Danish black metallers BLODARV are set to release a 3-tape limited edition box set, titled Storms Of The Past, which features the Soulcollector album and the first two Blodarv demos - Murder In The Name Of Satan and Mysteriis. Storms Of The Past comes in both a regular version, limited to 30 boxes, and a diehard leather edition strictly limited to 15 units. As well as the three pro tapes, the boxes will also include a booklet, patch, badge and poster which are only available with the sets, whilst the leather box will additionally include a sticker for the box, a Mysteriis and a Lang vaek fra livet sticker, and a large (23x10 cm) booklet which will have four extra pages with handwritten lyrics for Soulcollector.
Storms Of The Past will be released on Atramentum Productions on September 18th, and will also be available to purchase direct from the band at this location where advance orders are currently being taken.

Storms Of The Past regular box set includes:

Pro Tape 1: Murder In The Name Of Satan Demo 1999
Pro Tape 2: Mysteriis Demo 2000
Pro Tape 3: Soulcollector T.T.Y.T. Album
Three-Tape Box With Storms Of The Past Cover
Large Booklet (16 X 10 Cm) 8 Pages
Patch 9 X9 Cm Blodarv Pentagram
A2 Poster, Blodarv Storms Of The Past
Badge Blodarv Pentagram

Storms Of The Past box set / die hard leather edition includes:

Pro Tape 1: Murder In The Name Of Satan Demo 1999
Pro Tape 2: Mysteriis Demo 2000
Pro Tape 3: Soulcollector T.T.Y.T. Album
Three-Tape Leather Box
Huge Booklet 12 Pages (10 X 23 Cm!) 4 extra pages with the handwritten 'Soulcollector' Lyrics)
Patch 9 X9 Cm Blodarv Pentagram
A2 Poster, Blodarv Storms Of The Past
Badge/Button Blodarv Pentagram
Sticker, Blodarv Pentagram-Storms Of The Past Sticker (for front of leather box, if you wish)
Sticker Mysteriis
Sticker Lang Vaek Fra Livet
Blodarv was founded some 14 years ago by frontman Hugin, and today’s lineup includes Hugin on vocals, bass, guitars and effects, Satinae Ma on female vocals, Pestilens on lead guitar and Fjorgynn on drums. Greatly inspired by the myths and legends and beautiful, eerie landscapes of the island of Bornholm, on which Hugin has both his home and recording studio,Blodarv’s music is a journey through a world of powerful demons, haunted souls, tragic destinies and chilling dreams. The title of Blodarv’s recently released fourth full-length album is, in fact, Gâst which, in the island dialect of Bornholmsk (Burgundian), is a type of a ghost demon or energy with the ability to possess mortals and inspire them in much the same way as a muse, with visions, stories, smells, sounds, emotions and pictures.

Fifteen tracks spanning the whole of Blodarv’s career can be heard on the band’s SoundCloud player:

BLODARV by BLODARV

The official video for the track 'I Blaek Og Blod' from Blodarv’s fourth full-length album Gâst can be seen below:
More on Blodarv at this location.

Following a successful spring run supporting CLUTCH and an upcoming tour of Europe, Austin, Texas metal luminaries THE SWORD have announced a 25-date U.S. and Canadian tour, set to kick off on July 25 in Dallas. The trek will be the first to visit Canada in support of the band's fourth album, "Apocryphon". Support acts for all dates will be CASTLE and AMERICAN SHARKS.

Spreading its entrepreneurial wings, THE SWORD is also pleased to announce the launch of a new branded beer, Iron Swan. The beer, in partnership with Texas-based Real Ale Brewing Company, marks the band's second foray into the beer universe following the launch last fall of Winters Wolves in partnership with Baltimore, Maryland-based brewery Oliver Ales. Iron Swan will officially launch at the end of July with the four Texas shows that begin the summer tour.

