The official lyric video for the song "The Best Is Yet To Come" from former THE GATHERING singer Anneke Van Giersbergen can be seen below. The track comes off her new solo album, "Drive", which will be released on September 23 in Europe and on October 15 in North America via InsideOut Music.

Anneke had this to say about the album: "In a time when entire albums are being created by transferring files online, I really wanted to do things the old-fashioned way and record an album together with a group of musicians in a studio.

"The album is infused with enthusiasm and freshness. I'm really happy with it."

Anneke Van Giersbergen will take part in the first annual Progressive Nation At Sea, which is due to take place between February 18 and February 22, 2014. The cruise also includes frequent collaborator Devin Townsend, as well as TRANSATLANTIC, SPOCK'S BEARD, KING'S X and many more,

Anneke had this to say about joining the InsideOut roster, where she joins Devin Townsend: "I look forward to a long and prosperous collaboration with InsideOut Music. We share a genuine passion for music and it's great to become labelmates with my friend Devin Townsend and many more talented musicians. I am incredibly happy with my new album and I am stoked it will be available all over the world!"

"Drive" track listing:

01. We Live On02. Treat Me Like A Lady03. She04. Drive05. My Mother Said06. Forgive Me07. You Will Never Change08. Mental Jungle09. Shooting For The Stars10. The Best Is Yet To Come

Anneke played two exclusive U.S. shows in Chicago at the end of March. Also appearing on the bill both nights were Anneke's "dear friends" NOVEMBERS DOOM.

Anneke van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since released four albums on her own and with her AGUA DE ANNIQUE solo project: "Air" (2007), "Pure Air" (2009), "In Your Room" (2009) and "Everything Is Changing" (2012).

"Everything Is Changing" was released on January 20, 2012 via PIAS Holland. The CD was recorded at Ultrasound Studios in Braga, Portugal with producer Daniel Cardoso.

Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen joined LIVING COLOUR on stage on September 12 at Teatro Gran Rex in Buenos Aires, Argentina to perform a cover version of the CREAM classic "Sunshine Of Your Love". Fan-filmed video footage of her appearance can be seen below.

LIVING COLOUR bassist Doug Wimbish played with Tarja on her "My Winter Storm" (2007) and "What Lies Beneath" (2010) albums and has toured with her in the past.

Asked by TarjaArgentina.com how he became involved with Tarja, Doug said: "Well, they found me. They researched and found me, actually. When she was in the process of making her record, they had put together a 'dream team' of musicians that they would like to work with, based off of records that they liked. And quite a few of those records that they liked, that they used for reference, I recorded on, one of with was the Seal record, the first Seal record I did. And I did Annie Lennox's records, her early records. DEPECHE MODE... And I did a lot of work with Trevor Hom. They know what I did with THE ROLLING STONES and all that stuff, but I think, honestly it was the Seal record, the production of the Seal record and the sound of that. They were kind of going for this orchestral energy with a great voice embedded inside and the luscious energy of music. And my name kept appearing on these records, you know, and the producer, Daniel Presley, who did that record ['My Winter Storm'] contacted me on behalf of Tarja and [Tarja's husband/manager] Marcelo, and I guess what they did was, they put together a list of those who they'd really like to participate in there. They didn't know me, they didn't really know who I was, they just saw... They knew my name from the records. So they reaserched and found me. They found my accountant, they found the person that handles my money and I got an e-mail from him saying, 'There's some people who're trying to contact you•' So I followed up on the contact... and I contact the producer, he contacts me, we talk about it, and he's' like, 'Hey, are you available to do this record> I'm working with this artist..." I heard of NIGHTWISH, I wasn't familiar with the exact setup, but I know of NIGHTWISH from living in London, the music scene in Europe. So then, next thing you know, I get a phone call, my lawyer talks to their business person, and off we go. It happened very quickly and very natural. It was a very natural thing."

Video footage of METALLICA performing its classic song "Master Of Puppets" — featuring various other clips from the band's movie "Metallica Through The Never" — can be seen below.

The performance footage for "Metallica Through the Never" was filmed in Edmonton and Vancouver, Canada. In addition, the film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9.

"It's all been a five-year journey to try to get to the Toronto Film Festival," METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich recently told HuffPost Canada. "And we figured with Canadian content we would have a better shot if we shot it here in Canada. So we've had this planned for a long time."

"We've always felt comfortable filming stuff up [in Canada]," METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett. "And obviously everyone knows that there are great crews here, good production deals to be had, that kind of stuff."

"Canadians have so much love for METALLICA," Hammett added. "It's very, very evident all across the country. I mean, every time we come here, we sell out instantly. We play the shows and the fans are always so great and the people are always so great. Canada is a very welcoming place for METALLICA."

METALLICA reportedly spent $20 million of its own money to make the film, which will also play at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas several days before it opens in limited release on IMAX screens around the country on September 27. The film will then expand to more theaters on October 4.

The soundtrack, which features a number of METALLICA classics performed live in the movie, will be out on September 24. The two-disc CD will come out on METALLICA's own label, Blackened Recordings, also in digital and vinyl formats.

The official trailer for "Swedish Empire Live", the new DVD and Blu-ray from Swedish metallers SABATON, can be seen below. Due on September 20 via Nuclear Blast, the disc features the band's live performance at the renowned Polish Woodstock Festival in 2012, where over half a million fans had gathered to watch SABATON in action. Besides this main feature, the first-ever SABATON live offering also features even more live footage of the band's performances in Gothenburg, London and Oberhausen on their extensive "Swedish Empire Tour".

