London, UK psychedelic rockers PURSON have released a new video for ‘Leaning On A Bear’ which is taken from their upcoming full-length debut album The Circle And The Blue Door. The video was directed by Chris Martin and edited by William Cunningham.

Check out the video below:
Singer and guitarist Rosalie Cunningham comments on the video: “We found this great place in Brixton, South London called Café Cairo that looks as though it has been transplanted there from the souk in Marrakesh. It was perfect for a Purson video, so we invited some friends along, hung out, and played. Chris Martin shot and edited the video and my brother, William, treated the footage and added the trippy effects.”
A press release describes the band as taking influences from the late '60s and early '70s rock with the lyrics reflecting a young woman’s vision of the world. The Circle And The Blue Door will be released in North America on April 30th through Metal Blade Records with pre-orders and more information available on March 11th. The album will be released in Europe via Rise Above Records.

More info on Purson on Facebook.

The Finnish metallers PAYLOAD have confirmed the release date for their upcoming album. Odyssey Dawn will be released on May 17th and will feature the following tracklist:
'War Machine'
'Wasted (Matinkylä)'
'Wounds'
'Poison Cure'
'Lie'
'Nails'
'Odyssey Dawn'
'Natostan'
'Unleash'
In addition, the band has uploaded the official lyric video for the song 'Wounds' which can be found below:
For more details visit Payloadband.info.

Czech Republic-based progressive metallers ASCENDANCY took on new members at the beginning of 2013 and recently released a brand new single – a cover version of legendary Czech metal band ARAKAIN's song 'Vir' (The Virus), which can be heard below:
This record was released for the thirtieth anniversary of formation of the band, and is sung in Czech, accordingly.

Ascendancy are going on club tour in the Czech Republic this week, together with its affiliated band ABSTRACT ESSENCE. The repertoire will consist of songs from the debut record, which featured Marco Sfogli (JAMES LABRIE) and Tomas Englund (EVERGREY) as guests, as well as from the upcoming record.

The tour consists of nine concerts performed throughout Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia.
More on Ascendancy, including their live itinerary, at this location.

South American black metal band PATRIA recently put out a teaser from their upcoming new album Nihil Est Monastica, which will be released March 13th through Drakkar Productions. The teaser was helmed by Swedish producer Hakan Sjodin, who has also done work with MARDUK.
Check out the teaser below:
In addition to the teaser, Patria has uploaded a new song from the album, titled ‘Ascendant Of Darkness.’ Check out the track below:
Guitarist, bassist, and drummer Mantus comments: “Nihil Est Monastica is an album going through a bit fresh musical conception if compared to our previous releases. There’s no walls’ at all concerning our creativity on this record. We just decided to do what we had to do, naturally, without any worries about labels or rules. Something that would pleasure our own ears as real black metal fans, you know. We’re also mixing different influences and elements. It also has a little better production, but even still keeping that necro and low-fi characteristics of the early black metal sound.”
The cover art was created by Costin Chioreanu (DARKTHRONE, ULVER, AURA NOIR, ABSU).

For more info visit Patriablackmeta.tk.

German gothic/electro rockers STAHLMANN’s new album Adamant, will be released through AFM records on April 19th. Check out the cover art and tracklisting below.
Adamant tracklisting:
‘Die Welt Verbrennt’
‘Suchtig’
‘Wenn Der Regen Kommt’
‘Schwarz’ (featuring Teufel / Tanzwut)
‘Leuchtfeuer’
‘Adrenalin’
‘Der Schmied’
‘Paradies’
‘Nackt’
‘Tempel Der Lust’
‘Damonin’
‘Traumfrau’ (bonus digipack)
‘Licht’ (bonus digipack)

For more info on Stahlmann visit this location.

A389 Recordings has announced the addition of Baltimore's NECROPSY to the label's roster. The band's debut LP/CD, Agony Defined, is a nine-track thrash/death metal assault loaded with precision shredding and manic raw energy. The kicker is... the oldest member of the band is 20 years old! Agony Defined will be released in May (date TBA).
The track 'Voices In The Morgue' is streaming below:
Necropsy tour dates include:

March
9 - Baltimore, MD - The Sidebar (with ILSA, Windhand, VYGR, Passengers)
17 - Baltimore, MD - The Nerve Center (with No Qualms, Knife Hits, Cold Inside, Endless Bummer)
22 - Silver Spring, MD - The Pyramid Atlantic

April
12-13 - Washington DC - Damaged City Fest (with Negative Approach, DropDead, ILSA, Sick Fix and more)

May
23 - Baltimore, MD - Maryland Death Fest (with Bolt Thrower, Evoken, Abigail and more)
Necropsy lineup:

Tyler Carnes - Vocals
Sebastian Phillips - Guitar
Travis Stone - Guitar
Harley Phillips - Drums
Yago Ventura - Bass

More on Necropsy at this location.

Providence, RI’s HOWL will release their sophomore album, Bloodlines, on April 26th in Germany, April 29th in UK/Europe, and April 30th in North America, via Relapse Records. The band have now released a lyric video for 'Attrition', from the upcoming Bloodlines. Watch below:
Bloodlines was recorded at the infamous Planet Z Studio in Hadley, Massachusetts with Chris “Zeuss” Harris (CROWBAR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD), its metallic lead-footed sludge hitting with all the subtlety of getting shot in the face with a howitzer.

