Not to be confused with the Monsters of Rock Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil — at which all three acts will also be performing days before — Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, and Motorhead will kick off the Monsters Tour in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on April 30, 2015. Although no further dates have been announced for the Monsters Tour, Brazilian promoter Hits Entretenimento says that Porto Alegre is the first stop of the tour, implying that more dates will be announced in the near future.

How “monstrous” a lineup of aging heavy metal legends will be remains to be seen. I kid, of course, as I’m sure all three will put on exceptional shows. While Ozzy and Motorhead should be working on new albums in 2015, Judas Priest will be out continuing their support of 2014′s Redeemer of Souls album.

If you’re interested in attending the Monsters Tour, tickets can be purchased at Blue Ticket and on the event’s Facebook page.

As a side note, KISS, Black Veil Brides, and more will be performing at the Monsters of Rock Festival.

Rock Hard \m/

Downing has launched two fragrances for metalheads: Metal for Men ($69.99) and Metal Pour Femme ($65.99). Both are available at planetrock.backstreetmerch.com

Watch the video above to learn how Downing came about the idea and what else he’s working on. Concerning the fragrance, he basically says:

I think I just woke up one morning and thought of the word ‘metal’ and I thought ‘metal for men’ and I thought, straight away, I thought, ‘What could that relate to?’ And I don’t know why I thought about it, but I thought there’s nothing out there on the market that’s associated with rock and metal fans in respect to fragrances and stuff. And I guess that, combined with my mum asking me continually what I want for Christmas and stuff, and it just came about.

Understanding that you likely haven’t smelled these fragrances, is this something that you’d be interested in? If you have smelled these scents, tell us about them in the comments section below.

Rock Hard \m/

Arch Enemy has premiered their ferocious cover of Judas Priest’s classic track, “Breaking the Law,” over at RevolverMag.com. The track definitely has the Arch Enemy flavor, but it is an honest cover that’s very true to the original. You would be forgiven for being skeptical about Arch Enemy taking on this song since Rob Halford’s vocal style is, well, vastly different from Alissa White-Gluz’. But she owns her gutteral take on the vocals and delivers a very powerful rendition that’s as melodic as the original.

Here’s what guitarist Mike Amott said of the track:

When we do covers, we have a tendency to pick somewhat obscure songs. However, the iconic ‘Breaking The Law’ anthem by Judas Priest is anything but that, of course! This just started with a fun jam in the studio, and during the process we tried to make it sound as Arch Enemy as possible -– it turned out pretty f’n cool and here it is. Enjoy!

“Breaking the Law” was exclusive to the Japanese edition of the band’s latest album, War Eternal. But no longer. Arch Enemy has made a limited-edition split 7-inch single with their current touring mates, Kreator. Side A of the single will contain “Breaking the Law” and Side B will have Kreator’s “Iron Destiny.”

If you want the split, you’ll have to go to a show because it’s only available at the merch table. Furthermore, only 500 copies of the exclusive transparent red vinyl record will be available during the North American tour. Fear not Europe; you’ll have access to 500 copies of a dark red version when Arch Enemy heads your way after North America.

Let us know what you think of Arch Enemy’s take on “Breaking the Law” in the comments section below.

Rock Hard \m/

The song is descent enough. It definitely has that classic Priest sound, even if the sound is mellowed and Rob Halford’s vocals aren’t as soaring as they once were. He’s still on point though, which is something at this stage of his career. From what the band has stated on their official site, it sounds like Redeemer of Souls might be their swan song:

We are revved up and ready to UNLEASH the PRIEST one more time for our metal fans around the world – so here’s a track for you to listen to entitled ‘Redeemer of Souls’ from our new album of the same title

Check out the song in the player above and let us know what you think of the new Judas Priest below. What’s your favorite Priest song of all time?

Rock Hard \m/

The concert video above was filmed on the 1986 Fuel for Life tour, in support of Turbo, in Dallas, Texas, at the Reunion Arena on June 27th. The recording was released as Priest… Live! on June 21, 1987.

