As longtime fans can attest, the quality of DIO's studio albums never wavered throughout the group's near 30-year career. Case in point, the fan favorite/concept effort "Magica", which featured Ronnie James Dio's one-of-a-kind vocals and the return of guitarist Craig Goldy. The album spawned such metal classics as "Fever Dreams", "Turn to Stone" and "Lord Of The Last Day", and has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide — largely on word of mouth alone. One small problem — the original 2000 CD version has been out of print for years, and has become increasingly hard to find. But to the delight of DIO fans worldwide, "Magica" will be getting a makeover on Tuesday, June 25 as Niji Entertainment Group will be issuing the two-CD "Magica Deluxe Edition".

A breakdown of what will be included on this two CD set is as follows:

CD 1 will contain the full album.

01. Discovery
02. Magica Theme
03. Lord Of The Last Day
04. Fever Dreams
05. Turn To Stone
06. Feed My Head
07. Eriel
08. Challis
09. As Long As It's Not About Love
10. Losing My Insanity
11. Otherworld
12. Magica- Reprise
13. Lord Of The Last Day - Reprise

CD 2 will contain "The Magica Story" (narrated by Ronnie James Dio) and the bonus track "Annica", which was only available as a Japanese bonus track along with "Electra" (which was planned for "Magica 2" and "3") and six never-before-released "official live bootleg" tracks from 2000/2001.

01. The Magica Story (narrated by Ronnie James Dio)
02. Annica (Japanese-only bonus track)
03. Electra (recorded for "Magica 2" & "3")
04. Feed My Head (official live bootleg)
05. Fever Dreams (official live bootleg)
06. Turn To Stone (official live bootleg)
07. Lord Of The Last Day (official live bootleg)
08. As Long As It's Not About Love (official live bootleg)
09. Losing My Insanity (official live bootleg)

Also included in the CD set will be deluxe packaging and a deluxe booklet (which will include the original "Magica" tour dates and a set list), as well as such bonus inserts — including the "Magica Story" — and a Ronnie James Dio postcard.

Upon "Magica"'s original release, Ronnie James Dio stated about the concept effort: "Not ever having done this before, and wanting to take some time with it, I didn't want to be foolish about it. These things can turn out pretty strange. It has its peaks and valleys of course, but it has to tell a story. I didn't want to do it all in verse. So it tells the story in music as well, with logs of high relief, share and light. It's much more involved than the things we've done before, but again, it retains the character of DIO music. As well, the songs can be removed from the whole process and stand on their own, so much so, that I've provided the narration. I'm trying to tell as much as I can in the music, but I want to tell something extra. But in essence, it's a journey that should be consumed beginning to end."

And the accolades surrounding "Magica" continue all these years later:

"Since I played such a major role in how 'Magica' was created, it became one of my most proudest Dio moments and an experience I shall never forget!"- Craig Goldy (DIO, DIO DISCIPLES)

"'Magica' is an album I know Ronnie was extremely proud of. Epic is a word that I often use to describe it to people!" - Simon Wright (DIO, DIO DISCIPLES)

"God Is Dead?", a brand new single from BLACK SABBATH, will be made available digitally on April 19. The track, which clocks in at eight minutes and 52 seconds, comes off "13" — the band's first album in 35 years to feature bassist Geeezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and singer Ozzy Osbourne — 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!"

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.

An invite-only listening party for "13" was held on April 10 at The Montalban in Los Angeles, California.

The following eight songs were played back to a small theater full of select media and VIPs:

* End Of The Beginning
* God Is Dead?
* Loner
* Zeitgeist
* Age Of Reason
* Live Forever
* Damaged Soul
* Dear Father

Check out a report at the Black Sabbath Online web site.

In its report on the listening party, Loudwire stated about "God Is Dead?": "Fans who caught the recent video tease the band release will recognize this track. Butler's bass work offers a mesmerizing beginning to the song that continues through a majority of the track. Osbourne sings about a bleak future and questions the existence of a higher being, given some of the hard times on Earth. As he belts, 'Will someone please tell me is God really dead?,' a musical shift begins to set in with Wilk and the band offering a swinging beat while Osbourne exclaims, 'Nowhere to run / Nowhere to hide.'"

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

BLACK SABBATH will make a rare television appearance when the band performs a new song on the season finale of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation". The episode is set to air on Wednesday, May 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET on CBS-TV. The band will world premiere a song called "End Of The Beginning" from "13". The episode's plot follows the "CSI" team as they investigate a series of murder that resemble the sins in "Dante's Inferno", with the trail leading the detectives played by Ted Danson and Marc Vann to attend a SABBATH concert.

Gothenburg, Sweden-based melodic death metal act DEALS DEATH have parted ways with bassist Fredrik Ljung.

Says the band: "There are times when everything is great, there are times when everything is bad. And there are times when different paths are chosen and you simply drift apart. Things like these are never easily decided and we thank our friend and bandmate for three awesome years and wish you a brilliant future."
Fredrik has issued the following statement: "As you now know, I have left the band. We saw it as the only way to go and I want to thank everyone who has gotten me and Deals Death to the point where we are at today. There are many reasons for my goodbye but I personally feel that Im not on the same wavelength as the present band. And when you play in a band such as Deals Death you have to be able to give it your all! My last contribution with Deals Death is recorded and will be heard on the new album and Im sure you'll like it. I will continue with my other projects and have no intention to quit making music what so ever. I would also like to thank Deals Death for this wonderful time and great memories!"

