Czech death metallers HEAVING EARTH, who toured throughout Europe alongside IMMOLATION and MARDUK last year, have released their two song EP, Redemption Ablaze, for free download via their Bandcamp site here.
The material, recorded in August 2012, is a follow-up to band's 2010 debut album, Diabolic Prophecies. Expect nearly 12 minutes of discordant death metal punishment of high qualities and skill. The band is scheduled to record their new album later this year, due out on Lavadome Productions.

Redemption Ablaze is also available on CD format from Lavadome Productions and comes free with any order made at the Lavadome store, here.

Nihilistic Holocaust has also released the material as a split tape with Australia's death metal act ALTARS. It can be purchased here.

Redemption Ablaze by Heaving Earth

"Live In Tokyo", the new CD+DVD from PSMS, the new supergroup featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), bassist Billy Sheehan (STEVE VAI, DAVID LEE ROTH), guitarist Tony MacAlpine (neo classical-metal style, STEVE VAI) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, PLANET X, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), will be released in Japan on March 20 via Victor Entertainment.

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

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

The setlist for the Tokyo concert was as follows:

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

Encore:

17. Shy Boy (TALAS song) (Billy Sheehan on lead vocals)

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

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

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

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

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

POISON singer Bret Michaels will release his new solo album, "Good Songs & Great Friends", on March 26 via Poor Boy Records. The effort brings together the friends that Michaels has made along the way with some of the songs that have shaped all of that success. Featuring collaborations with artists from a variety of genres and generations, this album contains a live duet with Jimmy Buffett ("Margaritaville"), a cover of "Sweet Home Alabama" with Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke and Peter Keys from LYNYRD SKYNYRD playing on the track, new versions of some of POISON's biggest hits, including the highly anticipated remake of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Loretta Lynn. Musical greats such as Joe Perry of AEROSMITH, Michael Anthony of VAN HALEN/CHICKENFOOT, Leslie West of MOUNTAIN, Ace Frehley of KISS/FREHLEY'S COMET appear on this record, just to name a few.

Two new songs are included on the CD — the wildly popular ode to social media "The App Song" and "You Know You Want It". The single, "Get Your Rock On", released at the beginning of 2012, makes its album debut featuring Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD/MANRAZE and Sal Costa of MY DARKEST DAYS.

The genre-bending album features 17 songs, and in addition to the artists mentioned above, also includes guest appearances by Miley Cyrus, Hugh McDonald (BON JOVI), Bobby Capps (.38 SPECIAL), Scot Coogan (LITA FORD), THE SHEILDS BROTHERS, and more.

"Good Songs & Great Friends" track listing:

01. Nothin' But A Good Time
02. Get Your Rock On
03. Sweet Home Alabama
04. The App Song
05. Margaritaville
06. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
07. You Know You Want It
08. Unskinny Bop
09. Nothing To Lose
10. Raine
11. Driven (Rock Mix)
12. Fallen
13. What I Got
14. Talk Dirty To Me
15. Go That Far (Hybrid Mix)
16. Party Rock Band
17. Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Country Version)

The new version of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" can be streamed below.

The song "You Know You Want It" is available at MySpace.

In an interview with Gimme Noise, Bret stated about his upcoming CD, "I'm really proud of what we've done with it. It's really not just a Bret Michaels album. I had so many other talented artists come in and support that it's really a 'Bret Michaels And Friends' album. There's a staggering amount of talent on this album. . . It's been such a fun project for me and I'm excited to share it with the fans."

According to TMZ.com, Marilyn Manson was suffering from the flu when he collapsed and vomited onstage near the end of his set in concert in Saskatchewan, Canada this past Wednesday night (Feb. 6). The singer was apparently "feeling like crap" all day, but still wanted to go on with the show. After hitting the stage, Manson started feeling worse and vomited several times before collapsing in the middle of the song "Beautiful People". He fell backward onto the stage, at which point members of his road crew came out to carry him off. The 44-year-old rocker — whose real name is Brian Hugh Warner — decided not to go a hospital, choosing instead to rest up in his hotel room.

Newly released close-up video footage of Manson collapsing onstage can be seen below.

Manson and his band are scheduled to perform tonight (Friday, February 8) in Calgary.

The group's North American tour with the BUTCHER BABIES will wrap on February 23 in Las Vegas.

