OTEP, the band led by singer, poet, illustrator, author and activist Otep Shamaya, has signed an artist management deal with Mach 2.8 Entertainment Group, a company consisting of founder-CEO Sid Wilson and his partner Symon Mead. Wilson is otherwise known as #O (Number Zero), the Grammy Award-winning "turntablist" (DJ) for the band SLIPKNOT.

OTEP will enter the studio later this year to record its seventh album, to be released for streaming/distribution by Sono Recording Group (SRG) and their partner Spotify.

"I've been a friend and fan of Sid for years and it's a true honor to be managed by such a talented and triumphant artist," said Shamaya, calling the collaboration a "powerful alliance of art and industry, OTEP and Mach 2.8."

OTEP's sixth full-length studio album, "Hydra", sold around 2,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 155 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was issued in January 2013 via Victory Records.

OTEP were 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 more than 14 years.

The official lyric video for the new PRONG song "Turnover" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Ruining Lives", which was released through Steamhammer/SPV in Scandinavia on April 23, in Germany on April 25, in the rest of Europe on April 28 and will be made available in the U.S./Canada on May 13. It was issued as a limited digipak version including one bonus track and poster, as a double gatefold colored vinyl version including one bonus track and the CD in cardboard sleeve, as a standard version and download.

"Ruining Lives" is the follow-up to the acclaimed 2012 release "Carved Into Stone" and continues to show the band on an upward trajectory, proving that despite having a long, illustrious career PRONG can still make records that matter and re-invent themselves without negating their roots.

With Tommy Victor in the producer's chair and Steve Evetts (HATEBREED, SICK OF IT ALL, SEPULTURA) once again coming in to put his trademark shine on the record, "Ruining Lives" has turned out to be a monster of an album. From the first riff assault of the opener "Turnover", the album takes you on an angst-filled roller coaster ride that marries some very old-school "Beg To Differ" elements with post-punk, industrial metal, hardcore thrash, all the while retaining a modern and current feel. Fans of the bands legendary, genre-defining "Cleansing" era and new fans alike will be thrilled.

Says Tommy Victor: "This is the fastest written and recorded PRONG album ever and it has more great songs than any previous PRONG record. I am particularly proud of the vocal performance and I think we captured some outstanding sounds on this album.

"There's a little bit of a throwback element here.

"'Ruining Lives' is almost a 'Force Fed' type of song.

"The album is a hybrid between New York hardcore and some very modern, song-oriented work.

"You will find some 'Rude Awakening' but also some solid, crushing riffs.

"I feel we have captured the best elements of PRONG on this album.

"'Come To Realize' is something new — we have never approached this kind of time signature. It really is math metal meets pure hardcore with a crazy-ass riff.

"What's exciting about the whole album is you have your hooks, your riffs and something innovative that makes the album very current.

"This qualifies as the hybrid nature of PRONG: marrying post-punk, industrial metal, hardcore thrash and modern elements — all of that with hooks and not just a bunch of screaming."

"Ruining Lives" digipak track listing:

01. Turnover02. The Barriers03. Windows Shut04. Remove, Separate Self05. Ruining Lives06. Absence Of Light07. The Book Of Change08. Self Will Run Riot09. Come To Realize10. Chamber Of Thought11. Limitations And Validations12. Retreat (bonus track)

Jewel-case track listing:

01. Turnover02. The Barriers03. Windows Shut04. Remove, Separate Self05. Ruining Lives06. Absence Of Light07. The Book Of Change08. Self Will Run Riot09. Come To Realize10. Chamber Of Thought11. Limitations And Validations

Vinyl version track listing:

LP1 Side 1

01. Turnover02. The Barriers03. Windows Shut

LP1 Side 2

01. Remove, Separate Self02. Ruining Lives03. Absence Of Light

LP2 Side 1

01. The Book Of Change02. Self Will Run Riot03. Come To Realize

LP2 Side 2

01. Chamber Of Thought02. Limitations And Validations03. Retreat (bonus track)

On April 19, PRONG released an exclusive single for "Record Store Day" celebration with the new track "Turnover" on side A and a pig remix version of "Revenge Best Served Cold" by Raymond Watts on Side B. The single is limited to 3,000 copies and comes in a green/white marbled vinyl version.

"Turnover" lyric video:

According to The National, SCORPIONS drummer James Kottak will spend a month in a Dubai, United Arab Emirates jail after he was convicted on Tuesday morning of insulting Islam.

The 51-year-old American musician had reportedly consumed five glasses of wine on an April 3 flight from Moscow to Dubai while travelling to Bahrain on a Gulf Air flight to perform two days later at the country's Formula One grand prix. After taking a wrong turn and entering the transit hall, Kottak "started swearing and talking about 'non-educated Muslims' before he flashed his middle finger at passengers," according to witnesses. Police said he also lowered his trousers and showed people his behind.

An officer said he heard Kottak saying "what is this disgusting smell" before the drummer insulted Islam. "I didn't see anything else but I heard him," the officer said. "I then informed my supervisor, who came and took the defendant away."

A 27-year-old client service employee at the airport added: "When he [Kottak] saw the Pakistani and Afghani passengers, he covered his nose and said that there was no way he will travel with them." He added that the drummer then started swearing repeatedly at the arrivals area of Terminal 2. "He wasn't talking to a person specifically but was talking in general," the client service employee said. "He was very nervous at the time and talking loudly."

A 25-year-old Jordanian passenger services agent said Kottak came over to her and "was shouting 'non-educated Muslims' then he went to the office of the head and flashed his middle finger at the passengers."

Kottak denied that he insulted Islam, telling prosecutors: "I don't remember saying these words and I did not flash my middle finger." He also denied taking down his trousers, saying: "This is not true — I just lifted my shirt up to show the tattoo on my back" as a "spontaneous act." "There is no way that I would say such a phrase about Muslims, whether I was drunk or not," he said.

"I confess to drinking alcohol but I refuse the other two charges, I did not do them," he added.

In addition to spending one month in jail, Kottak — who has been in custody since April 3 — was fined 2,000 dirhams (approximately $545) for drinking alcohol without a license.

Kottak's time spent in detention will be deducted from his sentence.

Because of his arrest, Kottak did not perform with his bandmates at the April 5 show at the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix and was replaced at the gig by Mark Cross (TAINTED NATION, FIREWIND, OUTLOUD, HELLOWEEN, METALLIUM).

Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's April 26 concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. War Pigs 02. Into The Void 03. Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes 04. Snowblind 05. Age Of Reason 06. Black Sabbath 07. Behind The Wall Of Sleep 08. N.I.B. 09. End Of The Beginning 10. Fairies Wear Boots 11. Rat Salad (with "Supernaut" instrumental and Drum Solo)12. Iron Man 13. God Is Dead? 14. Dirty Women 15. Children Of The Grave

Encore:

16. Paranoid (with "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" intro)

BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Ozzy Osbourne (vocals) were presented with platinum plaques by Universal in Montreal, Quebec on April 7 for Canadian sales of their 2013 comeback album, "13", (100,000 copies) and their live album and DVD/Blu-ray, "Live... Gathered In Their Masses" (10,000 copies).

BLACK SABBATH's recent North American tour consisted of a series of 10 shows encompassing mostly Canadian stops until winding down on April 26 in Los Angeles. According to a press release, these gigs were among the final shows that SABBATH has done in support of its current studio album, "13", which became the band's first No. 1 album ever in the U.S. when it was released in June 2013. The group has been on the road since April 2013 in support of the record, which reunited Osbourne, Iommi and Butler for their first full-length studio project since 1978's "Never Say Die!"

A contract dispute led drummer Bill Ward to sit out the reunion, which was also marred by Iommi's cancer diagnosis in early 2012.

SABBATH released a live album and DVD/Blu-ray captured on last year's world tour, called "Black Sabbath: Live… Gathered In Their Masses", on November 26, 2013.

"13" has sold more than 360,000 copies in the United States since its June 2013 release.

Iommi revealed in January of 2012 that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma, which is described by the Mayo Clinic as "a cancer of the lymphatic system, the body's disease-fighting network."

He described his "infusion" treatments to the Birmingham Mail earlier this year, explaining, "I have to have an antibody administered by drip every six weeks or so to keep the lymphoma in check. It sort of coats the cancer cells, stops it from going anywhere else. I have to come back home no matter where I might be in the world."

He added, "The tour dates are arranged so that I can always get back for treatment. It's the only way I can manage my illness and keep on the road. I'd love to play more shows . . . but my health has to be sorted out first."

The legendary guitarist said that his treatment is a relatively new process and doctors are not sure what all the side effects might be. He also said that it "takes around 10 days to fully recover from each round of treatment, but if that's what it takes, I have to accept it."

StreetClip.tv has uploaded professionally filmed video footage of RIOT V, the new band featuring nearly all the surviving members of the most recent lineup of U.S. metal pioneers RIOT, performing on February 8 at the Metal Assault festival at Posthalle in Würzburg, Germany. Check it out below.

RIOT V is continuing on in honor of the late great founding RIOT guitarist Mark Reale, who died from complications from Crohn's Disease in early 2012. The musicians decided to continue on with the blessings from the estate of Reale to keep the music and spirit of RIOT alive.

The continuing members decided to alter the name to RIOT V as the fifth chapter of the band's long history as well as Todd Michael Hall being the fifth singer following Guy Speranza (March 1956 - November 2003), Rhett Forrester (September 1956 – January 1994), Tony Moore and Mike Dimeo in the some 30-odd years of the band's existence.

RIOT V headed to Italy for a string of tribute dates starting in Brescia, ending in Thessaloniki, Greece on February 11, then returning home to start recording the new record slated for a summer 2014 release. The touring band for these tribute dates are longtime members Mike Flyntz (guitar), who has been Reale's guitar partner for over 25 years, and bassist/songwriter Don Van Stavern ("Thundersteel", "Privilege Of Power", "Immortal Soul"), new vocalist Todd Michael Hall (BURNING STARR, REVERENCE) and RIOT's "Army Of One" drummer Frank Gilchriest (VIRGIN STEELE, LIEGE LORD), who is stepping in as Bobby Jarzombek is fulfilling his duties with FATES WARNING and SEBASTIAN BACH.

Although Reale can never be replaced, RIOT V has recruited former student-turned-teacher at Mike Flyntz's guitar school in Long Island, New York, 26-year-old guitar virtuoso Nick Lee, to handle the lead-guitar duties on the current tour.

Said Flyntz: "The decision whether to add a guitarist or try it myself was very difficult. We did play some shows without Mark when he was sick. Although they went as well as could be expected given the circumstances, I felt it was better for the music to add a second guitarist, as Mark added me in 1989.

"It is very important to me that everyone knows that Nick is not Mark's replacement. Mark Reale can never be replaced. I [am] taking on Mark's parts and Nick [is] doing most of my parts.

"Nick studied with me weekly from ages 9 to 17.

"Nick has always been a perfectionist and has always poured his heart into his music. He is a great writer and performer. I am very proud of him. He lives and breathes music and is one with his guitar. He has met Mark and saw us play live.

"I know there is no one else better matched to come in and help us recreate the RIOT sound. After the first rehearsal, I was convinced that we are doing the right thing by carrying on Mark's music and legacy.

"At our first rehearsal playing our opener 'Narita', I actually shed a tear hearing the song that I had played so many years side by side with Mark, but know the band will shine on in his honor and not disappoint the diehard fans."

WAMI, the brand new project featuring vocalist Doogie White (RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), drummer Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, DIO) and bassist Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY, WHITESNAKE) alongside 16-year-old Polish guitarist Iggy Gwadera, will release its debut album, "Kill The King", on May 13 in North America via MVD and May 12 in Europe through Metal Mind Productions.

White's vocals were laid down in November 2013 at Studio Analiz in Szczecin, Poland. Wojtek Cugowski, Piotr Cugowski and Jarek Chilkiewicz from the Polish rock band BRACIA were responsible for overseeing the recording session.

"Kill The King" track listing:

01. The Rider02. Young Blood03. One More For Rock'n'roll04. Guardian Of Your Heart05. Transition06. The Resistance07. Exodus (The Red Sea Crossing)08. Heart Of Steel09. Wild Woman (You Oughta Know)10. Get Out Of My Way11. I Don't Wanna Lose You

The song"Transition" can be streamed below. The front cover illustration of the album was created by Polish graphic designer Jaroslaw Wieczorek and can be seen below.

The idea to record an album together was born after THIN LIZZY's concert in Poland. Mendoza — impressed with Iggy, who supported THIN LIZZY with his band ANTI TANK NUN — suggested that they record some music together. This first idea, which was maturing for the next dozen-odd months, eventually evolved into the above-mentioned project.

In a recent issue of Polish edition of Metal Hammer magazine, Vinny stated about WAMI: "The music is quite heavy. but not as dark as, for example, BLACK SABBATH or KILL DEVIL HILL. It's melodic music, and very well performed. I would label it high-quality heavy rock." He added: "When I first heard that music, I really liked it. Later on, I was informed that the guitarist is only 16 years old. I thought, 'Wow, what an incredible instrumentalist.' And then I learnt that Marco Mendoza will be involved in this project and that made me even more interested in this idea. The demo versions of the tracks sounded very promising so I can't wait for the final results."

