drum student and drum technician of ex-RAGE and now TRI STATE CORNER/REFUGE drummer Christos Efthimiadis and also long-time friend of Peavy and Chris is an excellent drummer himself.„These two guys have literally inhaled RAGE their whole lives and can vividly feel it - I’m very much looking forward to herald a new era of RAGE together with them“, says Peavy.The new line-up will be presented live to the public for the first time at Metal Hammer Paradise, Ferienpark Weissenhäuser Strand on November 14th, and thereafter on the RAGE »Black In Mind« tour this December, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of the cult album »Black In Mind«.The new studio album is about to be finalized and will be released in spring 2016.»Black In Mind« 20th Anniversary Tour« 2015: Read more... then come back and comment below.

In a brand new interview with RockSverige.se, RAMMSTEIN frontman Till Lindemann offered his thoughts on the current state of the music industry."The only thing I can say is that I don't wanna start a band these days," he said. "It's quite impossible to live off of it. The record companies don't give you a chance, like in the old days when they went, 'Here's a pile of money. Go make a good record!' Music these days, in my opinion, is fast produced and homemade and all digital and low budget. As a newcomer, you have no chance. Everything is cheap and low budget, in my opinion, and there's nothing good coming out these days, except for DJs. There's a whole new and modern DJ culture, like Skrillex and those guys. There's a total changeover in the music and the quality in music and the taste in music is totally different. We're never gonna see bands like LED ZEPPELIN or BLACK SABBATH again. It's over."Lindemann's comments deviate slightly from those of JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford who said in a recent interview: "Will there be another great, big rock-star giant like Ozzy Osbourne? Will there be another great, big rock-star giant like Axl Rose, for example. Does that really matter? I don't know. But it's shifted, it's changed. The good news is there's an extraordinary display of talent coming from all different quarters in all different genres of rock and roll. So the future looks bright."Halford added: "My mate Gene Simmons [KISS] said 'rock and roll is dead' [a few months] ago, which caused a bit of a ruckus. I don't believe it's dead. I think it's thriving, I think it's great, and I think the future's bright. Not only the bands that are coming up now, but the bands that are starting where we started forty years ago, making noise in the garage or whatever. It's great."VENOM vocalist/bassist Conrad "Cronos" Lant echoed Halford's sentiments in a recent interview, saying: "I was telling some press guy recently, where the fucking hell are all the frontmen? Where have they gone? It seems like that's one of the biggest things that's missing at the minute, is where's the new people like... and I'm not saying copycat... but I'm saying the next charismatic figure. Where's the next Ozzy Osbourne? Where's the next fucking Alice Cooper? It's just girls at the fucking minute, 'cause when you see the stage show for artists like Pink and even these fucking Aguileras and all the rest of these fucking Katy Perrys, they are putting on incredible shows and they're fucking kick-ass bitches with a fucking attitude! And it's like, 'Wow!' Frontwomen. I'm up for that. [Laughs]" Read more... then come back and comment below.

After spending the last 4 months in the studio, working on it non-stop, Berlin, Germany-based classic rock overlords KADAVAR have finalized the production process of their brand new album. The third KADAVAR album, »Berlin«, is slated for an August 21, 2015 release. Today, the band announces the album’s tracklist, as well as 3 more versions of the cover that will be available for everyone buying the vinyl version of the album. The glasses of the cover model will be cut out, depending on how you insert the inlay, the cover will change. Pre-Order »Berlin« via this link: Tracklist »Berlin«:01. Lord Of The Sky02. Last Living Dinosaur03. Thousand Miles Away From Home04. Filthy Illusion05. Pale Blue Eyes06. Stolen Dreams07. The Old Man08. Spanish Wild Rose09. See The World With Your Own Eyes10. Circles In My Mind11. Into The NightBONUS TRACK12. Reich der Träume (Nico cover)Commented drummer Tiger: „About ten years ago, when we - independently of one another - moved to Berlin, we just wanted to break free from home and do something new. I thought it was comfortable, to blend in and just live from day to day. A lot of very long nights and so many completely different people at one place. Where there are opposites you can always ground yourself. We’re all different, come from different places but have managed to create something together we all like. I think the Belrin lifestyle has influenced our band very much and therefore fits perfectly as the album’s title.“Furthermore the band has announced to tour Europe this winter. Find the dates below.The band recently released the official video for the song ‚Eye Of The Storm‘, watch the video at this location: Read more... then come back and comment below.

In a brand new question-and-answer session with Greece's Rock Overdose, former JUDAS PRIEST and ICED EARTH singer Tim "Ripper" Owens was asked if he would make another album with JUDAS PRIEST if he had the opportunity. He responded: "I would, for sure — not for the money, because I do better [financially] now [as a solo artist] than ever, and I work a lot more [laughs], but for the good times. I mean, while I was in PRIEST, it was like a family; we did everything together, and the hotels and bus was nicer. [Laughs] I miss my times with them, the stories the beers and dinner. I miss just hanging with them."Asked how it feels to have been the lead vocalist for two groups as big as ICED EARTH and JUDAS PRIEST, Owens said: "It feels great. I had a wonderful time. I mean, JUDAS PRIEST is one of the top bands in the world, and I grew up listening to them. Then I made two great CDs (overlooked CDs ) [with them] and two great live CDs and a DVD, and, most importantly, I made great friends. I mean, JUDAS PRIEST was the big leagues and my college."Owens recently told Dubai's Mainstage Events that parting ways with JUDAS PRIEST in 2003 after a seven-year stint with the band "was all right. We knew if was gonna happen — I did, at least. And you know what? It wasn't upsetting. I had just recorded an ICED EARTH record, and it kind of felt like my time in JUDAS PRIEST was probably over. And [i was] kind of wishing it was over, in a way, to move on to ICED EARTH and do other things. And it was definitely best for JUDAS PRIEST, it was definitely best for Rob Halford, and it was definitely best for me. I would have never quit JUDAS PRIEST; I would have stayed in it forever, because I love the guys and I love what I was doing with 'em. But, as a career, to do things for my career, I had to move on. So it was okay. It was something that… It didn't offend me when JUDAS PRIEST let me go. I think it offended some family and friends and stuff at the time, but it didn't change my relationship with JUDAS PRIEST either, not has it changed with Rob Halford; we're all still good friends."Owens recorded two studio albums with JUDAS PRIEST — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before the band reunited with Rob Halford.In a separate interview with CantonRep.com, Tim was asked if he thinks metal fans who didn't accept him fronting JUDAS PRIEST are able to view that period more fondly now that time has passed."I think some," he responded. "Some will never give it a shot. The funny thing about me is I'm a JUDAS PRIEST fan from the old school. If I had listened to 'Jugulator' or 'Demolition' and saw it live, I'd have said, 'This is pretty good.' Some fans look at those records and go, 'I'll never accept it.' And that's cool. I understand it 100 percent. When you think of JUDAS PRIEST, you think of Rob [Halford], Glenn [Tipton], K.K. [Downing] and Ian [Hill]." Read more... then come back and comment below.