Says Real Ale Brewing Company about Iron Swan: "Our newest canned offering is a tribute to the song that first introduced us to a packaging hall favorite, THE SWORD. Iron Swan pours a deep copper color and has an enticing intro of fruit and caramel with subtle hints of earth and spice. This medium bodied ale showcases the fruitiness of our house ale strain, along with the rich toffee flavors of English crystal malt. Added complexity is provided by generous amounts of English hops. Iron Swan finishes slightly dry with a mild spiciness that beckons another can. Fire up your turntable and audition Iron Swan yourself."

Below is the design for the Iron Swan can.

"Apocryphon" sold nearly 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 17 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was produced and engineered by J. Robbins (CLUTCH, JAWBOX) at Magpie Cage Studios and features cover art by famed comic book artist J.H. Williams III (Batwoman, Promethea).

Greek thrashers SUICIDAL ANGELS have released the following details about their new record Divide And Conquer:

“Back with some more news regarding the recordings of the new album. Once again, they will take place at the Music Factory and Prophecy studios in Germany with the help of our friend and brother, R. D. Liapakis, with whom we have been working for the past four years. The recording process of Divide And Conquer will begin in August and we can't wait to get this thing going in order to present you what we have in our hands. Afterwards, we head off to Göteborg, Sweden, to mix and master the album with none other than Mr. Fredrik Nordstrom at the Fredman Studios. It's gonna be a busy and hectic summer for us, the engines are running at full speed and we are eager to get to work! More news on Divide And Conquer, recordings, tracklist and artwork will follow soon! Stay tuned and don't stop banging to our favorite music...T?RASH!

Suicidal Angels live:

June
8 - Hauptmannsgrün, Germany - Chronical Moshers Open Air
14 - Wervik, Belgium - Skull Fest
21 - Jaworzno, Poland - Metalfest
22 - St. Goarshausen, Germany - Metalfest Loreley

September
13 - Essen, Germany - Turock Open Air

DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE guitarist Vivian Campbell is currently in recovery from cancer.

Vivian says: "I feel fortunate that my cancer sent me an alarm call in the form of 'the cough that wouldn't quit.' Otherwise, how would I have known?

"After several months of trying every inhaler known to man, my doctor finally had me X-rayed. A further CAT scan revealed that enlarged lymph nodes were doing wrestling manoeuvres on my windpipe — hence the cough. What was causing the enlarged lymph nodes, however, was yet to be determined, so I underwent a surgical biopsy on March 11th, the first day of LEPPARD rehearsals for our Viva Las Vegas shows. Obviously, I didn't make it to rehearsal that day, but it's okay; I know the songs by now...

"My diagnosis was Hodgkin's Lymphoma and six months of chemotherapy is the prescribed treatment. I'm about two months in and feeling rather spiffy, all things considered.

"Hodgkin's has an over 80% cure rate, so by my reckoning, if you're going to have a cancer, Hodgie's is the one to have!

"The reason I'm sharing this with you is because, despite cancer and chemo, me and my new aerodynamic hairstyle (read: no hair) are going on tour this summer with the band and I don't want anyone to be so shocked by my new look that they ask for a refund. Simple economics, really.

"My family, friends and bandmates have all been extremely supportive through this and I look forward to a summer full of shows with both DEF LEPPARD in June/July and the debut of LAST IN LINE this August."

The USA-based Northern Irish guitarist has a busy schedule this coming summer. Fresh from DEF LEPPARD's triumphant Las Vegas residency, the band is set to play a series of festivals and headline shows across Europe and North America in June/July 2013. In addition, August 2013 sees Vivian debut the reunited original DIO band under the name of LAST IN LINE: 30 years after the recording of the legendary DIO albums "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart", and without trying to replace the singular sound that was Ronnie James Dio's voice, the original band have started playing the songs they wrote and created together again. Joined by the passionate, powerful and unique voice of vocalist Andrew Freeman, Campbell, Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain and Claude Schnell have united under the name of their classic album, LAST IN LINE, to perform and tour their original songs again.

Former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry has revealed via his Fan Asylum web site that he had a mole removed from his face three weeks ago that turned out to be cancerous. "I've had two surgeries in two weeks to remove all the cancer cells and I've been told they think they got it all and no other treatments are required," Perry said.

