French metallers DAGOBA will release their new album, Post Mortem Nihil Est, on November 5th in North America via eOne. The album artwork, created by Seth Siro Anton, can be seen below:
Post Mortem Nihil Est tracklisting:

'When Winter...'
'The Realm Black'
'I, Reptile'
'Yes, We Die'
'Kiss Me, Kraken'
'Nevada'
'The Great Wonder'
'The Day After The Apocalypse'
'Son Of A Ghost'
'Oblivion Is For The Living'
'By The Sword'

'The Great Wonder':
'I, Reptile' lyric video:
Album trailer:
Japan's DIR EN GREY will be back in US and Canada this November for a headline tour, with support from Dagoba.
Tour dates:

November
3 - Trees - Dallas, TX
4 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
6 - Center Stage - Atlanta, GA
8 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
9 - The Theatre of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
11 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
12 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
14 - The Opera House - Toronto, ON
16 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
17 - The Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
19 - The Bluebird Theatre - Denver, CO
21 - Showbox at the Market - Seattle, WA
23 - The Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center - San Francisco, CA
24 - House of Blues Sunset Strip - West Hollywood, CA

More on Dagoba at this location.

MIDNATTSOL vocalist Carmen Elise Espenaes has launched a new project with THE SINS OF THY BELOVED members Stig Johansen and Anders Thue called SAVN. According to an update from the band, cello player Christoph Kutzer will be a guest performer on the album. More special guests will be announced soon.
In a new interview with BW&BK's Carl Begai, Carmen confirmed that LEAVES' EYES singer Liv Kristine - her older sister - will make a guest appearance on one track for the album. It will be released via CDR Records out of Norway.

Stay tuned for updates via the band's official Facebook page.

Four years after their debut album Towards Death in 2009 and their self-released thunder assault Riding With The Blitz (an EP with two new tracks in 2011) - Swedish warmongers LEGIONS OF WAR come out from their long retreat with a new arsenal.

Nine new assaults have been written and will soon be unleashed on Inferno Records under the name Forced To The Ground. This new album shows a more aggressive and still heavier side of the band. The new album presents guitar riffs and rhythms that express all the atrocities of war like never before. The style is basically a personal approach to thrash (the whole concept is about war, which means the sound is very cold) but has definitely a strong heavy metal influence.

This new album will be released by the end of the year (date is set for December 20th) under the forms of digipack CD, regular jewel case-CD and cassette.

Check out the tracks ‘Forced To The Ground’ and ‘Grandiose Visions’ below:

On September 17th, the debut album of Australian melodic power metal act DAMNATIONS DAY will see the light of day, released worldwide through Nightmare Records. The album is called Invisible, The Dead, and it is a “tour de force through majestic songlines, powerful rhythms, fantastic choirs and beautiful melodies.”

Invisible, The Dead tracklisting:

‘Invisible, The Dead’
‘The Meaning’
‘I Am’
‘Reaper’
‘A Ghost In Me’
‘Lucid Dreaming’
‘Reflections’
‘Carried Above The Son’
‘A World To Come’

Check out the video ‘Invisible, The Dead’ below:

Due to "unpredictable technical problems," the release date of "Back To The Front", the tenth album from Swedish metal veterans ENTOMBED, has been pushed back to early 2014 from the previously announced October 29. The exact new release date will be announced soon.

"Back To The Front" was recorded at Studio Bohus (ABBA, EUROPE) in Kungälv, Sweden with producer Roberto Laghi (IN FLAMES, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR). The cover artwork was painted by Zbigniew Bielak (WATAIN, VADER) and can be seen below.

A press release states: "Don't be afraid that it will sound like ABBA — it's 666% true to the ENTOMBED everybody loves. While not falling for total regression back to the early classics 'Left Hand Path' or 'Clandestine', expect a total bone-crushing opus that will have fans of 'Wolverine Blues', 'To Ride…' or 'Morning Star' cry tears of joy. From the morbid, pissed-off lyrics over detuned, massive riffs to the inimitable brick-heavy groove and L.G. Petrov's titanic roar, 'Back To The Front' has it all, so get ready for a stone-cold stunner!"

Comments singer L.G. Petrov: "After almost seven years of studio absence, we are back with a new album called 'Back To The Front' ready to blow metalheads away around this world! Feels great to announce this deal with Century Media! Can't wait to let you all be a part of it!"

Adds Jens Prüter, head Of A&R at Century Media Records Europe: "I first saw ENTOMBED in 1992 on the Gods Of Grind tour and was blown away by their merciless sound that was even back then more than just death metal. Over 20 years later, they still kick ass and we are more than proud to finally welcome them to the Century Media family."

"Back To The Front" track listing:

01. Kill To Live02. Bedlam Strike03. The Underminer04. Second To None05. Allegiance06. Waiting For Death07. Eternal Woe08. Digitus Medius09. Vulture And The Traitor10. Pandemic Rage11. Soldier Of No Fortune

ENTOMBED recently teamed up with PledgeMusic to launch a reissue campaign for some of their albums.

