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

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

"Manifesto" track listing:

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

Blackened doom merchants CULTED have unveiled the details of their second full-length album and first release in over four years, "Oblique To All Paths". A stunningly haunting and grim piece of sprawling doom metal, "Oblique To All Paths" is the perfect soundtrack to a desolate, barren winter. The album will be released on CD, 2xLP and digital formats via Relapse Records on January 21 in North America, January 17 in Germany/Benelux/Finland and January 20 in the the rest of the world. CULTED's story is a unique one: Four band members spread out over Sweden and Canada, having never performed music in the same room as an entire band, instead coming together through the wonders of modern technology to create wholly compelling, top-of-the-line doom. Although the CULTED collective — Michael Klassen (guitar/bass/percussion/noise), Matthew Friesen (guitar/bass/percussion/noise), Kevin Stevenson (drums) and Daniel Jansson (vocals/ambience) — have yet to speak to each other in real time, they connect in mind and spirit through their musical manifestations, making CULTED a truly collaborative effort across international lines, their bleak and epic masterworks of dystopian doom serving as a true testament to their long-distance accomplishments.

CULTED formed in 2007 and has released one full-length and one EP: 2009's "Below The Thunders Of The Upper Deep" and 2010's "Of Death And Ritual".

Danish hard rockers PRETTY MAIDS are recording a new album for a spring 2014 release. The effort will consist of re-recorded songs from the era between 1995 and 2006. The band states: "The reason for doing this project is to give those songs a different spin with the band and producer we have now. It is an in-between album until the band completes the next studio album with new tunes. This album will ALSO consist of brand new songs and a bonus DVD."

PRETTY MAIDS' latest album, "Motherland", was released on March 22 in Europe and March 26 in North America via Frontiers Records.

After their successful and highly acclaimed 2010 album "Pandemonium", PRETTY MAIDS celebrated their 30th anniversary with their debut visual release, "It Comes Alive (Maid in Switzerland)", in 2012. "Pandemonium" showed the world that PRETTY MAIDS were in a creative spring again, with the band in their finest moment. The melodic approach brought a return to the "Future World" / "Red Hot And Heavy" era of the Eighties, but with an updated sound and freshness that consolidated PRETTY MAIDS as strong as ever.

In late spring 2012, the band gathered to finally write the follow-up album. Singer Ronnie Atkins explained: "We knew it was going to be a tough one to follow. I remember back in the day when we had to follow-up albums like 'Future World', we tried more or less to copy the songs from the previous album to keep the same kind of balance. But this time we just wrote what came natural to us and that's what became 'Motherland'."

The band teamed up again with producer Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, AMARANTHE) for the new CD. Ronnie said: "Jacob was a natural choice since we had a great experience with him producing the 'Pandemonium' album. The recordings went smooth to begin with, but then we had to start touring again during the weekends and this created some stress. Though I really feel strongly about 'Motherland'. In my view, it has all the ingredients of a good PRETTY MAIDS album, maybe even more melodic than 'Pandemonium' and absolutely, as far as I'm concerned a worthy follow-up."

According to Dread Central, legendary guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB) and bassist James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, WHITE LION, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) are joining forces to write the score for the upcoming horror film "Penance Lane".

The second film from Mane Entertainment, "Penance Lane" tells the story of Crimson Matthews, a hardened criminal fresh out of the joint who takes a job as a handyman in a dilapidated house; but the twisted horrors he finds inside are enough to send anyone running. So why does he stay? And why are so many people drawn to Penance Lane?

Filming of "Penance Lane" is set to begin in the first quarter of 2014. Horror veteran B.J. McDonnell ("Hatchet III") will direct the script written by Munier Sharrieff ("Battle Chasers", "Battle Of The Planets"). Tyler Mane ("Halloween", "X-Men", "Troy"), Renae Geerlings ("Halloween II", "Compound Fracture"), and Justin Beahm will produce. The cast also includes Leslie Easterbrook and Dan Roebuck.

Check out a fun video that James and Tyler Mane put together below.

"Army Of The Damned", the movie which marks the feature film acting debut of GODSMACK singer Sully Erna, will be released on DVD on January 14, 2014. The movie, which will have an early video-on-demand release on December 3, follows the crew of a hit reality TV series who follow a team of local cops in a small town. When the cops are summoned to a house on a "domestic disturbance" call, they suddenly are faced with a situation in which they either must survive or join the "army of the damned," a horde of warriors from hell. The film began production in April and was directed by Tom DeNucci.

The official "Army Of The Damned" trailer can be seen below.

"This is my first lead in a movie and it's cool," Erna told Dread Central. "It's an action/horror and there's some good sarcastic New England humor in it. They put me together with three other cops that play beside me. Everyone has such a different personality and it's really, really cool how we play off each other. Bridge, who I play, is a lot more serious and intense and takes things a lot more seriously. He's watching over the town his father used to be sheriff in. And then we've got two other knuckleheads that just come in and never take anything seriously because nothing ever happens in their town. The dynamics are really great."

