SKID ROW's new EP, "United World Rebellion - Chapter One", was released in Europe on May 24 via Germany's UDR Music. The European version of the EP includes two bonus tracks, both of them cover tunes: "Fire Fire" (EZO) and "United" (JUDAS PRIEST).

"Fire Fire" and "United" can now be streamed below.

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" European version track listing:

01. Kings Of Demolition
02. Let's Go
03. This Is Killing Me
04. Get Up
05. Stitches
06. Fire Fire (EZO cover)
07. United (JUDAS PRIEST cover)

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" sold around 1,500 copies in the Unted States in its first week of release. Released in North America on April 16 via MRI, the effort is the first in a series of EPs that the reincarnated band — Dave "Snake" Sabo (guitar), Rachel Bolan (bass), Scotti Hill (guitar), Johnny Solinger (vocals) and Rob Hammersmith (drums) — plans to release in the near future.

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" reignites the youthful energy and blistering sound that SKID ROW is recognized for around the world. "That sound and energy is what resonates with people and knocks them on their ass," says Hammersmith. "We had a lot of great ideas to work with, so we're all really excited about this new music."

Ireland's FOR RUIN will release its third album, "Ater Angelus", in September. The effort will be made available on CD and as a digital download through ForRuin.com and also through all the key online download sites.

"Ater Angelus" will be preceded by a digital-only release, "Mortal", in August, featuring one brand-new song, one demo track, and two album cuts as teasers before the album is released.

"Ater Angelus" clocks in at 45 minutes and contains the following 10 tracks:

01. Unwinding
02. Mere Mortals
03. The Master is Here
04. Guardians
05. Absentia
06. Ad Astra
07. The Grand Design
08. Liturgy
09. Last Light…
10. …To Black

The album was recorded and mixed in Data Studios, Kerry, during April/May this year and mastered at Secret Garden. The artword was created by WBR Art.

"Mortal" track listing:

01. Mere Mortals
02. The Master is Here
03. Death Becomes Him
04. Mere Mortals (2011 demo)

"It's ten years since the band started and four years since 2009's 'Last Light' so we're very happy to be putting out our third album this September," FOR RUIN guitarist/vocalist John Murphy told MetalIreland.com. "It feels good to be releasing what everyone I’m sure will agree is a really strong album. It's our first release with drummer Pete even though he's with us almost since the last CD was licensed to Casket in the U.K."

He continued: "We recorded a demo of four songs back in March 2011; these were the last recording we did with Drew and Ronan [Hayes, guitar] has been with us since and has contributed a lot to the band's sound and imagery since then. One of his songs features on the digital-only release we have coming out in August before the album's release.

"In terms of the album itself, I think it sounds better than 'Last Light'. It's certainly faster, heavier and has some hooks and twists that remind me of the early demo days. I think it's a perfect follow-on from the last album and shows a step up in performances, the production and songwriting. We're very happy with it and the WBR artwork sets the tone nicely. There's a lot of dark lyrical content on the album covering all sorts of topics."

Mutinational melodic death metallers NIGHTRAGE have recruited their former singer, Jimmie Strimell (vocals, ENDS WITH A BULLET, ex-DEAD BY APRIL, DEATHDESTRUCTION), and Marcus Rosell (drums; ENDS WITH A BULLET, DORM PATROL) for their upcoming headlining tour of Japan and possible other shows.

Says NIGHTRAGE founder/guitarist Marios Iliopoulos: "We want to thank those fine musicians for their willing to help NIGHTRAGE for the time being, and we can´t wait to share the stage with them."

Vocalist Antony Hämäläinen last month left NIGHTRAGE in order "to explore other musical ventures."

Iliopoulos recently revealed that he was preparing to begin the songwriting process for the band's new album, which is expected in 2014. The group is also seeking a suitable label home for the upcoming CD following NIGHTRAGE's split with Lifeforce Records.

Due to scheduling conflicts, Hämäläinen was unable to perform with NIGHTRAGE at the Gothenburg Sound Festival on January 5 at Trädgårn in Gothenburg, Sweden. His replacement for this show was NIGHTRAGE's former frontman Tomas Lindberg from AT THE GATES.

Lindberg — who is also known for his work with THE CROWN and LOCK UP — appeared on NIGHTRAGE's first two albums (2003's "Sweet Vengeance" and 2005's "Descent Into Chaos") before being replaced by Jimmie Strimell, who sang on 2007's "A New Disease Is Born".

NIGHTRAGE's fifth album, "Insidious", was released in September 2011 via Lifeforce Records. The CD featured guest appearances by Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND), Tomas S. Englund (EVERGREY), Apollo Papathanasio (FIREWIND, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS), John K (BIOMECHANICAL) and Lindberg.

Photo edit by Marcus Rosell

Metal Injection correspondent Frank Godla conducted an interview with SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor at the Roskilde Festival, whicih was held June 29 – July 7 in Roskilde, Denmark. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about SLIPKNOT's plans to get back into the studio and make a new album following the 2010 death of bassist Paul Gray, Corey said: "We are talking about getting together next year and putting some new music together. Everybody's kind of getting some demos together right now. I've got about four or five songs that I'm working on. Joey's [Jordison, drums] got a ton of stuff. Clown's [Shawn Crahan, percussion] got a bunch of stuff. Jim's [Root, guitar] got some stuff, Mick [Thomson, guitar]… I mean, we all write so it's gonna take a lot of time to kind of get the madness under control. But right now that's the plan — to get together early next year and start throwing ideas at each other."

SLIPKNOT has performed live over the past two years but has not recorded a new album since 2008's "All Hope Is Gone".

SLIPKNOT mastermind/percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan spoke with Kerrang! magazine about the band's continued delay in recording a new studio CD. The SLIPKNOT co-founder explained: "We haven't written an album in five years because we wrote one, we toured it for two years, and Paul died, and it's been three years. What do you want from me? Nothing. When I come back, when we come back, it will be time, you will understand, we will understand, and it will be right. We'll be the first band that could be off for five years and come back like we never were gone. So that's what it's all about."

Italy's grindcore fiends CRIPPLE BASTARDS have entered the studio to record their Relapse Records full-length debut and first new album in over three years. They have returned, once again, to Studio Fredman in Gotherburg Sweden to work with producer Fredrik Nordström (ARCH ENEMY, AT THE GATES, DARK TRANQUILLITY). An early 2014 release is expected.

