Christian hard rockers STRYPER will release their new studio album, "No More Hell To Pay", on November 1 via Frontiers Records.

"No More Hell To Pay" will include STRYPER's cover version of "Jesus Is Just Alright", a gospel song written by Arthur Reid Reynolds. STRYPER guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet said, "It rivals our cover of EARTH, WIND & FIRE's 'Shining Star' — riffs!"

"Jesus Is Just Alright" was first recorded by Reynolds' own group, THE ART REYNOLDS SINGERS, on their 1966 album, "Tellin' It Like It Is". It was later covered by THE BYRDS and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS.

"No More Hell To Pay" track listing:

01. Revelation
02. No More Hell To Pay
03. Saved By Love
04. Jesus Is Just Alright
05. The One
06. Legacy
07. Marching Into Battle
08. Te Amo
09. Sticks & Stones
10. Water Into Wine
11. Sympathy
12. Renewed

STRYPER played a brand new song, "Marching Into Battle", during their July 14 concert at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

STRYPER will film two new videos and an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) in August in support of "No More Hell To Pay". The band's last three videos were shot and released in 1990 and 1991 when the band was promoting its "Against The Law" LP.

Regarding the musical direction of STRYPER's new material, Michael Sweet told Screamer Magazine: "The song 'God', which is on 'The Covering'; if you took that song along with 'Bleeding From Inside Out' and 'Blackened' [from 'Second Coming'], and you put it on the same album, that's a pretty good indication of where we are going and where we are at right now. But at the same time this album is all its own."

He added: "Every song has a hooky guitar riff. Everything is in minor keys, so it's a little darker sounding and a little tougher. It's definitely our heaviest record and I think people will be pleasantly surprised.

"The people who do like the poppier side of STRYPER, like 'Calling On You' and 'Holding On', this record isn't going to really give them that. There are a lot of vocal hooks and melodies going on, but it's a little darker, and a little edgier. To reference, there is less songs like 'Calling On You' and more songs like 'To Hell With The Devil'. It's more in that vein than the poppier vein."

Michael Sweet previously stated that the new STRYPER CD would contain "the best [songs] of our career [with] no pop or fluff musically or lyrically." He added: "I'm counting the days for its arrival and when it does arrive, it will be like a train speeding down the tracks — fast, heavy, unstoppable and loud! I get excited for every record, but I've never quite been this excited before. This record will be one for the books, and in my humble opinion, our best yet bar none. No pride here, just confidence that it's going to be great — really, really great."

New Jersey thrash metal veterans OVERKILL are working on their new studio album for a March 2014 release.

In a recent interview with Radiosuicide Photography's RSPTV, OVERKILL vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth stated about the band's plans for the coming months: "There's six songs done [for the next record so far]. What we're gonna do in the interim is we're gonna come over while recording and do European festivals. After that, we do a U.S. tour with the German band called KREATOR. It's gonna be a flip-flop headline; we'll close the shows on the East Coast in those theaters and they'll close on the West Coast in theaters, or big clubs. After that, we drop the record in March, it hits the street. They even gave me the date as March 7 already, so we're that far planned ahead for those type of activities. And after that, I'm sure that what we're gonna do is just start rolling these tours again. And I think that as we've gotten older, one of the things that we like is that we actually do more tours, but we do less touring; we're not away from home for three months or sixty days, we're away from home for three or four weeks. Three weeks is a great tour for a guy my age. Because then you don't have to recover for a month when you come home. [laughs]"

As previously reported, OVERKILL released a very special limited tour edition of its latest album, "The Electric Age", in Europe on April 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. The limited 2CD tour edition includes the regular album as well as a four additional live tracks on a bonus CD, recorded at The Metro in Sidney, Australia on September 25, 2010.

"The Electric Age" sold 6,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 77 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"The Electric Age" was recorded and mixed at Gear Recording Studios in New Jersey, owned and operated by OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni.

To honor and celebrate Record Store Day on April 20, Nuclear Blast and OVERKILL released a limited-edition 10-inch copper-colored vinyl in gatefold containing four live tracks recorded at The Metro in Sidney, Australia on September 25, 2010.