Stay tuned for updates from Deals Death. More on the band at this location.

Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack has dismissed as "bullshit" a report in the British tabloid The Sun which claimed that the BLACK SABBATH singer and his wife/manager Sharon are living apart and haven't seen each other in weeks.

According to The Sun, the couple — who have been married for 31 years — have moved out of their home and are in separate homes two miles away from each other in Beverly Hills.

A "friend" told The Sun: "They are living at different addresses and not spending any time together. They row a lot.

"They aren't acting like husband and wife. It is unusual to not even have dinner together when both of them are five minutes apart."

Ozzy, 64, is supposedly in a rented mansion, while Sharon is said to be staying in a hotel.

In a tweet earlier today, Jack addressed The Sun report, saying, "It's all bullshit. Last time I check a lot of British newspapers weren't amazing sources of accurate information. Moving on..."

In addition, a spokesman for Sharon said Ozzy and his wife "were still together."

He added: "They’ve both got huge work commitments. She is at the hotel for work and he is starting his BLACK SABBATH tour.

"Of course they row, but they are still together. Sharon and Ozzy have spent long periods of time apart before when she was working in the U.K. The marriage is not on the rocks."

Eyes From The Mosh Pit conducted an interview with SKID ROW guitarist Scotti Hill before the band's April 11 concert at NQ Live (formerly Moho Live) in Manchester, England. You can now watch the chat below.

SKID ROW's new EP, "United World Rebellion - Chapter One", will be released in Europe at the end of May via Germany's UDR Music. The European version of the EP will include two bonus tracks, both of them cover tunes. "I won't say what they are, Scotti told Eyes From The Mosh Pit. "One of them you'll know very well and one of them you may have to go back into the archives… [It's] a little more obscure. But it's really cool."

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" will be made available in North America on April 16 via MRI. The effort is the first in a series of EPs that the reincarnated band —Dave "Snake" Sabo (guitar), Rachel Bolan (bass), Scotti Hill (guitar), Johnny Solinger (vocals) and Rob Hammersmith (drums) — plans to release in the near future.

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" reignites the youthful energy and blistering sound that SKID ROW is recognized for around the world. "That sound and energy is what resonates with people and knocks them on their ass," says Hammersmith. "We had a lot of great ideas to work with, so we're all really excited about this new music."

SKID ROW's rebellious tunes hit the big time in the late 1980s. However, after several Top Ten singles, gold and multi-platinum sales, No. 1 Billboard-charting tracks and more, the band split in 1996. In 2000, to the delight of fans everywhere, SKID ROW reformed and returned to the stage to open for KISS. They then released two new musical offerings in the form of 2003's "ThickSkin" and 2006's "Revolutions Per Minute" with new singer Johnny Solinger out front. Seven years later, the band is back again with new music, ready to take over in the new age of heavy metal.

"When we put the band back together, we needed to reintroduce SKID ROW as relevant without relying too much on past success," explains Bolan. "We sunk our heart and soul into it, letting people know we weren't doing it for lack of nothing better to do."

For the new EP series, Bolan and Sabo tapped again into the potent songwriting collaboration that built SKID ROW. Sabo says they were eagerly up to the challenge. "We seem to be at our best when we're faced with adversity. It's us against the world again — and by us I mean the band and the fans who stick with us and carry the SKID ROW torch without fail."

"The idea [of releasing EPs] really appealed to me," adds Bolan, "Especially with the constantly changing musical climate. I like the idea of a steady flow of new music, as opposed to releasing a full-length album then riding it for the next two years."

And although striving to reintroduce themselves and try something different, these boys are still strong in their roots. They got older, but SKID ROW never really grew up. United World Rebellion is still the youth gone wild, their musical spark still burning gasoline.

"I will always be that 16-year-old kid in front of the mirror, pretending to be Ace Frehley or Michael Schenker," admits Sabo. "It's still about writing a great song with your friend, praying it connects with someone. That has never left me. That willfulness will always exist, and there's so much left to say!"

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" track listing:

01. Kings Of Demolition
02. Let's Go
03. This Is Killing Me
04. Get Up
05. Stiches

Interview:

Ohio's MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT will release a new album, "Dawning", on June 25 via Translation Loss.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the undeniably spine-crushing band MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT. While many have anticipated the apocalypse in 2012, MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT has been accurately predicting and creating the soundtrack for such a disaster since 2003. There is perhaps no better way to celebrate such a milestone than by releasing a new face melting full-length record, and MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT has never failed in that regard.

In 2004 they released "Time And Withering" with great success and followed up with a split CD alongside another Dayton, Ohio-based band, KENOMA. After releasing the critically acclaimed "The Ties That Blind" in 2006 and the beautifully devastating "Quietly" in 2008, the band underwent about a million member changes before releasing "The Violence Beneath" EP in 2010.

MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT's current lineup consists of drummer Dave Mann, guitarists and vocalists Steve Brooks and Kevin Schindel, keyboardist and vocalist Jason Watkins, and bassist Evan Danielson. The band plans to celebrate its "most glorious birthday" by releasing a psychedelic-tinged sludge-rock masterpiece. Remaining under the longtime label support of Translation Loss Records, "Dawning" bludgeons its way to the top of their long catalog of doom rock greatness.

