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On what would have been Soundgarden/Audioslave singer Chris Cornell's 53rd birthday, Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard shared a moving letter to his friend and bandmate in Temple of the Dog. The letter was posted on Pearl Jam's website, and can be read in its entirety below:

Happy Birthday, Chris

I keep waking up in the middle of the night and remember, fresh again, that you are gone. An absence grows in my stomach and slowly turns circles like a far off galaxy on a grainy tv.

The same questions follow and my heart races...searching for reasons and what ifs..
I'm so selfishly sad that I'll never get to see you again, never play with you again, never feel the bask of your approval or be part of your life. 
Fuck....
We all miss you so much...it was always a given in my mind we would all spend more time together when we got older, we would play more music and love and be loved like we dreamed...this was your time and you shared it with us...thank you.
You were too much...
Your talent was jaw dropping...your songs, lyrics, your voice...how could you have all 3...
And then, the not so obvious...your wicked sense of humor and your playfulness...
all of us are heartsick and we will never get over losing you. 
We hope you're in peace and that your particles are mutating and transforming in harmony with nature. We wish your family our utmost condolences and sympathies.
We love you Chris,
Happy Birthday 
chester bennington, Christopher Polk / Getty
photograph by Christopher Polk / Getty

Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington has died — the result of a suicide. He was 41.

Associated Press has confirmed his death by Los Angeles County coroner. TMZ.com broke the news after acquiring information from law enforcement sources stating that the singer hanged himself at a private residence in Palos Verdes Estates in Los Angeles County. His body was discovered Thursday morning.

Chester Bennington was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 20, 1976. The singer got his start in post-grunge band Grey Daze, but it was with Linkin Park, whom he joined in 1999, that he catapulted to international stardom through records like Hybrid Theory (2000) — which is the rare album to be certified Diamond for over 10 million copies sold — and its follow-up, Meteora (2003). Linkin Park's effortlessly catchy and powerfully emotive mix of alt-metal and hip-hop captivated a generation, but the band was always restless, mutating its style and experimenting with remixes and side projects over its 20-year-plus career. For his part, Bennington led the grunge-inflected band Dead by Sunrise, which featured members of Julien-K and Orgy and released one album, Out of Ashes, in 2009; four years later he joined Stone Temple Pilots, touring with them and recording an EP, High Rise, before splitting in 2015.

In 2014, Linkin Park released their heaviest album to date, The Hunting Party, which featured guest turns by System of a Down's Daron Malakian, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and Helmet's Page Hamilton. Most recently, the band followed up that record with a divisively poppy follow-up, this year's One More Light.

On social media, musicians who grew up on Linkin Park and Bennington's soul-bearing lyrics and voice remembered the singer. "RIP Chester Bennington. Horrible news. One of the best front men to ever do it. A true legend. #LinkinPark" Miss May I's Levi Benton wrote on Twitter, while Bring Me the Horizon's Oli Sykes tweeted, "Is there any chance It's not true? I don't want to accept it. #chesterbennington"

Bennington's Linkin Park bandmate Mike Shinoda, meanwhile, tweeted a simple message to fans: "Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true.  An official statement will come out as soon as we have one."

warbeast, Eric Younkin Jr.
photograph by Eric Younkin Jr.

Texas-based thrash metal act Warbeast have teamed up with Revolver to premiere their new track, "Punishment for Gluttony." Check it out below.

Vocalist Bruce Corbitt said, "To me this song is vintage Texas thrash and defines what Warbeast is all about … pure aggression and adrenaline from start to finish. For the lyrics, I envisioned a guy like Tony Montana, who does everything in life to the extreme. So much so that he becomes his own worst enemy. There are some actual lines in this song directly from the movie Scarface that some of you will probably catch. Luckily before I had to retire we performed this song live several times … and it always got a good reaction from the crowd. So I'm really excited that the rest of the world is finally able to hear it."