Get a five-minute view inside the recording compound below:
The Bloodlines album artwork can be seen below:
Tracklisting:

'Attrition'
'Midnight Eyes'
'Demonic'
'One Last Nail'
'Down So Low'
'Your Hell Begins'
'With A Blade'
'Of War'
'The Mouth Of Madness'
'Embrace Your Nerve'

A new album teaser can be seen below:
Howl guitarist / vocalist Vincent Hausman commented on the new recordings: "This is the meanest and heaviest thing we've ever done, and we feel like the songwriting is a big step forward since Full Of Hell. We're super psyched to team up with Zeuss, because we feel like he'll properly capture this monster of a record."
As a precursor to the record’s official unveiling, Howl is currently en route on a mega run of live assaults. The tour includes a glut of SXSW appearances, as well as the official Relapse Records/Chaos In Tejas Showcase. See updated itinerary below:

Tour dates :

March
7 - Poison Lawn – Knoxville, TN
8 - Owl Farm – Nashville, TN (with Cove, Demeaner)
9 - The Buccaneer – Memphis, TN (with Crowlord)
10 - Siberia – New Orleans, LA (with She Rides)
11 - Walter’s – Houston, TX
13 - TBA – San Antonio, TX

March (SXSW Appearances)
14 - SXSW Showcase – Austin, TX (with Goatwhore, Norma Jean, Royal Thunder, KEN Mode, Gypsyhawk)
15 - Rock of Ages Tattoo Showcase at Yellow Jacket Social Club – Austin, TX (with Black Tusk, True Widow, Fight Amp, Marching Teeth, Pushmen, Communion)
16 - Relapse Records/Chaos In Tejas Official Showcase at Red 7 – Austin, TX (with Inter Arma, ASG, Royal Thunder, Call of the Void, Black Tusk)

March
17 - Parade Of Flesh Afterparty – Dallas, TX (with Mutilation Rites, Ken Mode)
18 - The Sound Pony – Tulsa, OK (with Senior Fellows, The Way it Was)
19 - The Riot Room – Kansas City, MO (with Abbot, Keef Mountain)
20 - Fubar – St. Louis, MO (with Grand Inquisitor, Predatory Witch)
21 - Frank’s Power Plant – Milwaukee, WI (with Gravedirt)
22 - Ultra Lounge – Chicago, IL (with Jar’d Loose)
23 - The Bishop – Bloomington, IN (with Torturess)
24 - The Berkley Front – Detroit, MI (with The Armed, Dead Church)
25 - Kobo Live – Columbus, OH (with Stormbrewer)
26 - Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH (with She Rides)
27 - The Smiling Moose – Pittsburgh, PA
28 - The Sidebar – Baltimore, MD (with Strong Intention)
29 - The Tuscan Cafe – Warwick, NY (with Strong Intention)
30 - TBA Boston, MA (with Strong Intention)
31 - The Shaskeen – Manchester, NH (with Strong Intention)

April
1 - Nectars – Burlington, VT (with Strong Intention)
3 - Dusk – Providence, RI (with Tinsel Teeth, Graveside Service)
Updates to follow. More on Howl at this location.

Death metal out fit ZOMBIE INC., featuring vocalist Martin Schirenc (HOLLENTHON, ex-PUNGENT STENCH) and guitarist Wolfgang Rothbauer (DISBELIEF, GODHATECODE, IN SLUMBER), will unleash their new masterpiece, Homo Gusticus, on April 26th via Massacre Records.
Homo Gusticus was recorded and mixed by the band's vocalist, Martin Schirenc, at Vato Loco in Austria. Dan Swanö mastered the album at Unisound in Sweden.

If you’ve asked yourself, 'What does it look like when a bunch of zombies are recording an album?', check out an album teaser below:
The band has also announced the first single off the upcoming album. 'Resurrection Guaranteed' will be released on April 5th, and will be available digitally only. The single will also be available at Massacre's MP3 Download Store, at this location. Check out the single artwork below:
Updates to follow. More on Zombie Inc. at this location.

UK-based rock quartet AMPLIFIER has released a lyric video for 'Matmos', the opening track from the band's Kscope debut, Echo Street, out April 23rd. The video is streaming below:
An official video for 'Matmos' can be seen below:
Echo Street, the follow-up to The Octopus, Amplifier's self-released debut which went on to sell over 20,000 copies, was produced by the band's Sel Balamir and mixed by Chris Sheldon (FOO FIGHTERS).

Echo Street also marks the band's first effort with its revamped four-piece lineup, delivering a subtle shift in style and allowing for a mix of the band's signature epic space rock jams with accessible pieces boasting three-part vocal harmonies.

"We are extraordinarily pleased with Echo Street," said vocalist/guitarist, Sel Balamir. "We didn't think that we could better The Octopus, but I think that Echo Street has a timeless quality about it. It's probably the Amplifier album that most people will know with time. There's something really special about it..."
Echo Street tracklisting:

'Matmos'
'The Wheel'
'Extra Vehicular'
'Paris In The Spring'
'Never & Always'
'Between Today & Yesterday'
'Echo Street'
'Mary Rose'

Visit the Echo Street mini-site at this location for downloads, pre-order links, audio, live dates and a free MP3 of 'Matmos'.

Echo Street can be pre-ordered now on CD, double vinyl and as a limited, deluxe two disc edition. The deluxe edition is packaged in a 60 page hardcover book and also features the new Sunriders EP, an additional record of new songs exclusive to this release.
Amplifier lineup:

Sel Balamir - Guitar/Vocals
Matt Brobin - Drums
Steve Durose - Guitar/Vocals
Alex "Magnum" Redhead - Bass

More on Amplifier at this location.

