"Shots For The Boys", the new video from Atlanta party rockers ATTILA, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "About That Life", which sold more than 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 25 via Artery Recordings/Razor & Tie.

ATTILA formed in 2005, storming their way onto the metal scene in recent years. They've quickly and deservedly earned a reputation as a good time, "party metal" band. They've developed into an international sensation known for their crushing, explosive live shows.

ATTILA have honed their live chops by remaining on the road in near-nonstop fashion over the last two years, performing with heavyweights such as ASKING ALEXANDRIA, AS I LAY DYING, ALESANA, A SKYLIT DRIVE, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE, SUICIDE SILENCE and more, all the while holding their own.

As vocalist Chris "Fronz" Fronzak puts it: "All we want is for the listener to have a fun experience, and that is the main message behind our music."

ATTILA's previous album, 2011's "Outlawed", landed at No. 7 on the Billboard Independent Chart; at No. 8 on the Hard Music Chart; and at No. 87 on the Top 200 Chart.

Digitallive Productions has uploaded high-quality, multi-camera video footage of EYEHATEGOD's second official performance with their new drummer, Aaron Hill of New Orleans acts MISSING MONUMENTS and MOUNTAIN OF WIZARD. The clips, which were filmed on November 1 at Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio can be seen below.

EYEHATEGOD drummer Joey LaCaze passed away on August 23 in New Orleans after a very successful five-week U.K. and European tour with EYEHATEGOD. He also performed ceremonial voodoo drumming and in numerous solo experimental electronic projects. Doctors confirmed to family members the cause as respiratory failure. He also suffered from severe long-term asthma.

EYEHATEGOD played an intensely moving LaCaze tribute show at the first annual Housecore Horror Film Festival, a set which featured Dale Crover from the mighty MELVINS holding down the drum kit.

Hill played his first official show with EYEHATEGOD at the world-famous House Of Shock. The ever-elusive new EYEHATEGOD LP is moving closer to release, with mixes being done by renowned sound wizard Sanford Parker as we speak.

SONATA ARCTICA have announced special shows in Finland to celebrate the band's first 15 years:
"Next year, it's been 15 years since we released our debut album Ecliptica back in 1999. To honour this milestone we will play some special shows in Finland and Latin-America. These gigs will be extended shows with songs from the bands entire catalog. We might even throw in a couple of new songs from the upcoming album. See you on the road and a big cheers!"

Sonata Arctica will release their eighth studio album in April 2014, with an extensive world tour to follow. Their schedule is currently as follows:

January
29 - Circus - Helsinki, Finland
30 - Tamperetalo - Tampere, Finland
31 - Verkatehdas - Hämeenlinna, Finland

February
1 - Kerubi - Joensuu, Finland
8 - Radio Rock - Risteily, Finland
11 - Sibeliustalo - Lahti, Finland
12 - Lutakko - Jyväskylä, Finland
13 - Kylpylähotelli Rauhalahti - Kuopio, Finland
14 - Rytmikorjaamo - Seinäjoki, Finland
15 - Logomo - Turku, Finland

Sonata Arctica keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg recently checked in with the following update:

"Hola People! Just wanted to let you all know that we're alive and well and the new album is under work. We're really excited to enter the studio to start recording our new stuff. Enjoy the fall and keep the metal alive!"

Sonata Arctica recently released a video clip to their song ‘Alone In Heaven’, taken from their latest album, Stones Grow Her Name. Released on May 18, 2012 via Nuclear Blast, Stones Grow Her Name achieved gold status in the bands’ home country after just one week and additionally entered charts worldwide. Among those entries were the top 5 of Sweden Rock Charts (#5), Canada Rock Charts (#7) and UK Rock Charts (#9) and the record debuted at #9 of the US Billboard Heatseeker Charts.
Commented vocalist and keyboardist Tony Kakko: “’Alone In Heaven’ got sparked lyrically after I had suffered few personal losses in relatively short period of time. Those will make you think about a possibility of after life and such things. At least for me it was like that. I will always remember those passed on thru this song every time we play it. I was initially a little hesitant whether or not this is a suitable track for Sonata, being rather 'hard/soft rockish'. But the guys fell in love with it immediately and it fell right in on the quite mellow mooded Stones Grow Her Name album. I think it's a nice emotional rock song with some extremely beautiful parts to it. It has become a little bit of a fan favorite and crowd pleaser, being quite approachable and straight forward arrangement wise. Very live friendly track we'll surely play also in the future. The video is like the song, fairly simple and …soft. Enjoy.”

Eric Blair of "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" conducted an interview with former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach at the Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show, which was held this past Saturday night (November 9) at the historic Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The concert honored heavy metal legend, BLACK SABBATH's Geezer Butler, and featured an all-star band of rock luminaries performing BLACK SABBATH songs as a tribute to Butler. The performance culminated with Geezer joining the band for the finale.

Asked if he got the feud with MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx "worked out," Bach replied: "Here's the thing… You are talking to probably the biggest MÖTLEY CRÜE fan in the world. So, you know, when you wake up and it's, like, 'I never fucking said that.' It's, like, 'Well, bullshit. Actually ,you did.' Here's the thing…. I'm not making anything up. I'm not that devious. I don't have a lot of time. I'm kind of busy. But how much fun was that on YouTube when that [old MTV] interview [with Sixx and Tommy Lee] surfaced? [laughs] Did you see that? Oops! [laughs] Maybe I could be referring to that!"

He continued: "Here's the thing… When he comes out and goes he never said that or anything, I think he's talking about me like the 14-year-old MÖTLEY CRÜE fan, like, in the front row. I'm, like, a 45-year-old man now. It's, like, 'OK, dude. Well, I know we're into that whole 'out-in-the-playground' kind of thing, but I'm not 14 anymore, so..."

After Bach revealed in a a three-word tweet to a fan on August 29 that he was asked to join MÖTLEY CRÜE more than two decades ago, Sixx quickly retorted that Bach's version of events never happened. Sebastian then took to his Facebook page to describe in some detail the circumstances behind his being asked to join the CRÜE, which included taking part in a full day's rehearsal with the band and a slew of phone calls between various managers, agents and label executives. "I was driven to rehearsal by Tommy Lee, and I spent a full day singing the MÖTLEY CRÜE set with the band MÖTLEY CRÜE," Bach wrote. "I remember the songs that Nikki asked me to sing that day. I remember the whole road crew's ecstatic reaction to us jamming together all day. And I remember Nikki's very generous, kind offer, at the end of our rehearsal, for me to join the band MÖTLEY CRÜE. I remember his exact words that he said to me in front of his whole road crew, Tommy and Mick [Mars] as well. It's not every day that your hero asks you to join his band."

Bach didn't reveal the full details of what went down that day, promising his Facebook followers that he "will tell the complete story of Nikki offering me to join MÖTLEY CRÜE in my upcoming book, which will be arriving on bookshelves soon."

He added: "I am not simply 'making this up'… I am not a liar. I am working on my book right now and I look forward to you all reading it. I plan on my book having even more information in it than one of my tweets does."

On September 13, Nikki tweeted what appeared to be a short response to Bach's online rant: "Someone needs attention to try and sell some books." He then added: "I always liked the term 'washed up.'"

Melodic instrumental rock guitarist ADRIAN GALYSH will release Tone Poet on December 3rd. The album includes 12 tracks featuring vocal rock songs, instrumentals with world music influences, and sweeping orchestral works. While epic in scope, the album is tied together by Galysh’s tasteful guitar work and compositional style which is complemented by vocalist Mark Boals (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ROYAL HUNT, ULI JON ROTH), bassist Philip Bynoe (STEVE VAI, RING OF FIRE), and grooves by world-class drummer, Todd Sucherman (STYX).

Check out an album preview below:

Galysh has a successful trajectory spanning three previous solo albums and numerous collaborations and performances with industry giants like ULI JON ROTH (SCORPIONS), DWEEZIL ZAPPA, Yngwie Malmsteen, Robben Ford, Mike Keneally, GEORGE LYNCH (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB), Warren DeMartini (RATT), and many more.

Galysh confesses, “Tone Poet is my most mature album. I’ve written a very melodic, musical, collection of tunes that includes my progressive hard rock influences, classical, and world-music influences. Mark Boals’ powerful voice, Philip Bynoe's feel, and Todd Sucherman’s tasteful drum playing are right in sync with where I am at, musically.”

Tone Poet album artwork was illustrated and designed by Kristina Maloney.

Tone Poet tracklisting:

‘Resurrectis’
‘Brick By Brick’
‘When You Fall’
‘Flying’
‘Movie In My Mind’
‘Luminae’
‘La Dolce Vita’
‘Tone Poet’
‘Epoch’
‘Echoes Of El Greco’
‘Ur Of The Chaldees’
‘Spring (The Return)’

Guitars, bass, and keyboards were recorded at Adrian's home studio. Charlie Waymire's drums were recorded by Lizzy Ostro at Ultimate Rhythm Studios in Panorama City, CA; Todd Sucherman's drums were recorded by J.R. Taylor and Todd Sucherman at the Bee Hive in Austin, TX.

Tone Poet was mixed by Jessie Billson, except tracks 1, 6, and 9 mixed by Adrian Galysh. Mastered by Vinnie Simonette at Little Simy, Alexandria, VA.

Personnel:
Adrian Galysh: electric and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, and programming
Charlie Waymire: drums on tracks 2, 3, 4, 5
Philip Bynoe: bass on tracks 4, 5, 8
Todd Sucherman: drums on tracks 7, 8, 10, 11, 12

For more info visit AdrianGalysh.com.

ANATHEMA's multi-instrumentalist Daniel Cardoso is going solo with The DC. A brand new video teaser of his new solo venture, filmed at the famed Paramount Recording Studios in Hollywood, CA can be viewed below:
Cardoso plays all the instruments, as seen on the video and as he did on his 2006 release with HEAD CONTROL SYSTEM (with Norwegian artist Kristoffer Rygg from ULVER) however this time making a leap into the singing department himself.

More on The DC can be found via Facebook

Zisis Petkanas of Greece's Rock Overdose caught up with Anathema's Vincent Cavanagh a few hours before the band's recent acoustic live shows in Athens and Thessaloniki.
Cavanagh revealed that Anathema are ready to enter the studio in December. More specifically he said: "We are preparing to enter the studio after we finish this tour. We have a lot of new ideas and we just have to choose which songs we'll prepare for the album. We have, I would say 60-70% ready! In December we'll start recording for about three weeks, and after a break for Christmas we will continue by the end of January and finish mixing on February. We are ready and quite willing to make a step forward", and continued saying that "If everything goes well the album would be released in May 2014."

Shelter is the fourth album by ALCEST, the destination of a long creative musical journey into vast new territories. More than ever the French outfit consisting of mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Neige and drummer Winterhalter embraces the dreamy guitar textures of shoegaze and blends it with the sweetness of british band Cocteau Twins- dream pop pioneers of the mid to late 80's era, epic, soundtrack-like melodies and progressive song structures.

The album which features guest appearances from SLOWDIVE's Neil Halstead (lead vocals on the song 'Away'), Sweden's PROMISE AND THE MONSTER’s Billie Lindahl and Amiina's strings sections was recorded at Sundlaugin Studio, Iceland, with Sigur Rós producer Birgir Jón Birgisson who masterfully gave Shelter its light and ethereal sound.

Conceptually, the title of the album Shelter says it all. The record is about the concept of shelter as a safe place that allows everybody to escape reality for an instant, to reunite with what we really are, deep down. Neige's own shelter turned out to be the sea, as well as the tracks of this album, all inspired by and dedicated to it.

The album will be released on January 17th in Europe, and January 21st in North America, via Prophecy.
Tracklisting:

'Wings'
'Opale'
'La Nuit Marche Avec Moi'
'Voix Sereines'
'L'Eveil Des Muses'
'Shelter'
'Away'
'Délivrance'

Bonus CD/ Bonus 7" of the deluxe editions:
'Into The Waves'

Order various bundles here.

TWISTED SISTER kick off the 30th anniversary of their classic Stay Hungry album at Goransson Arena in Sandviken, Sweden on December 14th. Also on the bill for this show is EUROPE.
Newly confirmed, Twisted Sister's celebration of the 30th anniversary of Stay Hungry continues on March 15th, 2014, at the Hell And Heaven Fest in Mexico City. Other acts on the bill for the festival include LAMB OF GOD, CARCASS, MISFITS, DESTRUCTION, BRUJERIA, ANGRA, COMBICHRIST, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and many more.

More festival details at this location.
Stay Hungry, Twisted Sister's third album, was released on May 10th, 1984, and features the band's two biggest hits, 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and 'I Wanna Rock' and the power ballad 'The Price'. According to RIAA certification, Stay Hungry gained multi-platinum status with US sales of more than 3,000,000 copies, according to Wikipedia.

SAXON have made an announcement in regards to their 2014 live dates:

"As you all know it is our 35th anniversary next year and also the anniversary of Crusader. All the Saxon headline shows will have a set list to reflect the first six albums in Northampton, Preston, Buckley, Luxembourg, Leeuwarden and Malmo. So get your tickets now!"
Saxon have produced a series of alternative takes on classic favourites to herald a worthy new entry to the Saxonian Institute of Metal. There is always feral beauty in a raging beast... and with Unplugged And Strung Up, Saxon's selection of unique, fresh and adventurous interpretations of material previously heard only with raw heavy metal thunder, the point is triumphantly underscored.

