Inner Wound Recordings has announced the signing of the Swedish power metal band PERSUADER. The group's new album, "The Fiction Maze", will be released late 2013/early 2014.

PERSUADER was formed in Umeå, Sweden 1997, and has thus far released three albums: "The Hunter" (2000), "Evolution Purgatory" (2004) and "When Eden Burns" (2006).

PERSUADER is:

Jens Carlsson - VocalsFredrik Hedström - BassEmil Norberg - GuitarDaniel Sundbom - GuitarEfraim Juntunen - Drums

Says PERSUADER: "So finally, we're back! A journey that began some five years ago has finally come to the end of the line and we're extremely proud to uncover the new PERSUADER album entitled 'The Fiction Maze'.

"A lot of hard work was put into creating the perfect mix of everything we've done so far, expanded on the PERSUADER sound while keeping the core that is the band; heavy riffing, strong melodies, pounding rythms and soaring vocals. Combined with a crushing production courtesy of mixer extraordinaire Ronnie Björnström [AEON, APOSTASY, BONE GNAWER] this turned out to be quite a beast of an album, the true pinnacle of our career so far.

"The time has come. Now join us through the fiction maze!"

Eclipse Records is has announced the signing of OUR LAST ENEMY. The Sydney, Australia-based band features former GENITORTURERS and THE UNDEAD member Bryce "Bizz" Bernius on guitar.

OUR LAST ENEMY caught the eye of Eclipse when they released their EP last year, and it climbed to the No. 2 position on the Australian iTunes metal chart, second only to MESHUGGAH, released on the same day.

"When I first heard OUR LAST ENEMY, they immediately commanded my attention," states Eclipse president Chris Poland. "Their sound is just so damn heavy — like a ton of lead being balanced on your head!"

"Of all the labels we had been speaking with, Chris and the team at Eclipse seemed to really understand what the band is trying to do and how to take us there," says OUR LAST ENEMY vocalist Oliver Fogwell. Bassist Matt Heywood adds: "Signing with Eclipse makes us extremely happy because they've been responsible for launching some of our favorite bands. It's a very exciting time for us."

OUR LAST ENEMY recently wrapped up production of its brand new full-length album, "Pariah", for an early 2014 release. The CD was recorded at Temple Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Christian Olde Wolbers (ex-FEAR FACTORY bassist/guitarist), who has previously worked with BLEED THE SKY, GOD FORBID and MNEMIC.

OUR LAST ENEMY is:

Oliver Fogwell (vocals)Matt Heywood (bass/vocals)Jeff Ritchie (keys/samples)Bryce "Bizz" Bernius (guitar)Zot Cillia (drums)

U.K.-based avant-garde metal outfit CODE will release its third album, "Augur Nox", on November 19 in Europe and November 26 in North America via Agonia Records.

"Augur Nox" is the first album featuring CODE's new lineup of Aort, Wacian, Syhr, LORDt and Andras. The brand-new material demonstrates the band's fresh personnel in a vivid light, confirming CODE's position as a radiant gem in the extreme metal world. It displays a multifaceted approach: from stunning wide-ranging vocals, otherworldly clean passages, and barbed metallic riffery, all filtered through a refined prism of avant-garde black metal. The album is CODE's most progressive effort to date, yet always captures the band's distinct eerie and arcane vibe.

Featuring ten tracks and 2 interludes over a 55-minute playing time, "Augur Nox" is a bold step forward where acute songwriting and expansive experimentation go hand in hand.

CODE's sound has been both refined and exaggerated at the same time, to produce a melodically dense and ambitious piece of work. The band describes the forthcoming release as their "most dynamic and challenging material to date."

"Augur Nox" was mixed and mastered at Orgone Studios (GHOST, CATHEDRAL, ULVER) in London after three years of development and pre-production.

"Augur Nox" track listing:

01. Black Rumination02. Becoming Host03. Ecdysis04. Glimlight Tourist- Dx. (interlude)05. Garden Chancery06. The Lazarus Cord07. The Shrike Screw- Rx. (interlude)08. Trace of God09. Harmonies in Cloud10. White Tryptych

The follow-up to 2009's "Resplendent Grotesque" (nominated for a Spellemann award in the "Best Metal Album" category) will be available in digipack, limited vinyl and digital formats. The vinyl formats include: black vinyl, color in color vinyl (bone white/ultra clean) limited to 100 copies and a further 100 copies on swamp green/ultra clean color in colour vinyl.

A video trailer for the CD can be seen below.

Atlantic recording group HALESTORM has unveiled details of its new EP. "ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP" will arrive on October 15.

The EP marks the acclaimed hard rock band's first new release since their stunning Grammy Awards triumph earlier this year, as well as the follow-up to 2011's "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP". As with its predecessor, "ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP" sees HALESTORM putting their distinctive brand on a strikingly eclectic collection of classic songs, including legendary tracks by JUDAS PRIEST, AC/DC, PAT BENATAR, FLEETWOOD MAC, MARILYN MANSON, and DAFT PUNK.

"Like our first 'ReAniMate' EP, the songs included here are a collection of both our favorite songs and songs to challenge ourselves," said HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale. We decided to go more 'bare bones' with this EP, meaning minimal production with live, gritty performances. We recorded this EP the week of the Grammys, so the excitement and debauchery you hear through your speakers is very real. We hope all our fans have as much fun with 'ReAniMate: 2.0' as we did!"

"ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP" track listing: 01. Dissident Aggressor (originally performed by JUDAS PRIEST)02. Get Lucky (originally performed by DAFT PUNK)03. Shoot To Thrill (originally performed by AC/DC)04. Hell Is For Children (originally performed by PAT BENATAR)05. Gold Dust Woman (originally performed by FLEETWOOD MAC)06. 1996 (originally performed by MARILYN MANSON)

2011's "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP" contained covers of tracks from SKID ROW, LADY GAGA and GUNS N' ROSES. Singer Lzzy Hale told The Pulse Of Radio that recording other artists' songs helps her own writing. "There's just nothing like singing and playing and picking apart an already proven amazing song," she said. "I think it helps you as a songwriter. I'll write a song and be like, 'Well, is that as good as HEART's 'All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You', and I'll have to be like, 'No, back to the drawing board.'"

