WITHERSCAPE, the new atmospheric and progressive dark metal outfit formed by Swedish singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer extraordinaire Dan Swanö along with fellow Swedish multi-instrumentalist Ragnar Widerberg, will release its debut album, "The Inheritance", on July 29 in Europe and August 6 in North America via Century Media Records.

WITHERSCAPE sees Dan teaming with Widerberg, to create an intense concept album — which should not only musically please fans of earlier Swanö works like "Moontower" and EDGE OF SANITY, but also attract fans of contemporary progressively atmospheric metal in the vein of OPETH, BARREN EARTH and AMORPHIS.

The album song "Astrid Falls" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Comments Swanö: "'Astrid Falls' is one of my many favorite songs on the album. It represents the WITHERSCAPE sound in a good way. It's showcasing the clean and growling vocal interplay and the overall 'vibe' of my and Ragnar's playing as well as the dynamics of our songwriting."

According to Swanö, WITHERSCAPE has been in planning for a long time, spawned as a result of his working relationship with Widerberg, which began at a Swedish music store. The two multi-instrumentalists discovered that they had so much in common musically that brainstorming for a full-on metal project of their own was the next logical step. Widerberg cites acts like early JUDAS PRIEST, RUSH, KING CRIMSON and MERCYFUL FATE as far as his inspirations in regards to WITHERSCAPE and Swanö elaborates his list to also include JUDAS PRIEST (1975-1989), VOIVOD, QUEENSRŸCHE, RUSH, MARILLION and MERCYFUL FATE.

WITHERSCAPE's "The Inheritance" is the first release under a longterm worldwide recording deal signed between Dan Swanö and Century Media Records earlier this year.

WITHERSCAPE is:

Dan Swanö - Vocals, Drums und Keyboards
Ragnar Widerberg – Guitar, Bass

Most dedicated metalheads will not only be able to call themselves owners of certain releases by one Dan's many outstanding bands/projects (EDGE OF SANITY, NIGHTINGALE), but also the work at his own Unisound studio will surely have left a mark in everyone's record collection at some point: OPETH, KATATONIA, DISSECTION, MERCILESS, 59 TIMES THE PAIN, DARK FUNERAL, HAIL OF BULLETS, MARDUK, MILLENCOLIN and NASUM, to name but a few.

Swanö has been no stranger to Century Media Records: He was originally involved with the death metal supergroup BLOODBATH (also featuring members of OPETH and KATATONIA), who released the "Breeding Death" EP as well as the amazing first two albums, "Resurrection Through Carnage" and "Nightmares Made Flesh", via Century Media. Most recently, Swanö has been heavily working again as producer and mixer of albums, including releases by Century Media artists such as ASPHYX, GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT, ODDLAND and MORGOTH.

A gallery of photos from last Thursday's (May 23) public memorial celebration for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California can be found at DirtJunior.com. Also available is a one-hour video recap of the event.

Members of SLAYER released a statement on May 9 saying that Hanneman died of alcohol-related cirrhosis. He is credited for writing many of the band's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

The guitarist, who passed away in Los Angeles on May 2, had actually not been playing with SLAYER for more than two years since he contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard in January 2011. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

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

Hanneman recalled in a 2011 interview with Classic Rock magazine that he initially didn't even feel the spider bite, adding, "But an hour later, I knew that I was ill. I could see the flesh corrupting. The arm was real hot. I got to the emergency room, and thank god the nurse knew straight away what it was . . . At that point, I was an hour away from death."

Hanneman was well known for his aversion to the spotlight, avoiding interviews and even turning off his phone when he was not on tour to spend time with his family. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry.

SLAYER was founded in 1981 in Los Angeles and went on to become one of most popular bands of the speed/thrash metal movement, eventually being considered one of the "Big Four" alongside METALLICA, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX.

While never a band that got any substantial radio airplay, the group has long been considered a major influence on the metal genre and acclaimed as one of the best live metal acts of the past 30 years.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King received a huge ovation from the crowd at the Revolver Golden Gods awards show on May 2 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, where he said that Hanneman would have wanted "noise" rather than a moment of silence and then drank two shots in his bandmate's honor.

SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo sat out the band's recent Australian tour due to a contract dispute with the other members of the group. Filling in for him was Jon Dette (TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX).

"Keep Your Dream Alive", the new video from multinational melodic metallers MASTERPLAN, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in February in the Luftverteidigungsbunker Erndtebrück, also called "Bunker Erich."

"Keep Your Dream Alive" comes off MASTERPLAN's new album, "Novum Initium", which was released on May 21 via AFM Records.

"Novum Initium" track listing:

01. Per Aspera Ad Astra
02. The Game
03. Keep Your Dream Alive
04. Black Night Of Magic
05. Betrayal
06. No Escape
07. Pray On My Soul
08. Earth Is Going Down
09. Return From Avalon
10. Through Your Eyes
11. Novum Initium
12. 1492 (digipack bonus track)
13. Fear The Silence (digipack bonus track)

The "Novum Initium" digipack cover artwork can be seen below.

A photo of MASTERPLAN's new lineup can be seen below. Joining drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka (CRADLE OF FILTH) are vocalist Rick Altzi (AT VANCE, SANDALINAS, THUNDERSTONE), who replaces Jorn Lande, and bassist Jari Kainulainen (STRATOVARIUS, SYMFONIA, DEVIL'S TRAIN).

In a recent interview with Metal Shock Finland, MASTERPLAN guitarist/leader Roland Grapow stated about the band's new CD: "We are not leaving the MASTERPLAN path too much, but everything we have — the melodic part and a little bit progressive — I would say we're a little bit more powerful and I'm also mixing the album this time. I want to get a little bit more modern, as the sound we have was created ten years ago. We're still having the typical sound with melodies, but the drummer is amazing and plays a lot of crazy shit!"

MASTERPLAN's new lineup:

Rick Altzi - vocals
Roland Grapow - guitars
Axel Mackenrott - keyboards
Jari Kainulainen - bass
Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka - drums

In an August 2011 interview with the Czech web portal Kultura21.cz, Grapow stated about MASTERPLAN's numerous lineup changes: "I think it's always difficult in this band, I guess. If you see, the first album just came out after a big turbulence — leaving HELLOWEEN, Uli [Kusch, drums] and me. I think this band always needs some very bad moments to some great songs. [laughs] And it looks like MASTERPLAN, basically, is my main band, and whoever will sing and whoever will play in the band, I'm happy with. But, basically, at the moment, I'm thinking the main songwriters are Axel now and me. So whatever happens, this band will continue. It's very important for me to show that we still have the power and the ability to write beautiful melodies and some aggression and rock and metal songs. Whatever we do, we want just to make good-quality stuff."

