Instincts is the upcoming album from Costa Rica-based melodic metal band SIGHT OF EMPTINESS, and tells stories based on the region's flora and fauna; the richest wildlife imaginable. The album focuses on nature, and its gravest threat: mankind. Songs are based on animals, insects and natives. Lyrics explore two different perspectives: animals' lifestyle in their environment, and humans not being able to respect it and co-exist with them.
'Passion' tells the story of tropical birds: they fly free in the skies, but feel a deep unease about their future; they're afraid that one day they might end up confined in a cage just to satisfy humans desire to have total control over everything around them. The track is streaming below:

Instincts was recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Thomas "Plec" Johansson at The Panic Room Studios, Sweden. The album features the following tracklisting:

'Essence' (featuring Whit Crane - UGLY KID JOE, ANOTHER ANIMAL)
'Instincts' (featuring Ole Halvard Sveen - EXTOL, MANTRIC)
'Obsession' (featuring Ralph Santolla - DEICIDE, DEATH, ICED EARTH, OBITUARY)
'Fearless' (featuring Glen Drover - MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND, and Christian Älvestam - SCAR SYMMETRY, SOLUTION .45, MISERATION)
'Paradox' (featuring Manuel Obregon - Costa Rica's Minister of Culture)
'Deception' (featuring Christian Älvestam - Scar Symmetry, Solution .45, Miseration)
'Hostility' (featuring Christian Älvestam - Scar Symmetry, Solution .45, Miseration)
'Passion'
'Genetics'
'Sanctuary' (Instrumental)
'Departure'
'Obsession 2.0' (Remix Version)
More on Sight Of Emptiness at this location.

UK based female fronted metal band TRAINING ICARUS have signed with Ravenheart Music. The band comment: "To work with a label that has been nothing but hugely supportive and encouraging towards us since we first met them made the decision easy. We really believe this is an amazing and exciting time for the band and look forward to sharing it with you all."
According to a press release: Fronted by the staggering female vocal talents of Leigh Turner and taking influences from a range of music from NIGHTWISH and IRON MAIDEN through to JEAN MICHEL JARRE and RAMMSTEIN, TI’s unique, captivating sound has steadily led them to where they are today – huge melodic vocals, the soaring guitars of Martin Eldon with synth backing along with the crunching bass of Leigh’s brother Jayson and old school rock drums of Martin’s brother Richard.

In 2011, Training Icarus won the Kent Metal to the Masses event which led them to a slot at Bloodstock. The live performance is to be both seen and heard to be believed and it is now time for them to take things to a whole new level both live and with the impending recording of the Stand Aside album.
Training Icarus is:
Leigh Turner - lead vocals
Martin Eldon - lead guitar
Jayson Turner - bass guitar
Richard Eldon - drums

For more details visit Facebook.

Sacramento's LIFEFORMS will release their Lifeforce Records debut, entitled Multidimensional, on the following dates:

Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Digitally worldwide - May 10th
Rest of Europe - May 13th
North America - May 14th
First and foremost you will be impressed by the heavy approach of Lifeforms – no matter if you are looking on the coltish polyrhythm, the humming bass drops, the boisterous breakdowns or the overall atmosphere. But the songs of Multidimensional are not heavy for the sake of it, and there is so much more to them. A catenating songwriting and idiosyncratic catchiness is important to the Californians to keep the songs reproducible, conclusive and interesting. Multidimensional even proves that music in between djent, prog and claiming deathcore can be catchy on a superior level. Don’t be surprised to discover quotes of easy listening, too. Lifeforms aren’t limited to their creative devices.

A lyric video for the album track 'String Theory' can be found below:
Lifeforms lineup:

Howie - Vocals
Arik - Guitar/vocals
Josh - Drums
Michael - Bass
More on Lifeforms at this location.

Mexican corpse-walkers ZOMBIEFICATION have announced their second full-length album as At The Caves Of Eternal, and will be scheduled for April 8th (Europe) and May 14th (North America) respectively. The full-length effort was recorded at Revolution Studios with Jesús Bravo manning the engineering and brought over to Necromorbus, Sweden (WATAIN, DEMONICAL, DESULTORY) for mixing and mastering duties under the helm of Tore Stjerna.
At The Caves Of Eternal tracklisting:
‘At The Caves Of Eternal’
‘Disembodied Souls’
‘Soul Collector’
‘In The Mist’
‘Passage Of Darkness’
‘In The Gallery Of Laments’
‘The Crypt’
‘In The Shadowed Garden’
‘Slaves Whisper Your Name’

Check out a teaser for the new album below:
Listen to the new track ‘Slaves Whisper Your Name’ below:


For more info visit Facebook.

Swedish metallers CULT OF THE FOX will release their new album, Angelsbane, on April 19th via Rock It Up Records. The album art created by Anna Björklund can be viewed below:
Cult Of The Foxwas formed in 2007, that year they released their first demo Kitsunetsuki. Later followed the demos The Power We Serve (2008) and The Sea Beneath The Sand (2010). In 2011, the band recorded their debut full lenght album, A Vow Of Vengeance, and gained a lot of positive feedback from the metal community.