"Lost Among Liars", the new video from Norwegian avant-garde metallers VULTURE INDUSTRIES, can be seen below. The clip is an animated surreal visual critique of today's society which takes us on a journey through a surreal cityscape populated by people and machines, each with their own different duties and functions. From the vagrant loser, to the dutiful cog in the wheel of industry, to the facade of family life, to the mask salesman, they are all here. Each of them tells a story of oppression, restitution, control and freedom.

The "Lost Among Liars" video was made by the Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu, who, despite his relatively young age, has already made his mark not only as a graphic arts, but also as a stage artist, musician, animator and movie maker. Aside from having designed the cover art for VULTURE INDUSTRIES' new album, "The Tower", Chioreanu has also produced the cover art for bands such as ULVER, IHSAHN, ARCURUS, AURA NOIR and DARKTHRONE. He is the official artist for the Roadburn Festival 2014. Due on September 27 in Europe and October 1 in North America via Season Of Mist, "The Tower" will be released on digipak CD, solid white gatefold double LP, transparent green gatefold double LP and black gatefold double LP. The LP versions, as well as the digital edition, will include the bonus track "Blood Don't Eliogabalus".

"The Tower" track listing:

01. The Tower02. Divine - Appalling03. The Hound04. Blood On The Trail05. The Dead Won't Mind06. A Knife Between Us07. The Pulse of Bliss08. Sleepwalkers09. Lost Among Liars VULTURE INDUSTRIES will hit the road in September for a series of European dates guesting with LEPROUS on the first leg of the European "Coal" tour.

mg alt='METALLICA: Official Video Recap Of Singapore Concert' class='attachment-large' height='168' src='http://assets2.blabbermouth.net/media/metallicasingapore_638.jpg' width='638'>

Official MetOnTour video recap of METALLICA's August 24 concert at Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore can be seen below. The 16-minute clip includes a band photo shoot, a tuning-room segment, and "Broken, Beat & Scarred" from the show.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hit The Lights02. Master Of Puppets03. The Shortest Straw04. Ride The Lightning05. Fade To Black06. The Memory Remains07. Broken, Beat & Scarred08. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) 09. Sad But True10. ...And Justice For All11. One12. For Whom The Bell Tolls13. Blackened14. Nothing Else Matters15. Enter Sandman

Encore:

16. Creeping Death17. Battery18. Seek & Destroy

The members of METALLICA gave a press conference in Singapore, just before the band's first-ever concert in China, where they were asked how they deal with the physical demands of touring after 30 years. Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett said, "I do a lot of yoga. We're all pretty physical. [Bassist Robert Trujillo] and I like to surf. We just got off a week-long stint in Bali, surfing a lot. You know, it's important to keep maintenance on the road — eat well, sleep well, and just make sure the engine inside is running well. It's really important. 'Cause the last thing I wanna do is drop on stage." Drummer Lars Ulrich added, "We have two guys downstairs who take care of stretching us and putting us back into shape — our necks and our arms and everything. They're among the two hardest-working guys in rock and roll. So we take all that stuff really seriously. I mean, if you could see our [tour] rider, it's carrots and strange vegetables and nasty fruit juices. It's not what it was back in the day, thankfully. But yeah, we do take [staying healthy] very seriously. Absolutely."

Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that his main concern about getting older as a musician was whether aging and other issues could eventually take their toll on him. "The thing that just freaks me out is I just don't know physically," he said. "'Jumping Jack Flash' and 'Satisfaction' — sure, I can probably play those when I'm 65. Playing 'Fight Fire With Fire' and 'Dyer's Eve' — I don't know. It's the unknown. I just don't know. And if it becomes a joke, or if it becomes just not physically possible to do, then hopefully we'll have the sense to bow out gracefully."

Frontman James Hetfield told the press in Singapore, "We'll do this until we don't wanna do it anymore; it's as simple as that. There's no use doing something your heart is not in. But for us, we love what we do and we're blessed that way."

METALLICA was in Toronto last night (Monday, September 9) for the premiere of the band's new film, "Metallica Through The Never".

The 3D IMAX movie will open on September 27 at IMAX theaters and expanding on to additional screens on October 4.

METALLICA will also play a special show at the Apollo Theater in New York City on September 21 to promote the release of the film.

"Essence", the new video from Costa Rica-based melodic metallers SIGHT OF EMPTINESS, can be seen below. The clip features a guest appearance by Whitfield Crane of UGLY KID JOE. The song comes off SIGHT OF EMPTINESS' third album, "Instincts", which features additional guest appearances by the following musicians: Glen Drover (KING DIAMOND, MEGADETH), Christian Älvestam (SCAR SYMMETRY, MISERATION, SOLUTION .45), Ralph Santolla (DEICIDE, ICED EARTH, OBITUARY), Ole Halvard Sveen (EXTOL, MANTRIC, LENGSEL) and last but not least, one that comes as a shocking-but-pleasant surprise, no other than the Minister of Culture of Costa Rica; Manuel Obregón, who plays the Marimba and the acoustic piano.

"Instincts" was recorded at SoloHits Studios in San José, Costa Rica with Swedish producer Thomas "Plec" Johansson (SCAR SYMMETRY, WATAIN, MORS PRINCIPIUM EST, SOLUTION .45, MISERATION), who traveled all the way to Costa Rica to work with the band closely for about 22 days. The CD was mixed and mastered by Thomas Johansson at Panic Room Studios in Skara, Sweden.

MOTÖRHEAD has selected "Heartbreaker" as the first single from its upcoming 21st studio album, "Aftershock".