OVERKILL was forced to drop off the "Dark Roots Of Thrash" tour with TESTAMENT in February due to Ellsworth's bout with pneumonia.

Norwegian metallers TOMORROW'S OUTLOOK have now confirmed seven singers for their upcoming album, to be released though the Australian label Battlegod Productions in early 2014.
Says the band: "Singers who are still with us from the debut album are Scott Oliva, who is doing two tracks this time, and Mike Gorham who is only featured on the last track. New singers for the upcoming album are Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR, ex-GAMMA RAY), who is featured on three tracks, and Tony Johannessen (THUNDERBOLT) who is featured on two tracks. Federico Mazza (ASGARD), Tom Mallicoat (LETHAL) and Anders Zackrisson (NOCTURNAL RITES) have also confirmed to be a part of the upcoming concept album. Other than that we have also announced that Terry Gorle from HEIR APPARENT will lay down some guitars for the new album."

Tomorrow's Outlook previously uploaded a short teaser from their forthcoming album:
For more on Tomorrow's Outlook visit Tomorrowsoutlook.com.

Norwegian grindcore innovators BEATEN TO DEATH will unleash their sophomore studio album this fall via Mas-Kina Recordings. Entitled Dødsfest!, the 12-track follow up to the band’s 2011 debut, Xes & Strokes, was recorded in total of six days at their rehearsal room and continues to carry Beaten To Death’s incredibly irreverent edge, boasting a twisted blend of quirky, but captivating melodies with some abrasive and cranium-smashing brutality. Again, there’s no editing, no quantizing, no triggering, no overdubs, no repitching, no retuning, no nothing. It’s all genuinely and 100% recorded live.

Dødsfest! will be available as 12” LP featuring the full debut album on side B.
Tracklisting:

'Vulpes Vulpes, Mustela Lutreola, Praedium'
'The Egg Thrower'
'Krepsekamp'
'True Norwegian Internet Metal Warrior'
'Dødsfest!'
'Erik Og Skrik'
'Døv, Døvere, Død'
'Obliteration Of Nekromantheon'
'Nazi Slippers'
'The Flesh Prince With Swell Hair'
'Aspen Hellweek'
'Vinni Butterfly'
Beaten To Death are:

Anders Bakke (SHE SAID DESTROY) – Vocals
Martin Rygge (INSENSE) – Guitar/Backing Vocals
Tommy Hjelm (Insense) – Guitar/Backing Vocals
Mika Martinussen – Bass
Christian “Bartender” Svendsen (TSJUDER, THE CUMSHOTS) – Drums

New York/New Jersey based outfit THE INFINITE STAIRCASE have posted a preview of their forthcoming single, 'The Things We've Done', featuring SEVENDUST's Lajon Witherspoon and Morgan Rose, as well as SAVATAGE/TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA's Chris Caffery and CYCLE OF PAIN's Troy Cromwell on keyboards.
The Infinite Staircase have made a habit in recent years of collaborating with some of the most respected musicians in hard rock and heavy metal. In 2009, the band's debut album, The Road Less Taken, featured guest appearances by Blues Saraceno (POISON) and Earl Slick (DAVID BOWIE, JOHN LENNON). Saraceno also mixed the record.

In 2012 the band began work on their follow-up with Sevendust and CALL ME NO ONE Drummer Morgan Rose at the helm producing as well as taking charge behind the kit. Early sessions brought in collaborations with Sean Memphis Hennesy (CANDLEBOX), John "JD" DeServio (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, Cycle Of Pain) and Troy Cromwell (Cycle Of Pain).

Then, on October 22nd, 2012 came Hurricane Sandy and The Cerzosie brothers found themselves organizing an All-Star collaboration to raise money for the victims of the storm; a collaboration which consisted of, in addition to Morgan Rose and JD DeServio, Guitar God Zakk Wylde and Candlebox frontman Kevin Martin. What resulted was 'The Pride', a melodic mid-tempo rocker with blazing solos and screeching vocals which spent six weeks on America’s Music Charts’ Mainstream Rock Radio Top 40 with it’s highest ranking being #27.

'The Pride' was released digitally on February 5th, 2013 via Vanity Music Group with 100% of the proceeds being donated to the Carl Vincent Bini Memorial Foundation. The song was recorded at Architekt Music, the state of the art recording facility in Butler, New Jersey where Sevendust recently tracked Black Out The Sun. It was mixed by house engineer Mike Ferretti (Sevendust, Call Me No One) and mastered by Alan Douches (FLEETWOOD MAC, YES) at West West Side Music in New Windsor, New York. A limited edition CD single can be purchased at this location.

Germany’s MOUNTAIN THRONE has entered the studio to record their debut full-length album, set to be released later 2013 via their new deal with Cyclone Empire
The band comments: “Mountain Throne is busy recording their first full album Stormcoven. Eight lively tunes of true and ancient heavy metal in roughly 40 minutes (vinyl-optimized album-structure for perfect symmetry) will be hammered on tape in the coming weeks; with tales about life, death, women, men, man and beast. One or two musical surprises included, but no worries - no hype, no hipster-shit, no vegan crap or occult 70's doom rock: just unadulterated crushing heavy metal! The Stormcoven LP further marks the arrival of new bass player S., a veteran heavy metal machine: welcome aboard! Trust in fate and have no fear!”

For more details visit Facebook.

Napalm Records has announce the signing of Belgium speed/thrash metal band EVIL INVADERS, born and bred on the early days of IRON MAIDEN and HELLOWEEN. The band are confirmed for this years Wacken Open Air Festival since they won the Wacken Metal Battle for Belgium.
"Evil Invaders has been on the road for only a couple of years now, but from day one we’ve always felt the urge to go faster and faster. And so we did... In order to higher up the pace we definitely needed some more gear and we believe to have found the extra horsepower we needed. That’s why we’re very excited to announce that we’ll be having a new label to expand our invasion, and of course, to go even faster! We are very proud to announce that we’ll be driving along with Napalm Records, that will be releasing our first full length. At the same time we’d like to say cheers to Tony from Empire Records for his total support with our first releases. He did, and is still doing a great job! However we feel that with Napalm we’ll be having a huge-ass pile of gunpowder, and we’re sure that they have the right guns to fire our first full length, which will be coming towards you in 2014. We’re currently working hard on the new material, and we can assure you: it will be fast, loud and it will cut off your balls!"

Check out the track 'Evil Invaders' below:

Canadian epic metal band CRIMSON SHADOWS (recent winner of Wacken Metal Battle Canada) have premiered their first single 'Maidens Call', from their upcoming EP, Sails Of Destiny.
The new track premiers via Quebec based podcast Ondes Chocs, along with an interview with drummer Cory Hofing about the new EP, the preparation for the international Wacken Metal Battle as well as the band's West Coast tour with VESPERIA.
Crimson Shadows and Vesperia have announced plans to join forces on their first trans-continental tour, entitled Western Crusade Canadian Tour. This August, both bands will hit the trans-Canada Highway from Southern Ontario to Victoria, British Columbia and back in stoic determination to bring their epic metal assault Canada-wide.
Dates:

August
5 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - The Zoo
7 - Calgary, Alberta - Dickens Pub
9 - Victoria, British Columbia - TBA
10 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Rickshaw Theatre
12 - TBA
14 - Edmonton, Alberta - DV8 Tavern
16 - Medicine Hat, Alberta - Liquid Niteclub
17 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - TBA

A tour event page can be found here.

Prior to their upcoming tour, Crimson Shadows will be on their way to North Germany to take part in the International Wacken Metal Battle at the world's largest metal festival - Wacken Open Air.

San Francisco Bay Area "blackened, technical post-death metallers" OBLIVION, who feature in their ranks former ALL SHALL PERISH guitarist Ben Orum on bass, have inked a deal with Unique Leader Records.

In addition to Orum, OBLIVION features in its ranks lead singer Dr. Nick Vasallo, a professor of music and internationally acclaimed modernist composer; guitarist Victor Dods, who is completing his PhD in math; guitarist Ted O'Neill, a 25-year veteran from the scene; and drummer Luis Martinez, a young musical phenom trained by Ndugu Chancler.

According to a press release, the band formed with the intent of creating extreme metal music that will last the ages, music that transcends genres and time.

