The third reissue from Dutch death metal veterans THANATOS and their label Century Media Records is 2000's Angelic Encounters. The album has been completely re-mixed and remastered and will be released this spring, with more details to follow soon.
The original tracklisting for Angelic Encounters:
'Angelic Encounters'
'In Utter Darkness'
'Sincere Chainsaw Salvation'
'Infuriated'
'The Howling'
'Gods of War'
'The Devil's Concubine'
'Speed Kills'
'Thou Shalt Rot'
Check out a photo above of the line-up that recorded this album in 2000: from left to right are Paul Baayens (guitar), Stephan Gebédi (guitar/vocals), Theo Van Eekelen (bass) and Adrie Kloosterwaard (drums).

Legendary heavy metal band BLACK SABBATH will release its much-anticipated new album, "13", in June via Vertigo/Universal Republic in the U.S. and Vertigo in all other territories. The drum tracks on the group's first LP with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978 were laid down by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE sticksman Brad Wilk following original drummer Bill Ward's decision to bow out of the reunion.

Osbourne, Tony Iommi (guitar) and Geezer Butler (bass) recorded the album primarily in Los Angeles with producer Rick Rubin. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "God Is Dead", "End Of The Beginning" and "Age Of Reason", the latter two of which stretch out to as long as eight minutes.

"I wanted to make an album that stood alongside their first four albums," Rubin tells RollingStone.com. "The first album wasn't a straightforward heavy metal record. You could hear the jazz influence, so that was the goal, and to capture that live interaction."

Ward in May 2012 announced again that he was declining to join his former bandmates for its scheduled 2012 dates, as well as the recording of the new album, due to a contractual dispute. After SABBATH shot down Rubin's suggestion to replace Ward with Ginger Baker (CREAM) ("I thought, 'Bloody hell?'" Iommi tells the magazine. "I just couldn't see that."), Rick suggested Wilk.

Iommi tells RollingStone.com that Ward's demands came out of the blue. "I didn't know Bill was having these issues when we got together — he never even mentioned it to us," he says. "It was quite confusing. We wanted him involved, but it was just getting too hard." Adds Osbourne: "You can't go, 'Well, I don't like it.' You get off your ass and get your shit together. The life of a bohemian rock star is fucking long over."

Iommi was diagnosed with cancer at the end of 2011, and his treatments forced BLACK SABBATH to cancel all but three tour dates in 2012 after announcing their reunion in November 2011.

"Things are fairly good, dare I say, at the moment," Iommi tells RollingStone.com. "I'm still here and it's okay. We had to do this album now. Christ, if it happened in another 10 years, I don't know if we'd be around."

Osbourne, who describes the new SABBATH album as "Satanic blues," also spoke about one of the band's new tracks, the provocatively titled "God Is Dead". "It starts off, 'God is dead,'" Osbourne says, "but at the end it says, 'I don't believe that God is dead.'"

"Pandæmonium", a new song from long-running German metallers ATROCITY, can be streamed on the band's Facebook page. The track comes off the first part of the group's new album trilogy, "Okkult", which will be released on April 26.

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

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

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

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

The first bonus track will be hidden in the "Okkult" booklet of the limited-edition digipak and in the iTunes version. By the means of a numerical code the ATROCITY fan can determine the code word for the access to the treasure hunt on the website of ATROCITY. The code word is the title of the hidden songs, and at the same time the first indication of the location of the secret hiding place.

ATROCITY 2013 is:

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

"Neogenesis", the fifth studio album from Swedish death metallers DIABOLICAL, will be released on April 19. The CD was recorded at Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, UNANIMATED, DESTRÖYER 666) in Alvik, Sweden with the band's vocalist/guitarist, Sverker Widgren, in the producer's chair.

Comments DIABOLICAL guitarist Tobias Jansson: "It is with great pleasure that we finally get to share this album with the world. We have put in a tremendous amount of effort into this recording and spent the most part of the last six months in studio Necromorbus. I think we have raised the bar for ourselves a lot with 'Neogenesis' both with the songwriting and the recording. It has been tough, but very interesting for us as well."