VERA MESMER, the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band featuring ex-COAL CHAMBER bassist Nadja Peulen and former REVEILLE guitarist Chris Turner (a.k.a. Christopher Mesmer), is making its previously unreleased single, 'Down The Hole", available for free download via Bandcamp.

"Down The Hole" was co-written by Turner and Peulen, continuing the Bonnie-and-Clyde-esque, love-versus-hate theme found on their debut EP, "Orphans".

VERA MESMER has won over audiences with its enigmatic-yet-powerful live shows, having shared stages with WALKING PAPERS, STOLEN BABIES, ORGY, JULIEN K and STEEL PANTHER.

"Orphans" was produced by Turner, mixed by Sean Beavan (MARILYN MANSON, NINE INCH NAILS) and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (SEPULTURA, HALFORD). The CD tells the story of how Chris and Nadja met and takes the listeners on their mystical journey.

VERA MESMER is currently working on a follow-up EP, tentatively due out this spring.

VERA MESMER's video for the song "Back From The Dead", which was shot in January 2011 by Vicente and Fernando Cordero of Industrialism Films, has been viewed more than 30,000 times on YouTube.

The band's five-track debut EP, "The Gypsy Magician" (which doesn't feature Peulen), came out in 2007.

Down the hole by Vera Mesmer

The official lyric video for "Do Me A Favor", the new single from STONE SOUR, can be seen below. The song is the first single from "House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2", the second part of the band's two-album series, "House of Gold & Bones", which will be released on April 9 via Roadrunner Records. The albums were recorded at Sound Farm Studios just outside of the band's native Des Moines, Iowa with producer David Bottrill (TOOL, MUSE) at the helm.

"Do Me A Favor", will be 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 2" track listing:

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

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

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

"You guys think part one's good? Fuck off. 'Do Me A Favor' alone is going to kick the shit out of people and that's going to be the first single, which comes out in January, that's going to be the first taste that people get of part 2, and people aren't going to know what to do."

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

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

STONE SOUR is on tour in North America through February 17, and 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.

James Wood of GuitarWorld.com recently conducted an interview with former KORN guitarist and current LOVE & DEATH frontman Brian "Head" Welch. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

GuitarWorld.com: How did LOVE & DEATH get started?

Welch: When I left KORN, I did a solo record, which was very personal and experimental. I hired a few guys and went on the road, and a few of them have stayed with me over the years. We've all become good friends. LOVE & DEATH is really a group effort that shows you what can happen when you let other people in to distribute their gifts on a project.

GuitarWorld.com: You were able to reach the pinnacle of success and the rock-star dream with KORN.

Welch: True. But if you have all of that and you're still empty inside, what does it matter? It all means nothing. Everywhere we went, we were able to take whatever we wanted; getting the free alcohol and sometimes free drugs. Wherever we went, there were no laws, and it was killing us. You can call it "fun" — that is, until you realize it's tearing you down, and it tore all of us down.

GuitarWorld.com: Do you have any regrets?

Welch: Never. Everything is meant to be in life, and I love the person I've become. I'm still growing into the person I really want to be in the future. Now that I've found myself, it means a lot. I know it's a gift.

GuitarWorld.com: You were recently asked to perform on stage with KORN again. What was it like performing with them as the "new" Brian?

Welch: It was exciting. I appreciated just being there, but for different reasons. I could also breathe easier, because I'm so much healthier now.

GuitarWorld.com: What brings you fulfillment?

Welch: My spiritual life and raising my daughter and steering her in the right direction. I also know that the music itself is a gift that I have to give.

Read the entire interview from GuitarWorld.com.

"The Abandoning" video:

During THE ACACIA STRAIN's tenure with Prosthetic Records, the band released four acclaimed studio albums — two of which, 2008's "Continent" and 2010's "Wormwood", cracked the Billboard chart — as well as a Top 10 live DVD. To commemorate the end of an era, Prosthetic has assembled "Money For Nothing", a compilation of rarities, B-sides and previously unheard tracks by the band. The six-track release, out February 19, will be made available as a specially-priced digital EP and a limited-edition digipak which can be pre-ordered now.