Whenever I hear Judas Priest from this era, I can’t help but think of ’80s horror. For me, their sound epitomizes what every filmmaker thought a metalhead listened to.

Originally formed in 1969, Judas Priest is responsible for the studded-leather look that dominates heavy metal to this day. They are (i.e., K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton) also partially responsible for the twin guitar sound that harmonizes some of the greatest heavy metal. As with most other heavy metal bands of their era, Priest has also been accused for encouraging kids to commit suicide and forcing oral sex at gun point.

At the time, the Judas Priest lineup included: Rob Halford – vocals, K. K. Downing – guitar, Glenn Tipton – guitar, Ian Hill – bass guitar, and Dave Holland – drums.

Fuel for Life Set List:

1. Out in the Cold
2. Locked In
3. Heading Out to the Highway
4. Metal Gods
5. Breaking the Law
6. Love Bites
7. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
8. The Sentinel
9. Private Property
10. Desert Plains
11. Rock You All Around the World
The Hellion
12. Electric Eye
13. Turbo Lover
14. Parental Guidance
15. Freewheel Burning
16. Victim of Changes
17. The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown) – (Fleetwood Mac cover)
18. Living After Midnight
19. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
20. Hell Bent for Leather

Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.

Rock Hard \m/

Charred Walls Of The Damned - Cold Winds on Timeless Days

Judging from the first release, “Zerospan,” the upcoming album, Cold Winds on Timeless Days, sounds like it’s going to be one ear-splitting, mind-blowing, awe-inspiring work of pure fucking metal. Full of all the shit that was loved on the self-titled debut (power metal/NWOBHM vocals, blast beats combined with intricate fills, soaring guitar solos, great riffing, awesome melodies, etc.) “Zerospan” expands on those elements and proves to be even more refined. There are arpeggios, but they’re tamed and used sparingly because it’s evident that melody and strong song writing are what drives Charred Walls. And the falsetto wail coming from Tim “Ripper” Owens at about the three-quarter mark is something to be heard.

Charred Walls of the Damned “Zerospan” by Metal Blade Records

Enough of me; here are the details:

Charred Walls of the Damned release their new album, Cold Winds on Timeless Days on October 11, 2011.

After the critically acclaimed debut, Richard Christy, Tim “Ripper” Owns, Jason Suecof, and Steve DiGiorgio once again join forces to bring to life Christy’s latest body of work, Cold Winds on Timeless Days. The writing process for the new album actually began while the band was mixing their 2010 debut. Richard Christy used his experience on the first album to write songs that catered not only to each member’s playing style, but to Jason Suecof’s production style. The result: demos that turned out nearly identical to what ended up on the album.

With 12 songs clocking in at 58 minutes, fans are getting a lot more music this time around. Recording 12 songs in a short period is no easy feat, but one that was accomplished because of the stellar talents in the band. Christy elaborates further:

“I wanted to get a natural sound out of this album, I wanted everyone to be well rehearsed, not that I wanted the album to be rushed, but I wanted the spontaneous live feel and not over think anything too much.”

Richard Christy describes Cold Winds on Timeless Days as a “perfect storm of producing.” ­ Audiohammer’s Jason Suecof produced and Mark Lewis mixed, while mastering was handled by Alan Douches at West Westside.

Hopefully you listened to the new song above, and now you probably want the album. You can place pre-orders for Cold Winds on Timeless Days at Metal Blade Records. The album can also be pre-ordered on iTunes.

Cold Winds On Timeless Days track listing:

1. Timeless Days
2. Ashes Falling Upon Us
3. Zerospan
4. Cold Winds
5. Lead the Way
6. Forever Marching On
7. Guiding Me
8. The Beast Outside My Window
9. On Unclean Ground
10. Bloodworm
11. Admire the Heroes
12. Avoid the Light