Unplugged And Strung Up 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, UK earlier this year, Biff Byford and co re-evaluated, re-worked and re-energized the towering likes 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, whilst 'Red Star Falling' soars and sweeps the emotions with it's orchestrally-arranged dovetail.

As if this reinvention wasn't enough, Saxon superfans and collectors can purchase a digipak version of the release which will include 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.
Due for release on November 18th, Unplugged And Strung Up features the following tracklisting:

'Stallions Of The Highway' (remix)
'Crusader' (orchestral version)
'Battle Cry'
'The Eagle Has Landed' (orchestral version)
'Red Star Falling' (orchestral version)
'Broken Heroes' (orchestral version)
'Call To Arms' (orchestral version)
'Militia Guard'
'Forever Free' (re-recorded version)
'Just Let Me Rock' (re-recorded version)
'Frozen Rainbow' (acoustic version)
'Iron Wheels' (live acoustic version)
'Requiem' (acoustic version)
'Coming Home' (acoustic version)

Heavy Metal Thunder tracklisting:

'Heavy Metal Thunder'
'Strong Arm Of The Law'
'Power & The Glory'
'And The Bands Played On'
'Crusader'
'Dallas 1PM'
'Princess Of The Night'
'Wheels Of Steel'
'747 (Strangers In The Night)'
'Motorcycle Man'
'Never Surrender'
'Denim & Leather'
'Backs To The Wall'
The standard single CD of Unplugged And Strung Up will come in a jewel case, and a double-vinyl gatefold sleeve version of the release will also be available. The digipack will be a two-disc version of the release featuring the bonus disc Heavy Metal Thunder, and there will be a digital release of the same.

Fret12 Productions has announced the upcoming release of the fifth installment of the "The Sound And The Story" instructional-documentary guitar DVD series starring Grammy Award-winning guitarist and songwriter Jim Root of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

Since 1999, Jim Root has been cultivating a guitar sound and songwriting style that is markedly original and deeply influential. Entire musical movements have formed in the wake of the band's sound. A profusion of impassioned fans, noteworthy musicians, and signature products all take inspiration from Jim Root's approach to music, and Fret12 will be taking you even further into his creative persona. Fans will learn the origins of his style, the sounds that add up to create his signature tone, and the emotional story that has molded him into the musician he is today.

"When Jim joined, it really became something very special, and I can remember being so excited for the future; because we had someone who could really play anything," said Corey Taylor, lead singer of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

"The Sound And The Story" DVD series is quickly becoming known for featuring comprehensive guitar lessons taught by the artist — featuring fan-favorite songs. In this DVD, Jim teaches exactly how he plays some of his most memorable and challenging solos from both bands. Jim also teaches you how to play 11 complete songs: covering riffs, leads/overlays, effects-usage, and more! Paired with an artist-approved tab book, fans will get access to tutorials on guitar techniques and methods; backstage rig tours, live concert footage, and a private behind-the-scenes look at the life of Jim Root. Taylor and guitar technician Martin Connors also share stories and personal experiences they've had with Jim Root in a series of never-before-seen interviews!

To pre-order the DVD, go to this location.

Along with the DVD, fans can connect at Fret12.com; which offers a full online store catering to guitarists and guitar culture. Fret12 also features over 250 professional guitarist interviews and rig tours, tablature, and social platforms with active followings of guitar enthusiasts, musicians, and fans to interact and network with.

In a 2011 interview with Roadrunner Records, Root stated about when he first start playing guitar: "My parents had an old nylon string acoustic guitar that I would mess around on, which, I think, had like two stings on it when I was, like, 12-13 years old and then I begged them from the time I was 12 until I was probably 14 or 15 for a guitar and they got me this Memphis — not any brand name or anything — like a Les Paul Jr. copy, like a double cut away. That was alright. Then I begged and begged and begged for a nice guitar and I got a bass, 'cause the person at the guitar shop told them that if I wanna learn guitar, that I gotta start with bass. I got a Cort bass it looked like a Fender P Bass and I did one bass lesson with that and Paul Wilson, the guy I did the bass lessons with, saw I had good dexterity and a good ear and I pretty much schooled the lesson so I went right out from the lesson, and was like, 'Eh, Dad... [laughs] I don't wanna play bass, I wanna play guitar, 'cause all my favorite guys play guitar. And then I got a Takamine electric guitar, so that was kind of, like, my first real quick guitar. My first real real guitar I had was a Charvel, model 1 and that was when I was 15, I think, I got that."

MANRAZE, the London-based rock band formed by DEF LEPPARD lead guitarist Phil Collen, along with punk rock forerunner Paul Cook (SEX PISTOLS) on drums and Simon Laffy, rockin' bass player of Collen's former glam-band GIRL, has just released a new EP, "I Surrender",.

"I Surrender" is comprised of three songs, including the title track, which features background vocals by Debbi Blackwell-Cook, who also appears on "All I Wanna Do", a newly recorded version of the song which first appeared on the trio's 2011 sophomore album "punkfunkrootsrock". The final track is "Connected - Live from Shepherd's Bush", a live studio performance from a studio podcast session, not previously released.

The first single, "I Surrender", was nearly forgotten about, explains Collen. "The song is eight years old," he says. "It practically never got finished. I was on tour last year and started singing the chorus. Early this year, I re-did the guitars to Paul's original demo drums. I did a vocal and Simon played new bass-lines. Ger McDonnell then did a brilliant edit and mix on what we gave him. Debbi Blackwell-Cook supplied the wailing outro-vocals that you hear at the end of the song. We feel this is our best song yet."

You can watch the official lyric video for the "I Surrender" title track below.

In the spring of 2011, the MANRAZE single "I, Superbiker" was the theme song for the feature documentary of the same name. Another MANRAZE song featuring Debbi Blackwell-Cook titled "Take On The World" was also released in conjunction with the film. Directed by Mark Sloper, and released solely in the U.K., the documentary is an in-depth exposé into the merciless world of competitive speed bike racing and a look at the men who have dedicated their entire existence to this incredibly dangerous, adrenaline-fueled sport.

Since the last album release, all three band members have kept busy. Collen continues to hold down his "day job" as lead guitarist with DEF LEPPARD, currently promoting their DEF LEPPARD "Viva! Hysteria" concert live album and DVD release this month. Cook has been working with Edwyn Collins, first on his 2013 album release "Understated", and then touring with Collins playing live shows. Currently, Cook is also playing in SUBWAY SECT with Vic Goddard touring and recording a new album. Laffy has taken his talents into another creative lane, having authored two novels in his "off time," "Red Sunrise" and "Seed Of Satan". Both are historical fictions, set around epic events of the 20th century and are in the process of being published.

It all started in 2004, when Phil Collen, after 20+ years as lead guitarist for DEF LEPPARD, decided to express himself via another creative outlet. After a chance meeting on the street with Paul Cook, MANRAZE finally released their debut album, "Surreal", through Universal in the summer of 2008 to rave reviews.

New Zealand's brutal metallic hardcore band SAVING GRACE will release its fourth album, "The Urgency", on January 21, 2014 via Facedown Records. The CD was recorded at Parachute Studios in Auckland with producer Zack Ohren (ALL SHALL PERISH, CARNIFEX, THE GHOST INSIDE, FIRST BLOOD). It is described in a press release as "the band's most raw and aggressive effort to date and sees a return to earlier roots of their original sound which is heavily influenced by traditional European metalcore and mixed with stylings of American hardcore and death metal."

The cover artwork for "The Urgency" was created by U.K. artist Colin Marks (WHITECHAPEL, IMPENDING DOOM, OCEANO, ALL SHALL PERISH) and can be seen below.

Having signed with U.S.-based Crimson Management (VANNA, SHADOWS FALL, JOB FOR A COWBOY) immediately after their third North American tour and appearances at 2013's Facedown Fest and 15th annual New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, SAVING GRACE returned to its homeland in May to begin work on brand new material for a follow up to 2011's "The King Is Coming".

Comments SAVING GRACE lead guitarist and co-founder Vasely Sapunov: ""With each new album, we only ever have one goal and that is to create music which is harder, heavier, darker and more aurally disgusting than the previous and this is by far the darkest and most pissed off record we have ever created.

"You will never hear anything like clean singing, trendy down-tuned guitars or a more commercially friendly approach from SAVING GRACE and that is a promise. We will continue to push the boundaries of how we define 'heavy' and that's by crafting the most aggressive music that we are capable of and filling it with sincere, passionate and truthful lyrics.

"On this record, you can expect to hear the classic sound of SAVING GRACE, but taken to the absolute extreme with all of our early musical influences dissected to create the ultimate blend of metallic hardcore.

"We wear our combined influences proudly on our sleeve from classics like SLAYER, REPRISAL, EARTH CRISIS, PANTERA and ARKANGEL to bands like MARTYR AD and SLIPKNOT all the way through to death metal acts that we grew up listening to like MORBID ANGEL, IMMOLATION and DECAPITATED."

The debut single from "The Urgency", "1994", can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

Brooklyn, New York's TOMBS has entered the studio to begin recording the follow-up to its critically acclaimed 2011 effort, "Path Of Totality". The band will spend the next two weeks working with producer Erik Rutan (MORBID ANGEL, CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL) at his Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida. An early 2014 release via Relapse Records is expected.

Commented TOMBS vocalist/guitarist Mike Hill: "The new material is darker and more extreme than the last record.

"The addition of [bassist] Ben Brand and [guitarist] Garett Bussanick have really stepped up the playing and musicianship to a new level."

TOMBS has released two full-length albums and one singles/rarities collection, all of which are available for streaming via Bandcamp.

Northern California death metallers THE KENNEDY VEIL will release their second album, "Trinity Of Falsehood", on January 21, 2014 via Unique Leader Records. The eleven-track offering "with an aggressive and unrelenting attitude… brings back a familiarity of big choruses and bludgeoning drums, but places its focus on structure," according to a press release.

Says the band: "We all feel that this album is exactly how we intended it to be and carries a much greater weight and impact which will lead us to be a formidable band in the death metal community and we, as THE KENNEDY VEIL, stand firm in the belief that our disciples will enthusiastically devour this new evolution of our sound."

In 2009, the world bore witness to a whole new brand of brutality. THE KENNEDY VEIL unleashed upon the scene their own fanatical perspective of American death metal. A quartet composed of Casey Childers (ex-FORKTUNG), Gabe Seeber (ALTERBEAST, DECREPIT BIRTH, ex-WRETCHED DAWN), Cody Walker (ex-SKRIBBLE) and Shawn Peterson, THE KENNEDY VEIL recorded its first album, "The Sentence Of Their Conqueror", with engineer Josh Williams at Metal Works Studios, and released a compilation of eight visceral tracks which quickly grabbed the attention of the metal underground. With the release of this album, the band played shows relentlessly with legendary acts such as CEPHALIC CARNAGE, EXHUMED, CATTLE DECAPITATION, MACABRE, DECREPIT BIRTH, ORIGIN, DIVINE HERESY and ABYSMAL DAWN.

In 2012, THE KENNEDY VEIL went to work on writing the follow up to "The Sentence Of Their Conqueror" and prepared an onslaught of hostile yet dynamic tracks that would come together in the form of "Trinity Of Falsehood" – a doctrine that will enslave the ears of the lawless and govern the damned into a frenzy of panic.

Digital Tour Bus, which gives fans "an all-access pass" to the tour buses that their favorite bands travel in, has posted its latest episode, focusing on the California hardcore/metal outfit BLEEDING THROUGH. The four-minute clip, which was filmed on November 4, 2013 in Joliet, Illinois during the band's farewell tour, can be seen below.

BLEEDING THROUGH plans to hit South America in early 2014 and will conclude its career with a string of West Coast shows.

In a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, BLEEDING THROUGH frontman Brandan Schieppati said about the group's decision to disband: "We have been a band since 1999, and many of us just had life catch up with us in the way of marriages, kids, businesses and other endeavors. We can no longer dedicate what we need to to keep BLEEDING THROUGH going.

"Personally, I feel doing this band in a part-time fashion is not what this band is about and and feel like we have always been an all-or-nothing band. With that being said, and because we have established a worldwide following over the last 14 years, we want to give us and those people one more chance to share in this music together."

BLEEDING THROUGH's latest album, "The Great Fire", was released on January 31, 2012 via Rise Records.

The official lyric video for the song "As Loke Falls" from Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH can be seen below. The track comes off the band's ninth studio album, "Deceiver Of The Gods", sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 25 via Metal Blade Records.

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

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

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

"If You Have Ghost", the new covers EP from Swedish occult rockers GHOST, can be streamed in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. Due on November 19 via Loma Vista Recordings, the five-track EP was recorded and produced by Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS, NIRVANA), and includes cover versions of songs by ROKY ERICKSON, ABBA, ARMY OF LOVERS and DEPECHE MODE, plus a live version of the GHOST offering "Secular Haze", recorded in Brooklyn earlier this year. Outside North America (with the exception of Scandinavia), Spinefarm Records will be the new releasing partner for Loma Vista on all GHOST recordings, including the new EP and previous album. Spinefarm releases are distributed through Caroline/Universal in all territories, including the U.K., where a November 18 date has been confirmed for the release of "If You Have Ghost"; the EP release date in other territories will vary slightly. "If You Have Ghost" will be available on CD, 12-inch vinyl and digitally. Those who pre-order the EP will receive an instant free download of "Secular Haze - Live".

