Indianapolis-based metal band BETRAYED WITH A KISS has signed a two-album deal with Dark Star Records.

A special edition of BETRAYED WITH A KISS' "Salvation And Ascension" album, including two bonus tracks, will be made available on January 28, 2014. The band will then enter the studio later in the year to lay down tracks for its as-yet-untitled sixth CD.

Travis "Wrath" Crider and Rob "Lust" Mason formed BETRAYED WITH A KISS in late 2004. Both musicians were members of a thrash metal band that was signed to Germany's Modern Music Label at the time. Mason recalls: "We felt very boxed in stylistically in that particular project because we were unable to write anything too technical or not considered extremely aggressive. It was fine for the eight years I was in the band, but both Travis and I wanted to expand on our style to include more technical riffs and more melodic songs as time went on.

"When the band dissolved in 2004, we decided to move forward with BETRAYED WITH A KISS."

"Salvation And Ascension' is a very deep and detailed album," says Jeffrey A. Swanson, president of Dark Star Records. "You can hear every ounce of sweat and blood that was poured into this metal masterpiece.

"This is what a metal band should sound like."

Italian symphonic death metallers FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE have posted a cooking video featuring their drummer, Francesco Paoli. Check out the clip below and pick up some of the products used in the video at FleshgodApocalypse.com.

Commented the band: "We are really proud to officially announce our last addition to our merchandise.

"This is a completely different and pioneering idea driven by the great devotion and respect that we have for our country, Italy and our region, Umbria.

"As Italians, we take much pride in our food and traditions, that's why we present our artisan 'pasta.'

"This is a high-quality product, something that you hardly find in foreign countries stores.

"We personally collected the most famous and delicious types to offer to FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE fans as another way to enjoy Italian art.

"As for promotional campaign, and due to high shipping costs of these items, we decided to lower the prices for the next period in order to give the chance to everyone to enjoy these special products.

"Here follows a little clip with our drummer Francesco Paoli showing how to cook it in the proper way."

In other news, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE is preparing to film a video for an as-yet-undisclosed song from the band's latest album, "Labyrinth". The group states: "It will definitely stand up from the average as we are going to shoot it in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Sicilia. This region was part of Greece right in the era where the 'Labyrinth Of Knossos' myth is collocated and our philological research led us there. It will be artistically deep and metaphorically intricate, a real reflection on the sense of our lives.

"Considering how big this matter is and how much we love our art, we decided to invest all the FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE pasta and wine profits in a big production video as well as in the future development of the band.

"Last but not least, we will officially start the HUGE touring campaign in support of our new album, 'Labyrinth'. We will play all around the world, starting in Europe in January, continuing in Central America, Asia and Oceania in spring and coming back with an incredible tour in North America in the summer."

"Labyrinth" was released on August 16, 2013 in Europe and August 20, 2013 in North America via Nuclear Blast.

During a brand new interview with Invisible Oranges, MORBID ANGEL bassist/vocalist David Vincent was asked whether it was weird to perform the band's 1993 album, "Covenant", in its entirety on the group's current North American tour without MORBID ANGEL's longtime drummer Pete Sandoval.

"Nope. Not at all," Vincent replied. "Tim's [Yeung, MORBID ANGEL's current drummer] an excellent drummer. He handles the material very well. He was a big fan of the record when it came out, too. He's a couple years my junior, but it's cool. He feels the songs really well, and it's fun."

Regarding whether Sandoval is still a member of MORBID ANGEL, Vincent said: "Pete's no longer in MORBID ANGEL." He added: "His whole way of life has changed. He's in a different spot, and the spot that he's in right now, Pete Sandoval and MORBID ANGEL are not compatible."

Pressed to elaborate on this supposed "incompatibility" between Sandoval and MORBID ANGEL, Vincent offered: "Well, [Pete] has found Jesus. You can see where the incompatibility comes from."

During a chat with Brazil's Som Extremo in October 2011, Sandoval — who in 2010 underwent surgery after a prolapsed disc — was asked for his opinion about MORBID ANGEL's "controversial" new CD, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which incorporates industrial and electronic elements into the band's traditional death metal sound. "No comment! I don't play on that album," he said. He was then questioned about what he thought he would have done different on "Illud Divinum Insanus" had he played on the record. "More exreme deathgrind metal and less DJ, boring awful typical I care less industrial experimental same as everybody boring bull!" he said. "This is not what MORBID has been all about! ...Hmmmmmm, and I really care less...!"

Sandoval recently celebrated the 24th anniversary of TERRORIZER's classic album "World Downfall" by performing the LP in its entirety at several shows. He was joined at the gigs by Lee Harrison (MONSTROSITY) and Sam Molina.