These dudes last proved their heavy-metallic weight in gold when they made it through a volcanic eruption to play the Roadburn festival on their 2010 European tour in support of "The Violence Beneath". This year, these well-worn road veterans plan on bringing their incredibly loud and extremely hairy brand of post-metal to a venue near you in support of "Dawning".

MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT will tour this summer with INTRONAUT and SCALE THE SUMMIT. The trek kicks off on June 5 in Seattle, Washington and runs through July 6 in Hollywood, California.

"Dawning" track lisiting:

01. Lullabye
02. It Swarms
03. Sharpen Your Eyes
04. How Will This End
05. Patterns
06. The Other Son

"Civilization Under Threat" from Bay Area thrash metallers POTENTIAL THREAT SF will be released on June 18 via Old School Metal Records. The album gives a nod to the old school by combining aggressive, commanding vocals with dual guitars and a thundering bottom end. Engineered and mastered by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, TESTAMENT, HEATHEN) at Trident Studios, the CD has a massively heavy quality without being over-produced.

"Civilization Under Threat" track listing:

01. Intro
02. Destroy And Dominate
03. The Threat Of Things To Come
04. Stick To Your Guns
05. In For The Kill
06. Edge Of Insanity
07. Beneath The Surface
08. Behold The End
09. Written In Blood
10. Rise Of The Apocalypse

Originally formed as a five-piece in 1986, POTENTIAL THREAT SF has shared the stage with everyone from TESTAMENT to SLAYER to CRO-MAGS to NUCLEAR ASSAULT, and just recently returned from touring with DEATH ANGEL. Their hard-working, no-holds-barred attitude carries over to their live shows. Though they put every ounce of grit and determination into their set, they still manage not to sound like angry old fucks. Their mentality is simple — it's just as easy for a band to get the audience involved in their show as it is to be pissed off and push them away. In short, they still have fun and show it on stage and to the fans, regardless of how long they've been playing or how many people are in the attendance.

POTENTIAL THREAT SF consists of Mike Noble on lead vocals and lead/rhythm guitar, Daniel Sheridan on lead/rhythm guitar, Kenny Noble on drums and Damien Sisson (also in DEATH ANGEL) on bass.

Vocalist Nina Noir was recently hand selected by Geoff Tate for the 2013 QUEENSRŸCHE Tour after recording on their new album Frequency Unknown. She is singing a duet with Tate on the band’s epic song, 'Suite Sister Mary'.

Nina has posted two video updates from the road, which can be found below:
Nina mastered Speech Level Singing with renowned vocal coach Seth Riggs. In 2011 she performed on America’s Got Talent, where she received high praise from Sharon Osbourne. She has gone on to form THE LIONS, a rock band based out of San Francisco, California. They are currently recording their debut album with producer Jason Slater from THIRD EYE BLIND, SMASHMOUTH and SNAKE RIVER CONSPIRACY.

She has played many roles in music and is currently fronting an all female QUEEN tribute band called THE KILLER QUEENS as Frederica Mercury. The girls have headlined sold out shows on their winter tour and are currently booking dates for their 2013 summer tour across the Western United States. Don’t miss her as she makes a special guest appearance on the 2013 Queensrÿche Tour.

The Geoff-Tate-fronted Queensrÿche embarked on The Operation: Mindcrime 25th Anniversary tour this month. The performance covers all fifteen songs from the album including such fan favorites as 'Revolution Calling', 'Operation: Mindcrime', 'I Don't Believe in Love', and the closing track, 'Eyes of a Stranger'. It will also feature other selections from the Queensrÿche catalog including songs from Operation: Mindcrime II.
Remaining dates on the tour are as follows:

April
14 - Marquee Theater in Tempe, Arizona
16 - Rialto Theatre in Tucson, Arizona
18 - The Canyon Club in Agoura, California
19 - 4th & B in San Diego, California
20 - Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California
21 - Fillmore in San Francisco, California

The Geoff Tate-fronted Queensrÿche have decided to remix their upcoming album, Frequency Unknown, after fan complaints about the sound. An official statement from the band's label Deadline Music/Cleopatra Records reads as follows:

"Since previews of the new Queensrÿche album were made available to the general public on iTunes and other digital retailers, some of the response has been less than positive. Some complained about the overall quality of the recordings, and in particular the mix. We here at Deadline Music have the utmost confidence in the powerful songwriting and outstanding performances from Geoff Tate and crew on this album, but we also want the fans to know that we are listening to them as well! So, in the interest of democratic free choice, Deadline Music has commissioned the superbly talented musician/producer Billy Sherwood (ex-YES) to remix the album. Now fans will be able to decide which mix they feel best represents the album: the original mix, which will be released on April 23rd, or the new mix by Billy Sherwood that will be made available at a future date to be announced…. WE REMIX, YOU DECIDE!"
Frequency Unknown is still due out on April 23rd and will feature the following tracklisting:

'When Lightning Strikes'
'Running Backwards'
'Fallen'
'Life Without You'
'In The Hands Of God'
'Cold'
'The Weight Of The World'
'Slave'
'Dare'
'Everything'

Bonus Tracks: (2013 Versions)
'Silent Lucidity'
'Empire'
'Jet City Woman'
'I Don t Believe In Love'
Frequency Unknown features Tate along with bassist Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE), guitarist Kelly Gray (Queensrÿche 1998 - 2001), keyboardist Randy Gane, guitarist Robert Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, HURRICANE), drummer Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO) and guest appearances by K.K. Downing (ex-JUDAS PRIEST), Brad Gillis (NIGHT RANGER), Dave Meniketti (Y&T), Ty Tabor (KING'S X), Bobby Blotzer (RATT), Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN, SPIRALARMS) and Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, Forbidden)

Dutch melodic death metal act DISINTEGRATE have checked in with the following update:

"Over the past few months we've been rehearsing in a different line-up. Leo van Leijen and Sander Stegeman have officially switched duties in Disintegrate.

