Professionally filmed video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE's entire May 12 performance at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Get Started
02. Damaged
03. I Don't Believe In Love
04. Hit The Black
05. I'm American
06. NM 156
07. Screaming In Digital
08. The Lady Wore Black
09. Walk In The Shadows
10. Silent Lucidity
11. Jet City Woman
12. Empire
13. Eyes Of A Stranger

QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate was interviewed on a recent edition of the weekly two-hour classic hard rock and metal show "Noize In The Attic" (web site).

When asked if he would be receptive to the idea of former QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Chris DeGarmo rejoining the band if Chris expressed his desire to return to the group, Tate said, "I think it would be great! For me at least, he and I were very close working together. It was a good team... I'd definitely work with Chris again. We made plans to work together over the years at various times and sometimes we've gotten together and sometimes we haven't. He's just… I hate speaking for the man — he should speak for himself — but I think he's just into a different part of his life [working as a professional charter pilot] and happy with that."

Regarding whether he would ever consider performing the 1986 QUEENSRŸCHE "Rage For Order" in its entirety on a full tour, Tate said, "Probably not. We played the 'Rage For Order' album [as a one-off] in New York [last year], and that was really, really… How should I put it? It wasn't very satisfying. I'll put it that way. It's not a record that has a lot of passion in it; it's kind of cold and clinical. It was a record of its time. It's not an album that has songs on it that resonate with me anymore as a person. So it's not something that I would work very hard to put together. [Same thing with 1990's] 'Empire'. Honestly, that's just not who I am. I'm more of an in-the-now person. I'm interested in what's happening with life at the moment. I'm not at that stage in life where I'm interested in looking back."

QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, "Dedicated To Chaos", sold 8,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 70 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, the epic concept album "American Soldier", opened with 21,000 units back in April 2009 to enter the chart at No. 25. This was roughly half the first-week tally registered by QUEENSRŸCHE's "Operation: Mindcrime II" album, which shifted 44,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release back in April 2006 to debut at No. 14 on The Billboard 200 chart.

QUEENSRŸCHE's 2003 effort, "Tribe", sold 20,000 copies in the first week while 1999's "Q2K", opened with sales of 28,000.

QUEENSRŸCHE's top-selling album by far is 1990's "Empire", which was certified triple-platinum in October 1994 for sales in excess of three million copies in the United States. The original "Operation: Mindcrime" release (1988) attained platinum status in August 1991, while 1994's "Promised Land" reached the same plateau in December 1994.

L.A. GUNS — featuring Phil Lewis, Steve Riley, Stacey Blades and Scotty Griffin — performed at the M3 Rock Festival on Saturday, May 12 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Professionally filmed video footage of the entire concert can be seen below.

L.A. GUNS' new album, "Hollywood Forever", is scheduled for release on June 5 via via Cleopatra Records. The CD was recorded with legendary producer, and old friend, Andy Johns, who has previously worked with LED ZEPPELIN, THE ROLLING STONES, CINDERELLA and VAN HALEN, and who collaborated with L.A. GUNS on their last three albums. A CD and vinyl release, as well as bonus tracks available only on iTunes, is planned. A nine-month world tour following the release is also in the works.

L.A. GUNS spent a few days in Los Angeles shooting three videos to support the record, and will make the track "You Better Not Love Me" available online soon. Videos for "Requiem (Hollywood Forever)" and "Aranga Nigre" were also filmed. Videographer Jack Foster was behind the lens for the shoot at the legendary Circus Disco in Hollywood. With an LED logo in the background, the band meshed theatrics with its expected rock energy on the big stage. Later, additional scenes were filmed in L.A.'s colorful Little Mexico and the landmark Hollywood Forever cemetery. Stacey Blades said, "It was a blast hammin' it up in a big venue and stage for the cameras." He added, "We are so excited about the new album coming out and videos to boot. 2012 is the year of L.A.GUNS!"

"Hollywood Forever" track listing:

01. Hollywood Forever
02. You Better Not Love Me
03. Sweet Mystery
04. Eel Pie
05. Burn
06. Requiem (Hollywood Forever)
07. I Won't Play
08. Vine St. Shimmy
09. Arana Negra (originally recorded by THE BICICLETAS)
10. Gonna Take You Down
11. Queenie
12. Underneath The Sun
13. Venus Bomb
14. Dirty Black Night
15. Rattlesnake

Phil Lewis' L.A. GUNS is not to be confused with the Tracii Guns-led version of the group, which is also continuing to record and perform under the L.A. GUNS moniker.

Original RATT bassist Juan Croucier rejoined the Californian rockers for their show at the M3 Rock Festival on Saturday, May 12 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Professionally filmed video footage of the entire concert can be seen below.

In an October 2011 interview with Legendary Rock Interviews, Croucier stated about the possibility of him returning to RATT, "I never say never, because I can't predict the future but there have been some very nasty things said and done to me by my former bandmates in RATT. It has destroyed the trust, bond and respect we once had among each other."

He added, "I have had many offers to go back to RATT (ironically, sometimes while they were deriding me in the press at the same time) and the main reason I have not gone back to the band is because we had a very problematic situation in the first place, and nothing had (or has) changed — we don't get along, it's not fun and things that should be easy are hard. . . Some people like being in tumultuous relationships; I don't. I have been fortunate enough to be able to work in my recording studio, still play in bands and be a father that is present in my children's lives at the same time. It's not 'all about Juan.'"

Bassist Robbie Crane, who had played with RATT since 1997, quit the band in March to focus on LYNCH MOB. During an appearance on the March 22 edition of the "Headbangers At 11" show on the 93.3 KDKB radio station with host Mike Gaube, Crane stated about his decision to leave RATT, "I've been playing in LYNCH MOB since October of 2010. It's a thing that I've always loved doing, and I love playing with the band. . I'd been with RATT for 15 years and it was time to move on. I love being in LYNCH MOB and this is where my heart's at."