Adds DIABOLICAL guitarist Carl Stjärnlöv: "Originally I wanted someone else to do the artwork for us this time since I've done it for the last two releases and I also wanted to focus on the recording. However, in the end we didn't find what we were looking for with any artist, so I once again took on the task. I wanted to make something that reflected the philosophical and spiritual aspects of this album and I had a vision of what I wanted. I discussed it with Pär and he and I realised the idea by him making a painting which I mixed with photos of all of us in the band, so what you see on the cover artwork is actually a band photo with all of us combined into one face blended with Pär's painting. On top of that I added a lot of symbols that are significant to the concept of 'Neogenesis'."

DIABOLICAL has added a "second chapter" to the "Neogenesis" tour that will start off on the April 12, with dates throughout Europe until April 21.

DIABOLICAL's latest album, "Ars Vitae", came out in February 2011 via Abyss Records.

The band's third full-length CD, "The Gallery of Bleeding Art", was released in November 2008 through ViciSolum Productions.

Italian symphonic metal combo NORHOD have signed a worldwide deal with Wormholedeath/Aural Music Group who will release their debut album titled The Blazing Lily worldwide. The album was produced, recorded and mixed at Realsound Studio (Italy) with producer Wahoomi Corvi (CRYSALYS , THE WAY OF PURITY), and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Finland. Release date will be announced soon both for Europe and Japan.
The whole band together stated: "We are so proud to have the opportunity to work with WormHoleDeath. The label is represented by serious and competent people and we are sure that they can support us properly. We are grateful to WormHoleDeath for appreciating our work and we are extremely happy to release our first full length The Blazing Lily with them."

A&R "Worm" stated: "When the Realsound guys asked me to listen to this band I was immediately impressed by their music, so after a meeting with the guys I decided to sign them without any hesitation. After some months, we got the album pre productions and I was really excited of what that music could become with our support. Now, looking back, after the hard work we have done with the band, producers and graphic artists I am definitely proud of what we have been able to create all together. The songs turned out so emotional and epic. Orchestrations and Clara's vocals are outstanding, the final sound is absolutely massive and tuneful as all instruments and the violent vocals found the right place to support the apocalyptic mood of the record. Furthermore the whole project is now complete as we have been working so hard on the concept, band's image and communication. It may sound a little bit too much, just test our work and see."
The first song from The Blazing Lily is 'Mirrors Lady' which can be heard below:
For more details visit Facebook.

Canadian COAL CHAMBER bassist Chela Rhea Harper (SARASVATI) has checked in with the following update:

"Hey guys, just wanted to make you aware of the fan page that has been created for VII. This is something I have been working towards for a very long time and with the help of the very talented Joe Waller (ADORA VIVOS) and Arsafes (KARTIKEYA). This project will soon be on its way. It's best described as melodic doom with progressive and ethnic influences.... I hope you like it. stay tuned!"

Check out the VII page here.
In August 2012, Harper issued the following update on her solo work under the name Sarasvati:

"Ok, I finally uploaded the Sarasvati EP to Bandcamp. You can stream it for free or download it for $4 (or $1 per song). There is a bonus track included when you purchase the whole EP. People have been telling me to do this for so long, once all the free downloads were used up on Soundcloud I decided to give it a try. I released this four years ago, but this is the first time I've decided to sell it. Saving up for a new preamp :D. I'm working on a bunch of new stuff, so I'll keep you updated!"

Go to this location for Harper's official Bandcamp page.

Sarasvati - EP by Sarasvati

According to Mondo Metal, reactivated cult late '80s/early '90s Brazilian thrash metal band CHAKAL is putting the finishing touches on its sixth studio album, "Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!", for release later in the year. The CD will feature 10 tracks, including one instrumental piece; "Possessed Landscape (The Island Of The Dead)", which was released as a single and video in 2011; and "Anubis, The Lord of Necropolis", which the "Mondo Metal" radio show on Elo FM premiered last year.

"Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!" tentative track listing:

01. Exorcise Me
02. Killing Van Helsing
03. God Of Gore
04. Headshooting For Dummies
05. Equinox
06. Possessed Landscape (The Island Of The Dead)
07. Anubis, The Lord Of Necropolis
08. Disturbia
09. Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!
10. [as-yet-untitled instrumental]

In 2008, Cogumelo Records reissued two albums from CHAKAL — "The Man Is His Own Jackal" (1990) and "Death Is A Lonely Business" (1993) — as part of the Cogumelo Remasters series. Both albums came in a special edition slipcase CD featuring "exceptional" artwork. The disc also included a bonus instrumental track, an outtake from the "Death Is A Lonely Business" sessions.

Brazilian death metal veterans KRISIUN were featured on a recent episode of "Estúdio Showlivre", a Brazilian Internet TV show, with an in-studio performance and Portuguese-language interview. Check out the footage below.

KRISIUN's latest album, "The Great Execution", which was released on October 31, 2011 in Europe and November 1, 2011 in North America via Century Media Records. The band's eighth studio CD "musically expands KRISIUN trademark high-speed death metal violence with a heavily increased amount of diversity ranging from extreme tempo variations over distinct rhythm patterns to clean guitars and even Flamenco parts!" according to a press release.

KRISIUN only used analog gear and instruments this time to avoid the compressed sound that so many musicians produce today. This wise decision resulted in a more organic sound, with the songs on "The Great Execution" possessing both warmth and rawness, which are so often lost through digital production. The low end is deeper, with drums that pound instead of bounce and guitar tones that sear rather than hiss.

Going back to Stage One Studio in Germany and working with producer Andy Classen again was the right choice: the album came out with a very distinctive and natural sound, shattering the boundaries of the style once more.

The cover artwork was created by Japanese artist Toshihiro Egawa who has been doing tons of great designs for acts like SUICIDE SILENCE, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, DEVOURMENT and DYING FETUS, among others.

"The Great Execution" was made available as a limited-edition digipack including a re-recorded version of the classic KRISIUN song "Black Force Domain" as a bonus track, as a 180-gram gatefold vinyl and as a digital download.

Classen previously worked with KRISIUN on the "Conquerors Of Armageddon" (1999), "AssasiNation" (2005) and "Southern Storm" (2008) releases.

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal makes a guest appearance in the track "In My Head" from New York-based, female-fronted rockers CILVER. The song, which is available on Amazon, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

CILVER features in its ranks former ME TALK PRETTY members Uliana Preotu (lead vocals), Leon Lyazidi (guitar, keyboards) and Guerin Blask (drums). They were recently joined by guitarist Gerry Soman (DIFFUSER, THE PENNYROYALS) and bass player Josh Pillbox (THE RECKLESS SONS, MIKE DEL RIO, NATURE OF CITY).

Tom Keifer, best known as the singer/songwriter/guitarist of the Philadelphia-based blues-rock band CINDERELLA, kicked off his first-ever solo tour last night (Saturday, February 9) at Ziggy's in Winson-Salem, North Carolina. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Keifer is making his debut as a solo artist with the release of his long-awaited and highly anticipated solo album, "The Way Life Goes", on April 30 via Merovee Records (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group).

The collection of 14 new songs ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots that have always been present in his unique sound that has generated the sale of over 15 million records worldwide for CINDERELLA. Rolling Stone praised Keifer as "a gritty, bluesy (rocker) with enough genuine swagger to draw comparisons to Mick Jagger."

"This record was a labor of love," Keifer told TriCities.com. "When I started this record, CINDERELLA was in the middle of a lawsuit with Sony Records. This record is not in any way to be taken as me stepping away from CINDERELLA."

"I took a lot of time making this record," he continued. "I made it over 10 years. I wanted to make something I loved. My wife, Savannah (Snow), co-wrote a lot of the songs with me. It was a blessing to me.

"Each song has something to do with life. It's just life, love, love lost, being crazy, going crazy, being lost. The record, there's no change, really, in style. It has the peaks and valleys.

"I've always approached music, played music that I like. I've never chased trends through CINDERELLA and with this album. It reflects what's in me."

"The Way Life Goes" track listing:

01. Solid Ground
02. A Different Light
03. It's Not Enough
04. Cold Day In Hell
05. Thick And Thin
06. Ask Me Yesterday
07. Fools Paradise
08. The Flower Song
09. Mood Elevator
10. Welcome To My Mind
11. You Showed Me
12. Ain't That A Bitch
13. The Way Life Goes
14. Babylon

"The Flower Song", the album's first single, was serviced to AAA radio stations nationwide on February 4, while "Solid Ground" will be serviced to all rock formats on March 11.