MASTERPLAN's last CD, "Time To Be King", was released on May 21, 2010 through AFM Records. The CD's first single, "Far From The End Of The World", was issued on April 16, 2010.

"Keep Your Dream Alive" video:

Californian metallers DEVILDRIVER have set "Winter Kills" as the title of their sixth album, due 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.

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 music 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.

Svart Records has set a June 14 release date for CANDLEMASS' vinyl-only "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus - Live at Roadburn 2011" album.

A live version of the song "Under The Oak", taken from "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus - Live at Roadburn 2011", can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

CANDLEMASS' debut LP, "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", is a genre-defining classic if there ever was one — the starting point of modern epic doom metal, even.

In 2010 and 2011, CANDLEMASS invited the original "Epicus" vocalist Johan Längqvist back into the fold for a few select shows celebrating the album's 25th birthday. This vinyl-only release captures the band performing "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" album live at the sold-out Roadburn festival in Holland in April 2011. Mixed from a professional 32-track recording and mastered vinyl under the supervision of band founder/mainman Leif Edling, this is the ultimate live version of the classic.

The Svart release has the album spread over three sides of vinyl and an etching on side D. The two LPs are wrapped in a gatefold jacket, and the set is available on black or white vinyl. Both versions are limited to 400.

Comments Edling: "No volcano could stop us this time to perform the 'Epicus' album at the Roadburn festival in Holland. It was a very special day, filled with great music, incredible fans, and a band that had a lot of fun doing this!

"After 25 years original, 'Epicus' singer Johan Längqvist is onstage with us to perform something that people say is one of the doom metal classics. And I think we did a pretty good job there at Roadburn. We played well, and the show was a total success!

"So here it is, CANDLEMASS live at the Roadburn festival…as it was, no overdubs…recorded on 32 channels…a fine slice of legendary doom released on big, fat, double-packed vinyl!"

"Brother", the new video from Israeli progressive folk metal masters ORPHANED LAND, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's sixth full-length album, "All Is One", which will be released in North America on June 25 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The cover artwork for the follow-up to 2010's "The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR" was created by the French artist Metastazis (PARADISE LOST, AS I LAY DYING, SONNE ADAM, WATAIN) by perfectly incorporating the three biggest religious symbols into one piece of art.

Commented ORPHANED LAND singer Kobi Farhi: "This is a song that Itshak is singing to his brother Ishmael. According to the bible, they were both the sons of Abraham from two different mothers. Today, Itshak is known as the father of the Israeli nation while Ishmael is known as the father of the Arab nation. Historically, that means of course that it's a historical fact that Israelis and Arabs are brothers and we believe that the deepest source for our actual conflict still lies there, between the two brothers.

"Both sides today are so focused on being right in the conflict and fill themselves with hate. Every side is so busy with being the victim, and today it doesn't make sense to either one of the sides that we are historically brothers. People forgot it, forgot that our language is alike, as well as our names and history.

"An interesting thing is that in the Jewish bible, there is a story where Abraham took Itshak to the mountain to sacrifice him to God. Muslims have the same exact story, but in their version it was Ishmael on the mountain. Everyone shapes history according to his own version, and we have conflicts about even the oldest stories, just as if we were two kids in a fight. And therefore, there is a line in the song that says: 'The lord blessed us both, but we still fight and claim, that kid on the mountain — what was his name'.

"'Brother' is a love song for a forgotten beloved brother who turned into a blood enemy. And before people go and start with politic comments, this has nothing to do with politics, or being left or right wing, Jew, Muslim or anything else. We are not taking any sides as musicians, we just tell a story, and we decided to be the first grown-up brother in this story and ask: 'Forgive me, brother'. Mainly because being mature and grown-up sometimes means that you have to say you're sorry, even if it's not only your fault.

"We dedicate this song with much love, hope and belief to our beloved Israeli and Arab brothers."

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

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

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

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

"The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR" sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 80 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 Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR" was released in Europe on January 25, 2010.

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

"Brother" video:

"Singularity", the new video from the U.K. progressive rock band TESSERACT, can be seen below. The song comes off the group's second full-length album, "Altered State", which was released on May 27 throughout Europe and May 28 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD — which is divided into four movements — Of Matter, Of Mind, Of Reality and Of Energy — is, in its purest form, about the transformations the band has gone through over the past few years.

Comments TESSERACT: "The concept behind the presentation of 'Altered State' is very simple. It is about change, and how life is change. We have been through a very difficult period of time over the last few years. It is a miracle that the band has survived. I feel it is the ability to step back and see everything for what it is (hence the 'Perspective' EP) that has allowed us to get on with life and try to enjoy it. Reality is change."

"Altered State" track listing:

01. Of Matter - Proxy
02. Of Matter - Retrospect
03. Of Matter - Resist
04. Of Mind - Nocturne
05. Of Mind - Exile
06. Of Reality - Eclipse
07. Of Reality - Palingenisis
08. Of Reality - Calabi-Yau
09. Of Energy - Singularity
10. Of Energy - Embers

"Altered State" was produced, mixed, mastered and engineered by TESSERACT guitarist Acle Kahney, assisted by bassist Amos Williams at Acle's 4D Sounds studio, and marks the first full release with new vocalist Ashe O'Hara following the departure of American vocalist Elliot Coleman (OMNOM, SKY EATS AIRPLANE, ZELLIACK) in June 2012.

"The new album has shaped up to be something of an evolution for TESSERACT," TESSERACT bassist Amos Williams told ThrashHits.com. "Obviously, there's the new voice, which is exciting for us to work with. Ashe brings such an intense level of emotion to the table, it feels as if we have added another dimension to the music. We've also travelled so much and met so many incredible and inspiring musicians since the first album. This has had a huge impact upon our songwriting."

