Indie Recordings has announce the signing of BLOOD TSUNAMI, the Oslo, Norway-based thrash metal band featuring drummer Bård G. Eithun (a.k.a. Faust; SCUM, ABORYM, EMPEROR). The band's new album, "For Faen", will be released on March 8 in Norway, March 15 in Germany and Austria and March 11 in the rest of Europe.

The first video, "Metal Fang", can be seen below. The clip was made in two days and filmed with an iPhone5 by Kjell Ivar Lund.

According to a press release, "For Faen" "shows a band that has stripped their metal to the bone. Harder, meaner, dirtier and way more aggressive! This album is a relentless sonic beating. The songs are thrown at you, one by one, with an infernal speed that threathens to rip off chunks of flesh from your whole upper body. Rampant dogs is jumping out of your loudspeakers, daggers and bullets comes at you like a wall of horizontal rain. This is metal the way it was meant to be. Totally vicious and utterly dangerous! 'For Faen' is a monster of an album that will break your legs off by the knee and use them to beat the skull straight off your spine. You are in for some sickening tales from the dark side of humanity. Grotesque stories about some of the worlds worst serial killers, detailed information about horrendous ancient torture methods, war crimes, mass murder and chemicals, addiction and rotten human skin."

BLOOD TSUNAMI is:

Bård "Faust" Eithun - Drums
Kristoffer "Dor" Sørensen - Lead Guitar
Peter "Pete" Michael Kolstad Vegem - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals
Carl "Calle" Janfalk - Bass, Backing Vocals

Finland's DEATHCHAIN will release its new album, "Ritual Death Metal", on April 5 via Svart Records.

Keeping up with the band's tradition of including the word "death" or "dead" in its titles, DEATHCHAIN's sixth full-length feels like a warning. In the wake of an already impressive "Death Gods" three years ago, this new offering to the Ancients been recorded last summer with Swedish wünderkid Tore Stjerna in Stockholm at his world-renowned Necromorbus studio, where most famously WATAIN but also ONDSKAPT, FUNERAL MIST, and many others have sworn a pact with the Great Horned One. Guest starring on the album is one Lars Göran Petrov from ENTOMBED, who provides vocals for the track "Like Worms Upon The Lands". Cover art is by Babalon Graphics, other layout work by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight13 Media.

As eclectic as the label is, Svart Records has a strong foundation in death metal, having reissued albums by vintage acts like ABHORRENCE, XYSMA and the resuscitated CONVULSE. However, DEATHCHAIN is the first contemporary death metal band operating on the label. Each member sports an impressive curriculum vitae of musical misbehaviours that reads like a who's who of the Finnish extreme metal scene (DEMILICH, DEATHBOUND, AJATTARA, FORGOTTEN HORROR, and so on), and the band's two guitarists are already part of the Svart family with JESS AND THE ANCIENT ONES. But it's the sheer intensity of its music that has put DEATHCHAIN at the top of the foodchain as, unlike others, they've taken their time to shed their previous collective skins one by one. And what started off back in 2003 with "Deadmeat Disciples" as one frantic yet somehow still conventional thrash/death vehicle has now become, a decade later, an altogether even more unique and ten-times-more-intense beast. "Rebellion — rebellion and liberty, they've always been at the heart of what we do," says guitarist Corpse. "During our years as a band, we have grown to disrespect all boundaries, and the fire inside burns ever higher."

Defying all categories, DEATHCHAIN's "Ritual Death Metal" applies elements from the entire extreme metal spectrum to achieve its pernicious goal, from the doom-laden rumblings of "Like Worms Upon The Land" to the blackish fury of "King Pazuzu". The result is a defiant, gloomy and epic 45-minute tour de force dedicated to summoning ancient Mesopotamian deities. Says Corpse of the theme of the album: "Thematically, we have moved closer to the source, and all laughter around it has died. We work on our music and lyrics with the greatest intensity and map our inner beings to find the Lightbringer, who stands beyond everything. On this album, we concentrate on the Mesopotamian pandemonium as we examine the different manifestations of the Adversary."

"Ritual Death Metal" track listing:

01. Voice of Sharur
02. Stele of the Vultures
03. Seven Asakku Shadows
04. Our Lady Under The Earth
05. King Pazuzu 6. Like Worms Upon The Lands
07. Tiamat's Eyes Of Death
08. Abzu Doom

The song "Like Worms Upon The Lands", which features a guest appearance by Petrov, is available for streaming below.

Former PANTERA and current KILL DEVIL HILL bassist Rex Brown will publish his memoir, "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera", on March 12 via Da Capo Press. The 320-page book is described as a "starkly honest and revealing" book about Rex's time in one of the most influential and enduringly popular bands in heavy metal history, offering Brown's shocking personal insight into a band that had swapped the grimy clubs of Texas for arenas around the world but whose story would ultimately be touched by tragedy.

A one-and-a-half-minute video trailer for "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera" can be seen below.