Keifer wrote "The Flower Song" with Jim Peterik, formerly of the bands SURVIVOR and the IDES OF MARCH.

"The Way Life Goes" is a raw, introspective look at the roller coaster ride that has been Keifer's life for the past 15 years. From being told that he would never sing again as a result of a partially paralyzed left vocal cord, to the emotional and personal battles that followed, his solo debut is a story of perseverance, a testament to the power of passion and will, when combined with a true love of music.

"It's pretty scary," Keifer said of his vocal paralysis. "I've had six surgeries to deal with the collateral damage. Performing… has been difficult for me because of the vocal issues I've had. I work several hours every day on that. That's a difficult thing for me every day."

MOONSPELL frontman Fernando Ribeiro has updated the Under The Moonspell Blog. An excerpt follows:
"2012 was, in the lack of a better word, a very intense year for us. Moonspell was able to play a lot after releasing Alpha Noir/Omega White and your reaction to both albums and particularly to the live shows, all around this world which is ours, has strongly motivated us making all sacrifice, planning and anxiety involved in running a band, dignifying and worthy. Thank you. For me 2012 was a special year with the birth of my firstborn, Fausto, who came to us a perfect child and helped me questioning my limits and my value as a man and a father.

My time runs faster and shorter now but I was still able, with the always heartfelt help of my band, crew and true friends, not only to release the album with Moonspell and to defend its colors live and on the press; but also to put together a book that celebrates our twentieth anniversary as a band, a document every fan would like to read or at least to peep at, as the band's essence and most important chapters of our history are contained in this work, fabulously illustrated by the pictures of Paulo Moreira, our long time photographer.

You can get the book here.
It is a bilingual version, in English and Portuguese and we are working on a Spanish translation as well as an e-book version to make our memories available to our expanding lunar community.

To list what we have done this year, all the releases the band or the labels have put together (albums, special editions, different vinyl records, one white, other black, other splatter) would be tiresome and abusive. It's already a temptation to be able to track and possess them all in this time of crisis and saving for a better day, that, by the way things are being run by our governors, is still nothing but a far away, painfully distant reality, not even a trace on the horizon line.

My words are for free. My thoughts as well. They are paid off by your comments and your attention. To share these thoughts is pure pleasure as I am too restless to keep them for myself. Maybe I take this thing of needing a crowd a bit too seriously."

Read more at this location.

Moonspell recently announced dates for their tour of Finland in April, dubbed Suomi Noir.

Says the band: At last! After trying out many times in the years following our last visit to Finland in Tuska’s 2007 edition, we are proud to announce our return to the land of the thousand lakes. The band opted for club shows, upon fan request for longer sets, and will be playing in the cities/clubs announced (below).

We are also happy to inform that Finnish legendary dark doomsters SWALLOW THE SUN will be the special guests on all dates. We hope now that all our Finnish fans pack the place and come out to celebrate with Moonspell, 20 years of passion and doom."
Dates include:

April
4 - Lutakko - Jyväskylä, Finland
5 - Klubi (Live-side) - Turku, Finland
6 - Virgin Oil Co. - Helsinki, Finland

Tickets are available from February 6th at this location.

Other European Moonspell dates include:

April
19 - Rennes, France - L´etage
20 - Limoges, France - CC John Lennon
21 - Paris, France - Divan Du Monde
23 - London, England - Underworld
24 - Essen, Germany - Turock
25 - Almelo, Netherlands - Naxtstage
26 - Ingolstadt, Germany - Eventhalle
27 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Docks
28 - Montpellier, France - Secret Place
29 - Toulon, France - Vox
30 - Cognac, France - Les anciens Abattoirs

May
1 - Toulouse, France - Bikini
2 - Bilbao, Spain - Rock Star Live
3 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
4 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Arena
Dates were recently announced for the upcoming Voices From The Dark tour, taking place in February/March and featuring Swedish black metallers Marduk and Moonspell as co-headliners. Support for the trek includes Colombian/American black metallers INQUISITION, Italy's gothic melodic sensation THE FORESHADOWING, and Swedish blackened punk rockers DEATH WOLF.

Tour dates:

Februrary
20 - Springfield, VA - Empire
21 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
22 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
23 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
24 - Montreal, QC - Club Soda
25 - Toronto, ON - Wreck Room
26 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Small's Theatre
27 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's
28 - Saint Paul, MN - Station 4

March
1 - Winnipeg, MB - Osborne Village Inn
2 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
3 - Edmonton, AB - Pawn Shop
4 - Calgary, AB - Dickens
5 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
6 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
7 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
8 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Opera House
9 - Los Angeles, CA - The Vex
10 - Tempe, AZ - 910 Live
11 - Albuquerque, NM - TBC
12 - Dallas, TX - Tomcats West
13 - San Antonio, TX - Korova
15 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
16 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade

Taking up where iconic bands like DEEP PURPLE and BAD COMPANY left off, HEAVEN & EARTH is on a mission to resurrect the sanctity of classic rock in its purest, most accessible form on their third studio album titled "Dig". Due out on April 23 via Quarto Valley Records, the CD was produced by Dave Jenkins, who's worked with everyone from METALLICA to TOWER OF POWER — and features special guests Howard Leese (HEART, PAUL RODGERS), Richie Sambora (BON JOVI), and David Paich (TOTO).

HEAVEN & EARTH recently released a special behind-the-scenes look into the making of "Dig" and what brought these five musicians together to make such a "classic"-sounding record. The clip premiered on AOL's Noisecreep and can be seen below.

HEAVEN & EARTH's founder and visionary Stuart Smith had this to say about "Dig": "I feel that with the crafting of the songs on this album, the incredible band we've put together, especially with powerhouse vocalist Joe Retta and the unwavering support of Quarto Valley Records' president, Bruce Quarto, we really have a shot at getting HEAVEN & EARTH the attention it deserves. This album is by far, the best thing I have ever done in my life."

Smith, who spent the '70s bending strings with numerous groups before he distinguished himself by making the acquaintance of DEEP PURPLE's Ritchie Blackmore, who mentored the up-and-coming musician. At the urging of Blackmore, Smith made his way to Los Angeles and began planting the seeds of what was to become HEAVEN & EARTH. Now with the release of "Dig" on the near horizon, the guitarist says HEAVEN & EARTH is a true band, an energized collective of like-minded musicians who are excited at bringing its unique, celestial brand of rock to audiences all over the world. "All the pieces are in place," he explains with graceful candor. "We're ready to make this our year."

The album cover for "Dig" was created by acclaimed photographer Glen Wexler, who has shot over 300 album covers, including records by VAN HALEN, BLACK SABBATH and MICHAEL JACKSON.

"Dig" track listing:

01. Victorious
02. No Money, No Love
03. I Don't Know What Love Is
04. Man & Machine
05. House of Blues
06. Back in Anger
07. Waiting for the End of The World
08. Sexual Insanity
09. Rock & Roll Does
10. A Day Like Today
11. Good Times
12. Live as One

According to the San Marino Tribune, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charles Palmer has dismissed what remained of GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose's lawsuit against video game giant Activision Blizzard. Rose sued the company in November 2010, claiming that it used an image of former GUNS guitarist Slash in Guitar Hero III after promising him that the game would not feature any reference to Rose's ex-bandmate. Rose claimed that was a condition of him agreeing to license the song "Welcome To The Jungle" for use in the game.

Palmer heard more than two hours of arguments on January 31 concerning the lawsuit's contract claims before taking the case under submission. On Thursday (February 7), he affirmed his tentative ruling and tossed out the remaining causes of action.

Palmer previously indicated that he was inclined to dismiss Rose's suit because the singer did not file it until a full three years after the game's October 2007 release. Rose has said that he was not aware of Slash's image in the game until later, although documents in the case indicated that an attorney for the rocker e-mailed Activision about it around the time the game came out.

Rose said in a deposition, "The reason I did not file a lawsuit is because Activision — through my managers and representatives — offered me a separate video game and other business proposals worth millions of dollars to resolve and settle my claims relating to Guitar Hero III."

He added, "From December 2007 through November 2010, Activision was offering me a GUNS N' ROSES-dedicated video game, a game dedicated to music from the 'Chinese Democracy' album, and other proposals."

Although Rose's legal team tried to point to emails suggesting that an agreement was in place for Activision to not use any images or music related to Slash, Judge Charles Palmer responded, "The only extrinsic evidence supports Activision's interpretation and does not support Rose's interpretation."

THE MELVINS return with a 13-track covers album, titled Everybody Loves Sausages, which is set for an April 30th release via Ipecac Recordings.

"This record will give people a peak into the kind of things that influence us musically," explains Buzz Osborne. "We REALLY like all of these songs along with the bands who actually wrote this stuff because first and foremost we are HUGE music fans."

In a decidedly Melvins approach to a covers album, the band not only selected a unique assortment of songs to cover, ranging from ROXY MUSIC's 'In Every Dream Home A Heartache' to QUEEN's 'Best Friend' they also enlisted several friends to take part including MUDHONEY's Mark Arm joining them for THE SCIENTISTS' 'Set It On Fire' and NEUROSIS' Scott Kelly pitching in on a cover of VENOM's 'Warhead'.

While the release is billed as a proper Melvins' album (featuring the line-up of Osborne, Dale Crover, Jared Warren and Coady Willis), there are a handful of songs recorded as the Melvins Lite incarnation of the band (Osborne, Crover and Trevor Dunn): 'Female Trouble' (DIVINE), 'Timothy Leary Lives' (POP-O-PIES) and 'Romance By Tales of Terror' (TALES OF TERROR).

The complete track listing with original artist and guest player notation:

'Warhead' (VENOM; Guest: Scott Kelly of NEUROSIS)
'Best Friend' (QUEEN; Guest: Caleb Benjamin of TWEAK BIRD)
'Black Betty' (original artist unknown)
'Set It On Fire' (THE SCIENTISTS; Guest: MARK ARM)
'Station To Station' (DAVID BOWIE; Guest: JG THIRLWELL)
'Attitude' (THE KINKS: Guest: Clem Burke of BLONDIE)
'Female Trouble' (DIVINE)
'Carpe Diem' (THE FUGS)
'Timothy Leary Lives' (POP-O-PIES)
'In Every Dream Home A Heartache' (ROXY MUSIC; Guests: Jello Biafra and Kevin Rutmanis)
'Romance' (TALES OF TERROR)
'Art School' (THE JAM; Guest: Tom Hazelmeyer)
'Heathen Earth' (THROBBING GRISTLE)

TOKYO BLADE vocalist Nicolaj Ruhnow's solo project, NICK HELLFORT, will release its new album, "The Mask Within", on March 1 via Sonic Revolution/Fastball Music.

Because of his commitments to TOKYO BLADE since July 2010, Ruhnow was forced to push all activities regarding NICK HELLFORT aside, which resuted in the postponement in the release of "The Mask Within". This turned out being a wise decision, as Nicolaj went through a number of new experiences with his bandmates and friends in TOKYO BLADE on the road, which led him to re-record many of the vocals tracks on the CD — "to give 'The Mask Within' a way wider range, musically and emotionally," he says in a press release.

"The Mask Within" track listing:

01. Temple Of Kings
02. Fame Is Just A Whore
03. Stepwise & Silently
04. The Arrival
05. Perception
06. For All Time
07. Lifeline
08. The Antichrist Wore Black
09. Journey Throu' A Cup Of Tea

Bonus tracks:

10. Crusaders (demo 2007)
11. The Messenger (demo 2007)

NICK HELLFORT's touring lineup will be as follows:

* Nicolaj Ruhnow (TOKYO BLADE, DOMAIN) - Vocals
* Andreas Siefert (NACHTSCHATTEN) - Guitar
* Matthias Holzapfel (EVERTALE, ex-NECROPHAGIST) - Guitar
* Steven Wussow (DOMAIN, XANDRIA) - Bass
* Daiv Carpenter (FLASHPOINT SERENADE) - Drums

Confirmed dates so far:

Mar. 01 - Rock-City, Uster (CH)
Mar. 02 - Come Inn, Renchen (GER)
Mar. 09 - 7er Club, Mannheim (GER)
Apr. 06 - Sonnenkeller, Balingen (GER)
Apr. 26 - Negasonic, Aalst (BE)
Apr. 27 - Blue Devils Club, Arrás (FR)
Apr. 28 - Le Klub, Paris (FR)

Dallas, TX-based heavy metal act SEEKER has posted their new single, 'Alone' (featuring Corey Bennet of BERMUDA), for free download at this location.
The track is streaming below:

Alone by Seeker

Seeker vocalist Bryce Lucien has released the following statement on the band's upcoming string of February US tour dates with headliners CORELIA, and I, OMEGA.

"We're always excited to be on the road, and the fact that both bands are full of such outstanding musicians makes this tour even better. We've been working extremely hard to step up the insanity of our live show and we will be playing quite a bit of new material on this run, so we're definitely ready to get back out in front of our old fans and hopefully make some new ones. Be on the lookout for a new song premiere in the coming weeks. See you on the road."

The upcoming run will commence February 14th in St. Louis, MO. Tour dates are below:
Seeker tour dates:

February (with Corelia, I, Omega)
14 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar
15 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Parish
16 - Tyler, TX - The Oil Palace
17 - Austin, TX - The Hole in the Wall
18 - Roswell, NM - The Unity Center
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Amped Performance Center
20 - El Paso, TX - Gallery 127
21 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile Underground
22 - San Diego, CA - The Epicenter
23 - Fullerton, CA - The Anchor

March
14 - Austin, TX - Death Metal Pizza
15 - Shreveport, LA - Mediastar Entertainment Hall
More on Seeker at this location.

Croatian doom/gothic metallers ASHES YOU LEAVE have uploaded footage from the studio of the re-recordings of drum tracks for their song, 'For The Heart, Soul And Mind'. Check out the clip below:
Says the band: "The new re-arranged version should soon see the light of the day. Stay tuned!"

The track was featured on Ashes You Leave's sixth full-length album, The Cure For Happiness, available via Rock N Growl Records.
The original album track is streaming below:
The CD was recorded in the G.I.S. studios, by Matej Zec and featureds vocals by Giada “Jade” Etro.
The Cure For Happiness tracklisting:

'Devil in Disguise'
'Only Ashes You Leave'
'For the Heart, Soul and Mind'
'The Ever-changing'
'Meant to Stray'
'Summer’s End'
'Reality Sad'
'The Cure'
'…For Happiness'

The song 'Summer’s End' can be streamed below
The Cure For Happiness is available as digital download and on CD only at the band’s Rock N Growl Records website.
The band lineup:

Giada “Jada” Etro – lead vocals
Berislav “Bero” Poje – vocals and lead guitar
Matija Rempesic – guitar
Marta Batinic – violin
Luka Petrovic – bass guitar
Sasa Vukosav – drums

For more details visit Ashesyouleave.org.

Seattle metallers SHADED ENMITY will be hitting Fastback Studios in North Seattle with producer/engineer Aaron Smith on February 21st to begin recording their upcoming album Forsaken and Forgotten.

A band update states: "We are very excited to start work on the album. There are tons of ideas floating around and we can't wait to share them with everyone. Album track list will be made available very soon. Until then, please check out our song 'And Life Was Great…' Which we recorded as a teaser for the new album. Thank you very much for your continued support of this band. This upcoming album is going to cost quite a bit of money, as quality does not come cheap. If you would like to support the band, please buy our MP3s and our CDs from CD Baby, iTunes, Big Cartel, and many other sites. We can assure you the new Shaded Enmity will not disappoint! More news and other announcements coming soon."

CHURCHBURN, the musical collaboration between two of the undergrounds masters of misery Dave Suzuki, best known for his mesmerizing guitar work and brutal drumming in VITAL REMAINS and Ray McCaffrey, who carved out sonic drum patterns for SIN OF ANGELS and GRIEF are now offering, for a limited time only a free download of their self tilted three-song debut EP with purchase of the groups limited edition t-shirt via Bandcamp.
Commented McCaffrey: "Plans are being finalized for the band to start playing shows and festivals in late spring into early summer across the U.S. We are very eager to start our live assault!!!"

According to a press release, Suzuki and McCaffrey have set out to share with the world their love of the riff, not only the heaviest but also the most haunting. Each song is crafted with the most sinister of intent. Churchburn wants the listener to feel a true sense of dread as the song progresses.

The track listing for the EP is as follows:
'Come Forth The Swarm'
'Crown Of Fallen Kings'
'Kneel Upon Charred Remnants'

Churchburn is:
Dave Suzuki - guitar, vocals
Ray Mccaffrey - drums, vocals
Shawn McCoy - guitar
Kevin Edwards - bass

The band is currently writing and demoing material for its debut album, tentatively due in late 2013 via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

Israel/Greece-based progressive metal act REIGN OF THE ARCHITECT have signed a deal with Pitch Black Records, who will be releasing the band's debut album, Rise, in spring 2013.
Reign Of The Architect is the brainchild of Yuval Kramer (AMASEFFER guitarist), and was formed in 2008 in Israel. Although starting out as a studio project, the band and the creation of their debut album has snowballed to incorporate performers from all over the world and features several guest appearances. Among those lending their talents to the release are Jeff Scot Sotto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY), Mike LePond (SYMPHONY X) and Joost Van Den Broek (AFTER FOREVER).

Regarding the recent signing of contracts, Reign Of The Architect released the following statement: "After a long time working on our debut album, and six months of performances, we are proud to start a new chapter in the band's life; becoming a part of the Pitch Black Records roster - we're really looking forward to working with them. This is a great way to start this year. Stay tuned cause lots of things are being cooked inside ROTA's lair… Let it Reign!"

An introduction video from Reign Of The Architect can be seen below:
Pitch Black Records owner Phivos Papadopoulos commented: “Working with newcomer artists who are first and foremost talented and passionate musicians has always been a core element of Pitch Black Records. Reign Of The Architect is another fine example of this and we are very excited to welcome them to the constantly growing Pitch Black Records family. We are certain that their talent and passion in music will be quite evident from first listen and will not disappoint!”

More on Reign Of The Architect at this location.

London, England-based metallers NEONFLY have tapped Dennis Ward (UNISONIC, PINK CREAM 69, ANGRA) to produce their as-yet-untitled sophomore album.

Dennis has been at the forefront of the metal scene since the late '80s as the bass player and producer of the mighty PINK CREAM 69, and more recently of UNISONIC.

As well as his own bands, Dennis has produced albums for ANGRA, KROKUS, BOB CATLEY, SINNER, PRIMAL FEAR, VANDEN PLAS, AXXIS, ADAGIO, ROBIN BECK… the list goes on! His track record, needless to say, speaks for itself.

Production on the follow-up to NEONFLY's 2011 debut, "Outshine The Sun", is set to start on April 1 at Hofa studios in Karlsdorf, Germany. Excitement is high within the band as to the new sonic possibilities presented by working with Dennis Ward. New musical horizons surely beckon and a major leap in the band’s profile is assured.

Comments NEONFLY guitarist and main songwriter Frederick Thunder: "The material we have for this album is the best we’ve ever written, I have no doubt about that. The arrangements are bigger and more bombastic, the riffs are killer, the songs are even more hook-laden, and following extensive touring with heroes like MAGNUM and FREEDOM CALL, we feel our playing has reached fever pitch… we're just more together and inspired as a band.

"With this record, we want the fans to get some sense of the energy and ferocity we present in our live shows, whilst at the same time melting their brains with what we aim to be a massively ramped up orchestral scale to our sound. That's why it was really important to choose the right producer for this album, to make sure that the scale of the production could match our ambitions, and Dennis is the right man for the job. We just can't wait to get started, and I know once we do, we won't want to stop!"

As previously announced however, the band will take a break in the production to fly back to the U.K. for their tour in support of SONATA ARCTICA.

The dates are as follows:

April 14 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
April 15 - Manchester, UK - Club Academy
April 16 - Birmingham, UK - HMV Institute Library
April 17 - London, UK - The Garage

Chapter two of the NEONFLY story is about to commence and the bandmembers look forward to presenting the fruits of their labors to the metal masses later in 2013.