Finnish melodic death metallers INSOMNIUM have announced their live activites for 2013.

Says the band: “We're happy to announce that Insomnium will embark for one more European tour to promote the One For Sorrow album. This time we'll join our forces with mighty MOONSPELL and visit many countries that were left out 2011- 2012, including France and Spain (see full routing below). We're excited and honored to share the stage with Moonspell, which is one of the pioneer bands of darkened gothic metal. Book your tickets in time to be sure to witness Insomnium live this year before we enter studio to record follow up for One For Sorrow.”

Insomnium and Century Media Records also just released a couple of live recordings. In order to celebrate the label’s 25th anniversary Century Media released 25 selected classic albums as special editions for a low price during their annual Metal For The Masses (MFTM) campaign. Each album is wrapped in a special o-card with a flap cover that holds an extra CD containing rare live material. Insomnium's 2011 album, One For Sorrow, is one of the few ‘modern’ classics among heavy weights like TIAMAT's immortal Wildhoney or STRAPPING YOUNG LAD’s groundbreaking City album.
The Insomnium One For Sorrow (limited MFTM 2013 edition) bonus CD features five previously unreleased live tracks recorded at Wacken 2012. Check your local dealer or order them at the following links:

Europe
North America
Live dates:

April
19 - Rennes, France - Antipode
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
3 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
4 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Arena

More on Insomnium at this location.

On the heels of their debut album, Resurgence Of Rock, BLANCAWHITE has announced the release of two new singles and an EP that are dedicated to one thing: “This year Spring Break is going to ROCK!”
The single and title track, 'Spring Break' is a total beach party, southern fried, boogie boarding, hard drinking, girls-in-bikinis rocker about spring breaks remembered and those yet to come. 'Uno Mas!' is a rock anthem to those times when you need just one more: One more drink ... One more score ... One more party! The two singles headline BlancaWhite’s new EP, Spring Break, which also includes four great party rock songs originally released on the Resurgence Of Rock album. The EP is on sale now for $3.99 on iTunes.

“The new EP is the ultimate rocking soundtrack for spring break,” says BlancaWhite’s Ken Savage. “This is vintage BlancaWhite: hard partying, fun-loving rock with no other purpose than to have a good time!”

Following the model used on the Resurgence Of Rock album, songwriters Savage and Austin Schell enlisted the talents of renowned veteran rock vocalist Jeff Paris (CINDERELLA, VIXEN, SLASH, and KEB MO) and Paul Shortino (QUIET RIOT, ROUGH CUTT and KING KOBRA) to sing lead vocals on the new singles. Paris brings his trademark energy and humor to Spring Break. Shortino and his distinctively hard rock pipes absolutely rock it out on 'Uno Mas!'.

BlancaWhite is named after the world-famous bar in Matamoros, Mexico, just across from the Texas border where Savage and Schell grew up. The band’s signature style is 70’s and 80’s “classic” rock, sung by legendary performers from that era, with lyrics and themes for the modern day.

With 'Spring Break' and 'Uno Mas!', BlancaWhite delivers two of its greatest songs yet, destined to appeal to the younger crowd heading out for Spring Break 2013.

“This is what BlancaWhite is all about,” says Savage. “Making music that resonates today using the style and talent from rock’s greatest era.”

Mixed at Yellow Dog Studios (GREEN DAY, CHARLIE SEXTON, MEAT PUPPETS) in Austin, Texas and mastered by Dave Collins (BLACK SABBATH, QUIET RIOT, LINKIN PARK) in Los Angeles, BlancaWhite’s two new singles and EP were released on January 22nd as digital downloads only on iTunes, Amazon MP3 and other digital outlets worldwide.
Spring Break EP tracklisting:

'Spring Break'
'Uno Mas!'
'Livin' It Up! (In a Mexican Bar)'
'One for the Ages'
'Your Boyfriend Is Lame'
'Resurgence of Rock'

Check out lyric videos for two tracks below:

'Spring Break':
'Uno Mas!':

STRYPER performed a headline show at House Of Blues show in Anaheim, CA on January 26th. During their set the band was joined by vocalists Tony Harnell (ex-TNT) and Jeff Scott Soto (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA); fan-filmed video is available below. Harnell performs the UFO classic 'Lights Out' and Soto does QUEEN's 'Tie Your Mother Down'.

Previously posted footage of singer Todd La Torre (QUEENSRŸCHE, CRIMSON GLORY) performing Stryper's 'Surrender' and the IRON MAIDEN classic 'The Trooper' is also available:
Frontiers Records has signed Stryper to a multi-album deal. The first release due out will be a new re-recorded collection; Second Coming will hit streets on March 22nd in Europe and March 26th in North America.

The album features sixteen tracks, including new recordings of fourteen songs from the band’s early years as well as two brand new songs recorded especially for Second Coming, and is produced by Stryper frontman Michael Sweet.

Second Coming tracklisting:

'Loud N’ Clear'
'Loving You'
'Soldiers Under Command'
'Makes Me Wanna Sing'
'First Love'
'The Rock That Makes Me Roll'
'Reach Out'
'Surrender'
'To Hell With The Devil'
'Calling On You'
'Free'
'The Way'
'Sing Along Song'
'More Than A Man'
Bleeding From Inside Out' (new song)
'Blackened' (new song)
Sweet commented, “We're really excited about this record. The re-recorded songs are sounding awesome… better than the originals in many ways! One word to describe the record? Heavier. We've hooked up with some great people - we've got new management, a great album, a great label. We just feel like everything is coming together, and hopefully some big things are to follow."