Leo has been our guitar player since 2005, but began his journey in Disintegrate on the bass guitar. Because we were unable to find a suitable guitar player at the time, he took on the role of guitar player. Sander joined the band in 2009 as a stand-in bass player, but decided to join permanently later that year. Over time both Leo and Sander started to feel more and more uncomfortable in their roles.

We are all very pleased with the line-up we've had for the past four years and have become a strong group of friends since, so we've decided to deal with this in the only logical manner. Leo and Sander will switch back to their natural instruments and make our collective even stronger!"
Disintegrate released Parasites Of A Shifting Future on July 27th, 2012 via Massacre Records. The tracklist is as follows:

'Abecedarium'
'Mediacrity'
'The Art Of Clairvoyance'
'Casus Belli'
'Parasites Of a Shifting Future'
'Twist of Faith'
'The Architect'
'Shatter Them'
'The Subtle Decay'
'Within the Pain'
'These Scars'

More on Disintegrate at this location.

Former MISTER KITE frontman Alf Wemmenlind recently contacted BW&BK to introduce his new band FIFTY GRAND SUICIDE, a partnership featuring former SOILWORK guitarist Ola Frenning. The band now has four new songs available on Spotify here. The songs on offer include 'Dead Soul Vacant', 'The Core', 'Steadfast' and 'No Star Is Lost'.
Fifty Grand Suicide, based in Helsingborg, Sweden features the following line-up:

Alf Wemmenlind - vocals
Nicklas Malmquist - vocals
Daniel Wilhelmsson - bass
Jesper Sunnhagen - drums
Ola Frenning - guitar
Henke Blomqvist - guitar
Frenning left Soilwork in 2008 and issued the following statement upon his departure:

"After 10 years, seven albums and several world wide tours, we've realized that we have developed in different directions and have a different set of values, profession wise. The disagreements have reached their peak and it has become an untenable situation. The band's solution is that I part ways with them so that I won't be in the way for the future plans of Soilwork. However, since I'm not gonna be on the road (at least for a while), I will now be able to continue with my songwriting and producing at another level.

Cheers to ya all... And thanks for making these 10 years with the band memorable."

More information on Fifty Grand Suicide can be found here.

Dutch vocalist ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN (ex-THE GATHERING) has been supporting PAIN OF SALVATION on their European acoustic tour this month. Check some video footage recorded backstage at Orion Live Club in Rome, Italy on April 11 below. Anneke is accompanied by ÁRSTÍÐIR-members Karl James Pestka (violin) and Hallgrímur Jónas Jensson (cello).
Van Giersbergen will be doing solo acoustic sets for the duration of the tour. The schedule can be viewed below:
April
13 - Yverdon, Switzerland - Amalgame
14 - Toulouse, France - Chez Paulette
15 - London, UK - The Garage
17 - Paris, France - Le Trabendo
18 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
19 - Weert, The Netherlands - De Bosuil
20 - Zoetermeer, The Netherlands - Boerderij
21 - Essen, Germany - Turock

Technical power/thrash band DARK DESIGN from Raleigh, North Carolina has recently joined up with Heaven And Hell Records for the release of their debut album Prey For The Future. Since early 2010 the band Dark Design comprised of members Ray Lewis (guitar), Mike Joyner (guitar), Andrew Bertrand (vocals), and rhythm section Matt (bass) and Robbie Mercer (drums) have built a strong fan base in their local metal scene. Their technical prowess and progressive song structuring have often been compared to that of DEATH, TOXIK and ANACRUSIS.
As buzz of the band began to grow they were requested to play the 2012 Warriors Of Metal Festival in Ohio. Meanwhile the band was working on their debut album. The band is currently finishing up the recording with John E Wooten (WIDOW U.S) and is now in final mix down. Mastering is set to be done by Jamie King at The Basement Studios. Release is set for late summer/early fall.

Visit Dark Design on Facebook.

Ohio-based heavy metal band AXEMASTER just received permission from That's Metal magazine to post Axemaster's track 'Bed Of Nails'. which will appear on their compilation CD Metallic Commandments - Volume 1. Fans can now check the song out via ReverbNation and Facebook.
The band comments: "Although many of you may have previously heard the version of the track that was used briefly for promotion, it has since been partially re-recorded, totally re-mixed, and professionally mastered. The sound is now FAR superior to what it was. It's also the first (and currently only) Axemaster song available that features Geoff McGraw on vocals, so we hope you will give it a listen!"

Axemaster recently announced that Geoff McGraw has replaced Tony Webster as their lead vocalist.

A band statement reads: "Due to personal issues Tony was unable to do any work with the project for a significant length of time and had informed the band that he was unsure as to whether he would ever be able to continue. After allowing some time to see if the problems could be resolved, it became clear that a change was needed in order to be able to move forward with the band in general and the new album in particular. We all wish Tony the very best for the future and hope that he finds success in whatever path he chooses. Enter new vocalist Geoff McGraw! Geoff has been performing and singing since he was practically old enough to walk and at a young age developed a huge appetite for all things heavy metal. He has been a member of various local original bands across the state of Ohio for many years and is very much looking forward to working with Axemaster."