THE SANITY DAYS — the project featuring four former members of legendary Bristol thrash metallers ONSLAUGHT — will enter the studio on January 11 to begin recording its debut album for a late spring release via Candlelight Records. The band states: "The album will feature nine original songs which have been written over the past 15 months and promises to be a mixture of dark, metallic, interweaving, spine-chilling riffs topped with melodic haunting vocals thunderous drums and a driving bass sound. Perhaps not what a lot of people are going to expect it to sound!

"The title track has been demoed and mixed and we are very pleased with what we are hearing.

"The final mix is being completed in London by a producer that we have selected to get this sounding exactly how we need it to sound. We don't intend this to be a Pro Tools classic as much of the stuff you hear today is, but will have a more retro-sounding vibe with a more natural feel."

Multi-camera video footage of THE SANITY DAYS performing a new song, "My Demon Mind", on December 7, 2012 at Riffs Bar in Swindon, England can be seen below.

THE SANITY DAYS is intended as a bit of fun for the musicians and an opportunity for fans to hear music that no longer features in ONSLAUGHT's live repertoire.

THE SANITY DAYS was launched by Steve Grice, former drummer and founding member of the ONSLAUGHT, who played on all ONSLAUGHT albums thus far. He is joined in the new project by former ONSLAUGHT guitarist Alan Jordan (2007's "Killing Peace"), bassist Jase Stallard (1985's "Power From Hell" and 1986's "The Force"), and ex-GRIM REAPER singer Steve Grimmett, who fronted ONSLAUGHT for the 1989 album "In Search Of Sanity".

Released on London Records in 1989, "In Search Of Sanity" was the last album ONSLAUGHT recorded before it disbanded. Despite reaching the U.K. Top 50, its mainstream production proved controversial among bandmembers and fans alike. "We were always pleased with the songs, though," states Grice. "Over the past few years, people have nagged me to play tracks from the 'Sanity' album, but we always struggled to get them sounding right without Steve Grimmett's involvement."

Former GRIM REAPER frontman Grimmett lent his powerful voice to ONSLAUGHT for just this one album and now returns as a member of THE SANITY DAYS. "It's been a long time since I sang any songs from 'In Search of Sanity', but this was an opportunity I couldn't turn down," he said. "I have also been asked to play these songs, but it never seemed the right thing to do after ONSLAUGHT got back together."

Canadian guitarist Glen Drover (MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND, TESTAMENT, EIDOLON) has changed the name of his new band from GLEN DROVER BAND to METALUSION. The group's new studio album, "Between Sea And Sky", is "more than half way complete," according to Drover, and should be released sometime next summer.

A brand new song from METALUSION entitled "Caracas", which was written by Glen and METALUSION keyboardist Jim Gilmour, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Regarding his decision to change the name of his band, Glen said: "The reason for this is that everyone (and beyond) that's involved with this project have submitted material for the recordings along the way, and we all feel it's more appropriate to have a more unified name, rather than just myself.

"I have always looked at this as a band. Not Glen and the side dudes. It was initially a record company push to have my name on the front. Well, I don't work with that company anymore, and it's time for a change.

"We decided to call the band/project METALUSION, which is the name of our first album.

"The idea to call the band METALUSION has been talked about for a little while, and the more we have thought and talked about it, the more we like it. I originally got the idea from Derek Sherinian of PLANET X. For those who don't know, his first solo album was under his name, and the name of the album was called 'Planet X'. Guess he realized that was also a good name for a band, which is exactly what he ended up doing. Same here; we realized that not only was it a cool name for the first album, but a good band name as well for the future!"

On the topic of the musical direction of the new METALUSION album, Drover said: "[You can expect] a lot more heavy stuff on this new album, as well as the prog/fusion stuff we have been recording. There will be a few songs with vocals, and will also feature some guest singers, as well as some instrumental songs like the one you are about to hear."

Drover was replaced in MEGADETH by Chris Broderick, who has previously played with NEVERMORE and JAG PANZER.

Glen's debut solo album, "Metalusion", was released in April 2011 via Magna Carta Records.

On September 25, 2011, Drover took part in a historic performance that was webcast worldwide as part of the "Live At Metalworks" series from Mississauga, Canada.

Glen's "Live At Metalworks" performance was recently released as a DVD via Magna Carta.

Vivian Campbell's former SWEET SAVAGE bandmate Ray Haller filled in for Jimmy Bain at LAST IN LINE's October 20 performance at the Loud Park festival at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

A 13-minute video recap of Haller's trip to Japan with LAST IN LINE can be seen below.

LAST IN LINE is the band featuring Campbell alongside fellow founding DIO members Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain and Claude Schnell, plus singer Andrew Freeman, who has previously fronted HURRICANE and LYNCH MOB.

LAST IN LINE performs material from the early DIO records that Campbell appeared on.