Stryper is one of the top Christian rock bands of all time. Comprised of the original line-up of Michael Sweet (vocals/guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Tim Gaines (bass), and Robert Sweet (drums), Stryper has been rocking since 1984, and is responsible for such '80s metal classic albums as Soldiers Under Command, To Hell With The Devil, In God We Trust and such MTV hit singles/videos as 'Calling On You', 'Free', and 'Honestly'.
After a sabbatical for much of the 1990's, Stryper returned strong in the early 21st century. To date, the band has sold upwards of 8 million records worldwide and is a Dove Award-winner and Grammy nominee. Stryper is the first band to have two songs in MTV’s Top 10 simultaneously.

Kenosha, Wisconsin-based four-piece death metal act JUNGLE ROT has announced that their eighth studio album will be titled Terror Regime, and will be released on March 19th via Victory Records.

Recording took place at Bell City Recording in Racine, Wisconsin with longtime friend and engineer Chris Djuricic.

"Terror Regime has lots of speed, groove and hate coming your way", warns frontman Dave Matrise.

The artwork was once again completed by Gyula Havancsák (DESTRUCTION, ANNIHILATOR, GRAVE DIGGER). Check it out below:
Pre-order packages are now available through the Victory Records web store for as low $19.98; additional items can be added at a discounted price. Order now.

Switzerland's intense black metal outfit VUYVR will release its debut album, Eiskalt, on 180 gram 12-inch vinyl on February 28th via Throatruiner Records and Blastbeat Mailmurder. The album is currently available for free download and preorder at this location.

The artwork was created by UK-based illustrator Richey Beckett and can be seen below:
Tracklisting is as follows:

‘Hoch’
‘Betrayers Of The North’
‘War Of 100 000 Centuries’
‘Disfigured By Hatred’
‘Idolatry’
‘Slaves’
‘Dead Trees Are Wandering At Night’
‘Weapons Made For Grace’
‘The Wyvern'

"Hopeless * Godless", the second full-length album by PRISTINA, is set for a February 26 release on The Path Less Traveled Records.

From Connecticut, PRISTINA grabbed the underground's ear in 2010 with the release of their debut full-length, "The Drought (Ov Salt And Sorrow)", released on French label Trendkill. A review by Cosmo Lee in Decibel magazine stated: "They are as if TODAY IS THE DAY were more overtly hardcore and metallic... The fluency and power on display is almost brazen. It's like beating a first-person shooter game using bare hands... For all its supposed edginess, heavy music rarely dares touch 'the long, dark night of the soul'. This record dives headfirst into it."

Revolver magazine described the band's sound as "a chaotic surge of hardcore intimidation, atonal riff bombardment, and sound collage psych ops" and Exclaim! magazine depicted it as "explosive, original, and downright gargantuan". PRISTINA backed up the critical praise by showing themselves to be one of the most powerful live bands in the Northeast scene, flattening crowds at Precious Metal in New York City and elswhere. And then as suddenly as they appeared, they went into hiding.

2013: PRISTINA re-emerge after a year off the grid, a year which vocalist/bassist Brendan K Duff calls "the darkest period of my life". Whatever demons Duff fought during this time, they have been immortalized in the form of a new album: "Hopeless * Godless". Rhythmically punishing, soaked in absolute despair, "Hopeless * Godless" is an immersion in darkness. The closest musical reference points can be found in metallic hardcore greats like BLOODLET, STARKWEATHER and CONVERGE, but "Hopeless * Godless" is such a personal account of pain, it is wholly its own thing. Says Duff: "'Hopeless * Godless' was a very difficult record to make, emotionally. The album is about the darkest period of my life. It is a very deliberate departure from our last album. 'The Drought (Ov Salt And Sorrow)' was fairly 'epic'. This one is raw and straight ahead."

PRISTINA consists of Duff, guitarist Mike Rabtoy, and drummer Mike Banfield.

"Hopeless * Godless" was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Duff and Rabtoy at Stu Stu Studio in Meriden, Connecticut. Comprised of six songs, clocking in at 35 minutes, the CD features the following track listing:

01. The Motherfucker
02. The Black Syph
03. The Immoralist
04. Darker (Omega)
05. Hopeless Godless
06. Malarial

Blast Head Records has announced the signing of ADE for the spring release of the ancient Roman death metal band's sophomore album, "Spartacus". The follow-up to 2009's "Prooemivm Sangvine" features a guest appearance by extreme metal drummer George Kollias (NILE).

True masters of music, ADE, formed in 2007, with the purpose of blending death metal with the traditional instruments of ancient Rome and Greece.

"When I first listened to 'Spartacus', I was instantly intrigued by the amazing song structures, production and most importantly the musicianship of ADE," comments Paul Shaw, owner of Blast Head Records. "From start to finish, 'Spartacus' grips you with musical hooks and their use of traditional Roman instruments allows you hear something new with every listen. The album is very powerful, memorable, and in all honesty, is a major contender for album of the year! I am beyond proud to have ADE on Blast Head Records to showcase their talents to the world!"

