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

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

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

Demo versions of the FIREBORN songs "Shadow Realms" and "Lucifer Has Spoken can be streamed using the SoundCloud widgets below.

FIREBORN is:

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

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

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

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

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

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

British epic power metallers DRAGONFORCE will release their new album, "Maximum Overload", on August 19 in North America via Metal Blade and August 18 in Europe through earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group. The CD was recorded at Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with OPETH, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, AMON AMARTH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK and SYMPHONY X, to name a few. It marks the band's first-ever album involving an outside producer, having historically opted to record themselves in association with Karl Groom.

"Working with Jens gave us a different perspective on the songs and a different sound dynamic," said DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li. "We always previously recorded in our own studios, but recording in Sweden made us focus and maybe drove us harder. Jens certainly did; he doesn't believe in days off!"

He continued: "The album title and album cover artwork is inspired by the constant bombardment of information we are subjected to during our daily lives.

"We were in an airport departure lounge surrounded by TV screens, flight information screens and advertising screens. We then looked around and no one was saying a word, they were all looking at more screens on tablets, laptops and mobile phones. There's no escaping it; it's complete information overload!"

"Maximum Overload" will be released on standard CD, standard digital version, special edition CD with five bonus tracks and a bonus DVD, special edition digital version (same bonus material as special edition CD), and vinyl. The effort features a couple of surprises, notably a guest appearance on some of the songs from TRIVIUM's Matt Heafy.

"We've always gotten on really well with the TRIVIUM guys and it was great when Matt had a couple of days to spare and agreed to weigh in on some of the songs," said DRAGONFORCE bassist Frédéric Leclercq.

"Maximum Overload" also features an all time first for DRAGONFORCE... a cover version! Guitarist Sam Totman explained: "Just before the last Australian tour, our manager suggested it might be interesting to do a cover for the next album, something we've always refused even to consider. Because we had all had a couple beers, every bandmember wrote down three songs each and we compared them all, just for a laugh. I wrote down 'Ring Of Fire' by Johnny Cash, an idea which the rest of the band loved, so we've DRAGONFORCE-ized it."

"Maximum Overload" is the follow-up to 2012's "The Power Within", which was the band's first with vocalist Marc Hudson. Since his live debut with the group in July 2011, Marc has gone on to front over 100 shows with DRAGONFORCE in 32 countries across the globe, including arenas with IRON MAIDEN as well as a mammoth headlining world tour to support the CD.

A demo version of a new DRAGONFORCE song called "Defenders", featuring a guest appearance by TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy, can be streamed below.

In a 2013 interview with Bring The Noise, Leclercq stated about DRAGONFORCE's forthcoming CD: "We've always been recording in the U.K. and this time we decided to have an external producer, so we've been working with Jens Bogren; he's been working with OPETH, Devin Townsend, and he's been great so far. He's been putting in a lot of input in and it's great, it's been very cool."

He continued: "I've been co-writing everything with Sam this time. Usually Sam will do most of it, and then I would contribute to some songs, or we do more harmonies sometimes. This time I've been working together with him, so there's more of me; expect something French, I guess! Well, I'm more into thrash metal and also prog [metal], so it's going to make the sound a bit more diverse."

Aked if he has noticed DRAGONFORCE head in a different musical direction since he joined the band, Hudson told Bring The Noise: "I'm not entirely sure that it's changed because of me, but I think 'The Power Within' and this next album are definitely different from the previous four. I don't know whether that's because of me, or because Fred is writing stuff. Obviously, my singing style is different to the old singer, so there's going to be some influence there, with the limitations and what I can do with my voice compared to him."

DRAGONFORCE will embark on a massive 20-date U.K. and Ireland tour in September under the strapline "….this time it's personal," alluding to the fact that instead of playing a handful of larger venues, the band is playing many shows geographically spread out across the country. Commenting on the nature of the tour, Herman Li said: "We did a tour like this in between the 'Sonic Firestorm' and 'Inhuman Rampage' albums and have wanted to repeat it ever since but couldn't because of touring commitments elsewhere in the world. This time we were determined to make it happen, so we're going to some cities we haven't visited for years and some we've never visited at all. One of the venues is a boat and one is a deconsecrated church! It will be great to see the fans up close and personal again. It's going to be very hot, very sweaty and great fun!"

"The Power Within" sold 5,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 74 on The Billboard 200 chart.

THE INFINITE STAIRCASE, in celebration of the 5-year anniversary of their debut album, The Road Less Taken, have decided to stream a demo of MICHAEL JACKSON's 'Man In The Mirror' off their forthcoming covers EP, The Dead Cricket Sessions, featuring BLACK LABEL SOCIETY/CYCLE OF PAIN bassist John “JD” DeServio handling bass, engineer and co-producer duties.
Also set to appear on The Dead Cricket Sessions are innovative covers of BJORK, TOOL and DAVID BOWIE, with others to be announced. No specific release date for the EP has been given yet but the band says to expect its release this summer.