Sully talked about how he got involved with the project. "I knew Tom DeNucci from a few years back when he approached me about writing a screenplay for the autobiography I wrote," he said. "And although that didn't come to fruition, he always kept in touch and always felt I should be moving more toward TV and film and kept me in mind, and when he came through with this script for 'Army Of The Damned', he said I've got a really cool role and I can totally see you playing it. I want a cop with an edge from the city, so I want the tattoos and I don't want it to be a uniform, more like Bruce Willis in 'Die Hard', like a dressed down cop. I read the script and thought it was pretty strong. I called him back and asked, 'Are you sure you've got the right role for me? A cop? I'm usually on the other side of the law.' So I told him I was really interested and I came and read with him a few times and it kind of all came together and I was able to see myself in this character."

The "Army Of The Damned" cast also includes horror legend Michael Berryman from "The Hills Have Eyes", pro wrestler Tommy Dreamer, TNT wrestling diva Thea Trinidad, Joey Fatone of N*SYNC fame and Jackie Moore, who appeared on "Homeland" and "30 Rock".

Although New England native Erna has spent time in Los Angeles to pursue film opportunities, he told The Pulse Of Radio he's not a fan of the town. "The people out there are just, they're not real people to me, and I'm sorry I have to be so blunt with this sometimes, but most people that I meet out there, they're just — everybody's a struggling actor or director, or they think they're bigger than they are," he said. "The first words that come out of everybody's mouth out west is, 'What do you do for work and what kind of car do you drive?' So I usually tell them that I'm a garbage man and I drive, like, a Kia."

Other hard rockers who have done acting jobs in recent years include METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, KORN's Jonathan Davis and SLIPKNOT's Shawn "Clown" Crahan.

Italian singer Mariangela "Mary" Demurtas of Norway's TRISTANIA and Italian guitarist Francesco Marras' (SCREAMING SHADOWS) have released a video for their acoustic cover version of the FAITH NO MORE song "From Out Of Nowhere". Check it out below. The clip was directed and edited by Luigi Marras in Sardinia in August 2013.

Demurtas joined TRISTANIA in 2007 and is featured on the band's sixth album, "Rubicon", which came out in August 2010 via Austria's Napalm Records, and the group's follow-up CD, "Darkest White", which arrived in May (also via Napalm).

Francesco's first solo instrumental album, "Black Sheep", is available on iTunes and AmazonMP3.

According to the BBC News, singer Ian Watkins of the Welsh rock band LOSTPROPHETS has pleaded guilty to 13 sexual offenses, including two of attempting to rape a baby. The 36-year-old musician admitted three counts of sexual assault involving children and six involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal. He will be sentenced on December 18.

Prosecuting barrister Chris Clee QC told Cardiff Crown Court earlier today: "Ian Watkins was the lead singer in a successful band called the LOSTPROPHETS.

"He accepts he was a determined and committed pedophile."

Watkins' two female co-defendants also admitted a string of sex abuse charges against their own children. Clee said: "Both women sexually abused their own children and made them available to Watkins for him to abuse."

Watkins allegedly sent a text to one of the women saying: "If you belong to me, so does your baby."

Watkins initially claimed he was the "victim of a malicious campaign" against him, telling police during interviews he was being stalked by "a crazed fan" and other people had access to his computers.

Here's the full statement from DCI Peter Doyle, the senior investigating officer in the case: "This investigation has uncovered the most shocking and harrowing child abuse evidence I have ever seen.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Ian Watkins exploited his celebrity status in order to abuse young children.

"Today's outcome ensures that the three people responsible have been brought to justice.

"The safeguarding of children has been the primary objective for the investigation team and the outcome of this investigation has been achieved through a multi agency approach at an international level.

"Two very young children have been removed from this abuse and given a future that would otherwise have been denied them.

"The investigation has been extremely complex and challenging with key information and evidence being identified from witnesses worldwide.

"A significant amount of electronic data has been retrieved from computers and web based storage which has provided crucial evidence to support the case.

"South Wales Police has worked in partnership with Interpol, other police forces, National Crime Agency's CEOP command, local authorities in England and Wales, the Department of Homeland Security in the USA and the NSPCC.

"Today's outcome does not mark the end of our investigations and we will work tirelessly to identify any other victims or witnesses and seek the justice they deserve.

"Above all, this investigation has been focused on the protection of children and my thoughts today are with those victims."

LOSTPROPHETS announced in October that they were splitting up, explaining in a statement, "After nearly a year of coming to terms with our heartache, we finally feel ready to announce publicly what we have thought privately for some time. We can no longer continue making or performing music as LOSTPROPHETS. Your love and support over the past 15 years has been tremendous, and we'll be forever grateful for all you've given us. As we look forward to the next phase of our lives, we can only hope to be surrounded by people as devoted and inspiring as you guys have been." LOSTPROPHETS formed in 1997 and have sold 3.5 million albums in their 16-year career. They scored a No. 1 hit at Modern Rock radio in 2004 with the track "Last Train Home".

