RAGING VIOLENCE, the new band featuring former HIRAX members Gary Monardo, Johnnie Tabares, Scott Owen and Bob Savage (who played on the group's 1984 demo) alongside ex-WARGOD singer Rob Perkins, has released audio samples of the music it has been working on in the studio. Check it out in the YouTube clip below.

The debut RAGING VIOLENCE release will include classic HIRAX songs going back to the beginning, starting with the well-known 1984 tape demo through the early HIRAX albums and finishing with three brand new RAGING VIOLENCE songs that "thrash with the best of them," according to a press release.

RAGING VIOLENCE is:

Gary Monardo - BassScott Owen - GuitarBob Savage - GuitarJohnnie Tabares - DrumsRob Perkins - Vocals

FAITHSEDGE will return in in 2014 with a more aggressive approach, while still keeping a melodic/progressive edge to their music.

This year the band features Giancarlo Floridia (vocals, guitar), Alex Derosso (lead guitar), Tony "AJ" Morra (drums) and the group's new album will once again be produced by Fabrizio Grossi (also handling bass duties). In addition, two melodic rock keyboard greats appear on three tracks — Eric Ragno and Alessandro DelVecchio.

The new FAITHSEDGE CD is being finished by Peter Doell (David Lee Roth, Richard Marx) at Universal Mastering in Universal City, California.

Pictured above is singer Giancarlo Florida at Universal Mastering with Peter Doell.

The long-awaited Wagnerian opera metal project Lyraka Volume 2: Sonata Sirena is set for release August 29th, 2014, and contains vocal performances by Al Atkins (JUDAS PRIEST/ATKINS/MAY), Rob Diaz (VASTATOR), Veronica Freeman (BENEDICTUM), Robert Lowe (SOLITUDE AETERNUS, CANDLEMASS), and a vocal trio featuring Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, ALCATRAZZ), Mark Boals (YNGWIE MALMSTEN, RING OF FIRE) and Liz Vandall (ULI JON ROTH and SAHARA).
A sample of 'Semmonet', featuring Al Atkins, is streaming below.
Composer and lead guitarist for the project, Andy DiGelsomina, states: "Al Atkins vocally captured the sardonic, wry yet at times trickily self-effacing personality Jasmine Lyraka Aliara envisioned. My intro lead provided just that, a comic yet grudgingly admiring perpective of how others might see Semmonet, the vizier to the desert queen Lilliput. As envisioned by Jasmine, Semmonet is a snakily demeanored character with a striking Van Dyke beard. Note the major key licks playing with and between Al's vocal, providing a comic, Greek chorus-like teasing air to lines like 'Let them dare think I'm just a lonely vizier bland, soon they'll find out how, the righteous takes a stand...'."
Lyraka previously uploaded more album samples:

'Fideis Defensor' (featuring Graham Bonnet and Mark Boals)
'Entombed By Choice' (featuring Robert Lowe)
'Abyss' (featuring Rob Diaz)
'Lilliput' (featuring Liz Vandall)
'Father' (Movement 3) (featuring Al Atkins)

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Post by Andy DiGelsomina.
Lyraka Volume 2: Sonata Sirena tracklisting (includes singers in parentheses):

'Volcano (featuring Veronica Freeman, Rob Diaz, and Graham Bonnet on lead vocals, with backing vocals by Liz Vandall)
'Father' (an operetta in three movements)
a) Angst (Mark Boals, Liz Vandall)
b) Semmonet (Al Atkins)
c) Neires' Ocean Journey (Mark Boals, Liz Vandall, and Al Atkins)
'Entombed by Choice' (featuring Robert Lowe on vocals)
'Lilliput (Liz Vandall)
'Luminous Wisdom' (Andy DiGelsomina guitar instrumental)
'Abyss' (Rob Diaz)
'Fideis Defensor' (Graham Bonnet, Mark Boals, Liz Vandall)
'Lyraka (On Dragon's Wings)' (Graham Bonnet lead vocals and Liz Vandall backing)
'The Will to Believe' (Andy DiGelsomina guitar instrumental)
'Heavy Metal' (Graham Bonnet)

As previously reported, work has begun on Jasmine Lyraka Aliara's graphic novel collaboration with artist Vince Locke (SANDMAN, CANNIBAL CORPSE, HISTORY OF VIOLENCE). The graphic novel is scheduled to be published in the fall of 2014. Pictured is a Vince Locke original drawing for Lyraka, depicting a denizen of the landmark Abyss.

Romania-based thrash/death metal band DECEASE has released a video for the title track of their first album.
The band made the following statement :

"2013 was a successful year for Decease. We’ve accomplished so much and we've managed to reach a new level. To celebrate this, we've decided to share with you the title track from our first album entitled Exhort To Obliterate, as a video with a bunch of live footage and funny tour shit. We hope you enjoy it.
Thanks to everyone who filmed and shared these moments with us and thanks to everyone who supported and helped us get this far. As for 2014, we are planning to release a new album and keep growing as a band so stay tuned and support the extreme music.