In a 2012 interview with SkullsNBones.com, Brown stated about his upcoming memoir: "It's basically my tale of the PANTERA years from my point of view. I was always the silent guy in the band. I never did interviews, so I was approached with this idea and I was down for it. I didn't realize how much work would be involved. [laughs] But it's going to be cool, man. It's just my inside story of what was going on. It leads up to the breakup, Dime's [former PANTERA guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott] death, and to now. There is only four people in that band that knew what was going on, so this will just be my interpretation oo those years. I'll say this, it probably won't be my last book either. It's a lot of work, though. We went through a thousand photos, stories, memories — everything, dude — so it's an insightful view that most fans would never know of if it weren't for the book. I think it's got a lot of things that people don't know and should know, and I hope the people enjoy it. It's a good read, for sure."

World rights for "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera" were acquired by executive editor Ben Schafer at Da Capo Press from Matthew Elblonk at DeFiore & Company with Matthew Hamilton at Aitken Alexander.

"Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera" co-author Mark Eglinton is an author, journalist and film-producer currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland. His first book entitled "James Hetfield: The Wolf At Metallica's Door" was published in April 2010 to considerable critical acclaim, fueled by regular radio appearances across the U.S and Europe to promote it. He also writes regularly for Outburn magazine and various music web sites and has co-produced a series of rock interview documentaries entitled "The Greatest Music Ever Created, And How It Ruined Our Lives", which is co-hosted in conjunction with Metal Hammer magazine. Eglinton's role in Brown's life has become one of friend and confidant, mostly during time spent on the road with DOWN in Europe.

De Capo is the publisher of BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi's book "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath" and SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor's New York Times best seller "Seven Deadly Sins - Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good".

Former PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo in early 2010 announced plans to write his own autobiography, to be co-authored by BloodyDisgusting.com writer Corey Mitchell.

On February 27, Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal of Metal Assault conducted an interview with '80s hard rock queen Lita Ford. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Metal Assault: You recently did the Dee Snider roast at NAMM (see video below). What was that like?

Lita: I enjoyed being there, I enjoyed being around my friends Eddie Trunk, Scott Ian and just everyone that was involved was really nice. But I think the whole concept behind that roast is terrible. I don't agree with it, and I personally hope it goes straight into the toilet. That's my opinion. [laughs]

Metal Assault: Wow, I'm pretty surprised by that! Why do you think it's a bad thing? Is it just a distasteful way of doing it?

Lita: I don't like bagging on my friends. I don't like calling people names. It's terrible! They're turning us on ourselves. They're turning us against each other, and it's sickening. It's such a fucked up show. I really had a hard time with it. I could hardly speak. I was really very uncomfortable with it?

Metal Assault: Well, why did you do it then?

Lita: I didn't know what it was. I wasn't quite sure. I knew it was something where you make fun of somebody, but I didn't realize how extreme it was and how terrible it was. They turn you on your friends, so you're bagging on your friends! To me, that's just not what I'm about. I don't like it. It might be good for some people, but for me it was a nightmare and I will definitely never do that one again, nor I think will they have me back.

Read the entire interview at Metal Assault.

U.K. progressive rock band TESSERACT will release its second full-length album, "Altered State", on May 27 throughout Europe and May 28 in North America via Century Media Records. Divided into four movements — Of Matter, Of Mind, Of Reality and Of Energy — "Altered State", in its purest form, is about the transformations the band has gone through over the past few years.

Comments TESSERACT: "The concept behind the presentation of 'Altered State' is very simple. It is about change, and how life is change. We have been through a very difficult period of time over the last few years. It is a miracle that the band has survived. I feel it is the ability to step back and see everything for what it is (hence the 'Perspective' EP) that has allowed us to get on with life and try to enjoy it. Reality is change."

"Altered State" track listing:

01. Of Matter - Proxy
02. Of Matter - Retrospect
03. Of Matter - Resist
04. Of Mind - Nocturne
05. Of Mind - Exile
06. Of Reality - Eclipse
07. Of Reality - Palingenisis
08. Of Reality - Calabi-Yau
09. Of Energy - Singularity
10. Of Energy - Embers

"Altered State" was produced, mixed, mastered and engineered by TESSERACT guitarist Acle Kahney, assisted by bassist Amos Williams at Acle's 4D Sounds studio, and marks the first full release with new vocalist Ashe O'Hara following the departure of American vocalist Elliot Coleman (OMNOM, SKY EATS AIRPLANE, ZELLIACK) in June 2012.

The band is set to head out with longtime friends PERIPHERY throughout mainland Europe and then headline dates throughout the U.K. just prior to album release. Worldwide touring will follow throughout the year.

ThrashHits.com recently spoke to TESSERACT bassist Amos Williams about "Altered State".

"The new album has shaped up to be something of an evolution for TESSERACT," Williams said. "Obviously, there's the new voice, which is exciting for us to work with. Ashe brings such an intense level of emotion to the table, it feels as if we have added another dimension to the music. We've also travelled so much and met so many incredible and inspiring musicians since the first album. This has had a huge impact upon our songwriting."

He continued: "Also, we now enjoy playing with dynamics and instrumentation. This came from releasing an acoustic EP last year. We're no longer afraid to mix things up or stray from the expected path, which we feel we did with our first album. That was in the box, whilst this album is way out there for us. Don't be afraid, though — whilst it has evolved, our music is still somehow TESSERACT. It's like there is something just beneath the surface of everything we do, that shapes all we produce into a distinctly TESSERACT-ish form."