2013 marks CRIPPLE BASTARDS' 25th anniversary, which they will celebrate with a special performance at this year's Rock Hard Italy Festival in September.

Says the band: "It's crazy to realize that we have been around for so long and the best way to prove that we're still going strong and have a lot to express through our music and rage is what we're putting together on the new songs written for the upcoming album, which is certainly going to be our most negative, dark and violent release to date."

CRIPPLE BASTARDS have been keeping legendary Italian grind/hardcore alive since 1988. They gained cult status worldwide by releasing more than 20 EPs / split EPs, four full length albums, two anthology collections and the "Falafel Grind" tribute CD with 32 international bands covering their most classic tunes.

CRIPPLE BASTARDS have been constantly hitting the road since 1992.

The band most recently released a seven-inch EP entitled "Senza Impronte" via Relapse Records in 2012.

New York metal alchemists A STORM OF LIGHT will unleash their long-anticipated new studio offering on September 17 via Southern Lord Recordings. Entitled "Nations To Flames", the 11-track follow-up to the band's critically lauded 2011 opus "As The Valley Of Death Becomes Us, Our Silver Memories Fade" was recorded with Travis Kammeyer (OCOAI, GENERATION OF VIPERS) at Fahrenheit Studios in Johnson City, Tennessee, mixed with Matt Bayles (ISIS, SOUNDGARDEN, PEARL JAM, BOTCH, MASTODON) at Red Room Recording in Seattle, Washington and mastered by Brad Boatright (SLEEP, FROM ASHES RISE, NAILS) at Audiosiege in Portland, Oregon. Additionally, "Nations To Flames" features SOUNDGRADEN's Kim Thayil and INDIAN/NACHTMYSTIUM's Will Lindsay on select tracks.

Centered around the apex of human failure, "Nations To Flames" bears witness to the fall of all governments, all nations, and all religions. The record is both musically and thematically captivating and marks the STORM collective's darkest, most immediately punishing creation to date.

Comments A STORM OF LIGHT founding guitarist/vocalist Josh Graham "These songs are much more focused. Even the more 'epic' songs are shorter, but still accomplish the same journey as the longer songs used to. We've ditched the rock elements of the last record and let our early influences of KILLING JOKE, BAD BRAINS, METALLICA and CRASH WORSHIP seep in. We are bringing back the intensity of 'Black Ocean' but with the speed and precision ore akin to our metal influences. While there are still some slower/sludgy tunes, some songs are twice as fast as the older material."

"Nations To Flames" track listing:

01. Fall
02. Apostles Of Hatred
03. The Fire Sermon
04. Omen
05. Dead Flags
06. All the Shining Lies
07. Disintegrate
08. Lifeless
09. Soothsayer
10. You Are The Hunted
11. The Year Is One

A STORM OF LIGHT is:

Domenic Seita - Bass, Backing Vocals
Billy Graves - Drums, Percussion
Josh Graham - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals

Additional musicians for select performances:

Will Lindsay - Guitar
Drea Black - Guitar
Nerissa Campbell - Vocals

CHARACTERS, the new band featuring former members of the Swedish modern rock/metal outfit ONE WITHOUT, will release its debut album, "Once They Bleed", on September 25.

In the beginning of April, CHARACTERS announced the addition of singer Marcus Bäckström and moved into a new studio facility in Gothenburg to begin recording its first CD.

Comments the group: "Ten new songs have now been recorded, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the result than we are.

"As we are recording in Joonas' [Niskanen, guitar] own Studio JN, the recording process has not been that stressful and pressed with a tight budget and a ticking clock than we are used to. Instead, we have taken the time to really enjoy the non-stressful environment, and put all our energy on making a kick-ass record! We also had the honor to have one of our heroes, and old tour buddy, Tom Englund (EVERGREY), to guest on vocals on one of the songs.

"It will be awesome to release this album, and we are really looking forward to it, and hear the response of the fans and media who know our origins.

"In about 2-3 weeks we will begin the mixing of the album.

"The album is produced, and will be mixed/mastered by Joonas Niskanen at Studio JN."

Marcus Bäckström - Vocals
Joonas Niskanen - Guitar, Programming
Olle Töpel - Drums
Ludvig Haby - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Joni Kaartinen - Bass

Official MetOnTour video footage of METALLICA performing the song "I Disappear" at the band's sophomore Orion Music + More festival, which took place June 8-9 in Detroit, Michigan, can be seen below.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo said on the ground at the festival that he was eager to bring the show back to Detroit in 2014. "We've got to come back here, you know," he said. "This is a great place. This city needs it. The weekend has been a blast and I can't wait 'til next year. I've already got ideas for next year, so we're looking forward to it."

As previously reported, METALLICA played a surprise set on June 8 under the name DEHAAN, playing their entire 1983 debut disc "Kill 'Em All" from front to back.

The band's headlining set the following night, which closed out the festival, featured rarities like "Carpe Diem, Baby", "I Disappear" and "Disposable Heroes" alongside the band's more traditional hits and live favorites.

The members of METALLICA were also spotted hanging out at their personal lifestyle exhibits, with James Hetfield seen at his custom car display, Trujillo overseeing the skateboarding at the Vans Vert Ramp, and drummer Lars Ulrich premiering a clip from the upcoming movie "Metallica Through The Never" alongside director Nimród Antal.

The Metallica Museum displayed the bass that Cliff Burton played at his final concert before his 1986 death in a Swedish bus crash, as well as other instruments, stage props and vintage concert flyers.

Robert Trujillo played two other sets during the course of the weekend, first with a reunion of funk-rockers INFECTIOUS GROOVES and then with his own TRUJILLO TRIO.

Spokesperson Charlie Walker of promoter C3 Presents said that around 20,000 attended the first day, with possibly more showing up on Sunday. As for whether Orion will return to Detroit next year, he replied, "We'll go through this one, wrap it up, see what the feedback is . . . Then we'll sit down and try to get a grip on what to do next."

A total of 37 groups, including the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, DEFTONES, SILVERSUN PICKUPS, RISE AGAINST and BASSNECTAR, performed on Orion's five stages.

