"Infestissumam", the sophomore album from the mysterious Swedish buzz band GHOST, can be streamed in its entirety at Pitchfork.com. The CD will be released on April 16 via Loma Vista Recordings, the new record label founded by Tom Whalley in partnership with Republic Records, a division of Universal Music Group.

According to SPIN.com, the release date of "Infestissumam" was pushed back a week after four compact disc manufacturers allegedly refused to print a piece of artwork that was meant for the deluxe version of the new CD. The manufacturers all took issue with the sacrilegious imagery, inspired by the work of Gustave Dore, which showcases what looks like a forest nymph orgy.

"We kept on getting turned down because of the CD art, which is basically a 16th century illustration of an orgy," a source close to the band told SPIN.com. "[The bandmembers] weren't surprised. The comment was 'Well, I thought this would have happened sooner.' The artwork was meant to provoke some sort of thought, but it's been one obstacle after another."

The controversial art can still be found on both the vinyl and European copies of the "Infestissuman" CD. "Vinyl manufacturers don't have a problem with the artwork. Neither does Europe," the source told SPIN.com.

"Infestissumam" track listing:

01. Infestissumam
02. Per Aspera Ad Inferi
03. Secular Haze
04. Jigolo Har Megiddo
05. Ghuleh / Zombie Queen
06. Year Zero
07. Idolatrine
08. Body And Blood
09. Depth Of Satans Eyes
10. Monstrance Clock

GHOST was forced to modify its name in the U.S. to GHOST B.C. for "legal reasons."

The band's debut album, "Opus Eponymous", was released in late 2010 in Europe and in early 2011 in North America via Rise Above Records.

ICED EARTH's first officially filmed headline show, "Live In Ancient Kourion", will hit stores on April 15 in Europe and April 16 in North America via Century Media. This incredibly powerful package will come to you in various configurations and, a first for Century Media Records, also on Blu-ray disc. The limited-edition deluxe book features the main show and a plethora of bonus content on DVD and a Blu-ray disc, as well as the entire concert on a 2CD set (4 discs in total). You can also enjoy the audio version of the full concert in a 3LP gatefold vinyl package or as a 2CD set. A standard DVD and digital audio download will also be available.

A performance clip of the song "Stormrider", taken from the forthcoming set, can be seen below.

The setlist for ICED EARTH's August 19, 2012 concert was as follows:

01. Dystopia
02. Burning Times
03. Angel Holocaust
04. Slave To The Dark
05. V
06. When The Night Falls
07. I Died For You
08. Invasion
09. Motivation Of Man
10. Setian Massacre
11. Stormrider
12. Pure Evil
13. Wolf
14. Dark City
15. End Of Innocence
16. Dracula
17. Ten Thousand Strong
18. End Of Innocence
19. Anthem
20. Decleration Day
21. Days Of Rage
22. Melancholy (Holy Martyr)

Encore 1:

23. In Sacred Flames
24. Boiling Point
25. Damien
26. Watching Over Me
27. Dantes Inferno
28. Iced Earth

Encore 2:

29. The Hunter


Since ICED EARTH's latest album, "Dystopia", was released in October 2011, the band has been on the attack in a big way, playing more shows in the past year than in the previous ten years... combined.

Comments ICED EARTH guitarist/mainman Jon Schaffer: "I feel this is a testament to a new beginning, a new energy and a rock solid determination that will see us taking the music of ICED EARTH to every corner of the globe; spreading the awareness of our brand of metal in a way that hasn't been done before. I've never been more proud of this band, our crew, and the people behind the scenes that are responsible for much of our success."

Early on in the world tour, the band decided that they wanted to capture this newfound energy and passion on film. The biggest question was deciding where to film. There were so many great shows and audiences around the world that it was very challenging to decide which city to choose for this special event. When the offer came in to film at the ancient Kourion Theater in Limassol, Cyprus, they were immediately attracted to that idea. The history and culture there, as well as the Cypriot audience, which the band experienced in December 2011, solidified the decision to film the DVD in Cyprus. Filming and recording a two-and-a-half-hour show in an amphitheater that is 6000 years old and is not set up for a rock concert, paired with 40-degree-Celsius heat, were just some of the obstacles to overcome. But the finished product makes up for any of the challenges that the band and crew faced on that special night.

"Stormrider" performance (video):

Swedish/German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY have released the following statement:

"It is with great disappointment that we have to cancel our shows at European festivals this summer. The reason for this being private family matters that demand our full attention, making it difficult to fulfill our commitments in that time frame. We are currently looking into the possibility of rescheduling these festival slots for next year.

"We would like to thank the festival promoters, and, of course, the fans for their understanding and continued support. We will use this downtime to finish up the work on our upcoming DVD/Blu-ray and continue with the songwriting process of the next ARCH ENEMY album. We look forward to seeing you all in 2014! Metal on!"

ARCH ENEMY's upcoming DVD and Blu-ray will include footage that was shot on the band's recent tour of South America and Mexico. German production company Filmefahrer Pictures, known for its work on "2012 - The Movie" and THE VERY END's music video for "A Hole In The Sun", filmed the shows, conducted interviews with the bandmember and shot backstage footage, fans and other incidentals during the tour.

ARCH ENEMY's ninth album, "Khaos Legions", sold around 6,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 78.

The band last year year amicably parted ways with guitarist Christopher Amott and replaced him with American musician Nick Cordle (ARSIS).

Fan-filmed video footage of the Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE performing on April 6 at Casino Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada can be seen below.

QUEENSRŸCHE has inked a deal with Century Media Records for the release of the band's new studio album. Due on June 11, the CD 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 drums for the album were recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, Washington with producer James "Jimbo" Barton — the man who engineered and mixed the band's classic 1988 LP, "Operation: Mindcrime", and its 1990 follow-up, "Empire", and co-produced 1994's "Promised Land". The rest of the music and vocals were laid down at several different facilities on the West Coast.

In a recent interview with Metal Assault, QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield stated about QUEENSRŸCHE's renewed collaboration with Barton: "It's a great thing — we're really excited about it, he's really excited about it. We've wanted to work with him for a while, but for whatever reason, we just hadn't gone there yet. This is a great time for us to do that, though. We all discussed who we wanted to do the record with, and he was one of the first names that came up. It was easy for us to pick up the phone and call him. It was like our relationship picked up right where it left off, so it's gonna be a lot of fun. He's a very creative guy that did some great records with us in the past. I think that's one of the most important things when it comes to why we want to work with him."

Asked if fans will see a return to the progressive metal sound QUEENSRŸCHE had in the '80s, Scott said: "What we're trying to do, and what has been really interesting since Todd has jumped into the band, we're trying to revisit the old QUEENSRŸCHE catalog — stuff off of the EP and "The Warning". That's always been a part of what we are, so yeah, definitely! I think in my opinion, we're really revisiting that vibe of why that music was special back then for us. There will be a modern flair to it, though, just because we're in the modern age. The fun thing about Jimbo being a part of it is that he can help tie together the two sides. He does come from our past and some of the great records and some of the great sounds that we're known for, but he's also living in the modern age and doing some interesting things as well. I think it's going to be a really great QUEENSRŸCHE record. People are going to go, 'Wow, that's QUEENSRŸCHE! That sounds just like what we've known them to be, and what we would expect them to now be.' That's what I think peple will get out of it."

'80s hard rock queen Lita Ford took part in an interview and acoustic performance prior to her appearance at Rock 107's 33rd annual birthday bash on March 28 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. You can now watch the footage below.

SPV/Steamhammer has announced plans to release a new live album from Lita Ford. More details about the effort, which is due later this year, will be made available soon.

Lita last year filmed a video for the song "Mother" in Joshua Tree, California. Directing the clip was Ford's former THE RUNAWAYS bandmate Victory Tischler-Blue, whose film "Edgeplay" was based on her tenure in the 1970s all-girl teenage rock act.

"Mother" is dedicated to Lita's estranged sons, Rocco and James (father is former NITRO singer Jim Gillette). "I wrote this song for [my sons]," Lita told the Deciblog. "I wrote this song to tell them how much I love them and to tell them that I didn't mean for this to happen [for Lita to be forced to live apart from her kids following her divorce from Gillette. — Ed.] and that it's not my fault. I didn't do this to them, although they think I did. I miss them, I love them. They're my life."

"It was hard to write," she told Examiner.com. "It was hard to record. It's hard to listen to. I find myself skipping over it sometimes, depending on how much makeup I have on that day. If I'm all made up, I'm like, 'Oh, can't cry right now!' I've done interviews where big, grown men tell me they've come away from it in tears. That's huge. That's what I wanted — for people to feel my pain. But it is a great song."

"Living Like A Runaway" was released on June 19, 2012 in North America. The effort was made available in four configurations: a double LP, limited-edition CD, standard CD and digital download. The artwork for the album was created by famed rock photographer Mark Weiss.

Video footage of Texas heavy rockers DROWNING POOL performing an acoustic version of the song "In Memory Of" at the studios of the French radio station OÜI FM can be seen below.

"In Memory Of" was released in August 2012 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the passing of the band's original singer, Dave Williams.

Williams died on tour in 2002 after singing on the band's debut, "Sinner". He was replaced by Jason "Gong" Jones, who also contributed to one record, "Desensitized", before being shown the door in 2004.

DROWNING POOL's fifth studio album, "Resilience", is being released today (Tuesday, April 9) via Eleven Seven Music. The band teamed up with producer Kato Khandwalla at House of Loud Studios in New Jersey, as well as John Feldmann (THE USED, STORY OF THE YEAR), and completed the album in Dallas.

The band says of "Resilience": "Ultimately, it isn't a new beginning or an end. It's a continuation of the DROWNING POOL legacy — and a fitting one at that."

"Resilience" track listing:

01. Anytime Anyplace
02. Die For Nothing
03. One Finger And A Fist
04. Digging These Holes
05. Saturday Night
06. Low Crawl
07. Life Of Misery
08. Broken Again
09. Understand
10. Bleed Wth You
11. Skip To The End

Bonus tracks:

12. In Memory Of
13. Blindfold

DROWNING POOL bassist Stevie Benton recently spoke to AOL's Noisecreep about the latest addition to the group lineup: singer Jasen Moreno. Moreno, who previously fronted fellow Texas band THE SUICIDE HOOK, is DROWNING POOL's fourth and newest frontman. Jasen replaces vocalist Ryan McCombs, who exited the group at the end of 2011 after a six-year stint in the lineup.

Asked how DROWNING POOL's chemistry has been affected by the singer changes over the years, Benton said: "Well, it's a forced form of band evolution, I would say, certainly not something you strive for and not something that I would advise other bands to do, because it's a lot of extra work and it's hard on you at times, but for us, we still had a such great time with Dave [Williams, DROWNING POOL's original singer] and such great vibes still remains and we've been trying to recapture that ever since then. It feels cheap to stick with a chemistry that just doesn't feel right and so maybe that's why we've had a lot of turnover. We knew if we switched singers again that a lot of people would look at it and make comments, but for us it seemed like it was worth it to take that shot at capturing the best chemistry we ever had. So we did. Look, sometimes you have to shift gears and I'm sure some of our ex-singers feel the same way: 'I can't wait to get the hell out of here.'"

He added: "One thing we have learned is that each singer has strong points and weak points and we've learned to craft the sound of the band that will benefit the singer at the time. It can be tricky at times to learn the nuances of it, but this time around, one fortunate thing is Jasen, our new singer, is a Dallas guy, we've know him for years and so it's not like having a stranger coming in. We had a great idea about him though, who he is and what he is about, and so we've been able to hit the ground running."

Moreno made his live debut as a member of DROWNING POOL on July 8, 2012 at a club in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

"The Artist Spotlight" has uploaded multi-camera video footage of a recent performance by San Diego metallers AS I LAY DYING. Check it out below.

AS I LAY DYING and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA have just completed a North American co-headline tour. The trek got underway February 22 at Ventura, California's Majestic Ventura Theater Half House and continued through early April. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and AS I LAY DYING were accompanied on the epic tour by FOR TODAY and THE CHARIOT.

AS I LAY DYING's sixth album, "Awakened", sold around 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on September 25 via Metal Blade Records, the CD was produced by Bill Stevenson, who has played drums for both the DESCENDENTS and BLACK FLAG and is one of the most highly renowned producers in rock. His production credits include work on records by RISE AGAINST, NOFX, PROPAGANDHI, THE CASUALTIES, ANTI-FLAG and many more. The album was mixed by Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT).

The cover artwork for "Awakened" was created by Metastazis with Tiffanie Uldry.

After finishing off a very eventful and busy past year of promotions for their previous album release, "Bilateral", acclaimed Norwegian progsters LEPROUS entered the studio to start recording their follow-up effort.

Entitled "Coal", the new CD will be released on May 20 in Europe and May 28 in North America via InsideOutMusic.

A track from the CD, "Chronic", can now be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

Comments LEPROUS singer/synth player Einar Solberg: "With our upcoming album, 'Coal', I feel we are one step closer to a personal expression. Heidi Solberg Tveitan and Vegard Tveitan of Mnemosyne were the producers of this album, together with LEPROUS. They helped us a lot with reaching the full potential of the songs, and the album would not be equally good without their expertise. Jens Bogren and Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios mixed the material and have made this album shine like nobody else could.

"I see less interest in defining music than in creating music, but I will give a short overview on what to expect...

"'Coal' is a more melancholic and darker album than the more playful 'Bilateral'. By darker I don't mean more aggressive, but more severe. There is still a big range in the dynamics, but no jumping between different moods within a song. We cannot wait to show this album to the world!"



