JAKE E. LEE'S RED DRAGON CARTEL, the band led by former OZZY OSBOURNE and BADLANDS guitarist Jake E. Lee, will release its debut album on January 28, 2014 via Frontiers Records. The CD was recorded at Las Vegas' The Hideout Recording Studio — owned and operated by Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, IN THIS MOMENT) — and was produced by R. Bernard Mann (a.k.a. Ronnie Mancuso) and Jake E. Lee, and executive-produced, mixed and mastered by Churko.

JAKE E. LEE'S RED DRAGON CARTEL's album features guest appearances by vocalist Robin Zander from CHEAP TRICK, former IRON MAIDEN vocalist Paul Di'Anno, ex-PANTERA bassist Rex Brown, Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz (SLASH) as well as Maria Brink (IN THIS MOMENT), Jeremy Spencer (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) and Scott Reeder (KYUSS).

JAKE E. LEE'S RED DRAGON CARTEL, which references the axeman's Japanese roots, also features Darren Smith of Canadian metallers WARMACHINE, on vocals, Ronnie Mancuso (BEGGARS & THIEVES) on bass and Jonas Fairley (BLACK BETTY) on drums.

Upcoming JAKE E. LEE'S RED DRAGON CARTEL shows:

Dec. 12 - West Hollywood, CA - The Whisky A Go GoDec. 14 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee Theater (w/ QUEENSRŸCHE)Dec. 15 - San Diego, CA - Brick By BrickDec. 20 - Las Vegas, NV - Count's Vamp'd The band is also confirmed for the 2014 Monsters Of Rock cruise, set for March 29 - April 2.

JAKE E. LEE'S RED DRAGON CARTEL's setlist includes new material like the singles "Feeder" and "Deceived", as well as major hits from Jake E. Lee's glorious past: "Shot In The Dark", "Bark At The Moon", "The Ultimate Sin" (all originally recorded by OZZY OSBOURNE), as well as "Dreams In The Dark" and "High Wire" (BADLANDS).

"Tales From The Stage Volume 1" author Michael Toney, who recently got a taste of some of the songs for the project, said: "The two new tracks that I have heard [from JAKE E. LEE'S RED DRAGON CARTEL] are very impressive, and are incredibly fresh sounding — but not really in the same family as [Jake's] work with BADLANDS or Ozzy. It's still hard rock, but perhaps a bit more melodic."

Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes has joined the Hollywood, California-based hard rock band STONEBREED.

Holmes will make his live debut with STONEBREED New Year's Eve at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood as the support act for KIX.

Influenced by bands like LYNYRD SKNYRD, MOLLY HATCHET, BLACKFOOT and AEROSMITH, STONEBREED got its name through a contest on MySpace where people sent in suggestions. Singer Carlos Cruz explains: "One of the names was STONEBREED and we Googled it and no info. So we thought about it and the stone is a rock. Our type of music is almost a dying breed of hard rock with the '80s southern flare to it and a cool name to it. A stone is rock and we are different breed, so that is name we came up with. [laughs] Not a lot of bands playing our type of music which is a breed of stone. [laughs]"

STONEBREED is:

Carlos Cruz - VocalsTroy Elizondo - GuitarChris Holmes - GuitarJohnny Zell - BassJimmy Patti - Drums

Holmes' new solo album, "Nothing To Lose", was released independently at the end of last year. The CD is now available through Artisthead Music. Holmes composed, performed, and produced the music and vocals, and teamed up with former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor to perform on and engineer the effort.

For the remainder of ICED EARTH's European tour with VOLBEAT, Jon Dette (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX) is sitting behind the drums, taking over for Raphael Saini, who filled in during the summer festivals, the recording of ICED EARTH's new album, and the club leg of the VOLBEAT tour.

Dette made his live debut with ICED EARTH last night (Wednesday, November 6) at O2 World in Berlin, Germany. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Commented ICED EARTH: "Raphael came in and helped us out of a tight spot this summer with a full schedule of festivals, a new album to finish, and no room for diversion on the schedule. He came in and delivered and we are very grateful for that. We wish him all the best for his future endeavours."

