Capital Chaos TV conducted an interview with Pelle Åhman of Sweden's IN SOLITUDE on October 25 at Oakland Metro in Oakland, California. You can now watch the chat below.

North American fans had an opportunity to see IN SOLITUDE earier this fall. The band supported WATAIN on the "Wild Hunt" tour beginning on October 8 in New York City. The tour also featured support from TRIBULATION.

IN SOLITUDE released its third album, "Sister", on October 1 in North America via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded this past March at Studio Cobra in Stockholm, Sweden and was produced and mixed by Martin "Konie" Ehrencrona. It stands as a logical next step above and beyond its predecessor, "The World.The Flesh.The Devil."

IN SOLITUDE's strength resides in its ability to craft dark and oppressive atmospheres within the auditory realm of classic heavy metal. "Sister" compounds this trademark sound further, beginning with the acoustic intro, "He Comes", and saturates the record in an aura of uniqueness; see "Lavender" and the title track. The album concludes with an eight-minute, driving, near trance-like opus that features guest guitarist Pelle Forsberg (WATAIN). Additionally, Jarboe of SWANS fame can be heard on "Horses In The Ground". Moods range from MERCYFUL FATE-esque guitar flavors, shadows of BLACK SABBATH, the heavy dissonance of SWANS, to straight-forward, ear worm riffs. In any case, one thing can be said for certain: their delivery is as genuine as it is impressive.

"Sister" track listing:

01. He Comes02. Death Knows Where03. A Buried Sun04. Pallid Hands05. Lavender06. Sister07. Horses in the Ground08. Inmost Nigredo

Interview:

According to The Guardian, Iron Maiden LLP, the holding company of British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN, has been cited as one of the U.K.'s fastest-growing music firms. The company, which is estimated to be earning beween £10 million and £20 milllion a year, has made London Stock Exchange's "1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain" list.

Greg Mead, CEO and co-founder of Musicmetric, said: "IRON MAIDEN's BitTorrent data suggests Brazil is a huge driver of fans — and given Brazil is one of the biggest file-sharing nations on the planet, this is a strong indicator of popularity.

"With their constant touring, [the] report suggests MAIDEN have been rather successful in turning free file-sharing into fee-paying fans. This is clear proof that taking a global approach to live touring can pay off, and that having the data to track where your fan bases lie will become ever more vital."

IRON MAIDEN in August landed at position No. 1 on Billboard.com's "Hot Tours" list of top-grossing tours with $8.5 million in ticket sales from six performances on their summer tour of Europe. The shows were attended by a total of 121,280 fans, including a two-night, sold-out stand on August 3-4 at the O2 Arena in Lonon, England, where the band played to 27,000 fans. With totals added from this past summer's Europe dates, overall ticket sales from the tour topped $42 million from 45 reported concerts.

MAIDEN's 15th studio CD, "The Final Frontier", sold 63,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 4.

IRON MAIDEN's previous album, 2006's "A Matter Of Life And Death", opened with 56,000 units to land at No. 9. This was a notable increase from the 40,000 first-week tally registered by its predecessor, 2003's "Dance of Death" (which debuted at No. 18 on The Billboard 200 chart), and that of "Brave New World", which moved 38,000 copies in June 2000 to land at No. 39 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"The Final Frontier" was IRON MAIDEN's fourth U.K. No. 1 album. The band previously topped the chart in 1982 with "The Number of the Beast", in 1988 with "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" and in 1992 with "Fear of the Dark".

Los Angeles-based heavy metal instrumental trio STORK is instrumental no more! Founding STORK members, super drummer Thomas Lang (PAUL GILBERT) and guitarist Shane Gibson (KORN) have announced their new album, "Broken Pieces" (Muso Entertainment), will feature lead singer VK Lynne (VITA NOVA, Eve's Apple) and bassist Kelly LeMieux (BUCKCHERRY, GOLDFINGER). Lang and Gibson have also launched an IndieGoGo crowd-funding campaign for their second studio release. The campaign offers fans one-of-a-kind offerings, including Skype drum and guitar lessons as well as signed CDs, signed drumheads, dinner with the band and more. "Broken Pieces" is a marked departure from the band's 2010 self-titled release, which offered up mega-doses of Lang's power, drumming and Gibson's seven-string shredding skills on instrumental tracks like "Loki" and "Dooosh".