The track listing for "Money For Nothing" — the cover art for which appears above — is as follows:

01. Money For Nothing (previously unreleased original song from "The Dead Walk" sessions)
02. Brown Noise (2006) (alternate "Dead Walk"-era version of the "3750" song)
03. Global Warning (previously a "Continent" LP-only bonus track)
04. Stay Puft (previously a "Continent" LP-only bonus track)
05. The Hills Have Eyes (2009) (alternate "Pentagon.3" version of the "Wormwood" song)
06. Terminated (2009) (alternate "Pentagon.3" version of the "Wormwood" song)

The official lyric video for the title track can be seen below.

"Death Is The Only Mortal", the latest album from THE ACACIA STRAIN, sold 8,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 50 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on October 9, 2012 via Rise Records, the CD was produced by guitarist Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz at his Western Massachusetts studio.

THE ACACIA STRAIN's previous CD, "Wormwood" (2010), opened with around 6,300 units to debut at No. 67.

The band's 2008 CD, "Continent", registered a first-week tally of 5,600 copies to enter the chart at No. 107.

The second trailer for "The Living Infinite", the ninth studio album and first dual-disc release from Swedish metallers SOILWORK, can be seen below. Check out what singer Björn "Speed" Strid has to say about the production process and the CD's artwork.

"The Living Infinite" will be unleashed on February 27 in Asia (via license to Marquee Records), in Europe on March 1, and in North America on March 5 through Nuclear Blast Records. Produced by Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, BLOODBATH), the CD features artwork by MNEMIC's Mircea Eftemie Gabrie.

"The Living Infinite" features Justin Sullivan — lead singer of the English band NEW MODEL ARMY — as a guest vocalist on the track "The Windswept Mercy" and also marks the recording debut of longtime SOILWORK touring guitarist David Andersson (also of THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA).

SOILWORK's world tour launches with a 55-show headlining trek through the U.S. and Canada this March. Support will come from JEFF LOOMIS, BLACKGUARD, THE BROWNING and WRETCHED.

"The Living Infinite" track listing:

CD 1

01. Spectrum Of Eternity
02. Memories Confined
03. This Momentary Bliss
04. Tongue
05. The Living Infinite I
06. Let The First Wave Rise
07. Vesta
08. Realm Of The Wasted
09. The Windswept Mercy
10. Whispers And Lights

CD 2

01. Entering Aeons
02. Long Live The Misanthrope
03. Drowning With Silence
04. Antidotes In Passing
05. Leech
06. The Living Infinite II
07. Loyal Shadow
08. Rise Above The Sentiment
09. Parasite Blues
10. Owls Predict, Oracles Stand Guard

Trailer #2:

Video footage of French progressive metallers GOJIRA performing the song "Flying Whales" on January 28 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona can be seen below.

GOJIRA and the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT are currently taking part in a North American tour.

The trek, which was announced during Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, also includes support from THE ATLAS MOTH.

GOJIRA's fifth album, "L'Enfant Sauvage", sold almost 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "The Way Of All Flesh", opened with 4,200 units back in 2008 to land at No. 138.

"L'Enfant Sauvage" entered the official chart in France at position No. 7 (No. 17 on the digital chart).

"L'Enfant Sauvage" (which translates to "The Wild Child") features 11 tracks of mind-bending, thunderous metal. The CD was recorded at Spin Recording Studios in Long Island City, New York with co-producer Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD).

Frontiers Records has announced the signing of Swedish melodic rock newcomers STATE OF SALAZAR. The band was formed in 2010 by five students from the Malmö Academy of Music who wanted to play rock music made for the big arenas. The band's singer and songwriter, Marcus Nygren, began thinking of the concept of having a band like STATE OF SALAZAR in 2009 when he wrote a couple of songs that did not fit his metal band 8-POINT ROSE.

STATE OF SALAZAR released its debut EP, "Lost My Way", in the summer of 2012, it spread fast in magazines and blogs and created a flood of praise. The Swedish quintet has received a lot of positive critique from all over the world during a very short period of time. Considering bands such as TOTO, QUEEN, JOURNEY, SURVIVOR and especially Bill Conti and Vince DiCola have influenced them, STATE OF SALAZAR have a lot to prove. But they handle all this pressure with their honor intact and their heads held high.