He continued: "Also, we now enjoy playing with dynamics and instrumentation. This came from releasing an acoustic EP last year. We're no longer afraid to mix things up or stray from the expected path, which we feel we did with our first album. That was in the box, whilst this album is way out there for us. Don't be afraid, though — whilst it has evolved, our music is still somehow TESSERACT. It's like there is something just beneath the surface of everything we do, that shapes all we produce into a distinctly TESSERACT-ish form."

Hailing from Northampton, Ashe spent his early years singing in many different groups, from choirs to musical theatre, and has more recently been involved with a number of ambient/alternative metal projects in addition to doing session work. Ashe currently resides in Hove, East Sussex.

German thrash metal veterans KREATOR have set set "Dying Alive" as the title of their concert DVD/Blu-ray, tentatively due later in the year.

If you want to be part of the upcoming KREATOR live release, e-mail the band your coolest picture showing you and your friends at a KREATOR live show or simply you wearing a KREATOR shirt, vest or anything. The deadline for your submissions is next Monday, June 3.

Surf to www.kreator-dying-alive.com and become a part of KREATOR history.

KREATOR will tour North America this fall with fellow thrashers OVERKILL.

On November 9, 2012, KREATOR released a new seven-inch single, "Civilization Collapse" (retail version: black; Nuclear Blast mailorder-only version: red, yellow, white) and as a digital download. The single contains the title cut backed by the non-album track "Wolfchild", which was featured on the "Dark Symphonies - A Tribute To John Sinclair" album, released in September 2012 in Germany via Lübbe-Audio. The band also made a video for the song "Civilization Collapse", which is said to be "mainly about the riots that took place in Greece most recently."

"Civilization Collapse" comes off KREATOR's new album, "Phantom Antichrist", which sold 3,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 1 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.

Video footage of reunited Swedish heavy rockers TRANSPORT LEAGUE performing the song "Electric Wolf" on May 24 at Sticky Fingers Bar & Grill in Gothenburg, Sweden at the release party for their new album, "Boogie From Hell", can be seen below.

"Boogie From Hell" was released digitally on May 20 via frontman Tony Jelencovich's (DEATHDESTRUCTION, B-THONG, MASSIVE AUDIO NERVE, MNEMIC, ICON IN ME) Hoffa Entertainment. A physical CD was also printed for release through the Bengans record store.

"Boogie From Hell" was tracked over a 17-month period and was mixed by Svein Jensen at Grand Recordings in Gothenburg, Sweden. The CD's sound is described in a press release as "groovy, shaky-boogie-rock 'n' roll metal … for the fans of CLUTCH, CATHEDRAL, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, MUSTASCH and even VOLBEAT."

TRANSPORT LEAGUE played its first reunion show on May 15, 2009 on the Terass stage at Henriksberg in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Commented the group: "TRANSPORT LEAGUE was the band who invented the phrase 'boogie from hell,' well known and well heard on the two first albums, 'Stallion Showcase' (1995) and 'Superevil' (1997). Just listen to tracks such as 'Cosmical Satanical' and 'Lost In The Desert Of Habib' and you will understand what we are talking about.

"TRANSPORT LEAGUE no doubt paved the way for such artists as VOLBEAT and MUSTASCH, drawing from many sources to create a new format for heavy guitar-driven groovy rock."

TRANSPORT LEAGUE's fourth full-length album, "Multiple Organ Harvest", was released in November 2003 through Holland's Seamview Records.

TRANSPORT LEAGUE 2013 is:

Tony Julien Jelencovich - Vocals, Guitar
Lars Häglund - Bass
Matt Starander - Drums
Pete Hunyadi - Lead Guitar

"Traveller", the new video from Norwegian hard rock singer Jorn Lande, can be seen below. The song is the title track of Lande's new album, which will be released on June 11 in North America and June 14 in Europe via Frontiers Records.

Considered one of the greatest legends in rock, and by many as the best male rock singer of the millennium, Lande never seems to stop producing music, and is back with yet another slab of classic first-division heavy rock. "Traveller" is definitely a suitable title to fit this gifted and creative viking's extreme productivity.

During his almost-30-year-long career, his albums have sold millions. He managed to release close to 40 albums with various bands/projects in the past decades, and "Traveller" is his eighth studio album under the Jorn banner. Some say he has passed his successors by his gift of being versatile, and ability to not get stuck in the political frames of the music business. A true independent "freebird" hammering his legacy in stone as he goes, with a band of grounded and solid craftsmen to back up his hurricane force voice.

This album represents the first product of the pairing of Jorn Lande and the new JORN guitarist Trond Holter (WIG WAM, DREAM POLICE). The result is eleven new songs encompassing a variety of moods and styles, with Lande's voice shining through memorable anthems, backed by wonderful grooves and tightly-executed classic and melodic heavy metal. "This album has all the elements of the Jorn legacy," says Lande. "It is heavy, but still very melodic and experimental, and it really rocks! As usual we haven't spent much time analyzing the material before recording it, this is an album about life, doom and death reflecting on what I know and thoughts about what I don't."

"Traveller" track listing:

01. Overload
02. Cancer Demon
03. Traveller
04. Window Maker
05. Make Your Engine Scream
06. Legend Man
07. Carry The Black
08. Rev On
09. Monsoon
10. The Man Who Was King

You can sample four songs from the album in the YouTube clip below.

JORN is:

Jorn Lande: Vocals
Willy Bendiksen: Drums
Trond Holter: Guitar
Jimmy Iversen: Guitar
Bernt Jansen: Bass

Fan-filmed video footage of WHITESNAKE's May 16 concert at Odyssey Arena in Belfast, United Kingdom with JOURNEY and THUNDER can be seen below.

Regarding WHITESNAKE's upcoming touring plans, the band's mainman and lead singer David Coverdale recently told the Coventry Telegraph, "I absolutely love being at home with my family, so it has to be something exciting to get me out of my house. I enjoy performing, but the travelling sucks on ice. I am treated very nicely when I'm on the road these days, but if you could beam me to Birmingham or wherever, I would love it."

On the topic of WHITESNAKE's co-headlining tour with JOURNEY, whose hits include "Don't Stop Believin'", "Any Way You Want It" and "Faithfully", with the added attraction of English hard rockers THUNDER, Coverdale said: "JOURNEY I have known for decades. The difficulty of having a co-headliner is to find someone with an equal number of familiar songs, so that you give audiences more bang for their buck. In these difficult times, the more you can offer for the price of a ticket the better, I feel. And JOURNEY have a lot of great songs. As for my dear friends THUNDER, (guitarist and songwriter) Luke Morley has put the band back together specially for this tour."

