The official lyric video for the new version of the HALESTORM song "Here's To Us" featuring guest appearances by a number of well-known hard rock and heavy metal musicians can be seen below. Joining the band on the song are Slash, SHINEDOWN's Brent Smith, ALTER BRIDGE's Myles Kennedy, SIXX: A.M.'s James Michael, THEORY OF A DEADMAN's Tyler Connolly, DISTURBED and DEVICE's David Draiman and IN THIS MOMENT's Maria Brink. HALESTORM is also offering fans a chance to record their own shout-outs for the song, and the band intends to take some of the best ones and work them into a new "fan edit" of the track.

"Here's To Us" (Guest Version) features guest appearances by:

* Slash (appears courtesy of Dik Hayd Records)
* Brent Smith of SHINEDOWN
* Myles Kennedy of ALTER BRIDGE & THE CONSPIRATORS
* James Michael of SIXX: A.M.
* Tyler Connolly of THEORY OF A DEADMAN
* David Draiman of DISTURBED / DEVICE (appears courtesy of Reprise Records)
* Maria Brink of IN THIS MOMENT (appears courtesy of Century Media Records)

The original version of "Here's To Us" is featured on HALESTORM's 2012 album "The Strange Case Of…"

The song was previously covered on a February 2012 episode of the hit television show "Glee". Singer Lzzy Hale told The Pulse Of Radio at the time why the band let it happen. "It's pretty much the strangest thing we've done so far as a band and also, I think, the most exciting," she said. "There's a little bit of controversy because, obviously, 'Glee' is very pop culture, it's very kind of Broadway, and personally I think it's really good for us, only because here's an outlet for us that it's gonna expose us to so many people that would not normally be seeking us out."

HALESTORM has just completed the HardDrive Live tour with BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and YOUNG GUNS. The trek wrapped up on May 22 in Milwaukee.

Swedish melodic death metallers AMON AMARTH have released part three of their mini-documentary, "Forging Mjölnir". Filmed and directed by Luke Daley, the up-close-and-personal clip — which includes stunning black and white nature footage and Norse artwork — celebrates the imminent release of the band's ninth studio offering, "Deceiver Of The Gods". The concluding clip shows the AMON AMARTH bandmembers discussing the struggles of tour life, recording and their hopes for the future.

Recorded at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, United Kingdom, and produced, mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap (OPETH, MEGADETH, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), the follow-up to the band's critically acclaimed 2011 "Surtur Rising" full-length delivers ten fiery battle hymns made of buzzsaw riffs and epic harmonies all driven by vocalist Johan Hegg's commanding Viking roar and absorbing accounts of Norse crusades and treachery.

"Deceiver Of The Gods" comes adorned with another outstanding Tom Thiel-created cover portraying a mythical battle between the Norse Gods Loki and Thor. As an added bonus, Messiah Marcolin (CANDLEMASS) makes an appearance as guest vocalist on eighth track, "Hel".

"Deceiver Of The Gods" will be released in North America via Metal Blade Records on June 25, in Europe June 24 and Japan on June 26.

Following a run of European festival dates, AMON AMARTH will open the main stage of this year's edition of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, set to commence June 29 in San Bernardino.

"Deceiver Of The Gods" track listing:

01. Deceiver Of The Gods
02. As Loke Falls
03. Father Of The Wolf
04. Shape Shifter
05. Under Siege
06. Blood Eagle
07. We Shall Destroy
08. Hel
09. Coming Of The Tide
10. Warriors Of The North

The song "Shape Shifter" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

Relapse Records has announced the signing of Denver, Colorado blackened doom-sludge misanthropes PRIMITIVE MAN.

Formed in early 2012 and featuring current and former members of WITHERED, CLINGING TO THE TREES OF A FOREST FIRE, DEATH OF SELF and REPROACHER, PRIMITIVE MAN — drummer Isidro "Spy" Soto, vocalist/guitarist Ethan Lee McCarthy, and bassist Jonathan Campos — released their malicious "Scorn" debut earlier this year via a collaboration between Throatruiner and Mordgrimm Records. The band also independently issued a three-song EP, "P/M".

Dubbed a " totally malignant sounding record and one that will consume you whole if you're not careful" by Cvlt Nation, commended for merging "the oppressive weight of doom with the misanthropic bile of black metal" by BLABBERMOUTH.NET and called "the best worst thing that has ever happened to you" in an 8/10 review from Metal Hammer, "Scorn" finds PRIMITIVE MAN celebrating a slow-roasted apocalypse through seven suffocating hymns of hatred, disease and sonic deviance.

Comments the band on the signing: "We are excited to have the support of a label as legendary as Relapse. We cannot wait to spread our music further than we had thought possible. All hail extreme music. All hail pain."

Relapse will reissue "Scorn" this summer on CD/LP/digital. A track from the album is available for streaming via PRIMITIVE MAN's official Bandcamp page. Additionally, the group has announced a six-week U.S. tour set to kick off July 11 in Pueblo, Colorado and run through August 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"Dead Letters", a brand new song from vocalist/guitarist Kenn Nardi of reunited St. Louis, Missouri-based progressive/melodic thrash metallers ANACRUSIS, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Nardi revealed in an online post this past April that he is "planning to finish the new music and release it in some form, but I'm not sure of the details just yet. This will not be an acoustic project like CRUEL APRIL. It will be exactly the same album that I had intended to record with [fellow ANACRUSIS original members] John [Emery, bass] and Mike [Owen, drums].

"Basically. I have been recording new songs myself over the last couple of years (during the reunion rehearsals/shows/festivals) with the intention of going back and replacing the programmed drums and the bass parts that I recorded using the other guys. Unfortunately, this was going nowhere and we could just never find the time to get things moving. So I have left John's bass on a few songs that he had completed and have played everything else myself. There were rough drum tracks which Mike played and had planned to go back and re-do which I have just replaced like the rest of the demos (If you've heard the version of 'Made' I posted, you'll have an idea as I was the only one on that recording).

"I have more than 20 songs completed and will be working on recording the last batch over the next few weeks. In the end, there will be maybe 30 songs making up two complete CDs packed full of new material. Most will be very much in the style of ANACRUSIS (or at least where we would be 20 years after 'Screams And Whispers') and some a bit more experimental and/or melodic. There will be thrash stuff, proggish stuff, melodic stuff and some things like you've never heard. I have even recorded a heavier version of 'A Little Light' from the CRUEL APRIL project. With 2 1/2 hours worth of songs, there should something for any fan of ANACRUSIS and more.