"Aftershock" will be released as a an official Classic Rock collectors fanpack that features the new LP in full plus a 132-page magazine that forms the "ultimate sleevenotes" to the new release, with extensive and exclusive interviews with Lemmy, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell.

Pre-order your copy now at this location (official on-sale date is October 21).

Inside is everything you need to know about "Aftershock" and the world of MOTÖRHEAD in 2013: inside the making of album, new features covering all eras of the band's career from 1975 to 2013, and tons of previously unseen pictures.

Fanpack edition includes:

* New album "Aftershock"* 132-page magazine* Giant double-sided poster* Exclusive MOTÖRHEAD car sticker

Plus, if your order is placed before 12:00 (GMT) on Monday, September 23, your 100% official collector's fanpack will come with an exclusive personalized poster featuring your name.

"Aftershock" track listing:

01. Heartbreaker02. Coup De Grace03. Lost Woman Blues04. End Of Time05. Do You Believe06. Death Machine07. Dust And Glass08. Going To Mexico09. Silence When You Speak To Me10. Crying Shame11. Queen Of The Damned12. Knife13. Keep Your Powder Dry14. Paralyzed

Check out the cover artwork below.

If you want to pre-order the fanpack but do not want your name to be included on the poster, you must email [email protected]
/* */
before 12 p.m. on September 20 to tell them that you do not want your name to be included in the Classic Rock Presents Motörhead: Aftershock fanpack poster.

Due in North America on October 22, "Aftershock" was recorded at NRG Studios in North Hollywood, California and is described in a press release as "a true leveler, a crushing confirmation of everything MOTÖRHEAD stands for, marching from the dust storm to deliver 14 belting statements which see MOTÖRHEAD in perhaps their best writing form for years. There;s swagger, there's punch, there's speed and there’s dirty filthy grooves, Lemmy Kilmister, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee showing clearly that MOTÖRHEAD is not simply a band, it's a genre!"

"Steal it if you must, buy it if you can!" says Lemmy, whose pride in the album is so immense that guests to his home and dressing room in the last couple of months have been treated to extremely loud airings of the rough mixes, while Phil Campbell adds, "I really think the variation on the album shows that we've dug deep and produced some of our best work for a long time."

"It is," says Mikkey Dee, "a really, really strong MOTÖRHEAD album, one that really does define everything this band stands for."

MOTÖRHEAD canceled a handful of shows on its European festival tour last month after Lemmy suffered a haematoma (where blood collects outside of a blood vessel). The news of Lemmy's latest medical issue followed reports that he was also recently fitted with a defibrillator because of heart problems.

Multi-camera viideo footage of reunited Swedish heavy rockers TRANSPORT LEAGUE performing on June 29 at Virgin Oil in Helsinki in Helsinki, FInland can be seen below (clip shot and edited by Timo Halo).

TRANSPORT LEAGUE's latest album, "Boogie From Hell", was released digitally on May 20 via frontman Tony Jelencovich's (DEATHDESTRUCTION, B-THONG, MASSIVE AUDIO NERVE, MNEMIC, ICON IN ME) Hoffa Entertainment. A physical CD was also printed for release through the Bengans record store.

"Boogie From Hell" was tracked over a 17-month period and was mixed by Svein Jensen at Grand Recordings in Gothenburg, Sweden. The CD's sound is described in a press release as "groovy, shaky-boogie-rock 'n' roll metal … for the fans of CLUTCH, CATHEDRAL, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, MUSTASCH and even VOLBEAT."

TRANSPORT LEAGUE will embark on a short tour of Sweden and The Netherlands at the end of the month. Guitarist Peter Hunyadi will be forced to sit out most of these shows due to "serious health problems, but will soon be on his feet again." Filling in for him on the road will be Dan Johansson (GENEROUS MARIA, MARY BEATS JANE).

The band states: "We are really looking forward to play some shows again, and we are very happy that the album has been getting raging reviews all over, from both media and fans."

TRANSPORT LEAGUE 2013 is:

Tony Julien Jelencovich - Vocals, GuitarLars Häglund - BassMattias Starander - DrumsPeter Hunyadi - Lead Guitar

"Alone In Heaven", the new video from Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARTICA, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "Stones Grow Her Name", which was released in Europe on May 18, 2012 and in North America on May 22, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded in several studios all over Finland, mixed at Sonic Pump Studios by Mikko Karmila and mastered at Chartmakers by Svante Forsbäck. The effort was released as a limited-edition digipak, standard jewel case, vinyl and download.

Commented SONATA ARTICA vocalist and keyboardist Tony Kakko: "'Alone In Heaven' got sparked lyrically after I had suffered few personal losses in relatively short period of time. Those will make you think about a possibility of afterlife and such things. At least for me it was like that.

"I will always remember those passed on through this song every time we play it.

"I was initially a little hesitant wether or not this is a suitable track for SONATA, being rather 'hard/soft rockish.' But the guys fell in love with it immediately and it fell right in on the quite mellow-mooded 'Stones Grow Her Name' album. I think it's a nice emotional rock song with some extremely beautiful parts to it. It has become a little bit of a fan favorite and crowd pleaser, being quite approachable and straight forward arrangement wise. Very live friendly track we'll surely play also in the future. The video is like the song, fairly simple and ...soft. Enjoy."

"Stones Grow Her Name" sold around 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 9 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

SONATA ARCTICA recently parted ways with bassist Marko Paasikoski and replaced him with Pasi Kauppinen (SILENT VOICES, ex-REQUIEM, WINTERBORN).

According to Timo Isoaho of Finland's Soundi magazine, Tony Kakko has written around 50 songs for the follow-up to 2012's "Stones Grow Her Name", with plans to track and mix the effort over a three-month period beginning in October.

