Legendary San Francisco Bay Area gore grind act AUTOPSY will release its sixth studio opus of horror and all-out madness, "The Headless Ritual", on July 2 via Peaceville Records. The cover art for the CD was painted by none other than the legendary Joe Petagno (MOTÖRHEAD, MARDUK), and it's safe to say he has outdone himself with this gruesome slice of horror.

A mini-site for "The Headless Ritual" can be accessed at this location. Fans who sign up for the AUTOPSY mailing list will receive a free download of the "Arch Cadaver" track.

Featuring the returning quartet of Chris Reifert, Eric Cutler, Danny Coralles and Joe Trevisano, "The Headless Ritual" is a relentless monster of violent and brutal death metal mastery delivered in the unmistakable AUTOPSY style of chaotic riffing, insane solos and doom-filled interludes, all served with the band's unhinged brand of vocal sickness. The CD was recorded and mixed in April at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California with Adam Munoz.

"The Headless Ritual" track listing:

01. Slaughter At Beast House
02. Mangled Far Below
03. She Is A Funeral
04. Coffin Crawlers
05. When Hammer Meets Bone
06. Thorns And Ashes
07. Arch Cadaver
08. Flesh Turns To Dust
09. Running From The Goathead
10. The Headless Ritual

The song "Arch Cadaver" can now be streamed below.

Said AUTOPSY drummer/vocalist Chris Reifert: "Expect nothing less than the monstrous brutality that AUTOPSY has been known to offer. Laurels will not be rested upon, trends will not be followed and mercy will not be shown. Mark your calendars for July and pick out a coffin to lie down and die in. Darkness and death await..."

AUTOPSY released a DVD, "Born Undead", in June 2012 in the U.S. via Peaceville Records. The set charts AUTOPSY's birth, death and rebirth with an extensive documentary conducted with the bandmembers themselves, as they describe how the beast came to be, and the impact their music has had on the metal world over a span of more than 20 years. The film also documents the band's long-awaited return to the studio and stage, and includes rehearsal footage of both new tracks and old classics for their live comeback assault.

"Macabre Eternal", the first full-length album from AUTOPSY since 1995's "Shitfun", sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 67 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

AUTOPSY had previously decided to make an official comeback after working together on two songs for the special 20th-anniversary edition of debut album, "Severed Survival", in late 2008; the band having originally split before the release of its fourth album, "Shitfun", in 1995.

AUTOPSY is:

Chris Reifert - Drums/Vocals
Danny Coralles - Guitar
Eric Cutler - Guitar
Joe Trevisano - Bass

Due in Europe on June 28, the new edition of "Warriors Of The World" takes MANOWAR's album to the next level. Fully remastered and with a different bonus track, this brand new edition provides even higher sonic quality than ever before.

Mixed at legendary Galaxy Studios by world-renowned mixing engineer Ronald Prent, the 10th-anniversary edition was remastered at MANOWAR's own studios Hell And Haus Wahnfried by MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio personally, with MANOWAR's in-house audio engineer Dirk Kloiber.

"It was an amazing experience, revisiting this production," says DeMaio. "There are so many great memories associated with this album, from the recording to the post-production to the many unique live performances. All these experiences go into your work, when you sit in the studio and create a new experience for your fans."

The 10th-anniversary remastered edition of "Warriors Of The World" contains all 11 tracks from the original release, entirely remastered, plus a live recording of "House Of Death", recorded during the "Battle Hymns MMXI Tour" at O2 Academy in Birmingham, England; MANOWAR's triumphant return to England after 16 years.

The album features, among others, the iconic title track, "Warriors Of The World United", the battle cry "Call To Arms", and a series of further favorite hymns, including "Hand Of Doom" and the live favorite "House Of Death".

The 10th-anniversary remastered edition of "Warriors Of The World" is already available as digital album on iTunes worldwide.

"Warriors Of The World" 10th-anniversary remastered edition track listing:

01. Call To Arms
02. The Fight For Freedom
03. Nessun Dorma
04. Valhalla
05. Swords In The Wind
06. An American Trilogy
07. The March
08. Warriors O The World United
09. House Of Death
10. Fight Until We Die
11. House Of Death (recorded live at O2 Academy in Birmingham, UK, March 27, 2011)

Canadian technical death metallers GORGUTS will release their fifth album, "Colored Sands", on August 30 in Europe and September 3 in North America via Season Of Mist. The band has also announced a string of headlining shows leading to and from this year's Hopscotch Festival. the U.S. trek, which begins on September 5 in Springfield, Virginia, will travel through Hopscotch before ending on September 8 in Worcester, Massachusetts.

GORGUTS guitarist/vocalist Luc Lemay previously stated that "Colored Sands" would be "a very detailed, dark, epic, emotional, conceptual record."

War On Music Records in 2011 released on vinyl the GORGUTS albums "From Wisdom To Hate" (2001) and "Obscura" (1998). These records were largely regarded as pioneering works in the technical death metal genre, and set the standard for the decade to follow.

GORGUTS' current lineup is as follows:

* Luc Lemay (NEGATIVA) - Vocals, Guitar
* Kevin Hufnagel (DYSRHYTHMIA, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, BYLA, EUCLID STREET, THE FIFTH SEASON, GREY DIVISION BLUE) - Guitar
* Colin Marston (DYSRHYTHMIA, BEHOLD... THE ARCTOPUS, BYLA, KRALLICE, INDRICOTHERE) - Bass
* John Longstreth (DIM MAK, ORIGIN, THE RED CHORD, SKINLESS, POSSESSION, ANGELCORPSE) – Drums

According to the San Diego Reader, AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis or his agent paid $160,000 in fees as a "premium" to All-Pro Bail Bonds (described as "California's fastest-growing retail bail agency") on May 30 and was released the same day from Vista jail, in Northern San Diego County. The 32-year-old singer spent twenty-four days in custody after being arrested on suspicion of soliciting the murder of his estranged wife.

Lambesis had his bail lowered from $3 million to $2 million during a May 17 bail review hearing.

Prosecutors initially requested that Superior Court Judge Martin Staven set Lambesis' bail at $20 million, saying the singer remains "substantially motivated to kill his wife."

Lambesis' defense attorney, Tom Warwick, had asked for bail of $250,000.

If an individual is arrested and bail is set by the court, the individual can secure his/her release while the case is pending by placing cash or property equal to the face amount of the bail as collateral with the court. Once the case is concluded, the court will return the collateral to the depositor.

If the arrested individual does not have cash or property sufficient to cover the face amount of bail, they can use the services of a bail agent or "bondsman." The bail agent agrees to secure the release of the accused individual in return for a fee between 8% and 10% of the face amount of the bail. The arrested individual is also required to provide a co-signor that will take responsibility for the face amount of bail.

Once the fee has been negotiated and a co-signor agrees to take responsibility for the bail, the bail agent delivers the bond to the jail and the arrested individual is released from custody.

