HELLYEAH's fourth studio album, "Blood For Blood", will be released on June 10 via Eleven Seven Music. The CD was helmed by producer Kevin Churko at his The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada. Churko is the Canadian musician, sound engineer, songwriter and record producer who has previously worked with OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and IN THIS MOMENT, among other acts.

On the cover artwork for "Blood For Blood", HELLYEAH vocalist Chad Gray collaborated with renowned tattoo artist Paul Booth. Booth has been tattooing for over twenty years, and in that time he has worked on many celebrities and rock bands, including SLAYER, SLIPKNOT, SEPULTURA, SOULFLY and LAMB OF GOD. Paul says of the "Blood For Blood" artwork: "The last project that Chad and I worked on together was the MUDVAYNE blacklight design. I had such a great time working on that art, when Chad called on me to design HELLYEAH's 'Blood For Blood', I jumped right into it as I knew it, too, would likely be a fun one. Chad always gives me the freedom to explore and interpret his ideas. It always makes for great collaboration. I look forward to seeing it all in print!"

"Blood For Blood" is the album that HELLYEAH — featuring MUDVAYNE's Chad Gray on vocals, PANTERA's Vinnie Paul Abbott on drums and NOTHINGFACE's Tom Maxwell on guitar — has always wanted to make. "It's a defining record for HELLYEAH and for anyone on the fence," Paul declared, describing the record as "focused and with a clear direction." After roughly eight years, three albums, countless tours as headliners and as participants on "can't-miss" festival bills and hundreds of thousands of albums sold, HELLYEAH is making their biggest and boldest statement yet with "Blood For Blood". They are going for the jugular and every song on the album clamps down and doesn't let go. They've exchanged some of the party-centric, good time sounds of past efforts for pure metallic fury and emotional introspection. The album sounds like a recharged HELLYEAH, taken up many notches. "Blood For Blood" is easily HELLYEAH's most metallic album. It leaves a mark, thanks to songs like the angular, vengeful "DMF". There's also "Demons In The Dirt", a beast of a song birthed by the sort of anger that can't be faked; it will leave you wondering who pissed these guys off. "Gift" is dirty, rowdy rock with equal parts groove and swagger, but also possessed of the sort of punk rock energy that would make MOTÖRHEAD fans turn their heads. Then there is moodier, more contemplative fare like "Moth To The Flame" or "Hush", which connect on an emotional, cellular level, proving that you can be incredibly heavy in ways other than loud and fast. "We still have a love affair with this band and have a lot we want to say," explained Maxwell. He relished taking on a larger songwriting role and serving as the lead guitarist, which you can hear in the album's overall sound and in every note of his playing. "That magic is there for us, still. This is the record I've always wanted to make in this band, which has so many creative forces." Gray also shared that changes made the members closer. "We leaned on each other for support and inspiration," he said. The band opted to work with an outside producer for the first time ever, recruiting Churko for the job. "To move forward, you have to make changes," said Paul, who wrote the music in Texas with Maxwell before heading to Hideout Recording Studio in Sin City to put it to tape. "I am used to being a producer or co-producer and I wanted to see what would happen if I backed up and let someone take the reigns, leaving me to just be a drummer," said Paul, while admitting that vocals were the one area of production to which he couldn't do proper justice. The band was happy to allow Churko to provide a fresh perspective. Given Churko's resume, which is littered with names as diverse as OZZY OSBOURNE, IN THIS MOMENT and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, the band knew he was the man who could pull the best performance possible out of Gray. The singer himself praised that Churko had a unique way of extracting what he wanted, saying, "You can be a drill sergeant and rule through intimidation or be laid back and cool, but get it done without pressure. He rules through cool." Overall, the album has less of an obvious southern influence, with Paul deeming it "a metal record that also has melody.It lends itself to a diverse group of people." As the mouthpiece for the band, Gray lets out his primal scream throughout the album, enabling him to properly and fully express his emotions in the music. "We want to shut people up a little, the people who have never given HELLYEAH the time of day, for whatever reason," the singer said. "Whether you want it or not, it's undeniable. This [album] is an every night fistfight." Gray shared that he firmly believes in music as therapy and revels in helping the band's fans achieve catharsis with the music they have created. He acknowledged the fact that the album is devoid of the party anthems that previously populated the HELLYEAH catalog. "There is not a party song on this record, which we are kind of known for," he said. Gray continued "As much as I love those songs, they put us in a certain box that I've never been comfortable in since I'm not always like that." Instead, Gray and his bandmates wanted to show a depth, breadth and range of emotions and styles.

It was important for Gray to craft songs that were heavy on multiple levels at the same time. His approach was that heavy doesn't always mean as fast and as loud as possible. He said, "For me, personally, I was going through my emotional checklist, and how I wanted to be heavy both aggressively and emotionally. I need that balance." For example, the mercurial "Moth" examines our base, animal instincts and drives. Despite knowing something is bad for you and will burn you, you still can't pull yourself away from it.

"Black December" turns a critical eye on the year-end holiday season, and more deeply, the sadness that can permeate the end of the year. "It's a deadly month and depressing," Gray explained. "It's a hard month to get through with all the bullshit and commercialization. John Lennon and Dimebag Darrell were killed in December — that's like taking away things I need to live. I can't celebrate this whole December vibe." For his part, Paul labeled his drumming on "Say When" as some of the most challenging of his career, going so far as to say he hasn't played like this since PANTERA's 1994 opus "Far Beyond Driven". "It's so off the chain, and I will be worn out every night when I play it," the kit minder said. While that may be bad for Paul, it's a very good thing for metal fans. Maxwell also points to the more mainstream rock element of "Hush", which brings a sense of community to those who have had turbulent upbringings. The song is successful "at being heavy while being uplifting." That's not easy to do, but HELLYEAH make it seem and sound easy. "Blood For Blood" marks a new chapter for HELLYEAH. They pushed themselves to new limits, dared to embrace change and to take risks with their music by just doing what comes naturally. Gray said it best: "The more you listen to it, the more it will open up to you."

HELLYEAH has finished filming a video for the song "Sangre Por Sangre (Blood For Blood)" with director Robert Sexton (SOULFLY, DEATH ANGEL, THE DWARVES, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, AMEN, MONDO GENERATOR, GENÖCIDE) in Hollywood, California. The track is the first single from "Blood For Blood".

"Blood For Blood" track listing:

01. Sangre Por Sangre (Blood For Blood)02. Demons In The Dirt03. Soul Killer04. Moth05. Cross To Bier (Cradle Of Bones)06. DMF07. Gift08. Hush09. Say When10. Black December

HELLYEAH parted ways with guitarist Greg Tribbett and bassist Bob "Zilla" Kahaha before making the new album, with Abbott saying that the split became necessary after HELLYEAH finished its last tour.

He explained, "We felt like we had really got some momentum and the fans were really into where we were going and what we were doing musically and we got into the studio about three weeks after that tour was over and it just really became obvious to us that Greg and Zilla, they weren't really in the same head space as us."

HELLYEAH has recruited new bassist Kyle Sanders, a former member of BLOODSIMPLE and the brother of MASTODON's Troy Sanders, and will announce the name of a touring guitarist shortly.

The band will head out on a mix of festival gigs and shows with AVENGED SEVENFOLD starting on April 12 in Dawson Creek, British Columbia.

FOZZY, the band featuring WWE wrestling superstar Chris Jericho alongside members of STUCK MOJO, will release a new single, "Lights Go Out", on April 29 across all digital platforms. The release will coincide with the track's impact at Active Rock radio, and will be the first single from the band's upcoming sixth studio album, set to hit stores this summer.

"'Lights Go Out' represents a brand new color in the FOZZY spectrum," says Chris Jericho of the new single. "Dark, sexy, sleek, dirty, heavy and catchy as f*ck, this song turns a whole new page in hard rock history. It doesn't matter if you dance to it in a club or mosh to it in a pit, 'Lights Go Out' will make you move!"

The band return to the North American tour circuit in late April, where they will be making crowds move on America's biggest festivals, including appearances alongside AVENGED SEVENFOLD, VOLBEAT, ROB ZOMBIE, SLAYER and more at 98 Rockfest, Welcome To Rockville, Carolina Rebellion and Rock On The Range. FOZZY will also be playing dates between festivals in support of BUCKCHERRY, co-headlining with KYNG, and sharing their stage with GEMINI SYNDROME, REV THEORY, HEAVEN'S BASEMENT and Century Media Records labelmates EYES SET TO KILL.

Also recently annouced is the October 13, 2014 release of "The Best In The World: At What I Have No Idea", Chris Jericho's third autobiography and the sequel to his New York Times bestsellers "A Lion's Tale" and "Undisputed".

Still can't get enough Jericho? Check out the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast, which features the multi-faceted superstar interviewing guests from the all over the world of pop-culture and entertainment twice weekly, every Wednesday and Friday. The podcast has already reached No. 1 in seven countries and is one of the marquee programs on the PodcastOne network, featuring guests as diverse as comedian and TV host Howie Mandel, ghosthunter Jeff Belanger, professional athletes and wrestling superstars, and fellow musicians such as Dave Mustaine, M. Shadows and Ace Frehley.

FOZZY's latest album, "Sin And Bones", sold around 3,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 143 on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 1 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.

Las Vegas metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH have uploaded pre-show backstage and performance footage from their March 30 and March 31 concerts at the Forum in London, England. Check out the four-minute clip below.

The official video for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's surprising cover of the classic folk song "The House Of The Rising Sun" can be seen below. The song is the next single from the Las Vegas-based band's recently released album, "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 2". The disc came out on November 19, 2013 and is the second half of a two-record set, with "Volume 1" coming out in July 2013.

The gasoline-soaked cinematic video was filmed in the high deserts of Nevada, directed by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory in conjunction with Thought Pirates Films' Brian Neal, while Steve Darnell of the famous Welder Up Garage built the cars and handled the set design.

Zoltan explains: "This video was an experiment, the initial step toward something we always wanted to do, which is to make a full-length DEATH PUNCH movie somewhere down the line. We jumped into this knowing that we'd shoot more footage than we could possibly fit in one music video. We went out there with two helicopters, two gyrocopters, twenty-something crazy cars, a big cast and an arsenal of cameras. We ended up with so much amazing material, the hardest task was to compress it down into a three-minute video, so we made an extended version with a long intro and we are making an even longer 'director's cut' as we speak."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, the original author of "The House Of The Rising Sun" is unknown and the song's roots may date back to the 16th century.

The oldest known existing recording is by Appalachian artists Clarence "Tom" Ashley and Gwen Foster, who recorded it for Vocalion Records in 1934.

The most successful commercial version was recorded by the English rock group THE ANIMALS in 1964, which was a No. 1 hit in the U.K., the U.S., Sweden, Finland and Canada.

The members of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH discussed in a recently released video clip how they changed up the classic song to give it a hard-rock vibe, most notably, by switching the song's time signature from 6/8 to 4/4.

"We had the idea to do this for a while," explained guitarist Zoltan Bathory. "The interesting thing about this song is that [it's] actually in a time signature of 6/8 which is a waltz… and rock music and waltz doesn't necessarily mix right."

He continued: "So basically the challenge was: 'How do we make this song work? How do we take away that goofy vibe and how do we make it into a rock structure?'"

"The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 2" sold 77,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The first half of "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart, selling 113,000 copies in its first week of release.

Capital Chaos TV has uploaded video footage of CARCASS' March 26 performance at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California during the 2014 edition of the Decibel Magazine Tour. You can now watch the chat below.

Decibel magazine's third cross-country domination features CARCASS alongside melodeath powerhouse THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, technical death metal heroes GORGUTS and emerging death/thrash squad NOISEM.

CARCASS' new album, "Surgical Steel", sold around 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on September 16, 2013 in the U.K., September 13, 2013 in the rest of Europe and September 17, 2013 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was produced by Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY).

Joining guitarist Bill Steer and bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker in CARCASS' current incarnation are new drummer Dan Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and guitarist Ben Ash (PIG IRON, DESOLATION, LIQUEFIED SKELETON).

Valparaiso, Chile-based symphonic metallers ETERNUS are offering a free download of their new album, Labyrinth Of Reason. Eternus' main objective is to give a new and creative essence with baritone vocals and musicians with innovative ideas in this genre.
Tracklisting:

'Echoes From The Storm'
'Forever'
'Nemesis Of The Gods'
'In The Lap Of Death'
'Rebirth'
'Dream Catcher'
'Prison Of Mortality'
'Ashes From The Past'
'Internal Force'
'Baroque Hera'
'Ancestral Journey'
'Chalice Of Blood'
'Light Of Tomorrow'
'Frozen Time'
'Final Eclipse'

Get your download at this location.

'Nemesis Of The Gods':
Lineup:

Omar Tabilo - Vocals
Roberto Aros - Guitar
Felipe Rozas - Keyboards & Grunts
Martín Muñoz - Bass
Nicolas Vargas - Drums
Joaquin Gutierrez - Guitar

German art/prog rock band RPWL will release their new album, Wanted, in North America on April 1st via Gentle Art of Music/E1. A full album stream can be found at this location.
RPWL was recently confronted with a rather difficult question: how do you follow up a both epic as well as celebrated album as was the Nietzsche-themed Beyond Man And Time? Here's the answer: you tackle the really, really huge topic on your new record Wanted - the ultimate liberation of the spirit.

But... how does an idea like that spring to the minds of an art rock band in the first place?

RPWL tell of the hero of two worlds, Giuseppe Garibaldi who, being a tremendous admirer of the Greek antiquity became aware of a scroll of Plato's in which he analyzes the work of Hippocrates. It can be read in Garibaldi's diaries that Hippocrates had in fact found the formula for a medicine that leads the spirit into a real and absolute world, free of all illusion and invisible ghost worlds. The question, however, that inevitable arises at that point is the following: is the human race ready for what Plato called the "gift of absolute freedom?"

It lies in the artistic fearlessness of RPWL that the band is not afraid of transferring that complex question to the world of today: is modern man, being the evolutionary creature that he is, ready for absolute freedom? To explore that, these Bavarians have established a back-story full of fantasy. In it RPWL and their friends aim at granting the world access to the product of the secret formula - disguised as a homeopathic drug against mental fatigue that goes by the name of "Veritas Forte." Considering the true intention of the operation the fact that the wrath of the churches of the world religions is unleashed at the band rather sooner than later is understood. And so, consequently, they are forced to go underground. That, however, is where RPWL continues to organize ultimate liberation from all oppression through the machineries of illusion run by religions and sects. RPWL are Wanted.

The action of Wanted starts several days before the great day: Plato's Day. The enemy's fear is ever growing, as, after all nobody knows at what point the mirages and illusions are eradicated from people's minds once and for all. In the course of the record RPWL shift through ten varied songs full of breathtaking soundscapes and tell a compelling story of courage, doubt, bravery, the unconditional desire to never give in and, ultimately, the belief in what is right.