Frontiers Records will release WHITESNAKE's "Made In Britain/The World Record" in Europe on July 5 and in North America on July 9. The album will be released in Japan on June 19 via Ward Records.

"The Human Apheresis", the new video from THE INIQUITY DESCENT, the extreme-metal project featuring vocalist Mathias "Vreth" Lillmåns of Finnish folk metallers FINNTROLL, can be seen below. The song is the title track of THE INIQUITY DESCENT's debut album, "The Human Apheresis", which was released on May 25, 2012 via Massacre Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. In Prostration
02. An Empty Temple
03. The Human Apheresis
04. Obedience Torn
05. Collector Vs Protector
06. Believers In The Apotheosis; Imaginary Ectoplasmic Hands
07. Decimate, Disintegrate
08. Trust The Serpent
09. The Invisible
10. Infected

THE INIQUITY DESCENT released its debut EP, "Trust The Serpent", in November 2010. The CD was mastered at Nordic Audio Labs by Sami "Hannu" Koivisto and contains four songs (out of 11 that were tracked).

THE INIQUITY DESCENT is:

Mathias Lillmåns - Vocals
Mikael Mannström - Guitars
Philip Kerbs - Guitars
Jonas Frilund - Bass
Kenna Nygård - Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of CARCASS' May 24 performance at Maryland Deathfest XI festival in Baltimore can be seen below.

CARCASS has inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records for the release of the band's comeback album, "Surgical Steel". Due in the fall, the CD was mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY) after the project's producer, Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE), quit the project two weeks into the mixing process. During a March 2013 concert at the Underworld in London, CARCASS bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker claimed that Richardson walked away from the mix in order to work on the new TRIVIUM album.

The first official photo of the new lineup of CARCASS can be seen below (courtesy of Adrian Erlandsson of Murder Mile Studios). Joining guitarist Bill Steer and Walker in the band's current incarnation are new drummer Dan Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and guitarist Ben Ash (PIG IRON, DESOLATION, LIQUEFIED SKELETON).

CARCASS' first studio LP since 1996's "Swansong" will feature guest vocals from original sticksman Ken Owen.

In a recent interview with Chile's Radio Futuro, Walker stated about the new CARCASS CD: "We think we've made a good album, so it's gonna be very interesting when people get to hear the record. We can't wait to see what people think."
He continued: "It sounds like CARCASS. Even the drumming sounds like CARCASS. Everything about it… I think it's gonna shock people, how good it is. I think it's got all the elements that people like, yet it still sounds fresh. So that's all I can say, really, 'cause we don't really sound like any other band, and the fact that after 17 years, we wrote music and it still sounds like CARCASS, I think it's good."

Guitarist Michael Amott and drummer Daniel Erlandsson, who had been touring with CARCASS since the band's reunion was announced in 2007, are no longer involved with the group due to scheduling conflicts with their main band, ARCH ENEMY.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of SOUNDGARDEN's May 25 performance at Austin Music Hall in Austin, Texas can be seen below.

SOUNDGARDEN released the music video on January 29 for "By Crooked Steps", the second single from the quartet's new album, "King Animal".

The "By Crooked Steps" clip was directed by FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl, who submitted a treatment for the video on his own initiative after hearing the song.

"King Animal" came out last November and was SOUNDGARDEN's first set of all-new material in 16 years.

SOUNDGARDEN reunited in 2010 after a 13-year break, releasing a retrospective collection called "Telephantasm" and a concert album titled "Live On I-5".

ICED EARTH mainman/guitarist Jon Schaffer (pictured below) has issued the following update:

"There's a lot happening in ICED EARTH world at the moment. We are just a few short weeks away from getting together in Germany to rehearse the new songs for the upcoming album, 'Plagues Of Babylon'. We have a few weeks of rehearsal, then we start tracking the new album in between a string of festivals in Europe, and one in India, which we are all excited about, since it'll be our first time there.

"Tracking will be done at a studio in Germany to try to keep the jetlag at a minimum. The numerous trips across the Atlantic during the 'Dystopia' recording were a bit brutal, so we are doing it smarter this time. If we stay on target, you will have the new album in October! It's a tight schedule, but we are intent on making it happen. I am very happy with the work so far, and it's only going to get better when we are all together cranking it out."

ICED EARTH recently parted ways with drummer Brent Smedley for "personal family reasons." His replacement, Raphael Saini (CHAOSWAVE), will join the group on the road starting this summer.

"I have family members that are elderly and frail and need my help here in Jacksonville," Smedley said in a statement. "It's been one of the hardest decisions of my life but I simply cannot commit to the kind of schedule the band deserves and requires so I decided to ask permission to step down from my post."

Added the remaning members of ICED EARTH: "Brent has been a valued member of the group for a long time. We thank him for his contributions, friendship and energy and wish him all the best for the future. We want to welcome Raphael with open arms and are expecting for our fans to give him the welcome he deserves."

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

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

The first part of ICED EARTH's 2014-2015 world tour will kick off on January 9, 2014 in Saarbrücken, Germany.

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

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

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

Former SCORPIONS drummer Herman Rarebell is featured in a new interview with Metal-Rules.com. An excerpt is available below:
Q: Overall it’s great that you’re now working with MICHAEL SCHENKER again after all these years.

Herman: "I’m working right now with him. He asked me to come do this tour with them and I was very happy to do this. It’s a great fun for me. As you know, Michael and I know each other for 45 years now since we were kids. And I am thankful to him always, because it was him who got me in the Scorpions as you know. We both lived in England from 1997, we were known boys and the 75?, 76? we met the first time and the spring of 77?, he told me 'My brother has a band in Germany called the Scorpions. They are looking for a drummer. Why don’t you go for an audition?' What he didn’t tell me when I went to the audition that there was another fifty, sixty other drummers sitting also there at the auditions. I played three songs with them and when I left I got that famous sentence 'We will call you.' Okay, so I had more fun, I knew they were going to call. But anyway, they did call on the next day and said 'We like your drumming and we would like you to be our drummer.' So, a week later I was in Hannover. The rest is history."

Q: Yeah, Michael did a great favor for you and it changed your life forever but how much you two did keep in touch later on?

Herman: "Not really, you know. I mean, we stayed in touch when, for example, when I went to the MSG gig. And it was like 'Nice to see you,' we hug each other like old friends. But then he did his thing and I did my thing. But the Scorpions, as you know it was until 1996, until I finally decided to leave the band after they played me Pure Instinct. I decided not to continue in that direction, because that’s not my direction. So, was time to do something else, and I did that, you know. And I feel good that I did that, because musically speaking I am very happy to be friends with Michael. He’s a fantastic musician, and a fantastic guitar player and I’m very happy to play with him in this time now. Because he’s completely clean and you can hear that he’s playing unbelievable at the moment."

Q: Yes he’s in great shape now but I do remember seeing different Michael as well…

Herman: "I have also seen the different Michael, believe me, several times. So, I’m really glad how he is now and I hope that Michael is going to stay like he is now."

Go to this location for the complete interview.
Michael Schenker recently appeared on a Russian late-night talk show called Evening Urgant hosted by Ivan Urgant this past week. Dubbed Michael Schenker & Scorpions' Lovedrive Reunion, Schenker along with former Scorpions members Herman Rarebell (drums), Francis Buchholz (bass) and singer Doogie White and keyboardist Wayne Findlay performed the classic 'Another Piece Of Meat' on the TV show.

Check out video below:

After releasing four albums, Portuguese / Norwegian act AVA INFERI have called it quits. Rune Eriksen has issued the following statement on behalf of the band:
"As of today (23rd of May), we’d like to inform our fans and followers that Ava Inferi is officially over. The decision was made by myself and Carmen (Susana Simões - Vocals) some time ago now and as one can imagine, it has been a multitude of mixed feelings and emotions involved, but then again, what must be done...

To some it may seem a tad ironic giving up when things start to happen for real (record sales, show offers, general interest has steadily increased) but as of now there is simply no will and interest in pursuing this path any further. It is important to follow one’s intuition, hence our joint and final decision on this matter.

To put it short: the spiritual heaviness and the (occasional) negativity involved, the bad luck and obstacles that seemed to follow every step we took, the corner we closed ourselves in musically and conceptually etc. belongs to a different era for us. We simply need to break out and get the joy and inspiration back into our music.

I still have the song skeletons for the 5th (double?) album in my hard drive though (about 30+, some done, some half-done songs) and maybe, just maybe in the future we will make these available (stranger things have happened). However we do not encourage anyone to hold their breath. The decision is as close to final as one can get.

We want to thank our past and present band members, session members, Season Of Mist, Twilight13 Media, NM Design and everyone we’ve worked with and/or connected with over the years. Much appreciated! And to our followers: You all helped making these 8 years a "different" pleasure. Thank you so much!

We have 1 song left in our sleeve though: a Fado-inspired song sung in Portuguese entitled 'Ao Teu Lado', which you will get to hear some time in the near future. Watch out for that one!

On a side note I can reveal that Carmen and myself will appear in a new project in due time, and be sure things are being prepared for it. However, this statement belongs to AI and AI only so more on the new path through a different channel at a more appropriate time.

Thanks and see you all around."

The sale of IRON MAIDEN's Trooper beer was recently halted in Sweden by the country's state-run liquor store monopoly Systembolaget due to legal concerns over the skull and crossbones motif on the label.

Independent U.K. brewer Robinsons, which created a real ale in partnership with heavy metal band IRON MAIDEN, has now released the following statement regarding the matter:

"Due to local Swedish government alcohol and marketing act which do not allow elements of war, weapons or aggression to be featured on alcoholic product, we were unable to sell Trooper beer to our fans in Sweden unless we modified the label artwork.

"As our first and foremost priority is for our Swedish fans to be able to enjoy Trooper beer, we amended the label by simply focussing purely on [IRON MAIDEN mascot] Eddie's face and are now very pleased to advise that the new label, currently exclusive to Sweden, has now been approved.

"Our distributor, Brands For Fans, advise that Trooper premium British beer should be available in bottles in Sweden towards the end of June and delivered via orders at Systembolaget nationwide. Trooper will be also listed at restaurants and pubs all over Sweden.

"Meanwhile, 500 ml bottles with the original Trooper label can be ordered directly from Robinsons U.K. via this web site."

The label on the 4.8 percent-strength Trooper's packaging is taken from IRON MAIDEN' single "The Trooper", which was released in 1983.

"Trooper was the blindingly obvious thing to call it," IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson recently said. "We have a tremendous piece of artwork — it's one of the world's most tattooed images. And it's like Spitfire. It's in the great tradition of British military prowess — well, military disaster in this case."

In 2010, Systembolaget suspended sales of the U.S. beer Founders Breakfast Stout over concerns about the use of a child's face on the bottle's front label.

More recently, in April 2013, a brewery in Denmark was forced to change the label on its Lust beer after Systembolaget deemed the depiction of a topless women to be too sexy for Sweden.

The Trooper beer was officially launched on May 9 at Robinsons Brewery in Cheshire, with a reception attended by brewing trade representatives from both the U.K. and internationally.

As fans may have read recently, the unprecedented upfront demand for the beer meant Robinsons had to brew three times a day, six days a week for the first time ever in the brewery's 175-year history to cope with pre-orders in excess of 300,000 pints. Robinsons were overwhelmed by the number of enquiries they'd had from all over the world and sent the band a comprehensive listing of whereabouts the interest had been — from a staggering 184 countries.

Trooper is now available to order online throughout most of Europe, and Robinsons are working to ensure it will be available to the rest of the world as soon as possible.

For updates on when Trooper is coming to a pub, bar or supermarket in your town/country, keep checking www.ironmaidenbeer.com.

Revised Trooper beer label for Swedish market:

Video footage of BITCH frontwoman Betsy "Bitch" Weiss singing a cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Living After Midnight" as part of the "Rock-A-Holic" live rock metal karaoke night at Skinny's Lounge in North Hollywood, California can be seen below.

In August 2011, BITCH's classic album "Be My Slave", which could be seen in the hands of Tipper Gore as she campaigned to save our children throughout the '80s, was repackaged with the "Damnation Alley" EP and a live DVD. The DVD includes BITCH's performance at the Keep It True festival in Germany in April 2011, along with a myriad of early '80s live performance and cable access footage.

BITCH was the first band ever to be signed by Metal Blade Records, ultimately releasing five albums in the 1980s — "Damnation Alley", "Be My Slave", "The Bitch Is Back", "Betsy", and "A Rose By Any Other Name".

Quality video footage of former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis' May 4 performance at Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio can be seen below.

The special tour edition of Loomis' latest album, "Plains Of Oblivion", was released on April 16 via Century Media Records.

"Plains Of Oblivion - Tour Edition" features three bonus tracks, in addition to the original "Plains Of Oblivion" disc that was released last year.

Loomis's second solo album, "Plains Of Oblivion", sold 2,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 179 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at No. 2 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.

"Plains Of Oblivion" was released on April 10, 2012 in North America (one day earlier in Europe) via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by Aaron Smith (7 HORNS 7 EYES) and features cover artwork by Colin Marks of Rain Song Design, who has previously worked with ALL SHALL PERISH, THE END and XERATH.

According to ThrashHits.com, Florida metallers TRIVIUM have set "Vengeance Falls" as the title of their recently completed sixth album, due late summer via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by DISTURBED/DEVICE frontman David Draiman at a studio in Austin, Texas and was mixed by Colin Richardson, who has previously worked with FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE.

Speaking to Loudwire, Draiman explained how he came to be involved with the new TRIVIUM album. "We were talking about doing it for years," he said. "The first time it really came up definitively was when TRIVIUM was supporting DISTURBED on an Australian run — this was after the 'In Waves' record had been out already and I thought they had taken some pretty huge strides with that record, melodically and in terms of the strength of their songs. It was then that I had some conversations with them like, 'You know, it would be a good idea for us to work together, because I think you guys have opened the door to something and you have incredible capabilities and I'd like to help you.' We had more and more conversations over the course of time, and they came through Austin, Texas, one time while they were on tour and I played them some songs from the DEVICE record and we talked a little more about really figuring out how to set this in stone and put a time together and we did. They started sending me material and I started sending them comments on the material, and we started communicating in a pre-production sort of fashion, online at first, then over the phone and then in at the end of the second week of January they came out to my house here in Austin. It was basically two weeks of intense pre-production — 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., six days a week — then about a month or so of tracking. Once we had finalized everything, we executed it rather quickly but there was a lot of work and prep involved. These guys learned a lot and grew a lot and has made a record that is going to be a defining moment in their career."

In a recent interview with RoadrunnerRecords.com, TRIVIUM guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy stated about working with Draiman: "He was the most hands-on producer we've ever worked with. And we've worked with some amazing people … We looked at it as a partnership, as all of us working together to make the best songs possible. And with David, he had input on everything. What was amazing was he never wanted to cross the line — he never wanted to change who we were. That was a big thing he said early on: 'I want this to still very much be TRIVIUM, but we're gonna take it to the next level.' He had things from — not lyrical changes, but lyrical suggestions — ways to help further the point of what the song was. That was something I'd never had before; I'd never had a producer say, 'What are you saying in this song?' And when he first asked me that, I gave him the same answer I was giving for interviews for all of 'In Waves', which is, 'Well, this is interpretable,' and he was like, 'Yeah, yeah, that's fine,' but he felt like it should go this way or that way, and I've never had that before, someone who was able to help me look at what the point of the song was and help me narrow down the message I was trying to convey. We worked on vocals – he helped me gain another four to six notes in my upper vocal range, which is something I never thought was possible … He helped with every instrument, every song, helping create melodies — his ability to create melody is one of the most staggering things I've ever seen. If someone can picture in their head a virtuoso guitar player stepping up to play a song and improvising right on the spot, something really technical and really flashy, well, David can hear a song or a chord progression or a bass melody one time, and after hearing it once, he can come up with amazing melodies to go on top of it, and each time he works with it, within two minutes of hearing it for the first time, he can create incredible hooks on top of it. I've never seen that before. It was mind-blowing to see his ability for melody construction on the spot."

Pictured below: TRIVIUM at studio in Austin with David Draiman

Capital Chaos TV has uploaded video footage of British extreme metal pioneers BOLT THROWER performing the songs "The Killchain" and "Powder Burns" on May 26 at Metro Operahouse in Oakland, California. Check it out below.

BOLT THROWER has continued its "quality-not-quantity" approach to performing live and that has definitely paid off. In 2010, they played a number of shows and festivals across Europe, and from doing more intimate underground shows (in keeping with their roots), they can also pull off performing to a festival crowd of 30,000 people. That's why, as they reached and moved beyond their 25th anniversary, BOLT THROWER are still at the top of their game.

Finally, after only a handful of North American dates in the past few years, limited to Maryland Deathfest, BOLT THROWER is currently taking part in the "Return To Chaos" tour. The band is performing seven shows across the U.S. in May. The dates include Maryland Deathfest, Chaos In Tejas, as well as club shows in Pomona, California; Seattle, Washington; Chicago, Illinois and more.

The last three albums from BOLT THROWER — "Mercenary" (1998), "Honour Valour Pride" (2001) and "Those Once Loyal" (2005) — were reissued on vinyl on October 24, 2011 via Metal Blade Records. All three albums were released as gatefold LPs in colored vinyl, limited to 1,000 units each.

BOLT THROWER indefinitely postponed plans to record a new studio album after the band realized that the new stuff it had written "just doesn't match up" to the group's last CD, "Those Once Loyal". "We have a lot of pride in our back catalogue, and we refuse to turn into one of the many bands (like the ones we grew up listening to) who end up releasing crap, and we're also not prepared to compromise by instead releasing an album of cover versions or a 'best-of' album," BOLT THROWER explained in a statement.

"Those Once Loyal" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 76 — the group's highest-charting release in Germany so far. The follow-up to 2001's "Honour, Valour, Pride" was recorded at Andy Faulkner's Sable Rose studios and was the band's first album since the return of original vocalist Karl Willetts as a full-time member.

Stockholm, Sweden based thrashers ALTAIR have announced the addition of guitarist Michel Isberg to the group's ranks.

According to a post on the band's Facebook page, "Michel is best known as frontman, guitarist, singer [and] mastermind in the awesome metal band MACHINERY, who sadly called it quits a while ago. Michel also plays guitar in METALLICA tribute band TRIBUTALLICA, sings in the IRON MAIDEN tribute band CHARLOTTE THE WHORE-A-LOT and does occasional acoustic cover gigs to get laid.

"In ALTAIR, Michel joins forces with the four original members and will be sharing six-string duties with Kalle Stenberg, making the band a quintet. We also expect him to contribute with some songwriting and vocals, carry our gear, run errands and pay the beer tabs. He is a brilliant musician and a great guy, so we are thrilled to have him onboard!"

ALTAIR has been active since 1997.

In a recent interview with Music Radar, JUDAS PRIEST lead singer Rob Halford was asked if RUSH's recent induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame gave him some hope that PRIEST could be next in line to be honored. "I hope so, sure," Halford replied. "I think it's great. I would love to be in the Hall Of Fame. Are you kidding me? [laughs] I think we're worthy contenders. Without standing on a soapbox, I think we meet all of the credentials. If and when that moment comes up, we'll be tremendously honored, and we'd be in the company of the world's greatest musicians from all walks of life."

He continued: "Getting into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame is out of our control, really. We won't know that it's happening till it does. But I can tell you this: if it does come about, you'll see some very happy metalheads in the U.K. – and worldwide, too. It would be such an affirmation for PRIEST and metal music."

Halford — who revealed he was homosexual during a 1998 appearance on MTV — also spoke about the controvery surrounding basketball player Jason Collins, who recently made history when he came out as the first openly gay player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Asked why he thinks there's such disparity between heavy metal and pro sports on gay issues, Halford said: "With me, I think that it was a controversial moment, but I also think that the biggest story is definitely in sports. What this guy did recently, the NBA player, you can't say 'good for you' enough. You know what I mean?"

He added: "It's so important to go through life without hiding your true self. I know I felt that way for most of my adult life, that I had to hide. It was a big decision for me to take that step, although I was out of PRIEST at the time. But I was always putting the band before me. As much as I love this band more than anything else in the world, if you can't look after things in your own house, how can you look after things when you walk out the door?

"You've got to try and find some balance, some peace and calm. It's just a load off your back more than anything else, to not have to lie and to be comfortable with yourself. So I thank all of my fans across the world for accepting me. Maybe it was because of the work that I'd already created, and maybe it was — I don't really know to this day — that people were like, 'Well, we kind of figured that he was anyway.' [laughs] I don't know. But the actual acceptance — I could never say 'thank you' to my fans enough.

"At the end of the day, and I'm just speaking straightforward, you're dealing with ignorance, whether it's people accepting your preference, the color of your skin, your religion or whatever it might be. Bigoted hatred is just mind-numbing. Nobody succeeds with negativity. Negativity is a poison. The best way is to be honest and open."

BON JOVI guitarist Richie Sambora continues to sit out the band's current tour due to a rift with frontman Jon Bon Jovi.

Sambora has tweeted the following: "Hey everybody, there's nothing I can say right now cause nothing is resolved. I thank you all for your loyalty and concern…"
On the April 23rd edition of The Ellen Degeneres Show, Jon Bon Jovi addressed the ongoing rift and he briefly stated: "It's a personal matter. We love him very much. He's still a member of the band."

In early April, TMZ reported that "guitarist Richie Sambora is bailing on the Bon Jovi world tour because of 'personal issues,' but it has nothing to do with substance abuse... it's all about a war that's exploded between Jon and Richie."

Apparently, "sources directly connected to Bon Jovi tell TMZ... tensions between Jon and Richie have been running high for years and it's finally erupted. One source tells them, 'It's a classic Jagger/Richards blowup'.
Their sources go on to say part of the problem is that Jon constantly belittles Richie. But there's another part of the problem - they're fighting over money."

Further details can be found at TMZ.

Bon Jovi's complete live itinerary can be found here.

THE ALCOHOLLYS, featuring KITTIE drummer Mercedes Lander and former Kittie bassist Tanya Candler, performed at the Bovine Sex Club in Toronto, Ontario on May 24th. Check out their cover of THE CARS hit 'Let's Go' below:
The Alcohollys will be heading back to the studio for June 7th and 8th to record a new EP. Watch for details, coming soon.

The Alcohollys held a release party for their debut, The Flashback EP, on April 19th at Call The Office in their home town of London, Ontario. Multi-camera footage courtesy of Local Live Entertainment featuring the band performing 'Lily Foot' is available below:
Following is an excerpt from a recent interview with The Alcohollys by BW&BK's Carl Begai:

Mercedes: “I’ve only been in The Alcohollys since 2011, but the band has been around since 2009. Dana started the band with some girls that aren’t in the band anymore, and Tanya joined in 2010. When they lost their drummer, I’m pretty much the only female drummer they know in town (laughs). They asked me if I wanted to join and I wasn’t doing anything, so I said ‘Fuck yeah.’ I’ve known Dana (Hartman / vocals, keyboards) for something like 17 years, and I know Tanya of course from playing in Kittie. And we have out new guitar player, Bri (Lue-Kim), so since 2011 we’ve gotten serious about this band.”

Take the above description of the band’s sound for what it’s worth; in this office, that’s a lot.. Bottom line is The Alcohollys stick out like a sore thumb on today’s rock scene and are better for it, right down to their stage names: Kimber Heart, Scarlet Fever, Ruby Pubey and Maiden China. Kittie fans and metalheads in general with narrow minds would do well to buy a can opener.

Mercedes: “I don’t think we have a particular sound compared to other bands where people can say ‘Oh, that band is death metal…’ or whatever. The closest thing that I think we fit into is the ‘70s power pop movement. It’s weird, though, because we play a lot of metal shows, so we’re obviously the odd man out. For instance, the last time we played Windsor it was us and three metal bands, but we had the biggest crowd of the night. I think the appeal of The Alcohollys to the metal crowd is the musicianship in the band.”
According to Dana, in spite of The Alcohollys’ modern day ‘70s sound – something one would assume most musicians on the low side of 30 would shy away from in favour of mindless pop pap or trendy death / black / oh-so-evil metal – she hasn’t had a problem finding musicians to keep the band moving forward.

Dana: “I find that girls are more open to playing this kind of music, something that’s more pop-oriented. Nobody’s had any complaints (laughs). I’ve always wanted to have an all- girl band but I could never find enough girls to make a full band, so now I’m living my dream (laughs).”
The ones that did rock the boat have since taken a hike or were invited to leave, making way for a quartet that most certainly has its collective shit together.

Mercedes: “We run in a circle of really awesome musicians. All of our friends play an instrument so we kind of have our pick of players, which is nice. London isn’t really known for great musicians (laughs) but I think we hang with the cream of the crop.”

Tanya: “When we work together it’s chemical but it’s magic, too. Everything is really organic the way it comes out when we jam together. We’re usually on the same page about things when it comes to what sounds good and what doesn’t.”

Mercedes: “When I joined the band, all the songs except ’27 Death Riot’ were finished. I think the toughest part for me was re-writing the drum parts to make them…”

Tanya: “Make them good (laughs)…”

Mercedes: “(Laughs) … make them part of my style, and at the same time lend itself to the music. There were previous recordings – which we won’t talk about because they’re terrible – but I really had to do my homework.”

Go to this location for the complete interview.

The Alcohollys have posted a short studio documentary of the sessions for The Flashback EP. It was recorded at Beachroad Studios in Goderich, Ontario with Siegfried Meier. Check it out below.

The Alcohollys are:
Kimber Heart - vocals, keys
Scarlet Fever - bass, vocals
Ruby Pubey - drums, vocals
Maiden China - guitar

"Torture", the new video from San Francisco Bay Area poppy metalcorists PICTURE ME BROKEN — who are fronted by Layla "Brooklyn" Allman, the 20-year-old daughter of legendary Southern rocker and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Gregg Allman — can be seen below. The clip was directed by Patrick Fogarty (BLACK VEIL BRIDES, GYPSYHAWK) and filmed at the NYGARD building in New York City's Times Square.

"Lyrically, 'Torture' allowed me to create a vision for a video with a strong message as the lyrics are so personal and true to me," Allman tells Revolver magazine. "Many directors told me I couldn't possibly execute that vision with the budget I was working with, but Patrick came to me eager and excited to make it happen one way or another. And the finished product came out even more thorough and elaborate than expected."

"Torture" comes off PICTURE ME BROKEN's "Mannequins" EP, which was released in late 2012 by Standby Records and produced by David Bendeth (PAPA ROACH, BRING ME THE HORIZON, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE).

PICTURE ME BROKEN is rounded out by Dante Phoenix, Jimmy Strimpel and Shaun Foist.

The "Torture" video arrives in anticipation of PICTURE ME BROKEN's upcoming month-long trek supporting ALICE COOPER and MARILYN MANSON on their "Shock Therapy 2013 Tour".

The lyric video for the song "Money, Blood, Crucifixus" from Swedish metallers DEATHDESTRUCTION can be seen below. The track comes off the band's sophomore album, "II", which will be released in October.

The "Money, Blood, Crucifixus" single will be made available on May 31, with an accompanying promotional video 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.

"II" was recorded between November 17, 2012 and January 10, 2013 at Bohus Sound studios in Kungälv, Sweden with producer Roberto Laghi (IN FLAMES, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, LOK, SONIC SYNDICATE). Laghi also mixed the CD, whose sound is described by the new DEATHDESTRUCTION singer Tony Jelencovich as "much wider than [that of] the debut album; it's harder, more mature and has more melancholy."

The following songs were laid down during the "II" sessions:

* Set The Sail
* Divine Justice
* False Flag
* I Am The Plague
* Moscow Morning
* Dead Pilot
* Taste The Mud
* Insane Stays Sane
* Towards The Light
* I Promised You Nothing
* Dead Tomorrow
* Money, Blood, Crucifixus
* A Shelter From Harm
* Give It A Try

Vocalist Jimmie Strimell quit DEATHDESTRUCTION in June 2012 in order to focus on his other band, DEAD BY APRIL. He has since been fired from that group due to his "personal problems."

Regarding Tony's addditon to DEATHDESTRUCTION, the other members of the group said, "Tony is a friend to the band, and he has truly made a mark in the Gothenburg scene with bands like B-THONG, TRANSPORT LEAGUE and MASSIVE AUDIO NERVE. He's also worked with bands like MNEMIC and the Russian band ICON IN ME.

"Tony has everything we look for in a lead singer and a frontman, so the choice was just so easy when we had to find ourselves a new singer. We're totally stoked about what he will contribute to DEATHDESTRUCTION! This is going to be so fucking good, people!!"

DEATHDESTRUCTION in 2011 inked a deal with the Swedish branch of Sony Music Entertainment. The band's three-song EP, "Fuck Yeah", was released in April 2011 and was followed by the group's self-titled debut album in August 2011.

DEATHDESTRUCTION is:

* Tony Jelencovich (B-THONG, TRANSPORT LEAGUE, MASSIVE AUDIO NERVE) - Vocals
* Henrik Danhage (ex-EVERGREY) - Guitar
* Fredrik "Loppan" Larsson (HAMMERFALL) - Bass
* Jonas Ekdahl (ex-EVERGREY) – Drums

ANTHRAX played a snippet of the SLAYER classic "Raining Blood" on May 15 at HSBC Brasil in São Paulo, Brazil as a tribute to SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who died earlier in the month at the age of 49. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

In a statement to LA Weekly, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian said about Hanneman: "There was a real dichotomy knowing Jeff. On one hand, he was a really great guy — easy-going, very kick-back and chill, friendly, loved to laugh — and on the other hand, he wrote some of the darkest, most brutal lyrics and riffs in the history of metal. If he had only ever written 'Angel Of Death', that alone would be enough to claim the throne of evil, let alone the catalogue of work he created. He was a singular talent and a fun person to be around. I'll miss him."

Added ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante: "Jeff had a great fucking laugh; I heard it quite a bit throughout the years. The man who wrote such lyrics as 'feel the knife pierce you intensely' had a great sense if humor. I will remember him for the music he gave and the intensity he brought our metal world."

Members of SLAYER released a statement on May 9 saying that Hanneman died of alcohol-related cirrhosis. He is credited for writing many of the band's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

The guitarist, who passed away in Los Angeles on May 2, had actually not been playing with SLAYER for more than two years since he contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard in January 2011. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

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