News

Black Sabbath have announced a new box set, The Ten Year War. Arriving September 29 through BMG, the limited-edition release collects remastered editions of the band's first eight LPs — which all featured Ozzy Osbourne on vocals — pressed on heavyweight, splatter-colored wax: Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Master Of Reality, Vol. 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabotage, Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die. It follows 2014's remasters CD box set Black Sabbath: The Complete Studio Albums 1970-1978, which contains the same albums.

The treasure trove of LPs and rarities comes housed in an individually numbered black box featuring exclusive artwork from famed artist Shepard Fairey. Here's a run-down of the collectibles: Two rare 7-inches containing the Japanese edition of "Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games With Me)" and "Black Sabbath," and the Chilean versions of "Paranoid" and "The Wizard," respectively; a crucifix-shaped USB stick (which can also be worn as a necklace) loaded up with high-quality digital versions of the aforementioned records; a hardcover book featuring professional and candid band photos, plus accolades from famous musicians; reproductions of Black Sabbath's hard-to-find "Ten Year War" brochure and Tenth Anniversary World Tour 1978 Program; a reprinted tour poster from Black Sabbath's 1972 concert at the Seattle Centre Arena.

You can pre-order the package here for the low, low price of £195 (roughly $247). Watch a trailer for The Ten Year War below. 

Slipknot are gearing up for the premiere of their new, self-directed tour documentary Day of the Gusano. The film, which chronicles the band's first-ever performance in Mexico City and the legion of loyal fans — otherwise known as "Maggots" — who turned out for the landmark show. The film will grace over a thousand silver screens worldwide for one night only, on September 6. A list of participating theaters will be announced sometime next month; but all you maggots can sign up for email notifications regarding these screenings over at the film's website. 

To tide fans over until then, Slipknot have shared a 36-second snippet from the Day of the Gusano. The pro-shot clip previews the group's no-holds-barred take on set staple "Vermillion" — a performance made all the more intense by their sophisticated onstage setup, which transforms an otherwise ordinary stage into the devil's playground. Check it out below.

"Slipknot still has dreams for itself," said percussionist and co-founder Michael "Clown" Crahan, who also directed the documentary. "Finally playing Mexico was one of them. It's been a surreal life of rock and roll for Slipknot and the fact that the dreams still go on for us is simply incredible."

Guitarist Jim Root added, "We had such a great time at Knotfest Mexico... Not only with all the friends and bands that were there, but with the fans and the crowd we had to document it with. Now we get to share it with the world."

A little over two years ago, before his untimely death in 2015, Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister stepped into the shoes of a smooth-talking, booze-guzzling vampire for Phoebe Dollar's horror movie Sunset Society. Now, with the film's spring 2018 release drawing ever closer, the time's finally come to witness the late legend in all his blood-sucking glory. Lemmy's character makes several appearances in Finnish goth-rocker Jyrki 69's new "Bloodlust" video, which pays homage to the upcoming film. Behold!

Directed by Vicente and Fernando Codero, "Bloodlust," which appears on Jyrki 69's forthcoming solo LP Helsinki Vampire, relocates the Sunset Society cast to a gaudy nightclub, where they drink, dance and — because this is a horror movie — carry out occult rituals. Lemmy spends most of the video watching the debauchery from afar, occasionally cutting off the extended sulk session to sink his fangs into a beautiful woman's neck. "Aren't we all so glad to see that Lemmy's doing all right?" Jyrki 69 mused in a statement to Rolling Stone. "He lives forever!"

Lemmy's appearance in Sunset Society — the cast of which also features Guns N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed, L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns and porn icon Ron Jeremy, among others — isn't the only posthumous content in the pipeline. Back in March, Skew Siskin guitarist and longtime Lemmy collaborator Jim Voxx announced that he'd be taking up the reins on the departed idol's long-awaited solo album, which he hopes to release by the end of the year. "We have 10 songs, and we thought it would have been released a long time ago", Siskin said in an interview with MetalTalk.net. "But when Lemmy got ill, we stopped working on it — but the recordings were all done."

Gearing up for the release of their new full-length, Vengeful Ascension — due out this Friday, June 21, via Metal Blade — New Orleans sludge outfit Goatwhore have unleashed the bludgeoning track "Mankind Will Have No Mercy." It follows the previously shared title-track, as well as "Chaos Arcane." Listen below.

An abrasive, defiant barnstormer, "Mankind Will Have No Mercy" lends itself well to Vengeful Ascension's themes of cosmic rebellion and moral relativity. 