Former SABATON drummer Robban Bäck has released the following statement:

"I keep getting tons of e-mails from all over the world regarding this matter so I feel it's time to speak up...

"NO, I am not the drummer of [SABATON] anymore, and NO, I wasn't kicked out. I made the decision to LEAVE the band for many reasons, but it was NOT because I was tired of touring and it was CERTAINLY NOT because I'm planning to stop playing drums.

"I love to tour and I love playing drums, and that's why 2014 will see me do it more than ever before!

"As a working musician for years, I've learned to always stick to working with the bands and people that hold the highest professional standard, both on and off stage, and that is what I'm gonna keep on doing. Period.

"Stay tuned for upcoming tour dates.

"2014 will be incredible and I can't wait to see all of my hard-rocking brothers and sisters all over the world!"

SABATON played its first show with new drummer Hannes Van Dahl on November 16 at the Metal Hammer Paradise festival in Germany.

Regarding their decision to enlist Hannes Van Dahl, SABATON said in a statement: "For some time, there has been rumors about Robban coming back soon, or that Snowy [Shaw] would fill in for a while longer, or even take Robban's place permanently behind the drums.

"To put an end to these rumors we now present our new full-time member in SABATON: Hannes Van Dahl.

"Hannes has previously played in EVERGREY, which we have toured with in the past, and he has also worked side by side with us as drum technician for Snowy during his time in SABATON.

"We would of course like to thank Robban and Snowy for their great time in SABATON, and we will continue to support them in everything they will do in the future!

"In just a few weeks we will start recording a new album and more details will be presented very soon!

"The topic for the new album is set and we are very excited, it's totally SABATON."

SABATON's latest album, "Carolus Rex", was released on May 22, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records. The lyrics for the CD, which was made available in both English and Swedish, deal with the Swedish Empire (referring to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721).

SABATON last year parted ways with guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mulback and keyboardist Daniel Mÿhr.

METALLICA today announced that they will bring their explosive live show to fans throughout Europe next summer with an all-request show, a first for the multi-platinum, award-winning band. As a special tribute to their fans, the band will introduce "Metallica By Request", the ultimate interactive METALLICA concert experience. Fans who purchase tickets online to these upcoming European dates will be invited to vote on the set list METALLICA will play at their show — giving them the chance to help build their dream set list from 30-plus years of METALLICA's material and close to 140 recorded songs to date. METALLICA's traditional 18-song set will include the 17 top voted songs and as the band did not want to be left out of the fun, their vote for the 18th slot goes to adding a brand new song! Fans will be able to visit www.metallica.com to see what songs fellow fans are voting for and the results of their specific shows. "We are once again psyched to break free of the four walls in the studio to get energized by our devoted European friends for a couple of weeks next May and June," said METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich. "On top of that, the fact that all our nutty fans will pick the songs we play should be some next level fun and take a big load off my shoulders as the guy who usually writes the set list!" The first announced show will take place in Hamburg, Germany on June 4 with additional dates announced in Nuremberg, Germany and Nürburgring, Germany. Tickets for the Nuremberg and Nürburgring dates will go on sale on Wednesday, November 27. Tickets for the Hamburg date will go on sale on Friday, November 29 at 10 a.m. CET.

June 04 - Imtech Arena, Sonisphere – Hamburg, GermanyJune 06 - Nurnburg Rock Im Park – Nuremberg, GermanyJune 08 - Nürburgring Rock Am Ring– Nürburgring, Germany

METALLICA has announced that its recently released IMAX 3D concert film, "Metallica Through The Never", will arrive on DVD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, video on demand and digital on January 28th, 2014 through METALLICA's own label, Blackened Recordings. Formats will include a standard two-disc package on DVD, Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray, as well as special expanded versions. The DVD and both Blu-ray editions will include extensive behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film, an 80-plus-minute-long documentary on its creation, various interviews with the cast and crew and other never-before-seen content. Fans will also be able to purchase a limited-edition deluxe package containing a piece of the actual stage used in the film, a lithograph print autographed by all four band members and more.

Behind-the-scenes and performance footage from the Finnish leg of KAMELOT's recently completed European tour can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

"The Flower Song", the brand new videom from Tom Keifer, best known as the singer/songwriter/guitarist of the Philadelphia-based blues-rock band CINDERELLA, can be seen below (courtesy of Billboard.com). The track was inspired by Tom's wife Savannah, who also wrote and co-produced some of Keifer's debut solo album, "The Way Life Goes", which sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 78 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on April 30 via Merovee Records (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group).

"Women are God's greatest gift to our world, truly beautiful inside and out," Keifer says.

"'The Flower Song' is about recognizing your one true love in a world filled with so many amazing women. It can be dizzying. But then, you see the one. A miracle! I thank God every day for my miracle, inspiration and one true love, Savannah."