Hailing from Northampton, Ashe spent his early years singing in many different groups, from choirs to musical theatre, and has more recently been involved with a number of ambient/alternative metal projects in addition to doing session work. Ashe currently resides in Hove, East Sussex.

"The Phantom Agony", the 2003 debut album from Dutch female-fronted symphonic EPICA, will be re-released as a deluxe digipack on March 23 to coincide with the band's special tenth-anniversary show at the Klokgebouw in Eindoven, Netherlands. This ambitious concert will feature a 70-piece symphonic orchestra and choir, international guests and loads of special effects.

EPICA's previous label, Transmission Records, will reissue "The Phantom Agony", in a special package containing 15 bonus tracks, including seven previously unreleased versions and one previously unreleased song. The album will will also contain a 20-page booklet with photos and liner notes by EPICA founder Mark Jansen. Along with the deluxe digipack, the album will also be released on double vinyl being pressed on high-quality 180-gram audiophile vinyl and put in a 350-gram cardboard sleeve, including all lyrics. This will also include six bonus tracks. There will also be exclusive bundles with a limited edition t-shirt.

Comments Jansen: "[EPICA and Transmission] have put aside our differences, 'cause at the end of the day, both parties want to have the debut album available to the EPICA fans, as it has been out of print for more than five years!"

To pre-order the album, go to this location.

Chapter 1 1.Adyta 1:27 “The Neverending Embrace” 2. Sensorium 4:49 3. Cry for the Moon 6:44 "The Embrace that Smothers - Part IV" 4. Feint 4:19 5. Illusive Consensus 5:00 6. Façade of Reality 8:10 "The Embrace that Smothers - Part V" 7. Run for a Fall 6:31 8. Seif al Din 5:46 "The Embrace that Smothers - Part VI" 9. The Phantom Agony 8:59 10. Veniality 4:37 11. The Phantom Agony 4:33 - single version 12. Triumph of Defeat 3:54

Chapter 2 1 Adyta 1:28 - orchestral version 2. Sensorium 4:53 – orchestral version 3. Cry for the Moon 6:40 - orchestral version 4. Feint 4:18 - orchestral version 5. Illusive Consensus 5:02 - orchestral version 6. Basic Instinct 4:07 - orchestral track 7. Run for a Fall 6:26 – orchestral versio n 8. The Phantom Agony 9:00 - orchestral version 9. Veniality 4:35 - orchestral version 10. Feint 4:53 - piano version 11. Cry for the Moon 3:30 - single version 12. Run for a Fall 4:29 - single version

The debut album from BLACK STAR RIDERS — the new band formed by THIN LIZZY alumni Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso (ALICE COOPER, MEGADETH, DAVID LEE ROTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) on drums — is currently being mixed by producer Kevin Shirley (LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, RUSH) at his The Cave studios in Malibu, California for a late May release via Nuclear Blast. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "All Hell Breaks Loose", "Someday Salvation", "Bound For Glory", "Kingdom Of The Lost" and "Hoodoo Voodoo".

According to BLACK STAR RIDERS, the last song on the album is "being mixed today by Kevin" before the recordings are shipped off to Bob Ludwig (JIMI HENDRIX, RUSH, KISS, LED ZEPPELIN) at Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine for mastering.

At the end of March, there will be the first single release that will have an exclusive airing via certain media outlets prior to public release. Around the same time, more tour dates for the fall will be announced.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For over 20 years, NATIONAL NAPALM SYNDICATE has been thrashing out and defying the trends. Now, they have returned with a renewed burst of power and extremity, preserving the unadulterated force behind true thrash, bringing it to a new decade and generation desperate for a wakeup call.

Original NATIONAL NAPALM SYNDICATE members Pasi Pauanne (drums) and Aku Raaska (vocals) are rehearsing with the rest of the band for some summer live dates and possible studio sessions next autumn. The only change to this thrash behemoth is the departure of guitarist Markku Jokikokko in order to focus on other musical pursuits. A fitting replacement, Harri "Hapa" Lampinen, has come into the field. A seasoned metal player, he has worked with Finnish doom metallers SAATTUE.

Want to see the new lineup's crushing brutality firsthand? Get over to Steelfest at the end of May in Hyvinkää, Finland and as an added bonus, bang your heads to DESTRUCTION and SODOM.

NATIONAL NAPALM SYNDICATE is:

Aku Raaska - Vocals
Ile Järvenpää - Vocals
Tero Nevala - Bass
Jukka Kyrö - Guitar
Hapa Lampinen - Guitar
Pasi Pauanne - Drums

NATIONAL NAPALM SYNDICATE's latest CD, "Devolution Of The Species", came out in April 2009 via Violent Journey Records.

Relapse Records has announced the signing of Cleveland, Ohio metal/hardcore veterans RINGWORM. The band will enter the studio in April to record its new album for a late 2013 release.

Formed in 1990, RINGWORM has previously released six full-length albums on labels Deathwish, A389 and Victory Records in addition to playing countless shows with the likes of CRO-MAGS, INTEGRITY, KREATOR, GOATWHORE and NASUM.

Commented RINGWORM vocalist Human Furnace: "Throughout our existence, I've felt that RINGWORM has always been the 'black sheep,' never quite fitting into any specific genre mold. Sometimes too metal for hardcore, other times too hardcore for metal. We enjoy distorting the line between the two and, often, completely destroying it. But I've always felt that we've never quite had a home that understood where we're coming from and embraced the fact what we are a 'black sheep' and we aren't cookie-cut bullshit. We feel that we finally found that home. They understand that there are legions of black sheep out there that don't fit into society's 'one size fits all' mold. We couldn't be more excited to be more working with Relapse."

RINGWORM will hit the road for a string of shows starting this Saturday in Reading, Pennsylvania. The trek will include dates with CANNIBAL CORPSE, NAPALM DEATH and TODAY IS THE DAY.

Helsinki, Finland-based, female-fronted symphonic metallers AMBERIAN DAWN will release a compilation album of songs released on its first four albums — "Circus Black" (2012), "End Of Eden" (2010), "The Clouds Of Northland Thunder" (2009) and "River Of Tuoni" (2008) — to showcase new singer Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen after the departure of Heidi Parviainen. The band is aiming for "Re-Evolution" to be out by the late spring in Finland, distributed by KHY Suomen Musiikki. There are also plans for digital distribution at the same time.

Comments AMBERIAN DAWN guitarist Tuomas Seppala: "We all thought that the best way to introduce our new singer Capri to our fans is by re-recording a compilation album of our best songs. It was very important for us to give you all a broad overview about Capri's great talent in all its facets and present her vocal sound and way of singing to you before we start recording a whole new studio album. We hope very much that you like the fresh sound created through Capri's voice and the re-recording of the music parts which was necessary due to some required key changes. I believe that this compilation album is an excellent 'visiting card' of the new AMBERIAN DAWN sound and style, all in all we all are really happy with the results we achieved.”

"Re-Evolution" was mixed by Mikko Mustonen and mastered by Henkka Niemisto at Chartmakers. A music video will be made for "Kokko - Eagle Of Fire" and posted online in April. The video is being produced by Routafilmi, which is the same company that made the AMBERIAN DAWN's "Arctica" video.

"Re-Evolution" track listing:

01. Valkyries
02. Incubus
03. Kokko - Eagle Of Fire
04. Lily Of The Moon
05. Come Now Follow
06. Crimson Flower
07. Circus Black
08. Lost Soul
09. Cold Kiss
10. River Of Tuoni
11. Charnel's Ball

Capri previously released two solo albums: "Salaa Sinun" (1997) and "Kuun Morsian" (2001).

AMBERIAN DAWN 2013 is:

Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen - Vocals
Tuomas Seppälä - Guitar, Keyboards
Emil Pohjalainen - Guitar
Kimmo Korhonen - Guitar
Jukka Koskinen - Bass
Joonas Pykälä-aho - Drums

AMBERIAN DAWN parted ways with vocalist Heidi Parviainen in November 2012. Her final appearance with the band was at the Metal Female Voices Fest at the end of October in Belgium.

AMBERIAN DAWN's fourth studio album, "Circus Black", was released in Finland on February 29 via Spinefarm Records. The band's mainman, keyboardist and guitarist Tuomas Seppälä composed all ten songs for the CD and Parviainen penned the lyrics.

The tangled history of "Imaginos", BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's last album for Columbia, has passed into legend for BÖC fans. The name and concept comes from late-'60s sci-fi/fantasy writings by band manager/producer Sandy Pearlman that inspired the original band name; they then became the basis for a planned trilogy of solo albums by BÖC drummer/songwriter Albert Bouchard, who had been working on the material since the early '70s with Pearlman. After Bouchard was fired from the band in 1981, he recorded a 90-minute album with such sidemen as Aldo Nova and THE DOORS' Robbie Krieger, but this version of the album was rejected by Columbia execs in 1984. After the release and commercial disappointment of BÖC's "Club Ninja", Pearlman then resurrected the idea and began production in 1986, adding vocals by BÖC's Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom and guitar parts by Joe Satriani, among many others. The result was — no surprise — BÖC's most controversial album (and ironically, the first in years to feature the original lineup), probably their heaviest and most proggy outing, and an appropriately complex swan song for a complex band. The Real Gone reissue features a new 2012 remix and new notes by BÖC expert Scott Schinder, along with the original album and inner sleeve art.

The 2012 remix of "Imaginos" is due out in April via Real Gone Music/Razor & Tie.

"Imaginos" track listing:

01. I Am The One You Warned Me Of
02. Les Invisibles
03. In The Presence Of Another World
04. Del Rio's Song
05. The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria
06. Astronomy
07. Magna Of Illusion
08. Blue Oyster Cult
09. Imaginos

"Trenches", the new single from Grand Rapids, Michigan hard rockers POP EVIL, is available for streaming on the band's Facebook page. The song comes off the band's new full-length album, "Onyx", which is due out on May 14.

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

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

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

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

Professionally filmed video footage of STONE SOUR's February 13 concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California can be seen below (courtesy of AXS TV).