Angelsbane features ten new tracks. More details will be revealed soon.
Cult Of The Fox lineup:

Daniel Fritze - drums
Peter Svensson - bass and backing vocals
Erika Wallberg - guitars
Magnus Hultman - lead vocals

More on the band at this location.

One man melodic thrash/death metal band COMMON DEAD has released the debut music video ‘Modern Obsolete’ to support its latest album Allegorize. Check out the video below:
Andrew Laurenson, who handles all the instruments and vocals for Common Dead, put together this video by himself as well. A press release states that Allegorize "draws from technical death and post-thrash styles similar to LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA, and MACHINE HEAD."
The new album can be bought through online retailers such as iTunes and Amazon.
Allegorize tracklisting:
‘Suffer As I Have’
‘Worldview’
‘Most People’
‘Enlightenment’
‘Outer Harbor’
‘Caustica’
‘Venture In Blood’
‘Fathomless’
‘Modern Obsolete’
You can stream the album on Last.fm.

Italy's KALEDON have released their new video, for the track 'Childhood', featured on the band's new album, Altor: The King's Blacksmith, out on April 23rd via Scarlet Records. Watch the clip below:
Altor: The King's Blacksmith will feature the following tracklisting:

'Innocence'
'Childhood'
'Between The Hammer And The Anvil'
'My Personal Hero'
'Lilibeth'
'A New Beginning'
'Kephren'
'Screams In The Wind'
'A Dark Prison' (featuring Fabio Lione - VISION DIVINE, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, KAMELOT)

The album artwork can be seen below:
Four studio video updates can be seen below:
More on Kaledon here.

The reunited METAL CHURCH — Ronny Munroe on vocals, Kurdt Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt on guitars, Steve Unger on bass, and Jeff Plate on drums — has entered Vanderhoof's English Channel studio in Washingtion to begin work on its comeback album for a late summer/early fall 2013 release via Kurdt's label Body Of Work Recordings.

METAL CHURCH celebrated its official reunion in late January on board 70000 Tons Of Metal, the world's biggest heavy metal cruise.

For one of their two shows on board, they played their debut album, "Metal Church", in its entirety. The other show was a "greatest-hits" set.

Fan-filmed video footage of their performance can be seen below.

Speaking to Metal As Fuck, Munroe stated about the possibility of a new studio album from METAL CHURCH: "We've got plans. We're going to start working on a new record and maybe do some festivals this summer. We'll keep everyone posted as soon as we make up our minds on that. We wanted to see how this went, and it went very very well. Kurdt has sent me a couple of things here and there, but it's nothing really that has stuck yet. We pretty much stopped doing that to focus on [70000 Tons Of Metal]. So when he gets back, he's got a few things to do, and then he's going to bury his head in writing some new stuff. It'll be phenomenal. He's a great writer. I'm really looking forward to it."

Asked if this is a permanent reunion, Munroe said: "Well, time will tell. We'll do a record, and we're just not going to do things the way that we did before. We're not 25 anymore. [I'm] not saying that we're old, but we need to do things the right way."

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

METAL CHURCH called it quits after performing at the Rocklahoma festival in July 2009 in Pryor, Oklahoma.

"This Present Wasteland", the latest album from METAL CHURCH, sold 920 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD artwork was submitted by a fan via a MySpace contest.

METAL CHURCH's previous album, "A Light in the Dark", came out in June 2006 via SPV. The LP included a new version of the classic "Watch The Children Pray" as a tribute to vocalist David Wayne, who passed away in May 2005.

TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"After a long battle with multiple sclerosis, my dear friend Clive Burr [former IRON MAIDEN drummer] passed away in his sleep last night. We worked together on a project called DESPERADO from 1988-1990 and shared some great times, and sadly forgotten musical moments. I'm blessed to have spoken to him a couple of days ago on his birthday, shared some memories and a few smiles.

"A rock 'n' roll legend has been lost, and the world of music is less because of it.

"RIP, Clive, and 'hit 'em hard' in rock 'n' roll heaven."

DESPERADO's debut album was recorded in 1990 and is regarded by many as one of the high points of '80s rock/metal. Although it was originally never released because of the record company changing its mind about the project due to the explosion of "grunge" at the time, "Desperado" remains a classic of its genre and was re-released on CD in 2009.

DESPERADO's lineup was rounded out by guitarist Bernie Tormé (GILLAN, ATOMIC ROOSTER, OZZY OSBOURNE) and bassist Marc Russell.

Clive joined MAIDEN in 1979 and performed on the first three albums — "Iron Maiden" (1980), "Killers" (1981) and "The Number Of The Beast" (1982). Prior to that, he was a member of SAMSON, the band Bruce Dickinson fronted before he, too, joined MAIDEN.

A four-minute video recap of KORN's first-ever visit to India — which took place last September — can be seen below.

"This was an experience we could not pass up. We have never been to India, and to have the opportunity to play in such a beautiful and important country was an incredible honor," KORN drummer Ray Luzier said shortly after the band's Indian gigs were first announced. "We can't wait to play these shows and see our fans, and enjoy the beautiful sites."

"It's fun to explore new places. So finally we are here and we are very excited," KORN frontman Jonathan Davis said in a press conference before the band's September 5, 2012 concert in Gurgaon. "I am just going to do what we do. That's it. I know about Indian beats but I know nothing about rock shows in India," he added.

