Greek all-female black metallers ASTARTE have announced that we have signed up with Supreme Music Creations for the release of three first albums on Vinyl LP.
The catalog titles are as follows:
Doomed Dark Years
Rise from Within
Quod Superius Sicut Inferius

Leader Maria "Tristessa" Kolokouri says: "It is the first time that our music will be on vinyl and we will do our best for the editions of LPs, for you and for us. Soon will be available more info for the releases."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, JANE'S ADDICTION guitarist Dave Navarro recently participated in an art ritual in the California desert. Navarro took part in a bloodletting ceremony, with his blood used to paint a portrait of his late mother, Constance Navarro. Dave was bled through a cut on his forehead, with the blood collected in a wine glass to use in the painting. Navarro is no stranger to bizarre practices: he has undergone flesh hook suspension through his back, which he still practices, and also recently went through some scarification.

Constance Navarro was murdered by boyfriend John Riccardi in March 1983. Dave was only 15 years old at the time of his mother's death. Riccardi was arrested in 1991, thanks to a viewer tip after Navarro appeared on the television series "America's Most Wanted".

JANE'S ADDICTION will release a concert document called "Live In NYC" on June 25. The set will be issued on DVD/CD, Blu-ray and double LP vinyl, as well as standalone DVD and CD. The show was filmed and recorded at New York City's Terminal 5 on July 25, 2011, while the band was touring in support of its first studio album in eight years, "The Great Escape Artist".

The group and ALICE IN CHAINS will co-headline the fourth annual Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival, which kicks off on August 9 in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Photos below courtesy of the Instagram profile of The Spread Group and the Tumblr page of Samppa Von Cyborg.

Former MISFITS singer Michale Graves has just released a new album entitled "Lost Skeleton Returns". Recorded at Soundmine Recording Studios, the CD was produced by Hydraulic Entertainment and made available through the company's Vile Of Venom label. It features 16 songs highlighting all phases of Graves' horror rock career, including six new and never-before-released songs. Included on the effort are new performances of early classic songs "Dig Up Her Bones", "Scream", "American Psycho", "Die Monster Die", "Fiend Club" and "Fiend Without a Face" as well as new versions of three songs from Graves' "Punk Rock Is Dead" period: "Godzilla", "Dawn Of The Dead", "Earth Vs Spider". The album also includes six brand new songs: "Lost Skeleton", "Last Man On Earth", "Night Of The Living Dead", "Zombie", "Forbidden Planet" and "Something Wicked". There will be six music videos released in support of the new album, led by the clip for "Zombie", featuring horror hostess Skel-pira, which can be viewed below.

Graves commented: "Monster Rock and the Skele-Crow persona is my origin, my passion and part of who I will always be as a performer.

"This album is a true anthology of my work and highlights the most important songs that I have written and performed.

"I have been consistently asked about my formal return to the horror rock world and now we have an incredibly exciting album and tour to reassert our trajectory into the genre that launched my career."

In support of her forthcoming new studio album, entitled Colours In The Dark, former NIGHTWISH vocalist TARJA TURUNEN answers fan questions below:
earMUSIC recently announced the release of Tarja's new single, 'Victim Of Ritual'.
A teaser clip for the single is now available:
Inspired by the one-movement orchestral piece ‘Boléro’ by Maurice Ravel, the almost six minutes long ‘Victim Of Ritual’ is the first single from Tarja’s forthcoming album, Colours In The Dark. The song will be released as download, CD single and 7” vinyl on July 12th via earMUSIC.

Both physical releases will surely become rare collector’s items, being made available in strictly limited quantities. The 4-songs digipak CD-single is limited to 3,000 copies worldwide, whereas the 2-track 7” vinyl is limited to only 1,500 units worldwide. A video for ‘Victim Of Ritual’ is also scheduled for July.