Corbitt retired from singing earlier this year due to his recent esophageal cancer diagnosis. He wrote in a Facebook statement, "After much discussion with the doctors and specialist, they've told me there's no chance within any reasonable time that I'll ever be able to perform again. You're the best fans and I love all of you. I can't even begin to explain my feelings. You guys have given me the strength I need to even prepare for this fight. Honestly, I was close to losing hope that there was any good to come out of this. Of course, I'm scared for my life like any normal human being would be. Those moments when I can get on Facebook and scroll through all of your messages, the emotion takes over. I cry, I get stronger, I also realize what all of you mean to me. I do believe in the power prayer and positive vibes. And I have all of you to thank for that."

Before his retirement, Corbitt recorded vocals for Warbeast's forthcoming album, Enter the Arena — thought he was unable to play the band's release show took place on July 14th where some vocals were handled by Philip H. Anselmo. The former Pantera frontman said, "Since the late 1980s to the present, Bruce has always been a person to count on as a friend, and an excellent man to work closely with. Our love of music brought us together and created an unbreakable bond, and that is a priceless cornerstone that can't be ignored when examining one's life in hindsight. Bruce has always shot me straight, given me life-advice, and from my perspective, has always been there for anyone and everyone in need, for a myriad of unselfish reasons. I thank all that's good out there I had the chance to be a part of the four Warbeast releases, and I feel Bruce's best is on their latest record, Enter the Arena. He's a damned warrior, a fighter, and best of all, for the better of the genre, one of the most recognized voices in all of heavy metal. Well done, Big Brother."

Warbeast's upcoming full-length, Enter the Arena, will be released on August 4th via Anselmo's own Housecore Records. You can pick up a copy here.

warning

In 2006, U.K.'s Warning released Watching from a Distance — a melodic doom album that caused a stir among underground circles. Despite the record's widespread influence on bands like Pallbearer, Warning called it quits in 2009 and founding guitarist/singer Patrick Walker went on to create music as 40 Watt Sun.

In the decade since the album's release, Warning's legend has grown considerably. In the past year, Warning have reunited for only a handful of appearances overseas. But U.S. audiences are in for a treat: the band has just announced a nine-show run through the States — during which they'll be playing Watching from a Distance in its entirety.

With the dates around the corner (see full list below), we asked Walker about his return to the stage with Warning and the legacy of Watching from a Distance

Why Warning and why now?
PATRICK WALKER Well, it's my old band and apparently many people want to hear those songs live. I'd had some offers and requests come and go over the past years but it had to be an appropriate and convenient time; my priority the past three years was the last 40 Watt Sun album. I put my life into writing, recording and eventually releasing that record. I finally was able to put that behind me, and I figured this year I can take the time to put together a lineup and play these shows.

What do you think was so special about the Watching from a Distance LP that has resonated so strongly with fans?
I don't know. It seemed to resonate with a lot of people. I think the record was rather atypical and divergent. When I started the band in the mid-90s, I took my cue from John Brenner and Revelation which was this beautiful, introspective heavy music with a focus on songwriting. There were next to no bands playing like that and I guess that's still the case. 

The Warning gigs have been in the works for some time now.  What are you most excited about with respect to playing these songs on the road?
Really, I'm just looking forward to traveling with my friends and meeting fans that never had the opportunity to see the band.

What's next for Warning after these dates?
Nothing — this is it. It's just these concerts. It's now or never, folks. 