In early 2012, Threeman Recordings, which is owned and run by members of ENTOMBED, launched a collaboration with Ninetone Records. The first release under this arrangement was a single for the re-recorded version of the song "Amok" from ENTOMBED's 2007 album, "Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments", produced by Patrik Frisk (CORRODED).

Legendary rock trio RUSH have unveiled details for their first new recording since being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame earlier this year. "Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour" will be released via Anthem/Roadrunner Records on November 19. Anthem/Zoe Vision/Rounder will simultaneously release the companion DVD. "Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour" was filmed and recorded last November at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, during RUSH's highly successful "Clockwork Angels" tour. The eleven month-marathon world tour crossed North America twice and ventured overseas to Europe in support of the band's acclaimed 2012 studio release "Clockwork Angels". In capturing the tour's electrifying three-hour set, "Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour" pairs RUSH classics ("Tom Sawyer", "The Spirit Of Radio", "2112"), with a nod to the '80s RUSH era ("The Analog Kid", "Territories", "Subdivisions") alongside newly reworked arrangements specifically for the tour featuring the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble ("Headlong Flight", "YYZ", "Red Sector A"). The string section marks the first time the trio has brought additional musicians on the road with them. To showcase their latest studio release, the epic setlist also features nine tracks off "Clockwork Angels". Other highlights include tracks rarely performed and never before recorded live ("The Body Electric", "Middletown Dreams"), in addition to three separate drum solos by the incomparable Neil Peart.

Beyond the incredible live performances, the DVD includes a 25-minute tour documentary, featuring interviews with all three members and exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage. Titled "Can't Stop Thinking Big", the piece offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the RUSH tour machine and insight into the band members themselves. Other special features on the DVD include the trio of hilarious shorts created specifically for the tour as well as interviews and outtakes captured during their filming. Additional filmed sketches and a rare soundcheck performance of perennial favourite "Limelight" round out the exclusive offerings.

"Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour" comes on the heels of Anthem/Atlantic's September 30 release of "Vapor Trails Remixed", a newly remixed version of the band's 2002 album "Vapor Trails" and 7-disc boxed set "The Studio Albums 1989-2007", which features every studio album RUSH recorded for Atlantic Records.

"Clockwork Angels Tour" track listing:

Set One:

01. Subdivisions02. The Big Money03. Force Ten04. Grand Designs05. The Body Electric06. Territories07. The Analog Kid08. Bravado09. Where's My Thing?/ Here It Is! (drum solo)10. Far Cry Set Two:

11. Caravan *12. Clockwork Angels *13. The Anarchist *14. Carnies *15. The Wreckers *16. Headlong Flight */ Drumbastica (drum solo)17. Peke's Repose (guitar solo)/ Halo Effect *18. Seven Cities of Gold *19. Wish Them Well *20. The Garden *21. Dreamline *22. The Percussor (I) Binary Love Theme (II) Steambanger's Ball (drum solo)23. Red Sector A *24. YYZ *25. The Spirit Of Radio Encore:

26. Tom Sawyer27. 2112 Bonus:

28. Limelight (soundcheck recording)29. Middletown Dreams30. The Pass31. Manhattan Project * * With the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble Special Features (Blu-ray/DVD only)

* Can't Stop Thinking Big (25-minute tour documentary)* Behind The Scenes (featuring Jay Baruchel)* Outtakes* Interview With Dwush* Family Goy* Family Sawyer* The Watchmaker (intermission tour film)* Office Of The Watchmaker (closing tour film)

MISFITS' Jerry Only joined HATEBREED on stage last night (Sunday, September 15) at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey to perform the MISFITS classic "Hatebreeders". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

HATEBREED's cover version of "Hatebreeders" song was included on the Connecticut hardcore/metal masters' covers album, entitled "For The Lions", which sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 58 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Released in the U.S. in May 2009 via E1 Music "For The Lions" contained songs that were carefully selected by HATEBREED to represent a panoramic view of some of their favorite artists and greatest musical inspirations. Having completed the album in 2008, the band felt their work wasn't done yet and just returned to the studio with original guitar player Wayne Lozinak to record additional tracks for the album.

HATEBREED's new album, "The Divinity Of Purpose", sold 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 20 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was made available on January 29 in North America via Razor & Tie and on January 25 in Europe through Nuclear Blast. The CD was co-produced by HATEBREED, Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL THAT REMAINS, SHADOWS FALL) and Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), with Wilbur also handling mixing duties. The cover artwork was created and illustrated by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS, GWAR).

The new self-titled album from progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER is available for streaming in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below (courtesy of RollingStone.com).

"Dream Theater" — the band's 12th studio release overall, and fourth with Roadrunner Records — will be released on September 24.

Speaking to Ultimate-Guitar.com, Petrucci stated about "Dream Theater": "I think it's building on [what we did on the "A Dramatic Turn of Events" album], but taking it to the next level. One of the things I really wanted to do on 'A Dramatic Turn of Events' was to create something that was sonically very rich and high-def and powerful and I think we accomplished that. But on this album, I wanted to take that even further…. [I wanted to] get more cinematic with it and more earthy and aggressive and bigger. I wanted a bigger, more forward in-your-face kind of sound. I think that kind of dictated the sounds we went for while we were writing and recording and then ultimately how it was mixed. So yeah, it was kind of building on that, but taking it to the next level. You always need to progress and to try and do something different and kind of have a little bit different take on it and a different perspective. But hopefully make it better as you go."

