Kiara Laetitia, Italian rock singer, writer, model and actress and former frontwoman of the symphonic rock band SKYLARK, has released a video for the the title track of her new EP, "Fight Now". The clip was directed by Lyda Patitucci and Andrea Fortis and can be seen below.

The "Fight Now" EP was written, arranged and produced by Laetitia and VIRGIN STEELE frontman David DeFeis, who took a break from his numerous engagements with VIRGIN STEELE to work with Kiara. The effort, which features a cover version of VIRGIN STEELE's classic "Victory Is Mine", was recorded and mixed at The Hammer Of Zeus studios in Long Island by DeFeis while Ryan Smith (AC/DC, IRON MAIDEN, JOE SATRIANI, BEYONCÉ) took care of the mastering duties at Sterling Sound in New York City.

"This work is dark yet melodic and positive at the same time," says Kiara.

"I've been through one of the toughest moments in my life and I came out of it as a new person — stronger, I should say — and this is how the idea for 'Fight Now' came about. It's probably the most positive song and lyrics I've ever written in my entire life!

"We must never give up 'cause we just have one life and we have to make the best of it in any way we can. We gotta fight for what's important, for existence itself… That's the message."

As for the cover version of "Victory Is Mine", Kiara explains: "It's one of my favorite tracks from VIRGIN STEELE and I thought it was the right conclusion for this EP.

"Like I'm saying, 'I've been through a lot, now I'm positive about the future 'cause 'Victory Is Mine' if I want it.'

"All the bad moments in life show us that they'll pass, that we can be victorious in the end."

"Into The Warzone", the debut album from the U.S. power metal act SCREAMS OF ANGELS, is scheduled for release on December 27 via Skol Records. The CD is decribed in a press release as "a collection of high-energy metal anthems such as its title track, a fast-paced homage to Marvel comics The Punisher, the galloping epic 'Cycle Of The Moon' and the snarling metal monster 'Eyes Of The Serpent'."

"Into The Warzone" — like all other Skol Records releases — will be distributed in North and South America via Shadow Kingdom Records.

The album's title track is available as a free single and can be downloaded from here.

The "Into The Warzone" cover artwork was painted by Michal Oracz — the most famous Polish author of RPG and board games (including the bestseller Neuroshima), who recently also worked with bands such as CRYSTAL VIPER, NITRO, and who painted artwork for the ANVIL tribute album.

"Into The Warzone" track listing:

01. Anthem02. Eyes Of The Serpent03. Cycle Of The Moon04. Insomnia05. Into The Warzone06. Idol Machines07. The Portrait08. Screams Of Angels09. Sins Of The Fathers10. The Face Of Evil11. Goodbye In the midst of an extraordinary career as drummer for multiple heavy metal legends such as FIFTH ANGEL, HEIR APPARENT and NIGHTSHADE, Jeffrey McCormack was thrown a curveball. It was suggested that Jeffrey hum some melody lines on demo material he had been working on with Seattle guitarist Craig Church. It was immediately and overwhelmingly decided that Jeffrey would become the lead vocalist for the band. Once the material had solidified, they recruited Jeffrey's longtime friend, Kai Chinn, to take over the drum duties, followed shortly after by bassist Anthony Rivera, rhythm guitarist Rollie Fisher, and former HEIR APPARENT bandmate Op Sakiya on keyboards, all veterans of the historic Seattle heavy metal community. Though the band seemed complete, Church became increasingly busy with his other musical endeavors, including guitar duties with Pamela Moore ("Sister Mary" from QUEENSRŸCHE), so he resigned his post. Enter the brilliant Alan Nesbitt on lead guitar, and the band was ready to bring its energetic brand of melodic power metal to the masses! SCREAMS OF ANGELS then wowed audiences with its live shows, opening for such legends as LOUDNESS, LYNCH MOB, SAXON and WHERE ANGELS SUFFER (featuring Randy Piper and Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P.), and they received worldwide acclaim through reviews of the demo recordings.

The official lyric video for the song "A Fertile Altar" from the Reading, Pennsylvania-based modern progressive death metal quintet RIVERS OF NIHIL can be seen below. The track comes off the band's new album, "The Conscious Seed Of Light", which was released on October 15 in North America (one day earlier internationally) via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded in March 2013 at Mana Recording Studios in Florida with producer Erik Rutan.