WARNING on TOUR
10/15    Seattle Highline^
10/17    Portland Tonic Lounge^
10/18    San Francisco DNA Lounge^
10/20    Phoenix Club Red^#
10/22    Austin Barracuda#
10/26    Chicago Reggies#
10/28    New York Le Poisson Rouge#
10/29    Baltimore Days Of Darkness
10/31    Boston ONCE Ballroom 

judas priest, Travis Shinn
photograph by Travis Shinn

If you're a metal fan with some extra time (and data) on your hands, Judas Priest are here to help with their new mobile game, "Judas Priest: Road to Valhalla." The fast-paced rhythm game, developed by Babaroga (along with Trinifold Management, Sony Music Entertainment, and the band themselves), whisks the player away on an epic journey to Valhalla, fighting off hordes of Judas Priest-inspired foes as they race along on one of three badass motorbikes. No swords or axes here: Instead, the player's arsenal comprises a selection of song stems from last year's live album Battle Cry — "Halls of Valhalla," "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," "Turbo Lover," "Electric Eye," and (obviously) "Halls of Valhalla," among other cuts — which are then reconfigured into new sonic collages, and finally, weaponized against the baddies.

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford praised the new game's do-it-yourself bent in an interview with Billboard. "You need to have some weight there, with the music," he said. "All the songs that were incorporated are great songs; It's quite challenging, and it's a lot of fun. You can make it quite simple, which I choose, or some of these crazy maniacs can do extraordinary things." He added, "You can actually be part of the experience, rather than just listening with this."

Halford also gave an update on Judas Priest's follow-up to 2014's Redeemer Of Souls, which is tentatively slated to hit shelves next spring. The bandleader told Billboard that they've nearly finished the album, and are "going through those last pieces of machinery." Sadly, Halford couldn't offer further details: "It's another big step for lots of different reasons," he said, "but that's all I can say or I'll risk being put in the Tower of London for talking about it too much."

"Judas Priest: Road to Valhalla" is out now for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch via the App Store. Get it here, and check out a trailer below. 

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One of the most thrilling moments on Body Count's latest album, Bloodlust, is Ice-T and company's medley of Slayer's immortal tracks "Raining Blood" and "Postmortem." If you've ever wondered how the tribute came together, ponder no more: the band's new music video for the Bloodlust cut takes us into the studio for a behind-the-scenes look at how the sessions went down. (Unlike Body Count's recently-released, extremely gory "Here I Go Again" clip, this one's safe for work.) Watch below.

In addition to giving fans a peek behind the curtain, "Raining Blood" / "Postmortem" — co-directed by Treach Tribe and Ice-T — provides some valuable insights into the unholy trinity of influences that's served as the Body Count's gospel over their 27-year history. "I used the three bands that were my favorites at the time to set the tone," the frontman, rapper and actor reveals. "We used the impending doom of a group like Black Sabbath, who pretty much invented metal, the punk sensibilities of somebody like Suicidal [Tendencies], who basically put that gangbanger style from Venice, California, into the game, and the speed and precision of Slayer: one of my favorite groups, and always will be."

Nine Inch Nails recently announced Add Violence, the second entry in a planned trilogy of EPs that began with last December's Not the Actual Events. After sharing the roiling first single "Less Than,"  Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have unveiled "This Isn't The Place" another cut off the five-track collection, which hits shelves this Friday (July 21) via Columbia. Whereas the preceding track found the band throwng an industrial-rock temper tantrum, the latest taste of Add Violence is a throwback to the dark ambient soundscapes Reznor and Ross conjured on 2008's Ghosts I-IV: eerie pianos, synths, sparse drum machines, and, somewhere down in the shadowy depths, Reznor's ghostly falsetto. Hear the track (which arrives alongside a visualizer directed by Alex Lieu) below.

In other Nine Inch Nails-related news, Reznor recently spoke with Beats 1 host Zane Lowe about Add Violence and the broader body of work that it's situated within. "I'm interested in the narrative, and the ways we can present that, but feel provocative: giv[ing] songs their due, but set[ting] them in a place that gives them another bit of perception," he said. "Conceptually, it gets re-contextualized–all three EPs–into something that is together, and feels like something different." The complete project won't showcase a "mishmash shuffle on the iPod," he added, but rather a "different relationship" between the songs themselves with remodified versions of the songs." Reznor also provided an update on the trilogy's final installment, describing it as "0 percent done, aside from some lyrics in a notebook." In the meantime, we'll just have to make do with Add Violence.