"This is easily some of the best prog metal I've heard all year… which is an incredibly grand statement in a year when SCALE THE SUMMIT, PROTEST THE HERO, DEVIN TOWNSEND, MASTODON, DREAM THEATER, OPETH and MESHUGGAH all have albums coming out or already out," Vince Neilstein of Metal Sucks wrote at the time. Mixed by Dan Monte (METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES) and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (HALFORD, SEPULTURA) and featuring artwork from famed dark artist Sam "Mr. Sam" Shearon, "Broken Pieces" pairs Lynne's soulful vocals and intense lyrics with ultra-heavy guitar riffs, virtuoso drumming and rock solid bass on tracks like "Overflow" and "Chainsaw Serenade", evoking a sound that can be best described as "GARBAGE meets MESHUGGAH."

"Broken Pieces" is slated for release in early 2014.

ANIMETAL USA, the American counterpart to ANIMETAL, the Japanese heavy metal band which specialized in metal covers of popular Japanese anime/tokusatsu theme songs, has inked a deal with Warner Bros. for the release of the band's third album, tentatively due in late 2014.

ANIMETAL USA is:

* Mike Vescera (OBSESSION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, LOUDNESS) - Vocals* Rudy Sarzo (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE, DIO) – Bass* Jon Dette (SLAYER, TESTAMENT) - Drums* Chris Impellitteri (IMPELLITTERI) - Guitar

The drums on ANIMETAL USA's debut album were laid down by JUDAS PRIEST's Scott Travis. He has since been forced to leave the group due to his touring commitments with PRIEST.

In a post on his official web site, Impellitteri writes: "For those of you that are unfamiliar with ANIMETAL, please use caution when judging... ha ha!

"Please note, ANIMETAL is a project that features me on guitar, Rudy Sarzo on bass, Mike Vescera on vocals, and Jon Dette on drums (the great Scott Travis from JUDAS PRIEST recorded the drums on our first ANIMETAL record).

"For those of you that are unfamiliar with ANIMETAL, here is a quick overview:

"ANIMETAL blends famous anime themes with both original and cover versions of well-known heavy metal songs. This project is a lot of fun and hopefully will continue to bring metal influences to a new generation of anime fans and kids around the world.

"Here is a link [see below] I found on youtube that has one of our ANIMETAL songs where we blend the riff of BLACK SABBATH's 'The Mob Rules' with the famous animation song titled 'Cats Eye'.

"Of course, most of the music features original metal riffs mixed with anime story line lyrics, and I get to totally shred during the guitar solo which is always a lot of fun for us guitar players!"

ANIMETAL USA's second album, "Animetal USA W", was released in Japan in June 2012. The CD includes ANIMETAL USA's collaboration with Hironobu Kageyama, "Give Lee Give Lee Rock Lee". The song is the OP theme for Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals, the anime adaptation of Kenji Taira's younger audience Saikyou Jump spin-off to Naruto.

ANIMETAL USA made its U.S. live debut on June 29, 2012 at the Anime Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center at the Main Events/Hall G.

ANIMETAL USA released its self-titled debut album in the U.S. on June 26, 2012 via Century Media Records.

The track listing of "Animetal USA" is the same as that of the album that was issued in Japan, but also includes four bonus songs — "Touch", "JAM Project Medley", "Give Lee Give Lee Rock Lee" (Japanese single version) and "Give Lee Give Lee Rock Lee" (English version). "Give Lee Give Lee Rock Lee" is already familiar to anime fans, as it is the opening song to the "Naruto" spin-off, "Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals".

Ein neues MANTUS Studioalbum steht in den Startlöchern. Am 14.02.2014 erscheint mit „Portrait aus Wut und Trauer“ ein brandneues Album mit 14 Songs, welche nur darauf warten, auf die Hörerschaft losgelassen zu werden. Chiara und Martin gehen nach dem letzten Studioalbum „Wölfe“, welches von den Fans und der Presse begeistert aufgenommen wurde, noch einen Schritt weiter und zelebrieren deutschsprachigen Gothic in einem ungeahnten Facettenreichtum, von leisen und gefühlvollen Tönen, bis hin zu schmerzerfüllten Wutausbrüchen. Dabei bedienen sich MANTUS an düsteren, orchestralen Klängen ebenso wie an brachialen Metal-Gitarren und lassen neben sanften Pianomelodien auch keltische und mittelalterliche Elemente einfließen.

„Portrait aus Wut und Trauer“ ist kein typisches Konzeptalbum, doch findet sich die niederschmetternde Essenz des Albumtitels in jedem einzelnen Song. MANTUS präsentieren sich eingängiger als zuvor, und haben doch nichts von Ihrer Schwere und Tiefe eingebüßt.

