San Francisco Bay Area thrashers EXODUS were rejoined by guitarist Rick Hunolt on stage this past Friday, December 20 at Slim's in San Francisco to perform two songs: "The Toxic Waltz" and "Strike Of The Beast". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

In other news, EXODUS has been added to the list of bands who will perform at METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett's first annual horror convention, dubbed Kirk Von Hammett's Fear FestEviL, which will take place February 6-8, 2014 at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California. Also scheduled to appear are DEATH ANGEL, ORCHID and CARCASS.

Visit www.FEARFESTEviL.com for the latest information on horror's newest and coolest fan convention.

With Gary Holt still handling guitar duties for Jeff Hanneman on SLAYER's North American and European tours, EXODUS invited none other than Hunolt to fill in for the band's shows in 2012 and beyond.

Longtime EXODUS fans will recall that Hunolt — the other half of the famed EXODUS "H-Team" who is on every studio recording from 1985 through 2004 and co-wrote some of the band's best-known songs such as "A Lesson In Violence" and "Deliver Us To Evil" — left EXODUS after the band's highly-acclaimed 2004 reunion album, "Tempo Of The Damned". "Murder In The Front Row", the photo book documenting the pinnacle of the Bay Area thrash scene, aptly documents Hunolt's tenure in the band.

Following his departure, Hunolt was replaced by HEATHEN guitarist Lee Altus.

Hunolt first rejoined his former bandmates at a special concert in celebration of Holt and Lisa Perticone's wedding on September 24, 2011 at Avalon in Santa Clara, California. He also performed with them at "Bonded By Baloff: A Decade Of Remembrance", a special concert which marked the 10-year anniversary of former EXODUS singer Paul Baloff's passing. The event took place February 4, 2012 at the Oakland Metro Operahouse in Oakland, California.

EXODUS' latest album, "Exhibit B: The Human Condition", was released in North America on May 18, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The CD sold around 4,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 114 on The Billboard 200 chart.

EXODUS' previous album, "The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A", opened with 3,600 units back in October 2007.

Capital Chaos TV has uploaded quality video footage of FEAR FACTORY's December 18 performance at the Warfield in San Francisco, California. Check it out below.

FEAR FACTORY has just completed touring North America as the support act for MEGADETH. Also appearing on the bill was NONPOINT.

The trek kicked off on November 23 in St. Paul, Minnesota and concluded on December 19 in Reno, Nevada.

Asked whose idea it was to perform FEAR FACTORY's classic classic 1995 sophomore album, "Demanufacture", on the band's Australian tour, Burton C. Bell told The Rockpit: "It was kinda like a joke at first. Last time we were there for 'The Industrialist' on tour, we were playing a lot of tracks from 'Demanufacture', and we just thought, 'Why don't we just play the whole damn record?' and the promoter was, like, 'Oh, that's actually a great idea. We should plan it properly,' and blah blah blah, and just started talking about it. And we thought about it, and it was Australia that embraced FEAR FACTORY wholeheartedly first and so Australia was where we received our first silver and gold records for 'Demanufacture', so we figured that we'd go to Australia."

FEAR FACTORY will also perform "Demanufacture" in its entirety aboard the 2014 edition of the world's biggest heavy metal cruise — 70000 Tons Of Metal — which will sail January 27-31.

FEAR FACTORY's new album, "The Industrialist", sold 9,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Mechanize", opened with 10,000 units back in February 2010 to land at No. 72.

GHOST, CRASHDÏET, NICKE BORG HOMELAND and WATAIN are among the five final nominees that are competing for the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" honor at the Swedish Grammis awards (Swedish Grammy equivalent), which will be held February 19, 2014 at Cirkus in Stockholm. The bands are all nominated for their most recent releases, all of which came out during 2013.

"Best Hard Rock/Metal" nominees:

* CRASHDÏET - The Savage Playground * GHOST - Infestissumam * NICKE BORG HOMELAND - Ruins Of A Riot * THE KRISTET UTSEENDE - Pervogenesis * WATAIN - The Wild Hunt

The most recent Grammis award in the "Best Hard Rock" category went to GRAVEYARD for the band's "Lights Out" album.

DEF-CON-ONE, the British metal band featuring former VENOM and MPIRE OF EVIL drummer Antony "Antton" Lant (brother of VENOM frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant), will release its sophomore album, "II", on February 18 via Scarlet Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Warface" is described in a press release as "a natural progression" from its predecessor, featuring influences covering a wide range of musical styles, from modern metal to old-school rock and punk.

