During a brand new interview with Sticks For Stones, Wednesday 13 was once again asked about the current status of MURDERDOLLS, his one-time project with former SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison. He responded: "It's no secret. I've told everybody. It's kind of public knowledge; at least I think it's public knowledge…. The last time that any of us from the last lineup of MURDERDOLS, which is most of my band now, which was my band prior to MURDERDOLLS, the last show we did was five years ago in April this year, and we played, and that was the last time that any of us spoke to [Joey]. And then all the SLIPKNOT stuff happened and that [broke down the] communication [between us] even further. So, yeah, there's nothing going on at all."

Wednesday 13, however, stopped short of saying that there will never be another MURDERDOLLS album. He said: "I don't know. I mean, honestly, when that second album happened, I'd said for years it was never gonna happen and it did. So to say that another one would never happen would be silly, but, at the moment, there is nothing at all, not even a rumble."

He continued: "I always tell people when I hear, 'What's the current status of MURDERDOLLS?' And I always say, 'Watch the 'Nowhere' video, the last video we put out,' and in the video we're in a car and we fall off a cliff. That's a good indication of where we are. Did we die? Was there an explosion? We don't know. To be continued."

Wednesday 13 added: "That band is… I love it. It was the reason I have a career, and it put me on the map. So I'm proud of it."

MURDERDOLLS issued its sophomore album, "Women And Children Last", in August 2010 via Roadrunner Records. The CD, which was recorded at a studio in Hollywood Hills, California with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, SHADOWS FALL, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD), sold 8,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 43 on The Billboard 200 chart.

In an interview with the Classic 21 radio station at the 2013 edition of the Graspop Metal Meeting, Jordison — who played guitar for MURDERDOLLS — was asked if the band had officially come to an end. "Yeah. We're not doing anymore records," Joey replied. He elaborated in a separate interview with Metal Insider: "Nothing really happened [to cause the end of the MURDERDOLLS]. I really loved the last MURDERDOLLS record ['Women And Children Last']. It's just that, for me personally, I had enough of it, you know? I mean, it was fun but it's not where my heart lies in music. I lie more with drums and the more heavy and darker aspects of music. I need to push myself in different areas and I can't rely on the MURDERDOLLS to satisfy me artistically."

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was asked in a new interview with Westword.com why he thinks he is "openly despised" on "a handful of web sites." He responded: "I think a lot of it goes back to the breakup from METALLICA. There are people that have picked up that feud, and they don't even know why they're choosing sides."

He continued: "I have nothing against METALLICA fans. I was in both bands. I like Lars [Ulrich] and I like James [Hetfield] and, contrary to what people say, I do think Kirk [Hammett] is a good guitar player."

Mustaine added: "In the beginning, when I was bitter, yeah, there was shit going back and forth. They were justifying firing me, and I was telling them that they were wrong. That's just been perpetuated over and over again. It's been put to bed. I've got no beef with those dudes. We're two totally different bands."

Mustaine, who was a member of METALLICA for less than two years, from 1981 to 1983, before being dismissed and replaced by Kirk Hammett, was not inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band during the April 2009 ceremony at Cleveland, Ohio's Public Auditorium.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich later explained to The Plain Dealer that Mustaine was not included because "you've got to kind of cap it somewhere. Dave Mustaine never played on any METALLICA records. No disrespect to him. But there [were] half a dozen other people that were in the lineup in the early days. We thought . . . the fair thing to do would be to include anybody that played on a METALLICA record."

He added: "Dave Mustaine was in the band for 11 months, predominantly in 1982. . . . I'm not trying to play it down. I have nothing but respect and admiration for his accomplishments since."

MEGADETH's new album, "Dystopia", debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 49,000 equivalent album units in the week ending January 28.

In terms of pure album sales, "Dystopia" opened with 48,000 copies, marking MEGADETH's highest-charting album since 1992's "Countdown To Extinction" debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the chart dated August 1 of that year. "Dystopia" also logged the group's best sales week since 2007, when "United Abominations" landed at No. 8 with first-week sales of 54,000.

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper has told ABC News Radio that he is working on a new solo album and is planning a follow-up to HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' self-titled debut record, which came out last fall.

"So, I'm working on two albums at once right now," he explained, adding, "And I'm gonna be on two tours this summer. I got my own tour and then I got the VAMPIRES tour. So, I don't get a rest."

Cooper's new solo album will feature contributions from his current backing group as well as material he has co-written with the other surviving members of the original ALICE COOPER band.

"[Drummer] Neal [Smith] and [guitarist] Mike [Bruce] and I just wrote two or three songs," he said. "[Bassist] Dennis [Dunaway] and I wrote some songs together."

He added: "When we broke up [in 1974], we broke up as friends. We never broke up as enemies. If they're doing a gig, I show up and sing a few songs with them. If I'm doing a gig and they're in town, they come up on stage. So, there's never been any bad blood between any of us."

In addition to Cooper, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES features international film star and musician Johnny Depp and AEROSMITH's Joe Perry.

Alice Cooper's latest album, "Welcome 2 My Nightmare", sold 18,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart. Cooper's previous CD, 2008's "Along Came A Spider", opened with just under 10,000 copies to land at No. 53.

Recorded with longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin, who produced the original multi-platinum "Welcome To My Nightmare" album in 1975, "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" picks up right where they left off, with Alice trapped in his own warped mind.

ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante has weighed in on last month's incident when ex-PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo made a "white power" gesture onstage at a concert.

Anselmo performed the PANTERA classic "Walk" at the January 22 "Dimebash" event at the Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood, California in honor of his former bandmate, late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. As he left the stage, he made a Nazi-style salute. He appeared to say "white power" as he made the gesture, but he later claimed he was referring to drinking white wine as part of an "inside joke." Anselmo has since released a video message, saying that he "deserves completely" the "heat" that he has been getting over his actions and claiming to be "a thousand percent apologetic to anyone that took offense to what [he] said."

Several notable musicians have come out and criticized Anselmo for his actions, including ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian, who suggested Anselmo show how sincere he is by making a donation to Jewish human rights organization the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Scott also wrote in an online post: "Philip's actions were vile and that should be the focus here; anything else is just noise."

Now Benante has defended Philip for his actions, explaining that Anselmo is "genuinely sorry for saying" what he did and calling the former PANTERA singer "my friend."

Speaking to the "Moshpit" radio show, which airs from the SYN Studios in Melbourne, Australia, Benante said (hear audio below): "I think Philip made a mistake. I think there were other things… other factors involved in that situation that people probably didn't see. And I've known Philip Anselmo forever, and I don't think Philip is a racist. I just think he's become the poster boy for this. And I know it shocked a lot of people and it pissed off a lot of people. But I think he's genuinely sorry for saying anything like that. And, yeah, he's my friend."

In an interview with Sticks For Stones, Ian said that Anselmo should be forgiven for his actions "if he proves that he deserves to be. Just asking to be forgiven doesn't mean you should be forgiven. And I've had a running dialogue with Phil since this happened. It's not like I just posted something online without actually speaking to my friend. I've been having a dialogue back and forth with him. 'Cause if I didn't care, I wouldn't have contacted him at all. But I cared. Phil, I've known the dude almost thirty years. He's like a brother; he's family. And when someone in your family has a problem, you discuss it and you try and find a solution."

He continued: "My attitude towards the whole thing was, to me, silence is complicity. If you don't say something about something like this, then you're condoning it, and I can't condone that in any way, shape or form. It's not okay in any world, let alone the metal world, to do these kind of things in any type of context, because words are too powerful, especially Phil Anselmo's words, because there's too many impressionable people out there who listen to every fucking thing that he says. So, you know, bottom line is he needs to prove that he should be forgiven, and the only thing that will prove that is his actions. And I am, of course, willing to give him the opportunity to prove that, because, like I said, he's like my brother. So I didn't write him off. I talked to him about it, and I have every hope inside of my heart that he will prove to the world that he is not this person."

Ian went on to reiterate the fact that he wants to see Anselmo learn from the incident and realize the error of his ways.

"The fact is he made his mistake in front of the world," Scott said. "You just need to be smarter than that — bottom line, you know. I mean, words have power, and that's what people need to understand. Not everybody understands your context. Not everybody sees everything you're gonna say about it. Some people will only see what you did and think that's okay. And that's the truth, because in the aftermath of the whole thing, and after I posted what I posted, I couldn't believe some of the ignorance coming back my way. Possibly the stupidest thing that I saw was someone saying to me, 'Well, why would you want him to donate money to the Simon Wiesenthal Center? That's a Jewish thing.' Sorry, to quote, 'That's a Jew thing, and 'white power' has nothing to do with Jews.' So that just shows you the ignorance out there. So, you know, people need to be educated. That's the bottom line here. People just really need to fucking learn a little bit, and I hope good will come out of this in some way, shape or form. Because it can't be accepted anywhere — not just the metal community, but anywhere in the world, it's unacceptable."

THIS ENDING, the Swedish death metal band featuring former AMON AMARTH drummer Fredrik Andersson, will release its third album, "Garden Of Death", on April 22 via Apostasy Records. The CD was produced by guitarist Linus Nirbrant at his Audiogrind studio. The cover artwork was created by Björn Gooßes of Killustrations (THE CROWN, NERVECELL, DEW-SCENTED). The limited first edition of "Garden Of Death" will also include the tracks from the "Systematic Worship" EP, which was recorded during late 2011 and released the following year. "Garden Of Death" track listing:

01. Torrent Of Souls02. Blackened Shrine03. Boundaries Of Hell04. Dark Samaritan05. Garden Of Death06. Victims07. World Of Nightmares08. Chaos Within09. Vultures10. Our Creation (bonus track)11. Army Of (N)one (bonus track)12. No More Silence (bonus track) THIS ENDING said about its new label home: "We're proud to announce that we will collaborate with Apostasy Records to release our new album, 'Garden Of Death'. A truly dedicated label that has shown its appreciation for our new material and for genuine music." THIS ENDING 2016 is:

Mårten Hansen - VocalsLinus Nirbrant - GuitarsLinus Pettersson - BassFredrik Andersson - Drums

DOPE has launched a pre-order for the band's first-ever live album as part of the "Die Motherfucker Die" reunion tour campaign. The 21-track set was recorded in Russia and features the classic DOPE lineup of Edsel Dope, Acey Slade, Virus and Racci Shay.

The live album celebrates the first time that this "old-school" lineup has performed on stage together in more than 13 years.

The first goal of the campaign is to fuel a DOPE U.S. headline tour, featuring the classic "old-school" lineup.

The ultimate goal is to take the reunion tour around the entire globe throughout 2016.

"The United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and Australia are all part of the plan," says Edsel Dope. "We are all stoked with the insane amount of enthusiasm from fans asking us to bring this lineup around the world."

In addition to the live album, the band plans to film the entire tour, with the intention of creating DOPE's first-ever live DVD. The DVD will also include tons of classic backstage footage, unreleased music videos, as well as various, never-before-seen clips spanning the band's entire career.

DOPE has put together some awesome, exclusive merch packages for the campaign, and everyone who participates will be recognized by having their name featured in the liner notes.

The live album will ship in June and is exclusively available at www.dopereunion.com. It will not be available on iTunes or in retail stores.

In addition, the campaign features an in-depth video interview with Edsel Dope, where he shares his personal feelings on the reunion tour, explains details of the "Die Motherfucker Die" campaign, and also gives an update on DOPE's upcoming two-part studio album "Blood Money", which he personally promises will be released later this year via eOne.

A "walkaround" video tour of IRON MAIDEN's new-and-improved branded private tour plane is available below.

The Boeing 747 jumbo is named Ed Force One after the band's mascot, Eddie, who has appeared on all of their album covers, and graces the plane's tail.

Ed Force One will land at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday (February 19). Touchdown is expected at 3:15 p.m.

Ed Force One is being piloted on the band's world tour by MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson.

Dickinson commented: "When the opportunity arose from my friends at Air Atlanta Icelandic to lease a 747 for 'The Book of Souls' world tour, of course we jumped at the chance. Who wouldn't?

"The greatest benefit of travelling in a 747 is that because of its colossal size and freight capacity we can carry our stage production and all our stage equipment and desks in the cargo hold without having to make any of the immense structural modifications needed to do this on the previous 757, the extent of which fans will have noted on the 'Flight 666' DVD.

"Although in reality we cannot carry much more gear the savings in complexity, time and cost make using the 747 even more practical. All we will need to do is 'paint' it and move a few seats around, with the added advantage that there is much more room for band and crew — our crew can almost get a row of seats each to catch up on sleep on the flights! Furthermore, it is marginally faster 0.85 MACH and the range of around 7000NM (13,000 km) is much greater which means we will not have to make the refueling stops we needed to with the 757."

The 747 is the world's most recognizable airliner on account of its distinctive hump. With its impressive dimensions of 70.7m (232ft) length, 19.4m (63.6ft) height and a jaw-dropping wing span of 64.4m (211ft) this double-decker aircraft has a range of 13,450km (7,262nm).

IRON MAIDEN's world tour, in support of the band's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", will kick off on February 24 in Florida.

Support on the trek will come from THE RAVEN AGE, the band led by IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's son George Harris.

MAIDEN's sixteenth — and first-ever double — studio album, "The Book Of Souls", was released worldwide on September 4, 2015 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the U.S.A). The CD was recorded in Paris, France with producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in late 2014, with the finishing touches added last year.

IRON MAIDEN announced in May 2015 that touring plans to support the album wouldn't happen until this year to allow Dickinson time to fully recuperate after his successful cancer treatment.

Marilyn Manson has contributed guest vocals to country personality Shooter Jennings's cover version of David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)". The track will appear on Shooter's upcoming album, "Countach (For Giorgio)", which honors Bowie and electronic/disco legend Giorgio Moroder. Moroder produced the original Bowie song for the soundtrack to the 1982 film "Cat People", although Bowie later recut the song for 1983's "Let's Dance" album.

"I invited [Manson] out to a party at this bar, and I said, 'Hey, you know 'Cat People'? You want to do that song on this record, 'cause you'd sound awesome doing it,'" Jennings told Rolling Stone of how the unexpected partnership came about. "And he was, like, 'I sing that song every night before I go onstage. That's my song I warm up to.' So one night I went over to his house at three in the morning and brought all my recording gear."

He added: "What's awesome about Manson is all the people I've worked with who are singers always overanalyze their performance and want to recut shit or use a different take. He's none of that. His house is cavernous and looks like a bordello and it was his voice echoing through the house. It was pretty intense."

Manson recently penned a moving tribute to Bowie, saying: "Every song of his was a way for me to communicate to others. It was a sedative. An arousal. A love letter I could never have written. It has become and remains a soundtrack to a movie he painted with his voice and guitar."

Manson's latest album, "The Pale Emperor", was released in January 2015 via his own label — Hell, etc. — in a joint venture with Cooking Vinyl.

In 2011, the rock world lost an incredibly gifted singer and songwriter, a man whose voice reverberated around the world on such blockbuster hits as "Cherry Pie", "Down Boys", "Sometimes She Cries", "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and the unforgettable ballad "Heaven".

Jani Lane joined WARRANT in 1985, and together the band lit up the L.A. club circuit, becoming an international sensation with multi-platinum albums and an adoring fanbase. Always a music lover at heart, after Lane left WARRANT in 2004, he continued to write and record, often paying homage to some of his musical heroes by participating in tribute projects to CHEAP TRICK, JUDAS PRIEST and others. Now a new CD compilation collects some of these superb solo performances in one convenient package and for the first time ever on vinyl!

"Catch A Falling Star", which includes Lane's takes on UFO's "Doctor, Doctor", DEF LEPPARD's "Photograph" and BON JOVI's epic "Lay Your Hands On Me", will be released February 26 on Deadline Music.

In addition to guest appearances by two of Lane's bandmates, guitarist Erik Turner and bassist Jerry Dixon, "Catch A Falling Star" includes liner notes by former WARRANT drummer Bobby Borg, who shares his personal recollections of Lane.

There is "no better tribute to Lane than a collection of covers," Borg writes, "Those who saw WARRANT perform live know that Lane loved to mix cover songs into the show… songs by THE DOORS, LED ZEPPELIN, Joe Walsh, QUEEN, and other artists throughout our live sets. (I loved that about the band.)."

Speaking of Lane's distinctive vocal style, Borg writes "Lane was able to convey the subject matter of a song emotionally — whether soft and heartfelt or loud and aggressive — while always maintaining a certain charm as if he were grinning warmly."

"Catch A Falling Star" track listing:

01. I Want You To Want Me (feat. Ryan Roxie, ALICE COOPER)02. Panama03. Photograph04. The Ocean05. Doctor, Doctor06. Electric Eye07. Free For All (feat. Jake E. Lee, ex-OZZY OSBOURNE)08. No Surprise (feat. Chris Holmes, ex-W.A.S.P.)09. Lay Your Hands On Me (feat. Erik Turner, Jerry Dixon)

Lane suffered from "acute ethanol poisoning" when he died in August 2011 at a Comfort Inn motel room in Woodland Hills, California. The singer had battled alcoholism for years and also had a history of alcohol-related arrests.

Lane originally left WARRANT in March 1993 but rejoined the band in September 1994. The group went on to record the "Ultraphobic" (1995), "Belly To Belly" (1996) and "Greatest & Latest" (1999) albums and issued and collection of covers, "Under The Influence", in 2001. Jani quit WARRANT again in 2004 before reuniting with the group four years later.

The official video for "The Bardcall", a brand new song by German a cappella metal band VAN CANTO — which consists of five singers and one drummer (no guitars, no bass, no keyboards) — can be seen below. The track is taken from the group's new album, "Voices Of Fire", which will be released on March 11 via earMUSIC.

VAN CANTO has teamed up with German bestseller author Christoph Hardebusch ("Die Trolle"; English-language translation: "The Trolls") who is going to release his new fantasy novel, "Feuerstimmen", on March 17 on Piper Verlag. The audio book for which VAN CANTO set the 17 bard songs included in the story to music will be released on the same day.

Working hand in hand on this crossover media project, VAN CANTO and Christoph Hardebusch created a whole new world filled with competing kingdoms, epic battles, dragons, of course, the element fire and bards.

VAN CANTO lead singer Sly, who developed the plot of the novel together with Christoph Hardebusch, explains: "We are barely able to tell what came first: the music as part of the novel or the novel as part of our album. Christoph Hardebusch and we worked hand in hand on this. Our compositions did influence the novel and vice versa. Simply put, we created our own world — a world full of competing kingdoms, epic battles, dragons, fire and bards. Not always deadly serious but full of adventures to set your imagination running wild… like VAN CANTO does."

Adds Hardebusch: "On the one hand, working closely with VAN CANTO was a lot of fun, but on the other hand, it was also very demanding. The great picture can only be achieved when creative minds interact with each other; the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Right from the start, story and music has been a unit which has influenced and fueled each other."

Coinciding with the album release, VAN CANTO is going to tour throughout Europe in March and April.

OTEP, the band led by singer, poet, illustrator, author and activist Otep Shamaya, will release its seventh studio album, "Generation Doom", on April 15 via Napalm. The CD was produced by Howard Benson, who has previously worked with such acts as MOTÖRHEAD, PAPA ROACH, THREE DAYS GRACE, FLYLEAF, P.O.D. and HALESTORM.

The song "Lords Of War", taken from "Generation Doom", can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

About the song, Otep Shamaya says: "'Lords Of War' is a cry of defiance against the ever-encroaching military industrial complex, against police brutality, against tyranny in politics, against CAFOs, against the injustices our people face on a daily basis. Revolution is the opiate of the artist. We'd rather be in battle than at peace. We'd rather be a wolf than a sheep. They've had their chance to reign. But this is our time, our moment. We are generation doom."

"Generation Doom" track listing:

01. Zero02. Feeding Frenzy03. Lords Of War04. Royals (LORDE cover)05. In Cold Blood06. Down07. God Is A Gun08. Equal Rights, Equal Lefts09. No Color10. Lie11. Generation Doom12. On The Shore

With Shamaya's multifaceted vocal approach, from gut-wrenching roars to soft seductive poetry to singing with a surprisingly magically beautiful voice, to her evolution as a writer and story teller, "Generation Doom" erupts with thunderous, punishing grooves that harmoniously detonate into dark industrial fury with magma flows of hard rock melodies that seamlessly shape shift into a mysterious musical beast we've just discovered.

Speaking about the current lineup of OTEP, Shamaya said, "These are the most talented group of musicians I've ever worked with. We are a family. These are my brothers in arms. My guitarist Aristotle and I have a spiritual connection on an alchemical level that's preternaturally conducive to creativity. Along with my amazing drummer Justin Kier and bassist Corey Wolford, we are a force of nature and resistance fighters. Music is our weapon. They believe in what we're doing, what we stand for, and have the utmost affection and respect for our fans, the OTEP tribe." OTEP was formed in Los Angeles in 2000 and immediately signed to Capitol Records, an achievement based solely on the strength of its live performance. They were selected to appear at Ozzfest after Sharon Osbourne witnessed one of these incendiary performances. Their debut at Ozzfest was only their ninth live show, a major achievement for any band. It would be the kick-off for a career spanning 15 years.

"The Art Of Loss", the new video from REDEMPTION, the U.S. progressive metal band featuring in its ranks guitarist/songwriter Nick Van Dyk and FATES WARNING vocalist Ray Alder, can be seen below. The clip, which features a guest appearance by former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland, was directed by Brian Cox of Flarelight Films.

Cox comments: "It's very easy to dwell on the past. To stew in pain, wishing you could get someone or something back that you may have lost. But in the end, you will always have yourself, no matter how much things might change. Nobody can ever take that from you and that's the message I tried to convey with this video."

Van Dyk adds: "We're very excited to have worked with Brian to bring this song to life in this medium. The story of regret, survival, transcendence and the realization that we have the ability to be authors of our own destiny is brought home with the visuals that Brian has directed. Needless to say, it's also surreal to perform with the great Chris Poland. This video is a great representation of what REDEMPTION stands for, musically and thematically."

"The Art Of Loss" is the title track of REDEMPTION's sixth full-length album, which will be released on February 26 via Metal Blade Records.

Containing over 70 minutes of their unique blend of passion, melody, aggression and complexity, "The Art Of Loss" was produced once again by Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, PAGAN'S MIND, PRETTY MAIDS), who previously worked with REDEMPTION on 2009's "Snowfall On Judgment Day". The cover artwork was created by longtime REDEMPTION collaborator Travis Smith (OPETH, AMORPHIS).

Musically, "The Art Of Loss" follows its predecessor (2011's "This Mortal Coil"), but their newest work finds composition, musicianship and production taken up another notch, with an array of songs ranging from hard-hitting melodic metal to the 23-minute epic "At Day's End" — plus, special guest appearances from Chris Broderick (MEGADETH), John Bush (ARMORED SAINT, ANTHRAX), Marty Friedman, Simone Mularoni and Chris Poland (MEGADETH).

"The Art Of Loss" track listing:

01. The Art of Loss (feat. Simone Mularoni and Chris Poland) 02. Slouching Towards Bethlehem (feat. Simone Mularoni and Chris Poland) 03. Damaged (feat. Marty Friedman) 04. Hope Dies Last (feat. Chris Poland) 05. That Golden Light06. Thirty Silver (feat. Chris Poland, Marty Friedman, and Chris Broderick) 07. The Center Of The Fire (feat. Chris Poland) 08. Love Reign O'er Me (THE WHO cover; feat. John Bush and Chris Poland) 09. At Day's End (feat. Chris Poland and Simone Mularoni)

REDEMPTION's current lineup is rounded out by bassist Sean Andrews, drummer Chris Quirarte and guitarist Bernie Versailles, who is presently on an indefinite medical leave of absence from the band.

"The Winner Has Lost", the new video from Swedish metallers ENTOMBED A.D., can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's second album, "Dead Dawn", which will be released on February 26 via Century Media.

ENTOMBED A.D. comments on the video: "We were about to brew a collaboration beer with Warpigs in Copenhagen. An Imperial Stout that is a mix of Mikkellers 'Beer Geek Breakfast' and 3 Floyds 'Dark Lord'. It will basically taste like we sound. Very heavy stuff. We were looking forward to a day of brewing beer, drinking beer and eating BBQ. Then we were told that we need a new video [as soon as possible]. So we got a great idea and perfect solution: let's just film us brewing, drinking and eating and spending the whole budget on that! And so we did. Best day at work ever."

The "Dead Dawn" cover artwork was created by WATAIN frontman Erik Danielsson. The CD production was handled by a team consisting of Tom Van Heesch and Jacob Hellner of Big Island Sound in Stockholm as well as Nico Elgstrand himself, who produced a majority of the tracks whereas Svante Forsbäck of Chartmakers mastered this new beast.

ENTOMBED A.D. guitarist and co-producer Nico Elgstrand states:: "I think it is safe to say that all of us in the band feel like we just have given birth to one tank each. Meaning, the pregnancy and delivery was everything but pleasant! Still, when watching our newest offspring play with their cannons and bombs, blasting everything around them to bits, we feel, just like any parent, pride and joy and wouldn't have it undone for all the money in the world!"

ENTOMBED A.D. has just completed a European tour with BEHEMOTH, ABBATH and INQUISITION.

ENTOMBED A.D. is:

Lars Göran Petrov - VocalsNico Elgstrand - GuitarVictor Brandt - BassOlle Dahlstedt - Drums

In an interview with Revolution-Music.dk, Petrov stated about the band's decision to release change their name to ENTOMBED A.D. in order to avoid a legal battle with ENTOMBED guitarist Alex Hellid who didn't want his former bandmates to use the ENTOMBED moniker: "It had to be done, because without an album you can't tour. I mean, you can tour, but if there's seven years between albums, it's ridiculously long. So we did the right thing, and we did what bands should do, and still do — release an album and go on tour and headbang and have a good time with friends, and that's what it's all about."

He continued: "There was too much bullshit — crying and whining about things. It's just ridiculous.

"[The name] 'ENTOMBED,' nobody can use it right now. But the lust for touring and playing music, it's what we do.

"Some people are comfortable staying at home, but then just step aside and let us do our thing. And sitting here, doing an interview, listening to bands, that's the way it should be.

"We added two letters, but it's still the same band — [only] without people that wanna stay at home, or take millions of years [coming up with] a [new] riff."

Asked if he thinks the ENTOMBED name has been damaged as a result of the drama surrounding the split with Alex Hellid and the decision to release an album as ENTOMBED A.D., Petrov said: "Nah, not really. A thousand people have a thousand different opinions — good and bad. But we do what we felt was right. And we're out here touring, and that's the most important [thing], I think. And leave the childishness aside and play metal, basically."

Progressive death metallers FALLUJAH will release their third full-length album, titled "Dreamless", on April 29 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

The official lyric video for the song "The Void Alone", taken from "Dreamless", can be seen below.

"Dreamless" was recorded at Sharkbite Studios with producer Zack Ohren (ANIMOSITY, SUFFOCATION, ALL SHALL PERISH, DECREPIT BIRTH), and was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis (DEVILDRIVER, CANNIBAL CORPSE, WHITECHAPEL, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CARNIFEX) at Audiohammer in Sanford, Florida. Cover art was created by Peter Mohrbacher.

Commented the band: "'Dreamless' is the culmination of nearly a year's worth of hard work; bringing you an album that is not simply a follow-up, but a massive leap forward from what we have achieved so far with FALLUJAH. These are, without a doubt, the most powerful, emotional and dynamic songs we have every produced as a band.

"Now, we finally have a team of professionals at Nuclear Blast Records to help make this record as impactful and imposing as our records have ever been. The album is nearly an hour long and our fans will have more content than ever to experience, with songs ranging from crushingly epic to delicately subtle.

"We can't think of a better time to put this record out than on tour with our old friends in THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, so stay tuned for new songs, new tours and some fantastic pre-order packages we have in store for you!"

"Dreamless" track listing:

01. Face Of Death02. Adrenaline03. The Void Alone04. Abandon05. Scar Queen06. Dreamless07. The Prodigal Son08. Amber Gaze09. Fidelio10. Wind For Wings11. Les Silences12. Lacuna

"Dreamless" features guest vocal appearances by Tori Letzler, Mike Semesky and Katie Thompson; and a guest solo appearance by Tymon Kruidenier (ex-CYNIC, EXIVIOUS).

FALLUJAH caused quite a stir in the music world with the release of its previous album, "The Flesh Prevails". It topped several “best of 2014” lists in not only the metal world, but in the progressive music community as well and won over scores of new fans with their fresh, emotive, and technically challenging music. As a result, FALLUJAH has paved the way for a new melodic and atmospheric perspective on death metal!

FALLUJAH is:

Alex Hofmann - vocalsRob Morey - bassAndrew Baird - drumsScott Carstairs - guitarBrian James - guitar

German metal queen Doro Pesch will release her new single, "Love's Gone To Hell", on April 1 through Nuclear Blast.

With "Love's Gone To Hell", Doro has created another outstanding power ballad, which doesn't only gleam with a great piano intro, heavy guitars and a fantastic melody, but also with tons of emotion and a chorus, which captures your ears and your heart from the word "go."

As to be expected for such a special song, Doro has shot a visually stunning music video for "Love's Gone To Hell". Filmed in superior locations such as the renaissance castle Bückeburg, Doro showcases herself in the video production in some incredibly impressive scenes in a way you've never seen her before.

Doro states: "'Love's Gone To Hell' is a magical song, a big anthem — and for myself it's on the same level as the all-time favorites 'All We Are', 'Love Me In Black' and 'Für Immer'."

This is another reason Doro is looking forward to her upcoming "Rock Meets Classic" tour, on which 'Love's Gone To Hell' will be premiered live. Doro will hit the stage across 16 German cities and Switzerland as a special guest. In late autumn, the "Love's Gone To Hell" tour will follow, when Doro will rock fans in Germany and half of Europe with her band.

"Love's Gone To Hell" will be released in two formats on April 1 and can be pre-ordered now.

The "Love's Gone To Hell" six-track maxi single will also contain — in addition to three versions of "Love's Gone To Hell" (radio, single and demo edit) and the duet with Lemmy — two live tracks: "Rock Till Death", featuring Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN) and "Save My Soul". Both live tracks deliver a great insight into the long-anticipated DVD called "30 Years Doro - Strong & Proud", which will be released in June via Nuclear Blast. It features the Doro anniversary shows in Wacken and Düsseldorf, including spectacular tracking shots as well as sonic perfection. Additionaly, the DVD contains tons of terrific and previously unreleased bonus material.

"Love's Gone To Hell" limited-edition vinyl single:

Side A

01. Love's Gone To Hell

Side B

02. It Still Hurts (duet with Lemmy Kilmister)

"Love's Gone To Hell" six-track maxi single track listing:

01. Love's Gone To Hell (radio version) 02. Love's Gone To Hell (single version)03. It Still Hurts (feat. Lemmy Kilmister)04. Rock Till Death (live)05. Save my Soul (live)06. Love's Gone To Hell (original demo version)

"Alnilam", a brand new song from French modern metallers ETHS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's forthcoming album, "Ankaa", which is due on April 22 via Season Of Mist.

ETHS guitarist Staif Bihl comments: "I'm proud to present the first track of our brand new album entitled 'Ankaa' (the main star of the Phoenix constellation, which is therefore also called Alpha Phoenicis).

"This album is linked to the cosmos and the concept of rebirth for the band as well as personally.

"The first song to be revealed, 'Alnilam', is part of a trilogy that closes the record. It accurately represents the idea of rebirth, which concerns everyone at some point. I wrote these lyrics during a turning point in my life. They represent the understanding that everything is in perpetual evolution, life is movement, and changing. I hope you will appreciate it as much as we do!"

"Ankaa" track listing:

01. Nefas02. Nihil Sine Causa03. Amaterasu04. Seditio05. Nixi Dii06. Vae Victis07. HAR108. Sekhet Aaru09. Kumari Kandam10. Alnitak11. Alnilam12. Mintaka

The album can be pre-ordered at this location.

"Ankaa" manages to keep the essence of ETHS, guided by mastermind and guitarist Staif Bihl, who also produced the album. Yet with new frontwoman Rachel Aspe and other changes in the lineup, there are new elements in the sound of the French act. The new album sounds more diverse and generally a touch darker. Electronic patterns find as easily a fitting place as a beautiful Arabic chant by guest vocalist Sarah Layssac (ARKAN). For this recording, SOILWORK drummer extraordinaire Dirk Verbeuren stepped in and delivered a massive yet intricate pounding.

ETHS in 2014 released an EP, "Ex Umbra In Solem", with its new vocalist, Rachel Aspe. The EP's title track was a new song recorded, produced and mixed by ETHS guitarist Staif Bihl. It was backed by three classic ETHS tracks, recorded live on October 24, 2013 at the Divan du Monde in Paris, mixed by Nikhertz at Studio Phantom. Last but not least, the EP included three songs from the "III" album, re-recorded with Rachel's vocals.

ETHS in 2012 recruited Virginie Goncalves (KELLS) and Nelly Wood-Hasselhoff to handle lead vocals at the group's shows following the departure of Candice Clot.

Aspe made headlines in France in November 2012 when she performed the SYBREED song "Emma-0" on an episode of "La France À Un Incroyable Talent", the French reality television series which is part of the global British "Got Talent" franchise. Her death metal vocal styling stunned the judges and crowd before going viral and being seen by millions of people.

"It has always been my goal to be part of a band," Aspe told Rock Overdose. "One of the reasons I went to this TV show was to find one. [The show] was [taped] three months before I met ETHS, and [it originally aired shortly] after Candice left the band. So things came very fast for me. I had a job and it was hard to work on my vocals so quickly. I didn’t expect this success for the video; many bands contacted me, I did some [guest appearances] since that. People are continuing to share and comment on it."

Clot played her final show as a member of ETHS on October 13, 2012 at L'Arcade in Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon, France.

ETHS is:

Staif Bihl: guitarRachel Aspe: vocalsDamien Rivoal: bassR.U.L.: drums (live)Dirk Verbeuren: drums (album)

Photo credit: Nicolas Delpierre

After a period of inactivity since 2007’s The Blue, which involved the departure of longstanding member Giuseppe Orlando, Novembre returns with a new set of potent and poignant tracks, effortlessly transitioning between soothing, epic, melancholy and intense, from what is one of the originators of the whole atmospheric death/doom scene. URSA will be released on April 1st via Peaceville Records. Check out a lyric video for the track “Umana” below:

Headed by founding member and writer Carmelo Orlando, and with a reinvigorated musical alliance with Massimiliano Pagliuso, the lineup is completed by Fabio Fraschini (previously bassist on the Materia album), and David Folchitto on drums. There is also a special guest appearance from Anders Nyström of the Swedish Doom masters Katatonia, adding his own unique ‘cold’ touch to the album’s single track, “Annoluce”.

URSA was recorded at Blue Noise Studio, and PlayRec studio by Massimiliano Pagliuso, then mixed and mastered at Unisound Studios by Dan Swanö (Opeth, Katatonia, Bloodbath). Cover art comes courtesy of Travis Smith.

Carmelo Orlando comments on URSA: ”This album is a very important step in my life. It got me closer to what some may call ‘maturity’. I’ve been able to delve even deeper into the chasm of the subconscious and unearth gems I didn’t think existed. Lyrically and conceptually I explored new shores. I moved my ever-inwards headlights, and for the first time I dared to point them outwards, against the squalor of this Orwellian apocalypse we’re committing towards the Earth and its sons, on a daily basis, in quasi-total indifference. The album is indeed called URSA (the acronym for “Union des Républiques Socialistes Animales”), which was the title initially chosen for the French translation of George Orwell’s masterpiece novel Animal Farm.”

URSA is available to pre-order on CD & LP at this location. Pre-orders from the Peaceville Store receive a free 3-track EP including an alternate version of “Annoluce”, plus two exclusive tracks.

The seeds of Novembre were originally planted in September 1990 in Rome, Italy. Then known as Catacomb, their early recordings of unusual gothic doom metal were to quickly gain the band interest. It was around 1993 that the band decided that a name change was in order, and Novembre was born, evolving into one of the premiere European atmospheric doom bands.

Watch out for Novembre on tour in 2016.

 



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Prosthetic Records recently announced the addition of Arizona-based doom outfit, Sprit Adrift, to its ever-growing roster. Formed in 2015, Sprit Adrift immediately started writing and recording their debut EP Behind - Beyond, which Prosthetic will release worldwide on February 26th.  

Described by the band as "vital excercises in meditation and catharsis born out of necessity, not desire," the 28-minute EP presents listeners with a psychedelic expanse encompassed across two profoundly heavy, dynamically captivating tracks influenced by riff legends including Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy and Neurosis. The track “Specter Of Ruin” is streaming below.

Sprit Adrift are intent upon carving their own path in the realm of heavy music. Special live performances and a full-length album loom on the horizon.

Tracklisting:

“Specter Of Ruin”
“Perpetual Passage”
 
“Perpetual Passage” preview:

"Specter Of Ruin”:

 



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Canadian blackened heavy metal act, Sig:Ar:Tyr, will see their new album, Northen, through their new deal with Hammerheart Records in April. The new track, “Vinland”, can be heard below.

Sig:Ar:Tyr is the brainchild of Daemonskald and started in 2003 releasing The Stranger demo. Influenced by the Pagan/Viking worlds of ice and snow, and as a tribute to the ancient gods, Daemonskald built his strong reputation step by step.

Through the years Daemonskald and Hammerheart Records stayed in touch, and after releasing three fantastic full length albums (too good to be left buried in the deep underground) both parties agreed that the time to start working together was now.

Daemonskald on this co-operation: "I'm very excited to be working with Hammerheart Records. They have a strong history in Pagan and Viking Metal, and I hope with the long-awaited release of my new album I can follow in that tradition. They were one of the first labels to reach out to me when I first started out way back in 2003, and now the stars are right for us to be working together and the circle is complete."

Daemonskald had the following to say about the album: "The album deals with the end of the Viking age, and the adventures of the Norse in our own country, Canada. Unlike the permanent settlements in Greenland, their stay here was short-lived, and we are still discovering the extent of their travels, the artifacts from their small settlements, and unfolding the tales of their interaction with the native cultures here at the time. Northen is a tale of tribute to this small group of adventurers, who with a dynamic, and individualistic spirit, were still willing to throw stability and comfort aside to explore mysterious new places like Helluland, Markland, and Vinland, and try to be their own master in a changing world."

 

 

Northern tracklisting:

“Helluland”
“Crownless”
“Runarmal”
“Markland (The Hammer Fades)”
“Skraeling”
“Krossanes”
“Vinland”
“Northen”
“When The Last Ship Sails”

“Vinland”:



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Metal Church will release their new album, XI, on March 25th via Rat Pak Records. The band’s 11th studio release also marks the return of legendary vocalist and front man Mike Howe. They have released a new album trailer featuring the lead-off track "Resest". Check it out below. The new lyric video for the track “Killing Your Time” is also available:

Guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof posted on the band's Facebook page about how Metal Church feels like a “real band” again.

Vanderhoof writes: “I can’t begin to tell you how great it’s been having Mike Howe back!! We have great chemistry, we all love metal music, and for the first time in a very long time, it feels like (a) REAL band again! Thanks to everyone who has preordered so far!”

The new album is available for preorder in various exclusive bundles at this location. A limited number of the Deluxe International Version are available on the website and features a bonus disc of 8 extra songs. Other bundles include guitar picks, stickers, a special edition behind the scenes photo book, t-shirts and even a limited number of personal phone calls from Mike Howe himself.

The album is also available for pre-order on Amazon (link below), Google Play and via iTunes, and fans that order the digital version will receive an instant download of “Killing Your Time” from the new album. XI was produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and co-produced by Chris “The Wizard” Collier.

From the first guitar riff of album opener “Reset” through the driving outro of album closer “Suffer Fools”, it is clear Metal Church is back and better than ever. “Needle And Suture” and “Soul Eating Machine” showcase the songwriting that made the early Mike Howe albums The Human Factor, Blessing In Disguise and Hanging In The Balance such fan favorites. Musical opuses “Signal Path” and “Sky Falls In” clock in at over 7-minutes each and put the musicianship that Metal Church was known for on full display in 2016.

XI tracklisting:
                                        “Reset”
“Killing Your Time”
“No Tomorrow”
“Signal Path”
“Sky Falls In”
“Needle & Suture”
“Shadow”
“Blow Your Mind”
“Soul Eating Machine”
“It Waits”
“Suffer Fools”

“No Tomorrow” video:

Behind the scenes:

EPK Part 1:



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Black metallers The Infernal Sea are by no means afraid to experiment with forthcoming sophomore album, The Great Mortality, bringing in an eclectic mix of influences on February 19th via recently relaunched extreme metal label Cacophonous Records. The album is streaming in full below:

Vocalist Dean Lettice states: “We are honoured to sign to a label with such rich history and feel this new alliance will add to the great legacy of Cacophonous. They helped forge the careers of influential artists we grew up listening to such as Cradle Of Filth, Primordial, Bal-Sagoth and Dimmu Borgir, so The Infernal Sea hopes to continue their legacy, paving the way for UK black metal just as those did before us. The Great Mortality is a visceral and relentless soundtrack that captures the essence of our intense live rituals. It’s harsh and experimental, pushing the boundaries of the 'traditional' black metal sound to create something unique and terrifying.”

The Great Mortality focuses on the dark and macabre history of the Black Death which swept across the UK and Europe from 1348. Each track focuses on the sadistic nature of mankind in times of fear and despair, with historical insight into the horrors and atrocities committed to their fellow man. Treading into dystopian territory, this is The Infernal Sea at their most brutal and cadaverous.

“Entombed In Darkness” video:



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Straight outta Vancouver, British Columbia, progressive death/black Metal warriors Bushwhacker have announced the upcoming release of new album The False Dilemma. A new song “Tower” is streaming below.

Set for a March 5th release, The False Dilemma is a profound slab of heavy that drips of black and death metal whilst delving deep into the realms of psychedelia, which sees the quartet evolving into a darker, fine-tuned machine of cynicism.

Tracklisting:

“Tower”
“Cheewhat Giant”
“Dead Man’s Waltz”
“Shikadance”
“The Return”
“Perfection”
“A Path”
“Bushwhacker”
“Golden Shell”

“Tower”:

The False Dilemma by BUSHWHACKER



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Steamhammer/SPV and Gary Meskil have recently signed a worldwide deal for the back-catalogue of Pro-Pain. The first two legendary albums, Foul Taste Of Freedom and The Truth Hurts, will be the first to be reissued (digipak and LP versions). These massive re-releases will hit the streets on May 27th. More details are coming soon.

In other news, Pro-Pain will play their first North American Tour in nearly seven years. The tour is scheduled to commence on May 31st at Churchill's in Miami. A European Tour has also been scheduled for the summer, to further commemorate 25 Years of Pro-Pain and to celebrate the re-release of their first two groundbreaking albums.

Tour dates:

May
12 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo
13 - Ilsenburg, Germany - Heizhaus
14 - Utrecht, Netherlands - De Helling
19 - Krefeld, Germany - Magnapop
20 - Sneek, Netherlands - Bolwerk
21 - Leiden, Netherlands - Gebr. De Nobel
22 - Namur, Belgium - Le Belvedere  

May
31 Miami, FL - Churchills

June
1 - Orlando, FL - The Haven
2 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum
3 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
4 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
5 - Pittsburgh, PA - Alter Bar
6 - Reading, PA - Reverb
7 - New York City, NY - Santo`s Party House
8 - Long Island, NY - Revolution
9 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
10 - Montreal, QC - FouFounes
11 - Quebec City, QC - Le Cercle
12 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks
13 - Toronto, ON - Garrison
14 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
15 - Columbus, OH - Ace Of Cups
16 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
17 - Westland, MI - Token Lounge
18 - Crest Hill, IL - Bada Brew
19 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
21 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
22 - Omaha, NE - Lookout Lounge
23 - Minneapolis, MN - The Cabooze
24 - Chippewa Falls, WI - Every Buddy`s
25 - St.Louis, MO - Fubar

July
10 - Antwerpen, Belgium - Antwerpen Metal Fest
14-16 - Rieden/Kreuth, Germany - G.O.N.D. Festival
29 - Vyskov, Czech Republic - Fest Pod Parou

August
6 - Marktredwitz, Germany - Sticky Fingers Festival

(Pictured above from left to right: Gary Meskil - Pro-Pain, Olly Hahn - A&R Steamhammer)



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Buckcherry have released a music/lyric video for the new version of the track “The Feeling Never Dies”, now a duet with Grammy Award-winning country artist Gretchen Wilson, and featured on the deluxe edition of their Rock 'N' Roll album, available digitally via F-Bomb/Caroline.

"There aren't too many duets anymore and we love country music," singer Josh Todd tells Rolling Stone Country. "Gretchen was the perfect fit and we are fired up to get this track out there."

"Cannonball":

“Gettin' Started”:

 



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Rebirth is the first solo-album ever by Raff Sangiorgio. Guitarist of the long-running death metal band Gory Blister, with whom he wrote and published five full-length albums, Raff Sangiorgio debuts with a new one, for the first time as a soloist. The album will be released on February 26th through Sliptrick Records. Check out the track “Back To Glory”, streaming below.

It is a one-man studio project, focusing on instrumental metal-rock songs with blues influences, in which Raff Sangiorgio wrote, produced, arranged and performed every single instrument, with particular focus, on the guitar work. This new album consists of nine original songs and is entitled Rebirth.

Tracklisting:

“Lil Chuck Blues”
“Back To Glory”
“Glaring Soul”
“Rebirth”
“Cosmic Seed”
“Magic River”
“Fragile Existence”
“Voices From The Sea”

“Back To Glory”:

“Quick Trigger”:



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Norwegian progressive metal band, Withem, are set to release their sophomore album, The Unforgiving Road.

Inspired by the likes of Symphony X, Pagan's Mind, Dream Theater, and Circus Maximus among others, Withem started in 2011 when Øyvind Voldmo Larsen (guitars) and Ketil Ronold (keyboards) met the gifted drummer Frank Nordeng Røe. Soon they were joined by the voice talent Ole Aleksander Wagenius. While on the debut album bass duties were taken care of by the special guest Andreas Blomqvist from Seventh Wonder, now the band has Portugal-born Miguel Pereira fully integrated as the bassist in their lineup.

Withem’s music incorporates elements of progressive metal, symphonic metal and straightforward heavy metal. Creative virtuoso musicians, together with the unique vocal abilities of Ole Aleksander Wagenius, give the band a much-needed distinctive touch to stand out in the progressive metal scene.

The band states: “We were overwhelmed with the reviews and reactions we received worldwide on our first album, and we couldn’t wait for the next Withem chapter to take place. We pretty much set a goal for a follow-up soon after ProgPower USA 2014. Soon after we started the writing process, and entered the studio in January 2015 to pursue that “difficult second album”. We are extremely happy that we could join forces with Frontiers Music Srl and The Unforgiving Road will hopefully leave our listeners with a smile on their faces. We tried to stick to our guns when it comes to keeping a strong melodic approach to each song, while taking advantage of the unique abilities of every instrument. Overall we feel that the sound and production has evolved into an even more mature and modern landscape and we can’t wait to share The Unforgiving Road with our friends and fans!”

More details including release date and shows will be revealed in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, check out some older tracks from the band:

 



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Barcelona, Spain-based Obsidian Kingdom are streaming the track “Darkness”, featured on their upcoming album A Year With No Summer, due out on March 11th via Season of Mist. Listen below:

The band recently released the dystopian mockumentary (see below) that was produced for “Black Swan”, the second single from the upcoming album.

A message states: ““Black Swan” reflects on the idea of a dramatic and unexpected shift in the routines that define our comfort zones. It is at the same time a vintage memento from an idyllic past, and the foreboding of a terrible, hostile and sublime future. By the way, we know there's a typo in the video. It's entirely our fault and now we will have to live with it all our lives. Sometimes we find it hard to sleep at night because of that.”

A Year With No Summer is available for pre-order in any of its three different formats, each one featuring exclusive artwork curated once again by Spanish design star-combo Ritxi Ostáriz (Ihsahn, Leprous) and Elena Gallén (Reebok, VICE).

Tracklisting:

“A Year With No Summer”
“10th April”
“Darkness”
“The Kandinsky Group”
“The Polyarnik”
“Black Swan”
“Away/Absent”

“Black Swan” video:



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METALLICA today announced that they will reissue their first two albums, 1983's "Kill 'Em All" and 1984's "Ride The Lightning", on April 15. Both albums have been remastered for the most advanced sound quality and will be available in three formats — CD, vinyl, and deluxe box set. Both deluxe box sets include original source material from the band's personal collection with many never-before- heard-or-seen recordings, along with a book including rare photos and essays from those who were there. The deluxe numbered box set of "Kill 'Em All" includes four vinyl records, five CDs, one DVD, a deluxe book including rare photos and a patch while the deluxe numbered box set of "Ride The Lightning" includes four vinyl records, six CDs, one DVD, a deluxe book including more of those unseen photos, a mini-book of lyrics handwritten by James Hetfield and a set of three posters. The deluxe box sets are limited-edition collectors' items.

Fans can pre-order both deluxe box sets at the Met Store now and all six new items will, of course, also be available at your local record store on Friday, April 15, just in time for Record Store Day.

Originally issued on July 25, 1983 through the independent label Megaforce Records, "Kill 'Em All" was recorded in two weeks on a miniscule budget in upstate New York. Although only 1,500 copies were initially pressed, the album was reissued by Elektra Records after the band signed to that label in 1984 and has since been certified triple platinum for sales of more than three million copies.

The varied sounds of "Ride The Lightning", which included the first METALLICA ballad in "Fade To Black", drew mixed responses from some fans. The band's drummer, Lars Ulrich, told Rolling Stone magazine: "It did surprise us a little bit, I guess. People started calling us sellouts and all that type of stuff. Some people were a little bit bewildered by the fact that there was a song that had acoustic guitars."

Noting that at least four songs from the album are still part of METALLICA's live set today, Ulrich said that "Ride The Lightning" "holds up very well," adding, "There's kind of a youthful energy that runs through the record."

San Francisco metallers DEATH ANGEL have set "The Evil Divide" as the title of their new album, due on May 27 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was once again recorded at AudioHammer studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof, who previously worked on 2010's "Relentless Retribution" and 2013's "The Dream Calls For Blood". Mastering duties were handled by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York City. Songtitles set to appear on the effort include "Father Of Lies" and "Lost"

DEATH ANGEL vocalist Mark Osegueda told SFWeekly.com about working with Suecof again: "It's the third time we've used him, and we couldn't really be happier."

He continued: "This time, all the music was written and lyrics were written with the exception of one song, which I purposely saved to write on the spot.

"Sometimes you can get a great vibe from a studio and draw inspiration from that. That song came out great.

Mark added: "It's got the aggressiveness of the last two records, but our songwriting has improved dramatically. Really, it sounds like DEATH ANGEL should."

Osegueda told Rock Hard magazine about DEATH ANGEL's mindset going into the songwriting process for the upcoming CD: "When we started working with Jason Suecof for the last two records, 'Relentless Retribution' and 'The Dream Calls For Blood', we thought we were gonna do two records intense like that and kind of go back [to the more] melodic [direction of 1990's] 'Act III', but the last two records, we've been loving so much writing that style, and the crowds have been enjoying them so much.

"In our minds, even if we think we're being more brutal than we've ever been, it's inevitable that we are obsessed with melody, so there's always gonna be melody that separates us from, say, different thrash bands or extreme bands, because we always veer to a melody and catchy hooks. No matter how brutal we think we're being, we like to throw in hooks, so we're just gonna carry on how we're doing now and try to pick as many of the young punters there and keep our stronghold on the old punters."

DEATH ANGEL released "A Thrashumentary" in July 2015 via Nuclear Blast. The DVD was directed, shot and edited by Tommy Jones (KATAKLYSM, SOILWORK, LAMB OF GOD, CARCASS, TESTAMENT) of Videohammer Studios. The release also includes a full live album titled "The Bay Calls For Blood".

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have posted photos of their new-and-improved branded private tour plane after it landed at the airport in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. The Boeing 747 jumbo is named Ed Force One after the band's mascot, Eddie, who has appeared on all of their album covers, and graces the plane's tail.

Ed Force One is being piloted on the band's world tour by MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson.

Said the group: "Ed Force One, our new 747 jumbo, is all branded-up, ready to go and Bruce has his shiny new 747 type rating so he can fly the plane.

"As we initially announced, we'll be using Ed Force One right around the world as usual but also including the first few shows in Europe this time, making this the first time EF1 has visited Europe on tour.

"However, after the Swedish show at Gothenburg Ullvei Stadium on June 17, we'll be reverting to our traditional truck and bus touring methods as logistically this makes much more sense considering the lesser distances involved and airport parameters."

Dickinson told the Associated Press last year about being the pilot of MAIDEN's private plane: "I was working as an airline pilot. I had a regular job for ten years, and at the same time, I was in IRON MAIDEN. We used to tour for like two or three months a year, and I would get unpaid leave to tour. How crazy is that? I went to my manager and I said, 'Look, I've got this crazy idea. How'd you fancy going out in a 747 on the next tour?' He went, 'Oooh ... that would be major.'"

IRON MAIDEN's world tour, in support of the band's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", will kick off on February 24 in Florida.

Support on the trek will come from THE RAVEN AGE, the band led by IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's son George Harris.

MAIDEN's sixteenth — and first-ever double — studio album, "The Book Of Souls", was released worldwide on September 4, 2015 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the U.S.A). The CD was recorded in Paris, France with producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in late 2014, with the finishing touches added last year.

IRON MAIDEN announced in May 2015 that touring plans to support the album wouldn't happen until this year to allow Dickinson time to fully recuperate after his successful cancer treatment.