Lambesis was arrested on May 7 on suspicion of solicitation to commit murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

The singer, who at one time has said he considered himself to be a Christian and acknowledged that he found inspiration for lyrical content from biblical texts, was taken into custody without incident at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Oceanside, California, according to San Diego Sheriff's Department.

Warwick blamed Lambesis' steroid use for the alleged murder-for-hire plot. He also revealed that Lambesis was going through steroid withdrawal while in custody.

Lambesis' attorney said the "gym culture" led to "changes in [the singer's] physiological and mental status," with Tim's bodybuilding obsession causing him to go from 170 to 220 pounds after first taking supplements, then steroids. "[He] was not the same person. He was irritable and lost God."

Prosecutors allege Lambesis had twice told a man at a gym that he wanted his wife killed, then met with an undercover detective known as "Red", and gave the agent an envelope containing $1,000 in cash, photographs of his wife, and the security gate code to her house. He also allegedly told the agent the dates he would be with the couple's three adopted children, in order to give himself an alibi.

"When specifically asked do you want her dead, he said, 'Yes that's exactly what I want,'" Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso told the judge. "The victim now is terrified and living in seclusion."

In court, Grasso said that Lambesis did not flinch when told the hit on his wife would cost $20,000. "He was very willing to pay that," she said, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Lambesis, who was originally booked into jail on suspicion of two felonies — conspiracy and murder-for-hire — was ordered to wear a GPS monitor and turn in his passport and was warned by the judge that he must stay away from his immediate family. The conspiracy charge was dropped before Lambesis was arraigned.

Tim's wife Meggan filed papers in September 2012 in San Diego Superior Court seeking a dissolution of the couple's marriage.

U.K. tech metallers MONUMENTS have called off their singer search and are almost ready to announce their new vocalist. To keep fans in suspense, this mystery bandmember will be revealed at MONUMENTS' performance at Ghostfest, which takes place June 29-30 at Leeds University in the U.K.

In regards to the new lineup, MONUMENTS guitarist John Browne comments: "We're happy to announce that we will be performing with our new vocalist at Ghostfest in June and Techfest in July. We're very confident in his abilities in recreating 'Gnosis' as well as giving a whole new twist to the future music of MONUMENTS...We know you're going to love what you hear. Please feel free to attend Ghostfest to see who it is, but please be aware tickets are very limited."

Former MONUMENTS singer Matt Rose issued a statement in March claiming that he left the group because he was "growing increasingly frustrated at the work ethic of the band and at how little music everyone wrote."

MONUMENTS' debut album, "Gnosis", was released in North America on September 25, 2012 through Century Media Records.

The band's "We Are The Foundation" EP came out in 2010 via Basick Records.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine recently spoke to Revolver TV about his lyrical direction for the band's new album, "Super Collider", his thoughts on former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum and holy wars. Check out the clip below.

"Super Collider" is being released today (Tuesday, June 4) via Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, distributed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). The effort is available as a limited-edition CD with a 3D cover and bonus tracks, regular CD, regular LP, limited LP plus a bonus colored seven-inch single with two bonus tracks, and a download voucher.

The track "Super Collider", which was premiered on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio metal show on April 20, was released digitally on April 23 via iTunes.

"That song kind of came from that 'Symphony Of Destruction' corner of my mind," Mustaine told Guitar World magazine. "You can't always play aggressive, thrashy stuff. Sometimes those aren't even songs; they're like musical rams. But because I'm not a pop guy, I'm also not really comfortable playing sing-along songs. To me, 'Super Collider' made sense like a normal song — a verse-chorus-verse-chorus kind of thing. It's written the way a real songwriter would write the song, instead of just taking all these musical twists and turns."

"Super Collider" is MEGADETH's first release since the band's recent split with Roadrunner Records.

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

After his much-acclaimed "Static Impulse" release in 2010, DREAM THEATER frontman James LaBrie returns with a powerful new studio album entitled "Impermanent Resonance", to be released August 6 in North America and July 29 in Europe via InsideOut Music.

"Impermanent Resonance" was once again conceived with LaBrie's songwriting partner for over a dozen years, Matt Guillory. Guillory not only took the leading role in composing the material, he also handled all of the keyboards and background vocals.

The album's lineup is intact from the previous recording, featuring Marco Sfogli from Italy on guitar, Ray Riendeau (HALFORD, MACHINES OF LOVING GRACE) on bass and Swedish drummer Peter Wildoer (DARKANE, MAJESTIC), who was a finalist in the DREAM THEATER drum auditions. Additionally, former SOILWORK guitarist Peter Wichers came into the fold to contribute songwriting and studio guitars.

"To me, this album incorporates and continues with the styles and musical direction that we have created with the previous releases," says James LaBrie. "The difference being that the music on this disc is to me a true telling of the songs evolving and taking on a sense of identity that is every band's ultimate goal. It is powerful, memorable, hook-driven and above all extremely musical. It shows how the writing and the band itself have matured. I truly feel that this is our quintessential album."

"Impermanent Resonance" was once again mixed and mastered at Sweden's Fascination Street recording studios (KREATOR, OPETH, PARADISE LOST, SYMPHONY X) with Jens Bogren and this time also Tony Lindgren. Visually, Canadian LaBrie hooked up with Gustavo Sazes (ARCH ENEMY, FIREWIND, KAMELOT) to capture and translate the album's atmosphere into the striking artwork.

Some of the songs included on "Impermanent Resonance", which combines the heaviness of Gothenburg-sound influenced progressive metal with the catchiness of contemporary rock, are "Agony", "Back On The Ground", "Undertow", "I Got You" and "Amnesia".

"Impermanent Resonance" recording lineup:

James LaBrie - Lead Vocals
Matt Guillory - Keyboards, Background Vocals
Marco Sfogli - Guitars
Ray Riendeau - Bass
Peter Wildoer - Drums, Screams

"Static Impulse" sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 14 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Static Impulse" was released on September 28, 2010 (one day earlier internationally) via InsideOut Music. The CD was LaBrie's first solo effort in over five years.

SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine, who celebrated his 65th birthday on May 25, has posted the following message on the band's Facebook page:

"Thank you so much for all your wonderful birthday mails, messages, presents and videos that reached me from all over the world. It really touched my heart in a big way. I'd like to say 'thank you' to each and every one of you for your love and support over so many years.

"We are in the studio right now, but it won't be long before we hit the road again. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you some where out there. Rock on."

SCORPIONS spent the first three months of 2012 in the studio with producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen resurrecting a dozen unfinished songs from what some people believe was the band's best and most creative period — leftovers from the albums "Blackout" (1982), "Love At First Sting" (1984), "Savage Amusement" (1988) and "Crazy World" (1990) — for an album that is tentatively scheduled for release later this year. "It will be material that was never finished; songs with pure SCORPIONS DNA from a very exciting time," Meine confirmed to Classic Rock. "Once we close the book on the crazy touring schedule, that's something we'll pick up again." An album of all-new SCORPIONS material may surface as well, according to Meine. "At this point nothing is out of the question," he said. "When we said adios with 'Sting In The Tail', our label, Sony Music, cried, 'No, no, no… What about this idea? What about that idea?' There are some offers you just can't refuse. I don't want to say too much right now, but I can reassure you there is still life in those bloody old SCORPIONS."

