According to The Pulse Of Radio, a new book out in the U.K. claims that METALLICA has made a series of "disastrous" financial decisions over the past five years that has left the band in the red. "Into The Black" authors Paul Brannigan and Ian Winwood claim that since 2010, "It's likely that METALLICA have lost more money than they've made."

The pair explained in an interview with The Weeklings, "By their own admission, the two stagings of the Orion festival were disastrous financially, and the shambles that was the 'Through The Never' movie cost $32 million and will only recoup a fraction of that amount."

The authors added, "Factor in HQ staff salaries, crew retainers and assorted running costs associated with maintaining an entertainment corporation and you can easily understand why the band — of necessity now rather than by choice — are driven to tour Europe every summer."

Winwood and Brannigan said that "Through The Never" — a concert movie mixed with a fictional narrative — took an especially large bite out of the band's finances. The movie made less than $4 million at the box office.

Asked if making the movie was worth the financial risk, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told The Quietus in a 2013 interview: "That remains to be seen. Ask me when I come back and talk about the new record two years from now. I have no idea. I do know that we rarely consider other options, so compromise is not METALLICA's major strength. And I think that the fans hopefully appreciate that if its got the word 'METALLICA' written somewhere on or near it, that it comes from us."

He continued: "Creative experiences aren't really ones we share with anyone other than the closest few that we sort of purposefully let in. So, to sit there and take a bunch of money from a bunch of people to then have them [be] involved in editing and controlling the movie and so on just seemed wrong. That, of course, was before the project ran amok, but they always run amok, so it's nothing new.

"In METALLICA, we don't look at things as… there's a word called 'cross-collaterizing.' You sort of put everything against everything else so it's not [a case of], 'How is the movie going to do, as itself?' It's not like an isolated entity…

"I think nowadays in media it's very much, 'What did it cost? What did they get back? Was it a success? Was it a failure?' It's slightly more complicated than that, and that kind of breaking it down to absolutes really doesn't interest me.

"This is another chapter in METALLICA's existence, and I'm sure that if we don't make all the money back, then, I don't know, [we will in] t-shirt sales seven years down the line. Something good will come in the wake of these projects. It's just sort of how we roll."

Vocalist Till Lindemann of German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN has joined forces with Swedish producer and multi-instrumentalist Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN) in a brand new project simply called LINDEMANN.

LINDEMANN's debut album, "Skills In Pills", will be released in May.

Speaking to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Tägtgren stated about how his collaboration with Lindemann came about: "It started around 1999 or 2000, after we got to know each other. Till was helping me put vocals on one of my albums, but it never happened because we were so busy all the time. But we kept in contact, and two summers ago, RAMMSTEIN were in Sweden and Till invited me over; we talked a bit before he went on stage, and he said that RAMMSTEIN were going to have a break for two years and we should do something."

He continued: "I was starting to think of doing another PAIN album, but as soon as Till came in, that's when I really started to work. I figured I'd just keep on writing. I started triggering his ideas and he started triggering mine. All of a sudden there was no PAIN album!"

Regarding the musical direction of LINDEMANN, Till told Metal Hammer: "It's a baby between RAMMSTEIN and PAIN — at least, it's a mix of RAMMSTEIN vocals and PAIN music.

"Peter's a real metalhead and I'm into this gothic thing.

"I know a lot of hardcore RAMMSTEIN fans may not like it, because they'll miss the German language and harsh sounds, but this is a side project and I bring a lot of personality into my half. There's a lot of different colors to this record."

Till added that there are plans for LINDEMANN to play some live shows and record a follow-up album, explaining that making the debut CD "was too much fun to just keep as a singular project."

"Skills In Pills" track listing:

01. Skills In Pills02. Ladyboy03. Fat04. Fish On05. Children Of The Sun06. Home Sweet Home07. Cowboy08. Golden Shower09. Yukon10. Praise Abort

The Doors are releasing a special item for this year's Record Store Day, April 18th. Under the direction of Jampol Artist Management, Inc., the release will be available in record stores as part of the event that celebrates independent music retailers worldwide.

The Doors’ Strange Days will be available on 180-gram virgin vinyl in it’s original mono recording. Individually numbered, the release is limited to 12,500 copies.

This reissue of short-lived mono version from 1967 is cut from the original masters by The Doors' co-producer and engineer Bruce Botnick. Commercially released on vinyl in 1967 for a limited time, first vinyl reissue since then.

 

 

"Record Store Day is really important for our clients," says JAM President Jeff Jampol. "We all grew up digging through record stores to find the latest music and share with our friends, and we think it is crucial to keep that tradition alive."

Record Store Day is "a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally."

Learn more at this location.

 

Belgian metallers, Magic Kingdom, have released a lyric video for the tile track of their new album, Savage Requiem.

Belgian guitarist Dushan Petrossi is not only the driving force behind AFM Records-signed Iron Mask; he is also the mastermind of power symphonic speed metal band Magic Kingdom. Actually it was Magic Kingdom who first received international success, in Europe, Asia and South America alike.

Even though the band only looks back on three album releases (with the fourth, Savage Requiem out now in Europe / available April 14th in North America), these albums - especially the latter ones Metallic Tragedy and Symphony Of War - established them as one of the most successful bands of their genre.

And while Petrossi’s band Iron Mask, which came to blossom in recent years, follows a more hard rock-oriented style to combine with some neo-classical elements, Magic Kingdom is more heavy and fast-paced, but not a single bit less enchanting and catchy.

Savage Requiem again delivers 100% what fans expect from Magic Kingdom. Petrossi’s splendid guitar work shines throughout the whole record and new vocalist Christian Palin’s (ex-Adagio) performance is passionate and powerful.