"I think this is an amazing opportunity for us in STATE OF SALAZAR and I can't think of a better record company for us to sign with," says guitar player Johan Thuresson. "I remember when Marcus and I had conversations about the bands future a couple of years ago and that we thought that Frontiers would really be a great place to wind up." Singer Marcus Nygren adds: "To be able to release our first full-length album with Frontiers is simply a dream coming true. I can't wait for you all to hear these great new songs we're working on. You don't want to miss this one when it hits the stores!"

One of the bonus tracks from the EP, "I Believe In You", will be re-recorded from scratch and also included in the debut album, which has a working title of "All The Way". You can check the original version in the YouTube clip below.

There is no mistaking that STATE OF SALAZAR delivers "feel-good" music, and it is no wonder, since one of the biggest influences is "training montage" music from the "Rocky IV" movie. This is just one of many reasons why they actually stand out from many of the other bands in the same genre. STATE OF SALAZAR is not a retro band, or a walk down memory lane. They write songs and play music that strives forward and not backwards. Their songwriting, arranging and instrumental performance show that this is a band that wants to develop and contribute to the melodic rock genre.

STATE OF SALAZAR's debut album is scheduled for release later this year.

IN-GRAVED, the new band led by guitarist Victor Griffin (ex-PENTAGRAM, PLACE OF SKULLS), will release their self-titled debut album in Europe and the UK on Friday, March 22nd via Finnish label Svart Records, and in North America on Tuesday, March 26th via Veritas Records.

The tracklisting for the CD is as follows:
'Digital Critic'
'What If...'
'Late For An Early Grave'
'Fading Flower'
'Thorn In The Flesh'
'Teacher'
'Love Song For The Dying'
'Never Surrender'

The debut self-tilted album was produced by Travis Wyrick (Place Of Skulls) and Victor Griffin. The album was recorded at Lakeside Studios in Knoxville,Tennessee and engineered by Travis Wyrick and Mike Dearing (Place Of Skulls) with cover art by Richard Schouten (Place Of Skulls, MASSACRE).
As previously reported, original drummer of doom-metal legends TROUBLE, Jeff "Oly" Olson, will play the Hammond organ on the forthcoming debut album and will also feature drummer Pete Campbell (60 WATT SHAMAN, Place Of Skulls), bassists Guy Pinhas (THE OBSESSED, ACID KING, GOATSNAKE), Ron Holzner (Trouble, EARTHEN GRAVE, DEBRIS INC.), Greg Turley (Pentagram), Marty Swaney (DEATH ROW, Pentagram), and Dan Lively (SWEET CICADA), as well as keyboardist Mike Puleo (ORODRUIN).

In-Graved will perform at the Roadburn festival on Saturday, April 20th in Tilburg, Holland. More tour dates will be announced soon.
IN-GRAVED touring lineup:

- Victor Griffin (DEATH ROW, PENTAGRAM, PLACE OF SKULLS) - guitar/vocals
- Pete Campbell (60 WATT SHAMAN, PLACE OF SKULLS) - drums
- Guy Pinhas (THE OBSESSED, ACID KING, GOATSNAKE) - bass
- Jeff "Oly" Olson (TROUBLE, RETRO GRAVE) - keys

More on In-Graved at this location.

New Jersey-based thrash 'n' roll heathens HAMMER FIGHT have completed work on their full-length debut, entitled "Chug Of War". The follow-up to the band's 2011 self-titled EP was recorded by Bobby Torres at The Machine Shop in Belleville, New Jersey. A release date for the effort has not yet been announced.

"Chug Of War" features new HAMMER FIGHT guitarist Ryan Blackman, who stepped in to replace Rob Guidotti after his departure last fall. Artwork for "Chug Of War" came from a collaboration between HAMMER FIGHT bassist/vocalist Drew Murphy and Buz Hasson, tattoo artist and co-creator of the comic book "The Living Corpse".

HAMMER FIGHT's cover version of IRON MAIDEN's "Be Quick Or Be Dead" can be streamed using the StereoKiller.com widget below. New material from "Chug Of War" will be posted on Monday, February 11.

On April 4, HAMMER FIGHT will kick off its spring 2013 tour, which will take the band out of their native New Jersey and across the Midwest for a string of dates before hooking up with California skate thrash legends PSYCHOSOMATIC for one of the most liver-damaging and ear-splitting packages of 2013.

HAMMER FIGHT is:

Drew Murphy - Bass, Vocals
Ryan Blackman - Guitar
Todd Stern - Guitar
Justin Spaeth - Drums

The Associated Press is reporting:

The structure is simple, the guitar riffs basic, the lyrics at best inane, but the Troggs' 'Wild Thing' remains a garage rock classic more than 45 years after its release made The Troggs and lead singer Reg Presley international stars.
Presley, whose raunchy, suggestive voice powers this paean to teenage lust, died Monday after a year-long struggle with lung cancer that had forced him and the band into reluctant retirement, his agent Keith Altham announced on Facebook late Monday night. He was 71.

"My dear old pal Reg Presley of The Troggs died today," he said, calling Presley "one very real person in a sometimes very unreal world." He said the singer had suffered a number of strokes recently and died at his home in Andover (70 miles west of London) surrounded by his family and friends.

'Wild Thing', written by American songwriter Chip Taylor, was originally recorded by JORDAN CHRISTOPHER & THE WILD ONES in 1965, and quickly forgotten. It took the Troggs' cover a year later to make it a classic.

Read more at The Associated Press.

BLACKGATES — the East San Francisco Bay Area metal outfit featuring drummer Paul Bostaph (ex-TESTAMENT, EXODUS, SLAYER, FORBIDDEN) and guitarist Jeremy Von Epp (THE VENTING MACHINE) — has announced the addition of second guitarist Melissa Evila (pictured below) to the group's ranks.

Comments Bostaph: "Melissa came out to our first show and afterwards suggested that we get a second guitar player. Eventually, we listened to her home demos and we quickly realized that she and Jeremy write very alike. Her material is heavier than hell and she has an amazing amount of energy. She's a true metalhead and a kick-ass guitar player!"

Adds Jeremy Von Epp: "Melissa is a fantastic metal guitar player and songwriter. Her contribution to writing and even her producing skills will prove to be a great asset to the band. Watch out, this dudette can shred!! Stay tuned for some new music with this new collaboration very soon."

Former ANTHRAX singer Dan Nelson recently left BLACKGATES to concentrate full time on being a father to his newborn son along with focusing on his own musical endeavors.

BLACKGATES is actively seeking a new permanent lead vocalist. The band states: "We're looking for a full-on metalhead who can sing with some serious melodic power and edge, with a bit of gravel on the top."

Vocalist submissions in the form of demos, links and videos can be sent to Blackgatesvox@yahoo.com, subject: "VOX SEARCH."

BLACKGATES made its live debut on May 5, 2012 at Rooster's Roadhouse in Alameda, California as part of the Cinco De Mayo Metal Throwdown with guests MUDFACE, FALLING TO PIECES and ANOTHER VOID.

BLACKGATES last year parted ways with bassist Uriah Duffy (ex-WHITESNAKE) and replaced him with Luis Barillas (THE VENTING MACHINE).

BLACKGATES's first demo was recorded in the San Francisco Bay Area with producer Tim Narducci (SYSTEMATIC, SPIRALARMS). You can check out three of the tracks in the ReverbNation widget below.

Norwegian tech metallers BENEA REACH will release their third full-length offering of epic progressive metal on March 25 via Spinefarm Records. Titled "Possession", the CD was produced by BENEA REACH and Thomas Wang, then mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MNEMIC, RAUNCHY) at Antfarm Studio.

Known for his bipolar vocal ability, BENEA REACH frontman Ilkka Volume veers memorably from low belly-aching screams through to high manic shrieks — almost as if the band had a dual-vocal setup. He's excited about the new record, and can't wait for it to be heard…

"Well, it's our third and, in my eyes, the best yet," he states. "Having it released on a label like Spinefarm is great; hopefully, that means it'll reach a lot more people — they'll hear the music, check us out live, enjoy it all and spread the word!

"Heavy rock is a pretty busy genre at the moment, but I really think people will find something a bit different about us and want to discover more — and, if they can start with this new record, that'd be perfect."

The video for CD's first single, "The Mountain", shot in Norway, has been directed and animated by U.K.-based artist and filmmaker Robin Fuller.

BENEA REACH is currently in the planning stages of a full U.K. tour for 2013; European festival appearances are also being lined up.