He added: "We'll just have to see what's realistic. We're working on a documentary movie about the band's history. We filmed the tour's big finale in Munich, which was very emotional."

Drummer Mike Portnoy (ADRENALINE MOB, FLYING COLORS, THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) has released the following statement:

"It saddens me to announce that the four upcoming shows in Latin America this month supporting HALESTORM will be my last with ADRENALINE MOB.

"Unfortunately, I have scheduling conflicts that prevent me from being able to fully commit to the band's future activities at the moment.

"As I cannot be in two places at the same time, I don't want to hold them back and have to wait for my schedule to re-open up to resume activity.

"I'm very proud of what we started together and the music we made over the past two years and I wish the guys all the best in the future."

ADRENALINE MOB features in its ranks frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP) and DISTURBED bassist John Moyer

ADRENALINE MOB released "Covertá", an eight-track EP featuring cover versions of some of the group's favorite songs, on March 12. Longtime fans of Portnoy are aware of the multiple cover CDs he has released with DREAM THEATER and with Neal Morse. "Covertá" is the first CD of covers recorded by ADRENALINE MOB.

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 20 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI).

Portnoy played on AVENGED SEVENFOLD's latest album, "Nightmare", following the death of that band's drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, and toured with them for the entire second half of 2010.

"Heroic Dose", a brand new song from NEWSTED — the new band led by former METALLICA, VOIVOD and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM bassist Jason Newsted — can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off NEWSTED's full-length debut, "Heavy Metal Music", which will be released on August 6. Jason told Billboard.com the 11-song album will be very similar to the band's debut EP, "Metal", which sold around 6,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 62 on The Billboard 200 chart. "The EP was always intended to be the primer, a sampler of what was to come on the LP," he said. "It's all metal all the time. It's not all fast, but it is all heavy."

"Heavy Metal Music" track listing:

01. Heroic Dose
02. Soldierhead
03. ...As The Crow Flies
04. Ampossible
05. Long Time Dead
06. Above All
07. King Of The Underdogs
08. Nocturnus
09. Twisted Tail Of The Comet
10. Kindevillusion
11. Futureality

NEWSTED has been confirmed for this year's edition of Gigantour, the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. Also scheduled to appear on the bill are headliners MEGADETH, along with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DEVICE, HELLYEAH and DEATH DIVISION.

NEWSTED kicked off its first-ever U.S. tour on April 19 at Red House in Walnut Creek, California. The 14-date trek concluded on May 23 in Asbury Park, New Jersey and has led into a number of European festival appearances for the band, which is rounded out by STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok, drummer Jesus Mendez Jr. and guitarist Jessie Farnsworth.

NEWSTED is:

Jason Newsted - Bass, Lead Vocals
Jesus Mendez Jr. (THE NAPOLEON BLOWNAPARTS) - Drums
Jessie Farnsworth - Guitar, Backing Voice
Mike Mushok (STAIND) – Guitar

"Megitsune", the new video from BABYMETAL, the heavy metal offshoot of the Japanese pop idol group SAKURA GAKUIN that performs a distinctly Japanese mix of schoolgirl J-pop and death metal, can be seen below. Due to be released as a single on June 19, the song is said to combine traditional Japanese instruments with metal overtones and an enka ballad to create a festive sound. The theme of the track is "women are born actresses." Four different versions will be made available for fans to purchase: a limited "Tsu", limited "Ki", and a limited "Ne" edition, as well as a less expensive regular edition. The limited versions will come with bonus videos from the BABYMETAL live events that were held from 2012 to early 2013.

BABYMETAL recently embarked on the "Death Match Tour 2013" and was accompanied by a "full metal band."

BABYMETAL released its first major single, "Ijime, Dame, Zettai", on January 9.

BABY METAL is:

Su-Metal - Vocals and Dance
Moametal - Screamer and Dance
Yuimetal - Screamer and Dance

"Megitsune" video:

The official lyric video for "Spirit Breaker", a brand new song from the Manheim, Pennsylvania-based quintet AUGUST BURNS RED, can be seen below. The track comes off the band's fifth album, "Rescue & Restore", which will be released on June 25 via Solid State Records.

The new effort, described by guitarist and principal songwriter JB Brubaker as the band’s "most ambitious album yet," turns a critical eye to the oft-maligned genre of metalcore, leading by example to prove that bands can still find exciting new ways to expand the genre.

"'Rescue & Restore' is about challenging other bands and ourselves, as well as fans of this music, to want more than whatever happens to be the current buzz," explains Brubaker.

"We’ve done our best with each new album to try to push our sound in new directions and we’d like to see our peers do the same.

"People need to realize that there’s not much of a difference between a metalcore song that has a couple breakdowns with a repeating chorus and the latest LADY GAGA song. This genre used to be better than that. It can still be better than that."

Throughout the album, AUGUST BURNS RED continue to do their part to challenge the conventions of heavy music. Over the course of 11 tracks, the band artfully blend piano, cello, violin, trumpet, various percussive elements and more into their sonic arsenal, taking their music into new aesthetic territory and contorting the boundaries of the genre.

In support of "Rescue & Restore", AUGUST BURNS RED will perform all summer long as a mainstage act on the 2013 Vans Warped Tour, marking their third appearance overall and first since 2011.

With "Rescue & Restore", AUGUST BURNS RED have proven that it is possible to reshape music in a way that challenges listeners, reinvigorates fans and puts art first. But for any fans who fear AUGUST BURNS RED turning their back on the sound that catapulted them to the forefront of a genre, Brubaker advises them not to worry.

"At the end of the day, we are still a very heavy band," he explains. "'Rescue & Restore' still has plenty of really heavy stuff, techy odd meter riffs, and all the stuff that people have come to expect from us; it just has a lot more surprises along the way."

"Rescue & Restore" track listing:

01. Provision
02. Treatment
03. Spirit Breaker
04. Count It All As Lost
05. Sincerity
06. Creative Captivity
07. Fault Line
08. Beauty In Tragedy
09. Animals
10. Echoes
11. The First Step

Cleveland metallers CHIMAIRA have posted a video that reveals the artwork, track listing and 30-second song clips from their forthcoming album, "Crown Of Phantoms".

Due on July 30 via eOne Music, the band's seventh studio LP has already started collecting its fair share of accolades.

"Tracks like 'No Mercy', 'Plastic Wonderland' and 'Spineless' are absolute slayers that will surely impress longtime fans and newbies alike, and bring that classic 'I Hate Everyone flavor' we've all grown to love," writes Revolver magazine.

CHIMAIRA recently made headlines by way of crowd-funding a fan version CD/DVD where they doubled their initial goal via IndieGoGo.

The band just wrapped up a successful run on the "Dont Pray For Us Tour" with ASKING ALEXANDRIA and plans to be back on the road soon.