"I love Christian’s style of singing”, Petrossi says. “He always gives 100% and doesn’t hold back. I feel that the new songs needed someone like Christian to come alive. We are very glad that he is a part of Magic Kingdom now.”

“I’m sure that we can release new Magic Kingdom albums more regularly from now on”, Petrossi speaks out in the run-up to Savage Requiem. “I’m very proud of what we created and I wish that our fans will have an equal kind of joy when they listen to the album."

 

 

Savage Requiem tracklisting:

"In Umbra Mea"
"Guardian Angels"
"Rivals Forever"
"Full Moon Sacrifice"
"Ship Of Ghosts"
"Savage Requiem"
"Four Demon Kings Of Shadowlands"
"With Fire And Sword"
"Dragon Princess"
"Battlefield Magic"

Bonus track:

"Dragon Princess" (acoustic)

"Savage Requiem” lyric video:

Trailer:

 

For several months, Chilean songstress Laura Vargas (ex-Sacramento) has been teasing her upcoming solo debut. Her Facebook page gives fans a chilling glimpse into the story:

“Her eyes so wide, her innocence painted on her porcelain face… What secrets does she hold? Only those I’ve given her….unwittingly revealed. My deepest joys, my bitterest sorrows…my darkest desires. Wrapped in my arms, she gave ear to my confessions, absorbed my tears, soothed my heart- to steal my soul. Now a war is waged. Like something from a dream, a living nightmare unfolds each day as the ancient struggle between good and evil, dark and light, life or death -rages. Where my solitary story ends, Dollmination begins. Will it be her or me…or, inevitably, inexplicably…We?”

 

 

Two unsettling video teasers, which set the stage for this concept album, have already been unveiled. Today, she releases a sneak audio peek at “The Awakening”, which gives fans even more insight into the world of The Inferno Doll.

Vargas describes the music in her own words: “This is something that will take you to another world, and sometimes you won't know which character is talking... me, her? or both! If I could to put this is into two words, I'd describe it as Inferno Metal.”

“The Dream” (Teaser #1):

“The Awakening” (Teaser #2):

The hard rocking first single, “Dollmination” is streaming below:

Look for a spring release date.

Texas-based instrumental prog rock outfit, Scale The Summit, plan to release their fifth album, suitably titled V, this summer via Prosthetic Records. The band have spent the last few weeks tracking the effort, which will soon be mixed by Jamie King (Between The Buried And Me, The Contortionist).

Recently, the group revealed a sneak peek from the studio including a quick teaser of their new drummer J.C. Bryant playing along to a new song. In case you missed it, you can view it streaming below:

Scale The Summit was formed in 2004 after guitarists Chris Letchford and Travis Levrier met while attending Hollywood's Musicians Institute. The instrumental quartet self-funded and self-released their first album, Monument, in 2007, which caught the attention of Prosthetic Records. In 2009, the quartet released their sophomore effort Carving Desert Canyons, which earned acclaim from fans, critics and peers alike - none more high-profile than former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, who asked the band to take part in the group's Progressive Nation tour that year.

Continuously staying active, the group released their third effort The Collective in 2011. Scale The Summit supported the release with rigorous touring alongside name acts including Between The Buried And Me, Prostest The Hero, Periphery, The Human Abstract, Cynic and more.

With new bassist Mark Michell in tow, the band headed to Basement Studios in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in early 2013 with producer King to record their most lauded effort to date, The Migration, which saw their first-ever charting on the Billboard Top 200. The album was supported by extensive touring across North America and Europe alongside acts including YES, Intronaut, The Ocean, Glass Cloud, Trioscapes and TesseracT, as well as appearances on several festivals (Yestival, SXSW, Cruise to the Edge, ProgDay, etc).

Stay tuned for more news on V in the coming weeks.

Finnish death metal veterans, Torture Pulse, have inked a deal with Xtreem Music for the release of their upcoming second album, which is currently being completed and will be entitled God Leash.

 

 

Torture Pulse were formed back in 2005 featuring members of Mythos, Belial, and Impaled Nazarene, and have released a demo in 2008, followed by their debut album Plague Poetry in 2010, a split 7" EP with Johansson & Speckmann and a 7-song mini CD entitled Devilroot in 2014. Their style is a heavy and catchy death metal in its purest form with a sound reminiscent of bands like Grave, Entombed, Bolt Thrower, Autopsy, Carnage, and Vomitory.

Release date for God Leash is not settled yet, but will happen during this summer and soon we'll reveal the album cover art as well as an advance song, track listing and a definite release date for it.

 

 

Listen to their latest EP below:

Devilroot by Torture Pulse

 

Italy’s Helfir, the solo project of Silvered guitarist Luca Mazzotta, will release their debut album, Still Bleeding, through My Kingdom Music on April 13th. Check out the music video for the album track “Alone”, now streaming below.

 

 

Still Bleeding tracklisting:

“Oracle”
“My Blood”
“In The Circle”
“Alone”
“Dresses Of Pain”
“Black Flame”
“Portrait Of A Sun”
“Where Are You Now?”
“Night And Deceit”

“Alone” video:

 

French progressive rock group, Klone, will release their sixth album, Here Comes The Sun, on April 27th via Klonosphere/Pelagic Records.

Here Comes The Sun is self-produced by the band in conjunction with longtime co-producer Francis Castes and sees the band evolve from their heavy metal roots to a more ethereal post-rock sound, without losing one bit of intensity. Driven by heavy riffing as much as by delay-soaked guitar-reverie and careful vocal melodies, melancholia defines the band's sound while leaving room for a much broader emotional spectrum.