Lars Göran Petrov (vocals; ENTOMBED) and Victor Brandt (guitar; ENTOMBED) have joined forces with Alex Friberg (bass; NECROPHOBIC) and Fredrik Folkare (guitar; UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) in a brand new death metal band called FIREBORN.

"This is a new band that will not conflict with our other bands," says FIREBORN. "Neither will the music sound like them. Expect fast and extreme death metal."

FIREBORN is getting ready to record a full-length album, to be released before the end of the year. A drummer for the group has also yet to be announced.

A new FIREBORN demo track called "The Emperor" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. Also available are previously released demo versions of the songs "Shadow Realms" and "Lucifer Has Spoken.

FIREBORN is:

Lars Göran Petrov (ENTOMBED) - VocalsVictor Brandt (ENTOMBED) - GuitarAlex Friberg (NECROPHOBIC) - BassFredrik Folkare (UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) – Guitar[To Be Announced] - Drums

As previously reported, original ENTOMBED members Alex Hellid and Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund (guitar) joined forces with former ENTOMBED frontman Orvar Säfström to perform the band's classic second album, "Clandestine" (1991), on February 1 at Gävle Konserthus in Gävle, Sweden. They were backed by the 65-piece Gävle Symphonic Orchestra and a 40-piece choir.

Original ENTOMBED drummer Nicke Andersson was also supposed to take part in the concert but was unable to make the gig due to touring commitments with his current project IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC.

"Back To The Front", the album that was recorded last year by four members of the most recent lineup of ENTOMBED — Lars Göran Petrov (vocals), Olle Dahlstedt (drums), Nico Elgstrand (guitar) and Victor Brandt (bass) — will be released later this year via Century Media Records under the band name ENTOMBED A.D.

Petrov will only perform with ENTOMBED A.D. and will not take part in any upcoming shows announced under the name ENTOMBED.

Hellid did not participate in the writing and recording of "Back To The Front".

Video footage of former THE GATHERING singer Anneke Van Giersbergen's March 30 performance at Le Bikini in Toulouse, France can be seen below.

Anneke Van Giersbergen's new solo album, "Drive", was released on September 23, 2013 in Europe and on October 15, 2013 in North America via InsideOut Music.

Anneke told Classic Rock Revisited about the CD: "Almost immediately after the release of my last album, 'Everything Is Changing', I started touring live with a very talented, and nice, group of people. We toured over 25 different countries, and I think we had a really great creative energy on and off stage, so I wanted to capture that 'making music together' feel on this album."

Regarding the inspiration for the "Drive" title track, Anneke said: "I like driving, being on the move, playing music on my car stereo, but I also think that having a certain drive in your character keeps you going. I don't consider myself as ambitious, because I just love making music and I don't really focus on success, but I like to 'go somewhere,' better myself, explore new styles, so in a way that's what drives me."

Anneke van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since released five albums on her own and with her AGUA DE ANNIQUE solo project: "Air" (2007), "Pure Air" (2009), "In Your Room" (2009), "Everything Is Changing" (2012) and "Drive" (2013).

The "audio visualizer" clip for "High Road", a brand new song from Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's sixth album, "Once More 'Round The Sun", which will be released on June 24 via Reprise. The CD was recorded at a Franklin, Tennessee studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among others. The cover artwork was created by Oakland-based artist Skinner, who specializes in "psychedelic nightmare paintings," and can be seen below. MASTODON singer and bassist Troy Sanders told Paste Magazine: "It's... a work of art for sure. It's... very eye-opening, very striking. It's from another dimension, and a lot of our music is geared toward that idea — taking you to another planet on songs. It's out there, and I think it's incredible."

"Once More 'Round The Sun" track listing:

01. Tread Lightly02. The Motherload03. High Road04. Once More 'Round The Sun05. Chimes At Midnight06. Asleep In The Deep07. Feast Your Eyes08. Aunt Lisa09. Ember City10. Halloween11. Diamond In The Witch House (feat. Scott Kelly of NEUROSIS)

Regarding the new MASTODON album title, Sanders told Paste Magazine: "The idea was generated before we recorded the title track on the record, but the title was thought up many months ago.

"After we finished the two-year touring cycle on our last record, 'The Hunter', we were kind of gearing up to go back to our rehearsal space in Atlanta. And we were starting the effort, the time, the blood, the energy, the months of driving, the recording and the long process between recording and the release day.

"In a nutshell: we're fortunate enough to do this again, but there's this feeling of this yearly cycle. It's not a bad thing. We get to go tour a bunch, we get to record a bunch of songs we love. It's embracing the positive — the wonderful side, to be able to have the same four dudes who love doing what we do so much. And like anything in the MASTODON world, it's open to interpretation."

According to Sanders, MASTODON recorded more than an album's worth of material this time around, with the possibility an additional EP coming out sometime after the album release.

"We didn't want a 90-minute album," he told Paste Magazine. "We like to record around the 60-minute mark. That's what our favorite records are. We're in love with all 15 of [the songs], so they might all see the light of day in some platform or another."

Regarding the song "Diamonds In The Witch House", which features yet another guest spot from longtime collaborator Scott Kelly of NEUROSIS, Sanders joked: "I think subconsciously that we're trying to involve him with every album enough to have a full set of songs eventually. I think his performance is great, his part still gives me chills. That's a great sign."

Asked what it's been like working with Raskulinecz on the new album, MASTODON guitarist Bill Kelliher told Metal Hammer magazine: "It's something that we totally need — a cheerleader to get our asses in gear. There he is saying, 'Come on, you're MASTODON… you're one of the biggest bands in metal… Smash that hammer down and write some heavy shit. It's time to do or die!' He's that kind of a guy."

MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor recently told RollingStone.com about the band's forthcoming CD: "It's gonna be massive and insane, lots of epic greatness. There will be lots of huge riffs and new directions. It's real weird, real math-y, real straightforward. It's up, down and all around. It's a culmination of everything for the band. The snowball keeps rolling and collecting snow."

A photo of former VAN HALEN and current CHICKENFOOT vocalist Sammy Hagar and FOREIGNER guitarist Mick Jones "enjoying a great dinner at El Paseo restaurant [in Mill Valley, California] after writing for two days together at [Sammy's] studio" can be seen below. Hagar says: "What a blast — old friends getting together and writing some new songs."