RIVERS OF NIHIL bassist Adam Biggs stated about "A Fertile Altar": "Musically, this song is a bit of a nod to all of our old-school death metal influences. It's kind of a more straight-forward headbanger with a bridge part perfect for fist pumping and all-round pit brutality. The lyrics were inspired by the disgusting cult actions of Warren Jeffs and his FLDS church in the early 2000s. Jeffs gained notoriety for controlling the lives of families involved with his sect and preying on their children. However, I always envisioned this song to be spoken from the point of view of a wolf. I really enjoy adding a layer of dualism within these songs."

Formed in 2009, RIVERS OF NIHIL's music is as dark and heavy as the coal and iron their home city was built upon, taking influences from some of death metal's heaviest, most abrasive hitters: MORBID ANGEL, GOJIRA, SPAWN OF POSSESSION and DECAPITATED, to name a few.

Swedish metallers SABATON played their first show with new drummer Hannes Van Dahl this past Saturday, November 16 at the Metal Hammer Paradise festival in Germany.

Behind-the-scenes footage from the concert can be seen below.

Regarding their decision to enlist Hannes Van Dahl, SABATON said in a statement: "For some time, there has been rumors about Robban [Bäck] 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.

"He did his first show as a SABATON member at this weekend's show at Metal Hammer Paradise festival in Germany.

"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.

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 first 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).

Indie Recordings has announced the signing of Norwegian black metallers KAMPFAR. The band's sixth studio album, "Djevelmakt" (English-language translation: Devil Power) will be released on January 27, 2014 (four days later in in Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

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.

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

Canadian rockers HELIX have set "Bastard Of The Blues" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in March. Vocalist Brian Vollmer states: "The CD will follow in the vein of 'Vagabond Bones' and 'Skin In The Game'; in fact, I'm thinking of putting that song on this new disc, seeing as 'Skin In The Game' was really only a five-song EP."

He adds: "Anyway, I'm getting very excited about putting out new material. That's why I do this thing called the music biz."

HELIX in 2011 released the "Skin In The Game" EP. The CD was mixed by Aaron Murray and was mastered at Carvello Mastering in Toronto, Ontario. The artwork was once again created by Babyjack Design, who previously worked with the band on the "Vagabond Bones" and "Smash Hits Unplugged" releases.

THE UNGUIDED — the Swedish band featuring former SONIC SYNDICATE members Richard Sjunnesson (vocals), Roland Johansson (vocals) and Roger Sjunnesson guitar; (Richard's brother) — will release its new album, "Fragile Immortality", via Napalm Records on the following dates:

Jan. 31 – Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, BeneluxFeb. 05 - Spain, Sweden, NorwayFeb. 03 - Rest Of EuropeFeb. 11 - USA/Canada

THE UNGUIDED previously stated about signing with Napalm Records: "We've been eying out Napalm Records for quite some time and undeniably considered it as a very desirable home for our cogent operation. Fresh in mind; Napalm Records have been a force to reckon with, supplying us all with ace metal acts through the decades, rooting themselves as far down as to our very childhood days. Therefore it feels beyond certain that this alliance will be for the greater good. And we are very confident that together, the future holds; many beautiful things in its mystic and ever-changing puzzle."

THE UNGUIDED is:

Richard Sjunnesson - VocalsRoland Johansson - Vocals, GuitarRoger Sjunnesson - Guitar, KeyboardsHenric Carlsson - BassRichard Schill - Drums

After years of honing their sound and searching for the ideal lineup, the boundary bothering CENTIMENT will finally unleash their debut album, "Streets Of Rage", early 2014.

In an age of excessive genre definitions, CENTIMENT are truly hard to categorize and rightfully so. A bastard hybrid mix of insane metal, frantic vocals spanning sweet melodies, demonic screams of urgency and everything in between plus a military-tight rhythm section. Featuring Dave McPherson, Greg McPherson and Gazz Marlow of INME plus Neil Howard and Mark Shurety on bass and drums, respectively, the band embrace the DIY ethic and independent approach to all aspects of their music.

