"Strike The Iron", a brand new song from Los Angeles metallers WHITE WIZZARD, can be streamed below. The track comes off the band's third full-length album, "The Devils Cut", which will be released on June 3 in Europe via Earache Records and June 25 in the USA through Century Media/Earache. The CD features artwork by Cameron Davis, who is known for as the lead character designer and illustrator for the Guitar Hero video game series.

Comments WHITE WIZZARD bassist and mainman Jon Leon: "'Strike The Iron' is my favorite WHITE WIZZARD song I have ever written, along with 'The Sun Also Rises', which closes the new record. I am very proud of the arrangement. I had the verse melody in my head and chorus line before I even picked up the guitar and started writing it. It has stunning leads by Jake and Will, and Joseph interpreted the vocal melody fantastically and gave so much character to it. This song really exemplifies everything this lineup is capable of and everyone's talents really came through on it. It never lets up and we are very excited to get this one out there live...I expect it to be our opening song for the next couple of years."

"The Devils Cut" was once again produced by Ralph Patlan (MEGADETH, UFO, MICHAEL SCHENKER) at Phase Four Studios in Tempe, Arizona.

Regarding the cover artwork for the new CD, Leon aid: "It was great to work with the amazing artist Cameron Davis again, who also did the art for our album 'Over The Top'. Cameron and I live in the same building here in L.A. and he is a really talented guy. When he presented me the piece for the album cover, I knew right away it was the one. It has amazing imagery and depth and is very artful, while making a tongue-in-cheek statement poking some fun at organized religion, which is something I feel strongly about.

"Some of my lyrics on this album and previous albums focus on not letting religion and the cult of group belief blind you from the preservation of thinking for yourself and being an individual, so it ties into that very well, as the statement of the piece is how religion is imprisonment for the soul and how, even within its own confines, it forces its believers into blind group submission. I think any of us that went to catholic school as a child can relate to that nun!!! It has 'classic metal cover' all over it and it just blew my mind.

"I look forward to this imagery being out there and am proud to have it be a part of WHITE WIZZARD. To have art of this quality to convey the visual aspects of the band is just fantastic."

SOUNDGARDEN's Chris Cornell and Ben Shepherd recently took part in an interview and acoustic performance at the Sinclair in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Video footage of their appearance 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".

"Formidable", the new video from Finnish melodic death metallers OMNIUM GATHERUM, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Hannu Mikkola of Visual Vortex at OMNIUM GATHERUM's hometown show in Kotka earlier this year as part of the "Beyond" record-release tour.

Says the band: "As you can see, it is not a huge stage, where bands usually do the 'live-like' music videos, but we hope this video captured the special feeing of the evening…"

"Formidable" comes off OMNIUM GATHERUM's new album, "Beyond", which was released on February 25 in Europe and March 5 in North America via Lifeforce Records. The CD was recorded by Teemu Aalto and mixed and mastered once again by Dan Swanö. The artwork for the follow-up to 2011's "New World Shadows" was created by Olli Lappalainen and can be seen below.

"Beyond" track listing:

01. Luoto
02. New Dynamic
03. In The Rim
04. Nightwalkers
05. Formidable
06. The Sonic Sign
07. Who Could Say
08. The Unknowing
09. Living In Me
10. White Palace

The special edition of "Beyond" contains the band's brand new cover version of "Subdivisions" by RUSH. OMNIUM GATHERUM guitarist Markus Vanhala told Soundi magazine: "As pretty much everyone in the band is a fan of RUSH, we decided to take the bull by the horns and make or own bold 'Omnification' of 'Subdivisions'. Besides, Metal Hammer wrote already at the time of our debut album that if OPETH are the PINK FLOYD of this scene, then OMNIUM are likely to turn into RUSH at the very least. It was time to pick up the gauntlet!"

Regarding the musical and lyrical direction of "Beyond", Vanhala previously stated: "It's now been approximately 10 years since our debut full-length album, 'Spirits And August Light', was released and the world was waiting. The latest 2011 album, 'New World Shadows', was a good breakthrough for us and lots of good things happened after that record, so, of course, we had some pressures to do a decent successor for that great record as the world was waiting again.

"Well, I think we managed on mastering that task and now we're back again with the OMNIUM GATHERUM's sixth album called 'Beyond', the album that is really going beyond all limits of melodic death metal from the winter wonderland! The album follows the good known path of 'New World Shadows' and 'The Redshift', but adds a lot of new flavors and spices to the good ol' melting pot to lift the band to a new heights. It's our most melodic and versatile album so far, but at the same time, it still holds for example the most brutal death metal growls in our career yet as also some really tasteful clean vocals between the lines. I'm sure everyone who gives the album many spins can find something new with every turn, so this should be a album that hold up the sands of time and rewards the listeners who are digging deeper and searching something more than just a one hit wonders of the day!

"Lyrically told, 'Beyond' is about the culmination point of one's existence. It is a coming-home story where the mysteries of duality are melted into oneness but without losing one single point of individuality along the arrival.

"As you can see from the cover, there's also a strong sense of sea on the album, as we're the sons of the sea from Kotka!"

OMNIUM GATHERUM recently announced the addition of bassist Erkki Silvennoinen to the group's ranks.

"New World Shadows" entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 5. This marked the highest chart entry in the group's history, having previously landed at No. 24 with 2008's "The Redshift" and No. 31 with 2007's "Stuck Here On Snakes Way".

Norwegian/Spanish symphonic gothic metallers SIRENIA will release their sixth studio album, "Perils Of The Deep Blue", on June 28 via Nuclear Blast Records. The second trailer for the CD can be seen below,

Comments SIRENIA vocalist and guitarist Morten Veland: "The entire band and all the people we are working with are absolutely ecstatic about it! This album takes SIRENIA to the next level and brings many new sides of us to the table. There's typical tried-and-tested SIRENIA stuff but also approaches that you've never heard from us before. I think I've never felt so good about an album throughout my entire career. I mean, I love them all, but this one is something special. It's the result of two and a half years of blood, sweat and tears. I've literally put my heart and soul into this record, so I am very curious to see what our fans as well as the press will think about it!"