The nine-track disc was recorded at Cove City Studio in Glen Cove, Long Island, with Petrucci producing and Richard Chycki engineering and mixing. It's the band's second album with drummer Mike Mangini, and the first one on which he was a part of the writing process from Day One.

In January, Petrucci said of Mangini's work: "When people hear the drumming on this album, they're gonna be pretty freaked out. On the last album, he did a great job, but he wasn't there for the writing process and he was interpreting drum parts that I had programmed. Even though he used his creativity, of course, to change them up and do his thing, I feel like now he's just Mike Mangini unleashed. It's all him. It's all his creativity, all his decisions and ideas and man, the guy's an animal."

"Dream Theater" track listing:

01. False Awakening SuiteI. Sleep ParalysisII. Night TerrorsIII. Lucid Dream02. The Enemy Inside03. The Looking Glass04. Enigma Machine05. The Bigger Picture06. Behind The Veil07. Surrender To Reason08. Along For The Ride09. Illumination TheoryI. Paradoxe de la Lumière NoireII. Live, Die, KillIII. The Embracing CircleIV. The Pursuit of TruthV. Surrender, Trust & Passion

"Dream Theater" will be available in a wide range of distinctive versions, including standard and special edition CDs, 180-gram double LP, and a limited-edition boxed set.

DREAM THEATER will be on tour in Europe in January and February 2014, and in North America in March 2014.

"Live At Luna Park", DREAM THEATER's live concert, which was previously scheduled for release in May via Eagle Rock Entertainment, will now drop in North America on November 5 as a Blu-ray, 2DVD, 2DVD + 3CD, Blu-ray + 3CD, deluxe edition with 40-page book, Blu-ray + 2DVD + 3CD, and digital video via iTunes.

"Live At Luna Park" was filmed over two nights in South America — home to one of DREAM THEATER's most ardent fanbases. The DVD was filmed August 19 and August 20, 2012 at Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina after a 15-month world tour, hitting 35 countries.

Swedish metallers SABATON will release their new DVD and Blu-ray, "Swedish Empire Live", 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".

A performance clip of the song "Uprising" from "Swedish Empire Live" can be seen below.

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.

An audio sample of "Beneath A Veil Of Crying Souls", the new single from Swedish progressive/power metal veterans TAD MOROSE, can be streamed below. The single will be released on September 28.

After a 10-year hiatus, TAD MOROSE will release its seventh album, "Revenant", on November 20 via Despotz Records. The CD was recorded at Claustrophobic Studio in Gävle, Sweden.

"TAD MOROSE is a band that I've followed since my teenage days," said Despotz founder Ömer Akay. "They have their unique sound of melodic power metal and a touch of prog metal.

"After a decade of silence, it will be an honour to put TAD MOROSE back on the map again!" Added TAD MOROSE guitarist Christer "Krunt" Anderson: "It was through our new management, Lena Graaf at GMR Music Group, that we came in contact with Despotz Records. They seem to be a hard-working and innovative record label, so to sign with them feels very good. It will be very exciting to work with them and we look forward to the release of our seventh album, 'Revenant', in November." TAD MOROSE debuted back in 1993 with the album "Leaving The Past Alive" and has since released five LPs and toured all around the world.

TAD MOROSE in August 2008 announced the addition of singer Ronny Hemlin (STEEL ATTACK) and bassist Tommi Karppanen (ex-MORGANA LEFAY) to the group's ranks.

TAD MOROSE is:

Guitar: Christer "Krunt" AnderssonDrums: Peter MorénBass: Tommi KarppanenVocals: Ronny HemlinGuitar: Kenneth Jonsson

Watching Machine has uploaded video footage of THE ANSWER's recent two-song acoustic performance at the Hard Rock Café in Paris, France. Check it out below.

THE ANSWER's fourth studio album, "New Horizon", which features mixes from rock icon Mike Fraser (AC/DC, METALLICA), will be released on September 27 in Europe and October 1 in North America via Napalm Records.

Since its third studio album in late 2011, THE ANSWER iinstigated a major shakeup in its circumstances and with new management, live booking agents and with new record label on board, late 2012 saw them enter the studio with ex-LITTLE ANGELS vocalist Toby Jepson at the production helm.

The band was honored and privileged that the late Storm Thorgerson and his team designed the artwork for "New Horizon" and Storm was working on the album cover design just before his sad passing. In a statement released by Storm Studios, they said: "Never one for looking back or resting on his laurels, Storm always got a thrill from working with young bands and from the idea of 'newness' in general. In his last few months, Storm and the Storm Studios team threw ourselves wholeheartedly into many new projects and 'New Horizon' was one of the last covers we designed together. As is our usual modus operandi, we interrogated the band at length about their music and lives, and listened to the album on repeat for a month. Our final designs were submitted to THE ANSWER very shortly before Storm died. The image itself came from our thoughts about endings and new beginnings, very poignant for all concerned." THE ANSWER consists of Cormac Neeson (vocals), Paul Mahon (guitar), Micky Waters (bass) and James Heatley (drums) and their U.K. tour will kick off in Belfast on October 11. Australian band TRACER will perform as very special guests on the U.K. mainland run in what promises to be one of the finest rock tours at the end of 2013.