"Crown Of Phantoms" track listing:

01. The Machine
02. No Mercy
03. All That's Left Is Blood
04. I Despise
05. Plastic Wonderland
06. The Transmigration
07. Crown Of Phantoms
08. Spineless
09. Kings Of The Shadow World
10. Wrapped In Violence
11. Love Soaked Death

"All That's Left Is Blood" is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.

Commented Mark Hunter: "When I started this band, I had a desire to make extremely heavy, eclectic metal. Nothing has changed in that regard. I wanted to merge all the styles I loved into a hybrid of sounds. Having the chance to reinvent the group gave me the opportunity to work with unbelievable players and take the essence of CHIMAIRA to uncharted territory. Assembling the right team was essential to creating what I feel is some of the craziest and most passionate music I've had the pleasure to be a part of. The past defines us while the present refines us."

In a 2012 interview with Metal Insider, Hunter stated about CHIMAIRA's plans for the new CD: "We want to come out with an album that not only captures the essence of what the fans have grown to know over the years, but we want to do something not only for the scene that's special, but for musicians out there, too. The musicianship in this band now is definitely on the next level. Everyone's pretty much a virtuoso at their instrument. Some of the stuff Emil [Werstler, guitar] was writing yesterday on this new song, I'm watching him play and I'm like, 'There are only going to be about a handful of people that'll able to play this!' [laughs] I'm imagining like a kid getting home, getting our new record and maybe they have the guitar, and they go sit down and try play along to it. And it's going to take them a very long time. [laughs]"

He added: "We couldn't be happier moving forward. It sucks that we had to go through hell — no pun intended — to get to where we are now. But I think all of us, coming from lessons of life, lessons of bands, lessons of the industry, we've lived and learned and now we have something completely different to prove."

CHIMAIRA's current lineup is as follows:

Mark Hunter - Vocals
Matt Szlachta (DIRGE WITHIN) - Guitar
Jeremy Creamer (DAATH) - Bass
Emil Werstler (DAATH) - Guitar
Sean Zatorsky (DAATH) - Keyboards
Austin D'Amond (BLEED THE SKY, THE ELITE) – Drums

"First Of The Last", the first-ever video from FIGHT OR FLIGHT, the new band featuring DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren, along with EVANS BLUE singer Dan Chandler, Sean Corcoran of RA on bass and Jeremy Jayson on guitar, can be seen below. The clip was helmed by Lester Cohn and multimedia producer/director and music documentarian Chuck Brueckmann, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and CREED guitarist Mark Tremonti.

"First Of The Last" arrived at radio on May 21, with FIGHT OR FLIGHT's debut album, "A Life By Design?", to follow on July 23.

Donegan began writing songs on his own last year and approached Chandler about a possible collaboration. The two began emailing music to each other and getting together to write whenever Chandler was in Chicago, where Donegan lives, until they had enough material to record a full album.

In a posting on the DISTURBED Facebook page, Donegan writes: "[I] just wanted to thank you all for taking the time to check out mine and Mike's new side-project FIGHT OR FLIGHT! No, this does NOT mean the end of DISTURBED, as David [Draiman, DISTURBED singer] has also made that clear.

"We love you the fans that have given us this life and the outlet to express ourselves for many years now. This has just become another extension of us.

"I get it, I understand why some of you may be mad that we are all doing other things right now, but let me assure you that all of us are looking forward to the day we return as DISTURBED to show you how much you mean to us. But in the meantime, we are all focused and giving 110% to our individual projects.

"Whether you love it or hate it, we all pour our blood, sweat and tears into making music for us and the satisfaction we get from it. We hope you find a connection with it as well …

"Music has always been therapeutic for everyone. That’s why we do it. It makes me feel good and any worries go away. It brings me peace in my life and I cannot live without it.

"I look forward to hopefully seeing some familiar faces once we hit the road with FIGHT OR FLIGHT and then again with DISTURBED someday!"

Donegan told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that he liked the idea of playing with other musicians. "This whole career with DISTURBED, I've always been jamming with the same people, which has been amazing. But I want to feel that I can actually, you know, just continue to expand and explore, you know, different paths as we progress, hopefully, in the future, maybe if there is another album from us."

Donegan said in a statement about the FIGHT OR FLIGHT album, "This is more hard rock. It's got edgy moments, but there's more melody across the board. We had the chance to experiment as well. There are acoustic guitars and some electronics even. It's different all around."

Dan Chandler has been the vocalist for EVANS BLUE since 2009, when he replaced original singer Kevin Matisyn. The band's most recent offering was 2012's "Graveyard Of Empires".

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman released the self-titled debut album from his new project, DEVICE, last month. The record entered the Billboard album chart No. 11. The act, which also features members of DOPE and EVANESCENCE, is on tour now.

Ohio-based viking/pagan metallers HAMMER HORDE have parted ways with singer Tom Sturniolo. A band statement reads:

"Another chapter of the Hammer Horde saga has ended today. We regret to inform you all that longtime vocalist Tom Sturniolo and the rest of the band have parted ways. We’d like to take this chance to thank Tom for all of the good years, memories, and great work that he did as the voice behind Under the Mighty Oath and Vinlander. We are grateful for all of his contributions to Hammer Horde and, with our pints held high, we say farewell. It is with a heavy heart that we part ways with an old friend and original member, but at the same time we remain fully supportive of his decision. As we continue to write and record for our next album, we remain on the hunt for a suitable replacement to fill Tom’s boots in becoming the new full-time Hammer Horde vocalist."
Tom Sturniolo's parting words: “After long thought I have decided to step down as front man of Hammer Horde. This was not an easy decision, but I feel that currently I cannot give the band the proper attention it deserves. We are all still on very good terms and I wish my brothers much luck and prosperity in the future.”

UK-based hard rockers CRASH MANSION are preparing themselves to embark on their biggest year yet as a band. They recorded their debut EP in 2012 with Martyn ‘Ginge’ Ford at the renowned Nott-in Pill Studios and quickly racked up shows with L.A. GUNS, FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS and THE DEAD LAY WAITING, proving to be every bit as potent on stage as the recordings promised.

The band are a heady mix of natural talent, raw energy, enthusiasm and a fistful of super catchy infectious rock n' roll with stadium bothering potential. Their single, ‘Money’ (video below), is scheduled to be released digitally on May 27th, with their album due out later this year.

The band have also been confirmed to perform an acoustic set at Download Festival on the Jagermeister Stage, on Sunday, June 16th.

Updates to follow. More on Crash Mansion at this location.

"Unspoken", the new video form the London, U.K.-based modern metal mob THE DEFILED, can be seen below. The clip, which sees frontman Stitch D and keyboardist The AvD being held captive by their bandmates before descending into a torturous nightmare, was directed by Robin Fuller (FEED THE RHINO, HAWK EYES, DAATH) and produced by Craig Tuohy. Craig's production company, Ascension Productions, won a golden trailer award for the work on "The King's Speech" and has also worked with the likes of Jean-Claude Van Damme.