"Perils Of The Deep Blue" was produced by the SIRENIA mastermind himself, while the mixing and mastering was handled by Endre Kirkesola at Dub Studios in Oslo.

"The writing process has been going on for about two years," states Veland. "I always have ideas for new stuff, so I started writing even before we had released our previous album, 'The Enigma Of Life'. Most of it has been recorded in my own studio. I love to work there as I always feel inspired — plus we can take our time with whatever we do, for there is no time pressure. Just like for all of our previous albums, we also dropped by Sound Suite Studios in France — a great place that feels like home, too. This time we recorded the Marseille choir there that one can always hear on our records, as well as some of my acoustic guitar parts."

The album artwork was originally painted by Anne Stokes — though it wasn't intentionally created to be used as such, as Morten explains: "came across the artwork on the Internet and immediately fell in love with it for obvious reasons — it's no secret that I've always been fascinated by Greek mythology and sirens. So we got in touch with Anne and luckily she granted us the permits to use it for the record. I actually drew the inspiration for the album title, 'Perils Of The Deep Blue', from the artwork. In my opinion, it's the perfect SIRENIA cover — there was no way we could have let that opportunity slip away!"

"Perils Of The Deep Blue" track listing:

01. Ducere Me In Lucem
02. Seven Widows Weep
03. My Destiny Coming To Pass
04. Ditt Endelikt
05. Cold Caress
06. Darkling
07. Decadence
08. Stille Kom Døden
09. The Funeral March
10. Profound Scars
11. A Blizzard Is Storming

Limited-edition-digipak bonus tracks:

12. Chains
13. Blue Colleen

SIRENIA's last album, "The Enigma Of Life", was released on January 21, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.

In 2008, SIRENIA recruited singer Ailyn (born: Pilar Giménez García) as the replacement for Monika Pedersen, who left the group a year earlier after only one album due to "musical differences."

Ailyn was best known as a former contestant on the Spanish version of "The X Factor", the biggest television talent competition in Europe.

Former WHITE ZOMBIE and LAST CRACK drummer Phil Buerstatte was reportedly found dead over the weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. He was 44 years old.

Buerstatte was the drummer for WHITE ZOMBIE between 1992 and 1994 and he played with the band on the "La Sexorcisto" tour. He was also in the Wisconsin metal band LAST CRACK from 1986 to 1997.

Phil's former WHITE ZOMBIE bandmate Rob Zombie has since issued the following statement: "Well, I heard rumors of this a few days ago but I wasn't sure if they were true or not. But it seems that one of our former drummers for WHITE ZOMBIE has died. Phil Buerstatte who was in the band for about two years 1992-94 was found dead this weekend.

"Phil was a very troubled guy during his time with us and I never really knew what happened to him after he left the band. The few stories I heard were not good. He played on three recordings with us in his brief time, 'Feed The Gods' on the 'Airheads' soundtrack, 'Children Of The Grave' and 'I Am Hell' from the 'Beavis And Butthead' soundtrack."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN has released the following statement:

"Earlier today, Shavo [Odadjian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist] posted a few statements on his personal Facebook page that do not reflect the sentiments of SYSTEM OF A DOWN as a collective band. These were misleading statements that were made during a temporary state of bad judgment on his part alone. To be clear, the full band lineup of Serj [Tankian, vocals], Daron [Malakian, guitar/vocals], Shavo and John [Dolmayan, drums] will be performing all scheduled tour dates. With respect to new SOAD music, although we have not agreed on a timetable for a new album, we all believe that having the four of us do it together is the way to be true to the band and our fans."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN last released new music in 2005 on the "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" albums, going on hiatus the following year.

The band reunited in 2011 for touring purposes and will spend the summer on a European festival circuit, while performing only one North American show in 2013 at California's famed Hollywood Bowl.

In a series of postings on his Facebook page, Shavo wrote: "OK... I'll come clean.. It's not us (meaning Daron [Malakian, guitar/vocals], John [Dolmayan, drums] or Shavo!!) It's Serj who doesn't want to do a new album!!!! So please stop harassing us about it!!! We are just waiting for Serj! Now he might hate me for exposing the truth, but I had to..

"Sorry, folks!!! We're trying to get a new album out, it's just not passing Serj's rules! Kinda funny, since we started the band and now he's holding us back!! I think we should should release another album again??? As for me.. I'm ready to release one with someone who wants to be the singer of SYSTEM, not someone we have to beg to be a part of SYSTEM!!

"So with that in mind, what do you guys [think] we should do? Just remember, he's been holding us back for seven years so far. Wanna wait another 4-5 years? Or shall we release a record without Serj? You tell us.

"I don't want to make a record without him... but if he's not down? Should the three of us just sit and wait?? Not cool!!!!!!!! I want the fans from all over the world, including Brazil, to tell us what they think. No SYSTEM? Or SYSTEM with with a new singer who's just as good, if not better? PLUS new SYSTEM songs and tours???? Please give me your opinion, people!!! Is SYSTEM better with no singer or someone who is excited to be our new singer?? You decide.,. 'cause I'm confused!!!

"No diss to Serj. If he wants to be in the band, then he's welcome, but if he's not? What do you expect us three to do? We really want another SYSTEM record! Wish Serj was down, but if he's not, then I'm going ahead and making a SYSTEM record without him!!! I'm furious that he let us down like this, but we gotta do something to keep this great band alive!!! Agreed?"

