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.

California metallers BLEEDING THROUGH will be rejoined by their original guitarist Scott Danough on the European leg of their farewell tour.

Commented BLEEDING THROUGH frontman Brandan Schieppati: "Very excited to bring an original member to the last European tour. We are bringing back Scott Danough on guitar. I started BLEEDING THROUGH with Scott in the summer of 2000. Glad he can be part of the tour with us."

Prior to going their separate ways, BLEEDING THROUGH will embark on one final tour spanning North America, Europe and Australia.

In an exclusive statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Schieppati stated about BLEEDING THROUGH's decision to disband: "We have been a band since 1999, and many of us just had life catch up with us in the way of marriages, kids, businesses and other endeavors. We can no longer dedicate what we need to to keep BLEEDING THROUGH going.

"Personally, I feel doing this band in a part-time fashion is not what this band is about and and feel like we have always been an all-or-nothing band. With that being said, and because we have established a worldwide following over the last 14 years, we want to give us and those people one more chance to share in this music together.

Fan-filmed video footage of THE SOUTHERN CROSS performing the DIO song "Lock Up The Wolves" aboard Sweden's Rock At Sea cruise on November 16-17, 2012 can be seen below.

Before legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio died in May 2010, his former guitarist Rowan Robertson got in touch with a Norwegian drummer, Rick Hagan, and started talking about doing a few shows featuring the material from Rowsn's period in DIO, which Ronnie had not played for 20 years. With bassist Are Gogstad and singer Nils Patrik Johansson, the lineup was stable and toured in Norway twice under the name QUEENSTREET. But there was one part missing, and with the addition of 25-year BLACK SABBATH member Geoff Nicholls, THE SOUTHERN CROSS became the natural representation of what DIO musically stood for in the Eighties and early Nineties.

THE SOUTHERN CROSS's 2012 tour saw the band visiting highlights from RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and DIO. Songs like "Man On The Silver Mountain", "Falling Off The Edge Of The World", "Lock Up The Wolves", "Don't Talk To Strangers" and, of course, the classics "Heaven And Hell" and "Holy Diver" were all featured in the concerts.

The full lineup of the band is as follows:

* Rowan Robertson (DIO, DC4) - Guitar
* Nils Patrik Johansson (ASTRAL DOORS, LION'S SHARE) - Vocals
* Are Gogstad (PAUL DI'ANNO, RIPPER OWENS, A.S.C.) - Bass
* Rick Hagan (PAUL DI'ANNO, RIPPER OWENS, 21ST CENTURY ROX) – Drums
* Geoff Nicholls (BLACK SABBATH) - Keyboards

According to Hagan, THE SOUTHERN CROSS hopes to get together late this year or early next year for more tour dates.

In the late 1980s Robertson heard that Ronnie James Dio was looking for a new guitarist. He sent a tape to the record company Phonogram. After six months of waiting, he got a reply that stated that at that moment they were not interested in him. At the encouragement of his friend and fellow guitarist Sean Manning (HURRICANE) the tenacious Robertson then contacted the DIO fan club who then asked him to send his demo tape to them.

Robertson, who was 17 years old at the time, got a great response from DIO after receiving the demo through the fan-club channels. In late January or early February 1989 Robertson was flown to Los Angeles for an audition with DIO. He was auditioned twice. Immediately after the second audition he was invited to join the band. The press-release for the addition of Robertson to DIO was sent out on July 18, 1989 and the press was invited to meet the newest DIO guitarist on July 20, 1989 at Oliver's Pub in New York City.

The first DIO album Robertson started working on with DIO was "Lock up the Wolves". These sessions included Jimmy Bain, Vinny Appice and Jens Johansson. The band had already begun writing and recording when Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice were suddenly excused from the band. They were replaced with Teddy Cook and former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright.

"Lock up the Wolves" was released in 1990, and the band embarked on a tour in support of the album.

Robertson stayed with DIO until Ronnie James Dio rejoined BLACK SABBATH in 1991.

Dio and Robertson had been writing songs for an album to be released in May 1991 which ended up being shelved. When the DIO band was put on ice, Robertson started work on an instructional video for guitar players. It was released on Star Licks in July or August 1991. He then teamed up with vocalist Oni Logan (ex-LYNCH MOB) and drummer Jimmy Paxson (from TRIANGLE) and began to write and record on an album together for Atlantic Records.

‘Master Of Confusion’ and ‘Empire Of The Undead’ are the first two new studio songs by Gamma Ray to be released after the successful studio album “To The Metal!” which brought Gamma Ray at the highest positions in the charts worldwide.

“We have been away for quite some time”, declared guitarist and founding member Kai Hansen. “We have released what we consider a very beautiful live product, ‘Live – Skeletons and Majesties’, but we felt it was time to release some new music by the Rayz…
Yes, we planned to have an album ready by now but deadlines are not our best friends. No, seriously, although we have already started working on the new album, we did not want to wait any longer and thought we should let the fans listen to these two new songs before the world tour with Helloween. We have also recorded cover versions of two songs we have always loved and… before anybody could say that a CD can feature more minutes of music… we are also releasing the live material recorded for the ‘Skeletons’ Blu-ray that could not be included on the live CD.
OK, it’s not a new album. But it’s 60 minutes of music… call it the longest single in metal, if you like!”

With its 60 minutes of pure and raw Gamma Ray, “Master Of Confusion” is a great way to wait for the new album, scheduled for the end of 2013. Coinciding with the start of the “Hellish Rock, Part II” tour, “Master of Confusion” will be released on March 15th, 2013 via earMUSIC.
Gamma Ray always takes its music and the relationship with their fans very seriously, and the band wanted this release to be priced as a mid price mini-album.

Kai & co. are not afraid to celebrate their peculiarity with humour and irony.
Reading the lyrics of the song ‘Master Of Confusion’ not too many clarifications are necessary…
Gamma Ray are indeed the masters of confusion, a trait all the fans and also the music industry had no option than to accept and appreciate. They bring chaos to other people’s lives, they miss important deadlines, they reschedule the release of the desperately awaited new long player, but they never miss a show, they never let a fan down, and in a world of calculated and career-driven rock stars, they are among the few remaining honest true heavy metal heroes.

Excerpt of ‘Master Of Confusion’:

No matter where I'm going
And anywhere I roam
I am the master of confusion

Maybe you'll see me coming
Or maybe I just don't
I am the master of… confusion

The label’s calling, boys are you done?
The deadline's past, time to deliver
I am so sorry, we're running late
Some unexpected ghost in the machinery

[…]
Whenever I am closing in
Your peaceful life goes in the bin
Let chaos begin

In addition to the brand new studio song, “Master Of Confusion” features a second new studio track: ‘Empire Of The Undead’, showing the heavier side of the band, with an explosion of energy and pure Gamma Ray sound at its best.
The release is not free from tasty rarities: a brand new studio cover versions of British Glam Rock band Sweet (‘Lost Angels’ - “the reason I have joined a band many years ago”, stated Hansen) and a hidden treasure of NWOBHM (‘Death Or Glory’ by Holocaust).

“Master Of Confusion” is rounded off with six live versions (‘The Spirit,’ ‘Wings Of Destiny,’ ‘Farewell,’ ‘Gamma Ray,’ ‘Time To Break Free’ and ‘Insurrection’ recorded in Bochum) that were already included on the Blu-ray “Live – Skeletons and Majesties” but were not featured on the CD release (which included the show recorded in Pratteln).

Tracklist
A Side
1. Empire Of The Undead (new studio track)
2. Master Of Confusion (new studio track)
B Side
3. Death Or Glory (Holocaust studio cover version)
4. Lost Angels (Sweet studio cover version)
C Side*
5. The Spirit / 6. Wings Of Destiny / 7. Gamma Ray
8. Farewell / 9. Time To Break Free / 10. Insurrection
*Recorded live in Bochum.