"Portrait aus Wut und Trauer"

Opulente Doppel-CD (Album plus Bonus-Album “Grenzland”)
8-seitiges Digipak veredelt mit Spotlackierung
Bonus-CD “Grenzland” (ein Hörstück in 12 Teilen)
Zwei umfangreiche Booklets
Booklets inklusive aller Texte
Streng auf 3.000 Exemplare limitiert

Limited Collector’s Set inkl. T-Shirt und Sticker
(Achtung: Nur im Vorverkauf und nur bis 03.02.14 erhältlich)

Als ganz besondere Zugabe wurde das Album „Grenzland“ von Martin Schindler in diese Veröffentlichung mit aufgenommen. Bezeichnet als „Eine Odyssee - Hörstück in 12 Teilen“ ist dieses Album völlig unabhängig zu betrachten und erinnert in seiner Konzeption an Gedichtvertonungen, unterlegt mit atmosphärischen, mal elektronischen, mal rockigen Sounds und Strukturen. Ein sehr persönliches Werk seines Schöpfers in das Innere der (künstlerischen) Seele.

DIGI2CD MANTUS "Portrait aus Wut und Trauer"
TRACKLISTING CD#1:

01. Solstitium
02. Tränenpalast
03. Egoman
04. Freund Hein
05. Glücklich
06. Lass mich
07. Mars
08. Winterkind
09. Es regnet Blut
10. Ulysses
11. Der Elfenbeinturm
12. Postsirenische Traurigkeit
13. Tanz mit mir
14. Egal wohin

TRACKLISTING CD#2:

01. Genesis
02. Konstrukt
03. Nihil
04. Geräusch
05. Trümmerberg
06. Psycho
07. Wüste
08. Labyrinth
09. Geheimnis
10. Nekrolog
11. Ophelia
12. Motiv

"Sledgehammer", the new video from Israeli metallers BETZEFER, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's third studio album, "The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land", which was released on November 25 (three days earlier in Germany) via Steamhammer/SPV. The effort was made available as a CD (the first pressing will contain a DVD with videos and many other features) and LP. The LP, which comes in a gatefold sleeve and on colored 180-gram vinyl, contains an exclusive bonus track, a cover version of THE BEATLES' "Helter Skelter".

"The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land" CD track listing:

01. Tropical02. The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land03. Killing The Fuss04. Cash05. Yuppie Six Feet Underground06. Copkiller07. Sledgehammer08. The Medic09. Milk10. Suicide Hotline Pt. 111. Suicide Hotline Pt. 212. Cannibal13. I Hate14. Can You Hear Me Now?

"The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land" LP track listing:

Side A

01. Tropical02. The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land03. Killing The Fuss04. Cash05. Yuppie Six Feet Underground06. Copkiller07. Sledgehammer08. The Medic

Side B

01. Milk02. Suicide Hotline Pt. 103. Suicide Hotline Pt. 204. Cannibal05. I Hate06. Can You Hear Me Now?07. Helter Skelter (THE BEATLES cover)

Bonus DVD:

* Video for "The Devil Went Down To the Holy Land"* Video for "Sledgehammer"* Complete live show "10 Fuckin' Years Live" (recorded in Tel-Aviv in 2008)

Greek epic metal heroes BATTLEROAR have entered Devasoundz Studio in Athens to begin recording their new album, "Blood Of Legends", for an April 2014 release via Cruz Del Sur Music. The follow-up to 2008's "To Death and Beyond..." is being produced by Thymios Krikos (INNERWISH) along with the band. "Blood Of Legends" will be the first BATTLEROAR album to feature SACRED STEEL vocalist Gerrit Mutz, who joined the group last year. It also marks the recording debuts of bassist Stavros Aivaliotis and guitarist Antreas Sotiropoulos. The song "Poisoned Well", taken from "Blood Of Legends", appears in the Greek fantasy feature film "The Dragonphoenix Chronicles: Indomitable". The instrumental track can be streamed below. "Blood Of Legends" will be released on digipack, limited-edition vinyl and digital formats.

Norwegian black metallers KAMPFAR will release their sixth studio album, "Djevelmakt" (English-language translation: Devil Power), on January 27, 2014 (four days later in in Germany, Austria, Switzerland) via Indie Recordings.

According to a press release, "Djevelmakt" "proves that 20 years of existence does not dull the blade, but grinds it into a sharpness more scything than ever before."