Added Raphael: "When I had the chance to join ICED EARTH for their summer festivals and the new album, I couldn't say no: I was really excited even though I knew that it was going to be something temporary.

"I am honored to be part of the band's history, an amazing album, and to have worked with some supremely talented musicians. My journey will continue, there's more to come."

ICED EARTH earlier in the year parted ways with drummer Brent Smedley for "personal family reasons."

ICED EARTH will release its new album, "Plagues Of Babylon", in January 2014 via Century Media Records. The cover artwork was created and illustrated by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS, GWAR).

Video footage of Tim "Ripper" Owens' (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, DIO DISCIPLES, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) October 31 concert at Daos club in Timisoara, Romania can be seen below.

In a recent interview with J. Thorn, Owens was asked what it is like playing in DIO DISCIPLES, which pays tribute to legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL) and is fully supported by Dio's widow/manager, Wendy. "It's an honor," Tim said. "It's emotional every night. I feel it every time I step on the stage. There's something special about playing with Ronnie's bandmates and I was his friend. Wendy is such a great person and Ronnie was a great person, so it feels even more special. It's really an honor to be able to do it."

"Play My Game", the first solo album from Owens, landed at position No. 66 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 CD was released via SPV/Steamhammer.

Alternative rock pioneers JANE'S ADDICTION were the musical guest on the November 4 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The band performed three songs — "Stop", "Three Days" and "Another Soulmate" — on the show's outdoor stage in front of a standing-room-only crowd. Check out video footage of the performance below.

JANE'S ADDICTION received the 2,509th star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, in the category of "Recording," on October 30. Located at 6436 Hollywood Boulevard, in front of Playmates Of Hollywood, the event was live-streamed exclusively at WalkOfFame.com.

Emcee Leron Gubler, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce helped JANE'S ADDICTION unveil the star.

JANE'S ADDICTION released a concert document called "Live In NYC" on June 25. The set was issued on DVD/CD, Blu-ray and double LP vinyl, as well as standalone DVD and CD. The show was filmed and recorded at New York City's Terminal 5 on July 25, 2011, while the band was touring in support of its first studio album in eight years, "The Great Escape Artist".

"The Great Escape Artist" sold around 24,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"The Great Escape Artist" is JANE'S ADDICTION's first all-new studio effort since 2003's "Strays", which opened with more than 110,000 units to enter the chart at No. 4.

"The Great Escape Artist" is only JANE'S ADDICTION's fourth album of original material in 20 years.

The current JANE'S ADDICTION lineup features original members Stephen Perkins, Perry Farrell on vocals and Dave Navarro on guitar.

Although founding bassist Eric Avery initially returned to the band when it reactivated in 2009, he quit the following year.

Dave Sitek of TV ON THE RADIO played bass on and co-produced the new record, while Chris Chaney has returned as touring bassist.

Ex-METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted says that he continues to admire his former bandmates for their risk-taking ways, including their decision to finance their 3D film, "Metallica Through the Never", to the tune of more than $20 million.

"I'm very impressed by that," Newsted — who currently fronts his own band called NEWSTED — tells Noisecreep in a new interview. "I'm a big fan of them. They keep taking these chances. They keep investing in themselves and that's a big fucking deal, man.

"There's no one else you can invest in that will work harder for your own money than yourself. That's the way to go about it. I've always believed in that from the very beginning even for myself, and my band. I re-invest every penny we make with [NEWSTED] — every penny from every t-shirt I invest it back into making new t-shirts and designs. Always believed in that so I support METALLICA in whatever they do."

He continued: "They've worked so hard and there's no way that you get to be as big of a band, or the biggest band without working so fucking hard. And don't let anyone ever believe anything other than that. The shiny side is nice but the shiny side takes a lot more gristle side. They work very hard and I'm proud of them for it."

Asked how he felt about METALLICA's decision to release the 2004 documentary "Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster", which offered a revealing behind-the-scenes look at the legendary band as they confronted personal demons and their relationships with each other while recording the 2003 album "St. Anger", Newsted told "The Classic Metal Show" back in July: "I, obviously, was out of the band at that point and I had no more say in the decision making or anything, and since I do keep things pretty personal private, to do that like that and expose yourself in those ways, I did not agree with that. But like I said, that wasn't my decision; I was long gone by then. I think there were some pretty unsavory moments in there."

He continued: "I've always tried to maintain the high road in this whole thing, and I will still. I'll never forget that METALLICA gave me my chance to be what I am and to have my career and to be talking to you now about my new music — all that stuff.

"But yeah, some of those decisions that were made about exposing your inner workings like that, I think it was detrimental. It doesn't make a lot of sense considering what kind of band we were. We were always able to solve all of the issues within our own camp; we were a pretty tough gang for a long, long time… And so, doing those kinds of things and showing those weaknesses like that, it's not necessary — it really isn't necessary for people to know that kind of stuff. The disrespect they showed to me and those things and all that, that's so long ago, and yeah, it got under my skin a little bit when I first saw it. [I thought], 'Why are you guys doing that?' I don't understand what I've done to [deserve that].

"I was always the first guy in, last guy out, I worked very hard for the band, I never — never — put anything before the band. It was always my first priority. I mean, I missed some pretty important things — things like laying very close friends and family members to rest and different important things where I really should have been a part of it, but instead, I would go and do an interview or go and do a photo session, or carry a master tape across the country, 'cause nobody else wanted to do it — 'just get Jason to do it' — these kinds of things, I always put the band first. And them guys forgetting about that that fast… I don't know if they were just trying to lash out to get back at me or whatever in the collective. There is that thing within a group or a band or people like that, whenever one person isn't there to defend themselves, everybody else gangs up on that. I think it's a very common thing within teams and all that stuff."

He added: "The one thing that, I think, people maybe don't realize, unless they are in groups or they have a good company that they're working with, or something like that, there has to be a pressure valve in something that's successful. And especially when there's so much male-ego stuff going on, there has to be a diffuser, there has to be a pressure valve. I was that pressure valve, and I don't know if they have one anymore.

"So that was really part of the thing that made me what I was, as far as the role that I assumed in that band. When they did push me out there in front to do some of those things that maybe everybody else didn't wanna do, little did they know that it would build the great character in me that I have now — the people-person skills and the emotional capacity and all that stuff. I didn't like it then, but as I look back it now, I wouldn't change a thing, because it built me to where I am now."

After recently working with movie and theater legend Brian Blessed ("Hamlet", "Flash Gordon"), MANOWAR has teamed up with another Hollywood veteran, sound designer Hamilton Sterling, for the song "The Warrior's Prayer MMXIV" from the band's forthcoming album, "Kings Of Metal MMXIV". Blessed had recorded the epic narration earlier this year and called it "a brilliant piece of writing" and the collaboration with MANOWAR "completely miraculous and life changing."

"Brian did a sensational job! He didn't just narrate the story. He performed it." said MANOWAR bassist and producer Joey DeMaio. "When you listen to the narration, you feel like you are watching a short Hollywood movie. We instantly knew that we had to complement Brian's outstanding performance with sound effects of the same quality. We searched for another Hollywood heavyweight, and Mr. Hamilton Sterling was the perfect choice!"

Sterling is a sound effects specialist with numerous credits, including action blockbusters like "The Dark Knight", "Men In Black 3", "War Of The Worlds" and "Master And Commander: The Far Side of the World", two of which won Oscars for Best Sound Editing.

"My friend, the Grammy Award-winning audio engineer Rich Breen contacted me regarding MANOWAR's soundscape project 'The Warrior's Prayer MMXIV'," said Sterling. "In this case, a previously recorded narrative framework was in place, spoken by the excellent actor Brian Blessed, who I had seen as a young man in Robert Graves' 'I, Claudius'. His evocative performance was a marvel of emotion, and its dynamic range allowed me the space to move from the most quiet and ethereal sounds to full-on battle. His imaginative performance was an excellent guide, as was Mr. DeMaio's sense of story and direction."