Single tracklisting:

7" vinyl:

Side A: 'Victim Of Ritual'
Side B: 'Victim Of Ritual' (First Demo)

Maxi Single:

'Victim Of Ritual'
'Victim Of Ritual' (First Demo)
'I Walk Alone' (Live From Luna Park)
'Underneath' (Live From Luna Park)

Pre-order at this location.

Tarja will release her new album, Colours In The Dark, on August 23rd in Europe, and on August 27th in North America, via earMUSIC. A lyric video for the first single called 'Never Enough' can be viewed/heard below.
Check out the cover artwork created by Dirk Rudolph below:

Limited Edition Box Set Cover Artwork:
Special Edition Cover Artwork:
Regular edition artwork:
Mixed and mastered by Tim Palmer in Austin, Texas (PEARL JAM, U2), the songs on Colours In The Dark do not shy away from taking a risk and surprising musical turns, introducing new sounds and new musical atmospheres. Still, they maintain a heaviness that will surely bring a big smile to the hardest of rockers. With its grand orchestra and choir arrangements, Tarja’s next milestone emphasises once again the impressive vocal range of the Finnish artist and shows her artistic growth. With ten brand new songs and over one hour of music, Colours In The Dark is definitely going to be one of the brightest moments for rock in 2013.
Tarja's Colours In The Road 2013 tour dates:

October
17 - Hala University Palackeho - Olomouc, Czech Republic
19 - Huxleys - Berlin, Germany
20 - Metal Female Voices Festival - Wieze, Belgium
22 - Docks - Hamburg, Germany
23 - FZW - Dortmund, Germany
25 - Festhalle Durlach - Karlsruhe, Germany
26 - Backstage Werk - Munich, Germany
27 - Arena - Wien, Austria
29 - Z7 Konzertfabrik - Pratteln, Switzerland
30 - Loewensaal - Nuremberg, Germany

November
1 - Haus Auensee - Leipzig, Germany
2 - Gloria - Cologne, Germany
9 - Klub Studio - Kraków, Poland
10 - Klub Wytwórnia - Lodz, Poland
12 - Mega Club - Katowice, Poland
13 - Palladium - Warsaw, Poland

Vocalist Øyvind Hægeland (SPIRAL ARCHITECT) has covered the FATES WARNING classic 'Exodus' - taken from the band's Awaken The Guardian album - with SON-IC. Check it out below.
Hægeland comments: "Here it is fellow metalheads! First of all, I'd like to stress that there is no way we could do this song as good as the original, but I hope you like our version. I first laid down the vocals trying to sound as identical to the original as possible, but we soon realized it was just plain stupid to try to sing like John Arch. Only John Arch can do John Arch. I then started to make small rhythmic changes to make my singing fit the song. You'll hear the differences if you compare it to the original. Please don't (laughs)."

Quality fan-filmed video footage of Swedish occult rockers GHOST performing the song "Monstrance Clock" on June 30 at the Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium can be seen below.

The official "Monstrance Clock" video was directed by Rob Semmer and was shot on location at the El Rey in Los Angeles and Webster Hall in New York City. The song comes of GHOST's sophomore album, "Infestissumam", which sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 28 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The CD topped the official chart in the group's home country after selling nearly five times as many copies as the No. 2 album, MISS LI's "Wolves".

The release date of "Infestissumam" was reportedly pushed back a week to April 16 after four compact disc manufacturers allegedly refused to print a piece of artwork that was meant for the deluxe version of the new CD. The manufacturers all took issue with the sacrilegious imagery, inspired by the work of Gustave Dore, which showcases what looks like a forest nymph orgy. The controversial art can still be found on both the vinyl and European copies of the "Infestissuman" CD.

GHOST was forced to modify its name in the U.S. to GHOST B.C. for "legal reasons."