Cheers and a happy/alcoholic/deranged new year to everyone!"

Metalpolis.com will release PRIMAL FEAR's New Religion album from 2007 on vinyl in February. It's the first time the album will be available in LP format.
The album will be issued as a double LP, gatefold cover on 180 gram vinyl. There will be four different versions (red, orange, black, clear) limited to 250 copies each.

The album is available for pre-order here.

The tracklist is as follows:

'Sign Of Fear'
'Face The Emptiness'
'Everytime It Rains'
'Fighting The Darkness'
'Blood On Your Hands'
'The Curse Of Sharon'
'Too Much Time'
'Psycho'
'World On Fire'
'The Man (That I Don't Know)'

Primal Fear will release their new album, Delivering The Black, on January 24th in Europe and January 28th in North America via Frontiers Records. Audio samples of all tracks on the album are available via Amazon.com. Click the link at the bottom of the page to check them out.

Delivering The Black will be available in regular CD edition, deluxe edition with two bonus tracks and – in cooperation with Soulfood Music - vinyl edition and DVD and limited edition (666 copies only!) of a super-de-luxe version including a metallic eagle.
The tracklisting is as follows:

'King For A Day'
'Rebel Faction'
'When Death Comes Knocking'
'Alive & On Fire'
'Delivering The Black'
'Road To Asylum'
'One Night In December'
'Never Pray For Justice'
'Born With A Broken Heart'
'Innocent Man' *
'Inseminoid'
Man Without Shadow' *
'When Death Comes Knocking' (single edit) *

* Only available on Deluxe edition

DVD (Only available with Deluxe edition): 'When Death Comes Knocking' (video), 'King For A Day' (video), Making Of The Album (video).

Primal Fear are:

Ralf Scheepers – vocals
Alex Beyrodt – guitars
Magnus Karlsson – guitar, keyboards
Randy Black – drums
Mat Sinner – bass and vocals

Brazilian thrash quartet ANGRY have released a music video for the title track of their album, Future Chaos. The clip for 'Future Chaos' was directed Caius Augusttus and Estevam Romera, who also took care of filming and editing. The Future Chaos album will be released via Mexican label Cadaver Records this month.
Tracklisting:

'When Darkness Fall'
'The Night Of Your Death'
'Future Chaos'
'Insanity'
'I See'
'Stuck In The Past'
'Suffocated By Despair'
'Fear Of Tomorrow'
'Last Day'

'Future Chaos' video:
Future Chaos was recorded at studio Oversonic with production by Vagner Alba (CHAOS SYNOPSIS, MORFOLK, ATTOMICA) and Angry.
Another song from the album, 'Fear Of Tomorrow', is streaming below:

Dutch death metal miscreants PROSTITUTE DISFIGUREMENT will unleash their latest manifestation of audio abrasions on February 4 via Willowtip Records. Tenderly titled "From Crotch To Crown", the long-anticipated follow-up to 2008's malicious "Descendants Of Depravity" long player features ten groin-churning tracks of merciless brutality. Recorded in multiple locations throughout The Netherlands, including Split Second Sound Studio in Amsterdam, guitarist Frank Schiphorst's home studio in Zwolle, guitarist Martijn Moes' home studio in Meppel and Final Focus Studio in Tilburg, and re-amped, mixed and mastered by Yuma Van Eekelen and Bart Hennephof (also at Final Focus), "From Crotch To Crown" promises to deliver the band's sickest, most sadistic material yet. Warns the band in a collective statement, "'From Crotch To Crown' is a mix of old-school mayhem and modern, bonecrushing, technical riffing with horrifying vocals spewed from the minds of the most sick and evil beings in history!" "From Crotch To Crown" track listing:

01. Only Taste For Decay02. Battered To The Grave03. Crowned In Entrails04. Dismember The Transgender05. Under The Patio06. From Crotch To Crown07. Glorify Through Cyanide08. Set Forth To Annihilate09. Compulsive Beheading Disorder10. Reduced To Stumps

The official lyric video for the song "Crowned In Entrails" can be seen below. PROSTITUTE DISFIGUREMENT is:

Niels Adams - VocalsMichiel Van Der Plicht - DrumsPatrick Oosterveen - BassFrank Schiphorst - Rhythm, Lead GuitarMartijn Moes - Rhythm, Lead Guitar

European death metal extremists BENIGHTED have issued the following band lineup news:
"We are sad to announce that our brother Eric will no longer play pass in the band due to his new family responsibilities which keep him busy. We wish him the best for the future and thank him a lot for all these years together! In the meantime, we are happy to announce Alexis Lieu as our new bass player!

The second point is that, as some of you already know, Kevin has been drumming with DECAPITATED in November so unfortunatly he will be missing on the promo pictures and our new video clip that we've made during this month. But no worries, he's still the official drummer of Benighted!

We're looking forward to see you on tour with our new lineup and can't wait to play tracks from Carnivore Sublime live! Thank you all for your amazing support! Video clip to be released really soon!!!"

Benighted will release their new album, Carnivore Sublime, on February 18th in North America; the rest of the world will get it a few days earlier on February 14th.

The tracklisting and artwork, designed by ABORTED vocalist Sven de Caluwé, can be found below.
'X2Y'
'Noise'
'Experience Your Flesh'
'Slaughter/Suicide'
'Spit'
'Defiled Purity'
'Jekyll'
'Collection Of Dead Portraits'
'Carnivore Sublime'
'Les Morsures de Cerbère'
'June And The Laconic Solstice'

A limited edition, deluxe digibox set of Carnivore Sublime will also be released, including a bonus CD featuring live material, covers, and demos. Both editions, as well as Benighted merch can be pre-ordered at this location.

"Now What?!", the 19th studio album from DEEP PURPLE, reached gold status in Germany, Russia, Czech Republic and Poland, not to mention the fact the band has made a very much-deserved return to the British Top 20 for the first time in 20 years.

To celebrate the success of the album and the support of one of the greatest fan bases known in rock history, "Now What?!" will be released on January 21 as a Golden Deluxe Edition. The boxed set will be available exclusively via Amazon.

"Now What?!" Gold Edition 2CD, packaged in a luxurious gold cover, will also include two bonus songs on disc 1 (a stunning cover of JERRY LEE LEWIS' "It'll Be Me", and the rare B-side "First Sign Of Madness", previously only available digitally and on the CD single "Vincent Price"), and an extra live disc. The bonus disc consists of over 70 minutes of unreleased live music recorded during the summer shows ("The Now What?! Live Tapes"). The live recordings show a band that still love to improvise like only few others can, changing the classic songs all the time and challenging themselves. Still, that magic sound is there, as if time could do nothing against it.

In an era when live albums are too often not much more than a studio exercise, one cannot help admiring the musicianship and the groove coming out of the speakers, especially considering that the record shows exactly what came out of the amplifiers on those nights. Great care has been paid to present this extra disc in a stunning hi-fi quality, still preserving its authenticity.

The studio album and this exceptional live album are sold together with the inclusion of a brand new booklet to support the second disc, with notes by Ian Gillan.

The "Now What?!" boxed set includes the "Now What?! Live Tapes", a DVD with a 20-minute interview, "Now What?! The Singles" ("All The Time In The World", "Vincent Price", "Above And Beyond"), exclusive t-shirt (large), exclusive poster, and collectible sticker.

Track listing:

CD1

01. A Simple Song02. Weirdistan03. Out Of Hand04. Hell To Pay05. BodyLine06. Above and Beyond07. Blood From A Stone08. Uncommon Man09. Après Vous10. All The Time in The World11. Vincent Price

Bonus tracks:

12. It'll Be Me13. First Sign Of Madness

CD2 - The "Now What?!" Live Tapes

01. Strange Kind Of Woman (Live in Rome)02. Hard Loving Man (Live in Aalborg)03. Vincent Price (Live in Aalborg)04. Contact Lost (Live in Aalborg)05. All The Time in The World (Live in Milan)06. No One Came (Live in Gaevle)07. BodyLine (Live in Rome)08. Perfect Strangers (Live in Gaevle)09. Above And Beyond (Live in Milan)10. Lazy (Live in Gaevle)11. Black Night (Live in Rome)12. Smoke On The Water (Live in Rome)

METALLICA will share the stage with renowned concert pianist Lang Lang during the 56th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, January 26.

Says METALLICA: "We're honored to be asked back to the Grammys to perform...

"It's been 22 years since the last time we hit the stage at the annual awards show!

"This performance will be truly special with Lang Lang, who has appeared on stages all over the world including the opening ceremonies at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, a White House state dinner, World Cup ceremonies, and the Nobel Prize concert in Stockholm among many other acclaimed appearances.

"We are also very proud that the 'Through The Never' soundtrack has been nominated for a Grammy for 'Best Recording Package' and we're hoping for another win for our friends from Turner Duckworth, who also designed the 'Death Magnetic' art and took home the mini gramophone in 2009."

The 56th annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Los Angeles Staples Center and will be broadcast live at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS.

METALLICA will head into the studio in early 2014 to begin work on its 10th studio album. The band will emerge next summer for a European tour on which each night's set list will be chosen online by fans attending the gig.

The band's traditional 18-song set will include the 17 top voted songs along with a brand new track.

The tour, dubbed the "Metallica by Request" tour, will kick off on May 28 at the Sonisphere festival in Helsinki, Finland and travel across Europe through July 11.