The new DEF-CON-ONE song "Soul Possessed" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

With influences covering a wide range of musical styles, from modern metal to old-school rock and punk, DEF-CON-ONE has been described by the organizers of Bloodstock Open Air festival (where the band played in 2011) as a bar fight between MACHINE HEAD, SLAYER and PANTERA.

DEF-CON-ONE is on a mission to spread its sound and infect the world with songs such as the "Warface" title track and "Steeped In Pain", which offer up huge slabs of aggressive, groove-laden riffs, beats and vocals.

A solid couple of years of gigs in 2011 and 2012 increased DEF-CON-ONE's fan base and saw them play the length and breadth of the U.K.

DEF-CON-ONE's debut album, "Warface", was released in June 2012 via Scarlet Records.

Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL have been forced to cancel their appearance on ShipRocked, the rock music cruise vacation onboard the Norwegian Pearl which will depart from the Port Of Miami and will visit Great Stirrup Cay — a private island in the Bahamas — during the January 26-30, 2014 excursion.

Says the band: "We are truly sorry to announce that we have had to cancel our appearance at the 2014 ShipRocked cruise. We are dealing with some very serious personal family matters at this time which demand our full attention. Sadly, we are unable to travel such a far distance away from our loved ones. We truly hope that you can understand. Our most sincere apologies to everyone planning to come see us. We hope to see everyone very soon."

LACUNA COIL recently finished taking part in the "Tragic Illusion Tour" that celebrated PARADISE LOST's 25th anniversary.

LACUNA COIL has completed recording its new album with producer Jay Baumgardner (P.O.D., SEVENDUST, EVANESCENCE, PAPA ROACH) for an early 2014 release via Century Media Records.

LACUNA COIL singer Andrea Ferro previously stated about the new CD: "We met Jay a few years ago in L.A. and had a really positive feeling about him, as he has produced and mixed some of my favourite records and some very relevant rock/metal albums.

"We decided to work with him, because he has the ability to work together with the band towards a common vision without driving the band away from their sound.

"In the studio, there is the right energy that allows common people to achieve uncommon results!"

LACUNA COIL's latest album, "Dark Adrenaline", sold around 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart. It marked the band's second CD with producer Don Gilmore (LINKIN PARK, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) at the helm.

LOVE/HATE and QUIET RIOT frontman Jizzy Pearl has decided to release his new six-song mini-album "Crucified" as a Jizzy Pearl solo record rather than as a LOVE/HATE effort, because, in his words, dealing with ex-members just isn't "worth the hassle." In another move to avoid confusion, Jizzy has renamed his 2014 U.K. tour JIZZY PEARL'S LOVE/HATE. That way, "people will know who is playing and who isn't," he says. "Why did I change the LOVE/HATE record to a Jizzy Pearl record?" says the singer. "Simply put, because dealing with ex-members isn't worth the hassle.

"I don't want to spend thousands fighting over a band that makes hundreds.

"This isn't QUEENSRŸCHE or GREAT WHITE. We're not talking about a band that makes $12,000 or $20,000 a night. But there are some people out there who still think LOVE/HATE is the 'golden goose.' Some people think that LOVE/HATE sells T-shirts like IRON MAIDEN or MOTÖRHEAD. Some people still think MTV plays videos…

"Unless you've gassed up the van and done the tours like I have, then I guess you don't really know.

"So here's the deal: I'll do this last and final tour as JIZZY PEARL'S LOVE/HATE. That way the fans will know who is and who isn't in the band. After that, we'll put the whole thing to bed and I'll never play with any of these ex-members again.

"I love LOVE/HATE — the fans are great, the music was superb, but in the end, ex-members just aren't worth the hassle…"

"Crucified" will be released on January 13, with Pearl confirmed for an extensive tour of the U.K. in March 2014.

A new single, "Hanging You Out To Dry", is available to purchase now via iTunes.

Founding LOVE/HATE guitarist Jon E. Love recently threatened to sue Jizzy Pearl over the release of the "Crucified" album.

In a post on his Facebook page, Love wrote: "This is not a LOVE/HATE record. Jizzy has taken it upon himself to release his solo shit and call it LOVE/HATE. None of the original members are on it. How do I know this? Because the idiot insulted me when asking me to perform on it. Any true LOVE/HATE fan will immediately know it's not the real band. Stay tuned — more to follow as I proceed to sue him."