unnamed

New York hardcore stalwarts Burn recently announced Do or Die, their first new full-length album in over 15 years. Today, the band have offered up the first taste of the highly-anticipated full-length: "Ill Together," a four-and-a-half minute rager which ushers — or more accurately, shoves — their black-and-blue, tried-but-true 1990s hardcore into 2017, largely thanks to the board wizards behind the scenes."Ill Together," along with the rest of the 10-track LP, was engineered by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou (Kvelertak, Nails, Code Orange Kids) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Slayer, Public Enemy, Sonic Youth). Listen below, and pre-order Do or Die here ahead of its September 8 release via Deathwish.

Do or Die marks the second release from Burn since they reconvened in 2015, and follows last year's aptly-titled EP From the Ashes. While the group never officially disbanded, they've had a long history of stops and starts over their 28-year career: an off-again, on-again approache owed, ostensibly, its members' numerous side projects (most notably Orange 9mm and Quicksand, co-founded by vocalist Chaka Malik and drummer Alan Cage, respectively). Malik and guitarist Gavin Van Vlack are the sole remaining original members in Burn's current lineup; Drummer Abbas Muhammad and bassist Tyler Krupsky enlisted last year.

 

PHOTO BY JC Photo Media

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Earlier this year, Ozzy Osbourne announced that he'd be reconvening his solo band for a handful of summer shows in the Midwest. The trek's a significant one: it marks the Ozzman's first full-fledged outing with guitarist and Black Label Society co-founder Zakk Wylde in over a decade, as well as the duo's first onstage appearance since 2009. (His spot was previously held by Firewind's Gus G., who parted ways with the band in 2013.)

As promised, Osbourne, Wylde and company kicked off the highly anticipated tour this past weekend with ferocious sets at Wisconsin's Rock USA and Chicago's Open Air festivals. In addition to the usual Osbourne solo staples ("Crazy Train," "Bark at the Moon"), and Black Sabbath classics ("War Pigs," "Iron Man," "Paranoid," "Fairies Wear Boots"), the band dusted off several Ozzy cuts that haven't been performed in years, including "Desire," "No More Tears" and "Believer." If you weren't able to make it out to the shows, don't fret — fans have uploaded footage of the sets to YouTube, giving us a chance to witness the icons' reunion in all its glory. Check out some highlights below.

Next up on Ozzy and company's agenda: a pair of solo performances in Sturgis, South Dakota, on August 9, and Cartersville, Illinois, on August 21, a headlining set at Ozzfest Versus Knotfest, November 4-5, and a new solo album, due out sometime next year.

"Bark At The Moon"

"Mr. Crowley"

"Desire/I Don't Know"

"No More Tears"

"Believer"

"Iron Man"

"Crazy Train"

"War Pigs"

Stone Sour, Travis Shinn
photograph by Travis Shinn

Stone Sour have announced a slew of new North American shows behind their latest album Hydrograd. Corey Taylor and company's latest round of gigs kicks off September 24 at the Sokol Auditorium in Omaha, NE, and will run through late October, with numerous planned festival stops (Colorado's High Elevation Rock Festival, Texas' Houston Open Air, and California's Monster Energy Aftershock Festival, just to name a few). Steel Panther, Beartooth, Man With A Mission, and Cherry Bombs will all open for the band on select dates. Check out the complete itinerary below.

Additionally, Taylor has announced a series of signings and discussions in support of his new book, America 51: A Probe into the Realities That Are Hiding Inside "The Greatest Country in the World."  The frontman's latest literary effort, which publisher Da Capo Press bills as "a skewering of the American underbelly," hits shelves August 8. For more information on these events and how to attend, head over to Taylor's website.

Stone Sour have a busy schedule planned in the weeks and months leading up to their newly-added American trek. After wrapping up the North American leg of their "Serenity of Summer Tour" with Korn, the group will embark on a string of Australian and Japanese shows in late August and early September. On November 4-5, they'll perform at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest, a merger of Ozzy Osbourne and Slipknot's respective festivals also featuring Rob zombie, Marilyn Manson, Prophets of Rage, Testament, Children of Bodom, and many more.