Finish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH will release their new DVD, "Showtime, Storytime", on November 29 as a limited 2Blu-ray + 2CD digipack, limited 2DVD + 2CD digipack, limited 2CD digipack, 2LP (colored) in gatefold and an exclusive Nuclear Blast mailorder edition.

"Showtime, Storytime" contains NIGHTWISH's entire August 3 performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany. The show, which was played in the front of 85,000 screaming metalheads, was directed by Ville Lipiäinen, filmed with seventeen cameras and has a total running time of 85 minutes. The second disc consists of a 120-minute tour documentary, "Please Learn The Setlist In 48 Hours", also directed by Ville Lipiäinen, with no shortage of drama or overall madness. Also, there is a 16-minute NIGHTWISH Table Hockey Tournament, filmed on tour. In addition, there are two music clips: "I Want My Tears Back" (live at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland) and "Ghost Love Score" (live in Buenos Aires). The Wacken Open Air appearance was the first of the three final shows of NIGHTWISH's "Imaginaerum World Tour", which saw the band and their Dutch singer Floor Jansen (REVAMP, ex-AFTER FOREVER) playing 104 concerts in 34 different countries, with a total audience of over 1.5 million fans around the globe.

Commented NIGHTWISH mastermind and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen: "Our darling flying Dutchwoman, Floor Jansen, has been nothing but incredible during her time in NIGHTWISH on this tour, so this is a perfect opportunity to immortalize the current vibe of the band on film!" NIGHTWISH's setlist for the Wacken Open Air performance was as follows:

01. Dark Chest Of Wonders02. Wish I Had An Angel03. She Is My Sin04. Ghost River05. Ever Dream06. Storytime07. I Want My Tears Back08. Nemo09. Last Of The Wilds10. Bless The Child11. Romanticide12. Amaranth13. Ghost Love Score14. Song Of Myself15. Last Ride Of The Day16. Outro (Imaginaerum) In a recent interview with Ghost Cult Magazine, Jansen — who has been performing with NIGHTWISH since last October — was asked if she would be willing to front NIGHTWISH permanently if she were asked to fill the slot.

"I've been asked to fill in for the current world tour and for a couple of festival dates, but what will happen after that is still unclear," she replied. "NIGHTWISH will take a break after the current touring cycle and they'll make a decision next year. Until then, everything is still up in the air."

She continued: "If they would ask me, I would be very flattered and I would love to do it. It will be a major overhaul in my life and my career as a singer, but then again, we're not rushing things.

"Both the guys in NIGHTWISH and I have experiences with previous band breakups and all emotions that come with it. It's almost like dating. Things feel good and it's going well, but we're not in a rush to tie the knot, so to speak."

Regarding how she looks back on her experiences as a stand-in singer for NIGHTWISH so far, Jansen said: "It's still too early for me to really reflect on the whole NIGHTWISH adventure, because there are still a couple of tour dates pending, including some summer festivals.

"What can I say? It's an incredible ride and it feels really good. Things went really well from day one. The timing was really awkward, because Annette Olzon just left the band and there wasn't really time to rehearse with the other NIGHTWISH members. Anxiety levels were running high, because replacing a female singer mid-tour is a hazardous experience, to say the least. They were running the gauntlet to make sure that none of the remaining tour dates had to be canceled. They were scared and so was I.

"Things went surprisingly well.

"It doesn't matter where you perform, YouTube will be plastered with movies of the gig the next day, so I really gave it my all. Everyone in the band and crew were really supportive and all the positive reactions and the warm acceptance by the NIGHTWISH fanbase was beyond my wildest dreams.

"Some people would rather see someone else fronting the band, but you can't please everyone."

Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon.

Holopainen has known Jansen for more than 10 years already, having previously toured with her former band, AFTER FOREVER.

Asked about the reasons for Olzon's sudden exit from the group, Tuomas told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine: "I'm sure it came as a shock to everybody. We came out with a statement [regarding the split], which pretty much says it all. It still is a private matter, and that's all we wanna say about it, like, ever. It was an amicable divorce, so to say, and made in good spirit, and we are just looking to the future. There really is no reason to go back into all the details and all that. I mean, this is not politics, this is a rock band."

Regarding whether there is a chance that Floor will become the official new NIGHTWISH lead singer, Tuomas said: "The way that we have decided is that we're gonna continue with her until the end of the festival season in 2013 — just have fun, just do the shows the best we can. I mean, the atmosphere in the band is so good at the moment, [we want to] just enjoy this what we have right now. They try not to think about NIGHTWISH at all for a few months. Everybody take a little vacation. And we already have the rehearsal place for the next album booked in 2014 — from July to September. So that's how far we have planned. But when we do the last festival show next August, after that, it's gonna be total nothing for a few months. So I would say everything is possible, but that's really not the thing that we want to be thinking about right now, because there's absolutely no reason to."