Hailing from Linköping, Sweden, GHOST formed in in 2008. They released their heralded debut album, "Opus Eponymous", in 2010. In 2011, GHOST performed at the annual Download festival in the United Kingdom. The band's fanbase began to swell and not long after added some of hard rock's finest to this group. Additionally that year, GHOST took part in the "Defenders Of Faith III" tour with TRIVIUM, IN FLAMES and RISE TO REMAIN. In early 2012, they embarked on their first tour of the United States and later that year shared the stage with MASTODON and OPETH on their "Heritage Hunter Tour" in North America. That summer the band was invited by METALLICA's James Hetfield to perform on the main stage of METALLICA's first annual Orion Music + More festival.

"Monstrance Clock" performance:

Reactivated Los Angeles rap/hardcore/metal act DOWNSET performed at the Rock Al Parque festival in Bogotá, Colombia on Saturday, June 29. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Formed in 1986, DOWNSET released albums on the Mercury and Epitaph labels before disbanding in 2009.

Vocalist Rey Oropeza is not part of the group's current lineup, which is comprised of Neil Roemer (vocals), Rogelio Lozano (guitar), Christopher Lee (drums), and J.D. Manhart (bass).

Said DOWNSET in a statement: "After reaching out in repeated attempts to reunite all of the original members of the band, we are apologetic to you, our friends and family, to announce that they have failed. Some members did not want to do it for their own reasons and the rest of us respect that. There is no ill will on either end and we all feel it is very important to push forward and honor our fans and obligations as artists, as DOWNSET, to all of you in appreciation of your continued support."

Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's July 5 performance at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut as part of this year's Gigantour can be seen below.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Unblackened" DVD was shot on March 6 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. The set is expected to contain intimate versions of some of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's most popular songs, as well as songs from mainman Zakk Wylde's solo album "Book Of Shadows" and his Southern rock band PRIDE & GLORY.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "The Song Remains Not The Same" sold around 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on May 10, 2011 via Entertainment One Music, the offering featured unplugged versions of material from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's latest album, "Order Of The Black", as well as additional material recorded during the "Order Of The Black" sessions. "The Song Remains Not The Same" was conceived, created and compiled by Wylde himself and the title is, of course, a nod to one of Wylde's favorite bands, LED ZEPPELIN.

"Order Of The Black" was released in North America in August 2010 via E1 Music. The CD featured four unique covers designed by Zakk Wylde himself — one for each territory: North America, Europe, Asia and Australia/New Zealand.

ATTICA RAGE have released a new double-track single, ‘Long Ride Home’, from the 88MPH album via Off Yer Rocka, available to download from iTunes and all major music stores. The second track is a previously-unreleased live version of ‘Road Dog Forever’.
“Those two songs together tell two sides of the same story,” explains singer Jonny Parr. “Where 'Road Dog Forever' is an all-out celebration of life on the road and devotion to the rock ‘n roll lifestyle, 'Long Ride Home' is the anti-thesis - it’s the harder part of being away from home, missing loved-ones and ultimately dealing with the choices that have been made along the way.”
Attica Rage recently announced a series of UK headline shows taking place later this year, in support of their new album 88MPH. Confirmed dates are as follows:

August
4 - Cambridge - Rock Festival

September
5 - Kendal - Bootleggers Bar
6 - London - Mother Live
7 - Manchester - Satans Hollow
8 - Sutton-In-Ashfield - The Diamond
12 - Birmingham - Roadhouse
13 - Cardiff - Bogiez
14 - Redhill - Hell Fire Club
28 - Glasgow - Classic Grand

Gaborone, Botswana-based metallers SKINFLINT will release their third studio album, Dipoko, on July 26th via Pure Steel Records.
At the end of last year, the album was released by Metal Records on CD-Rom, and it offers classic, flawless metal of the best kind. This album features a very basic, dry sound, that suits the songwriting very well. You can still hear the influences of the early US epic heavy metal, but the songwriting of the nine tracks on Dipoko is more independent and catchier than on the previous album, Iklwa.
Tracklisting:

'Dipoko'
'Lord Of The Night'
'Blood Ox Ritual'
'Dreams Of Eternity'
'The Warrior Dance'
'Olitiau'
'Iron Mamba'
'Mask Of Death'
'Gboyo'
Skinflint lineup:

Giuseppe "Juice" Sbrana – vocals, guitars
Kebonye "Raskebo" Nkoloso – bass
Sandra Sbrana – drums

More on Skinflint at this location.