The "Unspoken" single will be released on June 30. The track comes off THE DEFILED's second album, "Daggers", which is due on August 2 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The cover artwork was designed and executed by Scott Chalmers, the band's longtime photographer.

"Making our first official video for 'Daggers' was the most fun we have had filming," says The AvD. "Stitch and I tried our hand at acting and as we decided on the day, we nailed it! Not really, we are terrible actors…"

He continues: "We also got to work with our old pal Robin Fuller who was actually the very man that directed our first-ever video, 'The Resurrectionists'.

"I think this video sums up what 'Unspoken' is all about. We wanted a very specific scene in there where the two protagonists (The AvD and Stitch D) are smiling at each other and shaking hands with knives behind their backs. This very scene was the inspiration for the actual cover of 'Daggers' as this theme runs throughout the whole album."

Keyboardist The AvD explains the "Daggers" concept: "Daggers were made for only one thing — killing or betraying your fellow man. And one stab is almost always never enough…

"The flowers symbolize goodwill with the prospect of a co-operative future. The dagger behind the back symbolizes the ulterior motives, the insincerity and the impending disappointment that surrounds us all. This theme runs through all the tracks on the album.

"The concept was born out of a scene we wanted in our new video for 'Unspoken'. We wanted the two main characters shaking hands with daggers behind their backs. We were originally going to call the track 'Daggers', but then opted to go for 'Unspoken'. The song is about the politics of life and it seemed more fitting. We also didn't want to limit the word 'daggers' to only one song on the album, as it is the overall feeling we wanted for the full project."

Having released its debut album "Grave Times" via Metal Hammer magazine in 2011, THE DEFILED has since enjoyed status as the U.K.'s biggest unsigned metal acts. Making huge strides forward on their own, their achievements as a self motivated and independent band in the world of heavy music, which includes sold out tours, prestigious slots at the biggest festivals and a Golden God Award, is remarkable. Their unwillingness to compromise or settle for anything less than their ambition dictates has got them this far; this alliance with indie metal powerhouse Nuclear Blast Entertainment now sets the sky as the limit.

"Daggers" limited-edition digipack CD

01. Sleeper (4:00)
02. Unspoken (4:05)
03. Saints And Sinners (3:49)
04. As I Drown (4:41)
05. Porcelain (3:23)
06. New Approach (3:09)
07. Fragments Of Hope (4:30)
08. The Infected (4:01)
09. The Mourning After (4:14)
10. Five Minutes (4:38)
11. No Place Like Home (4:44)
12. I Destroy What Destroys Me (4:16) *
13. Self Under Siege (3:25) *

* bonus track

"Daggers" digital album

01. Sleeper (4:00)
02. Unspoken (4:05)
03. Saints And Sinners (3:49)
04. As I Drown (4:41)
05. Porcelain (3:23)
06. New Approach (3:09)
07. Fragments Of Hope (4:30)
08. The Infected (4:01)
09. The Mourning After (4:14)
10. Five Minutes (4:38)
11. No Place Like Home (4:44)

"Daggers" digital bonus version - iTunes exclusive:

01. Sleeper (4:00)
02. Unspoken (4:05)
03. Saints And Sinners (3:49)
04. As I Drown (4:41)
05. Porcelain (3:23)
06. New Approach (3:09)
07. Fragments Of Hope (4:30)
08. The Infected (4:01)
09. The Mourning After (4:14)
10. Five Minutes (4:38)
11. No Place Like Home (4:44)
12. As I Drown (live) (4:45)*
13. I Destroy What Destroys Me (4:16) *
13. Self Under Siege (3:25) *

* bonus track

During a brand new interview with Brian McCollum of the Detroit Free Press, METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo was asked about whether the band's fans have come to always trust the group to always deliver the goods, both in the studio and on the concert stage. "Yes and no," Trujillo replied. "Obviously there were mixed reviews on our Lou Reed experience ('Lulu', 2011). Some people thought it was an amazing artistic statement. A lot of METALLICA fans thought it was crap. [laughs]

"You take chances and kind of go with the flow of it. We just try to have a good time. That's the name of the game — be creative — and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't work.

"That's what makes the band special — the fact that METALLICA can go in and play with an orchestra and collaborate with the likes of a Lou Reed, and actually do a bit of improvising in uncharted territory.

"In this day and age, it's important in staying relevant, especially for us. We're inspired by so much, we like to try things. Sometimes financially it can be a task. …

"We're there to deliver the passion we feel for music. When we put on the guitars it's like we're kids again. And that's different from a lot of bands when they get older, to still connect with music that way. We come up with so many riffs — our problem is trying to keep them all out of one song. [laughs] It's a good problem to have.

"Right now we're having a hard time focusing on making a new record because there's so much else going on."

Trujillo also spoke about the upcoming second annual Orion Music + More festival, a music and lifestyle festival created by METALLICA and their friends at C3 Presents.

"The one thing about the Orion festival that's actually pretty cool is that it's also a lifestyles event," the bassist said. "We're connecting on different musical levels with various types of bands, but also with everyday passions. Last year we were at the beach, so we had surf, jet skis. We've got a skate zone — legends as well as newer pros — which is great for me. I grew up skating and surfing. I'm still wearing Vans tennis shoes to this day.

"James [Hetfield, guitar/vocals] will have cars from film, television. That's his passion. He's legitimate. That's what he does — builds custom cars. Kirk [Hammett, guitar] will have his house of horrors.

"As far as Lars's situation … he really loves the art of filmmaking. He's on another level. I work on films myself. He's my number one guy, my critic — 'Hey, check this rough cut out.' He's very honest and sincere. He's incredibly intelligent. …

"Hopefully we can keep it going. Orion is a new thing, you know. It takes time. Putting your own festival together is not an easy task. It's modeled after the European festivals, with a variety of music, where you might have LOS LOBOS playing before METALLICA, and then a pop act after."

Read the entire interview from Detroit Free Press.

Williamsport, PA metallers MY HEART TO FEAR are set to release their debut full-length album, Algorithm, in stores and online July 9th via Solid State Records.

Algorithm builds off of the promise shown on the band's Lost Between Brilliance And Insanity EP, reinforcing to a wider audience what the band’s carefully cultivated fanbase had previously known - that My Heart To Fear's uncompromising metal attack couldn’t be kept a secret for long. With Algorithm, the cat is out of the bag for good thanks in no small part to the band’s commitment to honing their sound and their resolve to approach songwriting their own way and not cater to what an audience is presumed to want.

The 11-track album was recorded at Atrium Audio with Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland (AUGUST BURNS RED) and features notable guest appearances such as Ricky Armellino of THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE.