"Djevelmakt" track listing:

01. Mylder02. Kujon03. Blod, Eder Og Galle 04. Swarm Norvegicus 05. Fortapelse 06. De Dødes Fane 07. Svarte Sjelers Salme08. Our Hounds, Our Legion

The official lyric video for the song "Mylder" can be seen below.

KAMPFAR will soon announce a full European tour for March and April 2014 and is already confirmed for the Ragnarök and Kings Of Black Metal festivals.

German-American hard rock group EZ LIVIN', which is led by BONFIRE guitarist Hans Ziller, returns with former ACCEPT singer David Reece on the mic!

Founded in 1991, EZ LIVIN' sold 20,000 copies of its debut album, "After The Fire", in Europe alone. A tour part of the Metal Hammer Roadshow with AXEL RUDI PELL, CASANOVA, CORACKO and DOMAIN followed.

Now, in the year 2013, Hans Ziller has called on some new colleagues to get the group going again. The guitarist added some familiar names to the lineup: BONFIRE drummer Harry Reischmann, MOTHER ROAD and ex-SOUL DOCTOR guitarist Chris Lyne, TANGO DOWN and SEVEN WITCHES bassist Ronnie Parks, ex-RAINBOW keyboardist Paul Morris and the aforementioned Reece.

EZ LIVIN''s new album, "Firestorm", will be released on February 28, 2014. The CD was produced and mixed by Alessandro Del Vecchio (HARDLINE) and features the band's unique brnad of melodic hard rock with a bluesy touch.

EZ LIVIN' is ready to rock the European stages again in April 2014. The band will perform both old and new songs from its own catalogue, but also offer the classic songs from BONFIRE, ACCEPT, RAINBOW and SOUL DOCTOR.

Century Media Records has announced the signing of Swedish death metal act VAMPIRE.

VAMPIRE was founded in 2011 by Hand Of Doom (vocals), Black String (guitars) and Command (bass). The band’s self-titled debut demo, released in September of the following year in different print runs, had a massive impact on the worldwide underground metal scene. Word-of-mouth promotion as well as excellent reviews gained the band a great reputation as being one of the most promising acts from the Swedish death metal scene. A seven-inch version of the demo tape (including one extra track) was released in January 2013 by To The Death Records and sold out in no time. By now, both the demo and the seven-inch have become highly sought after collector’s items despite their total print run of 1,400 copies.

Following the success of the demo and seven-inch, VAMPIRE has built a steady live reputation by supporting some of the most renowned bands in today’s metal scene and by acclaimed performances at the Live Evil and Muskelrock festivals in 2013.

VAMPIRE is currently at Svenska Grammofonstudion finishing the recording of the band's self-titled debut album which is scheduled for a late March 2014 release.

While VAMPIRE's roots reach deep into metal’s most vicious origins, the eleven raw slices contained on the debut album will immediately catch your attention with their refreshingly morbid approach and should be hailed soon as some of the most poisonous metal of the decade.

Finnish composer/producer and guitar player Timo Tolkki entered East Sound Studios in Helsinki, Finland on November 25 to begin recording for the follow-up to TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON's debut album, "The Land Of New Hope", which entered the Top 100 album charts in seven European countries (including a Top 10 entry in Tolkki's home country Finland). His former STRATOVARIUS bandmate Tuomo Lassila is joining him on drums, and the early STRATOVARIUS lineup reunion will be rounded out by keyboard player Antti Ikonen, who played on such classic albums as "Fright Night", "Twilight Time" and "Dreamspace".

Tolkki's sequel to his first metal opera will feature 11 tracks and will be released in 2014 via Frontiers Records.

Says Tolkki: "It is incredibly refreshing to create and play new music with his old friends and that the spirit and the atmosphere has been absolutely great and positive!"

Fans can follow the progress of the making of the album, including writing and recording sessions and special cameos from the musicians and singers involved, from the new web site at this location.

The entire cast of musicians will be revealed one by one in separate video blogs. Fans will be able to interact and take part to different phases of the production through the web site and in the social media pages.

The confirmed cast of musicians/singers is once again full of internationally acclaimed artists, with some interesting twists and surprises. It will surely guarantee another masterpiece from one of the forefathers of symphonic melodic power metal.

The first singer from the cast is Simone Simons of EPICA. She is one of the leading ladies in the female voices category in the world. However, she is not singing the main role on "Avalon II", which is a working title for the album. The final name will be revealed later.