ANDI DERIS & BAD BANKERS, the new project led by HELLOWEEN/ex-PINK CREAM 69 frontman Andi Deris, has completed mixing and mastering its debut album. Andi states: "We are so happy with the result we can't wait you guys out there finally hear it, too. Great, crispy sound... modern but not tooooo modern... the way it should be, in my humble ears."

Andi previously stated about the new project: "It's been years I was looking for a band (all over the planet) that I could actually ask to record an album with me, only to find it on the little island I live on just a few months ago. Even more thrilling is the fact that the guys are between 19 and 22 years old. You won't believe it when you listen to the songs!

"We all had and have a lot of fun with the image, even more during the photo session.

"Obviously, we despise everything around banks, managers and bankers who are clearly responsible for the shit that goes on nowadays (and most certainly in our future), so it felt very good to vocally tell them what we think about them. Sure, therefore it's highly explicit, but, who gives a f... that's what they deserve, and it helps the music to really kick some ass."

HELLOWEEN's new album, "Straight Out Of Hell", sold around 4,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 97 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD entered the Media Control chart in Germany at position No. 4 — the highest chart position in the band's history. It also landed at No. 4 in Finland and No. 2 on the international album chart in Japan.

"Straight Out Of Hell" was released in Europe on January 18 and in North America on January 22.

Touring for over a span of seven years since age sixteen, first with late WARRANT singer Jani Lane and in more recent years with LIZZY BORDEN, metal guitar virtuoso Dario Lorina will release his first solo recording, entitled simply "Dario Lorina", on September 10 via Shrapnel Records.

Growing up listening to guitarists such as Randy Rhoads, Paul Gilbert, George Lynch and Eddie Van Halen, Dario's music harkens back to the glory days of high-caliber shred guitar, the genre of which Shrapnel Records was a founding force.

Dario Lorina's debut solo CD reveals a guitarist brimming with extreme musical ability. This guitarist brings more diverse influences into play than the average neo-classical riff monger. While technically proficient like all of the label's guitar instrumentalists, Dario's CD isn't just about shredding. It's an American guitar instrumental album having more in common with riffs reminiscent of Paul Gilbert, George Lynch and Eddie Van Halen than the European influence of guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen.

Dario's debut CD is a powerful all-instrumental CD drenched in attitude-filled guitar work, backed by a thundering hard rock rhythm section.

Points of Interest

* Phil Campbell from MOTÖRHEAD had this to say, "I think Dario Lorina is one Amazing guitar player! Having known him for many years, he never ceases to amaze me every time we hang out and jam! He blew me away when he played with us in Vegas. A true talent and an amazingly nice guy."* Boasting thirteen phenomenal new instrumental tracks, Dario proves why he is considered by many of his peers to be a true guitarist's guitarist.* Dario Lorina has remained in the public eye through heavy touring, first with Jani Lane and later with LIZZY BORDEN with whom he continues to perform.* Dario has been featured in Guitar Player magazine and Europe's Guitare Xtreme magazine.* Dario was featured in the Music Star Productions All Star DVD (2008) with George Lynch, Bruce Kulick, Jennifer Batten as "Next Generation Of Rock Guitar".* Dario has his own signature guitar model with LAG Guitars, founded in 1980 and headquartered in Bedarieux, France.

"Dario Lorina" track listing:

01. Demon Rum02. Pipe Dreams03. My Heroine04. Villains05. Silhouettes06. Feels Good07. House Of The Rising Sun08. Alive09. Ambrosia10. Words Unspoken11. Sacksong12. Revolutions13. Amor Odium

Sacramento, California's CONDUCTING FROM THE GRAVE will release a new, self-titled album on October 1. The CD was entirely funded by fans via a Kickstarter campaign (raising over $15,000 within a month) and will be the band's first self-released effort. The new album follows the band's two highly regarded extreme metal releases, (2009's "When Legends Become Dust" and 2010's "Revenants") for Sumerian Records. While initially established in the metalcore scene, the new release finds the band further distancing themselves from the "core" tag and delving further into the technicality and brutality that defines death metal.

While at a crossroad with their label, the band spent the better part of the past two years writing and demoing new material while deciding their future. The downtime actually ended up being beneficial as guitarist Jeff Morgan confides: "It took a while for us to finally get into the studio to master the tracks, but it ended up working out great for the album. The writing and re-fining process we put each song through helped ensure that this album was the best it could possibly be. Also, we were allowed the time without any outside pressure to really hone in on our roots and expand on them in new directions."

Regarding lyrical and conceptual themes for the album, vocalist Mikey Powell says: "Our newest release started out as a full on concept about the apocalypse with the four horsemen as the main idea, but that quickly changed into a more or less non-concept specific approach. There are A LOT of different themes going on ranging from my love of video games ('Honor Guide Me!' is about war through the eyes of a Protoss Zealot from the game Starcraft) all the way through a very bad experience I had in my life that gave me a very bad case of anxiety issues that I will have for the rest of my life ('Into the Rabbit Hole'). I guess you could say that it's mostly about my life experiences from my childhood to issues in my life today. Vocally, I think it's my best work yet and I had a lot of fun trying to push my performance beyond past releases."

Ultimately, deciding to release the album themselves, the band decided to pursue the crowdfunding option for album costs, unsure of what to expect. Speaking on the overwhelmingly positive outcome, Morgan says: "It was amazing to see the fans come through like that for us. There were a lot of people who donated above and beyond what they needed to and the majority of comments we received were so supportive. When things get difficult trying to keep a band going for such a long time, fans like this make it all feel worthwhile."

In addition to Morgan and Powell, CONDUCTING FROM THE GRAVE features John Abernathy (guitar), Greg Donnelly (drums) and Jackson Jordan (bass).

"Obsideo", the seventh album from resurrected Dutch extreme metallers PESTILENCE, will be released on October 21 via Candlelight Records. The CD was produced by PESTILENCE vocalist/guitarist Patrick Mameli and features ten new songs. According to Mameli, the album's overall lyrical theme will be "the journey of the human soul."