MANOWAR's "Kings Of Metal" album, a milestone in metal history, was first released on November 18, 1988, followed by a world tour in 1989. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of these events, MANOWAR will release a brand new special version of the album, "Kings Of Metal MMXIV", followed by the "Kings Of Metal MMXIV" world tour.

German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION will celebrate "30 years of total destruction" with a special headlining show on November 15 at Helvete in Oberhausen, Germany. Support at the gig will come from Polish thrash outfit WAR-SAW and Swedish retro rockers YEAR OF THE GOAT. Commented DESTRUCTION vocalist/bassist Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer: "2013 was a very busy year for DESTRUCTION. We have played the biggest festivals around the globe and we headlined in the venues and clubs of this round earth.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't do this earlier, but now at the end of our 30th anniversary, we are most happy to announce that there will be a 'Best Of 30 Years' show in Germany as well.

"After so many years and records, it is still a challenge to put up a setlist.

"For our headliner shows, we have a special song selection and an extended concert for all of you that will blow the fans' minds for decades to come.

"I love playing festivals, but thrash metal and DESTRUCTION work out best in a sweaty club!"It has been a while since we have been in the Ruhr Area and we are really looking forward to the gig at Helvete!" DESTRUCTION's 30th-anniversary album, "Spiritual Genocide", was released on November 23, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2011's "Day Of Reckoning" was recorded at Gernhart Studios in Troisdorf, Germany with engineer Martin Buchwalter and was mixed by Andy Classen. The album features guest appearances by Thomas "Angelripper" Such (SODOM), Andreas "Gerre" Geremia (TANKARD) and Ol Drake (EVILE). In addition, the "Mad Butcher"/"Release From Agony" lineup of DESTRUCTION — featuring guitarist Harry Wilkens and drummer Oliver Kaiser — reunited for one song.

Asked how DESTRUCTION's sound has evolved over the years, Schmier told Metal Assault, "We were 17-18 years old when we started, and we were young and wild. We didn't play that well at the time. Of course now, we have the experience of 30 years and our playing skills are totally different, so we cannot really compare, but I still compare the style of music and it's still thrash metal. We still do it with a lot of emotion and a lot of aggression, and those things will never change. I think we even came more brutal and more aggressive with this new album as compared to the old ones, actually. [Today's] DESTRUCTION doesn't sound like an old band."

Swedish death-glam quintet DEATHSTARS will release its much-anticipated new studio album in February 2014 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Night Electric Night" will be recorded at Studio Bohus in Kungälv, Sweden with Roberto Laghi who will co-produce the album with DEATHSTARS guitarist Emil "Nightmare Industries" Nödtveidt.

Comments vocalist Andreas "Whiplasher Bernadotte" Bergh: "DEATHSTARS is an adventure for us. It's as if it is a phenomenon of its own, and our forum for destruction, glitter and darkness.

"We are very excited about the new material and every time we hit the studio, we never know what the outcome will be. I mean, we have a general idea, but we're never a 100 percent sure how the final result will be until we're done and can sit back and listen to it."

DEATHSTARS' "Claws Through Europe Tour 2014" will kick off on March 15 in Stockholm.

After months of secrecy spent in the crypts finalizing the details on their debut recordings, death metal horde WARFATHER finally declares its battle plans. The new full-time projectfronted by ex-MORBID ANGEL bassist/vocalist Steve Tucker, WARFATHER was initially announced in mid-2012, but has remained otherwise virtually a mystery until now. As the finishing touches are currently being handled on their debut album, now confirmed to bear the title "Orchestrating The Apocalypse", this band sees Tucker back to fronting a death metal outfit after over a decade since his departure from MORBID ANGEL, and over two years since his participation as a vocalist and writer in the well-received Nader Sadek project. On the impending attack, Tucker states, "I am stoked about WARFATHER and our first album!

"WARFATHER is more than just a metal band; it is a belief system and a meeting of the minds, the ones that can see what is truly happening in the times we are living in.

"'Orchestrating The Apocalypse' is a warning to the eyes that choose to be blind, and a call to arms to the minds that do feel the coming changes. It is pure blackened, apocalyptic death metal.