"Infestation", the first studio record in 11 years from RATT, sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 30 on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on April 20, 2010 via Loud & Proud.

"Infestation" was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette (CHEVELLE, ALTER BRIDGE) at his Virginia studio, marking the first time the band has recorded outside of Los Angeles. The album is full of attitude and of reflection, cycling through a range of emotions. There are party anthems that RATT are known for alongside more contemplative, thoughtful tunes.

KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer was interviewed this past week by John Canzano of the "Bald-Faced Truth" radio show on FM News 101 KXL. Thayer talked about his career and the upcoming fundraising event called the "All Star Salute" at the Oregon Golf Club. The event will serve as a kick-off for the Capital Campaign for the Oregon Military Museum, which will be named after Tommy's father, retired general James B. Thayer. Tommy also spoke about how he got involved in playing music in a band and whether or not he played sports as a youth. Thayer talked about the climate of the music scene in Portland, Oregon in the early 1980s and moving to Los Angeles to follow his dream of having a successful rock band. Thayer and John have a riveting conversation about Tommy's passion for philanthropy and charity work. What's Tommy's take on women playing in rock bands? Listen to this great interview with Tommy Thayer and find out.

Interview (audio):



KISS has completed recording its new album, "Monster", for a summer release. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "It's A Long Way Down", "Back To The Stone Age", "Shout Mercy", "Out Of This World", "Wall Of Sound" and "Hell Or Hallelujah".

Audio samples of the songs that will appear on "Daybreaker", the new album from British metallers ARCHITECTS, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The CD will be released on May 28 in Europe and June 5 in North America via Century Media Records. The follow-up to "The Here And Now" was produced by the band with John Mitchell and Ben Humphreys at Outhouse Studios (ENTER SHIKARI, YOU ME AT SIX, THE BLACKOUT, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, EXIT TEN, YOUR DEMISE, LOWER THAN ATLANTIS, KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES) in Reading, the same team that previously worked on ARCHITECTS' "Hollow Crown" CD. The stunning artwork was created by Paul Jackson (Tank.Axe.Love).

"Daybreaker" track listing:

01. The Bitter End
02. Alpha Omega
03. These Colours Don't Run
04. Daybreak
05. Truth, Be Told
06. Even If You Win, You're Still A Rat
07. Outsider Heart
08. Behind The Throne
09. Devil's Island
10. Father Of Lead
11. Unbeliever

ARCHITECTS recently released the "The Here And Now 2012 Special Edition" including "Devil's Island" and "Untitled" as well as all video clips ("Day In Day Out", "Learn To Live", "Heartburn", "Delete, Rewind" and "An Open Letter To Myself"), making-of footage for "Learn To Live" and "Heartburn" plus several previously released online clips.

ARCHITECTS' last album, "The Here And Now", sold around 900 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 47 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"The Here And Now" was produced by Steve Evetts, who has previously worked with THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and SEPULTURA, among many others.

"The Here And Now" debuted at position No. 57 on the official U.K. chart.

"Daybreaker" preview clips:



"Alpha Omega" video:

Behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot for "Lost In Forever", the new single from Christian hard rockers P.O.D. (PAYABLE ON DEATH), can be seen below. The clip was shot in the California desert with director Spence Nicholson (BLEEDING THROUGH, THE BLED) and will make its online debut tomorrow (Monday, May 14).

"Lost In Forever" comes off P.O.D.'s new album, "Murdered Love", which will be released on July 10 via Razor & Tie. The band's long-awaited follow-up to "When Angels & Serpents Dance" sees them reunited with longtime producer Howard Benson, who also produced the group's massive "Satellite" album as well as hit CDs for Kelly Clarkson, THEORY OF A DEADMAN, DAUGHTRY, THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. The CD cover and packaging was illustrated and designed by Invisible Creature, whose previous credits include the FOO FIGHTERS, NORMA JEAN, Chris Cornell and many more.

"Lost In Forever" is available for download on iTunes and you can listen to a stream of the song below.

"When Angels & Serpents Dance" sold 34,000 in the United States in its first week of release in April 2008 to debut at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "Testify", registered a first-week tally of just over 54,000 back in February 2006 to land at No. 9.

"When Angels & Serpents Dance" featured guest appearances from the MARLEY SISTERS, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES singer Mike Muir and HELMET guitarist Page Hamilton.

Jason Nivens of the 98.9 The Rock radio station conducted an interview with the metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — at Rockfest at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City on Saturday, May 12. You can now watch the chat below.

HELLYEAH's third album, "Band Of Brothers", will be released on July 17 via the band's new label home, Eleven Seven Music. The CD was recorded in Dallas, Texas at Vinnie Paul's home studio, VP's Upstairs Studio, and was produced by the band and Jeremy Parker (GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE), who also served as engineer.

"Band Of Brothers" track listing:

01. War In Me
02. Band Of Brothers
03. Rage/Burn
04. Drink Drank Drunk
05. Bigger God
06. Between You And Nowhere
07. Call It
08. Why Does It Always
09. WM Free
10. Dig Myself A Hole
11. What It Takes To Be Me

"Band Of Brothers" (song) audio stream (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep):



HELLYEAH last month released the "War In Me" digital single via iTunes.

Having produced track after track of heavy-hitting, in-your-face, feel-good rock and roll on their previous two albums (2010's "Stampede" and 2007's self-titled debut), HELLYEAH takes a slightly different musical direction on "Band Of Brothers". Drawing on their former bands' collective metal roots for inspiration, the influences and style of MUDVAYNE, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN and NOTHINGFACE are immediately recognizable in tracks such as "Band Of Brothers", "War In Me" and "Rage Burn", while the party anthem "Drink, Drank, Drunk" retains the essence of earlier HELLYEAH.