THE JOY FORMIDABLE was unable to perform their show after arriving late in Detroit due to travel issues.

James Hetfield personally introduced the SILVERSUN PICKUPS and watched their set from the side of the stage.

Cliff Burton's father Ray was in attendance for METALLICA's surprise "Kill 'Em All" performance on Saturday.

Detroit native Bob Seger was rumored to be showing up to sing his classic "Turn The Page" with METALLICA. Although the band played the song, Seger was a no-show.

A new video interview with POWERMAN 5000 frontman Spider One (real name: Michael Cummings) conducted during this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival can be seen below.

Asked about the status of POWERMAN 5000's long-awaited new studio album, Spider One said: "We're almost done with it. I'm in the process of recording vocals now. I'm super excited about it. It's gonna be big. We're re-energized and feeling really strong about this stuff. It's sort of all over the place. It's super heavy, but super, like…. electronic and dancey and weird… I don't know."

POWERMAN 5000's last released was the "Copies, Clones & Replicants" covers album consisting of many classic songs from the '60s to the '80s.

POWERMAN 5000's latest collection of original material, "Somewhere On The Other Side of Nowhere", sold 2,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. Issued on October 6, 2009 via Mighty Loud!/ Fontana, the CD found the band returning to the hard groove of their earlier work which included hits like "When Worlds Collide" and "Nobody's Real".

German hard rock guitarist Axel Rudi Pell has recruited Bobby Rondinelli as the new drummer for his solo band. A posting on Pell's Facebook page reads: "Bobby is well known for his work with RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, to name just a few. We're pretty sure that you'll like his playing, so please give him a warm welcome!"

Axel Rudi Pell will enter the studio on July 22 to begin recording his new album for a January 2014 release. An extensive European tour will follow.

Pell recently parted ways with drummer Mike Terrana (TARJA, RAGE) "due to scheduling conflicts with [Mike's] other commitments."

Axel Rudi Pell's latest studio album, titled "Circle Of The Oath", was released in March 2012 via SPV/Steamhammer.

In addition to Terrana, AXEL RUDI PELL's most recent lineup included singer Johnny Gioeli, keyboard player Ferdy Doernberg and bass player Volker Krawczak.

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, has completed recording its as-yet-untitled third album for a late October/early November release via Metal Blade Records. The CD was laid down at Sandlane Studios in Rijen, The Netherlands with Swedish producer/multi-instrumentalist Dan Swanö, who has previously fronted such acts as EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH and NIGHTINGALE.

A video clip of Warby tracking the drums for the new HAIL OF BULLETS album can be seen below.

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.

"On Divine Winds" was released in North America on October 12, 2010 via Metal Blade. The group recorded 11 songs plus an intro for the CD, which, like its predecessor, was produced by Ed Warby was mixed by Swanö.

HAIL OF BULLETS' debut album "…Of Frost And War" was a concept album about the Eastern front war of Germany. "On Divine Winds" was another concept effort, this time covering the Pacific battles between Japan and the USA.

The album title "On Divine Winds" is a translation of the Japanese word "kamikaze," as kami stands for "God" and kaze means "wind."

"On Divine Winds" features 12 tracks on the limited first digibook edition and 11 song on the regular jewelcase version.

Metal Blade Records has announced the signing of Swedish epic doom metal band BELOW.

BELOW, which draws influences from BLACK SABBATH, CANDLEMASS and KING DIAMOND, is working with Tobias Rosén — bass player of NOCTUM — of Howlin' Owl Productions on a split seven-inch single, to be released by Dark Descent Records. A full-length album will follow via Metal Blade in 2014.

Says BELOW: "It's an honor for us to be given this opportunity of working with such a legendary label. We're really proud to be part of the Metal Blade family; this will be the perfect home for BELOW. Together we will make a mark and set a standard for quality doom music."

In November, BELOW will tour Europe for the first time as the support act for DEVIL from Norway.

BELOW is:

Zeb - Vocals
Hedman - Bass
Paud - Guitar
Berg - Guitar
Doc - Drums

MERIDIAN DAWN, the new American / Finnish / Belgian melodic death metal band featuring vocalist Antony Hämäläinen (NERVOSIA, ex-NIGHTRAGE) and drummer Johan Nunez (FIREWIND, NIGHTRAGE, SUICIDE OF DEMONS), is working on its self-titled debut album for a tentative late 2013/early 2014 release.

Hämäläinen, Nunez and guitarist Brandon Johnson recorded a plethora of demos from the summer of 2010 until the winter of 2013. The band's lineup was completed in late 2012 by bassist Nick Ziros (INTO THE MOAT, REMEMBERING NEVER) and guitarist Christopher Jon (ex-WHITE WIZZARD, REMEMBERING NEVER).

In January 2013, Johan entered Ear We Go Studio in Luxembourg with engineer François Dediste to record the drums for MERIDIAN DAWN's debut self-titled album.

In March 2013, the rest of the band constructed a studio at Hämäläinen's Arizona home to record the rest of the CD. After the sessions, the material was sent to producer Daniel Antonsson (DARK TRANQUILITY, DIMENSION ZERO, SOILWORK) for mixing and mastering at his Gothenburg Rock Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The MERIDIAN DAWN track "Dressed In Ice", which features a guest appearance by Jake E. of AMARANTHE, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

Chicago doom-metal legends TROUBLE will release their first studio album in six years, "The Distortion Field", in North America on July 16 and in Europe on August 23 via FRW Records. The 12-song follow-up to 2007's "Simple Mind Condition" is being helmed by veteran producer Bill Metoyer (SLAYER, W.A.S.P., ARMORED SAINT, DARK ANGEL, SACRED REICH, CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER, D.R.I.) and marks the recording debut with TROUBLE of lead singer Kyle Thomas following the departure of the group's frontman of four years, Kory Clarke (of WARRIOR SOUL fame).

"The Distortion Field" track listing:

01. Sink Or Swim
02. Paranoid Conspiracy
03. Glass Of Lies
04. The Grey Chill Of Autumn
05. When The Sky Comes Down
06. Butterflies
07. Your Reflections
08. Have I Told You
09. The Apple From The Snake
10. Hunters Of Doom
11. Sucker
12. The Broken Have Spoken

Decibel magazine is streaming three songs from the album: "When The Sky Comes Down", "Butterflies" and "Sucker". Check them out using the SoundCloud widget below.