Belgian death metallers RESISTANCE will release their fifth studio album, "The Seeds Within", later this year via an as-yet-undisclosed label. A studio trailer for "The Seeds Within" can be seen below.

Comments RESISTANCE guitarist Oli Dris: "The CD elaborates the human race and its defects. How we desperately seek forgiveness, how coward we are towards our reality.

"The lyrical content is heavy and depressive. It metaphorically pictures how helpless we are facing whatever comes at us.

"The music is structured and shaped around this concept. Rhythm is the essence but melody plays its part bringing freshness when needed and making the listener's journey flawless.

"More brutal, more aggressive and heavier than ever, RESISTANCE matured and will crush!" RESISTANCE is: PXérus Liévin: VocalsOlivier Dris: Rhythm GuitarShaun Van Calster: Lead GuitarBenoit Sizaire: BassJonas Sanders: Drums

Original MAYHEM drummer Kjetil "Manheim" Haraldsson, original MAYHEM vocalist Eirik "Messiah" Nordheim, original CADAVER bassist René Jansen and CADAVER mainman/guitarist Anders "Neddo" Odden have joined forces in a new project called ORDER.

The new band's mission statement is simply "to restore order and celebrate Pure Fucking Armageddon for all!"



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Post by ORDER.

I DECLARE WAR will release their third studio album, We Are Violent People By Nature, on April 15th via Artery Recordings/Razor & Tie. The album track 'Noose' is streaming below.
Fans can pre-order the album now at Merchnow here. Pre-order bundles include a variety of t-shirts and hoodies. We Are Violent People By Nature was produced by Bj Sampson.
We Are Violent People By Nature tracklisting:

'Quiet'
'Tomb Sleep'
'Blurred Vision'
'Black Heart'
'Noose'
'Shadow Man'
'A Dark Hole To Crawl Into'
'The Band Man'
'Eternal I Sleep'
'We Are Violent People By Nature'

'Noose':
'Quiet':

THE SINS OF THY BELOVED members Stig Johansen and Anders Thue have teamed up with MIDNATTSOL vocalist Carmen Elise Espenaes to form a new band called SAVN. Their debut album will be released later in April via CDR Records out of Norway.

They have checked in with the following update:

"It's now possible to listen to the teaser of the final master of our album on Soundcloud! Our YouTube teaser is based on an earlier pre-mix. We are so looking forward to the release!"
The record is now available for international pre-order at this location.

Tracklisting:

'Musical Silence'
'Hang On'
'The Demons In Me'
'Longing For Love'
'I Am Free'
'Sorrowful'
'All I Want'
'Now Or Never'
'Lengselens Hånd'
'Hang On' (Growling version, Digipak only)
'The Demons In Me' (Growling version, Digipak only)

In a recent interview with BraveWords scribe Carl Begai, Carmen confirmed that her sister Liv Kristine (LEAVES' EYES) will make a guest appearance on one track for the album.

Liv offered her take on the Savn debut: "If you like the old THEATRE OF TRAGEDY you'll like Savn. It's very down to earth gothic rock / metal. Stig was in The Sins Of Thy Beloved and there are things he really loves about that period of bands like SIRENIA, Theatre Of Tragedy and TRISTANIA. He's always been influenced by these bands and what he put together with Savn is like a dream come true for him. It's his baby."

"I love the album. It's not a complicated piece of art, it's quite simple, but the way Stig did it with Carmen, Anders and the others is excellent."

The Seattle-based power metal act LAST BASTION have just released the lyric video for the song 'I Know When I'm Home', which can be found on their upcoming debut album, Road To Redemption, due out April 4th.

Last Bastion is a power metal band based in Seattle, set out to bring European melodic speed power metal to the US. According to a press, "catchy, melodic vocals, blazing guitars, infectious bass, thundering drums, and heavenly keyboards weave together tales of history, mythology and self actualization."

The band has also revealed the album artwork and tracklist for The Road To Redemption.

Tracklist:
'I Know When I'm Home'
'Ancient Lands'
'Plataea'
'Northern Kingdom'
'Angel's Tyranny'
'Road To Redemption'
'The Way of Kings pt I - Cursed by Fate'
'The Way of Kings pt II – Stormblessed'
'Liberation'
'Forevermore'

Last Bastion is :

Joe Lovatt - lead vocals/lead guitar
Matt Lahr - lead guitar/backing vocals
Larry Barnard - bass guitar/backing vocals
Matt Bethman - keyboards/backing vocals
Matt Carter - drums and percussion

In a brand new interview with Rock Revolt Magazine, legendary guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB, KXM) was asked about the chances of a reunion of the classic DOKKEN lineup. "Well, it's always a possibility," he replied. "[But] what it really comes down to is Don [Dokken] being agreeable to doing equal splits financially. That's been a stumbling block all along. Despite all the other obstacles that we have for a reunion happening, that is actually the 800-pound gorilla problem. He feels he's entitled to special financial treatment if we do that, which is ludicrous and was never the way the band was built. The band was always built as a shared band, and I think that's one of the reasons it survived as long as it did and why it worked. The only person who ended up not liking that arrangement was Don, and it is really heavily why the band broke up."