Tracklisting:

'Dust to Dust' (feat. Ricky Armellino of This Or The Apocalypse)
'414 Days'
'Angst'
'The Sneaking Chair'
'Algorithm'
'The Witching Hour Pt. II'
'Wish You Were Here'
'End Transmission'
'Bottomed Out' (feat. Josh Hines of Maitland)
'4th Dimension Opera House'
'Pack Up, We're Leaving'

“On Algorithm, the breakdowns are catchier, the vocals are better and are beyond appropriate for the music,” explains vocalist Trevor Pool. “No single part, instrument or effect is overused. There’s no filler. Everything is exactly where it needs to be. Nowhere was there something added just for the sake of adding something. Most importantly, we made the decision to write what we felt needed to be in the songs - nothing was written under the shadow of ‘what will please the most amount of ears.”
While My Heart To Fear remained focused on their own vision during the writing process, the band maintains a level of gratitude towards its fans that is rarely seen. That sincerity and honesty shines through in the band’s every move, and will continue to direct My Heart To Fear’s actions in the future.

“Fans don’t get enough credit from bands,” explains Pool. “They are the reason a band can succeed. Since we released the first EP, we have had a surplus of people that have shown their incredible love and support for us and we hope to give back that same love with this record.”

U.K. glam metal legends TIGERTAILZ have announced the return of Matt Blakout on drums.

Matt rejoins the 'TAILZ lineup after a three-year absence and teams up with Jules Millis (vocals), Rob Wylde (bass) and Jay Pepper (guitar).

The band is currently in Red Rock Studios in South Wales recording tunes for a new five-track EP titled "Knives".

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. The Shoe Collector
02. One Life
03. Don't Bite The Hand That Feeds You
04. Spit It Out
05. Punched In The Gutz

TIGERTAILZ has already secured a record deal for the release of "Knives" EP. A further press release will be issued to announce that deal in the coming days, along with a release date.

Comments Pepper: "I'm absolutely delighted to see Matt back in TIGERTAILZ. Not only is he a great solid drummer and true professional, but a lovely guy too... Matt also brings stability to the 'TAILZ lineup which, after three years of grief, is more than welcome. It's really great to have him back and be working together again. And we're already well under way and motoring along in the studio working on new 'TAILZ tracks for the EP."

London, U.K.-based death metallers ACRANIA have inked a deal with Unique Leader Records. Spreading a message and staying one step ahead of their peers, they aim to keep a unique but unrelentingly heavy sound. The band has already toured with acts around the U.K. and rest of Europe, such as CEREBRAL BORE and WARPATH with upcoming shows with big acts such as THY ART IS MURDER, BLOOD RED THRONE and many more. They are set to bring a blistering mix of brutality, slams and blast beats.

Keep your eyes peeled and watch one of the quickest growing bands in the U.K. expand to international acknowledgement while staying true to their root sound and passion for music.

JON OLIVA'S PAIN and SAVATAGE mastermind Jon Oliva will release his first-ever solo album, "Raise The Curtain", on June 5 via AFM Records. The 11-song CD, which contains ideas collected over the course of the last four or five years, was tracked this past winter at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida with producer Tom Morris, with Jon handling laying down nearly all the instrument tracks and vocals himself as well as playing drums on three songs.

"Raise The Curtain" track listing:

01. Raise The Curtain
02. Soul Chaser
03. Ten Years
04. Father Time
05. I Know
06. Big Brother
07. Armageddon
08. Soldier
09. Stalker
10. The Witch
11. Can't Get Away
12. The Truth (bonus track)

Audio samples of six of the tracks are available for streaming at CDInzane.com.

It took a while: more than 30 years after founding the legendary SAVATAGE, Jon Oliva presents his first-ever solo album. Having released albums with SAVATAGE first and JON OLIVA'S PAIN later, this first Oliva solo album was about to become different: "Raise The Curtain" combines Jon's early music influences of '70s prog rock with the sound he cultivated with SAVATAGE and JON OLIVA'S PAIN. The result is a high-class, thrilling musical journey, something all lovers from rock to metal shouldn't miss.

The road to "Raise The Curtain":

Oliva: "After the passing of my dear friend Matt LaPorte, I felt very confused about the future of JON OLIVA'S PAIN. A week or so after Matt's service, I was speaking to my friend Dan Fasciano about what I wanted to do. He suggested that I come by his home where he has a full studio and we just hang out and record whatever I had that I wanted to demo. Unknown to me at the time, Dan also had tons of unfinished music that he wanted to do something with. It was very strange because he had tons of stuff and so did I. I don't remember how we actually started writing together but it just happened."

Working on new material:

Oliva: "Then it became almost like a competition. I would show up at his house at 9 a.m. and we just started combining what we both had and somehow it was magic. He would say on the phone I hope you got something because I do. We recorded over 60 songs in a very short period of time. I was amazed at the fact that his music and mine were very similar and easy to join together. I knew that this CD was going to be different and I wanted to play as much of it myself as I could. This was something I had to do for me and for Criss [late SAVATAGE guitarist and Jon's brother, Criss Oliva]."

Helping hands:

Oliva: "Dan and Chris Kinder's (JON OLIVA'S PAIN drummer) help was crucial to this CD coming out the way it did. The work of Tom and Jim Morris and Wayne Le'fleur was also crucial."

Last music of Criss Oliva:

Oliva: "The fact that this is the last of Criss's music (who died 20 years ago in a car accident), makes me sad but I'm also happy that I got all his music out to the fans because that's what he would have wanted. Everyone who pushed me to do this album: I thank you, your support is crucial to me. I so much loved recording this CD and I got to fulfill my deepest musical fantasy. At the same time I got the rest of the Criss's music out. It was a labor of love, I'm very proud of thank you all for listening."

"Raise The Curtain", which will be released on June 21 in Europe and July 2 in North America via AFM Records. The 11-song CD, which contains ideas collected over the course of the last four or five years, was tracked this past winter at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida with producer Tom Morris, with Jon handling laying down nearly all the instrument tracks and vocals himself as well as playing drums on three songs.

"Raise The Curtain" will be released simply under the banner OLIVA and you can expect a mixture of Jon's early influences and the material he wrote and recorded throughout his whole career.

"Raise The Curtain" will be made available as a CD digipak (first pressing) and two-LP vinyl (gatefold, limited to 800 copies worldwide).

"America", the new video from the Scranton, Pennsylvania-based metalcore sextet MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, can be seen below. The clip was directed by SLIPKNOT co-founder, conceptualist and percussionist Shawn M. Crahan (a.k.a. Clown). He wrote on his Facebook page: "I had a blast. We created something special. All the people involved were so great and a pleasure to work with. I live for those days."

Crahan is also the art director for SLIPKNOT and directed their DVDs, "Disasterpieces", "Voliminal: Inside The Nine", "Of The (sic)", and "(sic)nesses: Live at Download". He has been the creative vision behind the band since their inception.

In addition to producing his own work, Crahan has also worked as a producer for several bands, including GIZMACHI and DIRTFEDD, as well as serving as an executive producer to bands such as MUDVAYNE. Crahan has also remixed several songs for artists, including MARILYN MANSON, COHEED AND CAMBRIA, MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE and SUICIDE SILENCE.

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's sophomore album, "Infamous", was released on November 13, 2012 via Fearless Records.