Speaking to David "Gus" Griesinger of BackstageAxxess.com at this past January's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, Campbell stated about reuniting with the original DIO band: "We're calling it LAST IN LINE after the second [DIO] album. It's the original DIO band — myself, Vinny Appice on drums, Jimmy Bain on bass, Claude Schnell on keyboards, and we found a terrific singer called Andy Freeman, who can totally do justice to the songs. Actually, he doesn't sound anything like Ronnie [James Dio], which is great, [because] I don't wanna draw that comaprison. Ronnie was a very unique singer, but Andy is a great singer in his own right, and he certainly sings the songs very respectfully.

"The original band, we actually wrote the majority of that material as a band, so I feel like we're entitled to go out and play it. I don't think we're a tribute band or a cover band or anything like that.

"There's obviously a big legacy of DIO music, and I think I'm right in saying that most people would think that those early DIO albums are the strongest, so we are just chuffed to play it."

Campbell and Ronnie James Dio worked together on the first three DIO albums — 1983's "Holy Diver", 1984's "The Last in Line" and 1985's "Sacred Heart" — before Irishman Campbell left to join WHITESNAKE in 1987.

CULT OF LUNA, GHOST, WATAIN and IN SOLITUDE have been nominated for a P3 Guld award from Swedish radio station P3 in the "Best Rock/Metal Album Of The Year" category. The winners will be announced on January 18, 2014 during a live awards ceremony broadcast from the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Nominees:

* CULT OF LUNA - "Vertikal"* GHOST - "Infestissumam" * WATAIN - "The Wild Hunt"* IN SOLITUDE - "Sister"* TIGER BELL - "Don't Wanna Hear About Your Band"

Last year's P3 Guld award in the "Best Rock/Metal Album Of The Year" category went to MESHUGGAH. Also nominated for the "Rock/Metal" award were CRUCIFIED BARBARA, GRAVEYARD, SPIDERS and SWITCH OPENS.

Last July, KORN traveled to Germany to perform three free concerts on U.S. military bases to celebrate Independence Day with the U.S. troops. A 14-minute video report on the band's visit, directed by Sébastien Paquet, can be seen below.

KORN's eleventh studio album, "The Paradigm Shift" (Prospect Park), sold 46,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on October 8 via Prospect Park.

"The Paradigm Shift" is the first KORN disc to feature Brian "Head" Welch since 2003's "Take A Look In The Mirror" and follows up 2011's dubstep experiment, "The Path Of Totality".

Welch recently told Rolling Stone that the new album has "the old KORN vibe, but with a new twist . . . The end product is a really good mix of old KORN mixed with some new elements. It's got a fresh new KORN 2013 sound."

Welch left KORN in 2005 after he converted to Christianity and got off drugs. He rejoined them for a handful of live performances last year before officially becoming part of the lineup again in early 2013.

Nashville's grinding blastcore trio YAUTJA has released the first single hailing from its looming debut LP, "Songs Of Descent". While the thirty-seven minute duration of the album is densely packed with decimating, hook-laden thunder, the platter's fourth movement, "Concrete Tongue", is easily one of the most relentlessly straightforward on the album. All of YAUTJA's pummeling intensity channels forth in this brief but violent track, closing down just a second under the one-minute mark. Featuring members of COLISEUM, GNARWHAL, NAMELESS CULTS and more, to date YAUTJA has expended a live cassette, a five-track EP and a split seven-inch single with ENABLER. Recorded at Dark Art Studios with Mikey Allred (INTER ARMA, ACROSS TUNDRAS, HELLBENDER), their debut LP, "Songs Of Descent", presents the act's most ruthless metallic, grind-infused, tone-heavy aggression yet.

Forcefield Records will release "Songs Of Descent" via download and 12-inch LP in early February; the digital version mastered by Mikey Allred and the vinyl mastered by Zack Allen of Obsidian Eye Studios (LOSS, RECLUSE, SKY BURIAL). "Songs Of Descent" track listing:

01. Path Of Descent02. Denihilist03. Blinders04. Concrete Tongue05. Tar And Blindness06. Teeth07. Faith Resigned08. Path To Ground09. An Exit10. A Crawl11. Of Descent12. Humility - Humanity13. A Cleansing Fire14. Chemical

SUPERSUCKERS have inked a deal with Steamhammer/SPV. The band's new album, "Get The Hell", will be released in Europe on January 27, 2014 (three days earlier in Germany). The effort will be made available as a digipak CD or a limited-edition LP with one vinyl-only bonus track and CD version of the album.

Commented SUPERSUCKERS' Eddie Spaghetti:"After many delays and unfortunate setbacks, the SUPERSUCKERS are happy to announce the arrival of their latest masterpiece, 'Get The Hell'.

"This may be a bit blasphemous to say, but we think it is the bands finest work to date. Really, the SUPERSUCKERS have no business being this good after all these years! And now, in conjunction with Steamhammer Records, you will be able to hear for yourself exactly what has the band all fired up... 12 solid tracks of unrelenting Supersucker-it is; it's as brutal and as polished as the band has ever sounded.

"Recorded in Austin, Texas and then subsequently mixed by none other than the mighty Blag Dahlia (of legendary punk rock band THE DWARVES), this is the SUPERSUCKERS at their meanest, most ferocious, and still at the top of their game in the songwriting department. This record is a juggernaut, front to back, and is guaranteed to be your new favorite record of 2014. So come on and 'Get The Hell', people!"

Added Georg Schröder, A&R representative at Steamhammer: "This is not only a band — the SUPERSUCKERS are a god damn' rock and roll institution and we are proud to have them with us! The new album will blow every rock and roll addict away."

Fan-filmed video footage of singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, DIO DISCIPLES) joining RED SUN RISING — a fully independent rock band from Akron — on stage on November 30 at The Kent Stage in Kent, Ohio to perform the ALICE IN CHAINS classic "Man In The Box" can be seen below.

In a recent interview with J. Thorn, Owens was asked what it is like playing in DIO DISCIPLES, which pays tribute to legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL) and is fully supported by Dio's widow/manager, Wendy. "It's an honor," Tim said. "It's emotional every night. I feel it every time I step on the stage. There's something special about playing with Ronnie's bandmates and I was his friend. Wendy is such a great person and Ronnie was a great person, so it feels even more special. It's really an honor to be able to do it."

"Play My Game", the first solo album from Owens, landed at position No. 66 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. The CD was released via SPV/Steamhammer.

Mediaskare Records has announced the signing of Dublin, Ireland's RED ENEMY. The band will enter a U.S. studio in February 2014 to begin recording its new album with producer Taylor Voeltz (MUREAU).

RED ENEMY's video for the song "Changing The End" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Luke Daly, who also came up with the video's concept.

"The song addresses a topic that has certainly had no shortage of coverage amongst bands over the past two decades, which essentially is standing up for what you believe in," stated the band. "It's about not settling for the mundane, getting out there and grabbing whatever it is you believe in with both hands. It's a cliché topic, but one that constantly rears its head on a daily basis.

"Everyone should strive to have the courage and ambition to follow their heart regardless of what anyone tells you. It seems obvious, but no harm in reminding people of that as much as possible.

"[Luke] had this vision he had wanted to make a reality for some time and he figured we were the band to help make that happen. We loved it instantly.

"We had wanted to do something completely different for some time, something out of the ordinary, something that would make people go, 'What the hell did I just watch there? And this was the perfect opportunity with an incredibly talented director.

"The video itself depicts two particular aspects of the song meaning, courage and perseverance. There were some crazy long days and some touchy issues with the quarry owner but we got it done and the final product is delish."

Polish death metal veterans VADER have entered Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland to begin recording their new album for an early 2014 release. The band is recording a total of 14 songs, including four bonus tracks, for the new CD, which is tentatively titled "Tibi Et Igni", a Latin phrase which translates to "For You And Fire". Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Abandon All Hope", "Bring Them To Me" and "Infernal Poetry".

VADER's forthcoming effort will mark the recording debut of British drummer James Stewart (pictured below; DIVINE CHAOS), who replaced Pawel "Paul" Jaroszewicz in 2011.

VADER's latest album, "Welcome To The Morbid Reich", was released in Europe on August 12, 2011 and in North America on September 13, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was recorded at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland and features the cover artwork of Zbigniew Bielak (DESTRÖYER 666, WATAIN). The band laid down a total of 12 songs for the CD, which was mixed and mastered in May 2011.

Multi-camera fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's December 2 concert at Bercy in Paris, France 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".

"Taste Of It", the new video from St. Louis, Missouri rockers LIKE AN ARMY, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Danny Drysdale, who has previously worked with THE KILLERS.

"Taste Of It" features a guest appearance by guitarist Richard Fortus (GUNS N' ROSES, THIN LIZZY) and will be released on iTunes and other digital outlets on Tuesday, December 31.

LIKE AN ARMY is fronted by lead singer Frankie Muriel (KING OF THE HILL), accompanied by drummer Paul Chickey, bassist Cubby Smith and guitarist John "JP" Pennington.

The band will support the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS on Wednesday, December 11 at KPNT 105.7 The Point's Ho Ho Show at Pop's concert venue in Sauget, Illinois.

Indie Recordings has announced the signing of the Norwegian black metal act VREDEHAMMER. The band's new album will be release in the spring.

A track from the forthcoming CD, "We Are The Sacrifice", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Formed by Per Valla in March 2009 after he left his previous band ELITE, VREDEHAMMER release its debut EP, "4.September", a year later through Obscure Abhorrence Productions. A second EP, "Pans Skygge", which featured a more experimental approach to extreme metal, followed in 2011.

VREDEHAMMER's third EP, "Mintaka", was released in March 2013 via Black Plague Records. It featured a new member, bass player Kristoffer Hansen.

Right after the recording of "Mintaka", VREDEHAMMER found its third and final member: Cato Skivik, a great drummer known from bands like ALLFADER and ENSLAVEMENT OF BEAUTY (where he was a session musician).

Southern California heavy metal triple axe attack LEATHERWOLF had set a December 15 release date for its new album, "Unchained Live". Engineered by Michael "Kramarica" Kramer, mixed by producer extraordinaire Roy Z (JUDAS PRIEST, BRUCE DICKINSON, SEPULTURA, HALFORD), and mastered by Tom Baker (QUEENSRŸCHE, JUDAS PRIEST, SEBASTIAN BACH), the disc contains several of the band's biggest classics culled from their highly acclaimed first three albums, including the MTV video singles "The Calling" and "Hideaway", as well as fan favorite "Dr. Wicked (Rx O.D.)" from the group's most recent studio release, "New World Asylum". As an additional bonus, the band has re-cut its 1989 instrumental standout, "Black Knight", which originally appeared on the "Street Ready" record. The "Unchained" packaging features striking artwork by noted conceptual designer Martin Deschaumbault ("Assasin's Creed") as well as Marc Sasso (DIO, MANOWAR, ROB ROCK). "Unchained" track listing:

01. Spiter02. Kill And Kill Again03. The Calling04. Rise Or Fall05. Dr. Wicked (Rx O.D.)06. Wicked Ways07. Hideaway08. Street Ready09. Thunder10. Black Knight (studio bonus) "Unchained" is the first LEATHERWOLF album to feature the lead guitar duo of Rob Math and Greg Erba who are joined by original members, vocalist/guitarist Michael Olivieri and drummer Dean Roberts, and longtime bassist Patrick Guyton. A free MP3 of "Rise Or Fall" from "Unchained" can be downloaded from the official LEATHERWOLF web site.

Metal titans ICED EARTH make their triumphant return with the January 21, 2014 release of new studio album, "Plagues Of Babylon", on Century Media Records. The CD was recorded at Principal Studios (KREATOR, IN EXTREMO, GRAVE DIGGER) in Senden, Germany and was mixed at NHow Studios in Berlin, Germany. Guest vocals on "Highwayman" were laid down by VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen and SYMPHONY X/ADRENALINE MOB singer Russell Allen. Guest vocals on "Plagues Of Babylon", "Among The Living Dead", "Democide", "Resistance" and "If I Could See You" are by BLIND GUARDIAN vocalist Hansi Kürsch. The cover and additional artwork was created by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, HATEBREED).

A new teaser for the "Plagues Of Babylon" album and "Worldwide Plagues Tour" can be seen below.

"Plagues Of Babylon" track listing:

01. Plagues Of Babylon02. Democide03. The Culling04. Among The Living Dead05. Resistance06. The End?07. If I Could See You08. Cthulhu09. Peacemaker10. Parasite11. Spirit Of The Times12. Highwayman

Songs 1-6 form the "Plagues Of Babylon" story line, part of the ongoing "Something Wicked" Universe

ICED EARTH will promote the new CD in its North American homeland with the headlining "Worldwide Plagues Tour", which kicks off April 4 for a six-week run with SABATON and REVAMP in support. "This is a seriously heavy album with a seriously brutal album cover," says ICED EARTH mainman/guitarist Jon Schaffer of "Plagues Of Babylon". "I'm sure it will go down as a classic in the epic ICED EARTH catalog.

"We feel that the package with SABATON and REVAMP is very strong and we are very excited to tour the U.S. and Canada again and kick some major ass!" "Plagues Of Babylon" album/tour teaser:

Quality fan-filmed video footage of DOWN's entire October 25 performance at at Emo's East in Austin, Texas as part of DOWN singer Philip Anselmo's Housecore Horror Film & Metal Festival can be seen below.

Guitarist Kirk Windstein recently left DOWN and was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, the band's former guitar tech who was previously in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a 1990s outfit also featuring Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER), and HONKY.

"I couldn't feel more blessed," Landgraf, 48, said in an interview. "Phil could've gotten anyone to play guitar, but I've been jamming with them during soundchecks, so they know we can play together."

"It's really a dream come true," added Landgraf. "It's what you're working for all those years."

In a recent interview with the "Devil Horns" podcast, Windstein stated about his decision to leave DOWN: "My life's changed a lot in the last year. With being married, I wanna concentrate a lot more on my family first and foremost. And DOWN, with us getting older and Philip's voice and now DOWN has to take a fairly amount of days off in order for Phil to rest his voice properly, which is totally, absolutely understandable and well respected. It's just, for me, I like to go out 15 shows in a row and get it done. With DOWN, a lot of the [touring], especially internationally, is fly dates and things like that and there's so many days off. And really, for me, to be blunt, on those off days, man… I mean, show days are great, I have a responsibility, of course I love every second being on stage, but on those off days, I have absolutely nothing to do and it just ends up turning into drinking too goddamn much and wanting to not be there… The guys could see I was kind of not really getting into it, they could see me on the off days hitting the sauce harder than I should have been — no doubt about it."

He added: "It was kind of a mutual thing — no hard feelings or anything whatsoever like that. There's absolutely zero drama, zero gossip that I know of, at least from my side. I doubt there's any from their side. I've spoken to the guys. In fact, Bobby Landgraf from HONKY, that's taking my spot, is a very good friend of mine; he teched for me for awhile and he's been teching for Pepper [Keenan, DOWN guitarist]. I spoke to him the other day and he can use my rig that I used with DOWN for [DOWN's appearance at the Housecore Horror Film Festival] coming up, and he's actually gonna come and me and him are gonna jam a little bit on some tunes. He's got a few questions. He's an amazing guitar player, but it's hard to get every little lick down of somebody else's stuff, so he asked me if I could pop by and jam with him a bit. I said, 'Absolutely.' Anything I could do to help out would be great."

DOWN entered Anselmo's New Orleans studio, Nodferatu's Lair, on October 7 to begin recording a new EP that is tentatively due in early 2014.

Speaking about the band's new material, DOWN guitarist Pepper Keenan told the "Metal Hammer" radio show: "It's kind of slight continuation of the first EP, but it's a little bit more… It's hard to say, man… It's more… I wouldn't say 'aggressive,' but it's definitely got some freaky guitar stuff on it. And it's definitely got a pretty good groove factor. And we spent a lot of time trying to make all the songs [fit together stylistically]. We had several songs that didn't quite match it, so we kind of [set them aside] and we're gonna move them to another EP. But it's got a super-heavy vibe to it, man. I mean, I'm really excited about it. Everybody in the band is excited about it."

He continued: "We wrote it kind of like we did the 'NOLA' record. Each one of us had some riffs and we got in a room and we just hashed it out like the old days — just going off each person's experiences and ideas. Everybody's ideas were valid, and it really ended up being well rounded and slamming. It was [a] very creative [process], let's put it that way. Actually, it was surprising some of us how much we really still got it."

Pepper also spoke about the cover theme for the next DOWN EP and how it will be connected to last year's "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP".

"When the second [EP] comes out, you'll see it as being an extension of the last cover," Pepper said. "So number 2 is gonna connect sideways to number 1, and you'll start to see a morphing kind of process. There's some kind of liquid light kind of thing that's kind of melding across as you go… I hate to quote the overall color, but I believe it's something like orange. I haven't looked at it in a while. It might not be orange yet, but it's heading in that direction."

Released in September 2012, "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP" was DOWN's first in a series of four EPs to be released over the next few years (with a year between EPs), each touching on a different aspect of the band's sound.

"Down IV Part I" sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

On February 11, 2012, MASTODON took the stage at London, England's O2 Academy in Brixton, capping off the Atlanta-based band's world tour in support of their critically acclaimed album "The Hunter". This sold-out performance was MASTODON's first show at the legendary venue. It won't be their last, as the London audience positively erupted from the opening chords until the final, frenzied encore.

In addition to performing "Curl of the Burl", "Black Tongue" and "Dry Bone Valley" from "The Hunter", the band dug into their catalog, unearthing such scorching tracks as "Colony of Birchmen", "Capillarian Crest" and "Iron Tusk". Rolling Stone magazine referred to the band's sonic attack as one that: "Demonstrates how contemporary hard rock can still be made with imagination, precision and a majestic sense of force."

Now this extraordinary live show is being released digitally by Warner Bros. Records as "Mastodon Live At Brixton" on December 10. An audio-only version and a live video version directed by Ryan Mackfall (Crashburn Media) (both featuring the full 97-minute performance) will be available from all digital retailers, including iTunes and Amazon.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Dry Bone Valley02. Black Tongue03. Crystal Skull04. I Am Ahab05. Capillarian Crest06. Colony of Birchmen07. Megalodon08. Thickening09. Blasteroid10. Sleeping Giant11. Ghost of Karelia12. All The Heavy Lifting13. Spectrelight14. Curl Of The Burl15. Bedazzled Fingernails16. Circle of Cysquatch17. Aqua Dementia18. Crack The Skye19. Where Strides The Behemoth20. Iron Tusk21. March of the Fireants22. Blood and Thunder23. Creature Lives

The "Black Tongue" performance clip, taken from "Mastodon Live At Brixton", can be seen below (courtesy of RollingStone.com).

At present, MASTODON is hard at work on material for its next studio album, tentatively due in early 2014.

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford joined FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH on stage last night (Thursday, December 5) at the LG Arena in Birmingham, England to perform the song "Lift Me Up". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Halford is featured on the studio version of "Lift Me Up", which appears on the first installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's masterwork titled "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell", released in July.

During an interview with Full Metal Jackie, Halford stated about FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH: "I absolutely love the band, I think the band is absolutely amazing."

He added: "I've been watching the band from the early days, much like I've been doing with much of the metal scene. I'm just feasting on it all the time especially since it's so easy now through the Internet to pick up on things."

Halford said he was "absolutely thrilled" to receive the invitation from the band, adding that "I was excited because I started following the band's career and I just had a feeling they're about to go over what we call a tipping point and I think the band's going to explode this year worldwide, I really do.

"I asked for the track to be sent to me just to check it out, and as soon as I heard it coming out the speakers, I went, 'Man, I want in on this.' We just bonded right away and they just have their hearts in the right place, I love them for that and I love them for the fact that they believe in themselves a thousand percent and not letting anybody get in their way.

"I'm just happy for them that the single is doing so good right now and I'm sure it's going to get better over the coming weeks."

"Volume 1" has sold more than 300,000 copies to date. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's three previous albums have all gone gold for sales of 500,000 copies or more.

Behind-the-scenes and performance footage from KAMELOT's November 9 concert in Oslo, Norway during the band's recently completed European tour can be seen below.

KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai sat out the band's North American tour so he could stay home with longtime girlfriend Simone Simons, (EPICA singer) as they awaited the birth of their first child. Filling in for him was Coen Janssen of EPICA.

KAMELOT's latest album, "Silverthorn", sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 79 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Poetry For The Poisoned", opened with around 6,100 units in September 2010 to enter the chart at No. 74.

"Silverthorn" was released on October 30, 2012 in North America, October 26, 2012 in Germany and October 29, 2012 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD marks the band's first release with Tommy Karevik, the Swedish vocalist who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).

In a 2012 interview with Loudwire, KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood stated about what Karevik brings to the band: "I think when we knew we had to bring in a new person on vocals, we wanted the opportunity to grow the band, not just to maintain the band or survive. We wanted to look at this as an opportunity to make the band bigger, [and] I think with Tommy we can do that. Not only is he an exceptional singer, he's a great songwriter and he's way ahead of what I thought he would be in terms of being a frontman. People who come out to shows will see that this guy is a force to be reckoned with. I can't imagine a better choice, honestly. In the beginning, when this whole thing started, we were a little unsure of what the future might be, but now we're really excited about it."

Greek thrashers SUICIDAL ANGELS will release their new album, "Divide And Conquer", on January 14, 2014 (one day earlier internationally) via NoiseArt Records. The effort will be made available as a limited digipak, vinyl LP in different colors and as a digital download.

"Divide And Conquer" track listing:

01. Marching Over Blood02. Seed Of Evil03. Divide And Conquer04. Control The Twisted Mind05. In The Grave06. Terror Is My Scream07. Pit Of Snakes08. Kneel To The Gun09. Lost Dignity10. White Wizard

The official lyric video for the song "Marching Over Blood" can be seen below.

Comments SUICIDAL ANGELS guitarist/vocalist Nick Melissourgos: "We recorded again in the Prophecy & Music Factory Studios and the mix and master this time was done by Fredrik Nordström (HAMMERFALL, IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY) at Fredman Studios. We didn't know what to expect for the final result, but what we got is killer. He managed to combine the old-school feeling of our music with an up-to-date production of 2013. [It sounds] absolutely massive!"

The cover artwork for "Divide And Conquer" was created by another well-known name in the metal biz — legendary cover artist Ed Repka, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, DEATH and MUNICIPAL WASTE.

Adds Melissourgos: "If you notice, in the pit, it's not people fighting, it's zombies. Also the crowd isn't human, they are zombies. They are the souls of people who have no human feelings anymore. They represent the ugliness and the inhumanity of the humans. Thus turned into something else, they are easier to be conquered and manipulated."

The "Divide And Conquer" artwork is said to be the "perfect mirror" for the album's lyrics, because once again, SUICIDAL ANGELS isn't really interested in booze, boobs and slimy aliens, but instead likes to reflect on the everyday horror of our lives.

"The main subject is the contemporary situation that we all are living in," explains Melissourgos. "There is so much power in the hands of few who have the ability to do everything, but their only fear is everyday and common people. So the only, most direct and easiest solution is to mentally disease the population, in order to fight each other, in order to misjudge reality and not being able to tell what is important and what not. So, like this, without unity, it is easier to become a slave."

SUICIDAL ANGELS will embark on a European headlining tour in January and February 2014. Support on the trek will come from FUELED BY FIRE, LOST SOCIETY and EXARSIS.

In the video below, NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen reveals his favorite female vocalists — not incuding any of the singers that have been in his band.

NIGHTWISH released its new DVD, "Showtime, Storytime", on November 29 as a limited 2Blu-ray + 2CD digipack, limited 2DVD + 2CD digipack, limited 2CD digipack, 2LP (colored) in gatefold and an exclusive Nuclear Blast mailorder edition.

"Showtime, Storytime" contains NIGHTWISH's entire August 3 performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany. The show, which was played in the front of 85,000 screaming metalheads, was directed by Ville Lipiäinen, filmed with seventeen cameras and has a total running time of 85 minutes. The second disc consists of a 120-minute tour documentary, "Please Learn The Setlist In 48 Hours", also directed by Ville Lipiäinen, with no shortage of drama or overall madness. Also, there is a 16-minute NIGHTWISH Table Hockey Tournament, filmed on tour. In addition, there are two music clips: "I Want My Tears Back" (live at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland) and "Ghost Love Score" (live in Buenos Aires). The Wacken Open Air appearance was the first of the three final shows of NIGHTWISH's "Imaginaerum World Tour", which saw the band and their Dutch singer Floor Jansen (REVAMP, ex-AFTER FOREVER) playing 104 concerts in 34 different countries, with a total audience of over 1.5 million fans around the globe.

Swedish metallers IN FLAMES recently entered Hansa Studios (DAVID BOWIE, DEPECHE MODE, U2) in Berlin, Germany to begin recording their eleventh album for an early 2014 release.

Video footage from the studio — courtesy of the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet — can be seen below.

IN FLAMES lead singer, Anders Fridén recently stated about working at the legendary facility where such milestones as David Bowie's "Heroes" and Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" were created: "When I visited Hansa Studios earlier this year, I got goose bumps. There is so much history both inside and surrounding the studio and I want to be a part of that. Magic has been created here and hopefully that will affect us."

IN FLAMES' "Deliver Us" single was recently certified platinum in Sweden for sales in excess of 40,000 copies. (Note: On-demand audio and/or video song streams are now counted towards the threshold required for gold and platinum certifications.)

IN FLAMES has released a video for"Sounds Of A Playground Fading", the title track of its tenth studio album. The clip, which is made up of concert footage, was produced by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.

"Sounds Of A Playground Fading" (Century Media) sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart.

IN FLAMES' previous album, "A Sense of Purpose" (Koch) opened with 20,000 units to land at No. 28. This was slightly less than the opening tally of "Come Clarity" (Ferret), which shifted just under 24,000 copies in February 2006 to enter the chart at position No. 58.

"Sounds Of A Playground Fading" was the first IN FLAMES album to be recorded without founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad, who quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

IN FLAMES guitarist Niclas Engelin recently sat out a few of the band's shows. His temporary replacement for those gigs was Patrik Jensen from THE HAUNTED.

"Bear Claw Tavern", the new video from Canadian metallers SCYTHIA, can be seen below. The old world-themed clip, directed by fantasy movie director Richard Olak and filmed at the Storm Crow Tavern in the band's hometown of Vancouver, B.C., is an uproarious three-minute scorcher featuring the band rocking out in a medieval tavern filled with hooligans and mysterious characters. The video also features a dwarven troublemaker that gets himself into hot water when he decides to irritate a "wizened" old man. "Bear Claw Tavern" is the first single from SCYTHIA's upcoming melodic, power/folk fusion record, "…Of Conquest". The album, which also includes progressive and death metal influences, is engineered/produced by Lasse Lammert (ALESTORM, GLORYHAMMER, HALCYON WAY, SVARSOT) 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, WINTERSUN, KIUAS, FIREWIND) at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland. Mastering credits go to Svante Forsback (RAMMSTEIN, FIREWIND, KORPIKLAANI, APOCALYPTICA) at Chartmakers in Helsinki, Finland. "…Of Conquest" is set to arrive in early 2014. The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Fanfare 151602. Merchant Of Sin03. Bear Claw Tavern04. Sailor's Accolade05. Reflections06. The Kraken07. Into The Storm08. Land Of Scythia09. Wrath Of The Ancients10. Army Of The Bear11. Path Through The Labyrinth12. Departure Formed in 2008, SCYTHIA's music is recognized throughout their home country for its rich, poetic storytelling and epic melodies. Because of this, and touring like a cavalry of nomads, they have taken the independent scene by storm as they gather more and more fans both domestically and internationally. SCYTHIA delivered its first album, "Of War", in 2010. SCYTHIA is:

Dave Khan - Guitar, Main VocalsTerry Savage - Bass, Harsh VocalsJeff Black - Keyboards, Back-Up VocalsCeline Derval - Drums, Back-Up Vocals

Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's December 4 concert in Frankfurt, Germany 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".

Fan-filmed video footage of MARDUK's December 4 performance at Tivoli in Utrecht, The Netherlands can be seen below.

Due to problems with a nerve in the spine, MARDUK drummer Lars Broddsson is unable to join his bandmates on their current tour. Filling in for him is F. Widigs.

MARDUK's "Panzer Division 2013" tour with GRAVE, DEATH WOLF and VALKYRIA kicked off on November 28 in Erfurt, Germany.

MARDUK's 12th studio album, "Serpent Sermon", sold around 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 44 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.

MARDUK's previous CD, "Wormwood", opened with around 650 units to enter the Heatseekers chart at No. 99.

"Serpent Sermon" was made available as standard CD, vinyl and limited-edition media book with an exclusive bonus track entitled "Coram Satanae".