Jul. 19 – Syracuse, NY – Lakeview Amphitheater
Jul. 20 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Jul. 22 – Bangor, ME – Rise Above Fest *
Jul. 23 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
Jul. 25 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Jul. 25 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
Jul. 27 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Jul. 29 – Noblesville, IN – Klipsch Music Center
Jul. 20 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
Aug. 1 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Aug. 2 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
Aug. 5 – Clifton Park, NY – Upstate Concert Hall
Aug. 7 – Jackson, MI – Jackson County Fairgrounds *
Aug. 23 – Auckland, New Zealand – Spark Arena
Aug. 25 – Melbourne, Australia – Festival Hall
Aug. 26 – Sydney, Australia – Hordern Pavilion
Aug. 29-30 – Brisbane, Australia – Eatons Hill Hotel
Sept. 4-5 – Koto-Ku, Japan – Zepp DiverCity
Sept. 7 – Nagoya, Japan – Zepp Nagoya
Sept. 8 – Osaka, Japan – Zepp Osaka Bayside
Sept. 23 – Greenwood Village, CO – High Elevation Rock Festival *
Sept. 24 – Omaha, NE – Sokol Auditorium +
Sept. 26 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theatre +
Sept. 27 – St. Paul, MN – Myth +
Sept. 28 – Fargo, ND – Fargo Civic Auditorium +
Sept. 30 – Janesville, WI – JJO Sonic Boom *
Oct. 01 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life *
Oct. 03 – Bethlehem, PA – Bethlehem Event Center +
Oct. 04 – Niagara Falls, NY – The Rapids Theatre +
Oct. 07 – Sioux Falls, SD – The District ^
Oct. 08 – Wichita, KS –The Cotillion ^
Oct. 10 – Clive, IA – 7 Flags Event Center ++
Oct. 11 – Tulsa, OK – Brady Theater ++
Oct. 13 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Event Center +
Oct. 14 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Pavilion +
Oct. 15 – Houston, TX – Houston Open Air *
Oct. 18 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues ~~
Oct. 19 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues ~
Oct. 21 – Sacramento, CA – Monster Energy Aftershock *
Nov. 10 – Moscow, Russia – Stadium
Nov. 12 – Minsk, Belarus – Falcon Club
Nov. 15 – Copenhagen, Denmark – The Gray Hall
Nov. 16 – Stockholm, Sweden – Annexet
Nov. 17 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene
Nov. 19 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
Nov. 20 – Berlin, Germany – Columbiahalle
Nov. 22 – Brussels, Belgium – AB
Nov. 23 – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Klokgebouw
Nov. 24 – Paris, France – Bataclan
Nov. 26 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – Luxepo
Nov. 27 – Hamburg, Germany – Sporthalle
Nov. 29 – Birmingham, England – Barclaycard Arena
Nov. 30 – Leeds, Enland – First Direct Arena
Dec. 01 – Brighton, England – Centre
Dec. 04, 06 – London, England – O2 Brixton Academy
Dec. 05 – Cardiff, Wales – Cardiff International Arena
Dec. 08 – Glasgow, Scotland – SSE Hydro
Dec. 10 – Cologne, Germany – Palladium
Dec. 11 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
Dec. 12 – Vienna, Austria – Gasometer
Dec. 14 – Zurich, Czech Republic – Samsung Hall
Dec. 15 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
Jan. 21-25 – Port Canaveral, FL – ShipRocked *

* Festival Appearance
+ w/ Steel Panther, Cherry Bombs
++ w/ Steel Panther, Man With A Mission, Cherry Bombs
^ w/Man With A Mission, Cherry Bombs
~ w/ Beartooth, Cherry Bombs
~~ w/ Cherry Bombs

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