"There's that whole idea of Lucifer being the anti-hero," said Goatwhore frontman Ben Falgoust. "He's cast out from this place in Heaven to the depths of nothing. He keeps trying to ascend to the top again but no matter what, there's always this significant force trying to destroy him at any point and banish him back to Hell. If you look at it from an everyday aspect in life, it's the idea of people, hitting the bottom of the barrel or you know, things just aren't going right in life ... emotion plays a huge part in how people react. Whether it's based on love or hatred or sadness or whatever, there's always an aspect of emotion that drives people to an extent. So the whole idea of a 'Vengeful Ascension' is built on being at the bottom, working your way to the top, and realizing along the way that there are other facets to the journey aside from just pure retribution. Within negativity, there can exist a positive angle as well."

If you're gunning to hear "Mankind Will Have No Mercy" in-person, you're in luck: Goatwhore are currently touring North America with Anciients, with dates scheduled through the end of this month. Come September, they'll support Venom Inc. on their North American tour, which also features Toxic Holocaust and the Convalescence.

Jun. 21 - Calgary, AB – Distortion !
Jun. 22 - Edmonton, AB – Brixx Bar & Grill !
Jun. 23 - Regina, SK – Riddell Center !
Jun. 24 - Winnipeg, MB – Windsor Hotel !
Jun. 25 - Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club!
Jun. 26 - Cudahy, WI – The Metal Grill !
Jun. 27 - Bryan, OH – Frankies !
Jun. 28 - St. Louis, OH – Fubar !
Jun. 29 - Springdale, AR – George's Majestic Lounge !
Jun. 30 - Little Rock, AR – Vino's Brewpub !
Jul. 01 - Huntsville, AL – Maggie Meyers Irish Pub !
Sept. 01 - Philadelphia, PA – Voltage #
Sept. 02 - New York, NY – Gramercy Theater #
Sept. 03 - Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall #
Sept. 04 - Montreal, QC – Les Foufounes Electriques #
Sept. 05 - Toronto, ON – Mod Club #
Sept. 07 - Cleveland, OH – Agora Ballroom #
Sept. 08 - Chicago, IL – Reggies #
Sept. 09 - Cave In Rock, IL – Full Terror Metal Fest #
Sept. 10 - Kansas City, MO – Riot Room #
Sept. 11 - Denver, CO – Marquis Theater #
Sept. 13 - Spokane, WA – The Pin #
Sept. 14 - Seattle, WA – Studio 7 #
Sept. 15 - Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theater #
Sept. 16 - Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater #
Sept. 18 - San Francisco, CA – Slims #
Sept. 19 - Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy Theatre #
Sept. 20 - San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick #
Sept. 21 - Phoenix, AZ – Club Red #
Sept. 22 - El Paso, TX – Tricky Falls #
Sept. 23 - Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey #
Sept. 24 - Austin, TX – Grizzly Hall #
Sept. 25 - Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall #
Sept. 26 - New Orleans, LA – Parish at HOB #
Sept. 28 - Miami, FL – Churchill's #
Sept. 29 - Tampa, FL – Orpheum #
Sept. 30 - Orlando, FL – The Haven #
Oct. 1 - Atlanta, GA – Masquerade #
Oct. 2 - Baltimore, MD – Soundstage #

! w/ Anciients
# w/ Venom Inc., Toxic Holocaust, The Convalescence

Ice-T's metal band Body Count returned with a new album, Bloodlust, this spring. As the rap star, actor and director hinted to Revolver last fall, the record possesses a mean murder streak. "Murder is about as normal as love … It's in our nature to want to get violent and kill, but we know there are consequences," he said. "That's why we like violent movies, video games and combat sports. It's in our DNA. It's what we are."

Keeping Ice's primal mission in mind, Body Count's gory new music video for Bloodlust single "Here I Go Again" — a creepy journey into the mind of a serial killer — hardly registers as a surprise. The NSFW visual follows Ice-T's character, a brooding, blood-spattered loner, as he slowly descends into madness. After killing an elderly woman and writhing around in bed with a whole in his chest, our anti-hero finally turns on himself, bringing the video to an appropriately violent conclusion. Watch it below.

Released back in March, Bloodlust marks Body Count's most star-studded album to date, with guest appearances from Soulfly's Max Cavalera, Megadeth's Dave Mustaine and Lamb of God's Randy Blythe. The record also includes a tribute to Slayer, in the form of a medley of their classic songs "Postmortem" and "Raining Blood." Ice-T and company have yet to announce a tour behind the record. Their only upcoming date as of late is a June 15th appearance at the Chicago Open Air festival.

Hatebreed have shared a video for "New Enemies," off last month's The Concrete Confessional LP. The performance clip finds the hardcore mainstays in their natural element, storming stages and stirring up chaos in graffiti-filled back alleys. Frontman Jamey Jasta, imposing as ever, takes several opportunities to sneer and shout through the lens — he's talking to you, punk! Check it out below.

Additionally, the group have curated a Spotify playlist of their favorite metal and hardcore songs for Playstation Music. Dying Fetus, Terror, Arch Enemy and Madball are but a few of the artists who made the cut (or rather, cuts — 22 of them, to be precise). Listen to it here.

Hatebreed's new clip arrives the same day as their Warped Tour kick-off performance in Albequerque, New Mexico. Their stint with the festival runs through August 8th. They'll head to Europe a few days later for shows in the Czech Republic, Belgium, England, the Netherlands and Germany. A full list of dates is available on Hatebreed's website.

Back in May, Jasta described "Seven Enemies" as a reflection on the Seven Deadly Sins, and their starring role in the story of man's downfall. "A lot of people gravitate towards their vices and sins and it dooms them," Jasta says. "They lead to destructive lifestyle patterns, and then that starts affecting the people around them."

Are you a Pantera fan? Have you ever been struck by a sudden, overwhelming desire to send your ex a cartoon image of Phil Anselmo's stomach tattoo? You're in luck: the groove metal titans now have their very own emojis. Goofy glyphs of Dimebag, Anselmo, Vinnie Paul and Rex Brown comprise the bulk of the set, with over a dozen expressions each. Pantera's rattlesnake mascot is well-represented too, as well as the band members' love of booze, KISS and big-ass amps. Check them out below.

Pantera's emojis are available now for iOS via Emoji Fame. Unfortunately, Android users will have to wait until September before they can text their friends an illustration of the late Dimebag Darrell toasting with his favorite drink, the Black Tooth Grin. 

Pantera aren't the first band to get the emoji treatment. Developer Emoji Fame previously released sticker sets inspired by Zakk Wylde, GG Allin and Nothing. Metallica have gotten into the action as well, albeit to a lesser extent. Last fall, Twitter celebrated the legends' long-awaited album Hardwired… To Self-Destruct with a slanted 'M' emoji that accompanied certain hashtags.

In other Pantera-related news, Brown is gearing up to make his solo debut with the release of Smoke On This, due out on July 28 via Entertainment One. Over the past couple months, he's been rolling out singles from the record, including "Train Song" and "Crossing Lines."

Decapitated are set to drop their new album Anticult next month via Nuclear Blast. Ahead of the eight-song LP's July 7 release date, the Polish extreme metal quartet have shared an intense, occult-inspired clip for "Earth Scar." Director Dariusz Szermanowicz whisks Decapitated away to the wilderness for an epic performance atop a cliff. Later, the group relocate their jam session to a foreboding, shadowy room. As if that wasn't intense enough, Szermanowicz splices their performance with scenes depicting shamanic rituals and fiery witches. Check it out below.

"I have always drawn influences from all spectrums of metal and this song, and our new record, really reflect those influences," says Decapitated guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka. "Much like 'Never,' this song has been designed to crush on a stage, and we can't wait to add it to our set. Rasta wrote the lyrics with a lot of metaphorical content dealing with touring: the opposing lifestyles from the 'normal' day-to-day of being at home versus being on the road, and seeing our 'tribe' interacting with the music, and the almost restorative qualities of that!"

Speaking of the road: Shortly after Anticult's release, Decapitated will embark on a North American tour. Thy Art Is Murder, Fallujah and Ghost Bath will provide support for the trek, which begins August 20 at Pittsburgh's Rex Theater and runs through late September. Find all of their upcoming dates below.

Aug. 20 – Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater
Aug. 21 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
Aug. 22 – Greensboro, NC – Blind Tiger
Aug. 23 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
Aug. 24 – New Orleans, LA – Southport Hall
Aug. 25 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
Aug. 26 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
Aug. 27 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey Live
Aug. 29 – Denver, CO – The Summit Music Hall
Aug. 30 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
Aug. 31 – Spokane, WA – The Pin
Sep. 01 – Portland. OR – Hawthorne Theater
Sep. 02 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
Sep. 03 – Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
Sep. 05 – Reno, NV – Jub Jub's
Sep. 06 – San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge
Sep. 07 – Hollywood, CA – The Roxy Theatre
Sep. 08 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
Sep. 09 – Mesa, AZ – Club Red
Sep. 10 – El Paso, TX – Tricky Falls
Sep. 11 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Sep. 13 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
Sep. 14 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
Sep. 15 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
Sep. 16 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House
Sep. 17 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre
Sep. 18 – Ottawa, ON – Brass Monkey
Sep. 19 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
Sep. 20 – Syracuse, NY – The Lost Horizon
Sep. 21 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
Sep. 22 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre Of Living Arts
Sep. 23 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
Sep. 24 – Columbus, OH – Park Street

It might be hard to believe, but this year's Warped Tour features none other than Gwar, metal's most outrageous masked marauders. June 16's Seattle stop marked the band's first performance as part of the travelling festival, and to commemorate the occasion, they unveiled a new song called "Fuck This Place", their first new music since the passing of frontman Dave "Oderus Urungus" Brockie in 2014. Check it out below at the 8:10 minute mark.