Says SABATON: "We can tell you that we have watched this countless times and feel very proud and cannot wait to share all this with all of you. You are in for a great surprise!"

"Swedish Empire Live" will be made available in the following formats:

* 2Blu-ray digi* 2DVD digi* DVD (Poland only)* CD digi* 2LP (limited black vinyl in gatefold + poster)* 2LP (limited yellow vinyl in gatefold + poster) (Nuclear Blast mailorder only)* Earbook (2Blu-ray + 2DVD + CD + exclusive bonus CD, 48-page earbook) * Special Leather Hardcover Earbook (Nuclear Blast mailorder only) (2Blu-ray + 2DVD + CD + exclusive bonus CD, 48-page earbook)

The cover artwork and complete track listing for "Swedish Empire Live" can be seen below.

SABATON's latest album, "Carolus Rex", was recently certified gold in Poland for sales in excess of 10,000 copies. The band was presented with gold plaques during their signing session in Warsaw. The CD was also certified gold in Sweden for sales in excess of 20,000 copies. (Note: The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry [IFPI] in Sweden has revised the sales requirements for albums to reach gold status in the country twice in the last 11 years — from the pre-2002 level of 40,000 to the current 20,000.)

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

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

Professionally filmed video footage of SEPULTURA's entire September 19 performance at this year's edition of the Rock In Rio festival can be seen below. The band was joined on stage by Les Tambours Du Bronx, featuring sixteen drummers from France.

Founded in 1987, Les Tambours Du Bronx beat 225-liter barrels with beech wood bats or even axe handles. In more than 1000 concerts they've smashed about 16,000 barrels and more than 110,000 broken "drum sticks!"

SEPULTURA's setlist was as follows:

01. Kaiowas 02. Spectrum 03. Refuse/Resist 04. Sepulnation 05. Delirium (LES TAMBOURS DU BRONX cover)06. Fever (LES TAMBOURS DU BRONX cover) 07. We've Lost You08. Firestarter (THE PRODIGY cover)09. Requiem (LES TAMBOURS DU BRONX cover)10. Structure Violence (Azzes)11. Territory 12. Big Foot (LES TAMBOURS DU BRONX cover)13. Roots Bloody Roots

SEPULTURA's new album, "The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart", will be released on October 25 via Nuclear Blast Records. The artwork was created by Brazilian artist Alexandre Wagner, who specializes in charcoal drawing techniques.

Although it was inspired by Fritz Lang's classic 1927 movie "Metropolis", the CD, "The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" is not a concept album or a soundtrack like its precedessors "Dante XXI" (based on "The Divine Comedy") and "A-Lex" (based on "A Clockwork Orange").

"The Mediator Between The Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" was tracked over a 40-day period at producer Ross Robinson's (KORN, LIMP BIZKIT, SLIPKNOT) studio in Venice, California and was mixed and mastered by co-producer Steve Evetts, who previously worked with SEPULTURA on the "Nation" (2001), "Revolusongs" (2002) and "Roorback" (2003) albums, in addition to having collaborated with Ross on a number of other projects in the past.

Robinson produced SEPULTURA's classic "Roots" album in 1995. Released in February 1996 by Roadrunner, it was the band's last studio album to feature founding member and vocalist Max Cavalera.

San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD are continuing work on the material for the follow-up to 2011's "Unto The Locust" for a 2014 release. Writing on his official Twitter profile earlier today (Thursday, September 19), MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel said: "Pretty sure we're over the hump writing this record. Each song is a monster so far. So stoked!"

Meanwhile, MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn has posted a picture of what appears to be a list of working songtitles for the forthcoming CD: "Killers & Kings", "Beneath The Silt", "Sail Into The Black", "Ojos De La Muerte" and "Night Of The Long Knives".

MACHINE HEAD's next album will be the band's first with new bassist Jared MacEachern, who replaced Adam Duce this past spring.

Some fans might remember MacEachern from MACHINE HEAD's 2007 "The Black Tyranny" tour, on which he performed with his previous band, SANCTITY. MACHINE HEAD, challenged to find a fill-in bass player for the North American tour after an injury sidelined Adam Duce, also found themselves in need of someone to sing harmony with singer/guitarist Robb Flynn. Earlier this year, MACHINE HEAD conducted an extensive search for candidates through various channels, the most fruitful of which proved to be video submissions. Sifting through more than 400 videos, the band personally reviewed and evaluated everyone's performances, including MacEachern, who made the short list without a second thought.

After reviewing all of the submissions, the band narrowed down the 400-plus candidates to a short list of seven, each of whom took a trip to Oakland to perform a handful of songs in person and spend the day hanging with the band.

MACHINE HEAD is currently finalizing a new label home following the expiration of the band's contract with longtime record company Roadrunner Records. MACHINE HEAD's most recent studio album, "Unto The Locust", sold more than 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart — putting MACHINE HEAD in the Top 25 for the first time in the band's history.

Finnish metallers PROFANE OMEN have completed recording and mixing their fourth album for a spring 2014 release. According to the band, the as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2011's "Destroy!" "is the fastest, angriest and tightest PROFANE OMEN recording by far so far."

The group added: "We've never been afraid to try out new things and this one will not make an exception. It'll be a fast piece of metal with all our strengths in use."

Video footage from the guitar-recording sessions for the new CD can be seen below.

