METALLICA's official YouTube channel MetallicaTV has uploaded "fly-on-the-wall" footage shot by the MetOnTour reporter on March 22 in São Paulo, Brazil. The clip, which can be seen below, includes a very wet version of "Battery" as well as a cover of the famous Irish traditional song "Whiskey In The Jar" (popularized by THIN LIZZY in the '70s) for the first time since 2009.

As promised, the band played a nearly all-request set in São Paulo, with 17 songs chosen online by fans prior to the gig and the last slot filled by the new track "The Lords Of Summer".

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Battery02. Master Of Puppets03. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)04. Fuel05. The Unforgiven06. The Lords Of Summer07. Wherever I May Roam08. Sad But True09. Fade To Black10. ...And Justice For All11. One12. For Whom The Bell Tolls13. Creeping Death14. Nothing Else Matters15. Enter Sandman

Encore:

16. Whiskey in the Jar17. The Day That Never Comes18. Seek & Destroy

Drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone that "The Lords Of Summer" "is fairly representative of where our creative headspace is at right now. It's one of those things that's like, 'Here, we're writing and we're creating.'"

Guitarist Kirk Hammett told The Pulse Of Radio that coming up with music is not a problem for the band. "We're a band that never has a shortage of ideas," he said. "You know, you hear about these bands that are like, oh, they're sitting in the studio and they don't have any songs, what are they gonna do? That's not METALLICA. METALLICA's problem is the total opposite: we have too many ideas, which ones are we gonna use. And so that's pretty much how it stands with us."

Ulrich cautioned, however, that "The Lords Of Summer" may not even end up on METALLICA's next album at all, or at least not in its current form. He explained, "We did the same thing when we went out and played a bunch of dates in 2006. We were writing and played two different new songs over the course of that summer, and none of them made the record (2008's 'Death Magnetic')."

The Metallica By Request tour will hit Europe this summer, with a single North American date confirmed in Montreal, as the band continues working on its 10th studio album.

Seattle police have released two more never-before-seen photos from the scene of NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain's suicide nearly 20 years ago. The police re-examined the case last month in advance of media interest surrounding the 20th anniversary of Cobain's death and came across four rolls of undeveloped film taken at his Seattle home on April 8, 1994, the day his body was found after he shot himself three days earlier.

One of the two photos released by the Seattle Police Department Thursday morning (April 3) shows a close-up of the 27-year-old musician's arm with a hospital ID bracelt around his wrist. The other shows a box of shotgun shells inches away from Cobain's foot, still clad in a Converse sneaker.

You can see more photos at Seattle Police Department's SPD Blotter.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, the photos revealed no new evidence, but paint a bleak picture of his final hours. The room he was in was empty of furniture except for one stool, while other photos reveal what police say was his suicide note and his "heroin kit" of drug paraphernalia. More photos show Cobain's wallet, trash strewn around and various views of his residence.

Cobain died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound not long after he took a massive dose of heroin — which could have proven fatal on its own.

Cobain began using heroin to ease chronic stomach pain he had suffered from his entire life, and his biographer, Charles R. Cross, told The Pulse Of Radio that one of the biggest misconceptions about Cobain was that he glamorized drug use. "Here was a guy who tried, almost ever since he started heroin, to quit," he said. "He was in rehab at least five different times, he got extensive help, but none of it ultimately worked or kept. And in his diaries, you know, hundreds and hundreds of times he's pleading to God that he wants to quit drugs. So this idea that he in any ways glamorized drug use or promoted it is just absolutely untrue."

Detective Mike Ciesynski, who was assigned to review the case, said that he developed the rolls of film to possibly help quiet persistent and groundless conspiracy theories that Cobain was murdered.

NIRVANA will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on April 10 — just five days after the 20th anniversary of Cobain's death.

Photos provided by the Seattle Police Department




After receiving a number of public disclosure requests, we've released an add'l 34 photos from the Cobain scene http://t.co/jzJSTox5K4

— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) March 31, 2014

Finnish extreme metallers IMPALED NAZARENE will release their 12th studio album, "Vigorous And Liberating Death", on April 14 via Osmose Productions. The cover artwork was painted by Taneli Jarva and can be seen below.

"Vigorous And Liberating Death" final track listing:

01. King Reborn02. Flaming Sword Of Satan03. Pathological Hunger For Violence04. Vestal Virgins05. Martial Law06. Riskiarvio07. Apocalypse Principle08. Kuoleman Varjot09. Vigorous And Liberating Death10. Drink Consultation11. Dystopia A. S.12. Sananvapaus13. Hostis Humani Generis

The official lyric video for the "Vigorous And Liberating Death" title track can be seen below.

"Vigorous And Liberating Death" was recorded at City Lights and S/Mental studios and is currently being mixed at Studio Fungus by the band's longtime sound engineer Max "Kosher/Kebab" Kostermaa, who also handled the previous album, "Road To The Octagon".

"Vigorous And Liberating Death" was mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox studios.

"Vigorous And Liberating Death" will be available on CD, gatefold LP (with poster) and as a digital download.



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Post by Osmose Productions.

Fan-filmed video footage of HALESTORM performing a brand new song, tentatively titled "Mayhem", earlier tonight (Thursday, April 3) at O2 Academy in Sheffield, England can be seen below. Also available is footage of HALESTORM playing another new track, titled "Heartbreaker", on March 28 at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville, Tennessee.

