Deadline Music/Cleopatra has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET regarding the reports that "Frequency Unknown", the new album from the Geoff Tate-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE, was being remixed by acclaimed musician, record producer and engineer Billy Sherwood:

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

Sherwood revealed in a posting on his Facebook page on Monday that he was hired to remix "Frequency Unknown". Sherwood wrote: "[It] seems there are sonic issues with the previous versions and so I shall be fixing it for all to enjoy. [I am] starting on it [Wednesday] morning [March 27]."

"Frequency Unknown" was produced by Jason Slater at a studio in Northern California.

Although a lineup for Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE was originally announced in the fall of 2012, things have changed. The band will now feature Tate along with bassist Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, DIO, WHITESNAKE, QUIET RIOT), guitarist Kelly Gray (QUEENSRŸCHE 1998-2001), keyboardist Randy Gane and new additions, guitarist Robert Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, HURRICANE) and drummer Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO, RHINO BUCKET). Guest musicians on the CD include K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST), Chris Poland (MEGADETH), Ty Tabor (KING'S X), Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS), Lita Ford, Brad Gillis (NIGHT RANGER), Dave Meniketti (Y&T) and Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN).

"Frequency Unknown" is packaged with bonus tracks — four QUEENSRŸCHE classics, newly recorded, including the smash hit single "Silent Lucidity".

"Frequency Unknown" track listing:

01. When Lightning Strikes
02. Running Backwards
03. Fallen
04. Life Without You
05. In The Hands Of God
06. Cold
07. The Weight Of The World
08. Slave
09. Dare
10. Everything

Bonus tracks: (2013 versions)

11. Silent Lucidity
12. Empire
13. Jet City Woman
14. I Don t Believe In Love

Beginning in early April, Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE will be hitting the road to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band's epic 1988 release, "Operation: Mindcrime", performing all fifteen songs from the album along with other well-known hits and rarities from the catalog they've compiled over the past 30 years.

"I try to surround myself with the best players available and feel our longtime fans deserve nothing less," says Tate. "I expect the forthcoming effort to be one of our best yet."

Tate, who was fired from QUEENSRŸCHE in June 2012 after fronting the group for three decades, last year sought to prevent his former bandmates from touring and operating under the QUEENSRŸCHE name without him. While ruling against Tate, the presiding judge determined that there was no legal hurdle in Tate also using the name with an all-new lineup of musicians. "I don't see any reason that Mr. Tate can't have the benefit, if he gets other members, of whatever name he uses of using the brand," Superior Court Judge Carol A. Schapira said during the July 13, 2012 court hearing. "I think [doing that would be] inherently confusing, although I'm sure the market can get these things sorted out," she added.

Last November, Tate released his first solo CD in over a decade titled "Kings & Thieves" (InsideOut Music) and toured with his solo band in support of the CD, which included dates with the legendary ALICE COOPER.

"Wings Of Madness", the new video from European symphonic metallers SERENITY, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's new album, "War Of Ages", which was made available on March 25 in Europe. The new CD will introduce a major change in the band's music and lineup.

Since their second album, SERENITY has been including female voices in its songs, had different guests to perform them live and among them was Clémentine Delauney. Going on tour together, the band realized her voice, personality and stage performance was bringing something special to the band's universe and thought she should be present on the new record. The idea evolved with time… why not have a permanent female voice in the band? And it seems they had found the perfect one both on professional and personal levels. So it came up somehow naturally that Clémentine should not be considered "guest" anymore.

Clémentine Delauney is now a full member of SERENITY. Thus "War Of Ages" welcomes Clémentine's voice on lead, backing and choir parts, completing the music with a constant feminine presence.

Says the band: "The band has the will to make its music richer on the vocal side; this is a start of a new approach! SERENITY will explore and use the unlimited musical possibilities of those two outstanding voices, to start with, and 'War Of Ages' is the perfect transition record between what SERENITY was and what it will become in the coming years! We hope you share our excitement!"

"War Of Ages" was once again mixed and mastered by Jan Vacik at Dreamsound Studios in Munich, Germany. The cover artwork was created by Seth Siro Anton, who previously worked with SERENITY on their debut album. The band states: "It likely is his best work to date and the whole cover figurine is just as impressive as the limited-edition closeup." SERENITY also collaborated again with Oliver Philipps on arrangements and orchestration.

"War Of Ages" track listing:

01. Wings Of Madness
02. The Art Of War
03. Shining Oasis
04. For Freedom's Sake
05. Age Of Glory
06. The Matricide
07. Symphony For The Quiet
08. Tannenberg
09. Legacy Of Tudors
10. Royal Pain
11. Fairytales (ballad version; limited-edition bonus track)
12. Love Of My Life (limited-edition bonus track)

Says the band: "While staying true to all SERENITY trademarks such as symphonic orchestras, heavy rhythms, amazing melodic vocals and bombastic choirs, we also brought in some new elements in form of various new sounds in the SERENITY universe and a constant implementation of female vocals supporting outstanding singer Georg Neuhauser."

German gothic death pioneers ATROCITY have unveiled the cover artwork and track listing for part one of their album trilogy, "Okkult". The CD will feature a three-continent treasure hunt where the band will hide a track for one fan to find for each of the three releases, the first in Europe this year (first evidence and code of the treasure hunt are hidden in the booklet of the limited-edition digipak and in the iTunes version).

"Okkult" will be released via Napalm Records on the following dates:

April 24: Spain/Sweden/Norway
April 26: GAS/BeNeLux/Finland
April 29: Rest of the world
May 7: USA/Canada

The album was produced by vocalist Alexander Krull at Mastersound Studio. The cover art (see below) was created by Stefan Heilemann.

"Okkult" track listing:

01. Pandaemonium
02. Death By Metal
03. March of the Undying
04. Haunted By Demons
05. Murder Blood Assasination
06. Necromancy Divine
07. Satan's Braut
08. Todesstimmen
09. Masaya (Boca Del Infierno)
10. When Empires Fall to Dust
11. Beyond Perpetual Ice
12. La Voisine

A seven-minute YouTube clip containing "Okkult" audio samples is available below.

Commentes ATROCITY singer and producer Alex Krull: "With 'Okkult', we want to start a very special album trilogy. Most recently with the 'Die Gottlosen Jahre (The Godless Years)' DVD, a splendid film documentary was released commemorating our longer-than-25-year career, which even now is to run at film festivals. Reason enough now to usher in a new era of ATROCITY! Musically, no prisoners will be taken, the 'Okkult' series is also brutal, bombastic and dark. These will not only be the heaviest and most brutal albums of ATROCITY since years, but also the darkest works of our band's history. Lovers of our harder material like 'Hallucinations', 'Todessehnsucht', 'Blut' or 'Atlantis' will surely be delighted with the 'Okkult' series at their expense, although the 'Okkult' songs have their own trademarks, of course."

The new ATROCITY opus, "Okkult". is described in a press release as "the kickstart to an album trilogy as it has not been seen before in the metal scene! Musically, ATROCITY show an enormous tension width, and deliver a very powerful, homogeneous and atmospheric album: On the one hand with much bombast and big choirs a la 'March Of The Undying'; on the other hand, ATROCITY deliver equally purist, brutal metal songs, which get under your skin just as intensely, closely and authentically. The overall sound is perfectly harmonized. The earthy, brilliant production sounds intoxicating and gives the musical pieces the necessary energy, atmosphere and roughness to dive immediately into the lyrical concept. This is anything but one-dimensional. The lyrics relate to occult magic, mysterious places, conspiracy theories and mysteries that are still unsolved. Thus, ATROCITY turn John Milton's vision of 'Pandemonium' into reality in an imposing way. With 'Death By Metal', a mystical tale from long ago, ATROCITY have composed a tribute to their own musical roots, as well as it is their own band anthem. The band takes us with 'Haunted By Demons' on a Scottish haunted castle, and brings in 'Necromancy Divine' the ancient necromancer Erictho back to life. Moreover, the 'Okkult' cover motif is dedicated to her. With overwhelming power the gates of hell are opened in 'Masaya (Boca del Inferno)'. The epic 'When Empires Fall To Dust' set the mystical prophecies of a mysterious, French Freemason from the First World War to music. Never before has the Ides of March been staged musically as gripping as in 'Murder Blood Assassination'. Also the myths surrounding the Antarctic have never before been turned into such a hymnic piece of music ('Beyond Perpetual Ice'). As a culmination the poisoner and witch 'La Voisine' does her mischief in the Paris of the 17th Century: What could fit better than a smashing, furious metal song of the brand ATROCITY?"

In keeping with the dark atmosphere of "Okkult", ATROCITY got the Canadian sound designer Katie Halliday on board. She worked for movies like "Saw V", "Saw VI", "Saw 3D (VII)", "The Devil's Carnival" and "Todd And The Book Of Pure Evil", and already could reap some awards for her work. The orchestral parts were recorded by the Lingua Mortis Orchestra under the direction of Victor Smolski (RAGE) in Minsk, Belarus. Besides all harshness and bombast, ATROCITY again show their excellent sense of very good, catchy songs — "Satan's Braut" is definitely a pure club hit.

Adds Krull: "For our fans, we've come up with something very special: There will be no conventional bonus tracks on the 'Okkult' albums! In return, all fans can actively engage in a kind of treasure hunt. For the respective 'Okkult' albums, we will hide one song on an 'occult site,' which is the 'missing track' to each album. For the first 'Okkult' record, that certain place will be in Europe. All original recording tracks and mixes of these songs will be destroyed by our own hands, that also means we as a band will also not be able to listen to these songs until they are found. They are in the truest sense of the word: Unique."

ATROCITY 2013 is:

Alexander Krull - Vocals
Thorsten Bauer - Guitar, Bass
Sander Van Der Meer - Guitar
Joris Nijenhuis - Drums

"This Is Rock'N'Roll, Wankers!", the new video from Italian hard rockers VOODOO HIGHWAY, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's second studio album, "Showdown", which will be released on April 26 via Dust On The Tracks Records. The CD was produced and mixed by Dysfunction Productions (Anthony Phillips, John Wetton, Logan Mader) and mastered by U.S. senior mastering engineer Ue Nastasi (GOJIRA, AC/DC, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) of Sterling Sound Studios in New York. The artwork was created by U.K. graphic designer Storm Thorgerson, who has previously worked with PINK FLOYD, LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH, DREAM THEATER and AUDIOSLAVE, among many others.

"Showdown" track listing:

01. This Is Rock'N'Roll, Wankers!
02. Fly To The Rising Sun
03. Midnight Hour
04. Could You Love Me
05. Wastin' Miles
06. Church Of Clay
07. Mountain High
08. Cold White Love
09. A Spark From The Sacred Fire
10. Prince Of Moonlight

Bonus Tracks:

11. Till It Bleeds
12. Broken Uncles Inn

VOODOO HIGHWAY will celebrate the release of "Showdown" on April 6 at Sala Estense in Ferrara, Italy.

VOODOO HIGHWAY is Federico Di Marco (vocals), Filippo Cavallini (bass), Matteo Bizzarri (guitars), Alessandro Duò (keyboards) and Vincenzo Zairo (drums).

EVANESCENCE's Troy McLawhorn is filling in for SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery on the road while Lowery and his wife, Tara, await the birth of their daughter.

Clint married Tara in September 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. They had a son, Harper, in December 2010.

SEVENDUST's ninth studio album, "Black Out The Sun", is likely to sell between 30,000 and 35,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on March 26 via the band's 7Bros. Records in conjunction with ADA Label Services. The CD was recorded at Architekt Music studios in Butler, New Jersey with engineer Mike Ferretti.

SEVENDUST's previous CD, 2010's "Cold Day Memory", sold around 27,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The band's 2008 effort, "Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow", opened with 25,000 units to land at No. 19.

Pictured below: Clint Lowery with his wife, Tara, and son, Harper

KING'S X frontman Doug "Dug" Pinnick will release his new solo album, "Naked", on May 7 via RockArmy Records. Check out the cover artwork below.

According to a press release, "'Naked' is deeply personal and overflowing with [Pinnick's] unmistakable tone, groove, and heart-wrenching vocals. PEARL JAM's Jeff Ament said that 'heavy music didn't start in Seattle, it started in Katy, Texas with KING'S X' and 'Naked' is proof that Pinnick remains at the top of his game."

Pinnick in December released a special holiday-themed digital-only single via RockArmy Records and his own dUgtone imprint featuring the songs "Holiday" and "Ho Ho Ho". This single came right on the heels of the release of the first single from "Naked", featuring the songs "What You Gonna Do?" and "Courage".

"Naked" will be Pinnick's sixth solo album, including two released under the moniker POUNDHOUND. Pinnick wrote, performed, produced, and mixed the CD and the new single on his own in his home studio in Los Angeles.

RockArmy Records is owned by Paul Soroski, the bassist for PODUNK, who have done numerous national tours alongside KING'S X, TESLA, and others. Soroski's studio credits include 2010's "Dead New World" by ILL NINO and 2009's "Reflections" by RAZR13, which features Pinnick on lead vocals.

Pinnick is best known as the vocalist/bassist for KING'S X, the influential hard rock act that also features guitarist Ty Tabor and drummer Jerry Gaskill. KING'S X celebrated 32 years of activity as a band in 2012 with a run of U.S. dates alongside KANSAS. The band's most recent studio album, "XV", was released in 2008 and was their highest-charting album since 1996's "Ear Candy". In 2005, VH1 included KING'S X in its list of "100 Greatest Artists In Hard Rock."

Finnish hard rock band THE RAGGED SAINTS has completed mixing its as-yet-untitled debut album at Sonic Pump Studios with Nino Laurenne. The CD is currently being shopped to interested record labels for a tentative late 2013 release.

"It's cool; we formed the band less than a year and half ago and now we are at this magical point in our career," says THE RAGGED SAINTS guitarist Tomi Julkunen.

"We've been listening to [the album] for a few days now and we're amazed how good it sounds. I'm pretty sure that people who are into hard rock with bit of '80s vibe to it will like the album a lot. We've already got incredible feedback and reviews on three promo songs.

"We are playing the music we love and if it touches other people it's a great bonus.

"We are shopping around for a deal now as we have a finished record in our hands. Hopefully we get a right label to release it soon."

He added: "We have a great relationship with Nino as I've known him since the late '80s. He has a great track record working with bands such as AMORPHIS, LORDI, FINNTROLL and KOTIPELTO, to name a few. He's always been a big fan of melodic hard rock and knew exactly what we wanted the album to sound like. He saw the big picture and knew how to go that much needed extra mile. We have already talked with him about producing and mixing the second album."

THE RAGGED SAINTS will make its live debut in April at Bar Bäkkäri in Helsinki with NIGHT BY NIGHT (U.K.).

"We're all really excited about the first show," says Julkunen. "It will be all good, we're practising hard to make sure we exceed the expections."

THE RAGGED SAINTS is:

Vocals: Markku Kuikka (STATUS MINOR)
Guitars: Tomi Julkunen (THE MILESTONES)
Guitars: Toni Bite (MILLION DOLLAR BEGGARS)
Bass: Jukka Hoffrén (ADAMANTRA)
Drums: Miikki Kunttu (V FOR VIOLENCE)

BLACK STAR RIDERS — the new band formed by THIN LIZZY alumni Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso (ALICE COOPER, MEGADETH, DAVID LEE ROTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) on drums — will release its debut album, "All Hell Breaks Loose", via Nuclear Blast Entertainment on the following dates:

* May 21 – Japan
* May 22 - Sweden
* May 24 - Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Norway
* May 27 - U.K., France, BeNeLux, Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Greece
* May 28 - U.S., Canada, Italy, South America

The album was preceded by a first single, "Bound For Glory", which can now be streamed below.

The "All Hell Breaks Loose" artwork features a painting by Gil Elvgren (March 15, 1914 - February 29, 1980), the legendary U.S. painter best known for his work on pin-up girls, advertising and illustration.

The artwork ties directly to the origins of the album title. Warwick explains: "I was watching a documentary about World War II bombers and saw the name painted on the side of one of the aircraft. The name just resonated with me and it seem to encapsulate the turmoil that we, as a society, are currently experiencing. The past few years have been such a wild ride and now with the release of the album, it sounded like a bad-ass album title that summed up what BLACK STAR RIDERS is all about."

About the single, Warwick states: "'Bound For Glory' — a song for the lost but never lonely, walking tall in the face of everyday adversary. Everyone has a story to tell. Revolution begins in the mirror!!!" Gorham adds: "When it came time to pick one of these songs as a single, we had a really hard time. There are so many really great tracks here and everyone had their favorites. But in the end, we all agreed that 'Bound For Glory' is the perfect choice and represents what BLACK STAR RIDERS is all about."

"All Hell Breaks Loose" was recorded and mixed by producer Kevin Shirley (LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, RUSH) at his The Cave studios in Malibu, California. Mastering duties were handled by Bob Ludwig (JIMI HENDRIX, RUSH, KISS, LED ZEPPELIN) at Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine.

"All Hell Breaks Loose" track listing:

01. All Hell Breaks Loose
02. Bound For Glory
03. Kingdom Of The Lost
04. Bloodshot
05. Kissin’ The Ground
06. Hey Judas
07. Hoodoo Voodoo
08. Valley Of The Stones
09. Someday Salvation
10. Before The War
11. Blues Ain't So Bad

The album will be released as a standard CD and also as a special-edition digipak featuring a bonus track, "Right To Be Wrong", and a "making-of" DVD.

A 24-minute collection of video reports featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "All Hell Breaks Loose" can be seen below.

In October 2012, THIN LIZZY announced that they would not be recording new material under the THIN LIZZY monicker. The last incarnation of the band — Gorham, Brian Downey, Wharton, Warwick, Johnson and Mendoza — would be looking to form a new project.

According to a press release, Brian Downey decided to not become involved with BLACK STAR RIDERS because he didn't want to commit to the touring cycle a new album would entail and Darren Wharton wanted to concentrate on DARE and other music and film projects.

"Brian and Darren just don't want to be on the road 150 days a year. anti that's completely understandable," Warwick tells Classic Rock magazine. "But we do. We work very well together, and there's no better man than Jimmy to gel it together. This is a kick-ass band."

The BLACK STAR RIDERS album will feature material the band wrote while touring as THIN LIZZY and the sound retains that classic feel but is very much its own as well. The BLACK STAR RIDERS record is the next step in the evolution of the THIN LIZZY story.

"There's no way it could sound like THIN LIZZY with [late THIN LIZZY frontman] Phil [Lynott]," Gorham tells Classic Rock. But Johnson disagreees. "I think Scott is too dose to it," he says. "Ricky or I would bring in a song idea, and as soon as Scott starts playing on it, it sounds like THIN LIZZY, whether Scott realizes it or not. Everybody who's heard the new music says it has that dassic THIN LIZZY vibe. No, it can't sound like the original band. But that classic LIZZY vibe is absolutely there."

"I'm not gonna pull any punches here," says Warwick. "It sounds like classic THIN LIZZY brought up to date. l've been singing Phil's songs every night for two years, and although it sounds a bit crass because the man's not here, I feel like I've had these lessons from getting so deep into his work. Phil's songwriting, his lyrics, his phrasing, his pitching, his delivery — it's genius. And that's really helped me as a writer."

It was Warwick who named the new band BLACK STAR RIDERS, after an outlaw gang in the 1993 western movie "Tombstone". As Johnson tells Classic Rock: "Scott said from the very beginning that we did not want a name that was specifically related to THIN LIZZY, because this band has to stand on its own."

On March 27, Victor Entertainment released "Live In Tokyo", the new CD+DVD from PSMS, the new supergroup featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), bassist Billy Sheehan (STEVE VAI, DAVID LEE ROTH), guitarist Tony MacAlpine (neo classical-metal style, STEVE VAI) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, PLANET X, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION).

"Live In Tokyo" features PSMS's November 14, 2012 concert at Zepp Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. The DVD features two-channel stereo sound plus 5.1 Surround. The DVD disc is encoded for region 2 (Japan, Europe, and Middle East), and no subtitles are included.

Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine and Sherinian played an all-instrumental set consisting of material from each of their solo records and their previous collaborations as well as classic instrumental covers and extended solo spots.

"Live In Tokyo" track listing:

01. Opening
02. A Change of Seasons: I The Crimson Sunrise (DREAM THEATER song)
03. Acid Rain (LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT song)
04. The Stranger (TONY MACALPINE song)
05. Atlantis, Part 1: Apocalypse 1470 B.C. (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
06. Guitar Solo
07. Been Here Before (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
08. Birds of Prey (Billy's Boogie) (TONY MACALPINE song)
09. Bass Solo
10. Birds of Prey (Billy's Boogie) (TONY MACALPINE song) (conclusion)
11. The Farandole (TALAS song)
12. The Pump (JEFF BECK song)
13. Quick Drum Spot
14. Nightmare Cinema (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
15. Hell's Kitchen (DREAM THEATER song)
16. Keyboard Solo
17. Lines in the Sand (DREAM THEATER song) (abridged)
18. Shy Boy (TALAS song) (Billy Sheehan on lead vocals)

In a recent interview with Prog Sphere, Portnoy stated about the new band, "It's a blast. I love Derek; he's a fun guy. I still stand by the fact that I'm not sure if he was ever right for DREAM THEATER. But, that doesn't mean I don't love the guy as a player and person. I really do — I love being with him and I love playing with him and I'm glad to be able to work with him again. And, you know, it's a cool project because obviously it's very much… I think of everything I'm doing it's the most like DREAM THEATER or it's more even like LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, probably. But you know, it's just me being able to play that kind of music with some amazing musicians. Not only Derek, but, obviously, Billy Sheehan's a dear friend and I've got two different things going with Billy at the moment, and I love working with him; he's one of my favorite bass players of all time. And Tony MacAlpine is an amazing guitar player, so I'm honored to be playing with him as well. It's a great, great lineup and we have a DVD that's gonna come out soon from when we played together back in January and then we have this run of shows coming up in the fall.

Asked if he is going to create some original music with that band, Portnoy replied, "There's no plans for it, but obviously, we are gonna spend months together playing every day, so I'm sure it will inevitably be discussed, and who knows?! I think it could be very, very cool. So, you know, we'll see. I'm sure we'll talk about it."

Portnoy formed the lineup to perfom at two drum events at the NAMM show in January 2012. Due to overwhelming response, that band has decided to take their show on the road.

"I knew when assembling this lineup that it would be a magical musical experience that would be a blast for us as well as the fans! I can't wait to play again with these tremendous musicians and share the experience with you all at these special shows!" said Portnoy.

Fan-filmed video footage of Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine and Sherinian performing on October 27, 2012 at Milk in Moscow, Russia during the band's European tour can be seen below.

Los Angeles thrashers ANGER AS ART performed at their Record Release party in Santa Ana, CA on March 16th.
In addition to performing all songs from their album Hubris, Inc., the band (uniquely comprised of all former ABATTOIR members as well as the current lineup of BITCH) were joined onstage by Mark 'the Shark' Caro, Betsy Bitch, and Sin Quirin (MINISTRY, REVOLTING COCKS) for rousing renditions of the album's two bonus tracks, 'Rage And Retribution' and 'Speed Kills' - as well as classics from Abattoir - 'Screams From The Grave' and Bitch - 'Skullcrusher'.

Anger As Art vocalist guitarist Steve Gaines said, "It was a unique night. We were able to dig into our history at the same time we celebrated our fourth full length release. Safe to say everyone went home happy... including us."

Video of Anger As Art performing 'SkullCrusher' with Betsy Bitch and Sin Quirin can be seen below:
Footage of Anger As Art performing 'Screams From The Grave' with Mark 'The Shark' Caro is available below:
Hubris Inc. is out now on Old School Metal Records. Called a "full-frontal, thrashtastic aural assault" by BraveWords' Kelley Simms, Hubris Inc. is one of the most aggressive and intense albums in Anger As Art's career.

The album features guest appearances from Betsey Bitch, Jim Durkin (DARK ANGEL), Timothy Gaines (STRYPER), Steve Nelson (EVIL DEAD) and Mark Caro (Abattoir).
In other news, Anger As Art has confirmed a return appearance at the Dokkem Open Air Festival and will be appearing alongside TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH, CRYPTOPSY and many more. The fest runs June 21st - 22nd in Dokkum, Freisland, NL. The band is in the process of booking additional dates in Germany, France Holland and Belgium.

More on Anger As Art at this location.

Neurot Recordings will release the debut from Arkansas southern rock collective IRON TONGUE.

Fronted by Chris "CT" Terry, the founding frontman of sludge legion RWAKE, IRON TONGUE formed when a group of veteran players with diverse musical backgrounds found a common interest in the need to get down and dirty and way, way gone.

Churning a soulful blend of girthy, heavily amped, blues-based rock, IRON TONGUE aren't singing of magical moonlit escapades. The band offer up songs of pain, regret and heartache that recall everything from the proto-metal stomp of BLUE CHEER and GRAND FUNK to the darkest hours of KISS, DEEP PURPLE, BUDDY GUY and 'SKYNYRD. Having spent over three years performing steadily throughout the South, IRON TONGUE has traversed the Midwest and East Coast with Memphis kindred spirits THE DIRTY STREETS, in addition to sharing bills with the likes of BLACK TUSK, Scott Kelly, THE SWORD, HIGH ON FIRE, CROWBAR, THE BODY, Lita Ford and fellow Arkansans PALLBEARER. A split seven-inch single with THE DIRTY STREETS, featuring a ballsy version of KISS' "Two Timer" served as a precursor to the creation their debut full-length for Neurot.

Entitled "The Dogs Have Barked, The Birds Have Flown", the seven-track offering was recorded and produced by soundsmith Billy Anderson (MELVINS, SLEEP, NEUROSIS) at IRON TONGUE guitarist Jason Tedford's Wolfman Studios. Called "a solid slab of balls to the wall shameless rock, with a power and an edge and soul that rarely exists in music today," by NEUROSIS' Steve Von Till, "The Dogs Have Barked, The Birds Have Flown" is set for release via Neurot Recordings on May 27 in Europe and May 28 in North America.

Comments drummer Stan James of joining the Neurot family: "IRON TONGUE is excited and honored to be a part of the Neurot team! We are looking forward to working hard every step of the way and we are committed to making music that everyone will be proud of."

"The Dogs Have Barked, The Birds Have Flown" track listing:

01. Ever After
02. Witchery
03. Skeleton
04. Moon Unit
05. Lioness
06. Seven Days
07. Said 'N' Done

IRON TONGUE is:

Jason Tedford - Guitar
Mark Chiaro - Guitar
Andy Warr - Bass
Stan James - Drums
CT - Vocals
Stephanie Smittle - Backing Vocals

"Index", the new video from the Stockholm, Sweden-based band band PORT NOIR, can be seen below. The song comes off the group's debut album, "Puls", which is tentatively due in September via Razzia Notes, the label headed up by IN FLAMES frontman Anders Fridén.

In November 2011, Andreas "AW" Wiberg (drums), Love Andersson (vocals, guitar) and Andreas Hollstrand (guitar, backing vocals) decided to meet up in a rehearsal room in their hometown Södertälje, outside of Stockholm, Sweden. They were all tired of playing music with people lacking the same level of ambition and wanted to create something new and fresh. Something beyond musical boundaries and invisible frames.

"We were seeking the freedom to do exactly what we wanted to," explains Hollstrand.

A few hours later, the trio started recording their very first song, the galvanic "Sun Dé Man". The first chapter in the history of PORT NOIR was written.

Before the track was even mixed, the trio made a music video and posted it on the Internet. A week later, Fridén heard the song and instantly sent a mail to the band. He stated that "Sun Dé Man" was the best song he had heard in a very long time and wondered if the band was contracted to a label.

Six months later, PORT NOIR played its first show ever — as the opening act for IN FLAMES in Stockholm.

"I did not even have the lyrics ready and improvised the entire show. But this was something we could not turn down," Andersson says.

A few months later, PORT NOIR began recording its debut album, "Puls", at Dugout Studios in Uppsala with producer Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, DIMMU BORGIR, SOILWORK).

"Daniel's commitment meant a lot for the record," says Wiberg. "While the rest of us fell asleep in the studio, he kept on going until 4 a.m. We still have a close contact and have become really good friends."

The unexpected title, the Swedish word for "pulse," comes from the album's lyrical theme. It is about not being stuck in your safety zone but finding new ways of doing things. To follow the pulse that pushes us forward.

The PORT NOIR members come from very diverse backgrounds (black metal, jazz, alternative rock, death metal, hardcore, progressive rock), yet "Puls" proves that the band knows exactly where it is at and where it is heading. They are moving forward and upward — at a very fast pace.

Cyclone Empire has announced the re-release of renowned Swedish melodic death metal act A CANOROUS QUINTETs full discography. The Quintessence comes as a double CD with massive booklet and extensive liner-notes. Besides the two classic albums (originally released in 1996 and 1998) two previously unreleased and complete new songs from 2012 will be included. For complete tracklist and artwork see below.

Silence Of The World Beyond (1996)
'Silence Of The World Beyond'
'Naked With Open Eyes'
'Spellbound'
'The Orchid´s Sleep'
'The Black Spiral'
'The Last Journey'
'In The Twilight Of Fear'
'Burning, Emotionless'
'Dream Reality'

Bonus:
'Silence Of The World Beyond' (Live)
'Reflections Of The Mirror' (2012)
'Dreamcloud'(2012-unreleased)
'Welcome To Your End' (2012-unreleased)

The Only Pure Hate (1998)
'Selfdeceiver (The Purest Of Hate)
'Embryo Of Lies'
'Red'
'The Void'
'Everbleed'
'The Complete Emptiness'
'Retaliation'
'Realm Of Rain'
'The Storm'
'Land Of The Lost'

Bonus:
'Land Of The Lost' (Demo 1997)
'Revert To Life' (Demo 1997)

As Tears (1995)
'Through Endless Illusions'
'The Joy Of Sorrow'
'When Happiness Dies'
'Strangeland'

Veteran Italian metallers EXTREMA will release their new album, "The Seed Of Foolishness", on May 21 via Scarlet Records.

Active in the metal scene for over 25 years, EXTREMA is ready to unleash a new chapter in its already astonishing career. "The Seed Of Foolishness" sees the band going back to its thrash metal roots, displayed in 10 powerful new tracks which have already been described as some of the best ever written by the band, a relentless touring machine that over the years has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in heavy metal (METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD, KORN and DEATH ANGEL, to name a few).

"The Seed Of Foolishness" takes its inspiration from a series of events that led to the economic crisis that we are all suffering today, providing therapy for all the anger and frustration resulting from it. "Combat Metal" was how fans and critics alike used to refer to when talking about EXTREMA at the time of their incendiary debut album, "Tension At The Seams", but such definition is more relevant today than ever.

"The Seed Of Foolishness" track listing:

01. Between The Lines
02. The Politics
03. Pyre Of Fire
04. The Distance
05. Ending Prophecies
06. Bones
07. Again And Again
08. Deep Infection
09. Sick And Tired
10. A Moment Of Truth

On May 4, EXTREMA will kick off its new tour.

EXTREMA entered Fear Studio in Alfonsine (RA), Italy in May 2012 to begin recording the follow-up to 2009's "Pound For Pound" with producers Tommy Massara (EXTREMA guitarist) and Gabry Ravaglia.

"Cavalry", the new Antoine Benhini-directed video from Montreal, Quebec, Canada rockers SLAVES ON DOPE, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "Over The Influence", which was released in February 2012 via THC: Music/Rocket Science Ventures. The CD was produced and mixed by Kevin Jardine, features a guest appearance by Jonathan Cabana, lead singer of Quebec deathcore band BLIND WITNESS, on the track "Dear Enemies".

Commented SLAVES ON DOPE frontman Jason Rockman: "We are really excited to be releasing the 'Cavalry' video. We have had it filmed for over a year, and really wanted it to be the final chapter to 'Over The Influence', a goodbye of sorts to the album, and a great foot to lead with for the 'Covers Vol. 1' that will be out very soon! We cannot wait for people to see it , and to play two of the biggest metal festivals in eastern Canada this summer."

SLAVES ON DOPE's digital-only EP, "Careless Coma", came out on November 1, 2011. The effort featured three new studio tracks, as well as remixes and a radio edit of the title cut.

SLAVES ON DOPE is:

Kevin Jardine - Guitar
Jason Rockman - Vocals
Peter Tzafaris - Drums
Sebastien Ducap - Bass

SLAVES ON DOPE's "Inches from the Mainline" album was released through Ozzy Osbourne's now-defunct Divine Recordings label. After Divine Recordings lost its distribution deal with EMI's Priority Records, the band was left without a label. After a long search, a deal was struck with Bieler Bros. Records. SLAVES ON DOPE's second major album, "Metafour", was released in 2003.

In March 2004, SLAVES ON DOPE announced it was going on hiatus due to Jason Rockman leaving the band. The group officially reformed in 2009.

Video footage of SHINEDOWN performing its song "I'll Follow You" in an exclusive live recording session at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, California for "The Live Room" on The Warner Sound can be seen below.

"The Live Room" is an exclusive Warner Sound original series that captures today's most innovative artists performing live recording sessions in the most iconic recording studios across America.

SHINEDOWN is in the process of wrapping up a tour with THREE DAYS GRACE and P.O.D.

SHINEDOWN's fourth album, "Amaryllis", came out last year. The CD debuted atop Billboard's "Rock Albums" chart and at #4 overall on The Billboard 200 — SHINEDOWN's biggest chart debut thus far — with over 105,000 units sold its first week out.

Congratulations are in order for DOWN drummer and EYEHATEGOD guitarist Jimmy Bower and his wife Dana Kieferle Bower, who welcomed their first child, a daughter named Maddie Rae Bower, earlier this week.

Jimmy and Dana were married in March 2012 in New Orleans, Lousiana.

DOWN's latest EP, "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP", will be released on purple vinyl on February 26.

"Down IV Part I" sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP", DOWN's first in a series of four EPs to be released over the next few years (with a year between EPs), each touching on a different aspect of the band's sound, came out on September 18, 2012.

"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP" heralds the sound of DOWN going back to its roots, with influences from BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS and WITCHFINDER GENERAL.

Dutch guitarist/composer Arjen Lucassen has set "The Theory Of Everything" as the title of the new AYREON album, tentatively due in the fall.

Regarding the progress of the songwriting sessions for the upcoming effort, Lucassen said: "I've finished recording demos of the music, and am now about halfway finished with the lyrics. It's going to be a double album, so there is a lot to write! It's extra challenging as well, because lyrically I've left the old AYREON universe behind and have to create a new one from scratch. I'm really excited about the lineup and how everything is progressing so far."

AYREON's latest album, "01011001" (2008), sold 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 32 on the 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).

AYREON's 3CD + DVD compilation album entitled "Timeline" came out in November 2008. The set followed the thirteen-year evolution of the AYREON sound from the 1995 debut "The Final Experiment" to the release of "01011001". In addition to selecting tracks from the existing AYREON discography, Arjen also wrote and recorded a new AYREON song exclusively for "Timeline". Titled "Epilogue: The Memory Remains", this previously unreleased nine-plus-minute track introduced AYREON fans to the clear, powerful voice of Jasper Steverlinck (ARID).

When legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) embarked on a solo career with his self-titled album, featuring collaborations with some of his favorite classic and up-and-coming singers, he asked artist Ron English to collaborate with him on the cover. Ron interpreted Slash's iconic skull with a top hat using Ron's unique glowing color technique in a boudoir atmosphere complete with guitar/derriere crossbones.

In response to the popularity of the album artwork, Ron English and Slash have worked together to create a limited edition fiberglass bust of the now iconic image. In collaboration with Garage Works, the prestigious sculpture house in Hong Kong, the English Slash bust is being released in a limited edition of 10, each signed and numbered by Ron English and Slash.

For more information, visit Popaganda.com.

"My Kinda Woman", the new video from the reactivated '80s Dutch metal band PICTURE, can be seen below. The song song comes off the group's latest album, "Warhorse", which was released in February 2012 via Artist Station Records. The CD was mixed by Oscar Holleman, who has previously worked with WITHIN TEMPTATION and AFTER FOREVER, among others.

PICTURE recently announced the return of guitarist Andre Wullems to the group's ranks. Along with Chriz van Jaarsveld, Andre was the guitarist in PICTURE during the promotion period for the album "Traitor" back in 1985 and played live with PICTURE on a number of occasions in the past.

Commented PICTURE in a statement: "We're really pleased that Andre deceided to join the ranks again and we're looking forward to touring with him throughout Europe with the 'Warhorse' tour. We played with Andre for some time in the past and we knew his capabilities on guitar. It's great to have a familiar member of the band return. Together with Mike Ferguson, they form a formidable guitar duo."

PICTURE will kick off the "Warhorse" European tour in April.

PICTURE supported AC/DC, TED NUGENT and SAXON in the Netherlands. With SAXON, they did a full European tour in 1981. Later on they toured with ROSE TATTOO in Germany and headlined tours in Italy and Israel.

After recently signing with Megaforce Records for North America to release their new EP, "United World Rebellion - Chapter One", American rockers SKID ROW have just inked a deal with Germany's UDR Music for the rest of the world.

The first new release from SKID ROW since 2006's "Revolutions Per Minute", "United World Rebellion - Chapter One" is the first of three plus three EPs that will be made available over the next 18 months. Some of the sessions for the CD, which was mastered in February, took place at Open Sky Studio, the Atlanta, Georgia-based facility owned and operated by producer/drummer Mike Froedge (DREADED MARCO, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DOUBLEDRIVE, SPEED X), and the Bonehead Studio, also in Atlanta.

Release dates are as follows:

North America: April 16
European Union: May 24
United Kingdom: May 27
Rest of the world: May 27

Explained SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan: "We wanted to do something different. Living in an age of information overload, it seemed like the perfect time to try something new. We came up with the idea to release three consecutive EPs over the course of the next year or so. This way we have new music out there on a consistent basis. And who better to do that with than Megaforce? They practically invented the EP! 'United World Rebellion – Chapter One' ROCKS!"

SKID ROW singer Johnny Solinger recently stated about "United World Rebellion - Chapter One": "This truly is a special record. Can't wait for you all to hear it."

"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

Check out audio samples at Amazon.com.

"Kings Of Demolition" audio sample:

British doom legends CATHEDRAL will release their final studio album, "The Last Spire", on April 30 via Rise Above Records. Recorded at Orgone Studios in London, produced by Lee Dorrian and Garry Jennings with assistance, mixing by Jamie Gomez Arellano, and art by Dave Patchett and Arik Roper, "The Last Spire" will stand as the band's final effort.

CATHEDRAL recently filmed its final music video, "Tower Of Silence", which was inspired by classic cult British film institutions such as "Amicus" and "Hammer House of Horror". The clip was shot on location during the British Winter of 2012 at Gunnersbury Park Tower, London. It features a guest appearance from Purson's Rosalie Cunningham, who places a symbolic black orchid on the tombstone of each member in the clips closing scenes.

Directed by U.K.-based Paraffin City Productions, the "Tower Of Silence" clip can be viewed below.

"The Last Spire" track listing:

01. Entrance To Hell
02. Pallbearer
03. Cathedral Of The Damned
04. Tower Of Silence
05. Infestation Of Grey Death
06. An Observation
07. The Last Laugh
08. This Body, Thy Tomb

And lo, Lee Dorrian, mouthpiece of CATHEDRAL for 23 years, doth solemnly intone the death rites of this mighty British metal titan. Born in the dying days of Thatcher's Britain, bonding over then-unfashionable, obscure names like SAINT VITUS, PENTAGRAM, TROUBLE and DREAM DEATH, CATHEDRAL's sole ambition was to record a demo tape. In fact they revolutionized doom metal, first pushing their influences into new avenues of grinding extremity, then pioneering groovier forms of '70s-indebted stoner doom.

Lee Dorrian says: "When the last mix was finally done, there was a massive sense of relief. I think this was partly due to the fact that it meant CATHEDRAL could finally be put to rest but also because we felt we'd done something that we were all very pleased with. I feel comfortable leaving 'The Last Spire' as our legacy." Dorrian continues, "The funeral of CATHEDRAL has been a long but gratifying process. Deciding to end the band wasn't an easy decision to make but we knew deep down in our hearts that it was the right thing to do."

"The Last Spire" was recorded by:

Lead Vocals - Lee Dorrian
Guitars - Garry Jennings
Bass - Scott Carlson
Drums - Brian Dixon
Hammond, Mellotron, Moog & Synths - David Moore
Guest Vocals on 'Cathedral Of The Damned' - Chris Reifert
Backing Vocals - Rosalie Cunningham

CATHEDRAL recently released its first new recorded material in three years exclusively via Decibel magazine's subscriber-only Decibel Flexi Series. The song, "Vengeance Of The Blind Dead", can be heard in the flexi included in the February 2013 issue. The track is also streaming on Decibel's SoundCloud page. Limited quantities of the issue with the flexi can be ordered on DecibelMagazine.com.

Acclaimed musician, record producer and engineer Billy Sherwood has revealed via his Facebook page that he has landed "a new gig": remixing "Frequency Unknown", the new album from the Geoff Tate-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE. Sherwood writes: "[It] seems there are sonic issues with the previous versions and so I shall be fixing it for all to enjoy. [I am] starting on it [Wednesday] morning [March 27]."

"Frequency Unknown" was previously scheduled for release on April 23 via the Los Angeles-based independent label Cleopatra Records. The CD was produced by Jason Slater at a studio in Northern California.

Although a lineup for Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE was originally announced in the fall of 2012, things have changed. The band will now feature Tate along with bassist Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, DIO, WHITESNAKE, QUIET RIOT), guitarist Kelly Gray (QUEENSRŸCHE 1998-2001), keyboardist Randy Gane and new additions, guitarist Robert Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, HURRICANE) and drummer Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO, RHINO BUCKET). Guest musicians on the CD include K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST), Chris Poland (MEGADETH), Ty Tabor (KING'S X), Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS), Lita Ford, Brad Gillis (NIGHT RANGER), Dave Meniketti (Y&T) and Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN).

"Frequency Unknown" is packaged with bonus tracks — four QUEENSRŸCHE classics, newly recorded, including the smash hit single "Silent Lucidity".

"Frequency Unknown" track listing:

01. When Lightning Strikes
02. Running Backwards
03. Fallen
04. Life Without You
05. In The Hands Of God
06. Cold
07. The Weight Of The World
08. Slave
09. Dare
10. Everything

Bonus tracks: (2013 versions)

11. Silent Lucidity
12. Empire
13. Jet City Woman
14. I Don t Believe In Love

Beginning in early April, Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE will be hitting the road to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band's epic 1988 release, "Operation: Mindcrime", performing all fifteen songs from the album along with other well-known hits and rarities from the catalog they've compiled over the past 30 years.

"I try to surround myself with the best players available and feel our longtime fans deserve nothing less," says Tate. "I expect the forthcoming effort to be one of our best yet."

Tate, who was fired from QUEENSRŸCHE in June 2012 after fronting the group for three decades, last year sought to prevent his former bandmates from touring and operating under the QUEENSRŸCHE name without him. While ruling against Tate, the presiding judge determined that there was no legal hurdle in Tate also using the name with an all-new lineup of musicians. "I don't see any reason that Mr. Tate can't have the benefit, if he gets other members, of whatever name he uses of using the brand," Superior Court Judge Carol A. Schapira said during the July 13, 2012 court hearing. "I think [doing that would be] inherently confusing, although I'm sure the market can get these things sorted out," she added.

Last November, Tate released his first solo CD in over a decade titled "Kings & Thieves" (InsideOut Music) and toured with his solo band in support of the CD, which included dates with the legendary ALICE COOPER.

