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".

Chicago's favorite blackened doom nihilists INDIAN will release their long-awaited fifth full-length album, "From All Purity", via Relapse Records on CD/LP/digital in North America on January 21, 2014, Germany/Benelux/Finland on January 17, and in the rest of the world on January 20. The effort was recorded at Electrical Audio and Soma Studios in Chicago with engineer/co-producer Sanford Parker (MINSK, NACHTMYSTIUM, YOB, SAMOTHRACE).

"From All Purity" track listing:

01. Rape02. The Impetus Bleeds03. Directional04. Rhetoric Of No05. Clarify06. Disambiguation

The song "Rhetoric Of No" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. On "From All Purity", INDIAN takes its infamously hateful aggression to new levels of despair. Now augmented with an even keener sense of harsh noise, all the trademark elements of INDIAN's sound have been refined to reach new lows of powerful and punishing anguish. This is truly the antithesis of easy listening.

Forged in 2003, INDIAN's debut EP, "God Slave", was a self-released mission statement, welcoming the band into the world like young, kicking, screaming giants. INDIAN's first three full-lengths — "The Unquiet Sky", "Slights And Abuse" and "The Sycophant" — were all issued through Portland, Oregon-based metal imprint Seventh Rule Recordings. Each of these releases found the band gaining momentum and attracting followers, as well as performing shows with scene heavyweights such as WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, LOCRIAN, and AGALLOCH. After signing to Relapse Records in 2010, INDIAN began to diligently craft its fourth full-length, knowing all eyes were on them. Not only did the band live up to fans' lofty expectations, they also achieved a massive critical breakthrough. "Guiltless" was released in 2011 to rave reviews. The Chicagoist described the album as, "a musical journey into the mouth of teeth-rattling metal madness," while Metal Hammer simply called it, "pretty much an essential album." Fans were also impressed, gathering to soak up the band's feverish rays of doom on tour across the country. INDIAN performed shows with HIGH ON FIRE, BATILLUS, and YOB, translating their recorded sounds into a murky, devilish live spectacle. Such performances confirmed INDIAN as one of the most exciting metal acts making music today, recalling an era in which the genre felt truly new, bursting with energy and untapped potential. Or, as Revolver puts it, "nothing has sounded more genuinely evil and distressing in a long time."

Professionally filmed video footage of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS performing the song "Black Heart" on November 1 at the Hard Rock Live in Biloxi, Mississippi can be seen below.

"High Rise", the new EP from STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 24 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on October 8 via Play Pen/ADA.

"High Rise" is STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' first new disc with singer Chester Bennington, who replaced original frontman Scott Weiland earlier this year. Although the EP contains just five songs, Bennington told The Pulse Of Radio that coming up with music together was not a problem. "After our very first initial kind of let's sit down, you know, officially kind of shake hands and say we're doing this, I think by the time we got home, we were already like coming up with ideas," he said. "Within a couple of days we had nine or 10 demos that we were kicking around and I knew the second that I got the memo from Robert [DeLeo, bass], he was playing 'Out Of Time', the main riff, and it was like, I mean melodies just started coming."

"Out Of Time" was released over the summer and vaulted to the top of the Active Rock radio chart.

Other tracks on the new disc include "Black Heart", "Cry, Cry" and "Tomorrow".

STP fired Weiland in February, claiming that his own solo activities and erratic behavior were detrimental to the band.

The group later sued Weiland, with the singer firing off a countersuit and claiming that they could not use the band name without his involvement.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS recently completed its first North American tour with Bennington on the mic. In the meantime, Bennington has returned to the studio with his main act, LINKIN PARK.

Capital Chaos has uploaded quality video footage of GWAR's October 20 concert at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California. Check it out below.

GWAR's new album, "Battle Maximus", sold around 3,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 109 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD — the band's first full-length studio effort since the loss of their longtime guitar player Flattus Maximus — was issued on September 17 on Metal Blade Records.

GWAR's previous CD, 2010's "Bloody Pit Of Horror", opened with around 2,800 units — roughly half of the first-week tally registered by 2009's "Lust In Space", which premiered with 5,000 copies to land at No. 96.

"This album is both a tribute to Flattus and a telling of the next chapter in the story of GWAR," Oderus Urungus stated about "Battle Maximus". "The combo of the brand new album and show should satisfy even the most hardcore Flattus devotee with the fact that GWAR's slay-skills are as supreme as ever, and the band stands poised to embark on our most earth-shattering world tour yet. We have mourned, we have honored, and now it's time to fucking DEVASTATE in the name of Flattus and the supreme entity that is GWAR."

GWAR's "Battle Maximus" features twelve brand new tracks that not only honor their departed ally, but tells the story of GWAR's latest struggle against what may be their greatest enemy yet... the insidious "Mr. Perfect", who has travelled through time itself to steal the power of GWAR — the power of immortality, and use this power to mutate the human race into his twisted vision of what the "perfect" human should be. Once again GWAR finds themselves as the only thing standing between the human race and the latest super-powered shithead bent on the destruction of GWAR and the enslavement of their worshippers.

"Wasted Feelings", the new video from British symphonic metal upstarts WINTER STORM, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's second album, "Within The Frozen Design", which was released in November.

Comments WINTER STORM vocalist and guitarist Hannah Fieldhouse: "The album is based on the concept of universal design and a being who is designing his own world, which he thinks he has complete control over. However, as the story of the album unravels, he realises it was mere coincidence and he has no control and spirals into madness...

"The song 'Wasted Feelings' is a heavy and fierce song to kick off the album, and we chose this song for that reason. The song is about having feelings on a situation that appear to mean nothing to anyone else, but also relates to this being designing his own world and being able to see into others 'thoughts.'