"I still plan to call it 'Parallax Error', though I am debating whether to put the name ANACRUSIS on it or not. Regardless, by any name, the album would be the same. I plan on posting a medley of samples soon to give everyone an idea what to expect.

"I personally have so much time and creative effort invested in these songs that I did not want to abandon the entire project just because we cannot find the time to be a band right now. Hopefully some of you will enjoy what I have created this time and the new recordings will be something fresh for those of you who've waited for new ANACRUSIS music."

ANACRUSIS in 2010 spent time in the studio recorded a "new" album entitled "Hindsight: Suffering Hour & Reason Revisited". The two-CD set featured both ANACRUSIS' debut album, "Suffering Hour", and its second release, "Reason", along with the classic ANACRUSIS demo track "Apocalypse", all fully re-recorded by the original lineup of Nardi, Kevin Heidbreder, John Emery and Mike Owen. The package also featured a 24-page, full-color booklet with lyrics and lots of photos both old and new. The cover art was created by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, SIGH, MEKONG DELTA, GWAR).

In 2009, Stormspell Records released the CD/DVD compilation, "Annihilation Complete: The Early Years Anthology", which featured ANACRUSIS' demo and video footage of Nardi's pre-ANACRUSIS band, HEAVEN'S FLAME.

Californian metallers DEVILDRIVER will release their sixth album, "Winter Kills", on August 27 via Napalm Records. The instrumental parts for the CD were recorded at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida while the vocals were laid down at singer Dez Fafara's home studio, with Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, ALL THAT REMAINS) handling production duties. The album's cover artwork features a photograph by Dean Karr. The layout was done by Ryan Clark of Invisible Creature.

"Winter Kills" will be made available in four configurations, including a deluxe digibook with CD (including two bonus tracks, "Shudder" and "Back Down To The Grave") and live DVD (featuring 45 minutes of live raw DEVILDRIVER power — no studio overdubs at all, just the band at their best — and including fan favorites "Clouds Over California" and "The Wretched"), standard CD version, digital version and, for the first time in DEVILDRIVER history, a 2LP gatefold edition (including the two bonus tracks and a digital download).

Exclusive pre-order bundle packages for "Winter Kills" are now available at IndieMerch.com. These bundle packages include designs and items that are unavailable anywhere else.

"Winter Kills" track listing:

01. The Oath
02. Ruthless
03. Desperate Times
04. Winter Kills
05. The Appetite
06. Gutted
07. Curses And Epitaph's
08. Caring's Overkill
09. Hunting Refrain
10. Tripping Over Tombstones
11. Sail
12. Shudder (deluxe-digibook bonus track)
13. Back Down To The Grave (deluxe-digibook bonus track)

DEVILDRIVER previously worked with Lewis on 2011's "Beast" and 2007's "The Last Kind Words".

Comments Fafara: "This is by far DEVILDRIVER's most cohesive, powerful, groove-laden record to date! We delivered our signature California groove sound alongside a raw and biting guitar tone, mixed it with massive hooks, added in thunderous drums to rethink, and reshape another different sounding unique piece of rock and roll!

"Cutting our own path is something to be proud of.

"DEVILDRIVER has always and will forever be about thinking outside the box and delivering on something different from record to record. We cannot be assimilated into any scene or even genre of metal, and we will continue to do things our own way with a massive middle finger in the air to the status quo!"

In an interview with Loudwire, Fafara stated about the musical direction of the band's next CD, "Every record is different. That being said, I thought 'Pray For Villains' was kind of an out-of-the-box record for us. I thought 'Beast' was a weird out-of-the-box record for us. We've kind honed back in to where we are. This new record sounds a lot like the first three records. It's got an intense groove to it, and I'm really happy. The writing is going extremely well. That being said, I think we've laid back on our laurels right now and be like, 'We're a groove band.' The fans started calling us 'the groove machine, The California groove machine.' Everybody needs a title; we'll take that one and we're going to give them that on the new record, for sure."

DEVILDRIVER's fifth album, "Beast", sold a little over 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart.

HEAVEN & EARTH premiered a live performance of their song ‘House Of Blues’ which was shot at the band's memorable record release show at the Fonda in Hollywood to celebrate the release of their new album, Dig.

‘House Of Blues’ features some blistering guitar work by Smith, but gets its bluesy rock vibe from the powerhouse vocal delivery of front man Joe Retta and a wicked keyboard solo from Ed Roth midway into the performance. Add in some solid low-end work from drummer Richie Onori and bassist Chuck Wright and 'House Of Blues' comes off as a bluesy rocker that must be heard by all rock purists and classic rock fans.

The band will be unveiling a music video for the song ‘I Don't Know What Love Is’ in the coming weeks.

Check out the video for 'No Money, No Love' below:

ConSouling Sounds has announced the release of Brooklyn’s SANNHET’s debut album Known Flood on CD, due out on July 8th.
Originally released on vinyl early this year through Sacrament Music, Known Flood features nearly forty-five minutes of staggering and eclectic metal, fusing the power of black metal and the harshness of sludge metal with the towering movements of post metal recorded by Colin Marston (KRALLICE, BEHOLD… THE ARCTOPUS, DYSRHYTHMIA) and mastered by Carl Saff.

Know Flood tracklisting:
‘Absecon Isle’
‘Safe Passage’
‘Invisible Wounds’
‘Endless Walls’
‘Moral’
‘Slow Ruin’
‘Haunches’
‘Still Breathing’
‘Flatlands’

Check out the track 'Absecon Isle' below:

"Alight A New Tomorrow", the new video from Austrian female-fronted symphonic metallers EDENBRIDGE, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's eighth album, "The Bonding", which will be released on June 21 in Germany, June 24 in the rest of Europe and July 2 in the U.S./Canada via SPV/Steamhammer. It will be available as a limited-edition ecol book with a bonus CD and some exciting extras, double gatefold colored vinyl with printed inner sleeves, jewel case version and as a digital download.

It's been more than a decade since EDENBRIDGE first created a stir with the launch of their debut album, "Sunrise In Eden", back in 2000. What presented itself as a young but already immensely talented band has evolved into one of the genre's most independent acts. "The Bonding" sees the group underline its exceptional status in melodic metal and puts an end to their creative hiatus of almost three difficult years.

"We had to come to terms with a number of personal setbacks, which is why the production of the album took longer than originally scheduled," explains guitarist and main songwriter Lanvall, who, among other things, suffered the loss of his father due to suicide. In addition, EDENBRIDGE underwent an unexpected lineup change: bassist Simon Holzknecht had to be replaced by Wolfgang Rothbauer (DISBELIEF, ZOMBIE INC.).

Yet the band's great compositional qualities, the amazing voice of singer Sabine Edelsbacher and EDENBRIDGE's unconditional determination to not only validate, but to surpass the undisputable strengths of each predecessor album are omnipresent.

"The initial ideas were developed as early as 2010, immediately after the release of 'Solitaire', but due to our private trials and tribulations, it took us until autumn 2012 to conclude the recordings for our new album," Lanvall looks back at the taxing months marked by one ambitious goal: to complement the new album by a real orchestra in order to support the material's symphonic direction.

"Our style has always had an unmistakably symphonic quality," says Lanvall, "so the only question was: how do we finance a big orchestra?"

At this point, outside help arrived, in the form of support from fans and sponsors. Thanks to a major joint effort, the band succeeded in bringing to the studio the Klangvereinigung Orchestra of Vienna under the direction of Georg Luksch to cap the atmospheric and at the same time dynamic songs on "The Bonding".

Says Lanvall: "When it was confirmed that the Klangvereinigung Orchestra would come to the studio, I concentrated on writing scores for our songs, so we were able to integrate these additional elements more concisely than ever before. Of course, it would be a mistake to drown our songs, which also feature guitar riffs, choirs and rhythmic details, in orchestra sounds. It was all about positioning the orchestra in a way that would create an additional dynamic level. I think we've succeeded in doing just that on 'The Bonding'."

Another outstanding feature is Sabine Edelsbacher's voice, whose warm, pleasantly melancholy timbre refines every EDENBRIDGE track.

"I've worked very hard on my voice in recent years to intensify not only expression and power, but also clarity and nuances," she explains. "It's very important for me to devote myself totally to my music, to be able to immerse myself 100% in every song."
Which is probably one of the reasons why "The Bonding" has turned into the band's most haunting and ambitioned album so far, including truly impressive numbers such as "Mystic River", "Alight A New Tomorrow", "Shadows Of My Memory" and — more or less as the grand finale — the 15-minute title track, a memorable duet by Sabine Edelsbacher and Erik Martensson (W.E.T., ECLIPSE).

Says Lanvall: "This song is the culmination of the album's general theme, which is about universal energy, about birth and growth, about memories and reflection."

"The Bonding" track listing:

01. Mystic River
02. Alight A New Tomorrow
03. Star-Crossed Dreamer
04. The Invisible Force
05. Into A Sea Of Souls
06. Far Out Of Reach
07. Shadows Of My Memory
08. Death Is Not The End
09. The Bonding

EDENBRIDGE is:

* Sabine Edelsbacher: Lead Vocals
* Lanvall: Lead, Rhythm, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Piano, Kacapi
* Max Pointner: Drums
* Dominik Sebastian: Lead, Rhythm Guitar
* Wolfgang Rothbauer: Bass, Grunts on "Shadows Of My Memory"

Fan-filmed video footage of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's entire June 8 entire performance at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire can be seen below.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE kicked off its summer headline tour in support of "Disarm The Descent" on May 30 at the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The region was hit by a devastating tornado on May 20. Therefore, the band has decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from the evening's tickets sales to the Regional Food Bank Of Oklahoma.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's fifth studio album, "Disarm The Descent", sold around 48,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on April 2 via Roadrunner Records.

"Disarm The Descent" is KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's first album with original singer Jesse Leach at the vocal helm since 2002's now-classic, genre-defining "Alive or Just Breathing". Leach returned to the band in January 2012 after a decade-long absence. The artwork for the new CD was created by bassist Mike D'Antonio.

"Supreme Pain For The Tyrant", the new video from Taiwanese metal mavericks CHTHONIC, can be seen below. The song comes off CHTHONIC's seventh album, "Bú-Tik", which is available for streaming in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. The CD was recorded at Sweden's Sweetspot Studio by producer Rickard Bengtsson, who also worked on 2011's critically lauded "Takasago Army" full-length and finds the band sharpening their signature brand of self-dubbed symphonic "orient metal."

"Bú-Tik" will be released in North America via Spinefarm Records in the U.S. digitally on June 18 and on CD on June 25.

"Bú-Tik" track listing:

01. Arising Armament (intro)
02. Supreme Pain For The Tyrant
03. Sail Into The Sunset's Fire
04. Next Republic
05. Rage Of My Sword
06. Between Silence And Death
07. Resurrection Pyre
08. Set Fire To The Island
09. Defenders Of Bú-Tik Palace
10. Undying Rearmament (outro)

With "Bú-Tik", CHTHONIC continue their mission to build awareness of the myths of Taiwan and the tragic events in their country's history. Centered around the story of the 228 Massacre, the Bú-Tik Palace and the Mirror Of Retribution, "Bú-Tik" highlights what bassist Doris Yeh describes as "righteous violence, justifiable defense, and the armed spirits!"

The "Sail Into The Sunset's Fire" clip was once again directed by Lin Chun, creator of the band's epic "Defenders of Bú-Tik Palace" video, and was filmed in an outdoor swimming pool during a very unplanned, raging storm, creating the level of intensity both the director and band were hoping for.

"When a person encounters difficulties, he might feel as though he is going through a storm, so I chose to shoot with water," explains Chun. "No-one was prepared for the storm, but it brought a fabulous effect to the video!"

Adds Yeh: "It seemed such a coincidence when it started to pour. The cameraman was completely soaked and shivering, so I was thinking: 'Okay! Let's get this done quickly so he can get out of the water!'"

"Sail Into The Sunset's Fire" recounts the story of pirates in East Asia in the Age Of Exploration. During the Age of Exploration, many people waved goodbye to old China and sailed out in a quest for new life. They settled along the west coast of Taiwan, recruited militiamen, and built pirate fleets. Most of them eventually stayed on and called Taiwan their new home.

"We're not encouraging kidnapping or robbery," says Yeh, "but the challenge to conventional authority here is indeed inspiring. According to historical accounts, the pirates — who came from islands between Japan and Indonesia — had planned to overthrow the Ming Empire of China and the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, and some of them eventually settled along Taiwan's western coast…"

"Supreme Pain For The Tyrant" video:

Brazil's HELLISH WAR will release their new album, Keep It Hellish, on June 28th via Pure Steel Records. In Brazil, the album hits the stores in the beginning of July through Voice Music. Produced by Ricardo Piccoli at PiccoliStudio in Biella, Italy, Keep It Hellish marks the premier of new vocalist Bil Martins. The band has now released the title track to the new record, ‘Keep It Hellish’.

The band will launch two more songs on the weeks prior the official release of the album. On June 14th, 'The Challenge' will be unveiled and, lastly, ‘Masters Of Wreckage’ will be released on June 21st.

Keep It Hellish tracklisting:

'Keep It Hellish'
'The Challenge'
'Reflects On The Blade'
'Fire And Killing'
'Master Of Wreckage'
'Battle At Sea'
'Phantom Ship'
'Scars (Underneath Your Skin)'
'Darkness Ride'
'The Quest'

In October, Hellish War embarks for its second European tour. The first show is already booked for October 12th at Downi in Worblaufen, Switzerland.

Quebec-based metal band CATUVOLCUS will release their fourth album, Voyageurs De L’Aube this summer on Deathbound Records. The lineup features Etienne Gallo (AUGURY) drums and Dominic Lapointe (Augury, BEYOND CREATION) on bass.

Voyageurs De L’Aube tracklisting:

‘Voyageurs Des Brumes Pt. 1’
‘Voyageurs Des Brumes Pt. 2’
‘Ressacs De L’Ame’
‘Thrill Of The Struggle’ (WOODS OF YPRES cover)

Check out a drum recording that took place at Studio LaMajeure in May:

WITCHES MARK, the self-professed 'Bringers Of Heavy Metal Death' hailing from Austin, Texas have completed work on the Witching Metal Ritual full-length, due to be released through Heaven And Hell Records on July 15th.

Witching Metal Ritual features eight tracks that blend elements of thrash, speed, doom, black, and death while anchoring their overall sound firmly within the framework of traditional heavy metal. A promo video for the album can be seen below:
Co-Produced by the band and Stuart "Batlord" Laurence (AGONY COLUMN, IGNITOR), with mixing and mastering by Brendon Bigelow (Ignitor) Witching Metal Ritual features a stunning post-apocalyptic inspired album cover courtesy of Yannick Bouchard of Illusory Dreams. Fans can also expect a number of exciting guest appearances on Witching Metal Ritual; including Ross "The Boss" Friedman (MANOWAR) Jack Starr (VIRGIN STEELE) Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS) and Martin Debourge (DAMIEN THORNE).
Witching Metal Ritual will be released in Enhanced-CD format, including bonus video content featuring a music video for the album's title track. The main tracklisting is as follows;

'Bringers Of Heavy Metal Death'
'Salem's Fire'
'Swarm'
'Slaves To Their Own Sin'
'We Die'
'Cauldron Born'
'Witching Metal Ritual'
'Where None Can Follow'

LOVE & DEATH, the band led by KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, performed at this year's edition of the Rock Am Ring festival on June 7 in Nürburgring, Germany.

Professionally filmed video footage of LOVE & DEATH's appearance at the event can be seen below (courtesy of Dasding).

LOVE AND DEATH's debut album, "Between Here & Lost", sold around 4,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 95 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on January 22 via Tooth & Nail Records.

Recorded in Nashville with producer Jasen Rauch (RED, BREAKING BENJAMIN) and mixed by Paul Pavao, Ben Grosse (MARILYN MANSON, DISTURBED) and Jim Monti (KORN), "Between Here & Lost" consists of 11 tracks, ranging from songs about personal struggle and triumph ("Chemicals", "My Disaster", "Paralyzed") to emotionally charged anthems ("Fading Away", "Watching The Bottom Fall") to a riff-heavy rendition of DEVO's 1980 hit "Whip It".

LOVE AND DEATH is comprised of Welch, lead guitarist JR Bareis, bassist Michael Valentine, and drummer Dan Johnson.

Like the album title suggests, "Between Here & Lost" captures the honesty of light and darkness, beauty and tragedy, good and evil, delivered by a band with intense passion and commitment to the message of its music.

"This record was birthed from trials, tribulations, pain, suffering, anxiety, depression, and drama," stated Welch. "However, we came out on top and the end result is a very real, raw and honest record. We are so stoked for people to hear it! From our opening song, 'The Abandoning', to our cover of DEVO's 'Whip it', to our collaboration with Mattie Montgomery from FOR TODAY on 'I W8 4 U', It's an exciting piece of art and the listener will feel the different range of emotions with the lyrics and melodies of each song."

LOVE AND DEATH formed when Welch decided to have open auditions on YouTube in 2009. "I picked the guys and then had a jam session in Phoenix," says Welch. "Over the last couple of years, there have been a few lineup changes as we went through normal growing pains. The current band has been together and touring for a while now and they are a big part of the new music and the future of LOVE AND DEATH."

Brazilian metallers BROKEN & BURNT have released a video ‘Tell Me No Lies’, taken from the band’s 2012 debut album, Let The Burning Begin.

The video was recorded by Thais Carletti and Marcelo Abelha, director who worked with the group before on ‘The New Me’ video. The members commented about the partnership: "Again we had the opportunity to work with Marcelo Abelha, a great friend who is extremely professional and knows how to capture our feeling on stage and shows perfectly our 'keep breaking and burning' attitude. We loved the result and we hope you guys enjoy it too."

Swiss death metallers DISPARAGED have inked a deal with Apostasy Records.

Commented the band: "We are very proud to have found in Apostasy Records a for-us-perfectly-tailored partner. We are looking forward to the cooperation and the release of our new album!"

DISPARAGED was formed in 1999 and has already released three albums: "Overlust", "Blood Source" and "The Wrath Of God".

A press release from Apostasy states: "All of you who thought Swizz people are slow-going will be proved wrong by DISPARAGED. The quartet rounds off dynamic drums and harsh brutality with downright virtuous melodies within the solos. Their compositions are similarly conclusive and thrilling.

"We are proud to welcome DISPARAGED into the Apostasy squad."

DISPARAGED is:

Tomislav Kuzmic - Vocals, Guitar
Ralph Beier - Guitar
Adrian Scheiber - Bass, Vocals
Deniz Lebovci - Drums

A track-by-track "preview" of "The Wild Hunt", the new album from Swedish black metallers WATAIN, can be found at DecibelMagazine.com. Due on August 19 in Europe and August 20 in USA via Century Media Records, the CD was once again mixed at the Necromorbus Studio in Alvik, Sweden by Tore Stjerna. A single, "All That May Bleed", will precede the full-length effort at the end of June.