To date, Timo Tolkki has sold over two million records in his career, has won a Finnish Grammy-equivalent and has been chosen by the readers of the American Guitar World magazine to Top 100 as "the fastest guitar player in the world" and "the most influential metal guitar player in the world." He has released 20 albums in his career and toured the world for over 3000 shows in 52 countries.

"A Dark Prison", the new video from Italian metallers KALEDON, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Goffredo Passi and features a guest appearance by Italian vocalist Fabio Lione (VISION DIVINE, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, KAMELOT, ANGRA).

"A Dark Prison" is taken from KALEDON's latest album, "Altor: The King's Blacksmith", which was released on April 23 via Scarlet Records. The CD was recorded at Outer Sound Studio in Rome, Italy by Giuseppe Orlando (NOVEMBRE) and it features a guest appearance by Italian vocalist Fabio Lione (VISION DIVINE, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, KAMELOT).

"Altor: The King's Blacksmith" track listing:

01. Innocence02. Childhood03. Between The Hammer And The Anvil04. My Personal Hero05. Lilibeth06. A New Beginning07. Kephren08. Screams In The Wind09. A Dark Prison (feat. Fabio Lione)

KALEDON recently announced the addition of keyboardist Paolo Campitelli to the group's ranks.

The band's best-of album, "Mightiest Hits", was released in January via Scarlet Records.

SINBREED, the German power metal band featuring BLIND GUARDIAN guitarist Marcus Siepen and drummer Frederik Ehmke, has inked a deal with AFM Records.

SINBREED's sophomore album will be released next year.

Comments SINBREED guitarist Flo Laurin: "We are really excited to work with AFM.

"Now that we've got the new lineup ready and the new record is in the making, we are looking forward to work with such a strong and experienced partner who is deep-seated in the metal scene. Great things to come."

Siepen last year joined SINBREED as a full-time member after previously performing live with the band at a couple of shows, including the ProgPower USA XIII festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

Commented SINBREED leader Flo Laurin: "To welcome Marcus as a constant member was a obvious step and it just feels right. I'm really looking forward working with him on new meterial for our second album, coming late 2013."

Fan-filmed of SINBREED performing a brand new song, "Reborn", during their ProgPower USA XIII performance can be seen below.

SINBREED's debut album, "When Worlds Collide", was released in March 2010 via Ulterium Records. The CD was produced by Flo Laurin, mixed and mastered by Markus Teske (VANDEN PLAS, SYMPHONY X), and it included guest appearances by Joost van den Broek (AFTER FOREVER) and Morten Sandager (MERCENARY) on keyboards, and Thomas Rettke (REDKEY, ex-HEAVEN'S GATE) on vocals. The artwork was created by Felipe Machado Franco (ICED EARTH, AYREON).

SINBREED's brand of power metal is described as a "blistering combination of speed, melodic and aggressive arrangements combined with high and soaring vocals."

SINBREED is:

Herbie Langhans (SEVENTH AVENUE) - VocalsFrederik Ehmke (BLIND GUARDIAN) - DrumsAlexander Schulz - BassFlo Laurin - Guitar, KeyboardsMarcus Siepen (BLIND GUARDIAN) - Guitar

For more information, visit www.sinbreed.com.

On November 12, General Electric celebrated New York's rocking power with COMPRESSORHEAD, the "heaviest metal" robot rock band, who played a one-day concert in Union Square called Brilliant Machines Rock.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Hailing from Germany, COMPRESSORHEAD is comprised of three 5-foot-tall humanoids; Stickboy on drums, Bones on bass, and Fingers as lead/rhythm. All are built out of scrap metal, with movement made possible by electro pneumatics and music controlled via Midi.

The concert was part of GE's year-long Brilliant Machines campaign, a series of interactive programming that engages consumers on the story of the Industrial Internet how software and hardware are increasingly coming together to create a more brilliant future.

Free and open to the public, the event also saw GE providing charging stations to power attendees devices, and WiFi to power connectivity. During the concert, GE allowed people all over the city to keep rocking through a livestream feed that ran on Spotify.

In the days leading up to the performance, New York City was covered in interactive posters, designed by BBDO NY and Bose Collins, which granted pedestrians the ability to plug in their headphones to get a musical taste of the show to come.

Andy Goldberg, GE's creative director remarks: "GE is reinventing what power can do through hardware fused with intelligent software, and the output will rock the world. A live band of robots shows how metal and data can come together to create entirely new possibilities, powering everyday things such as music in innovative ways. It's this idea of new possibility that drives GE's commitment to innovative solutions."