New York death metal veterans IMMOLATION will release their ninth full-length album, "Kingdom Of Conspiracy", on May 14 in North America, both digitally and physically, via Nuclear Blast Records. The The follow-up to 2010's "Majesty And Decay" was recorded at Sound Studios in Millbrook, New York with longtime producer Paul Orofino, and mixed and mastered once again by Zack Ohren (ALL SHALL PERISH, DECREPIT BIRTH, SUFFOCATION).

The official lyric video for the "Kingdom Of Conspiracy" title track can be seen below.

The CD cover imagery was brought to life this time by Pär Olofsson, who has previously worked with IMMORTAL, THE FACELESS and ABYSMAL DAWN, among others.

"The figures in the artwork have all been bound and chained and have their eyes and mouths sewn shut symbolically, showing the chilling of speech and the intentional blinding of the masses," explains IMMOLATION guitarist Robert Vigna. "They all make up the huge ominous structure behind them, which is symbolic of the growing security state as well as our failing structures today, and how they are slowly and methodically consuming and controlling us all. It has a very Orwellian feel to it, which is what we were going for since the album is very dark in a slightly different way."

In regards to "Kingdom Of Conspiracy"'s lyrical content, Vigna says: "The album deals with the world today and the slow unraveling and breakdown of our societies and the systems and structures behind them. It speaks of the human side to all this and how we have all lost our way and have fed into these very systems that are slowly coming apart. This is the common thread running throughout the album and the cover paints a very dark picture of the future, where these systems have completely absorbed our world, and our freedoms and we have become a part of the very fabric of these structures that we have created. Each song is a symptom of this mass sickness that has brought the world to the point it is at now, and we paint a very bleak picture of this slow and gradual breakdown and the human failures that sped this process along. This is the 'Kingdom Of Conspiracy'."

"Kingdom Of Conspiracy" track listing:

01. Echoes Of Despair
02. Keep The Silence
03. Kingdom Of Conspiracy
04. Serving Divinity
05. The Great Sleep
06. Indoctrinate
07. A Spectacle of Lies
08. God Complex
09. Bound To Order
10. All That Awaits

For photos of the band in the studio, click here.

Catch the band on the Decibel Magazine Tour this spring with CANNIBAL CORPSE and NAPALM DEATH.

"Majesty And Decay", was released in March 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD sold around 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 29 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.

Portland's favorite punk/metal delinquents TOXIC HOLOCAUST have unleashed a lyric video for "Agony Of The Damned". Initially featured on the band's 2011 "Conjure And Command" full-length, the song makes an "updated" appearance on the "From The Ashes Of Nuclear Destruction" compilation, set for release via Relapse Records next month.

Elaborates band mastermind Joel Grind: "This version of 'Agony Of The Damned' was recorded in September of 2010 with a drum machine a few months before we stepped into the studio to record the one that appears on 'Conjure And Command'.

"When making an album, I usually demo out the entire thing before I step into a studio. This keeps costs low and gives me time to sit with it to iron out the details.

"Since 'Conjure And Command' was the first TOXIC record to feature a full band, this demo served the purpose of familiarizing everyone with the new material and is previously unreleased."

Due on on April 2 in North America, "From The Ashes Of Nuclear Destruction" is a mammoth 22-track anthology which collects over a decade's worth of TOXIC HOLOCAUST rarities into one raging compilation. Amassing the band's many contributions to various comps and vinyl-only splits with the likes of MUNICIPAL WASTE, MIDNIGHT and others, together with demo versions of treasured TOXIC classics, "From The Ashes Of Nuclear Destruction" is a historic romp through the history of one of today's best old-school metal bands.

"From The Ashes Of Nuclear Destruction" track listing:

01. Intro
02. Metal Attack
03. Deathmaster
04. Created To Kill
05. Ready To Fight
06. Arise From The Cemetery
07. Thrashing Death
08. Send Them To Hell
09. Never Stop The Massacre
10. Army Of One
11. Death Camp
12. Reaper's Grave
13. Death Brings Death
14. In The Name Of Science
15. Nuke The Cross
16. Suicide Eye
17. 666
18. Bitch
19. Agony Of The Damned
20. A.T.O.M.I.C.
21. We Bring ‘Em Hell
22. Altar-ed States

TOXIC HOLOCAUST recently entered the studio later this winter to record the as-yet-untitled follow-up to their 2011 "Conjure And Command" full-length.

"After taking a much-needed break from touring and finally being able to enjoy life outside the confines of a van," said Joel Grind, "things have come back in full swing and I've been working nonstop writing the new TOXIC record for Relapse Records. Things are coming along great it's a bit too early to tell for sure but it seems like this record will encompass all of TOXIC's past recordings while building on that as well and moving forward. "

Praised for its "nuclear reactive riffage and Repo Man punk attitude," by Revolver and commended for its "tar-thick riffage, staggering breakdowns, and a corroded dose of self-loathing," by The Onion's A.V. Club, "Conjure And Command" continues to reap hails from fans and critics globally. As an added bonus, the band closed the year with the honor of having the song "Bitch" rear its sonic apocalyptic menace in an episode of high-rated FX drama series "Sons Of Anarchy" (season 5; episode 11).

TOXIC HOLOCAUST mutated into existence in 1999, when Joel Grind merged his love for classic punk and metal and the flash of L.A. hard rock into his ideal band. Like his influences — BATHORY, VENOM, ENGLISH DOGS, POSSESSED, BROKEN BONES — TOXIC HOLOCAUST offers up blazing riffs, gravel-throated vocals, and a deadly fixation on the evil in man and a post-apocalyptic world wrapped in a DIY attitude.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina hard rock heavyweights VALIENT THORR will release their sixth studio album, "Our Own Masters", on June 18 via Volcom Entertainment. Recorded at Ronnie Jone Sound Studios in Athens, Georgia and produced, engineered and mixed by Kyle Spence of experimental rockers HARVEY MILK, the CD shines a bright light on VALIENT THORR's singular sound, delivering twelve tracks of balls-to-the-wall rock that yearns to be played at full volume.

Formed in 2000, VALIENT THORR plays loud, fast heavy music — influenced by both metal and punk — that draws creatively from touchstones such as AC/DC, THIN LIZZY and the MC5 (MOTÖRHEAD might also be a point of reference here, though more in spirit than in sound). The band has a stranglehold on amped-up hard rock and stripped-down heavy metal, barnstorming stages across the world with its catchy, ass-kicking riffs, unmatched energy, fist-pumping anthems and hyper-agitated live show, led by front man and ringleader Valient Himself, whose highly entertaining, heady lyrics (the singer was once a college professor) become a call to arms for the band's legions of devoted fans — nicknamed the "Thorriors" — that assemble in chapters and track the band from show to show, town to town.

VALIENT THORR is a group that averages between 200 and 250 live shows a year, be it on stage as beloved headliners exposing the world to developing new acts (see ROYAL THUNDER, RED FANG) or criss-crossing the globe as special guests of peers such as MASTODON, MOTÖRHEAD and MISFITS.

"Our Own Masters" is a triumphant display of crescendo-ing riffs, rousing vocals and canyon-wide grooves and a record set to remind the world why VALIENT THORR's high-voltage concoction of rock, metal and punk and formidable reputation proceeds them for a reason. The record's wild, extraterrestrial cover artwork (seen below) is taken from a 1975 painting by John Aylward, father of VALIENT THORR drummer Jason Aylward.

"Our Own Masters" track listing:

01. Immaculate Consumption
02. Master Collider
03. Manipulation
04. No Strings Attached
05. Life Hands You Demons
06. Torn Apart
07. Cerberus
08. Good News Bad News
09. Insatiable
10. Crowd Pleaser
11. Nervous Energy
12. Call Off the Dogs

In celebration of the release of "Our Own Masters", VALIENT THORR will launch a U.S. headlining tour, set to kick off on June 12 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The two-dozen-city trek will run through July 6 and feature support from Los Angeles' GYPSYHAWK and Boston's RAMMING SPEED.

"Do Me A Favor", the new video from STONE SOUR, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Phil Mucci, whose video for HIGH ON FIRE's "Fertile Green" was named best video of 2012 by Revolver. The song is the first single from "House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2", the second part of the band's two-album series, "House of Gold & Bones", which will be released on April 9 via Roadrunner Records. The albums were recorded at Sound Farm Studios just outside of the band's native Des Moines, Iowa with producer David Bottrill (TOOL, MUSE) at the helm.

"Do Me A Favor", was made available digitally on February 12. Singer Corey Taylor gave The Pulse Of Radio a preview of what to expect from the song. "It's quite aggressive, and actually the label asked me if I would go in and tame stuff down and I was like, 'No.' I'm not doing that," he said. "This is going out the way it is and I'm not gonna touch it up. I'm not gonna have people looking for a song that doesn't exist. This is the way it is on the album, that's the way it's going to be when we put it out to radio."

"House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2" track listing:

01. Red City
02. Black John
03. Sadist
04. Peckinpah
05. Stalemate
06. Gravesend
07. '82
08. The Uncanny Valley
09. Blue Smoke
10. Do Me A Favor
11. The Conflagration
12. The House Of Gold & Bones

When asked by ThisIsNotAScene what fans can expect from the second part of "House Of Gold & Bones", Taylor said: "Part 2 is much darker [than the first part], if I'm honest. Aside from it being a completely different album, it feels more like a soundtrack to a movie in a lot of ways, man. It's really thematic. There are themes from part 1 that reveal themselves and that come again, musically. There's actually stuff from part 2 that you'll hear that's on part 1 and you'll be like, 'Fucking hell!'"

He continued: "We essentially recorded these, and this is where technology is now, so you could have these in a playlist on your iTunes and play them top to fucking bottom and really get that experience while you read both parts. So it's some of our darkest music, our most intricate and complex music, some of the best fucking lyrics I've ever written, to be honest. Even writing from a narrative like that, it was so challenging. Plus, it's got some of our best songs on it."

"House Of Gold & Bones - Part 1" came out last fall.

Music is just one of the mediums used to tell the "House of Gold & Bones" story, and Taylor recently revealed details of the new project with Dark Horse Comics of the same name, which follows, and expands on, the story contained within the albums. With stunning covers from Jason Shawn Alexander (Empty Zone, Batman, Abe Sapien), this four-issue limited series marks Taylor's debut in the comics genre. The first issue of the series will be out on April 17.

Taylor recently told Billboard.com recently that the group is planning a world tour in 2014 during which they will spend two nights in each city and perform both halves of its "House Of Gold & Bones" double album in their entirety.

"Do Me A Favor" video:

Fan-filmed video footage of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's new solo/side project BRITISH LION performing on March 24 at Trabendo in Paris, France can be seen below.

BRITISH LION is out on the road this month, visiting fourteen countries and twenty-four cities across Europe. For the first time ever, and as a major surprise to many, MAIDEN's bass player, founding member and leader is taking temporary leave from his MAIDEN activities and heading out on a full European club tour.

Regarding the BRITISH LION tour, Steve previously said: "I love touring and live shows and I'm very excited about touring with BRITISH LION. It's fantastic to get out there and once again experience the sheer vibrancy of small clubs with the fans right up front and in your face. I think the fans will enjoy that too. It's exciting, going back to the roots, and it's going to be fantastic. We are taking this to clubs all round Europe — a full club tour, with club shows at club prices, hot, sweaty and loud. We have no idea how many people will turn out to see us, as it's obviously very recent and very new, so we have kept the venues small with tickets priced accordingly as low as we reasonably could.

"I've known all the guys in the band for ages and, besides being great musicians, they are also good friends, which is lucky because this has been an ongoing project for many years! They've had to be very patient with me as, of course, I'm so involved with MAIDEN I don't really get a lot of free time to work on other stuff. So it's great to finally have the opportunity to get out and do all these shows. The reaction to the album has been really good and I think it will sound great live. We're all planning to have a lot of fun on this tour!"

BRITISH LION's debut album sold around 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 3 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.

"British Lion" was released in the U.S. on September 25, 2012 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). Mixed by Kevin Shirley — whose credits include IRON MAIDEN as well as Led ZEPPELIN, JOURNEY and RUSH, among many others — the CD, which features Harris alongside vocalist Richard Taylor, guitarists Graham Leslie and David Hawkins and drummer Simon Dawson, presents a different side of the bassist's musical visions.

"British Lion" comprises ten songs that Steve and his collaborators have been working on between IRON MAIDEN tours and releases and is described by Harris as "'70s-influenced, British-sounding hard rock." "I'd say it's more mainstream rock than metal... and quite commercial… but good commercial," he said. "There's all kinds of stuff going on, with nods to THE WHO and UFO and some classic British rock bands, but it's not the progressive rock album some might be expecting."

Swedish melodic death metallers DARK TRANQUILLITY will release their tenth studio album, "Construct", on May 27 via Century Media Records. The CD was mixed by Jens Bogren (PARADISE LOST, OPETH, KATATONIA) at his Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden.

A trailer for "Construct" can be seen below.

Commented the band: "The selected few people that so far have been granted the privilege of hearing the full album are uniformingly convinced that 'Construct' is the strongest and most exciting DARK TRANQUILLITY album in a long time, and who are we to disagree? While still bearing the unmistakable mark of the DARK TRANQUILLITY, the record is probably our most different and diverse offering since 1999's 'Projector'. For now, we're pleased to share the tracklist, trailer and sleeve design with you, but the first musical preview will appear in the near future."

"Construct" track listing:

01. For Broken Words
02. The Science Of Noise
03. Uniformity
04. The Silence In Between
05. Apathetic
06. What Only You Know
07. Endtime Hearts
08. State Of Trust
09. Weight Of The End
10. None Becoming
11. Immemorial (U.S. bonus track)
12. Photon Dreams (U.S. bonus track)

DARK TRANQUILLITY recently amicably parted ways with bassist Daniel Antonsson. According to the band, "Daniel wanted to focus on his own musical projects as well as working more in his recording studio. Being first and foremost a guitarist, he felt that the playing bass in a full-time band didn't allow him much time for his main instrument and true passion. With this in mind, he chose to follow his heart and step aside at this point instead of committing to another album and an intense touring cycle that would leave little room for other activities."

DARK TRANQUILLITY's next live appearance is scheduled for April in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Some European summer festivals are already announced and the band is also working on a North American tour for September.

DARK TRANQUILLITY digitally released the "Zero Distance" EP on October 22, 2012 in North America. Taken from the European tour edition of "We Are The Void" (2010), the five tracks on the EP are a must-have for any diehard DARK TRANQUILLITY fan.

DARK TRANQUILLITY's ninth CD, "We Are The Void", sold around 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort landed at position No. 15 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.