McGraw remarks: "I am honored and excited to be offered the opportunity to join Axemaster, and can't wait to help bring the new music to the world".

Guitarist Joe Sims adds: "From the very beginning I have been impressed with everything about Geoff. He's a talented singer who's voice fits PERFECTLY with what we do musically. Plus he's an excellent songwriter, has a great attitude, and is really easy to work with. It's the kind of unique combination you always hope to find in a singer, or any band member for that matter". His style has already been praised by a prominent European contact who heard Geoff's audition demo recording and said: "What I really think is important is: his voice matches perfectly with the band's dark riffs. Also I think his vocals sound quite unique which is also a great advantage. I think this will be well-received over here".

Also a longtime and avid guitar player, Geoff intends to attempt to double his duties within Axemaster and take on the second guitar position as well. Once he finishes recording all the vocal tracks for the new album the band will seriously look into this possibility.

More information about Axemaster can be found on Facebook.

In the summer of 2011 IMAGES AT TWILIGHTS founder Andre Aaslie (GROMTH, ABYSSIC DREAMS) began to compose music for a project he simply called Black. In the following autumn he began to think about recruiting members. The first one to join was drummer Jontho of RAGNAROK fame. Then Martin Blystad (GAURVORN) from HINSIDIG and PLUTO AND THE PLANETS joined on bass, together with guitarist Tom Arild Johansen (IHIZAGH), known from such acts as PERISHED, BLOODTHORN and MAYHEM (live). A couple of months into 2012 Balfori (Lunaris) joined on vocal and Jontho’s Ragnarok-mate Bolverk picked up the guitar - and the puzzle was complete.

The first rehearsal took place in April 2012, and in December Images At Twilight was ready for their first ever live-performance (Hard & Heavy Tour, Gran Canaria). On the way to this event Balfori and Jontho decided to quit the band due to personal circumstances, and were replaced by drummer Anders Faret Haave (ex-BLOOD RED THRONE, IN VAIN) and vocalist Narrenschiff, well-known from such acts as ILLNATH and ÅSMEGIN.

In early February, the Norwegian orchestral black metal band went into MARDUK's Endarker Studio in Norrkøping with producer Magnus "Devo" Andersson to start the work on the debut album. Expect the new album to be released late summer/autumn 2013.

Check out a video for the track ‘Lograttin Part I’, filmed at Gran Canaria:



For more info visit Facebook.

Lake Forest, CA black metallers XANTHOCHROID has released a cover of OPETH’s ‘Harvest’ through Erthe And Axen Records.

The band comments: "Today we give Opeth's classic acoustic masterpiece the black metal treatment. In honor of one of the bands (that) has influenced us most profoundly, we bring you a glimpse into Opeth's dreary world of desolate hopes and lost dreams. Featuring our former drummer Sean Culver as the protagonist; and directed by our own guitarist Brent Vallefuoco. We hope you enjoy watching this as much as we enjoyed making it."

Check out the video for the cover below:

To download the track visit this location.

HEAVEN SHALL BURN will release their new album, Veto, on the following dates:

Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Norway: April 19th
Rest of Europe: April 22nd
Australia / New Zealand / Finland: April 26th
US/Canada: April 30th
Some additional information on the several formats that are available in Europe and Australia/NZ can be found below:

CD and LP formats:

- Standard CD Jewelcase
- Ltd. Edition 2CD: The luxurious Mediabook comes with a bonus track ('European Super State' originally by KILLING JOKE) and a bonus-CD entitled 500.Live containing an additional 15 live songs that the band recorded during one of the three anniversary shows that celebrated both the 15 year anniversary of the band as well as show #500 on December 21st, 2012. The Mediabook has a matte/glossy print and an extended 40 page booklet with backstage and live photos from the aforementioned show.
- Ltd. Edition 3CD Box Set (strictly limited, only available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland): The Box Set comes with the Ltd. Edition 2CD plus a CD in a Jewelcase with the alternative Blizzard Over England Mix by Colin Richardson. Additionally you are getting a HSB belt, hand signed poster A3, lanyard, HSB Veto army meet & greet competition pass, Veto whistle.
- LP + CD: While the vinyl comes in an alternative mix by Colin Richardson (Blizzard Over England Mix) the CD features the Tue Madsen mix.

Digital Downloads:
- Standard album
- Digital Deluxe: standard album + 500.Live (15 live songs)
- iTunes Exclusive: standard album + 'European Super State' (originally by Killing Joke) + 'River Runs Red' (originally by LIFE OF AGONY) + 'Whatever It May Take 2013'
- iTunes Exclusive Digital Deluxe: standard album + 'European Super State' (originally by Killing Joke) + 'River Runs Red' (originally by Life Of Agony) + 'Whatever It May Take 2013' + 500.Live (15 live songs)

The cover of Veto shows the John Collier painting of Lady Godiva, (c.1898). Maik Weichert comments as to why this piece of art works perfectly with the underlying concept of the album: “It as an icon regarding the fight for social justice. The image also represents a contemporary issue: i.e. today’s leading class being isolated from the people and the conflicts arising from that. It is also a great way to show our fans how current problems and topics can be reflected and derived from historical artworks."
The tracklisting is as follows:
'Godiva'
'Land Of The Upright Ones'
'Die Stürme Rufen Dich'
'Fallen'
'Hunters Will Be Hunted'
'You Will Be Godless'
'Valhalla'
'Antagonized'
'Like Gods Among Mortals'
'53 Nations'
'Beyond Redemption'

Listen to 'Die Stürme Rufen Dich' below:
To download the track 'Land Of The Uprising Ones', head to Landoftheuprightones.com, but this time you will need to do a bit of work in order to get a hold of your download: Century Media has chopped up the song in eight pieces and will leave it up to you to work out the right sequence. Once you solved the puzzle you can download the song for free.

Maik Weichert (guitars) about the song: “The song is dedicated to Thomas Sankara, a relatively unknown revolutionary whose fate is closely linked to Burkina Faso which can be translated to "Land of upright/honest people" or "Land of honest people". It’s a very heavy track.”

To celebrate the release of Veto, Heaven Shall Burn will play three exclusive release shows in Europe:

April
20 - Leipzig, Germany - Impericon Festival III, Agra
26 - Wien, Austria - Impericon Festival, Gasometer
27 - Zürich, Switzerland - Loudfest, Komplex

For more details visit Heavenshallburn.com.

Fan-filmed video footage of MORGOTH's performance at this year's edition of the Brutal Assault festival, which was held August 9-11 in Josefov, Czech Republic, can be seen below.

MORGOTH released its first-ever live album and DVD, "Cursed To Live", on June 25 via Century Media Records. The audio tracks were mixed at Unisound Studio in Sweden with Dan Swanö (OPETH, KATATONIA, DISSECTION).

"Cursed To Live" is the documentation of MORGOTH's ongoing 20th-anniversary celebration of the band's all-time classic album "Cursed" (released by Century Media Records in 1991). It was released on CD, a limited DVD+2CD as well as a limited deluxe 2LP. The live show featured on the album was recorded at the band's triumphant show headlining Way Of Darkness festival 2011, at which MORGOTH performed an extensive set of 15 songs, with the main focus on the songs off "Cursed". The cover artwork — with an intentional nod to the original "Cursed" art — was designed by the renowned artist Dirk Rudolph (RAMMSTEIN, IN EXTREMO, APOCALYPTICA), who had also created the original artwork for "Cursed" 21 years ago.

MORGOTH is:

Marc Grewe - Vocals
Harry Busse - Guitar
Sebastian Swart - Guitar
Sotirios "Soti" Kelekides - Bass
Marc Reign - Drums

“The show must go on,” as the old saying goes. And it will continue to go on for Tampa, FL based metal band FORESHADOW.
The band has announced that there won’t be any cancelled shows on their upcoming US Spring Tour. CREEPSHOW MOFO drummer Kobra Kelly will be replacing recently departed original drummer, Richard Hudson. Hudson cited “physical pain” as the reason that he could no longer fulfill his role as the band’s drummer.
Upcoming tour dates:

April
12 - Pueblo, Colorado - Phil’s Radiator
13 - Colorado Springs, Colorado - Triple Nickel
16 - Scottsdale, AZ - Rouge Bar
19 - Denver, Colorado - Juggz Saloon
20 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Dawg Pound
22 - Hermiston, Oregon - The Grim Den
25 - Pueblo, Co - Phil’s Radiator

May
3 - Denver, CO - Juggz
12 - Ogden, UT - Kamikazes/w Mushroom Head

More on Foreshadow at this location.

Danish metal quintet PSY:CODE will release their second album, entitled Cause And Neglect, on June 10th via Mighty Music.
Cause And Neglect has been three years underway since their debut album, Delusion, in 2010. Since the debut album, Psy:code has been sharpening their tools to deliver 12 new tracks. The album was pre-recorded in Psy:code’s headquarters - an old wartime bunker a little outside of Copenhagen. Drum tracking was done in Hansen studios and as on Delusion, the process of mixing and mastering was put in the trusted hands of Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, RAUNCHY, MERCENARY, etc.).

Musically, Cause And Neglect blends technical riffing, atmospheric passages, progressive structures and hardcore metal. Lyrically the album gives the listener an inside look at the deranged thoughts of five individuals.
Cause And Neglect tracklisting:

'No:100'
'My Sick Redemption'
'Creator/Destroyer'
'Open For The Taking'
'First In Line'
'Trapped In Time: Stretched'
'The Sky Is The Limit'
'Hellish Tensions'
'Speak Up'
'Above'
'Senseless Patterns'
'The Source Of Light'
More on Psy:code at this location.

Italy's DISMAL FAITH will release their debut album, Morph, on May 13th via Nadir Music. The album was recorded at Nadir Music Studios by SADIST mastermind Tommy Talamanca.
The upcoming full-lengh has been crafted to fully reproduce the "sonic wall of aggression" that the band unleash on the crowd during their live shows, making them in a short span of time, one of the most interesting acts of the whole underground scene. Dismail Faith have succeeded in melting the most disparate influences like death, black, thrash, hardcore, groove and metalcore.

The work features nine killer songs: prepare your ears to sharp guitars, war-sounding drums and merciless vocals. To be noticed is the apperance of Cafa (from KIJU) on two songs, the result of a long time artistic partnership between the two bands consolidated during the Steel & Marble tour.
Stay tuned, more details to follow. More on Dismal Faith at this location.