OBLIVION's debut album, "Called To Rise", which was released independently on January 1, will be reissued on October 15 via Unique Leader.

"Called To Rise" track listing:

01. Oblivion Part 1: The Chant Of Tyrants (01:39)
02. Black Veils Of Justice (03:11)
03. Between Suns Of Light (02:50)
04. Binary Souls (03:24)
05. Reclamation (04:11)
06. Canon 1 In E Minor (02:30)
07. Annunaki (03:06)
08. Reigns In Fire (04:59)
09. Cancer Of Wraiths (03:52)
10. Multiverse (04:41)
11. Oblivion Part 2: Infinite Descent (05:34)

The "Reclamation" video can be seen below.

Orum announced his departure from ALL SHALL PERISH in January, explaining in statement that he "could not fulfill [his] duty as a touring musician any longer" due to the fact that he needed to provide for his family. He added: "While I am done with touring, I will never stop writing music. I am joining the extreme metal band OBLIVION as a bassist and contributing songwriter. We are beyond excited to unleash [our debut album] onto the metal world. I've always been into death metal and extreme music, [and] this is my return to true death metal."

ANATHEMA's Universal is a 4-disc audio-visual set documenting the band's performance at the ancient Roman theatre of Philippopolis in Bulgaria with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra (orchestrated by Dave Stewart) in September 2012.

The set will be released on September 23rd. The concert film was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lasse Hoile (PORCUPINE TREE, OPETH, DREAM THEATER).
Tracklisting:

DVD / Blu-ray (bonus content on Blu-ray only):
'Untouchable, Part 1'
'Untouchable, Part 2'
'Thin Air'
'Dreaming Light'
'Lightning Song'
'The Storm Before The Calm'
'Everything'
'A Simple Mistake'
'The Beginning And The End'
'Universal'
'Closer'
'A Natural Disaster'
'Deep'
'One Last Goodbye'
'Flying'
'Fragile Dreams'

Extras:

Encore From Plovdiv:
'Panic
'Emotional Winter' / 'Wings Of God'
'Internal Landscapes'
'Fragile Dreams'

A Night At The Union Chapel:
'Kingdom'
'Thin Air'
'Angels Walk Among Us'
'A Natural Disaster'
'Fragile Dreams'
CD1:
'Untouchable, Part 1'
'Untouchable, Part 2'
'Thin Air'
'Dreaming Light'
'Lightning Song'
'The Storm Before The Calm'
'Everything'
'A Simple Mistake'
'The Beginning And The End'
'Universal'
'Closer'

CD2:
'A Natural Disaster'
'Deep'
'One Last Goodbye'
'Flying'
'Fragile Dreams'
'Panic'
'Emotional Winter' / 'Wings Of God'
'Internal Landscapes'
'Fragile Dreams'

The mail-order fan edition (Blu-ray/DVD-V/2CD) is now available to pre-order from Kscope's store at this location.

EPICA's Simone Simons (vocals), Mark Jansen (guitars/vocals) and Coen Janssen (keyboards) will be participating in the rock opera video game Karmaflow. Check out the introductory video clip below:
The band is asking the fans to support the project; pre-order for both the game and the soundtrack is available at Indiegogo.com.

Epica recently checked in with the following news:

"Our show at Graspop on June 30th marked the end of the Requiem For The Indifferent touring cycle. We would like to thank all our loyal fans who have, once again, carried Epica to the next level. Our world-tour promoting Requiem For The Indifferent has given us a ton of wonderful new memories. We played a lot of new places like Australia, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Belarus and Dubai and welcomed new fans at every one of the 100+ shows of this world-tour. A new milestone for us was reached during Retrospect, the celebration of our 10th anniversary! We will never forget being on stage with this huge orchestra and choir in front of the 4,500 fans from all over the world.
"As you know we will take a step back from playing live shows for the upcoming months since Simone and Oliver and Coen and Linda are expecting children. During this period we will be finalizing our live CD, BluRay/DVD, Retrospect, which will be released in the autumn of this year. Besides that we are in the pre-production phase of the 6th Epica studio album which we will start to record at the end of this summer and which will be released in spring 2014. We can't wait to share the Retrospect show and our new music with you all and we hope to see you on the road in 2014!!"

This week Wikimetal presents an interview with Epica's Simone Simons, during which she talks about her career, the band's last CD Requiem For The Indifferent, and their upcoming sixth album.
Simons also spoke about her main influences and her future plans to record a solo album.

Finnish melodic heavy rockers SOULHEALER have released the second video from their new album, Chasing The Dream, which was released in May via Pure Legend Records. Check out the clip for the track 'Chasing A Dream' below:
Check out the band's 'The Deception' clip - from the same album - written, directed, shot and edited by Niko Saarela and Arttu Hypén, both students at the Kainuu Vocational College, below:
Soulhealer lineup:

Pasi Laakkonen - bass
Jani Nyman - drums
Sami Mikkonen - guitars
Teemu Kuosmanen - guitars, backing vocals
Jori Kärki - vocals
More on Soulhealer at this location.

Black metallers BLODARV, who recently made an appearance on the Danish island of Bornholm, which also happens to be the home of founder and frontman Hugin and band members Pestilens and Satinae Ma, have uploaded a fan-filmed video featuring six songs from show, which took place in June of this year. Titled 'The Island Ceremony', the video can be seen on the Blodarv’s YouTube below:
The songs featured on the Blodarv Island Ceremony video are:
'Where the Beast Dwell' (intro)
'Blood Red Rocks'
'Civitas Diaboli'
'A Snowy Night In November'
'Korset Paa Baalet'
'Beyond Life'

For more details on Blodarv visit Facebook.

Richmond, Virginia’s psychedelic doom band, WINDHAND, are set to release their second full-length album Soma via Relapse Records on September 17th.

After surging the DIY circuit with months of touring, their own IPA, a critically acclaimed self-titled release last year and a split with label-mates COUGH this year, Windhand have confirmed they’ll be taking the main stage at next year’s Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands on Saturday, April 12th.
On Soma, Windhand successfully make syrupy slow, downtuned doom hooky and anthemic. Propelled by singer Dorthia Cottrell’s beautifully haunting bellow, Windhand’s dual guitar attack sounds like the glorious misfit offspring of BLACK SABBATH and NIRVANA. The album was recorded and mixed by the band’s own Garrett Morris at The Darkroom and mastered by James Plotkin in their hometown. Take a sneak peak:
Soma includes six tracks:

'Orchard'
'Woodbine'
'Feral Bones'
'Evergreen'
'Cassock'
'Boleskin'

The cover artwork (by Michal Pawlowski) for "8 ½ - Feberdrömmar I Vaket Tillstånd", the new album from Swedish extreme metallers SHINING, can be seen below. The CD will be released on September 23 via Dark Essence Records.

"8 ½ - Feberdrömmar I Vaket Tillstånd" will be made available in both CD and limited-edition black or white 12-inch vinyl versions, with liner notes by Niklas Kvarforth. All three versions are now available to pre-order at this location.

While the use of the number 8 ½ may seem a little strange to denote what would effectively be a ninth full-length album from the band, its use is deliberate because "8 ½ - Feberdrömmar I Vaket Tillstånd" is a rather special beast from SHINING, consisting of six songs from the "Livets Ändhållplats" and "Angst" era in their original pre-production versions but with the addition of newly recorded bass and guitars, as well as Lars Fredrik Fröslie's (ANGST SKVADRON, WOBBLER, ASMEGIN) keyboards, which the band didn't start using until their sixth album. Additionally, the vocals on each of the tracks will be performed by six different vocalists, including Kvarforth, who have added their own interpretation and given a totally different dimension to all the songs. It's a project that the SHINING founder and frontman has wanted to do for many years now, and it is also serves as a kick in the teeth to all the bootleggers who have tried to illegally earn money for themselves off the back of the band's hard work and creativity.

Swedish melodic death metallers DEALS DEATH will release their third album, "Point Zero Solution", on September 13 via Spinefarm Records. The CD, which was forged in the deep woods of Grangärde, Sweden, "contains 11 songs packed with a lyrical edge, delivered with all our blood, sweat and toil," says the band.