Video footage of MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil performing a cover version of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" with SIN CITY SINNERS at the November 9 grand opening of Vince Neil's Tatuado Eat-Drink-Party!, described as "the ultimate definition of Neil's Tatuado brand and outrageous lifestyle," in Las Vegas, Nevada, can be seen below (clip uploaded by MyndKryme).

Vince told the lifestyle program "More Access" on Las Vegas's Fox 5 television station last month that he met with the producers of NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice" about appearing on the next season of the Donald Trump-hosted celebrity version of "The Apprentice".

MÖTLEY CRÜE recently tapped "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" director Jeff Tremaine to helm the long-awaited film adaptation of the band's biography "The Dirt - Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band".

MÖTLEY CRÜE returned to Las Vegas for an exclusive twelve-show engagement September 18 through October 6 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy joined LAMB OF GOD on stage on November 26 at The Fillmore in Silver Springs, Maryland to perform the song "Redneck". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

The special 10th-anniversary edition of LAMB OF GOD's "As The Palaces Burn" album has sold around 6,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 64 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"As The Palaces Burn" has shifted more than 270,000 units since its May 2003 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Dark Roots Of Thrash", a DVD/2CD release documenting TESTAMENT's sold-out headlining performance at the Paramount in Huntington, New York this past February, was made available on October 18 (Europe) and October 29 (North America) via Nuclear Blast Records. "Dark Roots Of Thrash" was produced by Get Hammered Productions, directed by Tommy Jones (DEATH ANGEL, KATAKLYSM, SOILWORK) and mixed by Juan Urteaga (VILE, EXODUS, SADUS, MACHINE HEAD).

HELLSCREAM, the new heavy / power metal musical project featuring guitarist David Garcia (CAGE) and vocalist Norman Skinner (SKINNER, ex-IMAGIKA), has released its debut album, "Made Immortal".

Garcia is the founding guitarist of the internationally acclaimed heavy metal band CAGE from San Diego, California, which has released six full-length studio CDs, including "Darker Than Black" and "Hell Destroyer". CAGE has musically reinvented itself with every new release by enhancing its speed, power and adding a thrash metal musical approach, all while maintaining its super-melodic musical song structures and thought-provoking lyrics.

Skinner is the dynamic vocalist known for his time as the frontman for IMAGIKA and who is now handling vocal duties for SKINNER, DIRE PERIL and HELLSCREAM. With nine studio CDs, countless shows and tours under his belt, this San Francisco Bay Area metal veteran has established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Dubbed the "metal chameleon" by members of the press, Skinner possesses a very wide range and utilizes it in a unique style to effortlessly switch between the beautiful and the brutal.

"Made Immortal" track listing:

01. Hellscream02. Mind Reapers 03. Made Immortal 04. Phoenix (We'll Rise)05. Gorgon Stare 06. The Great Collector 07. Last Charge Of A Bloody Battalion 08. VII (Seven Sins)09. Act Of God10. When Forever Ends11. Worldwide Divide

I LEGION, the international project led by Frederic Riverin, is back in the studio for its second album. It is the follow-up to "Beyond Darkness", which featured a cast of metal superstars, including Björn "Speed" Strid (SOILWORK), Jon Howard (THREAT SIGNAL), Chris Clancy (MUTINY WITHIN), Andy James (SACRED MOTHER TONGUE), Angel Vivaldi (VEXT), Peter Wichers (ex-SOILWORK), and Brandon Jacobs (MUTINY WITHIN). The effort was met with great reviews and chatter among the metal community.

The success of "Beyond Darkness" has allowed Riverin to create the sophomore I LEGION album with yet another all-star cast, including Strid, Howard, Clancy, Ashe Austin O'Hara (TESSERACT), Bekki Friesen (DOMENICA), and Sabine Scherer (DEADLOCK). Also appearing on the new CD will be Angel Vivaldi, Jake Kiley (STRUNG OUT), Pacal "Paco" Jobin (THE AGONIST), Sebastian Reichl (DEADLOCK), and Nate Rendon.

I LEGION has launched a fundraisinging campaign seeking help from fans so they can see this album through its finish and deliver yet another metal masterpiece. Donating fans have multiple options for their generosity, including a song mixed by Chris Clancy, a vocal guest appearance by Jon Howard, and a guitar lesson with Angel Vivaldi.