French symphonic power metallers OPERADYSE will release their debut album, "Pandemonium", through a joint venture between Sonic Attack and SPV in Europe on November 25 and in North America on November 19. The CD was recorded in late 2012 at Draudenhaus Studio in Nantes, France and "shows a strong atmospheric touch wrapped around a pounding rhythm, driving guitars, oscillating keyboards with the clear and very powerful voice of Franck Garcia giving the band's style its typical expression," according to a press release.

The band's origin goes back to 2006 when guitarist Damien Marco, the mastermind behind OPERADYSE, formed this six-member unit with the help of his friends Bastien Sable (keyboards) and Jennifer Lassalle (vocalist) and three more members. Their first EP, "Hope Era Dies", was released in 2009 after the band successfully proved its talent by winning the rock competion "Duels Rock". After some member changes, the band settled on its current lineup with the addition of Emmanuel Colombier (drums) and Stephane Lambert (bass). Garcia , who is also involved in french band SPHERIC UNIVERSE EXPERIENCE, finally joined the group after OPERADYSE's original female vocalist Jennifer left the band for personal reasons.

OPERADYSE is strongly influenced by European metal in the tradition of IRON MAIDEN, HELLOWEEN and RHAPSODY.

"Pandemonium" track listing:

01. Rise (1:41)02. Celestial Sword (4:57)03. Unfold Legend (4:02)04. Keeper Of The Flame (3:36)05. The Path (5:51)06. Fairies Secret Garden (5:06)07. Arkanya (4:54)08. Pandemonium (6:21)09. Nevermore (6:04)10. Frozen (2:57)

OPERADYSE is:

Damien Marco: GuitarsBastien Sable: DrumsEmmanuel Colombier: DrumsStephane Lambert: BassFranck Garcia: Vocals

ANTHRAX has officially commenced the songwriting process for the band's next studio album, tentatively due in 2014. Guitarist Scott Ian tweeted this past Saturday: "Today [drummer Charlie Benante] and [bassist Frank Bello] are coming over to start writing for the next record. The few skeletons that are rattling around sound vicious!"

Benante recently spent time recovering from surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. He rejoined his bandmates for their September 13 performance at "The Battle Of San Bernardino" festival in San Bernardino, California alongside IRON MAIDEN, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, OVERKILL and SABATON.

The first photo of the new ANTHRAX lineup — featuring the band's latest addition, guitarist Jon Donais (SHADOWS FALL) — can be seen below (photo by Stephanie Cabral).

Donais has been touring with ANTHRAX since Rob Caggiano's departure in January, and will continue to play with ANTHRAX for the foreseeable future.

Speaking to Metal Hammer editor Alexander Milas for the "Metal Hammer" radio show on TeamRock Radio, Scott Ian stated about the band's current second-guitarist situation: "Jon's been with us since February, and I think I can safely say he's passed the audition… [laughs]. I know we haven't said anything official yet, but in my mind, he's the guy. I'm sure some type of official announcement… because in this world, people apparently need that kind of information so they can sleep well at night. But as far as I'm concerned, Jon is the guitar player in ANTHRAX."

Donais previously stated about playing with ANTHRAX: "I grew up on ANTHRAX, they're the thrash scene, they're one of the 'Big Four,' I'd be crazy to not want to play with them. Initially, Rob called and told me he was leaving the band, and asked if I'd be interested in filling in. Then Scott called me and everything fell into place."

img src="http://assets.blabbermouth.net.s3.amazonaws.com/media/anthraxwritingsept2013_scottiantweets_638.jpg" alt="anthraxwritingsept2013_scottiantweets_638" width="515" height="548" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-433581" />

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

ARTISTdirect.com editor-in-chief Rick Florino recently conducted an interview with SLIPKNOT and SCAR THE MARTYR drummer Joey Jordison. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

ARTISTdirect.com: The album becomes an epic journey from start to finish. You've got to listen to it from beginning to end because there's so much going on, and it's all connected in a fluid way.

Jordison: You know, it's really cool that you noticed that. When I was writing all of that shit, I'd complete a track and be like, "Alright, what am I feeling? What would be cool after this track? What emotion am I going into right now? What am I hearing in my heard right now? Where should I go?" It wasn't like I was writing a song and saying, "Oh, we'll just try to fit it in somewhere". It was like I'd right one song and think, "What am I feeling next?" Sometimes, it would take a while, and I'd have to listen to a song over and over. However, every song was an emotional result of a previous song. I completed this song and now where am I going? It's cool that you picked up on it because that's exactly what it is.

ARTISTdirect.com: What's your favorite memory of [late SLIPKNOT bassist] Paul Gray from "Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses"? He's all over that record…

Jordison: Oh yeah, he is. Man, what is not a good memory of Paul? You know? They're all great. His room was directly underneath mine. I remember one night we were sitting up late and listening to rough tracks of the record. I remember Paul looking around the room and saying, "This is the best work we've ever done!" I was like, "You know what? It is!" He was like, "This is the best we've done to date, man". I said, "Absolutely." We were sitting in his room playing guitar until late at night. It was one of those nights where we just connected about music and were reflecting on all the songs. If you see those pictures that Shawn [Crahan, SLIPKNOT percussionist] took on the inside of the record sleeve, one of those was the doorway to Paul's room. That's where we hung a lot and connected on music and tracks we were doing at the time. It was a special time when we made that record in the Houdini Mansion.

ARTISTdirect.com: Where are you in terms of writing for SLIPKNOT?

Jordison: Whenever I pick up a guitar and I'm not doing anything, I'm always writing riffs. That's all we're doing. We've all got a shitload of riffs. We're always writing. Even though we haven't gotten together, there's plenty of material there. We talk to each other all the time on our cell phones and all of that when we're on tour in different spots of the world. We're all working. It hasn't found its time yet. We're continuing to write though. We're always writing. We're going to have so much shit, it might have to be a double record. [laughs]

Read the entire interview at ARTISTdirect.com.

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman was interviewed by Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal on the fourth episode of the "Metal Assault" radio show on the Los Angeles-based station Razor KXRZ. You can now listen to the program using the Mixcloud widget below. (Note: The Friedman interview begins around the 55-minute mark.)

On what he is currently doing:

Friedman: "I'm actually here in L.A. recording my new album, which is gonna come out around January. I'll be working on this album for the next month and a half or so, and then it will be done. And I can't wait for everybody to hear it."

On the musical direction of his upcoming solo CD:

Friedman: "[This is] by far the most intense and the most heavy and the most… How do you say this…? It's the most… If you like any of my stuff, this would be the most 'Marty' of anything. So if you hate my stuff, you're gonna really hate this record a lot. It's very uncommercial.

"I wanted to make a record that, there's no dispute that, when people say they're a fan of my music, or they like my music, that this is the representative of my whole musical sound.

"I rarely listen to my previous stuff, but sometimes I listen back to it and see what was going on. And a song called 'Forbidden City' kind of made me think, 'I'm really still happy with this song, even though it was recorded a long, long time ago. I wanted to do something, not along the lines of 'Forbidden City', but much more intense, because that was a long time ago, and I've come so far since then, and I can do so much more, and I know how to do that kind of thing so much better than I did back then. So I wanted to do kind of like the 2014 version of just the deeper, heavier, more intense version of that kind of 'Forbidden City' kind of mood. And I remember, that type of mood was very, very uncommercial at that time, so it's probably way more uncommercial now, but it's just like, the hell with it, I'm just doing it my way. So that's kind of the theme of whole album — just all abandon, all bets off, just go crazy.

"I'm constantly evolving, so for better or for worse, this is the most evolved, most intense version of myself as a guitarist and as an artist and as a songwriter and all that. But this time, probably more of a metal spirit than ever before, so that might be a little bit different."

On making his new album for the American market:

Friedman: "This is the first time that I'm doing something with America in mind — to really kind of give America what I would like to represent myself with. 'Cause a lot of the stuff I've done since… I did a very small tour in 2003 — a solo tour — and that's it. So I've done so much stuff in Japan, and I really haven't considered doing something in America. I always thought, if I'm gonna do something in America, it's gotta be something that is really, really super special, to make it worth coming back. So that's what this album and this new tour cycle is going to be."

On whether there are any metal musicians he would like to collaborate with:

Friedman: "On my new album that's coming out next [year], there's a lot of people I'm collaborating with in metal; they're people all metal people definitely know and love. And I'm not gonna tell you who they are yet. But, really, kind of the idea that got me into doing this American thing is this record company, Prosthetic, put together kind of a list of the people who have said good things about me in the press in America. And I don't really follow what's going on outside of Japan, so I kind of really didn't know. The Prosthetic guys made this big list of all these people and they wrote this wonderful stuff about me. And I was literally drawn to tears with what these guys were saying, and how they were influenced by me, and just the stuff that they were saying about my music in detail and my playing. And I was really blown away, 'cause I really don't follow a lot of that — what people say in the press. And it was just so nice to see it in print and to check out the guys who were saying it. And there's so many great musicians in metal nowadays — more so than back in the '90s. Metal has really evolved into something cool, and I'm really interested in it much more now than when I was playing in MEGADETH. When I was in MEGADETH, I thought we were the best, and that was it. Now there's a lot of great bands, and when some of these new bands come back and say, 'I listen to a lot of Marty's stuff,' really, it's a big deal for me. So that kind of got me inspired to do collaborations with some of these great people, as well as doing the most intense, revved up version of Marty's stuff. So a lot of these great people that I've wanted to collaborate with, I'm actually collaborating with them on my new record."

Pictured below: Marty Friedman with Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal of the "Metal Assault" radio show

After 11 years as a member of CRADLE TO GRAVE, founding lead vocalist Greg Cavanagh (ex-BOTTOM FEEDER, FALLEN DECADE) has left the southern rock-influenced Canadian metal band. The split was amicable and Cavanagh will focus on other endeavors.

CRADLE TO GRAVE didn't have to look very far to find a replacement; Brian "Messiah" Langley (ex-INFERNAL MAJESTY, TYRANTS BLOOD, AGGRESSION), who is the band's second guitarist, will take over vocal duties.