Alone features central masterminds Yann Ligner (vocals) and Guillaume Bernard (guitars), with musical reinforcement from guitarist Aldrick Guadagnino, bassist Jean Etienne Maillard, saxophonist Matthieu Metzger and drummer Florent Marcadet (also of recognized French progressive metal group Hacride).

Guitarist Guillaume Bernard states, “We really worked hard on this album – it was a real challenge for us to not repeat what we did on our previous albums. This new album is emotionally intense and this music was written to touch the people in their hearts – a sort of “call to meditation”.”

 

 

Tracklisting:

"Immersion"
"Fog"
"Gone Up In Flames"
"The Drifter"
"Nebulous"
"Gleaming"
"Grim Dance"
"Come Undone"
"The Last Experience"
"Summertime" (cover, CD version only)

Album teaser:

“Immersion”:

Pre-order at this location.

ReVamp, fronted by Nightwish singer Floor Jansen, are currently on hiatus. In an interview with MetalBlast, Floor reveals the news. An excerpt follows:

Q: Because of your commitments to Nightwish, do you feel that your work will ReVamp will be diminished?

A: “It’s inevitable, and from the day I joined Nightwish it has affected ReVamp. I found it very difficult to do both things at the same time. When I joined Nightwish we were in the middle of the writing process, we had just planned to go to the studio, and we had to postpone the release. In between tours I was recording an album, promoting an album, and then when I started to tour with Nightwish I was also touring with ReVamp, which was just a lot. This is not something that I wish to do, if only because of my own sanity and health, and because I feel that both bands need 100% of your devotion and time, and doing both at the same time just isn’t possible for me.

So now it’s full-on Nightwish time, and there’s no time for ReVamp. Once we’re done with this tour we’ll have to sit together and see where everybody is in their lives, and see if there’s a chance to continue. It would be great, but I can’t tell the future.

Q: So now ReVamp is on hiatus?

A: “It is; it has to be.”

The full interview can be found here.

In anticipation of their forthcoming new record, Nightwish have released the 14th episode from the “making of” series where the band talk about their own highlights of Endless Forms Most Beautiful.

Commented Marco Hietala: “It’s hard to say yet – if there’s one particular thing that I’m real proud of. In the end, those kinds of moments reveal themselves with time. They are usually the part that stand the test of time.”

 Check it out below:

Nightwish recently announced a worldwide video contest to showcase the talents of their own fans.

Sign language speakers/interpreters, jazz flutists, cellists, ukulele and theremin players, expert whistlers, vocalists, guitarists, bassists, drummers, and keyboard players alike: You are all invited to create a video for your very own cover version of the Nightwish single "Elán."

Prizes for three Grand Prize Winners and two Runners Up include Nighwish t-shirts, posters, and autographed photo cards. For complete contest instructions and rules, visit this location. This contest ends on Thursday, April 10th. Winners will be announced on April 16th, 2015.

The “Élan” video, directed by Ville Lipiäinen, can be seen below along with a "making of" clip.

Endless Forms Most Beautiful will be out on March 27th (Europe), 30th (UK) and 31st (North America) and will be released in several different formats. Go to this location for details. The detailed cover-artwork was created by longtime collaborator Toxic Angel.

 

 

Check out the first video for the track “Élan” (directed by Ville Lipiäinen) and new song "Shudder Before The Beautiful" below:

 

 

 

 

 

Endless Forms Most Beautiful is the first Nightwish studio album to feature Dutch vocalist Floor Jansen. Longtime drummer Jukka Nevalainen sat out on the recording sessions due to health issues; Kai Hahto (Wintersun) replaces him. Nightwish also revealed the famed evolutionary biologist and writer, Professor Richard Dawkins as a guest on this eighth studio album.

(Photo - Ville Akseli Juurikkala)

After revealing their Visceral European Tour plans last week, Brazilian thrash heavyweights Claustrofobia have now released details on the DVD they are releasing to coincide with the tour and also to celebrate 20 years of bringing punishing thrash from Brazil to the worldwide stage.

Comments vocalist and guitarist Marcus D’Angelo, “The DVD, Visceral 20 Years, is a résumé of our career up until now, it also closes one circle and another begins. It was produced totally independently; there is no major company involved. Visceral 20 Years includes live material recorded at Peste Fest plus documentary material, with many images and videos that were never published before. There are also all our video clips and other bonus materials. It’s very special to be able to share to both old and new fans alike a bit of these last 20 years.”

For a hint of what fans can expect from the DVD, check out the recently released video “Metal Malóka” which makes up part of the DVD content, recorded at Peste Feste.

The DVD, produced and edited by Studio Kaiowas, and mixed by Ciero of Da Tribo studios, will be available during their tour.

“Get ready for brutal metal with real feeling from the fucking third world! We are gonna put the mosh pit on fire so pay attention and join us!”

Heady advice from vocalist and guitarist Marcus D’Angelo on what Europe can expect when Claustrofobia come crashing into town on their headline Visceral European Tour.

The band announce a 29-date tour taking in eleven different countries over nearly two months on the road, and include appearances alongside the likes of Primordial and Fleshgod Apocalypse at Portugal’s SWR Festival. More dates will be added in the coming weeks.

To give you a taste of what to expect on the tour, watch the band’s video for track “Bastardos do Brasil” from most recent album release, Peste:

Claustrofobia has been causing brutal thrash mayhem in Brazil and beyond for the past twenty years and the band is looking forward to celebrating their anniversary with their European fans.

Comments Marcus, “To play live is the real ambition of bands like us. We don't like 'internet bands'; we prefer to play face to face. We will play gigs almost everyday so we will spread our music around.”