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. If You Have Ghosts (ROKY ERICKSON cover)02. I'm A Marionette (ABBA cover)03. Crucified (ARMY OF LOVERS cover)04. Waiting For The Night (DEPECHE MODE cover)05. Secular Haze (live at Music Hall Of Williamsburg In Brooklyn, NY)

GHOST recently travelled to the U.S. to join AVENGED SEVENFOLD and DEFTONES for the "Hail To The King" tour; these dates — which ran until October 26 — marked the band's first proper U.S. outing since their "Haze Over America" trek earlier this year. GHOST also appeared at various music festivals across the U.S. this summer, including Coachella, Lollapalooza and Rock On The Range. In Europe, GHOST has joined forces with ALICE IN CHAINS for a run of dates that started in the U.K. on November 9, before heading across to mainland Europe.

"Infestissumam" has sold around 41,000 copies in the United States since its April release.

The CD topped the official chart in the group's home country after selling nearly five times as many copies as the No. 2 album, MISS LI's "Wolves".

In a recent interview with ARTISTdirect, a nameless ghoul from GHOST said about "Infestissumam": "It feels way more theatrical and bombastic. In many ways, 'Infestissumam' is thematically a continuation of where [the debut album] 'Opus Eponymous' began. Whereas a lot of the thematic ideas we have in mind for upcoming albums might differ a little bit and will go in another direction. That's not to say we won't sing about the things we do and not have makeup. I'm just saying it will evolve into other things in the future. On this record, I feel like we're doing a lot of things we intended to do on the first naïvely being we could pull off a show like that at that point — which we couldn't. Now, we have a little bit more muscle. The attendance is probably more in accordance with being able to present a show like that."

Regarding the lyrical themes covered "Infestissumam", the nameless ghoul said: "Thematically we knew the major difference between the first and the second albums as much as we do between the second and the third. It's a bit ironic now. Jumping up to the contemporary controversy with our album artwork and the refusal of printers to print the art is funny because the whole record is about the presence of the devil. Obviously, it's about how mankind relate to the presence of the devil. Historically, it's always been the female body that has taken the fall for that, which is what happened in this case. The problem was a vagina in the art not the inverted crosses."

GHOST was forced to modify its name in the U.S. to GHOST B.C. for "legal reasons."

Professionally filmed video footage of EXODUS' August 2 performance at the Resurrection Fest in Viveiro, Spain can be seen at this location. A couple of the clips are available below.

EXODUS mainman and current SLAYER touring guitarist Gary Holt told "Metal Zone" host Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone about his plans for a new EXODUS studio album: "After this upcoming October/November SLAYER tour, I'm off from that band until next April. So I have this window of opportunity [to work on a new EXODUS CD]. So we're gonna make the album, we're gonna make it happen, whether it kills me or not. We're looking at February to start [recording]."

He added: "I'm heavily in riff mode [right now]. It's always hard to gauge where a record's going right away, but you kind of get a feel for where you're headed mentally, and right now it's really fast. It's ridiculous.

"I wanna make sure that the [next EXODUS] album is as good as it needs to be, and knowing I am going to be on a tight time frame, it does tend to stress me out quite a bit. But I think I write well under stress… I hate the pressure. But I do what I gotta do. We all do. So we'll make it happen."

EXODUS recently completed a European tour of 17 cities, with stops in Barcelona, Dublin, London and more. Although SLAYER tapped the talents of Gary Holt for their European tour, Holt performed at select EXODUS dates. When Holt was not performing with EXODUS, HEATHEN guitarist Kragen Lum was filling in on guitar.

EXODUS' latest album, "Exhibit B: The Human Condition", was released in North America on May 18, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The CD sold around 4,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 114 on The Billboard 200 chart.

EXODUS' previous album, "The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A", opened with 3,600 units back in October 2007.

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

"Plagues Of Babylon" track listing:

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

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

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

"We feel that the package with SABATON and REVAMP is very strong and we are very excited to tour the U.S. and Canada again and kick some major ass!" Exclusive pre-sale tickets and VIP packages for the entire ICED EARTH North American tour are available now at EnterTheVault.com. Pre-sale tickets will remain onsale until December 4, when remaining tickets are made available to the general public through the traditional retail outlets (check your local venue for details). VIP packages will remain onsale exclusively at EnterTheVault.com while supplies last.

ICED EARTH North American tour dates with SABATON and REVAMP:

Apr. 04 - Grand Rapids, MI - The IntersectionApr. 05 - Milwaukee, WI - The RaveApr. 06 - Chicago, IL - House Of BluesApr. 07 - Minneapolis, MN - First AvenueApr. 09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AEApr. 10 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music HallApr. 11 - Cleveland, OH - Agora BallroomApr. 12 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews HallApr. 14 - Toronto, ONT - Phoenix Concert TheatreApr. 15 - Quebec City, QC - Imperial TheaterApr. 16 - Montreal, QC - Corona TheatreApr. 17 - Philadelphia, PA - The TrocaderoApr. 18 - New York, NY - Best Buy Theater Apr. 19 - Worcester, MA - The PalladiumApr. 21 - West Springfield, VA - EmpireApr. 23 - Atlanta, GA - The MasqueradeApr. 24 - Orlando, FL - House Of Blues OrlandoApr. 25 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - RevolutionApr. 26 - Saint Petersburg, FL - State TheatreApr. 28 - Houston, TX - Scout BarApr. 29 - Dallas, TX - TreesMay 01 - Tempe, AZ - Club RedMay 02 - West Hollywood, CA - House Of Blues SunsetMay 03 - San Francisco, CA - Slim'sMay 05 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Concert HouseMay 06 - Seattle, WA - El CorazonMay 07 - Vancouver, BC - The VenueMay 09 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite RoomMay 10 - Calgary, AB - RepublikMay 11 - Regina, SK - Riddell CentreMay 12 - Winnipeg, MB - Park TheatreMay 14 - Denver, CO - The Summit Music HallMay 15 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine TheaterMay 16 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom

"Plagues Of Babylon" (song) lyric video:

BLACK STAR RIDERS frontman Ricky Warwick recently spent time the desert (15 miles from the Mexican border) with filmmaker Michael Beattie making the epic new video for the next single, "Kingdom Of The Lost", from the band's debut album, "All Hell Breaks Loose". You can now watch the finished clip below.