Gwar's last album, Battle Maximus, came out in 2013. Last week, the band announced its follow-up, The Blood of Gods. The record, due out this fall via Metal Blade, is Gwar's first release with Brockie's successor, Michael "Berserker Blothar" Bishop, and will be available for pre-order at all Warped Tour locations. Out of the kindness of their ice-cold hearts, they've even released a pre-order how-to video starring guitarist Brent "Pustulus Maximus" Purgason.

Jun. 21 - Albuquerque, NM – Balloon Fiesta Park
Jun. 22 - Phoenix, AZ – Fear Farm Festival Grounds
Jun. 23 - Las Vegas, NV – Hard Rock Hotel
Jun. 24 - Salt Lake City, UT – Utah State Fair Park
Jun. 25 - Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
Jun. 27 – Nashville, TN – The Fairgrounds Nashville
Jun. 28 – Metairie, LA – Zephyr Field
Jun. 29 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
Jun. 30 – Orlando, FL – Tinker Field
Jul. 01 – St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa) – Vinoy Park
Jul. 02 – West Palm Beach, FL (Miami) – Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre
Jul. 04 – Wilmington, NC – Legion Stadium
Jul. 06 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte
Jul. 07 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
Jul. 08 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Amphitheatre
Jul. 09 – Hartford, CT – Xfinity Theatre
Jul. 10 – Scranton, PA – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Jul. 11 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
Jul. 12 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Jul. 13 – Darien Center, NY (Buffalo) – Darien Lake PAC
Jul. 14 – Burgettstown, PA – First Niagara Pavilion
Jul. 15 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Jul. 16 – Columbia, MD (Washington, DC) – Merriweather Post Pavilion
Jul. 18 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH (Cleveland) – Blossom Music Center
Jul. 19 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Jul. 20 – Noblesville, IN – Klipsch Music Center
Jul. 21 – Tinley Park, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills
Jul. 22 – Chicago, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Jul. 23 – Shakopee, MN (Minneapolis) – Canterbury Park
Jul. 24 – Milwaukee, WI – Marcus Amphitheater
Jul. 26 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino
Jul. 27 – Bonner Springs, KS (Kansas City) – Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
Jul. 28 – Dallas, TX – Starplex Pavilion
Jul. 29 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T center
Jul. 30 – Houston, TX – NRG Park – Main Street Lot
Aug. 01 – Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico State University (Intramural Field)
Aug. 04 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 05 – San Diego, CA – Qualcomm Stadium at Jack Murphy Field
Aug. 06 – Pomona, CA – Fairplex Pomona
Sept. 09 – Knoxville, TN – The International
Sept. 16 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
Sept. 17 – Chicago, IL – Riot Fest

Mike Patton is no stranger to side projects: From Fantômas to Nevermen, Peeping Tom to Tomahawk, the Faith No More frontman's list of auxiliary musical endeavors runs deep. His latest venture is Dead Cross, a hardcore-flavored supergroup featuring Retox guitarist Michael Crain, Locust bassist Justin Pearson and Slayer/Suicidal Tendencies drummer Dave Lombardo. Today, they've shared a video for "Seizure and Desist", off their forthcoming eponymous debut, which arrives August 4 via Patton's label, Ipecac Recordings.

Directed by Eric Livingston (the same artist behind the artwork for Dead Cross), "Seizure and Desist" explores America's present political tension through a cracked, blood-spattered lens. Following a brief glimpse of President Trump's face melting away to reveal a skeleton, we're presented with grisly scenes of dismemberment, destruction...and bugs, lots and lots of bugs. 
 

"For a lot of humanity, this world is a mean motherf–king place," Pearson said to Loudwire. "The video captures the severity of the times we live in, as well as a means to communicate beyond basic language using iconic imagery, campy techniques, historical relevance, as well as a glimpse into the future."

Beginning in August, Dead Cross will hit the road for a month-long North American tour with openers Secret Chiefs 3—the San Francisco band fronted by Patton's Mr. Bungle comrade Trey Spruance. Check out the itinerary below.

Aug. 10 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
Aug. 11 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl
Aug. 12 - Phoenix, AZ - The Marquee
Aug. 14 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
Aug. 15 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Aug. 16 - Austin, TX - Emo's
Aug. 18 - Tucson, AZ - The Rialto Theatre
Aug. 19 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park
Aug. 21 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
Aug. 23 - Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre
Aug. 25 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
Aug. 26 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox
Aug. 27 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
Aug. 29 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
Sept. 08 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
Sept. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
Sept. 11 - Boston, MA - Royale
Sept. 12 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
Sept. 13 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
Sept. 15 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrew's Hall