"The Flower Song" video was filmed in Printer's Alley in Downtown Nashville and it features Keifer's friends and family, including his son, Jaidan, playing Keifer as a child. "He had never acted before but fell right into it, no problem," says Tom.

"The Flower Song", the album's first single, was serviced to AAA radio stations nationwide on February 4, while "Solid Ground" was serviced to all rock formats on March 11.

Keifer wrote "The Flower Song" with Jim Peterik, formerly of the bands SURVIVOR and the IDES OF MARCH.

"The Way Life Goes" is a raw, introspective look at the roller coaster ride that has been Keifer's life for the past 15 years. From being told that he would never sing again as a result of a partially paralyzed left vocal cord, to the emotional and personal battles that followed, his solo debut is a story of perseverance, a testament to the power of passion and will, when combined with a true love of music.

"It's pretty scary," Keifer said of his vocal paralysis. "I've had six surgeries to deal with the collateral damage. Performing… has been difficult for me because of the vocal issues I've had. I work several hours every day on that. That's a difficult thing for me every day."

The collection of 14 new songs ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots that have always been present in his unique sound that has generated the sale of over 15 million records worldwide for CINDERELLA. Rolling Stone praised Keifer as "a gritty, bluesy (rocker) with enough genuine swagger to draw comparisons to Mick Jagger."

"This record was a labor of love," Keifer told TriCities.com. "When I started this record, CINDERELLA was in the middle of a lawsuit with Sony Records. This record is not in any way to be taken as me stepping away from CINDERELLA."

"I took a lot of time making this record," he continued. "I made it over 10 years. I wanted to make something I loved. My wife, Savannah (Snow), co-wrote a lot of the songs with me. It was a blessing to me.

"Each song has something to do with life. It's just life, love, love lost, being crazy, going crazy, being lost. The record, there's no change, really, in style. It has the peaks and valleys.

"I've always approached music, played music that I like. I've never chased trends through CINDERELLA and with this album. It reflects what's in me."

Finnish melancholic dark metal forerunners AMORPHIS will perform a special concert at the Olavinlinna Castle, a stone fortress built in 1475, on July 13, 2014 during the Savonlinna Opera Festival's 2014 season in Savonlinna, Finland.

The idea of inviting AMORPHIS along to Savonlinna was, according to the festival’s artistic director Jorma Silvasti, born out of the opera called "Kullervo" by Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen. "I asked myself what other front-line Finnish music views the male soulscape through the eyes of 'The Kalevala' [19th-century work of epic poetry]," Silvasti said. "I wanted something to offer an audience that may never before have visited Savonlinna during the Opera Festival."

The program for the AMORPHIS concert will include material from the band's most recent album, "Circle", as well as tracks from the "Eclipse" CD retelling the story of Kullervo. The lyrics, which were based on texts by Paavo Haavikko with translations by Anselm Hollo, helped propel AMORPHIS to the ranks of the Finnish metal elite.

AMORPHIS' albums draw on the Finnish national epic "The Kalevala", and the ancient folk poetry of "The Kanteletar" have influenced the band's signature sound and won the group fans all around the world. AMORPHIS could, in fact, be called the heavy ambassador for Finnish mythology.

AMORPHIS' eleventh album, "Circle", was released on April 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. Production and mixing duties for the follow-up to 2011's "The Beginning Of Times" were handled by HYPOCRISY and PAIN mastermind Peter Tägtgren, who has previously worked with such bands as CHILDREN OF BODOM, CELTIC FROST, IMMORTAL and DIMMU BORGIR. The recordings took place at Petrax Studio (NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, KORPIKLAANI) in Hollola and 5K Studios in Helsinki. The cover artwork was created by Tom Bates (BLEED FROM WITHIN, DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL).

LILLIAN AXE and CME Records have announced the release of a limited-edition box set entitled "Convergence". This box set will contain all of LILLIAN AXE's releases — from their debut, "Lillian Axe", up to the 2012 release "The Days Before Tomorrow" — along with a bonus CD containing previously unreleased LILLIAN AXE material.

The box set will contain the following albums:

* Lillian Axe * Love And War* Out Of The Darkness Into The Light * Poetic Justice * Psychoschizophrenia* Fields Of Yesterday + 2 bonus tracks (Japanese release)* Live 2002 (disc 1)* Live 2002 (disc 2)* Waters Rising * Sad Day On Planet Earth * Deep Red Shadows * The Days Before Tomorrow

Bonus CD with unreleased songs:

"Live And War" EP (previously a digital-only release)

01. All's Fair In Love And War (Live 2012)02. Ghost Of Winter (Live 2012)03. Show A Little Love (Live 2012)04. Angels Among Us (import-only bonus track from "The Days Before Tomorrow")

"Love And War" demos from 1989 (different versions than the ones that made the final album)

05. She Likes It On Top06. Diana07. All's Fair In Love And War 08. Down On You09. Fool's Paradise 10. The Last Goodbye (previously unreleased)11. Perfect Blue (previously unreleased)12. The World Stopped Turning

Also in the box set, you will receive a replica "Psychoschizophrenia" 1993 tour pass, two Steve Blaze custom guitar picks and a booklet with liner notes by Steve Blaze. All boxes will be hand numbered and autographed by Steve Blaze.

Due to the great response from fans, LILLIAN AXE will press 250 box sets instead of 100.

Box sets will ship in early 2014.

On Black Friday (November 29), a special "vomit-inducing" LP reissue of CARCASS' debut album, "Reek Of Putrefaction", will be made available at participating retailers in the USA. Featuring the original banned artwork of autopsy photographs collected from medical journals, this "Reek Of Putrefaction" LP comes tastefully wrapped in "black body bag" shrink-wrap with an assortment of bonus material waiting to be exhumed, including:

* 24"x36" fold-out color poster of album art* hand-numbered toe tag* puke-splattered vinyl Limited to 1500 copies, this reissue will disappear fast.

"Reek Of Putrefaction" track listing:

Side A

01. Genital Grinder02. Regurgitation Of Giblets03. Maggot Colony04. Pyosisified (Rotten To The Gore)05. Carbonized Eyesockets06. Frenzied Detruncation07. Vomited Anal Tract08. Festerday09. Fermenting Innards10. Excreted Alive11. Suppuration

Side B

01. Foeticide02. Microwaved Uterogestation03. Feast On Dismembered Carnage04. Splattered Cavities05. Psychopathologist06. Burnt To A Crisp07. Pungent Excruciation08. Manifestation Of Verrucose Urethra09. Oxidized Razor Masticator10. Mucopurulence Excretor11. Malignant Defecation

To find a store that carries the "Reek Of Putrefaction" LP, visit www.recordstoreday.com.

"Invincible", the third single from AMARANTHE's sophomore album, "The Nexus", is out now, accompanied by a video directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others. The video was shot on location in Hollywood, Las Vegas, the Nevada desert and the Grand Canyon, amongst other locations, and it's certainly the most ambitious AMARANTHE clip to date.

Comments AMARANTHE guitarist Olof Mörck: "'Invincible' is probably my favourite AMARANTHE song so far, and it's very exciting to see it finally becoming a single and a video! We had an absolute blast shooting it, and this time we flew in Patric Ullaeus and his crew to some kick-ass locations around the USA.

"People have come to expect elaborate videos from AMARANTHE, but this one certainly takes the cake!"

"The Nexus" which sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 12 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"The Nexus" was released on March 26 (one day earlier internationally) via Spinefarm. The cover artwork was created by Gustavo Sazes. The album was once again recorded at Hansen studios in Ribe, Denmark with producer Jacob Hansen.

AMARANTHE's first U.S. headline tour kicked off on July 17 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City. Support on the trek came from KOBRA AND THE LOTUS.

AMARANTHE's self-titled debut album was released in Europe in April 2011 via Spinefarm Records.

AMARANTHE vocalist Elize Ryd has been filling the female singer spot on KAMELOT's European, South and North American tours.

"Bitches Brew", the new video from ††† (CROSSES) — DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno's project with FAR guitarist Shaun Lopez — can be seen below. The song comes off ††† (CROSSES)'s self-titled full-length debut, which will be released on February 11, 2014 via Sumerian Records. The CD will include the songs from ††† (CROSSES)'s two previously released EPs — 2011's "†" and 2012's "††", along with five new tracks.

"Visuals have been an important aspect of ††† since the beginning, so when making our first video, we wanted to make sure it held up," Lopez tells Rolling Stone.

"When I first spoke to the director Raul Gonzo about some ideas for the video, I knew he'd be the creative partner we needed. I think the end result represents us and the music very well."

The first single, "The Epilogue", was released via iTunes on November 11.

In a 2011 interview with ChinaShop, Moreno stated about how ††† (CROSSES) came together, "I remember I mentioned to [Shaun] one day when we were hanging out, y'know, 'We should make a record together.' It just so happened that when I moved to L.A. I ended up living a few blocks away from him. I was down here working on recording some vocals with Shaun. We just clicked. We listened to a lot of the same music. We've always worked well together. With this project in particular, I met [guitarist] Chuck over at Shaun's house. Chuck was working on some of his solo stuff. I don't know when they started working together, but they said they were working on a project together and asked if I was interested in contributing vocals. Whenever they were working, I'd just ride my bike over there. A couple different times, I was just like, 'Let me try singing on this,' and they were like, 'OK, cool.' I'd just go in and throw in a bunch of ideas. Pretty soon they got rid of the idea of getting a bunch of different singers together. We just started working on the record together."

††† (CROSSES) made its live debut in January 2012 at The Glass House in Pomona, California.

Moreno previously described ††† (CROSSES)'s sound as "minimal and soothing and it's sort of like the stuff I like listening to when I'm not screaming my head off."

Swedish melodic metal outfit DEAD BY APRIL is putting the finishing touches on its third studio album, "Let The World Know", for a mid-February release via Spinefarm Records.

A teaser for the band's next single, "As A Butterfly", is available below.

The band's previously announced European tour — initially announced for November/December this year — will now take place in March 2014.

DEAD BY APRIL's new CD is the follow-up to 2011's "Incomparable" and is the first to feature brand new vocalist Christoffer Andersson (SONIC SYNDICATE, BY NIGHT) following Jimmie Strimell's departure earlier this year. DEAD BY APRIL issued a statement in March blaming the split with Strimell on "Jimmie's personal problems." The band added: "His problems has affected the band for many years and we have basically tried everything we could to make this work. We have even gone through group therapy lately to get honesty and sincerity into the group. As nothing changed, we had to realize that if we want to move forward with this band, there's, unfortunately, no other way but to continue without Jimmie. We're sick of not knowing whether he'll turn up for shows, recordings and sick of having such bad environment within the band — at all times. It came to a point where we could not be in the same vehicle. We also want to strongly declare that DEAD BY APRIL is against drugs — an important statement for us to make in a time were we know a lot of our fans are young."

A photo of the new DEAD BY APRIL lineup can be seen above.

"Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture)", the soundtrack companion to the groundbreaking 3D feature film "Metallica Through The Never", has arrived on vinyl in the the band's official store, Met Store at Metallica.com. Choose between the limited 4-LP 45 RPM set on black vinyl and the 3-LP 33 1/3 set including one disc each in red, white and black.

A video "unboxming" of the vinyl version of "Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture)" can be seen below.

As part of Record Store Day's "Black Friday" event on November 29, METALLICA will release a 4xLP 45rpm 180-gram numbered limited vinyl edition of "Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture)". The release is limited to only 4000 copies.

Founded in 2007 and officially kicked off in 2008 by METALLICA, Record Store Day normally takes place on the third Saturday of every April and brings together artists and independently owned record stores around the world to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and sold in independent stores.

For a list of participating retail outlets, visit www.recordstoreday.com.

Asked about the fact that METALLICA was the first big band to support Record Store Day, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told Q magazine: "Speaking just for me, I've been collecting records since I was nine, and records have just been such a significant part of my life. It's the reason I wanted to be in a band, so stepping up and helping out Record Store Day is what METALLICA call a 'no-brainer.'"

Added METALLICA frontman James Hetfield: "For me, it was when my daughter wanted a turntable. I was, like, [shouts] 'Yes!' I took her to Amoeba Records in San Francisco. She got home and played some vinyl albums on her new turntable. Then about two days later, she said, 'Dad, there's songs on the other side!' [laughs] Yeah, alright!"

"Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture)" sold around 25,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on September 24 via the band's own record label Blackened Recordings.

A two-disc CD set, "Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture)" highlights last year's career-spanning concerts at Rexall Place in Edmonton and Rogers Arena in Vancouver, where the band filmed all performance footage featured in the film. "Metallica Through The Never" stars METALLICA, one of the most popular, influential rock bands in history. In this music-driven, 3D motion picture event, award-winning filmmaker Nimród Antal immerses audiences in a bracing, raw and visceral cinematic experience with spectacular live performance footage of METALLICA's most iconic songs — created exclusively for film — combined with a bold, narrative story featuring imagery drawn from the band's trailblazing iconography. Dane DeHaan portrays Trip, a young roadie sent on an urgent mission, during METALLICA's roaring live set in front of a sold-out arena. The film features dazzling pyrotechnics, the most elaborate live-performance stage ever built and state-of-the-art 3-D photography, captured using up to 24 cameras simultaneously.

Picturehouse released "Metallica Through The Never" in North America on September 27 exclusively in over 300 IMAX 3D Theatres, and it expanded into additional theaters on October 4. "Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture)" CD track listing: Disc 1

01. The Ecstasy Of Gold 02. Creeping Death 03. For Whom The Bell Tolls 04. Fuel 05. Ride The Lightning 06. One 07. The Memory Remains 08. Wherever I May Roam 09. Cyanide 10. ...And Justice For All

Disc 2

01. Master Of Puppets 02. Battery 03. Nothing Else Matters 04. Enter Sandman 05. Hit The Lights 06. Orion



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Post by Metallica.

"The Next Life", the new video from Los Angeles, California death dealers MURDER CONSTRUCT, can be seen below. The clip, directed by Mitch Massie (CATTLE DECAPITATION, THE LOCUST), visually captures the chaos and anxiety that the band flawlessly conveys in brutal, sonic form.

"The Next Life" is taken from MURDER CONSTRUCT's debut full-length, "Results", which was released in August 2012 via Relapse Records. The CD was recorded in Hollywood, California's Architeuthis Sound studio with engineer Sean Vahle while drums were tracked at Trench Studios in Corona, California with John Haddad (ABYSMAL DAWN, EXHUMED, INTRONAUT).