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Gone Sovereign
02. Absolute Zero
03. Mission Statement
04. Hell & Consequences
05. Made of Scars
06. A Rumor of Skin
07. Reborn
08. Do Me a Favor
09. RU486
10. Say You'll Haunt Me
11. Bother
12. Through Glass
13. The Travelers, Pt. 2
14. Last of the Real
15. 30/30-150

"House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2", the second part of STONE SOUR's two-album series, "House of Gold & Bones", will be released on April 9 via Roadrunner Records. The albums were recorded at Sound Farm Studios just outside of the band's native Des Moines, Iowa with producer David Bottrill (TOOL, MUSE) at the helm.

The first single, "Do Me A Favor", was made available digitally on February 12. The video for the track will be directed by Phil Mucci, whose video for HIGH ON FIRE's "Fertile Green" was named best video of 2012 by Revolver. Singer Corey Taylor gave The Pulse Of Radio a preview of what to expect from the song. "It's quite aggressive, and actually the label asked me if I would go in and tame stuff down and I was like, 'No.' I'm not doing that," he said. "This is going out the way it is and I'm not gonna touch it up. I'm not gonna have people looking for a song that doesn't exist. This is the way it is on the album, that's the way it's going to be when we put it out to radio."

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

STONE SOUR will return in March for the Road To The Golden Gods tour, which will run through May 2.

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

The official lyric video for the song "No Lungs To Breathe" from San Diego metallers AS I LAY DYING can be seen below. The track comes off the band's sixth album, "Awakened", which sold around 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on September 25, 2012 via Metal Blade Records, the CD was produced by Bill Stevenson, who has played drums for both the DESCENDENTS and BLACK FLAG and is one of the most highly renowned producers in rock. His production credits include work on records by RISE AGAINST, NOFX, PROPAGANDHI, THE CASUALTIES, ANTI-FLAG and many more. The album was mixed by Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT).

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

AS I LAY DYING and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's North American co-headline tour kicked off last Friday, February 22 at Ventura, California's Majestic Ventura Theater Half House and continues through early April. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and AS I LAY DYING are being accompanied on the epic trek by FOR TODAY (on all dates except March 7-8), THE COLOR MORALE (February 22 - March 7), and THE CHARIOT (March 8 - April 4).

"Sempiternal", the fourth album from the British metalcore act BRING ME THE HORIZON, is available for streaming in its entirety on YouTube.

Due to "overwhelming and phenomenal demand," "Sempiternal" will now be released on April 1 in Europe via RCA and one day later in North America through Epitaph.

Proving to be perpetual favorites among fans, the CD's first single, "Shadow Moses", came charging out of the gates last month after premiering on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show, forcing Epitaph to post the song on YouTube a week in advance due to popular demand.

"There's a very euphoric sound coursing through the album, a very uplifting but yet sad sound," says BRING ME THE HORIZON frontman Oliver Sykes. "Electronically, it's far more advanced than anything we've done before."

The five-piece, consisting of Oliver Sykes, Lee Malia, Matt Kean, Matt Nicholls and Jordan Fish, recorded "Sempiternal" over a three-month period with super producer Terry Date (LINKIN PARK, DEFTONES, SOUNDGARDEN). The band also brought in David Bendeth (A DAY TO REMEMBER, PARAMORE) to add to the all-star production lineup and mix the album.

"Writing 'Sempiternal' was a completely different process," comments Sykes. "We worked from a computer, laying down ideas and riffs and working on them tirelessly until we had what we wanted." For the first time, "Sempiternal" sees a new member appearing on the record, Jordan Fish, who takes on keyboard duties on the record as well as during live performances. "Bringing Jordan into the mix changed things completely; he opened up so many more possibilities."

Sykes goes on to say: "The lyrical theme is everything. My head was a lot clearer when writing this time and it allowed me to write from a different perspective. It's the best stuff I've ever written, in my opinion. It's very dramatic, quite blunt, and at times sarcastic, but the biggest part of it — is how it is combined with the music to bring the listener vivid imagery and emotion. I think we really managed to pull that off."

"Sempiternal" is an embracing ride through soaring vocals, supercharged melodies and what can only be described as spine tingling metal anthems.

After the critical and commercial success of their previous albums, "There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret" (2010) and their breakout success "Suicide Season" (2008), BRING ME THE HORIZON plans to take heavy music to the next level, incorporating the most dynamic elements of hard music to create one of the most exhilarating albums of the year.

"Sempiternal" track listing:

01. Can You Feel My Heart
02. The House Of Wolves
03. Empire (Let Them Sing)
04. Sleepwalking
05. Go To Hell, For Heaven's Sake
06. Shadow Moses
07. And The Snakes Start To Sing
08. Seen It All Before
09. Antivist
10. Crooked Young
11. Hospitals For Souls

BRING ME THE HORIZON recently parted ways with guitarist Jona Weinhofen. A replacement axeman has not yet been announced.

OF EARTH, a musical endeavor featuring Rob De Luca (UFO, SEBASTIAN BACH), will release its second album, "The Monarch", this spring. The CD, which will be releamade available via Lovember Records, was co-engineered by "Album Of The Year" Grammy winner Tom Camuso and mastered by Howie Weinberg. In addition to singing and playing bass on "The Monarch", Rob De Luca produced and mixed the album.

The first single from "The Monarch", entitled "Prototype", is out now and available this week for free on CD Baby. Head to this location to download the track.

A video for "Prototype" has just been released and can be seen below.

De Luca will head back out on the road this month, playing bass with legendary British rockers UFO in Europe.

OF EARTH is:

Rob De Luca - vocals, bass
Paul Casanova - guitar, vocals
Rik De Luca - drums
Matt Baram - keyboards

Massacre Records has announced the signing of Germany's death metal warmachine DEBAUCHERY.

10 years of constant warfare have made DEBAUCHERY even more brutal and sinister. Battlefields all over the world, from Russia to China, all across Europe were left victorious. Most of the well-known festivals — Wacken, Summer Breeze, With Full Force — were destroyed. On the campaigns DEBAUCHERY followed bands like NAPALM DEATH, DESTRUCTION, SIX FEET UNDER and more. The Blood God and his Murder Squad strode beside icons like SLAYER, VENOM, IMMORTAL and SAXON — always recognizable because of their gore-drenched shows, half-naked Blood Babes and mutilated body parts.

The controversy of the band has brought DEBAUCHERY time and again in contact with the big mainstream media, be it a story in Germany’s Bild about the lesbian porn for "Death Metal Warmachine" or articles about the loss of the teacher job of the frontman. But in spite of all the brutality of the fantasy image, in real life the moral standards are of another kind: Thomas Gurrath is a vegetarian, his statement the video for "Animal Holocaust", created in cooperation with PETA.

The music is straight, groovy, dark, brutal and tells evil stories. DEBAUCHERY is more than just death metal — genres are broken, 10 years in music business, 10 years in metal, 10 years of DEBAUCHERY and now the 10th album of the Blood God. Be prepared, the new album will be released in late July.

After the release of 2011's "Break The Silence" and the headlining tour through seven European countries in support of the album, German "a cappella metal" band VAN CANTO — which consists of five singers and one drummer (no guitars, no bass, no keyboards) — took a break from live performances. They used the time to work on numerous side projects — including mastermind Stefan Schmidt's new power metal band HEAVATAR, and to recharge the batteries for their return in 2013.

In addition to making a number of festival appearances, VAN CANTO will release its fifth studio album in the fall/winter of 2013 as part of its renewed collaboration with Napalm Records.

Says Nadir, Napalm Records A&R representative: "VAN CANTO is innovative, unique and polarizing — that's the best thing that can happen to a label. You must not let a band like this go, and that's why we are proud that VAN CANTO continue to work with us. Together, we will shake the foundations of the metal world!"

Adds Stef of VAN CANTO: "To take a break for a full year was quite odd for us. Maybe there are bands that are satisfied with releasing an album every 5 years, but for us it felt quite unnatural to stay away from the stage for a full year. We have checked out new things, and are now more eager than ever to return with VAN CANTO. We are happy that Napalm Records will be the partner for our fifth album. The album will be the most heroic, heaviest and most symphonic album in our discography, and we cannot wait to enter the studio."

"384", the new Ioanna Lampropoulou-directed video from Sweden's TIAMAT, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's tenth studio album, "The Scarred People", which entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 11.

"The Scarred People" was recorded at Woodhouse Studios in Hagen, Germany with producer Siggi Bemm. The CD cover artwork, which was created by TIAMAT mainman Johan Edlund, can be seen below.

"The Scarred People" track listing:

01. The Scarred People
02. Winter Dawn
03. 384
04. Radiant Star
05. The Sun Also Rises
06. Before Another Wilbury Dies
07. Love Terrorists
08. Messinian Letter
09. Thunder & Lightning
10. Tiznit
11. Born To Die (digipack bonus track)
12. The Red Of The Morning Sun
13. Paradise (digipack bonus track)
14. Divided (live) (digipack bonus track)
15. Cain (live) (digipack bonus track)

In a recent intervie with Metal Underground, Edlund stated about the musican direction of "The Scarred People": "We're happy being TIAMAT; that's the only label we put on ourselves. In fact, TIAMAT is by far our own biggest influence. We often quote ourselves, what we've done in the past, when needed in the studio. There are a lot of elements both in the music and in the lyrics that we have developed over the years that feel genuinely TIAMAT, be it a clean electric guitar sound, a special way of drum patterns, certain ways to express lyrics. We often go back there and sample ourselves, so to speak."

MOTÖRHEAD has entered the studio with longtime producer Cameron Webb to begin recording the follow-up to 2010's "The Wörld Is Yours" for a tentative late summer release. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Outsider" and "Silence When You Speak to Me".

A photo from the studio can be seen below.

MOTÖRHEAD released "The Wörld Is Ours – Vol 2: Anyplace Crazy As Anywhere Else" in Germany on September 21, three days later in the rest of Europe and October 9 in North America via UDR/EMI. The follow-up to 2011's "The Wörld Is Ours – Vol 1: Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" features the band's 2011 Wacken Open Air headline appearance as well as highlights from Sonisphere (United Kingdom) and Rock In Rio (Brazil) shows.

MOTÖRHEAD's latest album, "The Wörld Is Yours", sold 7,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 94 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous effort, "Motörizer", premiered with 6,400 units back in 2008 to debut at No. 82, while 2006's "Kiss Of Death" registered a first-week tally of 3,500.

HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale joined Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) and his touring band MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS on stage on February 22 at Bandit Rock Awards at Annexet in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the GUNS N' ROSES classic "Out Ta Get Me". Fan-filmed video footage of her appearance can be seen below.

Hale previously sang "Out Ta Get Me" with Slash on June 10, 2012 at Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She later stated about the experience: "It was so cool. When we started the song, out of habit I went into live rock mode and kind of spaced out for a second and then went into the middle section where we were just kind of riffing with the solo and just kind of lost my mind for a second. I was like, 'What's going on? Slash is right here! He’s sweating on me!' It was so cool; it was the best thing ever."

HALESTORM recorded a cover version of "Out Ta Get Me" for its 2011 EP, "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP", which saw the band putting its unique stamp on a diverse collection of classic songs, including tracks by THE BEATLES, HEART, TEMPLE OF THE DOG, SKID ROW and LADY GAGA.

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.

ALICE COOPER drummer Glen Sobel — whose other credits include Vivian Campbell, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, SIXX: A.M. and IMPELLITTERI — was one of the special guests at the February 25 STEEL PANTHER show at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California.

Sobel joined the group for a rocking rendition of the GUNS N' ROSES classic "Sweet Child O' Mine" which also featured an appearance by Matthew and Gunnar Nelson and LIFEHOUSE guitar player Ben Carey. The Nelson brothers also provided harmonies with STEEL PANTHER on the JOURNEY classic "Don't Stop Believin'".

In related news, Sobel will be one of the drumming notables making an appearance at this weekend's Tam Tam drum festival in Néris les Bains, France alongside Thomas Lang and Horacio Hernandez. Glen will be back behind the skins with ALICE COOPER for their March 14 festival one-off in Crans-Montana, Switzerland where they are set to headline the Moon Stage at the 10-year anniversary edition of the Caprices Festival.

Due to overwhelming demand, RushBackstage.com has brought back the RUSH Bobblehead Dolls. These dolls are polyresin ceramic, which is the highest quality bobblehead on the market. Measuring 7 inches high (approximately 18 centimeters), these dolls have heads that bobble back and forth, kinda like seeing the guys on stage. Each set consists of three dolls (Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart) in a custom printed RUSH box. These were designed with a "vintage" RUSH in mind, from the time when the band wore Chinese robes, played double neck guitars, and Neil had the most amazing moustache in rock music. These bobbleheads are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

For more information, visit RushBackstage.com.

ALICE COOPER guitarist/collaborator Dick Wagner will produce the sophomore album from Danish rock singer Maryann Cotton (born Jackie Patino), the son of KING DIAMOND bassist Hal Patino.

Commented Maryann: "Wagner is one of my biggest heroes! I have listened to all his stuff with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, AEROSMITH, KISS, etc., since I was a kid, so it's such a big thing for me to work with him! He has become one of my closest friends over the last few months. We are in very close contact, and are talking every week about the whole thing! We have some big plans and ideas for the future."

The new Maryann Cotton CD will be a full concept album, with "the most terrifying horror story ever," according to a press release. Also set to make a guest appearance on the effort is KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque

La Rocque previously played on Cotton's debut CD, last year's "Free Falling Angels", on the tracks "Crazy", "Night Train To Paris", "Miss Misery", "Shock Me" and "Maryann".

Maryann Cotton debuted his new band on September 14, 2012 at Amager Bio in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"Free Falling Angels" was released on June 15, 2012 via Pure Steel Records. The CD featured guest appearances by four musicians who performed on KING DIAMOND's 1990 album, "The Eye" — Hal Patino, guitarists Andy La Rocque and Pete Blakk, and drummer Snowy Shaw.

Maryann Cotton's career was launched in 2006 when he performed live on Danish TV as part of the "Scenen Er Din" program (Danish version of "Star Search").

Swedish viking/black metallers THYRFING will release their new album, "De Ödeslösa" (English translation: "The Fateless") on March 1 via NoiseArt Records. The band's first CD since 2008's critically acclaimed "Hels Vite" was recorded at Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren (OPETH, PARADISE LOST, WITCHCRAFT).

"De Ödeslösa" track listing:

01. Mot Helgrind
02. Fordom
03. Veners Förfall
04. Illvilja
05. Kamp
06. Relik
07. Vindöga
08. De Ödeslösa

A trailer for "De Ödeslösa" is available below.

Comments THYRFING guitarist Patrik Lindgren: "'Veners Förfall' is a track we're truly satisfied with and think it showcases the album in a great way. The song was actually written around the rather offbeat middle piano part — which I think is really different from how you usually put your piano in metal music. In the chorus we can also hear Toni Kocmut on choir vocals. Those who have been following the band through the years will surely recognize this as a familiar element of THYRING. So … here we go — hope you'll enjoy the song and appreciate it as a first teaser of 'De Ödeslösa'."

The cover artwork for "De Ödeslösa" was created by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight13Media and can be seen below.

After 17 years in the band, original member and bassist Kimmy Sjölund decided to leave THYRFING. Joakim Kristensson has since taken over the bass duties. The band also welcomed a new drummer, Dennis Ekdahl.

THYRFING 2013 is:

Jens Rydén - Vocals
Patrik Lindgren - Guitar
Fredrik Hernborg - Guitar
Joakim Kristensson - Bass
Peter Löf - Synthesizers
Dennis Ekdahl - Drums

"Hels Vite" was released in October 2008 via Regain Records. The CD was co-produced (with the band) by Jörgen Svensson of Tyroon Production and the cover artwork was created by the Swedish artist Mikael Schelén. The layout and the photos were handled by Jens Rydén.

THYRFING in 2007 announced the addition of Jens Rydén as the band's new vocalist. Jens is best known as founding member and ex-vocalist of NAGLFAR and for his one-man army PROFUNDI.

"Metal Meltdown With Dr. Metal" show, which airs on Cleveland, Ohio's WRUW-FM 91.1, recently conducted an interview with GAMMA RAY frontman and UNISONIC guitarist Kai Hansen. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

On the state of metal:

Hansen: "Metal is vital, man. Metal is like a fucking dragon with many heads, and each time a head is chopped off, a new one grows on the other side. So it's still there, it's alive, it's been mixing up with all kinds of music and influences and styles, from jazz to folk to whatever. Still, the basics, and what it's all about, is that there's a certain need for rough sounds, for aggression, for power, and for this kind of feeling of kicking ass, and that's what unites us."

On GAMMA RAY's "Master Of Confusion" EP:

Hansen: "We got two brand new songs that we actually wrote for the upcoming album, but since we saw that it would be kind of impossible to make it for a full-length album towards the tour, we said, 'Well, we don't want to go on tour naked. We want people to listen to some new stuff, at least something,' so we said, 'Let's take two songs which are in some way representative for the album and record them, and add up two cover versions plus some live stuff.'"

On covering SWEET's "Lost Angels" for the new GAMMA RAY EP:

Hansen: "Definitely one of my absolute favorite songs from SWEET. I mean, there's many, but this is one of them, a song I really love from the point they put it out. It's called 'Lost Angels', and it's very nice. It was on the later albums, but it was a great song. Actually, this is the only song from the new recorded stuff that has been drummed by previous GAMMA RAY drummer] Daniel [Zimmermann] still, because we had already recorded the drums and bass for this song, and we never finished it. So we dug it out, and this time we made it. Actually, we could see while working on this song how much this band actually has done in terms of playing and being really good. All the choirs, and the guitar work is really brilliant, and it's not so easy to reproduce or pick up. But I think we did a real good job on it. And whenever I'm going to meet Andy, I'm going to play it for him and give him a copy and see what he thinks, but I think he's going to be alright with it."

On the departure of Daniel Zimmermann:

Hansen: "It was a hard time since he left. We had the feeling, and, of course, it came along with me playing in UNISONIC and especially for Dirk and Henjo, this kind of feeling that the band starts to fall apart. And for me, it was like falling into a black hole. This lineup was stable, and we were happy, and it was great, and Daniel is somebody you cannot just replace. He was a very unique guy and unique drummer, and he was a real big part of GAMMA RAY as well. So when he actually left, we were kind of hanging there and didn't really know, because nobody really wanted to go for this 'Oh, we're looking for a drummer, let's do auditions' shit. For a while we were hoping he might change his mind, and we kept things open."

On getting older:

Hansen: "I know that we're not a young band anymore, and, of course, we're at this point where you really put some concrete under what you have and make it really stable, or that you as well might lose it, and just wimp out and go down the drain, which definitely we're not planning to do."

On UNISONIC plans:

Hansen: "We came up with this 'one year is a GAMMA RAY year, one year is a UNISONIC year' policy, and we'll try to keep that working. Of course, that doesn't mean that the other band is completely resting in the respective year, but priority is one band at a time for me. Otherwise, I couldn't handle things. So now at the moment, I'm concentrating on GAMMA RAY, and I don't think about UNISONIC too much. And whenever I'm done with this here, and we've done our album and touring, it's time to get back to UNISONIC and start songwriting."

On sharing the stage with former HELLOWEEN singer Michael Kiske again:

Hansen: "It is new and old at the same time. It seems very familiar in some way, and in the other way, we're not the same persons anymore as we used to be. Only part of us is, but some other things have changed. So that's the point where you start to really find yourself and check out what the other is doing and how he's responding to things you do on stage and so on. But that was kind of easy play for us, and maybe that comes from our past."

Interview (audio):

Providence riff militia HOWL will unleash its second full-length of molten metal filth this April. Entitled "Bloodlines", the ten-track offering was recorded at the infamous Planet Z Studio in Hadley, Massachusetts with Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SOULFLY, 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.

"Bloodlines" will be released via Relapse Records on April 30 in North America, April 26 in Germany, Benelux and April 29 in the rest of Europe.

"Bloodlines" track listing:

01. Attrition
02. Midnight Eyes
03. Demonic
04. One Last Nail
05. Down So Low
06. Your Hell Begins
07. With A Blade
08. Of War
09. The Mouth Of Madness
10. Embrace Your Nerve

As a precursor to the record's official detonation, HOWL will begin a mega run of live adventures scheduled to commence tomorrow in New London, Connecticut. The tour includes a slot on MetalSucks' official SXSW showcase alongside GOATWHORE, NORMA JEAN, ROYAL THUNDER, KEN MODE and GYPSYHAWK, with additional shows to be announced shortly.