Love is currently recording an album with his band JON E. LOVE & THE HATERS.

LOVE/HATE burst onto the scene in 1990 with the debut album, "Blackout Out In The Red Room", and proceeded to take the U.K. by storm with "Best Album Of The Year" accolades from Kerrang! and Metal Hammer magazines. Playing sold-out shows and opening for SKID ROW, AC/DC and DIO put LOVE/HATE on the map. MTV hits "Why Do You Think They Call It Dope", "She's An Angel" and the band's follow-up album, "Wasted In America", has ensured a loyal following to this day. "Crucified" track listing:

01. Hanging You Out To Dry02. Sunny Day03. You're Making Me Nervous04. I Don't Want To Be Your Baby05. Love Is All06. Too Late

Jizzy Pearl on "Crucified" tracks: "Hanging You Out To Dry": "A song about the infamous Hollywood sign stunt from the viewpoint of the crucifee himself. The vibe is simple, I tried to get back to the start, a bunch of young kids banging out loud musical joy in a little room and the singer in the middle, one microphone, testifying to the world." "Sunny Day": "A love song to my girlfriend, plain and simple. Usually I had to break up with my girlfriends to get a good song out of them, but not this time, thankfully. 'Sunny Day' is old-school LOVE/HATE psychedelia."

"You're Making Me Nervous": "A fictional account of every man's idea of a bad date. The lyrics come straight from the horse's mouth as he watches his Friday night fantasy crash and burn."

"I Don't Want To Be Your Baby": "This is a twist on the traditional power ballad where the guy not only doesn't get the girl, he doesn't want the girl."

"Love Is All": "My LED ZEPPELIN roots come out on this one, all those 'Kashmir' days and nights huddled around the peace pipe. I got to stretch out a bit and do some cool things musically that you can't normally do in a three-minute pop song."

"Too Late": "A song about someone near and dear to me who fucked up. You can't go back to high school, you can't go back to those glory days of youth. You just — can't — go — back."

Finnish death metal legion LIE IN RUINS will release its new album, "Toward Divine Death", on February 4 via Dark Descent Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Swallowed By The Void" — released on Spinefarm Records — sees the band make no missteps in delivering a 70-minute opus of pure death metal. Spanning 10 tracks, the new effort displays a much more mature band and vision. While you will hear typical LIE IN RUINS moments on this album, make no mistake, this is a nastier and grittier album that will leave you hoping the band doesn't go five more years before assaulting us with another album. LIE IN RUINS was formed initially at the golden season of death metal in the early '90s, but was buried in the background for several years. In 2002, the beast dug up again from his tomb to spread the seed of evil now when the time was ready. After the first demo, "Monuments", was released, the need for a second guitarist was met. This unholy trinity began working on new material. After the next demo, "Statues", it was time to take the next step, and start spreading the musical propaganda at live. So it was time to get some new members again, and this time LIE IN RUINS grew into five.

Meanwhile, the Spanish label Temple Of Darkness released a mini-cd from LIE IN RUINS, called "Architecture Of The Dead", which was compilation of the "Monuments" and "Statues" demos. Next came the split seven-inch with DEATHEVOKATION, called "Allegiance In Death", published by the Imperium Productions.

In 2009, LIE IN RUINS' drummer decided to leave the band before the recording of the new album. Continuing without him, the group entered the studio and recorded ten desecrating songs for "Swallowed By The Void".

Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's December 22 concert at National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. War Pigs 02. Into The Void 03. Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes 04. Snowblind 05. Age Of Reason 06. Black Sabbath 07. Behind The Wall Of Sleep 08. N.I.B. 09. End Of The Beginning 10. Fairies Wear Boots 11. Rat Salad 12. Tommy Clufetos Drum Solo13. Iron Man 14. God Is Dead? 15. Dirty Women 16. Children Of The Grave

Encore:

17. Paranoid

According to The Pulse Of Radio, BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi is not sure if making a follow-up to this year's reunion album, "13", would be a good idea for the group. Iommi said in Revolver magazine, "I don't know if that would be an anticlimax if we wrote another album. I'd like to, but we haven't actually spoken about it, you know? I don't know if that would be a good idea after this one, because this one's done so well. I'm sure we'd all like to do one. But I don't know. Maybe I should talk to the others about it." Bassist Geezer Butler added, "I really haven't thought about it. I'm just glad that we made this one. It can't be something where you go in and go, 'Well, that one was No. 1, so let's do another No. 1 album.' I think we'll know if we can do it or if we can't. If we have to force it, then we won't be doing it."

"13", the first SABBATH album in 35 years to feature Iommi, Butler and singer Ozzy Osbourne recording together, went No. 1 around the world, earning the band their first chart-topper ever in the U.S.

Ozzy said about the prospects of making another record, "I don't want to say there's going to be another album, because I don't want you to ask me in another year, 'What happened when you said you were going to do another record?' I'll leave it open. I'm open for anything. I have three albums to deliver of my own solo thing to my record label."

Ozzy added, "We'll all still be doing music. It's been a lot of fun doing it with BLACK SABBATH, and I'm not sorry at all for getting back together."

The making of "13" was marked by several dramatic events, including drummer Bill Ward's withdrawal from the project over a contractual dispute and Iommi's cancer diagnosis.

Butler told Revolver that he started writing a song for "13", called "Hanging By A Thread", that was inspired by Iommi's illness. He explained, "It was very much about dying, about giving your last breath and passing your spirit on." But the track didn't make it onto the album because, Butler said, "We never came up with the finished thing."

BLACK SABBATH will return to North America in 2014 for 10 shows that will be among the last in support of "13".

Black metal visionaries DARK FORTRESS have issued an update in regards to their upcoming album and follow up to their 2010 masterpiece, Ylem.
Guitarist V Santura states: "The recording sessions for the upcoming (still untitled) new album are finished successfully! I would dare to say that these were the most intense recording sessions in the history of Dark Fortress. We put weeks of extremely hard work into this to get as close as possible to what we consider perfection.

Towards the end of the recordings we spent some crazy 14 hours shifts to get every detail and emotion recorded the way we envisioned it. Still, we needed just a few days longer than initially planned, and those few days were missing when I started doing the final mix for the album. After three days into mixing I realized that I only had the choice of either giving away a mix which is not satisfactory or to miss our deadline and push the album release backwards. I never considered this first option a real option, though. We put so much effort into the whole creative process and the recordings that it would be a cardinal sin to spoil this with a half-assed mix.

By now I already have other highly important obligations (recording the new TRIPTYKON album), so we all decided it would be best to give ourselves a short break and to finish the mix later this winter. This, unfortunately, means the new album won't be out in early 2014 as initially planned, so everything is postponed for a few months. But that way I can promise that you will get to hear the best album possible!"

Updates to follow. More on Dark Fortress at Facebook.

German true metallers WIZARD check in with the following band lineup announcement:

"Wizard had no lineup changes for the 25 years of existence, the band always been like a family... Now, with a great sadness, we need to inform you, that Volker Leson (bass) is forced to stop his activity in Wizard due to health issues.

This was already suggested during second part of the the German Metal Attack Tour, on which he couldn't be present. He will remain part of the Wizard family forever, and if his health will allow him, he will continue writing songs for the band. We also hope he will be able to return to the ranks of the band on stage within a year or two.

For now, we would like to introduce you to our old friend Arnd Ratering - ex member of the prog band NO INNER LIMITS - as the new bass player of Wizard.
Fans already had an occasion to see him on stage during the last few shows we did, and surely can agree he is technically a great musician. We are looking forward to bringing you more metal, and we can't wait to play next shows for all of you! We also wish all the best to our brother Volker: may he return with health and strength!"

Wizard's current album, Trail Of Death, was released on September 27th via Massacre Records, and is available as CD, limited edition LP and digital download.
Mixed and mastered by Achim Kohler and with artwork created by Jens Reinhold (SODOM, RUNNING WILD, VIRGIN STEELE), the album features the following tracks:

'Creeping Death'
'War Butcher'
'Electrocution'
'Angel Of Death'
'Angel Of The Dark'
'Black Death'
'One For All'
'Post Mortem Vivere'
'Death Cannot Embrace Me'
'Machinery Of Death'
'We Wonít Die For Metal'

'Angel Of Death':



More on Wizard at Facebook.

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. Directed by Jeremy Schott of MentalSuplex Productions and Zafer Ulkucu of Backseat Conceptions, the concert's second official trailer can be seen below.

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

The official track 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.

A 2013 video roundup with Australia's hottest new extreme metal export THY ART IS MURDER can be seen below.

THY ART IS MURDER's second album, "Hate", was released in the U.S. on April 2 and in Europe on April 5 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 CD was produced and mixed by Will Putney (SUICIDE SILENCE, BORN OF OSIRIS, FOR TODAY), with artwork created by Brent Elliot White (CARNIFEX, DEATH ANGEL).

"Hate" came in at No. 35 on Australia's Top 40 ARIA chart, making it the highest debut of any Aussie death metal band ever.

THY ART IS MURDER recently completed a North American headlining tour. Joining them on the trek, dubbed "Hate Across America", were I DECLARE WAR, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY, THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE and KUBLAI KHAN.

Rising from the unhallowed wastes of Western Sydney, THY ART IS MURDER has carved a trail of bloody mayhem since their inception in 2006. With an acclaimed EP and debut album in "Infinite Death" and "The Adversary" to their name, the band have traversed the highways and autobahns of Australia and Europe on a relentless crusade to destroy every venue and audience they can with like-minded peers in a who's who of heavy metal.

Simply titled "Hate", the band's second full-length is the pointed result of THY ART IS MURDER's growing dissatisfaction with all aspects of modern life — political, religious, social and environmental — everyone is to blame.

Fusing the blasting technicality of metal luminaries THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER with thunderous breakdowns and the intensity born of their nascent hometown scene; the blackened grandeur of BEHEMOTH and the pit-churning groove of Tampa originators MORBID ANGEL and CANNIBAL CORPSE, the furious musical arrangements provide a bloody canvas for vocalist CJ McMahon's outpourings of bile.

PLEONEXIA will release Break All Chains on January 17th via Pure Underground Records. The preorder phase will begin on January 3rd in their webshop.

Pleonexia was founded in Turin, Italy in 2012. The sextet describes their music as “philosophical metal”; but you could also say that it is an interesting and fascinating mixture of classic heavy metal, some epic influences and a small dose of earthy, honest hard rock.

A press release describes the album: “The ten songs on the debut album Break All Chains all convince with discreet keyboard/synthesizer passages, clear but powerful vocals by frontman Michele Da Pila, virtuosic, partly double guitar leads and a precise drumming, without sounding in the least dull or uninspired. Sing-along-compatible, sometimes almost anthem-like choruses, a driving double bass and some slightly progressive or quieter parts can all be found on this album.”
Break All Chains tracklisting:

‘Pleonexia’
‘I Don’t Care’
‘Iron Will’
‘Everything You Said’
‘All Dead To Me’
‘Use Your Mind’
‘Break All Chains’
‘We’re Not The Same’
‘Freigeist’
‘We Just Want More’

Pleonexia lineup:

Michele Da Pila - vocals, guitars, keyboard
Federico Fondrini - guitars, backing vocals
Leonardo Manoiero - guitars, backing vocals
Davide Arneri - bass/backing vocals
Lorenzo Luca – keyboards
Stefano Clara - drums/backing vocals
‘Pleonexia’ below:
More on Pleonexia at Facebook.

After a long and meticulous restoration process, Greyhaze Records will release a deluxe CD/DVD digipak reissue of Wicca, the debut album from influential Brazilian black metal act MYSTIFIER. The release dates are February 24th for Europe and March 18th for the US.

Wicca was originally released in the early 90s and has seen a few reissues by labels worldwide. However, for many years, the album has been out of print. The audio portion of this release will feature, aside from the full album, bonus tracks not before available in any previous version. The DVD will contain two concerts by the band: one performed in Germany during the Nuclear War Now Festival and the other performed in their hometown of Salvador, Brazil. Visually, the digipak will feature a new graphics layout as well as old photos from the band. A vinyl version of the album is also to follow.
Mystifyer is also planning an extended tour of Europe in support of Wicca. The tour will include stops at Norway's Inferno Festival as well Germany's Legacy Open Air.

Wicca tracklisting:

‘Our Gloat (Intro)’
‘Osculum Obscenum’
‘Tormentum Aeternu’
‘Cursed Excruciation’
‘Defloration (The Antichrist Lives)’
‘(Invocacione) The Almighty Satanas’
‘The Dark Kingdom (T.E.A.R)
‘An Elizabethan Devil-Worshiper’s Prayer Book’
‘Hyoscyamus Niger’
‘Mystifier (Satan’s Messenger)’
‘Ancient Prediction (My Eternal Nightmare)’
‘The Sign Of The Unholy Cross’

For more info visit Facebook.

Vermont's BARISHI have just released a self-titled progressive metal tour de force that belies conventional thought for a debut album. Heaviness, eclecticism, and inventive melody are just a few of the descriptors one could use to begin dissecting this dynamic package of passion and creativity.

The saxophone heard on ‘Sky Burial’ and ‘Holy Mountain’ is but one of the pleasant surprises in an album full of them. Barishi was recorded, mixed, and co-produced by the band and Brian Westbrook at PDP Recording, with mastering done by Nick Dragoni at M-Works Mastering Studio.
Barishi tracklisting:

‘Sky Burial’
‘Holy Mountain’
‘The Rider’
‘Exhibiche’
‘Through Mountains, Through Plains’
‘The Waves’
‘A Place that Swallows All Rivers’
‘Jaguar Scarification Ritual’

The album is available for streaming and purchase at Bandcamp.

San Diego-based deathgrind masters CATTLE DECAPITATION have begun the writing process for the follow-up to 2012's "Monolith Of Inhumanity", tentatively due in early 2015 via Metal Blade Records.

Says vocalist Travis Ryan: "Since we got home from the Summer Slaughter Tour, the guys have been hard at work on new material! I actually go in next week to grab a quick runthrough of the first new track they have completed so I can start writing lyrics to it.

"I have heard the track and I hate to say anything just yet because we will be spending the next full year from now working on the next album, but I will say the stuff they're working on is intense. I can't wait to start writing lyrics to it and so far is in league with one of our current musical aspirations… to make fans of our last record shit themselves!

"We'll be taking a small break to play a few shows in our region with EYEHATEGOD and our friends STRONG INTENTION on their January tour!"

"Monolith Of Inhumanity" sold around 2,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 6 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Released on May 8, 2012, "Monolith Of Inhumanity" was produced by Dave Otero of Denver's Flatline Audio and sees the band exploring innovative new techniques in songwriting without abandoning their signature formula of confrontational audio wreckage and self-loathing lyrical content.

CATTLE DECAPITATION is:

Travis Ryan: VocalsJosh Elmore: GuitarDave McGraw: DrumsDerek Engemann: Bass

Portuguese thrashers TERROR EMPIRE have announced João Dourado as the new drummer for the band. João has played for bands such as ANTICHTHON and EXISTENCE:VØID, both from Coimbra (Portugal). He’s also become a record producer, having been responsible for the tight sound displayed on DESTROYER OF ALL’s Into The Fire. Terror Empire has been rehearsing and creating new songs since late October, and the chemistry is great.
“When the band invited me to fill in for two gigs, it was easy enough to become a member of the family. When you start playing this fast pacing brutality, you kind of want to stick around. Once the Terror grows on you, and you cannot leave the Empire anymore. I believe I can help Terror Empire reach the next level, and release a killer sophomore record… new seeds grow on Terror Empire, the new album is gonna be killer! Hope the fans will provide me the support we all need and show up at our next gigs. May we spread the Terror and share our hopes and dreams through music.” - João Dourado

The band will be playing some of the new tunes on the next shows. These shall be the last of the Face The Tour run, there won’t be live terror until the new album’s release, in early 2014.

For more info visit TerrorEmpire.net.

According to the VAN HALEN News Desk, David Lee Roth has just uploaded newly recorded commentary for Dave TV, his collection of videos and interviews released in 1986. The new commentary, which can be viewed below, was not included on his new Greatest Hits/The Deluxe Edition (CD+DVD) released last month by Rhino. While that collection has the full, original Dave TV special as part of the DVD, it does not include the additional audio commentary featured here.
Roth had wanted the official release to include an audio track with his commentary, but Rhino vetoed it due to explicit language.

Unspeakable Axe Records has announced the release of the self-titled debut from Italian death/thrashers OMNIVORE. Like their name suggests, Omnivore are equal-opportunity devourers. Their raging full-length shows that they clearly consumed old death/thrash acts from Europe and the US - think MASSACRA, MERCILESS, and SADUS - as well as the more-familiar Bay Area bands, represented here by the use of gang vocals, some melodic lead parts, and even a startlingly well-played acoustic passage. Of course, one of their biggest influences is revealed by the hidden bonus track at the end, a cover song that implores you to "Arise!"
Album track ‘Omnivore’:
Hailing from Varese and spawned in 2011 from the ashes of NIGHTMARE OF FALLEN, Omnivore is already a project on hold. The band's lone album (so far at least) is going to burn down villages and consume the fleeing villagers. Omnivore is due for release via CD format on February 18th on Unspeakable Axe Records.
For more info visit Facebook.