Says TROUBLE founder and guitarist Rick Wartell: "Kyle is one of the most impressive singers I've ever heard, and by far the most extraodinary singer I've ever had the pleasure of working with. He's got incredible range, incredible power, and an incredible knowledge of TROUBLE, as he's been a fan for 20-something years. We've known him forever, and he innately understands what TROUBLE is about. He's like the perfect guy to come in and do this job. It's awesome."

He adds: "Musically, I think this album is a true TROUBLE record.

"In the early days, we used to just write what we felt and didn't really care about what anyone said. We just wrote heavy riffs and played our music our way. But outside influences can kind of get a hold of you and start telling you what to do.

"When we were writing this album, the thinking was, we don't care what anybody thinks. We're going to write what we write. So this is basically a return to our roots, while combining some reflections of our band's long history as well.

"With the two different music writers, Bruce [Franklin, guitar] and myself, we have a slight variation in our writing; Bruce has more of a '70s groove to his writing, and I'm more the old-school doomy metal thing. And when you put it together, you get TROUBLE."

Thomas, former lead vocalist for EXHORDER, FLOODGATE and ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY, was no stranger to TROUBLE as he previously fronted the band for four live shows between 1997 and 1999, including Stoner Hands Of Doom festival in Maryland and Expo Of The Extreme in Chicago. Thomas has also collaborated on projects with members of SLIPKNOT, DOWN, OBITUARY and DEICIDE.

In an interview with Metal Kaoz, Bruce Franklin stated about Kyle's addition to TROUBLE, "We didn't need to change any of the [new] music [to suit Kyle's vocals]. He really knows how to sing to TROUBLE stuff because he was a fan from way back."

Added Kyle: "They had given me four songs to work on when I was jamming with them in anticipation of possibly doing the album that came to be 'Simple Mind Condition'. I did demo one song, but nothing I did ever made it to the album. Things turned out the way that they have between then and now, and here I am."

He continued, "Bruce and Rick [Wartell, guitar] have always been great to me as people and business partners. I was made to feel an equal back then, and the same goes for now. That is monumental for me — I grew up listening to these guys and now I am a member of one of my favorite bands. You can't beat that."

TROUBLE 2013 is:

Kyle Thomas: Vocals
Bruce Franklin: Guitar
Rick Wartell: Guitar
Mark Lira: Drums

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will release its sixth studio album, "Hail To The King", on August 27. The long-awaited follow-up to 2010's "Nightmare" was once again produced by Mike Elizondo and is the first to be wholly written without drummer and key songwriter James "The Rev" Sullivan, who died in December 2009. Sullivan has since been replaced by Arin Ilejay, a former member of CONFIDE.

In other news, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has announced the "Hail To The King" tour — a massive headlining U.S. arena tour to take place this October and the band's first full scale American tour since 2011. The run of dates will kick off in Chicago, Illinois on Thursday, October 3 and wrap up on October 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Supporting the band on all dates will be special guests DEFTONES and GHOST B.C.

Additionally, starting today, fans of AVENGED SEVENFOLD can pre-order a special, limited-edition box set of "Hail To The King". The antique gold colored embossed foil wrapped "treasure box" will feature exclusive "Hail To The King" artwork and include a deluxe version of the album on CD with a download card to an extra bonus track, an exclusive Canvas Print, a 20-page photo book featuring photos of the band through out the years, a Death Bat Challenge Coin, Death Bat Skeleton Key, an instant download of the new single, and a download of the album on street date. Fans that purchase the box set will also receive pre-sale access to the upcoming U.S. tour. The box is available for purchase here and once they sell out no more will be made.

"Hail To The King" track listing:

01. Shepherd Of Fire
02. Hail To The King
03. Doing Time
04. This Means War
05. Requiem
06. Crimson Day
07. Heretic
08. Coming Home
09. Planets
10. Acid Rain

Asked how "Hail To The King" is different from AVENGED SEVENFOLD's previous efforts, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows told U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine: "For the last few records, people have asked what we were listening to — and it's always been the same records, it hasn't changed. It's always been PANTERA, METALLICA, MEGADETH and AC/DC. We feel that metal dropped off after the '90s in terms of production and songwriting. Metal music isn't at the forefront as much as it used to be."

He continued: "We wanted to write a record that was highly influenced by the early '90s records and mid-'80s records we grew up on. Then we went back even further and were influenced by [BLACK] SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN. We studied those records, looked at what they were doing and how they were doing it. A lot of them came out of the blues, so we studied the blues and classical music. We just wanted to write a record that was different."

Regarding what it felt like to be writing a full-length album for the first time without Jimmy, Shadows said: "When we started the band, The Rev didn't write much. Up until 'City of Evil' [2005] and the [2007 self-titled] white album, he didn't write much except his drum parts. So we kind of got back to before that. I definitely didn't like it very much, though. [In the past], we'd get to a point where we had written six or seven songs and we'd feel completely drained. That was when he would always come in with three or four great songs, and that would pretty much fill the album. He brought a different influence; he was a full-on metalhead for life, and he could always write in whatever style you were looking for. So when we got to tracks six and seven for this album, we really missed him. I really wished Jimmy was there to finish the album up. But that wasn't the case, so we had to really take our time."

Shadows also spoke about how Arin has settled into the band saying: "He killed it on this record! He did everything we needed him to do. We didn't go in there and write all the drum fills for him, or get on Pro Tools to fix it all. He just killed it. He knew what he needed to do, put in lots of work in pre-production and mentally got to the place he needed to be."

He added: "The record will surprise people, because the drumming is completely different to anything we've done before. That's because of the way the songwriting is. We wrote songs that needed this type of drumming. I spoke to Arin and said, 'Look, people are going to come at you because of what this record sounds like. They're going to think you should be overplaying like Jimmy and Mike [Portnoy, ex-DREAM THEATER and drummer on 'Nightmare'] played.' But if The Rev was here with us, this is how he'd have played it. He wouldn't overplay it, he'd sit back in the groove and he'd try to make it as powerful as possible, rather than as technical as possible. I asked [Arin] if he was okay with that; I asked if he was okay with the hate he was going to get. He said he was, and that he wanted to do whatever was best for us and the songs."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD took several months off after it finished touring to promote "Nightmare" — which included a headlining run on the 2011 edition of the Uproar Festival.