"Fuck religion, fuck the government! This is their apocalypse. Our time is NOW!" "Orchestrating The Apocalypse" brutalizes in a relentless style that builds on the work laid on the three Tucker-fronted MORBID ANGEL albums — "Formulas Fatal To The Flesh", "Gateways To Annihilation" and "Heretic" — resounding with over forty minutes of pure American death metal. WARFATHER delivers an intense, debilitating performance that should no doubt please fans of MORBID ANGEL, NILE and BEHEMOTH, while also sporadically infusing unique even bizarre atmospheric elements, elevating the album to a cutting-edge status. The CD was recorded and mixed at Cincinnati-based TME studios by Steve Tucker and mastered by Maor Applebaum at Maor Applebaum Mastering, and is now confirmed for release via Greyhaze Records on January 21, 2014 in North America, with a European release date to be announced in the coming weeks. "Orchestrating The Apocalypse" track listing:

01. XII02. Legions03. My Queen Shall Not Be Mourned04. Taunting The Deity05. The Shifting Poles06. Waltz Of The Solstice07. Summoning The Warfathers08. Ageless Merciless09. The Chaos Of10. Gods And Machines11. Ashes and Runes12. We Are The Wolves

The cover artwork was designed by Ken Coleman and can be seen below.

WARFATHER is:

Steve Tucker: Guitar, VocalsAvgvstvs: BassArmatura: GuitarDeimos: Drums

The members of GODSMACK have regrouped in Florida to begin writing material for their next album, tentatively due in early 2014.

GODSMACK took most of 2013 off. The band spent much of 2012 on the road, both with the Uproar festival tour and Mass Chaos trek, and frontman Sully Erna said that a break was in order. He explained to ARTISTdirect.com, "We're going to take some time away now because we just ran for the last two years. It's time for us to take a break and get away from the markets for a little bit so we don't overplay them."

GODSMACK's last studio effort, "The Oracle", came out in 2010. The group issued a concert album in 2012 called "Live And Inspired", which also featured newly recorded studio covers of some of the band's favorite classic rock songs, including JOE WALSH's "Rocky Mountain Way", METALLICA's "Nothing Else Matters", THE BEATLES' "Come Together" and PINK FLOYD's "Time".



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Post by Godsmack.

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, will release their new EP, "I Surrender", on November 12.

"I Surrender" will be 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 listen to the entire "I Surrender" EP using the SoundCloud widget below (courtesy of RollingStone.com).

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.

POISON singer Bret Michaels has launched his own cologne, Roses & Thorns. It is now available for pre-order at this location.

According to a posting on the BretMichaels.com web site, Roses & Thorns will "make your perimeter excite and ignite the senses!" It is described as "an exhilarating scent with a mysterious kicker... leading to sexy results! Let your reputation of smell good proceed you, get the cologne that both men and women love."

In an interview with Galo magazine, Michaels stated about his cologne: "The influence was to create something that balances perfect for men and women. Not too musky, not too flowery; you'll have to see for yourself. All I can say is we've done lots of tests and it seems like it's gonna be a smash hit."

"Out Of The Shadows", the new video from Greek/Danish metallers CRYSTAL TEARS, can be seen below. The clip was directed and edited by FrameBox Productions.

"Out Of The Shadows" comes off CRYSTAL TEARS' third album, "Hellmade", which will be released this winter via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded with producer Roberto Dimitri Liapakis (MYSTIC PROPHECY, SUICIDAL ANGELS, DEVIL'S TRAIN) and was mixed and mastered at Prophecy & Music Factory Studios in Germany. The cover artwork was designed by Siege Ind, who has previously worked with SCAR SYMMETRY, SUICIDE SILENCE and BLEED FROM WITHIN.

CRYSTAL TEARS was formed in the late '90s in Greece and issued several demos before the arrival of the band's debut album, "Choirs Of Immortal", in 2006 via Pure Steel Records. It didn't take long until they shared stages with bands such as W.A.S.P., RIOT and JAG PANZER.