KORN will reunite with founding guitarist Brian "Head" Welch for several festival shows this summer, including two dates in Germany, one concert in the United Kingdom and at the upcoming Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio.

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

KORN has been touring for much of the past year behind its 10th studio album, "The Path Of Totality", but has also begun work on a new set of material.

BLACK SABBATH's new album, "13" — the first in 35 years to feature bassist Geeezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and singer Ozzy Osbourne — will be released on June 11 via Vertigo/Universal Republic in the U.S. and Vertigo in all other territories. The drum tracks on the group's first LP with Osbourne since 1978 were laid down by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE sticksman Brad Wilk following original drummer Bill Ward's decision to bow out of the reunion.

Osbourne, Iommi and Butler recorded the album primarily in Los Angeles with producer Rick Rubin. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include three seven-plus-minute behemoths "End Of The Beginning", "God Is Dead" and "Epic", as well as a track about killing pedophile priests ("Dear Father") and another about the scourge of methamphetamine addiction ("Methademic").

Beginning today, "13" will be available for pre-order on a variety of formats via BlackSabbath.com.

Pre-order options:

* Standard CD album
* Deluxe double CD album in a deluxe soft-pack (includes a second disc of exclusive bonus audio material)
* Vinyl: a 12-inch heavyweight (180g) vinyl album in a gatefold sleeve
* Super Deluxe Box Set: a limited-edition 12-inch clamshell box set which contains: deluxe double CD album, 12-inch heavyweight (180g) vinyl album in a gatefold sleeve, exclusive DVD containing "Black Sabbath - The Reunion" documentary, plus five behind-the-scenes videos, download card containing exclusive track by track interview with BLACK SABBATH, "13" exclusive photographic prints and handwritten album lyrics.

In addition, anyone who pre-orders any of these formats via BlackSabbath.com will be entered into a drawing to win a pair of VIP tickets to an official "13" album launch event in London, including a meet-and-greet with the band, flights and accommodation Additional details and full terms and conditions on the contest can be found at BlackSabbath.com.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION released its third album, "Afterglow", last October amid a public feud between singer Glenn Hughes and guitarist Joe Bonamassa.

The war of words goes back to early September, when Hughes began telling journalists that Bonamassa's solo touring schedule was preventing BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION from touring and fulfilling its potential. He stated that if the situation didn't change, "Afterglow" could be the group's last recording project.

Asked about the current status of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, Bonamassa tells PremierGuitar.com: "As far as I'm concerned, my involvement is pretty much done, and I'll tell you why: Originally, I did it for the same reasons I did the stuff with Beth Hart and ROCK CANDY FUNK PARTY — it was an excuse to play a different kind of music that I don't get to play normally.

"The first two records were a blast — the band is fantastic when the Ritalin kicks in, the ADD goes away, and everyone's focused. It's a devastatingly good rock band of the early-1970s type, and Glenn is a fantastic singer — just one of the best ever. So I did it and did a nine-week tour in 2011 that really, by the end of it, wasn't fun for me. It wasn't because I didn't like the cats in the band, but it was just too much — too much involved in getting people from place to place and getting the band onstage. Everybody seemed to be very tense, and it made my crew very tense, and it's not the way I like to tour. I run a family — I have 21 people who go on the road with me all the time, and if you asked them who was the cause of the least of their problems, they would say me. Unless there was no Diet Coke — then it's a huge [expletive] problem, and either I'm going to the supermarket or somebody else is. [laughs]

"But it just wasn't fun for me anymore. All the stuff that Glenn says in the media, essentially pinning it on me — that I was the reason for the band's lack of touring and the band's lack of future. It became rapidly not fun at all. It would be dishonest of me to get onstage and pretend like I'm having fun to please the band. I'm just not the guitar player for that band, but, unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any out-of-work guitar players in L.A. that they can get. There are so many guys that can fill that role and I would be the first guy to queue up and buy a ticket. So that's my story with it. I'm happily not involved anymore, but I'm happy with the legacy that I left with that band and happy with the records we made. It was a great three years for me."

Australian hard rockers AIRBOURNE will release their third album, "Black Dog Barking", on May 21 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2010's "No Guts. No Glory." was produced by Brian Howes, who has previously worked with HINDER, DAUGHTRY and PUDDLE OF MUDD.

The "Black Dog Barking" cover art has now been unveiled and can be seen below.

Said the band: "A lot of thought and effort has gone into this record not only by the band, but by the production crew who worked countless hours, seven days a week, even through Christmas and New Year's Eve to achieve the best possible performances, backed by real undying tones. Now we're handing it over to you... so crank it up, crack a beer and stick some rock 'n' roll in your ear!"

The Full Throttle edition of a new AIRBOURNE song, "Live It Up", will be made available for the opening of Full Throttle at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, the tallest, fastest looping roller coaster in the world. The track will be released to rock radio in late spring, followed by its in-park debut at Six Flags Magic Mountain with the ride opening. The Full Throttle edition of "Live It Up" will be featured throughout the newly themed five-acre section of the park where guests will experience high-energy action through fast-paced imagery, sound and lights, with additional music featuring various Roadrunner artists. The launch will be further supported nationally in all theme parks, Roadrunner and Six Flags online and social media channels, live events and press outreach.

"Theme music is synonymous with television, movies and even sports. It's a natural extension to bring original music to a world-class roller coaster, like Full Throttle," said David McKillips, Senior Vice President of Corporate Alliances, Six Flags Entertainment. "Roadrunner Records had the creative vision and talent to match the heart-pounding speed and adrenaline the ride experience delivers, backed with a content partnership that provides best-in-class entertainment to our guests."

In addition to the song's release, Six Flags and Roadrunner will be working together on programming to be featured on Six Flags digital networks, which includes the Nielsen-measured Six Flags Television Network. The content partnership will air Roadrunner videos in ride-line televisions and help drive awareness, music downloads, and sales for Roadrunner's breadth of rock artists.

"This is an innovative partnership that brings together two great brands and allows Roadrunner to bring music to millions of entertainment-seeking consumers in a new way," said Michael Easterlin, General Manager of Roadrunner Records. "Six Flags' ability to generate awareness through the Full Throttle attraction and its national media network provides a unique outlet for fans to instantly access our music."

AIRBOURNE's infectious music has been used in more than 20 video games, countless films, trailers and more.

AIRBOURNE is Joel O'Keeffe (vocals/lead guitar), Ryan O'Keeffe (drums), David Roads (guitar) and Justin Street (bass).

Swedish death metallers FACEBREAKER will release their new album, Dedicated To The Flesh, in May/June via Cyclone Empire.
Dedicated To The Flesh tracklisting:

'Meat Freak'
'Dedicated To The Flesh'
'Catacomb'
'Zombie Flesh Cult'
'Mutilator'
'Nuclear Outbreak'
'Hellmaster'
'Carving For Brains'
'Swarm Of Zombies'
'Legions Of Doom'
'World Cremation'
'Tomb Of The Hungry Dead'
Facebreaker will visit Germany in April for four gigs, where they not only will play their classics, but also material from their 2012 released 7”, ‘Zombie God’, and two brand new songs from Dedicated To The Flesh.

Tour dates include:

April
25 - Hamburg, Germany - Bambi Galore (with BURIED IN BLACK)
26 - Berlin, Germany - K17 (with DISREPUTE, more)
27 - Erfurt, Germany - From Hell (with Disrepute, DESERTED FEAR)
28 - Dresden, Germany - Chemiefabrik (with Disrepute, DRENCHED IN BLOOD)
More on Facebreaker at this location.

MAX LILJA (HEVEIN, TARJA TURUNEN, ex-APOCALYPTICA) has delayed the release of his upcoming solo album, Plays Electronica by One Cello, until April 12th.

A video for the song ‘I Sound My Sound’ can be viewed below:
The tracklist is as follows:
‘I Sound My Sound’
‘In SoS’
‘Like This’
‘Qualified’
‘A State Of Mind’
‘Count Phase’
‘It Is In’
‘You Me’
‘Now’
‘The End’

A trailer for the album can be seen below:



For more info on Lilja visit his website.

Toronto-based SIX SIDE DIE, featuring former vocalist of HAIL THE VILLAIN frontman Bryan Crouch and MODIFIED guitarist Anthony Xander have revealed the songs slated to appear on their forthcoming full length debut:

'Fight'
'Freeze Frame'
'Family Man'
'Fracture Mon Frere'
'Fraudulence'
'Furiouso'
'Fuzz Candy'

"Still three more to decide on but we don't hit the studio for a few more weeks," states the band. "We also need to give you an album title but we're not quite ready to unveil it yet! Stay tuned for big updates to come!"

Six Side Die's debut EP is available via iTunes and Amazon.com (use the widget below). The tracklist is as follows:

'My Enemy'
'Heart Is Dying'
'Die For'
'Break Me'

Mansfield, PA-based metallers THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE have revealed the artwork and tracklisting to their new album, INVIVO(EXVIVO), due out later this year.



INVIVO(EXVIVO) tracklisting:
' Fertile Steps'
'False Awakening'
'A Dime A Dozen'
'Numbskull'
'The Face (A Face Amongst the Flames Pt. 2)'
'Morality'
'Haste Makes Waste'
'O.C.S. (Obsessive Compulsive Suffering)'
'Skeletal'
'Ego Death'

More details will be revealed soon. Check out The Last Ten Seconds Of Life on Facebook.

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have released the following statement:

"We are deeply saddened to report that Clive Burr passed away last night. He had suffered poor health for many years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and died peacefully in his sleep at home."

IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris said: "This is terribly sad news. Clive was a very old friend of all of us. He was a wonderful person and an amazing drummer who made a valuable contribution to MAIDEN in the early days when we were starting out. This is a sad day for everyone in the band and those around him and our thoughts and condolences are with his partner Mimi and family at this time."

Added MAIDEN vocalist Bruce Dickinson: "I first met Clive when he was leaving SAMSON and joining IRON MAIDEN. He was a great guy and a man who really lived his life to the full. Even during the darkest days of his M.S., Clive never lost his sense of humour or irreverence. This is a terribly sad day and all our thoughts are with Mimi and the family."

Clive joined MAIDEN in 1979 and performed on the first three albums — "Iron Maiden" (1980), "Killers" (1981) and "The Number Of The Beast" (1982). Prior to that, he was a member of SAMSON, the band Bruce fronted before he too joined MAIDEN.

IRON MAIDEN established the Clive Burr MS Trust Fund in 2002 to benefit Clive Burr.

Pictured below: Clive Burr in 2008

BLACK SABBATH has released a new behind-the-scenes video online that features commentary from producer Rick Rubin (pictured below) about the making of "13", the band's new album — the first in 35 years to feature bassist Geeezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and singer Ozzy Osbourne. Check it out below.

The new BLACK SABBATH album — the band's 19th overall — is due out in June. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include three seven-plus-minute behemoths "End Of The Beginning", "God Is Dead" and "Epic", as well as a track about killing pedophile priests ("Dear Father") and another about the scourge of methamphetamine addiction ("Methademic").

SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma at the end of 2011. Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphocytes, a type of cell that forms part of the immune system. Production on "13" stopped while Iommi began chemotherapy, but it wasn't long before he requested the band move operations from Rubin's Shangri-La studio in Malibu, California to England so he could work on material between treatment sessions.

"Tony's the kind of bloke that doesn't want to let us down," Butler told Guitar World. "He wouldn't let his illness interfere with this album. He wanted to get it done."

Iommi's illness was not the only setback to befall BLACK SABBATH during the creation of "13". Despite spending a year writing with the band, drummer Bill Ward opted out of the reunion in early 2012 over some well-publicized contractual disagreements. After much fan speculation regarding Ward's replacement, it was finally revealed this January that Brad Wilk — best known for his work with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE — had been brought in by Rubin to handle the album's drum duties.

"We'd have loved to have Bill on the album," Butler said. "But suddenly something came up. I went to Hawaii when Tony started his treatment, and when l came back, Bill wasn't in the band anymore."

"The only sad thing is that Bill couldn't keep it together," Osbourne told Revolver magazine. "It would have been great to have Bill with us. I've never understood the business side of this. I don't choose to go there. My wife does that for me, and Geezer's wife is his manager, and Tony's got his manager. So, I keep my nose out of it. But they couldn't come to an agreement with him. I mean, I still love him, and I wish him well, but…"

Although the band was skeptical at first about enlisting Wilk to lay down the drum tracks on "13", he proved up to the task.

"I was really surprised," Butler told Guitar World. "He had that Bill Ward kind of jazzy swing feel, rather than heavy metal bashing."

BLACK SABBATH last month released the first behind-the-scenes video online that takes viewers into the studio for a glimpse of the making of "13". All three original members seem enthusiastic about finally working together again after 35 years, with Iommi saying about the album, "You can't always repeat what you've done, you've just got to go on. It'll be today's version of how it was 40 years ago, I suppose."

Elsewhere in the video, Ozzy said, "This BLACK SABBATH album is quite possibly the most important album of my career," while Butler added, "We'll probably all be dead soon, so while we still can play and sing, then we've got to do it."

"Fast Loud Death", the debut album from Finnish thrashers LOST SOCIETY, is available for streaming in its entirety below.

"Fast Loud Death" will be released on March 15 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios (FINNTROLL, SONATA ARCTICA, OMNIUM GATHERUM) in Helsinki, Finland with producer Nino Laurenne (AMORPHIS, ENSIFERUM, LORDI) and it features cover artwork by Ed Repka (MEGADETH, DEATH, SANCTUARY, VENOM).

The album's first single, "Trash All Over You" — a song that perfectly captures what LOST SOCIETY are all about: speed, toughness and huge fun — is available to stream and download below.

Comments LOST SOCIETY vocalist/guitarist Samy Elbanna: "Many people have asked us why we misspelled the song title. We always give the same answer: It's not about the thrash genre, but depicts how the whole world is collapsing on you. All the problems in the world seem to pile up and you get trashed all over. The song carries the feeling of being mad at everything and everyone at the same time — it's something we all can relate to."

Regarding the album artwork, Elbanna said: "When we heard that the one and only Ed Repka would be responsible for the album art, we were thrilled, as he created some of the most killer album covers of all times! The result looks absolutely amazing and truly captures the album's theme — a bus full of crazy people who blew it up big time!"

Added Repka: "This was a lot of work but a fun project, since both the band and the label were great to work with and very receptive to my input. LOST SOCIETY's comical concept of their tour bus leaving a town destroyed was cool, but to make it even more crazy, I added the pop-culture 'monster in car' aspect, giving the whole image a distinct, aggressive presence. Another tongue-in-cheek metal masterpiece is born!"

"Fast Loud Death" will be available as a limited digipak, deluxe digital download via iTunes and black vinyl in gatefold, all of them including two bonus tracks. Moreover, a limited digipak plus a t-shirt bundle as well as a limited blue-transparent 2LP in gatefold will be exclusively available via the Nuclear Blast mail order. Pre-order your copy now at this location.