"Obsideo", which means to besiege, will feature band mastermind Mameli and longtime partner, guitarist Patrick Uterwijk, with new German bassist George Maier and Dave Haley. Mameli notes: "PESTILENCE is chuffed to have Dave Haley in the lineup. Dave is one of the five best extreme drummers in the world, and his talent brings PESTILENCE to new levels that couldn't be reached otherwise. Georg Maier is a young and talented bass player that will turn some heads. Both guys are really down to earth and real easy going. Of course, Patrick Uterwijk is my most respectable and long-going friend and musician."

"Obsideo" track listing:

01. Obsideo02. Soulrot03. Transition04. Necromorph05. Laniatus06. Distress07. Superconscious08. Aura Negative09. Saturation10. Displaced

PESTILENCE 2013 is:

Patrick Mameli - Lead guitar/VocalsPatrick Uterwijk - Lead guitarGeorge Maier - BassDavid Haley - Drums

PESTILENCE's last album, "Doctrine", was released in North America in July 2011 via Mascot Records. The eleven-track CD was recorded and mixed at Woodshed Studio in southern Germany with engineer Victor Bullok (a.k.a. V. Santura; TRIPTYKON, DARK FORTRESS). The artwork was designed by Marko Saarelainen.

Behemoth Bike, a custom motorcycle created by Polish company Game Over Cycles (GOC) won 2 awards at the European Bike Week (EBW), one of the biggest motorcycle rallies in the world held annually in Austria. In a Custom Bike Show contest organized at EBW 2013 by Harley-Davidson brand, the diabolical machine from Poland took second place in the "Radical" category and won the prestigious audience award — "People's Choice Award".

Behemoth Bike is custom motorcycle inspired by and created in collaboration with by the global Polish icon of metal music BEHEMOTH and particularly the band's leader, Adam "Nergal" Darski.

European Bike Week is one the biggest motorcycle rallies in the world (110,000 participants in 2012).

Game Over Cycles is a Polish custom bikes manufacturer, which started its activity in 2012.

At last year's edition of the European Bike Week, Game Over Cycles' chopper was also awarded with "People's Choice Award".

Chicago-based metallers DIRGE WITHIN have changed their name to THE BLOODLINE.

Comments the group in a statement: "The birth of of this band may come to some of you as a surprise, yet it was for the right reasons in many ways.

"We are very excited about the material in this new album. We have taken the time to perfectly craft these songs and are beyond proud of the sacrifices we have all put into this writing process. Groove, melody and intensity all come to mind, but we would rather let YOU the listener determine as such.

"Also, regarding DIRGE WITHIN, we all felt it was best, once we began writing the new music, it truly took on a new life of its own, all of us felt it was best to admit this is not DIRGE WITHIN in many ways. As well as the four of us do not want to limit ourselves in any form as musicians and from that THE BLOODLINE is born and this heart is pounding."

The first taste of THE BLOODLINE, a song called "The Blackout", can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track was produced by Joel Wanasek and THE BLOODLINE and was enginered by Scott Creekmore at Mercenary Studios. It was mixed and mastered by Joel Wanasek at JTW Studios.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine's son Justis, who heads up his own artist management company, Justis Mustaine Management, stated about THE BLOODLINE: "I had the pleasure of meeting Shaun Glass and the band at one of the Gigantour shows during the summer. He played me some music from his new band THE BLOODLINE. I was hooked, rocking out. [It's] so heavy, so melodic. Great work, guys!"

THE BLOODLINE is:

Shaun Glass (SOIL, BROKEN HOPE) - GuitarFrankie Harchut - DrumsChuck Wepfer - GuitarTravis Neal (DIVINE HERESY) - Vocals

Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL have entered the studio with producer Jay Baumgardner (P.O.D., SEVENDUST, EVANESCENCE, PAPA ROACH) to begin recording their new album for an early 2014 release via Century Media Records.

After the first days of recording, the band is already happy with the magic happening in the studio.

Cristina Scabbia (vocals): "I am so excited to work on new stuff…

"I am sure a lot of people will be mesmerized by the cinematic vibe of the new album that's underway.

"I'm very happy to have the chance to work with Jay. Not only is he a pro in what he does, but I am just loving the fact we are going to experiment with new sounds and are getting a different point of view about our art. We're swamped with the music already...

"LACUNA COIL is back, baby!!!”

Andrea Ferro (vocals): "We met Jay a few years ago in L.A. and had a really positive feeling about him, as he has produced and mixed some of my favourite records and some very relevant rock/metal albums.

"We have decided to work with him, because he has the ability to work together with the band towards a common vision without driving the band away from their sound.

"In the studio, there is the right energy that allows common people to achieve uncommon results!"

Cristiano "Pizza" Migliore (guitar): "Yeah, we're very excited about finally recording new songs — and I can assure you that the new stuff kicks ass!"

LACUNA COIL plans on completing the recording sessions for the new album before joining the "Tragic Illusion Tour" that will celebrate PARADISE LOST's 25th anniversary. A few days earlier, they will perform at the Metal Female Voices Fest in Belgium.

LACUNA COIL's latest album, "Dark Adrenaline", sold around 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart. It marked the band's second CD with producer Don Gilmore (LINKIN PARK, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) at the helm.

"We changed producers on our last album, 'Shallow Life', and we wanted to work with Don," Scabbia told KNAC.COM. "I think that we wanted to change producers mainly to see what we could do with a different person. A producer is much like a teacher and we wanted to learn something new and we found that our goals and Don's were much the same. When listening to 'Dark Adrenaline', I can say that there is so much different. We are more experienced now and more confident in our sound and we get inspired to try to do more with each new record."

BigMusicGeek.com recently conducted an interview with former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider. Several excerpts from the chat follow below.

BigMusicGeek.com: At what point did you realize Stefan [Kaufmann, guitar] wasn't going to be able to participate in the recording of [U.D.O.'s] "Steelhammer" [album]? Were there any warning signs that the health issues he was experiencing were going to be so bad?