CRYSTAL TEARS has left its mark as one of Greece's best heavy metal acts and has proven to be a persistent, innovative and unstoppable force. Their musical roots can be traced back to the good ol' heavy metal of the '80s up to modern metal.

CRYSTAL TEARS recently announced the addition of Danish singer Søren Adamsen (ex-ARTILLERY) and Hungarian guitarist Matt Nagy to the group's ranks.

New CRYSTAL TEARS lineup:

Søren Adamsen - VocalsKostas Sotos - GuitarMate Nagy - GuitarAlex Hamalidis - BassChrisafis Tantanozis - Drums

CRYSTAL TEARS is working on the first of two videos in support of the new album.

The band's last CD, "Generation X", was released in June 2010 via 7Hard.

"Underbite", the new video from Canada's PROTEST THE HERO, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's fourth studio album, "Volition", which sold around 11,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 20 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The long-awaited follow-up to 2011's "Scurrilous" (Vagrant), "Volition" was licensed to series of worldwide partners who are helping distribute and market it to both traditional stores alongside digital service providers, thus making the new record available on a worldwide scale. PROTEST THE HERO and Razor & Tie joined forces for the United States, while the album was released in Canada through Sony Music and in the rest of the word via Spinefarm.

"Volition" track listing:

01. Clarity 02. Drum-Head Trial 03. Tilting Against Windmills 04. Without Prejudice 05. Yellow Teeth 06. Plato's Tripartite 07. A Life Embossed 08. Mist 09. Underbite 10. Animal Bones 11. Skies

The cover artwork can be seen below.

After the departure of longtime drummer Moe Carlson, PROTEST THE HERO enlisted LAMB OF GOD's Chris Adler to sit behind the kit for the recording sessions of "Volition". Now with extensive touring on the horizon, PROTEST THE HERO has decided to fill the slot permanently with Mike Ieradi.

"My Lingen", a brand new song from Sweden-based metallers FEARED — who feature in their ranks current and former members of THE HAUNTED, SIX FEET UNDER, BATTLECROSS and CLAWFINGER — can be streamed in the YouTube clip below (courtesy of PureGrainAudio.com). The song comes off FEARED's forthcoming fourth full-length album, "Vinter", which will be released on November 25. Following the release of their widely acclaimed third album, "Furor Incarnatus", in early 2013, a lot of positive things occurred to FEARED members. Founder and mastermind Ola Englund was announced as the new guitarist of Swedish comrades THE HAUNTED and drummer Kevin Talley joined BATTECROSS. Yet, contrary to what would be expected, FEARED haven't slowed down their working ethic and quickly locked themselves in the studio and dedicated themselves to push their musical abilities beyond previous limits in order to craft a brand new album.

More mature and darker than previous efforts, "Vinter" introduces new elements, like epic atmospheres and magnificently intoxicating melodies, yet FEARED's trademark furious and hard-hitting attack remains unabated and clearly distinguishable. The CD also benefits from the addition of bass player Jocke Skog from CLAWFINGER, who proved to be the missing component needed to create the colossal power behind the album. "After 'Furor', I quickly felt the need to show our fans that we are not resting, even though we are all working with our other bands," explained Ola.

"I've always felt that FEARED is an ongoing experiment, and with 'Vinter', I feel like we've found our home. It's a dark and beautiful album, and I think we've all matured a lot from making it.

"Our new addition to the lineup, Jocke Skog, has quickly adapted to FEARED, as well as contributed a lot of input to the album."

"Vinter" track listing:

01. Sun Awake02. Huldra03. Your God04. Erased05. Mass Destruction06. Needle Effect07. Invidia08. Mylingen09. Hate Is Everything10. My Shadow World11. Vinter "Vinter" recording lineup: * Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER, THE HAUNTED) - Guitar* Jocke Skog (ex-CLAWFINGER) - Bass* Mario Ramos (DEMONOID) - Vocals* Kevin Talley (BATTLECROSS, ex-DYING FETUS, ex-CHIMAIRA) - Drums "Vinter" pre-orders are now available at www.fearedband.com.