Having introduced themselves to a wider audience with last year's "Elite", the new CD shows DEALS DEATH's staying power and musical evolution with lush arrangements, deadlier output through and through and melodic hooks catchier than ever before.

"Point Zero Solution" track listing:

01. Point Zero Solution
02. Facing The Echoes
03. Escalation
04. Flatline
05. Passion For Infinity
06. The Separation
07. Paramount Authority
08. Beyond Reason
09. Dark Dream Dawn
10. Back To Consciousness
11. Author Of Arts

The story of DEALS DEATH began in a music college called Boomtown, where guitarist Erik Jacobson met a couple of other students. With some further twists to the story, with which we need not bother, the band released its self-financed debut, "Internal Demons", in 2009 to rave reviews.

In 2009, DEALS DEATH recruited new members in Gothenburg and made the city their base. The second album, "Elite", was recorded in May 2010 in Gothenburg and mixed by Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY). A promo video was shot for the song "Fortified" and released in April 2011. The clip made waves on the metal scene (surpassing already half a million views) and then, a fortuitous bounce launched DEALS DEATH to a larger-than-just-metal audience, when vocalist Olle Ekman's 'Death Metal Vocal Exercises" video became a surprise YouTube hit.

IRON MAIDEN performed at this year's Download Festival, which took place from June 14th - 16th at Donington Park in Leicestershire, UK. Pro-shot footage of the band performing 'The Trooper' at the festival is now available.
Iron Maiden's complete live itinerary can be found at this location.
The official swag for Iron Maiden's million-selling ale, Trooper, is now available at BraveWords' newly-resurrected merch store at this location. Products include Trooper Beer t-shirts, printed cups, bottle opener keyring, pump clip, bar runner and more!
Iron Maiden teamed up with Cheshire family brewers Robinsons to create a new beer, Trooper earlier this year. Real ale fan and history aficionado Bruce Dickinson, Maiden's vocalist, played a major role in developing the unique flavour of the beer, entailing ongoing visits to Robinson’s brewery in Stockport. Dickinson's on-stage Union Jack flag-waving military character is an iconic element of the band's live concerts and 'The Trooper', written by bassist Steve Harris, is one of Maiden's most popular songs and one of the highlights of any Maiden show.
Dickinson chats about the brew below:
For more details on Iron Maiden's Trooper Premium British Beer visit Facebook.

Chilean thrash metal band ATOMIC HEAD has released a lyric video for the song 'I Want You'. The track comes off its debut album March Of The Urban Zombies and it will be released in North America via Digmetalworld Records and distributed by MVD Entertainment Group by the end of this year.
Guitarist/singer Sebastián Galindo recently commented on the track: "The song ‘I Want You’ is about military service and how the recruiters talk the new soldiers into killing people by brainwashing them and making them believe their only chance is to give their life for their country, hating the others. I myself passed through it when I was in the military service, good thing I became aware of the dangerous things they try to introduce into your head."

March Of The Urban Zombies tracklisting:

‘Lie And Deny’
‘I Want You’
‘March Of The Urban Zombies’
‘Friendly Knives’
‘Atomic Dawn’
‘Nuclear Attack’
‘The Punishment’
‘Payback Time’
‘Nephilim’

Atomic Head is:
Sebastián "SebG" Galindo - guitars/vocals
Luis Pozo - guitars
Diego Carrillo - bass/backing vocals

American progressive thrashers ORDER OF NINE have released a new video, for their single 'Spiral Staircase', featured on the band's album, Seventh Year Of The Broken Mirror, released in May 2012 via Nightmare Records.
Seventh Year Of The Broken Mirror tracklisting:

'Seventh Year Of The Broken Mirror'
'Words That Were Said'
'Dreamspeak'
'Spiral Staircase'
'Changing Of The Guard'
'Innocence'
'Third Wish'
'Eye Of The Enemy'
'Twelfth Talisman'
'Reign Down'
'Winter's Call'

'Seventh Year Of The Broken Mirror' video:

"Yellowism", the new video from London progressive metallers THE SAFETY FIRE, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's second album, "Mouth Of Swords", which will be released on September 3 in North America via InsideOut Music. The CD was once again produced by the band's own Derya "Dez" Nagle (guitar), who previously worked with Frank Turner (MONGOL HORDE), RISE TO REMAIN, and THE HAARP MACHINE. It follows the release of last year's acclaimed debut album, "Grind The Ocean", which saw the band tour the world with the likes PERIPHERY, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, GOJIRA, PROTEST THE HERO, among others.