He continued: "We were up for re-negotiating our contract with Elektra in the late '80s, which is a wonderful position to be in (that's when you get paid and you'd kind of be set for life). But we all worked many, many years to get to that point, and Don decided, 'Well, you know what? I gotta take a chance here, and I want it all.' He wanted us to be hired guns, and he would get the multi-million dollar re-negotiated deal. That's what it was all about. And that's still what it's about. So, unless he can come around and say, 'Hey, guys! We're all important. We all worked equally hard. There's enough money to go around. Don't need to be greedy here, just split it up equal, put that aside, put it in the file cabinet. Let s go to work and make a good record.'

"I have aspirations, but I don't have any sense that it's really going to ever happen. I wouldn't be opposed; I would like to see it happen. But honestly, just to have some nice closure, make a nice bookend to our career, and make the fans happy and make a little bit of dough, it would be nice to see it work in a healthy way after all we ve been through, but I am not holding my breath."

All the members of DOKKEN's classic 1980s lineup reunited on stage for the first time in more than a decade on November 29, 2009 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. According to OC Weekly, Don Dokken appeared on stage and said he had some friends he wanted to introduce. Jeff Pilson (bass) and George Lynch (guitar) joined Mick Brown (drums) for a two-song encore of "When Heaven Comes Down" and "In My Dreams".

Visual artist and former CRISIS vocalist Karyn Crisis has revealed details of her newest musical project, GOSPEL OF THE WITCHES.

GOSPEL OF THE WITCHES features Crisis' unmistakable vocals and mystical lyrics, over music composed by EPHEL DUATH mastermind Davide Tiso. With Tiso playing all guitars and bass, the all-star lineup is completed by Danny Walker of INTRONAUT on drums and Ross Dolan of IMMOLATION on vocals.

A 13-song album is currently in the pre-production stages. Tracking begins in June with producer Jamie King (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME) at at The Basement Recording in in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

In addition to the core lineup, the album will contain a guest appearance by Mike Hill, frontman of TOMBS.

Karyn Crisis speaks about GOSPEL OF THE WITCHES: "The album is a bold statement and an epic, unabashedly emotional work of devotion to the ultimate expression of the power of the fires of transformation: The Witch.

"Davide has a haunting ability to generate undeniably emotional landscapes with his guitar, and these songs twist and turn into darkness and then transmute into heartbreaking beauty and light.

"As a testament to Ancient Ways and the union of opposites, I explore the feminine power in my voice on this album and couple it with Ross' intensely masculine vocal power to create a consistent theme of thickly layered vocal choruses.

"Danny will round out these 13 dark mantras with thunderous drums.

"Take the tendrils of my unstoppable voice into the Great Mysteries... or run for the hills."

A Kickstarter campaign has been launched to raise money for the recording, mixing, mastering, and manufacturing costs.

Some of the rewards for fans who donate through Kickstarter include: vinyl, CD and digital versions of the album; t-shirts; and original Karyn Crisis artwork — from a "hardbound lyric book with handwritten lyrics and drawings" to an opportunity to collaborate directly with Crisis on an original painting.

An early demo version of a new song, "Howl at the Moon", has been posted at Kickstarter.com in video form.

Often mistaken for a duet of a man and a woman, and described as both "angelic and demonic", Karyn challenged the idea of what a female voice could sound like. She was the first female singer in heavy music to boast a voice strong enough to compete in the male-dominated music scene, and the only woman fronting a heavy band touring the U.S. Her unique style was that of a primal scream: borne of a need to express her rage, despair, and inner fire.

Combined with her powerfully physical, dynamic, stage performances, she also challenged the male-dominated metal and hardcore scenes to "think again" about the gender stereotypes of women being the "weaker" sex. And in the early '90s, before Internet and "Headbangers Ball" supported underground metal, bands had to prove themselves and pay their dues show by show, the grassroots way: winning people over in sweaty, often violent, clubs and mosh pits. No managers to book you into huge clubs with security fences; in those days, you had to hold your own and even break a nose or two.

Karyn's primary focus with music is the journey within: facing demons, releasing light, and overcoming the fleshy prison of the earthly body. The live stage has been home for Karyn, where her performances earned her the nickname "Exorsister" as well as a reputation for being emotionally raw, supernaturally powerful, interactive, and intensely physical.

Liebe Fans, dieses Wochenende erreichte uns eine unerwartete Nachricht von Sandra und Andi, in der sie uns mitteilten, dass sie die Band verlassen werden. Untenstehend findet ihr das Statement von beiden. Ein Statement von René, Robse und Hati wird morgen folgen.

▪ Dear fans, this weekend we received an unexpected message from Sandra and Andi, who told us that they will leave the band. Below you can find their statement. A statement from René, Robse and Hati will follow tomorrow.