After 20 months of touring behind 2012's "The Strange Case Of…", HALESTORM has commenced work on record number three. The quartet headed into the studio in January following a short holiday break. Lzzy Hale told Loudwire: "It's the beginning stages and we just started writing for the next record.

"It's our third record and what a cool thing it is to make it to that point in your career.

"We're chasing the song dragon and we're chasing after whatever gets us excited at this point.

"I think we're starting to crack the code of what we have to do on this record."

She added: "We've been looking back at some of the classic third records, and oh my god, there's a little bit of pressure there. But as long as we keep focused on what we have to do, I think it'll be okay."

Lzzy told The Pulse Of Radio that while she enjoys writing songs on tour, they're often different from what the band does when it gets in the studio. "Definitely," she said. "When everything is kind of more consistently tour-focused and not, you know, writing-focused, I definitely write differently. I explore different subjects without being picky about anything. So as things develop in my life, in either my personal life or professional, it's nice to explore all those different subjects, you know, without the pressure of being in the studio."

"The Strange Case Of…" came out in April 2012 and spawned three hit singles, including the chart-topping "Love Bites (So Do I)" and "Here's To Us".

"Love Bites" also won the Grammy last year for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance."

HALESTORM recently issued its second covers EP, "ReAniMate 2.0", which featured renditions of songs from JUDAS PRIEST, AC/DC, PAT BENATAR, MARILYN MANSON, DAFT PUNK and FLEETWOOD MAC.

"Mayhem" performed live on April 3 in Sheffield, England:

A two-camera edit of ANIMALS AS LEADERS' entire March 27 performance at Asssembly in Sacarmento, California can be seen below (courtesy of Rock Hard Live).

"The Joy Of Motion", the new album from ANIMALS AS LEADERS, sold around 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart. Issued on March 25 via Sumerian Records, this offering is quickly going to be hailed by fans and media alike as the group's career-defining release that will ultimately redefine the progressive world as we know it.

ANIMALS AS LEADERS' third full-length release is a bombastic, dynamic and innovative explosion that incorporates elements spanning across the entire musical spectrum. It also marks the recording debut of drummer Matthew Garstka, whose technical proficiency and unique style allows ANIMALS AS LEADERS guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes the room to push their boundaries to previously unthinkable heights.

"The Joy Of Motion" places a greater emphasis on clean and acoustic guitar tones. "I think it's just a natural progression for both me and Tosin as players," Reyes tells Guitar World magazine. "It's been a natural evolution to write a lot of clean stuff. At the same time, this might be our heaviest album. There's a lot of high-gain stuff on there, but the blend of that and the clean songs and the thumping songs makes it more interesting than what we've done in the past."

"I think this album shows a different side of my guitar playing," Abasi adds, "because here's actually less soloing. And for the solos that do occur, I'm playing differently than I was. There's way less shred, if I'm going to be blunt about it, but I think it's more lyrical. I started to get into modern gospel and neo-soul, listening to jazz-influenced R&B guitarists like Jairus Mozee and Isaiah Sharkey, and I think it's kind of bled into my phrasing now."

Norwegian/Spanish symphonic gothic metallers SIRENIA have inked a deal with Napalm Records.

Says Nadir Amrioui, A&R at Napalm Records: "[SIRENIA mainman/guitarist] Morten [Veland] is an amazing songwriter and with his band SIRENIA they still belong to the top of gothic metal. We can barely wait to check out the first new songs and to release the new album in early 2015."

Adds Morten: "We are very excited about having signed a new deal with Napalm Records. This is where SIRENIA began our career 13 years ago, so it feels like a homecoming in many ways.

"Looking forward to keep on bringing our music out to all the metalheads around the world together with Napalm. There is much more to come."

SIRENIA's sixth studio album, "Perils Of The Deep Blue", sold around 900 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 20 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Perils Of The Deep Blue" entered the official German chart at position No. 50 — the band's highest German chart entry ever — and the Swiss chart at No. 43.

"Perils Of The Deep Blue" was released on June 28, 2013 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was produced by Morten Veland, while the mixing and mastering was handled by Endre Kirkesola at Dub Studios in Oslo.

In 2008, SIRENIA recruited singer Ailyn (born: Pilar Giménez García) as the replacement for Monika Pedersen, who left the group a year earlier after only one album due to "musical differences."

Ailyn was best known as a former contestant on the Spanish version of "The X Factor", the biggest television talent competition in Europe.

"My Destiny Coming To Pass" lyric video:

SAIGON KICK guitarist Jason Bieler has recorded a new song for his OWL STRETCHING side project. Check out 'Ten Long Years' below:

Ten Long Years by Owl Stretching

Bieler recently issued a new five song Owl Stretching EP from his via Bandcamp entitled The Happening. Check it out and purchase via the widget below:

The Happening EP by Owl Stretching

The tracklist is as follows:

'Stars Collide'
'Mighty Hammer'
'All Souls Lost'
'Love Song'
'When We Are Young'

Watch for an exclusive Bravewords.com interview with Bieler on all things Saigon Kick and Own Stretching, coming soon.

Minneapolis-based extreme metallers ANTIVERSE will release their debut album, Cosmic Horror, on April 8th through all major digital services and their own BandCamp page.
Says the band: "We wanted to do something that was firmly-footed in metal, representing influences from both modern black/death/thrash as well as more trad stuff."
Tracklisting:

'Hostile Entities'
'Feral Deconsecration'
'Bethlem'
'The Expressionless'
'The Commutator'
'Apex Predator'
'Novamancer'
'The Beast of Bray Road'
'Aurora'

'The Expressionless':
More on Antiverse at Facebook.