Jones last year recalled producing VAN HALEN's first album without David Lee Roth, 1986's "5150". Jones remembered the first day of sessions at Eddie Van Halen's studio back in 1985, telling Ultimate Classic Rock, "[Sammy Hagar] picked me up at the hotel and we were driving up to Eddie's studio and we were talking about the old days and finally he said, 'I've got to tell you, Mick, all of that was wild and crazy and all of that sort of thing,' but he said, 'We are just about to walk into another dimension of that. . . I wasn't going to tell you earlier, but you'd better get ready for some crazy shit now." I went, 'Whoa . . . ' and I'd been around and seen a lot, you know. But it was pretty crazy up there. It lived up to its title." He went on to explain, "It was a challenge, because they had a lot of the stuff that they had been writing and it was a new writing partnership with Sammy and Eddie and they were just coming down from the split with David Lee Roth. It was a big time. . . a lot of different things were happening and a lot of emotions were flying around. It was kind of exciting [but] it was [also] scary, thinking, 'Well, what can I do for this band?'

Jones, who produced all of the FOREIGNER hits, shed some light on what he added to the VAN HALEN sound, which in the past had been firmly in the hands of longtime producer Ted Templeman. "I worked a lot on the arrangements and the vocal performances and helping [them] just to find the melodies a bit, especially on 'Dreams' and 'Love Walks In'," he said. "I put my advice and my suggestions in where I felt they merited them. I don't know if you could have gone in with an approach of, 'Oh, I want to change all of this,' which I think would have been disastrous. But I worked on the sound quite a bit."



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Post by Sammy Hagar (The Red Rocker).

"Gigantoid", the new album from Southern California hard rock mainstays FU MANCHU, can be streamed in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below (courtesy of Noisey). The CD will be released on April 29 via the band's own At The Dojo Records.

After almost 25 years together, and following last year's Scion A/V Club split seven-inch single with friends MOAB and 2009's "Signs Of Infinite Power", Scott Hill and company return with their first full-length album in close to five years. Recorded with Andrew Giacumakis, singer/guitarist for the aforementioned MOAB at his studio in Simi Valley, California, the album features a slightly more primitive, raw and ultra fuzzed-out sound than previous releases.

"We wrote 17 new songs for this record and got our favorite 9 songs out of that together," says Hill. "We were planning on releasing a 'part 2' record later this year but have plans for some of the other songs to appear in early 2015 to line up with our upcoming 25-year anniversary."

In addition to the new release, the band has announced a month-long North American tour, taking the band to both coasts, and throughout the majority of the country (as well as into select cities in Canada).

"Gigantoid" track listing:

01. Dimension Shifter02. Invaders On My Back03. Anxiety Reducer04. Radio Source Sagittarius05. Mutant06. No Warning07. Evolution Machine08. Triplanetary09. The Last Question

The song "Invaders On My Back" can be streamed below.

Writing for the album began in the summer of 2012, with a break for a tour of Europe in the fall of that year and a U.S. tour in the spring of 2013, reissuing and playing "The Action Is Go" LP in its entirety and an appearance at METALLICA's Orion Music + More festival in June 2013. FU MANCHU soon found itself with enough material for two albums.

A hint of what the new songs will sound like was released in October in the form of "Robotic Invasion", a split seven-inch single with MOAB, presented by Scion.

Slower, longer and heavier than most of the recent material the band has released, the new songs find FU MANCHU exploring different time changes and heavy sonics that the band is known for, with some atmospheric and conceptual lyrics and artwork that will hopefully be tying one, if not two, new records together that the band hopes will be released this year.

FU MANCHU's first full-length, "No One Rides For Free", has been reissued on At The Dojo as a gatefold vinyl. The record celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Fan-filmed video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE's April 26 performance at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland can be seen below.

Nearly two years after QUEENSRŸCHE fired Geoff Tate, the singer and his former bandmates announced that QUEENSRŸCHE members Eddie Jackson (bass), Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Michael Wilton (guitar) will keep the group's name.

The joint press release that the band and Tate have released to select news outlets reads as follows:

"We wanted to let QUEENSRŸCHE fans around the world know that an amicable settlement has been reached between Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton and Geoff Tate with regard to the future of the QUEENSRŸCHE name. According to the agreement, original QUEENSRŸCHE members Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Michael Wilton along with recent members, Todd La Torre and Parker Lundgren, will now be the sole entity recording and touring as QUEENSRŸCHE, performing selections from their entire musical catalog that spans over 30 years of material. Original QUEENSRŸCHE lead singer Geoff Tate will continue to record, perform and pursue a variety of other creative endeavors and, as part of the agreement, will have the exclusive rights to perform 'Operation: Mindcrime I' and 'II' in their entirety as a unique performance. Both sides wish each other well and are excited about what the future holds. We want to thank the fans for standing beside us through this ordeal and look forward to sharing our music with you for years to come."

The QUEENSRŸCHE corporate assets will be evenly divided among Wilton, Jackson, Rockenfield and Tate.

According to The Seattle Times, Tate will embark on a brief QUEENSRŸCHE "farewell" tour this summer before launching a new chapter his career.

"It's the rebirth of QUEENSRŸCHE and the way it used to be," Wilton told The Seattle Times. "We're rebuilding the QUEENSRŸCHE name."

Added Tate: "One thing that's really important for people to understand is that this never went to court. They [Wilton, Jackson and Rockenfield] bought the name from me. But I retain 'Operation: Mindcrime'. It's sort of similar to the PINK FLOYD situation where Roger Waters retained 'The Wall'. 'Mindcrime' was my thing and my story, so it's appropriate that I keep that. So they will continue on as QUEENSRŸCHE, and I will continue on as me."

Wilton recently revealed that QUEENSRŸCHE is continuing work on material for the follow-up to last year's self-titled effort. "We've already begun the process for the next album," he said. "We have probably six songs demoed so far. We're taking it in a direction suited to what we do as QUEENSRŸCHE but maybe a little more progressive and heavier. The thing is, you never know what you really have until it's complete. It's like carving a piece of clay and seeing how it turns out. You peel off the layers until you get to something really cool."

"Queensrÿche" marked the debut release from the lineup comprised of La Torre (vocals; ex-CRIMSON GLORY), Wilton, Parker Lundgren (guitar), Jackson and Rockenfield. The drums for the album were recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, Washington with producer James "Jimbo" Barton — the man who engineered and mixed the band's classic 1988 LP, "Operation: Mindcrime", and its 1990 follow-up, "Empire", and co-produced 1994's "Promised Land". The rest of the music and vocals were laid down at several different facilities on the West Coast. The cover artwork was created by Craig Howell, who has previously worked on designs for "Star Wars", SLIPKNOT and "American Idol", to name a few.

Former THE RUNAWAYS bandmates Cherie Currie and Lita Ford reunited on stage again on April 25 during Ford's set at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland to perform three THE RUNAWAYS classics: "Cherry Bomb", "American Nights" and "Queens Of Noise". Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

In 2010, the movie "The Runaways" was released starring Kristen Stewart of "Twilight" fame as singer Joan Jett. The band formed in 1975, with Ford on lead guitar. She was 16 at the time.

"The Runaways" was directed by Floria Sigismondi, who is best known for directing music videos by such artists as David Bowie, Marilyn Manson and Sheryl Crow.

In an interview with Metal-Rules.com, Lita stated about the possibility of a RUNAWAYS reunion: "Well, Cherie and I talk all the time. We're all for it both of us. You know I'm friends with Vicki [Blue, bass] and I'm friends with Jackie [Fox, bass]. Of course, Sandy [West, drums], unfortunately, is not around, but Joan is the only missing link."

For the first time since 1977, Joan Jett, Cherie Currie and Lita Ford were in a room together on April 23, posing for cameras backstage at the Revolver Golden Gods awards where Joan was the first female recipient of the Golden God Award.

Ford last fall partnered with Currie to record a special holiday song. "Rock This Christmas Down" marked the first time Lita and Cherie recorded new music together since 1977. The single was released on iTunes on December 3, 2013.

"I have dreamed, literally, of seeing Lita again for over three decades," Currie said. "Even after all that time, I still thought of her often.

"THE RUNAWAYS was something that was always left unfinished to me. Especially when it came to Lita, but I only knew her as a child. "What floored me more then the unbelievable gift of working with her again was the woman she had become. She is the bravest, kindest, strongest, most loving human being I have met. "Lita asking me to be a part of this amazing song and a part of her astonishing life has filled that void, that hole I had in my heart that maybe we both shared. It is now filled with love, support and admiration for a dear and wonderful friend whom I am so proud to say is Lita Ford." Currie and Ford reunited on stage for the first time in 37 years on October 19, 2013 at the sixth annual Malibu Music Awards at Smothers Theater at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California to perform "Cherry Bomb".

Legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman Ozzy Osbourne says that he "doesn't know" who will "carry the flag" for rock music in the future, lemanting that big rock stars are becoming a thing of the past.

The 65-year-old singer, who has also had a successful solo career, was asked by U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine if he thinks music is suffering for a lack of "rock stars" nowadays. "That might be a very true statement," he replied. "I honestly don't know who's going to carry the flag in the future, but I wish someone would hurry up. None of us are getting any younger, you know."

Asked who his ultimate rock star is and why, Ozzy said: "David Bowie comes to mind. He's always original with his image and music. Nowadays, I have a problem telling who's in the band and who's in the crew — no one looks like a rock star!"

Osbourne landed in the 23rd place in Kerrang!'s "50 Greatest Rock Stars In The World Today". Asked why he thinks he made the list this year, Ozzy replied: "[Why?] Probably because I'm Ozzy Osbourne! But the past year, with the success of SABBATH's '13' album and the world tour, probably didn't hurt…"

BLACK SABBATH's recent North American tour consisted of a series of 10 shows encompassing mostly Canadian stops until winding down on April 26 in Los Angeles. According to a press release, these gigs were among the final shows that SABBATH has done in support of its current studio album, "13", which became the band's first No. 1 album ever in the U.S. when it was released in June 2013. The group has been on the road since April 2013 in support of the record, which reunited Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler for their first full-length studio project since 1978's "Never Say Die!"

"13" has sold more than 360,000 copies in the United States since its June 2013 release.

Anglo-Swedish modern metal powerhouse SONIC SYNDICATE will release its self-titled fifth studio album on July 4 via Nuclear Blast.

Commented SONIC SYNDICATE guitarist, main songwriter and founding member Robin Sjunnesson: "We decided to go with this one as a 'self-titled' release. Mainly because as an album, we have put everything we've got into it. All of our experience as musicians, the evolution of the music, the sound from all eras of the band, and also the road we have taken as people. This is us, this is SONIC SYNDICATE in all its beauty and destruction. It shows our strength, our love for melody, our scars, our energy. The cover art is a definite representation of that. In the background, a battle-torn city laid to waste, four figures emerging together with only each other to depend on in an environment so harsh, only those with a tough heart, body and soul can survive.

"The tone throughout this album is definitely darker, and as my Swedish family would say, 'with a red line running in the middle,' so we put this into the color scheme.

"We could not be more proud of this album, and we thank our fans for the support; it's because of them that we're here. This album is for you."

"Sonic Syndicate" will also feature a guest appearance by SOILWORK's gifted vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid on the track "Before You Finally Break".

Commented SONIC SYNDICAT singer Nathan James Biggs: "I'm honored to call Speed a friend.

"I've been a big SOILWORK fan for years. Those guys were a massive hand in crafting that trademark Swedish sound so it made perfect sense to ask Speed when we knew we wanted to do a song with guest vocals. Performance-wise, I think we have similar styles and execution, but at the same time we both have our own thing going on, so the voices complement each other to great effect. My idea was also to have a real battle between our vocals.

"I hate it when you have these 'featuring' songs and the guest just pops up for a chorus and then does backing vocals for a while in the verse or something. This is a real fight between us for the mic and I'm sure people are gonna appreciate that."

"Sonic Syndicate" will include a total of 11 tracks, while the limited edition digipak will feature no less than three bonus tracks.

"Sonic Syndicate" track listing:

01. Day Of The Dead02. Black Hole Halo03. Long Road Home04. My Revenge05. Before You Finally Break (feat. Speed/SOILWORK)06. Catching Fire07. Unbreakable08. It Takes Me09. See What I See10. So Addicted11. The Flame That Changed The World

Limited-edition bonus tracks:

12. Diabolical Work Of Art13. What We Shared14. Another Soldier Down

SONIC SYNDICATE bassist Karin Axelsson gave birth to her first child on October 12, 2012. The baby girl weighed in at 3.02 kilograms and measured 46 centimeters long.

SONIC SYNDICATE 2014 is:

Nathan James Biggs - VocalsRobin Sjunnesson - GuitarKarin Axelsson - BassJohn Bengtsson - Drums

SONIC SYNDICATE's latest album, "We Rule The Night", was released in Europe on August 27, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Bohus Sound studios in Kungälv, Sweden with producer Toby Wright, who has previously worked with KORN, SLAYER, MÖTLEY CRÜE, KISS, FEAR FACTORY, IN FLAMES, STONE SOUR and OZZY OSBOURNE, among others.

The Pulse Of Radio reports that the members of Welsh band LOSTPROPHETS have tentatively started making new music together following the conviction and sentencing of former frontman Ian Watkins on multiple child sex crime charges. According to Radio Cardiff, singer Geoff Rickly of the punk act THURSDAY revealed he was working with the group, saying, "I've been talking to the remaining members of that band, because they're really good guys. I really want to be a part of what they do. I want to be a part of their second chance, because, like, people don't really think of what happens to the other members, but that. That took away their life."

Rickly added, "What happened is just devastating for them. I mean really, here in Wales, so many people have personal interaction with those guys . . . they are such good people."

Rickly did not confirm whether he would sing with the band, but stated that he would be helping them through his record label, saying, "It's been my honor to work with them on their new band from a label perspective."

Rickly said that the unnamed project sounds like "a little bit of NEW ORDER, little bit of JOY DIVISION, little bit of THE CURE, it's just so forward thinking."

Rickly said that he did not know Watkins very well, explaining, "He was always a bit of a rock star to me, so I just kind of stayed clear."

Watkins was sentenced to 29 years in prison and six years probation for various sex crimes involving abuse of minors and infants as well as child pornography. Just prior to his sentencing, LOSTPROPHETS announced the end of the band.

The group released five albums and scored a No. 1 hit in 2004 with "Last Train Home".

Following their 2013 reunion, the Californian hardcore/thrash metal crossover band EXCEL has teamed up with Southern Lord and is reissuing its debut album, "Split Image" (originally released through Suicidal and Caroline Records). Widely regarded as a classic album, "Split Image" was produced by Randy Burns (DEATH, POSSESSED, MEGADETH, KREATOR, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES).

The reissue will contain bonus material and includes "Sonic Decapitation", "Personal Onslaught" and "Refuse To Quit" demos, "Welcome To Venice" and "Thrasher" compilation tracks, plus, alternative album cover art and photo booklet which has never been seen before. It marks the first time the record shall be available on vinyl since it was originally released in 1987. EXCEL will also release a replica of its second demo, "Personal Onslaught", as a limited-edition pre-order item, also including their third demo "Refuse To Quit" on the b-side.

Having formed in 1984, EXCEL released three studio albums as well as a number of demos and singles. Equally informed by punk rock's attitude and heavy metal's riffs, EXCEL's fast, grinding and heavy sounds, combined with their intelligent lyrics, set them apart as a genre defining band of the era.

The current line-up — which includes Dan Clements on vocals, Shaun Ross on bass, Mike Cosgrove on drums and Alex Barreto on guitar — shall play a showcase in New York at Brooklyn's St Vitus on Tuesday, June 17.

MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars and bassist Nikki Sixx have confirmed to Guitar World magazine that the band is working on a new song, which Mars revealed is titled "All Bad Things Must Come To An End". "It's probably about half finished. We have to wait for Vince [Neil] to sing it, and then I'll do my soloing and ear candy all over it and stuff like that," he said.

"All Bad Things Must Come To An End" is being helmed by James Michael, the frontman of MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx's SIXX: A.M. project who produced, mixed and co-wrote CRÜE's last studio album, 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles". Michael told Artisan News last week about the track: "As we know, the CRÜE is getting ready to hang it up. And we discussed for a while doing a final song. And that's a tall order. There was a lot of pressure on us to make sure that we did it right and that we celebrated everything that they were known for. So I think we've done it. And it's an outstanding song. I think it's gonna be an absolutely amazing way to go out swinging."

In the Guitar World interview, Mars described MÖTLEY CRÜE's musical future as "kind of vague, I guess," but confirmed that he will "absolutely" start working on a solo album at some point following the band's recently announced "The Final Tour". "I think what a lot of people may say — and I say 'may' because I don't know — is, 'This is crap,'" he said. "Or, they may say, 'Wow! I didn't know Mick could write like that! I didn't know Mick could play guitar like that!' … I play rock and roll with a blues edge to it. And my solo album will be that kind of stuff, but also I believe a lot heavier than MÖTLEY. And that's not to say there's anything wrong with MÖTLEY music, because at the time we came up we were heavy. But I want to take the next step."

Regarding MÖTLEY CRÜE's plans for the upcoming tour, Sixx said that the band's setlist will include all the hits the CRÜE fans have come to love and expect to hear at the group's shows. "I mean, if you went to see AEROSMITH for the last time and they skipped 'Dream On'? You'd be fucking pissed," he explained. "It will be a celebration, but at the same time I don't want to live off the MÖTLEY CRÜE legacy. I want to be proud of what we've done as a band and then also look forward to new things."

Sixx in January said that that it's unlikely that the band will release another full-length album of new material and will instead make select tracks available via special projects in order to maximize their impact. Sixx told the Rapid City, South Dakota radio station 95.1 KSKY: "We have music written, [but] it's not put together yet." He added: "It's hard, to be honest with you, to spend six [or] nine months to write eleven songs — all those lyrics… everything… the vocals, the guitars, the bass, the sonics, the mixing, the mastering, the artwork… You put it out and nothing [happens], because now people cherry-pick songs. So we go, 'Why don't we write songs and find vehicles to get one, two or four songs to ten million people rather than eleven songs to a hundred thousand people. That's how we're thinking. I don't know if it's right or wrong, but that's how we're thinking."

MÖTLEY CRÜE in 2012 released a brand new song called "Sex" to coincide with the launch of the band's North American co-headlining tour with KISS.

Written when the group was together during their residency in Las Vegas in February 2012, "Sex" was the first studio track from the CRÜE since their June 2008 release of "Saints Of Los Angeles".

QUEENSRŸCHE members Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton and Geoff Tate have released the following joint statement:

"We wanted to let QUEENSRŸCHE fans around the world know that an amicable settlement has been reached between Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton and Geoff Tate with regard to the future of the QUEENSRŸCHE name. According to the agreement, original QUEENSRŸCHE members Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Michael Wilton along with recent members, Todd La Torre and Parker Lundgren, will now be the sole entity recording and touring as QUEENSRŸCHE, performing selections from their entire musical catalog that spans over 30 years of material. Original QUEENSRŸCHE lead singer Geoff Tate will continue to record, perform and pursue a variety of other creative endeavors and, as part of the agreement, will have the exclusive rights to perform 'Operation: Mindcrime I' and 'II' in their entirety as a unique performance. Both sides wish each other well and are excited about what the future holds. We want to thank the fans for standing beside us through this ordeal and look forward to sharing our music with you for years to come."

The QUEENSRŸCHE corporate assets will be evenly divided among Wilton, Jackson, Rockenfield and Tate.

According to The Seattle Times, Tate will embark on a brief QUEENSRŸCHE "farewell" tour this summer before launching a new chapter his career.

"It's the rebirth of QUEENSRŸCHE and the way it used to be," Wilton told The Seattle Times. "We're rebuilding the QUEENSRŸCHE name."

Added Tate: "One thing that's really important for people to understand is that this never went to court. They [Wilton, Jackson and Rockenfield] bought the name from me. But I retain 'Operation: Mindcrime'. It's sort of similar to the PINK FLOYD situation where Roger Waters retained 'The Wall'. 'Mindcrime' was my thing and my story, so it's appropriate that I keep that. So they will continue on as QUEENSRŸCHE, and I will continue on as me."

QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton recently revealed that the band is continuing work on material for the follow-up to last year's self-titled effort. "We've already begun the process for the next album," he said. "We have probably six songs demoed so far. We're taking it in a direction suited to what we do as QUEENSRŸCHE but maybe a little more progressive and heavier. The thing is, you never know what you really have until it's complete. It's like carving a piece of clay and seeing how it turns out. You peel off the layers until you get to something really cool."

Tate — who was fired from the Seattle progressive rock band in 2012 after fronting it for three decades — and his wife, Susan, QUEENSRŸCHE's former manager, filed a lawsuit in June 2012 asking the judge to award them the rights to the band's name in exchange for Tate paying Eddie Jackson (bass), Michael Wilton (guitar) and Scott Rockenfield (drums) the fair market value for their interests in the QUEENSRŸCHE companies. Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson filed a countersuit against the Tates in which they accused Geoff of creative obstruction and violent behavior, and Susan Tate of questionable business practices.

While ruling against Tate, the presiding judge determined that there was no legal hurdle in Tate also using the name with an all-new lineup of musicians. "I don't see any reason that Mr. Tate can't have the benefit, if he gets other members, of whatever name he uses of using the brand," Superior Court Judge Carol A. Schapira said during the July 13, 2012 court hearing. "I think [doing that would be] inherently confusing, although I'm sure the market can get these things sorted out," she added.

Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson last year accused Geoff Tate of "continu[ing] to harm the QUEENSRŸCHE brand" since the Tates' original lawsuit was filed in June 2012. In a court document, they wrote: "The newest self-titled QUEENSRŸCHE CD release by the [Todd La Torre-fronted version of the band] entered the U.S. charts at #23 and continues to get 9-out-of-10-star reviews and is still selling very well on a weekly basis around the globe. In comparison, Geoff Tate released his own QUEENSRŸCHE CD in April of [2013] titled 'Frequency Unknown' and depicted as F.U. on the cover, which entered the charts at #82, received very bad reviews around the world, and has slowed to almost no more weekly sales. [The Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE's] new CD even outperformed the last two CDs of them with Geoff Tate, selling more in a month than the 'Dedicated to Chaos' CD has since its release in 2010, and charting much better than both that album and the previous one, 'American Soldier'. Thus, the return to the classic sound [Tate's former] bandmates have made with the new CD and live shows has been met with overwhelming success."

They added: "Geoff Tate also chose very poorly in hiring live musicians that have shown that they are not capable of representing the correct performances of the QUEENSRŸCHE music legacy, and he was constantly replacing them. He has been offering his low-quality version of QUEENSRŸCHE to the promoters at a much reduced rate, as low as $10,000 per night, when, in fact, [his former] bandmates have done their best to keep the authorized QUEENSRŸCHE at an average of well over $20,000 per show this entire year. However, this becomes harder and harder with Geoff Tate's sub-par band and cut-rate pricing that continues to be damaging to the QUEENSRŸCHE brand and legacy no matter who ultimately wins control after trial."

Death metal psychopaths ABORTED will release their eighth full-length album, "The Necrotic Manifesto", on April 28 in Europe and on April 29 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD was completed with Danish producer Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, MERCENARY).

The entire "The Necrotic Manifesto" album is available for streaming using the SoundCloud widget below.

Comments ABORTED frontman Sven De Caluwé: “Well, the day has finally come to unleash the first single of our new album, 'The Necrotic Manifesto', entitled 'Necrotic Manifesto'. Surprise!

"Anyways, we hope you enjoy the brutality as much as we did composing and recording this sucker. We couldn't be more proud of this whole album and trust us this is just the beginning!

"You will all be able to hear this one live on our upcoming North American tour along a few other tracks.

"Pre-orders will be launched on Monday so keep your eyes open for some really special goodies!" "The Necrotic Manifesto" features guest appearances by Phlegethon (WORMED) and Vincent Bennett (THE ACACIA STRAIN). The artwork was created by Pär Olofsson (PATHOLOGY, IMMOLATION, IMMORTAL).

"The Necrotic Manifesto" track listing:

01. Six Feet Of Foreplay02. The Extirpation Agenda03. Necrotic Manifesto04. An Enumeration Of Cadavers05. Your Entitlement Means Nothing06. The Davidian Deceit07. Coffin Upon Coffin08. Chronicles Of Detruncation09. Sade & Libertine Lunacy10. Die Verzweiflung11. Excremental Veracity12. Purity Of Perversion13. Of Dead Skin & Decay14. Cenobites In support of "The Necrotic Manifesto", ABORTED will tour North America with KATAKLYSM in April.

ABORTED will return to Europe in May for a handful of release shows before heading into the festival season. ABORTED is:

Sven De Caluwé: VocalsMendel Bij De Leij: GuitarDanny Tunker: GuitarJB van der Wal: BassKen Bedene: Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach's April 26 performance at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland can be seen below.

Bach's new solo album, "Give 'Em Hell", was released on April 22 via Frontiers Records. The follow-up to 2011's "Kicking & Screaming" was once again produced by Bob Marlette, who has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, BLACK SABBATH and SHINEDOWN, among others.

Of the new album, Sebastian Bach enthused: "I could not be more proud of the new CD, 'Give 'Em Hell'. As a rock music fan myself, I listen to it every single day. As a musician, I honestly feel like I have reached a new level of album recording. As an audiophile, I could not be more blown away by the sound! The production and mastering sound so good that it's perfect to show off your high-end stereo system.

"Ever since my first record, 'Skid Row', on through 'Slave To The Grind' up to 'Kicking & Screaming' and 'Angel Down', I have always been concerned, first and foremost, with making quality records for my fans. And I can honestly say that 'Give 'Em Hell' meets or even exceeds the standards set by some of the records I have put out in the past."

"Give 'Em Hell" was mastered at Precision Mastering in Los Angeles with Tom Baker.

Sebastian managed to involve in the writing and recording some very special friends and guest stars, including none other than Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES), and not one but two top-class guitar players: John 5 (MARILYN MANSON, ROB ZOMBIE) and Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL). Rounding out the lineup on the CD are Devin Bronson (AVRIL LAVIGNE, PINK) on guitar and Bobby Jarzombek (HALFORD, RIOT, FATES WARNING) on drums. Duff and Sebastian previously collaborated on Duff's solo album "Believe In Me".