CRADLE TO GRAVE will release two separate EPs on October 19: a physical one that is entitled "Dust" and one that will be available on iTunes via Year Of The Sun Records entitled "Ice". Both EPs will feature the newest single "Ice". "Dust" will include CRADLE TO GRAVE renditions of AEROSMITH's "Last Child", NAZARETH's "Miss Misery" featuring Devin Townsend on vocals, and "Sufrira", a previously unreleased CRADLE TO GRAVE track from 2006. "Ice" will feature the previously unreleased songs "Old Nick's Blues", "Within Forever" and "The End Of My Life".

CRADLE TO GRAVE will perform at Funky's Thrasherbalt in Vancouver, Brtiish Columbia on October 19 to introduce the new EPs.

California thrashers HIRAX have been forced to pushed back the release date of their new album, "Immortal Legacy", to March 4, 2014 (February 24 in Europe) from the previously announced October 22 via SPV/Steamhammer. It will be made available as a CD, gatefold colored LP and a digital download.

Comments HIRAX singer Katon W. De Pena: "We are sorry for the delays as we know that the fans are waiting desperately for the album, but we have had some unexpected delays in the studio and we do not want to release a half-hearted album. Our fans deserve only the best, so watch out for one of the best thrash metal records released in a long time. We are also sorry that the FLOTSAM AND JETSAM / HIRAX European tour is canceled, but due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to pull the plug. We are planning a full-scale U.S. tour in March, and have further plans to return to Europe. As a little compensation, we will release a digital single for the song 'Hellion Rising' on November 22nd. Thanks for all your understanding and patience, and be sure that 2014 will be a killer year for HIRAX. Horns up!"

"Immortal Legacy" was produced by Bill Metoyer (SLAYER, ARMORED SAINT, W.A.S.P., SACRED REICH) and it contains "14 new raging thrash metal songs that will make you bang your head," according to Katon. He adds: "This is our most epic-sounding record to date, sonically powerful and over the top." The CD features guest appearances by Jim Durkin (DARK ANGEL), Juan Garcia (AGENT STEEL, EVILDEAD) and Rocky George (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, FISHBONE).

Philip Lawvere, the artist behind such classic album covers as KREATOR's "Pleasure To Kill" and CELTIC FROST's "Emperor's Return", designed the "Immortal Legacy" cover. Lawvere had done stunning illustrations for numerous albums and is best known for a slew of thrash metal offerings released on Noise Records.

Said Katon: "We couldn't be happier to have Philip Lawvere illustrating the cover of our new album; after getting Bill Metoyer to produce it, this is truly the icing on the thrash metal cake!"

"Immortal Legacy" track listing:

01. Hellion Rising- The Conquests- Thunder Roar02. La Boca De La Bestia - Mouth Of The Beast03. Mass Hysteria04. Tied To The Gallows Pole05. Atlantis - Journey To Atlantis (instrumental)06. Victims Of The Dead07. Black Smoke08. Sign Of The Wolf09. Immortal Legacy10. Violence Of Action11. Deceiver12. Mephistopheles13. Earthshaker (instrumental) 14. The World Will Burn (Suffer The World)

HIRAX is:

Katon W. DePena - VocalsLance Harrison - GuitarSteve Harrison - BassJorge Iacobellis - Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of PHILM performing a brand new song called "Train" on August 10 at the Getaway Rock festival in Gävle, Sweden can be seen below.

PHILM is the Los Angeles-based experimental post-hardcore triumvirate featuring former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo, guitarist/vocalist Gerry Nestler (CIVIL DEFIANCE), and bassist Pancho Tomaselli (WAR).

Stated Lombardo about "Train": "The beat sounded like a steam engine or a powerful freight train. We decided to write a song around it."

PHILM released its debut album, "Harmonic", on May 15, 2012 via Ipecac Recordings.

"When people hear about my involvement in PHILM, they automatically assume that it will compare to SLAYER's sound," explained Lombardo. "They couldn't be more different. I have scaled down my drum set to a four-piece, reminiscent of the drummers from the late '60s that influenced me. Each song is unique in itself, I like to refer to it as 'rhythmic emotion.' It's almost like taking all the heavy songs of the '60s and bringing that era to a modern plateau, then blending them with the modern trance and psychedelic sounds of today."

Lombardo sat out SLAYER's Australian tour in February/March due to a contract dispute with the other members of the group. Filling in for him was Jon Dette (TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX). Dave has since been replaced in the band by Paul Bostaph, who was SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the group.

METALLICA, late SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman, NIGHTWISH, MOTÖRHEAD and AMORPHIS are among the artists that were honored at this year's installment of Germany's Metal Hammer Awards, which was held on Friday, September 13 at Kesselhaus in Berlin.

Martin Van Drunen (ASPHYX, HAIL OF BULLETS) moderated the event, which featured performances by KREATOR, POWERWOLF, WHILE SHE SLEEPS and DUST BOLT.

Metal Hammer Awards winners:

Legend: Doro PeschGod Of Riffs: Jeff Hanneman (SLAYER)Best Album: AMORPHIS - "Circle"Best Debut: YEAR OF THE GOAT - "Angels' Necropolis"Best German Band: AVANTASIABest International Band: NIGHTWISHBest Live Band: METALLICAMetal Anthem: CALLEJON - "Porn From Spain 2"Up And Coming: ESKIMO CALLBOYMaximum Metal: MOTÖRHEAD

Check out photos from Getty Images. Video footage is available below.