Finnish blackened death metallers COPROLITH released their new album, Death March, on March 7th through Violent Journey Records. Check out the video for 'For Infernal' below:
Death March tracklisting:

‘Intro: Without God’
‘Prelude To Depression’
‘Life=Disease’
‘This Nightmare’
‘For Infernal’
‘Hate Infected’
‘Pleasure Of Pain’
‘Towards The Axiomatic Pain’
‘Death March’

The album features guest appearances from: Mathias “Vreid” Lillmåns (FINNTROLL), Tor Stavenes (1349, PANTHEON I), Einar “Eldur” Thorberg Gudmundsson (FORTID, DEN SAAKALDTE) and Heljarmaðr, Isengrim, Maugrim (CURSED 13, GRÀ)

Album teaser:



For more info visit Facebook.

Hammerfest VI took place on March 14th - 15th, 2014 at Haven Hafan y Môr Holiday Park in Pwllheli, Gwynedd, North Wales. Two-camera footage of OVERKILL in action can be viewed below:
OVERKILL's highly anticipated new album, White Devil Armory, is due to be released worldwide in July. The cover art can be viewed below. The tracklist is as follows:

'Freedom Rings'
'Where There's Smoke...'
'Pig'
'Amorist'
'Down To The Bone'
'Bitter Pill'
'King Of The Rat Bastards'
'Another Day To Die'
'It's All Yours'
'In The Name'
About the album, singer Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth told BraveWords recently:

"The hardest thing for me is trying not to repeat myself. I think that’s absolutely a fucking impossibility as a thrash band. I read an article once that had a quote after it, saying how many times can you use the word ‘pain’ and ‘death’? (cackles) It’s probably a more difficult album for me to write, from that perspective, because I try to challenge myself and not fall into that whole thing. With regards to the music, one of the things I’ve noticed is that it’s more of a heavy metal record than the last record. To me, the last one came across as more of a thrash record, maybe a two-dimensional record. This one has more moods and nuances, so let’s say maybe a three-dimensional record."

Read more here.

Legendary vocalist JON OLIVA (SAVATAGE, JON OLIVA'S PAIN) is featured on the new song 'No Hope For The Healing' from Germany's DAWN OF DESTINY. The song is taken from the band's new album, F.E.A.R., released on March 7th. Check it out below.
For information on Dawn Of Destiny go to this location.

Jon Oliva's Pain drummer/producer Chris Kinder has checked in with the following update:

"Good day one and all. Lots of things happening in the JOP camp.

We are closing in fast on signing a new deal for the next JOP CD and future releases. Hope to share the good news with you by the end of the month. We are scheduled to deliver the new cd by mid-December for an early 2015 release...details to follow.

Jon has been busy working on TSO stuff but we should be back to work on the next JOP CD in a few weeks. We are excited to get back to analyzing the boat-load of material already demoed up and start putting final arrangements together.
You all know JOP will be co-headlining the sold-out 2014 ProgPower Festival in Atlanta, GA. Well in keeping with tradition we will be adding a Tampa Bay show the weekend before. As soon as we have a venue and date we will let you know! This will be the only other US date in 2014.

I will be putting up a new post later with merchandise still available from the Storytellers tour. For those that are still waiting on the signed Oliva prints, I am waiting to see Jon so he can sign them. Sorry for the delay."

On December 14th, 2013 SAVATAGE frontman/founder Jon Oliva concluded his Storytellers east coast solo tour at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida. Fan-filmed video from the gig is available below:
The show was filmed for a future DVD release. Oliva is planning on taking his Storytellers tour to the west coast in 2014.

Power Prog is pleased to announce the signing of Poland's NIGHT MISTRESS from Poland. With their debut album, The Back Of Beyond, released in 2011, they have already gained an exceptional reputation. The band's as-yet-untitled second album will be released this summer through Power Prog. Details will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Night Mistress is:

Krzysztof Sokolowski - vocals
Arkadiusz Ciesla - guitars
Robert Kazanowski - guitars
Artur Pochwala - bass
Dominik Wójcik - drums

Check out the band's video for 'Hand Of God below:
For more information go to the official Night Mistress Facebook page here.

SINGLE BULLET THEORY frontman Matt DiFabio has contacted BraveWords with the following update:
"Unfortunately, we are again at a new cross roads in the Single Bullet Theory camp. Long time member and dear friend Jeff Kalber is stepping down from his position to focus on his career and family obligations.

We support Jeff and everything is trying to accomplish and we are proud of the last five years we spent with him tearing up the stages across this great nation.

We are looking for a person with excellent work ethic, stage presence and a true love for thrash metal. Preferably a 4 string pick player with professional touring gear.

We are doing several weekend road trips between now and late September. At that point we will be doing a 14 day run down to and through out Texas in support of our new record Divine Ways of Chaos."

Below, is a statement from Kalber regarding his departure.

"To all the Single Bullet Theory fans and to my friends and brothers in metal,

Due to personal and family commitments, it is with regret that I have to take a hiatus as the bassist for Single Bullet Theory starting in late June. Over the past 5 + years I've been extremely proud to be part of this band's resurrection and helping create some intensely, vicious metal, including the upcoming Divine Ways Of Chaos record, which I'm more proud of than anything I've ever recorded. It's also been amazing to be a part of SBT as it has become and continues to be a devastating live act that I would put on stage with any band.