The brilliant artwork for "Mouth Of Swords" was created by Kim Taylor. In addition, Tommy Rogers from touring partners BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME has provided guest vocals on one track.

"Mouth Of Swords" track listing

01. Mouth Of Swords
02. Glass Crush
03. Yellowism
04. Beware The Leopard (Jagwar) (feat. Tommy Rogers)
05. Red Hatchet
06. Wise Hands
07. The Ghosts That Wait For Spring
08. I Am Time, The Destroyer
09. Old Souls

Behind-the-scenes footage from SABATON's July 16 concert at Friends Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia as the support act for IRON MAIDEN can be seen below.

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

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

SABATON's entire November 16, 2012 headlining concert at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden was professionally filmed and recorded for the band's upcoming DVD and Blu-ray, tentatively due later this year.

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

"Valkyrja", the seventh full-length album from the Faroe Islands natives TÝR, will be released on September 17 (one day earlier internationally) via Metal Blade Records.

TÝR once again collaborated with Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark. Along with Hansen, the band recruited acclaimed drummer George Kollias to act as studio drummer and LEAVES' EYES vocalist Liv Kristine joined vocalist/guitarist Heri Joensen for a vocal duet on "The Lay of Our Love".

Limited-edition pre-order bundles are available that include TÝR rune pendants, t-shirt, vinyl LP, and the CD.

The opening track to the album, "Blood Of Heroes", is streaming now below.

"Valkyrja" is a concept album with a story line based loosely around an anonymous Viking age warrior who leaves his woman and goes off to impress the Valkyrie on the battlefield so that she may bring him to Valhalla, or to Fólkvangr, the home of Freyja — the goddess associated with love, sexuality, beauty, fertility, gold, sorcery, war, and death. One can say the album is also indirectly about women and how they affect men and what men will do to impress and obtain women.

Comments Joensen: "The woman that the warrior leaves may represent the earthly women. Freyja, The Lady Of The Slain, may represent the perfection of Women, and the Valkyrie is the link between the two, taking men from earthly to godly women."

TÝR will be on tour in Europe in September/October with FINNTROLL.

The official video for the song "Act II - Oceanic Subterfuge" from SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian can be seen below. The track comes off Serj's first true symphony, "Orca Symphony No. 1", which will be made available on June 25 via his own Serjical Strike Records.

Recorded in Linz, Austria in October of 2012, "Orca" was composed and demoed in Tankian's home studio and fully realized after a successful Kickstarter campaign that helped fund a recording and debut performance at the regal Brucknerhaus with the Das Karussell Ensemble. With conductor Werner Steinmetz at the helm, the four acts of "Orca" mix influences from early 20th-century composers with modern film compositional dynamics showing influences ranging from Ennio Morricone to Philip Glass. Listeners are met with a mingling of sounds and intertwining pieces that are both serene and bombastic at the same time, offering a fresh interpretation to the classical art.

According to Tankian, "Orca is known as the killer whale, but is really a dark dolphin, a symbolism for human dichotomy."

He added: "The four different acts always reminded me of earth, sky, water, and underground. Four different zones of the world, not all necessarily inhabited by Orca, but definitely controlled by men."

Upon completion of SYSTEM OF A DOWN's summer touring in August, Tankian will hang back in Europe until the commencement of his own solo orchestral tour dates that begin on September 19 in Kiev, Ukraine. The concert program will include all four acts of "Orca", but will also incorporate performances of many songs from "Elect The Dead Symphony", which achieved critical and commercial success upon its initial release and tour in 2010.