BLACK STAR RIDERS is the band formed by THIN LIZZY alumni Ricky Warwick (guitar, vocals), Damon Johnson (guitar), Scott Gorham (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso (ALICE COOPER, MEGADETH, DAVID LEE ROTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) on drums.

"All Hell Breaks Loose" sold around 2,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 5 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 "All Hell Breaks Loose" artwork features a painting by Gil Elvgren (March 15, 1914 - February 29, 1980), the legendary U.S. painter best known for his work on pin-up girls, advertising and illustration.

"All Hell Breaks Loose" was recorded and mixed by producer Kevin Shirley (LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, RUSH) at his The Cave studios in Malibu, California. Mastering duties were handled by Bob Ludwig (JIMI HENDRIX, RUSH, KISS, LED ZEPPELIN) at Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine.

The album was released as a standard CD and also as a special-edition digipak featuring a bonus track, "Right To Be Wrong", and a "making-of" DVD.

BLACK STAR RIDERS made its live debut on May 30 at The Marshall Theatre in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. The set featured a mix of music from "All Hell Breaks Loose" along with classic THIN LIZZY tracks.

HELLOWEEN singer Andi Deris and his solo band, BAD BANKERS, have released a studio video introducing their song "Cock". Check it out below.

Deris has returned with his first solo album since 1999. Not so much a solo effort in its original sense, but recorded in a band environment to achieve a real band feeling, "Million Dollar Haircuts On Ten Cent Heads" will be released on November 22 via earMUSIC.

Written and composed by Andi Deris himself, "Million Dollar Haircuts On Ten Cent Heads" has a crispy, modern sound to it. The diverse, high-class production is snotty, dirty and brutally honest and is described in a press release as "a healthy mixture of HELLOWEEN's recent records combined with 'Master Of The Rings' tradition (Andi's first HELLOWEEN album)."

Recorded together with his band BAD BANKERS, "Million Dollar Haircuts On Ten Cent Heads" sees Deris criticizing the economic system and its corruption. Although the topic may seem a bit dull, the heavy guitar riffs and Deris' recognizable voice clearly make a point: "fuck banks, fuck managers, fuck bankers." He explains: "Obviously we despise everything around banks, managers and bankers who are clearly responsible for the shit that goes on nowadays (and most certainly in our future), so it felt very good to vocally tell them what we think about them. Sure, therefore it's highly explicit but hey… who gives a fuck? That's what they deserve... and it helps the music to really kick some ass."

"Million Dollar Haircuts On Ten Cent Heads" standard CD track listing:

01. Cock02. Will We Ever Change 03. Banker's Delight (DOA) 04. Blind 05. Don't Listen To The Radio (TWOTW 1938) 06. Who Am I 07. Must Be Dreaming08. The Last Days Of Rain09. Enamoria 1.810. This Could Go On Forever11. I Sing Myself Away

"Million Dollar Haircuts On Ten Cent Heads" limited-edition digipak track listing:

CD1

01. Cock02. Will We Ever Change03. Banker's Delight (DOA)04. Blind 05. Don't Listen To The Radio (TWOTW 1938)06. Who Am I07. Must Be Dreaming08. The Last Days Of Rain09. Enamoria 1.810. This Could Go On Forever11. I Sing Myself Away

CD2

01. Behind Dead Eyes (unreleased track; demo)02. Little Lies (unreleased track; demo)03. TWOTW 1938 (Don't Listen To The Radio) (unreleased demo version)04. Must Be Dreaming (unreleased demo version)05. EnAmoria (unreleased demo version)

"Million Dollar Haircuts On Ten Cent Heads" vinyl track listing:

A1. CockA2. Will We Ever ChangeA3. Banker's Delight (DOA)A4. BlindA5. Don't Listen To The Radio (TWOTW 1938)

B1. Who Am IB2. Must Be DreamingB3. The Last Days Of RainB4. Enamoria 1.8B5. This Could Go On ForeverB6. I Sing Myself Away

ANDI DERIS AND THE BAD BANKERS lineup:

Andi Deris (Bad Vocals, Bad Guitars)Nico Martin (Bad Guitars)Jezoar Marrero (Bad Bass)Nasim López-Palacios (Bad Drums)

The song "Don't Listen To The Radio (TWOTW 1938)" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

"Cock" studio video:

Bassist Olly Keller has left long-running German metallers PARADOX and has been replaced by Tommy Kittsteiner Calvanese.

Says the band: "We wish Olly all the best for the future and thank him for his contribution to the band and his outstanding achievements, which he delivered to 'Electrify' (2008), 'Riot Squad' (2009) and 'Tales Of The Weird' (2012)."

PARADOX last month signed a new worldwide deal with AFM Records, extending its contract with the label. The band's new studio album is due in fall/winter 2014.

Says the label: "We're looking forward to another killer thrash album from Charly [Steinhauer, PARADOX guitarist/vocalist] and his boys, which should arrive in late 2014."

Added the band: "We've been 13 years with AFM Records and happy to continue working with a label which we rely."

PARADOX's latest album, "Tales Of The Weird", was released in December 2012 via AFM Records. The CD was produced by Steinhauer and was mixed and mastered by Victor Bullok (a.k.a. V. Santura; TRIPTYKON, DARK FORTRESS) at Woodshed Studio in Landshut, Germany. The cover art was created by Claudio Bergamin.

"Tales Of The Weird" featured guest appearances by Bob Katsionis (FIREWIND) and Gus Drax (SUNBURST).

PARADOX is:

Charly Steinhauer (vocals, guitar)Christian Muenzner (guitar)Tommy Kittsteiner Calvanese (bass)Daniel "Evil Ewald" Buld (drums)

A 30-second sample of "Feared And Hated", the new single from Swedish rockers MUSTASCH, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track, which will be released on November 20, comes off the band's new album, "Thank You For The Demon", which will be made available on January 15 via Gain Music Entertainment.

MUSTASCH's last album, "Sounds Like Hell, Looks Like Heaven", was released in North America on February 26 via Metalville Records.

MUSTASCH in 2011 parted ways with drummer Danne McKenzie due to personal differences and replaced him with Jejo Perkovic (INFINITE MASS, CANDLEMASS, BEAR QUARTET).

In early 2011, MUSTASCH celebrated its 10th anniversary with the release of "The New Sound Of The True Best", a compilation album featuring re-recorded versions of some of the band's best songs along with a new track, "Angels Share". That album will also receive a North American release on February 26 via Metalville.

FU MANCHU guitarist/vocalist Bob Balch and drummer Scott Reeder have joined forces with former KYUSS bassist Scott Thomas Reeder in SUN & SAIL CLUB. Their debut album, "Mannequin", will be released on November 19 via Satin Records.

The entire CD can now be streamed at SPIN.com.