"Destroy!" was released on September 28, 2011 via Spinefarm Records. The CD was produced by Ville Sorvali (MOONSORROW) and Mikko Herranen (RUST) and was recorded in part at Petrax studios in Hollola, Finland. The effort was mastered at Chartmakers in Helsinki.

PROFANE OMEN is:

Jules Näveri (THE NIBIRUAN, ENEMY OF THE SUN) - VocalsWilliami Kurki - GuitarAntti Kokkonen - Guitar, Backing VocalsAntti Seroff - BassSamuli Mikkonen - Drums

Original ENTOMBED members Alex Hellid (guitar), Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund (guitar) and Nicke Andersson (drums) will rejoin forces to perform the band's classic second album, "Clandestine" (1991), on February 1, 2014 at Gävle Konserthus in Gävle, Sweden. They will be backed by the 65-piece Gävle Symphonic Orchestra and a 40-piece choir.

Says Alex: "We will be performing 'Clandestine' as arranged by Thomas Von Wachenfeldt and it will be the first time in 17 years that me, Uffe and Nicke play together again as ENTOMBED.

"We are all very excited to start working on this project and look forward to see where it'll take us!"

ENTOMBED previously performed "Clandestine" in its entirety with the Nordic Chamber Orchestra on April 12, 2013 at Tonhallen in Sundsvall, Sweden. A recording of the song "Blessed Be" from that show can be streamed using the audio player below.

Hellid did not participate in the writing and recording of "Back To The Front", the recently completed album by a completely different band calling itself ENTOMBED, featuring vocalist — and sole original member — Lars Göran Petrov alongside Olle Dahlstedt (drums), Nico Elgstrand (guitar) and Victor Brandt (bass).

Asked in a recent interview with France's MetalChroniques.fr if the omission of Hellid's name from the ENTOMBED biography accompanying a promotional copy of "Back To The Front" was a mistake on the record label's part, Petrov replied: "I do not want to speak publicly about this at the moment; this is something we want to keep internal and private for now. But this is not an error in the biography. Next question?"

Century Media Records announced earlier in the week that the release date of "Back To The Front" was being pushed back to early 2014 from the previously announced October 29 due to "unpredictable technical problems."

Hellid did not accompany the Petrov-fronted lineup of ENTOMBED when the band performed at the Manizales Grita Rock festival in Colombia last month.

ENTOMBED performing "Blessed Be" with Nordic Chamber Orchestra on April 12, 2013 at Tonhallen in Sundsvall, Sweden (audio):

The video shoot for the song "This Is My Hell" from ASHES OF ARES, the band featuring Matt Barlow (ex-ICED EARTH), Van Williams (ex-NEVERMORE) and Freddie Vidales (ex-ICED EARTH), can be seen below. The clip was directed by David Brodsky (MUNICIPAL WASTE, WHITECHAPEL, KYLESA, REVOCATION) and was shot in an old steel foundry in Newburgh, New York along the Hudson River.

ASHES OF ARES' self-titled debut album was released on September 6 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded in part at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida with legendary producer Jim Morris (ICED EARTH, OBITUARY, JON OLIVA'S PAIN, JAG PANZER). It was made available as a limited CD in a digipak, including a bonus track, as well as in two different 2LP versions.

"Ashes Of Ares" track listing:

01. The Messenger02. Move The Chains03. On Warrior's Wings04. Punishment05. This Is My Hell06. Dead Man's Plight07. Chalice Of Man08. The Answer09. What I Am10. The One-Eyed King11. The Answer (acoustic version; bonus track)

Matt Barlow recently told DeadRhetoric.com about the songwriting process for "Ashes Of Ares": "It really is for the first time being in total creative control of lyrics and vocal melodies. That's a big deal for me. It's a big step, but without Freddie writing the music — he wrote 99.9 however much of the music — it would be different. I'm a music writer, but not writer per se. I did write the basis for "Move The Chains", but my guitar playing sucks [laughs], but Freddie made it sound like actual guitar playing, and I did "The Answer", which I wrote acoustically. It's really more… I'm going to take the hits — good or bad — as far as lyrics and melodies because it is all me. Freddie wrote 99.9 [percent], however much of the music, but it's really this collaborative effort. Van took the ideas we had and wrote these cool drum parts that we didn't even think of — it changed the dynamic of the songs. It's a really cool joint collaboration, and we're really proud."

Regarding the album title and the cover artwork, which was designed by drummer Van Williams, Van stated: "We discussed a few ideas, but once we had developed the band logo, it felt right to use it as the introduction to the band along with the name as the focal point for our first album. The artwork, for me, reflects where each of us has been and how we are coming together from our pasts in this new endeavour."

ASHES OF ARES is:

Matthew Barlow - Vocals Freddie Vidales - Guitar/BassVan Williams - DrumsGio Geraca - Guitar (session/touring member only)Dean Sternberg - Bass (session/touring member only)

ASHES OF ARES is a band which represents the culmination of experiences, trials and tribulations of its founding members. Within months of their departures from the iconic metal bands ICED EARTH and NEVERMORE, the trio came together with a renewed drive to create a sound which is a true collaboration of their personal influences, ideas and visions. Armed with the knowledge acquired through years of the writing, touring and recording cycle, and with the support of an army of loyal fans across the globe, ASHES OF ARES is poised to carve out a new legacy and stand alongside those who have helped pave the way.