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Germany's CALIBAN has revealed the unique cover art for the band's upcoming album, "Ghost Empire". The album was produced by by guitarist Marc Görtz in cooperation with Benny Richter and will be released on the following dates via Century Media Records:

* Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand: January 24 * Rest of Europe: January 27 * U.S., Canada: February 4

Said Görtz of the the "Ghost Empire" art, which was created by U.K. artist Chris Lovell: "Another great artist told me about Chris and his art. When I checked out his page, I loved his style and amazing drawings straight away. So I wrote him a message if he would be into designing a t-shirt design for us. It turned out great, so there was no doubt whom to ask for the new album artwork for 'Ghost Empire'! I told him what the album is about and he said that he would love to do it. It didn't take long for him to come up with first ideas which were amazing! I hope we can work with him on other projects in the future, he is a great guy and easy to work with and I think the result speaks for itself!"

Added Lovell: "I have been heavily into metal since the age of 12.

"It's always nice when a band I am a fan of contacts me with a brief for a project.

"I was stoked to read Marc's ideas as post-apocalyptic imagery is something I have an obsession with. I grew up loving films like 'Mad Max', 'Cyborg' and the 'Fist Of The North Star' anime. There's something about destroyed buildings and wastelands that stir my imagination and conjure up all kinds of haunting images in my head. It's also much more fun and easier to draw ruined buildings than perfect ones!

"Marc and I brainstormed ideas one evening and we came up with lots of elements we liked such as crows, scarecrows, rats etc. I sketched out a very rough concept idea and layout for the basic image. The front and back cover is all in one, so I had a nice wide landscape to work with. I liked the idea of a road on the main cover, leading to what could look like a hive of collapsed skyscrapers and buildings, leaning on each other and climbing into the clouds. On the left side a cliff face leading down to stormy seas and a shore line littered with ship wrecks and capsized boats.

"I wanted the image to look void of human life and haunting.

"I drew out the bulk of the main image in pencil, then used inks and acrylic paint to add depth and highlights. I then scanned the image in and coloured it with a graphics tablet on Photoshop. I drew a number of other elements, like telegraph poles, crows, skulls and rats and scanned them in separately.

"I wanted to be able to experiment with placement and give the band the option to move elements around etc.

"I lost track of how many hours I put into the piece, it all becomes a blur.

"I like to stream horror movies or listen to music and just lose myself in the art I make.

"I have a bit of an obsession with detail and I tend to spend hours tweaking elements on an image people will probably never even notice.

"CALIBAN have been a pleasure to work with. After I had the pleasure of hearing the demos while working on this project it is an honour to have done the artwork for what will be an amazing album!"

CALIBAN's eighth studio album, "I Am Nemesis", entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 21.

"I Am Nemesis" was released in North America on February 28, 2012 via Century Media Records. The CD featured guest appearances by Marcus Bischoff (HEAVEN SHALL BURN) and Mitch Lucker (SUICIDE SILENCE).

Birmingham, Alabama rock band LYNAM has released a lyric video for the title track of its upcoming EP entitled "Halfway To Hell". The six-song effort will be released December 10 via New Ocean Media.

"Halfway To Hell" was helmed by the band and longtime producer Jason Elgin (COLLECTIVE SOUL, MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER, TERRIBLE THINGS).

LYNAM consists of Jacob Bunton (lead vocals, guitar), David Lynam (drums, vocals), Cody Elliott (Bass, Vocals), and Lonny Paul (guitar, vocals).

In 2006, LYNAM signed a deal with DRT/Universal and released the critically acclaimed album "Slave To The Machine". The follow-up CD, "Tragic City Symphony", was released in 2008 on Megaforce/Mascot Records and featured the radio singles "Save My Soul", "Lindsay Says" and "Porn Star". All three singles reached the Top 10 on the Active Rock independent chart, with "Save My Soul" reaching Top 5. A live album entitled "Thank You Goodnight!" was released November 2010 through Island Def Jam/New Ocean Media. Shortly after the release of "Thank You Goodnight!", frontman Jacob Bunton joined up with former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler to form the band ADLER.