"'Infamous' pays a lot more attention to real life, this time," explains MOTIONLESS IN WHITE lead singer Chris Motionless. "It's not about movie characters like a lot of [2010's] 'Creatures' was."

He continues, "I don't want to make music to just exist, I want to make music that makes a fucking difference. So this record is straight up, non-fiction and reflects how I feel about things being sung through not only my eyes, but those of fans and people in general.

"As much as I love not taking music entirely seriously all the time, I do feel at this point, we have an obligation to remain a band that's doing something positive and putting out the right kind of message."

"13", the first BLACK SABBATH record in 35 years to feature singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler all playing together, can be streamed in its entirety on the band's iTunes page. (Note: If the link leads you to another webpage, make sure to click "Open in iTunes" to hear the stream.) The CD is due out June 11 on Vertigo/Republic. This marks BLACK SABBATH's return to Vertigo, their original label, and the group's first studio album together since 1978's "Never Say Die!"

Details of the album's deluxe edition surfaced on April 19, with the band revealing that the eight-song effort will be accompanied by three bonus tracks called "Methademic", "Peace Of Mind" and "Pariah".

Several versions of "13" are available for pre-order, including a standard CD, a double CD that includes a second disc of exclusive bonus audio, a heavyweight vinyl album in a gatefold sleeve and a "Super Deluxe Box Set" containing the double CD, the vinyl album, an exclusive DVD documentary on the band's reunion, 13 photographic prints and hand-written lyrics.

"13" track listing:

01. End Of The Beginning (8:05)
02. God Is Dead? (8:52)
03. Loner (4:59)
04. Zeitgeist (4:37)
05. Age Of Reason (7:01)
06. Live Forever (4:46)
07. Damaged Soul (7:51)
08. Dear Father (7:20)

Deluxe-edition bonus tracks:

09. Methademic (5:57)
10. Peace Of Mind (3:40)
11. Pariah (5:34)

Total running time (with bonus tracks): 68 minutes, 42 seconds

The drum tracks on the album were laid down by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE sticksman Brad Wilk following original drummer Bill Ward's decision to bow out of the reunion.

Osbourne went on the BBC in England to discuss the band's new single, "God Is Dead?" and the inspiration behind the track. Ozzy explained, "I was in somebody's office and there was a magazine on a table and it just said, 'God Is Dead', and I suddenly thought about 9/11 and all these terrorist things and religion and how many people have died in the name of religion. When you think about the tragedy that's happened throughout time, it just came in my head. You'd think by now that their God would have stopped people dying in the name of, so I just starting thinking that people must be thinking, 'Where is God? God is dead' and it just hit me."

Ozzy added that the question mark at the end of the title is his way of showing that he's not sure about the answer himself, saying, "At the end of the thing, there's still a bit of hope because there I sing that I don't believe that God is dead. It's just a question of when you see so many dreadful people killing each other with bombs, and blowing the tube trains up and the World Trade Center."

Ozzy told an Australian radio station that "13" is "mind-blowing," adding, "It's better than my wildest dreams; it's so good."

SABBATH kicked off its world tour in support of "13" on April 20 in Auckland.

"God Is Dead?" audio stream:

Another song from MEGADETH's forthcoming "Super Collider" album — "Forget To Remember" — is available for streaming using the widget below.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine tells New York Public Radio that the track draws on some experiences with memory and forgetting that have come very close to home.

"The song touches on the no. 6 cause of death in America, Alzheimer's Disease, which my mother-in-law has been diagnosed with," Mustaine said, "and our world is now upside-down. I did what I do best when I have something to say; I sing about it."

"Super Collider" is scheduled for a June 4 North American release via Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, distributed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe).

"Super Collider" track listing:

01. Kingmaker
02. Super Collider
03. Burn!
04. Built For War
05. Off The Edge
06. Dance In The Rain
07. Beginning Of Sorrow
08. The Blackest Crow
09. Forget To Remember
10. Don't Turn Your Back…
11. Cold Sweat

The album will be available as a limited-edition CD with 3-D cover and bonus tracks, regular CD, regular LP, limited LP plus a bonus colored seven-inch single with two bonus tracks, and a download voucher.

The track "Super Collider", which was premiered on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio metal show on April 20, was released digitally on April 23 via iTunes.

"That song kind of came from that 'Symphony Of Destruction' corner of my mind," Mustaine told Guitar World magazine. "You can't always play aggressive, thrashy stuff. Sometimes those aren't even songs; they're like musical rams. But because I'm not a pop guy, I'm also not really comfortable playing sing-along songs. To me, 'Super Collider' made sense like a normal song — a verse-chorus-verse-chorus kind of thing. It's written the way a real songwriter would write the song, instead of just taking all these musical twists and turns."

"Super Collider" is MEGADETH's first release since the band's recent split with Roadrunner Records.

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

"Forget To Remember" audio stream courtesy of New York Public Radio

Fan-filmed video footage of MORBID ANGEL's May 21 performance at Bar Opinião in Porto Alegre, Brazil can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, MORBID ANGEL bassist/vocalist David Vincent stated about the band's latest album, "Illud Divinium Insanus", "One thing about MORBID ANGEL is that there's never been any rules and it's an interesting perspective. We just kind of go in and do what we do, and sometimes it blossoms; every flower is a different color and a different smell. This album, it surprises people, a couple of tracks on there, and then there's a couple of other tracks that are as MORBID ANGEL as you can get. People are coming around. It was slow going at first — people were going, 'What are these guys doing here?' and night after night, I'm getting comments, people are like, 'I finally really listened to it and I really like it. It just took me a while.' That's no different than some of the other records we've done in the past, so everything is going as planned."

Asked if the lengthy break between albums was a benefit from a songwriting perspective, Vincent told Heavytothebone2 in a separate interview: "I think so. There's always pressure to hurry up and move on with the next thing. It's the world we live in these days. That goes right along with fast-food mentality, crappy sitcoms, and a lot of this other nonsense. There's people that like their music like they like their McDonald's food. I'm not one of those people. Taking the time to do what it is that I do is something that I cherish more than the quantity. Quality over the quantity, to me, always wins."

Vincent also spoke about whether he had to find the balance between the experimental side of MORBID ANGEL and pleasing the longtime fans during the writing process for "Illud Divinium Insanus". "I can say from my standpoint that I didn't think about it," he said. "The idea of necessarily being so calculated and what some kind or rule or some kind of expectation is, that's not really the 'mode de faire' of MORBID ANGEL. It never has been. When I hear something that sounds unique, or when I feel inspired about something, I just roll with it. I don't know [that] it's an experiment. It's something that came into fruition. An experiment is an attempt. We didn't attempt to do something; we did it. We included some atmosphere that we hadn't done in the past. Honestly, [the writing process for this CD was] not any different than anything else we've ever done. We made it a point to take a fresh approach with each record that we do. This is sort of another example of that in a growing list of records, to the letter 'I' now."