SHADOW OF SILENCE, the Philadelphia-based band featuring PAGAN's Sam Mckee on guitar, have released their debut single, 'Voices'. The track was produced by Grammy nominated engineer David Ivory, best known to hard rock and metal fans for his work with recent Grammy winners HALESTORM, at his Dylanava Studios.
A video for the track is being direct by Pagan's Michael Bilinski and is expected to be released in the coming weeks. Shadow Of Silence will be supporting the single with a series of dates before returning to the studio with Ivory.

Shadow Of Silence are a staple of the Philadelphia-area metal scene and over the years have built a dedicated following through their volatile live shows. Vocalist Blade Thornton is a battle tested vet who has spent over a decade touring and recording with various bands before coming upon the combination of players that make up Shadow Of Silence.

"With David's help we have been able to channel our individual classic hard rock and modern metal influences into a sound that we feel is uniquely our own", Thornton commented on the single.
Keep an eye on the Shadow Of Silence Facebook page to see when they are hitting your town.

Canadian heavy metallers GALES OF AVALON have released their new EP, When The Ravens Return. The 6-track EP is available as a name your price download at this location.
Tracklisting:

'What Hell Have I?'
'Robert's Lament'
'These Words'
'Ocean Ranger'
'Darkened Mirrors'
'Winter Sun'

Album stream:

When The Ravens Return by Gales of Avalon

To accompany the release, the band has also posted a new video, for the track 'Robert’s Lament'. The video was produced with the help of Calgary’s Extreme Metal Television crew.

Heavy melodic rockers BREACHED have released 'Let Go', the latest and fifth music video in support of their new acoustic EP, Revolution Sessions, the follow up to their 2011 self titled EP.
Creating an alluring blend of melodious, metal-tinged rock ‘n roll, it didn’t take long for Breached to start winning over fans with their live shows and 2011's five-song self titled EP. The band’s tight harmonies and nail-hitting screams combined with overdriven guitars, intricate tempos and powerful lyrics provide a unique blend that audiences can’t seem to get enough of.
Revolution Sessions tracklisting:

'Let Go'
'Control'
'Happy?'
'Time'
'No Excuses'
In additional news, the band has been on the road this summer, having already performed at this year's Sudbury New Music Festival along with Eastern Canadian tour dates in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia with KING DOOM and will be later supporting Australia's ARCANE SAINTS for select Canadian dates.

Upcoming dates:

July
12 - Sgt. Peppers - Whitby, ON

August
9 - O’Briens Alehouse - Coram, NY
10 - Mulcahys - Wantagh, NY (with I Ignite)
31 - Cherry Colas - Toronto, ON (with Arcane Saints)

Italian metallers THE JULIET MASSACRE are streaming a new pre-production track, 'Freedom Of Speech', recorded and mixed at UnderRoom Studios.
Stay tuned for further updates on the band's forthcoming material.
The Juliet Massacre lineup:

Antonio "Antomega" - Vocals
Alessandro "Alex Gore" - Vocals
Claudio "The Killer" - Guitar
Sabatino "Sab" - Guitar
Luchino "Jubbino" - Bass
Andrea "Pelle" - Drums

More on the band at this location.

LEADING THE BETRAYED - featuring THE AGONIST guitarist Pascal "Paco" Jobin - have checked in with the following update:

"Some people have been asking 'When are we going to hear the vocals for LTB? Well, we have been working with a singer, and here is a sample of what Leading The Betrayed will sound like with vocals! It's just a demo, but this man sounds awesome. Can you guess who he is?!"



More audio samples of some new material are currently available for streaming here.

Madison, WI's traditional heavy metal warriors LORDS OF THE TRIDENT have joined forces with producers Doug Olson (head of recording at Madison Media Institute, with production credits for many well-known bands, including NIRVANA, SMASHING PUMPKINS, and CHEAP TRICK) and Martin Atkins (NINE INCH NAILS, MINISTRY, PIGFACE, KILLING JOKE) to bring you the Plan Of Attack EP.

The band will be taking no prisoners during the release party for their third release, which will be held on July 6th, at the RSR in Madison, Wisconsin. Battle support will come from TIGER CLUTCH, AXE RIPPER and FORCE FIELD.
More on Lords Of The Trident, including their live itinerary, at this location.

Canadian symphonic Celtic death metal band VESPERIA has treated fans to another song from their forthcoming album, An Olden Tale.

"Behold, the seven-and-a-half minute titanic riff-laden majesty of 'To Times End We Ride'. This song by far has the most tracks running simultaneously than any other song on An Olden Tale!"
An Olden Tale is due "this summer" and contains the following nine songs:

'1000 Years Ago'
'With Omens of Sorrow'
'The Swordsman'
'Forsaken Shores'
'Huntress'
'To Times End We Ride'
'Bring Me Triumph'
'An Olden Tale'
'Home For A Rest' (SPIRIT OF THE WEST cover)
In live news, Vesperia will be playing two shows this weekend:

July
5 - Oshawa, ON - The Atria
6 - London, ON - Call The Office

Canadian epic folk metallers NORDHEIM headlined Montreal’s first ever Viking Fest 2013, on Sunday, June 30th at the Katacombes Club, alongside other epic/folk/viking metal acts such as VALFREYA, VESPERIA, CRIMSON SHADOWS, and many more.
The band have released four live videos from the show. Clips for the tracks 'Soulblood', 'Mask Of The Banned One' and 'Get Drunk Of Die Tryin'' from their second album, Refill, as well as 'Old Man Crazy' from Nordheim's debut, Lost In The North, can be seen below:
Nordheim are streaming two lyric videos, for their new songs 'Get Drunk Or Die Tryin’' (with a special guest performance by Norway’s TROLLFEST on vocals), and 'Winter’s Dawn', both taken from their sophomore album, Refill. Refill was released on May 13th worldwide by Maple Metal Records.

The artwork was created by Nicolas Francoeur of Vorace Art, as was their 2010 debut album Lost In The North. Refill was recorded at Badass Studio, Montreal, QC, Canada in the winter of 2012/13 and produced by Jef Fortin (NEURAXIS, AUGURY, BLACKGUARD, UNEXPECT, KÄLTER).

The Refill tracklisting is:

'OV Frost and Ice'
'Mask of the Banned One'
'Get Drunk or Die Tryin’'
'Watch the Raven Die'
'Under a Crying Storm'
'The Grief'
'Winter’s Dawn'
'As Shadows Pass By'
'Soulblood'

'Get Drunk Or Die Tryin’' lyric video:
'Winter’s Dawn' lyric video:
‘The Grief’ lyric video:

Nordheim is:

Warraxe – lead vocals and guitars
Fred - lead guitars
BenFok - bass and vocals
Thom - keyboards
Lukas – drums (Kälter)

For more info on Nordheim visit here.

Bassist Michael "Skip" Cromer of reunited West Virginia metallers BYZANTINE has released the following statement:

"I am writing this post to inform you that as of after the Sound Factory show this Friday, I will no longer be playing in BYZANTINE.

"I have in recent months become a Christian and I feel at this point in my life that I have another direction that I must go in.

"I would like to thank my brothers in BYZANTINE for the opportunity to play in (my not-so-humble opinion) the best heavy metal band in the world. Through choosing me to fill the bass spot, I have seen more of the world than I ever thought I would. I have also had the privilege to be around some of the best musicians that have constantly pushed me to improve not only my skills as a musician but also as a businessman and friend. I love you, OJ, Tony, and Wolfe. You supporting in my decision means more to me than any song, any album, or any tour that we have worked on. I look forward to hearing what you crazy rednecks come up with next. I was a fan before I joined BYZ, and I am a fan still.

"Next, I would like to thank all the friends I have made during my time in BYZANTINE. There are so many of you that to write all of you down here would take more room than I think Facebook will allow. You all have made such a impact on my life that to not recognize you in some way would be a disservice. I will, however, point to some key people. They are Aaron Fisher, Daniel Johnson (Logan County as a whole, really), Anthony Lewis, Rod Lanham, Xack Padin, Jamie Rakes, Roadblock, and the Ojeda, Rohrbough, and Wolfe families as a whole. You all have stood out to me as supporters of this band in good times and bad. Much love to you as well.

'Last but certainly not least, I want to thank all the fans. When I joined BYZANTINE, I was welcomed with open arms in the way that only West Virginia knows how. I felt as though I became a 'honorary redneck.' Without your continued support, BYZANTINE, or any other band for that matter, would not be possible. I will remember the crazy nights and conversations that I have had with some of you and it is my hope that I will run into you in the future.

"Please join me this Friday in celebrating the Sound Factory. I think it a very fitting finale to my time with BYZANTINE that my last night with them will be in my favorite club in Charleston. It will be a great time and there will be a couple of surprises.

"God bless you all. Montani Semper Liberi."

BYZANTINE's self-titled latest album was released on February 26 through Gravedancer Records, the new label formed by MuseBox VP of marketing, Josh Eldridge, in partnership with marketing company MuseBox.

The "Byzantine" cover artwork was designed by David Friedmann, the winner of the contest the band launched on MetalSucks.

BYZANTINE was first discovered by LAMB OF GOD and released three highly respected albums and completed several major tours before calling in quits in 2008, just after the release of their most respected effort, "Oblivion Beckons". Last year, the band entered the studio to begin work on the new CD.

"Soul Eraser" video:

Croatia-based groove metallers COLD SNAP have announced an August 30th North American release for their new album, World War 3, via the Haensel & Gretel label.

After one EP and two albums (Empty Promises and Perfection), World War 3 was produced again by Tue Madsen (HALFORD, SICK OF IT ALL, BEHEMOTH, etc.).
World War 3 tracklisting:

'Straight To Hell'
'Carnival'
'Rise Again'
'Unleash Me'
'Monster'
'Dead Guardian'
'Doomsday'
'Freedom'
'Silent Killer'
'Court Is Corrupted'
'Chameleon'
'My Emptiness'
Cold Snap lineup:

Jan Kerekeš - Vocals
Denis Roškari? - Drums
Zoran Ernoi? - Bass
Leo Friš?i? - Guitar, Background Vocals
Vlado Soldatek - Guitar

More on Cold Snap at this location.

Galician heavy/death metal act SKYDANCER have revealed the artwork and tracklisting for their upcoming studio release, Land Of The Grim (final release date TBA).
Tracklisting:

'Swamp Tomb'
'Ancares'
'Ancestral Lands'
'L´Even'
'Meet The Ferryman'
'The Treason Wall'
'The Galician Exile'
'Lembranza'

Album teaser:
Skydancer lineup:

Daniel Soengas - Guitars / Vocals
Jose Casal - Guitars
Victor Louzan - Bass
Daniel Díaz - Drums
More on Skydancer at this location.

Canadian hard rockers FAMOUS UNDERGROUND have released a new video, for the track ‘Dead Weight‘, featured on their new self-titled debut album out now via Dust On The Tracks Records. The new single ‘Dead Weight‘ is a melodic romp that takes you on a trip with an anthemic message that pertains to everyone. Sonically this represents the light and shade that is F.U., the song is a wakeup call for people to realize that they have the power to help create a more positive world. Watch the video below:
The official epic concept video to support the single ‘Dead Weight‘ takes you on a journey through evolution with beauty and destruction showing the realities and changes from Mother Earth’s point of view.
Famous Underground’s self-titled studio release produced by Nick Walsh (SLIK TOXIK), and mixed by Darius Szczepaniak (THE BLACK CROWES, SACRIFICE) at Rouge Valley Studio in Toronto. The new recording takes Walsh’s writing to a more defined state where the lyrics delve more into the complexities of the real world.
These musicians have independently garnered critical acclaim supporting such acts as MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD, KID ROCK, BLACK SABBATH, BILLY TALENT, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, APRIL WINE and many other international acts.