Commented HELLYEAH singer Chad Gray, "I'm really excited about what we've done on this new album. I've always separated MUDVAYNE and HELLYEAH as much as I could, even though it was my voice. Melodies, lyrics and just the overall style of writing were different. With 'Band Of Brothers', I just quit being afraid of who I am in relation to this band. I think we've all really gotten back to the original roots of what we've done individually and brought it together on this album. As an artist, as long as you're painting with your own brush, no one can compare or challenge you. I just painted with a bigger, heavier brush than I had with HELLYEAH in the past. I think this is what fans have always expected to hear from us, and now were giving it to them."

In a recent interview with Loudwire, Vinnie stated about "Band Of Brothers", "On our first two records, we were a new band. We really wanted to branch out and expand and experiment with all different styles. We all come from traditional metal bands and backgrounds, so it was a great breath of fresh air to play in a band that was rock 'n' roll, blues and Southern rock. We got that out of our system and got really focused on going back to our metal roots. It's heavy, focused, groove-oriented and I'm excited about it."

A two-minute video clip in which vocalist Burton C. Bellof Los Angeles cyber metallers FEAR FACTORY talks about the band's upcoming album, "The Industrialist", can be seen below.

"The Industrialist" is due in North America on June 5 via Candlelight Records. The CD is a conceptual record based around a story written by vocalist Burton C. Bell. Lyrics to the album's ten songs divulge the narrative as discussed recently by Bell with Decibel magazine. The album's artwork was created by American designer Anthony Clarkson with additional direction from the band. The album will be available on three formats — standard CD, a limited edition deluxe digi-book (featuring two additional songs), and 180-gram double vinyl.

Bell notes, "The protagonist (The Industrialist) is the incarnation of all industries in the form of an automaton. The mechanical, technological, and scientific advances through the industrial age led to the creation of The Industrialist. In the story, the automaton becomes sentient as it collects memories with each passing day. Through observation and learning, it gains the will to exist. What was meant to help man, will eventually be man's demise."

"The Industrialist" again pairs FEAR FACTORY with producer Rhys Fulber. Mixed by Greg Reely (PARADISE LOST, SKINNY PUPPY, MACHINE HEAD), with additional tracking by Logan Mader (GOJIRA, DIVINE HERESY), the album is the second written by Bell and guitarist Dino Cazares since reuniting in 2009 after a seven-year split. Cazares says, "Collaborating with Burton again on the new album was like magic. Everything just fell into place naturally. It felt good to recapture the true sound of FEAR FACTORY, taking it back to where it all started while raising it to new levels." Regarding Fulber, Cazares says, "Rhys has been our secret member. He is the one producer who has been able to understand what we have been trying to accomplish from the beginning and has opened our eyes to new things without sacrificing our original sound. His production and keyboard talents has made FEAR FACTORY stand out amongst the many bands of our genre."

"The Industrialist" track listing:

01. The Industrialist
02. Recharger
03. New Messiah
04. God Eater
05. Depraved Mind Murder
06. Virus of Faith
07. Difference Engine
08. Dissemble
09. Religion is Flawed Because Man is Flawed
10. Human Augmentation
11. Blush Response (Difference Engine) *
12. Landfill *

* Available on deluxe digibook only

"Recharger" can be purchased via iTunes.

FEAR FACTORY recently enlisted Matt DeVries as the band's new bass player. DeVries, previously of CHIMAIRA (where he played guitar) and most recently SIX FEET UNDER, joined FEAR FACTORY as the replacement for Byron Stroud (now with 3 INCHES OF BLOOD).

FEAR FACTORY has tapped Mike Heller (MALIGNANCY, SYSTEM DIVIDE) as its new touring drummer.



"Recharger" audio stream:



"The Industrialist" trailer:

Swiss hard rockers GOTTHARD made their official live debut with new singer Nic Maeder last night (Saturday, May 12) at Teatro Flores in Buenos Aires, Argentina as the support act for UNISONIC.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Dream On
02. Starlight
03. Top of the World
04. Give Me Real
05. Need To Believe
06. Sister Moon
07. Master Of Illusion
08. Remember It's Me
09. One Life, One Soul
10. Mountain Mama
11. Right On
12. Hush (BILLY JOE ROYAL cover)
13. Lift U Up
14. Anytime Anywhere
15. The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) (BOB DYLAN cover)

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

GOTTHARD's new album, "Firebirth", will be released on June 1 via Nuclear Blast/Warner Music. The CD was produced at the band's own Yellow House Studios in Lugano, Switzerland, with guitarist/songwriter Leo Leoni and Paul Lani (who has previously worked with GOTTHARD on several of their earlier albums, including "G-Spot" and "Homerun") at the helm.

"Firebirth" marks GOTTHARD's first release with Maeder, who was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, lived in Melbourne, Australia and grew up between Switzerland and "Down Under."

GOTTHARD vocalist Steve Lee was killed on October 5, 2010 in what has been described as a freak road accident in Nevada.

The "Firebirth" album cover depicts the firebird Phoenix, which symbolically rises "from the ashes to the sky" — this line expresses what each GOTTHARD fan feels and underlines the turbulent time that GOTTHARD has gone through in the past months.

Keith "Keefy" Chachkes of NefariousRealm.com recently conducted an interview with guitarist Matt Bachand of Massachusetts metallers SHADOWS FALL. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

SHADOWS FALL's new album, "Fire From The Sky", is scheduled for a May 15 release via Razor & Tie. Recorded at Zing Studios in late 2011, the CD reunites SHADOWS FALL with longtime friend, producer/engineer and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/TIMES OF GRACE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz (THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, ALL THAT REMAINS). The album was mixed by Brian Virtue and features some of the band's most complex and melodic material in years.

Commented singer Brian Fair, "'Fire From The Sky' is not a concept album by any means, but a few common themes do link these songs together. These days, the world seems to be spiraling out of control into a frantic state of confusion, corruption and chaos. It's as if we are living under the shadow of an impending apocalypse. The songs on this album were inspired by this chaos and the struggle to find answers in these dark days."