Southern California shredders EXMORTUS have released a new seven-inch single, "Immortality Made Flesh". The A-side title track is a new song from the group's forthcoming Prosthetic debut, due out in February; the B-side is a blistering cover of JUDAS PRIEST's "Freewheel Burning" exclusive to this release. Limited to 300 copies, the single — the Cyril Van Der Haegen-designed cover artwork for which appears below — can be ordered now at this location. You can also stream/download the title track via Bandcamp or check out some intimate, behind-the-scenes jam room footage of the group performing the song below.

Last weekend, EXMORTUS — whose invigorating twin-guitar mix of neoclassical shred, progressive death, classic thrash and traditional heavy metal has earned the group a devoted following in the Western U.S. — kicked off the three-week "Death Upon The West" tour with HATCHET. Following that, the band will play the Thrashgiving festival in Las Vegas and a one-off in Los Angeles before returning to the road in early 2014 alongside DARK TRANQUILLITY and OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Co-founded a decade ago by then-teenage cousins Conan (vocals/guitar) and Mario Moreno (drums), EXMORTUS released several demos and EPs indepdenently before signing with Heavy Artillery Records in 2007. The group's 2008 debut, "In Hatred's Flame", and 2011 follow-up, "Beyond The Fall Of Time", earned praise for their "frighteningly aggressive thrash blended with both death metal and NWOBHM bluster," and their exuberant, shred-heavy live performances can convert even the most jaded heshers into enthusiastic headbangers.


Immortality Made Flesh (Single) by Exmortus

Californian death metallers RECIPROCAL will release their second full-length album, "New Order Of The Ages", on November 19. The follow-up to 2009's self-titled CD was recorded with engineer Zack Ohren (ALL SHALL PERISH, BRAIN DRILL, DECREPIT BIRTH) at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland, California. The artwork was created by Jon Zig (SUFFOCATION, DEEDS OF FLESH, DISGORGE)

RECIPROCAL describes "New Order Of The Ages" as "an epic blend of all metal styles mixed in with our own aggressive and technical approach. "We set forth to make this album for all metal fans without compromising what we feel is dark and extreme death metal. "You may be surprised to hear the unexpected." "New Order Of The Ages" track listing: 01. New American Century02. Esoteric Agenda03. Profit Before Protocol04. Guilty Until Proven Innocent05. Illuminati06. New Order Of The Ages07. Saintan08. Mystery, Babylon The Great, Mother Of All Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth09. Tyrannicide10. Oblivion11. RIP (Memento Mori) RECIPROCAL consists of vocalist Jacob Enfinger (ex-GATEKEEPER), guitarist Andy McLeod (ex-DEADBYDAY, WILLOW WISP), bassist Jeff Hughell (SIX FEET UNDER, ex-BRAIN DRILL, VILE), and drummer Dustin Perle (ex-GRIMFIST) "New Order of the Ages" will be made available for download at ReciprocalHate.com, BandCamp, iTunes, Amazon, LastFM, Spotify, Rhapsody and more.

Two songs from the album — "Illuminati" and "Tyrannicide" — can be streamed below.

"Smoke & Mirrors", the new video from Finnish melodic metallers SOULHEALER, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "Chasing The Dream", which was released on May 10 via Pure Legend Records.

The footage in the "Smoke & Mirrors" clip was filmed at the "Chasing The Dream" pre-release gig on May 4 at Rock House Kulma in SOULHEALER's hometown of Kajaani.

"Chasing The Dream" track listing:

01. Wicked Moon02. Don?t Look Back03. The Deception04. Chasing A Dream05. Done For Good06. Ties Of Time07. Never Turn My Back On You08. Finally Free09. Into The Fire10. Smoke & Mirrors

SOULHEALER's debut album, "The Kings Of Bullet Alley", came out in 2011

SOULHEALER is:

Jori Kärki - VocalsTeemu Kuosmanen - Lead Guitar, Backing VocalsSami Mikkonen - Lead GuitarPasi Laakkonen - Bass, Backing VocalsJani Nyman - Drums