Order "Master of Confusion" here!

Addition for the USA: "Master Of Confusion" will be released as a digital bundle only in the US on Tuesday, 19th of March 2013.

TREES OF ETERNITY, SWALLOW THE SUN writer and guitarist Juha Raivio's female-fronted side project with singer Aleah Stanbridge, will enter Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden on February 24 to begin recording its debut album. The CD will be produced by Jens Bogren (OPETH, PARADISE LOST, KATATONIA, DAYLIGHT DIES, SWALLOW THE SUN, DRACONIAN, SOILWORK) and engineered by Johan Örnborg. The drums on the album will be played by Kai Hahto (SWALLOW THE SUN, WINTERSUN), with the rest of the instruments set to be laid down during March.

A promotional video for the demo version of the TREES OF ETERNITY acoustic song "Sinking Ships" can be seen below.

TREES OF ETERNITY last year signed a publishing deal with AMF Music — a U.K.-based servicing publishing company that also offers management services, synchronization opportunities and additional marketing.

TREES OF ETERNITY's musical style is described in a press release as "down-tempo, doom/death inspired melancholia with ghostly female vocals." The full band's recording lineup will include three more musicians (whose identities will not be revealed until album recording details are released), as well as some acclaimed guest musicians.

TREES OF ETERNITY came into being when Raivio and Stanbridge got together in the studio to work on the song "Lights On The Lake" for SWALLOW THE SUN's album "New Moon". The plan was to to feature Aleah's vocals on part of the song already prepared by Juha, but when they instead began to experiment with a vocal line Aleah had written for the occasion, the session quickly headed off in a new direction and the project took on a life of its own.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/treesofeternity.

Alberta power thrashers EDGE OF ATTACK will release their self-titled debut album via Nova Scotia label Spread The Metal Records on February 19th.

The band has debuted the music video, directed by Karen Michelle Meola, in support of their second single 'In Hell'. Check it out below:
Produced by EAO guitarist/vocalist Jurekk Whipple, the debut features ten tracks of haunting vocals, shredding guitars, complex bass lines, furious drumming plus choral and symphonic arrangements along with guest artists by solo artist Ivan Gianinni, Ryan Boivard (HALLOWS DIE) and Pellek (DAMNATION ANGELS).
Edge Of Attack tracklisting:
'In Hell'
'The Haunting'
'Demon (Of The Northern Seas)' feat. Ivan Giannini
'Take Me Alive'
'In The Night'
'Edge Of Attack'
'Rise Above'
'Forever'
'The Damned' feat. Ryan Bovaird
'Set The World Aflame' feat. Pellek

The track 'Forever' can be heard below:

"Face The Evil", the new video from Belgium's BLIKSEM, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's debut album, which will be released on February 25 (three days earlier in Germany) via Alone Records. Combining blistering tandem guitars, thrashing drums, pounding bass and furious vocals, the resulting eight songs not only explore themes including revenge, oppression and madness but also celebrate the timeless glory of metal. Mastering was done by Herbrand Larsen (ENSLAVED) at the Earshot Studio in Bergen, Norway.

A CD-release party for "Face The Evil" will be held on March 2 at Trix in Antwerp, Belgium.

Lightning is one of the most spectacular displays in nature. Bolt temperatures hotter than the sun. Shockwaves radiating out in all directions. In Dutch, this deadly natural phenomenon is called "bliksem." A fitting name for an electrifying five-piece thrash band from Antwerp.

In late 2008, their quest to find a singer on par with Chuck Billy or Dave Mustaine took an unexpected and brilliant turn with the arrival of Peggy Meeussen. Her commanding razor-edged vocals are reminiscent of the late Dawn Crosby (DÉTENTE, FEAR OF GOD) and Nicole Lee (ZNÖWHITE), slicing through the existing legions of goth or guttural female-fronted bands.

BLIKSEM quickly established a strong live reputation playing dozens of youth centers and local metal and rock festivals around Belgium and soon moved up to bigger stages.

In 2010, the band recorded its first EP, which got rave reviews in numerous magazines/e-zines such as Germany's Rock Hard, Aardschok, Lords Of Metal, France's Rock Hard and Rock Tribune as well as alternative-oriented press. Critics praised the quality thrash and some went as far to declare BLIKSEM the best thing to happen to the genre in years.

In 2011, BLIKSEM expanded its horizon, playing shows in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, along with a fiercely convincing performance at Slovenia's Metalcamp festival.

The band went on to play Holland's Paaspop, which featured fellow heavy acts like HELL, ENSLAVED and ACCEPT as well as Dutch chart-toppers, and the renowned Eindhoven Metal Meeting (with EXODUS, HEATHEN, IMMORTAL and other metal greats). The momentum continued, and BLIKSEM was asked to support CHANNEL ZERO, ANGEL WITCH, VANDERBUYST and PRONG. Meanwhile, BLIKSEM created a buzz in the leading alternative media in the Benelux, including 3voor12/VPRO and Kindamuzik.nl, which called them one of the bands to watch in 2012-2013.

Singer Todd La Torre has officially quit Florida metal veterans CRIMSON GLORY.

La Torre, who joined QUEENSRŸCHE in June 2012 as the replacement for Geoff Tate, became an official member of CRIMSON GLORY in April 2010 and has played a number of shows with the band during the past two and a half years.

A "raw" version of a new CRIMSON GLORY demo track entitled "Garden Of Shadows" was released last September and was supposed to appear on the band's new concept record, which was expected sometime this year.

"We were writing the new album and things were looking good," La Torre says in a statement. "We had interest from two major European labels, which was very promising. I was very honored and proud that we were on the rise, and the fans were embracing all that we were doing. We had wonderful momentum and we were working within an important window of time within which the new record should have been recorded and released to have the most impact given the bands resurgence. Unfortunately, the record never materialized despite my best efforts."

He continued: "My involvement with QUEENSRŸCHE had nothing to do with the album progress. I haven’t been contacted to write with CRIMSON GLORY for over six months. As a band, our writing sessions were slow, eventually becoming non-existent before I ever joined QUEENSRŸCHE. During the specific timeframe that I was in talks with QUEENSRŸCHE, members of CRIMSON GLORY were simultaneously occupied by other external and internal endeavors that apparently absorbed the time and/or will away from CRIMSON GLORY, which is not fallacious per se, but it proceeded in passivity. The main reason for my resignation from CRIMSON GLORY is primarily due to its inertia status.

"CRIMSON GLORY was the catalyst that exposed me to the world as an undiscovered vocalist, and I am very thankful to them. Special thanks also to the amazing fans for their acceptance and support of not only CRIMSON GLORY, but their continued support to me as an artist. Lastly, I sincerely wish my friends in CRIMSON GLORY the absolute very best, both personally and professionally."

La Torre made his first public appearance with CRIMSON GLORY at ProgPower USA X as one of seventeen guest performers paying tribute to Midnight, the band's original singer.

Essentially unknown to the mainstream progressive metal scene, La Torre spent 22 years earning his stripes and solidifying himself as an unquestionable talent behind the drum kit of various hard rock and heavy metal projects in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. However, his vocal aspirations went largely unfulfilled until 2009 when Matt LaPorte (JON OLIVA'S PAIN), who had only heard La Torre sing on a few occasions, casually mentioned to CRIMSON GLORY guitarist Jon Drenning that he might make a nice addition to the already stellar lineup of performers the band had accumulated. It was only a short time later that La Torre found himself at the band's rehearsal studio, and the pieces began to fall into place.

Midnight passed away in 2009 due to long-term health complications.

La Torre, who says that QUEENSRŸCHE has been his favorite band since he was 15 years old, first met QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton at last year's NAMM convention in January in Anaheim, California.