Udo: It's a long story. He already had some big problems. It all started when we did the "Rev-Raptor" album. We had to stop for three months because he couldn't move anymore. He was going to the hospital in order to recover, and then, when we started touring, he was taking these really heavy pills. You could have killed an elephant with them. I've known Stefan for forty years and I saw that he couldn't really move on stage. He had to get into these crazy positions so it wouldn't hurt. He was always in pain, so he wasn't in a good mood. Sometimes, he would just start shouting. I thought to myself, "This is not the real Stefan." When the tour was over, I said, "Stefan, it's better for you to stop. I don't want to see you in a wheelchair." We talked about many, many things, but in the end, he said to me, "I think you're right. It's better to stop doing this." So I said, "You are welcome to produce the album and we can write some songs together," and that's when he said, "At the moment, I'm not in the mood to do this." It wasn't easy for me because I've been working together with him for so long, but sometimes you have to do things you don't want to. In the end, I think it was the best thing for him and he's now in better shape. He is producing a band in Switzerland, so I think he's back.

BigMusicGeek.com: The transition couldn't have been easy. Not only did you lose a band member, but you also lost a producer and a prolific songwriter. Had you considered working with a "new" producer for the recording of "Steelhammer"?

Udo: After working with and writing songs together with Stefan for over thirty years, it wasn't so easy. He left the band due to health reasons and then he said to me, "I'm not in the mood to write songs or produce an album right now, "and I said, "Okay, then I have to do it in a different way." Writing songs together with [bassist] Fitty [Wienhold] was like stepping into cold water, but in the end, I did end up writing the whole album together with him. For the production, I was thinking about looking for somebody new and the first name that came up to my mind was Michael Wagener (ALICE COOPER, SKID ROW, WHITE LION). So I called Michael and said, "Michael, are you're interested in producing the new U.D.O. album?" and he said, "Yes, of course I would love to do it," and I said, "Okay, let's do it now," and then he said, "Sorry, but at the moment I am producing someone else." And then he said, "Why aren't you doing it on your own?" The results we got then became "Steelhammer".

BigMusicGeek.com: In hindsight, what are your feelings in regards to your time as a member of ACCEPT? Do you harbor any negativity to towards the remaining original members? Is it possible there will be yet another full-scale reunion?

Udo: ACCEPT is a different story. We did a reunion in '92 and did three albums together ["Objection Overruled", "Death Row", "Predator"]. For me, the first one was a real ACCEPT album. We did the next one with only with one guitarist and for me, the sound with ACCEPT was always with two guitarists, so there was already some problems coming up. The whole atmosphere was completely gone. We did a tour and then we said, "Okay, before we destroy the name ACCEPT, let's split up again." Then they asked me twice after fifteen years to do another reunion and I said, "Guys, I'm quite successful with U.D.O., and if I shut down U.D.O. again and join ACCEPT, we have to talk about a lot of things." In the end, I said, "Okay, if I do this and we split up again, I cannot come up for a third time with U.D.O. I have to continue under the name ACCEPT." And I said to [guitarist] Wolf [Hoffmann], "You were stealing the name in the '80s. You get the rights on it without asking somebody, especially me." And he said, "No, I cannot do this." and I said, "Okay." There was a lot of other points and then I said, "Okay, guys. Sorry, but I don't want to do this. I will continue with U.D.O. I wish you all the best." That was the whole thing with the reunion. They put out a very good album in 2010 ["Blood Of The Nations"], but then again, I can imagine that after fifteen years, they would have enough time to write a good album. I wish I had fifteen years time to write songs. I expected them to do a good album and "Blood Of The Nations" is a good album, but in my opinion, "Stalingrad" [2012] is not as good as "Blood Of The Nations". The new singer [ex-TT QUICK frontman Mark Tornillo] is a really good singer, but I think he has problems when he sings all the old ACCEPT songs. They've had some good success, so we'll have to see about the future. Everybody wins because they have both ACCEPT and U.D.O.

BigMusicGeek.com: Do you have an actual relationship with anyone from the group? Are you still on "speaking terms" with Wolf?

Udo: No. There is not talk anymore. I don't want to start a war, but Wolf was saying a lot of bad things about me and I don't understand why he did that. Then, later on when they would come up to people who didn't know what they had said before, they changed completely. They'd say, "U.D.O. is great. Udo is such a nice guy." so I said, "Never ever talk to me again." I don't care. I am happy and they seem to be happy, so what can say?

Read the entire interview at BigMusicGeek.com.

Video footage of the Heavy Metal Ensemble Of Lawrence University (HMELU) performing songs by TESTAMENT, BLIND GUARDIAN, VENOM, METAL CHURCH and FINNTROLL on May 2, 2013 at at the Lawrence University Memorial Chapel in Appleton, Wisconsin can be seen below.

According to The Lawrentian, the Heavy Metal Ensemble Of Lawrence University is "a unique ensemble of twenty-two musicians which made its first appearance in 2006 and consisted of drums, guitar and low winds and then went into hiatus until current senior Calvin Armstrong revived the ensemble last school year, 2011-2012, for HMELU's first large group performance as well as the small group concert 'Dopesmoker'.

"This year, the ensemble featured the unconventional mixture of bass, tenor and soprano saxophones, two French horns, two trumpets, including piccolo trumpet, tuba, a full trombone section, two guitars, two cellos, bass, drums, percussion and, of course, vocals. Armstrong and junior Tyler Kundinger traded off vocal duties amid a few purely instrumental tunes.

"HMELU has become quite a culture within the Conservatory, with its artistic use of corpse paint for every musician and the now-iconic photographs of the ensemble around campus. This year introduced new metal names for each musician; every member chose a name from mythology, often Norse, phrases translated from Norwegian, Finnish and Icelandic languages or names from existing bands' members."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has set November 19 as the release date for "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 2", the second half of the Las Vegas band's two-album set. Pre-orders for the new disc will start on Tuesday (September 10), while the first single from the CD, "Battle Born", has just arrived at rock radio stations. The song's official video will arrive next week.