FDA Rekotz has announced the signing of American classic death metal clan DEROGATORY. Their debut, Above All Else, will be released by the label later this year. Be prepared for some blastin' death metal in the vein, and with soul of, the good old late '80s/early '90s American death metal elite.
Derogatory is:

Chris Ordonez - vocals, guitar
Joe Viwatkurkul - lead guitar
Daniel Alonzo - bass
Coyoton - drums

Montreal based, melodic death metal band YOUR LAST WISH have inked a worldwide deal with Canadian label Maple Metal Records to release their second full-length album Desolation. North American release date is scheduled for May 1st, and the worldwide release date is set for June 4th.

Your Last Wish was formed in 2003 by guitarist JF Gagné, and the band has gone through a number line-up changes over the years. Desolation was recorded in 2012 with new vocalist, front-woman Roxana Bouchard, guitarists JF and Dave Gagné (no relation), bassist Louis Goulet and drummer Gabriel Fortin.
The album was recorded, mixed and mastered at Badass Studio, Montreal, QC by Jef Fortin (BLACKGUARD, NORDHEIM, KÄLTER, UNEXPECT) and produced by Your Last Wish. Your Last Wish released their self-titled debut album in 2007, with only JF appearing on that album.

Your Last Wish have been a solid performer on the Quebec Metal Circuit since their inception, supporting such bands as KALMAH, UNEXPECT, VALFREYA, BENEATH THE MASSACRE, AUGURY and many more, as well as appearing at CMF3 (2012) in Montreal, QC with 30 other bands.

Desolation tracklisting:

'Intro'
'Crisis To Creation'
'Autistic Mind'
'Hastening Death'
'Le Pacte'
'Collision Course'
'Standstill'
'Creep'
'Experiments'
'Mutation'
'Desolation'

The official video for ‘Hastening Death’ can be viewed below:
Your Last Wish line-up:
Roxana Bouchard – vocals
JFGagné – guitars
Dave Gagné - lead guitar
Louis Goulet - bass
Steven Vaccarella – drums

For more details about Your Last Wish visit Facebook.

Greek atmospheric melodic death metal band DAYLIGHT MISERY have checked in with the following update:

"After almost three years of silence it's time to present you the new face of Daylight Misery. Our new album will be titled The Great Absence and all the details concerning the release date, record label, etc. will be announced soon. For now, here is the first official video for the song called 'Erynnis Funeralis'. Enjoy/like/hate it and send us your feedback, and don't forget to share it! Cheerz and stay tuned for more."
For information and updates on Daylight Misery go to their official Facebook page here or go to DaylightMisery.com

GOREGAST has issued an update from their headquarters in Berlin. They recently commissioned Dedy Badic from Badic Art to design a new logo (pictured below) that reflected the band's return to their classic death metal roots. Badic is known for his illustrations for SKELETAL REMAINS and GRUESOME STUFF RELISH.
In early May, Goregast will play three dates with Swe-death monsters PAGANIZER. The dates are posted below. After returning home from the three-day assault Goregast will enter Soundforge Studio in Berlin to record tracks for an upcoming 7-inch EP set for release in September on FDA Rekotz.

Goregast live:

May
8 - Leipzig - Bandhaus
9 - Weimar - SC Schützengasse
10 - Wolfsburg - D-Place

Austrian thrash/death metallers DARKFALL will release their new album, Road To Redemption, on May 24th via Noisehead Records.

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.

Sensory Records has confirmed the full details for the pending second album from Pleasanton, California-based progressive metal outfit CYNTHESIS, as the final parts to this new opus have fallen into place.
Cynthesis reunites three of the original members of top-tier extreme progressive band ZERO HOUR - brothers Jasun and Troy Tipton (guitars and bass, respectively, both also of ABNORMAL THOUGHT PATTERNS) and vocalist Erik Rosvold, along with ENCHANT drummer Sean Flanagan. While maintaining much of the tech/metal influence of Zero Hour, with Cynthesis the members’ ambitious technical prowess blends seamlessly and organically into the grand atmospheres and melodic passages enveloping their approach, demonstrates the more melodic side of Jasun Tipton’s songwriting.

Formed in 2010, Cynthesis released their debut album DeEvolution through Sensory in April of 2011, causing celebration within the prog community with these members aligning, and in some cases realigning, their talents. Following another massive undertaking and countless hours of constructing and executing this new album, now two years later, the middle part of the dystopian trilogy is about to see the light of day as ReEvolution. A shaman, the central character of the series, is sent out to gather more slaves. He comes across a tribe and senses a light within them that triggers a distant memory of his past, making him realize that this is the original tribe he was taken from. He brings them back to the city and encounters what was done to the population and sets them free.

Mixed and co-produced by Forrester Savell and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side, with nearly forty-five minutes of some of the most creative and imaginative progressive metal likely to be released this year, ReEvolution will see release via Sensory on June 4th.

The cover artwork by Mario Sánchez Nevado can be seen below:

ReEvolution tracklisting:

'Divine Night'
'Convergence'
'The Grand Façade'
'A Most Trivial Pursuit'
'Persistence Of Visions'
'The Noble Lie'
'Release The Deity'

More on Cynthesis at this location.

METAL CHURCH have announced that they will officially start recording their new album after their appearance at the Live 'N' Louder Rock Fest being held on April 14th in São Paulo, Brazil.

"Last day of rehearsals and then the band is off to Brazil," the band says. "When the band gets back they will enter the studio to start drum tracks for the new record."
Metal Church had formally announced in 2009 that they were calling it quits, but reunited for the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise where the band performed their legendary debut in its entirety.