The cover for "Give 'Em Hell" was once again handled by Richard Villa, who worked on "Kicking & Screaming". Incorporated into the album design is one of the paintings by Sebastian's late father David Bierk, who painted the artwork for SKID ROW's "Slave To The Grind", inside artwork for SKID ROW's "Subhuman Race", and Bach's solo albums "Angel Down" and "Bring 'Em Bach Alive!".

"Give 'Em Hell" track listing:

01. Hell Inside My Head02. Harmony03. All My Friends Are Dead04. Temptation05. Push Away06. Dominator07. Had Enough08. Gun To A Knife Fight09. Rock N Roll Is A Vicious Game10. Taking Back Tomorrow11. Disengaged12. Forget You

The video for the CD's first single, "Temptation", can be seen below. The clip was directed by Patrick Fogarty, who has previously worked with BLACK VEIL BRIDES, PICTURE ME BROKEN and THE BURNING OF ROME.

Bach previously stated about "Give 'Em Hell": "We have captured some kick-ass rock and roll magic and producer par excellence Bob Marlette is the wizard behind the board.

"It is such an awesome feeling to be able to say to the planet if you like the music I have put out before, I can guarantee you will dig this one! I cannot stop listening to it and that is the whole intention.

"For those of you who dig my high crazy-ass screams of the other records, well, I am proud to say this new disc features all the ranges and textures I have been known for, clean soaring melodic ballads and blood-curdling death screams from hell."

The official lyric video for the song "As The Pages Burn" from Swedish / American / Canadian metallers ARCH ENEMY can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's ninth studio album, "War Eternal", which will be released in North America on June 10 via Century Media Records.

"War Eternal" will introduce a new member to ARCH ENEMY's ranks: Alissa White-Gluz, former vocalist of Canadian extreme metallers THE AGONIST. Angela Gossow, who joined ARCH ENEMY in 2000 and made her debut on the now classic "Wages Of Sin" (2001), has stepped down as frontwoman and will focus on management, while Alissa takes her place.

Says ARCH ENEMY chief songwriter and guitarist Michael Amott: "'As The Pages Burn' almost goes back to the style of writing that I had in the late '90s. It's very old-school ARCH ENEMY with an almost SLAYER vibe in the intro/verse and a huge melodic chorus. A bit like 'The Immortal' and other ARCH ENEMY classics of that time. The middle section is very classical music-inspired — a twin-guitar part that is a lot fun to play.

"Alissa wrote the lyrics for the song.

"This song is an example of what I love about collaborating — in the songwriting, I'm giving her the instrumental, and she comes from a different background, and the two different approaches merge together to form a very interesting result that blew my mind. It's one of my favorite tracks on the album."

Adds Alissa White-Gluz: "'As The Pages Burn' is also one of my favorite songs. I think it's going to be a very fun song to perform live.

"I really like fast-paced, energetic songs. A lot of the lyrics on the album are coming straight from my brain during sleepless nights.

"I often wake up in the middle of the night from horrible nightmares and just start writing songs. For whatever reason, I like the lyrics that I get that way; they feel real and uncensored.

"This song is one that I wrote at 4 a.m. in the dark, half asleep. In the morning I woke up and thought, 'This is cool, I'm going to use this, and I know just the music to put it to.' The musical dynamics in the song are very satisfying to sing to as well. I hope you like it!"

"War Eternal" track listing:

01. Tempore Nihil Sanat (Prelude In F Minor)02. Never Forgive, Never Forget03. War Eternal04. As The Pages Burn05. No More Regrets 06. You Will Know My Name07. Graveyard Of Dreams08. Stolen Life09. Time Is Black10. On And On11. Avalanche12. Down To Nothing13. Not Long For This World

The cover artwork was created by Costin Chioreanu and can be seen below.

The "War Eternal" video was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.

Alissa White-Gluz previously stated about her addition to the ARCH ENEMY lineup: "I am very honored and happy to announce a new chapter in my life and musical career beginning now; I have joined forces with one of my all-time favourite and globally respected bands, ARCH ENEMY. 'Wages Of Sin' was the first metal album I ever bought, and it was love at first listen.

"It is not often that you get a phone call from your favorite band asking you to join! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such amazingly talented musicians whom I also consider great friends. I look forward to being able to write and perform at a whole new level now with ARCH ENEMY! Music is forever, metal is limitless and this is only the beginning!" "War Eternal" was mixed by Jens Bogren (OPETH, PARADISE LOST, KREATOR) at Fascination Street in Örebro, Sweden. ARCH ENEMY will debut new material on a short eastern European tour before the album is released; this trek will then be followed by an extensive run of European summer festivals, including Sweden Rock Festival, Wacken Open Air and many more. A full headlining tour in North America and Europe will take place in fall/winter 2014. ARCH ENEMY in 2012 amicably parted ways with guitarist Christopher Amott and replaced him with American musician Nick Cordle (ARSIS).

Fan-filmed video footage of ICED EARTH's entire April 7 performance in Minneapolis, Minnesota can be seen below.

ICED EARTH's new album, "Plagues Of Babylon", sold around 6,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 49 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "Dystopia", opened with around 6,100 units back in October 2011 to enter the chart at No. 67.

ICED EARTH's 2008 effort, "The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part II)", registered a first-week tally of 6,700 to debut at No. 79.

"Plagues Of Babylon" was recorded at Principal Studios (KREATOR, IN EXTREMO, GRAVE DIGGER) in Senden, Germany and was mixed at NHow Studios in Berlin, Germany. Guest vocals on "Highwayman" were laid down by VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen and SYMPHONY X/ADRENALINE MOB singer Russell Allen. Guest vocals on "Plagues Of Babylon", "Among The Living Dead", "Democide", "Resistance" and "If I Could See You" are by BLIND GUARDIAN vocalist Hansi Kürsch. The cover and additional artwork was created by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, HATEBREED).

ICED EARTH is promoting the new CD in its North American homeland with the headlining "Worldwide Plagues Tour", which kicked off April 4 for a six-week run with SABATON and REVAMP in support. Jon Dette (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX) is sitting behind the drums for ICED EARTH's current tour, taking over for Raphael Saini, who filled in during the summer 2013 festivals, the recording of ICED EARTH's new album, and the club leg of the VOLBEAT 2013 tour.

Dette made his live debut with ICED EARTH on November 6, 2013 at O2 World in Berlin, Germany.

ICED EARTH last year parted ways with drummer Brent Smedley for "personal family reasons."