The official video for the song "The Guardian" from the melodic progressive power metal act ARTIZAN can be seen below. The conceptual clip, which features singer Tom Braden, was shot in Denver, Colorado.

"The Guardian" is the third track on the new ARTIZAN album, "Ancestral Energy", which was released in May via Pure Steel Records. The CD's cover artwork was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, HATEBREED, SIGH, ATHEIST and AGHORA.

Commented ARTIZAN founder/drummer Ty Tammeus: "Eliran has impressed me with his previous illustrations; he is a young, gifted artist, who will inject his unique talents into a masterpiece for the new ARTIZAN album. I am amazed how he has completely immersed himself into our music, and the story of our characters, to develop a concept for the album cover unlike anything I have ever seen."

"Ancestral Energy" was recorded at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida with legendary metal producer Jim Morris. Ex-ICED EARTH singer Matt Barlow makes a very special guest appearance on the CD's title track.

The official lyric video for the song "Over The Top" from Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST can be seen below. The track comes off the band's self-titled sophomore album, which entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 5. Released in Europe on May 17 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was produced and mixed by the band at JKB Studios in Helsinki and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios. The cover artwork was created by Claudio Bergamin (HALFORD, ARJEN A. LUCASSEN, MAGICA).

Comments the band: "Over the top — words to live by! This song perfectly sets the tone for our upcoming metal crusade next month.

"We're stoked to get back on the streets and tour with all these great bands [POWERWOLF, MAJESTY, ASHES OF ARES and WISDOM]. It's gonna be fun, it's gonna be metal and it sure the hell is gonna be OVER THE TOP!! See you all next month!"

BATTLE BEAST last fall parted ways with lead singer Nitte Vänskä and replaced her with Noora Louhimo.

In an interview with Metal Divas, Noora explained how she ended up fronting BATTLE BEAST: "Last September (2012), I got a call from Anton [Kabanen, guitar] that they want me to join BATTLE BEAST. I had heard their music and loved the sound and the vocals, so the next day I called Anton and said I'm in.

"Anton found me by accident on YouTube when he was searching for the new vocalist. He had been looking for a vocalist — male or female; [it did not] matter. The only thing that mattered was can that [he or she could] sing his songs without compromises.

"I've been singing since I was 4 years old. While being a huge fan of heavy metal of '80s and a teenager, I had some classical singing lessons when I was 16 years old. Then at the age of 19, I started studying music in pop/jazz line. At the same time, I started doing some jam sessions at bars. There I found my first band (ADMIRAL OCTOPUS) in the blues bar. We used to play rock and blues music from '60s-'70s and Janis Joplin was the reason I got the rasp in my voice. After ADMIRAL OCTOPUS, in 2011, I took part in a singing competition ('Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star') at Henry's Pub of Tampere and won it with Janis Joplin's 'Piece Of My Heart'. That's how my single 'Relax' was born."

BATTLE BEAST's debut album, "Steel" — which was originally released in Finland in 2011 via Hype Records — was made available internationally on January 27, 2012 through Nuclear Blast Records.

Fan-filmed video footage of ASHES OF ARES' September 6 performance at the ProgPower USA XIV festival at Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia can be seen below.

ASHES OF ARES is the band featuring Matt Barlow (ex-ICED EARTH), Van Williams (ex-NEVERMORE) and Freddie Vidales (ex-ICED EARTH).

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

"Ashes Of Ares" track listing:

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

ASHES OF ARES recently filmed a video for the song "This Is My Hell" with director David Brodsky (MUNICIPAL WASTE, WHITECHAPEL, KYLESA, REVOCATION). The clip was shot in an old steel foundry in Newburgh, New York along the Hudson River.

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

ASHES OF ARES is:

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

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

American hardcore metallers PRO-PAIN will release their new studio album, "The Final Revolution", on November 25 in Europe and December 3 in North America via SPV/Steamhammer. According to vocalist/bassist Gary Meskil, PRO-PAIN's 14th studio recording marks the band's return to its old form. "The music is quite dark, and the groove and tempos are very reminiscent of the classic PRO-PAIN style as opposed to our last album, 'Straight To The Dome', which was a bit more thrashy," he says.

"The Final Revolution" was recorded, mixed, and mastered by V.O. Pulver (GURD) from August 18 to August 29, 2013 at Little Creek Studio in Gelterkinden, Switzerland. Meskil wrote all of the music and lyrics at his home in Sarasota, Florida.