In the lengthy blog post, Perry also revealed that he recently became involved in a relationship with a woman who ended up succumbing to cancer. Perry wrote that he fell for psychologist and breast cancer survivor Kellie Nash after seeing her in a cancer TV special and deciding that he simply had to meet her. They ended up dating for a year and a half before Nash's cancer came back and she died in December 2012.

Perry last September signed an exclusive publishing administration agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), for the world outside of the U.S. and Canada,. The dea lincludes all songs written or co-written by Steve Perry throughout his career, including as lead singer of JOURNEY and his solo work.

"The Wanderer", the new video from Finnish melancholic dark metal forerunners AMORPHIS, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.

Commented the band: "We've had super fun shooting this new video with Patric Ullaeus who did an amazing job, as always! For us, it's one of our favorite music videos from all the ones we've done so far!"

"The Wanderer" comes off AMORPHIS' eleventh album, "Circle", which was released on April 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. Production and mixing duties for the follow-up to 2011's "The Beginning Of Times" were handled by HYPOCRISY and PAIN mastermind Peter Tägtgren, who has previously worked with such bands as CHILDREN OF BODOM, CELTIC FROST, IMMORTAL and DIMMU BORGIR. The recordings took place at Petrax Studio (NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, KORPIKLAANI) in Hollola and 5K Studios in Helsinki. The cover artwork was created by Tom Bates (BLEED FROM WITHIN, DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL) and can be seen below.

Commented AMORPHIS vocalist Tomi Joutsen: "The mystic, androgynous person on the cover represents a spiritual guide. This character was sent from another time and place to help the album's protagonist find a new path for his life."

"Circle" track listing:

01. Shades Of Gray
02. Mission
03. The Wanderer
04. Narrow Path
05. Hopeless Days
06. Nightbird's Song
07. Into The Abyss
08. Enchanted By The Moon
09. A New Day
10. Dead Man's Dream (bonus track)

The album's limited digibook version comes with a bonus DVD containing the following:

* The Making Of "Circle"
* Nightbird's Song (video clip)

Apart from the CD+DVD digibook version, "Circle" was made available on CD (without the bonus track), black 2LP in gatefold, brown 2LP in gatefold and as a bulging limited box, including three bonus tracks and a wristband — exclusively via the Nuclear Blast mail order.

Brazil's Wikimetal podcast recently conducted an interview with ADRENALINE MOB and SYMPHONY X vocalist Russell Allen (pictured below). You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud player below.

On whether they knew drummer Mike Portnoy was leaving ADRENALINE MOB before Mike released a statement announcing his departure:

Russell: "Of course we knew about it before he made it public. He's been, obviously, real busy with THE WINERY DOGS, which is his next band that he's doing. The truth of it is we wanna keep working, we wanna keep doing ADRENALINE MOB and we don't wanna wait around for Mike to have the time [to put into ADRENALINE MOB]. And he doesn't know when he will have the time again, so that's really what's going down. Mike Portnoy was asked to be in the band by myself. Me and [guitarist Mike] Orlando had already written all the material, so [ADRENALINE MOB's debut album] 'Omertá' was completely finished before Mike joined the act. And it's a bummer, but he's got his sights on other things, and he's not gonna stick around. So we wish him the best of luck, but the MOB's gotta go on."

On whether ADRENALINE MOB has a particular drummer in mind to replace Mike Portnoy:

Russell: "We don't have a drummer in mind yet, but we are writing new material right now and we're looking to get a record out sometime later this year. So that's our plan and that's what we're currently doing. Mike was really cool with even suggesting some people to replace him in the band. and we're looking at all options right now. The word is obviously out that the MOB needs a drummer. We're more focusing on writing material right now for a new album. But yeah, the drummer thing is definitely the next thing that we need to tackle after we get this material written."

METALLICA's Orion Music + More festival debuted last June in Atlantic City, New Jersey and is set to return this coming weekend on Detroit, Michigan's Belle Isle.

Even though the two Atlantic City shows sold a total of 24,000 tickets, according to The Press Of Atlantic City, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told BusinessWeek.com that the band has yet to make money from the venture.