Fan-filmed video footage of WHITESNAKE's entire June 18 concert at 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Give Me All Your Love 2:12
02. Ready An' Willing 7:17
03. Can You Hear The Wind Blow 11:52
04. Don't Break My Heart Again 15:10
05. Is This Love 18:45
06. Gambler 23:45
07. Love Will Set You Free 28:36
08. Pistols At Dawn (guitar duel by Doug Aldrich & Reb Beach) 33:07
09. Steal Your Heart Away (incl. drum solo by Tommy Aldridge) 39:54
10. Band Introduction 50:05
11. Forevermore 52:58
12. Best Years / Bad Boys 01:00:22
13. Fool For Your Loving (with Adrian Vandenberg) 01:07:09
14. Here I Go Again (with Adrian Vandenberg) 01:12:05

Encore:

15. Soldier Of Fortune 01:17:44
16. Still Of The Night (with Adrian Vandenberg) 01:19:33
17. We Wish You Well 01:28:29

Regarding WHITESNAKE's upcoming touring plans, the band's mainman and lead singer David Coverdale recently told the Coventry Telegraph, "I absolutely love being at home with my family, so it has to be something exciting to get me out of my house. I enjoy performing, but the travelling sucks on ice. I am treated very nicely when I'm on the road these days, but if you could beam me to Birmingham or wherever, I would love it."

On the topic of WHITESNAKE's recent European co-headlining tour with JOURNEY, whose hits include "Don't Stop Believin'", "Any Way You Want It" and "Faithfully", with the added attraction of English hard rockers THUNDER, Coverdale said: "JOURNEY I have known for decades. The difficulty of having a co-headliner is to find someone with an equal number of familiar songs, so that you give audiences more bang for their buck. In these difficult times, the more you can offer for the price of a ticket the better, I feel. And JOURNEY have a lot of great songs. As for my dear friends THUNDER, (guitarist and songwriter) Luke Morley has put the band back together specially for this tour."

Frontiers Records released WHITESNAKE's "Made In Britain/The World Record" in Europe on July 5 and in North America on July 9. The album was released in Japan on June 19 via Ward Records.

New Hampshire's VATTNET VISKAR will release its full-length debut, "Sky Swallower", in Europe on September 9 via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded at Universal Noise Storage under the watchful eye of producer Brett Boland and features eight songs of masterfully executed atmospheric black metal devotion.

Something wicked this way comes, wending its way through damp back alleyways and down leafy New England back roads, whispering through still water and dark fog. The clarion call for the next great wave of American black metal has sounded, and VATTNET VISKAR is leading the charge. They've once again followed the open road ahead, and returned bearing their most important work yet.

"Sky Swallower" track listing:

01. New Alchemy
02. Fog Of Apathy
03. Monarch
04. Breath Of The Almighty
05. Ascend
06. Mythos
07. As I Stared Into The Sky
08. Apex

The song "Fog Of Apathy" can now be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

Originally formed in Plaistow, New Hampshire in the summer of 2010, VATTNET VISKAR started small and worked smart, cultivating a strong presence within their local DIY scene and online. On the strength of their first EP's three ambitious, sprawling blackened doom epics, the band that Pitchfork called "the future of black metal in the United States" and Stereogum lauded as "propulsive and brutal, yet ambient and expansive" signed a deal with Century Media.

VATTNET VISKAR is:

Chris Alfieri - Guitar
Seamus Menihane - Drums
Nick Thornbury - Guitar, Vocals

The official teaser for Blindness Of The Sun, the upcoming work of the progressive sludge metallers VAREGO, has been released.
Due on the September 2nd through Argonauta Records, Blindness Of The Sun will be available as CD, in limited edition 300 copies in distinctive 7" sleeve. The band is actually working on their next video clip for the song ‘Hesperian’, the first single from the EP.
Tracklist:

‘Hesperian’
‘Secrets Untold’
‘The Flight Of The I’
‘Of Drowning Stars’ (feat. JARBOE)

London metallers THE LAST WORD have released a lyric video for 'The Author', featured on their upcoming Oblivion EP, to be released this coming Tuesday, July 23rd. The song signifies a shift in sound for the band with heavier riffs and distinctive vocals coming to the fore.
TLW press into 2013 building and working to become a better and more visceral band with the Oblivion EP.

The Last Word lineup:

Daniel - Vocals
Joe - Guitar
Sam - Guitar
Emerson - Keys/Effects
Triz - Bass
Josh - Drums
More on The Last Word at Facebook.