"We shot the video at the Academy Of Music And Sound in Birmingham, and our drummer Will Stokes was responsible for a lot of the filming and editing all the footage."

Following on from WINTER STORM's debut, "Serenity In Darkness", the band has forged songs of beauty and elegance with a raw, unbridled power that results in a captivating listen.

Formed in 2008, WINTER STORM began getting a firm grip on their sound following some stellar support slots alongside the lines of ALESTORM, SIRENIA, THEATRES DES VAMPIRES, TO-MERA and Sarah Jezebel Deva, to name but a few.

Southern California metal act THROWDOWN will release its new album, "Intolerance", on January 21, 2014 via eOne Music. The follow-up to 2009's "Deathless" was recorded at Hurley Recordings in Costa Mesa, California with rising producer Davey Warsop and mixed at Planet Z.

"Intolerance" features guitar solo contributions from Dave Nassie (BLEEDING THROUGH, NO USE FOR A NAME, INFECTIOUS GROOVES), who joined THROWDOWN's recent touring lineup alongside DEMON HUNTER drummer Tim "Yogi" Watts and "Deathless"-era bassist Mark Mitchell.

Comments THROWDOWN frontman Dave Peters: "Completing this record felt great in so many respects, most important of which was the opportunity to finally give longtime supporters of the band this music that I've had swirling around in my head over the past four years.

"The variety of people from different places and scenes who have found the band through vastly different avenues over the past 15 or so years will each get into it for their own unique reasons, I think. And for those who think it’s junk, it's only about 28 minutes they have to regret."

"Intolerance" combines the massive production punch of the moody, sludgy and powerfully diverse masterpiece "Deathless" (which spawned the Sirius XM staples "This Continuum" and "The Scythe") with the focused resolve of the band's genre-classic-filled back catalog.

The big sound that developed on "Deathless" works magic upon the brutal missives found all over "Intolerance", nearly all of which clock in around two minutes.

"Deathless" and "Vendetta" collaborator Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, CROWBAR, DEMON HUNTER) returned to mix the new record.

Drummer Jarrod Alexander (AMERICAN NIGHTMARE, SUICIDE FILE, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE) made his first recorded appearance with THROWDOWN on "Haymaker", returning as a session player again for "Deathless" and the brand new album, "Intolerance".

"Intolerance" track listing:

01. Fight Or Die02. Borrowed Time03. Avow04. Hardened By Consequence05. Defend With Violence06. Suffer, Conquer07. Cut Away08. Intolerance09. Without Weakness10. Born And Buried Alone11. Condemned To Live

Fan-filmed video footage of SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell's November 20 acoustic performance at Shubert Theater in New Haven, Connecticut can be seen below.

Cornell was forced to cancel his solo acoustic concerts in Miami, Florida on Thursday (December 5) and St. Petersburg, Florida on Friday (December 6) after a shoulder injury he sustained last week got worse. Cornell scrapped a show in Delaware on November 27 after injuring himself, but returned to the tour in Atlanta on Tuesday (December 3). However, the injury worsened and on Wednesday (December 4) doctors advised complete rest for the singer. There is no word on how exactly Cornell sustained his injury.

The Florida shows were the last on the current "Songbook" tour, which highlights tunes from throughout Cornell's career with SOUNDGARDEN, AUDIOSLAVE and as a solo artist.

Cornell told The Pulse Of Radio a while back how he first came up with the idea of doing acoustic gigs. "It came from all the way back as far as SOUNDGARDEN with a song called 'Mind Riot', where I would just start to do it alone," he said. "And what I noticed was dynamically it was really great in the middle of a set to give the audience a break from just the sonic pounding. And in AUDIOSLAVE I started having kind of like a four-, five-song interlude where I would just play acoustic guitar and sing. It was just so intimidating, but there was something about that, I guess, that I liked."

Cornell is not scheduled to perform live again until next spring, when he and SOUNDGARDEN will head to South America to appear on several Lollapalooza festival dates.

BLACK SABBATH, DREAM THEATER, ANTHRAX, VOLBEAT and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are among the nominees for the 56th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on January 26, 2014 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

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

ANTHRAX - "T.N.T."Track from: "Anthems"Label: Megaforce

BLACK SABBATH - "God Is Dead?"Track from: "13"Label: Vertigo/Republic

DREAM THEATER - "The Enemy Inside"Track from: "Dream Theater"Label: Roadrunner Records

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - "In Due Time"Track from: "Disarm The Descent"Label: Roadrunner Records

VOLBEAT feat. King Diamond - "Room 24"Track from: "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies"Label: Republic Records

BLACK SABBATH's "God Is Dead?" also picked up a nomination in the "Best Rock Song" category. In addition, the band's comeback CD, "13", earned a nod for "Best Rock Album", alongside LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day" and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's "…Like Clockwork", among others.

METALLICA's "Through The Never" received a nomination for "Best Recording Package" and ALICE IN CHAINS' "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" is up for the "Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical" award.

Nominations for the 56th annual Grammy Awards were announced tonight by The Recording Academy and reflected an eclectic mix of the best and brightest in music over the past year, as determined by the voting members of The Academy. For the sixth year, nominations for the annual Grammy Awards were announced on primetime television as part of "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night", a one-hour CBS entertainment special broadcast live from Nokia Theatre L.A. Live.

"This year's nominations reflect the talented community of music makers who represent some of the highest levels of excellence and artistry of the year in their respective fields," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy, in a statement.

The Grammy Awards will air live on CBS on Sunday, January 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Norwegian black metallers ISKALD will release their new album, "Nedom Og Nord", on January 14 in Europe via Indie Recordings.

