Brazilian thrash metal act NOWRONG is offering an EP, free of charge, for download. Self-titled, the work has two songs that will be on their upcoming debut album, Prognostic Of A Great Disaster, plus three live tracks taken from FMTV television show.
Nowrong tracklisting:

‘Taste The Hate’
‘The Morals’
‘Angels In Hell’
‘Fuck Yourself And Die’
‘The Morals’
To download the EP, visit this location.

Hammerheart Records is releasing EMPEROR's As The Shadows Rise EP, which was recorded in December 1992, during the same session as the Emperor EP, but not released until 1994.
The three songs on the EP are re-recordings from the Wrath Of The Tyrant demo which are as follows:

'The Ancient Queen'
'Lord of the Storms'
'Witches Sabbath'

The 12" LP plus CD single will be released on March 3rd in time for their reunion shows. The As The Shadows Rise EP is limited to 666 copies.

With the holiday season almost in full gear, Ottawa, ON-based melodic death thrashers CHARIOTS OF THE GODS want to share with fans a Xmas medley.

"Happy Holidays from COTG! We love all our fans, thanks for showing us all the love this year during touring and promoting our new album Tides Of War, please enjoy this holiday medley we've put together for you!", comments guitarist Dimitri Gervais.
Touring Eastern Canada aggressively over the years, especially in 2013 for promotion of their debut album Tides of War, Chariots Of The Gods have announced their first ever tour outside the snow infested lands of Canada, for this year's Brutal Winter Fest Tour in sunny and hot Cuba. The band will be joined by THE PRESTIGE (France), ALGEBRA (Switzerland), NO SUN IN SAN FRANCISCO (Switzerland), and MELTDOWN (Switzerland) .

Guitarist Mat St-Amour comments: "Cuba is going to be amazing! The Brutal Fest is getting bigger and bigger every year and we can't wait to bring 'em our music. Plus as a bonus we get to escape winter for two weeks!"
Tour dates:

February
13 - Santa Clara, Cuba - Plaza Sandino
15 - Holguin, Cuba - Mestre
16 - Santiago de Cuba, Cuba - Pista Pancho Alonso del Teatro Heredia
18 - Camagüey, Cuba - Casino Deportivo / Cepmi
19 - Trinidad, Cuba - TBA
21 - La Habana, Cuba - Maxim Rock
22 - La Habana, Cuba - Maxim Rock
23 - Artemisa, Cuba - TBA

For more info on Brutal Fest, visit this location.

In additional news, a teaser for the band's next music video, 'Starborn', has been posted along with live video from their Rouyn Noranda, QC performance this past October, both videos can be viewed below:

ASKA's Fire Eater album will be released on vinyl on January 31st. The limited vinyl edition consists of 333 pieces (black/orange splatter) and comes in a gatefold sleeve. The pre-order phase will start on January 17th at the Pure Steel webshop.
Tracklisting:

Side A
'Everyone Dies'
'Dead Again'
'Vahalla'
'Son Of A God'
'Angela'

Side B
'Harlot Of Eden'
'Red Cell'
'The Ripper'
'Year Of Jubilee'
'The Last Message'
'Eye Of The Serpent'
BraveWords' Fire Eater review can be found here.

Rock legends MARILLION check in with the following update:

"Once again folks we thank you for your faith and unfailing support throughout 2013. 2014 looks set to see us jamming and scheming in the studio as our strange creative process begins again at the thin-end of the LONG wedge which will eventually lead to our 18th studio album. In amongst the writing and recording sessions we'll be escaping into the world, first for the Cruise To The Edge in April and then to Latin America in May. Should be an interesting year.
Thanks to all of you who have supported our charity Christmas single so far - remember you can still download it from ITunes or Amazon worldwide. Simply search for Marillion 'Carol Of The Bells'. We hope you enjoy it and, because of your help, we are looking forward to making a sizeable donation to JustGivingnext year.

Have the very best Christmas ever, and a fabulous and happy New Year."

Legendary progressive rock bands YES and Marillion will lead an all-star lineup aboard the second annual Cruise To The Edge, a full-ship charter departing from Miami, FL April 7th, 2014 for five days and nights of live music, interaction between musicians and fans and plenty of fun in the sun. General on-sale tickets will be available beginning Thursday, August 29th.