"Mannequin" track listing:

01. Lagrimas De Dios02. Held Down03. Whites Of Your Eyes04. Gang Justice05. It's All Your Fault06. La Muerte De Un Planeta07. I'm Not Upside Down08. Season In Hell09. Inside The Machine10. Hunted11. La Risa De Satanas

Said Balch: "In between FU MANCHU tours, I was writing all this material that was really frantic and dark. Lots of notes and strange chords.

"A lot of times I would go interview a guitar player for my site PlayThisRiff.com and come back inspired and full of ideas. Just to make Scott Reeder laugh I would send him a file to play drums on.

"Well, anybody who has seen FU MANCHU live knows Reeder is a monster behind the kit. So I would try to throw him some curveballs to trip him up. No such luck. Every riff I sent him he nailed. After a while, there was an album's worth of stuff.

"I really wanted Scott Thomas Reeder to play bass on it. I love the work he has done in his recording studio too, so I figured that if we recorded stuff there, hopefully he'd dig it and play on it.

"I remember after the first take we walked into the control room and Reeder said, 'I had an idea!' He asked to play on it and I almost crapped myself. I don't think I've ever said 'Yes!' faster.

"His bass lines are insane. Lots of drop-A stuff which is probably pretty hard on bass. He nailed it too!

"Once the bass tracks were in place, we needed vocals.

"I had lyrics and melodies in my head. A lot of the vocal parts were four-part harmonies. Crazy stuff. So I laid down vocals on the home demos using a vocoder and a guitar.

"I thought if I could get an unmixed album with vocoder vocals together, I could start sending it out to singers that I liked to see if they had any interest. I went back into Scott Thomas Reeder's studio to lay down the vocoder parts as a guide for singers. I did the track 'Gang Justice' first and Reeder turned around and said, 'That's how the vocals will stay. It's inane.' He asked, 'Do you have stuff for every song using the vocoder?' I did. So we went to work. The only song I didn't have vocals for Reeder sang. It's named 'I'm Not Upside Down'.

"Overall, this record is heavy and dark. It's inspired by DEVO, VOIVOD, KRAFTWORK, TORCHE, SLAYER and much as it's inspired by ASWAD, JOE PASS and WES MONTGOMERY. The riffs are heavy and the vocoder vocals are full of harmonies.

"I wanted a super-heavy groove that would support angelic vocal harmonies. I think we achieved that."

He continued: "In the end, we had J. Robbins (CLUTCH, THE SWORD, THE HIDDEN HAND) mix the record. I loved his work and I'm a big fan of the band he played bass in GOVERNMENT ISSUE. He mixed THE HIDDEN HAND's 'Mother, Teacher, Destroyer', which is one of my favorite-sounding records. I wanted to get a heavy sound like that, but I also wanted a DEVO 'Duty Now For The Future' or RUSH 'Moving Pictures' vibe. I think that those ingredients play off the vocoder really well."

"Colossus", the brand new video from FREYA, the Syracuse, New York-based band fronted by Karl Buechner (EARTH CRISIS, PATH OF RESISTANCE), can be seen below. The song comes off FREYA's new album, "Paragon Of The Crucible", which was released on November 5 by Holy Mountain Music in America and Deadlight Entertaiment internationally. The cover artwork for the CD was conceived by guitarist Brendon Flynn and can be seen below.

Flynn told Terrorizer magazine about the "Colossus" track: "The song 'Colossus' is a gateway to the story of the album; a mythology created by people in the future to explain the cataclysmic end of the civilization that preceded theirs."

Another song from the CD, "Serpentine", features a guest solo by Paul Waggoner of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME. Commented Paul: "I was truly honored to be asked to be a part of this record, and the 'Serpentine' track specifically. I have great respect for the FREYA guys and their musicianship, and it was a real privilege to be able to add my little touch with a guitar solo. Ultimately, this song is a balance of heavy, aggressive riffing and emotive, driving melodies. So it was my goal to encapsulate the overall vibe of tune by creating a part that added some contrast, but one that was still complementary to the music and vocals." FREYA has been crushing it out for more than ten years. They released three full-length albums and a split with Victory Records. The follow-up to 2010's "All Hail The End" was recorded with Jason "Jocko" Randall at Moresound Studio in Syracuse New York. Delving deep and giving a unique re-imagining to classic thrash and death metal, FREYA builds an epic post-apocalyptic wasteland where enormous beasts have destroyed the Earth and left man to create myths to explain the scarred world around them. On top of the destructive riffing, melodic and more progressive textures have been added to create an intense and vibrant setting.

FREYA is:

Karl Buechner (vocals)Brendon Flynn (guitar)Thom Turner (guitar)Joseph Murphy (drums)Brett Walts (bass)

Austrian symphonic metal band EDENBRIDGE will re-release their first five studio albums through SPV/Steamhammer as The Definitive Editions. Release dates are in Germany on November 22nd, in Europe on November 25th and in North America on January 21st.

All albums come as double CDs in deluxe digipacks with numerous previously unreleased material, remastered and with extensive liner notes by Lanvall, including personal thoughts to every single song and many unreleased photos. The outer side of the CDs offers a special gimmick which is only visible in the combination of all 5 albums and impresses with a noble silver offset print.
Pre-orders have been launched at this location.

Tracklistings follow:
Sunrise In Eden:

CD1 (The Album):
'Cheyenne Spirit '
'Sunrise In Eden'
'Forever Shine On'
'Holy Fire'
'Wings Of The Wind'
'In The Rain'
'Midnight At Noon'
'Take Me Back'
'My Last Step Beyond'

CD2 (Bonus Tracks):
'Holy Fire' (Live)
'Forever Shine On' (Live)
'Sunrise In Eden' / 'My Last Step Beyond' (Live)
'Cheyenne Spirit' (Live)
'Take Me Back' (Demo Version, alternative mix)
'Wings Of The Wind' (Demo Version, alternative mix)
'In The Rain' (Demo Version, alternative mix)
'Cheyenne Spirit' (Karaoke Version)
'Forever Shine On' (Karaoke Version)
Aphelion:

CD1 (The Album):
'The Undiscovered Land'
'Skyward'
'The Final Curtain'
'Perennial Dreams'
'Fly At Higher Game'
'As Far As Eyes Can See'
'Deadend Fire'
'Farpoint Anywhere'
'Where Silence Has Lease'
'Red Ball In Blue Sky'

CD2 (Bonus Tracks):
'The Whispering Gallery' *
'On The Verge Of Infinity' *
'Perennial Dreams' (Live)
'Skyward' (Live)
'The Final Curtain' (Live)
'The Undiscovered Land' (Live)
'As Far As Eyes Can See' (Karaoke Version)
'Red Ball In Blue Sky' (Karaoke Version)
'Where Silence Has Lease' (Karaoke Version)

* Original Bonus tracks Europe and Japan
Arcana:

CD1 (The Album):
'Ascending'
'Starlight Reverie'
'The Palace'
'A Moment In Time'
'Fly On A Rainbow Dream'
'Color My Sky'
'Into The Light'
'Suspiria'
'Winter Winds'
'Arcana'

CD2 (Bonus Tracks):
'The Whisper Of The Ages' *
'Velvet Eyes Of Dawn' *
'Fly On A Rainbow Dream' (Live)
'Starlight Reverie' (Live)
'Suspiria' (Live)
'Arcana' (Live)
'Winter Winds' (Karaoke Version)
'Starlight Reverie' (Karaoke Version)
'Into The Light' (Karaoke Version)

* original bonus tracks Europe and Japan
Shine:

CD1 (The Album):
'Shine'
'Move Along Home'
'Centennial Legend'
'Wild Chase'
'And The Road Goes On'
'What You Leave Behind'
'Elsewhere'
'October Sky'
'The Canterville Prophecy'
'The Canterville Ghost'

CD2 (Bonus Tracks):
'On Sacred Ground' *
'Anthem' *
'Shine' (Single Version)**
'Wild Chase' (Live)
'Move Along Home' (Live)
'The Canterville Ghost' (Karaoke Version)
'What You Leave Behind' (Karaoke Version)
'And The Road Goes On' (Karaoke Version)

* Original bonus tracks Europe and Japan
** from 'Shine' single
The Grand Design:

CD1 (The Album):
'Terra Nova'
'Flame Of Passion'
'Evermore'
'The Most Beautiful Place'
'See You Fading Afar'
'On Top Of The World'
'Taken Away'
'The Grand Design'

CD2 (Bonus Tracks):
'For Your Eyes Only' *
'Images In The Sand' **
'Thin Red Line' **
'Empire Of The Sun' ***
'The Silent Wake' **
'The Grand Design' (Edit Version) *
'For Your Eyes Only' (Acoustic Version) *
'Evermore' (Live)
'Terra Nova' (Live)

* from 'For Your Eyes Only' single
** from Chronicles Of Eden, Best Of CD
*** original bonus track

Edenbridge will be back on tour in 2014, starting with a UK headline tour in February.
Confirmed tour dates include:

February
11 - London, England - Garage
12 - Ipswich, England - The Railway
13 - York, England - Fibbers
14 - Wakefield, England - Warehouse
15 - Newcastle, England - The Blyth & Tyne
16 - Bilston, England - The Robin 2

April
5 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7 (Masters of Symphonic Metal Festival)

More dates to be announced soon.

This weekend was the release of our long-awaited DVD and Blu-ray, Retrospect. We had an awesome time presenting it to our fans through the live premiers in several movie theaters around the world. Unfortunately over the weekend the news reached us that on a small part (a mere 100 to 200 total) of the Blu-ray pressing an incorrect disk was put in the final packaging. There is also an error on disk 2 of some of the DVD pressings (non Blu-ray), where the outro is missing.

This comes to us as a terrible blow. After the misfortune with "Requiem for the Indifferent" we made absolutely sure that this release would be 100% in order. Therefore we personally checked the final master several times until it was perfect. However, somewhere in the final stage, when it is beyond our control, something still went wrong.

If you notice either of these problems, please contact Nuclear Blast at: NUCLEAR BLAST'S CUSTOMER SERVICE. They will be able to help you further.

We want to let you know that in the meantime we are doing everything we can to right these wrongs. As soon as there are updates on this we will let you know.

Sincerely,

Epica

Italian power/prog metallers DRAGONHAMMER will release their new album, The X Experiment, on December 2nd via My Kingdom Music.

The album, according to the band, is an explosive mix of power, epic and progressive metal in the real Dragonhammer tradition and style, and is based on a great futuristic concept, a modern fantastic story set in a post-nuclear world where chaos reigns and humanity does not believe in anything.

The album will feature very special guests - the guitar-hero Francesco Fareri (JEFF LOOMIS, VITALIJ KUPRIJ, VIRTUAL MIND) with a phenomenal solo; the great singers Roberto Tiranti (LABYRINTH, A.P.D., MANGALA VALLIS, KEN HENSLEY’S LIVE FIRE) and Titta Tani (ASHENT, PHOENIX RISING, TAKAYOSHI OHMURA, ex-DGM, drummer for GOBLIN and ex-NECROPHAGIA) involved in two different songs, creating spectacular vocal duets with the singer Max Aguzzi; the talented drummer David Folchitto (STORMLORD, SCREAMING BANSHEE, PROPHILAX) who has recorded the drums for the whole album.
The X Experiment tracklisting:

'It’s Beginning'
'The End Of The World'
'Seek In The Ice'
'The X Experiment'
'Escape'
'My Destiny'
'The Others'
'Follow Your Star'
'Last Solution'

A sample of 'The End Of The World', featuring Roberto Tiranti vocal performance, can be heard below:
Dragonhammer lineup:

Max Aguzzi - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Gae Amodio - Bass
Roberto Franzò - Lead Guitar
Giulio Cattivera - Keyboards
Massimiliano Santori - Drums
More on Dragonhammer at this location.

BABYMETAL, the heavy metal offshoot of the Japanese pop idol group SAKURA GAKUIN that performs a distinctly Japanese mix of schoolgirl J-pop and death metal, will release its first-ever concert Blu-ray, "Live ～Legend I, D, Z Apocalypse～", on November 20 (the limited-edition DVD box was issued on October 19). The set contains footage of the band's performances at Shibuya O-East (October 2012), Akasaka Blitz (December 2012) and Zepp Tokyo (February 2013).

A performance clip from the Zepp Tokyo concert can be seen below.

BABYMETAL's "Megitsune" single was released on June 19. The song is said to combine traditional Japanese instruments with metal overtones and an enka ballad to create a festive sound. The theme of the track is "women are born actresses." Four different versions were made available for fans to purchase: a limited "Tsu", limited "Ki", and a limited "Ne" edition, as well as a less expensive regular edition. The limited versions come with bonus videos from the BABYMETAL live events that were held from 2012 to early 2013.

BABYMETAL recently embarked on the "Death Match Tour 2013" and was accompanied by a "full metal band."

In the spring of 2013, Suzuka Nakamoto graduated from junior high school and therefore had to "graduate" from the group SAKURA GAKUIN (which consists of girls of up to junior high). However, it was decided by the management that BABYMETAL would not dissolve and would continue their activities as a band.

BABYMETAL released its first major single, "Ijime, Dame, Zettai", on January 9.

BABY METAL is:

Su-Metal - Vocals and DanceMoametal - Screamer and DanceYuimetal - Screamer and Dance