According to a press release, "this new masterpiece is a tribute to their artic, majestic and dark home — the northern part of Norway. ISKALD ('ice cold' in English) makes you feel like you're alone on the top of an iceberg in the middle of an artic storm!

"'Nedom Og Nord' is by far [ISKALD's] most epic album to date, containing six long masterpieces, each with different lyrical themes.

"This is their first Norwegian-entitled album, in which half of the lyrics are based on their mother tongue.

"And finally, their self-titled song 'Iskald' was finished and put on the new record. It's a monumental hymn dedicated to the surroundings and people of their home; Nordland."

"Nedom Og Nord" track listing:

01. A Fading Horizon02. Underworldly03. Iskald04. The Silence05. Nidingsdåd06. Nedom og Nord

The song "Nidingsdåd" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of AMON AMARTH's December 3 performance at Trädgår'n in Gothenburg, Sweden can be seen below.

AMON AMARTH's ninth studio album, "Deceiver Of The Gods", sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 25 via Metal Blade Records.

In Germany, "Deceiver Of The Gods" entered the Top 100 chart at No. 3, the official Media Market/Saturn chart at #3 and the German Media Control Weekend Trend chart at No. 2. "Deceiver Of The Gods" came in at No. 9 on Canada's Top 200 chart, No. 2 on the Hard Music chart and No. 21 on the Digital Music chart. Additionally, the record came in at No. 2 on the iTunes Metal chart, No. 2 on the iTunes Rock chart and No. 7 on the iTunes Top 200. In the U.K., the record entered the official album chart at No. 67, the Rock/Metal chart at No. 4 and the Independent chart at No. 14, marking the highest U.K. chart placements for the band yet. Elsewhere, "Deceiver Of The Gods" came in at No. 9 on the Top 100 album chart in Switzerland, No. 7 on the Austrian Top 100, No. 9 in Sweden, No. 27 in Denmark, No. 51 in France, No. 34 in Czech Republic and No. 51 in Hungary. Recorded at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, United Kingdom, and produced, mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap (OPETH, MEGADETH, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), "Deceiver Of The Gods" delivers ten fiery battle hymns made of buzzsaw riffs and epic harmonies all driven by vocalist Johan Hegg's commanding Viking roar and absorbing accounts of Norse crusades and treachery.

"Deceiver Of The Gods" comes adorned with another outstanding Tom Thiel-created cover portraying a mythical battle between the Norse Gods Loki and Thor. As an added bonus, Messiah Marcolin (CANDLEMASS) makes an appearance as guest vocalist on eighth track, "Hel".

AMON AMARTH will embark on a U.S. headlining tour in January. Very special guest on the dates will be ENSLAVED, with additional support from SKELETONWITCH.

ONE MACHINE, the brainchild of acclaimed guitarist/songwriter Steve Smyth (TESTAMENT, NEVERMORE, FORBIDDEN, DRAGONLORD, VICIOUS RUMORS), has inked a deal with Scarlet Records. The band's debut album, "The Distortion Of Lies And The Overdriven Truth", will be released on February 18, 2014. The CD was recorded and produced by Steve Smyth and was mixed by Roy Z (JUDAS PRIEST, BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD). It was mastered by Alan Douches (3 INCHES OF BLOOD, FIREWIND, SEPULTURA) at West West Side Music, with artwork created by Niklas Sundin from Cabin Fever Media (DARK TRANQUILLITY, ARCH ENEMY), complemented with photography from Anthony Dubois (MESHUGGAH, MNEMIC).

ONE MACHINE is an international metal band with classic and modern influences, featuring members carefully selected by Smyth: Mikkel Sandager (MERCENARY) on vocals, Jamie Hunt (BIOMECHANICAL) sharing guitar duties, rounded out by a powerhouse rhythm section with Tomas "O'Beast" Koefoed (MNEMIC) on bass guitar and Michele Sanna on drums (although former drummer Raphael Saini of Italian progressive metallers CHAOSWAVE played on the album).

Smyth had often given thought to leading his own band throughout his distinguished career as a member of bands including TESTAMENT, NEVERMORE and FORBIDDEN, among others. He had written a number of songs, but the challenge of finding the right members to bring them to life remained. He found a more than capable shredding second guitarist in Jamie Hunt, and the two began collaborating on the material Smyth had.

"Jamie's playing complements mine extremely well, and we hit it off perfectly when we got together to work on the songs," says Smyth. A vocalist was found in the form of original MERCENARY singer Mikkel Sandager. He fit the kind of singer Smyth was looking for, with his versatile ability to sing in different ways, and his readiness to be pushed into new musical territories.

"When our former bands toured together, I got to witness night after night, exactly what Mikkel could do; deliver a solid performance with an incredible range, as well as multiple characters in his voice," says Steve. "He's perfect for this band!"

Smyth, Hunt and Sandager then set about refining and shaping Smyth's original material.

In 2012, Koefoed came on board, adding his distinctive sound to the tracks.

"Tomas is without a doubt one of the most solid bassists I've encountered in some time," says Smyth. "He literally added an entirely new dimension to these songs that would not have been possible to be achieved without him."

"Outlaw", the new video from Swedish black metallers WATAIN, can be seen below. The clip was produced by WATAIN and Johan Bååth, who previously helmed the band's "Opus Diaboli" DVD in 2012.

Comments WATAIN: "The 'Outlaw' video is a knife stab in the face of today's clean and witty metal scene and yet another step for us to bring back something real and extreme into this limping music movement." A short interview with WATAIN vocalist/bassist Erik Danielsson about the ideas and the inspiration behind the video is available on the band's web site, www.templeofwatain.com.

"Outlaw" is taken from WATAIN's fifth full-length, "The Wild Hunt", which sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was released on August 19 in Europe and August 20 in USA via the band's own label His Master's Noise through Century Media Records.