"Fire From The Sky" track listing:

01. The Unknown
02. Divide And Conquer
03. Weight Of The World
04. Nothing Remains
05. Fire From The Sky
06. Save Your Soul
07. Blind Faith
08. Lost Within
09. Walk The Edge
10. The Wasteland

The cover artwork for "Fire From The Sky" was designed by Aaron Marsh of Forefathers and can be seen below.

Commented Marsh: "When presented with the idea, I wanted to deliver an aesthetic that would go beyond the 'typical' or ‘assumed.’ I wanted to embrace a perspective and emotive value that could be carried with the context of the record itself. While I knew this would be challenging and end up stylistic to one degree or another, I still wanted the viewer to get this overwhelming and brooding sense of chaos that could otherwise be imagined when putting themselves in that very scenic situation — supposing this record was the soundtrack to their own apocalyptic movie."

Added Fair: "[I] couldn't be happier with how the artwork for 'Fire From The Sky' came out. Thanks to Forefathers for doing such an amazing job!"

"The Unknown" video can be seen below. The clip was filmed on March 21 at an abandoned building in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York with director Kevin J. Custer, who has previously worked with OVERKILL, HATEBREED, TESTAMENT and SUFFOCATION, among others.

Interview:



"The Unknown" video:

Stockholm, Sweden-based metal band FRANTIC AMBER — which features members from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Japan — has won the Swedish Wacken Metal Battle 2012. The event was held on May 10 at Göta Källare in Stockholm. Five bands competed for an opportunity to play at the world's biggest metal festival, Wacken Open Air, in Wacken, Germany in August and FRANTIC AMBER won the Swedish slot. The jury consisted of music industry professionals and was headed by president Ida Evileye (CRUCIFIED BARBARA). They also won a backdrop from the Band Shop.

Commented Ida Evileye: "Extremely convincing, inspiring, energetic and with a awesome matter of course, this band completely ran over us in the jury! I myself have been a bit of a fan since a year back when I heard this band for the first time. Now a year later, I hear a very different band that is very much more tight and persuasive! The winner of this year's Wacken Metal Battle [Sweden] is FRANTIC AMBER."

FRANTIC AMBER will perform on the WET Stage at Wacken Open Air.

The "Metal Battle", which was started in 2004 by the founders of the Wacken Open Air as a contest to support up-and-coming bands from all over the world, is currently in its ninth round, with Nuclear Blast Records and ICS Festival Service GmbH, which organizes Wacken Open Air, joining forces.

What initially started out as a small contest with six German bands and five bands from other countries grew and grew over the years — so much so that there was a total of 29 international bands performing during the festival in 2011 and striving to win the competition after having won the preliminary decisions in their respective countries. In the past, the first prize was a record deal with Wacken Records. For 2012, Nuclear Blast and ICS Festival Service have announced their participation, meaning that the winning band of "Metal Battle" 2012 will be given a record deal with Nuclear Blast — the biggest independent heavy metal label worldwide!

FRANTIC AMBER recently scrapped its previously announced plans to release a second EP and has begun work on a full-length album instead.

FRANTIC AMBER last year recruited a new drummer — and its first male member — Erik Röjås. Erik has been performing with the band since the 2011 edition of the Sweden Rock Festival and accompanied the group on its second tour of Russia in September.

For more information, visit www.franticamber.com.



Photo credit: Rickard Nilsson, RN Bild

"Without Warning", the new video from the Slovenian five-piece INMATE, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "Free At Last", which will be released in the U.K. on May 25 through Graviton – The Missing Link.

"Free At Last" track listing:

01. Inmate
02. Without Warning
03. Written In Blood
04. Overcome
05. Healing
06. Fire, Walk With Me
07. Angels
08. Promises
09. Victorious
10. Free At Last

Creative and hard-working, the INMATE bandmembers developed their musical identity and style, adding a modern approach to the genre. "We are all nice though tough individuals deep down," offers vocalist Mike (full name: Rok Miklavzina). "For me, it has to do with my physical discipline, the one that Taekwondo instilled in me. I tend to be lazy and this discipline helps me remember whether I am on stage or not, how tough it is during training sessions. You are not allowed to say 'I can't do it' then 'cos pain is weakness leaving the body so the whole concept of INMATE is about being aware of your struggle and yet, never giving up."

Strong guitars, striking rhythm section and powerful vocals place the band among contemporary metal fan demographics. "We all started with METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN and BLACK SABBATH," explains Mike. "But some of us went further cos as time went by, I personally managed to appreciate younger bands like TRIVIUM, ANIMALS FOR LEADERS, MESHUGGAH and TEXTURES. We connect with our fans on that level. Our sound is certainly very contemporary."

"The world is 'Free At Last' is the central idea of the album," concludes Mike. "It represents our view of the matter and the solution for the state of apathy, devotion to life and salvation of a man against himself and against the world. Because when you are in a struggle and you find yourself at a cross road, you have to stop, think and look inside of you — sometimes it is not about society, politicians or the world around you. A lot of problems start within ourselves..."

INMATE is:

Saso Bandalo - Bass
Jure Grudnik - Drums
Rok Miklavzina - Vocals
Ales Kroflic - Guitar
Andrej Bezjak - Guitar

DEVIL, the Norwegian heavy doom rock band featuring members of VESEN, RIKETS CRUST, CEASE.AND.DESIST, FUCK YOU ALL and FAUSTCOVEN, has issued the following update:
"We're glad to announce that we survived this and last year's festivals and gigs, and even though it was a blast all the way, we have now decided to focus on our next album which we've called, 'Gather The Sinners'. It will be released once again on the fine Soulseller Records, hopefully this year. We are from now on concentrating fully on the album, and will therefore not be seen much on stage until late this year. However, we know that fans of DEVIL and 'Time To Repent' also will love 'Gather The Sinners', as it will be another trip down heavy metal memory lane, and the authenticity and evil cheerfulness is still very much represented. To show you just what we're aiming at, we're proud to present a sneak preview filmed live at Roadburn of the song 'They Pale' [see video below], which will be featured on 'Gather The Sinners'. We hope you enjoy this, and look forward to the album just as we do."

DEVIL's debut album, "Time To Repent", came out last year via the Dutch label Soulseller Records.

DEVIL is:

Stian Fossum - Guitar
Ronny Østli - Drums
Thomas Ljosaak - Bass
Kai Wanderås - Guitar
Joakim Trangsrud - Vocals

For more information, go to this location.

Metal-Trails.com conducted an interview with bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala of Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH before the band's May 3 concert at O2 World in Hamburg, Germany. You can now watch the entire 29-minute chat below.

NIGHTWISH will embark on a North American headlining tour in September with support from KAMELOT.

For more information, visit EnterTheVault.com.

NIGHTWISH released a limited-edition "Trials Of Imaginaerum" 10-inch picture disc for Record Store Day (April 21). The effort includes four previously unreleased demo recordings with Marco Hietala on lead vocals. It also comes with a download of the previously unreleased track "The Heart Asks Pleasure First", a cover with lyrics from the movie "The Piano".

"Trials Of Imaginaerum" features a picture of "The Crew, The Owl And The Dove" on one side, and the "Imaginaerum" grounds on the other side.

"The Crow, The Owl And The Dove", the second single from NIGHTWISH's latest album, "Imaginaerum", entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 1. The single features the title cut in three versions — radio edit, album version and instrumental — and the previously unreleased song "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" (theme from the movie "The Piano") in two different versions.

NIGHTWISH released a special "tour edition" of "Imaginaerum", on April 13 via Nuclear Blast Records. It is a 2CD+DVD digibook in slipcase.

"Imaginaerum" sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, 2007's "Dark Passion Play", opened with 11,000 units to land at No. 84.

"Imaginaerum" was released in North America on January 10 via Roadrunner Records.

RockNLive.org recently conducted an interview with guitarist John Norum and vocalist/guitarist Joey Tempest of Swedish hard rockers EUROPE. You can now watch the chat below.

EUROPE's ninth studio album, "Bag Of Bones", entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 2.

"Bag Of Bones" was released in Europe on April 27 via earMusic/Edel. The CD, which features a guest appearance by blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), was produced by Kevin Shirley, who has previously worked with IRON MAIDEN, JOE BONAMASSA, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, BLACK STONE CHERRY and JOURNEY, among others.

"It's more organic," Tempest told Metal Shock Finland about the new CD. "Kevin Shirley brought in a warm '70s sound. It's a dynamic record, like vinyl almost.

"One of my [favorite songs on the CD], 'Riches To Rags' has quite a big chorus with exciting riffs.

"It's a journey with an emotional ballad at the end, called 'Bring It On Home'. Very much a classic rock album — more rock than hard rock."

On the topic of "Bag Of Bones" also being released on vinyl, Joey said, "With the new 'Bag Of Bones' cover, there is so much detail on it. It became a bit boring there for a while; everybody was thinking, 'CDs are small, so let's just make something simple.' But we have computers, so we can blow up the cover to use for posters and vinyl, so it's still worth going that extra mile to make great covers. And we're really happy we did that."

The "Not Supposed To Sing The Blues" video was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.

The "Not Supposed To Sing The Blues" digital single was made available on March 9.

Regarding the new CD title, EUROPE drummer Ian Haugland said, "It's not [called 'Bag Of Bones'] because we all have lost tons of weight or found a new interest in archeology or dogs... It's just because it sounds fuckin' cool!"

Interview:



"Not Supposed To Sing The Blues" video:

Jason Nivens of the 98.9 The Rock radio station conducted an interview with Florida metallers TRIVIUM at Rockfest at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City on Saturday, May 12. You can now watch the chat below.

TRIVIUM's latest album, "In Waves", sold 22,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on The Billboard 200 chart — the highest U.S. chart entry of the band's career. The group's previous CD, "Shogun", opened with just under 24,000 units back in October 2008 to debut at No. 23. The effort followed up "The Crusade", which registered a first-week tally of 31,000 copies in October 2006 to enter the chart at No. 25.

"In Waves" was recorded primarily at Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, Florida (with only the drums having been tracked at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida) with the production/mixing team of Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT, FEAR FACTORY) and Martin "Ginge" Ford, along with engineer Carl Bown. A two-disc special edition is also available. It features five bonus tracks, plus a DVD with a 40-minute, behind-the-scenes documentary, as well as an exclusive concert filmed in a warehouse located in Orlando, Florida, which is the band's stomping grounds. This concert features the first performances of tracks from "In Waves", along with TRIVIUM classics.

Tonight's (Sunday, May 13) Michael Schenker concert at O13 in Tilburg, Holland will be filmed for DVD release.

Schenker's "Temple Of Rock" European tour marks the first time Schenker's band features two fellow ex-SCORPIONS members — Herman Rarebell (drums) and Francis Buchholz (bass). Vocalist Doogie White (ex-RAINBOW and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and keyboardist Wayne Findlay complete the lineup.

The European concerts feature a plethora of hits spanning Michael Schenker's colorful career. Songs that are being performed by the "Temple Of Rock" lineup include UFO's "Rock Bottom" and "Doctor Doctor", MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP's "Armed and Ready" and "Into The Arena", SCORPIONS classics "Another Piece Of Meat" and "Rock You Like A Hurricane", plus new songs from the recently released "Temple Of Rock" album "Miss Claustrophobia" and "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead".

Fan-filmed video footage of Schenker's May 5 concert at Sala Totem in Pamplona, Spain can be seen below.

AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young has confirmed to Classic Rock magazine that the band is working on the follow-up to 2008's "Black Ice". But he said fans will likely have to wait longer than expected, after singer Brian Johnson suggested there would be new material next year.

"You know what Brian's like. He just says things and then walks away," Malcolm said. "It'll be a little while — a year or two anyway.

He added, "I've been doing some jamming on some song ideas but I do that all the time, as do the rest of the band. We are still working. But we had a long rest between 'Stiff Upper Lip' and 'Black Ice', so I think we need a couple of years to recuperate and work on it a bit more."

During a January 2012 appearance on "The Cowhead Show", the American radio program hosted by Mike "Cowhead" Calta, Johnson revealed that health issues were affecting one of his bandmates, which may have put new album plans temporarily on hold. "One of the boys is a little sick and I can't say anything, but he's getting better," Brian said. "He's doing wonderful. Full recovery fully expected."

The singer added, "It's a wonderful thing when we get in a room. Whenever the boys get back together, I get all excited. The boys, after a while, pick the guitars up, Phil [Rudd] will make his way to the drums, Cliff [Williams] will pull his bass out and then all of a sudden this noise comes out and I sit there with just this big old grin on my face."

UNISONIC — the band featuring former HELLOWEEN vocalist Michael Kiske, guitarist Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY, ex-HELLOWEEN) alongside guitarist Mandy Meyer (ASIA, GOTTHARD and KROKUS), bassist Dennis Ward and drummer Kosta Zafiriou (both of Germany's PINK CREAM 69) — kicked off its South American tour last night (Saturday, May 12) at Teatro Flores in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Intro: The Ride Of The Valkyries
02. Unisonic
03. Never Too Late
04. Renegade
05. King For A Day
06. I've Tried
07. My Sanctuary
08. March Of Time
09. Over The Rainbow
10. Star Rider (guitar solos)
12. Souls Alive
13. We Rise
14. Never Change Me

Encore

15. Future World
16. I Want Out

A report on the concert can be found on the Souls Alive web site of the official UNISONIC fan club.

Fan-filmed video footage is available below.

UNISONIC's self-titled debut studio album will be released in North America on May 22 via Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records.

"Unisonic" was recorded at ICP Studios in Brussels, Belgium. The CD — which features 11 tracks, plus a bonus live version of HELLOWEEN classic "I Want Out", only available on the domestic edition, and cover art by Martin Häusler (MEAT LOAF, GOTTHARD, HELLOWEEN, MOTÖRHEAD) — marks the first full-length musical union between Kiske and Hansen in 23 years!

UNISONIC released its debut EP, "Ignition" on January 27 via earMUSIC/Edel. The effort includes the track "Unisonic" plus one demo song and a cover version of the HELLOWEEN classic "I Want Out", recorded live on October 15 at last year's edition of the Loud Park festival at Saitama Super Arena, a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Saitama City, Japan.

UNISONIC's music is very versatile and shows a broad approach to heavy rock without sacrificing the power and strong, catchy melodies that characterized the bandmembers' previous projects.

Kai Hansen's position in GAMMA RAY will be unaffected by his involvement with UNISONIC.

UNISONIC is:

Michael Kiske (vocals)
Mandy Meyer (guitar)
Kai Hansen (guitar)
Dennis Ward (bass)
Kosta Zafiriou (drums)

On Friday, May 4, "Metal Zone" host Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone conducted an interview with BLACKGATES — the new East San Francisco Bay Area/New York metal outfit featuring former ANTHRAX singer Dan Nelson, drummer Paul Bostaph (ex-TESTAMENT, EXODUS, SLAYER, FORBIDDEN) and guitarist Jeremy Epp (THE VENTING MACHINE). You can now watch the chat below.

BLACKGATES made its live debut on May 5 at Rooster's Roadhouse in Alameda, California as part of the Cinco De Mayo Metal Throwdown with guests MUDFACE, FALLING TO PIECES and ANOTHER VOID. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

BLACKGATES recently parted ways with bassist Uriah Duffy (ex-WHITESNAKE) and replaced him with Luis Barillas (THE VENTING MACHINE).

Commented Bostaph: "Luis is a veteran of the Bay Area metal scene and a welcome addition to the band." Von Epp added, "[Barillas has] got that Steve Harris/Geezer Butler vibe on the bass which fits perfect with what were doing, not to mention that he's a solid dude." Nelson stated, "Luis is an amazing bassist and a perfect fit for the BLACKGATES sound. He's a true bro who you know from day one will have your back in the trenches."

BLACKGATES last year entered the studio to begin work on its debut album.

Bostaph previously stated about BLACKGATES's musical direction, "Our sound is drawn from all of our influences. Mostly, we don't want to be a thrash metal band, although we draw from that genre as well. There is something in our music for everyone. Heavy grooves, good hooks and Dan's killer pipes. I think we have an independent sound that will stand on its own." Nelson added, "It's thrashy and heavy, so it will appeal to ANTHRAX and TESTAMENT fans. But has the groove and brutality of PANTERA, and is also very melodic. The guitarist is a kid from the Bay Area named Jeremy Epp, who's an unknown, but sensational. People are gonna love him."

BLACKGATES's first demo was recorded in the San Francisco Bay Area with producer Tim Narducci (SYSTEMATIC, SPIRALARMS).

BLACKGATES is:

* Dan Nelson (ANTHRAX): Vocals/guitar
* Paul Bostaph (TESTAMENT, SLAYER, FORBIDDEN, EXODUS): Drums
* Luis Barillas (THE VENTING MACHINE): Bass
* Jeremy Von Epp (THE VENTING MACHINE): Guitar/Vocals

Interview:



Performance:

ADRENALINE MOB and KILL DEVIL HILL have joined forces for a short co-headlining tour. The trek kicked off on May 10 in Cleveland and will make stops in Dallas, Chicago and Orlando before wrapping up in Charlotte on May 22. The shows features KILL DEVIL HILL followed by ADRENALINE MOB and then end in all-out jam between the two groups.

ADRENALINE MOB is the band featuring featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP) and DISTURBED bassist John Moyer.

KILL DEVIL HILL consists of Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) on drums, Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) on bass, Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) on guitar and Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) on vocals.

Fan-filmed video footage of ADRENALINE MOB performing BLACK SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN classics with the help of Vinny Appice on May 10 at the House Of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio can be seen below.

ADRENALINE MOB's debut album, "Omertá", which sold around 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 70 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released in Europe on March 19 in Europe via Century Media Records and in the U.S. on March 13 through the newly formed Elm City Music in conjunction with EMI Label Services.

The 11-song effort — which was produced by ADRENALINE MOB and mixed by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked on ANTHRAX's "Worship Music" and STEEL PANTHER's "Balls Out" — includes a blistering reinterpretation of DURAN DURAN's classic "Come Undone" featuring guest vocals by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM.

The self-titled debut album from KILL DEVIL HILL — the band featuring Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) on drums, Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) on bass, Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) on guitar and Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) on vocals — will be released via SPV/Steamhammer on the following dates:

U.S./Canada: May 22
Germany: May 25
Rest Of Europe: May 28

"Kill Devil Hill" was originally due on March 27 but had its release date pushed back so that the band could record another track at the last minute. The group explained, "It was decided that a song that was to be a bonus track might be released as a single, so in order to include that song on the CD we needed an additional track to include as a bonus in its place."

"Kill Devil Hill" was produced by Warren Riker, who is best known for his work with DOWN, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SUBLIME and CATHEDRAL. The effort will be available in a standard CD edition, as an iTunes digital download, and double gatefold LP.

According to Appice, KILL DEVIL HILL's sound is "like a cross between BLACK SABBATH, ALICE IN CHAINS and a little bit of LED ZEPPELIN thrown in. It's heavy, but with a lot of cool hooks and melodic overtones, too."

Today (Sunday, May 13) is Mother's Day, and Roadrunner Records thought it would be nice to let some of the label's artists represent for their moms, who supported their kids' musical ambitions early on. Roadrunner asked two simple questions: "Does your mom like/support your band?" and "What's your mom's favorite song by your band?" Here are the answers they got.

Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu (KORN): "Happy Mother's Day, Mom! My mom is a very big supporter of KORN — so big that she wants T-shirts, stickers, key chains, hats, bracelets… Everything that we ever make. I brought her out on tour with us in Europe — she had the best time of her life, on stage every night. Her favorite song is 'Got The Life', because she seemed to be dancing on the side of the stage the most for that one."

John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER): "My mom loves DREAM THEATER and has been a fan since the beginning. Her new favorite song is 'This Is The Life' from our latest, 'A Dramatic Turn Of Events'."

Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SEPULTURA): "Yes, my mom was our first big supporter. She let everybody camp in our house. Our house was always full of metal kids. Her favorite song is 'Inner Self' [from SEPULTURA's 'Beneath The Remains']. I think she likes the lyrics, because it was about when I was living in Brazil and she remembers that period of our life."

Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD): "My mom, being a musician, was supportive of my interest in music from the word go. Her and my father cultivated my 'hobby,' doing everything from matching me dollar for dollar on my first guitar, videotaping my earliest gigs at the seediest Bay Area bars/clubs, to standing on stage with me in front of 60,000 people in her native Portugal when we opened for METALLICA. She loves our acoustic material. Our songs 'Descend The Shades Of Night' and 'Darkness Within' are favorites."

Joe and Mario Duplantier (GOJIRA): "Since we started playing music, my brother and I, our mother was supporting us, encouraging us. She always had faith in us, even if the first notes we played were out of tune. She also wrote the lyrics of our first song ever, 'Victim'. She understands our music very well, even though she is not a metalhead, she feels the music in her guts! I could never thank her enough for such amazing support. Her favorite song is 'Indians' from our second album 'The Link'."

Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal of Metal Assault recently conducted an interview with guitarist Dave Chandler of doom metal legends SAINT VITUS. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metal Assault: Your new album ["Lillie: F-65"] is your first studio release after a 17-year gap. That's a really long time. First of all, it must be a great feeling to have this album ready for release now.

Chandler: Yeah, it's really cool. It has been a long time, but we are excited about it and we like the way it came out. We're real happy with it, so we hope the fans like it too. It seems to be a pretty cool record.

Metal Assault: You did some shows in the last couple of years leading up to the release of this album. So, that must have made it easier for you guys to get back into the groove and write this album.

Chandler: Yeah, because we actually wrote the song "Blessed Night" on the road, and when we started playing it, people started asking us if it was a song from a new album, which actually gave us the idea to try to put out a new album. It was purely because the fans were asking for it.

Metal Assault: Well, this album is 33 minutes long, and honestly, leaves me hungry for more. So do you think it could have been longer, or did you want it to be as long as it is?

Chandler: It actually worked itself out to that time, because it's sort of like a weird concept thing. I thought about may be trying to rush a song, but then I was like, no, because it's going to sound rushed and it's not going to sound the way the rest of the songs did, as they were all written at the same time and they all flowed together. So when I started checking time, I saw that it's actually the same length as all of our albums. I think there are only two releases we have, "C.O.D." and "Die Healing", that are longer. All the other ones are right around the same length of time. So for this new album I was like, "That's a regular VITUS album!"

Metal Assault: I was checking out another interview that you did a short while ago and you said, whether or not you make the next album will depend on how this one is received. It has been received really well so far. Will that inspire you to write more material now?

Chandler: Well, you know, once we get going out on the road and start doing the shows and stuff, it'll get our creative juices flowing, so to speak. We'll see. We want to take things one step at a time, and we don't want to jump the gun and say we're doing to this and do that, and then not do it for some reason. The record's still on a tentative release date over here in the U.S., which is going to be in a couple of weeks. So we want to see how the people take it and see how they react to the new songs when we play them live, and we'll see what happens. If everybody's into it, we'll probably do something because we'll be thinking of it.

Read the entire interview from Metal Assault.

Jason Saulnier of the MusicLegends.ca web site recently conducted an interview with former PANTERA/DOWN and current KILL DEVIL HILL bassist Rex Brown. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

MusicLegends.ca: What's your take on the latest PANTERA promo video for the song "Piss" that was just recently released?