"We're just not going to do things the way that we did before," frontman Ronny Munroe revealed recently. "We're not 25 anymore, not saying that we're old, but we need to do things the right way. And we all still get along."

"Everybody understands that this is a complicated business," drummer Jeff Plate added. "A lot of things had to fall into place. We gotta get a good record put together and done first, to be honest that's the first thing. There's a distance between some of the band members, but that's really not so much of an issue. It’s really getting the music to the ears of the fans, in their hands and then getting with someone who can put us in the right environment, at the right show, working with the right band."

Metal Church's last studio album was 2008's This Present Wasteland.
Metal Church 2013 is:

Kurdt Vanderhoof - guitar
Ronny Munroe - vocals
Rick Van Zandt - guirar
Jeff Plate - drums
Steve Unger - bass

Cyclone Empire has announced the signing of Swedish Viking trio EREB ALTOR.
Says the label: "Hailing from Gefle (Gävle), the eldest town in Norrland, Ereb Altor are the newest members of the Cyclone Empire hordes. As Ereb Altor are a already a well known force in the metallic underground scene, most metalheads should already be aware of their breathtaking hymns full of power and might somewhere between viking, doom and black metal always in praise of Swedish godfather Thomas Börje Forsberg (better known as Quorthon) and his musical heritage. After already three fantastic albums the three warriors Mats, Ragnar and Tord are now laying final hands on their fourth masterpiece, Fire Meets Ice. Be pepared for a release in the coming months."
A band statement reads: "We are proud to announce that we have signed a record deal with Cyclone Empire. We were searching for a label with lots of dedication and a great heart and we think may have found that in Cyclone Empire. Ereb Altor will not follow any fucking trends, we will create only pure music directly from the heart and Cyclone will help us to release quality products. The norse Gods have guided us to our new family within the Empire and we sure have a good feeling about it.”

More on Ereb Altor at this location.

MY RUIN vocalist Tairrie B. Murphy has checked in with the following update:

"We're excited to announce that My Ruin guitarist Mick Murphy has been moonlighting on the side with the awesome '70s classic rock cover band CHEVY METAL featuring Taylor Hawkins of FOO FIGHTERS and Wiley Hodgen. After his first show with the guys in Los Angeles on March 27th, where they played an all-star Rock Against MS benefit at the legendary Whisky A Go Go, they hit the road for three shows in Chile which included a surprise secret show at Lollapalooza in Santiago where they were joined by JANE'S ADDICTION frontman and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell for a killer rendition of 'Mountain Song' and a cover of VAN HALEN's 'Everybody Wants Some'.

Chevy Metal also played a show in Pichilemu for Patagonia Clothing & Gear in honor of Chilean surf legend Ramon Navarro, where they covered the the first four minutes of 2112 by RUSH and 'Let There Be Rock' by AC/DC."

Check out some video clips below:

Chevy Metal with Perry from C3 Presents on Vimeo.
My Ruin recently unveiled the cover art for their upcoming studio album The Sacred Mood which the band have set to release worldwide on June 11, 2013 via TuneCore, Bandcamp, iTunes and Amazon.

As a follow up to their 2011 critically acclaimed last album A Southern Revelation, My Ruin returned to Soundtrack Black Studio in the hills of East Tennessee to once again work with friend and studio owner Joel Stooksbury, who mixed, engineered and co produced the new album along with My Ruin guitarist Mick Murphy.
My Ruin vocalist Tairrie B had the following to say about the new album and cover art:

"The Sacred Mood is a subtle reinvention for My Ruin. In an industry that is ever changing, we’re not a band who pays attention to the current trends. We’ve found our sound and we simply do what we do while staying true to our roots. I think our fans appreciate our integrity and we appreciate our fans. We offered the last album as a free download where people could donate to the band if they wanted and it was a great success but we are taking a different approach with our new album which we are self releasing once again. Unfortunately, we have learned over time that most record labels are not for us and we seem to do better on our own as a DIY independent band which is what we always have been, today more than ever with our eighth album The Sacred Mood as a testament to our staying power.

The atmosphere of the new album is heavily drenched in the heat of the South where it was recorded and fueled by insomnia filled nights in Los Angeles where it was written. The cover was designed with this in mind by a talented Manchester, UK based artist and illustrator named Kayleigh Brookes who also happens to be a longtime fan of the band. The art that goes with the album is very different than anything we’ve previously done before. We decided to use real elements of nature mixed with iconic illustrations to create something unique to My Ruin that would go with the otherworldly language of the lyrics. We wanted an ethereal image for the cover and chose the moon for the background because we felt it evoked the mood of the album as a whole. The image was actually inspired by a photograph which was taken by Tor Burrows who has worked with me creating music videos for My Ruin’s last two albums and is currently working on a teaser commercial for the new album which we plan on debuting in April. I really enjoy working with Tor on our videos and being that I have always worked alone when designing the artwork for many of our previous recordings, I thought it would be an interesting change to collaborate with someone on this side of things.

We are releasing The Sacred Mood digitally and designing a unique hardcover print and e-book to accompany it. Included in the book will be photographic images and illustrations of the band, lyrics, musings, a few short stories and original art pieces. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time and our new album has given me the perfect opportunity to make it happen. We're looking forward to sharing it with the fans of our band who have continued to follow us over the years and those who are just discovering our music for the first time."

For information and updates on My Ruin go to MyRuin.net or check out their official Facebook page here.