 

 

Tour dates:
 
April
2 - Bambi Galore – Hamburg, Germany
3 - Koepi 137, Beligumrlin, Germany
4 - Club Buben – Praga, Czech Republic
9 - Crossroads – Drachten, Netherlands
10 - Simplon Poppodium – Groningen, Netherlands
11 - Flatertheek – Naaldwijk, Netherlands
12 - Twilight – Oostende, Beligum
15 - Vort n Vis – Ieper, Beligum
17 - Hexenhaus – Ulm, Germany
18 - Irish Pub – Markgröningen, Germany
22 - Thunderbird Lounge – Saint Etienne, France
23 - Secret Place – Montpellier, France
24 - La Grange – Manlleu, Spain
25 - El Sentinel – Erandio, Spain
26 - Nave: At Mosh Phera Zero – Palencia, Spain
28 - Bunker – Salamanca, Spain
29 - Frenopátiko – Vigo, Spain
30 - Fenix – Viseu, Portugal

May
1 - SWR Barroselas Fest – Barroselas, Portugal
2 - Side B, Beligumnavente, Portugal
3 - Solar dos Chorões – Elvas, Portugal
8 - Tolmin – Mink, Slovenia
9 - Comunita Giovanile – Busto Arsizio, Italy
13 - W.I.P – Terranova, Italy
15 - Renchen, Germany
16 - Express Pub – Shinsheim, Germany
22 - Motor Rock Pub – Slupsk, Poland
23 - Alter Ego Club – Szczecin, Poland
24 - Wydzial Remontowy – Gdańsk, Poland

 

Portuguese grinders, Holocaust Canibal, have issued the following recording update:

“As some of you may know, at the moment we’re handling last details regarding the release of brand new stuff this year. For that we’re working with one of our all time references: Mr. Dan Swanö, who will be in charge of the mastering process of our new material.”

Bassist Z. Pedro adds: “Following our last experience at Hertz Studios (Poland) it is great to be able to continue working with legendary music producers. This time we really wanted to experience Unisound Studios (Sweden) trademark sound.”

The band continues: “Dan Swanö needs no introduction, but in case you don’t recognize the name, he was the producer behind the cult album releases from bands such as Asphyx, Dark Funeral, Dissection, Edge Of Sanity, Katatonia, Marduk, Opeth, Nasum, Necrony, Theatre Of Tragedy… to name only a very selected few! We’re totally thrilled to join this unique and mesmerizing portfolio!”

Updates to follow.

 

Dark Descent Records will release The Spear And The Ichor That Follows, from American war metal unit House Of Atreus on May 5th. The album track "Messenger Of A Shaken Host" can be heard streaming below.

 

 

The band's debut full-length features eight tracks of battle-ready audio full of mid-paced riff glory, melodic death flourishes and lyrics inspired by ancient Greek tragedies and tales of war. The Spear And The Ichor That Follows will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats.

Pre-order the album now at this location.

 

 

Side A
"Trenches Of Fortune"
"Messenger Of A Shaken Host"
"Throne Of Chariots"
"Oresteia - The Unforgotten Scorns"

Side B
"Heir To The Crown Of Sodom"
"Beasts Of Antiquity"
"Veiled In Dignities Of Wrath"
"The River Black"

 

German heavy rockers, Miracle Master, have announced the addition of vocalist Ecki Singer (ex-Silverlane) to the group’s ranks. The band is working now on their sophomore album, to be released in fall 2015. Live shows with the new singer are booked for the summer.

The band commented: “We are extremely excited to announce and welcome Ecki Singer into the band as vocalist. Ecki has really been a breath of fresh air for us, his voice add more modern dimensions to our sound.”

 

 

Miracle Master lineup:

Ecki Singer – Vocals
Aki Reissmann – Guitars
Selly Bernhardt – Guitars
Michael Vetter – Bass
Andy Minich – Drums

Miracle Master’s debut album, Tattoed Woman, was released in March 2014 via Goldencore Records/ZYX Music. The CD was produced, mixed and mastered by Miracle Master and Axel Heckert (Brainstorm, Symphorce).

Multinational hard rock/melodic metal band, Eden’s Curse, have released a new promo video in support of their first ever live album, Live With The Curse, out now in Europe and available in North America on April 14th in North America). Mixed and mastered by Dennis Ward (Unisonic, Pink Cream 69, Krokus) the video is a live rendition of the song "No Holy Man", which was originally a duet recorded with Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie and one of the band’s biggest singles to date.

Initially formed as a studio project, Eden's Curse has blossomed into a fully fledged first class live act with high ambitions. A UK tour with Stratovarius was the catalyst, while dates with Dream Theater gave them a taste of the big time. However the past two years has seen Eden's Curse truly making their mark on the live scene from appearing at several festivals and even taking the brave steps of going out on their own seven date UK headlining tour.

With four fantastic and widely celebrated studio albums already under their belts, the thought of releasing a Live album was never far from the mind, but the main source of inspiration came from their ardent fan base. The culmination was no more evident than after the last night of the Symphony Of Sin UK Tour in London. They band came off stage on such a high and the feedback and comments coupled with fan pressure to re-record the older material with Nikola singing made them certain that the time was right.

 

 

So planning began for the recording of the first ever Eden's Curse live album and anyone who knows the band will be aware of their high standards that they set for everything that they do - Live With The Curse is no exception. Recording took place on November 28th, 2014 at an Eden's Curse headlining show at The Classic Grand in Glasgow. Fans from all over Europe, and as far away as Japan, traveled to Scotland to witness and be part of this truly special event. What more does a live album need than a enthusiastic crowd, a great club and a highly motivated band?