By making a philosophy that is new and to a degree unique the subject of the concept of Wanted, RPWL bring the principle of the concept album to a new level. That is how this gigantic piece of art evolves into a true explosion of creativity. Furthermore the intellectual firepower of the content is in every way matched by the artistic and emotional depth of the music. More than ever a sharp artistic edge and the hunger for discovery is what drives this record forward. Despite more than fifteen years in the scene, Yogi Lang (vocals, keyboard), Kalle Wallner (guitar), Marc Turiaux (drums), Markus Jehle (keyboard, piano) and Werner Taus (bass) brilliantly avoid playing it safe.

The masterpiece that is Wanted will also be released as double vinyl as well as a limited edition in additional 5.1-surround-sound. Yes, Wanted is a gamble - and boy does that gamble pay off.
Wanted tracklisting:

'Revelation'
'Swords And Guns'
'A Short Cut Line'
'Wanted'
'Hide And Seek'
'Disbelief'
'Misguided Thought'
'Perfect Day'
'The Attack'
'A New Dawn'

'Swords And Guns' video:
'Wanted':
Teaser trailer:

Harder Than Steel - The Official Keep It True Festival Tribute Album - unique compilation album, that includes cover songs of bands that played at the Keep It True festival, performed by other bands that also played at the festival - will be available exclusively at this year's edition of the Keep It True, that takes place on April 25 and 26, 2014. Its front cover artwork, painted by the longtime festival partner Dimitar Nikolov, can be seen below. The CD will be released by Skol Records, will be limited to only 500 copies and has been produced by Bart Gabriel & Oliver Weinsheimer.

Check out CRYSTAL VIPER version of the DEMON classic below 'Night Of The Demon':
"Keep It True is not only a festival, it's a community," says festival organizer and co-founder, Oliver Weinsheimer. "Not only among the fans, but also among the bands. It's now eleven years after we started the festival, and with most of the bands we still share a great friendship. Now last year Bart Gabriel came up with this brilliant idea for this Tribute Sampler, and we were really flattered by that, and how fast the bands agreed to do this special thing for us. That’s something unique and we are very proud of that!"
Harder Than Steel - The Official Keep It True Festival Tribute Album tracklisting:

ATTACKER - 'Fire Down Under' (RIOT)
PARADOX - 'March Of The Saint' (ARMORED SAINT)
CRYSTAL VIPER - 'Night Of The Demon' (DEMON)
WITCH CROSS - 'Angel Witch' (ANGEL WITCH)
OSTROGOTH - 'Plan Of Peace' (LETHAL)
JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR - 'Children Of The Storm' (VIRGIN STEELE)
SACRED STEEL - 'All For One' (RAVEN)
NIGHT DEMON - 'Axe Crazy' (JAGUAR)
WIZARD - 'Mind Body Spirit' (VIRGIN STEELE)
BORROWED TIME - 'Bound To Be Free' (SAVAGE GRACE)
SATAN'S HOST - 'See You In Hell' (GRIM REAPER)
DEADLY BLESSING - 'Notorious' (LIZZY BORDEN)

Montréal's ENDAST will release their new album, Thrive, on April 28th. They have issued the following video update:
A launch party has been confirmed for April 25th at Foufounes Electriques in Montréal, Québec. Free album included with entry.

Go to this location for complete event details.
Big James Arsenian, frontman for Endast and EXES FOR EYES, has checked in with the following update:

"I worked until 3:30am at my day job. It is now just after 7:00am and I am still up working on the business end of our upcoming album release and the tours that will follow. We don't have a label, publicist, booking agent or management. We do it all ourselves and it's a 24/7 job. If you want success, you gotta work hard.

It's really easy to get distracted by other people's success, to become jealous of how easy it seems for them, but in the time I've been in Endast, a lot of more successful bands have come and gone and we are still here. Still sharing our passion with you guys. Still making memories on tour with new and old friends. The difference between us and them? I'd wager that we're still around because we continue to believe in ourselves, even if the music 'industry' doesn't. And so we keep working..."

With a career spanning 45 years and 22 albums, Dunfermline rockers NAZARETH are back with Rock ‘N’ Roll Telephone, which is set for release on June 9th via Union Square Music.

The band’s 23rd studio album, their first since 2011’s Big Dogz, features 11 original heavy rockers and bluesy ballads. The deluxe digipack edition will include a second disc with two additional studio recordings and five live tracks, and will also be available in a double LP gatefold vinyl version.

A welcome return to form, this may be the last album to feature original singer Dan McCafferty, who has had to stand down from touring duties due to ill health. If this does prove to be Dan’s last stand, he retires on a high note with his legacy as one of rock’s greatest vocalists assured.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Telephone proves that the boys from Dunfermline, who determinedly walked to London for a chance at a career in music over four decades ago, perhaps weren’t taking quite such a risk as it may have seemed at the time.
Rock ‘N’ Telephone tracklisting:

Disc 1 / LP 1
‘Boom Bang Bang’
‘One Set Of Bones’
‘Back 2B4’
‘Winter Sunlight’
‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Telephone’
‘Punch A Hole In The Sky’
‘Long Long Time’
‘The Right Time’
‘Not Today’
‘Speakeasy’
‘God Of The Mountain’

Disc 2 / LP 2 Bonus tracks
‘Just A Ride’
‘Wanna Feel Good?
‘Big Boy’ (live)
‘Kentucky Fried Blues’ (live)
‘Sunshine’ (live)
‘Expect No Mercy’ (live)
‘God Save The South’ (live)

Iron Bonehead Productions has set May 16th as the international release date for INFERNAL CURSE's The End Upon Us 12" mini-LP.
Across four swift slices of barbaric bestiality, this Argentinean black/death power-trio paints a vivid portrait of a future most fatal. Explosions of subharmonic riff, drums driven with aninimalistic abandon, sepulchral voices plumbing the depths of the abyss, and chaotic leads divebombing into and out of the metaphysical carnage: here, Infernal Curse upratchet all the aspects that made their Awakening Of The Damned debut so deadly, rendering The End Upon Us a study in deeply occult savagery.
The End Upon Us tracklisting:

'The End Upon Us'
'Lascivious Malevolence'
'Waters Of Phlegethon'
'La diosa del averno' (HADEZ cover)

CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth has checked in with the following update:

"Two and half lengthy weeks have elapsed since the co-headlining tour with BEHEMOTH culminated, yet we still have a few treasures left over from its ever so violent reign.

First up, may we present for your vulgar delectation, the live rendition of 'Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids' all the way from deepest, darkest, dankest Europe.

Also, stay tuned to this channel folks for some further earth-shattering news on all things 'Filthy over the next couple of weeks."
after more than 20 years, Total Fucking Darkness, the infamous third demo from Cradle Of Filth, will be officially released in vinyl format on May 5th. Housed in a heavy gatefold sleeve with paintings featuring the twisted visions of Radio One Presenter and Occult Artist, Daniel P Carter, the release will include some tracks previously unreleased by the band.

Frater Nihil, the founder of Cacophonous Records, the label that first signed Cradle Of Filth, got together with Dani Filth and Paul Ryan (former guitarist and now in THE KING IS BLIND) to bring fans of the band, both old and new, a remastered version of the demo along with material that had been sitting in the vaults for 20 years. They entered Turan Studio in Oxford and with the help of the engineer (who has worked on everything from EMPEROR to THIN LIZZY) brought the old recordings a new lease of life.

The album kicks off with the track 'Spattered In Faeces', the only surviving track from the now mythical Goetia sessions, followed on Side A and the rest of Side B with the recordings from Total Fucking Darkness. Side C begins with another previously unreleased track, 'Devil Mayfair (Advocatus Diaboli)', recorded at Samhain 1992, the rest of the side and the next feature the other three tracks from that session, along with two short instrumental pieces from the band's former keyboardist, Ben Ryan.

There will be a press of 666 copies in coloured vinyl for retail, with a Digipak CD version also available. Pre-orders can be placed here.
Tracklisting:

Side I
'Spattered In Faeces'
'The Black Goddess Rises'
'As Deep As Any Burial'

Side II
'Unbridled At Dusk'
'The Raping Of Faith'
'Fraternally Yours, 666'

Side III
'Devil Mayfair (Advocatus Diaboli)'
'The Black Goddess Rises'
'Seance And Mandrake' (Instr.)

Side IV
'The Raping Of Faith'
'Unbridled At Dusk'
'Hekate Enthroned' (Instr.)

Greek power metal band CROSSWIND will release their new album, Vicious Dominion, on June 23rd via No Remorse Records.
According to a band update, "you can expect maniacal riffing that collides against epic orchestral arrangements with intertwined guitar harmonies that bind with multi-layered, multi octave vocals, backed by a fine-tuned rhythm section’s onslaught."
Vicious Dominion tracklist is:
'From Ashes Reborn'
'Lords Of Deceit'
'The Order'
'Angels At War '
'Legion Lost'
'Vicious Dominion'
'Aeons'
'Grim Steeds'
'Eye Of The Storm'

The line-up of the band consists of Vassilis Topalides (vocals), Kyriakos Vasdokas (guitars), Leon Tsorbatzoglou (guitars), Vassilis Kyrkos (bass) and Vassilis Mitsaris (drums).

Israeli aggressive metallers FERIUM will release Reflections through the UK's Transcend Music on April 7th.

A press release states: “Though a deft mix of metal sub-genres can be heard, the common denominator is one composed of stellar musicianship and memorable songwriting, making Reflections an album beyond compare. The result is a release that offers listeners a new experience every time the play button is hit. While lyrical themes of personal struggles, relationship problems and the day-in-day-out struggles of a mundane existence can be detected, the potential for listener interpretation is wide open. Ferium brings it with force and leaves you in deep thought, even as the pain from the body blows fights for your attention.”
Reflections tracklisting:

‘By The Book’
‘Downhill From Nothing’
‘The Very Existence’
‘Mirror’
‘Side Effects’
‘The Black Eyes’
‘Lust Fool’
‘Caustic Value’
‘Change Of Winds’
‘Business On Demand’
‘Blood’
‘Reflections’

‘Mirror’:
‘Lust Fool’:
For more info visit Facebook.

On May 27th, Unspeakable Axe Records will release Endless Asphyxiating Gloom, the debut from Canadian death metal outfit SABBATORY.

Their band name may evoke SABBAT and their album title the Dutch masters ASPHYX, but Winnipeg's Sabbatory really hew closer to two twin poles of ancient extremity: Teutonic death metal (MORGOTH in particular) and the mighty CELTIC FROST. Somewhere in the dark territory between lies Endless Asphyxiating Gloom.

Sabbatory have several years of experience playing live and recording a prior demo, and members have also played in numerous other Winnipeg acts, including the death/thrash machine BESIEGED. Now their debut album is ready to be unleashed. Expect nothing less than death the ancient way with well-honed riffs and tortured vocals from the depths.
Distribution for Endless Asphyxiating Doom will come from Dark Descent Records.

Endless Asphyxiating Gloom tracklisting:

‘Being, Thy Eternal Perplexor’
‘Hypnotic Regression’
‘Corrosive Decay’
‘Infantasy’
‘Endless Asphyxiating Gloom’
‘The End Of A Pessimistic Voyage’
‘Orbiting Obscuron’
For more info visit Facebook.

Outlaw thrash extremists ZOLDIER NOIZ will release their second full-length, Regression Process, on May 27th through Unspeakable Axe Records, with distribution from Dark Descent Records.

The art is stark and evocative of punk and grindcore with its cut-and-paste aesthetics and overtones of social commentary. There's definitely a strong punk vibe to the music as well, but at its core, Regression Process is metal in one of its earliest and most molten forms - speed metal blurring over into death; thrash without the technical window dressing. Songs are vicious and to the point, and the rough and raw vocals suggest Lemmy Kilmister if he tried to fill in at the microphone for BOLT THROWER.
Regression Process tracklisting:

‘Grave Crawler’
‘Random Justice’
‘Tomorrow Is Today’
‘Regression Process’
‘Thirty Nine Forty Five’
‘Dread Relieves’
‘Vacant Worlds’
‘Ebola Syndrome’
‘Filthy Few’
‘Life Under Will’
For more info visit Facebook.

Ohio's DISMEMBERMENT have announced that their debut full-length, Embrace The Dark, will be officially released on April 29th. The album will be available on CD through Horror Pain Gore Death Productions and cassette by Tridroid Records. Pre-orders begin in early April.
Tracklisting:

'Confess Your Flesh'
'Eye Of The Keeper'
'Archaic Wisdom'
'Labyrinth'
'Sacrifice Reality'
'Aura Of Obscurity'
'Anathema'
'Monolithic Impurity'
'Born To Consume'

Embrace The Dark by DISMEMBERMENT

Upcoming tour dates:

March
21 - Cleveland, OH - The Foundry
22 - Buffalo, NY - The Lair
23 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Roboto Project
28 - Detroit, MI - The Ritz
29 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Berlin Music Pub

April
12 - Knoxville, TN - The Well

August
23 - Chicago, IL - Jurassic Park

For more info visit Facebook.

Swedish heavy metal band STARBLIND will release their debut album, Darkest Horros, on April 29th via Stormspell Records. Tracks from Darkest Horrors are streaming on Bandcamp.

The band plays metal inspired by the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and is for fans of IRON MAIDEN, TOKYO BLADE, ZYON’S ABYSS, early SCORPIONS, CLOVEN HOOF, STEELWING, and ROCKA ROLLAS.
Darkest Horrors tracklisting:

‘Ascendancy’
‘Blood In The Night’
‘Crystal Tears’
‘Darkest Horror’
‘The Reckoning’
‘Mountain Of Madness’
‘The Great Hunt’
‘I Stand Alone’
‘Temple Of Set’

For more on Starblind visit Facebook.

Art Of Propaganda has set April 21st as the international release date for HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY's second album, Aokigahara.
Harakiri For The Sky is a young black metal/post-rock band from Vienna, Austria, formed by M.S. in December 2011 with the idea to perform black metal that’s rough and melodic at the same time. M.S. wrote and recorded a couple of songs and asked his friend J.J. for lyrical input. That’s when J.J. Joined the project as vocalist and Harakiri For The Sky was born.

During the spring of 2012, the band recorded their self-titled debut album, which was released via Art Of Propaganda in October 2012. At the end of 2012 and into the following year, the band already played a handful of shows with bands like FÄULNIS, HERETOIR, and WHISKEY RITUAL which led them to Austria, Germany, and Italy.

During the autumn and winter of 2013, Harakiri For The Sky recorded their second album, Aokigahara. As a tasty tidbit, Aokigahara contains guest vocals from other noteworthy black metal musicians, such Torsten (AGRYPNIE), Eklatanz (Heretoir), Seuche (Fäulnis), and Cristiano (Whiskey Ritual).
Aokigahara tracklisting:

'My Bones To The Sea'
'Jhator' *
'Homecoming Denied'
'69 Dead Birds For Utoya' **
'Parting'
'Burning From Both Ends' ***
'Panoptycon' ****
'Nailgarden'
'Gallows' (Give' Em Rope)
'Mad World' (bonus track for vinyl version)*****

* Guest vocals by Seuche (Fäulnis)
** Guest vocals by Cristiano (Whiskey Ritual)
*** Guest vocals by Torsten (Agrypnie)
**** Guest Vocals by Eklatanz (Heretoir)
***** Cover song of Tears Of Fears

An album release tour will take place from April 21st - 24th with the bands Eis & Fäulnis. In October, Harakiri For The Sky will embark upon a 10-day European tour with Agrypnie, with other shows to come throughout the year.

The Ajna Offensive has announced May 27th as the North American release date for FUNEREAL PRESENCE's debut album, The Archer Takes Aim.
Following the obscure self-titled 10” released in 2011, The Archer Takes Aim promises to hold firm to the concept of less is more, that staying firmly rooted in one lineage is not a wrong: an album that is not trying to convert anyone or change minds. Conceived, bred, and nurtured in darkness - grotesque, strong-willed, and ugly black metal of a band that revives the atmosphere and attitude of a long-gone but defining era of the genre.

Tracklisting:

'The Tower Falls'
'Gestalt Des Endes'
'The Archer Takes Aim'
'Dämmerlicht'

'The Tower Falls':

Andras, the leader of the acclaimed Hungarian black metal band SEAR BLISS, has launched a new project called ARKHĒ.

Says Andras: "I've formed this 'band' in order to express my diverse feelings and thoughts with the help of a wider range of instrumentation and without any musical boundaries.

"It's been a while since I started writing music for a possible solo project, but I was always too busy to make it real. Now the time has come to give life to this idea and I fully focus on the creation of a full-length album.

"Though several songs have already demo versions, it's a bit early to share any sonic expressions for the time being.

"The album will be recorded in the summer and hopefully released later this year. There will be some guests too on the record and it will be produced by Viktor Scheer. The music will be quite different compared to SEAR BLISS."

As for SEAR BLISS, the band will play at Dark Easter Metal Meeting in Munich, Germany on April 20 along with TRIPTYKON and others.

SEAR BLISS' latest album, "Eternal Recurrence", was released in 2012 via Candlelight Records.

Ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan has confirmed that he will be filling in for the band's current bassist, Tommy Stinson, during the group's South American tour. Stinson is scheduled to reunite with his original band, THE REPLACEMENTS, for two high-profile dates at Coachella in mid-April and is unable to make the GN'R shows.

McKagan will join GUNS N' ROSES in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the April 6 concert, then play Asuncion, Paraguay (April 9), La Paz, Bolivia (April 12) and two cities in Brazil — Recife (April 15) and Fortaleza (April 15).

GUNS N' ROSES will play the first two shows of the South American tour — on Tuesday in Florianapolis, Brazil, and on April 3 in Porto Alegre, Brazil — with Stinson, before hooking up with McKagan, who joined GN'R for rehearsals in Los Angeles last month and will likely run through the set again before the Buenos Aires show.

"I had those REPLACEMENTS shows come up the same time the (South American) tour came up, and it got to be a scheduling issue right out of the gate," Stinson tells Billboard.com. "I didn't want to fuck anyone up in GUNS by saying, 'Hey, I can't do this tour' or anything like that. Luckily someone was able to reach out to Duff and he was amenable to the idea and was into doing it. It's Duff being the kind of good sport he is, trying to help Axl [Rose] out. So I'm like, 'Thanks, dude, for covering my ass on this one.' I think people are gonna be really stoked about it. It's gonna be fun for everyone."

McKagan tells Billboard.com through GNR's publicist that, "It's pretty great to play these songs again, and looking forward to playing some gigs with my pal again. South America is always a radical place for rock n roll...and I'm honored to be doing this thing, in that place."

Adds Stinson: "[Duff is] a fucking great bass player. It's gonna be a breeze. The only bummer is I don't get to see one of the shows he plays, especially after playing his fucking parts for 17 years. It would be interesting to see how he plays them. There's a couple things I could use some pointers on."

McKagan joined Axl Rose ostage for the first time in seventeen years at GUNS' October 14, 2010 concert in London. He also performed with the current version of GUNS in December 2011 at shows in Vancouver and Seattle. All three appearances were for a few songs, not full gigs.

Rumors that the classic lineup of GUNS N' ROSES would reunite have been around for years, although any possibility of that happening seemed to end when the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and Axl Rose declined to show up.

Rose told Billboard.com in 2009 that he doesn't ever expect to play again with guitarist Slash, saying, "One of the two of us will die before a reunion. However sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is." Slash stated about Axl: "He hates my guts. It's over a lot of different stuff; I don't even know. There's just no communication between us. I talk to Duff and Steven [Adler, drums], but when it comes to old GUNS N' ROSES, there really isn't anybody that makes decisions."

Sick Drummer Magazine has uploaded drummer Daniel Erlandsson's isolated drum tracks for "War Eternal", the title cut of the ninth studio album from Swedish / American / Canadian metallers ARCH ENEMY. Check it out in the YouTube clip below.

"War Eternal" will be released in North America on June 10 via Century Media Records.

"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.

"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.

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).

"Eat Your Words", the new video from Canadian metal legends ANVIL, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Hope In Hell", which sold a little under 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The disc follows up "Juggernaut Of Justice", which opened with around 1,600 units back in May 2011. The 2009 re-release of the band's 2007 CD, "This is Thirteen", registered a first-week tally of 1,400 to enter the Top New Artist Albums chart at No. 19.

Released on May 27, 2013 in Europe and May 24, 2013 in Germany on SPV/Steamhammer, "Hope In Hell" is available in four different formats: as a limited-edition digipak including two bonus tracks, as a jewel case CD, double gatefold colored vinyl LP and as a digital download. These are the first cuts featuring ANVIL's new bassist Sal Italiano, who joined the band two years ago.

"Hope In Hell" was written and recorded following an 18-month world tour which took ANVIL around the globe.

Like "Juggernaut Of Justice", "Hope In Hell" was produced by Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, AIRBOURNE, ALICE COOPER) at the NRG Recording studios in North Hollywood, California and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, SEPULTURA).

"Hope In Hell" track listing:

01. Hope In Hell 02. Eat Your Words 03. Through With You 04. The Fight Is Never Won 05. Pay The Toll 06. Flying 07. Call Of Duty 08. Badass Rock N Roll 09. Time Shows No Mercy 10. Mankind Machine 11. Shut The Fuck Up 12. Hard Wired (bonus track) 13. Fire At Will (bonus track)

"Echoes", the new video from Ohio metallers MISS MAY I, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's fourth album, "Rise Of The Lion", which will be released on April 29 via Rise Records, the CD was produced by Terry Date, who has previously worked with PANTERA, DEFTONES, WHITE ZOMBIE and BRING ME THE HORIZON, among others.

MISS MAY I vocalist Levi Benton recently told Metal Hammer about the band's decision to work with Date: "We chose Terry because we’re all huge PANTERA freaks. If you ever get the chance to work with him, you take it! We've always wanted to work with him but we was always out of our price range. He's the Bentley of producers and we could only afford a Ford. [Laughs]"

Regarding the musical direction of MISS MAY I's new material, Benton said: "A lot of it could be considered leftfield for us. I won't go into detail because when you do that, people expect something that they may not particularly hear, but when we finished 'At Heart', we were all stoked and thought we'd thrown everything we had into it. After a couple of years touring and growing, we've come back to writing and have been adding different influences. There's some slower, heavier stuff, thrashier parts and no two songs sound the same. We're doing something to challenge ourselves and our listeners but please both, too." "Rise Of The Lion" track listing:

01. Refuse To Believe02. Lunatik03. Gone04. Echoes05. You Want Me06. Tangled Tongues07. Hero With No Name08. Darker Days09. The End Of Me10. Saints, Sinners, and Greats

"Rise Of The Lion" will be available in digital, physical CD and vinyl versions.

The worldwide release of "Rise Of The Lion" will be supported by a brief headline tour of the United States this April and May, with support from FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS. MISS MAY I will stop in eight cities, including a closer in their home state of Ohio at Rock On The Range.

"Back From Beyond", the long-awaited comeback album from resurrected 1990s Florida-based death metallers MASSACRE, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. Released on March 24 in Europe and April 1 in North America via Century Media Records, the CD was recorded and mixed by Tim Vazquez of CGM Studios in Altamonte Springs, Florida, and features original MASSACRE members Rick Rozz (guitar; ex-MANTAS/DEATH) and Terry Butler (bass; OBITUARY, ex-DEATH/SIX FEET UNDER), as well as Ed Webb (vocals; ex-DIABOLIC/EULOGY) and Mike Mazzonetto (drums; ex-PAIN PRINCIPLE). The cover artwork was created by Toshihiro Egawa (CRYPTOPSY, KRISIUN, DEVOURMENT) and can be seen below.

"Back From Beyond" track listing:

01. The Ancient Ones 02. As We Wait To Die 03. Ascension Of The Deceased 04. Hunter’s Blood 05. Darkness Fell 06. False Revelation 07. Succumb To Rapture 08. Remnants Of Hatred 09. Shield Of The Son 10. The Evil Within 11. Sands Of Time 12. Beast With Vengeance 13. Back From Beyond14. Honor The Fallen

The video for the album's title track, directed by Doug Cook and animated by Nick Johnson and Ryder McLean, can be seen below.

Says Butler: "MASSACRE is very proud of the 'Back From Beyond' video. It has a nice campy horror vibe, yet at the same time is cutting edge, and we think it can connect with a variety of audiences. Doug Cook did an amazing job with this one!!!"

Butler previously said about the album: "MASSACRE is very excited and proud of our new album, 'Back From Beyond'.

"We've worked hard over the past few months and we believe that the old-school and new-school fans will be pleased.

"Ed Webb and Mikey Mazzanetto are great additions to the band and did an amazing job on the album.

"This is Florida death metal at its best!

"We plan on making 2014 a busy year!!!"

MASSACRE released a seven-inch single, "Condemned To The Shadows", on July 30, 2012. The single, which is available as a regular black-wax version, a transparent wax limited edition and a yellow-wax limited edition, contains two brand new songs — "Succumb To Rapture" and "Back From Beyond" — that were recorded in February 2012 at CGM Studios in Altamonte Springs, Florida with Tim Vazquez at the helm.