"This Is My Hell" video:

The reunited METAL CHURCH — Ronny Munroe on vocals, Kurdt Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt on guitars, Steve Unger on bass, and Jeff Plate on drums — will release tenth studio album, "Generation Nothing", on October 22 via Kurdt's label Body Of Work Recordings in conjunction with Rat Pak Records.

"Generation Nothing" track listing:

01. Bullet Proof 02. Dead City 03. Generation Nothing 04. Noises In The Wall 05. Jump The Gun 06. Suiciety 07. Scream 08. Hits Keep Comin' 09. Close To The Bone 10. The Media Horse

The song "Scream" can now be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

According to Vanderhoof, "Generation Nothing" — which was recorded at Kurdt's English Channel studio in Washingtion — marks a "return to [METAL CHURCH's] classic metal sound. It has elements of the first album and 'The Dark', but still embraces the new sound of the band without chasing the past."

Munroe said in a recent interview with Metal Assault that the new METAL CHURCH effort would contain material that is "very reminiscent of the old days with some stuff that's very 'now.'" He added: "There's a bit of… I'm not going to say 'prog' because it's not, but there's a couple of elements in there that are a little bit progressive. For the most part, out of this batch of songs, they really sound more reminiscent of the early days than anything we've done before with this lineup. This excites me very much, and I think the fans are really going to dig it."

Regarding the circumstances that led to METAL CHURCH's breakup in 2009, Ronny said: "Well, in a nutshell, without going into a huge and long story here, it was certain aspects of things that had continued to happen to the band throughout its career. Not having the proper management and the proper people in place that were handling us. You know, we ended up taking some shows we shouldn't have taken and that just led to where Kurdt was really getting fed up and then we all kind of got that way. Basically, we figured before we end up disbanding because of other reasons such as maybe starting to fight with one another or whatnot, we decided to go ahead and end it then. We all ended up friends and we wanted to keep it that way. So I won't go into specifics, but we all know what the music industry is like now compared to what it was like back then. We just didn't have the right people in our camp."

Asked what the band is going to do differently this time around to avoid falling into the same trap, Ronny said: "This time around we're going to release this next record on Kurdt's label. Basically, Kurdt and the band and whatnot are taking a lot more control of the situation. Yes, maybe the downloading thing is even worse than 2009, but also on the other hand, if you know what you're doing and you use the Internet correctly, you can actually have success. Kurdt's been doing that with his prog band PRESTO BALLET and whatnot. In this day and age, the time is right to go and try something on your own. If it doesn't work, you can always end up going out and searching for a label or something. We're going to take a shot at it and see what happens and I think we're probably going to have some decent success."

MISFITS will debut two all-new studio recordings for the first time anywhere on a special limited-edition 12-inch maxi-single this Halloween.

'90s-era MISFITS "fiend" fave "Descending Angel" has been re-recorded with a brand new 2013 treatment by "The Devil’s Rain" lineup (Jerry Only, Dez Cadena and Eric "Chupacabra" Arce).

The new single features wicked cover art by Jeff Zornow.

The first glimpse of the old-school-inspired, one-color sleeve art, courtesy of Misfits Records, can be seen below.

More news will follow, including details of the flipside track, (hint for die-hard fiends... you've only heard the MISFITS perform this track live, but a studio version will soon debut). Also keep your evil eyes peeled for advance word on pre-ordering, highly limited exclusive variant vinyl colorways, and how to get your copy before it even arrives in stores.

MISFITS released their first "proper" live album since the 1980s, "Dea.d. Alive!", on February 5 on CD and limited-edition 12-inch vinyl plus MP3 card.

With select tracks from the band's encore set at their hometown show in New Jersey added for good measure, (recorded live on "Devil's Night," no less), "Dea.d. Alive!" is an audio Molotov cocktail guaranteed to have bonfires burning bright with pumpkin faces, day or night, all year round. Speakers will virtually melt as a torrential downpour of "Devil's Rain" engulfs the senses, catapulting you front row center into a jam-packed house of horrors.

The diverse set of modern day MISFITS classics included range from current hits like "Land Of The Dead" and "Curse Of The Mummy's Hand", on through all-new live versions of earlier-era material like "Scream!", "Dig Up Her Bones", "Helena" and more — recorded live, with a level of precision and intensity garnered in over three decades of horror business. In addition to 13 fiendish faves from the band's cryptic catalog, the live set also includes a cover version of the anthem "Science Fiction/Double Feature" (from the cult classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show") performed by the MISFITS for the first time ever on any release!

Vocalist Johan Hegg of Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH has been confirmed to join the cast of "Northmen - A Viking Saga". Ralph Dietrich, chief executive officer, Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, made the announcement today. Hegg will join the production in South Africa this month, playing the role of Viking warrior Valli.

Said Hegg: "The mythology behind our Viking heritage is engrained in everything we do and it is awesome to have the opportunity to be part of 'Northmen - A Viking Saga'. This is going to be one epic adventure and I cannot wait to be on set with my co-stars and this fantastic filmmaking team!"

Dietrich added: "It is an honor to have metal icon Johan Hegg set sail with us and we could not be more excited. Such a fitting addition, Johan's music, as the lead singer of AMON AMARTH, is synonymous with the Viking experience that we are bringing to life in 'Northmen - A Viking Saga'."

Hegg joins "Northmen - A Viking Saga"'s international cast, which includes Tom Hopper ("Knights Of Badassdom", "Black Sails", "Merlin"), Ryan Kwanten ("True Blood", "The Right Kind Of Wrong"), Ken Duken ("Das Adlon", "Inglorious Basterds"), Charlie Murphy ("Philomena", "The Village"), Ed Skrein ("The Sweeney", "Ill Manors", "Game Of Thrones"), Anatole Taubman ("Quantum Of Solace", "The Tudors") and James Norton ("Rush", "Belle").