Official MetOnTour video recap of METALLICA's August 25 concert at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia can be seen below. The 20-minute clip includes a tuning-room segment, the pre-show huddle and "Cyanide" from the concert.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hit The Lights02. Master Of Puppets03. Fuel04. Ride The Lightning05. Fade To Black06. The Four Horsemen07. Cyanide08. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)09. Sad But True10. Orion11. One12. For Whom The Bell Tolls13. Blackened14. Nothing Else Matters15. Enter Sandman

Encore:

16. Creeping Death17. Fight Fire With Fire18. Seek & Destroy

The governor of Jakarta, Indonesia, Joko Widodo, attended the concert in the city — 25 years to the day after the release of the band's fourth album, "…And Justice For All", and more than 20 years after their tumultuous first show in Indonesia.

"I am happy and satisfied with the concert," Widodo said after the show. "No one got out of control. We showed them that Jakarta citizens are all dignified. We could rock the night away in an orderly fashion."

60,000 Indonesian metal fans attended the concert, where more than 2,000 security personnel were deployed.

METALLICA's last show in Indonesia took place in 1993 — at the peak of the band's commercial popularity while they were on the road supporting the mega-selling "black" album. One of the biggest shows that Indonesia had ever hosted, it ended with a riot that saw angry fans — many of whom were trying to get into the concert for free — burning cars and destroying public property, as well as sustaining countless physical injuries while fighting with the police.

Back in May, Widodo had to turn over his autographed METALLICA bass guitar to the government temporarily, while authorities determined whether the instrument was merely a gift or a violation of ethics rules. Widodo received the bass from METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo, but had to give it up to the state within 30 days, according to laws regarding gifts to state officials.

"Witch Hunt", the new video from Cleveland metallers ALTERNATE REALITY, can be seen below. The infamous lawyer-fronted metal band is known for producing 2011's viral video sensation "The King That Never Was", which was declared one of the greatest metal videos of all time and also voted the No. 1 worst video of 2011 by Yahoo! Music, beating out such high-profile videos as Rebecca Black's "Friday". It also was named No. 1 video in the recently published "The Merciless Book of Metal Lists".

The "Witch Hunt" clip was once again directed, edited, and produced by ALTERNATE REALITY frontman and Cleveland-area lawyer Steve Delchin.

"Halloween is coming, there's a chill in the air, and the leaves are starting to change color," says Delchin. "Naturally, we thought this would be the perfect time to release ALTERNATE REALITY's newest video for 'Witch Hunt', which sees the band traveling back to Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 to explore the mass hysteria of the Salem witch trials."

"The new video features a ton of witches, cemeteries, religious fanaticism, and a renegade judiciary," adds guitarist Bob Delchin. "Basically, everything that makes for a good heavy metal video."

The role of the chief judge is played by Auburn Records president Bill Peters.

"Last time I played the role of the infamous wizard," says Peters. "This time I'm the chief judge of a Salem court in 1692.

"I never know what I'm going to be doing next. I just show up on location and one of the ALTERNATE REALITY band members hands me a script and costume! My daughter Lily also lends her superlative acting talents to the video, along with some blood-curdling screams, as she plays the role of a young Salem witch who is brought before the court for imposition of final sentence. Thankfully, Lily gets to cast all the magic spells in this video, not me."

The "Witch Hunt" video features over 75 actors and was shot in several historic Cleveland locations, including the venerable Riverside Cemetery and the iconic Cuyahoga County Courthouse, which is the same courthouse where the 2012 Hollywood blockbuster movie "The Avengers" was shot.

ALTERNATE REALITY is:

Steve Delchin - VocalsBob Delchin - GuitarJon Engeman - BassBob Schwartz - Drums

"Neogenesis", the fifth studio album from Swedish death metallers DIABOLICAL, will be released on September 27 via ViciSolum Productions. The CD was recorded at Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, UNANIMATED, DESTRÖYER 666) in Alvik, Sweden with the band's vocalist/guitarist, Sverker Widgren, in the producer's chair.

"Neogenesis" is a concept album uniting eleven tracks with an eleven chapter post-apocalyptic novel and will be made available as a exclusive limited-edition mediabook.

The official video for the song "Metamorphosis" — taken from "Neogenesis" — can be seen below.

Comments Sverker: "We wanted this video to have a close symbolic connection to the philosophy and concept of 'Neogenesis'.

"The theme of this particular chapter of the novel is reflected in the transformation you see in the video. Superficially something monstrous is transformed into something beautiful which represents a metamorphosis of something much more profound. Those who hear the album and read the book will understand." "Metamorphosis" has been released as a digital single and is available for download at iTunes, Spotify, etc.

DIABOLICAL guitarist Tobias Jansson previously stated about "Neogenesis": "It is with great pleasure that we finally get to share this album with the world.

"We have put in a tremendous amount of effort into this recording. I think we have raised the bar for ourselves a lot with 'Neogenesis' both with the songwriting and the recording. It has been tough, but very interesting for us as well."