MURDER CONSTRUCT features Travis Ryan (CATTLE DECAPITATION) on vocals, Leon del Muerte (EXHUMED, PHOBIA, IMPALED) on guitar and vocals, Kevin Fetus (FETUS EATERS, WATCH ME BURN) on guitar, Danny Walker (INTRONAUT, EXHUMED, UPHILL BATTLE) on drums, and Caleb Schneider (BADACID TRIP) on bass. The band previously released a seven-song EP in November 2010.

Swedish dark rock/metal pioneers LAKE OF TEARS finally fulfill the wish of many fans and release their first-ever live album on January 31, 2014.

"By The Black Sea" includes a full concert with 16 songs recorded earlier this year in Bucharest, Romania and will be available as DVD/CD set. Bonus material on the DVD is a "making-of" footage, an interview, and the band's latest video clips, "Illwill" and "House Of The Setting Sun".

LAKE Of TEARS' latest album, "Illwill", was released in April 2011 via AFM Records. It was made available on CD, limited-edition digipak and limited 180-gram vinyl (with different cover artwork).

LAKE OF TEARS' previous CD, "Moons and Mushrooms", came out in April 2007 via Dockyard 1.

German "a cappella metal" band VAN CANTO — which consists of five singers and one drummer (no guitars, no bass, no keyboards) — will release its new studio album, "Dawn Of The Brave", on February 7, 2014 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded with Charlie Bauerfeind (BLIND GUARDIAN, HELLOWEEN, HAMMERFALL) and Ronald Prent (MANOWAR, RAMMSTEIN, WITHIN TEMPTATION).

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

"Dawn Of The Brave" track listing:

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

Video footage of the THE GUILTY PLEASURES performing a cover version of IRON MAIDEN's "Run To The Hills" in the style of Michael McDonald at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen below.

THE GUILTY PLEASURES describe themselves as a "one-stop, no-nonsense, brass-tax, bottom-line smoothest rock band around… The band sets sail with Captain Anton Neil (drums) at the helm of the ultimate Yacht Rock experience. Enjoying the Summer Breeze with him are deck mates Chevy Chevelle (lead vocals and guitar), Rico Riviera (lead vocals and bass guitar), Rodger Todd (keyboards and backing vocals), and special guest vocalist Michael 'Mick' Donald!"

"Run To The Hills" was IRON MAIDEN's sixth single and the first from the band's 1982 album "The Number Of The Beast". Credited solely to the group's bassist, Steve Harris, although significant contributions were made by lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, it remains one of their most popular songs, with VH1 ranking it No. 27 on their list of the "40 Greatest Metal Songs" and No. 14 on their list of the "Greatest Hard Rock Songs."

Professionally filmed video footage of MASTERPLAN performing the song "Soulburn" on July 13 at the Masters Of Rock festival in Vizovice, Czech Republic can be seen below.

MASTERPLAN's new album, "Novum Initium", was released in Europe on June 14 and in North America on June 18 via AFM Records.

Joining guitarist Roland Grapow (ex-HELLOWEEN) in MASTERPLAN's new lineup are drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka (CRADLE OF FILTH), vocalist Rick Altzi (AT VANCE, SANDALINAS, THUNDERSTONE), who replaces Jorn Lande, and bassist Jari Kainulainen (STRATOVARIUS, SYMFONIA, DEVIL'S TRAIN).

In a recent interview with Metal Shock Finland, Grapow stated about the band's new CD: "We are not leaving the MASTERPLAN path too much, but everything we have — the melodic part and a little bit progressive — I would say we're a little bit more powerful and I'm also mixing the album this time. I want to get a little bit more modern, as the sound we have was created ten years ago. We're still having the typical sound with melodies, but the drummer is amazing and plays a lot of crazy shit!"

Speaking to Myglobalmind, Grapow said about MASTERPLAN's numerous personnel shuffles: "I think that it's basically hard to explain why we always had singer changes. When we started MASTERPLAN with Jorn [Lande], a lot of people had warned me to be careful saying that he was very difficult. That he was never happy or satisfied with things. I think that the only thing that he really was concentrated on was trading on a solo career called JORN. Everything else for him was just a side project; he never saw MASTERPLAN as his main band. It was especially bad for me as I had put so much love, work and so much feeling for this band. I had given everything to make the band big. Jorn never did anything for us for this band. He never even said anything great about MASTERPLAN. That is not nice; you need a really good team behind you which loves this work. It's the same as a company — if someone is not dedicated totally 100%, it doesn't matter what a great voice he has. You stay on the same level, but now with a totally different lineup, we have a really big chance of getting further now. We can play live again. That just wasn't happening for about six years, which was quite terrible, to be honest."

MASTERPLAN's new lineup:

Rick Altzi - vocals Roland Grapow - guitars Axel Mackenrott - keyboards Jari Kainulainen - bass Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka - drums

Razor & Tie will release FOR TODAY's new album, "Fight the Silence", on February 4, 2014. The band has also launched the new album pre-order bundles with unique items such as headphones and canvas art prints.

FOR TODAY recently premiered the first song off "Fight the Silence". The title track has a strong social message and proceeds from the sale of this song and forthcoming album will go to support a cause close to the band's heart.

FOR TODAY will support the A21 Campaign to help shine a light on the issue of human trafficking. The band will work to raise funds to continue the global effort to rescue and rehabilitate those who have been victimized and to oppose and prosecute those who are responsible for the buying and selling of other human beings.FOR TODAY will head out this January as headliner on the "Fight The Silence" album release tour with LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES, STRAY FROM THE PATH, THE PLOT IN YOU and FIT FOR A KING.

Darkside Multimedia has uploaded video footage of SKID ROW playing a semi-acoustic set on October 28 at Rockus in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. Check it out below.

SKID ROW's latest EP, "United World Rebellion - Chapter One", was released in Europe on May 24 via Germany's UDR Music. The European version of the EP includes two bonus tracks, both of them cover tunes: "Fire Fire" (EZO) and "United" (JUDAS PRIEST).

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" sold around 1,500 copies in the Unted States in its first week of release. Released in North America on April 16 via MRI, the effort is the first in a series of EPs that the reincarnated band — Dave "Snake" Sabo (guitar), Rachel Bolan (bass), Scotti Hill (guitar), Johnny Solinger (vocals) and Rob Hammersmith (drums) — plans to release in the near future.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, the company which creates "beautiful lullaby versions of your favorite artists," has set a November 26 release date for "Lullaby Versions Of Marilyn Manson" via Roma Music Group.

"Lullaby Versions Of Marilyn Manson" track listing:

01. Heart-Shaped Glasses (When The Heart Guides The Hand)02. The Dope Show03. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)04. Coma White05. This Is The New Shit06. I Don't Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)07. If I Was Your Vampire08. The Fight Song09. Tainted Love10. The Beautiful People11. This Is Halloween12. Personal Jesus

Check out audio samples at Amazon.com.

A full-length version of "The Dope Show" can be streamed below.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star was born for the parent that wants to pass along their biggest passion to their child, music. Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star transforms popular music into instrumental lullabies perfect for babies, yoga or just relaxation. Now, parents can enjoy the music from LADY GAGA to METALLICA in soothing lullaby style. With over 135 titles to choose from, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star is the largest line of pop, rock, metal and jamband music lullabies in the world. These aren't novelty recordings. They are cute, they are soft but these are serious recordings. Roma Music Group, which releases Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, is run by two music industry veterans who put the fidelity of these recording at the top of the priority list. Let's face it, much like the brand name clothes you buy for your infant, this music is really for you. Whether you are raising a metal baby, rocker or hippie baby, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star has your music transformed from arena anthems into nursery classics.

"Between The Lines", the new video from veteran Italian metallers EXTREMA, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "The Seed Of Foolishness", which was released on May 21 via Scarlet Records.

EXTREMA will once again tour Europe in November and December alongside Bay Area thrashers DEATH ANGEL and German heavyweights DEW-SCENTED.

Active in the metal scene for over 25 years, EXTREMA has unleashed a new chapter in its already astonishing career. "The Seed Of Foolishness" sees the band going back to its thrash metal roots, displayed in 10 powerful new tracks which have already been described as some of the best ever written by the band, a relentless touring machine that over the years has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in heavy metal (METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD, KORN and DEATH ANGEL, to name a few).

"The Seed Of Foolishness" takes its inspiration from a series of events that led to the economic crisis that we are all suffering today, providing therapy for all the anger and frustration resulting from it. "Combat Metal" was how fans and critics alike used to refer to when talking about EXTREMA at the time of their incendiary debut album, "Tension At The Seams", but such definition is more relevant today than ever.

"The Seed Of Foolishness" track listing:

01. Between The Lines02. The Politics03. Pyre Of Fire04. The Distance05. Ending Prophecies06. Bones07. Again And Again08. Deep Infection09. Sick And Tired10. A Moment Of Truth EXTREMA entered Fear Studio in Alfonsine (RA), Italy in May 2012 to begin recording the follow-up to 2009's "Pound For Pound" with producers Tommy Massara (EXTREMA guitarist) and Gabry Ravaglia.

KURAI, the new project featuring guitarist/vocalist Scott "SVH" Von Heldt (formerly of KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch's pre-LOVE & DEATH solo band), MUDVAYNE bassist Ryan Martinie and drummer Abel Vallejo (longtime KORN drum tech), will release its debut EP, "Breaking The Broken", on December 17 on their own Sonic Velocity label.

The official lyric video for the "Breaking The Broken" title track can be seen below.

Says Von Heldt: "'Kurai' is a term that I came across almost 20 years ago in a Japanese martial arts encyclopedia. It means to achieve a state of mind in which you become one with your art. That really embraces the sentiment of our music and where we are as artists.

"We want to create music with the intention of stirring up emotion and bringing some raw passion back to metal and we hope that transcends to the listener with this new EP."

For more information, visit www.kuraiband.com.