I have gained the utmost respect, admiration, and a friend for life in Matt Difabio. Matt, you are by far the hardest working man in metal and you always pull the best out of me in the studio and on stage. It has been my privilege to play the amazing metal that your mind has created and my privilege to share the stage with you and some amazing musicians, Harry Lannon, Rob Gladden, Pat Brose, Nick Bunczk, Joe Brannigan, and Jeff Willet. Special thanks to John Ruszin for all his hard work and support, and not to forget all the amazing bands we've played with....you know who you are. I salute you all.

Until my departure, I will continue to unleash my own fury at each and every show. Thanx to everyone who has supported me or SBT over these years. To my bandmates, Matt, Harry, and Rob...Single Bullet Theory IS a live force to be reckoned with and it deserves to be on the road touring and spreading the music that we do so well. Go forth and CRUSH my brothers! Our paths will cross again. Horns up!"

Interested parties can contact HardAttackEnt@gmail.com or visit SingleBulletTheory.us. Serious inquiries only.

PRIMAL FEAR bassist Mat Sinner checked in with the following update earlier this week:

"On my way to Innsbruck with the ROCK MEETS CLASSIC family, I could listen again to the KISKE/SOMERVILLE 2 pre-production and I'm really excited about the songs and attitude. This album will be massive! 'City Of Heroes' and 'Ocean Of Tears' are two of the best songs I've ever written with my partner in crime Magnus Karlsson."
Kiske/Somerville - featuring vocalists Michael Kiske (UNISONIC, ex-HELLOWEEN) and Amanda Somerville (TRILLIUM, AVANTASIA) with additional songwriting from Sander Gommans (HDK, ex-AFTER FOREVER) - released their self-titled debut in late 2010 and spawned videos for the songs 'If I Had A Wish' and 'Silence'. Check them out below:

PHOBOCOSM, a dark death metal band from Montreal which features former members of VENGEFUL, have announced they have signed with Dark Descent Records to release their debut album, Deprived.
The label has issued the following statement: “I first contacted this band over a year ago after C.S. from ADVERSARIAL told me how deadly their live set was. At the time, the band was still working on their debut full-length. A couple months ago I was contacted by the band and given an opportunity to listen to some pre-production material and later the finished full-length that was three years in the making. So, it is with great triumph that we welcome Phobocosm into the Dark Descent Records pantheon. Their debut full-length, Deprived, will be released on CD/LP and digital formats, via the label, later this year.”

Commented the band: “We are proud to announce that we have just signed with Dark Descent Records, the best label for dark death metal bands. Over the last few years, this label has released some of our favorite death metal albums and every time we discussed our search for a label, we always reached the conclusion that Dark Descent was the most logical option for us. We simply couldn't have found a better label to release our debut album, Deprived.”

Deprived was mixed and mastered by Colin Marston (GORGUTS, DYSRHYTHMIA, KRALLICE) and Chimère Noire (PORTAL, ABYSSAL) is currently working on the full-length's artwork.

Check out the new song 'Solipsist' below:

For information on Phobocosm go to this location.

Richmond, Virginia hardcore thrash supergroup IRON REAGAN, which consists of current and former members of MUNICIPAL WASTE, CANNABIS CORPSE, DARKEST HOUR, MAMMOTH GRINDER and SUPPRESION, has released the "Spoiled Identity" EP for free through the band's Bandcamp page. Hammering thirteen riotous songs into about seven minutes, the EP was mastered by Scott Hull (PIG DESTROYER, AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED). "Spoiled Identity" will also be available as a seven-inch EP as part of the Decibel Flexi Disc series. "Spoiled Identity" track listing:

01. Tounge Tied02. The Living Skull03. I'm Regret04. Zero Gain05. One Shovel Short Of A Funeral06. Spoiled Identity07. Your Kids an Asshole08. The Hungry Male (Of Wall St.)09. Cops Don't Like Me, I Don't Like Cops10. Declaration Of War11. I Spit on Your Face/Grave12. Court Adjourned13. The Hill Witch

IRON REAGAN signed with Relapse Records earlier this year and is in the middle of recording its highly anticipated second LP. The effort is being helmed by guitarist Phil Hall at Blaze Of Torment Studios in Richmond and will be mixed by CONVERGE's Kurt Ballou. A fall release is expected.

IRON REAGAN is days away from a solid month of touring with GHOUL and OCCULTIST.

In its short time as a band, IRON REAGAN has already released a demo EP and a full-length via A389 Recordings, and a split with EXHUMED via Tankcrimes.


Spoiled Identity Ep by Iron Reagan

Norwegian black metallers DEN SAAKALDTE will release their long-awaited sophomore album, "Kapittel II: Faen I Helvete", on May 27 in Europe and June 10 in North America via Agonia Records. The cover artwork was created by Trine + Kim Design Studio (ULVER, MAYHEM, DARKTHRONE, DHG) and can be seen below. The follow-up to 2009's "All Hail Pessimism" was recorded in February 2014 at Strand Studio. The effort will be available as a three-panel digipack CD, digitally and on vinyl (in three versions: black, blue and red).

DEN SAAKALDTE steps out of the shadows after five long years of strengthening its dark musical identity and defining a more grim musical approach. Built upon intense and heavy emotions and featuring members of GORGOROTH, 1349, KOLDBRANN and NIDINGR, "Kapittel II: Faen i Helvete" feels as the band's most complete work to date. The album combines doom and black metal elements with clean vocals, spoken parts and obscure atmosphere.

"Kapittel II: Faen I Helvete" track listing:

01. Din Siste Dag02. Forbanna Idioter03. Du Selvproklamerte Misjonær04. Endeløst Øde05. Djevelens Verk06. Som Ett Arr på Sjelen07. Ondskapens Nødvendighet

Eldur (FORTID) replaced Niklas (SHINING) on vocals.

DEN SAAKALDTE is:

Sykelig - GuitarTjalve - Guitar, Backing VocalsSeidemann - BassEldur - VocalsTybalt - Drums

Hollywood rockers SPIDERS & SNAKES will release their ninth studio album on May 27 via the Sansei label. Entitled "Year Of The Snake", the CD features guest appearances by Billy Sherwood (YES, CIRCA), Angelo Moore (FISHBONE), Rik Fox (W.A.S.P., STEELER), Ryo Okumoto (PHIL COLLINS, ARETHA FRANKLIN, SPOCK'S BEARD) and Betsy Weiss (BITCH), among others.

"Year Of The Snake" is the first SPIDERS & SNAKES studio album release since 2008's "Melodrama" on the Corporate Punishment label (distributed by E1 Entertainment) and features all four band members sharing lead vocal and song-writing duties. The multiple lead vocalists lends the disc a depth that separates it stylistically from previous efforts, which mainly featured SPIDERS & SNAKES co-founder Lizzie Grey on lead vocals. The new album was recorded in the Chinese calendar "Year Of The Snake" (2013-2014) at Steady Studios in Burbank, California with engineer Gavin Ross at the helm — just short of the band's upcoming 25th anniversary.

Founded in 1990 from the ashes of Grey's previous outfit — the notorious LONDON, which famously spawned the careers of Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE), Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler, Slash (GUNS N' ROSES), Blackie Lawless (W.A.S.P.), Fred Coury (CINDERELLA) and Nigel Benjamin (MOTT THE HOOPLE) — SPIDERS & SNAKES immediately made its presence felt in its hometown of Hollywood by selling out venues on the Sunset Strip and the West Coast with its SWEET-meets-T. REX-meets-MOTT THE HOOPLE musical influences and over-the-top stage shows with special effects, costumes and scantily clad female dancers.

SPIDERS & SNAKES' 1991 debut EP, "Arachnomania" charted in Japan and the U.K. on the import charts and the band never stopped, releasing "Arachno II" (1992), "2000 Retro" (1993), "Oddities: The Glitter Years" (1995), "Astro Pop" (1997), "London Daze" (2000), "Hollywood Ghosts" (2005) and "Melodrama" (2008). During the rollercoaster ride of record deals that saw their catalog released by such labels as Rkd/RED, Rafr/Flipside, Cleopatra and Corporal Punishment, the band continued to tour and release music videos (two which aired on MTV in the '90s) and appear in B films like "Vamps In The City" (MVD) and documentary films like "Hollywood Rocks" (Cleopatra Films). Most recently, SPIDERS & SNAKES was featured in the opening segment of the hit reality show "Ex Wives Of Rock" (Fuse).

Says Lizzie Grey, who co-founded the band with drummer and vocalist Tim Yasui: "We're simply not has-beens since we never officially became mainstream.

"I realized that if you stick around long enough, you eventually become somewhat relevant again"

"Year Of The Snake" will be released on digital download, CD and vinyl formats and a 25th-anniversary tour is in the works.

"Year Of The Snake" track listing:

01. Don't Step Outta Line (feat. Angelo Moore)02. Crazy03. Too Angry (feat. Angelo Moore)04. Kawasaki City (feat. Ryo Okumoto, Betsy Weiss)05. Neutron Baby06. Drive Me Crazy07. Over & Over Again08. Hey You09. Hello10. Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore (feat. Rik Fox, Betsy Weiss)11. Digital Church (feat. Billy Sherwood)

The song "Too Angry" can be streamed below.

SPIDERS & SNAKES will appear live at Paladinos in Tarzana, California on Friday, April 11 for the annual "Rockers Against Trafficking" benefit featuring performances by HELMET, Dave Lombardo of SLAYER, Robert DeLeo from STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and members of W.A.S.P., QUIET RIOT and many more.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, the speculation appears to be true, Courtney Love is once again reuniting the "Celebrity Skin" lineup of HOLE.

Late last year, Courtney posted a photo on Facebook of her hugging on guitarist Eric Erlandson and tagged bassist Melissa Auf der Maur. The caption for the photo read, "2014 is going to be a very interesting year." That lineup, also featuring drummer Patty Schemel, will release a new single titled "Wedding Day" in May to coincide with a U.K. tour.

When speaking about the reunion, Love said, "I started playing with Patty and Melissa and Eric, just to see how that was. We already played like three or four times in the last week."

They played together from 1994 to1998, between the arrival of Auf Der Maur, who replaced the group's late bassist Kristin Pfaff, and the departure of Schemel, who left the band over differences with the "Celebrity Skin" producer.

The lineup played its first songs together in 15 years — "Miss World", off "Live Through This", and a cover of THE WIPERS' "Over The Edge" — in April 2012 at an after-party for Schemel's documentary.

The fifth installment in Relapse's exhaustive reissue campaign of DEATH's immensely influential catalog is "Leprosy", the band's titanic second album. Originally released in 1988 the pioneering LP built upon the thrash sounds of METALLICA and SLAYER but added a previously unheard level of raw extremity. These songs are the roots of an entire genre: death metal. While this was only the second record DEATH released, it immediately cemented them as heavy metal icons. The "Leprosy" reissue will be made available on April 25 in Benelux, Germany, Finland; April 29 in North America and April 28 in the the rest of the world. The entire album, as well as the bonus material, has been painstakingly remastered by Alan Douches (MASTODON, NILE) and will be reissued in the following format:

* 2xCD/Limited Edition* 3xCD/LP/Picture Disc LP/Limited Edition* 2xLP Box set/Digtal

The Deluxe 2xCD contains 50 minutes of previously unheard and unreleased "Leprosy" demos and rehearsal material housed in an embossed o-card package with a 24-page booklet featuring unseen pictures of the band as well as brand new liner notes from Ian Christe (SiriusXM) and Jeremy Wagner (BROKEN HOPE). The LP features the remastered core album on wax together with a download card for all of the music included on the 2xCD.

A remastered version of the death metal classic "Pull The Plug" can be heard below. In addition to the 2xCD reissue, a super limited 3xCD version will be available exclusively from Relapse.com featuring everything included on 2xCD version plus an exclusive third CD featuring over 40 minutes of unreleased live material, housed in a deluxe embossed eight-panel digipak with a 24-page booklet, limited and numbered to 2000 copies. Finally, a super-limited deluxe vinyl box set (limited to 500 copies) will be available exclusively from www.relapse.com containing: the remastered core "Leprosy" album on exclusive colored vinyl; a second LP containing unreleased rehearsal material from the "Leprosy" sessions housed in an exclusive jacket with original flyer art on exclusive colored vinyl; an exact replication of the original Combat newspaper print LP insert, a "Leprosy" turntable slipmat, and a download card of all three discs.

Pre-orders, including an exclusive new line of official DEATH merch, are available here.

Digital pre-orders are available via Bandcamp here. Disc 1 01. Leprosy02. Born Dead03. Forgotten Past04. Left To Die05. Pull The Plug06. Open Casket07. Primitive Ways08. Choke On It Disc 2 Leprosy - 9/23/87 Rehearsal

01. Open Casket02. Choke On It03. Left To Die04. Left To Die - Take 2 Leprosy - 12/05/87 Rehearsals

05. Left To Die06. Open Casket07. Pull The Plug08. Choke On It09. Born Dead10. Forgotten Past Disc 3 Live at Backstreets, Rochester, NY - December 13th, 1988

01. Leprosy02. Open Casket03. Zombie Ritual04. Pull The Plug05. Left To Die06. Mutilation07. Forgotten Past08. Born Dead09. Denial Of Life10. Primitive Ways11. Infernal Death Live at The Dirt Club, Bloomfield, NJ - December 11, 1988

12. Leprosy13. Pull The Plug14. Forgotten Past15. Primitive Ways Digital Deluxe ONLY Bonus Tracks - Live at The Dirt Club, Bloomfield, NJ - December 11, 1988

16. Open Casket17. Mutilation18. Infernal Death

An unboxing video of the super-limited deluxe vinyl box set can be seen below.

Fan-filmed video footage of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN performing its new single, "Happiness Is A Smile", during the band's surprise show on Tuesday, April 1 at Backroom Studios in Rockaway Township, New Jersey can be seen below.

"Happiness Is A Smile" will be made available on limited-edition colored seven-inch vinyl via the band's merchandise table and as a cassingle through the group's VIP packages during THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's U.S. tour, which kicks off on April 3 in New York City.

The artwork for "Happiness Is A Smile" was created by BBC Radio One presenter and occult artist Daniel Carter.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's fifth full-length album, "One Of Us Is The Killer", sold around 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 25 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on May 14 through the band's own Party Smasher Inc., in partnership with Sumerian Records in North America. Party Smasher's partnership with BMG covers the rest of the world, including licensing deals with Grind House for Japan and Remote Control in Australia.

"One Of Us Is The Killer" was recorded in Southern California with longtime producer Steve Evetts (GLASSJAW, THE CURE, SUICIDE SILENCE), with additional production at guitarist/co-founder Ben Weinman's studio. Mastering was handled by Tom Baker (DEFTONES, NINE INCH NAILS, BEASTIE BOYS).

In an interview with Killer Tours, Weinman stated about "One Of Us Is The Killer": "A lot of the inspiration for this record has to do with codependency. This band has a huge impact on everyone in our lives. The conflicts that occur from both being around the same people constantly and also being away from some people constantly makes you evaluate things in a way most people never could. A lot of our lyrical and musical content is a vessel for dealing with that."

"A Gift A Curse", a brand new song from the Queens, New York-based deathcore act EMMURE, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The song is taken from the band's seventh full-length album, "Eternal Enemies", which will be released on April 15 via Victory Records. According to a press release, the CD "is without a doubt the most aggressive, brutal and devastating of [album of the band's] career."

"Eternal Enemies" pre-order packages are now available exclusively through VictoryMerch.com.

Various "Eternal Enemies" packages, starting at $22.00, include your choice of limited-edition colored vinyl or CD, exclusive "Enemy Lines" DVD, t-shirts, crewneck, hoodie, beanie, bandana, 3' x 5' flag and more.

The "Enemy Lines" DVD features over 30 minutes of behind-the-scenes and in-studio footage of the band making "Eternal Enemies" along with EMMURE's entire music video catalog featuring eight official music videos from previous releases, one lyric video, and two brand new music videos for "Like Lamotta" and "Nemesis". This DVD will be available only in the "Eternal Enemies" package deals on VictoryMerch.com. "Eternal Enemies" track listing:

01. Bring A Gun To School02. Nemesis03. N.I.A. (News In Arizona)04. The Hang Up05. A Gift A Curse06. E07. Like Lamotta08. Free Publicity09. Most Hated10. Grave Markings11. Hitomi's Shinobi12. Rat King13. Girls Don't Like Boys, Girls Like 40s And Blunts14. New Age Rambler15. We Were Just Kids

EMMURE is headlining the Mosh Lives! Tour with support from VOLUMES, THY ART IS MURDER, GIDEON and SWORN IN. The trek kicked off on March 7.

EMMURE closed out 2013 by headlining the Never Say Die! tour in Europe (October 4-26) and then a full U.S. tour (October 29 - November 22) alongside ASKING ALEXANDRIA, SEVENDUST, ALL THAT REMAINS and FOR TODAY.

EMMURE's fifth full-length album, "Slave To The Game", was released in April 2012 via Victory Records. The CD was recorded with producer Joey Sturgis (ASKING ALEXANDRIA, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA), who previously worked with the band on 2011's "Speaker Of The Dead".

"Slave To The Game" marked the recording debut of EMMURE's new drummer, Mark Costillo, who has previously played with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and BURY YOUR DEAD.

The official lyric video for the song "Dreamkeeper" from German symphonic metallers XANDRIA can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's sixth album, "Sacrificium", which will be released on May 6 (one day earlier internationally) via Napalm Records. According to the band, the follow-up to 2012's "Neverworld's End" will "continue the musical journey and direction" of the last CD but "will bring in even more of everything people liked" about "Neverworld's End".

"Sacrificium" track listing:

01. Temple Of Hate02. Stardust03. Dreamkeeper04. Nightfall05. Sacrificium06. Our Neverworld07. Little Red Relish08. Come With Me09. Until The End10. Betrayer11. Sweet Atonement12. The Undiscovered Land

The cover artwork for "Sacrificium" can be seen below.

XANDRIA last fall parted ways with their singer of three years, Manuela Kraller. Her replacement is the "astonishing 28-year-old Dutch talent" Dianne Van Giersbergen, who also fronts the progressive metal outfit EX LIBRIS.

Said Manuela in a statement: "After three years with the boys in XANDRIA, I decided to follow a different path and go my own musical way."

The sympathethic Bavarian singer left with regret but also full of gratitude, thanking band and fans for the time they had together and being grateful for the "wonderful moments in mutual tours and shows." Manuela also wished Dianne and band "all the very best for the future!"

Dianne Van Giersbergen made her live debut with XANDRIA at the end of November 2013 on a Spanish tour.

Fans had a last chance to see Kraller singing with XANDRIA in October 2013 in Leipzig, Germany and Pratteln, Switzerland, where she performed at the Masters Of Symphonic Metal festival at Z7.

SOCIETY 1 has released the first single from its new EP, "Rise From The Dead", titled "It's Yours Now". The track was produced by Alex Crescioni and the lyric video, which can be seen below, was created by vocalist Lord Zane. The band is also offering 100 free downloads from its SoundCloud page.

"I think our producer Alex did a great job capturing the new sound and direction of the band," said Zane.

"We've been playing the new songs out, but it's great to finally start to hear them recorded.

"I think people will be surprised by what we are sounding like these days."

Zane previously stated about SOCIETY 1's collaboration with Alex Crescioni: "Alex is younger than all of us and is also in his own band called DIMINISHED 7 that has been part of the L.A. scene now for years," said Zane. "He's not up in the hills overlooking Hollywood like a spoiled hotshot and has done everything he can to produce as many acts as possible to hone his skills. I heard some of his work and was impressed. I liked that he is in the middle of all the chaos and hunger amongst the current crop of local acts. That kind of immersion into the scene affects you in a way that can't be duplicated."

The official video for POISON frontman Bret Michaels's new solo single, "A Beautiful Soul", can be seen below. The song was made available digitally on April 1.

Michaels performed "A Beautiful Soul" on the April 2 edition of "Oprah's Lifeclass".

Bret Michaels is a multiplatinum global superstar who has turned his passion for music into a multi-faceted brand that encompasses record breaking touring sales, reality TV stardom, legendary songs that have sold over 32 million records, product endorsements as well as being a devoted philanthropist, all supported and followed by three generations of loyal fans.

Rising to fame as the front man of POISON, one of rock's most iconic and enduring bands, he helped define the rock-n-roll scene on the Sunset Strip. POISON's massive success includes selling over 30 million records worldwide and numerous hit singles. Bret's solo career has charted its own course with multiple solo albums. His last album, "Custom Built", topped the charts, reaching #1 on Billboard's Hard Rock list. His new CD "Bret Michaels: Jammin With Friends" was released in June 2013 and features a myriad of legendary artists, who just happen to be great friends of Bret's. The album contributors comprise a who's who list, including Joe Perry (AEROSMITH), Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Buffett, Ace Frehley (KISS), Michael Anthony (VAN HALEN) and members of LYNYRD SKYNYRD, to name a few.

The following are some of the METALLICA's recent South American concert attendances/grosses, as reported by Billboard magazine:

Artist/Event: METALLICAVenue: Parque Simon Bolivar City/State: Bogota, ColombiaDate: March 16, 2014Gross Sales: $2,857,030Attendance/Capacity: 30,974 / 34,137Ticket Prices: $156.23, $73.23

Artist/Event: METALLICAVenue: Parque Bicentenario City/State: Quito, EcuadorDate: March 18, 2014Gross Sales: $3,877,959Attendance/Capacity: 32,257 / 32,257Ticket Prices: $225, $30

Artist/Event: METALLICAVenue: Estadio Nacional City/State: Lima, PeruDate: March 20, 2014Gross Sales: $1,925,090Attendance/Capacity: 27,858 / 31,600Ticket Prices: $164.23, $18.95

Artist/Event: METALLICAVenue: Estadio do Morumbi City/State: Sao Paulo, BrazilDate: March 22, 2014Gross Sales: $5,701,630Attendance/Capacity: 61,742/ 63,347Ticket Prices: $257.68, $77.30

Artist/Event: METALLICAVenue: Jockey Club City/State: Asuncion, ParaguayDate: March 24, 2014Gross Sales: $2,256,140Attendance/Capacity: 28,277 / 32,200Ticket Prices: $223.81, $40.29

Artist/Event: METALLICAVenue: Estadio Monumental City/State: Santiago, ChileDate: March 27, 2014Gross Sales: $3,508,790Attendance/Capacity: 43,296 / 43,296Ticket Prices: $170.18, $48.37

Artist/Event: METALLICAVenue: Estadio Unico Ciudad de La Plata City/State: Buenos Aires, ArgentinaDate: March 29-30, 2014Gross Sales: $4,719,390Attendance/Capacity: 76,407 / 79,038Ticket Prices: $124.87, $31.22

As promised, the band played a nearly all-request set on the above-listed South American shows, with 17 songs chosen online by fans prior to the gig and the last slot filled by the new track "The Lords Of Summer".

Drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone that "The Lords Of Summer" "is fairly representative of where our creative headspace is at right now. It's one of those things that's like, 'Here, we're writing and we're creating.'"

Guitarist Kirk Hammett told The Pulse Of Radio that coming up with music is not a problem for the band. "We're a band that never has a shortage of ideas," he said. "You know, you hear about these bands that are like, oh, they're sitting in the studio and they don't have any songs, what are they gonna do? That's not METALLICA. METALLICA's problem is the total opposite: we have too many ideas, which ones are we gonna use. And so that's pretty much how it stands with us."

Ulrich cautioned, however, that "The Lords Of Summer" may not even end up on METALLICA's next album at all, or at least not in its current form. He explained, "We did the same thing when we went out and played a bunch of dates in 2006. We were writing and played two different new songs over the course of that summer, and none of them made the record (2008's 'Death Magnetic')."

The Metallica By Request tour will hit Europe this summer, with a single North American date confirmed in Montreal, as the band continues working on its 10th studio album. The rest of METALLICA's "by request" show in South America featured such "rarities" as "Master Of Puppets", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", "Battery", "Fade To Black", "One" and "Enter Sandman".

The following are some of the AVENGED SEVENFOLD's recent South American concert attendances/grosses, as reported by Billboard magazine:

Artist/Event: AVENGED SEVENFOLDVenue: Espaco das AmericasCity/State: Sao Paulo, BrazilDate: March 12, 2014Gross Sales: $569,142Attendance/Capacity: 7,133 / 9,600Ticket Prices: $127.48, $53.12

Artist/Event: AVENGED SEVENFOLDVenue: HSBC ArenaCity/State: Rio de Janeiro, BrazilDate: March 15, 2014Gross Sales: $352,954Attendance/Capacity: 4,866 / 7,000Ticket Prices: $152.20, $46.51

Artist/Event: AVENGED SEVENFOLDVenue: Luna ParkCity/State: Buenos Aires, ArgentinaDate: March 09, 2014Gross Sales: $291,619Attendance/Capacity: 6,338 / 7,700Ticket Prices: $63.58, $19.07

Artist/Event: AVENGED SEVENFOLDVenue: Pepsi On StageCity/State: Porto Alegre, BrazilDate: March 22, 2014Gross Sales: $231,884Attendance/Capacity: 4,277 / 4,488Ticket Prices: $81.60, $21.47

Artist/Event: AVENGED SEVENFOLDVenue: Ginasio Nilson NelsonCity/State: Brasilia, BrazilDate: March 16, 2014Gross Sales: $184,572Attendance/Capacity: 3,516 / 5,100Ticket Prices: $127.63, $20.42

Artist/Event: AVENGED SEVENFOLDVenue: Teatro CaupolicanCity/State: Santiago, ChileDate: March 7, 2014Gross Sales: $164,689Attendance/Capacity: 3,181 / 4,400Ticket Prices: $99.82, $35.65

According to The Pulse Of Radio, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has a lot of plans in store for the rest of 2014, but first on the band's to-do list is the long-awaited arrival of its mobile video game, Hail To The King: Deathbat. The game has been two years in the making and singer M. Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio where things are at. "It's gonna be a big game," he said. "It's really pushing the boundaries of mobile in a lot of technical ways. Right now we're just working out the bugs. You know, there's some people sitting in a dark room somewhere just playing the game over and over and sending us notes on it. So that's kind of where it stands."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will head out this month on a spring North American headlining trek dubbed the "Shepherd Of Fire Tour" in honor of the band's current single.

The dates will kick off on April 12 in British Columbia, hitting arenas in the United States and Canada as well as several major festivals before winding down on May 17 at Columbus, Ohio's Rock On The Range blowout. Support on the headlining dates will come from HELLYEAH.

The song "Shepherd Of Fire" is taken from AVENGED SEVENFOLD's 2013 album, "Hail To The King". The single is the band's second consecutive chart-topper on the Active Rock radio chart, following the album's title track.