Tankian last year had a message for SYSTEM OF A DOWN fans waiting for a new album: don't hold your breath. In an interview with Loudwire, Tankian explained, "We haven't made plans of recording the new record as of yet. When we do, everyone will know. We haven't really discussed another record as of now with any of the guys, really. It's something that, when it's the right time, we'll do it. Right now I'm busy with my own stuff and that's gonna take me a bit, but when it's the right time, everyone will know. I don't even want to say there's [a new SYSTEM album] coming because we haven't really talked about it."

Although rumors have circulated for years about animosity within the band, drummer John Dolmayan told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the members of SYSTEM are still friends. "I think a part of it is people like drama, you know. They look for it, and they want drama involved, they want SYSTEM to have problems. There's a lot of haters out there, let's face it, and as much as the fans really want the band to get together just so that they can see and enjoy the music again, there's also just as many people that would like to see us not getting along and, you know, no hope of reuniting."

Tankian told Loudwire that SYSTEM's recent tours have been a "blast," adding, "I think we've played better because of it. There was new excitement in playing together and all of the shows have been really great. Everyone's told us that we sound better than we did in 2006 when we left off, so I think it's great."

British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST have announced a four-date U.K. tour to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Support on the trek will come from Italian hevy rockers LACUNA COIL.

Commented PARADISE LOST vocalist Nick Holmes: "25 years is a long time. On the surface, we may look ramshackled, but playing music for so many years has kept us young in our hearts and I truly believe that a youthful spirit is one of the greatest things you can't buy in a pub.

"We have written many albums, played many concerts; we are older and not really any wiser, but there is a strong possibility we may play a song you thought we never would. So please come along and join the celebrations with us, including our biggest U.K. headline show to date!"

Added LACUNA COIL vocalist Cristina Scabbia: "PARADISE LOST were in between the bands that strongly influenced me as a singer, when I started my career with LACUNA COIL, so it is just awesome for me to realize we'll share the stage with them on this upcoming tour. I am sure that the dark vibe coming from the stage will totally embrace old school and new fans making it an event you absolutely CAN'T miss! Boy, I can't wait!!!"

Tickets go on pre-sale Wednesday, May 22 and on general sale Friday, May 24. In addition, there will be a special VIP package available to buy (limited to 25 per venue) which includes:

* An exclusive deluxe box containing 2 engraved beer glasses featuring all the band's album titles and crown of thorns logo.
* Exclusive VIP-only t-shirt with artwork from the forthcoming "Tragic Illusion" album.
* A 180-gram vinyl copy of the reissued landmark "Gothic" album, personally signed by all the band members.
* Crown of Thorns tote bag
* VIP lanyard and laminate allowing you access to the show
* Early access to the show
* Meet-and-greet with the band
* Photo opportunity with the band (please bring your own camera)

PARADISE LOST will play the following shows:

Oct. 30 - Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
Oct. 31 - Glasgow, ABC
Nov. 01 - Manchester, The Ritz
Nov. 03 - London, Roundhouse

BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne performed this past Saturday night (May 18) at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center's "An Evening With Women" fundraiser at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Kathy Griffin emceed the event, which consisted of a cocktail reception, dinner, auction and performances by some of the biggest names in the industry.

Joining Ozzy on stage at "An Evening With Women" were guitarists Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and Billy Morrison (CAMP FREDDY), keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) and drummer Tommy Clufetos (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK SABBATH). Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

All proceeds from the event, produced by Linda Perry, benefit the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's services for women and girls.

ASHES OF ARES, the new band featuring Matt Barlow (ex-ICED EARTH), Van Williams (ex-NEVERMORE) and Freddie Vidales (ex-ICED EARTH), made its live debut this past Friday, May 17 at the Rock Hard Festival at Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

ASHES OF ARES is:

Matthew Barlow - Vocals
Freddie Vidales - Guitar/Bass
Van Williams - Drums
Gio Geraca - Guitar (session/touring member only)
Dean Sternberg - Bass (session/touring member only)

ASHES OF ARES earlier in the year inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band's debut album is being recorded at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida with legendary producer Jim Morris (ICED EARTH, OBITUARY, JON OLIVA'S PAIN, JAG PANZER) for a late summer/early fall release.

ASHES OF ARES is a band which represents the culmination of experiences, trials and tribulations of its founding members. Within months of their departures from the iconic metal bands ICED EARTH and NEVERMORE, the trio came together with a renewed drive to create a sound which is a true collaboration of their personal influences, ideas and visions. Armed with the knowledge acquired through years of the writing, touring and recording cycle, and with the support of an army of loyal fans across the globe, ASHES OF ARES is poised to carve out a new legacy and stand alongside those who have helped pave the way.

In an October 2012 interview with Rocket Queen Promotion, Barlow stated about ASHES OF ARES' musical direction: "Well, most folks know what to expect from me, from my work with ICED EARTH and PYRAMAZE. So you take some of that and mix it with Van's brand of cadence and Freddie's riffage… blam-o….it's ASHES OF ARES!!! It's just straight-up heavy metal!"

Regarding the band's future plans, Barlow said: "The reason we are all doing this is for the love of music. We are metal guys and this is what we do. ASHES OF ARES live shows will be limited, but there will be live shows for fans, friends, and family to come to and enjoy with us. We really just want to create music that we enjoy and have that translate to our listeners."

The tribute album dedicated to WOODS OF YPRES frontman David Gold - who passed away in December 2011 - entitled A Heart Of Gold: Tribute To Woods Of Ypres, is now available for digital download at this location or via the widget below.

Fans can purchase a CD hard copy of the album by sending $20 via PayPal with their name, mailing address and email to DavidGoldTribute@gmail.com.

Heart of Gold: A Tribute to Woods of Ypres by Heart of Gold: A Tribute to Woods of Ypres

The confirmed tracklist is as follows:

Disc 1
'Thrill Of The Struggle' - CATUVOLCUS
'Adora Vivos' - Raphael from MUSK OX
'Lightning And Snow' - EARTHEN
'Falling Apart' - CANOPY
'A Meeting Place And Time' - PANZERFAUST
'Finality' - KUHRZARTH
'The Sun Was In My Eyes' - ANEMIC
'Retrosleep In The Morning Calm' - ALBIREON
'Suicide Cargoload' (live) - GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH
'Career Suicide' - RELIQUIS

Disc 2
'Wet Leather' - NOVEMBERS DOOM
'Crossing The 45th Parallel' - ECLIPSE ETERNAL
'Allure Of The Earth' - AMARANTH
'The Shams Of Optimisim' - PAGAN RITUAL
'Silver' - Joel Violette and Rae Amitay of WOODS OF YPRES / THRAWSUNBLAT
'The Sea Of Immeasureable Loss' - BEGOTTEN
'Shedding The Deadwood' - EMPYREAN PLAGUE
'Trillium: The 3rd Of Three Winters' - Justin Bender of INTO ETERNITY
'The Looming Of Dust In The Dark' - THE GOV AND CARVER

Go to the tribute album's official Facebook page here for updates.

Three tracks from the album have been posted: 'The Sun Was In My Eyes by Anemic, 'Lightning And Snow' by Earthen, and 'Finality' by Novembers Doom's Paul Kuhr (with his daughter) and GODDAMN ZOMBIES' Will Bozarth. Check them out below:

Saskatoon-based thrash/death metal band UNTIMELY DEMISE have revealed the cover art - created by Ed repka - and tracklist for their new album, Systematic Eradication:
Tracklisting:
'Siritual Embezzlement'
'The Last Guildsman'
'Somali Pirates'
'Redemption'
'Navigator's Choice'
'A Warrior's Blood'
'Revolutions'
'Escape From Supermax'

The official release date will be announced soon.

Check out the official Untimely Demise Facebook page here.

Italian tech/prog metallers GARDENJIA will release their debut album, entitled EPO, on May 23rd on all digital stores, via Memorial Records. The complete album is now available for streaming below courtesy of Got-Djent.com.
EPO tracklisting:

'Epica'
'Ante rem'
'In Blue'
'Shapes Of Greys'
'Touch Of Glory'
'Fire Walk With Me'
'Giada'
'In Dusk'
'Epo'
'Ascension'
Good songs and an excellent instrumental technique, Gardenjia present their debut album: “We are extremely honored and happy for our deal with Memorial Records, a young and dynamic label putting quality and originality in the first place. We recorded, mixed and mastered EPO, our first album, completely by ourselves and finally our creation will be a worthy support. EPO is our manifesto. The inclusion of the melody, in a context of sound violence, apocalyptic scenarios, traveling within our dark side, and then the ascent... ('Ascension').”

Listen to 'Ascension', streaming below:
More on Gardenjia at this location.

Former WHITE ZOMBIE and LAST CRACK drummer Phil Buerstatte was reportedly found dead over the weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. No further details are currently available.

Buerstatte was the drummer for WHITE ZOMBIE between 1992 and 1994 and he played with the band on the "La Sexorcisto" tour. He was also in the Wisconsin metal band LAST CRACK from 1986 to 1997.

Buerstatte's LAST CRACK bandmate Paul Schluter has issued the following statement on the drummer's passing:

"We are sorry to have to announce that LAST CRACK drummer and our musical brother Phil Buerstatte has passed away today. He will be greatly missed by his many friends, family and fellow band members.

"Pull out your LAST CRACK albums, crank them up loud and remember what a great drummer he was!

"It is the end of an era for us and sad to say the original lineup will never be able to play together again. Our last show with Phil from 2009 is posted on YouTube in its entirety. The remaining members of the band are discussing doing a tribute show in Phil's honor in the coming months. We'll post details soon."

Last August, a man claiming to be Buerstatte was arrested on suspicion of defrauding a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Sausalito, California.

The man allegedly tried to pay $75,000 for his treatment at the Alta Mira Recovery Center in June with a fraudulent check and bank account information.

Japanese melodic death metallers GYZE sign a deal with Coroner Records for the release of their forthcoming album entitled Fascinating Violence scheduled on June 4th. The album has been mixed and mastered by Ettore Rigotti at The Metal House Studio (DISARMONIA MUNDI, BLOOD STAIN CHILD, SLOWMOTION APOCALYPSE, DESTRAGE). Claudio Ravinale (Disarmonia Mundi) appears as guest vocals on some tracks.
Fascinating Violence tracklist:

'Desire'
'Desperately'
'Fascinating Violence'
'Regain'
'Trash My Enemy'
'A Dynasty'
'Final Revenge'
'Trigger Of The Anger'
'Day Of The Funeral'
'Midnight Darkness'
'The Black Era'

You can listen to a full preview of the song 'Desire' taken from the forthcoming Fascinating Violence album by clicking here.

Erie, PA-based metal band SLEEPY HOLLOW will enter the studio on Friday, May 24th to begin work on the bands new album Hellbound, due out later this year via Pure Steel/High Roller. Sessions will be taking place right up until July 6th when the band will resume rehearsals for its upcoming trek to Europe. Vocals, mixing and mastering are expected to be completed by the end of August. A release date will soon be determined after that.

The band recently introduced its new members at the Ragnarökkr Metal Apocalypse Festival in Chicago, IL earlier this month. They are bassist Greg James and drummer Tommy Akel. The band will soon announce a fall tour for October and November. Details will be forthcoming.
Sleepy Hollow is:
Bob Mitchell - vocals
Steve Stegg - guitars
Greg James - bass guitars
Tommy Akel - drums

More info on Sleepy Hollow can be found on

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci checked in with a brief studio update via Facebook this weekend:

"Just finished my final lyric for the new DT album. I start solos in about a week. Time to put down the pen and get to the woodshed!"
Dream Theater fans are invited to check out the latest podcast from DTNorway (Official Fan Club) with Petrucci, who talks about Dream Theater's plan for the summer of 2013 and the new album, which is currently in the works. Check out the podcast via iTunes here.

The band's Live At Luna Park, a live concert captured on two-DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Video, two-DVD/three-CD, Blu-ray/three-CD, and a deluxe edition (two-DVD/Blu-ray/three-CD), will drop in May. To whet the appetite of their fans, the band have released a new trailer, found at the bottom of the page.

Live At Luna Park was filmed over two nights in South America - home to one of Dream Theater's most ardent fanbases. The DVD was filmed after a 15-month world tour, hitting 35 countries.

"This is without a doubt the closest a viewer at home will come to experiencing a live Dream Theater concert," states guitarist and founding member John Petrucci. "Between the hi-def and 3D video, the huge audio mix and the documentary style behind the scenes footage, you are truly transported to the arena and completely immersed in the entire live experience."
"We have the greatest fans on the planet and the people of Argentina are no exception!" adds Petrucci. "The energy and vibe at Luna Park was truly electric and contagious. The perfect synergy between band and audience. We are immensely proud of this DVD and incredibly excited to share it with everyone!"

More details will be revealed soon.

JUDAS PRIEST have released a clip from the upcoming live release, Epitaph. When the metal giants wrapped their 2012 world tour at London's Hammersmith Apollo last May, they filmed the historic gig – possibly their last – as a souvenir for their massive, loyal following. Epitaph, that career-spanning concert-turned-long-form video, is due May 27th on DVD, Blu-ray and digital formats.

In advance of the release, the band have released the following performance of their classic 'Turbo Lover':
Judas Priest's current lineup comprises lead singer Rob Halford, lead guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. Heavy metal historians will regard Epitaph as the most far-reaching live concert recording in the band's career. The set revisits the climactic closing date of the 50-week Epitaph World Tour, captured live at London’s HMV Hammersmith Apollo on May 26th, 2012. Adding to the drama is the fact that this was Judas Priest’s final large-scale world tour ever.

Epitaph’s 23 tracks represent at least one song from every one of the band’s 14 studio albums, from 1974’s Rocka Rolla ('Never Satisfied') to 2008’s Nostradamus ('Prophecy'). In the special case of British Steel, four songs are featured: 'Rapid Fire', 'Metal Gods', 'Breaking The Law', and perennial set closer, 'Living After Midnight'. Others exempted from the one-song-quota are the LPs which appeared before and after British Steel. The first of these is 1979’s Hell Bent For Leather (UK title: Killing Machine) which lends the title song as well as 'The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)'. The other LP is 1982’s Screaming For Vengeance, source of 'The Hellion', 'Electric Eye', and 'You’ve Got Another Thing Coming'.
“They have epitomized the genre with their Harley riding frontman, rapid-fire guitar assaults, and spectacular stage shows,” wrote journalist Bryan Reesman in his liner notes for 2004's leather-bound, metal-spiked Metalogy box set. “Influential, innovative, and exuberant in expression,” he wrote, “they are the true Metal Gods who have been as unwavering in their desire to expand the boundaries of their music as they have been in crossing international borders to deliver it to their disciples.”

“Unabashedly committed to their cause, and unrepentant in proclaiming themselves a true heavy metal band even when others have shied away from the term, Judas Priest have forever been defenders of the faith.”
Epitaph tracklisting:

'Battle Hymn'
'Rapid Fire'
'Metal Gods'
'Heading Out To The Highway'
'Judas Rising'
'Starbreaker'
'Victim Of Changes'
'Never Satisfied'
'Diamonds And Rust'
'Prophecy'
'Night Crawler'
'Turbo Lover'
'Beyond The Realms Of Death'
'The Sentinel'
'Blood Red Skies'
'The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)'
'Breaking The Law'
'Painkiller'
'The Hellion'
'Electric Eye'
'Hell Bent For Leather'
'You’ve Got Another Thing Coming'
'Living After Midnight'
The official trailer can be viewed below:
Epitaph will be released in cinemas on May 16th across the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Bulgaria, Estonia, Romania, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Central America with many more to follow. Fans will have a limited opportunity to re-live the excitement of the final show of the band's last ever world tour, which was filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo London in May 2012.

Cinema locations and ticket purchasing information can be found at Judaspriest.com or in the widget below:
From the band: “The Epitaph world tour came to an exciting conclusion at the renowned Hammersmith Odeon (now known as the Apollo) in London. Knowing our fans around the planet recognize that venue for many legendary metal moments, and of course with Judas Priest being a British metal band it was the perfect gig for us to film and record. Big thanks as always to you our metal family of fans - so start banging your heads one more time with us as we scream together ‘The Priest is back!’’

German metallers PRIMAL FEAR will enter guitarist Magnus Karlsson's Stuntguitar Studios in Sweden tomorrow (Tuesday, May 21) to begin recording their next studio album for an early 2014 release via Frontiers Records.

After collecting more than 30 song ideas, the band finally stripped the list down to 12 tracks.

Frontiers and PRIMAL FEAR in January announced that they have renewed their partnership for another multi-album deal, which will include two more studio releases and one live CD and DVD.

PRIMAL FEAR's latest album, "Unbreakable", sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 44 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.

Released on January 24, 2012 in the U.S. via Frontiers Records, "Unbreakable" was tracked in part at House Of Music studios in Winterbach, Germany with producer/bassist Mat Sinner and engineer Achim Köhler (EDGUY, MASTERPLAN).

On May 10th, Canada's KOBRA AND THE LOTUS performed at The Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale, FL supporting FEAR FACTORY. Quality fan-filmed video is available below:
Kobra And The Lotus' remaining tour dates with Fear Factory at HATE ETERNAL are as follows:

May
19 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Chameleon Room
21 - St. Louis, MO - FUBAR
22 - St. Paul, MN - Station 4
28 - Victoria, BC - Club 9one9
30 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
31 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre

June
1 - Modesto, CA - Fat Cat Music House & Lounge
2 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
4 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
6 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
7 - Las Vegas, NV - LVCS
8 - West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy Theatre



For updates and ticket links visit Facebook.

Chicago's I KILLED EVERYONE will release its debut full-length (following two EPs), Necrospire, on Pavement Entertainment July 9th.
Necrospire contains the following ten tracks:

'A Sanguinary Mass'
'Grimoire I - Eviscerated'
'The Devourer Beyond'
'Necrospire'
'Born Of The Abattoir'
'State Of Filth'
'Crucified And Consumed'
'Antipathy'
'Grimoire II - One With The Void'
'The Human Error'

Formed in 2008 and influenced by SUFFOCATION, CANNIBAL CORPSE, and MORBID ANGEL, I Killed Everyone delivers a ferocious slab of deathcore with brutal, yet understandable vocals and blast beats galore on Necrospire. A promotional album teaser has been issued:

Pennsylvania's SINISTER REALM will release their third album, World Of Evil, via Shadow Kingdom Records on August 6th. However, the video for the title track is available now:
Commenting on the album artwork, bass player and founding member John Gaffney had this to say: "I wanted to do something different from our past album covers which used photos and I really wanted it to embody the feel and mood of the songs. I was lucky to get in touch with a great upcoming artist from Portugal named Augusto Peixoto at Iron Doom Design and he was able to bring my vision for the album cover to life."
Tracklisting:

'Dark Angel Of Fate'
'Bell Strikes Fear'
'World Of Evil'
'The Ghosts Of Nevermore'
'Prophets Of War'
'Cyber Villain'
'The Forest Of Souls'
'Four Black Witches'

Brothers Joel and Ryan O'Keeffe formed Airbourne in 2003 in Australia. 10 years later and the band is celebrating by releasing their third albm, Black Dog Barking, which hits store shelves tomorrow - May 21st. The vocalist/guitarist and drummer take a look back at the last decade in the following video:
Catch Airbourne live at the following shows:

May
31 - Wuhlheid - Berlin, Germany

June
1 - FortaRock - Nijmegen, Netherlands
2 - Metalfest - Pilsen, Czech Republic
4 - Impact Festival - Warsaw, Poland
5 - Vieta Teatro Arena - Vilnius, Lithuania
7 - Rock Im Park - Nuremberg, Germany
8 - Rock Am Ring - Nurburg, Germany
9 - Sonisphere Festival - Amnéville, France
14 - Nova Rock Festival - Nickelsdorf, Austria
15 - Greenfield Festival - Interlaken, Switzerland
16 - Download Festival - Donington Park, United Kingdom
19 - Orion - Ciampino, Italy
20 - Vidia Rock Club - Cesena, Italy
23 - Club Quarter - Novi Sad, Serbia
28 - Rock The Beach Festival - Helsinki, Finland
29 - Le Rock Dans Tous Ses Etats - Evreux, France
30 - Garorock - Marmande, France

July
4 - Festival Park - Werchter, Belgium
19 - Whalers Hotel - Warrnambool Vic, Australia
20 - Corner Hotel - Richmond Vic, Australia
26 - Anu Bar - Canberra, Australia
27 - HiFi - Sydney, Australia
28 - Splendour In The Grass - Byron Bay Nsw, Australia

August
24 - Shadow Hill Ranch - Twin Lakes, WI
31 - Convention Center - Tulsa, OK

September
3 - Maverik Center - West Valley City, UT
4 - The Joint - Las Vegas, NV
5 - Gorge Amphitheatre - George, WA
6 - Gorge Amphitheatre - George, WA
19 - Bayou Music Center - Houston, TX
22 - The Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
27 - Tsongas Center - Lowell, MA
28 - Williamsburg Park - Brooklyn, NY

November
14 - Alcatraz - Milan, Italy
26 - Rockhal - Esch Sur Alzette, Luxembourg

Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen will release her new album, "Colours In The Dark", in Europe on August 23 via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group. The CD wil be made available in North America on August 27 through Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records.

The cover artwork for "Colours In The Dark" was created by Dirk Rudolph and can be seen below. Also available is the artwork that will grace the CD's "special edition."

Despite her light and shiny personality, Tarja's music has always been dressed "in black" — the color of heavy rock, of mystery and elegance.

With Tarja's new album, fans will find out what happens when a splice of color is added to the mix. Or — better said — when the full-color spectrum enters the picture it does not cover the black but makes it shine through with many emotions and landscapes.

Following up on the success of the multi-platinum and gold-awarded previous records "My Winterstorm" (2007) and "What Lies Beneath" (2010), Tarja finally returns with her long-awaited new rock album.

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

A lyric video for the song "Never Enough" was recently filmed in Zlin, Czech Republic and will make its online debut soon. Tarja says: "I didn't want to make a traditional, boring lyric video for the song, so I am going to appear on the video not just the lyrics of the song…. This video is not what we can call the official first music video from my new album, but just an improved version of a lyric video. The filming took only couple hours with Martin, who worked also on directing my first solo live rock DVD, 'Act I'."

In a recent interview with the Music Legends web site, Turunen stated about her upcoming CD: "I have just recently found my style and sound so I would like to establish it with the third studio album. The elements on the album will remain the same as in my previous albums, also the versatile style of songs. I like to keep the big dynamic changes between my songs, so that album songs feel radically different from each other.

"I am not stressed at all this time, even though I am producing the album on my own again. I have been lucky to gather around a group of musicians who are willing to work with me, so everything is going smoothly."

Tarja and her husband/manager Marcelo Cabuli recently became the parents of their first child.

"Act I" was released in North America on September 4, 2012 in 2-CD, 2-DVD and Blu-ray format via the Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records, in conjunction with earMUSIC.

Tarja's sophomore solo album, "What Lies Beneath", sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 24 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.

"Colours In The Dark" special-edition artwork:

"Silence Will Make You Suffer", the new video from Brazilian metallers HIBRIA, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Luis Mário Fontoura, and features cinematography by Livia Santos, art direction by Ana Musa and post-production and editing by Denise Marchi.

"Silence Will Make You Suffer" comes off HIBRIA's new album, which will be released in Brazil on July 1 via Voice Music. The CD, whose title will be revealed in the coming days, will be made available in Japan on June 26 through King Records.

HIBRIA's new effort was recorded at Hibria and Cidade Baixa Studios with the band's guitarist, Renato Osorio, handling production duties. The mixing was handled by Benhur Lima while the mastering was taken care of by Mike Couzzi.

HIBRIA's third album, "Blind Ride", was released in January 2011 via King Records in Japan.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian is "holding [the group] back" by being unwilling to make a new album with his bandmates, claims SYSTEM bassist Shavo Odadjian.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN last released new music in 2005 on the "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" albums, going on hiatus the following year.

The band reunited in 2011 for touring purposes and will spend the summer on a European festival circuit, while performing only one North American show in 2013 at California's famed Hollywood Bowl.

In a series of postings on his Facebook page, Shavo wrote: "OK... I'll come clean.. It's not us (meaning Daron [Malakian, guitar/vocals], John [Dolmayan, drums] or Shavo!!) It's Serj who doesn't want to do a new album!!!! So please stop harassing us about it!!! We are just waiting for Serj! Now he might hate me for exposing the truth, but I had to..

"Sorry, folks!!! We're trying to get a new album out, it's just not passing Serj's rules! Kinda funny, since we started the band and now he's holding us back!! I think we should should release another album again??? As for me.. I'm ready to release one with someone who wants to be the singer of SYSTEM, not someone we have to beg to be a part of SYSTEM!!

"So with that in mind, what do you guys [think] we should do? Just remember, he's been holding us back for seven years so far. Wanna wait another 4-5 years? Or shall we release a record without Serj? You tell us.

"I don't want to make a record without him... but if he's not down? Should the three of us just sit and wait?? Not cool!!!!!!!! I want the fans from all over the world, including Brazil, to tell us what they think. No SYSTEM? Or SYSTEM with with a new singer who's just as good, if not better? PLUS new SYSTEM songs and tours???? Please give me your opinion, people!!! Is SYSTEM better with no singer or someone who is excited to be our new singer?? You decide.,. 'cause I'm confused!!!

"No diss to Serj. If he wants to be in the band, then he's welcome, but if he's not? What do you expect us three to do? We really want another SYSTEM record! Wish Serj was down, but if he's not, then I'm going ahead and making a SYSTEM record without him!!! I'm furious that he let us down like this, but we gotta do something to keep this great band alive!!! Agreed?"

Tankian last year had a message for SYSTEM OF A DOWN fans waiting for a new album: don't hold your breath. In an interview with Loudwire, Tankian explained, "We haven't made plans of recording the new record as of yet. When we do, everyone will know. We haven't really discussed another record as of now with any of the guys, really. It's something that, when it's the right time, we'll do it. Right now I'm busy with my own stuff and that's gonna take me a bit, but when it's the right time, everyone will know. I don't even want to say there's [a new SYSTEM album] coming because we haven't really talked about it."

Although rumors have circulated for years about animosity within the band, drummer John Dolmayan told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the members of SYSTEM are still friends. "I think a part of it is people like drama, you know. They look for it, and they want drama involved, they want SYSTEM to have problems. There's a lot of haters out there, let's face it, and as much as the fans really want the band to get together just so that they can see and enjoy the music again, there's also just as many people that would like to see us not getting along and, you know, no hope of reuniting."

Tankian told Loudwire that SYSTEM's recent tours have been a "blast," adding, "I think we've played better because of it. There was new excitement in playing together and all of the shows have been really great. Everyone's told us that we sound better than we did in 2006 when we left off, so I think it's great."

Patrick Prince of Powerline recently conducted an interview with KINGDOM COME mainman Lenny Wolf. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Powerline: You once told Powerline in 1989 that KINGDOM COME was "apple pie rock." I took it as a statement that KINGDOM COME is perfect music for an America audience. Can you explain?

Wolf: Oh no! That was out of context. Just a comment because I lived in L.A. at that time and I love American "simple" coffee shops and their pies a la mode! Silly me.

Powerline: How ecstatic were you when your debut album reached No. 12 in the U.S. charts?

Wolf: For a short time, it felt better than sex. A very rewarding and unbelievable experience. Especially for a young "kraut" to hit it of in the US. Hallelujah!

Powerline: Do you feel sometimes that America should have continued to embrace KINGDOM COME more?

Wolf: I can only thank America for having given me the first chance, and acknowledging my potential. Everything else is up to the "Big Guy." I learned we can not force anything, and therefore may just take things a bit easier, if possible.

Powerline: Do you think the initial LED ZEPPELIN comparisons hurt? Do you still think back about the LED ZEPPELIN comparison and get upset about it? Frankly, the criticism was overboard.

Wolf: At first, the comparisons were a blessing, but later a curse. Unfortunately, it took the attention away from our potential. I call it fate. Gotta roll with the punches, but it is so long ago. No bad feelings.

Powerline: And, personally, as a listener, I viewed the comparison as a compliment. There's nothing wrong with similarities. After all, what would ZEPPELIN be without the blues?!

Wolf: ZEP were sued by some band for stealing. So who are the angels? Screw it. Every young band is inspired by their idols. So were we, among other bands like THE BEATLES, AC/DC, etc… We could have been compared with Madonna. That would have been a pain.
Powerline: How have you grown as a musician and person after (now) more than a dozen KINGDOM COME studio albums?

Wolf: How? My chest hair got some white in it! I learned a lot about myself and the technical part of recording songs without any help. That's why it took me a bit longer, I guess. It would be sad if I didn't grow as a person after all. Making mistakes is okay, not learning out of them inexcusable! I'm much more at peace with myself than I ever was, without having lost my drive. Sometimes I even think it's good not to have become a superstar, only trying to make the next million bucks, and therefore more so running a business "without the necessary anger," which a true rock dude must have. Some huge bands have a psychiatrist traveling with them. How lame is that?! How about the bus driver sitting in his can for hours each day, trying to feed the kids. Does he have a psychiatrist holding his hand?! Amen.

Read the entire interview from Powerline.

Los Angeles-based, occult-themed, female-fronted traditional heavy metal band HUNTRESS will release its sophomore album, "Starbound Beast", on June 28 in Europe and on July 2 in North America via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded at Hobby Shop Studios in Los Angeles with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SHADOWS FALL, HATEBREED, MUNICIPAL WASTE). The cover artwork for the CD will once again be created by Vance Kelly (THE SWORD, GRAVEYARD, HIGH ON FIRE, PENTAGRAM, ALICE IN CHAINS, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, DEATH ANGEL), who previously worked on the group's debut album, last year's "Spell Eater".

"Starbound Beast" will include the track "I Want to Fuck You to Death", which was co-written for HUNTRESS singer Jill Janus by legendary MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy Kilmister.

Says Janus about the collaboration: "I met Lemmy through my former band CHELSEA GIRLS. We'd play hard rock and metal covers featuring guest celebrities. Lemmy was already friends with the girls, so he played 'Ace Of Spades' with us and it blew my mind. We stayed in touch and would meet up at The Rainbow for drinks. So I asked him a few months back over Jack & Cokes if he'd write lyrics for a HUNTRESS song and he said, 'Sure'. A few weeks later, I met him at the studio during MOTÖRHEAD recording sessions. Lemmy handed me two two pieces of notebook paper with the lyrics for 'I Want to Fuck You to Death'.

"I am beyond honored. To me, this is a love song. It is the most romantic song I've ever heard."

Lemmy said: "The first time I heard Jill's voice with CHELSEA GIRLS, it was phenomenal.

"I wrote these lyrics from her point of view, the Huntress. 'I Want To Fuck You To Death' was inspired by her, written for her. I've always had a soft spot for her. And a hard spot too..."

The song is available as an exclusive stream on the HUNTRESS Facebook page. When visiting the page, clicking the "like" button will enable the audio.

In support of "Starbound Beast", HUNTRESS will be tour North America this summer as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. The tour kicks off June 29 in San Bernardino, Cailfornia and runs through August 4 in Dallas, Texas.

HUNTRESS, whom LA Weekly called "true to the roots of melodic heavy metal with a penchant for thrash, death and black metal," released its buzzworthy debut album, "Spell Eater", in 2012 via Napalm Records. The CD, which Metal Hammer called "a magical debut from the hottest new act of 2012," was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Chris Rakestraw (DANZIG, CHILDREN OF BODOM, SKELETONWITCH).

HUNTRESS was spawned from the preternatural union of Jill Janus and the Southern California metal band PROFESSOR. Janus began her ascension into the realm of heavy metal in the Catskill Mountains of New York, where she first developed her unique vocal abilities. Born with a four-octave range, Janus spent years performing as a coloratura soprano. Her classical training is now the foundation for her screams.

"Spell Eater" landed at position No. 56 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.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/huntresskills.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell reassured fans that the band is not breaking up following the release of its new album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here". After Cantrell told Fuse that he looks at every new record "like it's your last" and that he could "rest happily with this being the last record, if that's what it was," the usual onslaught of hysterical "is this the end of ALICE" headlines erupted online. But Cantrell has cleared the air, telling Billboard. "What I said was, I approach every record as if it were my last, trying to make it the best record it can be. That's what I meant."

Although there are fans who are not interested in hearing anything by this version of ALICE IN CHAINS, Cantrell said, "I don't do this for what people tell me I should do with my life, or my band. I do what I want to do and what my band wants to do. And we continue to do that."

"The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" is ALICE IN CHAINS' second album with William DuVall on board as co-lead singer and guitarist, following 2009's comeback effort, "Black Gives Way To Blue".

Original singer Layne Staley died of a drug overdose in 2002, although the band's last full-length set before "Black Gives Way To Blue" was a 1995 self-titled effort.

"The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" is due out May 28 and features the singles "Stone" and the chart-topping "Hollow".

ALICE IN CHAINS will kick off a tour to promote the new disc on Thursday (April 25) in Miami Beach. The band will also headline the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival later this summer.

EDAIN, the Czech technical/avant-garde metal band around guitarist Pavel Jerabek and singer Martin Brnovjak (ex-ABSURD CONFLICT) releases the third album Of Those Who Worship Fire. The album was released May 7th by Zero Budget Productions.
Of Those Who Worship Fire is the third CD of the band, containing six songs. Besides the complex and sometimes longer tracks combining anything from death metal aggression through complicated rhythms to almost fusion elements and lyrics dealing with the heritage of ancient philosophy vis-à-vis present day issues of political economy, there are also two experimental instrumental tracks that the guitarists arranged from the drum jam and solo, respectively.

The album was mixed and mastered at the internationally respected Shaark Studio. Graphic artwork was provided by a team of young and skilled artists Ivana Vojtesková and Jitka Vojtesková.

Of Those Who Worship Fire tracklisting:

‘Blood As An Anaesthetic’
‘Critical Intelligence I’
‘Critical Intelligence II’
‘Of Elements And Men’
‘On The Cold Floor’
‘Silent Weapons For Silent Wars’

Check out an album preview below: