A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH, featuring former TYPE O NEGATIVE members Sal Abruscato and Johnny Kelly, is auditioning for a new bassist. Their help wanted ad reads:

"Must be able to rehearse in NJ, be professional, good work ethic, have a valid passport, be able to tour, not be a fuck up and have good stage presence. If interested in applying for this position please message us on our APHND Facebook page with resume, recent photo, music and video link of you performing."

A Pale Horse Named Death will issue their sophomore release, Lay My Soul To Waste, on May 21st in North America, May 24th in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and May 27th in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV.
Lay My Soul To Waste contians the following 11 tracks:

'Lay My Soul To Waste'
'Shallow Grave'
'The Needle In You'
'In The Sleeping Death'
'Killer By Night'
'Growing Old'
'Dead Of Winter'
'Devil Came With A Smile'
'Day Of The Storm'
'DMSLT'
'Cold Dark Mourning'

Ottawa-based melodic death thrashers CHARIOTS OF THE GODS have posted video from their March 7th performance of their track 'Unbound', on Ottawa Live Music on CKCU 93.1FM. Watch the footage below:
The band previously posted video from their recent Quebec/ Ontario tour in promotion of their new album, Tides Of War. The footage can be seen below:
Chariots Of The Gods released Tides Of War on January 29th. The band also released a music video for the title track. Check it out below.
Tides Of War was produced by award winning producer/engineer/mixer Glen Robinson (THE RAMONES, AC/DC, GWAR, ANNIHILATOR, VOIVOD).

‘Tides Of War’ and the previously released single ‘Unbound’ are now available for free streaming at this location.
Tides Of War tracklisting:

'Overture'
'Seventh Weapon'
'Blind Assassin'
'Ambrosian Wings'
'Tides of War'
'Revillusion (1905)'
'Snow Falls On The White River (1914)'
'Severing The Bloodline (1917)'
'Collapse of An Empire'
'Red Skies'
'Nebula'
'Starborn'
'Unbound' (feat. Aleksi Sihvonen)
'Annihilation of The Gods'

More on the band at this location.

In the video below, STEEL PANTHER vocalist Michael Starr and guitarist, cameraman Satchel report from the recording studio in Sherman Oaks, CA. The pair reveal that their third, as yet untitled album, is expected to be released in September.
In live news, Steel Panther's Spreading The Disease Tour kicks off next week. The band will be infecting the following cities:

April
5 - House Of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
8 - House Of Blues - Hollywood, CA
13 - WJRR's Earthday Birthday - Orlando, FL
14 - The Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
16 - Theatre Of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
17 - House Of Blues - Boston, MA
19 - Upstate Concert Hall - Clifton Park, NY
20 - Hampton Beach Casino - Hampton Beach, NH
21 - The Dome at Oakdale - Wallingford, CT
23 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
24 - The Paramount - Huntington, NY
25 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA
26 - Sherman Theater - Stroudsburg, PA
28 - Welcome To Rockville - Metropolitan Park - Jacksonville, FL
29 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

May
1 - Marathon Music Works - Nashville, TN
3 - The National - Richmond, VA
4 - M3 Rock Festival - Merriweather Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD
5 - Carolina Rebellion - Rock City Campgrounds - Concord, NC
12 - Ozzfest Japan - Makuhari Messe - Tokyo, Japan
16 - Sound Academy - Toronto, ON
17 - Club Fever - Sound Bend, IN
18 - Mojoes - Joliet, IL
19 - Rock On The Range - Columbus Crew Stadium - Columbus, OH
21 - The Machine Shop - Flint, MI
22 - The Intersection - Grand Rapids, MI
25 - The Pageant - St. Louis, MO

August
9 - Imperial De Quebec - Quebec City, QC
10 - Parterre Parc Jean Drapeau - Heavy MTL - Montreal, QC

Poland's J.D. OVERDRIVE recently finished the recordings of their sophomore studio album, due in May via Metal Mind Productions. The band have now confirmed that the album will be titled, Fortune Favors The Brave.

The mixing and mastering duties for the album was held by Piotr Gruenpeter, who's best known for providing electronics, noise and production quality for the post-black phenomenon THAW, as well as from bands SEARCHING FOR CALM and SUN FOR MIILES.

Wojtek ‘Susel’ Kaluza, the band’s vocalist comments: “First results are simply amazing and we can't wait to show you the final album. It's gonna be heavy, raw and crushing!”

The new album will feature two guest appearances - a fantastic guitar solo is provided by Piotr "Dziki" Chancewicz from the Polish band MECH and Hammond parts by Piotr "Voltan" Sikora from LEASH EYE and EXLIBRIS.

You can watch a video from the recording studio below:
Fortune Favors The Brave is scheduled for a release on May 27th in Europe and July 4th in North America (via MVD).
J.D. Overdrive lineup:

Wojtek "Susel” Kaluza – vocal
Michal "Stempel” Stemplowski – guitar
Lukasz "Joorek” Jurewicz – drums
Lukasz "Peo” Pomietlo – bass

More on J.D. Overdrive at this location.

Oshawa's THIS IS DEATH VALLEY, who are competing in the Wacken Metal Battle Canada on May 26th at The Rivoli in Toronto, ON have just released their brand new song, 'F.F.T. (Fist Flavoured Teeth)'; listen below:
For more on This Is Death Valley, visit their Facebook page.
Wacken Open Air, known for its elite lineup of the globe's best metal bands, is bringing the largest metal contest on the planet to Canada. Recruiting 37 independent Canadian bands after hundreds of submissions to compete, Wacken Metal Battle Canada will select one true champion to represent the nation and perform at this year's highly celebrated gathering of metal heads in Wacken, Germany.
Being held in Toronto, ON and Montreal, QC during the months of May and June, Canadian metal bands from across the country will challenge one another to join a list of Canadian heavyweights such as VOIVOD, EXCITER, RAZOR, ANNIHILATOR, ANVIL, KATAKLYSM, CRYPTOPSY, 3 INCHES OF BLOODS, DESPISED ICON and DANKO JONES who have performed at the festival in years past.

The W:O:A Metal Battle was founded by in Wacken Open Air 2004 to encourage future generations of heavy metal and rock as the festival believes in supporting the future of metal music and its musicians.

Hollywood, CA-based hard rockers THE BEAUTIFULLY DEMOLISHED - featuring ex-JETBOY vocalist DK Revelle - recently signed a worldwide deal with HighVolMusic. The band then entered FastTraxx Studios to record their debut material.

The first single, 'Beautifully Demolished', is now streaming for a limited time at this location. A release date for the single is forthcoming.

The band is also locked in for their very first East Coast appearance at the Spring Stampede on April 27th in White Marsh, MD with LIZZY BORDEN, ICARUS WITCH, RED LAMB, SPREAD EAGLE, and MODERN SUPERSTAR.
The Beautifully Demolished is:

D.K. Revelle - Vocals
Robbi Black - Drums, Vocals
Jamie Moreno - Guitar, Vocals
Jimmy Minj - Bass, Vocals
Finn Zevo - Guitar, Vocals

More on The Beautifully Demolished at this location.

Fort Lauderdale, FL blackened heavy metal band FAETHOM has released a new song ‘Héroes De Las Minas’, taken from their upcoming second full-length album. Check out the song below:

The track is the band’s first song fully in Spanish and a bit of Quechua, the latter being one of the native tongues of Bolivia, birthplace of co-founders and co-composers: David (lead guitar) and Mariela (Vocalist, Keyboardist). The song deals with El Tio and the miners of Bolivia. El Tio refers to the spirit of the mountain and signifies in Spanish, The Uncle, as he is referred to by the miners of Bolivia. He is also a representation of the Christian Devil. An icon of El Tio can be found in each mineshaft where the miners offers sacrifices, gifts, and perform rituals in return for El Tio’s goodwill and his promise of good health and good fortune. In the darkness of the mines, El Tio reigns supreme.

Faethom’s second concept album will be based on a horror story written by Mariela, as was their 2011 debut album In the Name Of The Father, The Son, And The Unholy. The album, which remains untitled, is scheduled to be released by the end of the year. As is their custom, the band has released a picture of one of the characters (seen below) of the story, La Fiera, a vengeful cholita that will wreak havoc on a fictional Bolivian town in the story. For the live experience, the band lineup includes the talents of Colombian drummer, Hermes Reyes and Chilean guitarist, Fabian Lopez.

For more info visit Facebook.

Purple Pyramid (a subsidiary of Cleopatra Records) will release a rare album from one of the original American progressive outfits, CAPTAIN BEYOND. Live In Texas – October 6th, 1973 drops on CD and vinyl on May 7.

One of the earliest supergroups, Captain Beyond was formed in 1971 and fronted by vocalist Rod Evans, who sang in ‘Hush’-era Deep Purple. Bassist Lee Dorman and guitarist Larry “Rhino” Reinhardt were in IRON BUTTERFLY. Bobby Caldwell drummed for THE JOHNNY WINTER GROUP, arguably one of the biggest live acts of the time. The level of musicianship, power, and intricacy of this genre was unique for American bands – prog was largely a European import at the time – and stateside audiences were small, but rabid.

Recorded just after the release of Sufficiently Breathless, the band’s second album, Live In Texas captured Captain Beyond while on tour with KING CRIMSON. The amazing liner notes were written by famed rock historian Dave Thompson. Through extensive conversations with Caldwell, the story of Captain Beyond unfolds, including listening parties with the ALLMANS, the unusual signing to Capricorn Records, and a fruit-flinging show with SHA NA NA.

Live In Texas tracklisting:

‘Intro’
‘Distant Sun’
‘Dancing Madly Backwards (On A Sea Of Air)’
‘Armworth’
‘Myopic Void’
‘Drifting In Space’
‘Pandora’s Box (It’s War)’
‘Thousand Days Of Yesterday’
‘Frozen Over’
‘Guitar Solo’
‘Mesmerization Eclipse’
‘Drum Solo’
‘Mesmerization Eclipse (Reprise)’
‘Stone Free’

Live In Texas – October 6th, 1973 will be available on iTunes, amazon.com, and at your favorite record store.

For more info on the release visit CleopatraRecords.com.

Professionally filmed video footage of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's entire March 12 concert at O2 Academy in Birmingham, England can be seen at Moshcam.com. A few of the clips are available below.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's fourth album, "Temper, Temper", sold 44,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on February 12 via RCA.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's previous effort, 2010's "Fever", opened with 71,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at No. 3. It was also a Top 10 release in the U.K., Japan, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.

The Welsh quartet changed the way they approached making an album this time around, with guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck and drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas traveling to Thailand to do the initial writing and recording for the album. Tuck told The Pulse Of Radio why they made the trip. "It was just nice being in a studio 24/7, really, you know, with no distractions from home and stuff," he said. "So that was kind of the main reason why we went there and it just worked out well, you know, because we didn't have any pressures from having to travel, having to cook your own food — just all the stuff that is an everyday process obviously takes a lot of time out of the day to be creative. So just being there, being able to write 24/7, was a huge advantage."

The first single from "Temper, Temper" is called "Riot".

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE will headline the fifth edition of the "HardDrive Live" tour, which will kick off on April 12 in Denver. Joining them will be main support HALESTORM, plus special guests YOUNG GUNS and openers STARS IN STEREO. The trek is sponsored by "HardDrive".

Mighty Music has announced the release of the debut album from Denmark-based modern metal newcomers, CONTRITION. The band delivers a collection of superior technical riffs, brilliantly timed break-downs, brutal but emotional growls and atmospheric melodic passages.

In January, the band finished recording their full-length debut album, entitled Reflections. In spite of the members young age, Reflections shows a mature band, that master their technique to perfection. With a progressive approach, Contrition contributes with new and different view on the modern metal genre. The band’s characteristic sound is founded on a vast variety of different influences that stretch from the various metal sub-genres such as thrash, groove, core to more progressive and melodic influences.

Reflections concentrates not just about a single subject nor a single problem. The subjects vary from children of divorced parents to identity crisis to love songs that had to be written to get rid of all the anger inside. Front singer Nico Paidar explains: “The album has been a kind of shrink for us at times and in a lot of ways, it has been exactly what we’ve needed to grow as human beings. We’ve gotten so much help from all the emotion the songs gives, peace of mind and anger-management from the lyrics we’ve written during this journey.”

Reflections was recorded at Grapehouse Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark and is produced, mixed and mastered by Jeppe Andersson. The album will be released throughout Europe on May 20th via Mighty Music/Target Distribution.
Tracklisting:

'In Distant Lights'
'Hypothermia'
'[Al-kuh-hawl]'
'Sensory Perception'
'Chaos Reigns'
'Nova'
'Surrogate'
'Sunset Burns'
'Drowning In Mirrors'
'Timeless'

Check out an album trailer below:
Contrition lineup:

Nico - Vocals
Morten - Bass
Andreas Koll - Guitar
Josh - Guitar
Andreas KB - Drums
More on Contrition at this location.

Canadian progressive metal act THE NORTHERN has released their debut EP Imperium. The artwork was masterfully compiled by Cameron Gray (BORN OF OSIRIS, WITHIN THE RUINS, DEAD LETTER CIRCUS).

A press release states: “The Northern manifests one of the finest contemporary metal acts on the scene, bewildering myriads of music fans with their the agonizing grooves, labyrinthine time signatures, dazzling fretwork and ruthless vocals.”

Imperium tracklisting:

‘Alpha’
‘Purgatory’
‘Imperium’
‘Circadian Effect’
‘Midori’

Check out a guitar play-through of 'Imperium' below:

Imperium can be downloaded via Bandcamp.

The April 12 concert by reformed heavy metal legends ACCEPT at Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile will be professionally filmed for the band's forthcoming DVD. The group states: "This is gonna be awesome. We can't wait for this one."

Speaking to Sweden's Metalshrine last November, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann stated about the band's plans to release a concert DVD: "It's in the works, man! A lot of fans are asking for it and they feel that ACCEPT is so strong now and they've seen us live. They think, 'They're on fire! Where can I get proper recorded DVD from?' We've already recorded some shows and it's actually quite challenging. Everybody's doing these live DVDs at festivals, because that's the easiest thing because the cameras are already there, but I'm not sure what we end up doing. I think it's almost a discrepancy, because at the live show, you really have to focus on the audience at that moment and you've got to play the greatest hits and maybe two or three songs from the new one, where on a DVD, I always wanna see more obscure songs that might not work so well at the concert while you're there. I'm always thinking, 'Wouldn't it be better if we had a sort of a special occasion where we recorded some stuff that we don't normally play live?' I'm not sure. I haven't debated that all the way through to the end, but I always think, 'If we just record a show, maybe that's not enough? Maybe we should have a special event where we just set aside for filming and look at it that way.'"

ACCEPT's new album, "Stalingrad", sold around 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 81 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Blood Of The Nations", opened with around 2,900 units back in September 2010 to land at No. 187.

"Stalingrad" was released on April 6, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was once again helmed by British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY), who worked on the band's critically acclaimed comeback effort, "Blood Of The Nations".

Athens, Greece-based technical death metal band CEREBRUM - featuring NILE drummer George Kollias - has just signed a deal with Japanese label Amputated Vein Records. The follow-up to Spectral Extravagance, entitled Cosmic Enigma, will be out on May 27th. Check out the tracklist and cover art below.
Cosmic Enigma tracklisting:

'Utopian Freedom, Dogmatic Truth'
'Subconscious Extraction'
'Dream Infusion Side-Effects'
'Vaporized To Feed The Profound Abyss (...Sinking Endlessly)'
'Oblivious Eons'
'Phobos Manipulation'
'Self-Regenerate'
'Enter The Void'
'Chaotic Orbits Align'
'Cosmic Enigma'
'Swirling Liquid Pellets...(Vitiate The Infinite Vacuum)'
'S-G-S (Subliminal Gravity Symptoms)'

The song 'Self-Regenerate' is currently streaming on BandCamp.

For more details visit Cerebrum on Facebook here.

Pennsylvania traditional metallists SINISTER REALM are scheduled to release their third album, World Of Evil, via Shadow Kingdom Records early this summer.

Commenting on the album artwork, bass player and founding member John Gaffney had this to say: "I wanted to do something different from our past album covers which used photos and I really wanted it to embody the feel and mood of the songs. I was lucky to get in touch with a great upcoming artist from Portugal named Augusto Peixoto at Iron Doom Design and he was able to bring my vision for the album cover to life."
Tracklisting:

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

With influences ranging from IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, BLACK SABBATH, CANDLEMASS and DIO, World Of Evil will find the band moving in an even darker more epic direction. Comments Gaffney, "Many of the songs on the album focus on the evil that man brings to this world, with wars, lies and the dark future that sometimes seems ahead of us."

Plans are being assembled for the band to hit the road later this year in support of the album.

In other news Sinister Realm contributed their version of the ANVIL classic 'Forged In Fire' to the album Strong As Steel - A Tribute To Anvil, set for release on April 19th on Skol Records, the song can be heard below:
John Gaffney had this to say about covering the Anvil classic, "Anvil is the sound of metal, plain and simple. The jackhammer riffs and Robb's pounding drums, it doesn't get much cooler than that! Being a fan of darker sounding riffs and songs with cool drum parts 'Forged In Fire' has always been one of my favorite Anvil songs, I hope we do it some justice and maybe even add an extra sinister edge to it....love live heavy metal and long live Anvil!"
Sinister Realm lineup:

Alex Kristof - vocals
John Gaffney - bass, guitar, background vocals
John Kantner - rhythm & lead guitar
John Risko - lead guitar
Chris Metzger - drums

For more information on Sinister Realm visit this location.

SOULFLY has tapped Terry Date (PANTERA, SOUNDGARDEN, DEFTONES) to produce the band's next studio album, tentatively due before the end of the year via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

Date previously mixed SOULFLY's "3" (2002), "Prophecy" (2004) and "Dark Ages" (2005) albums, but has never produced any of the group's CDs.

SOULFLY's forthcoming album will the follow-up to last year's "Enslaved", which found the band's mainman, Max Cavalera, getting in touch with his most extreme tastes.

"['Enslaved'] is definitely influenced by deathcore, death metal, and everything from old bands I listened to [like] ENTOMBED, NAPALM DEATH, CARCASS, to new bands like I DECLARE WAR, MOLOTOV SOLUTION, IMPENDING DOOM . . . Because I like a lot of these new bands, too," Max tells the Phoenix New Times.

In addition, Cavalera is working on his autobiography called "A Boy From Brazil", for release later this year. The book is being written by British rock author Joel McIver, whose 20 books to date include "Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica", "Crazy Train: The High Life And Tragic Death Of Randy Rhoads" and "Glenn Hughes: The Autobiography". The book's foreword will be written by Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS, ex-NIRVANA).

Although Max will not have time to release a new album from his CAVALERA CONSPIRACY project — which also features his brother, drummer Igor Cavalera — this year, there's tentative talk of doing a dubstep/reggae/EDM remix record of CAVALERA CONSPIRACY songs, an idea Igor is especially keen on.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's sophomore album, 2011's "Blunt Force Trauma", sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 122 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's debut CD, "Inflikted", opened with 9,000 units to enter the chart at No. 72.

DISTURBED/DEVICE frontman David Draiman contributed "vocal/singing help" on two tracks that will appear on the new MEGADETH album, "Super Collider": "Forget To Remember" and "Dance In The Rain". In addition, Draiman makes a guest appearance on the latter song, with Mustaine stating about the track, "It sounds amazing!"

Draiman recently stated about his collaboration with MEGADETH: "I had the distinct honor and privilege of working with the legendary Mr. Dave Mustaine on a few songs for the new MEGADETH record."

In an interview with the "Shockwaves"/"HardRadio" podcast, Mustaine stated about how the "Dance In The Rain" song came together: "When I first started MEGADETH, I'd come back from New York [after getting fired from METALLICA], and I was pretty pissed and I didn't know if I wanted to keep playing music, I didn't know if I could, I didn't know if I should, but something inside of me was driving me. Later I identified it as revenge, but at the time, I thought it was just anger. And there was a guy that met when I first put together the band. Whether it was called MEGADETH in the beginning or not has no relevance; the band, I started it when I first came back. That was the beginning of MEGADETH. I met this guy, this nutty guy named Robbie… I don't know what his last name was. So anyway… He was playing these really weird chords that I used in the song 'Looking Down The Cross'. And I was always really interested in those chords. And I was kind of goofing around a little bit and came up with the progression that ended up being the embodiment of the verses for 'Dance In The Rain'. And the funny thing about this song was I had asked David Draiman from DISTURBED.. We did some tour dates together and an opportunity came up for us to kind of collaborate on some stuff. And he came out and we kind of goofed around a little bit. We didn't really end up doing a lot of stuff together, but there's a couple of little tidbits of ideas that he gave me that we're using on this record. We'd gone out to Pei Wei to go have lunch. We were done with our stuff and he [went] back to the airport. I've got a really bad sweet tooth, so I grabbed a fistful of fortune cookies. I grabbed a fortune cookie and I threw the fortune down, I grabbed another one, and I threw the fortune down. And I picked them up in the reverse order that I opened them [in]. This was really important, 'cause the one I picked up first was actually the second one I opened, and that one said, 'Learn to dance in the rain instead of waiting for the sun.' Something like that. And the first one said, 'An unexpected random gift is coming to you immediately.' So if I would have opened it right, it would have said, 'An unexpected gift is coming to you. Learn to dance in the rain instead of waiting for the sun.' And I was, like, 'Oh my God! That is so cool.' I don't believe in luck and all that stuff — I believe things happen for a reason — but I've gotta tell you, man [laughs] — I sure believe in that fortune cookie."

"Super Collider" is scheduled for a June 4 release via Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, which is distributed by Universal Music Enterprises(UMe). Horn player Bob Findley — who previously appeared on the track "Silent Scorn" from MEGADETH's 2001 CD, "The World Needs A Hero" — is a featured guest on the song "A House Divided" on the new album. Other tracks set to appear on the effort include "The Blackest Crow", "Super Collider", "Burn" and "King Maker".

"Super Collider" is MEGADETH's first release since its recent split with Roadrunner Records.

The official lyric video for the song "Kings Of Demolition" from American hard rockers SKID ROW can be seen below. The track comes off the band's new EP, entitled "United World Rebellion - Chapter One", which will be released 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

Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON performed a brand new instrumental song, "Gynt", at the start of their March 30 concert at the Rockefeller Music Hall at the Inferno festival in Oslo, Norway. The track will appear on the band's next studio album, which is set for release on September 9.

Fan-filmed video footage of the first two songs of SATYRICON's set — "Gynt" and "Hvite Krists Død" — can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Gynt (intro) (new)
02. Hvite Krists Død
03. Walk The Path Of Sorrow
04. Filthgrinder
05. Forhekset
06. Repined Bastard Nation
07. Now, Diabolical
08. The Wolfpack
09. Black Crow On A Tombstone
10. The Pentagram Burns
11. The Sign Of The Trident
12. To The Mountains
13. Mother North

Encore:

14. Fuel For Hatred
15. K.I.N.G.

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep at this year's Inferno festival, SATYRICON frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven stated about the band's upcoming album: "Right now we're about halfway through the recording, I'd say. It's taking a long time. We essentially started pre-production in September, recording demos and working on those final arrangements. We started recording a couple of months ago and I'm really liking the way it sounds. To me, it sounds very authentic, it's organic-sounding. And in this digital age where music is mostly played through computers, a lot of that analog vibe gets lost in translation when you play music through medias like that, but I still wanna do it because there's nothing quite like it. To me, it just makes everything sound the way it's supposed to sound — it's dynamical; the music is alive, it's not overly compressed, the levels are not pushed. So, musically speaking, it's a very atmospheric record, but to me, part of what makes it atmospheric is the authenticity in the way that it's made; it was recorded and played in a way that I think it's gonna add… You would think that all records are musical, but they're not, and I think this record is very musical. I know when I talk to the media about this new record that I'm supposed to say that it's brand new or that it's old school, but that's not what it's about for me. What it's about is that this record is full of life. There are a lot of surprises here, but I think it's gonna be a record that's gonna help the black metal movement perhaps find a new way for the future. And we all need that, including ourselves."

In a June 2012 interview with MetalSickness.com, Wongraven stated about the band's decision to take a long break after completing its last extensive tour in 2009, "I felt that the cycle of SATYRICON had become very something different from what I wanted it to be. It became like this: write, rehearse, record, promote, tour, finish. [Then again] write, rehearse, record, promote, tour, finish. And again and again and again. And I came to a point in 2009 where I went, like, 'What's the point of this? Is this why I started [playing music]? Definitely not.' This was never my goal to come in a situation like this. It's not like I dreamt about living on a bus. It was not my goal in life. Or to live my life in a suitcase. Or in a backstage. It was never my plan. My plan was to write music, record music and release music and then do the occasional show and tour, but this became like a clusterfuck of events — all the time something going on and all this pressure all the time, especially from everyone around us. Plus, I also think that when you're working so intensely, there's sort of this tear-and-wear to people on a personal level. And also, as the leader of a company or a sports team or a metal band, you also have a responsibility to make some decisions that might be popular but unnecessary. And for those who just want to go on the road and play all the time, they don't want to have a break, and our agent and record company, they certainly didn't want any break. But for me, it became almost like a choice between quitting as a band or taking a break."

SATYRICON's latest album, "The Age Of Nero" (2008), entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 73. It also landed on the national chart in Norway at position No. 5. This was SATYRICON's lowest chart entry in the band's home country since "Rebel Extravaganza", which premiered at No. 32 in 1999. "Volcano" (2002) entered the chart at No. 4, while 2006's "Now, Diabolical" came in at No. 2.

Performance:

Polish extreme metallers HATE have released the following statement:

"[During the] night [of] April 5-6 near the German town of Munchberg, our friend, best comrade and longtime bass player unexpectedly passed away. After the show in Stuttgart last night, he went to sleep and never woke up. We found him lifeless early in the morning and immediately called an ambulance. He was reanimated, but to no avail. Results of Slawek's (Slawomir 'Mortifer' Archangielskij) autopsy should be known soon. In this situation, we decided to cancel the remaining shows and return home. We gave detailed testimonies to the German police. We are shocked and shattered by his sudden, unexpected death. We mourn together with Slawek's family and friends."

Archangielskij joined HATE in January 2007 and appeared on 2010's "Erebos" and 2013's "Solarflesh" albums.

"Alchemy Of Blood", the latest video from HATE, can be seen below. The track comes off "Solarflesh", which was released in North America on February 5 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Erebos" was recorded at Sound Division Studio in Warsaw with Filip "Heinrich" Halucha (VESANIA, DECAPITATED) and Arek "Malta" Malczewski (BEHEMOTH's sound guy). The effort was mixed at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland with producers Slawek and Wojtek Wieslawski (DECAPITATED, VADER).

HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale joined ADRENALINE MOB on stage last night (Friday, April 5) at Exit/Inn in Nashville, Tennessee to perform cover versions of "Come Undone" (DURAN DURAN) and "Barracuda" (HEART). Fan-filmed video footage of her appearance can be seen below.

Hale recorded "Come Undone" with ADRENALINE MOB for the band's 2012 debut album, "Omertá". She previously stated about the collaboration: "After touring together [in 2010], I was approached by legendary drummer and equally as legendary great guy... Mike Portnoy. He was kind enough to ask me if I'd like to join them to remake the DURAN DURAN hit 'Come Undone'. Of course, I said yes, and ran to Mike Plotnikoff's home studio to do it!

"Now, coming from someone who has lived and played with her own zany drummer all her life, I must say, it was next to orgasmic to sing against Mr. Portnoy's stylings. Truly an honor!

"Thank you so much to all the guys in ADRENALINE MOB for including me on their record 'Omertà'. Go get it!"

Asked how he got Lzzy to sing on "Come Undone", Portnoy told Audio Ink Radio: "She's somebody I'm friends with from touring together on Uproar [festival] a few years back. Lzzy and I became good friends, and when the idea for a female vocalist came up for 'Come Undone', I knew she would absolutely kill it! So, I her gave call, and without even hearing it, she was on board because she wanted to do something with me. Once she heard the tune, she was like, 'This is awesome. This is going to be great!'"

He added: "Her voice just fits perfectly. The minute I heard tracks, the hair on the back on my neck stood up. It just gave me chills."

In an interview with Guitar International, ADRENALINE MOB guitarist Mike Orlando stated about Hale: "Lzzy is a female Russell [Allen, SYMPHONY X and ADRENALINE MOB singer]; she is unbelievable. They have the same attack. There's nothing she can't do. Everything she does, she does with this fire."

HALESTORM and ADRENALINE MOB will embark on a short tour of South America and Mexico in June. The bands will share the stage in Mexico City, Santiago, Buenos Aires and São Paulo.

Candlelight Records has announced the signing of Australian extreme thrashers KING PARROT. The label will issue the band's debut full-length, Bite Your Head Off, worldwide this summer. The album is out now in Australia on CD and vinyl through Impedance Records/Rocket Distribution.
A brief message from the band states: "King Parrot are proud to announce that we have officially signed with Candlelight Records... Stay posted for more worldwide tour info and a release date soon!"

The video for 'Shit On The Liver', the first single from Bite Your Head Off, can be seen below:
King Parrot lineup:

Youngy - vox
Mr. White - guitars
Slatts Slattz - bass
Rizzo - drums
Squiz - guitars
More on King Parrot at this location.

The official Swedish team song for the 2013 World Championships Of Ice Hockey called 'En För Alla För En', performed by THE POODLES together with the Swedish hockey team Tre Kronor, can be heard streaming below:
'En För Alla För En' is now available at iTunes.

The 2013 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships is the 77th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The championship will take place between sixteen teams from May 3rd to May 19th. Finland and Sweden will host the event with games being played in Helsinki and Stockholm.

US metallers ASKA's Nine Tongues album will be reissued on CD and released for the first time on vinyl, on May 3rd via Pure Steel Records. The limited vinyl edition contains 500 pieces (100 orange, 400 black), gatefold, OBI strip. The pre-order phase will start on April 19th.
Pure Steel states: "After releasing the last two Aska albums - Avenger (2000) and Absolute Power (2007) - as LPs, we have now decided to do the same with the 97’ album Nine Tongues. This will be the first release of this album on vinyl. As usual, it will be a limited edition of 500 numbered copies in a gatefold-cover with OBI-strip.
The album was originally released on the very small label Ema Records in 1997, a time when classic heavy metal was supposed to be dead. Nine Tongues offers good heavy metal with some rather rocky parts, which will definitely find its fans today. The songs are enriched by George Calls distinctive and lyrical, but also a bit rough voice. The production is genre-typical and gives the sound a good facade.

Tracklisting (CD):

'The Stalker'
'Leprosy'
'Question'
'Little Sister'
'Blood Of The Wolf'
'Captain Crunch'
'Killashandra'
'Liquid Courage'
'Nightmare'
'The Dream'
Tracklisting (LP):

Side A:
'The Stalker'
'Leprosy'
'Question'
'Little Sister'
'Blood Of The Wolf'
'Captain Crunch'

Side B:
'Killashandra'
'Liquid Courage'
'Nightmare'
'The Dream'

WINGER frontman Kip Winger has revealed that he will be joining classic prog-rockers, ALAN PARSONS LIVE PROJECT, on the road in Europe this summer. He'll be singing vocals on the dates below. Alan Parsons is best known for his behind-the-scenes work on PINK FLOYD's The Dark Side Of The Moon and THE BEATLES' Abbey Road and Let It Be classics. The Alan Parsons Project had a string of hits including: 'I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You' (1977), 'Damned If I Do' (1979), 'Games People Play' (1980), 'Eye In The Sky' (1982) and 'Don't Answer Me' (1984).
Alan Parsons Live Project featuring Kip Winger on vocals:

July
18 - GruVillage Grugliasco, Italy
19 - Castello Scaligero Villafranca
22 - Campo Centrale – Centrale del Tennis – Foro Italico
25 - Rock of Ages Festival - Seebronn-Germany
26 - Chateau De Beaufort - Beaufort, Luxembourg
29 - Musical Dome Köln - Cologne, Germany

August
1 - Open-Air-im-Park - Bad Krozingen, Germany
5 - BR Radltour - Erlangen, Germany

On April 24, U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine will release an exclusive, collectable hardback edition of issue 184 published to mark the release of DEEP PURPLE's new album, "Now What?!". A limited edition with a foil cover, it contains 12 pages of additional DEEP PURPLE content, including question-and-answer sessions with all five members of the band and an extended Buyers Guide by long-term fan and PURPLE expert Geoff Barton.

DEEP PURPLE's 19th studio album, "Now What?!", will be released via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group, on the following dates:

* Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, Spain: April 26
* UK, France, Benelux, Poland, Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark: April 29
* North America, Italy: April 30
* Sweden: May 1

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. A Simple Song
02. Weirdistan
03. Out Of Hand
04. Hell To Pay
05. Body Line
06. Above And Beyond
07. Blood From A Stone
08. Uncommon Man
09. Après Vous
10. All The Time In The World
11. Vincent Price

"Now What?!" will also be released in a limited quantity with a bonus track and a bonus DVD featuring DEEP PURPLE in conversation plus additional audio material. This edition will be available in a digipak with a cut out front cover. "Now What?!" will also be released as double vinyl LP containing a bonus track, as in the limited-edition CD.

After various songwriting sessions in Europe, the band recorded and mixed the album in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER, KANSAS). The CD contain 11 tracks, including "Out Of Hand", "Weirdistan", "Uncommon Man" and "Above And Beyond". The latter song references the band's late keyboard player, Jon Lord, in the lyric "Souls having touched are forever entwined."

According to a press release, "Now What?!" was recorded with no musical rules… and it shows a modern and fresh production… to the point that DEEP PURPLE have never sounded so close to the spirit of the '70s in the last 20 years as they do now. The CD has the excellence and elegance of "Perfect Strangers" and the wild freedom of "Made In Japan".

The first taste of "Now What?!" was the release of a double A-side single on March 29 (as a limited and numbered vinyl seven-inch, CD single and digital download).

Seven-inch vinyl (limited to 1000 numbered copies)

Side A:

01. Hell To Pay (radio edit)

Side B:

01. All The Time In The World (radio mix; edit)

CD Single

01. All The Time In The World (radio mix; edit)
02. Hell To Pay (radio edit)
03. Perfect Strangers (bonus track live)
04. Rapture Of The Deep (bonus track live)

AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry will be inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame and perform on the Bowl's opening night of the 2013 season on Saturday, June 22.

Tyler and Perry first appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in May 1999, with subsequent appearances in 2002, 2006 and last year's sold-out concert.

Following their induction during this season's Hollywood Bowl opening-night event, Tyler and Perry will perform with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, led by Thomas Wilkins.

The Hollywood Bowl has been home to musicians, conductors, singers, dancers, actors, and composers of the highest caliber since its beginnings in the early 1920s. Performing at the Hollywood Bowl is regarded by many as an honor in itself, but the luminaries honored here are further distinguished by their induction in the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame.

The Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame recognizes artists whose achievements embody the spirit of the Bowl.

Founded in 2000, the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame celebrates those consummate creators and performers, who, through their talent and effort, have established themselves as true superstars — with appearances on screen, stage, recordings, and at the Bowl — whose contributions to the arts have made them part of the fabric of American culture.

Grand Rapids, Michigan hard rockers POP EVIL will release their new full-length album, "Onyx", on May 14. The CD's first single, "Trenches", is available for streaming on the band's Facebook page.

"Onyx" track listing:

01. Goodbye My Friend
02. Deal With The Devil
03. Trenches
04. Torn To Pieces
05. Divide
06. Beautiful
07. Silence & Scars ?
08. Sick Sense
09. Fly Away
10. Behind Closed Doors ?
11. Welcome To Reality ?
12. Flawed

A two-minute video clip of POP EVIL recording "Trenches" at Groovemaster Studios in Chicago with producer Johnny K can be seen below.

The message of "Trenches" applies to the world of art as well as the world of sports, the military, or anyone struggling with the economic downturn, like POP EVIL's home state of Michigan.

"It's about our battles," vocalist Leigh Kakaty says. "Not focusing on the things we can't control, if we really want to be a band that stands the test of time we have to write the music that connects. We have to dig our way out of the trenches."

During a slump in the music industry, POP EVIL is living proof that you can still make a living following your dreams. "It's a matter of time before rock and roll is in the forefront again and we want to be part of that," Kakaty says.

After three Top 5 songs at rock radio, a fourth in the Top 10, a half million digital singles sold and over 1,000 shows a few short years into their impressive career, POP EVIL's return with "Onyx" is a swaggering, fist­pumping, ball­busting ride through American rock. The grandiose melody of the '70s, the danger of the '80s, the emotion of the '90s and the loudest of modern riffs all have a home in POP EVIL, who fashion a fresh sound that looks to the future through the prism of rock's past.

Melodic progressive power metal act ARTIZAN will release its new album, "Ancestral Energy", on May 10 via Pure Steel Records. The cover artwork for the CD was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, HATEBREED, SIGH, ATHEIST and AGHORA.

A trailer for the album can be seen below.

Commented ARTIZAN founder/drummer Ty Tammeus: "Eliran has impressed me with his previous illustrations; he is a young, gifted artist, who will inject his unique talents into a masterpiece for the new ARTIZAN album. I am amazed how he has completely immersed himself into our music, and the story of our characters, to develop a concept for the album cover unlike anything I have ever seen."

"Ancestral Energy" was recorded at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida with legendary metal producer Jim Morris. Ex-ICED EARTH singer Matt Barlow makes a very special guest appearance on the CD's title track.

ARTIZAN's new song "The Death Of Me" can be streamed below. According to a press release, the track "showcases all of the elements ARTIZAN established on their first album, 'Curse Of The Artizan'." Fantasy artist Marc Sasso created artwork for the "The Death Of Me" single which displays the Artizan character with Sasso’s unique conception of the Grim Reaper.

German metallers FREEDOM CALL will release an anniversary album, "Ages Of Light", on April 26 in Germany, April 29 in the rest of Europe and May 7 in North America via SPV/Steamhammer.

"Ages Of Light" is a best-of double album filled to the brim with 18 of the most important songs from the band's history, plus a bonus CD entitled "Masqueraded", featuring six FREEDOM CALL tracks in a new, unusual guise. There is a ska version of "Metal Invasion", "Mr. Evil" as a melodic reggae track, "Hero On Video" as a speed ska number and "Rockin' Radio" (which is also supported by a video clip) in a killerbilly version.

"Those 18 numbers are usually celebrated at our gigs, or even requested with a vengeance," explains mainman Chris Bay.

"Masqueraded" is complemented by FREEDOM CALL in campfire strumming style (including music sheet/tablature) and "Age Of The Phoenix" in a power swing outfit. It would hardly be possible to present these tracks more colorfully. Bay says: "Our intention with 'Masqueraded' was to inspire musicians and music fans to create their own, personal version of one of our songs — irrespective of musical style — and send it to us."

"Ages Of Light" combines not only the essence of the best songs from the seven FREEDOM CALL studio recordings to date, but also marks a meeting of various former and current band members. Along with Chris Bay and guitarist Lars Rettkowitz, three different drummers can be heard on the bonus tracks: founding member Dan Zimmermann, along with his successors Klaus Sperling and Ramy Ali, whom fans know from the most recent FREEDOM CALL tour. The two bassists, Samy Saemann and original bandmember Ilker Ersin, and guitarist Cédric "Cede" Dupont, who was part of FREEDOM CALL between 2001 and 2005, are also featured.

"It was great fun to work with old and new friends alike at the studio, turning previously typical FREEDOM CALL numbers into unusual songs," Bay explains, stressing that the group will commence work on a new studio album after the spring tour. "But first we want to celebrate our anniversary in style!"

"Ages Of Light" track listing:

CD 1 "Ages Of Light"

01. We Are One
02. Tears Falling
03. Freedom Call
04. Farewell
05. Metal Invasion (live)
06. Warriors
07. Land Of Light
08. Hunting High And Low
09. Mr. Evil
10. Far Away
11. Blackened Sun
12. Thunder God
13. Tears Of Babylon
14. A Perfect Day (live)
15. Hero On Video
16. Power & Glory
17. Rockstars
18. Back Into The Land Of Light

CD 2 "Masqueraded"

01. Metal Invasion - Metal Folk Version
02. Mr. Evil - Melodic Reggae Version
03. Hero on Video - Speed Ska Version
04. Rockin' Radio - Killerbilly Version
05. Freedom Call - Camp Fire Strumming Version
06. Age of the Phoenix - Power Swing Version