"Spartacus" track listing:

01. Betrayer FromThrace
02. Sanguine Pluit in Arena
03. The Endless Runaway
04. Crixius Flags Of Dishonor
05. Duelling The Shadow Of Spartacus
06. Mars Unpredictable Favour
07. Decimate The Coward
08. Six Thousands Crosses
09. Divinitus Victor
10. For Everything To Be The Same...

The artwork was created by Phlegeton Art Studio and can be seen below. Also available is a stream of the first single, "Duelling The Shadow Of Spartacus".

Comments Kollias: "'Spartacus' is a masterpiece… that simple! I feel blessed and honored recording the drums for this album. ADE can play great and write some of the best songs in the genre; the combination of writing, feel and musicianship is in this album outstanding; they worked very hard on each song and that shows very well. 'Spartacus' has some really unique elements and ideas that ADE combines with the best — and fresh — way possible...this is why I can’t wait to see people's reaction with this AMAZING album!!!"

ONE MACHINE is the brainchild of critically acclaimed guitarist/songwriter Steve Smyth (NEVERMORE, FORBIDDEN, DRAGONLORD, VICIOUS RUMORS). An international metal band with classic and modern influences, it features members carefully selected by Smyth: Mikkel Sandager (MERCENARY) on vocals, Jamie Hunt (BIOMECHANICAL) on guitar, Tomas "O'Beast" Koefoed (MNEMIC) on bass and Raphael Saini (CHAOSWAVE) on drums.

Smyth had often given thought to leading his own band throughout his distinguished career as a member of such bands as TESTAMENT, NEVERMORE and FORBIDDEN. He had written a number of songs for the project, but the challenge of finding the right members to bring them to life remained. After he found a more-than-capable shredding second guitarist in Jamie Hunt, the two began collaborating on the material Smyth had.

"Jamie's playing complements mine extremely well, and we hit it off perfectly when we got together to work on the songs," says Smyth.

A vocalist was found in the form of original MERCENARY singer Mikkel Sandager. His ability to sing in different ways and his readiness to be pushed into new musical territories was a perfect fit for Smyth's new band.

"When our former bands toured together, I got to witness night after night exactly what Mikkel could do; deliver a solid performance with an incredible range, as well as multiple characters in his voice," says Steve. "He's perfect for this band!"

Drummer Raphael Saini, formerly of Italian progressive metallers CHAOSWAVE, whose band Smyth had previously provided guest solos for, was next to join. During the recording process, Saini lived up to Modern Drummer's assessment of him as "a drum assassin; cold blooded, precise, and brutal." Smyth says: "Raph surprised me with his ability in delivering these tracks. He totally killed it!"

In 2012, Koefoed came on board, adding his distinctive sound to the tracks.

"Tomas is, without a doubt, one of the most solid bassists I've encountered in some time!" says Smyth. "He literally added an entirely new dimension to these songs that would not have been possible to be achieved without him."

With the lineup complete, a debut album was recorded and will be mixed shortly. The band has already been offered European festival dates, and expects to make its live debut during the summer.

SLIPKNOT fan site OpiumOfThePeople.net recently commissioned Seb from S7figures to make a completely "new and improved" figurine of late SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray.

A video clip of the new figurine can be seen below. Photos are available at OpiumOfThePeople.net.

A posting on the site reads: "This handmade #2 Paul Gray SLIPKNOT 'All Hope Is Gone' figure is just an amazing piece of art! It's 10 inches tall (26 cm), made from different materials, including polymer clay, Citadel modelling putty, resin. The bass guitar is made from real wood and it includes real guitar strings. The figure is based on the infamous orange/red jumpsuit photo shoot back from 2008. The detail is fucking awesome! And hey, wanna know what the best thing is? The best thing is that it looks much much better in real life. I mean, it's just totally insane! But the video and photos are still badass."

"I wasn't sure how this Paul Gray figure would look like in the orange jumpsuit, because, after all, SLIPKNOT has never performed in those during the 'All Hope Is Gone' tour, but man, when I first saw it in front of me, I just knew that it was the shit!"

Gray was found dead at the age of 38 in a hotel room outside Des Moines, surrounded by drug paraphernalia. His death was ruled an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl, with his autopsy showing that Gray also suffered from significant heart disease.

Gray's widow, Brenna, revealed in an April 2011 interview with Revolver that her husband had agreed to get help for his drug problem just one day before he died on May 24, 2010.

After a lengthy hiatus, SLIPKNOT resumed touring in 2011, with Donnie Steele playing bass live. The band intends to enter a recording studio sometime in 2014 to begin work on its first album without Gray.

During a recent interview with Alternative Addiction, SEVENDUST frontman Lajon Witherspoon spoke about his upcoming solo project, which he plans to begin work on after the band has completed the touring cycle in support of its ninth studio album, "Black Out The Sun".

"Once this album has taken its course and SEVENDUST slows down again, I'll start working on my solo stuff," he said.

"I feel that life and music is like a chess game, and so I'm waiting to make my next move."

Regarding what fans should expect from his solo material, Witherspoon said: "I think it will always have that SEVENDUST sound to it.

"When I sing and people hear my voice, I have to believe they'll compare it to SEVENDUST, which I don't mind, because that's where my roots are. But I think my stuff will definitely have rock and a lot more soul. SEVENDUST has a groove, but I think I'll be a little bit different. And I plan on not shutting the door to anyone who would want to work with me.

"I'm a lover of music and it doesn't have to just be one way for everything."