Reading/London, UK-based death metallers ANCIENT ASCENDANT hit the road next week with Norwegian legends ENSLAVED and the mighty WINTERFYLLETH. The will also tour in April with HYPOCRISY.

The band have been steadily building a reputation as a formidable live act, their appearance at last years Bloodstock festival in a packed S.O.P.H.I.E stage tent was the icing on a particularly malevolent cake.

Ancient Ascendant released the critically acclaimed Into The Dark EP last year and are currently working on music for their next full length album. Check out their new lyric video for the track 'Under Ancient Stone' below:
Ancient Ascendant lineup:

Alex Butler - Guitar/Vocals
Dave Moulding - Drums
Alan Webb - Bass
Nariman Poushin - Guitar
More on Ancient Ascendant, including their live itinerary, at this location.

Italian metal band ENEMYNSIDE have parted ways with singer Francesco Cremisini (pictured below).
A message from the band states: "It's with deep regret we have to inform you that the singer Francesco Cremisini has parted ways wih the band. No divergences caused this decision and the departure is amicable."

In the last few months Francesco felt the need to focus more on his other musical projects, and he is no longer in the mood to follow Enemynside in their growth and live activity.

Commented Francesco: "All these years we've worked very hard for this band to reach new levels, new challenges, and we've always tried to put something new and interesting in the sound; now it's time for me to leave and let the band continue the good work we've been done for a long time!"

Enemynside continue: "After Francesco's departure, guitarist Francesco De Honestis also left the band being not available to build a new lineup. We wish them the best of luck in their musical careers!

The rest of the band is still committed to Enemynside, but at the moment a break will be needed to build some new ideas and manage this situation in the best way."
Enemynside's third album, Whatever Takes, was released last September via Mighty Music
Whatever Takes tracklisting:

'Withering'
'Reveries'
'Rise Up'
'The Cure'
'No One Of A Kind'
'Too Many Times'
'Hiddenself'
'Snot'
'Mislead'
'Fearful World'
'Pitch Black'

A video for 'Withering' can be seen below:
More on Enemynside at this location.

Brutal Western Canadian death metallers XUL have posted the following update from vocalist Levi Meyers on their upcoming EP:

"We are happy to announce some of the details regarding our EP. First of all, It will feature a track called 'Summon The Swarm', which we have played live now for quite some time. There will also be three other tracks on the EP. Each of the songs has their own elements that make them unique and we feel it really shows the progression of our musicianship. We will be recording with Jeff Bryan once again to maintain the high quality we had on Malignance. There’s not a whole lot more I can say, but we are extremely excited to head into the studio again in such a short period of time. These are the best songs we have to date and a lot of emotion and time has been spent! We will keep you updated along the journey… until then… Pilsner and METAL!"

XUL are offering Malignance as a free download as they work on their follow up EP.

If you're a fan of BEHEMOTH, DISSECTION and IMMORTAL this is one album not to be missed as the band forges their brand of blackened death metal. Malignance features eight tracks of crushing rhythms seamlessly coalescing into atmospheric passages, accompanied by punishing percussion waves and subtle vocal harmonies.

Free download at this location.

XUL vocalist Levi Meyers comments: "We are excited to offer our debut album, Malignance, for free (or by pay what you want donation) to our fans as a token of our appreciation for the endless support they offer us. We are currently writing an EP, which will be due out sometime in 2013."
Malignance tracklisting:

'Battlestorm'
'Mastication Of Putrescent Empyrean Remains'
'Porta Noctis'
'Vengeance'
'Winter’s Reign'
'Hordes Of Black'
'Incinerate The Earth'
'Tomb Of Tyrants'

A lyric video for the track 'Mastication Of Putrescent Empyrean Remains' can be seen below:
XUL lineup:

Bill Ferguson (Vocals/Guitar)
Wallace Huffman (Guitar)
Marlow Deiter (Bass)
Lowell Winters (Drums)
Levi Meyers (Vocals)
More on XUL at this location.

German folk metallers NACHTGESCHREI will release their new album, Aus Schwaerzester Nacht, the band's first record with new singer Martin LeMar, on March 22nd via Massacre.
Aus Schwaerzester Nacht tracklisting:

'Sirene'
'Die Geister, die uns riefen'
'Flamme'
'Spieler'
'In meinen Liedern'
'In die Schwärze der Nacht'
'Der Ruf'
'Am Ende der Zeit'
'Unter Deinem Licht'
'Na Sdorowje!'
'Am Rand der Welt'
'Für alle Zeit'
'Als in Dir nur Leere war'
'Ungebrochen'
'Herbst' (Akustikversion) '
'In der Schwärze der Nacht' (Orchestral Edit)

"It was about time!", the band members say. "We've been working on new songs for a long time, rehearsed all the stuff and actually sweat a lot. Now, one year after our last tour, we're back - with a new album."

Audio samples for all tracks on the new album can be heard at this location.
The album release will be followed by a club tour all across Germany. Dates for the German club tour include:

April
12 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
13 - Berlin, Germany - Crystal
18 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo
19 - Osnabrueck, Germany - Bastard Club
20 - Ottweiler, Germany - Club Schulz
25 - Frankfurt, Germany - Nachtleben
26 - Muenchen, Germany - Spectaculum Mundi
Tickets at this location.

More on Nachtgeschrei here.