"This band has always been a labour-of-love-hobby so to speak," states vocalist Dave McPherson. "It's always been about us making music for ourselves, that we want to hear. We have no delusions of grandeur, we just want to keep creating passionate music and take it on the road and have fun with people. If anyone comes along for the ride, then it's a very welcome bonus!"

He adds: "The wordplay was a cool challenge for me as I wanted to tackle serious subjects but also mix in some dark twisted humor.

"Greg writes all the music for CENTIMENT, which is very refreshing for me, as I'm focusing on just the voice and lyrics. Also, from a geeky perspective, as some may tell from the album title, there are a lot of retro game references throughout musically and lyrically. It sounds a bit silly, but then so are we, really! Me and Greg played games religiously in our youth and it's nice to give our memories a nod."

CENTIMENT initially released the album exclusively via PledgeMusic, where pledgers also get the band's entire rare back catalog, their name in the CD sleeve and tons more cool stuff.

They'll be hitting the road for the first time in February 2014.

According to Soundi.fi, THE 69 CATS, the new collaboration between Jyrki69 (THE 69 EYES) on vocals, Danny B. Harvey (ROCKATS, HEADCAT) on guitar and Chopper Franklin (THE CRAMPS) on bass, will release its debut EP, "Bad Things", on November 25 via Cleopatra Records.

This has been an idea for long time for Jyrki69, the singer of THE 69 EYES, Helsinki-based Finnish goth'n'roll band. His band has been playing their unique glam-goth-mixed sound for a quarter of decade. Occasionally at their acoustic shows the singer's been able to show his rockabilly roots and Elvis-like voice. Fans have been overwhelmed and literally begged for more.

Finally this year he was introduced to Danny B. Harvey, legendary American rockabilly guitar hero whose past includes bands like ROCKATS and recently Lemmy-fronted (MÖTORHEAD) HEADCAT as well as playing with everybody from Wanda Jackson to Nancy Sinatra. They worked out immediately a bunch of "cover songs that needed resurrection" — including TYPE O NEGATIVE's "Black No. 1" — and recruited THE CRAMPS bass player Chopper Franklin to this new dark rockabilly "supergroup."

"No matter where I was DJing around the world, whether it was a goth or metal night, I always spinned some '50s rock'n'roll, THE CRAMPS or THE STRAY CATS in the last part of the night — and drove everybody crazy and filled the dance floor," said Jyrki69. "But it's always the same records, there's no new happening band."

The sound, the songs, the chemistry — it's all here. Not only new stuff for the dance floor to get the cool cats and kinky kittens go wild again but also bring it to the fans of all these bands. Expect an album, expect shows. But most of all: be warned and stay sick!

THE 69 CATS is:

Jyrki69 (THE 69 EYES) - VocalsDanny B. Harvey (ROCKATS, HEADCAT) - GuitarChopper Franklin (THE CRAMPS) - Bass



Sell your beats online at ReverbNation.com

According to The Pulse Of Radio, rock's long dead heroes have been revived by modern age progression technology to show what they would look like in 2013. The portraits show middle-aged and elderly images of John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Keith Moon, Elvis Presley, Cass Elliot, Kurt Cobain, Dennis Wilson, Bobby Darin, and Karen Carpenter. The portraits, which were commissioned by Sachs Media, were created by the Michigan-based digital photographic group Phojoe, with Sachs Media's CEO Ron Sachs telling Britain's Daily Mail: "Through this series of images, we hope to honor them and evoke some of the magic they brought to millions of their fans. Even as we ponder what wonderful new contributions they still could have made."

Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER, THE CULT) performed a brand new solo song entitled "The Sea" this past Monday, November 18 at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles.

Proceeds from the one-night-only benefit concert event, billed as "Tokyo Celebrates The Dolphin", are going directly to Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project, an international organization dedicated to saving dolphins from slaughter and exploitation.

Fan-filmed video footage of "The Sea" performance — featuring Sorum on guitar and vocals — can be seen below. The track will appear on Matt's upcoming solo album, "Stratosphere", which will be released in February 2014 under the MATT SORUM'S FIERCE JOY banner.