"The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 2" track listing:

01. Here To Die02. Weight Beneath My Sin03. Wrecking Ball04. Battle Born05. Cradle To the Grave06. Matter Of Time07. The Agony Of Regret08. Cold09. Let This Go10. My Heart Lied11. A Day In My Life12. House Of The Rising Sun

Even though the band recorded two albums worth of material this time around, singer Ivan Moody told The Pulse Of Radio he's not a fan of working in the studio. "No, I don't spend a lot of time in the studio, man," he said. "I truly don't. I'll be in there when I have to. I hate the containment, I can't stand the schedule crap. The monotony drives me frickin' crazy, you know, 'Do it again, do it again, let's try that again,' and it's just, it's so frustrating to me. Sitting in the booth and feeling like, basically it's just a cold, dead coffin, and a lot of the time people want to know why my lyrics are so angry — that has a lot to do with it."

The first half of "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell" came out on July 30 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart, selling 113,000 copies in its first week of release.

The first single from "Volume 1", "Lift Me Up", featured JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford and hit the top of the rock radio chart.

"Volume 1" has sold more than 210,000 copies to date. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's three previous albums have all gone gold for sales of 500,000 copies or more.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will kick off a North American fall tour at the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, California on September 15.

Hilber, a brand new song from from EMPEROR frontman Ihsahn, was premiered last night (Monday, September 9) on BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show" with Daniel P. Carter. You can now listen to the program for the next seven days at BBC.co.uk. (Note: The Ihsahn track can be heard around the 21:45 mark.)

Hilber comes off Ihsahn's fifth solo album, "Das Seelenbrechen", which will be released on October 21 in North America via Candlelight Records. The effort will be available on compact disc, a limited edition digibook (with expanded graphics and liner notes), and double 180-gram clear vinyl. "Das Seelenbrechen" is a bold and adventurous recording that is a musical contrast to the progressive shades and saxophone augmentations of the EMPEROR vocalist/guitarist's previous two albums (2009's "After" and 2011's "Eremita"). The album exists in an entirely unfamiliar sonic world as Ihsahn draws upon his most esoteric influences, fully embracing the spirit of the avant-garde. Comprising ten vivid but disparate explorations in sound that range from bittersweet electronica to deranged and feral improvisation, "Das Seelenbrechen" is every bit as dark and destructive as the artist's previous work but is far more disorientating and disturbing than anything he has attempted in his past. "Musically, this album is a very deliberate sidestep to what I have been doing; a necessity to reset the creative parameters so not to fall into formula," says Ihsahn. "I think I do my best work slightly outside of my comfort zone and I've wanted to do something like this for a long time. Free form and improvisational can be scary for a musician but it is very liberating at the same time." Recorded at Ihsahn's own studio in Norway in collaboration with drummer Tobias Ornes Anderson (LEPROUS), "Das Seelenbrechen" courageously eschews traditional metal instrumentation in favor of a limitless textural landscape that evokes the freewheeling spirit of artists like Diamanda Galas, Scott Walker, and John Zorn. Ihsahn notes; "Even though my music has changed over the years, I feel there is a source of inspiration at the bottom of it all that is constant. The general idea for this album was to try and dig deep into this raw source and express it without too much refinery and do so within a less familiar musical landscape. It is the reason for several purely improvised songs and parts on this album. I spontaneously performed with just lyrics and the idea of the atmosphere I was wishing to create. While many will feel it sounds different, I don't think it is necessarily different from my previous album. And in my head, it will fit in perfectly with my plans for the sixth album." "Das Seelenbrechen" takes its name from Nietzche's famed "Human, All Too Human: A Book Of Free Spirits". Writings by the 19th-century philosopher and other historical figures have often found their way into Ihsahn's songwriting.

"The title is taken from one of his aphorisms on art and how, in its purest form, is neither good nor bad," says Ihsahn. The album's abstract packaging, again conceived by Spanish graphic artist Ritxi Ostariz, embraces the aphorisms essence. Few artists in modern heavy music have created such an extraordinary and unique body of work as Ihsahn. Having refined and redefined black metal with the now legendary EMPEROR, Norway's foremost musical extremist has spent the last decade establishing himself as a fearless and wildly idiosyncratic solo artist.

"Of all my albums, my goals for this one have been the most abstract," says Ihsahn. "I've had quite a rollercoaster ride putting it together but now that it is done I must say I am very pleased." "Das Seelenbrechen" track listing:

01. Hilber02. Regen03. NaCl04. Pulse05. Tacit 206. Tacit07. Rec08. M09. Sub Alter10. See11. Entropie (bonus)12. Hel (bonus)

"8:18", the new album from the Dayton, Ohio Christian metalcore band THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, can be streamed in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. The CD will be released on Sepember 17 via Roadrunner Records. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA has announced details of an upcoming North American headline tour. "The 8:18 Tour", which will see the band accompanied by THE GHOST INSIDE, VOLUMES and TEXAS IN JULY, gets underway November 2 in Detroit at the Royal Oak Music Theatre and continues through December 20, wrapping in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Singer Mike Hranica commented: "We've loved playing two new songs over the course of this year, and with that being said we're really excited to debut more material live. For me, '8:18' is meant to reflect a live sense of vocals, so doing another headline tour like this is going to be excellent." Long acclaimed as among one of the most potent and provocative bands in modern American metal, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA made a massive leap forward with the stunning "8:18". The album — executive-produced by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's Adam Dutkiewicz and produced by the band along with producer/engineer Matt Goldman (UNDEROATH, THE CHARIOT) — sees the group driving its relentless sonic approach with more might than ever before, giving extreme power to frontman Mike Hranica's grim, emotional lyricism.

