"Badaboom", the new video from the German "a cappella metal" band VAN CANTO — which consists of five singers and one drummer (no guitars, no bass, no keyboards) — can be seen below. The song is taken from the group's new studio album, "Dawn Of The Brave", which will be released on February 7, 2014 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded with Charlie Bauerfeind (BLIND GUARDIAN, HELLOWEEN, HAMMERFALL) and Ronald Prent (MANOWAR, RAMMSTEIN, WITHIN TEMPTATION).

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for "Dawn Of The Brave" can be seen below.

Commented the band: "'Dawn Of The Brave' is our fifth studio album and it was important for us to go a little bit further than before. From the drum sound of Charlie Bauerfeind through to the choir recordings with over 200 VAN CANTO fans up to the mixing of Ronald Prent, who made the whole thing shine, as we always wanted to. The album will be bigger, fatter and more powerful-voiced than ever. We are thrilled to look forward to the release of the album and to play the songs live on tour."

"Dawn Of The Brave" track listing:

01. Dawn Of The Brave02. Fight For Your Life03. To The Mountains04. Badaboom05. The Final Countdown (EUROPE cover)06. Steel Breaker07. The Awakening08. The Other Ones09. Holding Out For A Hero (BONNIE TYLER cover)10. Unholy11. My Utopia12. Into The West ("Lord Of The Rings" soundtrack cover)13. Paranoid (BLACK SABBATH C\cover)

Canadian progressive metallers SCYTHIA will release their third full-length in early 2014, entitled …Of Conquest. Listen to the album track 'Into The Storm' featuring a guitar solo from WINTERSUN's Teemu Mäntysaari below:
The new album is engineered and produced by Lasse Lammert (ALESTORM, HALCYON WAY) at LSD Studios in Lubeck, Germany, with co-production by Shaun Thingvold (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, LAMB OF GOD, FEAR FACTORY). The album is mixed by Nino Laurenne (ENSIFERUM, FIREWIND) at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland. Mastering credits go to Svante Forsback (RAMMSTEIN, APOCALYPTICA) at Chartmakers in Helsinki, Finland.
...Of Conquest tracklisting:

'Fanfare 1516'
'Merchant Of Sin'
'Bear Claw Tavern'
'Sailor's Accolade'
'Reflections'
'The Kraken'
'Into The Storm'
'Land Of Scythia'
'Wrath Of The Ancients'
'Army Of The Bear'
'Path Through The Labyrinth'
'Departure'

‘Bear Claw Tavern’ video:
"The band is finally finding its ideal sound. This album feels very natural and forms the perfect marriage of progressive power metal and catchy epic anthems," says singer/guitarist Dave Khan. "That's why we are putting our strong cards together and getting it done right!"

Italian "cinematic" metallers LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY have announced the return of guitarist Dominique Leurquin. Leurquin, who in 2012 injured himself with a circular saw while working at home, "is finally ready to join RHAPSODY on stage," says the band.

"We will headline the festival of Hodonin (Czech Republic) next year on August 15th, and on that same day Dominique will finally share the stage with all of us."

LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY will enter Sebastian Röder's Backyard Studios in Kempten, Germany to begin recording their new album, "Prometheus: Symphonia Ignis Divinus", for a 2014 release via Nuclear Blast. Comments the band: "This album is very important to all of us. Behind it, there is the ambitious goal of creating one of the most epic and cinematic albums ever written."

Adds LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY singer Alessandro Conti: "Prepare yourselves for an amazing journey ranging from the myths and legends of the past to the unexplored borders of space and time, the revelations of quantum mechanics and beyond, while exploring the multi-dimensional levels of psyche and consciousness and the intimate secrets of heart and soul on the path of spiritual evolution. In short words: a roller-coaster ride of extreme emotions. Be ready!" States guitarist/mastermind Luca Turilli: "I recently gave birth to my company Luca Turilli Music Productions and have partnered with great artists such as the U.S. producer/mixer Allen Morgan (U2, NINE INCH NAILS, TAYLOR SWIFT) and the Czech conductor Petr Pololanik (nominated for Hollywood Music In Media Awards in 2011) to start composing emotional music with impact, mainly for the world of cinema and the videogames.

"What I can say is that I am composing, writing and producing the guitar parts and the orchestral and choral arrangements for this new RHAPSODY album in the same exact way I would and will do it while scoring movie trailers or videogame soundtracks. Therefore, expect moments of high tension, pure action and adrenaline for a final result never heard before. In other words: the definitive consecration of cinematic metal!" In August 2011, RHAPSODY OF FIRE guitarist Luca Turilli and keyboardist Alex Staropoli announced their decision to go their separate ways.

Due to legal reasons, Staropoli is continuing under the RHAPSODY OF FIRE name. Turilli, on the other hand, is making his efforts available under the RHAPSODY moniker (RHAPSODY OF FIRE's original name), in which he is joined by guitarist Dominique Leurquin, bassist Patrice Guers, singer Alessandro Conti (TRICK OR TREAT) and drummer Alex Landenburg (AT VANCE, ANNIHILATOR, MEKONG DELTA, STRATOVARIUS).

LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY's latest album, "Ascending To Infinity", entered the German Media Control chart at the position No. 32.

KVELERTAK, OBLITERATION, SATYRICON and SHINING have been nominated in the "Metal" category at the 42nd annual Spellemann awards (the Norwegian equivalent to the Grammy Awards). The largest and oldest Norwegian music awards show will be held January 18, 2014 at Konserthus in Stavanger, Norway and will be broadcast live on the Norwegian channel NRK1.

The nominees in the "Metal" category are as follows:

* KVELERTAK - "Meir"* OBLITERATION - "Black Death Horizon"* SATYRICON - "Satyricon"* SHINING - "One One One"

Last year's Spellemann award in the "Metal" category went to NEKROMANTHEON for the band's "Rise, Vulcan Spectre" album.

"Satyricon" debuted at position No. 1 on the official chart in Norway — the first time one of the group's releases topped the chart in the band's home country. "Satyricon" also saw success internationally, debuting at No. 6 in Finland, No. 23 in Germany and No. 26 in Austria. By comparison, SATYRICON's previous studio album, "2008'a "The Age Of Nero", entered the chart at No. 5 in Norway and No. 73 in Germany.

KVELERTAK's sophomore album, "Meir", topped the official chart in Norway. The CD, which sold 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release, was issued on March 26 via Roadrunner Records. It was produced by CONVERGE's Kurt Ballou and features cover artwork by John Dyer Baizley.

ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE, the new project from longtime friends Frank Bello of ANTHRAX and David Ellefson of MEGADETH, will release their self-titled EP on January 14th. The two bassists began writing music together while traveling the world during clinics now known as Metal Masters.

“What started out as simple bass ideas quickly developed into some really great songs together,” says Ellefson. “Our fans would probably never suspect that a couple of metal bass players would have songs like these inside of us. It’s exciting to write melody with diversity while still pushing the limits of lead-bass playing. Frank’s singing, and both of us playing guitars and other instruments, gave us a whole new dimension for creative opportunities.”

“We thought it would be cool to let fans hear something they wouldn't expect from us- which is what Altitudes & Attitude is,” adds Bello.
Tracklisting:

'Booze & Cigarettes'
'Tell The World'
'Here Again'

Listen to an advanced preview at this location.

Altitudes & Attitude EP credits:

Frank Bello - lead vocals, electric guitar, 8 string bass guitar
David Ellefson - 4, 5 and 8 string bass guitars, rhythm guitars
Jeff Friedl (A PERFECT CIRCLE) - drums and percussion

Special guest: Gus G. - lead guitar on 'Here Again'.

"Sitting By The Railroad", the new video from Swedish rock and rollers PSYCHOPUNCH, can be seen below. The clip is the third video in a series of three (along with "Last Night" and "So Jaded") that, if put together, make a short film. Andreas "Ogrindo" Ekvall produced all three videos.

All three songs are taken from PSYCHOPUNCH's latest album, "Smakk Valley", which was released on February 25 via SPV/Steamhammer.

With the band's typical mix of full throttle and diversity, toughness and melodies, simplicity and complexity, PSYCHOPUNCH have produced an album full of highlights. Be it with their typical straightforwardness on tracks such as "Last Night" and "Back Of My Car", or mercilessly driving on "So Jaded", "Kick In The Head" and "I Will Never Ever", PSYCHOPUNCH always hit the golden mean between raw ferociousness and concentration on the things that really matter. In addition, "Smakk Valley" features a number of surprising moments: despite its slightly slower pace, "Sitting By The Railroad" impresses with its amazing power and gritty melodies, while the unusual "Emelie" impresses with its — as bassist Lindell calls it — "great country rock'n'roll bad-ass feeling. I get a big smile on my face every time I hear it."

"We tried to make and give every song that little bit extra special and I think that we've succeeded in doing that," guitarist/vocalist JM explains the band's special philosophy which in the end always shines through on PSYCHOPUNCH's material. Drummer Jocke describes "Smakk Valley" as consisting of "powerful songs with strong and catchy melodies," while Lindell considers PSYCHOPUNCH first and foremost a "great and honest no-bullshit rock'n'roll punk powerpop band" that keeps the spirit and tradition alive from such bands and artists as the RAMONES, SEX PISTOLS, JOHNNY THUNDERS, NEW YORK DOLLS, CHEAP TRICK, CHUCK BERRY, IGGY & THE STOOGES, GENERATION X or THE CLASH. "This list could go on forever, and we don't think our attitude has changed over the years in terms of wanting to be a great live band that makes people happy and gives them a chance to forget about their problems."

"Smakk Valley" was produced by PSYCHOPUNCH's longtime friend Pelle Saether, who has been part of the band's inner circle for years. Saether knows how to handle the group, he knows all about their moments of euphoria and exuberance which can easily turn into self-doubt and dissatisfaction in view of the great significance of album productions if there's nobody there to indicate the general direction. "We had some fantastic and some bad times at the studio," JM admits, "but most of it was fun. We had high expectations of ourselves. Pelle is always a great help to us. He and I worked really hard with the vocal melodies on the choruses to get the most out of every song. All in all we are very happy with the outcome of the new album, so it was well worth the pain."

But back to the question of the band's amazing output and the energy source which has fed their haunting new album "Smakk Valley". "To be honest, I sometimes wonder where we get the power from," JM admits, "but in the end I think it has to do with the fact that we love what we do. We all have our roots in punk rock, rock'n'roll, hard rock and metal. So making people feel good and having a great time, that's what gives us boundless energy!"

"Smakk Valley" track listing:

01. Back Of My Car02. So Jaded03. Last Night04. Kick In The Head05. Sitting By The Railroad06. My Empty Head07. All I Wanna Say08. I Will Never Ever09. Dead By Dawn10. Smakk Valley Train11. Emelie12. Down On My Dreams13. Everybody Wants An Answer14. Your're Totally Mistaken

Fan-filmed video footage of HATRIOT's December 12 performance at the Eindhoven Metal Meeting at Effenaar in Eindhoven, The Netherlands can be seen below.

HATRIOT is the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band led by former EXODUS and LEGACY (pre-TESTAMENT) frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza.

HATRIOT will release its sophomore album, "Dawn Of The New Centurion", on January 24, 2014 through Massacre Records. The band once again used producer Juan Urteaga and graphic artist Mark DeVito for the new effort, which will be made available on CD and digital download, as well as a limited-edition CD digipak with bonus tracks, and a limited-edition vinyl LP.

"Dawn Of The New Centurion" track listing:

01. From My Cold Dead Hands02. Your Worst Enemy03. The Fear Within04. Honor The Rise And Fall05. Superkillafragsadisticactsaresoatrocious06. Silence In The House Of The Lord07. World Funeral08. Dawn Of The New Centurion09. Consolation For The Insane

"Over the past year, HATRIOT has grown tighter as a band, and the songs on the new record will reflect that," said Souza. "The songs are longer and more melodic, while keeping the classic thrash metal feel that we are known for.

"'Heroes Of Origin' was our 'Kill 'Em All', and 'Dawn Of The New Centurion' is our 'Ride The Lightning'."

The first single from "Dawn Of The New Centurion" will be "The Fear Within".

HATRIOT's drummer is none other than Steve's son, Nicholas Souza. Nicholas auditioned for the band after the departure of Alex Bent and "proved himself to be the best choice," according to Steve.

HATRIOT's lineup also includes Zetro's son Cody, who got his first bass as a present from his father after Zetro bought it off current EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson. "I told him," Zetro said in a recent interview with Metalholic.com, "'You have to try out [for the bassist position in HATRIOT if you want to be in the band]. There's no nepotism here, boy. If you can hang, you're on.' So he actually tried out, and he got the gig."

Regarding HATRIOT's musical direction, Zetro said, "It's in the vein of typical Bay Area thrash, but these guys are a lot younger, so there's gonna be some blast-beats in there. There's gonna be some kind of death [metal] approach to it, a little bit. 'Cause these guys are new. They're raw, and they're fast, young, heavy, hard and aggressive, and I'm trying to convey that along as well."

He added, "These new kids seem to understand what we did in the '80s, but still bring a little bit of a new essence to it. We put that together with what I write vocally and it's turned out to be really, really killer. It's good stuff."

The third trailer for "Voyage", the new album from the Iceland classic rock trio THE VINTAGE CARAVAN, can be seen below. The effort will be released on January 10, 2014 in Europe and January 21 in North America via Nuclear Blast as a limited first edition digipak, 2LP 180g vinyl in various colors and digital download. The cover artwork was created by artist Alex Matus and can be seen below.

The official video for the CD's first single, "Expand Your Mind", can be seen below.

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN is a young band hailing from the greater Reykjavik area. The group was originally founded around 2006 when the members were very young. However, it did not become a serious project until 2009.

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN is known for its energetic stage performance and has been very active live for the past few years. Since 2011, the band has released two LPs, with the most recent one having been issued by one of the largest record labels in Iceland, Sena, with which THE VINTAGE CARAVAN made a deal in early 2012. That same year, bassist Alex Örn joined the group.

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN's musical influences are very diverse, but mainly include the classic hard rock of the '60s and '70s. Though this may suggest a glorified retro-type band, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN does it in its own way with a powerful attitude and a modern twist.

TENNESSEE MURDER CLUB first made their presence known in 2011 with the indie release of their first album, Carving A Legacy. The group has now released their sophomore album, titled Human Harvest, via Nailjar Records.
Tennessee Murder Club delivers timeless roots death metal with an extreme focus on well structured material. Human Harvest dominates with powerful and precise production.
Featuring guest appearances by some of the greatest names in death metal; Jack Owen (DEICIDE, ex-CANNIBAL CORPSE), Mike Flores (ORIGIN), Shaune Kelley (ex-HATE ETERNAL), and Steven Tucker (WARFATHER, NADER SADEK, ex-MORBID ANGEL), Human Harvest is an absolute must listen for any fan of 90s death metal.

The single for ‘The Pact’, featuring Jack Owen, is available for free download / streaming below:
A lyric video for the track can be seen below:

Italian horror metallers DEATH SS have released their new 4-track EP, entitled Eaters, available on CD and digital download.
Eaters EP tracklisting:

'Eaters'
'Zombie Massacre'
'The Swing'
'The Darkest Night' (Live)

Videos:
'Eaters
'The Darkest Night' (Live)
More info at Facebook.

Legendary cult label Undergroove Records has announced its first signing in two years, by inking a deal with South Yorkshire, UK’s dirtiest rock ‘n’ rollers SERVERS. To celebrate, Servers will release their debut single, ‘Universes & Supernovas (The Ride)' via iTunes on December 16th.
To accompany, the band has also shot a video - directed by Jagermeister Music’s official photographer Mark Latham. Check it out below:
The single will feature the half-evil single edit of ‘Universes…’ along with the full-version and an exclusive track, ‘King Things – Dead Girl’ (demo version).

Following on, the band’s debut album Leave With Us will be released on February 24th on CD and digital format. It’s an album that features an insight into Servers’ fascination into the world of cults; cult leaders and the control and influence that one person can have on another in the name of a higher power or intelligence.

Says frontman Lee Storrar: “‘Universes…’ is a song about Yvonne & Steve McCudy-Hill who left their new born twins and three other kids to go and join the Heavens Gate cult. They dumped their kids on his mother... once in the cult they were kept apart which eventually got too much for the guy who then left and spent the rest of the time trying to get her to see sense and leave. She maintained that she loved them all but continued being a member and killed herself along with the other 38 members to board the spaceship that was hidden behind the Hale Bop Comet in order to achieve the next level of existence.”
Leave With Us was recorded with Matt Ellis (BLACK SPIDERS) at Axis Studios and continues Storrar’s long-standing recording relationship with the frontman.

Servers were formed by former GU MEDICINE frontman Lee Storrar. As GU Medicine, Lee released three critically acclaimed albums, toured the UK with THE WILDHEARTS, SKID ROW, MY RUIN, VIKING SKULL, appeared at Sonisphere and Hard Rock Hell festivals and recorded a BBC Radio One Rock Show session at Maida Vale.

More on Servers at Facebook.

Brazilian progressive metallers DAYDREAM XI have released a live video, featuring the song 'Watch Me Rise', to be included on the band's upcoming debut album. The video, recorded at Gorila Studio in Porto Alegre, can be seen below:
Daydream XI recently finished the recordings of their debut album, which was produced by Jens Bogren (KATATONIA, OPETH, SYMPHONY X, PAIN OF SALVATION) along with Tiago Masseti, the band's vocalist and guitarist. The album was mixed by André Alvinzi, and returned to Jens for mastering. This will be the band's first album, a follow-up to Humanity's Prologue EP, released back in 2009.

The band comments about the album: "Despite the delay, the album is getting better than our expectations. Having the vision of Jens on our work made the songs to have a more direct approach, creating a more cohesive and modern sound. After receiving feedback from him about the arrangements, I was in charge of producing the recordings here and the result was amazing! The whole band worked hard and the result was very rewarding. We are already receiving some mixing previews and I can say that André is doing a phenomenal job! The result will be a heavy prog metal, complex and with a killer sound! We cannot wait to play it live and see the reaction of the crowd! The waiting will really be worthy."

For more info visit Facebook.

SLIPKNOT has released the following statement:

"To our Maggots and fans around the world,

"It is with great pain but quiet respect that, for personal reasons, Joey Jordison and SLIPKNOT are parting ways. We all wish Joey the best in whatever his future holds.

"We understand that many of you will want to know how and why this has come to be, and we will do our best to respond to these questions in the near future.

"It is our love for all of you, as well as for the music we create, that spurs us to continue on and move forward with our plans for releasing new material in the next year. We hope that all of you will come to understand this, and we appreciate your continued support while we plan the next phase of the future of SLIPKNOT.

"Thank you, The 'KNOT"

Jordison has spent the past few months touring with his new project SCAR THE MARTYR, whose self-titled debut album sold around 3,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 129 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was made available on October 1 via Roadrunner Records.

In addition to Jordison and lead vocalist Henry Derek Bonner (BLOOD PROMISE), SCAR THE MARTYR's current touring lineup features guitarists Jed Simon (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) and Kris Norris (DARKEST HOUR), keyboardist Joey Blush and bassist Kyle Konkiel (IN THIS MOMENT).

In a recent interview with Australia's Loud magazine, Jordison stated about the future of SLIPKNOT: "I can only speak for myself on the SLIPKNOT angle.

"I spoke a long time ago in numerous interviews about the material that I had. I still have a lot of material.

"The future is bright with SLIPKNOT; we're not going anywhere.

"You know, there's nine eccentric guys in the band and some of us like to be more active than others.

"I have so much material, I like to be busy all the time. It's like the seize-the-day type aspect on music and life.

"I want to get out as much art as I can while I'm here and I seem to get better the more that I do it.

"Right now my work is SCAR THE MARTYR, but SLIPKNOT isn't going anywhere. You can mark my words on that."

Guitarist Jim Root revealed earlier in the month that he will sit out STONE SOUR's early 2014 tour so that he can concentrate on writing music for the next SLIPKNOT record. A post at STONE SOUR's Facebook page stated, "With an impending SLIPKNOT album on the horizon, Jim will not be touring with STONE SOUR this winter . . . It was a difficult decision, but as the fans have wanted another STONE SOUR tour and Jim had responsibilities to the writing process with SLIPKNOT, we feel this is the best decision where everyone wins." SLIPKNOT's long-awaited fifth album will be its first since 2008's "All Hope Is Gone" and first since the 2010 death of bassist Paul Gray.

Root and SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor spent the better part of the last year on the road with STONE SOUR behind that band's two-album set, "House Of Gold And Bones".

Drummer Tomas "Offensor" Eriksson of the legendary death metal act GROTESQUE is back with a new band called A MORBID MIND. Joining him in the new group are guitarist Andy Emilsson (ex-DOOMDOGS) and vocalist Erik Johansson (BLACK BARREL SMOKE).

The title track from A MORBID MIND's forthcoming EP can be streamed using the ReverbNation widget below. The CD will be released via the band's own record label, Tilt City Records.

A MORBID MIND's biography: "When Andy and Tomas met last year in DOOMDOGS, they found that they both have a genuine passion for old-school death metal. Tomas being the drummer for GROTESQUE and Andy being a huge huge fan of the Gothenburg scene of the '90s, it was a match made in hell.

"Since they both had some time now, they decided to put their heads together and try to make some music. And, basically, after just one jam in the rehearsal it's a no-brainer that this music is too good to be unreleased."

"Shadow Warriors", the new video from SNAKEYES, the band featuring Jose Pineda (bass player of Spanish group SPHINX) and Cosmin Aionita (singer of Bucharest, Romania-based act 9.7 RICHTER), can be seen below. The song is taken from the group's debut EP, "Welcome To The Snake Pit", which was released last month via all digital distribution platforms. The effort was mixed, mastered and produced by Jose Pineda. All songs were written by Jose Pineda and Cosmin Aionita. The cover artwork was designed by Fenando Nanderas, the artist who created the SNAKEYES logo.

"Welcome To The Snake Pit" track listing 01. Time of Dismay02. Snake Pit03. Shadow Warriors SNAKEYES' lineup is completed by Justi Bala (guitar solos) and Carlos Delgado (drums). Guitar player Santi Suarez also makes a special guest appearance, contributing several leads.

A full-length SNAKEYES album will follow in 2014.

SNAKEYES was originally started by Pineda as a solo project. It later evolved into a proper band when he met Cosmin Aionita online. As the powerful voice of Romanian band 9.7 RICHTER, Aioniţă loved Pineda's early demos and, sharing the same musical influences, they both decided to consolidate their partnership as a band.

Sivert Høyem, the Norwegian singer best known as the vocalist of the rock band MADRUGADA, will join Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON on stage on December 20 at the final stop of SATYRICON's European tour at Debaser Medis in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the song "Phoenix".

The official video for "Phoenix" featuring a guest appearance by Sivert Høyem can be seen below.

The performance footage for the "Phoenix" clip was filmed on September 8 at Den Norske Opera & Ballett in Oslo, Norway, where SATYRICON was joined by the 55-strong Norwegian National Opera Chorus as part of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival.

"Phoenix" comes off SATYRICON's new, self-titled album, which sold around 1,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. This is roughly in line with the opening-week performance of the band's previous CD, "The Age of Nero", which premiered with 1,700 units back in November 2008.

"Satyricon" debuted at position No. 1 on the official chart in the band's home country — the first time one of the group's releases topped the chart in Norway. "Satyricon" also saw success internationally, debuting at No. 6 in Finland, No. 23 in Germany and No. 26 in Austria. By comparison, SATYRICON's previous studio album, "2008'a "The Age Of Nero", entered the chart at No. 5 in Norway and No. 73 in Germany.

"Satyricon" was recorded in Norway between January and May 2013 and was produced by SATYRICON frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven. Mixing took place in Seattle by Adam Kasper and Satyr.

Speaking to Noisecreep at this year's Inferno festival, Satyr stated about SATYRICON's new album: "To me, it sounds very authentic, it's organic-sounding. And in this digital age where music is mostly played through computers, a lot of that analog vibe gets lost in translation when you play music through medias like that, but I still wanna do it because there's nothing quite like it. To me, it just makes everything sound the way it's supposed to sound — it's dynamical; the music is alive, it's not overly compressed, the levels are not pushed. So, musically speaking, it's a very atmospheric record… This record is full of life. There are a lot of surprises here, but I think it's gonna be a record that's gonna help the black metal movement perhaps find a new way for the future."

"Teenage Boy", the new video from Italian heavy rockers FALLINGICE, can be seen below. The clip was once again produced by Spettacolab s.r.l. and directed by Fabrizio Trigari who has previously collaborated with such artists as AFTERHOURS, BLUVERTIGO, ALMAMEGRETTA, FRANCESCO RENGA and LACRUS.

The band stated about "Teenage Boy": "This time we chose a more aggressive and energetic song than our previous single, 'Unclear'.

"This song represents how we feel today, it represents all the rage for the present situation in our state. We're angry, frustrated and we wanna scream it. It means a lot to us because it carries a strong message against homophobia." FALLINGICE's music has been described as "incorporating the heavy metal riffs of GODSMACK with the grunge sounds of artists such as NIRVANA and PUDDLE OF MUDD, but adding a distinctive twist to the mix to create a unique sound of their own."

"Teenage Boy" comes off FALLINGICE's debut album, "Meatsuit", which was released worldwide via Ukdivision Records. The CD was recorded with producer Alessandro Paolucci (RAW POWER) at West Link Recordings in Pisa, Italy, mixed by David Lenci (LINEA 77, CHARLOTTE HATHERLEY, ONE DIMENSIONAL MAN) at Red House Recordings and mastered at Precision Mastering in Hollywood, California by Tom Baker (HELMET, NINE INCH NAILS, MARILYN MANSON, DEFTONES, ALTER BRIDGE).

"Meatsuit" track listing:

01. Unclear02. Another Day03. Inner Confusion04. Soap Bubble05. Breathing Machine06. Hands In Chains07. Desired08. Teenage Boy09. Memories10. Too Bored To Die11. My Cold Heart

For more information, visit www.fallingice.net.

"Devil's Night", a brand new song from Germany's CALIBAN, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget 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.

Comments CALIBAN frontman Andreas Dörner: "The ['Devil's Night'] lyrics are a homage to the movie 'The Crow' and, of course, fictional.

"The song is about revenge, someone is taking revenge for his own death and the death of his fiancée in order to be able to rest in peace."

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).

Acording to RIA Novosti, METALLICA visited a Russian polar research station after playing in Antarctica this past weekend.

The members of the band had accepted an invitation from Russian polar researchers who attended the December 8 show to visit the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute after the gig inside a dome at Argentina's Carlini base.

METALLICA's 10-song show in Antarctica on Sunday "was the most unique show [the band] has ever done," the group said in a statement. "The band, contest winners, research station scientists (from Russia, South Korea, China, Poland, Chile, Brazil and Germany), and the ship crew, all crammed in this little dome out on the helipad of Carlini Station in Antarctica! The energy in the little dome was amazing! Words cannot describe how happy everyone was." The METALLICA concert was sponsored by Coca-Cola Zero and fans from several Latin and South American countries had a chance to enter a contest and win the opportunity to join the band on the expedition.

The concert took place under a dome at the Carlini Argentine Base and was heard by the fans through headphones, with no other amplifiers or sound system. The gig was also live-streamed in the participating countries.

Earache Records has announced the signing of British guitar virtuoso Ol Drake to a multi-album, worldwide recording deal.

Ol Drake is currently working on his debut solo album, which is due to be released in 2014 under the project name of OLD RAKE and is set to include a number of guest musicians.

Ol Drake comments: "Very excited to announce signing a solo deal with Earache Records.

"I established a great friendship with the guys at Earache over the years while I was with EVILE and I was happy to hear they wanted to work with me in a solo capacity.

"This will be a studio project entitled 'OLD RAKE.' I won't be touring, and I'm thankful to Earache for being understanding of this and for giving me this opportunity; I wouldn't rule out doing a few clinics here and there though.

"I've always been inspired by Steve Vai, and I've always wanted to do something in a similar approach orientated around metal with injections of other styles and ideas which interest me.

"After recently seeing the film 'Not Dead Yet' about the amazing and inspiring genius Jason Becker, it really kicked me into gear to do something with my playing; music is all I can really do, so I'm thankful for the opportunity and ability to still create music for people to hear.

"Looking forward to getting the music out there!"

Ol Drake made his name as lead guitarist for Huddersfield thrashers EVILE, during which time the band released four critically-acclaimed albums, scored a Top 10 album in the U.K. Rock charts, toured around the world with such high-profile bands as MEGADETH, and won numerous accolades, including a prestigious Metal Hammer Golden Gods award.

In 2010, Ol Drake was asked to join Australian comedian/musician Tim Minchin on stage at the U.K.'s Sonisphere festival to help perform his track "Rock N Roll Nerd", and in 2012 was nominated in the "Dimebag Darrell Shredder" award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, alongside the likes of Devin Townsend and FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares.

By "Metal" Tim Henderson

BraveWords caught up with CANNIBAL CORPSE's Alex Webster prior to their 25th Anniversary show this past Friday (November 29th) in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at the Culture Room. The bassist talked about hitting the milestone and the future of the band which will see the death metal juggernaut back with all cylinders pumping in 2014. The music business is all about timing and the band has always adhered to a tight schedule of activity given their worldwide status.
"Yeah, we will have it in our minds what more or less is going to happen for about two years in advance," Webster agrees. "It's not all planned out by any means. But we don't have any shows booked after these two Florida anniversary shows. We do have in mind certain things that we are eyeing up for next year, after the album comes out. A rough idea is to start touring and put an album out by the middle of the year or maybe a little later."
What are the chances that you will catch the European/ North American summer festival season?

"We will see. I really shouldn't speak about it because we are talking about doing certain things but it might not end up happening. It isn't solid yet. I could give you a solid answer by like February, but right now I don't know. But what I can say, is that in February and March and then into early April we will be recording. We are going to go into Audio Hammer Studios (in Sanford, Florida) and have Mark Lewis (TRIVIUM, DEICIDE, SIX FEET UNDER) produce us. We really like a lot of stuff he's done. We did three great records (2006's Kill, 2009's Evisceration Plague and 2012's Torture) with my good friend Erik Rutan (HATE ETERNAL), he's one of the best. We felt like, 'man, we've done three awesome records with him, let's try doing something different.' Not because we are displeased with what he's done - he did a fantastic job - but we just felt like mixing it up. We've been working with Erik since 2005. We thought, 'that's a good eight years, let's give Mark a try for a little while and see how that goes. He's killer."
Stay tuned for more of BraveWords' exclusive chat with Cannibal Corpse in the coming days!

Brazil-based death metal veterans NERVOCHAOS have release a box set chronicling the band's 17-year career.
Entitled 17 Years Of Chaos, the set includes two DVDs, a CD and a booklet with the band's history packaged in a digipack. The art is signed by Lauro Nightrealm.
Contents include:

DVD1 - 17 Years Of Chaos: The complete history of the band with behind the scenes, concerts and interviews.
DVD2 - Warriors On The Road’: Creation, recording, release and first year of the tour To The Death with live songs, shows, interviews, backstage and more.
CD - 17 Years Of Chaos: Live tracks from the album To The Death and also the three demo-tapes of the band in full.
The work is available for purchase at this location.

Check out a teaser below:

PRIMAL FEAR drummer Randy Black, who joined the ROCK MEETS CLASSIC tour earlier this year, has checked in with the following:

"This is the legendary Paul Rodgers singing one of my favorite BAD COMPANY songs, 'Feel Like Makin' Love', together with the MAT SINNER BAND and the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague. This was filmed during the Rock Meets Classic tour 2013. It was a huge honor for me to share the stage with Paul and a tour I'll never forget."
URIAH HEEP's Mick Box and Bernie Shaw have been confirmed for the annual Rock Meets Classic tour through Europe in March/April 2014. In addition, headliner ALICE COOPER will be accompanied by long time guitarist Orianthi. Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW), Kim Wilde, and ULTRAVOX frontman Midge Ure round out the bill

Pre-sale tickets are now available here.
Going into its fifth year, Rock Meets Classic showcases classic rock artists of the '70s and '80s performing their hits backed by a full-on rock band and an orchestra. Artists that have taken part in previous tours include Ian Gillan (DEEP PURPLE), Eric Bazilian (THE HOOTERS), Dan McCafferty (NAZARETH), Steve Lukather (TOTO), Lou Gramm (FOREIGNER), Chris Thompson (MANFRED MAN'S EARTH BAND) and Jimi Jamison (SURVIVOR).

THE MAT SINNER BAND includes PRIMAL FEAR members Mat Sinner (bass/master of ceremonies), Alex Beyrodt (guitars), Randy Black (drums), Ralf Scheepers (backing vocals), and also features TRILLIUM / AVANTASIA's Amanda Somerville (backing vocals), Avantasia's Oliver Hartmann (guitars), VODOO CIRCLE's Jimmy Kresic (keyboards), Tiffany Kirkland (backing vocals) and Sascha Krebs (backing vocals).

Confirmed shows thus far can be viewed below. More details coming soon.

March
9 - Berlin, Germany
11 - Fankfurt, Germany
12 - Neu-Ulm, Germany
13 - Nuremberg, Germany
14 - Wurzburg, Germany
16 - Passau, Germany
18 - Mannheim, Germany
19 - Kempten, Germany
20 - Munich, Germany
21 - Regensburg, Germany
23 - Zurich, Switzerland
25 - Strasbourg, France
26 - Innsbruck, Austria
27 - Ingolstadt, Austria
29 - Halle-Westfallen, Germany
30 - Leipzig, Germany

April
1 - Hamburg, Germany
2 - Essen, Germany
4 - Stuttgart, Germany
5 - Dresden, Germany

Drummer Randy Black commented: "It's going to be more of those "pinch me" moments on this tour for sure! Can't wait to start working on the songs."

Watch the official Rock Meets Classic Facebook page here for updates.

According to Musictap.net, Audio Fidelity is gearing up to release ALICE COOPER's classic 1973 album Billion Dollar Babies on SACD. Release date is slated for January 21st.
"Everyone that’s an Alice Cooper fan has an opinion of what the band’s best representative output was. Most people will agree that it was Billion Dollar Babies. It often gets the most attention.

It was hinted, then let loose that Hoffman would remaster the respected album. The label confirmed this last week with a Facebook post stating that the album would arrive in January of 2014. That will officially be January 21. The set will feature a replica bill inside the package.

Regardless, Billion Dollar Babies will be welcomed with open arms by SACD aficionados that are Alice Cooper fans."

Sally Steele of Vegas Rocks! caught up with Alice Cooper on December 5th, backstage at the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy Fundraiser at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the video below Alice proclaims, "You can't be more shocking than CNN... you can't really shock an audience anymore."

On February 11th, Eagle Rock’s rock label Armoury Records is reissuing five of DEREK SHERINIAN’s solo albums. As one of the most talented, respected and in-demand keyboard players in rock, he is known for attacking, confident and instantly recognizable style. A former member of DREAM THEATER and BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, he has also played with ALICE COOPER, KISS, BILLY IDOL, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. He is also a member of the supergroup PORTNOY, SHEEHAN, MACALPINE, SHERINIAN (PSMS).

The first of Armoury’s reissue series is Inertia, which was Derek Sherinian’s second solo album, originally released in 2001. It marks the start of his long-term collaboration with Toto drummer Simon Phillips and includes contributions from Zakk Wylde, Steve Lukather and Tony Franklin. Black Utopia was the third solo album, originally released in 2003. It features contributions from Zakk Wylde, Steve Lukather, Simon Phillips, Billy Sheehan, Yngwie Malmsteen and Al Di Meola. The track 'Axis Of Evil' features a stunning guitar duel between metal icons Zakk Wylde and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Fourth came Mythology, originally released in 2004. It features contributions from Zakk Wylde, Steve Lukather, Simon Phillips, Allan Holdsworth, Steve Stevens and a rare guest appearance by John Sykes. Blood Of The Snake was Derek Sherinian’s fifth solo album, originally released in 2006. It features contributions from Billy Idol, Slash, Zakk Wylde, John Petrucci, Simon Phillips, Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Lukather among others. Molecular Heinosity was Derek Sherinian’s sixth solo album, originally released in 2009. This album features contributions from Zakk Wylde, Virgil Donati, Brian Tichy and Tony Franklin.

Armoury’s reissue of these five Derek Sherinian solo albums represents their release at mid-price for the first time and is the perfect way to enjoy this incredible talent.

Additionally, a direct-to-consumer store will be available with all five CDs and an exclusive shirt bundle. Click here.