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

"Oracle", a brand new song from progressive instrumentalists SCALE THE SUMMIT, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track comes off the band's new album, "The Migration", which will be released in North America on June 11 via Prosthetic Records. Recorded earlier this year at North Carolina's Basement Studios with producer Jamie King (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, HE IS LEGEND, FOR TODAY), the CD will feature cover artwork by illustrator Duncan Storr (HAWKWIND, EDGE OF SANITY).

"The Migration" track listing:

01. Odyssey
02. Atlas Novus
03. The Olive Tree
04. Narrow Salient
05. Oracle
06. Evergreen
07. The Dark Horse
08. Willow
09. Sabrosa
10. The Traveler

"The Migration" marks the recording debut of new SCALE THE SUMMIT bassist Mark Michell. The album will be released just days after SCALE THE SUMMIT hits the road with INTRONAUT on a summer North American tour.

SCALE THE SUMMIT's 2011 effort, "The Collective", saw the band tour alongside the likes of PERIPHERY, CYNIC, FAIR TO MIDLAND, THE CONTORTIONIST, THE HUMAN ABSTRACT, PROTEST THE HERO and TRIOSCAPES. Since that album's touring cycle ended late last year, the band has kept busy, with guitarist Chris Letchford launching his own signature series Strandberg guitar and bassist Mark Michell releasing an instructional book.

SCALE THE SUMMIT's third album, "The Collective", sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 39 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

The follow-up to 2009's "Carving Desert Canyons", "The Collective" was recorded at Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, Florida with producer Mark Lewis (DEVILDRIVER, ALL THAT REMAINS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER).

SCALE THE SUMMIT formed in 2005 while attending the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. The band relocated to Texas in 2006, where they recorded their first, self-released album. After signing with Prosthetic, they issued "Carving Desert Canyons", which Revolver called "a cinematic blast of intricately melodic fretwork and pummeling percussion," in 2009.

David DiSanto, vocalist and guitarist for progressive thrash band VEKTOR, was reportedly arrested yesterday at the Scion Rock Fest in Memphis, Tennessee. According to MUNICIPAL WASTE, which also performed at the event, DiSanto "got locked up for throwing a beer on a Christian protester."

A couple of photos of DiSanto being led away in handcuffs can be seen below.

The other members of VEKTOR have since released the following statement regarding the matter:

"Alright alright alright. As many of you know, it was an intriguing evening in Memphis after the show itself (which did rule, thanks to you all, by the way).

"We'd like to clarify a bit, though. The blurb going around is sounding a bit misleading.

"1. 'Threw a beer' does not mean 'chucked a glass bottle,' or even a can/cup. (allegedly) beer was splashed out of a plastic cup, no violence.

"2. He's not locked away or anything, only a misdemeanor...

"We are getting a well-needed chuckle from all the FREE DAVE/FREE VEKTOR stuff, though.

"Even though you guys have put a somewhat positive spin on it, it was a stressful ordeal for everyone involved last night, and all before an early morning flight. He is safe and sound, though.

"We are still missing details, as none of the three of us actually saw what happened and haven't been able to communicate with him whatsoever since.

"Thanks for your amusing support.

"Nothing remotely like this has ever happened to him (or us), so we're kind of dizzy.

"Pretty absurd, but not the end of the world or anything.

"We probably shouldn't say much more yet, and we have yet to see if or how this will affect things. It is unfortunate, but what's done is done and hopefully the consequences are as mild as the (alleged) act."

Originally released on Heavy Artillery Records in 2011, VEKTOR's latest album, "Outer Isolation", is now available on CD again with new artwork, as well as on limited-edition colored vinyl for the first time.

Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) is featured on a new track from Brian May to promote the QUEEN guitarist's ongoing campaign against the U.K. government's decision to cull badgers in a bid to reduce tuberculosis in cattle.

"Badger Swagger", which will be available to download from tomorrow (June 4), will feature a host of guest collaborators — including MASSIVE ATTACK's Shara Nelson and Sir David Attenborough — under the banner ARTFUL BADGER & FRIENDS.

The track's creator, music producer Rob Cass, said in a statement: "To me, all nature is beautiful.

"This track is my humble contribution to stopping the needless slaughter of badgers.

"I met the 'Artful Badger' team on a demonstration to stop the cull a few months back and we decided the best way we could help was to do what we do best, make music. We reached out to Brian May, Slash, Shara Nelson, Sam and The Womp, Sonny Green and lastly the wonderful David Attenborough, all people who care about animal welfare to contribute and they all did so happily and bringing their fabulous talents to the table. I'm very proud indeed to be a small part of this incredible team."

Christofer Johnsson of Swedish progressive/experimental metallers THERION has released the following statement:

"Today the sad news reached me that Johanna Mårlöv passed away. Johanna was singing in the live choir for THERION during the 'Lemuria'/'Sirius B' era and travelled with the band and did shows in over 25 countries. She had been struggling bravely with her cancer for a number of years, but lost the battle in the end.

"My thoughts are with her family at this difficult time.

"She will be remembered as one of the happiest and most positive persons I've ever met and it was a privilege to have met and get to know her."

Added former THERION bassist Johan Niemann: "Sometimes, reality hits you like a ton of bricks, and you realize that things like money, fame, career doesn't mean shit. Today, the world lost a truly amazing human being, so gentle and never a negative word spoken about anyone. I'm lucky to have known her.

"Thank you for everything, Johanna Mårlöv. RIP."

British vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva — who has toured and/or recorded with CRADLE OF FILTH, THERION, MORTIIS and ANGTORIA — wrote on her Facebook page: "Yesterday, I lost one of my dearest, most amazing friends to a horrible illness. We toured together, laughed together but didn't see each other that often, simply because we live in different countries. The last time I saw her was when she attended my wedding in 2011, she was recovering and doing ever so well and because she was recovering, I didn't speak to her for a while; I mean, life goes by so fast, doesn't it? At the beginning of this year, I found out she was ill again and no chance of recovery. I think she had time to prepare, but some of us maybe lived in denial.

"The reason I write this is because we do not last forever, at the blink of an eye, someone you truly love can be gone. I write this because sometimes, hitting a 'like' button on Facebook isn't a sign of friendship. Re-tweeting someone's news isn't effort. Actions DO speak louder than words and although we were in close contact the last few months, panic started to set in. I knew this was it and I didn't want to acknowledge it. I let her know most days how much I loved her and that I was grateful for the memories but I couldn't ever at any stage tell her how this was killing me inside. She was the most beautiful woman, who cared for all life, never hurt a fly, was always there and never had a bad word to say about anyone. She was strong, genuine, had drive and always had a smile and a cuddle for you.

"I write this not for sympathy, as your thoughts should be with her lovely man and twin boys and family, I write this because as I said, life is short.

"Tell people, the ones closest to you that you love them or care on a regular basis and SHOW IT!! If you have ever lost anyone you love, and this is my first time, you will know what I am feeling. As cliche as this is, the world lost an absolute angel yesterday.

"God natt, stora syster xxxx."

Pictured below: Johanna performing with THERION in her beautiful green dress.