Comments WATAIN: "'All That May Bleed' shows but one facet of a quite diverse album, but we chose this song as a first glimpse into 'The Wild Hunt' because of its bombastic lunacy and white-eyed malevolence which could be said to constitute a main foundation for the album. The lyric is an invitation to sacrificial blood letting, ecstatic zealotry and human sacrifice. The salt of Satan in the wounds of Christ!"

Side B will be a track called "Play With The Devil", originally recorded by the black/heavy metal band TAIWAZ in 1988 in WATAIN's hometown, Uppsala (Gottfrid Åhman from IN SOLITUDE participates on solo guitar on WATAIN's version).

The single will be released in the following formats:

* Black seven-inch vinyl (limited to 2,000 copies worldwide)
* Red seven-inch vinyl with sticker (only available from Wolfwear.net; limited to 500 copies worldwide)
* Seven-inch picture disc (available from CMdistro.com and Wolfwear.net; limited to 500 copies worldwide)
* Digital download

"All That May Bleed" physical release dates:

* Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Norway and worldwide through CMdistro.com and Wolfwear.net: Friday, June 21
* UK, Benelux, France, Poland: Monday, June 24
* USA, Spain: Tuesday, June 25
* Sweden: Wednesday, June 26

"All That May Bleed" digital release dates:

* Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Italy, Australia, New Zealand: Friday, June 21
* UK: Sunday, June 23
* USA, Spain: Tuesday, June 25
* Sweden, Hungary: Wednesday, June 26
* Rest Of Europe: Monday, June 24

KINGS OF CHAOS, the touring project featuring former GUNS N' ROSES members Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke and Duff McKagan. along with former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach, DEF LEPPARD's Joe Elliott, Glenn Hughes from BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and DEEP PURPLE, and COLLECTIVE SOUL's Ed Roland, made its Australian live debut on April 20 at the Stone Music Festival at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. Headlining the event were VAN HALEN and AEROSMITH.

Fan-filmed video footage of KINGS OF CHAOS' entire performance can be seen below.

KINGS OF CHAOS performed in Cape Town, South Africa on June 7 and June 8 at the Grand West Grand Arena, and is scheduled to appear on June 15 and June 16 at the Sun City Superbowl, North West.

Due to scheduling conflicts with the recording of his forthcoming studio album and the production schedule for a new major network television show, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach is not performing with KINGS OF CHAOS in South Africa. Replacing Bach for the South African KINGS OF CHAOS dates is ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH singer Myles Kennedy.

"Matt Sorum put the band together," Elliott told Cape Times. "We've known each other for years. To quote Ozzy Osbourne, he asked if we wanted to 'get aboard this crazy train.' Join in, sing a few songs and have a bit of fun — with no pressure."

He added: "And what a lineup! We have a great rhythm section from GUNS N' ROSES, Glenn Hughes from DEEP PURPLE, then there's Slash and Myles Kennedy."

KINGS OF CHAOS performs some of the individual bandmembers' greatest hits in a two-hour display of frenzied guitar riffs, pounding drums, resonating bass and trademark raspy vocals.

"The songs kind of picked themselves," said Elliott. "We'll do [DEF LEPPARD's] 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' and 'Animal', of course. And we've put in an acoustic segment for South Africa.

"Fresh songs come with fresh blood. We may even end up writing songs together. Who knows?"

He added: "It's a wonderful experience to work with these guys. They just smile all the time. Everyone has been in a band for 30 or 40 years, and we all have great jokes and stories."

KINGS OF CHAOS made its Australian live debut on April 20 at the Stone Music Festival at Sydney's ANZ Stadium.

"I couldn't believe the number of people totally going bananas. It was an eye-opener to see how much they dug it," said Elliott.

"It's building, it's a curiosity. You wonder how it's going to work, Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke and Duff McKagan playing a DEF LEPPARD song… Will it work? And it does!"

KINGS OF CHAOS toured South and Central America last year under the name ROCK 'N' ROLL ALLSTARS.

VAN HALEN played its first concert of 2013 as one of the headliners of the Stone Music Festival on April 20 at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Unchained
02. Runnin' with the Devil
03. She's The Woman
04. Romeo Delight
05. Tattoo
06. Everybody Wants Some!!
07. Somebody Get Me A Doctor
08. China Town
09. (Oh) Pretty Woman
10. Drum Solo
11. You Really Got Me
12. Dance the Night Away
13. I'll Wait
14. Hot For Teacher
15. Beautiful Girls
16. Ice Cream Man
17. Panama
18. Guitar Solo
19. Aint' Talkin' 'Bout Love
20. Jump

Fan-filmed video footage of the entire concert can be seen below.

The Stone Music Festival was inspired by a cult '70s biker film named "Stone". Released in 1974, the exploitation movie starred Ken Shorter as an undercover cop assigned to discover who is murdering members of an outlaw biker gang named the Gravediggers.

VAN HALEN had not been seen on a stage since last spring, but along with a handful of Japanese dates and the Australian gig, the band recently confirmed its first U.S. show of 2013. The Van Halen clan and David Lee Roth will close out the annual Rock USA festival, scheduled for July 17 through July 20 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

VAN HALEN backed out of 31 North American dates last summer, citing exhaustion, and then Eddie Van Halen was sidelined for four-to-six months after undergoing surgery for the inflammatory intestinal affliction diverticulitis.

Roth recently gave an interview to Rolling Stone in which he expressed his desire to work on fresh material with Eddie Van Halen and tour outside the U.S., saying, "We have an audience and we have a potential future in many, many places . . . I don't know where the VAN HALEN future lies aside from the States."

Quality fan-filmed video footage of EUROPE' June 2 performance at the HiRock Festival in Loreley Freilichtbühne, Germany can be seen below.

EUROPE's 30th-anniversary performance at this year's edition of the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden was the band's only Swedish concert of 2013 and the stage show was one of the greatest, if not the greatest of the band's entire career. The setlist was specially composed from EUROPE's entire nine-album discography, including their cult debut "Europe" (1983), multi-million-seller "The Final Countdown" (1986) and their most recent outing, "Bag Of Bones" (2012), which has now reached gold status in Sweden. The performance was also filmed for a DVD release.

For the record: today's version of EUROPE is identical to the classic "The Final Countdown" lineup: Joey Tempest (vocals), John Norum (guitar), John Levén (bass), Mic Michaeli (keyboards) and Ian Haugland (drums).

"Bag Of Bones" was released in Europe on April 27, 2012 via earMusic/Edel. The CD, which features a guest appearance by blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), was produced by Kevin Shirley, who has previously worked with IRON MAIDEN, JOE BONAMASSA, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, BLACK STONE CHERRY and JOURNEY, among others.

Stockholm, Sweden-based progressive metal band SEVENTH WONDER, which features in its ranks current KAMELOT singer Tommy Karevik, performed on the Sweden Rock Cruise, which set sail in early April. The ship Tallink Silja Galaxy departed Stockholm on April 11 to Turku, Finland to returned to Stockholm 23 hours later (on April 12).

Fan-filmed video footage of SEVENTH WONDER's performance can be seen below.

SEVENTH WONDER is currently working on material for its next studio album, tentatively due in 2014.

The band's forth CD, "The Great Escape", was released in December 2010 via Lion Music.

After he was officially announced as the new KAMELOT singer in June 2012, Karevik stated about his position in SEVENTH WONDER: "I will not leave SEVENTH WONDER! The SEVENTH WONDER guys and all of you fantastic and supportive fans out there will not get rid of me so easily! I love you all and you are the reason I got to where I am today! We are already working on some stuff for the next SEVENTH WONDER album and really can't wait to show it to you all!"

Prog legends NEKTAR return with their triumphant 13th album Time Machine on June 18th on Purple Pyramid Records - the first album of new material in over four years - that band leader and founding member Roye Albrighton is calling “the best album Nektar has ever made!” According to a press release, Time Machine showcases a new depth of songwriting, melodic complexity and musical exploration that hearkens back to early Nektar releases such as Remember The Future and A Tab In The Ocean.
Time Machine features the following tracks:
'A Better Way'
'Set Me Free, Amigo'
'Destiny'
'If Only I Could'
'Time Machine '
'Tranquility'
'Mocking the Moon'
'Talk to Me'
'Juggernaut'
'Diamond Eyes'

Check out full album audio samples by clicking the Amazon widget below. The video for the title track is on YouTube:
Nektar, featuring Albrighton, founding drummer Ron Howden, keyboardist Klaus Hentasch and bassist Lux Vibratus, is British, but was formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1970. Their early albums featured a heady, exhilarating mix of progressive, experimental rock sounds that soon caught on worldwide at the height of the international prog-rock boom. Touring the world behind numerous album releases throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s helped to cement the band’s reputation as an influential prog-rock legend. Having undergone a variety of personnel changes over the past decade or so, the band now boasts its strongest lineup in years and is ready to prove so yet again to its many fans throughout North America. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the original release date of the band’s classic album, Remember The Future, Nektar is looking to perform in its entirety this most heralded release from its vast catalog, a rarity in that the band has not performed the entire album live in years.

Nektar, SON'S OF HIPPIES US tour dates:

June
20 – Sully's – Chantilly, VA
21 – Altar Bar – Pittsburgh, PA
22 – Sellersville Theatre – Sellersville, PA
23 – B.B. King Blues Club & Grill – NYC
26 – The Winchester Music Hall – Cleveland, OH
26 – The RockPile Bar & Nightclub – Toronto, ON, Canada
28 – Shank Hall – Milwaukee, WI
29 – Viper Alley – Lincolnshire, IL
30 – Famous Dave's Blues Club – Minneapolis, MN

July
2 – Rogue Pizza Co. - Fayetteville, AR
3 – Cheer Up Charlie's – Austin, TX
4 – The Grotto – Fort Worth, TX

Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA have reunited with producer Ross Robinson (KORN, LIMP BIZKIT, SLIPKNOT) to record the band's next album, tentatively due in October via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD is currently being tracked at Robinson's studio in Venice, California and is being co-produced by Steve Evetts, who previously worked with SEPULTURA on the "Nation" (2001), "Revolusongs" (2002) and "Roorback" (2003) albums, in addition to having collaborated with Ross on a number of other projects in the past.

Comments SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser: "We are flowing with the recording now. Things are going great and we are capturing an amazing performance from [drummer] Eloy [Casagrande].

"Ross is a master on motivating a musician in the studio; he can find the right words and the right manner to say things.

"The songs grow so much.

"Every time we prepare to record a song, we, the band, and Ross spend about 30 to 40 minutes talking about the theme of the lyrics, why we wrote what we wrote. They are incredible conversations and doing this we know ourselves better we know and each other better, we build a stronger band, a real unity. When we are ready to record, all the ideas are fresh in our heads, with full meaning and strength, a process that making not only a great album but is making this band stronger.

"We have six songs recorded. [The process] is going in a rate of two songs a day and Ross is also giving important suggestions on some arrangements and directions. He is so sensitive and very close to nature, philosophical but real, very real.

"We are all together in a very small room playing our hearts out, Ross is jumping and screaming, making us explode on the room. All is sweaty and full of energy that you almost can grab it; [it's] amazing. Every time that Ross has an idea, he stops everything to try out the changes. 95% of his input we use; it's a team effort for the better of the song.

"We have 12 songs to record and 2 bonus tracks, as I mentioned before. Originally, we had 13 songs, but once we were here, we decided to cut one and focus on the 12.

"I would like to share too some of the working titles for the songs we have.

"When we write the music, most of the time we don't have a name for it so we create some nicknames to help us identify the songs. It can come from the style of the songs or anything else that will make us remind the riffs we are working on. For instance, the style of the music can help, like 'Puxada' ('Pulling') that reminds the style of riffing I'm playing on the guitar or 'Porrada' ('Punch'), which is the fastest song on the album. Other nicknames are: 'Strangiatto', 'Xisto Riff', 'Fu Riff', 'Levada Eloy', 'Balada', 'Tsunami' and 'The Vatican', which is the actual name for the song, but started as a nickname 'cause we wrote the song the very day and time the Argentinian cardinal Francis was chosen as the new Pope in Rome. It's one of the most evil lyrics I ever wrote.

"As we decide the names of the songs, I will let you all know here so you all have a feel how these things works.

"[Bassist] Paulo [Xisto Pinto Jr.] is cooking for us. He's a very good cook and Eloy's mom can be sure that he's eating properly and healthy, all good with the kid, but today a friend of Ross will prepare a barbecue for us. It will be cool to give a break to Paulo from the kitchen.

"At the living room, there's a pinball machine from the '70s working perfectly. [It] is our favorite pastime. Of course, the house stays right at the beach and is always cool to walk around and enjoy the vibe from Venice Beach, a nice way to recharge the energy for the recording.

"It will be a week tomorrow and things are going strong!"

SEPULTURA's upcoming CD will mark the first time the band will have recorded an album outside Brazil since "Against".

The reunion between SEPULTURA and Robinson was first suggested by Monte Conner, the former Roadrunner Records A&R chief who is now the head of Nuclear Blast Entertainment, a U.S. partnership with Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger.

Robinson produced SEPULTURA's classic "Roots" album in 1995. Released in February 1996 by Roadrunner, it was the band's last studio album to feature founding member and vocalist Max Cavalera.

"Roots" sold more than 2 million copies worldwide and was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of 500,000 units.

SEPULTURA has spent most of the past two years on tour in support of its 12th studio album, and Nuclear Blast Records debut, "Kairos", which hit stores in July 2011.

Pictured below: SEPULTURA with producer Ross Robinson

Decibel magazine’s July issue (on newsstands in June) features a nine-page tribute to late SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman in the form of a moving retrospective obituary, some of Hanneman's most biting quotes, and a litany of heartfelt remembrances from EXODUS, Philip Anselmo (DOWN, PANTERA), AT THE GATES, TESTAMENT, CANNIBAL CORPSE and countless other contemporaries, including Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel, whose label was responsible for releasing SLAYER's first two studio albums.

"I first met Jeff Hanneman when SLAYER opened for BITCH in Southern California in 1983," Slagel said. "I was lucky enough to get them to record a song for 'Metal Massacre 3' and then 'Show No Mercy', etc.

"Being in the studio with Jeff back then was truly amazing. Here was a young kid who was writing and playing some very mature and amazing heavy metal. History would prove him to be one of the best guitarists and composers in heavy metal history.

"Being able to be around him so much in the early days was just awesome. He was a pretty shy kid, but was so passionate about music. He grew up more into punk than metal, and those influences really helped hone his groundbreaking guitar work and songs. Also he was truly an amazing lyricist; I think people forget that a lot. Just read the lyrics he wrote and remember he was a very young kid when writing so much of the classic stuff.

"I know I am a bit biased, but he really will go down at the very top of metal legends for what he has contributed to our genre.

"As I said, he was a shy guy in the early days, but for sure had some really good opinions about things. I loved talking music and history with him; he had such an interesting take on both. Truly a genius and, as I have said, his work proves that. Jeff was also a big hockey fan! We both were able to talk hockey over the years whenever I would see them play live, and also at a few games. I was able to get him tickets to the L.A. Kings playoff games last season on their run to the Cup.

"It was so cool talking to him after the games, and he was so excited he was able to go. I was so happy to get him these tickets, as we all know how tough it has been on him after the spider bite.

"I remember how great it was seeing him at the 'Big Four' [show] in Indio, California. We had a quick chat about how happy I was to see him, and, of course, we talked some hockey.

"I also got him tickets to the Stanley Cup final here in Los Angeles. He called me after the game to thank me and said he had an amazing time at the game.

"I was so happy to help him out and really glad he had a great time.

"So sad and sudden to get the word of his passing. Way too young to go. He left a lasting and incredible legacy, and he will be missed greatly!

"R.I.P., my brother."

Decibel's Jeff Hanneman tribute issue can be purchased here.

Hanneman passed away on May 2 from liver failure at the age of 49.

Members of SLAYER released a statement on May 9 saying that Hanneman died of alcohol-related cirrhosis.

Hanneman had actually not been playing with SLAYER for more than two years since he contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard in January 2011. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

Hanneman's last appearance with SLAYER was in April 2011, when he played an encore with the band at the "Big Four" concert in Indio, California.

Former AFTER FOREVER frontwoman and current NIGHTWISH touring singer Floor Jansen will release the second album from her REVAMP project, "Wild Card", in Europe on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at SandLane Studio in Rijen, The Netherlands with Joost van den Broek (ex-AFTER FOREVER) and will feature guest choir parts by Marcela Bovio (STREAM OF PASSION) and Daniël de Jongh (TEXTURES).

Regarding the album title, Jansen states: "This album became the most aggressive album I've ever made and in the lyrics I tell a lot about my personal experiences of the last years. This resulted into some heavy stories and some open-hearted 'screams' I needed out of my system. It matches the violence of the music in a great way; we wrote as a great team! But not one sentence or word can really cover the contents of this album. Its variety in all its ingredients makes it almost impossible.

"A wild card is an unpredictable and unforeseeable factor. You don't know what you're getting, or when. That's this album! It's 100% REVAMP and it's your wild card!"

The "Wild Card" cover artwork was created by Richard Stark of NI Concept And Design. Jansen explains: "I am the queen of hearts on it, who is a wild card herself. You see a 'nice' and a 'nasty' queen. The nasty one has a cracked lip, cuts in her face and a bleeding heart in her hand. The other queen looks nice even though queens of hearts never truly are...

"Again, what is it you're going to get? In that respect it visualizes the music, from aggressive and nasty to melodic and pretty. This theme has been important to me personally throughout my career and also in this album I played with it to the max. I used my voice in so many different ways now! The music invited me to do this.

"I am super proud of the amazing guitar riffs, the versatile and groovy but mega tight drums and the keyboard sounds and arrangements that bring something new to the table.

"We hope you like our wild card!"

The first trailer for the "Wild Card", including video footage from the studio and a brand new song snippet, can be seen below.

REVAMP recently announced the addition of bassist Henk Vonk to the group's ranks. He replaces Jaap Melman, who left REVAMP before the band entered the studio to begin recording its second album. The CD was eventually completed with the help of STREAM OF PASSION bassist Johan van Stratum, who filled in on short notice and "did an amazing job to record and edit the bass parts," according to a press release.

Floor previously stated about the making of "Wild Card": "Never before in my career I faced a situation like the one we were in with this album. It was a huge challenge because of several reasons. My sickness caused a major break between the first album and tours, plus the writing of the first ideas for the second album and the actual finalization of those songs and the album. And right at the moment we started to pick everything back up after I was sick, I joined NIGHTWISH. Like a winter and a summer storm, they bring unexpected things, some nasty ones and some amazingly wonderful!

"Also the recording of this album was unlike any I did before because I was on tour with NIGHTWISH most of the time. Guided by Joost van den Broek, the talented musicians of REVAMP recorded all the instruments, and when I came back to The Netherlands, I stepped into the studio to find a rough diamond. A shiny dark crystal: ready for my vocals. That was magical! The singing went smoother than ever before. The lyrics are like a roadmap through our storms and through my personal detours and horrors.

"With pride we can announce our partner in crime from the first album will again join forces with us! Metal and rock giant Nuclear Blast will again make sure REVAMP's new album reaches YOUR music collection wherever you are on this metal-loving planet!!!

"Nuclear Blast knows about storms and their metal heart beats like ours. I am very exited they will release this album! The team is so good and with such great people I have no doubts our cooperation will again be fantastic."

Video footage of REVAMP performing a brand new song, entitled "Sins", in January 2012 at Metropool in Hengelo, The Netherlands can be seen below.

REVAMP's self-titled debut album was released in Europe on May 28, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington.

Jansen handled lead-vocal duties on NIGHTWISH's recent North American, South American, Australian and U.K. tours after the group parted ways with Anette Olzon at the end of September 2012.

Orange County, California-based rock/post-hardcore band SPEAKING THE KING'S will release its debut EP, "Here To Stay", in Europe on July 12 digitally via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded with A DAY TO REMEMBER producer, songwriter, and former guitarist Tom Denney (PIERCE THE VEIL, SECRETS) in Florida. All songs were mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUICIDE SILENCE, HATEBREED, STICK TO YOUR GUNS, WHITECHAPEL).

"We have put a lot in to this recording and we hope that people will be able to connect with our music and with us as individuals," says SPEAKING THE KING'S guitarist and founding member Justin Bock.

The band shares some background on the "Here To Stay" cover photo and the colorful leg tattoos: "We felt the sight of tattoos, Vans, shorts, and an overall warm tone of the setting portrayed the fun lifestyle of living in California. The dock in Santa Fe Springs is still in good condition and has many years ahead of itself but has seen its tough days with all the dents, just like each and every one of us."

"Here To Stay" track listing:

01. One Foot At A Time
02. How You Work
03. Casanova
04. Tearing Down The Walls
05. Lock & Key
06. The Collector

SPEAKING THE KING'S was formed during the winter of 2011 by guitarists Justin Bock and Mike Entin and drummer Will Peacock, vocalist Bobby Burap then joining the ranks to round out the lineup.

British thrashers ONSLAUGHT have tapped Thomas "Plec" Johansson (TIAMAT, SCAR SYMMETRY) to mix their as-yet-untitled sixth album at Panic Room studios in Skara, Sweden beginning on July 7. The follow-up to 2011's "Sounds Of Violence" will be released in September via AFM Records.

Comments ONSLAUGHT guitarist Nige Rockett: "The original plan was to work with our friend Jacob Hansen, who did such an amazing job on the last album, 'Sounds Of Violence'… But sometimes circumstances and outlooks change and we have now decided to take a totally fresh approach with this record to ensure that once again we create something that has its own unique identity from all previous releases.

"We spoke to several great producers about making this album and after a couple of conversations with Plec and listening to his work, we could see how versatile he was and that we had very much the same vision to how the final mixes should sound.

"Continuity can be good for some bands, but we really dig the spark and energy that working with someone new can create."

ONSLAUGHT will headline the first Slaughterfest across Europe in October, with German cult thrashers EXUMER, MPIRE OF EVIL and death metal legends MASTER completing the bill.

ONSLAUGHT's last tour saw the band performing its 1986 album, "The Force", in its entirety. The band also recorded a new version of its classic song "Metal Forces", for inclusion as a bonus track on the re-release of the band's 1986 album, "The Force", available on AFM Records. The set contains revised artwork and some sleeve notes written by Rockett.

The band's fifth album, "Sounds Of Violence", was released in January 2011 via AFM Records.

ONSLAUGHT recruited Michael Hourihan (EXTREME NOISE TERROR, DESECRATION) to play the drums following the departure of Steve Grice in 2011.

Drummer Jon Dette, who recently played with SLAYER and ANTHRAX (and previously with TESTAMENT), is sitting behind the kit for HEATHEN on the San Francisco Bay Area thrash band's current European tour with GENERATION KILL and DUST BOLT.

Fan-filmed video footage of HEATHEN's June 8 performance at this year's edition of the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden can be seen below.

Prior to embarking on the trek, HEATHEN stated about Dette's addition to the band's touring lineup: "As most of you know already, Darren [Minter] recently left the band. It was an amicable split and we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.

"For those of you concerned about our upcoming European tour, have no fear. Jon Dette will be filling in on drums for all dates on the tour. Jon played with us once before during our North American tour a couple of years ago and we are looking forward to touring with him again. Get ready for the chaos!"

HEATHEN last year inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records.

HEATHEN's latest album, "The Evolution Of Chaos", was released in the U.S. on February 16, 2010. The CD was issued in Japan on December 23, 2009 via King Records and was made available on January 25 in Europe via Holland's Mascot Records.

Vocalist AMANDA SOMERVILLE (TRILLIUM, HDK) has checked in with a new video blog from AVANTASIA's Mystery World Tour 2013. Check out the short clip below:
Having played sold out venues all over Europe on the first leg of their Mystery World Tour, German composer and vocalist Tobias Sammet's Avantasia recently kicked off the festival season, and have been announced for another appearance. On July 27th the band will headline the Rock Of Ages festival in Rottenburg-Seebronn, Germany.
Other acts on the bill for the festival include DORO, KROKUS, MOTHER'S FINEST, ALAN PARSON'S PROJECT, UFO and many more.

Further details and tickets at this location.

The Mystery Of Time, the latest release from Avantasia, was released earlier this month in North America, selling nearly 2,000 copies and checking in at #9 on the Billboard Heat Seekers chart. The album also debuted at #33 on the Hard Rock chart.
While Sammet has sold more than 3 million albums worldwide, The Mystery Of Time easily set Avantasia sales records when it released in his native Germany last month; it sold more than twice as many copies as any previous Avantasia album in the first week of its release, while rocketing straight to #2 on the official German Mediacontrol album charts. The record also cracked the Top 10 in Finland, Sweden and England.

To read BraveWords.com scribe Mark Gromen's review of The Mystery Of Time, click here.

The video for 'Sleepwalking', taken from The Mystery Of Time, can be viewed below: