Reformed Chicago death metallers BROKEN HOPE will release their sixth album, "Omen Of Disease", in late summer via Century Media Records. The drums for the CD were laid down at Belle City Sound in Racine, Wisconsin with engineer Chris Wisco (LAZARUS A.D., JUNGLE ROT, ORIGIN, GORGASM), while the remaining instruments were tracked at Mercenary Digital Studios in Zion, Illinois with engineer Scott Creekmore (DIRGE WITHIN, PUTRID PILE, LIVIDITY).

"Omen Of Disease" will feature a special guest appearance by Trevor Strnad of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER on the new BROKEN HOPE track "Rendered Into Lard".

Comments Strnad: "I am beyond excited to be involved in the rebirth of this legendary death metal monster. BROKEN HOPE has been one of my favorite bands since I was a young metalhead, and it's an absolute honor and pleasure to be a small piece of the action! The best part is that my contribution allowed me to hear a new song before everyone else, and I can proudly say this: They're baaaacccckkk!!!!"

BROKEN HOPE has also tapped James Murphy (DEATH, OBITUARY, TESTAMENT) to mix and master "Omen Of Disease" at Murphy's studio, Safehouse Production.

BROKEN HOPE's Shaun Glass comments: "We're pretty pumped to have longtime friend and shred lord James Murphy on board for his über-sick mixing skills to complete the 'Omen Of Disease' sessions. He has been part of BROKEN HOPE history as he first appeared on our 'Repulsive Conception' album with a crushing guest solo...and now years later, Murphy will be on board to taking our finest works yet to a new level."

"Omen Of Disease" — a title conceived by chief lyricist and guitarist Jeremy Wagner — is also a song on the new album, marking the first BROKEN HOPE "title track" since their 1991 debut LP, "Swamped In Gore". Other songtitles set to appear on the CD include "The Flesh Mechanic" and "Give Me The Bottom Half".

Comments Wagner: "Some time ago, a festering death metal prophecy indicated something sick and brutal was coming back from the dead. The malignant signs became evident when BROKEN HOPE first resurrected from the grave and then went on tour. A more sinister foreboding followed when BROKEN HOPE wrote a new death metal album for the world to hear. Today, I'm a harbinger, here to alert everyone of a 'death metal omen' that is upon us...I speak of the new BROKEN HOPE album, 'Omen Of Disease'. The album title itself reeks of a musical offering that is nothing short of gruesome. 'Omen Of Disease' will be released to infect everyone worldwide this summer. I promise: this death metal album is a most savage, feral, pestilential, and lethal creation. You've been warned..."

BROKEN HOPE was formed in 1988 by Wagner, while he was in high school. Shortly after formation, they recorded two demo tapes and signed with indie label, Grind-Core Records. Then in 1991, they released their debut album, "Swamped In Gore", launching the band out of the underground and into the mainstream. From there, the band signed to Metal Blade Records and released three more albums, all stellar examples of BROKEN HOPE's fury, which etched their place in death-metal history.

After BROKEN HOPE's last album (1999's "Grotesque Blessings") and world tours, Wagner cleaned house and put BROKEN HOPE into "metal hibernation" in 2000. On January 20, 2010, original BROKEN HOPE vocalist Joe Ptacek tragically committed suicide. He was only 37 years old. Before his death, Ptacek met with Wagner and Glass and discussed the resurrection of BROKEN HOPE. With Ptacek's death, Wagner and Glass took time off to reconsider their next moves.

In 2012, BROKEN HOPE signed with Hard Impact Management and vowed to make BROKEN HOPE a full-time monster. Wagner and Glass recruited longtime friend and GORGASM vocalist Damian Leski as their new frontman and shortly after marked their return on the highly successful Carnival Of Death tour. BROKEN HOPE's high-intensity concerts received top praise, and confirmed the band was back and more rabid than ever.

BROKEN HOPE 2013 is:

Damian Leski - Vocals
Jeremy Wagner - Guitars
Shaun Glass - Bass
Chuck Wepfer - Lead Guitars
Mike Miczek - Drums

Performance:

ADLER, the new band led by former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, has postponed its previously announced summer tour due to Steven checking into an undisclosed rehabilitation center to continue working on his sobriety.

"We are truly sorry to all of the fans and promoters who were looking forward to seeing us on the road, but right now Steven's health is the most important thing," states ADLER frontman Jacob Bunton. "We hope to make it up to everyone when Steven recovers."

U.S. dates are currently being rescheduled to early fall.

Adler appeared on season two of on the "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" show and the first season of the spin-off program "Sober House" back in late 2008 and early 2009. Adler then went on to stints in real rehab centers after being ordered to by a judge as part of a DUI bust. He subsequently returned for Season 5 of "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" alongside Michael Lohan, Dwight Gooden and Bai Ling, among others.

"Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House" included footage of Adler being arrested on July 18, 2008 after he showed up at a sober-living home high and in possession of heroin.

Having been kicked out of his mother's house on numerous occasions before he was old enough to vote, Steven Adler reportedly started skipping school and doing drugs when he was 11.

Steven Adler was the drummer for GUNS N' ROSES from 1985 to 1990. He was eventually fired from the band due to his drug addiction, which caused him to spiral down into depression and more drug use.

Steven Adler's autobiography, "My Appetite for Destruction: Sex, and Drugs, and Guns N' Roses", came out in July 2010. In the book, Adler tells all, fearlessly addressing his struggles with heroin and crack addiction; his financial ruin after being kicked out of GN'R; his shattered marriage; and the severe health problems that nearly claimed his life on several occasions.

SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman passed away at about 11 a.m. today (Thursday, May 2) near his Southern California home. He was 49. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed.

Hanneman — who in January 2011 contracted necrotizing fasciitis, likely caused by a spider bite, and has been undergoing surgeries, skin grafts and intense rehab since — spoke to U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine in December 2011 about his recovery which has seen him sit out an entire two years' worth of touring with the band.

Hanneman was kicking back in a hot tub with a couple of beers when noticed a spider bite him on the arm.

"Didn't even feel it," he said. "But an hour later, I knew that I was ill." On his way to the hospital, "I could see the flesh corrupting," he recalled. "The arm was real hot. I got to the emergency room, and thank god the nurse knew straight away what it was. By chance, although it's pretty rare, she had seen a case a little while before. At that point, I was an hour away from death."

Although the spider bite itself was not serious, it had caused bacterial infection in the deeper layers of the skin and tissues of the arm.

"Unbelievably, the doctor was a SLAYER fan," said Hanneman, "First thing he said to me was: 'First I am going to save your life. Then I am going to save your arm. Then I am going to save your career.'"

Hanneman underwent emergency surgery to remove the dead and dying tissue. The doctor was able to save the muscles and the tendons, but the guitarist had a large open wound on his arm. He spent the next two months in hospital, having extensive skin grafts and heavy doses of antibiotics to suppress the infection.

"I had to learn to walk again," Hanneman said: "I hadn't stood up for a month, apart from anything else. The skin grafts were very painful and all the muscles and tendons in the arm where very weak. That was ok though. I count myself lucky that the nurse and doctor knew right away what had happened to me, because things could have been a whole lot worse."

At the April 2011 "Big Four" concert in Indio, California, Hanneman joined SLAYER onstage for a two-song encore, but he hasn't yet been able to tour again.

In a March 1, 2013 interview with MetalObsession.net's Nick Tevelis, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King stated about Jeff Hanneman's health status: "I don't have an update. I haven't seen Jeff in forever. He's always been a recluse, and he's even been more of a recluse since he's mot going on tour with us. But our manager talks to him from time to time and sees him in L.A. just randomly. But I'm far from L.A., so I'm not in that loop. But I guess he's just getting better. It's just one of those things where he can do anything in life. He could be hanging here having a good time with us. He can probably play 'South Of Heaven', but he's not gonna be playing 'Jihad', you know what I mean?! So it's just a muscle memory kind of thing, I guess, at this point."

Asked whether Jeff had been involved in the songwriting process for the new SLAYER album, Kerry said: "It's just all my stuff for now. But I did that just in case, 'cause I don't know what Jeff's intentions are. So I wanted to have SLAYER covered in case he doesn't come to the party. If he comes to the party, then we've got tons of songs."

Regarding whether contingencies had been made in case Jeff doesn't make it back to SLAYER in the near future, Kerry said: "I think Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist who has been filling in for Jeff for the past couple of years] is in for the long haul. I haven't really discussed it with him. But he keeps his schedule free when he knows we're on tour. And I'm pretty sure, if Jeff all of a sudden came back in June, we would probably pay Gary for freeing up his time. I don't wanna treat somebody that's bailed us out for two years badly. But if Gary played with us forever? I'm OK with that. But if Jeff got better and said, 'Hey, man, I'm ready to play,' and he came to rehearsal and showed us he was good enough, that's his show."

Pictured below: Jeff Hanneman on April 23, 2011 in Indio, California (photo credit: Andrew Stuart)

U.K. doom metal veterans MY DYING BRIDE will release a new EP, "The Manuscript", on May 13 via Peaceville Records on CD and vinyl.

Check out audio samples in the YouTube clip below.

"The Manuscript" contains four new and exclusive songs; a dark voyage spanning over 27 minutes of supreme doom in the unmistakable MY DYING BRIDE style of heaviness mixed with dark tales of foreboding. It was recorded and mixed at Futureworks Studios in Manchester, U.K. with the band's long-time producer, Rob "Mags" Magoolagan.

Comments the band: "'The Manuscript' features four monstrous tracks of brilliantly crafted metal that only MY DYING BRIDE can do, with swathes of doom laden melancholy, harmonic beauty and thundering death metal all combined in their trademark sound. Four tales of tragedy, loss and bitter vengeance greet the listener with an added assault on the emotions too, leaving the soul grey and limp. There is beauty here, but it's carrying a dark blade."

In a recent interview with Metal Forces, MY DYING BRIDE vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe stated about the songs that will appear on "The Manuscript": "They're very similar to 'A Map Of All Our Failures', because they were written and recorded at the same time, except for one song. That really stands out… [laughs] It's full-on sort of epic death metal; it's swords and axes, a proper warrior battle kind of track that's almost medieval in flavor. You can almost picture the scene; it's set in a snowy kind of mountainous landscape. There are sound effects and all sorts of mayhem going on in it, and death metal vocals not quite all the way through it, but near enough. It even has a Swedish title which because my Swedish isn't great, I'm not gonna repeat here. [laughs] I need to get the pronunciation right before I do that."

MY DYING BRIDE's latest album, "A Map Of All Our Failures", was released on October 15, 2012 in Europe and October 16, 2012 in the U.S. via Peaceville Records on CD, double vinyl and special-edition CD+DVD.

Canadian metal act UNDERCURRENTS will release their debut album, Empty Throne, in May via HammerDown Records and has now revealed the artwork and tracklisting for the album.

Empty Throne tracklisting:

‘The Separation’
‘Your End Is Near’
‘Unearthed On The Banks Of Mortality’
‘The Reconstructionist’
‘Dust To Dust’
‘The Change Up’
‘Sleep Walking In A Dream’
‘Babylon Will Burn’
‘The Many Vs. The Few’
‘The Other Side’
‘Troubled Roads Lead To Freedom’
‘As We Are’
‘The Skies Are Burning’
‘The End Of The Beginning’
Bonus tracks:
‘Vanity’
‘Synchronicity II' (download only)

Check out the song ‘Your End Is Near’ below:

For more info visit Facebook.

San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD recently began the process of searching for a temporary bassist for this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival in the U.S.

Commented the band's guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn: "[We've] got eight guys lined up so far — some 'known' guys, some dudes who are under the radar, [and] all have touring / stage experience. It's exciting in some ways, and weird in others. I never thought I'd be going through this process again, and it fucks with my head from time to time. It's just a fill-in slot for Mayhem, but these guys have to deliver on several levels. They got a bit of big shoe to fill; the dude who used to be onstage left was a presence, so we're going to test these guys out musically, performance-wise, creatively, and see if there's any kind of chemistry there."

MACHINE HEAD in February parted ways with bassist Adam Duce. Flynn explained in an online posting: "We may have fired Adam on [February 11], but Adam quit MACHINE HEAD well over a decade ago. He just never bothered to tell anyone… but we all knew it."

He added: "Adam hasn't been happy in this band for a long time. But how do you leave? To a guy like Adam, everything is either winning or losing. A stunning victory or the ultimate failure. There was no in between … No matter how unhappy or fed up he got, quitting the band would be seen as 'losing' or a 'failure.' Truth be told, he was sick of it. Sick of touring, sick of recording, sick of practicing, sick of looking at album artwork, sick of being on a team but never getting the ball, sick of yearning for the honeymoon to resume when 20 years deep it never does. Sick of never quite hitting the big time, sick of carving the niche... sick of caring."

"Machine Fucking Head Live", the new live album from MACHINE HEAD, sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. It's the band's second live effort; "Hellalive" came out in 2003.

MACHINE HEAD's most recent studio album, "Unto The Locust", sold more than 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart — putting MACHINE HEAD in the Top 25 for the first time in the band's 17-year history.

"Machine Fucking Head Live" was recorded at various tour stops across the globe last year. It features songs from throughout the band's expansive catalog, including crowd favorites like "Imperium", "Aesthetics of Hate", "Locust", "Ten Ton Hammer", "This is the End" and "Halo".

"Machine Fucking Head Live" was mixed and mastered at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Juan Urteaga and Robb Flynn.

MACHINE HEAD is currently seeking a new label home following the expiration of the band's contract with longtime record company Roadrunner Records.

BLACK SABBATH debuted a brand new song, "Loner", last night (Wednesday, May 1) at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below. The track is featured on the deluxe edition of "13", the first BLACK SABBATH record in 35 years to feature singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler all playing together, which is due out June 11 on Vertigo/Republic. This marks BLACK SABBATH's return to Vertigo, their original label, and the group's first studio album together since 1978's "Never Say Die!"

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

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

"13" track listing:

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

Deluxe-edition bonus tracks:

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

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

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

Scott Kara of The New Zealand Herald has written a track-by-track review of "13". Check it out at this location.

About "Loner", Kara wrote: "Basically, a straight-up riffing rocker, but in that distinct, perfectly-paced, '70s SABBATH style. It's on a song like this where it hits home that there is no other band that sound like this — and why, over the last 40 or so years, they have influenced everyone from IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA to NIRVANA and FOO FIGHTERS."

Regarding "End Of The Beginning", which SABBATH will perform on the season finale of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on Wednesday, May 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET on CBS, Kara wrote: "The first thing you notice — apart from Tony Iommi's glorious, grinding guitar licks, and the brain-rattling bass and rumbling drums — is that unique SABBATH tempo. For any other band, it would sound plodding, but they somehow turn it into a fearsome lurch. While 'End Of The Beginning' is no 'War Pigs', it's an impressive epic that moves from foot-planting heaviness, to eerie tranquility, and then into one of Ozzy's tender serenades."

On the topic of "God Is Dead?", Kara wrote: "The first single off the album — which, at almost nine minutes and the longest on the record, isn't exactly radio friendly — comes creeping and crawling out of the speakers like a prowler. But then it rumbles and pummels its way to an early crescendo like a brawler. And you can't help but laugh and throw a cheeky heavy metal goat salute when Ozzy sings a line like, 'Out of the gloom, I rise up out of my tomb, into the impending doom.'"

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

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

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

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

"Loner" performance:

KORN is currently working on the follow-up to 2011's "The Path To Totality" with the help of returning guitarist and original bandmember Brian "Head" Welch.

A video clip of the veteran rockers laying down a new track in Buck Owens Studios in Bakersfield, California can be seen below.

Welch, who last played with KORN on their 2003 album "Take A Look In The Mirror", told RollingStone.com about his renewed collaboration with the band: "We knew we would have a blast playing together, because we love each other so much, but we really wanted to make sure the music felt right before we committed to making a whole album together. But since we got in the studio, everything just started pouring out, now I can't wait until our fans hear this stuff!"

KORN's as-yet-untitled new album is due late summer.

Welch will reunite with KORN for a number of shows this spring and summer, including two dates in Germany, one concert in the United Kingdom and at the upcoming Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio.

The guitarist joined KORN onstage for the song "Blind" in May 2012 at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Rockingham, North Carolina, marking the first time in eight years that KORN played with Welch.

Welch left KORN in 2005 to become a born-again Christian. The band never officially replaced him and stayed a four-piece, although they've used several touring guitarists for live work.

"A World Without Us", the second single from TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON album "The Land Of New Hope", has been released digitally via Frontiers Records. The track, which can be downloaded now from iTunes or Amazon, features lead vocals from b>Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE), Rob Rock (IMPELLITTERI) and Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X).

"A World Without Us" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below, featuring different "in-the-studio" candid shots taken from the making of the album, which is included on the bonus DVD as part of the album's deluxe edition.

Inner Wound Recordings will release a limited 12-inch double gatefold edition of "The Land Of New Hope" on June 19. The edition is strictly limited to 700 copies.

"The Land Of New Hope" is available for pre-order at the Inner Wound store.

The track listing is as follows:

Disc 1

Side A

01. Avalanche Anthem
02. A World Without Us
03. Enshrined In My Memory

Side B

01. In The Name Of The Rose
02. We Will Find A Way
03. Shine

Disc 2

Side A

01. The Magic Of The Night
02. To The Edge Of The Earth

Side B

01. I'll Sing You Home
02. The Land Of New Hope

"Enshrined In My Memory", the new video from TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others. The song is also available for download and legal streaming through all fine shops such as iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.

Frontiers Records has set a May 21 North American release date for TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON new metal opera, "The Land Of New Hope". The CD's story takes place more than 40 years in the future when most of the planet has been destroyed by natural disasters. The title of the opera refers to the safe haven that a small group of survivors seek.

"The Land Of New Hope" is composed by one of the forefathers of the power metal genre, former STRATOVARIUS main songwriter and guitarist Timo Tolkki.

The album will be available in two formats: a standard CD and a deluxe edition featuring a 30-minute documentary on the making-of the album and two videos.

For this unique concept album, Timo Tolkki was able to gather some of most accomplished international singers: Michael Kiske (UNISONIC), Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE), Rob Rock (IMPELLITTERI), Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION) and Tony Kakko (SONATA ARCTICA). Rounding out the stunning lineup of this album are world-renowned musicians Alex Holzwarth (RHAPSODY OF FIRE) on drums, Jens Johansson (STRATOVARIUS), Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) and Mikko Härkin (SONATA ARCTICA) on keyboards, and Tolkki himself taking care of all guitars, bass and production duties.

"The Land Of New Hope" came about as the result of a discussion that began years ago between Timo Tolkki and Frontiers Records president Serafino Perugino. Perugino, a longtime STRATOVARIUS fan, suggested Tolkki return to the original STRATOVARIUS sound in a more symphonic fashion. In August 2012, Tolkki began work on what would become "The Land Of New Hope". Tolkki explained: "I sort of rediscovered myself musically in the process of making this album. I wrote the story first and started composing the music after that. My aim was to write memorable songs with good melodies that would support the story.

"In STRATOVARIUS back in the early '90s, I was one of the creators of the power metal genre, so it is only natural that people may associate this music style with me... but on this album, you will find lot of dynamics including fully-orchestrated songs that sound very, very big."

With the full support of Frontiers Records and Serafino Perugino's executive production, "The Land Of New Hope" opens a new chapter in Tolkki's career. Tolkki added, "'The Land Of New Hope' is one part of the story, the end of it, actually. The story is longer and goes back to the time before this album's concept, so two more metal operas are likely to follow to complete a trilogy.

"In general, I find the metal opera concept fascinating and logical to me at this point of my career. I love classical music and just like in classical opera, in metal opera you can also create stories and have almost limitless possibilities musically.

"It is not so easy to stay fresh after a 25-year career, but this album is truly something special."

The song "Slave To The Powerworld" from POWERWORLD can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track comes off the band's new album, "Cybersteria", which will be released in Germany on May 24, in the rest of Europe on May 27 and in the U.S./Canada on June 4 through SPV/Steamhammer.

What was considered as Orwellian fiction back in 1984 has become reality in 2013 — the surveillance society. In times of Facebook and Skype, true privacy seems to exist only where exposure through the media is consistently rejected. "There's almost a kind of hysteria when it comes to the Internet and digital pseudo-realities," POWERWORLD mastermind Ilker Ersin explains the background of the band's latest album title, "Cybersteria", a combination — you might have guessed it — of the words "cyber" and "hysteria."

"Our new songs aren't a concept album in the narrower sense, but as usual the whole album is held together by a central theme," he continues. "This time the leitmotif is emotional impoverishment which is increasingly supported by the new media. At the end of the day, social networks have the opposite effect of what they suggest: they make people grow lonely." Stirring words by a musician who has composed an album which is stirring in every respect, because "Cybersteria" presents that typical intelligent mélange of melodic heavy metal and progressive elements that we've come to expect from POWERWORLD.

The album's opener, "Children Of The Universe", a brilliant piece featuring a powerful guitar riff and an intricately complex structure, is typical of this unique combination and refers to the global effects of the actions of every single one of us, be it in a media or a technical context. "Slave To The Powerworld", with its ambiguous title, sketches in detail how powerful and at the same time merciless the world of the Internet has become.

Comments Ersin: "There have even been cases where governments were overthrown through the power of the Internet." "Cybersteria" also holds a number of stylistic surprises in store: "Black Ash" is unusually cheerful for this band, featuring consciously selected major chords which create a very individual, open atmosphere. Ersin says: "Our roots are in the blues, so we usually prefer minor atmospheres, but in this instance the major chords complement the melodic line perfectly." And all those interested in finding out which direction this band is likely to opt for in the future will be able to find out more on "Coast Of Tears", a skilful refinement of that typical POWERWORLD sound.

Ersin produced and mixed "Cybersteria" at his MusikundWeb studios in Hirschaid, near Bamberg. The CD was mastered by Tommy Newton (VICTORY, UFO), and the instruments were recorded by Ersin, guitarist Andreas Rippelmeier, keyboardist Marco Grasshoff and drummer Guido Gallus. The biggest surprise: the vocal parts were recorded by Michael Bormann (ex-JADED HEART), who stepped in on short notice after David Reece (ex-ACCEPT, BANGALORE CHOIR) exited the group. Ersin explains: "It transpired during the recordings that David and I have different approaches which cannot be combined under the moniker of POWERWORLD. As a result, we decided to end our collaboration. There were no hard feelings between David and me; it was simply a decision by two grown men who agreed to follow their gut instincts."

In Michael Bormann, POWERWORLD have found an ideal replacement, particularly since Bormann had already successfully filled in during their most recent tour for former POWERWORLD vocalist Andrew McDermott, who suffered from ill health (he died in August 2011), and had also been scheduled as a choir singer on "Cybersteria". "Michael did a brilliant job and even rewrote the lyrics with me. We're not only totally thrilled, but also very grateful for his support," says Ersin.

"Cybersteria" track listing:

01. Children Of The Universe
02. Slave To The Powerworld
03. Back On Me
04. World Knows Your Secrets - Virtuality
05. You Gotta Hold On
06. Am I Digital? (intro)
07. Coast Of Tears
08. Black Ash
09. Like A Shadow
10. Cybersteria
11. You Will Find A Way
12. Not Bound To The Evil

POWERWORLD is:

Michael Bormann (BONFIRE, JADED HEART) - Vocals
Ilker Ersin (FREEDOM CALL, MOON'DOC) - Bass
Marco Grashoff - Keyboards
Andreas Rippelmeier - Guitar
Guido Gallus - Drums

The song "Devout" from the melodic metal outfit ARTLANTICA can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track comes off the band's debut album, "Across The Seven Seas", which will be released in the USA on June 4 and in Europe on May 27 as a CD and digital download (including one bonus track, "Stormbringer") via SPV/Steamhammer.

Commented ARTLANTICA guitarist Roger Staffelbach: "After all the blood, sweat and tears we've put into making that album, we're more than happy and excited to see our album getting released by one of worlds finest companies, SPV/Steamhammer. It's a true pleasure to work with Olly Hahn and all at SPV and we're confident that this is only the beginning. A big hello and thank you go out to Olly Hahn, all at SPV and Peter Knorn from our management (UTM) for sharing our vision and making this happen."

Olly Hahn, A&R at Steamhammer, adds: "What do we have here: great melodies, awesome guitar virtuosity and a tight band which knows how to play melodic metal how it should be. We are more than happy to welcome ARTLANTICA to the SPV family!"

Great vocal melodies with anthemic potential, virtuoso guitar and keyboard passages, including spectacular solos, in addition to a blistering rhythm section which gives the songs their pace, groove and dynamics: the very ingredients which guaranteed seven brilliant releases in ten years from the American-Swiss cult act ARTENSION and caused a global stir on "The End Of Never", the only album by ARTENSION's successor ANGEL OF EDEN, also inspire listeners on ARTLANTICA's debut album "Across The Seven Seas".

This doesn't really come as a surprise: after all, ARTLANTICA features three of the most important driving forces behind ANGEL OF EDEN in guitarist Roger Staffelbach, frontman John West and keyboardist Mistheria. In addition, Staffelbach and West (ARTENSION, ROYAL HUNT) belonged to were the driving forces and founding members of ARTENSION (together with Vitalij Kuprij, now of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Mistheria has made a name for himself with his collaborations with Bruce Dickinson and Rob Rock. All three are, without a doubt, real masters of their trade who have combined their talents to present ten brilliant new songs. Staffelbach describes the result as "powerful, heavy, occasionally majestic, grooving, melodious and timeless. Each instrument has its place, none of them sounds too dominant, everything has only one purpose, to serve the song."

Staffelbach, West and Mistheria enjoy an excellent reputation among their colleagues and can pick and choose when it comes to selecting their guest musicians: "Across The Seven Seas" features Dani Löble (HELLOWEEN) and John Macaluso (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TNT, ARK) on drums, the bass parts were recorded by bass icon Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, TESTAMENT), who also previously worked with ARTENSION and ANGEL OF EDEN. And last but by no means least, ARTLANTICA succeeded in enlisting none less than Chris Caffery of SAVATAGE and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA as their guest guitarist. The result of this high-calibre collaboration was mixed and mastered at Tommy Newton's (HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY) Area 51 studios, with Newton also adding his extensive expertise.

"Across The Seven Seas" track listing:

01. 2012 (04:00)
02. Devout (04:36)
03. Across The Seven Seas (04:53)
04. You're Still Away (05:19)
05. Ode To My Angel (03:54)
06. Fight For The Light (04:21)
07. Demon In My Mind (04:37)
08. Return Of The Pharaoh Pt. 3 (05:43)
09. Heresy (04:49)
10. Nightmare Life (05:25)

Multinational metallers POWERWOLF have completed work on their fifth album, "Preachers Of The Night", for a a summer release via Napalm Records. According to the band, "There [is] fast stuff, heavy stuff and epic stuff as well as some unholy little surprises — and all of that in the most typical, powerwolfish way you can imagine."

The cover artwork for the CD can be seen below.

"Preachers Of The Night" track listing:

01. Amen & Attack
02. Secrets Of The Sacristy
03. Coleus Sanctus
04. Sacred & Wild
05. Kreuzfeuer
06. Cardinal Sin
07. In The Name Of God (Deus Vult)
08. Nochnoi Dozor
09. Lust For Blood
10. Extatum Et Oratum
11. Last Of The Living Dead

POWERWOLF's first live album, "Alive In The Night", was recorded exclusively for Metal Hammer, Germany's leading metal magazine. The CD was only available with the April 2012 issue of Metal Hammer.

POWERWOLF's fourth album, "Blood Of The Saints", was released in August 2011 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was made available as a regular CD, a limited-edition digibook 2-CD and on vinyl. The cover art was created by POWERWOLF guitarist Matthew Greywolf.

"Novum Initium", the new album from multinational melodic metallers MASTERPLAN, will be released on May 17 via AFM Records.

The official lyric video for the song "The Game" can be seen below.

"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.

The band in February filmed a video for the song " Keep Your Dream Alive" in the Luftverteidigungsbunker Erndtebrück, also called "Bunker Erich."

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.

Century Media Records has announced the signing of the Los Angeles rock band ANGELS FALL. The brainchild of singer/guitarist/ songwriter Joel Jorgensen, the group can currently be heard via the track "Drunk Enough", which is being championed by SiriusXM Octane and radio stations nationwide.

On Wednesday, May 8, ANGELS FALL will embark on the JVC Mobile Entertainment Plugged In Tour: Road To Sturgis, which they will be headlining with Century Media labelmates GIRL ON FIRE and special guests LOST IN LOS ANGELES. The trek will also include a Harley Davidson stunt show and a runway fashion show by Romantic Rock.

"We are very excited to be part of the Century Media family," says Jorgensen. "It is a great honor to see ANGELS FALL join such an already dominating active rock roster! We have been offered a great opportunity for success with this relationship and the support of our new family and label partner Century Media."

ANGELS FALL recently acquired the guitar skills of ATREYU shredder Dan Jacobs and will be releasing a five-song digital EP this spring, and selling physical copies on the road and online. The band will enter the studio later this year and release their full-length debut in early 2014.

Fan-filmed video footage of STEEL PANTHER's April 29 performance at the Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida can be seen below.

STEEL PANTHER recently entered a studio in Sherman Oaks, California with producer Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR, MEATLOAF) to record its third full-length album for a September release.
STEEL PANTHER is infecting the world this spring on its recently announced "Spreading The Disease (S.T.D.) Tour". The 20-date trek kicked off on April 13 in Orlando, Florida at WJRR's Earthday Birthday.

The "Spreading The Disease (S.T.D.) Tour" is making headline stops in various markets across the country, including Atlanta and New York, to name a few. Recently, the feverish outbreak for STEEL PANTHER in Boston caused the show to have to be moved to the House of Blues from the Paradise where it was originally scheduled. The band will also be hitting the spring festivals with stops at Welcome To Rockville, Carolina Rebellion, Rock On The Range and even this year's Ozzfest in Japan.

STEEL PANTHER's first-ever DVD, "British Invasion", sold 3,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 2 on Billboard's Top Music Videos chart.

Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND, who feature in their ranks current OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G., will celebrate their 10th anniversary by releasing a live album on June 24 via Century Media Records in Europe. Entitled "Apotheosis - Live 2012", the CD will contain 17 songs recorded at special anniversary shows in Greece as well as all over Europe during the band's "Few Against Many" tour in 2012. With a playing time of 69 minutes, the effort is a great overview of the band's career so far, which consists of seven studio albums. It also marks FIREWIND's final release with singer Apollo Papathanasio, who decided to leave the group at the end of last year. He has since been replaced by Kelly Sundown Carpenter (ADAGIO, BEYOND TWILIGHT) as session frontman for all 2013 live activities.

The cover artwork for "Apotheosis - Live 2012", which will be released as a digipak in its first limited-edition pressing, was designed by FIREWIND's longtime partner in all design matters, Gustavo Sazes (ARCH ENEMY, ANGRA, DREAM EVIL) based on live photography by Hans-W. Rock.

"Apotheosis - Live 2012" track listing:

01. Head Up High
02. Wall Of Sound
03. Allegiance
04. Few Against Many
05. The Departure
06. Heading For The Dawn
07. Losing My Mind
08. World On Fire
09. Guitar Solo 2012
10. SKG
11. Between Heaven And Hell
12. Piano Solo
13. Edge Of A Dream
14. Mercenary Man
15. Glorious
16. Maniac
17. Falling To Pieces

Stated Gus G.: "Apotheosis = the glorification of a subject to a divine level. That is the word that came to my mind while thinking of how I could best describe the feeling and the vibe of those four anniversary shows we played in our homeland Greece and our last European headline tour in 2012! So that had to be our live album's title. You can feel the energy on these recordings, you can hear the screams of the most hardcore fans and the FIREWIND chants... it's all there. No doubt about it, it's the sheer love from our fans and supporters that has kept us alive and strong for 10 years and we wanted to celebrate all that with this album. We recorded all those shows, chose the best performances and now we can't wait to release this one!"

In a recent interview with Metal Assault, Gus G. stated about Apollo's departure: "People following the band for the past few years would know that we've had different session guys at the live shows even when Apollo was in the band because he just had to skip a few tours during the year. So whenever the schedule was getting too heavy for him and he would have to take care of stuff back home, we had to get other guys. So this time, he had to skip again and he was like, 'You know, instead of holding you guys back, I might as well just quit.' I think he did the right thing for him, for us as well, because we can only do that [getting session vocalists] so many times and we're better off trying to find a new permanent guy instead of getting replacements for a tour. So at least now we know that we have to find somebody new, and in a sense it's a bit sad, but at the same time it's some sort of relief."

Asked if Carpenter is going to be the permanent replacement for Papathanasio, Gus said: "We don't know yet. We're not going to rush that decision. We're really happy with what he's doing on stage; he's doing a really good job. But we have this tour and then we have a few festivals back home and then FIREWIND might be on hiatus for a while, so we're going to see what we're going to do."

FIREWIND's latest album, "Few Against Many", entered the official chart in Greece at No. 42 and in Germany at No. 90. Released in Europe on May 21, 2012 via Century Media Records and in North America on May 22 through DisManic, Inc. via eOne Distribution, the CD was mixed by Jason Suecof and Eyal Levi at Audiohammer Studios (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, DEATH ANGEL) in Sanford, Florida.

Southern Ontario-based metallers VARGA, who reportedly reunited initially in 2011, have checked in with the following update:
"After 15 years, we’re re-united and back in the studio. The new double-album, Enter The Metal / Return Of The Metal is a re-working of old songs from an unreleased album that we recorded before the BMG deal.

These songs represent what Varga, as a band, has always really been all about. Heavy riffing, complex arrangements, intense vocals and insane drums. For those who were there, you know this to be the REAL Varga!

We can’t wait to bring these epic songs back to life, its been way too long."

The band has launched a new official website at vargahq.com. Check out their official Facebook page here.

Varga - also featuring Dan Fila on drums and guitarists Sean Williamson and Adam Alex - released two albums in the '90s before they broke up: Prototype (1994) and Oxygen (1996). Dan Fila and Sean Williamson went on to form the short-lived HYPODUST.

Guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet of Christian hard rockers STRYPER has signed a deal to make a record early next year with legendary guitarist George Lynch (T&N, DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB), bassist James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, WHITE LION, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and Brian Tichy (S.U.N., WHITESNAKE). He writes on STRYPER's Facebook page: "I'm excited! And you?"

Sweet in December confirmed that he will hit the road later this year with T&N (formerly TOOTH AND NAIL), the new project featuring current and former members of DOKKEN (George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown), in support of that band's recently released debut album, "Slave To The Empire", and upcoming follow-up effort. He wrote in an online posting: "It should be a blast and a lot of fun singing those classic DOKKEN tunes."

He added: "And to ease your mind, I WILL NOT be leaving STRYPER, just having some side fun with George, Jeff and Mick when this actually takes place."

Fan-filmed video footage of Yngwie Malmsteen's April 30 performance at Irving Plaza in New York City can be viewed below.

As previously reported, Yngwie Malmsteen has just released his autobiography entitled "Relentless: The Memoir" via Wiley.

How does a kid from Sweden make his way to America at the tender age of eighteen and, within a month, have people lining up to hear him play guitar? Where did he get those chops? How did he develop his singular style of playing? And what happened next?

In "Relentless", Malmsteen relives the greatest and worst moments of his storied career as one of the most admired, talked about, and emulated guitarists in the world — from how he managed to buy his first Strat and assemble his first wall of Marshall amps to the truth behind the title of his 2005 "Unleash The Fury" album and beyond.

At the center of Yngwie's story is his lifelong rebellion against the conventions and restrictions of the Sweden in which he was raised. "Don't stand out," he was told when he dreamed of being a professional musician. "That won't work," he was warned when he wanted to play loud or little-known songs. His entire musical career has been a proclamation that he will stand out, and it will work.

That determination drove the fourteen-year-old Yngwie to make his now legendary "Powerhouse" demo tape, the recording that later caught the ear of Shrapnel Records' Mike Varney, who brought Yngwie to America in 1982. It drove Yngwie to become the de facto leader of two already existing bands before launching a solo career just eighteen months later. It also drove him to act out in sometimes bizarre ways and develop a reputation as a mercurial, perhaps unstable, personality.

Yngwie recounts these incidents with neither pride nor apology, but with a great deal of color. And he gets into the seedy and unscrupulous side of rock and roll, revealing how managers, record companies, and others ripped him off, before his wife, April, rescued both him and his business.

Musicians will be drawn to Yngwie's descriptions of how he composed his greatest songs and his overall approach to composition and to band dynamics. He writes with admiration about musicians, from DEEP PURPLE's Ritchie Blackmore to nineteenth-century violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini, who influenced his playing and the development of his unique neoclassical-metal style.

Whether you're a total metal freak, an aspiring musician, or someone who just loves a pull-out-all-the-stops rock-and-roll biography, you will read "Relentless" relentlessly from first page to last.

The 288-page book is available for order via Amazon.

Advance praise for "Relentless":

Slash: "Yngwie literally blew my mind when he came on the L.A. music scene in the early '80s. the fastest andmost articulate, fluid, melodic, classical based rock guitarist I'd ever heard. Still the best at what he does all these years later."

Steve Vai: "When Yngwie Malmsteen hit the scene in the early '80s, it was as if a monolith appeared. He was playing electric rock guitar in a way that seemed completely unearthly and had to be seen to be believed. His tone was pristine and powerful, his vibrato, intonation and control was stunning, His harmonic and melodic sensibilities were unique, his emotional investment in his melodies was captivating, and his sheer speed and technical command of the instrument was utterly breathtaking to the point of frightening for some. He absolutely set a standard of virtuosity on the instrument that has yet to be matched. He was a breath of visceral fresh air that inspired the movement of a whole new subculture of music. He was always unequivocally and unquestionably dedicated to his passions and delivered without any excuses. And since then, the bastard has just been getting better!"

"I have had the good fortune of knowing him for the past 25 years and have stood next to him on stage many times. It always felt as though I was standing next to a mountain, solid, giant and forever.

"A few things about Yngwie that some may not know is that he is remarkably intelligent and has a fiery sense of humor that delivers on par with his musical gifts."

Joe Satriani: "Yngwie Malmsteen loves to play guitar, and he's really good at it. I know this from personal experience. I've stood right next to him on many a stage, shoulder to shoulder, trading solos, celebrating our influences, taking chances, playfully testing each others limits and putting on a great show for our fans. At the end of every performance I was sure of two things: Yngwie is an amazing guitarist, and that there is only one Yngwie Malmsteen. Let's face it, every guitarist wishes they could do what he does with those six strings and a pick, but what he does is not only super human, it is undeniably unique and original too. There are imitators, some with equal proficiency, but none that can match the heart and the confidence behind his virtuosity.

"The last time we played together was at Marshall's 50th-anniversary concert at Wembley Arena in London on September 22nd, 2012, and I think it was the best I'd ever heard him play. Yes, he's getting better! I was on stage just behind the curtain warming up with my guitar as I listened to Yngwie enthrall the audience with his impeccable and furious technique. But it's his passion for music that really lights everyone up in the audience up. It's the fire burning in those hands that make every note scream. He puts all of who he is, no excuses, no apologies, into every note and every sound he makes on his guitar.

"There is only one Yngwie Malmsteen."

Massachusetts metallers REVOCATION have completed work on the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2011 Relapse Records release Chaos of Forms. This is the first full length album with bass player Brett Bamberger who joined the band in 2012 and was featured on the band's last EP Teratogenesis which was released by Scion AV. The new album is set for release this summer, with further details to be announced shortly.

Throughout the recording process the band had cameras rolling capturing everything. From this footage Revocation has put together a series of videos detailing different aspects of the recording process. Today the band has premiered the first video in the series focusing on the drums and bass. Additionally this clips features ten seconds of new Revocation music.

Revocation is currently on the road with GOATWHORE, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, and RAMMING SPEED. These dates run through May 3rd in Toronto.

Revocation will be taking part in this year's Summer Slaughter Tour. The tour starts July 19th in San Francisco, CA and runs through August 16th in Denver, CO.

Remaining dates with Goatwhore, 3 Inches Of Blood, and Ramming Speed

April
30 – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s

May
1 - Middletown, NY - Sounds Asylum
2 - Rochester, NY - Bug Jar
3 - Toronto, ON - Opera House

For more info visit Facebook.

Unique Leader has inked a deal with San Francisco Bay Area act CONTINUUM. Started in 2010 by Chase Fraser (DECREPIT BIRTH) and drummer Spencer Edwards (SON OF AURELIUS), Continuum combines traditional death metal with dark ambient themes, according to a press release. Joined by vocalist Riley McShane (Son Of Aurelius), bassist Nick Willbrand (ex-FLESH CONSUMED) and epic shredder Ivan Munguia (ARKAIK, DEEDS OF FLESH) this group of musicians out of California's Bay Area provide a sound that rocks the foundation of modern death metal. They will be recording their debut album, The Hypothesis, with Zach Ohren at Castle Ultimate Studios in late 2013.
For more details on Continuum visit Facebook.

CIVIL WAR — the new Swedish metal band featuring former SABATON members Rikard Sundén (guitar), Daniel Mullback (drums), Daniel Mÿhr (keyboards) and Oskar Montelius (guitar) alongside singer Patrik Johansson (ASTRAL DOORS, LION'S SHARE) and bassist Stefan "Pizza" Eriksson (VOLTURYON) — has just released a new single, "Saint Patrick's Day". The track is now available for streaming in its entirety below.

"Saint Patrick's Day" comes off CIVIL WAR's full-length debut, "The Killer Angels", which will be made available on June 11 via Despotz Records. The group states: "The album deals with a lot of stuff: heroes, traitors, battles and heavy metal....and yes: we have a song called 'Gettysburg'."

"The Killer Angels" track listing:

01. King Of The Sun
02. First To Fight
03. Saint Patrick's Day
04. Rome Is Falling
05. Sons Of Avalon
06. I Will Rule The Universe
07. Lucifer's Court
08. Brother Judas
09. My Own Worst Enemy
10. Gettysburg
11. March Across The Belts (bonus track)

CIVIL WAR's debut EP was released on November 13, 2012 via Despotz Records.

According to Sundén, CIVIL WAR's sound is "more old-school hard rock," with "a little less keyboards" than that of SABATON. He says, "With Patrik's vocals on top, it becomes a different thing, but there are some parallels [to our previous band]."

Regarding how CIVIL WAR came together, b>Mullback told the Swedish-language newspaper Dalarnas Tidningar (DT), "It came pretty naturally. We always thought Patrik had a good voice and he accepted our offer when we asked him to join the band."

"I had no hesitation about getting involved," Patrik said. "ASTRAL DOORS certainly has a solid fan base, but we are a little more underground. I see this as an opportunity to reach a wider audience."

The four ex members of SABATON were never involved in the songwriting process with their former band since those duties were usually handled by vocalist Joakim Brodén. But in the new group, everyone is contributing ideas.

"This has been a reawakening of sorts," Mÿhr said. "I have never been in a situation where there has been so much creativity."

On the topic of whether CIVIL WAR will continue SABATON's tradition of focusing on war-related themes in its lyrics, Mÿhr said, "No, we won't. Now the lyrics can be about anything. [CIVIL WAR was just] a good name that sounded good."

"Saint Patrick's Day" audio stream:

On May 14, Universal Music Group will release the "Classic Album Collection" from ROB ZOMBIE, featuring the albums "Hellbilly Deluxe" (1998), "The Sinister Urge" (2001), "Educated Horses" (2006) and "Past, Present, & Future" (2003). Each album will come in a new slipcase with a placeholder card for the new album to allow fans to complete their full Rob Zombie studio album set.

The "Classic Album Collection" is a series which brings together some of the best, most successful albums from an artist's catalogue, all together in one convinient and compact pack. Each album is packaged in the original artwork in a cardboard slipcase, making this a very affordable way to purchase an artist's back catalogue.

Rob Zombie's fifth album, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor", sold 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on April 23 via Zodiac Swan/T-Boy/Ume. The CD was produced by Bob Marlette, who has previously worked with everyone from BLACK SABBATH and ALICE COOPER to WILSON PHILLIPS and LYNYRD SKYNYRD.

Rob Zombie's fourth solo album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2", debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard album chart on February 10, 2010, selling 49,000 copies in its first week of release. That total was less than 50 percent of the number of copies that his previous effort, "Educated Horses", sold in its first week back in April 2006, when it moved 107,000 copies to land at No. 5 on the chart.

ALTER BRIDGE has commenced recording its fourth studio album for a tentative September release.

Commented the band in a post on its web site: "We are pleased to announce that recording has begun on our fourth studio album. First up to record is Scott 'Flip' Phillips on the drums.

"Stay tuned and we'll update you on the progress as time allows."

ALTER BRIDGE's last studio offering, "AB III", came out in 2010 and included the hits "Isolation" and "Ghost Of Days Gone By".

As previously reported, ALTER BRIDGE plans to release a new box set on May 14. The pacakge will feature a whopping 16 discs, previously unreleased interviews with bandmembers Myles Kennedy, Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall, a coffee table book, autographed poster, exclusive photos and more. Further info can be found at AlterBridgeBoxSet.com.

During ALTER BRIDGE's break, Tremonti recorded his first solo album, "All I Was", and toured behind it, while Kennedy recorded all the vocals for Slash's second solo effort, "Apocalyptic Love", and toured the world as part of his live band.

Tremonti, Marshall and Phillips have also toured as part of their original act, CREED, who have also been working on new material.

On May 21, Deadline Music/Cleopatra Records will release "Frequency Unknown", the new album from the Geoff Tate-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE, on both 12-inch vinyl LP and analog cassette formats. The limited-edition 12-inch vinyl LP packaging will contain a special color poster insert and will retail for $18.98. The cassette will feature the same track listing as the vinyl LP version and will carry a $9.98 list price.

The track listing for both formats will be as follows:

Side A:

01. Cold
02. Dare
03. Give It To You
04. Slave
05. In The Hands Of God

Side B:

01. Running Backwards
02. Life Without You
03. Everything
04. Fallen
05. The Weight Of The World

"Frequency Unknown" sold around 5,500 copies in its first week of release in the United States to land at position No. 82 on The Billboard 200 chart.

QUEENSRŸCHE's previous studio CD, "Dedicated To Chaos", opened with around 8,000 units back in July 2011 to enter the chart at No. 70. The band's 2009 effort, the epic concept album "American Soldier", premiered with 21,000 copies to debut at No. 25. This was roughly half the first-week tally registered by QUEENSRŸCHE's "Operation: Mindcrime II" album, which shifted 44,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release back in April 2006 to land at No. 14 on The Billboard 200 chart.

QUEENSRŸCHE's 2003 effort, "Tribe", sold 20,000 copies in the first week while 1999's "Q2K", opened with sales of 28,000.

QUEENSRŸCHE's top-selling album by far is 1990's "Empire", which was certified triple-platinum in October 1994 for sales in excess of three million copies in the United States. The original "Operation: Mindcrime" release (1988) attained platinum status in August 1991, while 1994's "Promised Land" reached the same plateau in December 1994.

As previously reported, Deadline Music/Cleopatra Records is making available the "new and improved" mixes of "Frequency Unknown" to any customers who have purchased the original mix version and are dissatisfied with the audio. Simply e-mail the label a scan of your actual receipt for the physical CD to Queensryche@cleorecs.com and they will happily send you a replacement disc — at no charge whatsoever. No questions asked!

"Frequency Unknown" was released on April 23. The CD was produced by Jason Slater at a studio in Northern California. The first single from the effort, "Cold", can be streamed below. The track, which was mixed by Anthony Focx (NEWSTED, AEROSMITH, NIGHT RANGER, TED NUGENT), was also released as a special limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single with a newly recorded version of the QUEENSRŸCHE classic "Silent Lucidity" — mixed by Jürgen Engler (DORO, DIE KRUPPS) — on the B-side.

Asked about the decision to remix "Frequency Unknown" shortly before the album's release, Tate told "The Continental Breakfast With James & Raina": "We were a little rushed on the mixing end of it, so after listening to it back, we're having some of the songs remixed now before the album comes out. But that's typical with records — you have to have them in on time. So sometimes you compromise in areas. Luckily, with this situation, we get to go back and correct some areas in the sound where we thought it was kind of lacking. So that's fine. I've done that on… gosh… probably three quarters of the records I've ever made. It's no new thing, but it's a luxury when you get to fix it."

"Frequency Unknown" is packaged with bonus tracks — four QUEENSRŸCHE classics, newly recorded, including the smash hit single "Silent Lucidity". Guest musicians on the CD include K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST), Chris Poland (MEGADETH), Ty Tabor (KING'S X), Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS), Lita Ford, Brad Gillis (NIGHT RANGER), Dave Meniketti (Y&T) and Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN).

Although a lineup for Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE was originally announced in the fall of 2012, things have changed. The band now features Tate along with bassist Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, DIO, WHITESNAKE, QUIET RIOT), guitarist Kelly Gray (QUEENSRŸCHE 1998-2001), keyboardist Randy Gane and new additions, guitarist Robert Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, HURRICANE) and drummer Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO, RHINO BUCKET).

The Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE will release its new album, simply titled "Queensrÿche", on June 25 via Century Media Records.

"Queensrÿche" marks the debut release from the lineup comprised of La Torre (vocals; ex-CRIMSON GLORY), Michael Wilton (guitar), Parker Lundgren (guitar), Eddie Jackson (bass) and Scott Rockenfield (drums).

The new animated lyric video for "Wrong Turn", the belligerent fourteenth track from Swiss grind faction MUMAKIL's upcoming third LP, "Flies Will Starve", can be seen below. The interactive, animated visual depiction of the track brings the urban carnage of the album's cover art by Remy Cuveillier of Headsplit Design to life while the band proceeds to rip the powers that be a new one with their inarguably enraged lyrics and grindcore turmoil.

Since 2004, the destructive MUMAKIL has infiltrated the grind circuit with a blasting whirlwind approach, through an arsenal of demos and D.I.Y. releases, splits with the likes of BLOCKHEADS, THIRD DEGREE and MISERY INDEX, and two previous LPs, the latter of which, "Behold The Failure", was also released via Relapse in 2009 following their split seven-inch single with INHUME on the label's cult Slimewave seven-inch series in 2007. Touring across Europe, Cuba and beyond has also helped fuel the fires in the engines of this death machine, also taking them to festivals including several installments of Obscene Extreme and more.

Recorded by the bandmembers themselves at Terrier 5 Studio in Geneva, MUMAKIL's first album in four years, "Flies Will Starve" will devastate listeners with twenty-four tracks of precision grindcore teetering on the edge of insanity in the vein of BIRDFLESH, MISERY INDEX, ANTIGAMA and KILL THE CLIENT. The oppressive percussion only lets up to build-up to the next blinding blast, the strings jackhammering forth the band's most death-influenced riffing yet and of course the razorchoked vocal bloodbath is nothing short of nauseatingly awesome.

Relapse will dispense "Flies Will Starve" on CD, LP and digitally on June 25 in North America, preceded by its release June 21 in Germany/Benelux/Finland and June 24 in the U.K. and abroad, in conjunction with new bursts of touring across Europe, Canada and beyond over the coming months.

"Flies Will Starve" track listing:

01. Death From Below
02. Dawn Of Slugs
03. War Therapist
04. Fucktards Parade
05. Built Of Lies
06. Shit Reminders
07. Designed To Fail
08. Get Exorcised
09. Fresh Meat For The Grinder
10. Repudiate
11. Army Of Freaks
12. Hailing Regression
13. Cockroaches
14. Wrong Turn
15. Let The World Burn
16. Piss Off (Part 2)
17. Waste By Definition
18. Unfair For Whom?
19. Bring Them To Ruin
20. Begging For The Obvious
21. Redline
22. Blind Disciples
23. Betrayer
24. Behind The Mask

The official lyric video for the song "Grinding Dissent" from Boston thrashers RAMMING SPEED can be seen below. The track comes off the band's Prosthetic Records debut, "Doomed To Destroy, Destined To Die", which will be released in North America on June 25. The CD was recorded with Kurt Ballou (HIGH ON FIRE, CONVERGE, KVELERTAK) at GodCity Studio.

Comments RAMMING SPEED: "'Grinding Dissent' is largely about America's facade of righteousness and freedom. A government that is 'for the people' may or may not have originally been the goal, but in this day and age, it's obvious that protest and free speech aren't welcome. Our police departments have military-grade weapons turned on civilians to keep us quiet while politicians smile and shake hands behind closed doors. Musically. the song starts off with punishing D-beat and ends with Ferrari-sized, Piña Colada-chugging twin guitar riffage! Put this shit on 11, crack a beer and scream at the sun."

"Doomed To Destroy, Destined To Die" track listing:

01. Doomed To Destroy, Destined To Die
02. Anticipating Failure
03. Grinding Dissent
04. Gorgon's Eye
05. Cretins And Cowards
06. Anthems Of Despair (Summer Jam)
07. Ashes
08. Minisitry Of Truth
09. The Rhetoric Of Hate And Other Examples Of Wildly Unchecked Ignorance
10. Extinction Event
11. Under The Monolith
12. Hollow Giants
13. Dead Flags

Described as "one of the hardest-working bands in heavy metal" (Noisecreep) and "the perfect blend of thrash, punk and light-hearted enthusiasm" (Lambgoat), RAMMING SPEED will tour this summer with VALIENT THORR and GYPSYHAWK.

Eagle Rock Entertainment has announced the release, on June 25th, of the JETHRO TULL set, Around The World Live. This book + 4 music DVD set comes in deluxe hardback packaging for Jethro Tull collectors and contains a wealth of previously unreleased material. The release features performances of classic tracks including 'Aqualung', 'Cross-eyed Mary', 'Living In The Past', 'Too Old To Rock’n’Roll, Too Young To Die', 'Orion', 'Minstrel In The Gallery', 'Heavy Horses', 'Thick As A Brick', 'Nothing Is Easy', 'Budapest', 'Life Is A Long Song', and many more.

This superb set pulls together material from Jethro Tull concerts across their career and filmed at some of their many stopovers around the globe. It reaches back as far as the legendary Isle Of Wight Festival in 1970 and as recently as the Estival in Lugano, Switzerland in 2005. Much of the material is previously unreleased. The set is packaged in a 19cm x 14cm 32 page hardback book with 2 discs in each inside cover. Disc 3 of Around The World Live offers an insightful interview with Ian Anderson from the Hilversum 1999 session.

The book contains photos from Ian Anderson’s personal archive and a text on all the different shows by Joel McIver. Around The World Live charts Jethro Tull’s ever evolving music through blues to rock to folk to electronica with a frequently changing line-up anchored by the ever present frontman Ian Anderson.

Around The World Live charts the global success of one of rock’s favorite acts. Highlighting the band’s illustrious career and phenomenal concerts, this is treasure trove of Jethro Tull material.



Tracklisting:

Disc One:

Isle Of Wight, England, 1970:
'My Sunday Feeling'
'My God'

Lineup: Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, guitar; Martin Barre – guitar; Clive Bunker – drums; Glenn Cornick – bass; John Evan – keyboards

Tampa, Florida, USA, 1976:
'Quartet' (intro)
'Thick As A Brick'
'Wond’ring Aloud'
'Crazed Institution'
'Barre' (instrumental)
Drum Solo
Medley: 'To Cry You A Song' / 'A New Day Yesterday' / 'Bourée' / 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen'
'Living In The Past / Thick As A Brick'
'A New Day Yesterday' (reprise)
'Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young To Die'
'Minstrel In The Gallery
Extract from Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 (Molto Vivace)

Lineup: Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, guitar; Barriemore Barlow – drums; Martin Barre – guitar; John Evan – keyboards; John Glascock – bass

Munich, Germany, 1980:
'Aqualung'
'Dark Ages'
'Home'
'Orion'
'Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young To Die'
'Cross-eyed Mary'
'Minstrel In The Gallery'
'Locomotive Breath'
'Dambusters March'

LineUp: Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, guitar; Barriemore Barlow – drums; Martin Barre – guitar; John Evan – keyboards; David Palmer – keyboards; Dave Pegg - bass

Disc Two:

Dortmund, Germany, 1982:
'Pussy Willow'
'Heavy Horses'

Lineup: Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, guitar; Martin Barre – guitar; Gerry Conway – drums; Dave Pegg – bass; Peter Vettese – keyboards

Loreley, Germany, 1986:
'Black Sunday'

Lineup: Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, guitar; Martin Barre – guitar; Dave Pegg – bass; Doane Perry – drums; Peter Vettese – keyboards

Santiago, Chile, 1996:
'Roots To Branches'
'Rare And Precious Chain'
'Thick As A Brick'
'In The Grip Of Stronger Stuff'
'Dangerous Veils'
'Aqualung / Aquadiddly'
'Nothing Is Easy'
'Bourée'
'In The Moneylenders’ Temple'
'My God'
'Locomotive Breath'

Disc Three:

Hilversum, Holland, 1999:
'Some Day The Sun Won’t Shine For You'
'Thick As A Break'
'Locomotive Breath'
'The Secret Language Of Birds'
'Dot Com'
'Fat Man'
'Bourée'
'In The Grip Of Stronger Stuff'

London, England, 2001:
'Cross-eyed Mary'
'Hunt By Numbers'
'My Sunday Feeling'

Montreux, Switzerland, 2003:
'Some Day The Sun Won’t Shine For You'
'Life Is A Long Song'
'Living In The Past'

Disc Four:

Lugano, Switzerland, 2005:
'Aqualung Intro'
'For A Thousand Mothers'
'Nothing Is Easy'
'Jack In The Green'
'Serenade To A Cuckoo'
'Beggar’s Farm'
'Boris Dancing'
'Weathercock'
'We Five Kings'
'Up To Me'
'Bourée'
'Mother Goose'
'Empty Café'
'Farm On The Freeway'
'Hymn 43'
'A New Day Yesterday'
'Budapest'
'Aqualung'
'Locomotive Breath'
'Protect And Survive'
'Cheerio'

Lineup (1996 / 1999 / 2001 / 2003 / 2005): Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, guitar; Martin Barre – guitar; Andy Giddings – keyboards; Jonathan Noyce – bass; Doane Perry - drums

International hard rock/AOR project LANESLIDE have released their debut album, Flying High, via Avenue Of Avenue Of Allies.

The lineup, put together by Italian songwriter/ guitarist Bruno Kraler (BRUNOROCK) for the debut album, includes vocalist extraordinaire Frank Vestry (MARCELLO/VESTRY, LAST TEMPTATION), Alessandro Del Vecchio (HARDLINE, LIONVILLE, EDGE OF FOREVER) on keyboards, John Billings (RICK SPRINGFIELD, DONNA SUMMER, LANCIA) on bass, Dominik Hülshorst (ex-BONFIRE) on drums, as well as Lino Gonzalez and Bobby Altvater on guitars and Erik Mårtensson and Michael Bormann on backing vocals.
Tracklisting:

'Flying High'
'Hangin’ Out Here'
'You Can Make It'
'River Of Love'
'Dancing Girls'
'Understand'
'Self Control'
'Look The Other Way'
'Your Fight'
'Washed Away'

Check out an album trailer below:
The album is available worldwide on CD from well-assorted record stores and from various specialised mail order companies as well as the big online retailers. Flying High is also available as digital download.
More on Laneslide at this location.

Austrian thrash/death metallers DARKFALL will release their new album, Road To Redemption, on May 24th via Noisehead Records. A new teaser clip for the album can be seen below:
Road To Redemption was mixed by Peter Fritz (Tonstudio SixtySix, Austria) and mastered by Andy Classen (Stage One Studio, Germany). The album artwork, designed by Michael Freitag, can be seen below:
Road To Redemption tracklisting:

'Road To Redemption (Intro)'
'Misery Of Peace'
'War Has Come'
'Fading Away'
'Phoenix Rising'
'The Gods Await'
'Never Ending Hate'
'Rise To Dominate'
'Echoes From The Past'
'Peacemaker'
'Kill The Need MMXIII'
Darkfall lineup:

Sascha Ulm - Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Stephan Stockreiter - Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Thomas Spiwak - Lead Vocals
Markus Seethaler - Bass Guitar
Thomas Kern - Drums
More on Darkfall at this location.