The setlist of course contains fan favourites and classics from all four Eden's Curse albums: Eden's Curse (2007), The Second Coming (2008), Trinity (2011) and 2013’s Symphony Of Sin.

Mix and mastering of the live recordings were handled by the band’s long-time engineer Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, Unisonic), who managed to capture the concert’s energy and vibe perfectly. The cover artwork was once again created by artist Thomas Ewerhard (Edguy, Avantasia), who has also worked with Eden's Curse since the times of their 2007 debut album.

 

 

Tracklisting:

CD One:
"Symphony Of Sin"
"Break The Silence"
"Masquerade Ball"
"Black Widow"
"Trinity"
"Fly Away"
"Just Like Judas"
"Fallen From Grace"
"Jerusalem Sleeps"
Guitar Solo
"Time To Breathe"

CD Two:
"Rock Bottom"
"Devil In Disguise"
"Wings To Fly"
"No Holy Man"
"Unbreakable"
"Judgement Day"
Band Introductions
"Evil & Divine"
"Angels & Demons"

“Rock Bottom” promo video:

 

Karisma Records have inked a deal with Norwegian prog rockers, Magic Pie, and are set to release the band's fourth full-length album on May 25th. As well as the new album, information about which will be released shortly, Karisma will also be re-issuing the band's three previous albums - 2005's Motions Of Desire, 2007's Circus Of Life and 2011's The Suffering Joy - later this year in both CD format, and, for the first time, in vinyl format as well.

Formed in 2001 in Moss, Norway, Magic Pie has become a household name to Prog fans around the world with their blend of classic prog and hard rock inspired by bands such as Spock’s Beard, Dream Theater, Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Flower Kings, Transatlantic, Kansas, Deep Purple, YES, etc.

 

 

Magic Pie's lineup consists of songwriter and producer Kim Stenberg on guitars and vocals, lyricist and melody co-writer Eirikur Hauksson on lead vocals and guitar, Eirik Hanssen on vocals and guitar, Jan Torkild Johannessen on drums, Erling Henanger on keyboards and backing vocals and Lars Petter Holstad on bass and backing vocals. It's a lineup where experience and superb musicianship combine to create epic prog rock with top notch vocal harmonies.

Fan-filmed footage of Magic Pie performing at ROSfest can be seen below:

 

Montreal-based death metallers KATAKLYSM will release new album, "Of Ghosts And Gods", on July 31 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the follow-up to "Waiting For The End To Come" was created by up-and-coming dark and macabre artist Art By Surtsey and can be seen below.

According to KATAKYSM, the "cover art echoes a sinister artwork depicting the reality of humanity's beautifully disturbing existence and its impending death through the mortal and the everlasting. The background shows an ancient Incantation written in Aramaic."

"Of Ghosts And Gods" track listing:

01. Breaching The Asylum02. The Black Sheep03. Thy Serpents Tongue04. Soul Destroyer 05. Vindication06. Marching Through Graveyards 07. Shattered 08. Hate Spirit09. Carrying Crosses 10. The World Is A Dying Insect

Guitarist Jean-François "JF" Dagenais tracked drums, guitars and bass for the album, while vocals were recorded by producer Mark Lewis (WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, CANNIBAL CORPSE). The effort was mixed and mastered in the U.K. by British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, AMON AMARTH).

Says the band: "KATAKLYSM has been full of inspiration and are in full determination mode lately; a rejuvenated band that is out to conquer the world with no sign of stopping!

"This promises to be the album that will once and for all establish KATAKLYSM as one of the top pioneers of the genre!

"The latest material will be touching on some new ground while maintaining the aggressive edge the band has always been known for.

"The chemistry with new drummer Oli Beaudoin is incredible, and the four horsemen promise some crushing new material coming your way. Death metal hymns are arriving!"

KATAKLYSM had one of the busiest year in its entire career supporting "Waiting For The End To Come". The band launched a successful run in Australia and Japan a year ago and made its way to many other countries, including some first-time stops in places like Brazil and South Africa, among others. This December, the campaign, which saw the band play 150 shows, will conclude with three concerts in Mexico.

"Waiting For The End To Come" was released in October 2013 via Nuclear Blast.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Ulterium Records have announced the release of a limited 12" vinyl edition of the upcoming Impellitteri album Venom. The release dates are set to May 29th for Europe and July 7th for North America. The edition is strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide and includes an insert with lyrics. 350 copies comes with a standard black disc and 150 copies with a white disc.

Venom is available for pre-ordering at the Ulterium Records Store here.

Tracklisting:

Side A
“Venom”
“Empire Of Lies”
“We Own The Night”
“Nightmare”
“Face The Enemy”
“Domino Theory”

Side B
“Jehova”
“Rise”
“Time Machine”
“Holding On”
‘Rock Through The Night”
“Reach For The Sky”

BREAKING BENJAMIN's highly anticipated fifth studio album, "Dark Before Dawn", will be released June 23. The CD's first single, "Failure", written and produced by BREAKING BENJAMIN founder Ben Burnley, was released today and is now available (along with the album pre-order) on iTunes.

Within an hour of release, "Dark Before Dawn" skyrocketed to No. 1 on the rock single and rock album charts at iTunes, and landed in the Top 3 on the overall album chart.

Burnley is the only original member left in the band, which was inactive for several years while Burnley battled health issues and was engaged in legal action against two former members.

Joining Burnley in BREAKING BENJAMIN 2.0 are drummer Shaun Foist (PICTURE ME BROKEN), bassist Aaron Bruch, former RED guitarist Jasen Rauch and ex-ADELITAS WAY guitarist Keith Wallen.

After a string of sold-out club dates, BREAKING BENJAMIN will hit the road again in April, headlining U.S. tour dates extending through July with performances at this year's biggest rock festivals, including Rock on The Range, Carolina Rebellion, Rocklahoma and Welcome To Rockville.

Burnley told The Pulse Of Radio a while back what his formula was for writing a good album. "I like to write songs that I like, you know what I mean, and then it just so happens that the public likes it too, you know," he said. "I mean, I don't get, like, too, too artsy with it or anything like that. Just cool riffs, good melody, good lyrical content, slap it all together and you've got yourself a record. [Laughs]"

BREAKING BENJAMIN initially went on hiatus in 2010 while Burnley dealt with his illness.

Following the release of a greatest-hits album by the band's label, Burnley accused former bassist Mark Klepaski and guitarist Aaron Fink of approving the set as well as a new remix of "Blow Me Away" without his permission.

That touched off a legal fight in which Burnley went to court against Fink and Klepaski over who had the rights to the band's name.

Burnley declared himself the legal victor in April 2013 and announced plans to continue under the BREAKING BENJAMIN name, playing a few acoustic performances later that year.

"So Others May Live", the new video from reactivated Southern California metallers ATREYU, can be seen below. The song touches on an important topical issue —what veterans who serve our country feel and experience upon returning home from duty. The track's heartfelt subject is matched by its musical heft.

This live footage, which captures the band in its most natural state, was filmed at The Observatory in California in December 2014.

In addition to this adrenalized live video, which proves that ATREYU have not lost a step since returning to action and that they are as vital and vibrant as they ever were, the band will participate in Record Store Day, which is Saturday, April 18. They will release a seven-inch single featuring both "So Others May Live" and the brand new track "When the Day Is Done". These are the first new ATREYU songs to surface in years. Asked about the progress of the recording sessions for ATREYU's upcoming album, ATREYU drummer and clean vocalist Brandon Saller told Australia's Music Feeds: "We just finished tracking the record, for the most part, four days before we left for [the Soundwave festival in Australia]. So it's essentially done. We still have to mix and do all that crap. But I think the new record should be out, like, September/October. So I'm sure throughout the summer there'll be other tidbits and new singles and stuff like that. But, yeah, we're stoked. It came out great. We're very much just shooting from the hip with this record, and whatever came out first is what we did. [Vocalist] Alex [Varkatzas] is fucking as brutal as ever. And it's fun. It's a very fun, cool record."

Regaridng frontman Alex Varkatzas's decision to do away with clean singing on ATREYU's upcoming album, Saller said: "Here's the thing. When we started the band, we were a hardcore band, and we wanted to progress and do… We always wanted to do bigger, better, bigger, better, bigger, better… every [album we released] at the time. And when we did [2007's] 'Lead Sails Paper Anchor', it was, like, 'What's our next step?' We've gotten as big as a hardcore band can get, I think. What's the next step? So we were, like, 'Cool. Let's fucking do whatever the fuck we want. So we wrote a bunch of rock songs. A lot of heavy songs, a lot of rock songs… It was just an expansion of Alex wanting to do something different, and us wanting to do something different. We did 'Lead Sails', and it was a fucking really great record, and it sold a lot of records and it opened our band up to radio, opened our band up to tour with a lot of different bands we never would have before, and it was fun for us. But I think everyone loves their comfort zone and everyone just loves what they do, and it was kind of, like, 'It was rad to write this record and it was cool to tour it,' and whatever, but 'I just wanna get there and fucking be pissed and go fucking apeshit.' And we love that about him too. So I think going away for a while and not being in this band and coming back and being able to think about what you love most about the band… I mean, those were conversations that we had… Like, what do we love most? What's out strong suit? What do we feel most comfortable doing? 'Cause that's what we wanna do, 'cause that's the most fun. So I think, for him, he was, like, 'I just wanna fucking come out and rip people's heads off.' So it was, like, 'All right. Cool. You don't wanna sing? You don't sing. That's how we started. I'll sing. And you just fucking go nuts.' And everyone's stoked on it. And he's doing different shit. He's doing a lot of different stuff on the new record — different shit he's never done before. But it's brutal. It's fucking awesome."

ATREYU's new CD will be released through the Search And Destroy imprint as part of the newly announced joint venture between Raw Power Management and Spinefarm.

The official lyric video for the song "Human Race" from THREE DAYS GRACE can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Human", which will arrive in stores on March 31 and is the band's first record with singer Matt Walst, who joined the band in 2013 following the departure of original frontman Adam Gontier.

The pre-order for "Human" is live and available at iTunes and Amazon. Fans who pre-order the disc will instantly receive the band's #1 Active Rock radio hit singles "I Am Machine" and "Painkiller".

A limited-edition two-CD deluxe version of "Human" will be available to fans on THREE DAYS GRACE's site. The limited-edition package consists of the standard album "Human" plus a second disc including live versions of "Painkiller", "Let Me Down", "Every Other Weekend" and an alternate recording of the album track "Human Race". In addition to the music, the deluxe package includes a custom woven beanie, 12" x 12" window cling sticker featuring album art, and a five-card set featuring picture and note from each band member.

On "Human", the band re-teamed with producer Gavin Brown, who did the same honors for THREE DAYS GRACE's platinum-selling 2003 self-titled debut album. "We went back to our roots a bit and recaptured that collaborative feeling of being in a band and bringing out the best ideas in each other," says drummer Neil Sanderson. "Gavin was a huge part of that in the beginning and we feel like we're back in those days where we're high-fiving each other with guitars in our hands." Music heavyweights Nick Raskulinecz and Chris Lorde Alge signed on to mix "Human". The band has spent much of the year vigorously touring, writing and recording their new album.

THREE DAYS GRACE will kick off a spring North American tour on April 9 in Riverside, California, winding down on April 23 in Dallas. The trek will follow gigs at the Brazilian and Argentinean editions of Lollapalooza in late March. "Human" track listing

01. Human Race02. Painkiller03. Fallen Angel04. Landmine05. Tell Me Why06. I Am Machine07. So What08. Car Crash09. Nothing's Fair In Love And War10. One Too Many11. The End Is Not The Answer12. The Real You

Deluxe edition disc 2:

01. Every Other Weekend02. Painkiller (live)03. Let Me Down (live)04. Human Race (Atmosphere Version)

Guitarist Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), his wife Pearl Aday (daughter of actor/musician Meat Loaf), drummer John Tempesta (formerly of EXODUS, TESTAMENT, WHITE ZOMBIE, HELMET and other bands) and bassist Joey Vera (current ARMORED SAINT and FATES WARNING member, who was briefly in ANTHRAX) in 2013 joined forces with Jim Wilson, guitarist/vocalist of MOTHER SUPERIOR (who doubled as Henry Rollins' backing band from 1997 to 2003) and longtime Daniel Lanois bassist, to perform MOTHER SUPERIOR's music at a show in Ian's house as the guitarist's birthday present to himself. The project, called MOTOR SISTER, has since written and recorded a debut album, "Ride", which was released on March 10 via Metal Blade.

Video footage of MOTOR SISTER performing the "Ride" album track "Get That Girl" on March 11 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below.

"I wanted to cherry-pick a set list of my favorite MOTHER SUPERIOR songs and get these guys together and have the concert at my house," Ian says of the event that eventually led to an album. Enthralled at the idea of making a record of his favorite MOTHER SUPERIOR songs, Ian e-mailed producer Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER) and asked if he thought it was possible to recapture the same spontaneous energy MOTOR SISTER generated at their makeshift gig, and if an album could be recorded quickly. "He said, 'Yeah, we can make the record in two days and we can make it sound really good.' So that's what we did," Ian says. "A week and a half later, we made the record in L.A. over a two-day period. We recorded the whole thing live in the studio and the set-up was at my house."

He continues: "Jim was totally into the idea. Pearl was a huge MOTHER SUPERIOR fan from way back and was in. I asked my good friends Joey Vera and John Tempesta to be a part of it because I knew they were both big fans as well and with no hesitation they said, 'We're in.'" Wilson, too, was stoked by the opportunity to dust off some songs he hadn't played since his L.A. rock trio broke up in the early 2000s after releasing eight albums and playing as Henry Rollins' backing band. "I definitely didn't need any arm-twisting," he says. "I was totally flattered and thought it was a great idea. I figured it would be fun and it was a great opportunity for a new chapter to be established in order to move forward." The recordings from those two days are what became to be known as MOTOR SISTER's "Ride". "Ride" track listing:

01. A-Hole02. This Song Reminds Me Of You03. Beg Borrow Steal04. Fool Around05. Get That Girl06. Head Hanging Low07. Fork in the Road08. Little Motor Sister09. Pretty in the Morning10. Whore11. Doghouse12. Devil Wind

"Open Fire", the new single from British rockers THE DARKNESS, can be streamed below. The song is taken from the band's fourth album, "Last Of Our Kind", which will be released on June 1 in partnership with Kobalt Label Services. The CD was penned in Ireland and was produced by THE DARKNESS guitarist Dan Hawkins.

The follow-up to 2012's "Hot Cakes" was recorded at Leeders Farm Studio in Norfolk, owned by Dan Hawkins. "The new album is brutal," Justin Hawkins told Classic Rock. "It's definitely stripped back — with the exception of some mandolins. But when you're doing medieval rock, you should have a mandolin on it. And while I wouldn't say that this is our 'Rainbow Rising', we're definitely exploring the myths of old. It's medieval rock, but it still sounds like THE DARKNESS. It's medi-urban, I suppose.…"

THE DARKNESS recently recruited Emily Dolan Davies as their new drummer. Davies, who has previously worked with Bryan Ferry and Tricky, has "revitalized" THE DARKNESS, according to Justin Hawkins. "She's a hard hitter," he told Classic Rock. "She's got the chops and the attitude that you need to be THE DARKNESS's drummer. She also makes us feel like dirty old men."

Regarding THE DARKNESS's split with founding member Ed Graham in late 2014, Hawkins said: "Ed has had some well-publicized health problems in the past. And for one reason or another, he wasn't capable of doing his job anymore. We're still friends with Ed. But now that we have Emily in the band, the worry is gone."

"Last of Our Kind" will be released on limited-edition color vinyl, compact disc and as a digital download.

"Last of Our Kind" track listing:

01. Barbarian02. Open Fire03. Last of Our Kind04. Roaring Waters05. Wheels of the Machine06. Mighty Wings07. Mudslide08. Sarah O’Sarah09. Hammer & Tongs10. Conquerors

Justin Hawkins says that "Barbarian" contains "not one but two dramatic monologues, a guitar solo that has been declared 'irresponsible,' a riff that weakens lady knees and a chorus that makes grown men shit directly into their pants." Justin goes on to point out that "The lyrics describe the Viking invasion of East Anglia which culminated in the decapitation of Edmund the Martyr. So, yeah, classic DARKNESS."

Finnish metal icons Amorphis have completed the pre-production for the follow-up to 2013's Circle, with producer Jens Bogren in Helsinki. The album recordings will begin in April at Bogren's Fascination Street Studio in Stockholm. Their upcoming twelfth studio album is due out in September via Nuclear Blast.

The lyrics are written by Amorphis' spiritual mentor Pekka Kainulainen. ”Like Kalevala, they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us” describes Pekka Kainulainen.

The new album will be released in September when Amorphis will embark on a world tour, starting from their native Finland. Amorphis will be touring Europe with Nightwish at the end of the year.

Amorphis Summer Festivals in Finland:

June
6 - Tampere, Finland - Radio City South Park
27 - Helsinki, Finland - Tuska Open Air

July
3 - Turku, Finland - Ruisrock
17­-19 - Joensuu, Finland ­- Ilosaarirock

Go to this location to see all summer festival dates.

Dates with Nightwish, Arch Enemy:

November
16 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Falconer
18 - Hamburg, Germany - O2 World
19 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Heineken Music Hall
21 - Oberhausen, Germany - König-Pilsener-Arena
23 - Lyon, France - Hall Tony Garnier
25 - Paris, France - POPB-Bercy
26 - Toulouse, France - Le Zénith
28 - Basel, Switzerland - St. Jakobshalle
29 - Bologna, Italy - Unipol Arena

December
1 - Munich, Germany - Zenith
3 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schleyerhalle
4 - Frankfurt, Germany - Jahrhunderthalle
5 - Nürnberg, Germany - Arena
7 - Prague, Czech Republic - Tip Sport Arena Prague
10 - Bucharest, Romania - Romexpo
14 - Leipzig, Germany - Arena
15. - Berlin Max, Germany - Schmeling-Halle
16 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Rockhal
17 - Antwerp, Belgium - Lotto Arena
19 - London, England - Wembley The SSE Arena

Vancouver-based Trailight, launched by photographer-turned-musician Omer Cordell, is currently work on a new album, The Primitive Mountain. An audio teaser for the album is available below. The complete tracklist is as follows:

"Open Doors"
"Sentient Beings Pt. 1 - The Dim Future Of Our Distant Past"
"Sentient Beings Pt. 2 - All That We Are"
"We Are The Ocean"
"Frail Human Form"
"Passer By"
"A Thousand Years"
"Navarino"
"Beyond The Rubicon"

Devin Townsend Project drummer Ryan van Poederooyen was asked to record the drum tracks for the album. He checked in with the following update:

"Here is a song from an album I recorded a month after recording the Z2 double album in 2014. The band is called Trailight, it has many guest appearances from other well know bands; guys like Dave Padden (Annihilator, Terror Syndrome), Jed Simon (Scar The Martyr, ex-SYL), Christofer Malmstrom (Darkane, Non Human Level) and numerous other guest appearances including my close friend Conan Freeman. Here's a sneak peek into the sound of this record. I really enjoyed playing drums on it and dug the tunes! Hope you guys dig it as well.... got some flashy drum parts in the middle of this tune Good times! Enjoy!"

Following is an update from Cordell issued from the studio during the recording sessions:

"The recording process for The Primitive Mountain has officially begun! An absolute incredible day at The Farm Studios. Ryan Van Poederooyen is an absolute monster of a drummer and has set the bar for the musicianship on this album to be very high! I don't know of many people who have such an incredible command of their instrument. He nailed the entire album in under 10 hours with immense confidence and determination. It was an absolute treat to witness him in action like this. Here's a short video of Ryan recording one of the more complicated drum parts on the album..."

Cordell recently posted a 30 minute behind-the-scenes look at the production which can be viewed below:

For information on Trailight go to this location.

On March 10th the annual Rock Meets Classic tour - featuring classic rock veterans back by a full band and orchestra - kicked off in Ingolstadt, Germany at the Saturn Arena. This year's line-up of featured guests includes Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), Rick Parfitt (Status Quo), Eric Martin (Mr. Big), John Wetton (Asia), Marc Storace (Krokus), and Italian singer Gianna Nannini. Fan-filmed video from portions of Martin's set - performing some of Mr. Big's most popular songs - is available below:

Martin checked in after the first show with the following update:

"Hey kids... first shows are always a little sketchy, there's a couple miscues, not the right guitar for the song, an accident happens, etc. All that sh$t did happen (not to me, mofos. Ha!) but it was one of the best concerts I've ever done. The dream did come true; all my idols shined and I got to sing with all of them on the finale... #1 show with Rock Meets Classic, not a virgin anymore, it's all uphill from here. Come and see us (Hell, the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra are the real stars anyway...)."

Check out a brief review of the first show from BraveWords scribe Carl Begai here.

The tour schedule is now as follows:

March
22 - Linz, Austria - Tips Arena
23 - Wien, Austria - Stadthalle 
25 - Leipzig, Germany - Arena Leipzig
26 - Berlin, Germany - Tempodrom
27 - Regensburg, Germany - Donau-Arena
28 - Nürnberg, Germany - Arena Nürnberger Versicherung
29 - Frankfurt, Germany - Jahrhunderthalle
31 - Passau, Germany - Dreiländerhalle

April
1 - Bamberg, Germany - Brose Arena
2 - Halle/Westfalen, Germany - Gerry Weber Stadion

Rock Meets Classic showcases classic rock artists of the '70s and '80s performing their hits backed by The Mat Sinner Band and the Bohemian Orchestra Prague. The Mat Sinner Band includes Primal Fear members Mat Sinner, Alex Beyrodt (guitars), Ralf Scheepers (backing vocals), and also features Trillium / Avantasia's Amanda Somerville (backing vocals), Avantasia's Oliver Hartmann (guitars), Voodoo Circle's Jimmy Kresic (keyboards), Tiffany Kirkland (backing vocals), Kolinda Brozovic (backing vocals) and Sascha Krebs (backing vocals). Watch the official Rock Meets Classic Facebook page here for updates.