Directed by Claudio Fäh ("Sniper: Reloaded", "Hollow Man 2") and scripted by Matthias Bauer and Bastian Zach, the film is co-produced by Elite Filmproduktion AG, Two Oceans Production and Jumping Horse Film GmbH. The producers are Karin G. Dietrich, Ralph S. Dietrich and Daniel Hoeltschi for Elite, Giselher Venzke and Bertha Spieker for TOP and Marco Del Bianco, Frank Kaminski, Ulrich Stiehm and Rolf Wappenschmitt for Jumping Horse. VFX production is by Day For Night GmbH.

Nordmedia Fonds GmbH has subsidised the project's development to date, with production financing from Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen/Bremen. "Northmen" receives further subsidies from South African National Film And Video Foundation (NFVF) and the Department Trade And Industry (DTI).

The Salt Company (London) is handling worldwide sales and contracts have already been placed for major territories including the U.K., France, Scandinavia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Congratulations are in order for PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix and his wife, Kelly, who are the proud new parents a baby boy, Brixton Gabriel Shaddix. Kelly underwent a Caesarean section procedure a a Californian hospital on Wednesday, September 18 and Brixton was born at 9:45 a.m. local time. He weighed in at 7 pounds and 3 ounces and measured 19 inches long. This is the third son for Jacoby and Kelly, who are also the parents of Makaile Ceilo Shaddix, born March 24, 2002 and Jagger Monroe Shaddix, born September 13, 2004.

During the making of PAPA ROACH's latest album, "The Connection", Shaddix split and reconciled with his wife of 16 years and also fell off the wagon.

"This record is a snapshot of me at my most desperate," Jacoby told The Aquarian Weekly. "As I was writing this record, [my wife and I] were split, so there was a lot of pain and anger and frustration. As the dust settles in my life, I realize that I'm the orchestrator of all this chaos. I'm the one at fault. I'm the fucking problem. When you go through that stuff, sometimes it's hard to own your own shit, to step up to the plate and own it. I just had to because I wanted to do the right thing."

He added: "I was able to make this record, express myself and get my family back together and get my respect from my band. At the eleventh hour, I pulled it off. I don't know, man, this is a repeating cycle in my life. I don't know how many more times I can do this to myself."

Having signed with Dark Essence Records for a further two albums, Norwegian Black-Folk Metallers GALAR have been ensconced in Bergen’s Conclave and Earshot Studios with Producer Bjørnar E. Nilsen (VULTURE INDUSTRIES, BLACK HOLE GENERATOR) working on the bands third full-length album which will be titled “De Gjenlevende” (The Bereaved) and which is set for release in early 2014. Drummer Phobos (AETERNUS, GRAVDAL, MALSAIN) has now finished laying down the drum tracks and the band will take a short break from the studio until October. A video from the drum sessions can be seen below http://youtu.be/bbNDHGFtoiY

A follow up to 2010’s “Til Alle Heimsens Endar”, the lineup on the album will once again include GALAR’s two core members of M. Kristiansen on screams, guitars and bass and A. B. Lauritzen on clean vocals, bassoon and grand piano, with Phobos on drums. They will be joined by a series of session musicians that include both a string quintet and a horn quartet in keeping with the epic material the band has produced for the album both musically and lyrically. Consisting of six tracks, one of which will be an instrumental, “De Gjenlevende” is a concept album and, according to GALAR, the songs will be longer, and more epic, than previously. Written entirely in Norwegian, “De Gjenlevende” will come with an explanatory booklet.

Jorge Scholz, the band’s lyricist, recently briefly explained the concept behind the album, which draws its inspiration from Pan-European folklore, ontology, and elegies. “Its five contemplative texts tell of the utter dreadfulness that haunts both the human mind and body when the season of winter holds every living thing in its grasp. Winter is the time of utter gloom, enfeeblement and inescapable death, which challenges mankind, beasts and plants equally. Yet, as long as there is life, there is hope, and eventually a new era of the Sun will bring to an end the seemingly eternal darkness of winter. With the arrival of spring hope and life will flourish once more. It is a portrayal of this cyclical process of transformation that is as old as the history of mankind itself”.

Fan-filmed footage of GALAR performing the track “Ingen Siger Vart Vunnin” at the Phantoms of Pilsen Festival in 2011 can be seen below.

CRONIAN (formerly ION) — the Norwegian/Swedish avant-garde metal project featuring BORKNAGAR members Øystein G. Brun (guitars and programming) and Andreas "Vintersorg" Hedlund (vocals and programming) — will release its third album, "Erathems", on November 12 (four days earlier in Europe) via Season Of Mist's Underground Activists division.

"Erathems" track listing:

01. Cold Wave Eruption02. Ecocracy03. Drifting Station04. Moments And Monuments05. Blackwater Horizon06. Core Resiliency07. Chemical Dawn08. End(Durance) Part III09. Full Moon Inferno (bonus track on European digipak and digital editions)

The cover artwork for the new CRONIAN album was created by the Brazilian visual artist Marcelo Vasco (SOULFLY, DIMMU BORGIR, BORKNAGAR, SATYRICON) and can be seen below.

"I am so excited and honoured to join forces with Season Of Mist for future albums with CRONIAN!", Øystein said back in May.

"We have just finished up the third album and I don't even slightly blush when arguing out loud that it is the very pinnacle of my fairly long musical career. Musically and production-wise, it almost feels like a leap up and into another division.

"Mr. V and I have been working intensely and fully isolated over the last six months with this bastard of an album and we firmly regard this as our most catchy, aggressive, atmospheric and darken flavoured effort to date.

"I am pretty sure this album will blow the socks off of all those who liked our previous releases, as well as fans of BORKNAGAR, VINTERSORG and likewise. So being able to work with one of the most credible, passionate and professional labels around makes my day — and make us proud! So excited to get this album out!"

Vintersorg added: "A new album has left our 'systems' and is now finding its path throughout the musical world. It has surely been a great journey to write, record and complete this third album in the CRONIAN chronicle. The music finally matches our vision is and it's been an intense period for me and Øystein to really get there. We're also very pleased to now enter the relationship with Season Of Mist to get this album out. Even if the music has been taking its path out of our bodies, it is still lingering in our minds… It's stuck… And it feels just great. We're so proud of this album and it's just a pleasure to be reminded all the time of what a trip this has been."

CRONIAN's second CD, "Enterprise", was released in October 2008 via Indie Recordings.

Southern California juggernauts IMPENDING DOOM recently entered The Machine Shop (SUICIDE SILENCE, LAMB OF GOD) in Belleville, New Jersey to start recording their next LP with producer Will Putney. A November release via eOne Entertainment is expected.

A trailer for the album can be seen below.

Comments bass player David Sittig: "The material is our best and heaviest work, without a doubt.

"The chemistry between the five of us this time has been different and very unique.

"Our original guitarist, Manny Contreras, rejoined the band and we all could not be happier with what he has brought to the table.

"This is the IMPENDING DOOM album you have been waiting for!"

IMPENDING DOOM's fourth full-length album, "Baptized In Filth", sold 4,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 106 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on March 13, 2012, the CD was produced by Andreas Magnusson (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, THE FAMINE) and was mixed by Machine, who has previously worked with LAMB OF GOD, SUICIDE SILENCE and DEMON HUNTER, among others.

"Like Animals", a brand new song from Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based death metallers KATAKLYSM, can be streamed below. The track comes off the band's new album, "Waiting For The End To Come", which will be released on October 29 in North America via Nuclear Blast. The artwork by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, HATEBREED) will be featured on the deluxe digipak and LP versions of the effort. The cover by Peter Sallai (SABATON) will be featured on the standard jewel case and limited edition cassette tape versions.

"This other version of the new art made by Eliran Kantor represents a more iconic and epic approach,” commented Iacono. "A man representing all of humanity, shaking the foundation of existence and ultimately beginning the process of destruction. The main foundation is depicted here as the famous KATAKLYSM 'tribal sun' logo. It does not represent the end of KATAKLYSM by any means; more the beginning of a new era after the end of a certain existence."

The follow-up to 2010's "Heaven's Venom", "Waiting For The End To Come" was recorded by KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-François Dagenais, who has previously worked with MALEVOLENT CREATION, MISERY INDEX and DESPISED ICON, among others, and mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUFFOCATION, HATEBREED, ARSIS).

"Waiting For The End To Come" jewel case and limited cassette track listing:

01. Fire02. If I Was God - I’d Burn It All03. Like Animals04. Kill The Elite05. Under Lawless Skies06. Dead & Buried07. The Darkest Days of Slumber08. Real Blood - Real Scars09. The Promise10. Empire Of Dirt11. Elevate

"Waiting For The End To Come" digipak and LP track listing:

01. Fire02. If I Was God - I’d Burn It All03. Like Animals04. Kill The Elite05. Under Lawless Skies06. Dead & Buried07. The Darkest Days of Slumber08. Real Blood - Real Scars09. The Promise10. Empire Of Dirt11. Elevate12. The American Way (SACRED REICH cover; digipak bonus track)

As previously reported, KATAKLYSM has recruited ex-NEURAXIS drummer Oli Beaudoin to sit behind the kit during the recording sessions for "Waiting For The End To Come". Beaudoin is also playing all of KATAKLYSM's currenty announced shows. Drummer Max Duhamel announced on April 8 that he was taking a break from KATAKLYSM to deal with issues related to alcohol abuse.

KATAKLYSM will embark on a European headlining tour in January 2014. Support on the trek will come from KRISIUN and FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE.

Reformed industrial metal pioneers GODFLESH will release their first new recording in over 12 years through Decibel magazine's Flexi Series in October. A cover of the track "F.O.D. (Fuck of Death)" by legendary death thrashers SLAUGHTER (Canada) will be included in the subscriber version of the magazine's November issue (streeting October 5).

You can now stream the track at this location.

To obtain the GODFLESH flexi disc, subscribe to Decibel by 9 a.m. EST on September 3 to ensure its arrival. Anyone who currently has an active Decibel subscription will automatically receive the GODFLESH disc.

In a recent interview with the French radio station Le 106, GODFLESH's Justin Broadrick stated about the band's forthcoming album — which is tentatively titled "A World Lit Only By Fire" and due in early 2014 — "It will be [musically] similar to the first two or three [GODFLESH albums]. I just think, like we're playing these shows, we feel very pure about we're doing and honoring the initial intentions with what we originally set out to do. Which, I think, like most bands and musicians and all the rest of it, by the time you get on to your fourth album, it's somewhat of a dilution going on to what you initially tried to achieve. It will definitely sound aggressive and it probably won't sound like any of the other records we've made, but it will have the minimalism of the first few records."