"Fast Loud Death" track listing:

01. N.W.L.
02. Trash All Over You
03. E.A.G.
04. KILL (Those Who Oppose Me)
05. Bitch, Out' My Way
06. Fast Loud Death
07. Lead Through The Head
08. Diary Of A Thrashman
09. Toxic Avenger
10. This Is Me
11. Braindead Metalhead
12. Piss Out My Ass
13. Fatal Anoxia

Bonus tracks:

14. Escape From Delirium
15. I Stole Your Love (KISS cover song)

Founded in early 2010 by thrash/speed metal enthusiast Samy Elbanna in the Finnish town of Jyväskylä, LOST SOCIETY played a number of gigs around Finland before taking part in the world-renowned GBOB (Global Battle Of the Bands). After winning the preliminary round in their hometown, they were invited to the finals held in Helsinki, where they prevailed over 13 other contestants. The grand finals of GBOB 2012 took place at The Scala in London on December 9, 2012 and featured 18 bands from all over the world, including LOST SOCIETY.

LOST SOCIETY is:

Samy Elbanna - Vocals, Guitar
Arttu Lesonen - Guitar
Mirko Lehtinen - Bass
Ossi Paananen - Drums

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.

"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

The first single to be released, "Tower Of Silence", can be heard now below.

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.

"Love The Way You Hate Me", the new video from AGAINST ALL WILL — the Los Angeles-based band featuring Jimmy Allen (an original member of the band PUDDLE OF MUDD), vocalist Mizzy Pacheco and a heavy-hitting rhythm section of former SOULFLY bassist Marcello "Cello" Dias and DEAD KENNEDYS drummer Steve Wilson — can be seen below.

According to a press release, AGAINST ALL WILL boasts ripe, radio-friendly rock songs replete with fat hooks, huge choruses, and melodies that linger long after the music has stopped.

The band's seven-track debut, "A Rhyme & Reason", was previously described in a press release as "a warm wash of sweet tone and salty vibrato, with lyrics that hit just as hard as the songs."

AGAINST ALL WILL's previous single, "The Drug I Need", hit top 10 on SiriusXM satellite radio's Octane and got over 500,000 hits on the band's YouTube channel. The current single has already been picked by Octane and is in daily rotation.

AGAINST ALL WILL is:

Mizzy Pacheco - Vocals
Jimmy Allen - Guitars
Cello Dias - Bass
Steve Wilson - Drums

Spanish thrashers TOXOVIBORA released their debut album, "Primer Ataque" (First Attack), on February 18 in Spain and March 1 in the rest of Europe via Art Gates. The cover artwork is an adaptation of the graphic designer Lemut and was selected to represent the ancestral fear of the man, the snake. The futuristic influences are linked to the concept of the new wave of metal music.

According to a press release, "Primer Ataque" "is a combination of the legendary thrash metal sounds of the '90 and modern influences such as the groove."

"Primer Ataque" track listing:

01. Sois Un Fraude
02. High School Massacre
03. Fanático
04. Muerte En Directo
05. Víctima 63
06. Crudo
07. Promesas Del Este
08. El Día Del Juicio

The song "High School Massacre" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

Commented the band: "In our opinion, we reflected perfectly the sound that characterizes the band, a strong base, addictive and sharp guitar riffs, combined with a raw voice that spits conscious lyrics."

The CD was recorded at La Guarida De Kreggor Studios in Hellín, Albacete by Pablo Alcazar.

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

Comments Tobias: "It is a great honor for me to have Rodney create the artwork of 'The Mystery Of Time'.

"Since the new album is a conceptual album and its story has a magical and enchanting atmosphere, there was no other painter I could think of to create the artwork.

"I've had several creative conversations with Rodney during the process and I had the feeling that the concept was inspiring to him right from the start.

"I put a lot of energy into producing a very detailed and fascinating album, and Rodney had that same enthusiasm to create an artwork just as detailed and fascinating.

"This is a new chapter in AVANTASIA's history and I think it didn't deserve less than a magical painting by my favorite painter and childhood hero: The one and only Rodney Matthews!"

"The Mystery Of Time" will feature guest appearances by Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), Michael Kiske (UNISONIC, HELLOWEEN), SAXON frontman Biff Byford, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, drummer Russell Gilbrook of URIAH HEEP, AYREON mastermind Arjen Lucassen (also ex-BODINE, VENGEANCE), Ronnie Atkins of Danish hard rock veterans PRETTY MAIDS and MR. BIG frontman Eric Martin.

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

"The Mystery Of Time" track listing:

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

Immediately after the release of "The Mystery Of Time", a metal opera based on a story written by Sammet, the band will embark on a full-fledged indoor tour, during which the band and special guests will bring the epic undertaking to the stage.

Since the performances will embrace all the different eras and history of AVANTASIA, these shows will feature an extended playing time and the entire evening will be dedicated to AVANTASIA with no support acts.