Produced once again by Tore Stjerna at his Necromorbus studio in Alvik, Sweden, "The Wild Hunt" is a sonic and lyrical tour-de-force that explores WATAIN's roots, such as BATHORY and DISSECTION, while also remaining truly unique. Having lost none of their integrity, WATAIN continues to push the boundaries of the scene with their fifth full-length, refusing to compromise their sound and vision. Amid the tracks teeming with the band's classic sound, "The Wild Hunt" also features clean vocals (a first for the trio!) which, as Erik Danielsson puts it, "is just us being brutally personal and honest. It shows another important facet of the WATAIN world."

Executed in oil and mixed materials, the cover of "The Wild Hunt" was created by Zbigniew M Bielak, the very same artist who was responsible for the "Lawless Darkness" artwork. The piece depicts one of the inmost shrines of WATAIN's temple. As on every classic still life, each object has a significant meaning, while each song of the album is also connected to an object.

"Kluskap O'Kom", the new video from Canadian progressive metal pioneers VOIVOD, can be seen below. The clip, which originally premiered at Philip H. Anselmo's Housecore Horror Film Festival in October in Austin, Texas, was directed by Syl Disjonk, who is best known for his short horror film "Ethereal Chrysalis". The director of photography was JP Bernier (DESPISED ICON).

Asked about the meaning of "Kluskap O'Kom", VOIVOD vocalist Denis "Snake " Bélanger said: "Sometimes described as a giant coming out of the woods, sometimes a monster in a lake or sometimes a powerful being that came from the sky, Kluskap is the name for this strange character and O'Kom is the place where he lives.

"Kluskap is inspired by a legend from a Canadian native tribe called the Micmacs. He once came to earth to kill all the Dinosaurs in order to help the humans to take over the planet. "One day Kluskap will come back with another mission to the humans.

"There are many similarities between the Kluskap story and other legends from tribes all around the globe; stories told of encounters with beings from other worlds. This one is very unique, I thought.

"So here it is; Hear the thunder, it is me, coming back!!!! 'KlusKap O'Kom'!" VOIVOD also released a seven-inch single for the song, featuring artwork from the band's drummer, Michael "Away" Langevin, and limited to 1000 copies worldwide. The b-side features a live version of "Kluskap O'Kom" recorded in Berlin on the band's last European headlining tour. The single comes in black, grey and black and white swirl colored vinyl and can be purchased here.

In related news, VOIVOD recently partnered with a local Montreal brewery to produce a limited batch of "Kluskap O'Kom" beer. Guitarist Dan "Chewy" Mongrain explains: "Frederic Cormier, the brewer and owner of Hopfenstark Micro-Brewery, and I had this Idea for a couple years of crafting a VOIVOD beer. This year, with the new album, 'Target Earth', and our 30th anniversary, the timing was perfect to celebrate and brew! So I asked the guys if they were into it and everybody thought it was a great idea! We sampled different types of ale, lager, stout, IPA, season, wheat etc to come up with the type of beer we wanted to do. We also talked about the concept and decided to associate the VOIVOD beer not only with the band's name but with a song from the latest opus. We chose Kluskap O'Kom, which is inspired by American-Indian legends and modern reality.

"We wanted the beer to have a taste from the woods, the terroir, so to speak. So Frederic had this idea of crafting the beer with Mugwort and Balsam Fir, which we ended up picking up in the woods.

"The beer is made with fresh ingredients; it's easy to drink yet with complex, well-balanced flavors.

"We just invited friends and fans to the release party in Montreal at Station Ho.st (bar owned by the brewer) and it was a complete success! Lots of people celebrating the 30th anniversary of VOIVOD, making toasts with a Kluskap O'Kom beer, listening to some VOIVOD, watching a two-hour [documentary on the] making of the beer, plus we had a surprise when our director friend showed up with a DVD to play the promo video of 'Kluskap O'Kom'!! It was a perfect magical evening... I ended up going to bed at 6 a.m... smiling. How could life be better than that?"

The official lyric video for "Triumph And Power", the title track of the seventh album from Swedish heavy rockers GRAND MAGUS, can be seen below.

"Triumph And Power" will be released on January 31, 2014 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to last year's "The Hunt" was recorded with producer Nico Elgstrand and engineer Staffan Karlsson (ARCH ENEMY, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS) at Studio Sweetspot in Halmstad.

The track listing for the CD is as follows: 01. On Hooves Of Gold02. Steel Versus Steel03. Fight04. Triumph And Power05. Dominator06. Arv07. Holmgång08. The Naked And The Dead09. Ymer10. The Hammer Will Bite11. Blackmoon (bonus track) Commented the band: "'Triumph And Power' has been completed. It's a metal triumph of Viking power!!!

"Once again we worked with Nico Elgstrand as producer, a tradition that started with 'Hammer Of The North' back in 2010.

"This is our strongest album yet. It has the northern feel, it has the power and the melody that has become our mark of excellence.

"Fans of true metal will take this album to their hearts. To top everything off, we have the striking and epic artwork of Anthony Roberts.

"The album cover perfectly captures the work on this album and GRAND MAGUS as a band." Due to family obligations and work commitments, drummer Sebastian "Seb" Sippola left GRAND MAGUS last year.

Dave Smiles of Full Throttle Rock recently conducted an interview with former STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Full Throttle Rock: What was the inspiration for the story behind [the debut TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON album] "The Land Of New Hope"? Tolkki: For the story, it was mainly from my own observations of where this world and mankind are heading. I hope I am wrong, but it just seemed to be a good idea to do a trilogy about this subject. I wrote the whole story at one go, chunked it in three pieces and "The Land Of New Hope" is actually the end of the story so the first album is kind of last at the same time.

Full Throttle Rock: What are some of your favourite memories from your time with STRATOVARIUS? Tolkki: 2500 shows, 24 years, 300 written songs, 2 million albums sold and insane amount of work in producing all the albums. I was there all the time cause it was my artistic vision. I was lucky to have good musicians and I think I was right there in the beginning to create this musical format called power metal. Lately, I have gotten some recognition about that and it feels good because I really worked hard on the music, arrangements and the production. It was 24/7 job, really. For me, STRATO pretty much was dead after 2004, regarding all aspects. Something weird just happened there and there are quite a bit misinformations about that in the media and Internet, but there is nothing I can do to that.

Full Throttle Rock: Jens Johansson [STRATOVARIUS] is on "The Land Of New Hope". Do you see yourself working with any more of your former bandmates in the future? Tolkki: Well, it's possible. In fact, just last week I got a bit weird e-mail from their management regarding something that sounded quite interesting. I have to give it some thought first before I can talk about it.

Full Throttle Rock: What's your opinion of the current state of the music industry? Where do you see things going with the development of downloading music? Tolkki: It's the question, and I believe it varies from one music style to another. Metal fans are still buying CDs. But it is true that there is a major shift taking place right now and it's gonna get harder and harder to be a professional musician. CD will be obsolete in 10 years, I think, and vinyl is not the savior. The quantities are very small. I think we will see more and more music going to streaming services and artists getting paid less and less, which might force them to direct interaction with their fans. This is very difficult if you are a starting band. In any case, it seems that it’s gonna go completely to Internet and I think it will be all streamed in the end. Unfortunately. This forces anybody from not taking any risks which might contribute to some interesting music being recorded and released and results more to just very formalized and perhaps not so interesting music.

Read the entire interview at Full Throttle Rock.

Corey Taylor, vocalist and frontman for rock bands SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR, has joined the cast of the feature film "Fear Clinic" from Dry County Entertainment, founded by director Robert Green Hall (MTV's "Teen Wolf", "Laid To Rest", "Lightning Bug"), and Fear Chamber LLC.

"Fear Clinic" began as a 2009 horror series for FearNet that consisted of five episodes starring up-and-coming talent like Lucas Till ("X-Men: First Class") and Kate Nauta ("Transporter 2") as well as horror icons Danielle Harris ("Halloween 4"), Lisa Wilcox ("A Nightmare On Elm Street 4") and Kane Hodder (Jason Voorhees). The series and upcoming film stars Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger in the "Nightmare On Elm Street" franchise) as Dr. Andover, a fear doctor who treats patients afflicted with crippling phobias by inducing hallucinations inside his exposure therapy invention; The Fear Chamber. The series, which focused on a different phobia every episode, received critical acclaim including two 2010 Streamy Awards ("Best Sound Design" and "Best Visual FX" for Hall's company Almost Human) and reached over five million hits on FearNet.com. It has since been added to On Demand and mainstream channels YouTube and Hulu, making it the most-watched horror web series in history.

The project has been in active development for a feature film, written by Robert Hall and Aaron Drane. The story has seen a shift from the series, however; instead of the episodic nature of the original show, the film will focus on a variety of phobias that all stem from one traumatic event.

"Fear Clinic" will see Taylor in the role of Bauer, one of the employees of the clinic who struggles to keep things under control when all Hell breaks loose.

Felisha Terrell ("Days of Our Lives"), who wowed viewers with her recurring role as Kali on MTV's "Teen Wolf", will reunite with director Robert Hall as she joins "Fear Clinic" to take on the role of Osborn, a therapist at the clinic and second-in-command to Dr. Andover (Robert Englund).

Also attached to the project is Brandon Beemer ("Days of Our Lives", "The Bold And The Beautiful") as Dylan, a famous moto-cross rider who will stop at nothing to protect his girlfriend from the darkness plaguing their lives.

These talents join previously announced "Fear Clinic" cast Robert Englund, Fiona Dourif, Thomas Dekker, Kevin Gage, Cleopatra Coleman and Angelina Armani.

The film may be a more mature realization of the concept from the series, but at the heart of the story it focuses on the cerebral nature of fear itself and the manifestations it can take for different people.

The film opens with a tragedy that launches five people into the public eye and enlists Dr. Andover to lend his expertise to help them overcome trauma-induced phobias. A year later, terrifying "aftershocks" rattle the survivors, leading to them finding their way back to the fear clinic seeking answers. As they line up for another turn in the chamber, Dr. Andover believes that something more sinister may be at work.

"Fear Clinic" is currently filming for a Halloween 2014 release.

"Whore", the new video from IN THIS MOMENT, can be seen below. The clip has a stark voyeuristic feel, combining the theatrical aplomb that marks IN THIS MOMENT's live performances with visuals that are as compelling as they are disturbing. Directed by Robert Kley, who was also at the helm for the band's "Adrenalize" and "Blood" videos, "Whore" co-stars MOTIONLESS IN WHITE frontman Chris Motionless. "His look is so perfect for the dirty vintage feel of the video, and he was a perfect gentleman while being violated by me," says IN THIS MOMENT frontwoman Maria Brink. "I knew how amazing placing the visual arts to 'Whore' would be when we wrote it, and I have been waiting to release this video since we recorded the song," Brink continues of the band's new video.

"I am so passionate about the concepts and every single detail that goes into shooting a music video, and I created my own stimulating visual metaphor to make this.

"I am grateful to have worked with Robert Kley again; he always seems to help me bring what I see in my mind to life.

"'Whore' is a song that pushes boundaries, and I needed the video to do the same.

"The song is about taking back control. It is about rising above and finding the power within ourselves. I hope everyone enjoys it!" Adds IN THIS MOMENT guitarist Chris Howorth: "'Whore' is one of my favorite songs on 'Blood' and the video is the best we have created to date. It's just as creepy and sexy as our live show, with a bunch of extra surprises.

"Maria really outdid herself on this one... This is her twisted vision brought to life." "Whore" continues to climb at radio, where the track currently sits at No. 17 with a bullet on the Active Rock charts. The song is the third single from IN THIS MOMENT's breakthrough album "Blood". Released in August 2012 on Century Media Records, it marked the highest debut of the band's career, entering The Billboard 200 at No. 15 and selling more than 20,000 units first week. The record has emerged as one of the best-selling rock albums of the past year, recently surpassing 200,000 in sales, according to Nielsen SoundScan. IN THIS MOMENT will kick off 2014 with "The Hellpop Tour II". Set to launch January 2 in Portland, Oregon, the 16-city trek wraps January 25 in Cape Coral, Florida, where the band will then make a return engagement on the Shiprocked cruise January 26-30, which sets sail out of Miami, Florida to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. Joining IN THIS MOMENT on "Hellpop II" are BUTCHER BABIES in direct support, DEVOUR THE DAY and ALL HAIL THE YETI. Brink had this to say about her provocative photo shoot to promote "Whore": "I decided to pose nude for the visual art for 'Whore' to evoke a raw vulnerable emotion.

"The word 'whore' written down my back and the dunce cap symbolize me placing myself on the stake for those who are suffering, and I can only hope to encourage at least one person to find the self worth and love they deserve to transcend out of a painful situation into a beautiful one. It is about finding our power and taking a stand.

"We are resilient beings and need to realize our incredible strengths.

"I will not bow down to others perceptions of me. I will only rise in the name of art, love and music."

The official live video for the song "Countdown To Hell" from the Japanese quintet CROSSFAITH — featuring Kenta Koie (vocals), Terufumi Tamano (programming), Kazuki Takemura (guitar), Hiroki Ikegawa (bass) and Tatsuya Amano (drums) — can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Apocalyze", which sold around 1,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD, which was released in the United States and Canada through The End Records on September 3, was produced by Machine (LAMB OF GOD, EVERY TIME I DIE, FOUR YEAR STRONG), who also helmed the group’s "Zion" EP.

CROSSFAITH combines metal, hardcore, samples and electronica to create groundbreaking music that transcends genres. Their 2009 debut album, "The Artificial Theory For The Dramatic Beauty" (Zestone Records), served as the catalyst in Japan; distinguishing the group as a true force and propelling them to the top of their game.

Former KYUSS and current VISTA CHINO frontman John Garcia joined the Dutch band KOMATSU on stage at Speedfest in Eindhoven, The Netherlands on November 23 to perform the song "July" from Garcia's previous group SLO BURN. Professionally filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

KOMATSU's cover version of "July" is featured on the band's new split release with British blues stoners DESERTSTORM.

Playing a mix of sludge, stoner rock and metal, KOMATSU released its full-length debut album, "Manu Armata", in February 2013.

The band's sound has been compared to that of such groups as QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, TORCHE, MASTODON, MONSTER MAGNET and KARMA TO BURN.

KOMATSU is:

Mo Truijens (lead vocals, guitar)Martijn Mansvelders (vocals, bass)Stephan Quint (vocals, guitar)Miriam Bekkers (drums)

MAYAN — the band featuring EPICA guitarist/songwriter Mark Jansen alongside Jack Driessen (ex-AFTER FOREVER) and Frank Schiphorst — will release its sophomore album, "Antagonise", on January 31, 2014 via Nuclear Blast Records. The 11-song CD, which was recorded at Sandlane studio with producer Joost Van Der Broek (REVAMP, STREAM OF PASSION), features guest appearances by Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH, REVAMP), Marcela Bovio (STREAM OF PASSION) and the Greek virtuozo violinist Dimitris Katsoulis.

The second trailer for "Antagonise" can be seen below.

The cover artwork for "Antagonise" was created by Stefan Heilemann, who previously worked on MAYAN's debut album, "Quarterpast". Comments Jansen: "The cover is based on the lyrics for our upcoming album, 'Antagonise'.

"Stefan doesn't need any directions; he reads the lyrics and comes up with a phenomenal piece of art. That's why we love working with this guy!

"When Snowden revealed the information about the mass electronic surveillance data mining program called Prism, what quite some people already thought became a proven fact. We all have been spied on for many years and all our data has been backed up and safely stored. It can be used any time it's needed. All of this in the name of 'war against terrorism,' which, in fact, basically is a cover-up and a way to bring fear to people in order to get them under control. This trick has already been used many times in the past. History just keeps repeating itself.

"The media were covering the story, but politicians around the world, and in Europe in particular, didn't know how to react and remained silent. America is an ally, and not just a little one.

"Since it became clear that the NSA (and let's not forget about their British partners in crime of the GCHQ) have also been spying on many world leaders, things have changed. Now it's finally all over the news!

"Is this the beginning of a turning point in history? Or will we allow a small group of elites to take all our freedom away for their own benefits?

"The constitution, the basis of our democracy, is not being respected.

"Don't get yourself fooled, this is not in our interest.

"If you want to see the truth, you'll see the truth.

"We are what we eat!? A bunch of chickens, imprisoned and fully under control with no freedom whatsoever. This is what we will possibly become. If we let it all just happen...

"George Orwell, eat your heart out." "Antagonise" track listing: 01. Bloodline Forfeit02. Burn Your Witches03. Redemption - The Democracy Illusion04. Paladins Of Deceit - National Security Extremism Part 105. Lone Wolf06. Devil In Disguise07. Insano08. Human Sacrifice09. Enemies Of Freedom10. Capital Punishment11. Faceless Spies - National Security Extremism Part 2 Henning Basse (LINGUA MORTIS ORCHESTRA) and Laura Macri recently joined MAYAN as permanent members. MAYAN is: Mark Jansen - grunts, screamsHenning Basse - vocalsLaura Macri - sopranoJack Driessen - keysFrank Schiphorst - guitarRob van der Loo - bassArien van Weesenbeek - drums MAYAN will present "Antagonise" at two Dutch CD-reloease shows: on January 30 at Mezz in Breda and on January 31, 2014 at Tivoli in Utrecht.

Guitarist Isaac Delahaye (EPICA) recently left MAYAN because he "wanted to concentrate on other things."

MAYAN's debut album, "Quarterpast", was released in Europe on May 20, 2011 and in North America on July 12, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded and mixed by Sascha Paeth (EPICA, KAMELOT).

German metal queen Doro Pesch will celebrate her 30th anniversary as a recording and touring artist by performing two special shows on May 2 and May 3, 2014 at CCD-Stadthalle in Düsseldorf, Germany. Several guests will join her on stage during the concerts, including Hansi Kürsch of BLIND GUARDIAN, Miland "Mille" Petrozza of KREATOR, and former ACCEPT singer Udo Dirkschneider.

Says Udo: "Of course! For Doro I will always be upfront. Actually, I was planning on being part of her show in Wacken this summer, but I could not make that date."

"I have the most awesome friends and colleagues," adds Doro.

Pesch recently took off to the Swiss mountains to finish working on the sequel to "Anuk - Way Of The Warrior', where she will star as the warrior Meha, who is fighting dark rivaling hordes with her mountain people in 2,500 BD.

The new "Anuk" film will be released in late 2014 and the accompanying soundtrack will include songs from Doro's most recent output, "Raise Your Fist In The Air". Doro stated: "For me, the song 'Free Your Heart' fits the film perfectly." "Raise Your Fist" sold 585 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 65 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.

Two years ago, Swedish Heavy Metal Templars of HAMMERFALL announced a creative break after celebrating their 15th anniversary of their legendary debut »Glory To The Brave«. “We are taking a pause to ensure that we have another 15 years ahead of us”, said Oscar Dronjak back then. “The plan is to use the year off to recharge our batteries and come back more vital than ever with a new album in 2014″, added singer Joacim Cans.

HAMMERFALL’s anniversary show in Dalhalla was recorded and released afterwards on DVD, followed by the final show at the Wacken Open Air. The German festival was the first show HAMMERFALL ever did outside of Sweden, and marked the beginning of the long and passionate relationship the band has enjoyed with the German metal fans. And where the story started, the first chapter ended, there will also be the return: HAMMERFALL are proud to announce their performance at the 25th anniversary of the 2014 Wacken Open Air. And the show won’t be a standard one! Oscar Dronjak explains: “It’s very fitting that, when Wacken celebrates its 25th anniversary, they will get a proper “Glory To The Brave” anniversary show. This will be a throwback show to the European gig that launched it all for us: Wacken Open Air 1997. The set list will consist of all the songs from the first album and we'll of course add some newer songs at the end. We will do this very unique show at Wacken and nowhere else, so if you miss it, you missed it.”

In August 2014 also the new and yet untitled studio album of HAMMERFALL will be released. There will also be a single – released on vinyl and digitally – upfront in June. Oscar Dronjak reveals: “We’ve all kept ourselves busy with various projects of a musical nature, but, man, it feels good to finally announce that we’re going to release a new HAMMERFALL album next year! The album is set for an August release, and we have already begun writing songs for it. It’s always difficult to tell which direction we will end up going in when you’re in the middle of it, but it feels like this will be a mix of the very best of what we have done over the years. The time off has given us perspective on a lot of things, and the new material seems to reflect this. We’re all super excited to get this going again and bring you a revitalized and reenergized HAMMERFALL!”

This new album will mark a return to Fredrik Nordström, who worked with the band in their early days. Joacim Cans explains: "It's a great honor to have Fredrik Nordström back as the main producer for HAMMERFALL. As the father and founder of "The Gothenburg Sound" as well as the producer of »Glory To The Brave« and »Legacy Of Kings« we are confident that he will take our music to new and yet unreached levels".

James Michael who had co-produced the band’s latest studio album »Infected« will once again take over the vocal recordings: "In order to maintain the high vocal standard set on »Infected« we will return to USA and record with multitalented SIXX:AM vocalist James Michael. Never have I experienced such great set-up and environment as when we recorded the previous album. Even though things will be different this time around since he is re-locating in Los Angeles, I am damn sure he will make my vocal chord deliver like never before"
This won’t be the only return to the bands roots. The artwork of the new record will be created by no one else, but Andreas Marschall, who actually was the founder of Hector, to be seen on »Glory To The Brave« and many other great HAMMERFALL artworks.

“There has never been any doubt in our minds that we would be back, and the moment we made the decision to take a much-needed break, we already had a strategy for the future of the band. A new album in 2014 has always been the plan, and when Joacim and I started to discuss the parameters for the next HAMMERFALL album we found that one of the first points we immediately agreed on was that we should consider asking Andreas Marschall to do the cover artwork. Andreas is responsible for the first three HAMMERFALL albums, and it seemed like the perfect time to let him interpret Hector again”, comments Oscar Dronjak.

Delaware/New Jersey sextet I AM HERESY has inked a worldwide deal with Century Media Records. The band will release its second full-length album, "Thy Will", on March 4, 2014 (one day earlier internationally). The CD was engineered and produced by John Ferrara at Portrait Studios, who also helmed I AM HERESY's "O Day Star, Son Of Dawn" EP. The new effort was mastered by Kevin Mattesky at Phantom Center Media. I AM HERESY's sound is an eruption channeling the passionate hardcore/punk fury of early BOYSETSFIRE streaking ferociously down the middle of the metallic-tinged prowess and influences of fellow hardcore giants INTEGRITY and CONVERGE. Imposing. Frenetic. Unrelenting. And certainly unrepentant. After Nathan Gray (also of BOYSETSFIRE) ended THE CASTING OUT, the start of a new era was heralded when he teamed up with his son Simon Gray and a wild bunch of likeminded musicians to form I AM HERESY. They released a self-titled debut album that was followed by the "O Day Star, Son Of Dawn" EP shortly after in March of 2013. At about the same time, they did their first European tour as well as shows on the East Coast of the USA, including some with their new label mates of VATTNET VISKAR. Says Gray about "Thy Will": "A new ethos is born...Come ye daughters and sons of chaos and mystery! We intend to rebuild and create the archetypes of rebellion and revolution against self induced repression. Reveling in anthemic battle songs of lust, pride and indulgence in order to create a ritual purification from the stagnant impotence of servitude and self denial." I AM HERESY is:

Nathan Gray - VocalsJay Sin - GuitarSimon Gray - GuitarGregg Kautz - GuitarMatt Balog - BassCrumbs - Drums

Spanish extreme metallers NOCTEM recently announced that Edmundo Saiz has been made responsible for the band's new album artwork and photo shoot.
In order to reach new levels of expression previously never achieved, the band has teamed up with this unique artist, using photography as the dark base of their third artwork and new LP, which will be released in the first quarter of 2014.

A new band image from Saiz, with clothing created and tailored by alternative designer Ary Angelique, can be seen below:
In words of the artist: “An interesting experience, bringing a new concept image for a black metal band. The challenge was served, used to working with other types of speech, something new and different always brings creative wealth. Specially working with people like me, enjoying what they do “

The band recently remarked: "This new album will be darker, faster and will contain more atmosphere, something we specially worked in to combine the aesthetic of the band and the compositions in all its glory."

Lineup:

Beleth - Vocals
Exo - Guitars
Nekros - Guitars
Ul - Bass
Vhert - Drums
For more details visit Noctemofficial.com.

Currently travelling the length and breadth of the U.K. on their longest tour to date, reformed British rockers THE DARKNESS have announced details of a brand new track and a special edition of their third album "Hot Cakes".

"The Horn" is available immediately digitally (at all good retailers!) and was recorded at The Hawk's Nest, guitarist Dan Hawkins' studio in Norfolk. There will also be a limited-edition seven-inch picture disc available (500 copies) through the band's web site, TheActualDarkness.com. "The Horn" is backed with a new recording of THE DARKNESS' Christmas No. 2 single that should have been No. 1, "Christmas Time, (Don't Let The Bells End)" and features the Seagull Theatre Train Children's Choir from Lowestoft.

A special edition iTunes bundle of the "Hot Cakes" album is also available featuring the album plus "The Horn" / "Christmas Time" plus a set of live favorites recorded at Thetford Forest, Suffolk in summer of 2012. The live set will also be available separately, under the title "The Platinum Correction".

THE DARKNESS' 28-date tour, which has already seen legendary performances throughout November, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the band's triple platinum, legendary No. 1 debut album "Permission To Land", which featured the classics "Get Your Hands Off My Woman" and "I Believe In a Thing Called Love" and garnered the band 3 Brit Awards. They are playing the record in full alongside their hits from the subsequent two Top 10 albums "One Way Ticket To Hell And Back" and last year's "Hot Cakes".

Moribund Records has set a January 21, 2014 release date for APOSTOLUM's second album, "Winds Of Disillusion".

Blending the dark atmospheric tradition of scene legends MY DYING BRIDE, ANATHEMA and PARADISE LOST with the razor sharp-edge of modern black metal while retaining a rock sensibility, APOSTOLUM creates a bleak sound-picture. Incorporating keyboards as well acoustic grand piano and brass, with such epics as "Unworthiness And Decay" to the massive 18-minute finale "Gleam Of Lucidity", these Italian dark metal icons show their strength in songwriting and creating atmospheric classics. "Winds Of Disillusion" track listing:

01. Intro (Light Into The Void)02. Unworthiness And Decay 03. Higher Planes Of Existence 04. Debris Of Perception 05. Less Than A Step06. Gleam Of Lucidity

Guitarist Matteo comments: "Musically, the new album is not the result of the choice to move in a direction rather than another; the entire writing process took place in a very spontaneous and natural way.

"We did not feel the need to make drastic changes to our sound; forcing a change is likely to remove a band from its purest form. Composing so instinctively, I think we approached, as never before, our essence and the songs honestly represent what APOSTOLUM are today.

"The only things we set from the beginning of the creative process have been the ones to pay greater attention to the arrangements and songs structures, and improve as performers in the knowledge that we can rely on better equipment in the studio." He continues: "Lyrically, the album is not a concept, but there is a common element that somehow combines the lyrics of individual songs, which is the current strengthening ourselves to a pessimistic view on the future of the human race and planet earth. Hence, the meaning of the title 'Winds Of Disillusion' — the impotence of the human being in front of the occurrence of external destructive natural events together with the inability to suppress the growing of inner feelings of total disillusionment, noting bitterly the inability to be able to remedy a relentless physical and moral decline...a strong emotional wind that sweeps away any hope from the human soul.

"Ultimately, I believe that 'Winds Of Disillusion' is not only a big step forward compared to Anedonia, but the real APOSTOLUM masterpiece."