Added GODFLESH bassist G.C. Green: "It won't sound like the first two record; it will be more the spirit… When you make records over the years, you change as people, you change as musicians, you progress, you develop and you take other styles on, but I think, having had a break from it and come back to it, it seems that we've gone straight back into what the essence of it was originally, and that's why it feels good."

Continued Justin: "It's getting straight back to the core of what this is all about. And I think having a break from it has probably even more inspired… It's like refocusing and obviously, we're somewhat older and wiser. It's gonna be a really interesting record. It's extremely minimal and very, very brutal — a fairly unforgiving record, really, I think."

GODFLESH's seminal debut full-length album, 1989's "Streetcleaner", was remastered and reissued in a deluxe digipak in Europe on June 21, 2010 and in North America on August 10, 2010 via Earache Records.

"Streetcleaner" was GODFLESH's second release, proving to be one of the band's finest and most recognized albums and helping them to become one of the most influential industrial bands ever. Now "Streetcleaner" was brought up to date as a special expanded version, with all tracks remastered by GODFLESH founding member Justin Broadrick. The album also includes a bonus disc featuring 12 previously unreleased live tracks, alternate mixes and demos, and comes housed in a deluxe multi-panel digipak with detailed liner notes.

Norway's celestial dark rock outfit ULVER will release its new album, "Messe I.X - IV.X", on October 8. The effort will be available this fall as a vinyl, download and CD, which also features a 5.1 surround mix of the album.

Fans can pre-order "Messe I.X - IV.X" through the Kscope webstore. A trailer for the CD can be seen below.

"Messe I.X - IV.X" track listing: 01. As Syrians Pour In, Lebanon Grapples With Ghosts Of A Bloody Past02. Shri Schneider03. Glamour Box (Ostinati)04. Son Of Man05. Noche Oscura Del Alma06. Mother Of Mercy The follow up to 2011's acclaimed "Wars Of The Roses", "Messe I.X - IV.X" is a different entity; reverberating 2007's somber and solemn "Shadows Of The Sun", with the band even going as far as to say it feels like a companion piece to it. The album also echoes the early electronic experiments of EPs "Silence Teaches You How to Sing" and "Silencing The Singing", and is furthermore said to invoke the ghost of an abandoned Nattens madrigal renaissance-project. Six compositions altogether written, produced, recorded and mixed by ULVER, this time consisting of Ole Alexander Halstensgård, Kristoffer Rygg, Jørn H. Sværen and Tore Ylwizaker, with additional aid and advice from composer Martin Romberg, who also arranged the music for the 21 members of Tromsø Chamber Orchestra. The album also features the extraordinary talents of contemporary composers/musicians Ole-Henrik Moe and Kari Rønnekleiv. The Norwegian master has evolved over the past two decades to cross an astonishing body of disciplines, taking in ambient, avant-garde, electronic, psychedelic, prog and jazz influences. Now it is the electronic, atmospheric and classical sensibilities which come to the fore on "Messe I.X - IV.X".

Jason McCash, bassist, co-songwriter and co-lyricist for Indianapolis doomsters THE GATES OF SLUMBER, has announced his departure from the band. He says: "It's nothing at all against Karl [Simon; vocals, guitar] and Bob [Fouts; drums] but I think it's something I have to do at this time. I really hope and wish the best for them and the group.

"I am not done with music, though I'm leaving THE GATES OF SLUMBER, as I have a whole album's worth of material written that was suppose to be part of the next THE GATES OF SLUMBER album that I very much want to see come to life. The material that I have are still in the the same vein as in songs like 'Death March', 'Dragon Caravan' and 'Day Of Farewell'. I plan on still bringing these songs to life, but it just wont be under the THE GATES OF SLUMBER banner.

"I've spent a massive portion of my life in this band. Living it, cultivating it, breathing it and loving every moment in it. I will miss it and I do look back on what I've helped create with a very proud heart.

"I am sorry for this to happen but it is just time for me to leave. "

THE GATES OF SLUMBER's "Death March" video can be seen below. The song comes off the band's "Stormcrow" EP, which was released on January 29 via Scion Audio/Visual, (a.k.a. Scion A/V), the in-house record label and lifestyle marketing division of the Scion marque produced by Toyota Motor Corporation for the North American market. The CD was recorded by Sanford Parker and it features cover artwork by Dave Quiggle.

THE GATES OF SLUMBER last year parted amicably with drummer J. Clyde Paradis, who recorded and toured behind the 2011 album "The Wretch" (Rise Above Records).

THE GATES OF SLUMBER started in 1998 as a backlash against the stoner rock trend prevalent at the time and with their mixture of BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS, PENTAGRAM, and prime-era CELTIC FROST, the band has crushed or converted unbelievers ever since.

"The Wretch" was released in May 2011 via Rise Above/Metal Blade. The CD was recorded at England's Orgone Studios with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (GHOST, ANGEL WITCH).

Swedish epic doom metallers BELOW are currently hold up at Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden with KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque recording their Metal Blade Records debut.

BELOW draws influences from BLACK SABBATH, CANDLEMASS and KING DIAMOND, so going with La Rocque as the producer was a clear choice for the group.

"The progress of the recording of our debut album is going great and to have the opportunity to work with Andy La Rocque and Olof in Sonic Train Studios is amazing," says the band.