Tobias originally wanted to put AVANTASIA to rest after the release of the "The Flying Opera - Around The World In 20 Days" concert DVD in April 2011, but he has since had a change of heart. He explains, "Even though I love to record and tour with EDGUY, I didn't foresee how much I need AVANTASIA when I decided to finish this chapter of my life in 2011. I didn't know if there would be another AVANTASIA album one day, but I didn‘t feel like doing it. After the worldwide success of the latest studio releases, an arena world tour that was sold out pretty much everywhere, collaborations with childhood heroes like Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker, Eric Singer of KISS, etc. I 'knew' that I had said everything I could possibly say in the name of AVANTASIA. But that's not what AVANTASIA is all about. I wanna create more great music, I wanna create more fantasy worlds, the bigger and the more epic, the better. And listening to the material that I have created for this forthcoming chapter in the history of AVANTASIA, I know there is no way I am not going to do it! I have got the feeling and the certainty that this is absolutely meant to happen and to be!"

PINK CREAM 69 bassist/producer Dennis Ward (UNISONIC) is featured in a new interview with Matt Phelps at Über Röck. An excerpt is available below:
Q: Do you feel having different backgrounds goes towards setting yourselves apart from other German bands to any great extent, with yourself being American and Dave English?

Ward: "Well, considering I've lived here in Germany for so long and Dave (Readman) is also pretty much completely integrated I don't think it makes all that much of a difference because we all live here. I just think as a band and as people in general that happens naturally and makes us stand out if you will. We were never ones to really follow trends. Although I will admit that in the mid-nineties we did try to hop on a bandwagon, which definitely did not work out for us. In this day and age we've got the attitude that we'll write the songs and do the stuff that we feel good about and that's it. We're not gonna pay attention to trends or what have you, what's popular or not. That doesn't matter to me anyway to be honest, in Pink Cream 69 we really just write what we like and don't consider stuff like that. We don't let it influence us put it that way."

Q: I suppose that's one of the benefits these days of having labels like Frontiers where they're prepared to just support the artists to do whatever they want as opposed to maybe the mid nineties when labels were pushing bands to change to fit in with trends and tap in to particular markets.

Ward: "Yeah that was the case, it really was. It is true now that we really do have the freedom. Back then though the expectations too were so much higher for a lot of obvious reasons. I remember that selling 80,000 copies would have been considered a flop, but today you sell 80,000 albums and you're probably gonna go platinum in a lot of countries. Times have definitely changed. Now we're happy for the freedom but on the other side, and I hope this doesn't sound too arrogant, we pretty much figure we're gonna do whatever we want to do anyway and if nobody likes it then we really don't care. We don't have anything to lose to be honest. We've really come full circle now to the point where we say when we make music we're gonna make it with heart and soul, we're gonna be dead serious about it, we're gonna do our very best and do what we think is really good. We're gonna be critical, we're not just gonna write a generic album and say that's it, we've done it, but we're also not gonna be influenced by anything else that's going on or what other people say. We're not like the most popular band in the world and we don't have a lot of success at risk so we can do what we want to do, we have nothing to lose and that really makes life easier for us. If everybody enjoys it as much as we do and enjoys listening to it that's a big big bonus for us. But if nobody's really into it then we can't change it anyway. We only do what we can do and that's it. A band is the chemistry of everybody involved, and I just made the example earlier today that if you ever went to a pub and saw a cover band performing one of your favourite bands and the musicians are playing it almost to a T, the notes are right, the lyrics are right, the style is right but you think it sounds nothing like the band you know. The band chemistry brings the song over. We wanna be true to ourselves so we only do stuff that we think we can do really well. We're not gonna try and do stuff that we think other people want to hear because it's in or because it's kind of a trend. We're just not influenced by any of that and we have nothing to lose. Absolutely nothing."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Pink Cream 69 released Ceremonial on January 22nd in North America and January 25th in Europe. The cover artwork was created by Kai Brockschmidt (PRETTY MAIDS, ROYAL HUNT), and can be seen below:
Ceremonial tracklisting:

'Land Of Confusion'
'Wasted Years'
'Special'
'Find Your Soul'
'The Tide'
'Big Machine'
'Let The Thunder Roll'
'Right From Wrong'
'Passage Of Time'
'I Came To Rock'
'King For One Day'
'Superman'

Check out audio samples from the album below:

U.D.O. — the German metal band led by former ACCEPT frontman Udo Dirkschneider — will release its new album, "Steelhammer", on May 24 via AFM Records. The CD was produced by Dirkschneider and Fitty Wienhold.

A 30-second audio preview of "Steelhammer" is available in the YouTube clip below.

"Steelhammer" track listings:

Standard CD

01. Steelhammer
02. A Cry Of A Nation
03. Metal Machine
04. Basta Ya
05. Heavy Rain
06. Devil's Bite
07. Death Ride
08. King Of Mean
09. Time Keeper
10. Never Cross My Way
11. Take My Medicine
12. Stay True
13. When Love Becomes A Lie
14. Book Of Faith

Digipack

01. Steelhammer
02. A Cry Of A Nation
03. Metal Machine
04. Basta Ya
05. Heavy Rain
06. Devil's Bite
07. Death Ride
08. King Of Mean
09. Time Keeper
10. Never Cross My Way
11. Take My Medicine
12. Shadows Come Alive (bonus track)
13. Stay True Stay You
14. When Love Becomes A Lie
15. Book Of Faith

Japanese version

01. Steelhammer
02. A Cry Of A Nation
03. Metal Machine
04. Basta Ya
05. Heavy Rain
06. Devil's Bite
07. Death Ride
08. King Of Mean
09. Time Keeper
10. Never Cross My Way
11. Take My Medicine
12. Stay True Stay You
13. When Love Becomes A Lie
14. Book Of Faith
15. Dust And Rust (bonus track)

Guitarist Igor Gianola recently left U.D.O. and was replaced by Finnish axeman Kasperi Heikkinen.

U.D.O. last year announced the addition of guitarist Andrey Smirnov to the group's ranks. He replaced Stefan Kaufmann, who left the group for health reasons.

Stefan will continue to work with U.D.O. behind the scenes and produce other bands at his Roxx studio.

Kaufmann was the drummer for ACCEPT on nine albums but was forced to give up drumming towards the end of the band's initial run due to health problems.

Stefan joined U.D.O. as a guitar player in 1996, following ACCEPT's second breakup, and has recorded nine albums with them.

"Live In Sofia", the new DVD+CD and Blu-ray+CD from U.D.O., entered the Music DVD chart in Finland at position No. 1 and in Germany at No. 4.

"Live In Sofia" contains footage of U.D.O.'s November 16, 2011 concert at Hristo Botev Hall in Sofia, Bulgaria.

U.D.O. 's latest album, "Rev-Raptor", was released on May 20, 2011 via AFM Records.

"Wise As A Serpent", the new video from SPIRITUAL BEGGARS — the Swedish band featuring ARCH ENEMY guitarist Michael Amott and bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, along with vocalist Apollo Papathanasio (ex-FIREWIND) — can be seen below. The song comes off the group's eighth studio album, "Earth Blues", which will be released on April 16 (one day earlier internationally) via InsideOut Music.

Commented Amott: "We chose this particular song as the first video off 'Earth Blues' 'cause it's an explosive track and also the shortest song on the album! I filmed and directed the video myself and Anders Björler (AT THE GATES) did a great job on the edit. We're more than pleased with the end result; it's done in true DIY spirit...raw and authentic."

"Earth Blues" track listing

01. Wise As A Serpent
02. Turn The Tide
03. Sweet Magic Pain
04. Hello Sorrow
05. One Man's Curse
06. Dreamer
07. Too Old To Die Young
08. Kingmaker
09. Road To Madness
10. Dead End Town
11. Freedom Song
12. Legends Collapse

Amott previously stated about the upcoming CD: "I had the idea for this artwork from my time as a child, seeing posters of two young lovers watching a romantic sunset on the beach — just your typical tacky bedroom art in the '70s, really... Also, growing up in what is now referred to with some nostalgia as the Atomic Age — the threat of nuclear war was always looming over our heads it seemed. I wanted to combine these two images of my youth in one paradoxical image and Per Wiberg of Hippograffix (and SPIRITUAL BEGGARS keyboardist) really managed to capture the melancholic feeling perfectly. Earth Blues, indeed."

Regarding the making of "Earth Blues", Amott said: "We started the recording process of 'Earth Blues' with an eight-day-long session at Fat Guitar Studios (Sweden) with knob-twiddler Roberth Ekholm, a truly great dude who really knows how to capture a band jamming live, sadly a rare quality in recording engineers nowadays! We continued with some overdubs at various studios in Sweden, and it's all come together super easy this time. Sonically, I think this might be our finest hour yet. It's a raw, heavy and honest record."

In order to promote this upcoming release as well as the band's anniversary, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS have confirmed a European tour for April with support by German rockers ZODIAC, as well as some European summer festivals.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS in 2011 released a live CD entitled "Return To Live: Loud Park 2010" in Japan via Trooper Entertainment. The disc features eight songs, capturing the bands high-energy performance at Loud Park 10 at Saitama Super Arena, Japan on October 17, 2010. The live recording was mixed in Sweden by Staffan Karlsson and Rickard Bengtsson at Studio Landgren 5.3 and The Sweet Spot Studio in December 2010. The artwork and design was handled by Hippograffix.

The new lineup of SPIRITUAL BEGGARS made its live debut on October 1, 2010 at Kyttaro club in Athens, Greece.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS's seventh studio album, "Return To Zero", was released in Japan on August 25, 2010 via Trooper Entertainment Inc. — the label founded by legendary Japanese heavy metal music industry guru Tetsu Miyamoto. The Japanese special edition comes in a glossy paper box with a poster and a sticker of the CD front cover. The Japanese edition also features a bonus track, a thunderous cover of URIAH HEEP's "Time To Live" off the legendary U.K. band's 1971 "Salisbury" record.

"Return To Zero" was released in North America on October 12, 2010 via InsideOut Music. The follow-up to 2005's "Demons" was recorded at Sweetspot Studio with producer Rickard Bengtsson.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS 2013 is:

Michael Amott (ARCH ENEMY, CARCASS) - Guitar
Ludwig Witt (FIREBIRD) - Drums
Per Wiberg (OPETH) - Keyboards
Sharlee D'Angelo (ARCH ENEMY, MERCYFUL FATE) - Bass
Apollo Papathanasio (FIREWIND) – Vocals

The Geoff Tate-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE will release its new album, "Frequency Unknown", 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.

90-second audio samples of all the tracks that will appear on "Frequency Unknown" can be streamed on iTunes.

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.