Photo by Bjørn Tore Moen

SIX FEET UNDER frontman Chris Barnes spent time last week at DOI Digital Audio studios in Tampa, Florida laying down vocals on a "brutal side project" called IHATE for an October release.

A photo from the studio can be seen below. Also available is the previously released video for the song "Stretcher", which features Barnes on vocals.

SIX FEET UNDER's tenth full-length album, "Unborn", was released on March 19 via Metal Blade Records. The follow-to to 2012's "Undead" was mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL THAT REMAINS, SHADOWS FALL and SOULFLY, among others.

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) — will release its full-length debut, "The Killer Angels", 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)

A teaser for the song "I Will Rule The Universe" can be seen below.

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."

The official video for the title track of "Seasons Will Fall", the sixth studio album from CIRCLE II CIRCLE, the band led by former SAVATAGE frontman Zak Stevens, can be seen below.

"Seasons Will Fall" was released on January 25 via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group.

Formed in 2001, CIRCLE II CIRCLE has always reinvented itself throughout the years, constantly maintaining the signature sound that fans around the world love. The turning point for the band came in 2012 with CIRCLE II CIRCLE's monumental performance of the entire SAVATAGE album "The Wake Of Magellan" at the world’s largest heavy metal festival, Wacken Open Air in Germany. What followed was a sold-out European club tour.

"Seasons Will Fall" is CIRCLE II CIRCLE's strongest album to date from both a musical and production standpoint. It blends Stevens' history and unique "SAVATAGE style" with the fresh sounds he developed with his current outfit. From the howling guitar riffs on "Diamond Blade" and "Killing Death" to the energetic sound of "Never Gonna Stop", it contains everything you want from a heavy rock album.

In a recent interview with Metal Babe, Stevens said about the CD, "The record is sounding really great and the goal of this album from the beginning was for it to be the best CIRCLE II CIRCLE to date. Of course, that's a lofty goal, but I really think we've done it here with 'Seasons Will Fall'."

He added, "From the beginning, we wanted it to have some elements of all five previous releases, along with some entirely new sounding stuff. So that's basically what we've done with 'Seasons Will Fall'. We're really happy with how it turned out."

Asked if there is a certain theme or concept that this CD focuses on, Zak said, "Being that it's not a concept album, the record focuses on a variety of different subjects. What I notice right away in the music and the lyrics is the amount of introspection of everyday life. Because of this, it really reminds me of our first album, 'Watching In Silence'. It really has that sort of feel to it. It also reminds me of 'Burden Of Truth' in some ways, too, but this one's definitely not a concept album in that sense."

"Seasons Will Fall" track listing:

01. Diamond Blade
02. Without A Sound
03. Killing Death
04. Epiphany
05. End Of Emotion
06. Dreams That Never Die
07. Seasons Will Fall
08. Never Gonna Stop
09. Isolation
10. Sweet Despair
11. Downshot
12. Only Yesterday

CIRCLE II CIRCLE is:

Zak Stevens - Vocals
Mitch Stewart - Bass/Vocals
Bill Hudson - Guitar/Vocals
Christian Wentz - Guitar/Vocals
Henning Wanner - Keyboards/Vocals
Adam Sagan - Drums

Norwegian black metallers DJEVEL (Norwegian word for "devil") will release their second album, "Besatt Av Maane Og Natt", on May 31 via Aftermath Music. The CD was recorded this past winter at Caliban Studios.

"Besatt Av Maane Og Natt" track listing:

01. Besatt Av Maane Og Natt
02. Aapne Graver Og Tomme Kister
03. Marefar
04. Tornekroner Og Geitehorn
05. Blant Fjell Og Falne
06. Stjernesluker
07. ...Og Englene Dinglet Fra Galgene
08. Saa Tok Alt Slutt

The recording lineup for "Besatt Av Maane Og Natt" is as follows:

* T. Ciekals (NETTLECARRIER, ex-LJÅ) - Guitar
* Erlend Hjelvik (KVELERTAK) - Vocals
* Dirge Rep (NETTLECARRIER, ORCUSTUS, ex-ENSLAVED, ex-GEHENNA) - Drums
* Mannevond (KOLDBRANN, NETTLECARRIER) - Bass

DJEVEL released a seven-inch vinyl single, "Besatt Av Maane Og Natt", on August 24, 2012. This very limited EP features two demo songs from the band's forthcoming album.

DJEVEL's debut album, "Dødssanger", was released last year via Aftermath Music. The cover artwork was created by DJEVEL's T. Ciekals and Truls Espedal, who has previously worked with ENSLAVED.

DJEVEL was formed in June 2009 when T. Ciekals decided to disband his previous group, LJÅ. With a lot of material already composed for the next LJÅ album, he decided to put all this and more into DJEVEL. Initially DJEVEL was supposed to be a one-man project but it has slowly grown into something resembling a band.

013-04-09 04:00 - Nuclear Blast is very stoked to announce the signing of ASHES OF ARES - the new formation of Matt Barlow (ex-ICED EARTH), Van Williams (ex-NEVERMORE), Freddie Vidales (ex-ICED EARTH).

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

The band comments the unholy alliance like this: “We are proud to announce that we have signed with Nuclear Blast records! We're really looking forward to working with them in bringing our music to the world. It's great to be added to the ranks of the already impressive roster of bands that Nuclear Blast represents. We will be entering the studio at the beginning of April under the masterful watch of producer Jim Morris of “Morrisound Recording”. We and Nuclear Blast are aiming for a release date late in the summer of 2013. This will be followed by a European tour with POWERWOLF. It's a new beginning for ASHES OF ARES, and we couldn't ask for a better label than Nuclear Blast to go into battle with. Attack!”

Nuclear Blast A&R Jaap Wagemaker adds: “After we received their first demo we were totally blown away by the power of their music! We are all huge fans of classic NEVERMORE and classic ICED EARTH and we knew that just like us their fans are waiting eagerly to hear this! Their new band is named after the Greek god of war and together we will go forward into to battle conquering the hearts of metal fans worldwide! At the moment the band is hard at work forging their debut album which will see the light in the late summer this year. If you can’t wait that long, make sure not to miss them at the legendary “Rock Hard Festival” this year. ASHES OF ARES: welcome to the Nuclear family!”

ASHES OF ARES is:
Matthew Barlow - Vocals
Freddie Vidales – Guitar/Bass
Van Williams - Drums

ASHES OF ARES Live:
May 17, 2013 Gelsenkirchen (Germany) @ Rock Hard Festival

Candlelight Records has set a June 4 North American release date for "The Hundredth Name", the full-length debut from Las Vegas-based epic doom band DEMON LUNG. The eight-song album was recorded with Adam Myatt and Billy Anderson (NEUROSIS, THE MELVINS, SLEEP) and features artwork by English illustrator Tom Bates (VISION OF DISORDER, AMORPHIS).

"The Hundredth Name" is a conceptual album, as previously confirmed by drummer Jeremy Brenton. Its story line follows "the long-begotten son of Satan, who's been sent to earth to assemble the three parts of the devil's bible so that we can speak the name of God in reverse and undo creation." Songstress Shanda Fredrick states: "We have had the concept idea for the album for a few years. We have just been waiting until we signed to a proper label to finish writing it.

"Working with Billy was a dream come true for us. He has been like a fifth member of the band, a mentor, and just an all-around awesome friend. He helped us craft something that we are very proud of."

Formed in 2011, DEMON LUNG features guitarist Phil Burns and bassist Patrick Warren, with Fredrick and Brenton. The band has a singular EP, "Pareidolia" (Bandcamp 2012), currently available. The recording was favorably received by international media. "Earthy-yet-horror-themed doom metal a-la CANDLEMASS," said Metal Hammer. "Their hazy atmosphere and unorthodox way of playing guitar in a doom metal band is an interesting approach that doom fans should immediately check out," noted Metal Archives. "Their music is clearly from the soul," added Ave Noctum. In their still short history, the band has performed alongside PENTAGRAM, HIGH ON FIRE, JUCIFER, WITCH MOUNTAIN and CASTLE, among others.

"The Hundredth Name" track listing:

01. Binding of the Witch
02. Devil's Wind
03. Eyes of Zamiel
04. A Decade Twice Over A Day
05. Heathen Child
06. Hex Mark
07. Hallowed Ground
08. Incantation (The Hundredth Name)

DEMON LUNG is confirmed for the third installment of the Doom In June Festival (also featuring THE SKULL, MANILLA ROAD, KARMA TO BURN, ANCESTORS, LAS CRUCES, CASTLE and more).

"The Mystery Of Time", the new album from EDGUY mainman Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project, has registered the following first-week chart positions:

Sweden: #9
Finland: #9
Norway: #19
France: #51
Netherlands: #85
UK: #97, #6 (Rock Chart)
Japan: #17 (International chart)

"The Mystery Of Time" was released on March 30. The effort was made available as a regular CD, limited-edition vinyl and limited-edition hardcover book with a 28-page booklet containing ten regular songs and two bonus tracks ("The Cross And You", "Death Is Just A Feeling"). The cover artwork was hand-painted by world acclaimed British fantasy artist Rodney Matthews. Among Rodney's most famous artworks are not only album covers for rock legends such as MAGNUM, THIN LIZZY, ASIA and NAZARETH, he has also designed the characters for the TV series "Lavender Castle" and created the covers for novels by British fantasy author Michael Moorcock and many more.

"The Mystery Of Time" features guest appearances by Michael Kiske (UNISONIC, HELLOWEEN), former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, drummer Russell Gilbrook of URIAH HEEP, AYREON mastermind Arjen Lucassen (also ex-BODINE, VENGEANCE), Ronnie Atkins of Danish hard rock veterans PRETTY MAIDS and MR. BIG frontman Eric Martin.

The new AVANTASIA CD was recorded in part at VOX Klangstudio in Bendestorf, Germany with producer Sascha Paeth (KAMELOT, EDGUY, EPICA, RHAPSODY).

"The Mystery Of Time" track listing:

01. Spectres
02. The Watchmakers' Dream
03. Black Orchid
04. Where Clock Hands Freeze
05. Sleepwalking
06. Savior In The Clockwork
07. Invoke The Machine
08. What's Left Of Me
09. Dweller In A Dream
10. The Great Mystery

"Sleepwalking", the new video from AVANTASIA, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in a magical forest in Germany on a snowy winter's night and it features a duet between Tobias and female vocalist Cloudy Yang..

Comments Tobias: "It was far below freezing. And there we were, standing in the snow storm for hours, walking through a haunted forest. It felt a bit like 'Sleepy Hollow' meets 'Brothers Grimm', but the pictures that came out were really great and compensated for the torture."

About the song itself, Tobias says: "'Sleepwalking' is the most enchanting pop song I've ever written. Yes, it's a pop song, and I am the first to admit it. I love stuff like A-HA, CUTTING CREW, ENYA and SARAH BRIGHTMAN.

"You know, the whole album is a journey.

"Someone said that 'The Mystery Of Time' is the most adventurous AVANTASIA album to date. What makes AVANTASIA what it is is its diversity. We have five double-bass songs, two big epics, a beautiful flamboyantly orchestrated ballad, and monumental mid-tempo groovy stuff with big choirs.

"AVANTASIA has always been defined by its diversity and mingling of styles. It is an epic metal record and there are so many different things to be discovered, you have to give the album at least ten listens to discover half of what's going on.

"'Sleepwalking' are four wonderful minutes out of 60 minutes, but there is not one song on the album that can represent AVANTASIA on its own, it's the full 60 minutes you have to pay attention to, to grasp the magic of this piece!"

Lion Music has announced the signing of the reactivated '90s Italian heavy metal band HEADLESS. The group's new album, "Growing Apart", contains ten songs shaped around the "licensed signature drumming" of Scott Rockenfield's (QUEENSRŸCHE, SLAVE TO THE SYSTEM) and melodic vocals of Göran Edman (JOHN NORUM, YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN), which fuse hard rock and heavy metal with progressive elements.

"Growing Apart" will receive a digital release on June 7. Physical-CD release details will be announced soon.

The first single from "Growing Apart", "Primetime", was released on December 14, 2011, and can be purchased on iTunes and Amazon. The second track, "Sink Deep In A Fairy Tale", was mastered in Hollywood, California by Warren Sokol and was issued on February 14, 2012. It can be downloaded from iTunes and Amazon.

HEADLESS is:

Walter Cianciusi - Guitar
Dario Parente - Guitar

For more information, visit www.headless.it.

Ohio metallers SKELETONWITCH have entered GodCity Studios in Salem, Massachusetts in April with producer Kurt Ballou (CONVERGE, KVELERTAK, BLACK BREATH) to begin recording their fifth album for a fall release via Prosthetic Records.

Last month, SKELETONWITCH headlined Pitchfork's "Show No Mercy" showcase at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, where they debuted a brand new song. You can view their entire performance below.

The band, which spent most of 2012 touring (including a rigorous 10-week headlining run during which they played 63 shows in 65 days), will headline the Calgary Metal Fest in June.

SKELETONWITCH recently completed the "U.S. Abomination" headlining tour with support from MUTILATION RITES and HAVOK.

The follow-up to 2009's "Breathing The Fire", SKELETONWITCH's latest album, "Forever Abomination", was recorded at a Los Angeles studio with producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD, KREATOR). The effort included the track "The Infernal Resurrection", the demo version of which appears as the B-side on the final seven-inch of a limited-edition vinyl trilogy. This marked SKELETONWITCH's first recording with the group's new drummer, former DEMIRICOUS skin-pounder Dustin Boltjes.

The vinyl reissues of the SKELETONWITCH's breakthrough releases "Breathing The Fire" and "Beyond The Permafrost" are now available from the Prosthetic store. Both are available in three variants — splatter, half-and-half and 180-gram black wax — and feature gatefold Stoughton "tip-on" record jackets. The black vinyl versions of both albums were made available in select retail stores in April 2012.

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN will make a brief return to the USA this September, playing seven specially selected shows en route to Latin America where they will once again headline at the legendary Rock In Rio Festival, Brazil, on September 22, their show there having recently sold out to 70,000 fans in just a couple of hours

These will begin with a first-ever visit to Raleigh, North Carolina, for the opening show on September 3 at the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion followed by taking metal back to country music capital Nashville, Tennessee where MAIDEN haven't played in over twenty years, at the Bridgestone Arena on September 5. There will also be shows in Kansas City, Missouri, Sprint Center on September 7, St Louis, Missouri, Verizon Wireless on September 8 and the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 12, all of which MAIDEN last visited way back in 2000 on the "Brave New World" tour. Plus a return to Austin, Texas for a show at the 360 Amphitheater on September 10, the first time the band have played in that city since the original "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" tour twenty-five years ago!

Very special guests on all these dates will be MEGADETH.

Before they finally head south towards Brazil, MAIDEN will also headline a very special event at the San Manuel Amphitheater, San Bernardino, California. The Battle Of San Bernardino will take place on Friday, September 13. ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, OVERKILL and SABATON will join tour special guests MEGADETH for this performance only, making for a big, loud and exciting day out for metal fans in Southern California.

Commented IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson: "As MAIDEN fans know, we're going back to Brazil to headline Rock In Rio again, so we thought that on our way down south we should certainly stop off and do a few more shows in the U.S if we possibly could. We especially wanted to try and play some more cities we've not visited for a while, so we're really excited about seeing our fans again in places we've not been to in over a decade, and in some cases over two decades, and for our first-ever visit to Raleigh! We'll be bringing with us the same full production we had on the Maiden England tour in North America last year so fans can expect to see the huge lightshow, stage set, various incarnations of Eddie, plenty of pyro and all kinds of other exciting stuff."

Added MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris: "We know how popular the History Of Maiden tours are with fans of all ages and we love visiting cities we haven't been to in many years as it gives us a chance to play to new audiences. We had a huge amount of fun with the setlist for this Maiden England tour when we opened in North America last year as we got to play songs we had not played in a very long time, like 'Seventh Son', 'The Prisoner' and 'Afraid To Shoot Strangers', as well as fan favorites like 'The Trooper', 'Aces High', 'The Clairvoyant', 'The Number Of The Beast', 'Wasted Years' and 'Run To The Hills'. That opening leg of the tour was so enjoyable for the whole band, we're really looking forward to coming back to see our fans again and a lot of new faces too!"

Sep. 03 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
Sep. 05 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
Sep. 07 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
Sep. 08 - St Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sep. 10 - Austin, TX - Austin 360 Amphitheater
Sep. 12 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center
Sep. 13 - San Bernardino, CA - San Manuel Amphitheatre

Tickets for the Las Vegas and San Bernardino shows go on sale on April 12. Tickets for Raleigh, Nashville, St Louis and Austin go on sale on April 13. Tickets for Kansas City go on sale on May 17.

Members of GUNS N' ROSES, VAN HALEN, QUEEN and RATT have reacted on Twitter and Facebook to the passing of British sound engineer and record producer Andy Johns who passed away yesterday (April 7) at the age of 61. No cause of death was immediately available, although Johns had been hospitalized for "liver trouble," according to Rolling Stone magazine.

Johns had worked on well-known rock albums such as LED ZEPPELIN "IV", THE ROLLING STONES' "Exile On Main Street", along with revered material from VAN HALEN, HUMBLE PIE, ERIC CLAPTON, CINDERELLA and CHICKENFOOT, among many others.

Slash (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER): "RIP Andy Johns. One of the great engineer/producers of our time; FREE, ZEPPELIN, ROLLING STONES, the list goes on. He will be sorely missed."

Michael Anthony (CHICKENFOOT, VAN HALEN): "Just heard about the passing of my friend and producer, Andy Johns. Words cannot express my sadness upon hearing this. Those of us who had the pleasure of knowing and working with Andy, you know what I'm saying. I loved you brother. Annette, you are in my thoughts and prayers."

Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS): "There is something intangible that makes a recording magical. Andy Johns in many cases was the intangible ingredient whether he was simply running the tape machine, placing a microphone in a kitchen or a stairwell (just for the hell of it) or he could have been the producer or mixer, or maybe just the stories he would tell during the sessions. Whatever it was that Andy brought to the table, it didn't exactly matter because he possibly just simply had a 6th sense for making a recording undeniably comfortable to listen to.

"It's simply shameful that our industry does not recognize the pain that many artists, engineers, writers, roadies — in fact, anyone involved with creating music for people that touches them for an eternity. Andy provided such a huge percentage of the music we have all heard on classic rock radio stations most of our lives. A person like Andy did not deserve to struggle in any way in his adult life as he made so many people's lives happier because of his contributions. I do know he was too young to die.

"Andy was not just some producer guy, He, along with only a couple of other guys, made recordings that in music history will probably be as timeless as 'Moonlight Sonata' i.e. he watched and hit the record button for Jimmy Page on 'Stairway To Heaven'.

"I won't ramble more, but I am very hurt and sad that Andy Johns is dead.

"On a personal note, he was able to get things out of me on the L.A. GUNS 'Waking The Dead' album that I didn't know I had inside and I will always be grateful to have known him and to have the honor of working with him."

Michael Wilton (QUEENSRŸCHE): "RIP Andy Johns. thanks for the amazing music you gave us all."

Doug Aldrich (WHITESNAKE, DIO): "Andy Johns was a rock star. The real deal. He was a huge inspiration to me. He would be there 'till the end to make sure the song was right. RIP."

Chad Smith (CHICKENFOOT, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS): "RIP Andy Johns..made some of my favorite all-time records."

Lita Ford: "My beloved friend has passed away! The GREAT record producer Andy Johns!!! LED ZEP, ROLLING STONES, many greats will miss you terribly !!!! No one was like my jolly ol' Andy! Deepest sympathy to his wife, Anet , children and family! ANDY!!!! NO! Please come back...... :-( xoxo Lita."

Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH): "RIP Andy Johns... Friend and producer of HUGHES THRALL, engineer for the STONES, LED ZEP and FREE... Larger than life. You are loved, Andy."

Stacey Blades (L.A. GUNS): "My friend, my mentor and inspiration Andy Johns passed away today. A true legend in the record biz. I'll miss you old friend."

Juan Croucier (RATT): "RIP legendary producer/engineer Andy Johns, an amazing talent. You'll be missed by so many. God bless."

Brian May (QUEEN): "Ouch. So sad to hear of the passing of Andy Johns … Great record producer. Lovely guy — patient, skilled, funny, encouraging, sharp ... all the qualities you want in someone who is getting your music on to tape. I remember him as one of the Olympic Studios team in Barnes … playing around with varying tape speeds and early phasing … with George Chiantz. He went on to become one of the very top rock producers in the world. Condolences to all the family. Andy was such a great guy. RIP"

Steve Lukather (TOTO): "Very sorry to hear about the loss of an old friend and legend Andy Johns.. RIP Andy."

Peter Frampton: "Andy Johns engineer/producer and longtime friend has left us and way too soon. He worked with HUMBLE PIE on our first two albums. Better known for LED ZEP and STONES' classic albums. And 'Songs For A Tailor' by Jack Bruce. A big fav of mine. So many other amazing sounding records were recorded/produced by Andy. My thoughts are with his family and especially his brother Glyn. We will all miss Andy. RIP."

Kevin Shirley (producer): "Very sad to learn of the passing of Andy Johns today. Too young to go. Andy is a bona fide legend. I met him in New York with Pat and Zoe Thrall when he was very condescending to me at Ruby Foo's over some cold sake, but after listening to some work became somewhat of a fan (according to my friend Pat Thrall, who witnessed him listening to one of my AEROSMITH mixes for hours). Andy's legacy is huge."

ILL NINO: "Tonight we mourn the death of rock n' roll's greatest engineer Andy Johns. We are blessed to have worked with Andy for the entire recording of 'The Undercover Sessions'. His legacy is defined by some of rock's greatest moments such as early LED ZEPPELIN, early ROLLING STONES, VAN HALEN and OZZY OSBOURNE. Rest in peace, Mr. Johns. your work inspired a generation and changed the world."

Max Duhamel, drummer of the Montreal based death metal powerhouse KATAKLYSM, is taking a break from the band to deal with issues related to alcohol abuse.

Says Max in a statement:"It is with an a extremely heavy heart that I announce today that I will not be performing on the new KATAKLYSM album.

"I have been struggling with many personal issues the last year, but lately the main one has been alcohol. It's been affecting my body in a very negative way to the point that when I came home after the EX DEO tour we just did, I tried to stop drinking for few days and it's been very hard without having any withdrawl symptoms. I've also lost a lot of weight, as some of you noticed recently, and I'm not in good shape.

"I've heard the new material my brothers have written and it's truly incredible stuf; it’s really some of the best music the band has ever done. It's going to be a very demanding album and my state of mind and body is not ready to confront this big task right now. I need to clean my body and my mind and come back focused to KATAKLYSM and I don't know how long this will take. The guys have reached out to help in any way they can, which I can't thank them enough. I'm truly blessed to have them as a family.

"So, as I start my road to recovery, I send this message to all of you and thank you for all the support. It's time to take my life in my hands and take responsibility.

"I will not be attending the Juno Awards ceremony in two weeks for EX DEO nominations, but I will close my contract with the shows in May that are left, Extremefest, Beastival in Germany and Metalfest Czech Republic will be my last shows until I'm ready again to come back in full form. You guys deserve the best of me."

KATAKLYSM has set "Waiting For The End To Come" as the title of its new album, tentatively due in late 2013/early 2014 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Heaven's Venom" will be recorded by KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-François Dagenais, who has previously worked with MALEVOLENT CREATION, MISERY INDEX and DESPISED ICON, among others, and mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUFFOCATION, HATEBREED, ARSIS).

KATAKLYSM's multidisc DVD, "The Iron Will: 20 Years Determined", entered the German chart at position No. 98. The set depicts the ups and downs of KATAKLYSM's long, turbulent career, as well as footage of the band's performance at last year's Summer Breeze festival, which took place August 18-20, 2011 in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. The cover art for the release was created by artist Colin Marks (ORIGIN, EXODUS, NEVERMORE).

KATAKLYSM's latest album, "Heaven's Venom", sold around 2,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 8 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Texas-based thrashers WARBEAST have released a horror-flick inspired music video for the track "Blood Moon". The song comes off the band's new album, "Destroy", released last week via Housecore Records. The clip, which tells the terrifying story of Gnmange, a tormented werewolf, and his need to exist, was directed by Mike Holderbeast of Cement Level Studios NOLA, known for his recent work with DOWN on their music video for the track "Witchtripper". The video features the acting talents of WARBEAST guitarist Scott Shelby and slayed victims Amber Michelle and Sarah Vaz, and features special effects work by Molly Federline.

As the star of the video, Shelby was able to experience all of the video's special effects and behind-the-scenes tricks first-hand.

"First, Mike came to our rehearsal space at Zativa Studios in Texas," Scott explains. "There, we filmed the jamming parts of the video in front of black screens and green screens. Next came the werewolf part, which had me going to New Orleans to Mike's place. I followed his directing tips in order to become and transform into the Beast with professional makeup artist and lots of blood. We filmed in the French quarters and step by step did the transformation — ripping flesh, growing teeth, and turning into the Beast which had been caged and taunted by two beautiful women. The beast eventually slaughters both of them in this classic horror film metal video!"

He adds: "'Blood Moon' is a special song to me because I wrote it years ago. Bringing it back to life with WARBEAST is an honor and long overdue. Plus, Bruce put his horror movie lyrics to it, which are the icing on the cake. This is a great song and a dream come true for Bruce and I. Mike Holderbeast is a master at his art as you will see in this awesome video. Enjoy and slash and thrash!"

Casey Orr (RIGOR MORTIS, GWAR) will join WARBEAST as their fill-in bassist while on the road this spring with GWAR. The band's tour dates with GWAR and WILSON kick off in Tucson, Arizona on April 10. The 16-day run, dubbed the "Fate Or Chaos Tour", will continue through the month of April until it closes in Jacksonville, Florida on April 25.

States WARBEAST vocalist Bruce Corbitt: "Obviously, we are all psyched to have Casey on board for this upcoming tour with GWAR and WILSON. I've always respected Casey's professionalism, abilities and musicianship from our many years together in RIGOR MORTIS. This will be a natural and comfortable fit for WARBEAST. Plus he's still buds with all of the guys in GWAR, so this tour will be a blast… to say the least."

Adds Orr: "I am very excited to accept the challenge of playing bass for the mighty WARBEAST! I'm looking forward to crushing skulls with my brothers in the Beast, and I'm totally stoked to be bringing the thunder on the road this April, supporting my Scumdog family — GWAR. Texas thrash will destroy!"

"Destroy" was produced by former PANTERA frontman, and Housecore owner, Philip H. Anselmo, and engineered by Stephen "The Big Fella" Berrigan at Anselmo's Nodferatu's Lair studios in Louisiana in May and July 2012. The effort was mixed by Anselmo and Berrigan. The album artwork and concept were designed by "Carcass" John Fossum with graphic and technical adviser John Deleon.

WARBEAST recently released a split album with Anselmo, entitled "War Of The Gargantuas". The split, released via Housecore, includes two songs from each artist. This album serves as the first release of any solo work by Anselmo during the span of his nearly 30-year legacy. Also, the two WARBEAST tracks on the split feature former bassist Alan Bovee before his amicable departure from the band.

Italian guitarist Aldo Giuntini is back with his new GIUNTINI "Project IV" album, due on May 24 via Escape Music. Handling all vocals once again on "Project IV" is none other than Tony Martin (ex-BLACK SABBATH), with the help of Ezio Secomandi (on drums), Dario Patti (on keyboards) and Fulvio Gaslini (on bass).

"I wanted to have Tony again," explains Aldo, "because he is my favorite voice and I think that the blend of our styles is just perfect!"

Regarding the six-year gap between the last two GIUNTINI albums, Aldo says: "My way of writing and producing the songs needs a lot of time. One could say I am a perfectionist, but when I have musical ideas for my guitar, I often have the other guys working with their own inputs: Also I need to have Tony Martin to work on the lyrics at the end, so this takes away a lot of time."

He adds: "'Project IV' continues the line of 'Project II', 'III', musically and I'm sure that who loved my second, and third work will appreciate the 'IV' album in the same way and more, since the production work is a lot improved this time and produced by Dario Mollo (MOLLO / MARTIN)."

According to a press release, "The sound of Giuntini's work is a combination of the warmth and the power of BLACK SABBATH's 'Headless Cross', 'Tyr', RAINBOW's 'Long Live Rock & Roll' and 'Rising' and DIO's 'Holy Diver' with energetic sound of LOUDNESS, the Japanese metal heroes! Giuntini's guitar playing is mainly influenced by Akira Takasaki, Vivian Campbell, Edward Van Halen, Jake E. Lee, John Norum and, of course, Yngwie Malmsteen."

GIUNTINI "Project IV" track listing:

01. Perfect Sorrow (3:08)
02. Born In The Underworld (5:17)
03. Shadow Of The Stone (3:58)
04. Cured (4:08)
05. I Don't Believe In Fortune (4:03)
06. If The Dream Comes True (4:45)
07. The Rise And Fall Of Barry Lyndon (4:33)
08. Bring On The Night (4:20)
09. Not The Jealous Kind (4:32)
10. Saint Or Sinner (3:57)
11. Last Station: Nightmare (5:19)
12. How The Story Ends (4:24)
13. Truth Never Lie (5:12)

Norwegian jazz-metal band SHINING have unveiled a video for "I Won't Forget", the first single from their upcoming album "One One One". The clip's science-fiction-inspired look gels naturally with the futuristic production of the audio track and creates a music video that perfectly portrays the unique aesthetics of the Blackjazz Rebels.

"We are extremely happy and excited to finally be able to show you our new video," says SHINING frontman Jørgen Munkeby. "The song 'I Won’t Forget' is my absolute favorite of all the tracks we’ve ever made, and to be able to top this track off with such a beautiful, crisp and clean science fiction video is a dream come true."

Director Kyrre Larsen, from the Blæst production company, comments: "Since I first heard [SHINING's 2010 album] 'Blackjazz'. I've somehow associated the sound of SHINING's music with science-fiction. I tried to create a sense of this in the video for 'Fisheye' in 2012. 'I Won't Forget' builds on that video, but I wanted to take things one step further — and also avoid the style of imagery usually associated with heavier music."

SHINING — whose unique "blackjazz" hybrid of extreme progressive metal, experimental jazz-fusion and industrial precision has earned extensive international acclaim — will release "One One One", its first studio album in three years, this spring. The CD, which is available now for pre-order, will be released by Prosthetic Records in North America digitally on April 23, with physical releases on CD and gatefold LP to follow soon after. A teaser for the forthcoming music video for first single "I Won't Forget" can be seen below.

Mixed and co-produced by Sean Beaven (NINE INCH NAILS, MARILYN MANSON, SLAYER) and mastered by Tom Baker at Precision Mastering (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, DEFTONES, MINISTRY), "One One One" sees SHINING expanding on the musical palettes introduced on 2010's landmark "Blackjazz". That album — hailed by the New York Times as "a radioactive alloy of jazz and black metal" — scored a Norwegian Spellemann nomination (the Norwegian equivalent to the Grammy Awards), cracked the Norwegian Top 10 and saw the group tour around the globe, from high-profile U.S. events like South By Southwest and CMJ to the large stages of European summer festivals. One such performance was captured on "Live Blackjazz", an ambitious CD/DVD released on 11.11.11 that saw the group perform the album in full before a sold-out crowd in their home country.

SHINING has already performed "One One One" live in its entirety in Norway, after which they were awarded the prestigious Statoil scholarship — essentially a grant to be used toward international touring. Accordingly, the band is already making plans to return to America, where their 2012 South By Southwest performance earned rave reviews ("SHINING are true rock stars...the best thing about the entire festival up until that point," wrote MetalSucks).

It will be the latest step on an unorthodox career path that began with two acoustic jazz albums released at the turn of the century. From there, SHINING began to incorporate progressive rock and experimental metal influences on their next two releases, after which they famously collaborated with progressive black metal Vikings ENSLAVED on a concerto commissioned by a top European jazz festival. That union helped to influence the musical direction of "Blackjazz", which in turn begat "One One One".

"While 'One One One' is meant to complete the 'Blackjazz Trilogy,' it's also definitely the catchiest and most immediate music we've ever recorded, thereby paving the way for another bright and brand new version of ourselves," says SHINING frontman Jørgen Munkeby. "The idea this time around was to make a series of jazz-metal hits with no fillers, hence the name of the album, and I believe we've managed to do just that. I have never been as proud of an album as I am with this one."

"One One One" track listing:

01. I Won't Forget
02. The One Inside
03. My Dying Drive
04. Off The Hook
05. Blackjazz Rebels
06. How Your Story Ends
07. The Hurting Game
08. Walk Away
09. Paint The Sky Black

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE will release its sixth studio album, "…Like Clockwork", on June 4 via Matador Records, which is part of Beggars Group, the largest independent label group in the world. Described by QUEENS principal Joshua Homme as "an audio documentary of a manic year," "…Like Clockwork" is the band's first full-length collection of all-new material since 2007's "Era Vulgaris", as well as the group's debut release on new label partner Matador. The group was previously signed to Interscope.

"…Like Clockwork" was produced by Joshua Homme and QOTSA and recorded by Mark Rankin at Pink Duck Studios in Burbank, California. The CD includes drums by Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS, NIRVANA), Joey Castillo and Jon Theodore, and guest appearances by Sir Elton John, Trent Reznor (NINE INCH NAILS), Mark Lanegan (SCREAMING TREES), ex-QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE bassist/vocalist Nick Oliveri, Jake Shears (THE SCISSOR SISTERS), James Lavelle and Alex Turner.

"…Like Clockwork" track listing:

01. Keep Your Eyes Peeled
02. I Sat By The Ocean
03. The Vampyre Of Time And Memory
04. If I Had A Tail
05. My God Is The Sun
06. Kalopsia
07. Fairweather Friends
08. Smooth Sailing
09. I Appear Missing
10. …Like Clockwork

"My God Is The Sun" is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.

An iTunes pre-order for "…Like Clockwork" will include an instant download of "My God Is The Sun" and is set to launch at midnight tonight.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's current touring lineup includes THE MARS VOLTA drummer Jon Theodore.

Grohl played drums on the QUEENS' 2002 album, "Songs For The Deaf", and did go on a short club tour with the group before returning to active duty with the FOOS — who took QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE out as support.

Grohl stepped in for the recording sessions after the group parted ways with longtime drummer Joey Castillo.

"Era Vulgaris" came out in June 2007 and entered the Billboard chart at No. 14.

Vindsval, BLUT AUS NORD founder and mastermind, is currently working on the successor to the legendary THE EYE's first album Supremacy, released back in 1997. The maestro comments: "The songs and every riff are structurated on deep and eerie synth waves. This second album will be a logical continuation of Supremacy. With these new compositions, I want to capture both the essence and the spirit of this ethereal, cold and hypnotic, old black metal."
This highly-anticipated new album should be released in the first quarter of 2014. In the meantime, to quench your thirst, you can get your hands on the recent reissue of Supremacy, on sale all in digipack CD and gatefold 12" LP.

Sweden’s SHINING has revealed the artwork for the upcoming split with MORTUARY DRAPE, as well as posting a teaser for the Shining track. Titled, In The Eerie Cold Where All The Witches Dance, and set for release on Primitive Art Records, the 7” vinyl will contain an exclusive track from each of the bands. The two tracks will only be released on the split and will not appear on any album.
Commenting about the Shining track on the original announcement of the split, frontman and founder Niklas Kvarforth said: “In 1998 a song was written which was intended for inclusion on our first album. However, somehow we were not able to record it properly, which forced us to re-record 'Endless Solitude' instead. At the next Abyss session we faced the same problem and after that, the then-titled 'One With The Endless', was left out as we were certain the song had a curse written all over it. Quite recently, we gave it a third shot, and this time the curse was embraced instead of the opposite. A strange phenomena reinventing itself in every way possible, and, for some odd reason, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t write any suitable lyrics, and once again considered leaving it be. I did however have a very close friend of mine in the studio who not only came up with a new lyrical theme for the song but was also given my full blessings to sing it."

The teaser for the Shining track can be heard below:
Updates to follow.

Cutter of Envision Radio Networks' "Hangar 19" recently conducted an interview with former PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN and current HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott. Asked what would have to happen to get him and ex-PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo to sit down and talk again, Vinnie said: "I just don't have any interest in it, man. I'm happy doing what I do, I'm enjoying being in a band where everybody really enjoys being around each other, likes each other. And I just don't have any interest in living in the past, man. I wanna move forward in my life and that's all there is to it."

Late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie Paul Abbott and Anselmo to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag, who was shot and killed by a crazed gunman while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at a Columbus, Ohio rock club in December 2004.

Vinnie, who is Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo have not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie indirectly blamed Philip for Dimebag's death, suggesting that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

In a recent interview with Brazil's Wikimetal podcast, Anselmo was asked about the possibility of a PANTERA reunion with Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) filling in for Dimebag on guitar. "Honestly — and I've spoken with Zakk about it as well — we're very aware of the public perception out there, but honestly, until I speak with Vinnie Paul, which has not yet happened, and it doesn't look like it's going to happen, nothing can happen," he replied. "Honestly, I tell you, my phone is on the hook, my e-mail is wide open, my door is wide open. I would love to talk with Vince. Honestly, if there were no more bad feelings and we could talk, and we could come to an understanding, I think it would mean not only a lot for me and myself — it would mean the world to me — but it would mean a great deal to the fans out there as well. I think people don't want to see this arguing anymore. It's time for some peace. It's time for some brotherhood. And honestly, we should be setting an example instead of being the opposite. And I'll just say that my door is wide open, and so far, Vinnie's door is closed, and it's a shame."

Legendary guitarist Joe Satriani will release his 14th studio album, "Unstoppable Momentum", on May 7 through Epic Records. The CD was recorded at Skywalker Sound in the Bay Area and produced by Satriani and Mike Fraser (AC/DC). The album features an amazing array of talented players, including Vinnie Colauita (STING, JEFF BECK) on drums, Chris Chaney (JANE'S ADDICTION) on bass and Mike Keneally (DETHKLOK) on keyboards.

The first single from the CD, "A Door Into Summer", is available for streaming below.

Fans are encouraged to pre-order "Unstoppable Momentum" via Sony Music and Satriani's own website store. When pre-ordering through the Epic Records store, fans will be given the chance to bundle new signed copies of the album with exclusive t-shirts and guitar straps. At Satriani.com, fans will receive an exclusive, never-before-seen art book featuring years of drawings, doodles and sketches that Satriani has done over the years.

"Some of my drawings have made their way on to guitars, straps and picks, LP and CD booklets, t-shirts, hats, keychains, etc…and even my live stage productions," explains Satriani. "This book represents my first effort to finally compile my oddly drawn friends into one place, a wildly colorful portfolio of sorts. A collection of drawings meant to inspire and entertain."

After returning from the South American G3 tour last October, Satriani got down to writing new music over the next two months. As he recalls, "A very prolific and cathartic two months followed resulting in a bundle of new music I was very excited to get recorded!"

Eleven songs were selected to record, all "heading in different directions and touching on a variety of musical influences." With that in mind, Satriani decided to assemble a new studio band. "The idea was to crank up the energy level of the sessions, and allow for more individual expression of the material from each player. The chemistry with Mike, Chris and Vinnie was fantastic and we blazed through all of the tracks with everyone laying down amazing performances."

For two decades, Satriani has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star "G3" guitar extravaganza. His studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. His side project, CHICKENFOOT, featuring former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar, former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony, and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' drummer Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at No. 9. In late 2010, music sensation Nicki Minaj sampled the classic Satriani track "Always With Me Always With You" in her song "Right Through Me" from her multi-platinum debut album. In 2011, Satriani recreated his national anthem performance for the opening day of the Oakland A's historic 2002 season in the Brad Pitt movie "Moneyball".

"Unstoppable Momentum" track listing:

01. Unstoppable Momentum
02. Can't Go Back
03. Lies And Truths
04. Three Sheets To The Wind
05. I'll Put A Stone On Your Cairn
06. A Door Into Summer
07. Shine On American Dreamer
08. Jumpin' In
09. Jumpin' Out
10. The Weight Of The World
11. A Celebration

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

The first trailer for the CD 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.