Samuel J. Fell of New Zealand's Stuff.co.nz recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On revisiting MEGADETH's classic 1992 LP, "Countdown To Extinction", for the recently released live version of the album, recorded last December at Los Angeles' Fox Theatre:

"It was fun.

"When you're listening to one of your records, and people have said something like, 'This is a classic' or something, you immediately, and I don't know how to say this without sounding like I'm having a hard time saying it, because I'm having a hard time saying it, but when people say stuff like that, a lot of times it's hard not to come off sounding like you know that.

"But we knew when we were making 'Countdown', we just knew we were in the middle of making a good record."

On MEGADETH's longevity:

"Time flies, 30 years seems like a long time, but boy, it's over so quick. Sometimes I sit back and think how many things have happened over the years, and I guess the thing that makes me feel the best is when I see how many people who'll say, 'We met at a concert,' 'We got engaged at a concert,' 'We got pregnant at a concert,' all these things that they share. These landmarks, these mementoes, they're really cool.

"I never thought I'd be doing this this long, [MEGADETH bassist] David Ellefson and I; it's crazy. And the fact we can have fun doing what we do, on top of that, just makes it so much more enjoyable."

Polish death metallers NORTHERN PLAGUE will release their new album, "Manifesto", on January 25, 2014 via the German label Folter Records. The LP was recorded at Sound Division Studio in Warsaw. The producer and sound engineer was Arkadiusz "Malta" Malczewski (BEHEMOTH, DECAPITATED, HATE), who was also responsible for mixing the album. The mastering process was handed at the Hertz Studio. The graphics layout and cover art was done by painter, graphic desinger and artis Lukasz Radziszewski.

According to a press release, "Manifesto" "is made up of rough compositions, strong and melodic guitars, black metal-esque vocals,organic-sounding rhythmic section and enormous sound."

"Manifesto" track listing:

01. Century Of Waste02. Divide Et Impera03. Reign Mother War04. Let The World Burn05. The Edge06. Legion07. Unclean Words08. Manifesto

The official lyric video for the song "Reign Mother War" can be seen below.

FDA Rekotz has announced the vinyl publication of Liar In Wait, the 2012 full-length from Floridian death metal beast AMON.

Amon formed in 1987 in Tampa, Florida, before changing their name to DEICIDE and pioneering the American death metal movement. After their highly-publicized departure from Deicide, brothers Eric and Brian Hoffman resurrected Amon to spread the unholy plague all over the world.

Liar In Wait contains nine bone-crushing songs, recorded at Red Room Recorders with Mark Prator and will be released in Europe with an new and exclusive artwork, created by Misanthropic Artwork, with the layout done by ArtWars Mediadesign. The European edition is limited to 200 gold/black marbled copies and 400 Satanic black copies. Package deals that include the new Amon t-shirt are being offered as well. FDA Rekotz will unleash this beast on January 31st.

Preorders are being taken at FDA-Rekotz.com.

Sweden’s CULT OF LUNA has checked in with the following:

“We are not quitting. 2013 have been a very active year for us and neither do we want or think it is good to continue in that pace. We will not be a band that put out an album every 18-24 months anymore. We did that for almost 10 years when we were younger and were able to focus more on the music.

After Beyond The Redshift we might do a festival or two but after that we have nothing planned.
Maybe we'll release another album next year or maybe in a decade, we honestly don't know. Sooner or later we will return in one form or another. Cult of Luna will not die.

On another note, sooner or later we will go through our inbox and email. You will be answered.”
Cult Of Luna’s Vertikal is up for a nomination at the P3 Guld Awards in Sweden for Rock/Metal Of The Year.
P3 Guld 2014 will take place January 18 at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg. There are two types of tickets; standing room for 395 crowns, and seating for 460 crowns. The ticket also includes entry (subject to availability) to the P3 Gold club night after the gala on January 18. Club Evening will take around Trädgår'n in Gothenburg. To gain access to the club night, you must be at least 18 years old.

For more details click here.

US-based death metallers NECROPHAGIA have released a new single, 'The Wicked'. The song was written and recorded in August of 2013.
Says the band: "It is not going to be featured on WhiteWorm Cathedral. It is an exclusive FREE download. It's our way of saying thanks for the years of support. The delay of WhiteWorm Cathedral is not something we expected. It is no way the fault of the band or our record label Season Of Mist... We completed the basic tracks in November 2012. It's been sitting and collecting coffin rot at James Murphy's studio for almost a year. Broken promises and missed deadlines galore. We are not waiting any longer for James to finish it. We have started rec-recording WhiteWorm Cathedra". Crank this up. We will see you on tour very soon. Gore Forever!"

Get your free download of 'The Wicked' at this location. The track is streaming below:

Lifeforce Records will release Memento, the debut album from Italy's READY, SET, FALL, on February 24th in Europe and March 4th in North America.
Ready, Set, Fall, combines Swedish melodic death with American metalcore and a strong preference for agile variability. Memento marks the first full length album and Lifeforce debut for this band which came together in Genoa in 2010. Check out the album artwork below:
Listening to Memento you cannot avoid thinking of SOILWORK, IN FLAMES, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, or ALL THAT REMAINS. This is exactly what Ready, Set, Fall want to achieve, without just copying those established acts. The quintet is driven by its internalization of modern-style metal, being played without any boundaries or restrictions.

Check out a video for the track 'Labyrinth' below:
More on Ready, Set, Fall, including their live itinerary, at Facebook.

Greece's ELYSION will release their new album, Someplace Better, on January 24th via Massacre Records. The album's title track is now available for streaming below. Someplace Better will be available as jewel case CD, limited digipak with two exclusive bonus tracks as well as digital download.

Someplace Better was produced by Mark Adrian at ARTemis Studios in Athens, Greece, mixed by Dan Certa and mastered by David Collins (BLACK SABBATH, ALICE COOPER, MÖTLEY CRÜE). Gustavo Sazes, who has worked with bands like ARCH ENEMY and MORBID ANGEL, is responsible for the cover artwork.
Tracklisting:

'Made Of Lies'
'Someplace Better'
'Fairytale'
'The Promise'
'Our Fate'
'Awake'
'What Lies Beneath'
'Transparent'
'Breakfree'
'In Despair'
'Changing'
'Made Of Lies' (Instrumental) (Digipak Bonus Track)
'Someplace Better' (Instrumental) (Digipak Bonus Track)

'Someplace Better':
More on Elysion at Facebook.

Epic Norwegian thrash metallers NOCTURNAL BREED will release a new album entitled "Napalm Nights" on March 11 in Europe and March 18 in North America via Agonia Records.

"The Devil Swept The Ruins", the first song to be revealed off the release, is available for streaming below.

Featuring a guest appearance by DARKTHRONE's Nocturno Culto on vocals and former member A.E. Rattlehead on guitar, "Napalm Nights" includes 10 brand-new tracks recorded at Killer Studio in Norway during 2012 and 2013.

Recently reunited with original guitarist I. Maztor, NOCTURNAL BREED — which includes present and past members of SATYRICON, AETERNUS and GEHENNA — is coming back with its fifth full-length release after seven years of silence. The newest album is a punch of epic old-school thrash metal with a blackened rock 'n' roll undercurrent.

"Napalm Nights" track listing:

01. The Devil Swept The Ruins 02. Speedkrieg 03. Cursed Beyond Recognition04. The Bitch Of Buchenwald05. Napalm Nights06. Thrashiac07. Dawn Campaign... Flamethrower Ridge08. Under The Whip09. Dragging The Priests10. Krigshisser

"Napalm Nights" recording lineup:

S. A. Destroyer - bass, vocalsI. Maztor - guitarTex Terror - drums, vocalsV. Fineideath - guitarNocturno Culto - guest vocals

E.A. Rattlehead - guest guitar

"Napalm Nights" will be available in digipack CD, limited double black vinyl in gatefold sleeves (with insert with lyrics and A2 poster), limited double military green vinyl (with insert with lyrics, A2 poster and laser-cut full color patch) and digitally.

Death metal war machine TRENCHROT will unleash its debut album, "Necronomic Warfare", on February 18 via Unspeakable Axe Records.

With influences ranging from other war-themed bands like ASPHYX and BOLT THROWER, to the vomitous vocals and epic, soaring lead work of OBITUARY's "Cause Of Death", this is an old-school death metal album that doesn't feel self-conscious about being what it is. It just crushes everything in its path, and leaves the bloodied listener staggering away... and grinning ear to ear.

Members of TRENCHROT are in other promising new bands, such as CRYPT SERMON — whose first demo will see a cassette release from Dark Descent Records soon — and INFILTRATOR, and promise to soon be well-known names in the underground.

Check out album cut "Sickening Devotion" below.