"In order to keep things interesting, I decided to take the reins and handle all of the writing duties alone this time," he says. "It's the first PRO-PAIN album since the '90s in which I've written everything."

The standard "The Final Revolution" release will feature twelve brand-new tracks. There will be other configurations available as well, in the form of a digipak and gatefold album. Those configurations will contain some bonus material (including live tracks plus a UK SUBS cover), foldout poster, etc. Meskil adds: "I'm sure the fans will love it!"

PRO-PAIN will play some Florida shows in October, which will mark the band's first U.S. gigs in more than four years. The band also has a European tour scheduled from November 29 until December 21, with ZUUL FX (France), KOMAH (Belgium), and SOULLINE (Switzerland) supporting.

Meskil concludes: "We hope everyone will enjoy our new album as much as we do! See you on tour!"

Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's entire August 28 performance at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, Californai can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. War Pigs 02. Into The Void 03. Under The Sun/Every Day Comes And Goes 04. Snowblind 05. Age Of Reason 06. Black Sabbath 07. Behind The Wall Of Sleep 08. N.I.B. 09. End Of The Beginning 10. Fairies Wear Boots 11. Rat Salad 12. Iron Man 13. God Is Dead? 14. Children Of The Grave

Encore:

15. Paranoid

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler told the Chicago Sun-Times that the band's current tour in support of its long-awaited reunion album, "13", could very well be his last. Asked why he thought that, Butler explained, "I don't know. I just got a feeling. It's getting tough, it really is. I can't lie about that. I'm old now. It really is tough going on every night. You wake up the next day, all the pains you never had before. I don't want to go onstage for the sake of the money. You have to have a lot pride in yourself, and I honestly think I'm coming to the end of the top of my job." Butler also said that he's enjoying the current SABBATH tour, adding, "I've always said as long as I can play, as long as I can do it to a good level, then I'll keep doing it, because I still really enjoy playing. I'll know when the day comes I can't do this anymore, can't play to my usual standards. That's when I won't go out anymore. I won't do that to me self. But at the moment, I just love playing with the band. It probably will be the last time, will probably be the last tour. But I want to go out on a high. The band is playing really well at the moment."

Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and singer Ozzy Osbourne reunited in late 2011 to record their first new album together in 35 years. Original drummer Bill Ward was on board at first but dropped out over contract disputes.

Progress on the record was slowed first by Ward's departure and then by Iommi's January 2012 cancer diagnosis.

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio that the band members knew this might be their last chance to make an album together. "We knew as a band that people were gonna go, 'Oh yeah. they're going in the studio again, it's never gonna happen,' you know," he said. "So we just marched through all the problems and did an album, you know, with Rick Rubin."

The disc, which came out this past June, became the first SABBATH album in the band's 43-year history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The song "Kill The Elite" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

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

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

Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently conducted an interview with FOZZY singer and WWE wrestling superstar Chris Jericho. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Icon Vs. Icon: Is there musical ground you are anxious to cover?

Chris: We have already started writing songs for the next record. We will be focusing in even more on what we do best — the groove, the space, the heaviness and the melodies. As much as we love IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, DIO and a lot of new bands like STONE SOUR, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, we also have a big appreciation for JOURNEY, FOREIGNER, STYX, QUEEN and THE BEATLES; bands who used a lot of harmony. We like the days where every guy in the band sang! We really want to continue those days. I think one of the reasons we have been doing so well because FOZZY is a little bit different than the norm and that has helped us get to the next level.

Icon Vs. Icon: Where are you in process of creating this new material for a new FOZZY album?

Chris: We are going to go back into the studio starting in January. We are writing now and we want to have this thing released for the summertime. It is would be perfect timing for putting out a record, where we can go tour with at all the summer festivals and tours. We are getting everything sorted out and organized right now. Like I keep saying, there is just so much momentum from "Sin And Bones", we want to keep that rolling and the elevation continuing along!

Icon Vs. Icon: Speaking of new music, where do you find yourself looking for inspiration as a songwriter?

Chris: I just go by songtitles. If I see an interesting phrase, something that piques my interest, I will write it down and work my way backwards from there. Obviously, there are a lot of different places you can derive lyrics from. Personally, I like imagery lyrics. If you look at "Sandpaper" or "Spider In My Mouth", they are more imagery driven, rather than literal, visceral meanings. I also like relationship-type songs like "In My Head" or "Shine Forever" or "Feed My Addiction". Then you have the more fantastic ones like "What Happens", "Past Life" or "Dark Passenger", which was loosely based on 'Dexter", or storm — "Storm The Beaches" is about being in World War II. It is just whatever catches my eye, but it typically starts off with the song title.

Icon Vs. Icon: Last time we spoke, you had been giving some thought on doing a live DVD release to capture the live show. Any movement on that front?

Chris: Yeah, we just filmed a set at Bloodstock, which is a big festival we played in England a few weeks ago. Once we have that all organized and ready, I am sure it will be released before the new record or if nothing else, with the new record as a bonus disc. Icon Vs. Icon: Last time we spoke, you had signed a book deal for a third autobiography. You had mentioned wanting to start chipping away at it while on tour. Where do you stand in that process?

Chris: I did actually start it. A couple of weeks ago we were in Austria and I finally bit the bullet and started working on it. I am about 85 pages in. Once you kind of crack the seal and get to work on it, it becomes addictive. That is what you need to write a book because it is a huge project that takes a lot of effort. I have a couple of great books to live up to, so I have a certain level of quality to meet as well. All of those factors lead you to waiting for the right time. Once you get started, it is hard to stop. That is where I am at right now, so hopefully it will be out next year. I am not sure exactly if it is supposed to be out in the fall or winter. I know what my deadline is and I am late! Fire it up!

Read the entire interview at Icon Vs. Icon.

On the 13 year anniversary of Impaled's first album, The Dead Shall Dead Remain, the group will be releasing a re-recording entitled The Dead Still Dead Remain. Long mired in a legal limbo between Impaled and a record label, the music from The Dead Shall Dead Remain has been unavailable on CD for over a decade. The re-recording dodges those legal hurdles and puts the music back in print.

The stakes were raised as Impaled sought to best the production of the original. The Dead Still Dead Remain features recording and mixing by Vinnie Wojno, famous for his work with TESTAMENT. Impaled and Vinnie worked for three years to get the recording they wanted.

"It simply sounds better, no matter how you slice it. And we surely do slice it!", says guitarist Jason Kocol.
Tracklisting:

'Introduction'
'FÆces Of Death'
'Flesh & Blood'
'Trocar'
'Spirits Of The Dead'
'Immaculate Defecation'
'FÆcal Rites'
'Back To The Grave'
'All That Rots'
'Gorenography'
'Blood Bath'

Impaled assures fans that the music on The Dead Still Dead Remain is faithful to the original. It features the return of vocalist Leon del Muerte, who says, "It was like the last 13 years of backstabbing and spitefulness never happened!"

Even the artwork harkens back to their first release. The cover is the same mess that hasn't been cleaned up in 13 years and is, arguably, even more disgusting. The band insist it has already been banned in 672 countries.

The shit will hit the fans when Willowtip Records releases The Dead Still Dead Remain on October 29th.

The Swiss rockers of SIDEBURN have returned. With the arrival of three young and talented new members in January 2012 and the first shows played in February of the same year: Lawrence Lina and Mike Riffart on guitar and the imported Aussie bass player Nick Thornton, who left his luggage in the country while he was touring with the band MAEDER (Nick Maeder's previous band), have gained energy and freshness to compose the new album: Electrify.

August 2012 saw the band to be chosen by Adidas to be the band of the evening during the Adidas Rockstar event that happened on August 11, 2012 at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany. Sideburn performed during the whole final, playing over 150 minutes of rock 'n' roll, and they even wrote and recorded a special theme song with climbing lyrics. The song ‘Rockstar’ was mixed by Beau Hill and is featured as a bonus track on the CD version of Electrify.

The band says: “This new album has been composed in about two months, which is really quick, but the result is really fresh and punchy. The new members did an amazing job to keep the Sideburn spirit and you will certainly notice it while you'll be listening to Electrify. For the mix, we've decided to work again with Beau Hill, cause he knows exactly what we are looking for and we couldn't take the risk to have an album that didn't sound as good as Jail. Once that you have a certain level of production, it's really hard to pull backward ...”

The CD version of this release includes the bonus tracks ‘Lazy Daisy’ (live), ‘Never kill the chicken’ Live” ‘Rockstar’, the download version only features the 11 original songs and the vinyl version which will be only available in Switzerland includes ‘Lazy Daisy’ (live) as a bonus track.

Electrify tracklisting:

‘Bite The Bullet’
‘Devil May Care’
‘Bad Boys, Bad Girls, Rock ‘N’ Roll’
‘Black Powder’
‘Frontline’
‘Never Get Down’
‘Mr. Clean’
‘Shady Katy’
‘Travellin’ Man’
‘Bad Reputation’
‘Destination Nowhere’

Bonus tracks (only available on CD version):
‘Lazy Daisy’ (live)
‘Never Kill The Chicken’ (live)
‘Rockstar’

Check out a track-by-track preview below:

Sideburn are:

Roland Pierrehumbert - lead vocals and harmonica
Lawrence Lina - rhythm and lead guitar
Mike Riffart - rhythm and lead guitar
Nick Thornton - bass and backing vocals
Lionel Blanc - drums

Featuring a combination of death and thrash metal, Edmonton-based act DEATH TOLL RISING are known to devastate their audiences with their high octane performances that has lead the band to share the stage over the years with high profile names such as KATAKLYSM, CRYPTOPSY, THE HAUNTED, and ABORTED (to name a few).
Originally formed in 2003 in Stony Plain, AB, Canada, they have been grinding the Western Canadian metal scene steadily, gaining huge momentum over the last 3 years. New addition Tylor Dory on guitars has introduced a technical and progressive element to the band they have not had in the past. Add in the intense and relentless drumming provided by Bryan Newbury (recently recruited by Canadian prog/death powerhouse INTO ETERNITY), as well as the well-rounded rhythm provided by Drew Copeland on guitar and Mike Puff on bass, and you get a monster that is only now being unleashed upon the masses with vocalist Jesse Berube topping things off with a combination of brutal death growls and Tomas Lindberg-esqe high shrieks, which will be plenty noticeable as they gear up for the release of their sophomore album Infection Legacy on October 22nd, the follow up to their 2010 debut album Defecation Suffocation'and 2008 EP Spontaneous Decapitation.

Guitarist Drew Copland comments: "This album has been a long time coming for us, but we firmly believe in taking your time and never releasing something that you feel is inferior in any way. We are incredibly stoked on how this album turned out, and are confident that fans will find it just as crushing as we do! It definitely represents the next level for us in terms of song writing and sound and cannot wait to get it into your ears!"
Infection Legacy tracklisting:

'Infection Legacy'
'Judas Cradle'
'Scorched Earth Policy'
'Born To Defile'
'Malice Incarnate'
'Crack Open A Cold One'
'Slaughter To Survive'
'Revelation Despair'
'Septic Entity'

'Malice Incarnate':
More on Death Toll Rising at Facebook.

The official trailer for "The Dream Calls For Blood", the seventh album from San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL, can be seen below. Due on October 11 in Europe (except for the U.K. where it will arrive three days later) and October 15 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records, the follow-up to 2010's "Relentless Retribution" was recorded at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, AUGUST BURNS RED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, ALL THAT REMAINS, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER), and once again features cover art by Brent Elliot White (JOB FOR A COWBOY, CARNIFEX, WHITECHAPEL). Fans will be able to purchase a standard jewelcase version of the album or digipak edition that includes a bonus track and bonus DVD.

"The Dream Calls For Blood" track listing:

01. Left For Dead02. Son Of The Morning03. Fallen04. The Dream Calls For Blood05. Succubus06. Execution - Don’t Save Me07. Caster Of Shame08. Detonate09. Empty10. Territorial Instinct / Bloodlust11. Heaven And Hell (digipak bonus track)

Digipak bonus DVD

* The Making Of "The Dream Calls For Blood"

The title track of "The Dream Calls For Blood" is available for streaming at DeathAngel.us.

DEATH ANGEL's North American headlining tour in support of "The Dream Calls For Blood" will kick off on October 18 in San Francisco. Support on the trek will come from 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, BATTLECROSS, REVOCATION and DIAMOND PLATE.

"We are so excited to announce this upcoming tour," commented DEATH ANGEL vocalist Mark Osegueda.

"We worked so hard writing, and recording this record! Especially writing this while on the road for the last three years of touring. And it reflects the triumphs, and mainly hardships, of all we went through while touring. The anger, perseverance, and energy was captured on the recording of 'The Dream Calls For Blood'.

"This tour is the PERFECT springboard to launch off of and back on the road; hungrier and more focused then ever! With a lineup of bands handpicked by us, you’re basically sonically ravaged from the moment the lights dim at the beginning of the night until the lights turn back on at the end! I'm confident every band on this bill plan on sending you home feeling like you've survived a massacre that you can't help but brag about.

"Look forward to feeding off each other's energy!

"Stay hungry! Stay thrash! See you on the road, in the pit, and at the bar!!!"

The San Francisco, Hollywood and Ramona gigs are considered CD-release shows and everyone that purchases a ticket will also receive a copy of the new DEATH ANGEL album at the show.

A PERFECT CIRCLE has assembled a collection of unique rarities titled "A Perfect Circle Live: Featuring Stone And Echo" and will release the box set on November 26 via A Perfect Circle Entertainment. The highly limited edition offering includes: * "Stone And Echo", a full-length DVD (with accompanying audio CD) featuring the band's stirring August 11, 2011 performance at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheater* "Trifecta", a multi-disc collection featuring the band's complete discography, "Mer de Noms", "Thirteenth Step" and "eMOTIVe", recorded live during A PERFECT CIRCLE's handful of three-night, full-album performances. The 2010 performances, the first outings from the band since their self-imposed 2005 hiatus, were limited to Phoenix, Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas and San Francisco.* Bonus tracks include live performances of "By and Down", "Ashes To Ashes" and "Diary Of A Love Song"* Five hand-selected lithographs featuring the personal signatures of both Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel on one of the selected prints* Custom-sculpted resin frame designed by the band* A custom-made guitar pick designed by Billy Howerdel and exclusive to this offering* The collection is bound in a custom-made media book containing artwork and credits The collection is available excusively via the band’s own storefront at this location.

After a 13-year run with the band, drummer Josh Freese announced his departure from A PERFECT CIRCLE in October 2012, "with no plans of returning," he wrote on his Twitter profile.

HAIL OF BULLETS, the Dutch death metal band featuring GOREFEST drummer Ed Warby, THANATOS guitarists Stephan Gebédi and Paul Baayens, vocalist Martin Van Drunen (HAIL OF BULLETS, PESTILENCE, ASPHYX) and former HOUWITSER bass player Theo van Eekelen, will release its third album, "III: The Rommel Chronicles", on October 29 (one day earlier internationally) via Metal Blade Records.

"III The Rommel Chronicles" began to take shape in the second half of 2012 when HAIL OF BULLETS started writing songs for this third album, which sees the band approaching things a bit differently lyric-wise. Instead of describing a certain campaign or theatre of war, this album focuses on the military life, rise and fall of German field marshal Erwin Rommel.

Despite fighting on the wrong side, Rommel was undeniably a great strategist who was both feared and admired by his enemies.

Musically, "III The Rommel Chronicles" recalls a bit of their debut album. The songs are faster, more raw, more aggressive and direct than on "On Divine Winds" which had a more epic, heroic feel. Once again, production duties were handled by Ed Warby and the album was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö. A new lyrical approach also necessitated a different style of artwork, which was provided by Dutch artist Erik Wijnands.

Swanö stated about the new HAIL OF BULLETS longplayer: "HAIL OF BULLETS return for their third album, armed to the teeth with a thunderous death metal onslaught that combines the raw ferocity of the first album with the more expanded arrangements of the second. A death metal masterpiece!"

"III The Rommel Chronicles" track listing:

01. Swoop Of The Falcon02. Pour Le Mérite03. DG-704. To The Last Breath Of Man And Beast05. DAK06. The Desert Fox07. Tobruk08. Farewell To Africa09. The Final Front10. Death Of A Field Marshal

As previously reported, a picture-disc version of HAIL OF BULLETS' debut album, "Of Frost And War", was released on February 4 via Metal Blade. The picture disc is strictly limited to 500 copies.

HAIL OF BULLETS's second full-length album, "On Divine Winds", entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 75.

HAIL OF BULLETS is:

Martin Van Drunen - VocalsPaul Baayens - GuitarStephan Gebédi - GuitarTheo Van Eekelen - BassEd Warby - Drums

The official lyric video for the song "Phoenix" from Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON can be seen below. The track comes off the band's new, self-titled studio album, which will be released on September 9 in Norway via Indie Recordings, and in the rest of Europe through Roadrunner Records, and on September 17 in North America via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD was produced by frontman 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)

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!"

Check out photos from the studio at this location.

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep at this year's Inferno festival, Satyr stated about SATYRICON's upcoming 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."

"Phoenix" lyric video:

Victory Records has announced the signing of South Carolina's ISLANDER.

With comparisons to DEFTONES and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, ISLANDER will release a new EP, "Pains", as a limited-edition colored vinyl 12-inch and digital download on October 1.

Comments ISLANDER vocalist Mikey Carvajal: "We are very excited to be a part of the Victory Records family.

"Come hang with us on the road this fall, see what we're all about, and be sure to check out the EP."

"Pains" is now available for pre-order on VictoryMerch.com. All vinyl pre-orders will come with an instant download of the EP.

The CD contains four refreshing and revolutionary tracks, including "New Colors" and "Lucky Rabbit", the latter of which features guest vocals from H.R. of BAD BRAINS. Watch the music video for "New Colors" below.

A trailer for "Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls", the fifth album from France's avantgarde black metallers GLORIOR BELLI, can be seen below. The CD will be released on October 29 in Europe and November 12 in North America via Agonia Records. Climbing the ladder of innovation and artistic development, GLORIOR BELLI managed to work out a very own sound and view in the often stiff frames found within the black metal genre. Descriptions such as "avant-garde black metal bluesmen" (Pitchfork) or "bluesy doom-sludge" (MetalSucks) are only the two sides of the same coin that is about to reveal a new flip.

"Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls" is yet another milestone of an unusual relationship between southern stylistics and crushing heaviness, all tied up and sealed by a twisted yet still refreshing take on music, straight from the suburbs of Paris. The follow-up to 2011's "The Great Southern Darkness" (Metal Blade) will be available as digipack CD, 12-inch vinyl and digitally. "Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls" track listing:

01. Blackpowder Roars02. Wolves At My Door03. Ain't No Pit Deep Enough04. A Hoax, A Croc!05. From One Rebel To Another06. I Asked For Wine, He Gave Me Blood07. The South Will Always Know My Name08. Le Blackout Blues09. Backwoods Bayou10. Built For Discomfort11. Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls

The song "I Asked For Wine, He Gave Me Blood" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

††† (CROSSES) — DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno's project with FAR guitarist Shaun Lopez — has inked a deal with Sumerian Records.

††† (CROSSES)'s label debut is expected to arrive in winter 2013.

The band released its second EP, "††", in January 2012.

In a 2011 interview with ChinaShop, Moreno stated about how ††† (CROSSES) came together, "I remember I mentioned to [Shaun] one day when we were hanging out, y'know, 'We should make a record together.' It just so happened that when I moved to L.A. I ended up living a few blocks away from him. I was down here working on recording some vocals with Shaun. We just clicked. We listened to a lot of the same music. We've always worked well together. With this project in particular, I met [guitarist] Chuck over at Shaun's house. Chuck was working on some of his solo stuff. I don't know when they started working together, but they said they were working on a project together and asked if I was interested in contributing vocals. Whenever they were working, I'd just ride my bike over there. A couple different times, I was just like, 'Let me try singing on this,' and they were like, 'OK, cool.' I'd just go in and throw in a bunch of ideas. Pretty soon they got rid of the idea of getting a bunch of different singers together. We just started working on the record together."

††† (CROSSES) made its live debut in January 2012 at The Glass House in Pomona, California.

"Along For The Ride", a brand new song from progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER, can be streamed using the SoundCloud below (courtesy of Grammy.com). The track comes off the band's 12th, self-titled studio album, which will be released can on September 24 via Roadrunner Records.

Speaking to Ultimate-Guitar.com, guitarist John 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. Pre-orders are scheduled to launch in July at the Roadrunner Records webstore.

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.

"Strife", the new video from Florida metallers TRIVIUM, can be seen below (courtesy of RevolverMag.com). The clip was filmed in July at Studio One in Orlando and was directed by Ramon Boutviseth, who has previously worked with NONPOINT, DARKEST HOUR, INCUBUS and ALL THAT REMAINS, among others. Check out photos from the video shoot at this location.

TRIVIUM's eagerly awaited new album, "Vengeance Falls", will be released on October 15 via Roadrunner Records. Produced by David Draiman (DISTURBED, DEVICE), the follow-up to 2011's "In Waves" is available for pre-order at Trivium.org. The first single, "Strife", is available as an instant download with all pre-orders.

"'Vengeance Falls' is the culmination of everything we've gone through; the representation of struggle endured from within and experienced from the world. Every failure and every success has led us to this moment. 'Vengeance Falls' is this moment in time," said TRIVIUM vocalist and guitarist Matt Heafy.

Producer David Draiman added: "'Vengeance Falls' is a masterpiece of metal. It is [TRIVIUM's] finest work to date, and a record so strong that it will blow the doors open to a world they deserve to dominate."

"Vengeance Falls" marks a massive creative milestone for the acclaimed metallers. The collection — recorded earlier this year at Draiman's Austin, Texas home studio — sees the band pushing the envelope on their own distinctive sound, a sonic approach that saw "In Waves" hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart upon its release, not to mention a stunning Top-15 debut on The Billboard 200 — their highest chart rankings to date.

"Vengeance Falls" track listing:

01. Brave This Storm02. Vengeance Falls03. Strife04. No Way To Heal05. To Believe06. At The End Of This War07. Through Blood And Dirt And Bone08. Villainy Thrives09. Incineration: The Broken World10. Wake (The End Is Nigh)

TRIVIUM will hit the road in North America this fall with DEVILDRIVER, AFTER THE BURIAL and SYLOSIS.

Former THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL "goddess of beauty" Kari Rueslåtten has released her new single through Despotz Records & Music. Available via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and Wimp, the single is a new version of the THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL song "Why So Lonely" from the band's "Tears Laid In Earth" album (1994), featuring a guest appearance by NIGHTWISH mastermind Tuomas Holopainen on piano and keyboards. A new full-length album will be recorded this fall for a tentative January 2014 release.

Rueslåtten recently filmed a video for her new version of "Why So Lonely".

In an interview with FestivalBlog.be, Holopainen stated about his guest appearance on the track: "It's just an incredible thing because this album called 'Tears Laid In Earth' from 1994 is my all time number one album. It's my favorite album of all time and I'm not exaggerating when I say that listening to this album made me form NIGHTWISH. I wanted to do something similar. That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard — female voice, atmospheric metal; I wanted to do something similar. So I owe everything to this band and this album. And then Kari contacted me saying, 'I'm doing a cover of the song 'Why So Lonely' for my solo album, Would you like to come and play the piano and the keyboard for that song?' And I [said 'Yes'], like, immediately, I mean, this is an unbelievable coincidence. I did it last May and it's going to be out September 10th."

Rueslåtten in 2005 her solo debut, "Spindelsinn" (originally issued in 1997 via Sony Music Norway), re-released through GMR Music Group's Peach Music label. The CD was re-mastered and featured two bonus live tracks.

Rueslåtten's fourth solo album, "Other People's Stories", was released in 2005 via GMR/Peach Music. The follow-up to 2002's "Pilot" was previously described as "filled with [Kari's] best songs to date as well as wonderfully produced." A live video was shot for the album's title track.

The original THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL version of "Why So Lonely" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Danish/American hard rockers ROYAL HUNT are continuing work on their new album, tentatively due in November through Marquee/Avalon (Japan and Southeast Asia) and Frontiers (Europe and North America). The material has been described as a continuation of the band's last CD, "Show Me How To Live", but with new elements in in both the songwriting and production departments.

The first in a series of video clips featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the new album recording sessions can be seen below.

In order to upgrade its trademark sound, ROYAL HUNT is planning to employ a large number of classical/orchestra players in the studio as well as a large choir.

Frontiers Records released ROYAL HUNT's new box set, "20th Anniversary - Special Edition", on November 23, 2012 in Europe and January 21, 2013 in North America.

After the highly successful 20th-aniversary tour in support of ROYAL HUNT's latest album, "Show Me How To Live", ROYAL HUNT decided to celebrate the occasion with this very special "best-of" package containing three CDs and one DVD. The release will include the best ROYAL HUNT songs from all 11 albums, a brand new song plus three newly recorded acoustic versions of three additional tracks and a DVD featuring all the promotional video clips shot by the band during their long ride.

To coincide with the release of their self-titled, eighth studio album, Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON played a very special, exclusive show last night (Sunday, September 8) at at Den Norske Opera & Ballett in Oslo, Norway, where they were joined by the 55-strong Norwegian National Opera Chorus as part of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival.

Commented SATYRICON frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven: "SATYRICON excels as a band, the bigger the platform is. In Norway, there is no greater stage than the main hall of our new Opera House. There is nowhere better suited to provide the dynamics, power and authenticity to such an occasion than the Opera Choir and SATYRICON. To us, there is no better way to celebrate with our fans that we are back with our first album in five years."

Check out photos from the show at Artist Pictures Blog. Video footage is available below.

SATYRICON new, self-titled studio album will be released on September 9 in Norway via Indie Recordings, in the rest of Europe through Roadrunner Records, and on September 17 in North America via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD 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.

"As I Drown", the new video from the London, U.K.-based modern metal mob THE DEFILED, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's second album, "Daggers", which was released on August 2 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The cover artwork was designed and executed by Scott Chalmers, the band's longtime photographer.

Comments THE DEFILED keyboardist The AvD: "'As I Drown' was one of the first songs written for this album. We had been playing it live for more than a year before we even booked the studio to record 'Daggers'. It's about a certain record company executive that brought THE DEFILED to a stand still for whole year. THE DEFILED is the most important thing in our lives so we took that very seriously."

Adds THE DEFILED frontman Stitch D: "We shot this video in a mountain range in the north of England in the middle of winter. The wind was insane to the point of constantly blowing the drums and amps over even though we used rocks to hold them down. It was a fun day shooting but a very tough one." Having released its debut album "Grave Times" via Metal Hammer magazine in 2011, THE DEFILED has since enjoyed status as the U.K.'s biggest unsigned metal acts. Making huge strides forward on their own, their achievements as a self motivated and independent band in the world of heavy music, which includes sold-out tours, prestigious slots at the biggest festivals and a Golden God Award, is remarkable. Their unwillingness to compromise or settle for anything less than their ambition dictates has got them this far; this alliance with indie metal powerhouse Nuclear Blast Entertainment now sets the sky as the limit.

Video footage of ALTER BRIDGE members Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti performing an acoustic version of the song "Rise Today" when they came in to do an interview with the "Classic Rock Magazine Show" with Nicky Horne on TeamRock Radio can be seen below.

ALTER BRIDGE's long-awaited fourth album, "Fortress", will be released on October 8 via EMI Label Services.

From the opening acoustic guitar work on "Cry Of Achilles" to the closing riff of the epic title track, it is clear ALTER BRIDGE are back to reclaim their place as one of hard rock's standout acts.

The album was helmed by longtime ALTER BRIDGE producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, known for his work with FALLING IN REVERSE, STORY OF THE YEAR and INCUBUS, to name a few. The debut single, "Addicted To Pain", is currently impacting radio and is looking to continue the chart-topping success ALTER BRIDGE has come to know around the world.

Former W.A.S.P. guitarists Chris Holmes and Randy Piper joined SIN CITY SINNERS on stage this past Friday, September 6 at Count's Vamp'd Rock Bar & Grill in Las Vegas, Nevada to perform several W.A.S.P. classics. Fan-filmed video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

SIN CITY SINNERS features Todd Kerns (SLASH, AGE OF ELECTRIC), Brent Muscat (FASTER PUSSYCAT), Rob Cournoyer (RAGING SLAB) and Zach Throne (THE HEIGHTS).

The band's third album, "A Sinners' Christmas", came out in 2011. The CD featured guest appearances by Frank Dimino (ANGEL), Jizzy Pearl (L.A. GUNS, RATT, LOVE/HATE), George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB, SOULS OF WE), Slim Jim Phantom (HEADCAT, THE STRAY CATS), Louie Merlino (BEGGARS & THIEVES), Jimmy Crespo (AEROSMITH), Pete Loran (TRIXTER), Ron Keel (KEEL) and Sammy Serious (THE ZEROS). "A Sinners' Christmas" track listing:

In 2010, SIN CITY SINNERS released two CDs of original music, "Exile on Fremont Street" and the all-acoustic "Broken Record". The SINNERS' music video, "Goin' To Vegas", received the 32nd annual Telly Award and the track "Numb" was nominated for an AVN award for "Best Original Song".