The new BLACK LABEL SOCIETY studio album, "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican", will be released in Europe on April 7 via Mascot Label Group and one day later in North America through eOne Music. The band's mainman, Zakk Wylde, joked in a recent interview that the forthcoming CD will be "all completely the same as the last nine records, except just different songtitles." Mascot Label Group is honored to welcome BLACK LABEL SOCIETY to the label, having recently signed the band exclusively for European territory. The group will join, among others, JOE BONAMASSA, VOLBEAT, GOV'T MULE, BETH HART, VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD on the Rotterdam, The Netherlands-based record company's roster.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY recently amicably parted ways with longtime guitarist Nick Catanese and replaced him with Dario Lorina (LIZZY BORDEN). "Catacombs of the Black Vatican" is BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's first new studio album since 2009's "The Order Of The Black", which debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's new live DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Video, "Unblackened", was released on September 24, 2013 by Eagle Rock Entertainment. Wylde's label home, eOne Music, also released the audio version of the "Unblackened" DVD under the same name.

Swedish black metallers DARK FUNERAL will celebrate their "stunning 20 years on the throne" with a special anniversary gig entitled "20 Years Of Satanic Symphonies" on May 3 at Klubben in Stockholm.

The band will be fronted by Emperor Magus Caligula. In addition, former members will make exclusive guest appearances. Thus we will see Themgoroth, Typhos, B-Force, Dominion and Gaahnfaust live and on stage for the first time since they left the band.

You can also be sure that DARK FUNERAL have a few surprises up their sleeve as well... This means that this night is an absolute must for both old and new fans! A great opportunity that NO metal fan would miss.

Age limit 13, except for the bar on the balcony – 18 years. Tickets at Skrikhult.

For 20 years now, Lord Ahriman and his fellow warriors have spread their satanic message throughout the world, with major success. Numerous albums and worldwide successful tours later, they are still here spreading the darkness upon us! A new, highly anticipated, album is coming up later this year.

German-American hard rock group EZ LIVIN', which is led by BONFIRE guitarist Hans Ziller, returns with former ACCEPT singer David Reece on the mic!

Founded in 1991, EZ LIVIN' sold 20,000 copies of its debut album, "After The Fire", in Europe alone. A tour part of the Metal Hammer Roadshow with AXEL RUDI PELL, CASANOVA, CORACKO and DOMAIN followed.

Now, in the year 2013, Hans Ziller has called on some new colleagues to get the group going again. The guitarist added some familiar names to the lineup: BONFIRE drummer Harry Reischmann, MOTHER ROAD and ex-SOUL DOCTOR guitarist Chris Lyne, TANGO DOWN and SEVEN WITCHES bassist Ronnie Parks, ex-RAINBOW keyboardist Paul Morris and the aforementioned Reece.

EZ LIVIN''s new album, "Firestorm", will be released on February 28 via Sony Music. The CD was produced and mixed by Alessandro Del Vecchio (HARDLINE) and features the band's unique brnad of melodic hard rock with a bluesy touch.

A short trailer for the album can be seen below.

EZ LIVIN' is ready to rock the European stages again in April 2014. The band will perform both old and new songs from its own catalogue, but also offer the classic songs from BONFIRE, ACCEPT, RAINBOW and SOUL DOCTOR.

KATHAARSYS have released a video for the track ‘Retorno Á Idade Media’, featured on the band's 2012 album Rara Vez. The anime short film includes the concept story taken from '‘A Involución Das Masas’ from the same album.
According to a press release: “The new project of this versatile Spanish band includes a new concept: lyrics with a journalistic point of view, music rooted in the Spanish classical way including piano as a new main instrument and using the Galician language for the first time.”
Tracklisting is as follows:

‘Manipulación’
‘Traxedia Española’
‘Crítica Da Estupidez Pura’
‘Retorno Á Idade Media’
‘A Involución Das Masas’

More on Kathaarsys at this location.

British death/doom metal band MY SILENT WAKE are looking for a new label home. Any interested parties should contact the band via their Facebook page here.
My Silent Wake recently released a split album with Swiss doom metal band PYLON. The album, titled Empyrean Rose, contains a total of 11 tracks - five brand new and unreleased tracks from My Silent Wake and six brand new or previously unreleased tracks from Pylon.

Empyrean Rose tracklisting:

My Silent Wake:
‘Tower Walk’
‘Tearing Worlds Apart’
‘Mirrored’
‘NDE Part 2’
‘Welcome To The Village’

Pylon:
‘Doomstone 2013 (with Jordan Cutajar on vocals)
‘Droid’ (CANDLEMASS cover)
‘By Loving Forces’ (unreleased track)
‘Falling In To The Sun’ (2013 remix)
‘Golden Voice’ (2013 remix featuring Matt Brand on vocals)
‘Post Tenebras Lux’ (unreleased track)

Check RoxxProductions.com and QuamLibetRecords.ch for more information.

The official lyric video for the song "Fantasy" from Spanish metallers KILMARA can be seen below. The track, which features guest appearances by Roland Grapow (MASTERPLAN, ex-HELLOWEEN) and Pilar Villatobas (RESILENCE), is taken from the band's third album, "Love Songs And Other Nightmares", which will be released later in the year. The CD was tracked at Grapow Studios with Grapow at the helm. The cover artwork was created by Canadian artist Jessica Allain, known for her work in digital photo manipulation. Photos were taken by Gina Roma from Spain.

KILMARA is:

Christian Wolfgang Kohl (vocals)Jonathan Portillo (guitar)Enrique Torres (guitar)Javier Morillo (drums)Raul Ruiz (bass)

Guests on the new album are Dave Imbernön from ENUMA ELISH on keyboards and Kaleb from young Spanish pagan death metal band DRAKUM on the violin.

"Love Songs And Other Nightmares" will probably be the heaviest KILMARA album up to date and finally make the breakthrough on European and international level.

The official video for the song "Devil's Night" from Germany's CALIBAN can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Ghost Empire", which will be released on the following dates via Century Media Records:

* Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand: January 24 * Rest of Europe: January 27 * U.S., Canada: February 4

The CD was produced by by guitarist Marc Görtz in cooperation with Benny Richter.

Said Görtz of the the "Ghost Empire" art, which was created by U.K. artist Chris Lovell: "Another great artist told me about Chris and his art. When I checked out his page, I loved his style and amazing drawings straight away. So I wrote him a message if he would be into designing a t-shirt design for us. It turned out great, so there was no doubt whom to ask for the new album artwork for 'Ghost Empire'! I told him what the album is about and he said that he would love to do it. It didn't take long for him to come up with first ideas which were amazing! I hope we can work with him on other projects in the future, he is a great guy and easy to work with and I think the result speaks for itself!"

Added Lovell: "I have been heavily into metal since the age of 12.

"It's always nice when a band I am a fan of contacts me with a brief for a project.

"I was stoked to read Marc's ideas as post-apocalyptic imagery is something I have an obsession with. I grew up loving films like 'Mad Max', 'Cyborg' and the 'Fist Of The North Star' anime. There's something about destroyed buildings and wastelands that stir my imagination and conjure up all kinds of haunting images in my head. It's also much more fun and easier to draw ruined buildings than perfect ones!

"Marc and I brainstormed ideas one evening and we came up with lots of elements we liked such as crows, scarecrows, rats etc. I sketched out a very rough concept idea and layout for the basic image. The front and back cover is all in one, so I had a nice wide landscape to work with. I liked the idea of a road on the main cover, leading to what could look like a hive of collapsed skyscrapers and buildings, leaning on each other and climbing into the clouds. On the left side a cliff face leading down to stormy seas and a shore line littered with ship wrecks and capsized boats.

"I wanted the image to look void of human life and haunting.

"I drew out the bulk of the main image in pencil, then used inks and acrylic paint to add depth and highlights. I then scanned the image in and coloured it with a graphics tablet on Photoshop. I drew a number of other elements, like telegraph poles, crows, skulls and rats and scanned them in separately.

"I wanted to be able to experiment with placement and give the band the option to move elements around etc.

"I lost track of how many hours I put into the piece, it all becomes a blur.

"I like to stream horror movies or listen to music and just lose myself in the art I make.

"I have a bit of an obsession with detail and I tend to spend hours tweaking elements on an image people will probably never even notice.

"CALIBAN have been a pleasure to work with. After I had the pleasure of hearing the demos while working on this project it is an honour to have done the artwork for what will be an amazing album!"

CALIBAN's eighth studio album, "I Am Nemesis", entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 21.

"I Am Nemesis" was released in North America on February 28, 2012 via Century Media Records. The CD featured guest appearances by Marcus Bischoff (HEAVEN SHALL BURN) and Mitch Lucker (SUICIDE SILENCE).

Finnish doomy dark metal band 0XíST are rehearsing material for their second full-length album. This will be the first 0xíst release to include bassist Sameli Köykkä (ex-COLOSSEUM) and guitarist Juhani Jokisalo (APOCRYPHAL VOICE). The album will include approximately six tracks of "slow and heavy dark metal," according to a press release.

0xíst’s debut album “Nil” was released in December 2012 as co-operation project between Ostra Records and Cold Void Emanations. The album was followed by 0xíst’s first European tour in March 2013.

0xíst’s next live performance will be their debut Swedish show which will take place at Rocks Bar in Stockholm on Saturday, February 1st.

The first full-length release from Polish post-black metallers THAW has just received another reissue, thanks to joined forces of Third Eye Temple and Godz Ov War Productions. The album, previously released on CD (Avantgarde Music) and MC (Instant Classic), this time was issued in two unique versions on vinyl: exclusive transparent blue vinyl in gatefold sleeve with insert (limited to 100 copies) and black vinyl in standard sleeve with insert (limited to 250 copies). Both editions featuring completely different artwork.
Tracklisting:

'The Gate'
'Ancestors'
'Divine Light'
'Kiara'
'On The World'S Grave'
'Hunted Prey'
'Under The Slag Heap'

You can listen to the whole album below:

s/t [MMXIIl] by thaw

Recent months showed increased live activity by Thaw, the band was playing with (among others) Behemoth, Corrections House, Jarboe, Aluk Todolo, Belzebong and Obscure Sphinx. Also earlier in 2013, Thaw took part in Metalfest Poland. February 2014 will bring Bewitching The Polonia Tour on which Thaw will be sharing stage with MOROWE and MORD’A’STIGMATA and will continue promoting their debut album.

Keyboardist Mistheria (BRUCE DICKINSON, ROB ROCK, ROY Z, MARK BOALS, JOHN WEST, etc.) and bassist Alberto Rigoni (solo artist, TWINSPIRITS) have announced that a new project is coming to light: VIVALDI METAL PROJECT, an all-star metal project that will blow you away.
The classic legendary masterpiece The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi will be rearranged in a metal version and will be performed by top class musicians from all over the world. Just to name a few... Mark Boals (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, RING OF FIRE), John Macaluso (ARK, TNT, JAMES LABRIE), Mike Lepond (SYMPHONY X). More to be announced soon.
Recordings will happen in 2014 and more news will be revealed soon.
Trailer:

Vocalist GEOFF TATE (QUEENSRŸCHE) is a featured guest on THE VOODOOS' new song, 'Facing My Demons'. The track is available via iTunes here. Check it out below:
The Voodoos vocalist Mark Daly comments: "I was inspired to write the song after watching my friends in Queensryche go through a such a sad and brutal break up"

Geoff Tate: "When Mark played me the song I was so moved by the lyrics and music I really wanted to be a part of it."

Tate will hold a three night stand at The Triple Door in Seattle, WA for the Rock And Vaudeville show, running from May 1st - 3rd. It will be five shows performed over three nights.
Thursday (one show) - 7:30pm
- 6:00pm doors open and dinner service begins in the theater (All Ages)
- $20 advance / $25 day of show / $30 VIP (front two rows of seating)

Friday, Saturday (two shows each night) - 7:00pm, 10:00pm
- 5:30pm doors open and dinner service begins in the theater (All Ages)
- 9:30pm doors open and dinner service begins in the theater (21+)
- $25 advance / $30 day of show / $35 VIP (front two rows of seating)

"Welcome to the History of Rock done Vaudeville style. See the rock songs you love from the ones you grew up to what’s paying today sung by rock legend Geoff Tate from the internationally famous band Queensryche, all while watching aerialists, burlesque dancers, go go dancers, drag queens and circus performers show their stuff."

Go to this location for more details and ticket information.

GEOFF TATE's QUEENSRŸCHE have announced a new string of US dates for the Operation: Mindcrime album's 25th Anniversary. The schedule can be viewed below:
January
9 - Birmingham, AL - Workplay Theatre
10 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
11 - Jacksonville, FL - Brewsters Roc Bar
12 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - The Culture Room
14 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza ‘Live’ Theatre
16 - Clearwater, FL - Capitol Theatre
18 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre

Tate's incarnation of the band performed the original band’s setlist from their 1992 MTV Unplugged show with a special acoustic set on November 7th at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA. Fan-filmed video is available below:
The setlist was as follows:

‘I Will Remember’
‘The Killing Words’
‘Della Brown’
‘Silent Lucidity’
‘Scarborough Fair/Canticle’ (SIMON & GARFUNKEL cover)
‘The Lady Wore Black’
‘Anybody Listening?’
‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ (NEIL YOUNG cover)

Check out the unplugged performance of ‘Della Brown’ from 1992:

Chile's INFERIS will begin recording their new as-yet-untitled album within the next few weeks. According to an update, the 11 track album will be recorded and engineered by Ignacio Figueroa in Viña del Mar, Chile. Figueroa have worked with bands such as NAIOTH, PIROSAINT and WARCHEST, among others.

The live track below, 'When Men Collide', was recorded on August 24th, 2013 at Teatro Condell in Valparaiso, Chile. It was mixed and mastered by Ignacio Figueroa and features new singer Nasson. Originally this track was included on the full length album released in 2010 with the same name.
Inferis recently released a music video for 'The Wind', featuring new vocalist Nasson. The previous version of this track was included on the mini album Lead The Chain, under the name of 'I've Been The Wind'.

The clip below is recently discovered footage from 2005 of the AL ATKINS BAND - featuring original JUDAS PRIEST singer Al Atkins - performing the classic 'Victim Of Changes':
The Al Atkins band:

Al Atkins (vocals)
Simon Lee (guitars)
Chris Johnson (guitars)
Mick Hales (drums)
Pete Emms (bass)

At the beginning of the year Atkins spoke with Greece's Rock Overdose about a number of topics. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

What are your feelings on the new Atkins May Project album, Valley Of Shadows?

Atkins: "It has to be one of the very best recordings I have ever been involved with. Our first offering 'Serpents Kiss' took us by surprise how well it was received and they were just a bunch of really good random songs that Paul had written but this time Paul wrote all the material with me and my vocal style in mind so I was more comfortable singing 'Valley of Shadows'. From the heavy opener 'Welcome to the Nightmare' the album weaves its way through classic British metal, heavy blues rock and even progressive metal songs so there's something for everyone on this album."
Rockoverdose.gr: What was your reaction when KK Downing left Judas Priest?

Atkins: "I was shocked like everyone else but he is 60 years old and if he feels it's time for him to retire that's up to him. I thought he may return to record another album and play the odd festival in a six-piece line up like Iron Maiden did but that's not to be, so I have been told."

Rockoverdose.gr: Do you find the appropriate credit was given to you, having written songs on the first two albums, but also having offered that legendary band-name nowadays?

Atkins: "Yes and no would be my answer... I think credit was given to me but I wished that they would have put my name as a past member on their official website.. It wouldn't have done them any harm but I bear no grudge against them after all it could be their management who stops a lot of things happening. I'm still in touch with some of the band and went to Ian's (Hill; Priest bassist) house for a New Year Party last week."

Read more at Rock Overdose.

German symphonic metallers XANDRIA will release their sixth album, "Sacrificium", on May 2. According to the band, the follow-up to 2012's "Neverworld's End" will "continue the musical journey and direction" of the last CD but "will bring in even more of everything people liked" about "Neverworld's End".

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

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

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

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

Dianne Van Giersbergen made her live debut with XANDRIA at the end of November on a Spanish tour. Fan-filmed video footage of the Barcelona concert can be seen below.

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

WHITE EMPRESS are streaming another new song, 'Exile (The Empress Returns)', set to appear on the band’s debut EP, due out next year.
The band previously released the song ‘Obsession With The Empress’, streaming below:
"White Empress is the missing link that the metal scene is thirsty for. Her majesty is the all-seeing power; she's your dreams and your worst nightmares. She's the ruler of everything and she commands a legion of loyal followers. Come join her ranks and bask in her endless glory."

Demo ‘Erased And Rewritten’:
More on White Empress at Facebook.

Australian thrash metallers HARLOTT recently signed a deal with Punishment 18 Records, to promote and distribute their new debut full-length album, Origin.
Origin tracklisting:

'Origin'
'Effortless Struggle'
'Ballistic'
'Heretic'
'Export Life'
'Hierophobia'
'Kill'
'Infernal Massacre'
'Regression'
'Virus'
'Ultra Violence'
'Not Long For This World'

Says the band: "This is a very exciting start to the next chapter of Harlott. Punishment 18 will provide us with European and North American distribution of Origin. It is an honour to be signed to this particular label, which almost exclusively signs thrash. They have seen and heard a lot of it, which further excites us that we have been picked up by them."
More on Harlott at Facebook.

San Antonio five-piece MEMORY OF A MELODY has released the video for the track 'Phantoms & Shadows'.
Stephen Castro and the Miranda Studios team again as well as working together with the movie team from Voice Of The Unknown, A Paranormal Investigation, a documentary lead by filmmaker Will Scoville. Working together with the movie team, Alyssa Onyx (Voice Of The Unknown), Stephanie Galdos, and Audry Bond were true professionals, and committed a lot of time, energy, and dedication to capturing the vision for the video.
This video was filmed on location at the actual Haunted Magnolia Hotel, own by paranormal author Erin O Wallace located in Seguin, Texas. The Magnolia Hotel was home to New Braunfels' notorious axe murderer in 1874.

More on Memory Of A Melody at Facebook.

‘Mask’ video:
'Things That Make You Scream' video:

The official lyric video for the song "Rise Up" from the reformed CHASTAIN — featuring Leather Leone on vocals — can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's comeback album, "Surrender To No One", which was released on November 19, 2013 via Leviathan Records.

Comments CHASTAIN guitarist David T. Chastain: "We wanted to get something official up there as soon as possible, so we arranged for a lyric video of 'Rise Up'. I think it turned out pretty damn good, all things considered.

"There are already quite a few fan videos out there for the new CD. Some more elaborate than others.

"We hope to have performance videos for a few of the tracks in the not-too-distant future. However, with members living all over the world, it is going to take some 'studio trickery' to pull it off. However, we have done something similar in the past so it is just a matter of time."

"Surrender To No One" track listing:

01. Stand And Fight02. Call Of The Wild03. Deep Down In The Darkness04. Freedom Within05. I Am Sin06. Rise Up07. Evil Awaits Us08. Fear My Wrath09. Save Me Tonight10. Surrender To No One11. Bleed Through Me

Also back in the saddle is original bassist Mike Skimmerhorn. The drum tracks for the CD were recorded by Stian Kristoffersen (PAGAN'S MIND, FIREWIND) since original drummer Fred Coury is still busy touring with CINDERELLA and other projects.

The Leather-fronted version of CHASTAIN recorded five CDs in the mid-to-late 1980s: 1985's "Mystery Of Illusion", 1986's "Ruler Of The Wasteland", 1987's "The 7th Of Never", 1988's "The Voice Of The Cult" and 1990's "For Those Who Dare". After the "For Those Who Dare" tour, David and Leather amicably went their separate ways but kept in touch over the years.

Leather last year released the debut album from her SLEDGE LEATHER project, "Imagine Me Alive". The CD was inspired in 2010 when Leather called Sandy Sledge to collaborate on the Ronnie James Dio track "Egypt" for a demo tribute recording. Due to the overwhelming response for more material, SLEDGE LEATHER was born and was confirmed for Germany's Keep It True festival in April 2011.

Regarding the new CHASTAIN material, David stated: "We are trying to write and record music that is expected of us but with some modern twists and turns. We demoed up 20 tracks and it was difficult to leave any of them off the CD. Stian did an amazing job with the drum tracks and his performance is probably the best drumming on any CHASTAIN release to date."

Leviathan Records in 2010 released "The Reign of Leather", a collection of CHASTAIN tracks Leather had a hand in writing during her glory days with the band. Leviathan also reissued two of the classic CHASTAIN CDs with Leather: "The 7th of Never" and "The Voice Of The Cult". Both were digitally remastered and are in their original unedited versions.

Norwegian metallers SILENCE THE SKY have released a new single, "Jenova", from their long-awaited debut album, "Ancient". Check it out using the SoundCloud widget below.

"Ancient" will be released through Negative Vibe Records in March.

Hailing from Halden and later joined by some of Oslo's talent, SILENCE THE SKY made some tiny ripples with its debut, 2010's "Citadel", an EP consisting of energy-driven brutality mixed with the rawness of hardcore.

Keeping a low profile for over two years, SILENCE THE SKY's original members, Petter Hveding Hazen and Ulrick Nygård Berg, were joined by singers Audun Mehl (BLODSPOR) and Magnus Granholdt (SHARING OUT LOUD) to complete the sound they were chasing after.

Guitarist Mark Morton of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD is sitting out at least the first few shows of the band's current European headlining tour due to a "family emergency." Filling in for him is Paul Waggoner of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME.

Fan-filmed video footage of the first show of the European tour, which took place last night (Monday, January 6) in Vienna, Austria, can be seen below.

Prior to performing the song "Walk With Me In Hell" at the Vienna concert, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe explained Morton's absence, telling the crowd, "You may have noticed Mr. Mark Morton is not here with us tonight. He had a family emergency, so he had to stay home. It's family first for this band. We apologize, but he had to be with his family. Luckly, we have a very big music family, so we've got our friend Paul Waggoner from BETWEEN THE BURIED IN ME [playing with us tonight]."

LAMB OF GOD recently entered into a worldwide distribution deal with Specticast (LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day", Paul McCartney's "Rock Show") for their Don Argott-directed ("Last Days Here", "Art Of The Steal", "School Of Rock") feature film "As The Palaces Burn". Filming for the movie began in 2012 and concluded in March of 2013. "As The Palaces Burn", which should not be confused with the making-of documentary packaged with the recent re-release of the 2003 LAMB OF GOD album of the same name, was conceived to be a documentary focused on the power of music and its impact on cultures around the world and its ability to bring together people of all nationalities regardless of religious or political differences. After a worldwide casting call, filming took place in Colombia, Venezuela, Israel, India, and the United States. As filming reached its conclusion, the documentary was forced to take a major turn when the band's lead singer, Randy Blythe, was arrested in the Czech Republic and charged with the murder of a fan in June 2012. Granted unique access to Blythe's saga, Argott's filming covered Blythe's 38-day imprisonment in Prague, his release and the band's return to live performances, and finally Blythe's trial for murder in Prague in February 2013. "As The Palaces Burn" will debut worldwide on February 27. Following the film, a 30-minute question-and-answer session with the entire band and Don Argott will be shown. The question-and-answer session was conducted by VH1 Classic's Eddie Trunk and filmed at the final show of the band's North American tour in support of their most recent release, "Resolution".