Texas thrash heavyweights WARBEAST will release their new full length album, Destroy - produced by Philip H. Anselmo (DOWN, ex-PANTERA) and engineered by Stephen "The Big Fella" Berrigan - on April 2nd via Housecore Records. Check out audio samples from the album at this location.

Destroy was recorded at Anselmo's Nodferatu's Lair in May and July 2012 and mixed by Anselmo and Berrigan. The album artwork and concept were designed by “Carcass” John Fossum with graphic and technical adviser John Deleon.
Destroy tracklisting:
'Cryogenic Thawout'
'Nightmares In the Sky'
'Egotistical Bastard'
'Nobody'
'The Day Of…'
'Warbeast'
'Blood Moon'
'War of the Worlds'
'Destroy'

A CD release show for Destroy will take place at The Rail Club in Fort Worth, TX on April 6th. Warbeast recently announced that Casey Orr (RIGOR MORTIS, GWAR) will join them as their fill-in bassist while on the road this spring with Gwar. The band’s upcoming tour dates with Gwar and WILSON kick off in Tucson, AZ on April 10th. The 16 day run, dubbed the Fate Or Chaos Tour, will continue through the month of April until it closes in Jacksonville, FL on April 25th.
Fate Or Chaos Tour dates include:

April
10 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
11 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
12 - Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock Cafe - The Strip
13 - Ventura, CA - Majestic Ventura Theatre
14 - Reno, NV - Knitting Factory
15 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
16 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater & Club
17 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
18 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Lounge
19 - Des Moines, IA - Wooly's
20 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
21 - Little Rock, AR - The Rev Room
22 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
23 - Greenville, SC - The Handlebar
24 - Orlando, FL - Beacham Theater
25 - Jacksonville, FL - Free Bird Live

After years of fruitful collaboration with various colleagues in her adopted hometown of New York City, Japanese vocalist and established visual artist YOSHIKO OHARA is poised to release her first solo album, Ringing In Our Wrists.

Best known for her mesmerizing performances as lead singer for the NYC experimental doom outfit BLOODY PANDA and collaborations with OCEAN and KAYO DOT, Yoshiko is expanding her repertoire ever further into the outer reaches of strange, unearthly music, and will unleash her formidable talents upon the public on March 19th via Ice Level Music, a new label run by Toby Driver (Kayo Dot, MAUDLIN OF THE WELL, SECRET CHIEFS 3).
In addition to composing and recording all of the album's tracks herself, Ohara also created the evocative cover artwork and layout for Ringing in Our Wrists (above).

The tracklisting:

'PMSBF 1
'Boukyaku No Chokugo To Kaihou No Chokuzen No S Kyoku'
'Untitled'
'Symetrical Lanterns'
'Our Revolving Records'
'Mebisumuiruyunomohitashikupanki'
'A Flip Book Of Our Thoroughly Original Sense Of Art'
'Slow Blink Of A Digital Clock'

Ohara embraced the random on Ringing In Our Wrists, treating her audio material as pure sound rather than attempting to compose logical songs. Using the visual cue of the waveform as it appeared on her computer screen, She rearranged the tracks to create visual tableaux that mirrored the imaginary artworks in her head. As such, all the sounds are created by accident, not written as music but created as an art work. Using a combination of field recordings and synthesizer generated noises Ohara's freshman album merges the painter's eye with the musician's ear, taking the listener on an inward journey to a place where those two synaptic impulses merge into one.

Her haunting, eerie vocals and visceral live performances have become the stuff of legend amongst those lucky enough to catch her both with Bloody Panda and at more recent solo outings. Comparisons to multitalented demonic divas like DIAMANDA GALAS, JARBOE, and KEIJI HAINO are apt, but there is only one Yoshiko Ohara.

Ringing In Our Wrists will surface on March 19th. Watch a recent performance for a taste of what lies ahead, below:

Legendary guitarist Slash (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) has created what is said to be "an incredible all-new version" of the "Angry Birds Space" theme song and you can hear it shortly after opening the newly updated game on your iDevice. A button with a musical note calls up an image of Slash transformed into one of the game's characters, complete with a link to purchase Slash's music.

Compatible with iDevices running iOS 4.3 or later, the newly updated "Angry Birds Space" for iPhone and "Angry Birds Space HD" for iPad are available in the App Store for $0.99 and $2.99, respectively.

Slash has reportedly been a longtime fan of "Angry Birds". Three years ago, he was retweeted on the official "Angry Birds" Twitter account when he quipped that "Angry Birds" is "like a drug, only cheaper."

Back in February, Slash stopped by the headquarters of "Angry Birds" creators Rovio in Finland. "'Angry Birds' found out that I was a big fan and reached out to me," he says in a promotional video which can be seen below. "I really jumped at the chance to get involved."

The "Angry Birds Space" version takes gamers through planets filled with water, strange aquatic life and bad piggies in boats.

Slash isn't the first rocker to be associated with the "Angry Birds" games. Last year's "Angry Birds Friends" series featured customized GREEN DAY pigs, 10 never-before-seen levels and the chance to unlock a brand-new song off the band's "¡Uno!" album called "Troublemaker".

Virginia Beach, VA-based metallers SOLACE OF REQUIEM have just got finished tracking their as-yet-untitled fourth studio album at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida.
A band update reads:

"This album is going to be ridiculous! It's outrageously brutal and insanely epic! The instrumentation and composition is nothing short of mind blowing! This album will rewrite theory and surpass everything that anyone has ever done or attempted in metal, guaranteed! A few big surprises will be announced soon too!! Expect the album to be released this summer. More details coming soon.... SOR would like to thank to everybody that helped them. Especially Brian Elliott who stuck with them through all the chaos without committing suicide nor homicide, and Erik Rutan (HATE ETERNAL) for letting them in his studio, even though they looked like vagrants!"

German rockers FAIR WARNING will release a new studio album, "Sundancer", in Germany on May 24, in the rest of Europe on May 27 and in the USA/Canada on May 28. The effort will be made available as a CD and digital download through SPV/Steamhammer worldwide except Asia.

The "Sundancer" cover artwork can be seen below. Also available is a brand new band photo.

FAIR WARNING's last studio album, "Aura", came out in 2009. A live CD/DVD, "Talking Ain't Enough - Fair Warning Live In Tokyo", followed in 2010. The band's best-of double album, "Best And More", came out last year.

FAIR WARNING celebrated its 20th anniversary with "Best And More", containing all of the band's classics on a double CD with 32 songs. Previously unreleased tracks and rare live and studio material plus a great booklet made "Best And More" a must-have for all new and old fans.

LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe was found not guilty of manslaughter on Tuesday (March 5) by a panel of Czech judges in the concert death of one of the Richmond, Virginia-based metal band's fans.

Blythe was facing the possibility of conviction and a long-term jail sentence after a May 2010 incident in which a fan, Daniel Nosek, who attended a LAMB OF GOD performance in Prague, died almost a month later, allegedly from injuries sustained when he was thrown off the stage.

In a new posting on his Facebook page, Blythe (pictured below) writes: "I am leaving Prague now — I hope not to return for a long while. This has nothing to do with this city, the people who live here, or the Czech Republic itself at all. This is a wonderful place, and many people have been kind to me. Not a single soul here has been rude or mean to me at all, nor done me any harm — in fact, it is quite the opposite. I have grown to love this city, for it is a marvelous, magical town. I encourage everyone to come visit here, to see this lovely country. But for me it is a place of great sadness.

"While I am relieved that my innocence was proven and apparently I shall not be going to prison, I am in no way shape or form a happy man right now. The small inconveniences I have been through since my arrest are not noteworthy. People go through much worse daily and still keep a smile on their faces, but currently my smiles are far and few between. A young man is still dead, and his family still suffers. Please remember that fact. This family did no wrong, and have shown me great kindness — with silence, with actions, and finally with words — they spoke on my behalf to the court, and we had a private talk afterwards.

“All I will say about that is that they were very kind to me and displayed the utmost strength and class, and wished me a good life. They just want to get on with their lives the best they can. I wish them only the best, and will keep them in my thoughts and prayers. Please do the same — think good thoughts of them and healing thoughts for them. Trust me, they are good people, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. They did NOTHING wrong.

"This picture is from Kutna Hora, at the Sedlec Ossuary. I was there yesterday — like Prague, it is an amazing place. About this city, Kafka wrote: 'Prague doesn’t let go… This old crone has claws. One has to yield, or else.' I have found this to be true. I am yielding, I am leaving a part of myself here, I think. Some bit of me will always roam these streets at night, and that is only fitting. Now I will go home and try to see what good I can make come out the destruction that occurred here — it is the only correct thing to do.

"Rest in peace, Daniel Nosek."

The state prosecutors have announced their intention to appeal the verdict; they have eight days to put this in writing.

Blythe was unaware of a warrant out for his arrest when he was detained last June after arriving at the Prague airport for a show with LAMB OF GOD. He spent five weeks in custody before being released on bail in August.

The parents of the alleged victim were demanding compensation of 10 million Czech Koruna (approximately $530,000).

According to a new post on JUDAS PRIEST's official web site, the British heavy metal legends "are working in the studio on their new album — and all is going is really well!"

In other news, JUDAS PRIEST's "Epitaph" DVD and Blu-ray, containing professionally filme video footage of the the final show of the band's "Epitaph" world tour on May 26, 2012 at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England, will be released later in the year.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Rapid Fire
02. Metal Gods
03. Heading Out To The Highway
04. Judas Rising
05. Starbreaker
06. Victim Of Changes
07. Never Satisfied
08. Diamonds & Rust (JOAN BAEZ cover)
09. Prophecy
10. Night Crawler
11. Turbo Lover
12. Beyond The Realms Of Death
13. The Sentinel
14. Blood Red Skies
15. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
16. Breaking The Law
17. Drum Solo
18. Painkiller

Encore:

19. The Hellion (taped intro) / Electric Eye

Encore 2:

20. Hell Bent For Leather
21. You've Got Another Thing Comin'

Encore 3:

22. Living After Midnight

Fan-filmed video footage of the show can be seen below.

PRIEST's forthcoming album will mark the recording and songwriting debut of the band's new guitarist, Richie Faulkner, who replaced co-founder K.K. Downing in 2011.

Asked what fans can fans expect from the group's next CD, JUDAS PRIEST lead singer Rob Halford said in an August 2012 interview, "We've already got a strong cross-section of ideas, some of them complete, some of them in bits and pieces. It's shaping up to be quite intense, in terms of the riffage and the strength of certain tracks. Much like every time you try and talk about music, it's practically impossible to capture it. You can only point it in the direction of where things are shaping up, and it's just glorious. If I try to pinpoint it, there are elements of 'British Steel' and there elements of 'Painkiller' in terms of the vibe. We've got a really solid record coming together slowly in a strong metal way that will make all of our PRIEST fans around the world very happy and content. At least I hope it does."

Regarding a possible release date for the new PRIEST album, Halford said, "I'm not really sure. It'll be ready when it's ready. We're not under the same clock as we used to be. I remember in the '80s we were banging out a record almost every year, and that was on top of putting in a world tour. We have the luxury now, if you want to call it that, of taking our time. And that's just because that's the way it is. We're just as eager to get this done as ever, but we do it at a slower pace. It's that British thing, you know? [laughs] It's that monarchy thing. Let's look forward to that moment for another PRIEST record for everyone to bang their heads to."

In a November 2011 interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Halford stated about PRIEST's plans for the upcoming CD, "Glenn and I started to write in the early part of January [of 2011]. We just went to it from the heart really, there was no specific agenda or idea, as opposed to what we had to do with 'Nostradamus', which was very focused and a real anchor of a project. This one has just been some straight-forward, classic British heavy metal. Some of it feels a bit like 'Painkiller', some of it feels like 'Sad Wings Of Destiny', some like 'British Steel'. We didn't do much research, we didn't bother checking some of our previous releases, we didn't do any homework, we just sat down and played, you know? Glenn came up with riffs and I came up with vocal melodies. There was no outside influence or interference in the writing sessions. We just started the day, plugged in some amps, got the mic up and made the metal that way. It's a very pure record, in that respect."

Audio samples of two new songs from British hard rock legends DEEP PURPLE — "Hell To Pay" and "All The Time In The World" — can be streamed at Qobuz.com (click on "ÉCOUTER" next to each songtitle to hear the sample). Both tracks come off the band's 19th studio album, "Now What?!", which will be released via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group, on the following dates:

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

Moscow radio station Rock FM will broadcast "Hell To Pay" and "All The Time In The World" on Monday, March 11. The tracks will air at 3:15 p.m. MSK and be repeated at 6:15 p.m. MSK. The same day a video teaser for "All The Time In The World" will be released on the official DEEP PURPLE YouTube channel.

Rock FM broadcasts locally on 95.2 FM and online (worldwide) at Rockfm.ru (click on the white "play" button next to the station logo).

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

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

"Now What?!" will also be released as a limited edition with a bonus DVD featuring DEEP PURPLE discussing the new album and one bonus studio cover version. It will also be made available as a double vinyl LP.

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

Seven-inch vinyl (limited to 1000 numbered copies)

Side A:

01. Hell To Pay (radio edit)

Side B:

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

CD Single

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

DEEP PURPLE's 18th studio album, "Rapture of the Deep", was released in November 2005. It was the fourth studio CD from DEEP PURPLE since guitarist Steve Morse joined the band in 1994. It was also the second album to feature veteran keyboardist Don Airey.

"Rapture of the Deep" was produced by Mike Bradford, who also worked on the band's previous release, 2003's "Bananas".

California thrash metal veterans SLAYER performed with only two original members on stage as part of this year's Soundwave festival, which took place in five Australian cities between February 23 and March 4.

SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo sat out the band's recent tour due to a contract dispute with the other members of the group, while guitarist Jeff Hanneman is still recovering from necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease which he is believed to have gotten from a spider bite. Filling in for them were returning member Jon Dette (TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX) and Gary Holt (EXODUS), respectively.

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's March 4 performance at Claremont Showgrounds in Claremont, Australia as part of this year's Soundwave festival can be seen below.

SLAYER's setlist for the Perth show was as follows:

01. Disciple
02. War Ensemble
03. Die By The Sword
04. Chemical Warfare
05. Mandatory Suicide
06. Altar Of Sacrifice
07. Jesus Saves
08. Seasons In The Abyss
09. Dead Skin Mask
10. Angel of Death
11. South of Heaven
12. Raining Blood

In an interview with Soundwave TV, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King stated about Lombardo's current status with SLAYER: "This just happened a week ago… ten days ago… so I mean, I don't know… It's unfortunate that Dave couldn't be with us; I planned on him being here up until the Monday before I left. And then I saw trouble in paradise, and since I am the mastermind on making decisions like this, I was, like, 'Alright, I've got a backup plan. Just in case.' 'Cause I would have hated to have just Australia blown out. Can you imagine how shitty that would have been? So I did what I thought was best, and we pulled it off."

Asked if he saw the dispute with Dave coming, Kerry said: "Tom [Araya, SLAYER bassist/vocalist] did. Tom's been on the fence about Dave for awhile and I was pretty much the one that said, 'Nah, I'm not comfortable moving on [without Dave].' And then it got thrust in our face and I took action immediately and I got a very lucky culmination of things that happened."

Prior to joining SLAYER, Dette appeared on TESTAMENT's "Live At The Fillmore" album, which came out in 1995.

Regarding how he came be playing with SLAYER again on the Soundwave festival run, Dette told Tama: "I got a call from Kerry [King, SLAYER guitarist]. And he said, 'Hey, what are you doing next week when you're in Australia when you're not playing for ANTHRAX?' And I said, 'Drinking.' [laughs] He said, 'Well, you might wanna hold off the drinks, if you can, 'cause we might need you to fill in, if you can.' And I said, 'Of course.' I mean, first, I was kind of taken aback, I was a little paused. But they basically called me and asked if I could do the Australia dates for them. So I will, actually, be playing drums for ANTHRAX and SLAYER at the Soundwave festival in Australia, and then also we have a one-off show — SLAYER and ANTHRAX in Sydney, which, that will definitely put me to the test. 'Cause it's gonna be an hour on stage with ANTHRAX, and then I've got 20 minutes to take a break, and then it's an hour and 40 with SLAYER. So I've got my work cut out for me that night. But I'll man up, I'll make it happen, and it'll be a good show."

Speaking about his history with SLAYER, Dette said: "The SLAYER thing, again, it's been… My God, it's been 16, 17 years now. I joined SLAYER — officially joined SLAYER — in Decemebr of 1995, and I replaced Paul Bostaph. He had just completed the 'Undisputed Attitude' record. So I was with them until early 1997, and then Paul came back into the band and then I actually went back into TESTAMENT. I joined TESTAMENT in '94, replacing John Tempesta just after the 'Low' record. So it was a cool little period of time. Again, I was just extremely fortunate and privileged to be part of their history. And now, to be part of the SLAYER history again is awesome. And again, I'm just really looking forward to seeing what the future brings."

Dette is currently also playing with ANTHRAX as a temporary replacement for the band's longtime drummer Charlie Benante, who "is dealing with personal issues right now and can't leave" the U.S., according to ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian.

Fan-filmed video footage of HALESTORM performing a cover version of the DIO classic "Straight Through The Heart" for the first time on March 6 in Norwich, England can be seen below.

A studio recording of HALESTORM's "Straight Through The Heart" rendition will appear on the band's upcoming EP of cover songs, which was recently recorded and is tentatively due later in the year. The band issued its first set of remakes, "Reanimate", in 2011.

"Reanimate" contained covers of tracks from SKID ROW, LADY GAGA and GUNS N' ROSES. Singer Lzzy Hale told The Pulse Of Radio that recording other artists' songs helps her own writing. "There's just nothing like singing and playing and picking apart an already proven amazing song," she said. "I think it helps you as a songwriter. I'll write a song and be like, 'Well, is that as good as HEART's 'All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You', and I'll have to be like, 'No, back to the drawing board.'"

HALESTORM was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 55th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on February 10 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. HALESTORM was nominated for the track "Love Bites (So Do I)" , from the band's 2012 album "The Strange Case Of…" The group was up against ANTHRAX, IRON MAIDEN, LAMB OF GOD, MARILYN MANSON and MEGADETH in the category.

Fan-filmed video footage of ANTHRAX performing a cover version of AC/DC's "TNT" on March in late AC/DC singer Bon Scott's hometown of Perth, Australia, at the Claremont Showgrounds, during this year's Soundwave festival can be seen below.

An Australian statue honoring Scott was first revealed at the Aussie Rock Celebration concert in suburban Claremont in February 2008 and was placed permanently at the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour in Western Australia in October that same year.

"Anthems", ANTHRAX's long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of the band's favorite acts from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast).

"Anthems" track listing

01. Anthem (RUSH cover)
02. Jailbreak (THIN LIZZY cover)
03. TNT (AC/DC cover)
04. Smokin' (BOSTON cover)
05. Big Eyes (CHEAP TRICK cover)
06. Keep On Runnin' (JOURNEY cover)
07. Crawl (album version)
08. Crawl (special remix)

ANTHRAX's studio recording of "TNT" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

Speaking to Music Radar, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante stated about the decision to cover "TNT": "This was Joey's [Belladonna, vocals] track. We already had 'Whole Lotta Rosie' recorded, but he wanted 'TNT'. I can see why: his voice totally lends itself to this track.

"AC/DC is probably one of the greatest bands ever. The came in with a certain sound, and they'll end with that same exact sound. They never altered it; they just stayed true to what they were. To me, that's an honest-to-goodness rock 'n' roll band.

"It would have been obvious to pick something off of 'Highway To Hell' or 'Back In Black', and so we didn't. [laughs] I studied every Phil Rudd lick, and I did not go overboard with anything. I played exactly what he played on 'TNT'. You can't do a fast drum fill on the song — it'll stand out as being out of place. I laid it down, pulled it back, and that was that."

The "Anthems" EP will be available on CD as well as digitally via iTunes and other online retailers. In addition to "Anthems"' cover art, Benante and artist Stephen Thompson have subtly redesigned each track's original album cover art to "Anthrax" it. The "Anthems" EP will first be housed in one of the "re-imagined" digipak covers, and then inserted inside the main CD cover sleeve. The main cover sleeve has been designed in such a way so fans will be able to see which one of the six "re-imagined" covers is inside.

"Anthems" was produced by ANTHRAX, Jay Ruston and Rob Caggiano and recorded for the most part throughout 2012 literally all over the world: at Benante's home studio, in Ruston's New York studio, on the band's tour bus while on last summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, in hotel rooms, and backstage at their Berlin show last December.

The Grammy-nominated ANTHRAX has just hit the road in support "Anthems" with dates in Australia, and will return to North America to headline the Metal Alliance Tour that kicks off March 22. For all of these dates, ANTHRAX is being joined by SHADOWS FALL guitarist Jon Donais.

"TNT" live performance:

Swedish black metal project ARCKANUM will release its eighth full-length album, "Fenriz Kindir", in Europe on May 10 via Season Of Mist.

Commented ARCKANUM mastermind Shamaatae: "This album is a dedication to the flaming giant-wolf, son of Loki; created from the Chaos-fires of Múspellsheimr. It is a tribute to the wrathful giant-wolf, son of Angrboða, found in the Ironwood where he is breeding hordes of giant monstrous wolves with Angrboða. His victorious name is Fenrir, also called Tungls Tjúgari! Hail Fenrir!

"The sounds and music on this album are my auditory vision of the march of Fenrir convoyed with his hordes of giant wolves from the depths of the underworld to face Ragna Rök with warlike glory — deformed giant-wolves swarming in thousands.

"The Old Norse poem 'Völuspá' (40-41) says: 'In the east of the Ironwood (Járnviðr) she the Old One (Angrboða) sat and there bore Fenrir's Kin (Fenris kindir). One of which became the most worthy of them all, the One taking down the sun/moon with a two-pronged pitchfork (tungls tjúgari), in a troll's shape. He fills his belly with the corpses of dead men and defiles the houses of gods with blood. The sun's beams blacken during summers and the weather grows stormy.' The later prose 'Gylfaginning' (51) reveals Fenrir's flaming Múspell-descent during Ragna Rök: 'Fenrir shall advance with gaping mouth, and his lower jaw shall be against the earth, but the upper against heaven, he would gape yet more if there were room for it; fires blaze from his eyes and nostrils... The Sons of Múspell shall go forth to that field which is called Vígríðr, thither shall come Fenrir also...'

"This is my tribute to the wrathful, harsh and untamed anti-nature of Fenrir's mighty essence! The anti-cosmic enemy of the worlds! Heill Tungls Tjúgari! Heilir Fenris Synir!"

"Fenriz Kindir" track listing:

01. Fenris Kindir Grúa
02. Tungls Tjúgari
03. Dólgrinn
04. Hatarnir
05. Hamrami
06. Fenris Gangr
07. Vargøld
08. Angrboða
09. Úskepna
10. Spell
11. Sólbøls Sigr
12. Lycanthropia (NECROMANTIA cover, bonus track on digital and LP editions)

"Fenriz Kindir" features the following guest appearances:

* "Tungls Tjúgari": Peter Asp on horns
* "Hatarnir": Lena Klarström on female vocals; Peter Asp on howling guitars
* "Hamrami": Ljuder-Stefan Westberg on horns and violins
* "Vargøld": Olof Lindberg and Peter Asp on chorus and horns
* "Angrboða": Lena Klarström on female vocals
* "Sólbøls Sigr": Ljuder-Stefan Westberg on keyed fiddle (nyckelharpa) and violins

Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND played a short acoustic set on February 19 at Scrape Records in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Metal Assault, FIREWIND guitarist Gus G stated about the Scrape acoustic session: "There was a record store near the venue which was an old-school record store, like a proper metal CD and vinyl store, and they invited us to do a meet-and-greet and acoustic session there. So we thought it was a really good chance to do something like that, to create more awareness for the show and also promote our latest album, 'Few Against Many', so we went down there and played a couple of songs. A lot of people showed up and it was great to meet the fans and everybody."

He continued: "We did the song called 'Mercenary Man', which we also recorded as an acoustic version back in 2008 when we released the EP. We did a song called 'Edge Of A Dream', from the latest album. It's a piano song but I did it with the acoustic guitar and it came out very nicely as well. We also did a cover of BLACK SABBATH's 'Planet Caravan'. It was a good show."

Vocalist Apollo Papathanasio left FIREWIND in Janaury and was temporarily replaced by American singer Kelly Sundown Carpenter (BEYOND TWILIGHT, OUTWORLD, DARKOLOGY, ADAGIO).

In a recent interview with Blastzone Online, Gus G. stated about how the FIREWIND fans have reacted to Carpenter's addition to the band: "I expected it to be a lot worse. Apparently, there are lots of fans out there who are looking forward to the change for various reasons. There's some that took it really bad, which was expected, but to be honest, even with Apollo in the band, we had to recruit replacement singers for our tours. In 2007, Apollo missed the whole second leg of the 'Allegiance' tour and that was a whole around-the-world run! Also, in 2011, he missed our European headline tour, which was also important, 'cause it was FIREWIND's first tour since 2009 when I joined Ozzy. So, changing singers is not a new thing for us! But it's amazing, 'cause I can't think of any other band that would be able to get away with shit like this. I think we do, because our fans come to the shows to listen to the songs, they connect with the music first and foremost and that's a very strong thing. And that means a lot to the rest of us in the band."

Former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones (pictured below) is reportedly working on a new project with ALL SHALL PERISH guitarist Francesco Artusato and members of DEVOLVED. The new band is said to be represented by Mike Gitter as part of King Artist Management.

Jones was among the musicians who performed at the launch event for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance on February 18 at GameStop at Universal CityWalk in Universal City, California.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE was rejoined by singer Jesse Leach early last year following the departure of Jones after nine years and three successful albums.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio told BostonGlobe.com that the band's split with Jones was necessitated by the singer's struggle with personal issues, including diabetes that had gone untreated for several years. "It became very apparent we had to move on without him," D'Antonio said. "Howard didn't quit."

In a statement regarding his departure from the group, Jones wrote in part, "I've had a pretty interesting couple of years, to say the least, battling with some personal issues. One of the low points being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes that went unchecked for years. The rest of the band stuck with me through it, and, to be honest, they are the ones that kept me going. The whole experience definitely put a scare in me."

He continued, "Recently we've all been in writing mode, but somehow I couldn't get excited about the new album and all the touring that would go with it. The guys saw it before I did. In hindsight, I now realize that my heart wasn't in it."

Jones thanked the rest of the band for "an amazing decade," adding, "I have so many good memories, and those are the ones that I will keep."