New Black Halos disc coming!

Although not necessarily a "metal" band in the strictest sense of the word, the Black Halos nevertheless display a similar assault on the senses of polite society as the best hardcore bands. The Canadian band's sound is said to be a heady mix of the Stooges, New York Dolls-inspired sleaze-rock and the young, loud and snotty vibe of the Dead Boys. The Black Halos' fourth album, We Are Not Alone, will be released on June 10th, 2008 by Acetate Records.

Produced by Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, the Melvins) – a well-known hand behind the board who knows a little bit about HEAVY music – We Are Not Alone features a dozen new red-hot songs that are guaranteed to kick up a few sparks. Over the past eight years, the Black Halos have been hitting the road hard, touring with folks like Social Distortion, Danzig and the Offspring, to name a few. The band has seen its music used in video games and on TV, so the new album can only further increase the audience for this rocking young band.

(Click on the CD cover to buy We Are Not Alone from Amazon.com)

Buckethead's From The Coop to be released!

Six-string mangler Buckethead has a storied, glorious history of metallic shredding, strangled fretwork and manic riffing. Back when the chicken-lovin' fool was a mere egg, however, he recorded a bunch of songs for a friend who was the editor of a guitar magazine.

With a release date of June 10, 2008, MVD Audio will unleash From The Coop, a nineteen-song collection of the earliest Buckethead tracks known to exist. Digitally restored from the original 1988 multi-track tapes, and featuring a self-portrait drawing of a young bucket by the guitarist himself, the CD booklet will also include the handwritten notes from the original tapes and the first-ever Buckethead biography.

This is an important archival CD release illustrating the skilled six-string technician's developing sense of style and tone. One of rock music's most underrated progressive, metal-styled axe-wielding talents, Buckethead's From The Coop is a must-have CD for fans and the newly-acquainted alike.

(Click on the CD cover to buy From The Coop from Amazon.com)

The Early Daze of Controlled Bleeding

One of the forefathers of the '80s-era industrial-metal movement, Controlled Bleeding was a curious and controversial band. With roots in the punk and sleaze-rock of NYC bands like the Dictators, the New York Dolls and the Ramones, Controlled Bleeding mixed in a heady blend of progressive overtones, jazzy flourishes and industrial noise into its unique sound.

Before The Quiet, which will be released on June 10th, 2008 by MVD Audio, collects the band's initial recordings, circa 1978-1982, as chosen by CB mainman Paul Lemos. This 77-minute CD features better than two-dozen songs dating back to the band's earliest cassette tapes and first EP. Although Controlled Bleeding's music would gradually evolve over time from a barely-contained sonic fury to a mind-bending ambient soundscape, Before The Quiet will provide old and new fans alike with a valuable glimpse into the band's deepest, darkest past.

(Click on the CD cover to buy Before The Quiet from Amazon.com)

Judas Priest predict the future (hint: world tour!)

Heavy metal legends Judas Priest are preparing a world tour in support of their upcoming two-CD set Nostradamus. The sprawling, epic concept album recounts the life of the mysterious 16th Century French prophet. Some of the events that Nostradamus experts have interpreted as his predictions include the great fire of London in 1666, the rise of Adolf Hitler, and most recently, 9-11, among countless other renowned events. Of course, with Rob Halford on the microphone and with twin guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis, you can expect the song cycle to rock with the power and majesty that fans have come to expect from Judas Priest.

Nostradamus will be released as a two-CD set in a regular jewel case, as a special collector's "deluxe" version housed in a 48-page hardbound book, and for the fanatical among you (yeah, I want one too!), as a super-deluxe box set with a triple-vinyl version of the album, the two-CD version, and an expanded booklet and a poster. Expect all of this heavy metal goodness to hit your green grocer's shelf on June 17, 2008 in the United States, a day earlier for lucky fans in the UK and Europe. Can't wait? Check out a streaming mp3 of the album's title track by pointing your little browser to the Live Nation website.

In other Judas Priest news, the band will be teaming with fellow metal legends Motorhead and Testament, along with Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio) for what they're calling "The Metal Masters Tour." This one promises to be a real scorched-earth affair, so be sure to grab your tickets ASAP! Tour dates, of course, are listed below....

(Click on the CD cover to buy Nostradamus from Amazon.com)

The Metal Masters Tour

06-Aug-08 @ Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden NJ
07-Aug-08 @ Nissan Pavilion, Bristow VA
09-Aug-08 @ PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel NJ
10-Aug-08 @ Nikon at Jones Beach, Wantagh NY
13-Aug-08 @ Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto ON
16-Aug-08 @ Post Gazette Pavilion, Pittsburgh PA
18-Aug-08 @ DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit MI
19-Aug-08 @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Chicago IL
22-Aug-08 @ Superpages.com Amphitheatre, Dallas TX
23-Aug-08 @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston TX
24-Aug-08 @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, San Antonio TX
27-Aug-08 @ Journal Pavilion, Albuquerque NM
28-Aug-08 @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion, Phoenix AZ
30-Aug-08 @ Glen Helen Pavilion, San Bernardino CA
31-Aug-08 @ Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View CA

Meteor City releases will rock your world!

MeteorCity, the official record label of the heavy music community StonerRock.com, has announced the impending release dates from two very cool bands, Farflung (pic above) and Dead Man. Sometimes the press release simply says it best, so we'll just let 'er rip....

First up, info on the album A Wound In Eternity from Farflung:

Like an apocalyptic beacon from the dark cosmos, Farflung awake from the cryogenic tubes with warped sensibilities and cosmic wrath... This is the heaviest and most tripped-out offering from these musicnauts to date. Dive bombing moogs, crushing riffs, and mind numbing cataclysmic overtures. This is A Wound In Eternity. Spacewarped by the various crew members voyages with Chrome, Nik Turner’s Hawkwind,Damo Suzuki Network, and Pressurehed. They set off in this new year to bring spacerock to your mental galaxy bathed in infrared, shuddering under the strobes, and warping the eyes. Look to the skies for a touchdown near you. Deluxe Double Gatefold Vinyl coming in April, 2008! Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition CDs coming in May, 2008!!

and, on the disc Euphoria, from Dead Man...

Euphoria is much darker and heavier than their first album while maintaining a thoroughly vintage vibe. There are bluesy up-tempo rockers alongside melodic folk-pop masterpieces and an unexpected turn into dark and psyched-out heavy rock. While their debut Self Titled album made a huge impact on the stoner/prog rock fanatics, Euphoria will establish Dead Man with cult-status like their contemporaries Witchcraft and Black Mountain have achieved. CD coming in June, 2008!

Fans of heavy space/stoner/prog-oriented rock should be, well, "euphoric"! Check 'em out!

Winter's doom-metal remembered...

Every now and then a band comes along that is just too damn far ahead of its time. Such a band was Winter, a doom-metal outfit hailing from New York. Winter was bassist John Alman on vocals, along with guitarist Stephen Flam and drummer Joe Goncalves. The trio recorded their ill-fated debut album, Into Darkness, for Future Shock Records in 1990. However, the label went belly-up and OOB shortly after the album's release, and it took Winter a couple of years to find a new buyer.

Nuclear Blast subsequently released Into Darkness with wider distribution in 1992, but the band's dark, gloomy brand of ear-sludge failed to make much of a dent in an era dominated by grunge bands. Although Winter broke-up before mid-decade, Nuclear Blast released the band's original demo tape in 1995 as the Eternal Frost EP; the label would revisit Winter once again in 2000 by putting both recordings together on a single CD.

In the intervening years, Winter's cult status has grown, propelled, in part, by the scarcity of the band's two recordings, which have been out-of-print for years. However, on May 13, 2008 our friends at MVD Audio will be reissuing both Into Darkness and Eternal Frost on CD for those who want a taste of Winter. With the growing popularity of such drone-and-burn noisemasters as Earth, Sun O))) and Boris, perhaps Winter's time has finally come!

(Click on the CD cover to buy Into Darkness/Eternal Frost from Amazon.com)

NWOBHM: Rogue Male reissues

In retrospect, England's Rogue Male were one of the most underrated and overlooked of the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" bands to come out of the decade of the '80s. The band's 1985 debut album, First Visit, was championed by metal magazine Kerrang!, who called Rogue Male the "next big thing" in heavy metal. The groundbreaking album featured a mix of speed metal with rhythmic overtones and hook-laden melodies.

Rogue Male released its follow-up, Animal Man, a year after its debut, delivering fans more of the same. However, when album sales failed to meet expectations, the band broke up, leaving behind just these two albums, which have sadly been out-of-print for years. This situation will be remedied on June 10, 2008 when MVD Audio reissues both of these long-lost Rogue Male albums, remastered and including bonus tracks. Both albums will be released in limited edition digipak editions of 2,000 copies, and are certain to introduce new fans to Rogue Male's breathless NWOBHM sound.