Rex: I really didn't have any input in that. It was just put together for a contest kind of a deal. They got people from L.A. to come in and send in a video of them jamming out or whatever and [the director] put it all out together and got them all in one room. Just kind of shows the energy and the punch in the mouth and all that kind of stuff of what "Vulgar Display Of Power" was about. But I had no input on that whatsoever, none of us did. We just let the director run with it and make a promo. Basically, videos these days are nothing but promotional clips. They're not videos anymore. A promotional item.

MusicLegends.ca: Where do you go shopping for your music today?

Rex: I really don't; I just listen to my old record collection. There's nothing really out there. If I do something like that, I will download a full record. I won't download just a single and usually it's through iTunes or Amazon, just like everyone else does. I've never illegally downloaded a song in my life. It just would kind of be hypocritical, wouldn't it? So as a musician, yes, I pay for my music.

MusicLegends.ca: With the release of KILL DEVIL HILL coming out soon, what's next in promotions?

Rex: We got four different singles going to four different radio formats off this record. One's going to one affiliate that has a different format. It's pretty cool, the way of dealing with it these days is a lot different. The way the industry is now, it's completely changed, so you have to really broaden your base and try to get as many people as you can. Instead of putting out the one single to the four different types of affiliates that play different brands of stuff, you can take an individual track and give it to these different affiliates of these. Say I give a track to Eddie Trunk or a track to Full Metal Jackie, a track to Jose (Mangin) at Sirius or give a track to all active rock radio, that's the key that's definitely going to work this next KILL DEVIL HILL. For sure.

MusicLegends.ca: So it seems to be a little more relaxed now for the artists?

Rex: I would not say relaxed. Everybody's just trying to squeak by and see what we can make out of it, you know, out of its destroyed industry. It's very much do it yourself these days and try to get it done, you know. Try to save a little bit of money in your pocket without having to spend everything you have into promotions, on stuff that is not needed, like extra listening parties and stuff like that. I think it is great for the fans but every night we go out and sign autographs regardless after we play. It's still a grassroots kind of movement; that foundation, I think, still will hold true for a long while. You're talking about social media and the whole online media. I think that's definitely a big plus, but going out and playing live and showing what your band can do is as important as everything you have, combined together. You got to put everything in the same basket, and if you have to sell stuff out of your cars, then that's what you have to do, especially for newer bands.

Read the entire interview from the MusicLegends.ca web site.

German hard rockers BONFIRE recently spent time on location in Germany, Czech Republic and Mallorca with renowned director David Beránek filming a video for their song "Cry 4 Help". Originally released on the "Double X" album, the track has always been a fan favorite, in part because of its powerful lyrics:

"Who sheds a tear for the crocodile / That you carry as a bag? / Does your mink coat still keep you warm / When you think about its fate? / It ain't just another protest song / About laboratory crimes / It's also a cry for help / For the cowards of our time."

The new version of "Cry 4 Help" will be released on May 25 as a special EP with different versions of the title cut as well as by two special bonus tracks and the video for the new version of one of BONFIRE's biggest ballads, "You Make Me Feel".

Says singer Claus Lessmann: "It feels really good that the song has a second life now and that we can now release it in cooperation with the animal protection organization PETA."

At the end of March, BONFIRE travelled to the Ukraine to perform at a festival and play a headlining show there. They also wanted to talk to the authorities and the people about some of the recent unbelievable mistreatment of street dogs in the country.

According to Humane Society International, street dogs in Ukraine are being poisoned in a terribly misguided effort to rid the streets of them in time for the Euro 2012 soccer championships. Meat laced with poison is being left out for the animals to consume, resulting in their prolonged and agonizing deaths.

BONFIRE says "stop the senseless killing now" and is asking fans for their support.

BONFIRE recently parted ways with Dominik Hülshorst. According to the band, "The drum duties for the near future, and possibly the far future as well, will be handled by Harry 'Fireworks' Reischmann, who already played with the band in the Ukraine in March 2012."

BONFIRE's original drummer, Hülshorst rejoined the band in time for the recording of their twelfth album, "Branded", which came out in January 2011 via LZ Records/Sony Music.

Moose of the 98.9 The Rock radio station conducted an interview with Slash when the legendary VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist played at Rockfest at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City on Saturday, May 12. You can now watch the chat below.

Slash's second solo album, "Apocalyptic Love", is scheduled for release on May 22 via his own label Dik Hayd International distributed through EMI.

"Apocalyptic Love" will follow Slash's 2010 debut album, "Slash", and his November 2011 first-ever live solo album, the two-CD/DVD set "Made In Stoke 24/7/11". Notably, the "Slash" album debuted on The Billboard 200 chart at #3 (#1 on the Rock chart, #1 on the Independent chart, and #1 on the Hard Music chart). Digitally, the album also became the #1 overall digital album and hit #1 on iTunes in 13 countries. Internationally, the disc achieved Top 5 chart positions in over a dozen major territories, hitting #1 in both Japan and New Zealand.

In the U.K., "Apocalyptic Love" will be released on May 21 in exclusive Classic Rock Fan Pack form — providing a unique collectable package containing the studio album with bonus tracks alongside a specially created magazine with unseen behind-the-scenes content put together by Classic Rock. The Fan Pack format will also come with free gifts, including a pin badge and artwork poster and will be available to buy via more than 2000 retail outlets on newsstands nationally as well as the traditional high street and online music retailers. Roadrunner Records will simultaneously release the record digitally. The standard physical release of the Slash album will follow through Roadrunner Records on June 18.

For the new album, Slash — along with and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass) — teamed with producer Eric Valentine, who also produced the "Slash" disc. All the songs were written together by Slash and Kennedy.

"Apocalyptic Love" track listing:

01. Apocalyptic Love
02. One Last Thrill
03. Standing In The Sun
04. You're A Lie
05. No More Heroes
06. Halo
07. We Will Roam
08. Anastasia
09. Not For Me
10. Bad Rain
11. Hard & Fast
12. Far And Away
13. Shots Fired