Asked how important it was it for the band to take a break before beginning work on the new CD, Shadows said: "We had to recharge our batteries. We wanted to wait until some inspiration came to us. We didn't want to go in too soon and throw out some crap. We needed the time off because we'd been touring so long, and it was time for us to settle down and get our bearings back. We would have imploded if we had written a record straight out of the touring cycle. We don't want to throw out a turd; we don't want to suddenly put out a terrible record becase we rushed it."

He added: "We literally sat around for a few months. And then you get bored of that, so you go write a record because you're fucking sick of it. Sometimes, lying around on the couch gets you pumped up, because you have a moment where you realize that you can't just do that for the rest of your life. We all hit that point, so we were and wrote a record."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will celebrate the album release by playing a free show at the Hollywood Palladium on August 26.

"Hail To The King", the new single and title track of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's sixth studio album, "Hail To The King", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

The "Hail To The King" full-length CD will be made available on August 27. The title and the cover artwork (see below) were uncovered via an online scavenger hunt that led fans to different web sites that were hosting puzzle pieces.

The long-awaited follow-up to 2010's "Nightmare" was once again produced by Mike Elizondo and is the first to be wholly written without drummer and key songwriter James "The Rev" Sullivan, who died in December 2009. Sullivan has since been replaced by Arin Ilejay, a former member of CONFIDE.

Asked how "Hail To The King" is different from AVENGED SEVENFOLD's previous efforts, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows told U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine: "For the last few records, people have asked what we were listening to — and it's always been the same records, it hasn't changed. It's always been PANTERA, METALLICA, MEGADETH and AC/DC. We feel that metal dropped off after the '90s in terms of production and songwriting. Metal music isn't at the forefront as much as it used to be."

He continued: "We wanted to write a record that was highly influenced by the early '90s records and mid-'80s records we grew up on. Then we went back even further and were influenced by [BLACK] SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN. We studied those records, looked at what they were doing and how they were doing it. A lot of them came out of the blues, so we studied the blues and classical music. We just wanted to write a record that was different."

Regarding what it felt like to be writing a full-length album for the first time without Jimmy, Shadows said: "When we started the band, The Rev didn't write much. Up until 'City of Evil' [2005] and the [2007 self-titled] white album, he didn't write much except his drum parts. So we kind of got back to before that. I definitely didn't like it very much, though. [In the past], we'd get to a point where we had written six or seven songs and we'd feel completely drained. That was when he would always come in with three or four great songs, and that would pretty much fill the album. He brought a different influence; he was a full-on metalhead for life, and he could always write in whatever style you were looking for. So when we got to tracks six and seven for this album, we really missed him. I really wished Jimmy was there to finish the album up. But that wasn't the case, so we had to really take our time."

Shadows also spoke about how Arin has settled into the band saying: "He killed it on this record! He did everything we needed him to do. We didn't go in there and write all the drum fills for him, or get on Pro Tools to fix it all. He just killed it. He knew what he needed to do, put in lots of work in pre-production and mentally got to the place he needed to be."

He added: "The record will surprise people, because the drumming is completely different to anything we've done before. That's because of the way the songwriting is. We wrote songs that needed this type of drumming. I spoke to Arin and said, 'Look, people are going to come at you because of what this record sounds like. They're going to think you should be overplaying like Jimmy and Mike [Portnoy, ex-DREAM THEATER and drummer on 'Nightmare'] played.' But if The Rev was here with us, this is how he'd have played it. He wouldn't overplay it, he'd sit back in the groove and he'd try to make it as powerful as possible, rather than as technical as possible. I asked [Arin] if he was okay with that; I asked if he was okay with the hate he was going to get. He said he was, and that he wanted to do whatever was best for us and the songs."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD took several months off after it finished touring to promote "Nightmare" — which included a headlining run on the 2011 edition of the Uproar Festival.

Asked how important it was it for the band to take a break before beginning work on the new CD, Shadows said: "We had to recharge our batteries. We wanted to wait until some inspiration came to us. We didn't want to go in too soon and throw out some crap. We needed the time off because we'd been touring so long, and it was time for us to settle down and get our bearings back. We would have imploded if we had written a record straight out of the touring cycle. We don't want to throw out a turd; we don't want to suddenly put out a terrible record becase we rushed it."

He added: "We literally sat around for a few months. And then you get bored of that, so you go write a record because you're fucking sick of it. Sometimes, lying around on the couch gets you pumped up, because you have a moment where you realize that you can't just do that for the rest of your life. We all hit that point, so we were and wrote a record."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will celebrate the album release by playing a free show at the Hollywood Palladium on August 26.

"All Is One", the Shahar Hamo-directed video for the title track from the sixth full-length album from Israeli progressive folk metal masters ORPHANED LAND, can be seen below.

"All Is One" was released in North America on June 25 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The cover artwork for the follow-up to 2010's "The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR" was created by the French artist Metastazis (PARADISE LOST, AS I LAY DYING, SONNE ADAM, WATAIN) by perfectly incorporating the three biggest religious symbols into one piece of art.

"All Is One" was made available as a limited deluxe book edition, including three bonus songs and a bonus DVD, as well as limited double gatefold LP, including the three bonus songs and in different vinyl colors. A standard jewelcase CD format and digital download is also available.

The limited-edition version of "All Is One" contains a very special bonus DVD with some very exclusive music clips and an interesting documentary about the genesis and recording of the album.

ORPHANED LAND's new effort is the band's first to feature guitarist Chen Balbus following the departure of Matty Svatizky in June 2012 due to "personal" and "professional" issues.

"All Is One" was mixed by Jens Bogren (JAMES LABRIE, DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, OPETH) and was recorded in three different countries: Israel, Turkey and Sweden. Ironically, these countries are Jewish, Muslim and Christian, respectively, which strengthens the ORPHANED LAND message of unity through music. Over 40 musicians were used to flesh out the sound of "All Is One", including 25 choir singers and eight classical violin, viola and cello players from Turkey.

From September to November, ORPHANED LAND will play stages all over Europe in support of "All Is One" — but before heading out on this headlining tour, ORPHANED LAND will play a few festivals and shows in South America and Europe.

ORPHANED LAND's concert DVD, "The Road To OR-Shalem", was released in October 2011 in Europe and November 2011 in the U.S. via Century Media Records.

"All Is One" video:

"Silent Revenge", the new video from Brazilian metallers HIBRIA, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Luis Mário Fontoura and features cinematography by Livia Santos.

"Silent Revenge" is the title track of HIBRIA's new album, which will be released in Europe on July 26 via AFM Records. The CD was made available in Japan on June 26 through King Records.

HIBRIA's new effort was recorded at Hibria and Cidade Baixa Studios with the band's guitarist, Renato Osorio, handling production duties. The mixing was handled by Benhur Lima while the mastering was taken care of by Mike Couzzi.

"Silent Revenge" track listing:

01. Silent Revenge
02. Lonely Fight
03. Deadly Vengeance
04. Walking To Death
05. Silence Will Make You Suffer
06. Shall I Keep On Burning
07. The Place That You Belong
08. The Scream Of An Angel
09. The Way It Is
10. Shall I Keep On Burning (acoustic) (exclusive bonus track on European edition only)

HIBRIA's third album, "Blind Ride", was released in January 2011 via King Records in Japan.

North American metallers ICED EARTH have officially entered the studio to begin recording their new album, "Plagues Of Babylon", for a January 2014 via Century Media Records.

A photo from the first day of the drum-tracking sessions can be seen below.

Speaking to Metal4 magazine at this past weekend's Rockharz open-air festival in Germany, ICED EARTH guitarist/mainman Jon Schaffer said about the upcoming CD: "It's a bit of a different thing for us, because it's half of a concept and the other half is [standalone] tracks. Musically, I think it's just another step in the right direction. It's really heavy, it's very melodic. It has a really epic feeling. Even though there isn't, like, a monster, long epic track, the overall feel of the songs is very epic. I mean, there's no 'Dante's Inferno' or 'Gettysburg' or the 'Something Wicked' trilogy or something like that on here, but I'm really happy with it and I'm really excited to get in and start recording. That's like my main…. I really wanna start. Monday, finally [we go in to begin laying down tracks]."

Songtitles set to appear on "Plagues Of Babylon" (among others):

* Plagues of Babylon
* Democide
* Among The Living Dead
* The Resistance
* If I Could See You
* Peacemaker
* Cthulhu
* Parasite

ICED EARTH recently parted ways with drummer Brent Smedley for "personal family reasons." He has since been replaced by Raphael Saini (CHAOSWAVE).

ICED EARTH has been hitting it relentlessly, with the recent studio album, "Dystopia", being the most toured album in the band's illustrious history.

One of the many highlights of the "World Dystopia Tour", a headline show at the historic Kourion Amphitheatre in Cyprus, was recently released on Blu-ray, DVD and in many other formats under the title "Live In Ancient Kourion".

"Dystopia" was released in October 2011 via Century Media Records. The CD marked the band's recording debut with singer Stu Block (INTO ETERNITY), who joined ICED EARTH in March 2011 following the departure of Matt Barlow.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of MEGADETH's July 9 performance at the Gigantour stop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois can be seen below.

MEGADETH's latest album, "Super Collider", sold 29,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on June 4 via Dave Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, distributed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). The effort is available as a limited-edition CD with 3-D cover and bonus tracks, regular CD, regular LP, limited LP plus a bonus colored seven-inch single with two bonus tracks, and a download voucher.

MEGADETH filmed a video for the "Super Collider" title track on May 10 in the Los Angeles area. California-based model, actress, singer and songwriter Hunter Elizabeth was cast in the lead role in the clip, which she says is "about a high-school couple still loving each other after all the years after graduation, and at the 10-year reunion, both characters find themselves successful (a model and a mathematician) and still very in love."

"The Eye That Offends", the new video from British metallers THE MORE I SEE, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in Northern Africa on the set of the legendary "Star Wars" movies.

THE MORE I SEE drove for six hours across the Tunisian desert to shoot the video, performing at three iconic sets from the hugely popular movies — remarkably still standing years after being abandoned, preserved in the arid desert heat. The result is a visually stunning spectacle that perfectly compliments the band's energetic performance.

Comments THE MORE I SEE frontman James Cluer: "I'm a massive fan of 'Star Wars', so to visit Tunisia and film at some of the greatest film locations ever was really special. It was such an incredible experience to perform at the mighty canyons of the Jundland Wastes ('Episode IV: A New Hope'), where Luke Skywalker and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO first meet Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as the city of Mos Espa ('Episode I: The Phantom Menace'), and especially Luke Skywalker's home — Lars homestead ('Episode IV: A New Hope'). It was a childhood dream of mine to see the igloo, and to get to film there with the sun setting behind us was something I'll never forget!"

The video for "The Eye That Offends" was filmed with director Phil Berridge of Creative Junkie Media.

To coincide with the release of the video, THE MORE I SEE has also released a three-track EP exclusively on Spotify.

"The Eye That Offends" is taken from THE MORE I SEE's new studio album, "The Disappearing Humans", which is due to be released on August 26 in Europe on Earache Records, and on October 1 in the USA via Century Media/Earache Records. The CD was mixed by producer Scott Atkins (SYLOSIS, BEHEMOTH, SAVAGE MESSIAH) and mastered at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios with Steve Rooke (THE BEATLES).

"Lola Montez", the new video from Danish/American metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT, can be seen below. The performance clip was filmed on June 8 at the Rock Am Ring festival in Nürburgring, Germany.

"Lola Montez" comes off VOLBEAT's fifth studio album, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", which was released in North America on April 9 via Vertigo/Republic Records/Universal Music.

Seamlessly bringing together all of the band's influences and reshaping them into something gleaming and new, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" is a record that's rich with stories and characters woven throughout its lyrics. Some are real — like the noble lady outlaw Pearl Hart, who held up a stagecoach to buy medicine for her dying mother, or Lola Montez, the erotic dancer with her infamous "Spider Dance," or "Black Bart," the gentleman highwayman who wrote poems for the people he robbed. Others are entirely fictional. "The Nameless One" is a cautionary tale of dabbling in the dark arts, featuring the mysterious and sinister character of the title. Elsewhere, "Room 24", featuring King Diamond, was inspired by a terrifying experience in a hotel room somewhere in the heart of America.

"Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" finds the core trio of Michael Poulsen (vocals/guitar), Anders Kjølholm (bass) and Jon Larsen (drums) joined by former ANTHRAX/THE DAMNED THINGS guitarist Rob Caggiano, who produced the album with longtime VOLBEAT co-producer Jacob Hansen.

"It's a new vibe for VOLBEAT," said Poulsen. "You've got everything — the rockabilly stuff, the melodies, the ultra-heavy stuff, the Western motifs and the big rock songs. It's everything that VOLBEAT are all about, but taken even further." The album title is a phrase that evokes another time, an era when elegant lawbreakers were the rock stars of the day. It tips its fedora to everything from the bad men (and women) of the old west to the old-school metal bands who influenced the young Michael Poulsen to form his first band, DOMINUS, back in the early 90s.

Florida-based death metal veterans MORBID ANGEL will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their best-selling album, "Covenant", by embarking on the "Covenant: 1993-2013" tour.

In 1992, MORBID ANGEL was the first death metal band to be signed to a major record company (Giant Records/Warner Brothers) and "Covenant" was the group's first release for that label in the USA. The LP was issued on June 22, 1993 and went on to garner great critical and commercial success.

On the "Covenant: 1993-2013" tour, MORBID ANGEL will play the "Covenant" album in its entirety and, after a short intermission, some additional surprise classic cuts. Further, there will be special commemorative items produced exclusively for this tour.

All tickets will go on sale July 19.

The dates are:

Nov. 07 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Nov. 08 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall
Nov. 09 - Baltimore, MD - - Baltimore Soundstage
Nov. 10 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Nightclub
Nov. 12 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Nov. 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
Nov. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar
Nov. 16 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody's Downunder
Nov. 17 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
Nov. 18 - Minneapolis, MN - Mill City Nights
Nov. 19 - Sauget, IL - Pops
Nov. 20 - Lawrence, KS - Granada
Nov. 22 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
Nov. 25 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
Nov. 26 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
Nov. 27 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
Nov. 29 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
Nov. 30 - Phoenix, AZ - Joe's Grotto
Dec. 01 - Albuquerque, NM - Dec 1 - Sunshine Theater
Dec. 02 - El Paso, TX - Dec 2 - Tricky Falls
Dec. 03 - Austin, TX - Dec 3 - Red 7
Dec. 04 - Houston, TX - Dec 4 - Warehouse Live
Dec. 06 - Orlando, FL - Beacham Theater
Dec. 07 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room

Asked if it ever irritates him that some MORBID ANGEL fans always expect the band to record a sequel to the group's most successful albums, like "Altars Of Madness", "Blessed Are The Sick" or "Covenant", MORBID ANGEL bassist/vocalist David Vincent told MetalCrypt.com this past January: "We have stuff like that. Listen, we are a very wide band; we are not narrow. There are a lot of narrow bands out there these days, and you know how their records are going to sound before they are even released. You will know exactly what they are going to be and the fans like that. These types of bands don't take any chances; they don't really experiment at all. They just play the same record, you know, there's only a few notes different but it's still the same thing over and over again. And then there are bands that specialize in that, and that's what the listeners are looking for. They should support those kinds of bands. We are just not that kind of band and never have been."

MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 141. The effort marked MORBID ANGEL's first CD to feature Vincent since 1995's "Domination".

Brazilian metallers EMINENCE will release their fourth full-length album, "The Stalker", on August 13 via CDBaby, iTunes and Amazon. The artwork for the CD, which includes a guest appearance by SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr., was created by Viktor Koen. The effort was produced by Tue Madsen (DARK TRANQUILITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN).

"The Stalker" track listing:

01. Self Rejection
02. Unfold
03. 3 Times 6
04. Atmosphere (intro)
05. Veins Of Memories
06. The Stalker
07. Eyetricity
08. Satellite (intro)
09. Critical Path
10. No Code
11. Visions Of Hate

The official lyric video for the first single, "No Code", can be seen below.

EMINENCE made its U.S. live debut last October aboard The Star of Palm Beach at Pier 40, West Houston St. at West Side Highway, in New York City.

EMINENCE's moat recent CD, "The God Of All Mistakes", was released in March 2008 via Locomotive Records.

EMINENCE is:

Alan Wallace - Guitar
Bruno Paraguay - Vocals
Andre Marcio - Drums
Thiago Correa - Bass

Jesse Dracman of Sludge Factory recently interviewed DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan about Dan's new project FIGHT OR FLIGHT. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On how FIGHT OR FLIGHT is different from DISTURBED:

Donegan: "I personally respect DISTURBED and our fans enough to try and keep the two bands separate from each other. Although there are things stylistically in mine and Mike Wengren's [DISTURBED and FIGHT OR FLIGHT drummer] playing they will know the difference between these two bands whether they like it or not. We want to leave certain things for DISTURBED."

"With DISTURBED, we found a chemistry that works. I was used to coming up with music and putting together a structure and giving it to David [Draiman, DISTURBED singer], where he would then write a melody on top of. With FIGHT OR FLIGHT, it was a new and different approach for some of the songs. [FIGHT OR FLIGHT and EVANS BLUE singer Dan Chandler] also plays a little guitar and had a few riffs, some I kept that were really cool, some I reworked and some were replaced and new. Writing with a singer who is also musical made me think outside the box a lot more."

On the recording process for FIGHT OR FLIGHT's debut album, "A Life By Design?":

Donegan: "I miss the warmth of analog and recording to tape. But the advantage with technology today is you are able to make an album from your bedroom. This FIGHT OR FLIGHT album was done at my home. My setup is a simple studio with all I need. The drums were tracked at Groovemaster in Chicago, but the rest at my home studio. It's become easier and way more cost effective. There was a time when you had to spend four, five, six hundred thousand dollars to make an album. Now you can make a great-quality album for ten thousand if you have already invested a bit into microphones, amps, etc."