(Click on the CD cover to buy First Visit from Amazon.com)

Flotsam & Jetsam revisited!

Thrash-metal cult faves Flotsam & Jetsam have been around the block a time or two, and through the years they've released a number of albums that have disappeared among the metal masses. Although the band's 1986 debut album for Metal Blade, Doomsday For The Deceiver, won the second-generation thrashmasters a fair amount of acclaim, the band's subsequent major label output was largely overlooked at the time.

Kudos to our friends at MVD Audio, who will be reissuing three early-90s Flotsam & Jetsam albums in the months to come. The three titles – 1990's When The Storm Comes Down, 1992's Cuatro, and 1995's Drift – were all originally recorded for MCA Records and while not considered as overall brilliant as the band's later work upon returning to Metal Blade, they deserve another look nevertheless. All three feature vocalist Eric A.K. along with original axemen Edward Carlson and Michael Gilbert, as well as big-beat drummer Kelly David Smith.

Cuatro, Flotsam & Jetsam's fourth album, will be reissued on May 13, 2008 and will include a handful of bonus tracks such as the songs "Date For Hate" and the industrial mix of "Wading Through The Darkness." When The Storm Comes Down and Drift will both be reissued on June 10, 2008; the former will include a bonus interview and the latter will include three bonus tracks. All three albums have been remastered using a 24-bit process and will be pressed on gold discs in a limited edition of 2,000 copies.

(Click on the CD cover to buy Drift from Amazon.com. Click here to buy When The Storm Comes Down, or click here to buy Cuatro.)

Final Breath's Mind Explosion reissued!

German heavy metal band Final Breath has enjoyed a growing cult following in Western Europe, though they sadly remain largely unknown in the United States. Formed in 1993, the band had been around for 7 years before they recorded their debut album, Flash-Burnt Crucifixes, which did not receive U.S. distribution at the time.

Final Breath followed its debut two years later with Mind Explosion, which featured healthy mix of aggressive speed metal and technical instrumentation. Released in Europe by Nuclear Blast, Mind Explosion never enjoyed stateside exposure...until now. MVD Audio will be reissuing the 2002 album on June 10, 2008 in a limited edition of 2,000 copies on gold discs. Mind Explosion will be complimented by bonus tracks taken from the band's 1997 EP, End Of It All. Often compared to such metal stalwarts as Slayer, Death and Dark Angel, worldwide audiences are certain to embrace Final Breath.

(Click on the CD cover to buy Mind Explosion from Amazon.com)

New Michael Schenker Group album in May!

Legendary guitarist Michael Schenker has made his mark on the music world through his work with Scorpions, UFO and, of course, the Michael Schenker Group.

On May 13th, 2008 MVD Audio will release In The Midst Of Beauty, the first new MSG album since 2006, and the first in years to reunite the guitarist with the band's original members, singer Gary Barden, drummer Simon Phillips and keyboardist Don Airy, along with journeyman rock bassist Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath).

In The Midst Of Beauty promises plenty of Schenker's trademark blend of hard rock, metallic riffs and bluesy overtones.

(Click on the CD cover to buy In The Midst Of Beauty from Amazon.com)

Ihsahn to release second solo album in May!

Candlelight Records has announced a May 27, 2008 release date for angL, the highly anticipated sophomore album from former Emperor vocalist/guitarist and heavy metal legend Ihsahn. Featuring nine new original songs, the album features guest performances by drummer Asgeir Mickelson, and bassist Lars Koppang Norberg, both of the band Spiral Architect, and Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt.

With Emperor during the '90s, Ihsahn helped define the sound and sonic fury of black metal through albums like 1994's In the Nightside Eclipse and 1997's Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, mixing elements of Norwegian folk music with a devastating metal assault. Despite the band's well-publicized trials and tribulations, Ihsahn and Emperor brought black metal into the new century with a handful of critically-acclaimed albums, culminating with 2001's Prometheus – the Discipline of Fire & Demise, after which the band called it quits.

Ihsahn launched his solo career with the release of the critically-acclaimed album The Adversary in 2006. Like that album, angL was recorded and mixed by Ihsahn at his Symphonique Studios in Notodden, Norway.

Journey experiences Revelation!

Back in the late-70s and early-80s, AOR superstars Journey ruled the radio airwaves, but in the new millennium, the revamped band is just trying to get its music heard above the pop culture din. The band has toured and recorded without former frontman Steve Perry for years, forging a new Journey sound that is part classic melodic rock and part prog-styled instrumental virtuosity. The current Journey line-up features long-time guitarist Neal Schon, keyboardist Jonathan Cain , bassist Ross Valory, drummer Deen Castronovo, and new vocalist Arnel Pineda.

Journey opens a new chapter in the band's story with the June 3, 2008 release of Revelation, a massive three-disc set that will be sold exclusively through Wal-Mart stores (*shudder*). A gift for the band's loyal fans and new followers alike, the set's first CD will feature re-recordings of eleven classic Journey songs, the second CD will offer eleven new songs from the band, and the third disc will be a live concert DVD. All of the music on Revelation was produced by Kevin Shirley, who worked with the band on its Platinum-selling Trial By Fire album.

Journey will hit the road in July in support of Revelation, with exact details to be announced soon.

Zebra - The DVD

Cult hard rock trio Zebra will be releasing the band's first DVD collection on March 18, 2008. Simply titled The DVD, the disc documents the band's 2006 performances at House Of Blues in New Orleans and at The Downtown in Farmingdale, New York and will be released by Music Video Distributors (MVD).

Formed in the mid-70s in New Orleans, Zebra quickly struck gold with its self-titled 1983 album. Produced by Jack Douglas (Aerosmith), the band's unique mix of pomp-rock and Led Zeppelin-inspired hard rock yielded chart hits in the songs "Who's Behind The Door?" and "Tell Me What You Want," and the album rose to #29 on the Billboard Top 200. Douglas was also behind the board for the band's sophomore effort, No Tellin' Lies, but by the time of 1986's brilliant 3.V, the band's sound had changed significantly and Zebra was overshadowed by the rising tide of mid-to-late-80s nerf-metal bands.

Zebra's The DVD runs two hours and features sixteen songs as well as band interviews and other bonus material.

RIYL: Triumph, April Wine, Kingdom Come, Led Zeppelin

(Click on the DVD cover to buy The DVD from Amazon.com)

Pallas - Moment To Moment DVD

Scottish neo-prog legends Pallas will be dropping their third live performance DVD on April 15, 2008, released by the good folks at Music Video Distributors (MVD). The disc captures the band's dynamic performance at the Wyspiański Theater in Katowice, Poland in late October 2007 and features twelve songs running over two hours. The DVD also includes two video extras: "Tales from the Tourbus" and "The Rehearsal Tapes" as well as interviews with Pallas members Alan Reed and Graeme Murray.

Formed in the early-80s as part of the rising tide of European prog bands influenced by the works of King Crimson, Yes and Pink Floyd, Pallas released its first album, The Sentinel, in 1984, following with The Wedge in 1986. Due to conflicts with their record label, the band went on hiatus for almost 13 years before releasing Beat The Drum in 1999. Since coming back, Pallas has released a series of critically-acclaimed albums, and the band's appearances at NEARfest have increased interest in the band's impressive body of work among prog-rock fans.

RIYL: Marillion, IQ, Pendragon or the Flower Kings

(Click on the DVD cover to buy Moment To Moment from Amazon.com)

Sahg II coming on March 18, 2008

Norway's kings of doom- metal, the almighty Sahg, will be releasing their much- anticipated second album, simply titled Sahg II, on March 18, 2008. The album will be released stateside by Regain Records. Sahg II is the band's follow-up to their critically-acclaimed 2006 debut album.

“This album is definitely a big step forward for us, both musically and technically/sound-wise,” said guitarist/vocalist Olav Iversen. “The songs are more diverse on ‘Sahg II’ because we have allowed ourselves to think more freely and be more receptive to a wider range of inspiration. There are so many directions we want to explore with this band, and this is just what we had time for in this round.”

The recording of Sahg II turned into a challenge for the band, as the recording studio they were working in was torn to the ground by the landlord after the Sahg had recorded just three songs. Undeterred, the band used a tiny rehearsal room as a temporary studio while seeking out another location. They finally settled in at Audiopilot Studio in their native town of Bergen, Norway. The studio sits by the ocean and is full of vintage guitar amps, effects, tape machines, and a Fender Rhodes piano.

“It really felt like being under some vicious spell,” Iversen says. “But, finally, we landed it, with a bunch of pretty intense recordings in our hands that are very much colored by the strife and frustration we were in. All the hardship turned into something good.”

Link to: Sahg web site