CALL ME NO ONE — the new project featuring SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery and drummer Morgan Rose — released its debut album, "Last Parade", on June 5, 2012. The CD's first single, "Biggest Fan", was made available to purchase on iTunes on April 24, 2012.

SEVENDUST guitarist John Connolly and bassist Vince Hornsby also launched a new project, joining forces with CREED/ALTER BRIDGE drummer Scott Phillips in a new outfit called PROJECTED.

PROJECTED's debut disc, "Human", was released on September 18, 2012 via Connolly's own Yaya Papu LLC label.

Swiss old-school thrash metal veterans 2BLACK have signed a deal with Wormholedeath/Aural Music Group. The band's debut album, "Mind Infect", will be released in the spring through Aural Music Group. The CD was recorded and mixed at Mathlab Recording Studio in Italy with producer Jonathan Mazzeo (MECHANICAL GOD CREATION, THE WAY OF PURITY) and was mastered by Christian Donaldson of CRYPTOPSY.

Commented the band: "2BLACK is very proud to announce the worldwide deal with Wormholdeath Records Italy!! A dream come true! After a lot of gigging and searching for a good company, finally 2BLACK found the correct partner in crime to go on! After the band's release of the self-produced EP, 'No Time To Die', in 2010, the appetite grow for a lot more! The cooperation with Wormholedeath and Mathlab Studio stilled the hunger for a moment. 2BLACK serve with the new album 'Mind Infect' a varied menu from melodic mid to brute uptempo old school thrash metal songs! Now the band is ready to take over!"

Added Wormholedeath A&R representative "Worm": "I know that signing old-school thrash bands has become quite a big trend between the labels, but I can assure that we haven't signed 2BLACK for the trend... We really liked their 'in-your-face' attitude, and being myself a big fan of the '80s thrash scene, I wanted to start producing a little group of releases that are related to the old thrash tradition. 2BLACK's 'Mind Infect' is the first of these really cool relesaes as their album sounds just like a group of pirates assoulting a ship, just give them a try, they will force you to headbang so hard that you'll have to go to the hospital."

The reunited METAL CHURCH — Ronny Munroe on vocals, Kurdt Vanderhoof and Jay Reynolds on guitars, Steve Unger on bass, and Jeff Plate on drums — celebrated its official reunion on board 70000 Tons Of Metal, the world's biggest heavy metal cruise.

For one of their two shows on board, they played their debut album, "Metal Church", in its entirety. The other show was a "greatest-hits" set.

Fan-filmed video footage of their performance can be seen below.

METAL CHURCH called it quits after performing at the Rocklahoma festival in July 2009 in Pryor, Oklahoma.

"This Present Wasteland", the latest album from METAL CHURCH, sold 920 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD artwork was submitted by a fan via a MySpace contest.

METAL CHURCH's previous album, "A Light in the Dark", came out in June 2006 via SPV. The LP included a new version of the classic "Watch The Children Pray" as a tribute to vocalist David Wayne, who passed away in May 2005.

KREATOR's Mille Petrozza and Doro Pesch are among the musicians who took part in an all-star jam aboard 70000 Tons Of Metal — the world's biggest heavy metal cruise — which sailed Monday, January 28 aboard the Royal Caribbean Majesty Of The Seas from Miami, Florida to Cockburn Town on Grand Turk Island, and returned to the real world last Friday, February 1. Video footage of Petrozza and Pesch performing a cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Breaking The Law" with a backing band that included ANNIHILATOR's Jeff Waters on guitar, HELLOWEEN's Markus Grosskopf on bass, André Hilgers (RAGE) on drums and Victor Smolski (RAGE) on guitar can be viewed below.

Polish death metallers LOST SOUL will release their long-awaited new double album, "Genesis XX Years Of Chaoz", on February 22. The effort, which encompasses the band's 20-year career, will include 32 songs plus two covers: METALLICA's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and PRODIGY's "Spitfire". It will be released as a double digipak CD with a 16-page booklet. A limited version with a t-shirt will also be made available.

The recordings of "Genesis XX Years Of Chaoz" took place at Hellsound Studio in Wroclaw. The CD was mixed by Arkadiusz "Malta" Malczewski (BEHEMOTH) and was mastered by Wieslawscy Bros. at Hertz Studio. The cover artwork was created Michal "Xaay" Loranc (NILE, KAMELOT), whle the rest of the layout was designed by Piotr "Szafa" Szafraniec and Endorfina Studio.

Comments LOST SOUL guitarist/vocalist Jacek Grecki: "'Genesis...' includes our older songs; that's why we decided to give those recordings an 'olds-chool' sound. The final outcome exceeded my expectations. Everything sounds perfect — you can smell hellish tar, sulphur and satan here. The idea to focus on the sound from our first demo and use recent technologies to achieve it proved ideal. The album sounds potent and spatial. Those original songs from early '90s, after the intervention of Wieslawscy Bros., sound devilish! Everything came out 769 times better than I expected. I'm sure that this double CD monster with become cult release pretty soon."