Sorum told RollingStone.com about his upcoming CD: "It's much more introspective than my usual heavy rock stuff. It's more of a singer-songwriter thing. I play acoustic guitar, and it's a little mellower kind of album."

In a January 2013 interview with Music Radar, Sorum stated about "Stratosphere": "I started writing it within the last couple of years. I went out to the desert because of Gram Parsons and all those guys — you know, the Joshua Tree, Palm Springs area — and I had an amazing time working there. I went to a trippy old hotel and wrote eight songs in five days.

"A lot of people don't know me as a songwriter, but I've always been a guitar player. I like to dabble with the acoustic. The stuff that I've written for VELVET REVOLVER — like 'Set Me Free' and 'Spectacle' and a few on the first record — those were done on an acoustic.

"I made a record with another guy called 'Hollywood Zen', and that was my first attempt to do my own thing. I was a bit nervous, though, so I can't really say that it was my record — it's a collaboration. My main goal on this record is to write everything myself.

"What's been happening with me is, I'm getting older, and I'm a different guy… I'm not on drugs and alcohol anymore. [laughs] I'm more spiritual. I'm thinking about the planet and caring about other people more, and I've got a charity… And that sparked a lot of lyrics. I have a song called 'Lady Of The Stone', which is about Mother Nature's perspective on what's happening to the planet. What would she say if she was watching?

"I wrote another song called 'Land Of The Pure'. I was very struck by what happened with the girl Malala [Yousafza] from Pakistan. I wrote it about the girls in Pakistan — young girls all over the world — who are not being allowed to be educated. I'm going to have a singer named Atif Aslam, who's from Pakistan, sing on it. That's very eclectic. There's going to be a lot of percussion and orchestration. People are going to trip to it."

"For the second part of my trip, I hung out on the beach. I stayed at a little hotel called the Surf and Sand Hotel — I used to go there in the early '70s with my grandparents. While there, I wrote a song called 'The Sea'. I remembered how much I loved the beach as a kid. Nothing seems to matter when you're on the beach.

"I wrote another song there called 'Blue'. I was thinking, Why does the word 'blue' always mean sadness? I wrote it as a positive thing — the sky, the water. It's a Tom Petty-meets-David Gray kind of song. It's pretty cool.

"And I wrote a song called 'Josephine', which is my grandmother's name. She and my grandfather were married for 69 years. The song is about him being in the orchestra pit, he was in the band, and her being a ballerina. They met in the 1920s. My grandmother just turned 100. The song is going to be all orchestra and piano. It's an ode to them."

Asked why he doesn't play drums on the album, he said: "I feel like it's not right for this record. I want to have a producer's perspective, so I don't want to sit there and analyze my drumming. I've been rehearsing the band, I put a great band together. I've got a drummer named Brian MacLeod, who's played with everyone from Sheryl Crow to Linda Perry — he's been on tons of records. He's got more of that gift. I'm a rock drummer, but I can play other styles. He can play more organic, singer-songwriter stuff. As light as I play, I have a sound that might be more rock."

"Madness At The Core Of Time", the new video from GWAR, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Battle Maximus", which 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.

Commented GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus: "We made a video? I have been so busy touring, getting loaded and mouthing off, I didn't even notice. But I am sure it's the best video ever, simply because GWAR is in it."

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.

"Keep Me Alive", the new video from Tyler, Texas metal titans FIT FOR A KING, can be seen below. The song is a brand-new track off the band's upcoming release of "Descendants" — a re-recorded version of FIT FOR A KING's 2011 debut album that helped launch their already impressive career — which is set to drop November 25 on Solid State Records.

"We are really excited to show the world our new song and couldn't be happier that we get to do that in the form of a music video," says vocalist Ryan Kirby. "We really feel like [director] Ryan Valdez captured the emotion behind the lyrics and that it definitely adds to the listening experience."

"Descendants" (re-recorded version) track listing:

01. II Diluvio02. Ancient Waters03. Buried04. Parallels (feat. Jeremy Gray)05. The Architect (feat. Matty Mullins)06. Descendants07. Hollow Eyes08. The Roots Within09. Messenger, Messenger10. Transcend11. Unchanging12. Keep Me Alive

"When we tracked 'Descendants' originally, we were a local band with an extremely limited budget and the songs just didn't turn out exactly how we wanted them to," says Ryan Kirby. "So with this re-release we set out, with the help of Solid State, to completely re-do 'Descendants', exactly the way we envisioned it.

"For old fans, we believe the adjustments we made and the production quality will make it like a new release. For new listeners, it will help them hear the progression we made from 'Descendants' to 'Creation/Destruction'. Plus adding a new song to the mix never hurts!"

The release of "Descendants" caps a big 2013 for FIT FOR A KING. The buzzed-about band released its Solid State Records debut, "Creation/Destruction", in March and in so doing, delivered the biggest first-week sales of any debut release in Solid State Records history — a huge feat given the storied careers of labelmates such as UNDER0ATH, DEMON HUNTER and AUGUST BURNS RED.

Following several years of relentless touring — including a recently capped run of sold-out dates supporting ATILLA — in addition to the well-received, original indie release of "Descendents", FIT FOR A KING are reaping the benefits of their hard work. The hotly tipped outfit has cultivating fans at an alarming clip with a crushingly heavy, artful take on the genre.

SAXON's "Unplugged And Strung Up" album can be streamed in its entirety below.

SAXON's selection of unique, fresh and adventurous interpretations of material previously heard only with raw heavy metal thunder, "Unplugged And Strung Up" was released on November 18. The effort reveals layers and pieces previously dormant in many of the 14 classic SAXON songs chosen for this makeover, thanks to some ear-catching new arrangements and mixes. Recorded, mixed and mastered with Andy Sneap in Derbyshire, U.K. earlier this year, "Unplugged And Strung Up" contains re-evaluated, re-worked and re-energized versions of "The Eagle Has Landed" and "Crusader" by introducing orchestral dynamics to offer added dimension. "Frozen Rainbow", from the band's 1979 debut, gets a stunning acoustic reprisal which transports it into a power ballad to be proud of, while "Red Star Falling" soars and sweeps the emotions with its orchestrally arranged dovetail.

As if this reinvention wasn't enough, SAXON superfans and collectors can purchase a digipak version of the release which includes 2002's storming set of full-volume, pedal-to-the-metal re-recorded hits "Heavy Metal Thunder". Featuring staple SAXON stormers such as "Motorcycle Man", "Strong Arm Of The Law" and "Dallas 1pm", it is a quintessential part of any collection.

The standard single CD of "Unplugged And Strung Up" comes in a jewel case, and a double-vinyl gatefold sleeve version of the release is also available. The digipack is a two-disc version of the release featuring the bonus disc "Heavy Metal Thunder", and there was a digital release of the same.

"Unplugged and Strung Up" track listing:

01. Stallions Of The Highway (remix)02. Crusader (orchestral version)03. Battle Cry04. The Eagle Has Landed (orchestral version)05. Red Star Falling (orchestral version)06. Broken Heroes (orchestral version)07. Call To Arms (orchestral version)08. Militia Guard09. Forever Free (re-recorded version)10. Just Let Me Rock (re-recorded version)11. Frozen Rainbow (acoustic version)12. Iron Wheels (live acoustic version)13. Requiem (acoustic version)14. Coming Home (acoustic version)

"Heavy Metal Thunder" track listing:

01. Heavy Metal Thunder02. Strong Arm Of The Law03. Power & The Glory04. And The Bands Played On05. Crusader06. Dallas 1pm07. Princess Of The Night08. Wheels Of Steel09. 747 (Strangers In The Night)10. Motorcycle Man11. Never Surrender12. Denim & Leather13. Backs To The Wall

Chicago's DIAMOND PLATE recently teamed up with director Lester Cohn (MASTODON, NEIL YOUNG, CHEVELLE, TAKING BACK SUNDAY) to shoot a video for the song "Dance With Reality" off the band's sophomore album, "Pulse".

Says the group: "Our goal with this music video was to capture the band's live energy in a cinematic way while giving the viewer more than just a video of us playing live.

"Thanks to our director Lester, our cinematographer Andrew, all of the cast and crew, and the 1966 Chevelle for being a badass motherfucker."

DIAMOND PLATE is currently on tour with DEATH ANGEL, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, BATTLECROSS and REVOCATION.

"Pulse" was released on August 20 in the USA via Century Media/Earache and on digital formats in Europe on August 19. The follow-up to 2011's "Generation Why?" was recorded with producer Neil Kernon (JUDAS PRIEST, NEVERMORE, DEICIDE, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD) at Studio Chicago.

"Pulse" track listing:

01. Walking Backwards (4:15)02. All Of It (3:33)03. Price You Pay (4:30)04. Dance With Reality (2:48)05. Still Dreaming (5:55)06. Face To Face (3:45)07. Bottom Of The Glass (4:19)08. Rainmaker (6:25)09. Persistence Of Memory (3:09)10. Running Dry (3:48)

Commented DIAMOND PLATE: "During the months of recording, the album took on a life of its own. Our goal was to capture the energy of a live band, and working with Neil gave us the freedom to create the music we've always wanted to play.

"A straightforward explanation of the title 'Pulse' is that it represents music, or life, in its purest form. The real meaning behind the album can only be discovered by the person using his/her ears."

The artwork for "Pulse" was created by artist Gustavo Sazes (MORBID ANGEL, ARCH ENEMY, SEPULTURA).

"Mouth Of Swords", the video for the title track of the second album from London progressive metallers THE SAFETY FIRE, can be seen below. Released on September 3 in North America via InsideOut Music, the CD was once again produced by the band's own Derya "Dez" Nagle (guitar), who previously worked with Frank Turner (MONGOL HORDE), RISE TO REMAIN, and THE HAARP MACHINE. It follows the release of last year's acclaimed debut album, "Grind The Ocean", which saw the band tour the world with the likes PERIPHERY, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, GOJIRA, PROTEST THE HERO, among others.

The brilliant artwork for "Mouth Of Swords" was created by Kim Taylor. In addition, Tommy Rogers from touring partners BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME has provided guest vocals on one track.

"Mouth Of Swords" track listing

01. Mouth Of Swords02. Glass Crush03. Yellowism04. Beware The Leopard (Jagwar) (feat. Tommy Rogers)05. Red Hatchet06. Wise Hands07. The Ghosts That Wait For Spring08. I Am Time, The Destroyer09. Old Souls

Audio samples of four songs from "Rising From Ashes", the first SILENT FORCE studio album in nearly seven years, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The follow-up to 2007's "Walk The Earth" will be released on December 13 via AFM Records. The first single and accompanying video, "Circle Of Trust", will precede the full-length effort.

After a lengthy break, the band founded and led by guitarist Alex Beyrodt finally returns with a new studio album. And its title couldn't be more appropriate, as many thought that the group had disbanded and would be gone forever, especially after Beyrodt's success with his classic hard rock band VOODOO CIRCLE and joining the lineup of both PRIMAL FEAR and SINNER. But now SILENT FORCE are finally back... with full force.

The band's new vocalist is no other than Michael Bormann – in his case it could be said "old/new," because he already sang on the first (and only) album of the SILENT FORCE predecessor THE SYGNET (1998). Mat Sinner (bass), Alessandro Del Vecchio (keyboards) and drummer André Hilgers complete the new lineup.

Beyrodt comments: "For me, 'Rising From Ashes' is not just another new SILENT FORCE record. The long break was necessary to rebuild the band and get rid of all false ascendancy. The new lineup speaks for itself, so does 'Rising From Ashes'."

New SILENT FORCE lineup:

* Alex Beyrodt (PRIMAL FEAR, VOODOO CIRCLE) - Guitar * Michael Bormann (POWERWORLD, ex-BLOODBOUND) - Vocals * Mat Sinner (PRIMAL FEAR, SINNER) - Bass * Alessandro Del Vecchio (EDGE OF FOREVER, ex-EDEN'S CURSE) - Keyboards * André Hilgers (RAGE, SINNER) - Drums

The cover artwork for "Rising From Ashes" can be seen below. The CD was mixed by Achim Köhler, who has previously worked with EDGUY, MASTERPLAN, SINNER and PRIMAL FEAR.

Says Sinner: "In my view, it's a killer album and all the guys did a great job."

Band photo above by Valentin Zwick