Famous Underground are:
Nicholas Walsh – vocals/guitars
Laurie-Anne Green – bass/vocals
Rick Corvese – guitars
Darren Boyd – guitars
Desche Sparboom – drums

For more details visit Famousunderground.tv.

Fan-filmed video footage of FEAR FACTORY's entire July 5 performance at UNSW Roundhouse in Sydney, Australia can be seen below.

Asked whose idea it was to perform FEAR FACTORY's classic classic 1995 sophomore album, "Demanufacture", on the band's Australian tour, vocalist Burton C. Bell told The Rockpit: "It was kinda like a joke at first. Last time we were there for 'The Industrialist' on tour, we were playing a lot of tracks from 'Demanufacture', and we just thought, 'Why don't we just play the whole damn record?' and the promoter was, like, 'Oh, that's actually a great idea. We should plan it properly,' and blah blah blah, and just started talking about it. And we thought about it, and it was Australia that embraced FEAR FACTORY wholeheartedly first and so Australia was where we received our first silver and gold records for 'Demanufacture', so we figured that we'd go to Australia."

FEAR FACTORY will also perform "Demanufacture" in its entirety aboard the 2014 edition of the world's biggest heavy metal cruise — 70000 Tons Of Metal — which will sail January 27-31.

FEAR FACTORY's new album, "The Industrialist", sold 9,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Mechanize", opened with 10,000 units back in February 2010 to land at No. 72.

COLDWORKER — the Örebro, Sweden-based "blasting" death metal band consisting of current and former/current members of such acts as NASUM, RELENTLESS, RUIN and PHOBOS — has called it quits. The group says in a statement: "Everybody in the band doesn't want to do it anymore, so we feel the best thing is to just hang it up and be done with it. There's no bad blood between the members and we remain friends.

"Thanks a bunch to everybody who supported us through the years, buying albums and t-shirts and coming to the shows; you are the best! Big thanks also to Listenable Records, Relapse Records and to André Alvinzi, who was an important part of the early days of the band.

"None of us is quitting music and we'll see you around in other bands.

"Thank you and goodbye."

COLDWORKER's third album, "The Doomsayer's Call", was released in February 2012 via Listenable Records. The CD was recorded in part at Soundlab Studios in the group's hometown and features 13 songs. Mixing took place at Unisound studios with Dan Swanö (OPETH, KATATONIA, DISSECTION).

The cover artwork for "The Doomsayer's Call" was created by the Swedish artist Pär Olofsson who has previously worked with such bands as MALEVOLENT CREATION, IMMOLATION, IMMORTAL, EXODUS and DYING FETUS.

COLDWORKER is:

Joel Fornbrant - Vocals
Anders Bertilsson - Guitar
Daniel Schröder - Guitar
Oskar Pålsson - Bass
Anders Jakobson - Drums

"Flesh World" audio stream:

Norwegian black ‘n’ roll legion VREID played the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, California on June 17th. Capital Chaos TV has posted footage of the band performing 'The Reap' on the night. Check it out below:
Vreid recently released a video for 'The Reap, taken from their new album Welcome Farewell, which was released worldwide in February / March. Check it out below:
Welcome Farewell was recorded mainly at bassist Hváll's Studio 1184. Other parts were recorded on the road as the band extensively toured, including an appearance at the prestigious Damnation Festival in Leeds, UK.
The band commented: "Two years after we started writing new riffs, our new beast is now complete. It's been a lot of work, but we are utterly pleased with the result. Dark, heavy and Vreid are the three keywords to describe it."