▪ Statement von Andi (for english version scroll down):

Liebe Familie, Freunde, Fans und Crew,

ich möchte Euch meine Entscheidung mitteilen, dass nun der Tag gekommen ist, an dem ich zusammen mit meiner
Schwester Sandra die Band Equilibrium verlassen habe.
Mit Euch allen zusammen hatte ich über ein Jahrzehnt lang die schönsten Konzerte und Touren, eine aufregende Zeit
in meinem Leben die ich nicht missen möchte. Dafür bedanke ich mich bei Euch!
Freud und Leid, Besetzungswechsel aller Art, es war immer viel los.
René, Robse, Hati und crew, vielen Dank für die schöne Zeit. Ich wünsche Euch weiterhin alles Gute, lasst es krachen!
Aber so wie jedes Ende einen Neuanfang hat, ist es eben auch hier. Es wird für mich eine neue Band geben, mit der ich Euch musikalisch und auf der Bühne erhalten bleiben werde.

Metallische Grüße,

Andi

▪ Statement von Sandra (for english version scroll down):

Liebe Freunde, Familie, Crew und Fans.
Für mich geht heute das Kapitel von Equilibrium zuende und ich verlasse gemeinsam mit meinem Bruder Andi die Band.
In 13 Jahren Bandgeschichte habe ich unendlich viel gelernt, Höhen und Tiefen erlebt und Menschen kennengelernt die mein Leben bereichert haben oder meine Lehrmeister wurden.
Ich danke jedem Einzelnen für all die Energie, für all die leuchtenden Augen, Kommentare und Unterstützung!
In meinem Herzen ist alles bewahrt.
René, Robse, Hati und Crew. Danke und alles Gute für Euch!
Für meine persönliche Entwicklung muss ich neue Wege beschreiten, neue Türen öffnen und dazu ist das zurücklassen von Altem unumgänglich.

Danke für alles!!!

Sandra

▪ Statement from Andi:

Dear family, friends, fans and crew,

I would like to tell you my decision, that my sister Sandra and I left the band Equilibrium. With all of you together, and more than a decade, I had the most beautiful concerts and tours, an exciting time in my life that I do not want to miss. Happieness and sorrow, line-up changes of all kinds, there was always something going on.
René, Robse, Hati and crew, thank you for the nice time. I wish you all the best, go full blast!
Every end is a new beginning. There will be a new band for me, which I will stay with you, musically and on stage.

Best regards,

Andi

▪ Statement from Sandra:

Dear friends, family, crew and fans!
Today is the day; for me the era of Equilibrium has come to an end. My brother Andi and I have decided to leave the band.
In the past 13 years I got to learn a lot, had many ups and downs and I got to know a lot of people who enriched my life in many ways or have given me the opportunity to learn and grow.
I would like to thank each and every one of you for all the energy, for the happy moments, feedback and support.
I will keep it all in my heart for all times.
René, Robse, Hati and crew. Thanks and all the best for you guys!
For me it’s time to open new doors and find new challenges, for this it was necessary to leave behind the old and move on to something new.

Thank you all!!!

Sandra

SMASHING PUMPKINS announced Tuesday, March 25 via the band's social networks that they've signed an Artist Services deal with BMG. Via Martha's Music/BMG, they will issue two new SMASHING PUMPKINS albums in 2015: "Monuments To An Elegy" and "Day For Night". The first single is expected to be released by year's end.

The PUMPKINS' Billy Corgan says, "For those interested in sound, think: 'guitars, guitars, guitars, and more guitars,' but more so on the epic side of things than say, grossly metallic."

Recording sessions began this week, "as plenty of songs have been written and are ready to go," said Corgan. "Manning the boards will be producer Howard Willing, with whom I first had the pleasure of working with during the 'Adore' sessions. We expect a single out by year's end."

Corgan also noted, "Additionally, this stands as the initial post on a new nexus: The Panopticon, which through its simplicity should better address the speed of modern life. A continuing feature, items regarding each day's recording will be shared that same evening, with song titles, lyrics, poetic impressions, pictures, sound clips, studio gear and the like offered for a circuitous, bird's eye view of the process as it unfolds."

The PUMPKINS released their last studio album in 2012: "Oceania", which entered The Billboard 200 chart at No. 4, earned the No. 1 spot on the Independent Albums chart and garnered vast critical acclaim.

SMASHING PUMPKINS have created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history having sold more than 30 million albums, and won multiple Grammy Awards in the process. Formed in Chicago in 1988, they released "Gish", their influential and platinum debut in 1991, which was followed by albums including the nine-time platinum "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness" and the four-time platinum "Siamese Dream", as well as the platinum certified 1998 album "Adore". The group's many hits defined the alternative music era and continue to resonate on modern rock radio, influencing a whole new generation. The PUMPKINS returned in 2007 with their acclaimed sixth album, "Zeitgeist". They have since remained on the cutting edge of music and technology with various online releases.

"2112 - A Tale Of Meat And Metal", a new book by Peter Iwers and Björn Gelotte of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES, along with journalist Mattias Lindeblad, will be released on May 30 via Kalla Kulor Förlag.

Restaurant 2112 was founded in 2011 by Iwers and Gelotte. The Gothenburg restaurant is named after the RUSH album and has since its opening become a natural venue for domestic and international fans of rock music.

2112 quickly became renowned for its marvelous, award-winning burgers, the well-selected beer and the warm and inviting atmosphere.

In just a few years, Restaurant 2112 has grown to become a home away from home for the rock-loving residents of Gothenburg and international rock stars passing through town.

This book is the story about following your dreams, even though you've never ever set foot on the other side of the bar counter — a tale of meat and metal.

The foreword was written by Hollywood star and IN FLAMES fan Peter Stormare.

Said SLAYER's Kerry King: "It's nice to see a couple of my friends in the biz doing well at something else. Now we have a great place for some drinks!!"

In an interview with EspyRock.com, Iwers stated about the decision to open Restaurant 2112: "We spent plenty of time thinking about it, looking at possible locations and learning the business side of things. Once we were prepared and knew we could open it, me, Bjorn and two other guys just went for it. We took it step by step, and although it was a lot harder than we ever expected it to be, we didn't rush anything. We've got people there who run it for us, and as soon as we're home, then we go straight to the restaurant and we help out. We do anything that needs to be done and on most occasions we're out as the host for all of the parties that come in. There are two parts to it, [the restaurant and also the pub section]. It's not one of these places that you need to wear a suit and tie, and it's also not a rock 'n' roll place either; [it's] something for everyone to enjoy."

Asked what made him and Björn decide on fine dining, Peter said: "A couple of different reasons, actually. When we're out on tour and someone invites you to a place, it always ends up being a rock 'n' roll bar with loud music and clouded in smoke. After a show, I don't want that, I want a hotel bar which is quiet and I can just sit and relax; you know, the piano-and-champagne-type bar [laughs]. I just want to unwind after a show. Another reason is that I enjoy going out with my friends, having something to eat, a few drinks and talk away for the rest of the night, but most places in Sweden close at eleven, so you have to move on to somewhere else. You keep moving round places, but unless you're quick, then they are full and you end up at the loud rock bar anyway. So we decided that we would combine the two and give you a place that you can sit for a long time and dine, enjoy incredible food and drink at affordable prices, and then just move onto the pub area to continue a nice relaxing evening.

"In the beginning, we had two different menus, but we then just made it the same menu so depending on how you feel and where you are, you will still be able to get the same good food and drinks."

"If you were to be there on a Saturday night, then you would notice that it is interesting, because we have a mix of people in IRON MAIDEN t-shirts and then guys in their fifties with their suits and ties on, but everyone mixes perfectly, they all enjoy it and it is very calm, the perfect atmosphere and exactly what we wanted."

Regarding the restaurant's name, 2112, Iwers said: "I think it was one of the other guys who came up with it; his name is Martin. It is a really clean name and we all happen to love RUSH.

"We spent a while talking about what we would call it, because the name is extremely important; people get a feeling of what your restaurant or bar will be like from the name, and if we called it In Flames Bar, then people would think instantly that it was a metal place or somewhere dark and dungeon-like, maybe a bit twisted with people on flames or something stupid. The name though was clean and then the decoration brings out the rock 'n' roll vibe, which is helped with some paintings and we plan to add some guitars and things. So when he said, 'What about '2112', from RUSH?' we thought about some other restaurants that have all numbers or letter/number combinations and it just worked very well. If you know about RUSH, then it's awesome, but if you don't know about RUSH, then it still comes across as a neat name."

2112 is located at Magasingatan 5 in Gothenburg.

For more information, go to this location.

Central Pennsylvania band CROBOT will release its self-titled four-song EP on May 13 via Wind-Up Records. The tracks were produced by Machine (CLUTCH, LAMB OF GOD, COBRA STARSHIP, GYM CLASS HEROES). Machine and the band are finishing up CROBOTs debut album, which will be released later this year. "Legend Of The Spaceborne Killer" will be available April 1 for download and streaming but fans can go to CrobotBand.com now and unlock #TheLegend to get a free version of the song. "Nowhere To Hide" is going to rock radio on Cinco de Mayo: May 5. CROBOT embodies a mixture of groove-heavy riff-rock that will want to make you bang your head and shake your ass. Think of them as WOLFMOTHER's American cousins who smell like leather (they make leather-scented air fresheners!) and whose music scorches your ears like hot sauce to the taste (yes, they even have their own hot sauce!). You can't help but feel that you are taken into another dimension and back again with the songs of CROBOT. The press have been quick to praise their live shows as The Buffalo News says "…a set described by one concert-goer as 'the nastiest groove-metal I've heard this side of SOUNDGARDEN.'"

"Crobot" track listing:

01. Legend Of The Spaceborne Killer02. Nowhere To Hide03. La Mano De Lucifer04. Skull Of Geronimo

CROBOT will be on the road in select cities across the United States in 2014, doing solo shows, touring with KYNG and KILL DEVIL HILL, and performing at Rock On The Range. CROBOT is Brandon Yeagley (lead vocals, harmonica), Chris Bishop (guitar, vocals), Jake Figuroa (bass) and Paul Figuroa (drums).

According to Billboard.biz, METALLICA is the third-best-selling artist of the SoundScan era, with 54.26 million albums sold since 1991. Garth Brooks boasts the most albums sold, with 69.52 million. THE BEATLES ranks second (65.55 million), while Mariah Carey (54.24 million) and Celine Dion (52.21 million) round out the top five.

The Nielsen SoundScan system began compiling sales electronically 23 years ago on a weekly basis, providing more accurate sales figures that form the basis for the Billboard music charts.

As previously reported, METALLICA's self-titled 1991 album should surpass 16 million copies sold in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, in about three or four months at its current rate of sales (about 2,000 to 3,000 per week).

The set — often referred to as "the black album" — was already certified 16 times platinum on December 13, 2012 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for shipments in excess of 16 million copies in the U.S.

"Metallica" in 2009 surpassed SHANIA TWAIN's 1997 record, "Come On Over", as the best-selling CD of the SoundScan era.

Although METALLICA had scored their first radio and video airplay with their previous effort, 1988's "...And Justice For All", the black album was the band's biggest commercial breakthrough, producing five singles and making them into one of the most popular rock bands in the world.

The album was the first of four collaborations with producer Bob Rock, with whom the band clashed throughout the recording of the disc.

METALLICA performed "the black album" in its entirety at a number of European festivals in 2012.

Lawyers for Ozzy Osbourne are trying to stop a brewer from making an unauthorized brand of "Ozzy" beer. Baltimore-based The Brewer's Art named one of its many house brews after Ozzy, with the cans featuring images of his knuckle tattoos as well as bats — including a headless one.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Ozzy's legal team issued a cease-and-desist order, after which brewery head Tom Creegan announced that the "Ozzy" beer would be pulled. However, according to The Baltimore Sun, liquor stores in Baltimore said they are still selling the beer, and six-packs were available Thursday afternoon at Brewer's Art.

Cynthia Blake Sanders, an intellectual property lawyer who teaches entertainment and sports law at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, told The Baltimore Sun that celebrities have the right to decide how their names and images are used commercially.

"You can't make the commercial use of a person's name on any product, but particularly not [with] people who have a value on their persona," said Sanders.

"If they called it Ozzy and it wasn't so clearly a sort of heavy-metal styling, somebody might connect it with a different Ozzy," she said. "But when they've used both his tattoo, in addition to his hands" and the bat imagery, "that's really using a great deal of his persona."

During its short time on the shelves, the "Ozzy" beer was acclaimed by brew enthusiasts, with the drink getting a 90 out of 100 rating on the Beer Advocate web site.

Ozzy and BLACK SABBATH will hit the road this Monday (March 31) for a North American tour that begins in Brooklyn, New York and spends most of its time in Canada, before wrapping up in Los Angeles on April 26.

An audio sample of POISON frontman Bret Michaels's new solo single, "A Beautiful Soul", is available at Amazon.com. The song will be made available digitally on April 1, with a video to follow on April 2.

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

Are you in need of a little re-invention or re-invigoration? Need a little more passion and drive in your life? Stemming from fans who were inspired by Bret's interview with Jetset magazine and reading everything he has gone through, get ready for a very special event taking place on April 2 by logging on to Oprah.com to watch a live taping of "Oprah's Lifeclass" featuring teacher, legendary singer/songwriter, lifelong diabetic, philanthropist and entrepreneur Bret Michaels who will be, through personal stories of both his and your own helping to teach you about yourself and how to get back to where you want to be, tips to enhance your life and passion for the most awesome aspects of your life. Dealing with adversity to live a better life through the voice of positivity.

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.

Swedish death/thrash metal band SEPTEKH will release its debut full-length album, "Plan For World Domination"on May 2. Distribution will be handled by Abyss Records, the same label responsible for releasing the previous two SEPTEKH records.

"Plan For World Domination" was recorded at the legendary Silence Studios and engineered and mixed by Josef Zackrisson. The cover artwork was created by Marcus Claesson.

SEPTEKH says: "We are extremely proud to finally be able to share this sprawling twisted creation.

"This is the Plan, everything that came before were mere stepping stones. This is the full grown aural beast of SEPTEKH."

SEPTEKH released "The Seth Avalanche" EP in 2012, followed by "Apollonian Eyes" EP (both on Abyss Records) in 2013. The same year also saw the release of an award-winning music video for the song "Burn It To The Ground".

"Plan For World Domination" track listing:

01. Into The Void Of My Mind02. Goin Down In Style03. Saving Graces04. Neanderthal05. Don Asshole06. Left Handed Man07. Black Shores08. The Man Who Died A Million Times09. Superheated Liquid Iron Core10. Eyes Of The Grave11. Fuck Dollar12. Desdaemonia13. Plan For World Domination

SEPTEKH is:

David Wikström (Guitar)Staffan Persson (Drums)Patrik Ström (Bass)Nils GRZNLS Meseke (Vocals)

THE MIGHTY SWINE, which features in its ranks CHASTAIN bassist Mike Skimmerhorn, will release its new album, "Last Man Standing", on May 20 via Broad Horizon Records, Inc.

THE MIGHTY SWINE once again teamed up with Rob Nadler at Fat Track Studio in Forest Park, Ohio to record the 11-song disc. The first single is the title track and will feature a video by Nikk Hearn-Sutton. Other songs include "All That Is Evil", "Two Graves", "Tomorrow", "Vengeance is Mine" and "Dead Man's Stare", for a darker, more political stance than previous releases. It will also feature a scorching rendition of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Hell Bent For Leather" and the bonus track: "Pool Of Emptiness" (a.k.a. "P.O.E."), which Mike demoed for Broad Horizon Records five years ago. THE MIGHTY SWINE went on hiatus in 2013 while Mike recorded "Surrender To No One", but has returned with a vengeance. After working with David T. Chastain again, Mike wanted to pursue a more progressive, guitar-driven sound aimed at the purists, along with a more modern drummer than the previous releases. He enlisted Stacey Donahue and Jeff Tong on guitar and Rory Faciane on drums for this latest release and the result has been amazing. "I couldn't be any happier with the way this (disc) has turned out," he said. "This is the album I have always wanted to make. I truly feel that this is THE SWINE's best and heaviest material since its inception... our first true metal album."

After months of blood, sweat and tears from Dutch symphonic metallers WITHIN TEMPTATION, the band's new album, "Hydra", is now on the road. While the group is on tour, singer Sharon den Adel is keeping a video diary of the trek that shows you what happens during and in between shows, and what it's like for the band to bring "Hydra" to the stage and see people respond to the new songs for the first time.

In the third episode of the diary, you get a real look into the production behind the scenes. You get to see part of the crew build up in Prague and Budapest and guitarist Robert Westerholt pays a visit to see dragons from Prague. Meanwhile, Sharon goes nuts over a clothing sale and winds down in a beautiful Hungarian spa. A birthday, a close call on stage, a new hairstyle, and a special request for you from Sharon.

WITHIN TEMPTATION's new album, "Hydra", sold around 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 16 on The Billboard 200 chart.

WITHIN TEMPTATION's previous CD, "Unforgiving", opened with 12,000 units back in March 2011 to land at No. 50.

"Hydra" was released in North America on February 4 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, the new U.S. partnership between Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger and former Roadrunner Records A&R chief Monte Conner. The album was made available in several luxury formats. The cover artwork was created by Romano Molenaar ("X-Men", "Batman", "The Unforgiving").

The digital premium album, complete with digi-booklet, was made available on iTunes and includes 18 audio tracks and a music video. The digital premium album features bonus "Evolution Versions" of four new songs, which contain audio commentary from guitarist Robert Westerholt and singer Sharon Den Adel and give you unique access to the development of the songs, their lyrical inspiration and the sound of the initial demos and vocals.

In a recent interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, WITHIN TEMPTATION vocalist Sharon Den Adel stated about the songwriting process for "Hydra"": "A lot of bands were inspired by the '80s at the time we were writing 'The Unforgiving' album. There was a lot of music based on the '80s coming out and it had a lot of '80s flavors. With this new album, even though we're only a few years further up the road, you can feel that music has changed again. Music is not inspired on the '80s, but more like there are different influences in the music again. Music's always organic, and you feel things are changing comfortably."

She added: "When people asked us after 'The Unforgiving', 'Are you gonna make another 'Unforgiving' album?" we said, 'Of course.' Because we were really full of it in a positive way. We really like the album a lot and still do like it a lot but we really feel there's an '80s feel to the songs. When we started writing this album, again we felt like we were already knowing we were gonna go a different direction also."

A two-camera fan-filmed mix of UNLEASHED's March 15 performance at this year's Hammerfest, which was held at Hafan y Mor Holiday Park, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, Wales, can be seen below.

UNLEASHED's new album, "Odalheim", was released in April 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was produced by Fredrik Folkare and recorded in at Chrome Studios in Sweden.

With "Odalheim", UNLEASHED not only presented the follow-up to "As Yggdrasil Trembles" in the year 2012, but also continued telling its post-doomsday story, embedded into the Norse mythology.

After the mighty world tree Yggdrasil had trembled and rung in the end of the world, Fimbul winter followed: Three years of darkness and coldness, during which Mother Nature took back what was rightfully hers. This caused the end of life as we know it. Ragnarök. But the warriors who've survived will build a new world out of the old one's ashes. Right here, the story of "Odalheim" begins. Commented bassist/vocalist Johnny Hedlund: "The artwork is made by Sebastian Ramstedt, just like our previous three albums. It shows the new world 'Odalheim' at the break of dawn at Birka shores, and just before the attack of White Christ. The concept of the album is taken from the book by the same name." UNLEASHED's current lineup:

Johnny Hedlund: Bass, Vocals Tomas Måsgard: Guitar Fredrik Folkare: Guitar Anders Schultz: Drums

Danish/American rockers VOLBEAT were honored in the "Rock/Alternative International" category at this year's Echo music awards, Germany's equivalent of the Grammy awards, which was held March 27 in Berlin. Video footage of their acceptance speech can be seen below. Also nominated in the "Rock/Alternative International" category were 30 SECONDS TO MARS, PLACEBO, IMAGINE DRAGONS and BLACK SABBATH.

VOLBEAT's latest album, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", was re-released in a special "tour edition" on November 4, 2013. The new version of the act's fifth studio album contains new bonus tracks and a live DVD. The latter features footage of the group performing at a number of major summer festivals in Europe, including the Download festival in the U.K., Rock Am Ring and Rock'n'Heim in Germany, Hellfest in France and Denmark's Roskilde Festival.

"Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" debuted at No. 1 in several countries when it arrived in April 2012, with the disc entering the Billboard album chart at No. 9.

"Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" has sold more than 185,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

VOLBEAT will return to North America on April 3 for a tour that brings the Danish/American quartet coast to coast. The run begins at The Fillmore in Denver, Colorado and will wrap the second week of May on the East Coast, with TRIVIUM and DIGITAL SUMMER supporting.

The upcoming tour marks VOLBEAT's fourth visit to North American this album cycle, and follows an excursion as headliners of the Monster Energy Rock Allegiance Tour in August and September 2013. This past year, the band has been one of the largest touring draws on the European continent headlining both festivals and a arena tour, and they appeared at the major Japanese festival Summer Sonic 2013 in both Tokyo and Osaka. Cumulatively, VOLBEAT has performed for over a million fans since the current album was released.

Fan-filmed video footage of RED DRAGON CARTEL's March 28 performance at Largo Cultural Center in Largo, Florida can be seen below.

RED DRAGON CARTEL is the band led by former OZZY OSBOURNE and BADLANDS guitarist Jake E. Lee.

RED DRAGON CARTEL's self-titled debut album sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 69 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on January 28 via Frontiers Records, the CD was recorded at Las Vegas' The Hideout Recording Studio — owned and operated by Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, IN THIS MOMENT) — and was produced by R. Bernard Mann (a.k.a. Ronnie Mancuso) and Jake E. Lee, and executive-produced, mixed and mastered by Churko.

RED DRAGON CARTEL, which references the axeman's Japanese roots, also features Darren James "D.J." Smith of Canadian metallers WARMACHINE, on vocals, Ronnie Mancuso (BEGGARS & THIEVES) on bass and Jonas Fairley (BLACK BETTY) on drums.

Jake E. Lee is best known for his work in BADLANDS and as guitarist for OZZY OSBOURNE on "Bark At The Moon" and "The Ultimate Sin" albums.

"Red Dragon Cartel" also features various guest appearances from some of rock's most notable faces, including legendary CHEAP TRICK vocalist Robin Zander, former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno, KILL DEVIL HILL/ex-PANTERA bassist Rex Brown, Sass Jordan, Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz (SLASH) and IN THIS MOMENT frontwoman Maria Brink.

JAKE E. LEE'S RED DRAGON CARTEL's setlist includes new material like the singles "Feeder" and "Deceived", as well as major hits from Jake E. Lee's glorious past: "Bark At The Moon", "The Ultimate Sin" and "Rock 'N' Roll Rebel" (all originally recorded by OZZY OSBOURNE), as well as "Shine On" and "High Wire" (BADLANDS).

The RUSH "ReDISCovered" LP box set will be released on April 15 via Anthem/Universal Music. A contents trailer can be seen below.

2014 marks the 40th anniversary of RUSH's debut album. This release features the band's classic first vinyl album remastered with impeccable care at Abbey Road studios by Sean McGee, who has been previously responsible for all recent THE BEATLES vinyl remasters.

The "ReDISCovered" vinyl is encased in a 12x12 high-quality box. Pressed on audiophile 200-gram vinyl on the Direct Metal Mastering process, this is the highest-quality vinyl currently available. This release contains a re-production of the original 1974 Canadian retail poster (only 500 were ever originally printed) and individual Moon Records publicity photos of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and original drummer John Rutsey. This release also contains a first time ever Rush Family Tree, tracing origins of the band dating back to 1965 and a memorabilia collage of early Canadian and U.S. gig ads, reviews, photos and the first-ever RUSH bio.

For more information, visit RushBackstage.com.

Fan-filmed video footage of MERAUDER's entire March 10 performance at Gasworks in Albuquerque, New Mexico can be seen below.

MERAUDER's latest album, "God Is I", was released in June 2009 via Sweden's Regain Records. Singer Jorge Rosado stated, "This is one of the most important and brutal records we've ever worked on and it's all worth it!!!"

According to a press release, "God Is I" is MERAUDER's "most focused recording since [1995's] 'Master Killer'. Melding the band's roots with modern bite, the intent becomes immediately clear within seconds of the album's suckerpunch opening riff; 'Until' hones in on its listener and the chase begins. Runaway freight train grooves, mid-pace stomps, seething gang vocals and death metal-drenched riffs all find themselves vying for supremacy amidst their patented NYHC delivery."