"We are currently finished recording the drums, the bass and the main guitars, and will start with the vocals this weekend. It sounds amazing already. It will be a truly epic album that will leave its mark in the history of doom."

La Rocque adds: This is one of the heaviest bands I have worked with in the studio for a very long time, and the sounds so far is amazing! And always great to work with great musicians!"

The Swedish quintet is working with Tobias Rosén — bass player of fellow Metal Blade Records artists NOCTUM — of Howlin' Owl Productions and a split seven-inch single is in set to be released by Dark Descent Records. The full-length CD will follow in 2014.

In November, BELOW will tour Europe for the first time supporting the mighty doom band DEVIL from Norway.

"The Age Of The Atheist", a brand new song from Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track will be released as a digital single and on colored vinyl on September 27 via Nuclear Blast Records. Track listing:

Side A: "The Age Of The Atheist"Side B: "Zombie Ritual" (DEATH cover)

"The Age Of The Atheist" comes off SEPULTURA's new album, "The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart", which will be released on October 25 via Nuclear Blast Records. The artwork was created by Brazilian artist Alexandre Wagner, who specializes in charcoal drawing techniques.

Guitarist Andreas Kisser commented on how he discovered the work of Alexandre Wagner. "It was through Silvio Bibika, who was my roadie for a long time," he said. "He always shows me things in general that SEPULTURA might need. Alexandre, who is from Belo Horizonte, Silvio showed me a year ago. So before we went to the United States, to record the album, I was at his house to talk about the cover, tell him the album title, talk about the concept of the film 'Metropolis', so he could do something original. But when I saw the picture with the drawing, I thought it was all about what we wanted and we did not need something new. I asked him to do a tribal S in the style of the cover. The S made by Alexandre will be on the back cover."

Said Alexandre: "I did this series of charcoal drawing work when I still lived in Belo Horizonte. They were all made there. They were quick drawings without much reference, almost an experimentation that may have came from a desire to use the most basic of basic materials — coal, paper and wood. The cover design was already done, Andreas saw it and liked it. We talked a little more and I also sent some other pictures for the booklet. I was pleased with the choice of the theme of the album, I like Fritz Lang very much, and not only 'Metropolis'. 'Dr. Mabuse der Spieler' is a fucking great movie."

As a Mineiro, from Belo Horizonte like SEPULTURA, Alexandre was glad to be part of the band’s history. "It's impossible to be from Belo Horizonte and not know the band," he said. "Some of their albums followed me for a long time, especially 'Chaos A.D.' I remember seeing 'Refuse/Resist' on TV and thinking it was wonderful. It’s really cool to work with the guys, being part of something together. It is somehow a shared history."

"The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" track listing:

01. Trauma Of War02. The Vatican03. Impending Doom04. Manipulation Of Tragedy05. Tsunami06. The Bliss of Ignorants07. Grief08. The Age Of The Atheist09. Obsessed10. Da Lama ao Caos (CHICO SCIENCE & NAÇÃO ZUMBI cover)

Although it was inspired by Fritz Lang's classic 1927 movie "Metropolis", the CD, "The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" is not a concept album or a soundtrack like its precedessors "Dante XXI" (based on "The Divine Comedy") and "A-Lex" (based on "A Clockwork Orange").

"The Mediator Between The Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" was tracked over a 40-day period at producer Ross Robinson's (KORN, LIMP BIZKIT, SLIPKNOT) studio in Venice, California and is being mixed and mastered by co-producer Steve Evetts, who previously worked with SEPULTURA on the "Nation" (2001), "Revolusongs" (2002) and "Roorback" (2003) albums, in addition to having collaborated with Ross on a number of other projects in the past.

SEPULTURA recorded a total of 14 songs for the follow-up to 2011's "Kairos", including a cover version of DEATH's "Zombie Ritual". The CD will also feature a guest appearance by former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo. In a recent interview with JacksonGuitars.com, Kisser stated about the direction of the new SEPULTURA album: "I write stuff all the time — riffs or ideas on an acoustic guitar. But we really started working on this album in February of this year, so it was pretty quick. We have Eloy Casagrande as our drummer, and he's 22 years old. The guy's a beast. One of the best drummers I've seen on the planet Earth. He has this metal blood that has so much energy and brings so many possibilities for riffs and stuff like that. It is a SEPULTURA album, but like every SEPULTURA album, there is something different. I think the main difference now is the drummer. It's the first time we've worked in the studio with him. It's been almost two years [since the last album], and it's very exciting."

Asked about SEPULTURA's decision to include a bonus track covering DEATH's "Zombie Ritual", Kisser said: "Without DEATH, there wouldn't be a SEPULTURA — especially in the beginning. The very early albums — like 'Morbid Visions' and 'Schizophrenia' — there's a lot of influence from Chuck Schuldiner and his riffs. You can hear that very clearly in our early music. And we never really had the opportunity or idea to play that. We really play our idols, like BLACK SABBATH or MOTÖRHEAD and some Brazilian stuff, but because we covered so many different bands, I think it was time for this tribute to this great band."

SEPULTURA's upcoming CD will mark the first time the band will have recorded an album outside Brazil since "Against".

The reunion between SEPULTURA and Robinson was first suggested by Monte Conner, the former Roadrunner Records A&R chief who is now the head of Nuclear Blast Entertainment, a U.S. partnership with Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger.

Robinson produced SEPULTURA's classic "Roots" album in 1995. Released in February 1996 by Roadrunner, it was the band's last studio album to feature founding member and vocalist Max Cavalera.