"I wish we broke even last year," Ulrich said. "I'd obviously like to get into a situation where it's not costing us, but that will probably be another couple of years away. You've got to be in it for the long haul."

He added: "What worked last year was a sense of intimacy and a sense of connection that we made with the fans. There was a very cozy family spirit significantly different than other festivals we've played. If we treat this right over the next couple of years, maybe we'll be able to establish a long-term type of thing."

Ulrich also spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for METALLICA's follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic" album.

"We're sifting through riffs and putting them into very rough song skeletons," the drummer said. "We're probably looking at getting back to writing and thinking about the next record sometime in October or November."

METALLICA's IMAX 3D movie, "Metallica Through The Never", will be released in the U.S. by Picturehouse on September 27 in IMAX venues exclusively, followed by more theaters on October 4.

The film stars Dane DeHaan as a METALLICA crew member assigned with carrying out a mysterious task for the band as they perform at a local arena.

According to Billboard, drummer Joey Covington, who played with JEFFERSON AIRPLANE from 1970-72 and later in the offshoot band HOT TUNA, died in a car crash in Palm Springs on Tuesday. He was 67 years old.

His death was confirmed by a post on Jefferson Starship’s Facebook page Wednesday that simply read, “Rest in peace, Joey.”
According to local paper The Desert Sun, Covington crashed his Honda Civic into a retaining wall near Belardo Road and South Palm Canyon Drive. Covington, a resident of Palm Springs, was not wearing a seat belt.

Covington joined Jefferson Airplane during the recording of 1969's Volunteers album. He also played on the Bark and Long John Silver’ albums, as well as appearing on the 1976 hit 'With Your Love'.

Another teaser of new music from AVENGED SEVENFOLD has been posted online and can be seen below. The 30-second clip features a snippet of a new song from the sessions with producer Mike Elizondo for the California act's sixth studio album, which is due out this summer.

The new disc will follow up 2010's "Nightmare", which was also helmed by Elizondo and which earned the band its first No. 1 album on The Billboard 200 chart.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows last year hinted at the direction of the band's next studio LP, telling Metal Hammer that it will not sound like "Carry On", the group's contribution to the video game "Call Of Duty: Black Ops II". Shadows explained, "The new album has a lot more of a [BLACK] SABBATH / [LED] ZEPPELIN feel to it than 'Carry On'. There's definitely more SABBATH in what we're writing, and we're proud of 'Carry On', but this album is going to be on a whole new level."

The new CD is the first to be wholly written without drummer and key songwriter James "The Rev" Sullivan, who died in December 2009. Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio that didn't stop the band from deciding to take a different direction. "We had a decision to make on this one," he said. "The decision was, okay, do we just make a record that everyone expects us to make, or do we just move forward and make another, different record that we feel more comfortable with, and we chose the latter. So right now we're looking forward to doing something new and exciting and fresh, and hopefully people give it a shot and like it."

The band has lined up several festival appearances this summer, starting with Rock USA on July 17 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

UK-based dirty rock n' roll trio GRIFTER are gearing up to start the recording of the follow up to their self-titled 2011 debut, which will appear later in the year on Ripple Music on CD and Guinness splatter vinyl.
The working title for the album is The Return Of The Bearded Brethren and will feature artwork from up and coming tattoo artist, Jamie Campbell. Tracks will include 'Braggard's Boast', 'Black Gold', 'It's Not Me, It's You', 'She Mountain', 'Princess Leia', Fire Water,' 'Paranoiac Blues,' 'The Return Of The Bearded Brethren', 'Bow Down To The Monkey' and a cover of BLACK SABBATH's 'Fairies Wear Boots' that has become a popular fixture of the live set.

Promising to deliver an album full of material that has been described as "heavy as fuck," guitarist/vocalist Ollie Stygall recently made the following statement about the band's forthcoming record: "We're tantalisingly close to finishing writing for the album. One new track 'It's Not Me, It's You' just needs a few tweaks to round off some of the rougher edges but it's sounding tasty...it has kind of a swing blues vibe to it, albeit much heavier. We're also looking at dusting off "Woman Of Mine" and making the definitive version of it. We've always loved the song but it could do with a spruce up...I have some nice ideas. Once that's done we just need to think about getting in and recording it!!!"