"Genesis XX Years Of Chaoz" track listing:

CD 1: "Genesis"

01. Eternal Darkness
02. Necrophil
03. Morbid Blooddrinker
04. Sacrifice Of Destiny
05. If The Dead Can Speak
06. On The Edge Of Oblivion
07. In The Moment Of Death
08. Black Forerunner
09. For Whom The Bell Tolls *
10. We Want God
11. Divine Satisfaction
12. Tabernaculum Miser
13. Spitfire **
14. Soulhunger
15. Beast Rising
16. To The New Light

* METALLICA cover
** PRODIGY cover

Running time: 65 minutes

CD 2: "Lords Of Endeavours"

01. Intro
02. Eternal Darkness
03. Necrophil
04. Morbid Blooddrinker
05. Sacrifice Of Destiny
06. The Book
07. In The Moment Of Death
08. Ill Imaginations
09. Moira
10. Lost Dreams
11. Black Forerunner
12. My Kingdom
13. Malediction
14. Entrance To Nothingness
15. Nameless
16. An Eternal Sleep
17. Lords Of Endeavours
18. Adoration Of Violet
19. The One You Seek

Running time: 70 minutes

The new song "Black Forerunner" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

In other news, LOST SOUL recently enlisted two new members: Marek Golas (guitar) and Jonathan Garofoli (drums). Grecki comments: "Current lineup equals mentally with the old one, including Adam and Piotrek. We had to wait a bit for such atmosphere within the band. I don't want to be too optimistic — life teaches you carefulness — but I hope for the best!"

Rock band SIXX: A.M. — which consists of bassist Nikki Sixx, guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael — is continuing work on material for its third album. Speaking to Loudwire, Sixx stated about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the next CD: "We've got six [songs] done, so we'll probably knock another 10 around and then we'll figure out which 10 we put on a record and then we'll figure out when we're gonna release it."

He continued: "The biggest problem for SIXX: A.M. is that I'm in MÖTLEY CRÜE. It's a great thing because people know of SIXX: A.M. because if they like me in MÖTLEY CRÜE, then they're willing to give it a listen. But, MÖTLEY CRÜE is a big machine and it's busy and it takes up a lot of time. So there's very little amount of time for me to take [SIXX: A.M.] out and tour. I think I would like to go out in 2013 and do some shows, maybe a month's worth of shows, just to kind of feel what it feels like. I think at some point I would like for SIXX: A.M. to be a bigger priority as far as a live act than it is now."

Regarding how the new material is sounding, Sixx said: "This time we really want to fly on our own. We started out the songwriting process by having conversations about how far we can push ourselves musically … Our conversations were, 'Let's go as far to the left as we can, musically,' and once we finish up a handful of songs that are pretty out there … I don't even want to use any kind of references because it'll throw people and they won't really understand what I'm talking about. But we're just taking a lot of chances musically and at this point nothing sounds at all like SIXX: A.M. that you would know, because we're taking such huge leaps of faith that we're going to land on our feet. But once we finish what we have now, we're going to start backtracking into who we are as a band that we know at least. I think you're going to end up with some songs on the album that are sort of surprising and bands that always did that for me were like QUEEN. There would be songs on QUEEN's albums that would be like, 'I can't even believe that came out of a rock band,' and that's what we want to do. We want to take those leaps of faith and in the end, we are a rock band so we'll go back to that at some point."

SIXX: A.M., made a rare appearance — its first in four years — on April 11, 2012 at Revolver Golden Gods Awards at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

As each band member has been kept busy with their other careers — Sixx is also the bassist for MÖTLEY CRÜE and a syndicated radio host; Ashba is currently touring with GUNS N' ROSES; James Michael is a famed rock producer who is currently working on new records for PAPA ROACH, HALESTORM and others — this marked the band's first chance to perform in support of their current album, "This Is Gonna Hurt", which supplied the #1 rock anthem "Lies Of The Beautiful People".

"7", the latest EP from SIXX: A.M., came out in December 2011 and sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort contained acoustic versions of songs from the group's first two albums — 2007's "The Heroin Diaries" soundtrack and 2011's "This Is Gonna Hurt".

Released on May 3, 2011, SIXX: A.M.'s sophomore album, "This Is Gonna Hurt" is a companion piece to Sixx's "This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx" book, a follow-up to his New York Times bestseller, "The Heroin Diaries".

French symphonic/gothic metallers WHYZDOM have parted ways with singer Elvyne Lorient for "professional" reasons and have replaced her with Marie Rouyer.

An eight-minute YouTube clip containing "a quick recording" of Marie's voice on four songs ("Atlantis", "The Road To Babylon", "Daughter Of The Night" and "Cathedral Of The Damned") from the band's two albums is available below.

Rouyer will make her live debut with WHYZDOM on March 8 at the Night Of The Beauties festival in Herdorf (near Siegen), Germany.

WHYZDOM's sophomore album, "Blind?", was released on October 30, 2012 via Scarlet Records. The CD was produced by Vynce Leff, recorded and mixed in Paris at Powermania Studio and mastered by Mathieu Gillon and Vynce Leff at 120dB Studio. The stunning artwork is a collaboration between X-Nihilo Design, Les Créations Vultus and Florent Cuaz.

WHYZDOM's debut album, "From The Brink Of Infinity", came out in September 2009 via Ascendance Records.

Norwegian-Spanish gothic metal band SIRENIA last fall entered the studio to record the follow-up to 2011's "The Enigma Of Life" for an early 2013 release via Nuclear Blast Records.

Commented the group: "We've been in the studio again this weekend, recording some more vocals. Now we are half way with the vocals to be finished."

SIRENIA previously stated about the group's upcoming CD: "We feel confident that the sixth SIRENIA album will have some nice surprises up its sleeve, as we‘ve been determined to make this record somewhat different from the previous two albums."

SIRENIA's latest album, "The Enigma Of Life", was released on January 21, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The band's "The End Of It All" video was once again directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among many others.

SIRENIA recruited singer Ailyn (born: Pilar Giménez García) as the replacement for Monika Pedersen, who left the group in 2007 after only one album due to "musical differences."

Ailyn is best known as a former contestant on the Spanish version of "The X Factor", the biggest television talent competition in Europe.

German heavy rockers THE NEW BLACK will release their third album, "III: Cut Loose", on March 15 via AFM Records. The effort will be made available in different configurations, including a "big, fat digipak" with loads of bonus tracks. According to a press release, "There's also talk of guest singers, free downloads and video clips with nasty spiders and middlefingers."

"III: Cut Loose" was once again recorded and produced by the bandmembers themselves. Mixing duties were handled by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, PRETTY MAIDS) who commented: "These guys completely floored me with their stylish mix of both modern metal and vintage rock 'n' roll. This is a band that could get big if things are done the right way!" The CD finds the band finetuning their signature style while keeping heaviness and catchiness fully intact.

THE NEW BLACK's music has been described in the past in the following way: "This is our kind of party: BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bring the booze, PANTERA spice it up, THIN LIZZY add some taste, and ALTER BRIDGE smooth it over before METALLICA turn it black. And you can be there, too!"

In April, THE NEW BLACK will embark on the "Rock'n'Roll Overdose" tour alongside PSYCHOPUNCH, MOTORJESUS, '77 and SUPERCHARGER.

THE NEW BLACK's sophomore CD, "II: Better In Black", came out in January 2011 in Europe via AFM.

THE NEW BLACK is:

Fludid (Vocals)
Christof "Leimsen" Leim (Guitar)
Fabian "Fabs" Schwarz (Guitar)
Günt (Bass)
Chris Weiß (Drums)

The official BLACK STAR RIDERS logo, designed by "the extremely talented" Paul Tippett at Vitamin P Design in the U.K., can be seen below.

BLACK STAR RIDERS is the new band formed by THIN LIZZY alumni Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso (ALICE COOPER, MEGADETH, DAVID LEE ROTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) on drums. The group entered a studio in Thousand Oaks, near Los Angeles, on January 7 with producer Kevin Shirley (LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, RUSH) to begin recording its debut album for a May release via Nuclear Blast. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "All Hell Breaks Loose", "Someday Salvation", "Bound For Glory", "Kingdom Of The Lost" and "Hoodoo Voodoo".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brazilian metallers ANGRA tapped acclaimed Italian vocalist Fabio Lione (VISION DIVINE, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, KAMELOT) to front the band for their appearance aboard 70000 Tons Of Metal, the world's biggest heavy metal cruise, which sailed Monday, January 28 from Miami, Florida and returned to the real world on Friday, February 1. Fan-filmed video footage of their performance can be seen below.

Singer Eduardo "Edu" Falaschi quit ANGRA in May 2012. He explained in a statement, "There comes a moment in a man's life when it is necessary to make a radical decision in order to move forward with dignity and renewed energy."

Falaschi joined ANGRA in 2000 and appeared on the band's last four studio albums — 2001's "Rebirth", 2004's "Temple Of Shadows", 2006's "Aurora Consurgens" and 2010's "Aqua".

ANGRA has yet to announce a permanent replacement for Falaschi, who is focusing on ALMAH and other projects.

ALMAH — the Brazilian metal band led by former ANGRA singer Eduardo "Edu" Falaschi — has announced the addition of bassist Raphael Dafras to the group's ranks.

Dafras previously recorded and produced the "A New Beginning" solo album from Germán Pascual (NARNIA).

ALMAH 2013 is:

Edu Falaschi - Vocals
Marcelo Barbosa - Guitar
Marcelo Moreira - Drums
Gustavo Di Padua - Guitar
Raphael Dafras - Bass

A photo of ALMAH's new lineup can be seen below.

ALMAH's "Living And Drifting" video can be seen below The clip was filmed in Sao Paulo and directed by producer, musician and composer Diogo Araújo from Under Control Filmes, who is well known in Brazil for his work with more mainstream artists. The video is based on a certain concept and is expected to be the most significant visual production in the history of the band.

"Living And Drifting" comes off ALMAH's third studio album, "Motion", which was released in Europe in October 2011 via AFM Records. The CD was recorded in May-June 2011 at Norcal Studios in São Paulo, Brazil and was mixed and mastered in July 2011 at Split Second Sound Studios in Amsterdam, Netherlands by Jochem Jacobs (TEXTURES).

Scott Travis (drums) and Richie Faulkner (guitar) of JUDAS PRIEST and Jeff Martin (vocals) of RACER X joined Los Angeles glam-metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER on stage on January 21 at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California to perform the PRIEST classic "You've Got Another Thing Comin'". Fan-filmed video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

Faulkner was in IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris' daughter Lauren Harris' band prior to being tapped for PRIEST. Richie was previously described by JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford in a Billboard.com interview as "a phenomenal talent" and "a tremendous boost and a relief as well. There are a lot of different feelings we went through [after original guitarist K.K. Downing's departure], But Richie is out there night after night, tearing up the stage and delivering the goods, as we like to say."

In addition to Martin, RACER X features in its ranks Scott Travis and MR. BIG guitarist Paul Gilbert. The band released its latest studio album, "Getting Heavier", in 2002.

Dutch thrashers LEGION OF THE DAMNED will enter Stage One Studio in Bühne, Germany in March with producer Andy Classen (TANKARD, KRISIUN, HOLY MOSES) to begin recording its new album, "Ravenous Plague", for a late 2013 release via Napalm Records. Andy previously produced LEGION OF THE DAMNED's CDs "Feel The Blade", "Malevolent Rapture", "Sons Of The Jackal" and "Cult Of The Dead". However, the band's last LP, "Descent Into Chaos", was helmed by Peter Tägtgren at the Abyss studio in Sweden.

Commented LEGION OF THE DAMNED vocalist Maurice Swinkels: "Peter was a super experience to us and it was a hell of a great time. For me, it was a personal thing; I was curious to hear the result with a different producer other than Andy Classen, but the beating heart of LEGION OF THE DAMNED lies in Bühne, the home town of Stage One Studio in Germany."

Adds LEGION OF THE DAMNED drummer Erik Fleuren: "Many of the succesful albums of LEGION OF THE DAMNED were produced by Andy Classen and therefore we build such a strong team with him. He can truly push us to our limits, and that's what we need."

LEGION OF THE DAMNED also believes that since it's their first album with guitarist Twan van Geel, it's a good decision to choose a familiar environment. Former guitarist Richard Ebisch left the band more than a year ago, after serving the band since 1994, although he was to be seen as the mastermind behind all the typical LEGION OF THE DAMNED riffs.

Maurice says fans can still expect a true LEGION OF THE DAMNED album.

"Richard was the only guitarist, but writing new material in LEGION OF THE DAMNED was never a one-man job or decision — everyone is involved. Therefore, even with Twan van Geel on the heavy strings, fans can expect a typical LEGION OF THE DAMNED album since we definitely stay true to our style, although it will have its own special twist, of course, since Twan has its own style of playing."

Maurice adds: "We can't wait to record the new album, 'Ravenous Plague'. It will definitely feel as if we are 'coming home'."

Says Andy Classen: "I'm really glad to get the Legions back to stage one studio — I always felt like a band member and I love the band and their music. So now we're looking forward to do another killer LEGION OF THE DAMNED album!"

Once again, Tony "Skullcrusher" Manero is responsible for the lyrical content of the new album. The lyrics will deal with various aspects of apocalypticism, with what happens when society falls apart when everything lies in ruins and how people manage to survive.

LEGION OF THE DAMNED is:

Maurice Swinkels - Vocals
Twan van Geel - Guitar
Harold Gielen - Bass
Erik Fleuren - Drums
Hein Willekens - Guitar

Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH have enlisted former CANDLEMASS singer Messiah Marcolin to lay down guest vocals on their new album, due in June via Metal Blade Records. The CD is being helmed by British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with (MEGADETH, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD, ARCH ENEMY and ACCEPT.

A couple of photos from the studio sessions in England with Marcolin can be seen below.

Regarding AMON AMARTH's decision to work with Sneap after utilizing Jens Bogren for the band's last three studio efforts (2006's "With Oden On Our Side", 2008's "Twilight Of The Thunder God" and 2011's "Surtur Rising"), AMON AMARTH guitarist Olavi Mikkonen told Decibel magazine, "We were looking for a change, and Andy has been in our thoughts for some years now. After meeting with him, we felt a good connection. We think this is going to be a ripper."

AMON AMARTH's eighth studio album, "Surtur Rising", sold around 15,000 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, "Twilight of the Thunder God", opened with more than 11,000 copies back in 2008 to land at No. 48.

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach is collaborating with ROB ZOMBIE/ex-MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5 on music for Bach's next solo album.

Says Sebastian: "People really got off on the [John 5-co-penned] track 'TunnelVision' from [Bach's last solo CD] 'Kicking & Screaming'. Well I am happy to report that once again I will be teaming up with Jonn 5 on new songs for the next album. We are both lookng forward to it! Along with [songwriting collaborations with] Steve Stevens [BILLY IDOL] and [Bach's new guitarist] Jeff George, there is going to be some superior axe shredding going on the new disc! Coming your way SOON!"

Bach's brand new CD/DVD package, "ABachalypse Now", will be released in North America on March 26 via Frontiers Records. The "ABachalypse Now" Ultimate CD/DVD Edition includes never-before-seen footage from last year's Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Dessel, Belgium, the full never-before-seen Hellfest set from France and the fully-remixed and remastered Nokia show from Los Angeles (originally broadcast on AXS TV), as well as bonus music videos. The DVD contains a running time of nearly 160 minutes. "ABachalypse Now" will be available in two configurations: the Ultimate CD/DVD Edition (2 CDs + DVD) and a standalone DVD.

According to Sebastian, "ABachalypse Now" will include "special guest appearances by Jinxx from BLACK VEIL BRIDES, Roy Z (HALFORD), and Brent Woods (VINCE NEIL)."

Bach's most recent solo album, "Kicking & Screaming", sold 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 73 on The Billboard 200 chart. The singer's previous CD, "Angel Down", opened with 6,400 units back in November 2007 to debut at No. 190.

Finland's RadioCity.fi recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER). You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

Asked if it ever feels like there is "bad karma" following him because both his previous bands fell apart due to disagreements with their respective lead singers, Slash said: "No, I never looked at it that way, because I feel blessed that I got to work with probably two of the best singers out there. You know — especially in GUNS N' ROSES, I mean, obviously. And so what you've gotta do is you have to take the good with the bad. It's just after a while, it got to be impossible [laughs] to get anything really sort of done. But I appreciate the fact that I got the opportunity to be able to do what we did do, ya know.

Interview (audio):

Brazilian traditional heavy metallers HELLISH WAR have inked a deal with Germany's Pure Steel Records. The band's new studio album, "Keep It Hellish", will be released later in the year.

Produced by Ricardo Piccoli at PiccoliStudio in Biella, Italy, "Keep It Hellish" will mark the recording debut of HELLISH WAR's new vocalist, Bil Martins, and will include the tracks "Keep It Hellish", "The Challenge", "Reflects On The Blade", "Fire And Killing", "Scars (Underneath Your Skin)", "Masters Of Wreckage", "Phanton Ship", "The Quest", "Darkness Ride" and "Battle At Sea".

HELLISH WAR previously signed with Pure Steel in 2009 for the re-release of the band's first two albums in Europe. A live album, "Live In Germany", followed in 2010.

In October, HELLISH WAR will embark on its second European tour.

Since the release of the debut album "To Solemn Ash" (Exile On Mainstream) in October 2011, Danish metallers RISING have had an active year, playing over 50 shows, including two European tours, festival appearances at Spot (Denmark), Copenhell (Denmark) and Hultsfred (Sweden) and co-headlining the Danish MTV Headbangers Ball Tour in November. In between shows, RISING has been busy writing material for its second album, to be recorded in the spring this year. More precise details on the recording and release of the second album will follow at a later date.

In May, RISING will head to Germany to play three dates for which the band will team up with their friends and fellow Danes in THE KANDIDATE. Lead by former HATESPHERE singer Jacob Bredahl, THE KANDIDATE has shown on their two albums, and on tours with ENTOMBED and TRAP THEM, among others., that they are a considerable force in heavy music with their aggressive bastard of punk and metal. As for RISING, the setlist on the upcoming German dates will premiere new songs from the forthcoming album, along with material from the band's previous releases.

Game Over Cycles, the Polish company which specializes in the construction of custom motorcycles and vintage cars restoration, has announced a collaboration with the country's veteran extreme metallers BEHEMOTH.

Commented Game Over Cycles: "This moment has finally come. We are proud to announce unique project which will combine the automotive world with the world of music. Today we officially begin construction of a custom bike endorsed by the global Polish icon of metal music — BEHEMOTH. Behemoth Bike, as the project is initially called, will be a powerful dark machine with exceptional technical parameters and unprecedented ornamentation. Completion of construction is scheduled for May."

Check out a trailer for the Behemoth Bike below.

Joe Charupakorn of Premier Guitar recently conducted an interview with legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Premier Guitar: What prompted the decision to play all of the instruments on "Spellbound"?

Yngwie: There was no reason why it happened this way. It just happened. I got inspired, started recording stuff, and all of a sudden it was done.

Premier Guitar: It may come across as a surprise to some that you also played the drum tracks on the album.

Yngwie: When I was a kid, I played drums, and when I first got a 4-track, I would put down drumbeats and then do the rest of the tracks on top. For this album, it was live triggered drums. It was quantized a little bit to make sure it was perfect.

Premier Guitar: "Spellbound", the title track, seems more direct and less epic than some of the other selections. How do you decide when to really go all out or when to keep things simpler?

Yngwie: Some of the tracks were really demanding to put together but they're mind-blowing when I listen back. "Spellbound" has a lot of guitar playing on it, obviously, but I wanted to keep it with a more straightforward beat. It doesn't have so many stops and things like that. Whereas if you listen to "Majestic 12", that's like a little symphony.

Premier Guitar: "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" and "Iron Blues" showcase your bluesy side. Did you include these to appease the naysayers?

Yngwie: [laughs] I wish I could say "yes." I'm very selfish. I make music that I love because I only live once and I'm an artist. I don't try to revolt against anybody and I don't try to please anybody. I feel very strongly that I if love it someone else will love it — not everybody though. To quote Niccolò Paganini, "One must feel strongly to make others feel strongly."

Premier Guitar: But you don't seem like a guy who'd enjoy listening to the blues.

Yngwie: Well, no. I always include one in my shows but I wouldn't want to play more than one blues song either. A lot of people don't know this but I started out as a blues-based player and then when I realized after playing 18 hours a day that there's more than five notes per scale, that's when my stuff became what it was. I started listening to violinists and flautists and that's how my style evolved. It's such a funny thing that people think that I got the classical influence from Ritchie Blackmore. If you listen to him, he plays nothing but the blues. But I think the blues is important and you need to have that in you no matter what else you like to do. It's like a basic function that's necessary.

Premier Guitar: It seems that what separates you from your countless clones, even the really famous ones, is that while you grew up listening to classical music those guys mainly came about classical music secondhand through you.

Yngwie: That's a very good observation, my friend. I think so, too. When I was 11 or 12, I was into DEEP PURPLE and the blues. I broke away from that and got into things like harmonic minor, Phrygian, diminished, counterpoint, pedal tones, and arpeggios. It's like when a blues player naturally improvises the blues, I do the same thing but in a neoclassical way. Bach, Vivaldi and Paganini became my influences and have been for such a long time now that I don't even have to think about it.

Read the entire interview from Premier Guitar.