Billed as one of the greatest progressive rock festivals of all time, Cruise To The Edge will visit beautiful Caribbean ports including Isla de Roatan, Honduras and Cozumel, Mexico, providing a rare opportunity for fans to get up-close-and-personal with over 25 bands and artists. Featuring non-stop entertainment, activities and events, information regarding the unique fan opportunity is available now at here.
Passengers will be treated to multiple concert sets from YES - who helmed Cruise To The Edge in March 2013 - Marillion, STEVE HACKETT and GENESIS REVISITED, UK with EDDIE JOBSON, QUEENSRŸCHE, TANGERINE DREAM featuring EDGAR FROESE, RENAISSANCE with ANNIE HASLAM and many more.

The MSC Divina will transform into a Progressive Rock Paradise, featuring multiple unique stages, showcasing music and ocean panoramas in every direction. Other artists joining the lineup include SAGA, THREE FRIENDS (former members of GENTLE GIANT), PATRICK MORAZ, PFM (PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI), LIFESIGNS, STICKMEN featuring TONY LEVIN of PETER GABRIEL, IO EARTH, STRAWBS, THE PINEAPPLE THIEF, SOFT MACHINE (LEGACY), SOUND OF CONTACT featuring SIMON COLLINS, ELECTRIC ASTURIAS, PRESTO BALLET, MOON SAFARI, PAMELA MOORE, SCALE THE SUMMIT, THE PROG ROCK ORCHESTRA, HEAVY MELLOW AND CHEAP THRILL. In addition, famous YES album design artist Roger Dean will be aboard to talk about the back story of his unique designs with a special art gallery where one-of-a-kind creations may be view and purchased.

Highlights include special performances by every band, plus unique “Storytellers” style concerts by many bands featuring behind-the-scenes stories of the writing and recording of the music, band history and more. Fans will also be able to witness unforgettable nighttime concerts on the dramatic open-air stage with sights, lights and sounds with an ever-changing view. In addition, the Acoustic Lounge and the Prog Jam Stage will keep the action going into the wee hours with a surprise or two along the way.

In addition to great musical performances, prog-rock music fans aboard the luxurious MSC Divina - one of the world’s newest and amazing floating festival ships which can accommodate over 3,000 passengers plus crew - will enjoy The Prog Panels Q&A sessions, Behind The Music Presentations, Meet & Greet sessions (with select artists), a Bon Voyage Sail-Away Party plus other special events and activities, interacting with some of greatest progressive rock musicians in the world. For this special event, the MSC Divina is building the biggest-ever deck-side stage built specifically for rock concerts aboard a cruise ship. Cruise To The Edge has been carefully designed to meet the discriminating requirements of the most avid music fan/cruise vacationer, producing a true fan and artist experience in a surreal and relaxing setting.

"YES will once again host Cruise To The Edge this coming April 2014,” says Chris Squire of YES. “Our first cruise turned out to be a lot of fun and I thoroughly recommend the experience. If you're a Prog Rock fan, even better as we have amassed a spectacular array of support talent for the cruise... see you there!"

Cruise spokesperson Larry Morand says, “This is the premiere world event for Progressive Rock music. Our goal is to bring fans from at least 40 countries for the 2014 Cruise To The Edge.”

For North American Marillion fans, this is an exciting opportunity to see the band perform live, as they very rarely tour outside of Europe. The band says, "We are looking forward to being a part of Cruise To The Edge in 2014. We are sure it will be a unique experience for all involved and we look forward to sailing the seas somewhere warm!"

There’s also an added incentive for international prog-rock fans who want to Cruise To The Edge: there is up to a $500 per cabin rebate for travelers flying in from overseas.

Tickets are on sale now for Cruise To The Edge and practically everything is included for one low price, starting at $799 per person, double occupancy. In addition to over-the-top performances by featured artists and bands, passengers will enjoy the refined elegance of the MSC Divina, sumptuous meals, two wonderful Caribbean ports, luxury stateroom, pools, fitness center and much more. This is the “Can’t Miss” event for true aficionados of progressive rock.

Cruise To The Edge is a playground for the serious fan where music and a luxury cruise hook up for the vacation of a lifetime. Tickets for this voyage-of-a-lifetime will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and will only be available at CruiseToTheEdge.com.

Earlier this year, Brazilian symphonic metal band AMAZON - featuring Sabrina Todt (vocal and flute), Renato Angelo (guitar and keyboards), Newton Olivieri (bass) and Marcos Frazão (drums) - recorded their third album, Rise!, with Sander Gommans (HDK, ex-AFTER FOREVER) and Amanda Somerville (TRILLIUM, AVANTASIA) producing.

In final stages of mixing, the album highlights the talents of the duo Somerville and Gommans not just in terms of production, but also in compositions, since both co-wrote some songs for Rise! together with Amazon.

According to Sander Gommans, his involvement on the new Amazon album only occured because there was a big artistic connection:

"When I started writing music for After Forever in the mid-nineties, the so called female fronted scene was relatively new. It contained a certain magic, something I miss listening to a lot of the modern bands. The productions are often very good, but the music lacks passion and melody. Amazon surprised me in a positive way, this is why I decided working on their songs and mixing the album. If you are a fan of the style of the early days of bands like After Forever and NIGHTWISH, you should check out Amazon."

The new Amazon album will feature ten tracks and is expected to hit stores in early 2014. For more details visit Amazon.mus.br.

The fifth LEVIATHAN album - Beholden To Nothing, Braver Since Then - is set for release on Valentine's Day 2014, that being February 14th, via Stonefellowship Recordings. The tracklisting is as follows:
'Ephemeral Cathexis'
'A Shepherds Work'
'Intrinsic Contentment'
'Overture of Exasperation'
'Creatures of Habit Religion: Superstition, Imposed Tradition & Spiritual Crutch of Human Crux'
'I. Solitude Begets Ignorance'
'II. A Testament for Non-Believers'
'III. If The Devil Doesn’t Exist...'
'IV. Magical Pills Provided'
'V. Thumbing Your Nose At Those Who Oppose'
'VI. Empty Vessel Of Faith'
'VII. Words Borrowed Wings'
'Bettering Darklighter'
'Misanthrope Exhumed'
'Beholden To Nothing, Braver Since Then'

From the depths of Californian crypts, FDA Rekotz presents bone-breaking death metal act MORFIN and their debut album, Inoculation. Comprised of 10 classically-inspired death metal hymns - including a surprise cover tune - Inoculation crushes faces in the vein of early DEATH, GORGUTS AND SKELETAL REMAINS. The album was recorded at Executer Studio in Pico Rivera, CA, and features artwork by Badic Art.
Inoculation is set for a February 21st release on CD, vinyl and digital formats. The vinyl LP will be offered on red/black marbled (100 copies only) or standard black vinyl. Pre-orders are being taken now at this location

Check out album track 'Dark Creator' below:
Morfín lineup:

Jesus Romero: Guitar/Vocals
Miguel Hernandez: Drums
Michael Gonzalez: Bass
Pedro Gonzalez: Guitar
More on Morfin at Facebook.

JUNIUS will release the Days Of The Fallen Sun EP, the first new music from the band since their Reports From The Threshold Of Death release, in February of 2014 via Prosthetic Records. More details coming soon.
Catch Junius on tour throughout Europe with LONG DISTANCE CALLING and WOLVES LIKE US. Tour dates include:

February
6 - Zoetermeer, Netherlands - Boederjj
7 - Dortmund, Germany - FZW (Visions Party)
8 - London, UK - Barfly
11 - Madrid, Spain - Caracol
11 - Madrid, Spain - Shoko
12 - Barcelona, Spain - Apolo 2
13 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex
14 - Wien, Austria - Szene
15 - Innsbruck, Austria - Weekender
16 - Stuttgart, Germany - Wagenhallen
17 - Munchen, Germany - Backstage
18 - Berlin, Germany - Lido
19 - Dresden, Germany - Beatpol
20 - Esh Sur Alzette, Luxembourg - TBA

Los Angeles, California-based melodic rockers NINTH CIRCLE have signed a worldwide deal with Pure Rock Records, a sub-label of Pure Steel Records.
Says the band: "Ninth Circle is very excited to be on board with Pure Steel Records! We've put quite a bit of effort into our upcoming release from the song writing to the recording and to every last detail. Pure Steel Records have always shown great support to their artists. It is wonderful to know that we've signed with a company who will give us the push we need for this CD and for the future of Ninth Circle... worldwide!"
Ninth Circle lineup:

Dennis Brown - lead vocals and guitars
Frank Forray - bass guitar and backing vocals
Dave Davis - drums and backing vocals

Updates to follow.

An official live video for the song "Sharks In Your Mouth" from the Australian metalcore outfit I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN, filmed during the recently completed "Impericon Never Say Die ! Tour 2013", can be seen below (courtesy of Impericon.com).

I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN will release its first album in six years, "Beloved", on February 18, 2014 in the U.S. via Epitaph Records.

By their own admission, I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN have endured a decidedly checkered past. Over the years the band saw multiple vocalist changes and other personnel exchanges, side-project sojourns and moonlighting in other bands, hiatuses and break-ups. Yet through it all, their musical output both live and on record has remained thoroughly inspired.

For several years, the band lay dormant, as members went on to play in other bands. In 2011, I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN reclaimed their sound, style, history, and legacy with an all-new lineup, and original member Jona Weinhofen, who spent time with BLEEDING THROUGH and BRING ME THE HORIZON. Joined by new screamer Jamie Hope (ex-RED SHORE), Shane O'Brien on drums (DEEZ NUTS), Kevin Cameron on guitar, Benjamin Coyte on bass, and of course, Jona bringing vocal choruses, guitar and keyboard to the mix.

I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN entered the studio in 2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden with Fredrik Nordström (BRING ME THE HORIZON, AT THE GATES, IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, ARCHITECTS) to record "Beloved".

"We've really extended ourselves," says Weinhofen. "But we've done it in a way where it's tasteful and it makes sense with the music. It's not like we’ve gone from sounding like a metalcore band to sounding like DIMMU BORGIR. It still sounds very much like PROM QUEEN."

"Beloved" track listing:

01. Beginning Of The End02. To The Wolves03. Bright Enough04. Meilor05. Thirty One & Sevens06. Calvert Street07. Kærjrlighet08. The Beaten Path09. Nightmares10. No One Will Save Us11. Brevity

On December 21, 2012, the metal community came together in an amazing way to celebrate the life of SUICIDE SILENCE singer Mitch Lucker and raise money for his daughter's future education (with an unforgettable evening of collaborative performances between past/present SUICIDE SILENCE members and elite heavy vocalists that created a defining emotional event forever captured on video and audio. "Suicide Silence - Ending Is The Beginning: The Mitch Lucker Memorial Show" will be released on February 18, 2014 in North American and March 17, 2014 In Europe as a CD/DVD digipack and CD/Blu-ray combo pack. The set was directed by Jeremy Schott of MentalSuplex Productions and Zafer Ulkucu of Backseat Conceptions.

Throughout the historic event, SUICIDE SILENCE band members played as guest vocalists covered their songs.

A 30-minute documentary on the life of Mitch Lucker — which will be included with "Suicide Silence - Ending Is The Beginning: The Mitch Lucker Memorial Show" — can be seen below.

"Mitchell was born on October 20, 1984," says Mitch's mother, Denise Haddad. "He came out literally screaming and it ended up being his legacy."

"Mitchell was given that talent and that gift [of connecting with people through music] and even though he's not here today, those gifts are gonna continue to be shared because those young teens are going to tell their own children. That's how the legacy is gonna be able to be passed on."

The official "Suicide Silence - Ending Is The Beginning: The Mitch Lucker Memorial Show" listing is as follows:

01. Destruction Of A Statue (with Jonny Davy)02. Distorted Thought Of Addiction (with Greg Wilburn)03. Ending Is The Beginning (with Brook Reeves)04. Bludgeoned To Death (with Ricky Hoover)05. Unanswered (with Phil Bozeman)06. Girl Of Glass (with Myke Terry)07. Price Of Beauty (with Danny Worsnop)08. No Pity For A Coward (with Johnny Plague)09. Disengage (with Cameron "Big Chocolate" Argon)10. No Time To Bleed (with Burke VanRaalte)11. Smoke (with Anthony Notarmaso)12. Wake Up (with Tim Lambesis)13. March To The Black Crown14. Slaves To Substance (with Eddie Hermida)15. OCD (with Austin Carlile)16. Fuck Everything (with Chad Gray)17. Die Young (with Robb Flynn)18. Roots Bloody Roots (with Max Cavalera)19. Engine #9 (with Mitch Lucker)20. You Only Live Once (with Randy Blythe)

Mitch Lucker died November 1, 2012 after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle crash in Huntington Beach on Halloween night.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Lucker struck a light pole near the intersection of Main and 13th streets and was thrown from his 2013 Harley Davidson. The motorcycle continued sliding south on Main Street and struck a northbound 2007 Nissan Titan pickup.

SUICIDE SILENCE recently entered the studio to begin recording its new album with producer Steve Evetts (SEPULTURA, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, WARBRINGER). The group's first CD with new vocalist Eddie Hermida (ex-ALL SHALL PERISH) will be released next summer via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, a division of Nuclear Blast Records formed by Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger and former Roadrunner A&R chief Monte Conner.

Documentary:

'The Betrayal', a brand new song featuring Michael Bormann (SILENT FORCE, REDRUM, ex-JADED HEART, BONFIRE) and Carsten Kaiser (ex-ANGEL DUST) on lead vocals, from German prog metallers ASSIGNMENT is available for streaming. The track comes off the band’s third album, Inside Of The Machine, released via Mausoleum Records. The new song can be streamed here:
Assignment are: Goran Panic (guitars), Gert Sprick (keyboards), Heiko Maag (bass) and Sven Pollkötter (drums).
The new album is a conceptual masterpiece including Bormann, Kaiser, Robin Beck and Mats Leven (ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN).

Assignment are hoping to secure a permanent record deal in the near future. Fans can expect hard-edged riffs, catchy hooks, & unexpected turnovers in more than 70 minutes running time; special guest appereance of Bernie Versailles (REDEMPTION) on lead guitar.

Swedish progressive death metallers DESCEND will release their second full-length album, "Wither", on January 24, 2014 via Inverse Records.

DESCEND was formed in 2003 and the current lineup dates back to 2008. After three demos, the debut album, "Through The Eyes Of The Burdened", was released through Supernova Records in May 2011. The album was well received and supported through numerous live performances including festivals in Germany, Canada as well as the renowned Metaltown festival in Gothenburg in the summer of 2012. The band has been self managed from the start, and dedicated work has attracted fans from many different countries.

Combining melodic harmonies, acoustic passages and death metal riffs, DESCEND manages to effortlessly swing back and forth from tranquil, atmospheric playing to a barage of apocalyptic death metal.

From the opening drum fill in "Confined By Evil" all the way up to the final ringing notes in "Sundown", "Wither" takes the listener through a dark, thought provoking, malevolent journey, certain to leave the listener asking for more.

"Wither" track listing:

01. Confined By Evil 02. The Rancorous Paradigm 03. In Hours Of Despair04. Severance05. Wither 06. Diabolic07. From Grace To Grave08. Sundown

The song "In Hours Of Despair" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

DESCEND will celebrate the release of "Wither" with a concert on Friday, January 24, 2014 at Rocks in Stockholm, Sweden.

Says the band: "Indulge in this impending doom and join us at Rocks on the night of the release where we will play the album and perhaps a few old songs."

French Canadian opera metallers LIVA have released their third full-length album, Human Abstract. With the addition of two new members, Liva has given itself new wings. After having moved listeners with the poetry of antique Latin, Liva now adopts the language of Shakespeare. The texts of great English and American poets such as William Blake, Robert Frost and Emily Brontë among others are used in this opus, letting the beauty of their lyricism take flight, transported by the solidity and power of metal.
Tracklisting:

'All That’s Past'
'Desert Places'
'The Last Word'
'Human Abstract'
'The Indian Serenade'
'Sleep'
'Evocation'
'Come In'
'Interlude pour Italo'
'Winter Days'

'Desert Places' lyric video:
Liva are:

Pier Carlo Liva – Guitars, Vocals
Catherine Elvira Chartier – Electric Violin, Vocals
Félix Lampron-Dandonneau – Bass
Martin Plante – Drums
More on Liva at Facebook.

Ottawa, Canada's progressive rock sextet THE KINDRED (formerly known as TODAY I CAUGHT THE PLAGUE) will release their debut Sumerian Records full-length entitled, Life In Lucidity, on February 25th. They will also embark on a North American tour alongside BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME in February/March. The album track 'Heritage' can now be streamed below.

Vocalist David Journeaux elaborates on the meaning of the song's lyrics: "The song 'Heritage' refers to the idea of building upon the knowledge of predecessors, by way of fully understanding how they came to acquire such knowledge and then applying our own thoughts and ideas to them. It seeks to explain the power of using thousands of years of well thought out concepts and theories, built upon generation after generation, as a base for further thought exploration, rather than building ideas in already existing fields either completely from scratch or with limited subject knowledge. The idea is that whereas the latter approach may produce some interesting results, it would seem that the former offers more possibility of significantly advancing our levels of understanding, as issues that may arise, either known or unknown to us in our own secluded thought development of a particular subject may very well have been addressed and solved in the collective history of that subject’s study. Therefore, having an understanding of a subject’s full course of development keeps us from spending our time reaching already established conclusions, and allows us to focus on unique thoughts to hopefully advance the field, or create new ones."
Life In Lucidity tracklisting:

‘Wolvish’
‘Heritage’
‘Everbound’
‘An Evolution Of Thought’
‘Decades’
‘Millennia’
‘A Grand Debate’
‘Seekers & Servants’
‘Dreambender’
‘Like A Long Life’
‘Cimmerian Dusk’ (bonus track)

‘Heritage’:
David Journeaux previously stated: “The album title, Life In Lucidity, relates to the concept of life being nothing more than a very lucid dream, wherein if you were to wake from it you may either wake in to another dream or in to true reality. It also toys with the notion that if you can realize you are dreaming within this world you can gain complete control over everything that happens within it; complete responsibility for the path your life takes. We are incredibly excited to get this album out to the public and to take the songs to stages across the globe. Being able to start the process with Between The Buried And Me is a bit of a dream-manifestation in itself, as a number of us have been big fans of the band for many years, and have always named them an act with whom we would love to tour one day."
Tour dates with Between The Buried And Me, INTRONAUT, and DEAFHAVEN:

February
20 - West Springfield, VA - Empire
21 - Huntington, NY - Paramount Theater
22 - Clifton Park, NY - Upstate Concert Hall
23 - Boston, MA - Royale Nightclub
24 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
26 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theater
27 - Quebec City, QC - Imperial De Quebec
28 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre

March
1 - London, ON - London Music Hall
2 - Syracuse, NY - Lost Horizon
4 - Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
5 - Palatine, IL - Durty Nellie's
6 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
7 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre
8 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
10 - Reno, NV - The Knitting Factory
11 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Metro
12 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
14 - Lubbock, TX - Jake's Sports Café
15 - San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit
16 - Grand Prairie, TX - South By So What?! Festival
18 - Sauget, IL - Pop's
20 - Ybor City, FL - The Ritz Ybor
21 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
22 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt
23 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall

The Kindred recently uploaded a new Volition Tour webisode, which is streaming below:
For more info visit Facebook.

Brazilian thrashers SLASHER have released a trailer for their second album, Katharsis, which will be released digitally on February 13th and as a digipack on March 14th.
Katharsis was produced, mixed and mastered at Antfarm Studio in Aarhus, Denmark by Tue Madsen, who has previously worked with HALFORD, DARK TRANQUILLITY, VADER, BEHEMOTH and KATAKLYSM, among others.

The Katharsis digipack cover artwork can be seen below. It was signed by the french designer Stan W Decker, who has previously worked with TIMMO TOLKKI.

Katharsis tracklisting:
'Katharsis'
'Disposable God'
'Final Day'
'All Covered In Blood'
'Overcome'
'Hostile'
'Face The Facts'
'Inflicted'
'Jamais Me Entregar'
'Suffocated' (MOSH cover)

The single 'Overcome' is available for streaming below and download on SoundCloud here.

Brittany "Kobra" Paige, singer for Canada's KOBRA AND THE LOTUS, has checked in with the following update:
"Happy holidays from Canada everyone, whereever you are! I hope you are taking great care and having a fantastic time!! For the next 48 hours click on this link for a free download of 'Silver Bells'. Recorded in 2009, I like to call this baby Kobra. Hornz, hailz n' love!"

Kobra And The Lotus recently checked in with a brief studio update:

"Two months spent caved up in the studio putting together the ground for the piece of our lives. Called it a wrap today, feeling greatful to have been able to work with some really special talents on this record, can't wait to share it."

The band performed at the Borderline in London, England on October 30th. Footage of the band playing a new as-yet-unreleased song, 'Warhorse', has been posted online:

British metal gods JUDAS PRIEST have checked in with the following brief year-end message: "We wish all of our fans a great Christmas and a very metal New Year! We will be releasing a new album sometime in 2014 so stay tuned!"
In August Priest singer Rob Halford spoke with Gary Graff from Billboard about the band's new album and follow-up to 2008's concept piece Nostradamus.

"The writing process is complete," he says. "Now it's the painstaking work of making sure that you get every single note, every single nuance of the vocal, every tiny aspect...right. We're still tracking (instruments). It's just a very laborious but enjoyable part of making the record."
Priest is producing the album itself at the moment, but Halford notes that "there's always a possibility somebody might come in to overview some of the things we're doing."

Halford describes the project's sound as "hard. It's heavy. It's something we think our Priest fans will be thrilled with. We know we have a reputation to maintain, and we know we have to deliver something really strong and solid. The album is going to be full of all the great things you love about Judas Priest -- I don't think I can say anything more than that without being hung, drawn and quartered."

Read more at Billboard.
Judas Priest re taking part in the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp which runs February 27 - March 2 at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. Serving as counselors will be BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde (ex-OZZY OSBOURNE), embattled QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate, LITA FORD, Rudy Sarzo (ANIMETAL USA, DIO’S DISCIPLES, ex-OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE, QUIET RIOT, DIO, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT), Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL) and Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne).

Rob Halford (vocals), Ian Hill (bass), Richie Faulkner (guitair) and Scott Travis (drums) will be taking part in the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp. Guitarist Glenn Tipton will be busy mixing Priest's next album and won't be able to attend.
Further details at Rockcamp.com.

Multi-angle footage of Dutch vocalist ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN performing her former band THE GATHERING's 'Saturnine' live in Paris, France at Le Divan du Monde has been posted online by Ladies Only:
Anneke recently announced more live dates in support of her new album, Drive:

February
1 - Den Haag - Paard van Troje
7 - Heerlen - Poppodium Nieuwe NOR
8 - Apeldoorn - Podium Gigant
14 - Enschede - Poppodium Atak
15 - Tilburg - Poppodium 013
28 - Sneek - Poppodium Het Bolwerk

March
1 - Lelystad - Poppodium Underground
7 - Alkmaar - Podium Victorie
8 - Goes - 't Beest
14 - Amersfoort - Podium De Kelder
15 - Groningen - Vera Groningen
21 - Amstelveen - P60

Anneke recently released her official video for the track 'My Mother Said', featured on her new album, Drive, out now via InsideOut Music in Europe/Worldwide, and available in North America on October 15th.
Drive tracklisting:

'We Live On'
'Treat Me Like A Lady'
'She'
'Drive'
'My Mother Said'
'Forgive Me'
'You Will Never Change'
'Mental Jungle'
'Shooting For The Stars'
'The Best Is Yet To Come'

'My Mother Said' video:
'The Best Is Yet To Come' lyric video:
'Drive':
In the mini-documentary below, entitled The Road To Drive, Anneke gives a behind the scenes look at the tour for her Everything Is Changing album, as well as look at the making of Drive.

MEGASCAVENGER - the one-man death metal army aka Rogga Johansson (PAGANIZER, RIBSPREADER, DEMIURG, THE GROTESQUERY, BONE GNAWER, REVOLTING) will unleash its second juggernaut, At The Plateaus Of Leng, on February 17th via Chaos Records of Mexico.
The artwork, pictured above, was created by Turkka Rantanen (DEMILICH, DEMIGOD, ZEALOTRY) and fits the musical vision of the band which is the unearthing of the Scandinavian classic death metal style.

At The Plateaus Of Leng will feature a number of guest participants namely: Martin van Drunen (ASPHYX), Kam Lee (MASSACRE), Dave Rotten (AVULSED), and Dave Ingram (DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN, BENEDICTION).

The TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA were guests on Live With Kelly And Michael earlier today performing Dreams Of Fireflies (On A Christmas Night). Check out footage below:
Available now as a Kindle eBook, Merry Christmas Rabbi tells the story of a fateful Christmas Eve and how one of the craziest gambles in human history leads to a second chance for a troubled youth who finds himself beyond the point of no return.
In this novella, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA creator Paul O'Neill spans generations, from WWII Germany to the modern inner-city, and fearlessly dives into the darkest places of the human condition to spin a modern parable about how, even in the grip of great evil, redemption is possible and the spark of hope can burn brightly.

To purchase the book visit this location.
TSO dates:

December

23 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center (Matinee and Evening)
26 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena (Matinee and Evening)
26 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Events Center (Matinee and Evening)
27 - Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills (Matinee and Evening)
27 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center (Matinee and Evening)
28 - Chicago, IL - Allstate Arena (Matinee and Evening)
28 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center (Matinee and Evening)
30 - Buffalo, NY - First Niagara Center (Matinee and Evening)
30 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center (Matinee and Evening)

UK-based traditional metallers DARK FOREST are set to return with their third long-player, The Awakening. The album has been slated for release in Europe on February 28th, and in North America on March 11th via Cruz Del Sur Music on CD, LP and digital.

In 2012 Dark Forest recruited the outstanding vocalist Josh Winnard as their new front man and shortly afterwards also gained the incredible talents of guitarist Pat Jenkins. With this new lineup, the band immediately began writing fresh material and entered the recording studio in June 2 to produce The Awakening.
The Awakening tracklisting:

'The Awakening'
'Sacred Signs'
'Penda's Fen'
'Turning Of The Tide'
'Rise Like Lions'
'Immortal Remains'
'Secret Commonwealth'
'The Last Season'
'Sons Of England'

The album is recorded in 444hz instead of the standardized 440hz tuning. The decision was based by studying the lost "Solfeggio frequencies", original sound frequencies which were apparently used in Ancient Gregorian Chants and were believed to impart "spiritual blessings when sung in harmony" and also by studying the nefarious origins of 440hz. Tuning to 444hz corresponds to a "C" of 528hz on the Solfeggio Frequency Scale, the exact frequency used by genetic biochemists to repair broken DNA. This frequency is also believed to encourage "Transformation and Miracles."

A press release describes the album: “Dark Forest's innate sense of melody remains intact on The Awakening, as well as the band's trademarked epic twin-guitar dueling, but this time the album is permeated by a general sense of oppression and sorrow and sounds much more reflective than their previous works. Not by coincidence, The Awakening opens with the ending lines of Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem The Mask Of Anarchy and ends with the anthem ‘Sons Of England’. The awakening must be both spiritual and intellectual and through the rediscovery of our roots and a connection to nature, must lead all humanity to remember the truth - which we are infinite consciousness and we are one. This is the realization that will defeat the global control system of the elite and set humanity free.”
For more info visit Facebook.

Loud rocking Toronto, ON based band BREACHED are wishing fans a Happy Holidays with a free download of the title track from their latest EP Left Behind.

The band comments: “We would like to thank our fans for their constant support and we wish you all a very safe and Happy Holiday! Merry Christmas! We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on for the New Year.”
To download ‘Left Behind’ visit this location.
Breached's EP Left Behind was released on October 22nd and was recorded in between Canadian and US dates during the spring and summer months of 2013 while the band toured to promote their second EP Revolution Sessions, an acoustic version of their debut EP with a bonus stripped down cover of ALICE IN CHAINS' ‘No Excuses’, which was also joined by a series of in-studio music videos.

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have released the first ever live album from goregrind masters HAEMORRHAGE, entitled Live Carnage: Feasting On Maryland, on CD and digital formats. This blistering release features their full performance from Maryland Deathfest X back in 2012, with audio taken directly from the soundboard.
Tracklisting:

'Open Heart Butchery'
'Traumageddon'
'Hospital Thieves'
'911 (Emergency Slaughter)'
'Mortuary Riot'
'Oozing Molten Gristle'
'Festerfest'
'Deranged For Loathsome'
'Putrescent Necromorphism'
'Dissect, Exhume, Devour...'
'I’m A Pathologist'

'Hospital Thieves':
Order your copy of the CD for only $10 with free shipping here. Purchase the Digital Download for only $6.66 at this location.