The band previously released a behind-the-scenes video from the studio which you can view below:

GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS is a new band featuring guitarists Christopher Amott (ARMAGEDDON, ex-ARCH ENEMY) and Matt Wicklund (GOD FORBID, ex-HIMSA, WARREL DANE) and drummer Van Williams (ASHES OF ARES, PURE SWEET HELL, ex-NEVERMORE).

After first joining forces in the summer of 2012, the members of GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS have combined their diverse-yet-complementary music styles to create a powerful and dynamic sound highlighted by soaring vocals, viturosic guitars and hooky-but-progressive arrangements. Vocals are performed by 17-year-old Adon Fanion, whose style, character and lyrics extend far beyond his years.

GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS is seeking a suitable record company to release the band's debut album, for which 13 songs have already been written, including "Released", "Alive", "Successor", "Find The Light" and "Caged Love".

A pre-production sample showing a few guitar solo clips from upcoming GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS album can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS is:

* Adon Fanion - Vocals
* Christopher Amott (ARMAGEDDON, ex-ARCH ENEMY) - Guitar
* Matthew Wicklund (GOD FORBID, ex-HIMSA, WARREL DANE) - Guitar
* Sara Abrams - Bass
* Van Williams (ASHES OF ARES, PURE SWEET HELL, ex-NEVERMORE) - Drums

Mark "Barney" Greenway of British grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH joined Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT on stage on June 23 at the Hellfest in Clisson, France to perform the VOLBEAT track "Evelyn". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

In April 2011 interview with Straight.com, VOLBEAT vocalist/guitarist Michael Poulsen spoke about Barney's appearance on the studio version of "Evelyn", which appears on the band's fourth album, "Beyond Hell/Above Heaven".

"Writing a song like 'Evelyn' was my way of showing people that it was not only the '50s elements we were inspired by, but we were actually growing up with a lot of great metal bands," Michael said. "And NAPALM DEATH was one of the first extreme metal bands I was listening to — I was listening to them when I bought my first guitar. So being able to have a singer like Barney from NAPALM DEATH on my record was a real accomplishment. It's great to see that it's actually possible for dreams to come true, in a way."

VOLBEAT will take part in this summer's Monster Energy's Rock Allegiance Tour alongside HIM, ALL THAT REMAINS and AIRBOURNE.

VOLBEAT's fifth studio album, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", sold 39,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on April 9 via Universal Republic

San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL have completed mixing the follow-up to 2010's "Relentless Retribution" for an October release via Nuclear Blast Records. The band's seventh CD was tracked at AudioHammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, AUGUST BURNS RED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, ALL THAT REMAINS, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER) and DEATH ANGEL guitarist Rob Cavestany handling production duties. The cover artwork is being created by Brent Elliot White (JOB FOR A COWBOY, CARNIFEX, WHITECHAPEL), who also worked on "Relentless Retribution".

Cavestany previously stated about DEATH ANGEL's upcoming album: "'Relentless' turned out the way we wanted, so we we're taking it to the next level with the same team… We had a blast doing the last record [at AudioHammer] and now we know each other better and how well we work together.

"It was our idea all along to go directly into the studio following the end of [DEATH ANGEL's most recent] tour, without taking time off.

"We always take a break after an album's touring cycle ends. You basically have to after spending so much time on the road, traveling and performing constantly. But not this time! This tour [was] the longest one we've ever done and that live energy is in our new songs! The glory and the heartache, it's all there.

"That said, this is some of the heaviest, fastest, most powerful material we've ever created! There's something really dark in it too... music is and always will be our outlet to vent and release the built up pressure that life deals. In the world today, we need it more than ever!!!"

"Relentless Retribution" sold 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 10 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200. The band's previous album, "Killing Season", opened with around 2,300 units back in March 2008. This number was in line with the performance of its predecessor, "The Art of Dying", which registered a first-week sales tally of around 2,100 back in May 2004.

"Relentless Retribution" was released in the U.S. on September 14, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.