More news on this release as it comes. In the meantime, Grifter's self-titled debut is currently available via Ripple Music.

More on Grifter at this location.

Icelandic death metallers BENEATH have recruited Benedikt Natanael Bjarnason (AZOIC) as their new vocalist following the departure of vocalist and founding member Gísli Sigmundsson. Commented guitarist Jóhann Ingi Sigurðsson: "Benedikt came in and put hard work into nailing the old songs as well as showing us what he would like to do with the new material. His work ethics and songwriting skills are evident from AZOIC so we expect great things from him and are thrilled to add him to the fold."
Vocalist Gísli Sigmundsson left the band in April 2013 after playing his final gig at the SWR Barroselas metal festival in Portugal. Gísli commented on his departure: "I've decided to leave my brothers in Beneath. It's been five great years making music and playing gigs with these guys, but now it's time for change. There is no animosity or drama, the time has simply come for me to focus on other things in life. Keep your eyes on Beneath though; their next album is going to be massive!"

Beneath are currently finishing up writing their sophomore album and will start recording at Poland's Hertz studios this September with the Wieslawscy brothers (VADER, DECAPITATED, HATE) producing. Release is planned for February 2014 on Unique Leader Records.

Beneath's debut album, Enslaved By Fear, was released in July 2012 via Unique Leader Records. The album was mixed by Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, BEHEMOTH, IN FLAMES, DARK FUNERAL) and features artwork by Raymond Swanland (DEEDS OF FLESH, PSYCROPTIC).

Frontiers Records has announced the release of the FIND ME album, Wings Of Love, on August 24th in Europe and August 27th in North America.

Find Me sees the collaboration between singer Robbie LaBlanc from BLANC FACES together with Swedish producer and musician Daniel Flores (THE MURDER OF MY SWEET, MIND’S EYE). It all started when Frontiers Records President Serafino Perugino, in his relentless quest for the perfect melodic rock album envisioned this trans-Atlantic alliance based on the mutual recognition for each other’s abilities.
During 2011 Daniel started to work hard to seek and write the right songs which could create THE monster album! He knew from the beginning what was needed: rocking guitars, but fresh and spacious melodies where Robbie’s vocal abilities could shine overall. Some Swedish mates, such as Sören Kronqvist (CRASH THE SYSTEM, SUNSTORM) and Erik Mårtensson (ECLIPSE, W.E.T., JIMI JAMISON) immediately answered the call, but strong contributions also came also from now regular Frontiers songwriters such as Alessandro Del Vecchio (HARDLINE) and brothers Tom and James Martin (VEGA, Sunstorm), together with Issa and Mikey Wilson.

“It's so amazing that this was born out of the imagination of music visionary Serafino onto Robbie and me, pouring our heart outs onto 12 amazing songs” says Daniel Flores. “This has been a labour of carefully chosen songs, hand picked musicians, live recording, carefully balanced arrangements and state of the art sound quality that showcases all musicians at the top of their game. This was how the giants recorded the great AOR records and so this is our love letter to that era we all grew up listening to!”

Robbie LaBlanc adds: “I remember listening to the demos and thinking, WOW, these are great songs, great players, and great lead vocals! I was very moved and driven to give everything I could to the songs. When I got the good news from Serafino and Daniel they loved it, I was happy and relieved at the same time. I admire all of the song writers, musicians, and demo singers that made this project what it turned out to be. I hope everyone digs it !”

Each song was expertly crafted bearing in mind Robbie’s vocal style and Daniel’s production abilities, added to the amazing performances from Daniel Palmqvist (XORIGIN) on guitar and Johnny Trobro on bass and fretless, create a massive musical result guaranteed to excite all the melodic rock fans.

“Take JOURNEY's lesson from recent great albums like Revelation and Arrival, add it to some cool FOREIGNER and DEF LEPPARD-ish and modern Swedish AOR and you’ll get the idea of how Find Me is sounding”, concludes Daniel Flores. Robbie says: “We are seriously going to be behind this, it’s just too good to be believed”.
Wings Of Love tracklisting:

'Road To Nowhere'
'Another World'
'Dancing To A Broken Heartbeat'
'Eternally'
'Firefight'
'On The Outside'
'One Soul'
'Powerless'
'Bottom Of My Heart'
'Unbreakable'
'Wings Of Love'
'Your Lips'

Samples of four songs from the album can be heard below:

Canadian band PROTEST THE HERO, which recently made headlines when its Indiegogo campaign to fund a new album more than doubled its $125,000 goal with time to spare, has parted ways with its longtime drummer Moe Carlson.

"[Moe] approached me one day — he approached everyone individually — and said, 'Just to let you know, I'm going back to school,' and I was like, 'Good for you. That's awesome,'" PROTEST THE HERO singer Rody Walker told AUX. "And then he said he didn't have any intentions of touring ever again. That kind of sucked. It was a shock, obviously, but he's been really good about the whole thing."

The band explained in a post on its Facebook page: "When our gruelling studio schedule just wouldn't work with [Moe's] gruelling school schedule, we realized we would need to find a session player for the new album. With Moe's guidance and approval, we found us a nice match in [LAMB OF GOD's] Chris Adler! Having known Chris for a few years, and with he and Moe being drum buddies, it seemed like a perfect fit. We are happy to say that Chris has already come and gone from Canada and has left us with some beautiful drum tracks."

Speaking to AUX, Walker explained how Adler's influence could make the new PROTEST THE HERO record — which is tentatively due in the fall — its heaviest to date.

"He's coming from such a different spot than us," Walker said. "We come to heavy metal through punk rock. It must have been strange for him playing some punk beats, and some of the punk beats he plays in a heavy metal way. This may come out being one of our more heavy-sounding records, or more metal-sounding record."

PROTEST THE HERO's latest studio CD, "Scurrilous", was released in March 2011 in North America via Vagrant Records.

Pictured below: PROTEST THE HERO in the studio with Chris Adler

California metallers LEATHERWOLF will be joined by bassist Paul Carman on their upcoming run of dates, which gets underway June 13 at Bobby McGee's in Chicago Ridge, Illinois.

"We're grateful that our old friend Paul has agreed to step in for our regular bass player, Pat Guyton, who is not able to do these shows with us," the band states. "We haven't played with Paul since our last European tour, so we're looking forward to rekindling the old magic, kicking out the jams together and having a great time on the road."

Carman originally joined LEATHERWOLF in 1986 and appeared on the band's two major label studio releases, "Leatherwolf" (1987) and "Street Ready" (1989), which spawned the MTV video classics "The Calling" and "Hideaway" as well as perennial fan favorites such as "Thunder", "Gypsies & Thieves" and "Rise Or Fall".

Carman joins a rejuvenated lineup consisting of original members, vocalist/guitarist Michael Olivieri and drummer Dean Roberts, and the explosive guitar duo of Rob Math and Greg Erba.

LEATHERWOLF is set release a new live album, entitled "Unchained", later this year. It was mixed by producer extraordinaire Roy Z, whose resume includes JUDAS PRIEST, SEPULTURA, HALFORD, BRUCE DICKINSON, HELLOWEEN and many others.

LEATHERWOLF also recently launched a new official web site at LeatherwolfMetal.com where their classic releases are available for purchase as MP3 (320Kbp) downloads. Fans can watch videos, stay informed with the latest news, find tour dates and sign up for the LEATHERWOLF newsletter.

LEATHERWOLF tour dates:

Jun. 13 - Bobby McGee's - Chicago Ridge, IL
Jun. 14 - Penny Pub Road - Barrington, IL
Jun. 16 - StringZ & WingZ - Streetsboro, OH
Jun. 18 - The Chaffee Flatts Bar & Grill - Chaffee, NY
Jun. 19 - Shots Sports Bar & Ent. - Utica, NY
Jun. 20 - The Dead Horse Cantina & Music Hall - McKees Rocks, PA
Jun. 21 - House Of Rock - White Marsh, MD
Jun. 22 - Waterville Bar & Grill – Waterbury, CT

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."