"Scream", the new video from BENEDICTUM, can be seen below. The clip was was produced by JNP Productions and it "illustrates the power and passion that BENEDICTUM deliver," according to a press release.

"Scream" is taken from BENEDICTUM's new album, "Obey", which is being released in Europe on November 29 and in North America on December 3 via Frontiers Records. It can be purchased at iTunes and Amazon.

With a sound that nods to the legends of metal such as early RAINBOW, the stylings of SAVATAGE, WARRIOR, ROUGH CUTT, and PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, along with shades of BLACK SABBATH; BENEDICTUM unleashes "Obey" that will surely bring pleasure to the gods of heavy metal and their legions of fans around the world.

Led by the sultry and powerful vocal gymnastics of lead singer Veronica Freeman, whose voice has been praised on the television show "That Metal Show" on VH1 Classic, BENEDICTUM displays a plethora of aggressive riffs, fierce rhythms, and powerful melodies full of delicate textures that grow spikes with shredding leads to converge at the crossroads of tradition and innovation.

The rise of BENEDICTUM began when the band caught the ear and attention of DIO guitarist Craig Goldy, who in turn had his friend Jeff Pilson (DOKKEN, DIO, FOREIGNER) check them out. With the group's raw power and pure potential just beginning to surface, Pilson then produced and recorded BENEDICTUM's debut album, "Uncreation", in 2005. The band garnered rave reviews and won over enthusiastic fist-pumping fans rapidly. Their second album, "Seasons Of Tragedy", released in 2008 to more undeniable metal love from around the world. All of this led to BENEDICTUM being signed to a contract with Frontiers Records and further upping the ante in the studio. The band and Grammy Award-winning producer Ryan Greene (MEGADETH, F5, NOFX) joined forces for 2011's "Dominion" and BENEDICTUM had arrived. The band jumped onto the world stage, playing such events as Wacken Open Air festival, Doro's "Warrior Soul" tour, Headbangers Open Air and more. The CD was also a pick of the week by Don Jamison on "That Metal Show".

BENEDICTUM went through some personnel changes and challenges, but has landed on the soles of The V's high-heeled boots to record its highly anticipated fourth album, "Obey". Joining founding members Veronica Freeman and Pete Wells are Rikard Stjernquist (JAG PANZER) on drums and Aric Avina (TYNATOR) on bass. There is an unmistakable swell of excitement building in chat rooms and fan pages online not only for the album, but to also have BENEDICTUM perform at a venue near them soon.

"Obey" track listing:

01. Dream Of The Banshee02. Fractured03. Obey04. Fighting For My Life05. Scream06. Evil That We Do07. Crossing Over08. Cry09. Thornz10. Die To Love You11. Apex Nation12. Retrograde

"Scream" video:

WOLFPACK44, the new band featuring Ricktor Ravensbruck (THE ELECTRIC HELLFIRE CLUB, ACHERON), Julian Xes (KULT OF AZAZEL) and Paul Collier (ANGELCORPSE, PESSIMIST), will release its debut album, "The Scourge", before the end of the year via the French label Deadlight Entertainment. The CD was recorded at Glitch Mode Studio by Nik Skum (DOPE) and features guest appearances by Jinx Dawson (COVEN), Rev Thomas Thorn (THE ELECTRIC HELLFIRE CLUB), Lord Ahriman (DARK FUNERAL) and Dana Duffey (DEMONIC CHRIST). The artwork was designed by Robert W. Cook from Norot Art and can be seen below.

The song "Rituale Romanum" is available for streaming using the SoundCloud widget below.

Pavement Entertainment has announced the signing of Montreal's hard rock band ONE. The group's new album, "Worlds Collide", will be released on March 14. Look for a full North American tour to follow the release of the CD.After finishing its most recent tour, ONE decided to take a different direction by recording a heavier rock version of JOHNNY CASH's "Folsom Prison Blues", which can be found on the "Worlds Collide" album. A video was also just completed for the song, which Pavement will release early next year.

"We are excited about having this band on board at Pavement and are looking forward to working with them," says Pavement Entertainment president Mark Nawara. "These guys are really hard working and I love the version of "Folsom Prison Blues" they have done. We expect to see big thing to come."

Comments ONE: "We are looking forward to this new adventure with Pavement Entertainment, and the opportunity to work with industry professionals to take our band to the next level. We are grateful for the chance to be represented by a company that works hard for their artists."

ONE is:

Danny Rossi: Lead VocalsChris Staniforth: Lead Guitar, Back-up VocalsPhil Hardy: Bass

CYCLE OF PAIN, the band featuring BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bassist John "J.D." DeServio, has parted ways with Sliptrick Records. As a result, the band's previously announced EP, "Pain Us", which was originally due on November 27, will be made available in early 2014. A single and new video will be released around the holidays. CYCLE OF PAIN has several shows scheduled for December and January with BLACK WATER RISING, none of which have been cancelled due to the label split.

CYCLE OF PAIN is:

John "J.D." DeServio (Bass)Joe Taylor (Lead Guitar)Gregg Locascio (Vocals, Guitar)Bob Pantella (Drums)Troy Cromwell (Keyboards)

The self-titled CYCLE OF PAIN CD was released in 2009 through Reform Records. Though rooted in metal, CYCLE OF PAIN's first album delved into elements of funk, hip-hop and soul. The effort featured guest appearances by Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE), Ray Luzier (KORN), Burton C. Bell (FEAR FACTORY) and Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), among others.

Finnish / Dutch / British symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH will release their 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.

Commented NIGHTWISH mastermind and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen: "Our darling flying Dutchwoman, Floor Jansen, has been nothing but incredible during her time in NIGHTWISH on this tour, so this is a perfect opportunity to immortalize the current vibe of the band on film!" NIGHTWISH's setlist for the Wacken Open Air performance was as follows:

01. Dark Chest Of Wonders02. Wish I Had An Angel03. She Is My Sin04. Ghost River05. Ever Dream06. Storytime07. I Want My Tears Back08. Nemo09. Last Of The Wilds10. Bless The Child11. Romanticide12. Amaranth13. Ghost Love Score14. Song Of Myself15. Last Ride Of The Day16. Outro (Imaginaerum)

The fifth trailer for"Showtime, Storytime" can be seen below.

"Prophet Of The End", the new video from the Polish female-fronted heavy metal act CRYSTAL VIPER, can be seen below. The song id taken from the band's new studio album, "Possession", which is scheduled for release on December 13 via AFM Records as a CD, limited-edition LP and as a digital download. The cover artwork was painted by Michal Oracz — who is the most famous Polish author of RPG and board games (including the bestseller Neuroshima) — and includes many impressive details which will be noticed by fans after listening to the album.

"['Prophet Of The End'] is probably the most unusual song I ever wrote; I sometimes think it's even best song I ever composed," says CRYSTAL VIPER vocalist and guitarist Marta Gabriel.

"We decided to film video clip for it, as it's different than everything CRYSTAL VIPER did in the past. So while people expect straight heavy metal from us, and as we, of course, deliver such tracks on the new album, this song shows we didn't say last word as a band yet.

"While working on this video clip, we wanted to achieve similar atmosphere to this one from 'Paranormal Activity' movies, or from the 'Fourth Kind' with Milla Jovovich, and basically reveal something from the story told on the album.

"We filmed this clip in Germany with guys from the 3D Maximal company. I think they did a great job and the final result is really cool."

"Possession" track listing:

01. Zeta Reticuli02. Voices In My Head03. Julia Is Possessed04. Fight Evil With Evil05. Mark Of The Horned One06. Why Can't You Listen?07. You Will Die You Will Burn08. We Are Many09. Prophet Of The End

The CD version of "Possession" will include a cover version of the RIOT classic "Thundersteel" as the bonus track, and the LP version will include new, alternate version of "Night Prowler" — song taken from the first CRYSTAL VIPER album, "The Curse Of Crystal Viper" (originally released in 2007).

On "Possession" — which was once again produced by Bart Gabriel (SACRED STEEL, SABATON, BURNING STARR, MORTICIAN) — CRYSTAL VIPER decided to expand its sound beyond traditional heavy metal, and while there are still fast and melodic songs that are reminiscent of such classic bands as JUDAS PRIEST, BLACK SABBATH (with Ronnie James Dio) and JAG PANZER, the epic and dark parts invite comparisons to the likes of CANDLEMASS, MERCYFUL FATE and even BATHORY.

CRYSTAL VIPER again invited members of other bands to guest on "Possession": the song "Fight Evil With Evil" features the legendary American singer Harry Conklin (JAG PANZER, TITAN FORCE, SATAN'S HOST), while "Julia Is Possessed" contains the growling voice of Sataniac, vocalist of the German black/thrash metal act DESASTER. In addition, one of the tracks features more than 50 CRYSTAL VIPER fans who were invited via band's official Facebook page to "scream" on the new album.