"8:18" track listing: 01. Gloom02. Rumors03. First Sight04. War05. 8:1806. Sailor’s Prayer07. Care More08. Martyrs09. Black & Blue10. Transgress11. Number Eleven12. Home For Grave13. In Heart

Asked how the new effort compares to 2011's "Dead Throne", vocalist Mike Hranica told Music Feeds: "I think it's kind of a totally new animal. It definitely is a very cohesive record. A lot of the times, I feel like we'll write songs and a lot of them are really cool songs and they'll all have kind of a theme, but sometimes they stray from that path of the theme that we originally intended. And I think that this album as a whole, it all sounds like the album, it all is a cohesive idea. Which, don't get me wrong — I don't mean to say that all the songs sound the same, because they definitely, each has their own unique personality. But as far as 'Dead Throne', our progression from 'Dead Throne', I definitely do think that this album is just a more mature record and has a lot more thought put into it. As always — we're always gonna put a little bit more effort and thought into the new record than our previous effort."

Back in January, Hranica told Loudwire about the songwriting process for the new album: "For me, I definitely feel a little bit of a carry-over from 'Dead Throne', particularly because it was a very cool record for me learning, for me learning to write better and that was working with a new [producer] … working with Adam for the first time and having [A DAY TO REMEMBER's] Jeremy McKinnon working on some of the songs with us, and I feel I took a lot from that. On 'Dead Throne', there were better vocal parts and everything was more cohesive and understandable and made for better song structure and everything and that had had a big impact on me creatively and so it's definitely carried over into this."

He added: "Conceptually, the concepts of 'Dead Throne' didn't carry over. I feel like that would be repetitive and monotonous to keep going at the same subject matter, but obviously, it all comes from the same place and I can say that nothing got more happy or uplifting, really. So I think it's very much THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, but also it's got a bit of freshness and originality to it and I think that even musically we started approaching the songs differently. Like, this song could be more like this and working off of a base we never really worked off of before."

The fourth part of a new video interview with frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven of Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON can be seen below.

SATYRICON's new, self-titled studio album was released on September 9 in Norway via Indie Recordings, and in the rest of Europe through Roadrunner Records. The CD, which will be made available on September 17 in North America via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, was produced by Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven and was recorded in Norway, and mixed by Adam Kasper. The effort features a guest appearance by Sivert Høyem, the Norwegian singer best known as the vocalist of the rock band MADRUGADA.

"Satyricon" track listing:

01. Voice Of Shadows 02. Tro Og Kraft 03. Our World, It Rumbles Tonight 04. Nocturnal Flare 05. Phoenix 06. Walker Upon The Wind 07. Nekrohaven 08. Ageless Northern Spirit 09. The Infinity Of Time And Space 10. Natt

Limited-edition CD digipack bonus tracks:

11. Phoenix (Recording Session Mix)12. Our World, It Rumbles Tonight (Deeper Low Mix) 13. Natt (Wet Mix)

The song "Our World, It Rumbles Tonight" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Comments Satyr: "We are back! Sorry it took so long, but we needed the time to be able pull off a record like this.

"Comparing this one to previous records is time wasted, it is SATYRICON; constantly on the move.

"Naming this record 'Satyricon' was the most obvious thing in the world. We have never done a record which captures the spirit of this band in such a way. Ever. It will demand a lot from you as a listener, but I know you will love it. It will grow on you and that is why it will stay with you forever.

"We won't tour as much in the future as we used to, and that will just make every tour more special. This album and this tour is for you and ourselves. It is our moment!"

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep at this year's Inferno festival, Satyr stated about SATYRICON's new album: "To me, it sounds very authentic, it's organic-sounding. And in this digital age where music is mostly played through computers, a lot of that analog vibe gets lost in translation when you play music through medias like that, but I still wanna do it because there's nothing quite like it. To me, it just makes everything sound the way it's supposed to sound — it's dynamical; the music is alive, it's not overly compressed, the levels are not pushed. So, musically speaking, it's a very atmospheric record… This record is full of life. There are a lot of surprises here, but I think it's gonna be a record that's gonna help the black metal movement perhaps find a new way for the future."

Interview part 4:

The official trailer for the KORN documentary titled "Reconciliation" — which reveals exactly how guitarist Brian "Head" Welch returned to the band, the guitarist's past drug issues and much more — can be seen below (courtesy of Loudwire). The film will be included with the deluxe edition of KORN's new album, "The Paradigm Shift", which is due on October 8 via Prospect Park. The follow-up to 2011's "The Path Of Totality" features the return of Welch to the lineup after more than eight years away. His last album with the band was 2003's "Take A Look In The Mirror".

In the documentary trailer, Welch says about his reasons for quitting KORN: "In 2005, it's a blur because I was on like three different kinds of methamphetamine, but all I know is I wasn't happy, I didn't like being in the band, I didn't like most of the guys and I didn't like myself more than anything. Being a drug addict, not liking your surroundings and trying to raise a daughter all at the same time; it just doesn't really work. Something needed to give. Something needed to change and I didn't care what the cost was gonna be. I needed to live. I needed to come back to life because I was almost dead."

Singer Jonathan Davis told The Pulse Of Radio what the experience was like having Welch back in the studio, making this record extra special. "'Untouchables' used to be my favorite, but this one's mine now," he said. "You know, it's just all those years of work and being able to be in a band this long with the guys. And having Head back bringing, you know, that old chemistry back with him with Munky on the rock side and I was on the electronic side. It was good having the compromise on both sides. It was just good for the creative process, I think."

Songs on the new set, which was recorded with producer Don Gilmore (LINKIN PARK, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, LACUNA COIL) at Buck Owens' studio in KORN's original hometown Bakersfield and at Los Angeles's famed NRG Recording Studios, include first single "Never Never", "Prey For Me", "Spike In My Veins", "Mass Hysteria", "Paranoid And Aroused" and "Victimized".