On FIGHT OR FLIGHT's first single, "First Of The Last":

Donegan: "This was a riff and structure I threw at Dan and he came up with a great melody. It was different and fresh. We started talking about conspiracies and certain topics that we questioned. Some we believed and some we laughed at. We wanted a song that was gonna get people to open their minds and their eyes and raise some questions. Are vaccines doing more harm than good? Why are there some many kids these days with autism, ADD, ADHD, and different new forms of cancers? Genetically modified foods? Chemtrails? Not forcing our opinion; it's just trying to get to the answers."

On how difficult it is today for bands to noticed in the music industry:

Donegan: "It's a tough business and it only got tougher since DISTURBED started. It's sad to see so many great bands fall to the wayside 'cause they couldn't sustain financially and keep going. If they didn't sell enough albums, they would get dropped by their label and have to do it independently. It can be very expensive to tour. You have to pay crew salaries, transportation, fuel, hotels. If you can't afford a bus, then you go to an RV. If you can't afford an RV, then a van. If you don't have a van, then a car. I envy these bands that go out there and do it. We've been there and know what it takes. You keep fighting because you love music, and as crazy as it can be, the music and performing is what keeps you somewhat sane."

Read the entire interview at Sludge Factory.

Mighty Music has announced the release of the debut album by melodic thrash/death misfits from Aarhus, Denmark, MUSHROOM CLOUD. The CD, entitled "In Mad Minute", was produced by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, HATESPHERE, DARK TRANQUILLITY) at his Antfarm studios and will arrive on September 9.

MUSHROOM CLOUD was founded in 2008 by guitarist Dmitriy Mukhamedov and drummer Simon Kristensen. Both were searching for a new and serious project where they could focus all of their energy. A year later, vocalist Morten Thoft Langerhuus joined the band and their first demo, "Blind Lead The Blind", was recorded soon thereafter. MUSHROOM CLOUD became an integral part of the Aarhus scene with its live performances, which included its first gig alongside the mighty MERCENARY. After a streak of successful concerts in 2011, the band followed up with "Enola Game" (2011) — another demo with more adventures songs and a clearer defined sound.

All of the tracks from "Enola Game" are featured on "In Mad Minute", although some of them were rewritten. The CD's lyrical content touches upon subjects like everyday life, inner demons and religion. Musically, the band has a lot of influences and can hardly be called a straightforward thrash band. Instead, they try not to be restricted by any unwritten rules in metal.

MUSHROOM CLOUD incorporates everything from highly technical melodic riffs, solos, clean melodic passages, catchy choruses, brutal and clean vocals and fast thunderous drumming.

"In Mad Minute" track listing:

01. Time To Shine
02. Purifire
03. Broken Record
04. Follow The Blind
05. Needless Fight
06. American Genius
07. Final Cut (Apple Pie)
08. Fuck Alt Delete
09. Bipolar Love
10. No Escape

The song "No Escape" can now be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

SARKE's third album, "Aruagint", will be released on September 20 via Indie Recordings. The CD was once again recorded at H-10 Productions studios in Oslo with producer Lars Erik Westby.

Says they band: "Our music is inspired by the great '70s rock bands, '80s speed metal bands and '90s black metal bands. Put this together with the creative mind of the band and your get pure dark rock music sounding is clear, raw and honest."

Originally a one-man band, SARKE today consists of founder Thomas "Sarke" Bergli (KHOLD, TULUS, ex-OLD MAN’S CHILD), Nocturno Culto (DARKTHRONE), Steinar Gundersen (SATYRICON, SPIRAL ARCHITECT), Anders Hunstad (EL CACO, AUTOPULVER) and Asgeir Mickelson (SPIRAL ARCHITECT, ex-BORKNAGAR).

Their previous releases, "Vorunah" (2009) and "Oldarhian" (2011), both received critical acclaim for their mesmerizing sounds taking the listener on a journey through dark and soothing soundscapes inspired by legends like MAYHEM, SLAYER, DARKTHRONE, CELTIC FROST, BLACK SABBATH, CANDLEMASS, DEATH, MOTÖRHEAD and KREATOR.

"Aruagint" features nine tracks of "pure death rock madness." It combines metal, death, black and punk music, but wrapped in a '70s rock veil.

"Aruagint" track listing:

01. Jaunt of the Obsessed
02. Jodau Aura
03. Ugly
04. Strange Pungent Odyssey
05. Walls of Ru
06. Salvation
07. Skeleton Sand
08. Icon Usurper
09. Rabid Hunger

SARKE is:

Asgeir Mickelson - Drums
Steinar Gundersen - Guitar
Nocturno Culto - Vocals
Anders Hunstad - Keyboards
Sarke - Bass

Experimental noise/gore/grind veterans Intestinal Disgorge present Splits and Shit Volumes 1 and 2, out now on Bandcamp, featuring 30 minutes each of remastered tracks from all manner of splits and promos. Volume 1 contains the Intestinal Disgorge material from splits with RXAXPXE and MOTHERPIG. Volume 2 features the material from the split with SMALLPOX AROMA and the hard-to-find Promo 2006 tracks.

Both compilations can be streamed now or purchased in digital format for $3 each.

Volume 1 track ‘Mildew And Maggots’:

Montreal, Canada based, melodic death metallers YOUR LAST WISH are streaming three tracks online from their second album Desolation, released by Maple Metal Records worldwide in June.

The third track from Desolation, entitled ‘Autistic Mind’ can be heard below:


The two closing tracks ‘Mutation and ‘Desolation’ below:



The album was recorded, mixed and mastered at Badass Studio, Montreal, QC by Jef Fortin (NEURAXIS, BLACKGUARD, NORDHEIM, KÄLTER, UNEXPECT) and produced by Your Last Wish.

Official video for album track ‘Hastening Death’:

EXHUMED will release their new album, Necrocracy, on August 2nd in Germany/Benelux, August 5th in The UK, and on August 6th in North America via Relapse Records. It will be available on CD, LP, Deluxe LP and digital formats.



The following ten tracks comprise Necrocracy:

'Coins Upon The Eyes'
'Dysmorphic'
'(So Passes) The Glory Of Death'
'The Rotting'
'The Shape Of Deaths To Come'
'Necrocracy'
'Sickened'
'Ravening'
'Carrion Call'
'The Rotting'

The band recently released a video for ‘Coins Upon The Eye’ and has now uploaded the track to Bandcamp: